What do you carry on you?

[BB8730]

Every time I do laundry, like today, I am reminded how much stuff I carry in my EMT pants. Here's what I've accumulated over the years:

Trauma shears

BHI tourniquet belt

Kershaw fixed-blade rescue knife

Kelly forceps

Fenix E21 LED flashlight

2-3 pens
Tape
Gum (for calls in the middle of the night when I have morning breath)
2-3 pairs of gloves

What do you guys carry when you're working on the ambulance?

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[docB]

Yay for the old school penny cutters. I carry those. I like them better than the new fangled bladed shears. I can get through a windshield with the penny cutters.

I don't like the LED lights. They're so bright they're really painful for patients when you check pupils. I carry a AA Maglite. If I spent more time in areas with bad lighting I'd probably carry both. LED for lighting and AA for pupils.

 

[BB8730]

If I spent more time in areas with bad lighting I'd probably carry both. LED for lighting and AA for pupils.

I carry mine for lighting. We cover some extremely rural areas where some cabins and houses don't have electricity. A few years back I was fumbling around in the dark on an apneic OD patient call and almost stuck myself on a crack needle. Now I carry a very bright flashlight.

 

[Deranged Medic]

I always carry 2 pens (I seem to lose about 1 a day), a protocol quick-sheet, and a watch. My first in bag has everything else I need.

 

[alpinism]

Every day:
3 pens
Small notepad
Keychain maglite
Leatherman

On shift/Ambulance:
all the above plus
shears
tape
4 pairs gloves
Gerber Hinderer rescue knife
medical Spanish pocketbook

Also have an old QuickClot in 1 pocket that needs to be thrown out...some day

 

[BB8730]

Gerber Hinderer rescue knife

How do you like that knife? I was thinking of getting something like that.

I love my fixed-blade knife but it's a little too bulky to carry around in my pocket. The holster has a belt clip but I look a little too Rambo carrying a big knife on my belt.

 

[alpinism]

I like it. Used the windowpunch and seatbelt cutter half a dozen times and its worked great so far. The blade is solid and easy to open as well. Unfortunately it is a bit on the big/heavy side for carrying around in a pocket (cargo pockets might work) and you'll prob want to put it on the belt. However, its not that bulky or noticeable in the belt sheath.

 

[BB8730]

I like it. Used the windowpunch and seatbelt cutter half a dozen times and its worked great so far. The blade is solid and easy to open as well. Unfortunately it is a bit on the big/heavy side for carrying around in a pocket (cargo pockets might work) and you'll prob want to put it on the belt. However, its not that bulky or noticeable in the belt sheath.

Cool - thanks for the response.

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[WuMedic]

On Duty I have:

Wallet, Rescue Tool/Knife (Assisted open) in right thigh pocket
Tissues (I get sniffles from allergies a lot), ear buds (rural area, response times can be 30 minutes plus, returning from the hospital can be 45 minutes plus) in right cargo pocket
cell phone (very old), ipod touch in left thigh pocket
left cargo pocket is used for trash
left rear pocket is my notepad
pen pocket has pens (x2), trauma shears (old penny cutters), mini mag lite (though i often don't carry this anymore b/c we have a big one on the truck now)
radio goes on my right rear pocket on the strap that runs across the pocket, and keys on a caribeaner on a right belt loop.

Why a fixed blade knife? The folding ones seem safer to me...

 

[BB8730]

Why a fixed blade knife? The folding ones seem safer to me...

Extreme strength/durability. I've broken a few folding knives so I decided to try a fixed-blade. It's 10 times more durable than any folding knife I've ever had, but then again, I haven't forked out $60+ for a good folding knife like the Gerber Hinderer. It has a hard locking sheath so it's plenty safe. My only complaint is that it's too big.

 

[nyqs81]

Left Pocket:

Knife/Rescue Tool
Emesis bags (I learned to always have two on me)
4x4s

Back Right Pocket:

Three pairs of rolled up exam gloves
Police gloves (for psychs)

Right Pocket:
Angios
Microbore traps
Pens

I also have my shears and tape on the right side.

 

[BB8730]

Emesis bags (I learned to always have two on me)

That's a really good idea... not sure why I've never thought of that. I've been puked on a few times while fumbling through the big bag to find an emesis bag. I'll have to start carrying that too.

I've also started carrying safety glasses in one of my pockets. It seems like the glasses on the rigs are never quickly accessible when I need them.

 

[gimghoul]

I carry trauma shears, gloves, a small headlight, and a pen.

 

[Dwindlin]

A couple pens.

 

[AlmostJesus]

Left cargo pocket
Stethoscope - I hate carrying it around my neck

Right cargo pocket
Rite in the Rain note pad (I usually use that on transfers and my glove on calls)
LED Flashlight
Roll of tape with a tourniquet in the middle
Watch (don't like it on my wrist, but I use it when I need a second hand)
External loops on the right side
LED Penlight for pupils
Carpuject holder for my narcs
Trauma shears

I usually carry a pen in the collar of my polo

On my belt I carry a pager and a radio - since the switch to digital radios our radios cut in and out, so we need the pagers to be able to hear our calls.

 

[deleted92121]

I am a minimalist.

Trauma Shears
Stethoscope
Pen x 2

Anything else I need can easily be grabbed from the bag.

 

[Oenak]

 

[firedup0311]

One pen.

 

[Firegrove]

I carry gloves and two pens (the color of the pens have to be contrasting)--everything else is in the first up bag.

 

[RoadNurse33]

I wore a bro, so in the front pouch I had a vial of zofran with syringe taped together, a 1mL syringe with filter needle taped together, roll of tape, and alcohol prep pads, 3 and 5mL syringes and one 10mL flush.
I had a little loop for my streamlight stylus pro flashlight on the top of the manzeire, clipped my radio on the other side, and had a scalpel and meconium aspirator in the bottom portion.

Top left pocket of flight suit I had like 4-5 pens (because you had to squish them in together to get them to stay) that I only used for the patients to sign paperwork. That way I could say they can keep their dirty souvenir.
Left cargo pocket was two 16 guage needles for drawing propofol without getting a bazillion bubbles in it.
Left leg pocket: test lung
Right leg pocket: blank chart, pt consent, and Air Medical Necessity form.
Right cargo pocket: Two laminated cards I made for common drips/drugs we'd see or for oddball vent settings info.

All in all, it only added two or three additional pounds to my flight weight. The meconium aspirator bailed me out a couple of times. I'll always keep that bad boy close by.

And, of course, joined at my hip was my nurse. The best resource you can ever have, IMHO.

 

[Eastcoast PA-C]

I carried stethoscope, shears, 2 pens, a sharpie (most useful thing I've ever had on me), pocket version of my state protocols and a penlight. If I ever needed more than that, then it meant I was going to need my whole first in bag.

Now that I'm in the ED I have a pen, still carry my beloved sharpie, Coast G20 penlight (best one you'll ever own for the price), stethoscope, leatherman raptor shears (double as my reflex hammer) and a pocket notebook


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