Skilled Survival’s Tourniquet Buyers Guide

Today we are going to get into tourniquets, big time! Why? Because in a life-threatening wilderness accident, you better be prepared.

Basic first aid ONLY teaches you the ABCs.

And while these medical skills are essential, if you have blood shooting out of your main artery, chest compressions won’t help.

You need to know how to stop the bleed NOW; otherwise, it’s lights out in minutes.

Here at Skilled Survival, we prepare you for worst-case scenarios.

That’s why when you build an IFAK Kit, TFAK, or Bug-Out Bag, one of the most important things you can have is a quality tourniquet.

So here are all the topics we will cover today:

• Best Tourniquets On The Market Today

• What Is A Tourniquet?

• Why Everyone Should Have At Least One Tourniquet

• Types Of Tourniquets & Pros/Cons Of Each

• Key Features To Look For In A Quality Tourniquet

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Tourniquets On The Market Today

There are several brands and types of tourniquets for sale today. Here we are listing the best tourniquets, in our opinion:

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

What Is A Tourniquet?

The medical dictionary defines a tourniquet as:

“Any device for arresting bleeding by forcibly compressing a blood vessel, as a bandage tightening by twisting.”

At its most basic, that is exactly what it is.

And in a medical emergency, when you don’t have a first aid kit, you use whatever you can get your hands on to stop the bleeding.

A tourniquet is a device you wrap around a bleeding arm or leg with the ability to tighten. This process squeezes the large blood vessels and helps stop blood loss.

It saves lives by quickly controlling a major hemorrhage.

While you can use a belt, rope, or a strip off your shirt, a commercial-use tourniquet is ideal. A proper one works more effectively and minimizes risk.

For a normal wound, applying pressure with bandages usually stops the surface bleeding. A tourniquet is for controlling the bleeding from a severed artery. You have to react quickly to stop it, or your patient dies.

If you apply it properly, it’ll hurt like hell. But it’s also going to save your life.

The critical thing is to put it on when needed and leave it there. You can’t leave It on forever, so find a way to a doctor ASAP. When you get your patient to the hospital, it’s the doctor’s job to remove it.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Everyone Should Have At Least One Tourniquet

Tourniquets are an effective tool for quickly stopping a major extremity bleed. When properly used, you can save a life. So who needs one?

If you are in the military or a police officer, it’s a no-brainer. You should be carrying one because you put yourselves in harm’s way on a daily basis. What about everyone else?

You are on this website because you’re interested in prepping and survival information. That’s a good thing. Anyone interested in outdoor life and wilderness adventures should own an IFAK medical kit. Whether it’s camping, fishing, hiking, or hunting, accidents can happen.

Being prepared for any situation is crucial.

If you are prepping for a world economic duster or enemy invasion, you have built a bug-out bag.

Among the essential survival items is your first aid supplies. You should have several types of tourniquets packed for sure.

They are going to help you with puncture wounds, gunshots, and fall injuries. It’s an essential medical device you hope you never have to use. 

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Types Of Tourniquets (Pros & Cons Of Each)

There are several emergency tourniquet types. And they are all designed to do the same thing. To stop a massive hemorrhage by creating circumferential pressure and cutting off blood flow.

It’s best to practice with various ones to see what you are most comfortable using. It comes down to personal preference, so let’s check out the best tourniquet for you.

Here’s a good overview video showing the differences between tourniquets (or read our breakdown below):

MET – Military Emergency Tourniquet

A MET Tourniquet is a lightweight option that has a strong strap and a windlass made of aluminum.

The MET comes apart entirely as it is an open-loop system allowing you to put it around a limb quickly. You apply it loosely, letting the windlass take up all the slack until it’s tight.

Next, you can secure it at two different points for complete lockdown.

The MET comes in 3 generations. Gen 1&2 has a narrow band, while Gen 3 is wider.

Note: If you have never used a tourniquet before, you may require some training for their model.

PROS

• Easy to wrap around limbs
• Multiple lockdown points

CONS

• Earlier generations were too narrow

SOF-T Special Operations Forces Tourniquet

Another truly open-loop tourniquet is the SOF-T.

It has several versions, with the earlier ones having a narrow strap with an alligator clip and locking screw. Two D-rings (made out of plastic) secure the metal windlass when it is applied.

You must secure the locking screw before using the windlass. Otherwise, the tourniquet will loosen.

The strap is wider with a break-apart buckle replacing the screw and clip-on newer generations of the SOF-T tourniquet.

This change was made possible by going down to one D-ring for locking down the windlass.

PROS

• Ease of use
• Windlass is made with a more robust aluminum

CONS

• The narrower SOF-T can cause nerve damage if it’s left on too long

CAT – Combat Application Tourniquet

The military uses this tourniquet partially because it was the first manufactured one.

The CAT has gone through many versions over the years. Fortunately, the latest ones have corrected older performance issues.

When used, the strap is completely independent for wrapping around a limb. So you must secure the strap before using the windlass. A CAT tourniquet is a closed-loop system with just a three-inch uptake.

Velcro helps secure the strap. But depending on a lower or upper limb, it feeds through the buckle differently. There is only one locking point for the windlass on the CAT.

PROS

• Less pressure is required for total occlusion of the artery
• Less potential for lasting nerve damage

CONS

• Can slip in wet weather
• The windlass can more easily break due to its plastic makeup

RMT – Ratchet Medical Tourniquet

The RMT is another closed-loop tourniquet. It comes with a broad strap that can be fully open for getting around trapped limbs.

There is a ratcheting, self-locking buckle for tightening with a simple release mechanism.

These are designed for easy single-handed application and are compact and lightweight. It works great but uses this more as a backup for one of the models above.

PROS

• It can easily fit into your IFAK
• Single-handed use

CONS

• Best used as a secondary option

EMT – Emergency Medical Tourniquet

Here we have an emergency medical tourniquet. The EMT looks similar to a blood pressure cuff that you see at the doctor’s office.

The difference is it has an aluminum clamp to secure it instead of velcro. It’s an open-loop system, so it’s pretty easy to use, and it’s lightweight. Pressure is applied through a pneumatic bladder that you hand pump up.

Its easy use can be applied one-handed if necessary. The EMT is less compact than other options, so you should consider that when building a trauma kit.

PROS

• Less chance of tissue damage with its wide band
• More comfortable than a band type

CONS

• More expertise and bulkier than windlass types

MAT – Mechanical Advantage Tourniquet

The MAT is another good tourniquet you can apply with one hand.

It comes in two sizes; one for an arm and one for a leg. An internal mechanism tightens using a plastic dial that draws up the cord to restrict your artery. It also has a quick-release button.

You do have to get the strap tight around the limb before turning the dial as it has limited uptake. As a closed-loop system, you can easily remove the strap to get around the limbs and hook it back in.

PROS

• Great one-handed use

CONS

• Plastic parts that may not last
• Limited strap uptake with the dial

Band Tourniquets – TK4, SWAT-T, NATO

Band tourniquets are simple elastic rubber bands you wrap around a limb.

Pressure is applied by repeatedly wrapping tighter, creating compressive force. You must apply a band style properly to be effective and restrict blood flow.

It is better suited to smaller limbs to ensure full restriction. Checking tightness is a must.

PROS

• Simple, lightweight design
• It easily fits small and large limbs

CONS

• It can take longer to apply
• Just a giant rubber band
• Elastic can break, causing limb damage

All these tourniquets will give you blood flow restriction to a significant injury. They all have their pros and cons so take the time to see what works best for you.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Tourniquet Features

You would think that choosing a tourniquet would be easy, but that isn’t the case. Buying the least expensive may not get you what you need in a think-fast-or-die situation.

That’s why you should have several different options for different situations.

Remember, the best tourniquet is the one that is right for you.

Durable Parts

You don’t want a device that will break before you can get to a doctor. It’s hard to avoid plastic parts on some tourniquets but depending on the style, look for metal parts.

The windlass should be aluminum, so it will stand up to pressure. Also, the straps, bands, clamps, and locking mechanisms need to be tough.

Ease of Use

When a major accident happens, you need to react quickly to save a life. Having a tourniquet that you can put on quickly makes all the difference.

It’s in life-or-death situations where research is important. Understand how different tourniquets work and choose the ones you can confidently use.

One-handed ones are great to have if you hike or camp alone, so make sure to have one of these types.

Wide Band

Having a wider band makes reaching occlusion easier. It restricts blood over a larger surface area and lessens the chance of nerve damage.

Both strap and band tourniquets have their advantages. So to fully prepare, pack both styles.

Ultimately you want to save a life and not cause any other damage. Having a wide tourniquet plays a significant role in its effectiveness.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the single most crucial life-saving device you can carry is a tourniquet.

Get a few different ones and add them to all your survival bags. Having one on hand and knowing how to use it will save your life or the lives of those you love. Now get geared up!

“Just In Case” Jack

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There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.

Click here to see the Closest Natural Nuclear Bunker to Your Home?

Click on the image above to find out where you need to take shelter.

 

The post Best Tourniquets (& Key Features) For Traumatic Medical Emergencies appeared first on Skilled Survival.

Are we witnessing the start of some sort of a mass awakening in the western world?  For years, I have been writing about the extremely complex systems that are designed to shape and control what we think.  Today, the vast majority of the “news” and “entertainment” that most of us consume is controlled by just a very small handful of immensely powerful corporations.  And of course those corporations are ultimately owned and controlled by the elite of the world.  To a very large degree, the elite have been able to determine what we focus on, what we think about current events, and how we feel about the world around us.  For such a long time, most of the population would take whatever narratives that were pushed upon them by their corporate overlords as the gospel truth, and that always greatly frustrated me.  Fortunately, there are indications that times are changing.

In order for any society to function effectively, there must be a high level of trust.

Unfortunately for the elite, we simply do not trust them anymore.

Trust in our politicians has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in the media has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our corporations has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our health care system has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our education system has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in the tech industry has fallen to an all-time low.

We no longer are buying into the crap that they keep shoveling our way.

And that is a really, really good thing.

It is morally wrong for them to try to control what we think.  It is absolutely imperative that we all learn to think for ourselves, because that is the only way that we will ever be truly free.

I have been writing about this stuff for years and years, and a number of recent trends have given me hope that people are starting to wake up on a widespread basis.  The following are 10 promising signs that the insidious mind control matrix the elite have created is starting to crumble…

#1 According to a recent Gallup survey, only 16 percent of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in newspapers and only 11 percent of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in television news.

#2 All over the Internet I am seeing article after article speaking out against the World Economic Forum.  That is an incredibly hopeful sign.

#3 In the Netherlands, a new government plan would “cut fertilizer use and reduce livestock numbers so drastically that it will force many farms out of business”.  This plan is deeply evil, but the massive farmer protests that have been sparked as a result are a really beautiful thing.

#4 After being arrested, a British man was told this: “Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. And that is why you’re being arrested”.  But the good news is that there has been a tremendous backlash on social media and so far the video of his arrest has already been viewed more than 2 million times.

#5 As more people on the west coast wake up, the exodus out of the state of California is rapidly becoming a stampede.

#6 Despite all of the spin from the Biden administration, 66 percent of Americans say that they believe that we are either in a recession or a depression right now.

#7 Joe Biden’s overall approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 36 percent.

#8 Joe Biden’s economic approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 30 percent.

#9 A recent CNN poll discovered that a whopping 75 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters actually want their party to nominate someone other than Biden in 2024.

#10 According to a recent Pew Research survey, only 24 percent of U.S. adults are satisfied with the current state of the country.

Almost all of us can see that our society is on the wrong track, and that is the first step in getting back on the right track.

As time rolls along, I believe that more and more of us will wake up.

And in the end I believe that the current “world order” that the western elite have tried so hard to establish will fall.

That process will be incredibly chaotic, but the end result will be worth it.

Before I end this article, there is one more thing that I wanted to mention.

According to scientists, we just experienced the shortest day ever recorded…

The shortest day on record has been broken by the planet Earth. On June 29, 2022, the planet completed its entire rotation in just 1.59 milliseconds, or slightly more than one thousandth of a second, less time than it typically takes for a 24-hour rotation.

Recently, the Earth has been moving quicker. Since the 1960s, 2020 marked the shortest month on record for the planet. On July 19 of that year, 1.47 milliseconds shorter than a typical 24-hour day, scientists recorded the shortest day so far.

Are the days being shortened?

I often tell people that it feels like the days are going by faster than ever, but I thought that it was just my imagination.

I have been told that as we get older it can seem like time is passing more quickly, and without a doubt 2022 seems like it is the fastest year yet.

It is hard to believe that the beginning of August is already here.

2023 will arrive before we know it, and I believe that 2023 will be a year that changes everything.

I know that there are a lot of bad things that are happening right now, and a lot of my articles tend to focus on those bad things.

But the truth is that there are a lot of good things happening too.

In fact, there is no other time in all of human history that I would have rather lived than right now.

It is when times are the darkest that the greatest heroes are needed, and the years ahead will provide plenty of opportunities for you to be the kind of hero that you were always meant to be.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

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There are times when civilian law enforcement simply is not enough to keep its citizens, or the country at large, safe. Their small scope of power can be easily overwhelmed during crises such as natural disasters, war, and civil unrest. Civilian rule is sometimes lacking authority to do what needs to be done in unusual…

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