Custom made jump bag

[ReD]

I know the topic of jump bags has been beat to death. different bags for different folks, ALS, BLS, etc. everyone has a different fav company.

well I have a twist on things, I found a company that makes custom bags. ive put my hands on em, and have a duffle bag & back pack by them, the quality is outstanding. the ability to have a bag made the size and way you want. the color you want. everything customizable.

anyhow, i have a basic idea of what i want, just want some input from you guys, kind of a brainstorm.

my bag is going to be thomas pack style in that it opens up in the same way and has velcro zippered pockets inside, but i want backpack strats on it, and a little bigger than their aero pack.

for the removeable pockets inside, im thinking of fabric mesh as opposed to the clear plastic. i just like it better. im also thinking of having one of the pockets about half the size of a glove bow and having a slit in the mesh, so gloves can be pulled out easily.

im wondering about pockets on the outside. i like the clean look of the blackhawk packs. less on the outside to get caught on. but its a loss of valuable space.

any other suggestions? i know im bein kinda vague, but i wanna see what ideas ya'll have if you could design your own jump bag.

[Dustdevil]

What do you plan to put in it? That will be a big factor.

Also, what do you plan to use it for? What type of operations?

There are just SO many bags already out there that I really cannot imagine there not being a single thing off-the-shelf that would already meet your needs and justify spending money on a custom job. What are you not finding in stock bags that you just cannot live without?

[Timmy]

My tosser kit was custom made... Only cause it goes from one extreme to the other. One day I could be working with an equipped BLS ambulance doing standbys the next I could be looking after 80 football players with only my kit or working an MX event with only the bare essentials, on top of all my first aid stuff I have my sports trainers stuff then a pocket for personal junk, it's like my second home basically (sad I know!) I really wouldn’t think you need to spend all that money on getting a custom bag made up if you’re only using it for EMS, there’s nothing wrong with the bags on the market, just gotta look around till you find the right one for you. I also use my bag pretty much on a daily basis. Wow I sound like a total tosser! It also weighs a tone n a half!

Some of the medics and first aid guys I work with carry there gear in a kids lunch bag or a shopping bag, does the job!

[ReD]

as far as the price, they quoted me alot less than a STOMP II, and about what i paid for my current bag. (a pacific bag).

as for the features that i cant live without that are not on off-the-shelf bags. i just cant really find one that i like alot. i want a backpack style, that has removeable pouches like a thomas pack. the blackhawk bags have too many elastic loops for my liking, thomas aeromed is too small, and their als bag with backpack straps is too big and costs WAYYY too much. EMS USA makes a bag simular to the thomas, in about the size i want, and they will customize them & add backpack straps, but its bot the quality i want. the straps arent padded and i dont like the material they use(cordura nylon).

i also dont want the plastic window crap on the pouches that most have, i want mesh. so i figured id have them make my own.

the ambulance service here in fort worth moved to this bag company and had theirs custom made and everyone i talked to is extremely happy with the quality of the bags.

what i carry? i use my bag for myself and family/friends when traveling. everything most people have in their medicine cabinet at home, i carry in this bag as well. lots of meds, usual B&S supplies but in slightly larger quantities because i am sometimes gone for a week or so and are with 4-6people. OB kit, BVM, OPAs & NPAs, gloves, B/P cuff & ears, glucometer, thermometer(hyper/hypothermic), irrigation solutions, small suture kit, light sticks, cravats, elastic bandages, wide assortment of band-aids, flashlight, knife, trauma pads, burn sheets, burn dressings, cold packs, shears(trauma & bandage), forceps.

the bag company im looking at is EarthPaks

http://www.earthpak.com/

their material is soft, light, durable, waterproof & bloodborn pathogen resistant, machine washable, and more durable than cordura. they also make a prototype and let you use it for 30days to see if any changes need to be made, and make the changes then send out another testerbag. they keep doing that until the design is perfected.

there are half a dozen fire departments around that use their bags and ive heard nothing but good things about them.

and to top it all off, the bags are made right here in TEXAS, the greatest country in the US!

[Dustdevil]

and to top it all off, the bags are made right here in TEXAS, the greatest country in the US!

I like the concept of EarthBags! That's pretty cool! I'd like to check out their product sometime myself.

[ReD]

I like the concept of EarthBags! That's pretty cool! I'd like to check out their product sometime myself.

where do you reside when you're not playing in the sandbox?

[Dustdevil]

where do you reside when you're not playing in the sandbox?

South Arlington, near Mansfield.

Although, I suspect it will be quite awhile before I get back there to stay. :?

[ReD]

South Arlington, near Mansfield.

Although, I suspect it will be quite awhile before I get back there to stay. :?

well when ya get back, we should grab a beer. i should have my custom bag by then and ive also got a small duffle bag & my fiancee has a backpack of theirs(won them both at the FRI 2006 in dallas).

on a note about the bag, i e-mailed the sales rep my basic idea so hopefully in a couple of weeks ill have my first try-out bag!

anyone wanna buy my current A500? hehehe

[Dustdevil]

Cool. I'd like to check them out. Congrats on winning the bags! I wish I had that kind of luck!

I'm especially interested in the fibre they are utilising to manufacture these bags. It's an awesome concept!

Probably be next Fall before I get home again, so don't go anywhere!