REVIEW: Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Kit NOW! + Advanced Kit Supplies

Some things need to be easily accessible at all times and everywhere. This includes a first aid kit that can save lives. Blue Force Gear has already set the standard for a compact and quickly deployable IFAK kit with the Trauma Kit NOW! (TKN!) years ago. Now, the TKN! has been revised and a Micro version with the most essential first aid materials has been added. We'll show you the Micro Trauma Kit NOW!

With the Micro Trauma Kit NOW! (MTKN!), Blue Force Gear fills the gap for quick response teams and the EDC sector. For those who find the TKN! too large or who want to maximize mobility, the MTKN! is a must-have.

In principle, the MTKN! consists of two parts, excluding the contents. There is the actual bag, available as a MOLLE or belt version. We have the belt version here for testing. It is made of 500d Cordura and elastic material – the belt version with Velcro, the MOLLE version with Helium Whisper attachment.

Inside this bag is a removable insert that can be operated from either side. There is a grippy pull tab available, which is about four centimeters on one side and eight centimeters on the other.

The insert is made of ULTRAcomp laminate, with two elastic loops sewn on. This is where the medical equipment is stored. One of the loops on either side has an additional loop on the right and left sides for pen-like objects.

The insert is folded in the middle, resulting in a small, approximately six centimeters thick package with eight centimeters in length and six centimeters in height.

To ensure the package stays closed, a small slot is placed at one end of the insert, which can be slid under the material of the opposite side using a finger or a pen. The rubbery ULTRAcomp keeps everything in place without the need for Velcro or other closures. There is a small Velcro patch on the back, which is then attached to the corresponding counterpart inside the MTKN! cover.

The belt version of the MTKN! has four Velcro straps on the back, which are attached one on top of the other to a riggers belt. If the riggers belt also has Velcro, the bag sits securely.

Due to its flat profile, the MTKN! is hardly noticeable even under inconspicuous clothing - just a slight bulge on the back, that's all that is visible.

The front of the MTKN! features a lasered cross.

The bag comes with two discs, each with two different colors/functions.

One disc is red/black, the other is white/reflective.

These discs can both be inserted into the slot of the bag, depending on taste or desired visibility.

Red and white are the more conspicuous options, black is discreet, and the reflective disc ensures visibility even at night due to its glow-in-the-dark function.

To avoid searching for medical equipment for the bag, the MTKN! can be purchased in Switzerland with two different fillings – or they can be bought separately:

1. Advanced Kit
2. Basic Kit

The Basic Kit includes the following items and can be seen as an EDC kit:

• Hemostatic bandage
• 4" trauma bandage
• 9" tape (6x)
• Tourni-Kwik compression tourniquet
• Nitrile gloves

We did not have the Basic Kit available for testing.

The Advanced Kit includes the following items and can be seen as a Combat Medic Kit in combination with an additional tourniquet (Not included in the KIT!):

• QuickClot combat gauze
• HyFin vent chest seal (2x)
• Cleer trauma bandage 4" flat pack
• Decompression needle
• Frog tape (6x 2"x9")
• Nasopharyngeal airway
• Nitrile gloves
• Lubricant

To pack all the items optimally, Blue Force Gear provides an instruction sheet directly with the kit:

This is also available as a PDF here.

We are not trained combat medics and therefore cannot say much about the selection of medical equipment – however, the manufacturers used are renowned and can be found in many other IFAKs and trauma kits.

In the test, the Micro Trauma Kit NOW! wears very well – it is flat, light, and easy to operate from both