Retrospect-Even in peaceful times, everyone should have or get a good first aid kit. In many emergencies, being able to respond quickly with appropriate equipment is one of the few ways to prevent disasters. As a short-term job as a first responder, I know that having the right resources in an emergency is as important as receiving the right training. My Medic solved half of this equation with their Recon and MyFAK first aid kits. These prefab kits are not cheap, the Scout Standard Edition is $249.95, and the MyFAK Standard Edition is $119.96, but they contain well-thought-out high-quality materials, all packed in two very durable packages, which can help save time.

My Medic Recon and MyFAK are pre-installed self-contained first aid kits designed to deal with various medical situations or emergencies. I checked the standard version of the two kits.

Both Standard Recon and Standard MyFAK kits contain a large number of items. The Pro version is much more expensive and contains additional items, such as sutures and scalpels, for use by medical professionals or people with advanced training.

My Medic does an excellent job of designing first aid kits for high-pressure situations. The design of Recon and MyFAK bags is intuitive, placing the pouch and compartment where you can instinctively reach out. Recon's large shoulder bag style is perfect for kits that can accommodate 4-6 people and may be carried on terrain. MyFAK's small tri-fold design is ideal for more compact kits that can be stored in an easy-to-access place. I will introduce the design and function of Recon and MyFAK in detail respectively.

For me, the reconnaissance package itself is the selling point of this package. The bag comes in four colors and is made of heavy-duty nylon Cordura. This sturdy backpack is covered with MOLLE straps, compartments and connection points.

The MOLLE shoulder strap is a mesh connection system currently used by the military, allowing you to safely add more components to the outside of the bag.

The compartment zipper on the bag is oversized with a large zipper pull. There are a total of seven compartments on Recon.

In addition to the compartments, there are three small pockets attached to the MOLLE shoulder straps on both sides of the backpack.

These pouches are great for adding extra items to Recon, allowing you to personalize them according to your needs. This design feature is one of the reasons why Recon is value for money.

The top of the Recon backpack is a Velcro patch and an elastic adjustable daisy chain line, which can be further customized. There are also two heavyweight polymer D-rings that can be used to hang the backpack on carabiner or similar accessories.

There is another large D-ring on the back of the backpack that can be snapped onto the compartment for padded shoulder straps.

If you have to carry the kit for a distance and you can still access all compartments while wearing it, the shoulder strap is the perfect choice.

If needed, the shoulder strap compartment can also be used to store extra supplies.

Recon has a main compartment, the size of a backpack. There is enough space for additional preparations.

There are quick access compartments at the top and bottom of the bag to store items you may need to grab quickly.

There are more MOLLE straps and a few drainage/air holes under the bag.

There is a soft cushion on the back of the Recon, which can provide comfort when carrying, or double as a headrest in a critical moment.

I'm all about the morale patch, and I like that my doctor includes a patch in the reconnaissance and gives you space to further personalize the pack with your own patch.

My Medic not only surpassed the outside of the package, but also didn't mean anything in the package.

For most pre-installed first aid kits on a budget, the quality of the supply is their shortcoming. Usually, these are low-quality items that you should never rely on in an emergency.

The highlight of My Medic is that they use brand-name items and high-quality tools in Recon, such as the accompanying EMT scissors. Even My Medic branded items are of higher quality than the items in most first aid kits.

In addition to the quality of first aid supplies, My Medic does a very good job in covering all kinds of emergency supplies. Recon includes finger splints, cold packs, analgesics, smelling salts, etc. If you build your own kit from scratch, you might not consider adding everything.

But keep in mind that even the best consumables need to be checked frequently for expiration dates. Checking the contents of the package every few months is crucial for its effectiveness.

MyFAK stands for My First Aid Kit, which is a bit like Recon’s little brother. This is a smaller and more compact first aid kit with a three-fold design, which is very suitable for supporting 1-2 people.

The MyFAK backpack is as sturdy and durable as the Recon, with a large number of connection points, Velcro patches and MOLLE shoulder straps. MyFAK comes in six different colors. I like the red color of this kit because it is easily recognized by anyone as a first aid kit.

The front of the backpack is a complete Velcro part, which is very suitable for putting morale patches or fixing other supplies.

There are two large MOLLE straps on the back of MyFAK for connecting to any compatible connection. The advantage of these MOLLE straps is that their panels are completely torn off due to a large Velcro pad.

This allows you to fasten MyFAK to something like the back of a car headrest, and when needed, you only need to pop out the latch and quickly pull the entire bag away from the Velcro pad.

The convenient handle sewn to the top of MyFAK is perfect for quick grabbing in an emergency.

Like Recon, the zipper on MyFAK is very large, with an oversized zipper puller.

The stitches at the backpack and zipper seams are folded in half. I appreciate this attention to detail.

MyFAK's tri-fold design allows you to open the entire package for easy access to consumables

The sturdy elastic band is sewn into the bag to ensure that all supplies are safe and orderly.

The mesh compartment at the end of MyFAK can be easily removed and used as a smaller portable first aid kit.

Again, the idea of ​​designing MyFAK in this way increases its versatility, further justifying the higher price point.

Like the Scout, I emptied the entire kit and repackaged it to my liking. It is also a good practice to cycle through the contents of the first aid kit to ensure everything is safe and prevent malfunctions in an emergency.

MyFAK does not have extra space for yourself like Recon does, but there are still many compartments to fill.

The My Medic Morale Patch on the front of MyFAK has a dual role to hold the buckle and shoulder strap in place.

The content of MyFAK is very similar to that of Recon, but the number is relatively small.

You will still find high-quality tools such as EMT scissors, thermometers and flashlights, as well as plenty of auxiliary supplies.

As small as the MyFAK bag, I was impressed by the number of items included in the kit. Recon has free space, but every inch of MyFAK is fully utilized.

The problem with first aid kits is that you want to never have to use them, but you need to be prepared just in case. Fortunately, I don't have to use any package to deal with emergencies, but in a few runs, I can quickly access everything I might need in a typical first response situation. This is after I repack the bag in a way that makes sense to me. Another option is to practice using these kits until you can easily remember where things are. The advantage of My Medic kits is that when you reach for them in an emergency, you know they probably have everything you need.

There is no doubt that you can make your own first aid kit cheaper than My Medic Recon and MyFAK. The question is how effective these self-made toolkits are in a real emergency situation. The My Medic kit contains items that I most likely would not have thought of, and can play an important role in an emergency. The Recon Standard kit is priced at $249.95 and the MyFAK Standard is $119.95. You paid a high price for the My Medic kit, but they are worth the money, especially because someone's life may actually depend on them. Of course, if you don’t know how to use it correctly, all the equipment in the world is useless, so it’s important to receive as much training as possible. There are many first aid online courses and videos, and the Red Cross is a good starting point.

Price: Scout Standard: $249.95 MyFAK Standard: $119.95 Where to buy: Amazon or My Medic. Source: This product sample is provided by My Medic.

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