Tourniquets - What do you use and why?

[The Quartermaster]

I am not sure anything is 'better' than the CAT. It's still the most-sold and best-researched TQ on the market, and is still the standard in IFAKs. Any TQ that has been CoTCCC approved has been vetted and has some data backing the claim to be issued a NSN. At the end of the day they are just variations on a theme.

This is a little dated but still good:

Preliminary Comparison of New and Established Tactical Tourniquets in a Manikin Hemorrhage Model - PubMed.

Some compare/contrast re: TQs:

Top 5 Tourniquets. Which Is Best for You? Part 3: Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT) | Mountain Man Medical

I've got some NAR CAT's. But this one interests me as being small enough to be a part of my EDC.

Backstory to why this interest me:

Several years ago I was at the SAR Show when ten feet behind me, a twit took his grandson's new to him show bought TT, and without chamber checking first, presses the trigger while flagging the entire world and pow. Into his grandson's back and nicked the spine and passed through. The fool was going to zip tie the trigger pressed back per show rules, which is supposed to have been done at the entry point for all attending working there or not.

Anyway, I was first on scene and was on blackout drive without even realizing I had ran over to give immediate aid and on reflex muscle memory alone. Thankfully I was relieved within minutes by a trauma surgeon who was attending the show with her ER doctor husband that luck would have it were only a few more feet bin front of me at the time, I stood back up with the awful feeling of not being prepared for that kind of life that I used to be a part of (reacting to people being hit in the line of duty). BTDT, more than once which is why it's now instinctive for me to react instead of watching.

I had to edit and mention the fact that some surplus dudes were running over with their unsterile 1980's and 90's TA50 FA pouch pressure bandages, long expired and tears on the packaging from decades of sitting inside of a pouch mounted to alice clips on an H or Y harness for battle rattle things.

Anyway my point is, I was unprepared and I am thinking that this SWAT-T condom thingy wrap would also make for a great pressure bandage cover, using the inside of it's wrapper as the side to place against the open chest wound since it's still sterile and wrap over it and hopefully be enough until a first responder arrives to take over.

just my thoughts here at problem solving. I keep my NAR CAT's in the vehicles, at home in our first aid bag, and one on my battle belt.

 

[TLDR20]

I’m glad the only two that almost everyone picked are the ones approved by the coTCCC.

 

[Devildoc]

I've got some NAR CAT's. But this one interests me as being small enough to be a part of my EDC.

Backstory to why this interest me:

Several years ago I was at the SAR Show when ten feet behind me, a twit took his grandson's new to him show bought TT, and without chamber checking first, presses the trigger while flagging the entire world and pow. Into his grandson's back and nicked the spine and passed through. The fool was going to zip tie the trigger pressed back per show rules, which is supposed to have been done at the entry point for all attending working there or not.

Anyway, I was first on scene and was on blackout drive without even realizing I had ran over to give immediate aid and on reflex muscle memory alone. Thankfully I was relived within minutes by a trauma surgeon who was attending the show with her ER doctor husband, I stood back up with the awful feeling of not being prepared for that kind of life that I used to be a part of (reacting to people being hit in the line of duty). BTDT, more than once which is why it's now instinctive for me to react instead of watching

Anyway my point is, I was unprepared and I am thinking that this SWAT-T condom thingy wrap would also make for a great pressure bandage cover, using the inside of it's wrapper as the side to place against the open chest wound since it's still sterile and wrap over it and hopefully be enough until a first responder arrives to take over.

just my thoughts here at problem solving. I keep my NAR CAT's in the vehicles, at home in our first aid bag, and one on my battle belt.

Awful story, thanks for sharing. But glad you and others for responding.

I have CATs and SOFT-Ts, that's it. Not because others are 'bad', but because these are what I have experience with.

The SWAT-T is great for pressure bandage.

 

[The Quartermaster]

Awful story, thanks for sharing. But glad you and others for responding.

I have CATs and SOFT-Ts, that's it. Not because others are 'bad', but because these are what I have experience with.

The SWAT-T is great for pressure bandage.

Thanks, I appreciate the SME telling me that my thinking is correct and not making the problem solving worse.

Not today Dunning Kruger. Not today...