Let’s all just agree on one thing up front, IFAKs are great. Perfect to keep on hand for a variety of reasons and one way to make them even better: put together the best ankle first aid kit! Personally I love using an Ankle IFAK or also called an AFAK on and off duty. Main reason being I’m not usually running around town in my battle belt or plate carrier, but I still want some basic gear with me throughout my day. So let’s break it down and look at the pros and cons.
PROS of the AFAK
There are some obvious reasons to set up an ankle IFAK. Primarily for me is conceal-ability and the ability to use with a variety of outfits. With loose fitting jeans, slacks or uniform pants the AFAK blends right in and is hardly noticeable. Another pro is that you don’t have to carry another backpack, bag or whatever with you just to hold your basic bleed kit.
For QRF or quick deployment, you can also just wear it over clothing around your ankle as well. I’ve done that on several call outs to serve warrants and such. Worn either way is comfortable and I often find myself forgetting it’s there!
CONS of the AFAK
So obviously there are some cons as well… primarily capacity. The ankle IFAK has pretty limited capacity, you have to find that balance of form and function. You want to carry enough to be effective but not so much that you are wearing a bulky ankle weight that stands out.
Another con is cost. The ankle pouch/holster usually costs between $35 to $70 alone without any supplies. A decent IFAK pouch is usually half that price, like this rip-away one from ORCA Tactical, one of my favorites. The ankle set up I like to use is from Ryker Nylon and is one of the better ones in my opinion, it runs for $59 on Amazon when it’s in stock.
So what goes in it?
So you decided on an AFAK, and now you want to stock it. My simple rule to follow is go with what you know. Don’t stock your kit with shit you don’t know how to use. If you have basic training and skills, stock it with basic supplies.
That being said here are some basic supplies I recommend:
- Tourniquet – Probably the most important, I like Recon Medical and Tac-Med Solutions
- Chest Seals – If your ankle kit can hold them, the Ryker Nylon has a pocket just for it!
- Flat fold pressure bandage or ETB – Good for a variety of wounds
- Vacuum packed gauze with or w/o a hemostatic
- Gloves
- Shears
That assortment with help you handle a good amount of injuries without being to bulky, of course I recommend you augment your kit with your own inputs. I hope this article gave you a little more information on ankle medical kits to help you reach a decision. Check out our store to see what medical gear we have in stock to help you get started!