Mr. Rawles,
I thought you might want to mention a product with your readers. I must admit that I am kind of a gear head and am constantly trying to come up with better ways to organize and store my preparedness supplies. The one storage issue that I have always been indecisive about was how I wanted to store my medical/trauma/surgical supplies. There are lots of great professional bags and military medical cases out there, however their cost just didn’t seem reasonable to me or my budget. One day while checking out the latest and greatest tools in my local home improvement store I came across what I feel to be a great, economical solution. The Stanley “FatMax” 28-Inch Toolbox
Although the idea is not new and I have kicked around the idea of using tool boxes in the past, none really seemed to fit the bill. This tool box is constructed of what seems to be a heavy plastic polymer, is large, deep and has a handy tray which spans only half the storage space allowing the placement of large bottles of alcohol, betadine, wound irrigation solutions etc on the open side. There is enough clearance under the tray for 4×4 pad boxes etc. I will use the handy tray for surgical instruments, syringes, etc.
Although these boxes may be a little large and heavy for a bug out by foot, they would be very manageable for a bug in, vehicle/wheeled bug out or pre-established retreat. In fact, I am getting a second to add the remainder of my supplies. Some great features of these boxes are that they have a tough integrated waterproof seal, heavy duty lockable metal latches (for those with children), comfortable rubberized handle are stack-able and extremely heavy duty. The latches area a bit stiff due to the tight waterproof seal (watch your fingers) however I believe they will become smoother over time. (Be aware when under noise discipline because they due tend to make a significant snap if not latched slowly)
These tool boxes are manufactured in the USA. Mine retailed for only $37.07 including tax which to me is an acceptable cost considering the value of the contents within. I will add identification medical stickers to the boxes and also hang tags from the handles with content expiration dates so I can easily rotate the contents as need be. Keep the fire burning. – Big Mike