Tourniquet, the most important tool you are not carrying

[hoguer]

I am having Vos and Co make me a custom leather belt sheath for a Combat Application Tourniquet, aka “CAT”
My background in prehospital emergency medicine has made me very aware of the massive benefit and minimal cost of carrying a tourniquet with you whenever you are in the wild, weather it be for a gunshot wound or any other traumatic injury to an extremity.
Rapid blood loss from an uncontrolled arterial bleed in an arm or leg is one of the most easily reversible causes of death in the field, and a readily accessible tourniquet can save your our your hunting partners life.
The down side is most people that are aware of their benefit bury them in their day pack with their other first aid equipment, and seconds count with a uncontrolled bleed so rapid deployment and application is essential. A handsome belt mount would happily take the place of a leather man on my belt that I don’t have to have immediately available.
I can’t wait to get the prototype from Voss and Co this week.
These tourniquets can be picked up for under $20 online, just try to ensure you are getting one with a metal tensioning bar, the plastic ones can fail.
They make GREAT gifts to the PH and trackers on your hunt!

 

[buckshot85]

Got one in each of our vehicles, including my Harley and all our back packs.

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

Very nice. I carry a pretty comprehensive trauma kit, including a CAT, decompression needles, asherman seals, and hemostatic gauze in my day pack (carried by the tracker). Way more importantly is the knowledge to apply the appropriate care in the appropriate situations. This is something I feel most hunter's safety courses do NOT spend enough time on. If your local fire department offers "Stop the Bleed" training, that's an excellent course to take for introduction to some of these products.

 

[yhc]

In addition to the above, consider carrying an Israeli bandage as well.

Regards,

 

[ZG47]

Excellent idea @hoguer. Thank you for posting it. I quite like the Izzy myself BUT it is always best to go with what you know, especially when muscle memory comes to play and you obviously have plenty of experience in this area.

I keep a couple of wound dressings in a pouch on my chainsaw trouser belt for when I get my Husky chainsaw out.

 

[mcaustin]

I agree completely that these are a regularly overlooked piece of kit. I carry a compact North American Rescue IFAK whenever I travel (omitting the decompression needle for carry on purposes) and kept it in an external pocket on my day pack throughout our hunt in Namibia this past February. I ended up using some gauze from my kit to clean/dress a minor wound on my friend.

 

[hoguer]

Very nice. I carry a pretty comprehensive trauma kit, including a CAT, decompression needles, asherman seals, and hemostatic gauze in my day pack (carried by the tracker). Way more importantly is the knowledge to apply the appropriate care in the appropriate situations. This is something I feel most hunter's safety courses do NOT spend enough time on. If your local fire department offers "Stop the Bleed" training, that's an excellent course to take for introduction to some of these products.

So true. I would say the rest of your kit would be the next level of treatment and require a lot more training, but are awesome pieces of equipment

 

[hoguer]

In addition to the above, consider carrying an Israeli bandage as well.

Regards,

Awesome tools as well.

 

[Firebird]

I have used the SWAT T and the Israeli bandage on my regular job-both outstanding tools when used correctly. I would add that if you possess a tool, you should know when and how to use it. We have started carrying the CAT-I have not had occasion to use it yet.

 

[Ridge Runner]

(sarcasm) Thanks to the "movie" industry;

A tourniquet works when properly used, unfortunately most people don't know how to use a tourniquet properly to keep themselves or the injured person from loosing an injured limb.

Most people also confuse a tourniquet with a restriction "bandage" that slows/ controls bleeding / blood loss so the wound can "scab" / start to heal.

 

[Firebird]

One other very simple “tool” to have with you is baby aspirin. Tiny little pills have saved alot of heart!

 

[sureshot375]

This is certainly true for me. I don’t own a tourniquet of any kind. I need to get some to stash around the home, office, boat, and vehicles in addition to having them to take on trips.

I have a decent amount of common sense and general knowledge, but some type to emergency first aid course would also be a good investment.

 

[Forrest Halley]

The SOF-T Wide was the best tourniquet in a test that showed the various pressures required to occlude blood flow. The RAT was the worst. CAT did well. My question is why are you having something made to hold a tourniquet that has numerous aftermarket kydex holsters designed for it?

 

[CJW]

My question is why are you having something made to hold a tourniquet that has numerous aftermarket kydex holsters designed for it?

I'm guessing it's a matter of eye appeal.

 

[lockingblock]

Good on you for having a TQ.

there is a basic rule in the world of men who carry guns for a living— If you have the ability to create a gunshot wound, you also need the ability to treat one.

In this day and age, there is zero excuse to not have a TQ on your belt and an IFAK in your backpack. It can turn certain death into a couple days in the hospital.

Add in a basic Stop the Bleed class to know how.

it doesn’t matter, but the SWAT-W is a slightly better TQ. Metal instead of plastic parts, metal rod to tighten instead of plastic, packs down smaller…


Always source them from the OEM. EBay is all fakes.

 

[hoguer]

I'm guessing it's a matter of eye appeal.

Exactly

 

[lockingblock]

Side note...carry 2 of them. There are wounds that can't be fixed with 1. Think severe bone fragments from high velocity rounds...massive tissue damage...artery severed...it can take 2 for full occlusion of the vessel to be successful.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I'm guessing it's a matter of eye appeal.

Okay I guess as long as the instant access is there for this one time use disposable product.

Side note...carry 2 of them. There are wounds that can't be fixed with 1. Think severe bone fragments from high velocity rounds...massive tissue damage...artery severed...it can take 2 for full occlusion of the vessel to be successful.

Not with a SOF-T Wide. If it can be tourniquetted, it takes one. Grenades and gunfights may require two, but they are for different limbs. Carry chest seals quikclot and Israeli bandages. My kit fits in a small pouch that is belt mountable in the rear, so it's out of the way and doesn't have to be pleasing to the eye.

The photo reminds me I need to add more cling gauze to hold quikclot in place. Yay for AH!