HOBAG™ FIELD — Wilderness & Expedition Trauma Backpack

The HOBAG™ FIELD is the wilderness, expedition, search-and-rescue, and outdoor-operations trauma backpack — a crossover platform that bridges the civilian and tactical sides of the HOBAG line. Built on the 6:8 Medical Solutions M11 Modular Medical Aid Bag: patented interlock retention board, full clamshell workspace, four exterior tourniquet holders, laser-cut MOLLE, and — critically for austere evacuation — an integrated rear drag-litter pocket. Pre-configured with Enhanced BLS+ content: full BLS-scope hemorrhage and airway plus needle decompression for ALS-scope responders, the TacMed Helios Active Warming variant for cold-environment operations, and a configuration optimized for the prolonged time-to-definitive-care timelines the wilderness audience actually faces.

FIELD is the right kit for the audience operating in austere or mixed environments — not a civilian school nurse, not a SWAT team operator, but the user whose job sits between those two contexts. Game wardens, federal land management LE, SAR teams, ski patrol, expedition medics, hunting guides, wildland fire EMS, and the credentialed outdoor preparedness household. Available in OD Green and high-visibility Rescue Orange.

Massive Hemorrhage Module

• 2× NAR™ CAT® Gen 7 Tourniquet (CoTCCC-recommended)
• 1× TacMed™ SOF-T® Wide Tourniquet (backup, CoTCCC-recommended)
• 2× QuikClot® Combat Gauze® Z-fold
• 2× 68 Medical Ready Gauze™ Compressed
• 1× Celox® Rapid Z-fold
• 1× OLAES® Modular Bandage 4" + 1× OLAES® Modular Bandage 6"
• 1× ESMARK Bandage

Airway Module

• 1× NPA 5-size kit with surgical lubricant
• 1× Berman OPA 6-size kit
• 1× NAR™ Tactical Suction (V-Vac)
• 1× Pocket BVM (adult)

Respiration Module

• 2× HyFin® Vent Twin Chest Seal (CoTCCC-recommended)
• 1× HyFin® USMC Combo Pack
• 2× 14 Ga ARS Needle Decompression Catheters (ALS scope)

Hypothermia & Head Module

• 1× TacMed™ Helios™ System — Active Warming variant (two-piece quick-access casualty wrap + Medi-Heat 12-hour active warming pad)
• 1× Penlight
• 1× Adjustable adult cervical collar

BLS Diagnostics Suite

• 1× Aneroid BP cuff (adult adjustable)
• 1× Single-head stethoscope
• 1× Fingertip pulse oximeter
• 1× Digital IR thermometer
• 1× Trauma shears + 1× Compact EMT shears (backup)

Wilderness & Exposure Module

• 1× Foil emergency blanket (supplemental to Helios)
• 1× Light source (compact tactical flashlight + spare batteries)
• 1× Insect/sting kit (antiseptic wipes, sting relief, tick removal)
• 1× Wound irrigation syringe (60 mL)
• 1× Burn dressing (medium)
• 1× SAM® Splint (universal) — mounts on the M11's laser-cut MOLLE to preserve interior volume

Documentation & Evacuation

• 1× TCCC casualty card pad + vital signs pen + permanent marker
• 1× MED-TAC Foldable Drag Litter Stretcher (FDLS) — stows in the M11's integrated rear litter pocket for solo casualty-drag evacuation

Platform & Specifications

• ✓ Bag platform: 6:8 Medical Solutions M11 Modular Medical Aid Bag (SDVOSB-manufactured)
• ✓ Exterior dimensions: 20" L × 12" W × 4.5" H
• ✓ Construction: CORDURA® with laser-cut MOLLE on front and sides
• ✓ Patented interlock / key-lock retention board — prevents pouch shift on the trail
• ✓ Full clamshell opening: 3 removable clear inner pouches + lower hanger pouch + outer admin pocket
• ✓ 4 exterior tourniquet holders — grab-and-go hemorrhage control
• ✓ Integrated rear FLDS drag-litter pocket — fits the included MED-TAC FDLS
• ✓ Exterior laser-cut MOLLE for SAM Splint, signaling, satellite comms, and mission-specific items
• ✓ Color options: OD Green, Rescue Orange (high-visibility for SAR)
• ✓ Loaded weight: approximately 16 lb
• ✓ HSA/FSA Eligible

FAQ

Where does FIELD fit between GARRISON and CITADEL?
FIELD is positioned between BLS-scope GARRISON and ALS-scope CITADEL. It has the full BLS content plus needle decompression (ALS-scope), a Helios Active Warming variant, and wilderness/exposure modules — but does not include IV access or oxygen delivery. It's specifically built for users operating in austere or mixed environments where the wilderness exposure and prolonged-care factors matter more than full ALS hospital-bay capability.

Why the M11 for wilderness use?
The integrated rear drag-litter pocket means a solo responder carries casualty-movement capability in the bag itself — decisive when evacuation timelines run hours to days and no litter team is coming. Four exterior tourniquet holders give grab-and-go hemorrhage control, the interlock board keeps contents fixed over rough terrain, and the laser-cut MOLLE carries the SAM Splint, signaling, and comms externally so the interior stays dedicated to the medical modules.

Why include needle decompression if there's no IV access?
Needle decompression for tension pneumothorax is included because the wilderness/expedition audience has elevated risk of crush injuries, falls, and chest trauma in environments where evacuation is delayed and tension physiology progresses unmanaged. IV access is omitted because most wilderness BLS-IV scope users carry their own IV setup separately and most non-medical wilderness responders don't have IV scope. The result is a kit configured for the actual risk profile.

What's the wilderness/exposure module about?
The wilderness module addresses the non-trauma factors that drive wilderness patient outcomes: exposure protection beyond hypothermia, insect/sting management, wound irrigation in dirty environments, burn dressings, and limb stabilization. These items are doctrinally appropriate for wilderness EMS scope and address the most common wilderness incident profiles.

Why the Active Warming Helios instead of Standard?
Wilderness operations regularly include cold-environment exposure with prolonged time-to-evac windows. The Active Warming variant of the TacMed Helios adds a 12-hour Medi-Heat pad to the two-piece passive wrap — doctrinally appropriate for the time profile of wilderness rescue.

What about bears, large animals, and remote-area threats?
This is a trauma response kit, not a survival kit. The M11's laser-cut MOLLE lets the user attach mission-specific items — bear spray, satellite communicator, signaling tools — alongside the medical capability. The bag itself does not include those items; users supply them based on operating area.

Is FIELD HSA/FSA eligible?
Yes — the kit qualifies as a Health Savings Account / Flexible Spending Account-eligible medical preparedness purchase.

What training is recommended?
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) at minimum, ideally Wilderness EMT (WEMT) or higher for the full FIELD content set. Bleeding Control (B-CON), TCCC-AC or TECC, and BLS-CPR + AED are baseline. Start with the free MED-TAC field brief at tactical-medicine.com/brief for the doctrine foundation.

Evidence & Training Rationale

Wilderness EMS Scope. Wilderness pre-hospital care operates under elevated risk profiles compared to urban EMS: longer time-to-definitive-care windows, environmental exposure factors, austere evacuation logistics, and lower-density resupply. The FIELD content set reflects current Wilderness EMS doctrine including the National Association of EMS Physicians wilderness guidelines and the Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for trauma in austere environments.

Integrated Casualty Evacuation. In wilderness rescue, casualty movement is often the limiting factor, not treatment. The M11's integrated drag-litter pocket carrying the MED-TAC FDLS means the responder who reaches the patient already has the means to move them — no separate litter cache, no waiting on a carry team. Evacuation capability that travels with the medic is a direct outcome variable when transport timelines are long.

Hypothermia in Wilderness Trauma. Cold-environment exposure is a primary mortality factor in wilderness trauma. The TacMed Helios Active Warming variant addresses both passive insulation and active warming — the doctrinally-required combination for prolonged time-to-evac scenarios.

Needle Decompression for Prolonged Care. Tension pneumothorax progresses without intervention. In urban EMS with short transport times, BLS-scope tension pneumothorax management is often deferred to ALS arrival or hospital. In wilderness EMS with evacuation timelines measured in hours or days, BLS-IV scope providers may have standing orders to perform needle decompression in the field. The FIELD content includes ARS catheters to support this expanded wilderness scope where authorized.

Wound Care in Austere Environments. Wilderness wound care faces contamination risks that don't typically apply in urban EMS. The 60 mL irrigation syringe enables high-pressure mechanical irrigation — the evidence-based wilderness wound care standard — alongside the standard hemorrhage control and dressing protocols.

Competitive Comparison

vs. commercial wilderness first aid kits: Most commercial "wilderness first aid" kits are scaled-up Boy Scout band-aid kits without serious trauma capability. FIELD delivers actual CoTCCC-recommended hemorrhage control, tension pneumothorax management, doctrinal hypothermia management, integrated drag-litter evacuation, AND wilderness-specific items — in a single bag.

vs. CITADEL: FIELD trades full ALS hospital-bay capability (IV access, oxygen delivery) for wilderness-specific items (active warming standard, irrigation, burn dressing, SAM Splint, exposure protection) and a lighter, faster-moving platform. For wilderness operators without IV scope or where oxygen logistics are impractical, FIELD is the better-fit kit.

vs. GARRISON: FIELD adds the wilderness module, active warming variant of Helios, and ALS-scope needle decompression — worth the price differential for the wilderness audience whose actual risk profile demands them.

vs. component self-assembly: Like-for-like assembly on the M11 chassis runs approximately $1,600 in parts plus 4–5 hours of procurement and organization — before accounting for the integrated litter-pocket pairing and single point of accountability.

Intended Audiences

• Search-and-rescue teams (urban SAR, wilderness SAR, mountain rescue)
• Ski patrol and mountain medics
• Federal land management law enforcement (BLM, USFS, NPS LE rangers)
• State Fish & Wildlife conservation officers and game wardens
• Expedition medics, outfitter and guide medical leads, hunting outfitter staff
• Wildland fire EMS and wildland tactical medic positions
• Outdoor education and adventure travel program medical leads
• Credentialed outdoor preparedness households (WFR/WEMT certified family members)

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All products sourced from the actual brand manufacturer or authorized master distributors. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, South Florida, US of A — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.