New Medical Bag on the Horizon
Infantry medics in the CF could be using the new medical bag as early as next year. The Med bag is currently undergoing testing and evaluation and is expected to be released at the same time as the new small pack system for the Land Force. In line with the Clothe the Soldier project, these new medical bags have been designed to integrate into the small pack system that will be provided to all Land Force soldiers.
To meet the needs of the infantry medic, Bioscience officers at the Operational Human Engineering group at Defense Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (DCIEM) developed a series of task-specific bags that will easily be integrate into the new load carriage system. This means that it will carry predominately the equipment and supplies required by the infantry medic.
"Personally, I’m very enthusiastic about the concept of this new med bag," said Maj Jeannine Cloutier, G4 Medical Plans at Canadian Forces Medical Group Headquarters, who recently attended a DCIEM presentation. "I think it could also greatly benefit the medical personnel in environments other than the just the infantry," said Cloutier.
A prototype system was developed from the input experienced Medics and has evolved into the current design. This most recent design incorporates pouches tailored to meet the needs of the Medic’s replacing the generic pouches on the small pack. The Med bag system includes an external soft frame so that the pouches can be carried independently of the remainder of the load carriage system. The pouches are unclipped from the soft frame and clipped into the small pack for better mobility and to take advantage of the load carriage system.
The current medic bag, in its present form, has been in service since the 1950s. Originally intended as a rope bag, which was never designed for medical use. The large canvas duck bag has very little carrying capacity in relation to its size and weight.
To check out more information the new medical bag and the Clothe the Soldier project click on to www.dciem.dnd.ca/ DCIEM/welcome_e.html or www.army.forces.gc.ca/LF/equip/hab/index_e.html.