Blue Force Gear, a company that’s been around since 2004, released the Micro Trauma Kit NOW! or as it’s otherwise known, the Micro TKN, is a minimalist version of its bigger brother, the TKN. It was designed to fill the gap and need in the market for compact and quickly accessible IFAK kit. Mission Accomplished!

Design:

For this product, Blue Force Gear opted for a horizontal IFAK design. Not a completely outlandish design choice, but certainly an unconventional one, seeing as most mainstream IFAK kits tend to be vertically oriented to keep the items safely inside and to allow accessibility. Here’s where BFG revolutionized this product. Not only does the horizontal kit keep items tightly packed inside even when running and jumping (and believe us when we say we’ve really tried getting it to pour out its content) but they’ve managed to design it in a way that allows two handed access, even when attached to the back. Here’s how it works: the kit consists of an outer shell, or sleeve if you will, that surrounds an insert piece. The insert piece is a long flap with two elastic wraps that hold a tourniquet and bandage and other assorted gear on each side, as well as two small wraps for a decompression needle or a pen. Those two sides are then folded together and inserted into the sleeve. The way they’ve designed the kit, makes it so that you have two tabs, one on each side, making it accessible even from the small of your back with either hand. They use what they call a “ball loaded index point”  which is basically a ball that is easily grabbed. This in sharp contrast with smooth, thin tabs, that are often hard to pull with gloves or in rainy weather. Going back to the sleeve, you have a see-through flap with a laser cut cross, where you can insert a tab that varies in color. We tried red and reflective(less practical for combat soldiers), and there’s also black. Alternatively, you could also just leave it empty to keep it low vis. The tabs are reversible and easily switched out. It’s a little bigger in size than an Israeli bandage. All in all, this is definitely one of the fastest IFAK kits available on the market today. There are things that must be noted with this design, however. Closing the kit takes a minute and if not done correctly, will cause the contents to strew all over the place (we had this happen when trying to stuff too much into the kit). In addition, the kit is “technically” open so if you’re lying down in the rain, moisture could well enter the kit.

Material:

The Micro TKN is made out of sturdy and very qualitative material. We tested out the molle version which is made out of 500D solution dyed Cordura with Ultracomp Laminate for the sleeve and insert. The molle loops in the back are made from Patented Helium Whisper, a design of their own, which seems to be extremely resilient. The kit is available in black, coyote brown and Multicam (the manual states wolf gray and OD too but for now isn’t available).

Comfort:

The kit is really light and comfortable, whether on a belt or plate carrier, so much so, that at times, I had to feel for it to make sure it was still there. It sits snug and doesn’t interfere both in the back and sides. What’s great is that you can put a lot of content in without it feeling too bulky.

Storage:

This pouch is designated “micro” and it definitely is. You’ll have difficulty stuffing a lot of gear in there and your own equipment may fail to fit into the kit. Blue Force Gear sells the trauma kit with optional medical supplies that are the ideal size). It was meant for the basics and it fulfills that need.

Versatility:

The Micro TKN can be mounted virtually anywhere. We’ve tried mounting it on the back of a war belt, where it is easily accessible, the side and even the front of a plate carrier. It is accessible easily from anywhere. The kit itself however, is definitely designed to fit specific products of a certain size and there’s not too many ways to play around with that.

Price:

Both versions of the Micro TKN run for about $68 which for the outstanding quality product you get is definitely acceptable. This is, however, for an empty kit. Blue Force Gear offers medical equipment that goes with the gear, that are all the perfect size and come from very reputable companies but will run you anywhere between an additional $50 to $130. Pricey, but there’s no price on saving lives.

In conclusion, The Micro TKN is a fantastic choice as an EDC IFAK kit, or even as a standard piece of equipment for any combat soldier or Law Enforcement Professional. Its impressive ease of access saves lives in the field and is definitely recommended for anyone in need of such a product.