This has some good information and a list of CoTCCC approved tourniquets. https://wms.org/magazine/1245/tourniquet
I will join those who recommend taking a stop the bleed class.
Another good read, some of my recommendations differ slightly. https://www.trauma-news.com/2017/09/stop-bleed-8-pitfalls-avoid-hemorrhage-control/
Get at least one tourniquet that is for training only, the material in any of them breaks down with repeated application and the odds of failure increases. Don't train with the one you carry. As for expiration dates, synthetic materials degrade over time, for a life safety device I would not push that date. It will probably work for you after expiration, but the odds of a component failing goes up (plastic windlass breaks, stitching fails, too much stretch in the webbing, Etc.). Life safety equipment deserves special consideration because failure can mean death. That said, many devices have a date of manufacture, but no expiration date. This is the case with the CAT. So it does not expire per the manufacture.
Personally, I would replace one that was more than 10 years old regardless of superficial condition. Five years is reasonable for something that is carried a lot and exposed to various harsh environments (temperature changes, dirt, petroleum fumes, Etc.). I'm going against the manufacture here though. However, as I'm not aware of any accelerated life cycle testing used to justify an indefinite service life I choose to apply principles that apply to other life safety equipment I use (helmets, rope, webbing, Etc.)
Most belts are too stiff to be used as an arterial tourniquet, and are in fact worse than nothing (compartment syndrome, worsened venous bleeding, illusion of effective treatment preventing actual effective treatment). For an improvised tourniquet one must use a windlass (i.e. a stick) inserted through the loop made around the limb to twist the loop tight and stop arterial bleeding. There are few belts this flexible. A pack strap would work better (or many pieces of clothing, Etc.), or simply applying manual pressure.
Wider tourniquets are better as they will cause less nerve damage and not crush the tissue below them. However, a tourniquet presupposes life threatening bleeding, nerve damage can be treated (though not always to good effect), death cannot be treated.
The problem with elastic tourniquets such as the RATS is it is very hard to control the amount of applied pressure, increasing the risk of nerve damage and permanent alterations to the function of the limb. The SWAT-T addresses this with the images that you stretch to a certain point. I can say with certainty that a SWAT-T cannot generate adequate compression on my thigh to cut off pulses (though they do on my arms). A single CAT will cut of pulses to my foot when applied to my thigh, though it takes quite a bit of muscling the windlass to get it there, I have also had a windlass break while demonstrating this (I was using a training tourniquet, so this probably would not have occurred with one that had not been used previously).
The advantages of CoTCCC approved tourniquets are:
Speed of application
Designed to have a wide enough foot print to minimize nerve damage
Can be self applied easily
A properly applied improvised tourniquet does work. However as materials are rarely readily available time to effective application is longer. Additionally, as many people don't train with what they plan to use they may opt for ineffective (a stiff belt) or harmful (a piece of rope) material selection. The belt could cost a life, the rope will save the life but could cost the limb (due to nerve and vascular crush injury) when the limb should have been salvageable (under 4 to 6 hours from time of application).
Personally, in the back country, I carry a SWAT-T, Celox gauze, and a triangular bandage. The triangular bandage (with a section of trekking pole) will be used as an improvised tourniquet if I need one on a thigh. The SWAT-T is a multi trick pony ranging from compression dressing to chest seal and tourniquet. Triangular bandages are also multi trick ponies, which increases its usefulness in the back country. Celox is a recent addition carried with the aim of getting a tourniquet off of the limb or treating arterial hemorrhage in the groin/head/neck.
For chainsaw work (or work involving extensive use of axes, machetes, Etc.) I carry a CAT 7, Celox, and dedicated pressure dressing.
I will join those who recommend taking a stop the bleed class.
Another good read, some of my recommendations differ slightly. https://www.trauma-news.com/2017/09/stop-bleed-8-pitfalls-avoid-hemorrhage-control/
Get at least one tourniquet that is for training only, the material in any of them breaks down with repeated application and the odds of failure increases. Don't train with the one you carry. As for expiration dates, synthetic materials degrade over time, for a life safety device I would not push that date. It will probably work for you after expiration, but the odds of a component failing goes up (plastic windlass breaks, stitching fails, too much stretch in the webbing, Etc.). Life safety equipment deserves special consideration because failure can mean death. That said, many devices have a date of manufacture, but no expiration date. This is the case with the CAT. So it does not expire per the manufacture.
Personally, I would replace one that was more than 10 years old regardless of superficial condition. Five years is reasonable for something that is carried a lot and exposed to various harsh environments (temperature changes, dirt, petroleum fumes, Etc.). I'm going against the manufacture here though. However, as I'm not aware of any accelerated life cycle testing used to justify an indefinite service life I choose to apply principles that apply to other life safety equipment I use (helmets, rope, webbing, Etc.)
Most belts are too stiff to be used as an arterial tourniquet, and are in fact worse than nothing (compartment syndrome, worsened venous bleeding, illusion of effective treatment preventing actual effective treatment). For an improvised tourniquet one must use a windlass (i.e. a stick) inserted through the loop made around the limb to twist the loop tight and stop arterial bleeding. There are few belts this flexible. A pack strap would work better (or many pieces of clothing, Etc.), or simply applying manual pressure.
Wider tourniquets are better as they will cause less nerve damage and not crush the tissue below them. However, a tourniquet presupposes life threatening bleeding, nerve damage can be treated (though not always to good effect), death cannot be treated.
The problem with elastic tourniquets such as the RATS is it is very hard to control the amount of applied pressure, increasing the risk of nerve damage and permanent alterations to the function of the limb. The SWAT-T addresses this with the images that you stretch to a certain point. I can say with certainty that a SWAT-T cannot generate adequate compression on my thigh to cut off pulses (though they do on my arms). A single CAT will cut of pulses to my foot when applied to my thigh, though it takes quite a bit of muscling the windlass to get it there, I have also had a windlass break while demonstrating this (I was using a training tourniquet, so this probably would not have occurred with one that had not been used previously).
The advantages of CoTCCC approved tourniquets are:
Speed of application
Designed to have a wide enough foot print to minimize nerve damage
Can be self applied easily
A properly applied improvised tourniquet does work. However as materials are rarely readily available time to effective application is longer. Additionally, as many people don't train with what they plan to use they may opt for ineffective (a stiff belt) or harmful (a piece of rope) material selection. The belt could cost a life, the rope will save the life but could cost the limb (due to nerve and vascular crush injury) when the limb should have been salvageable (under 4 to 6 hours from time of application).
Personally, in the back country, I carry a SWAT-T, Celox gauze, and a triangular bandage. The triangular bandage (with a section of trekking pole) will be used as an improvised tourniquet if I need one on a thigh. The SWAT-T is a multi trick pony ranging from compression dressing to chest seal and tourniquet. Triangular bandages are also multi trick ponies, which increases its usefulness in the back country. Celox is a recent addition carried with the aim of getting a tourniquet off of the limb or treating arterial hemorrhage in the groin/head/neck.
For chainsaw work (or work involving extensive use of axes, machetes, Etc.) I carry a CAT 7, Celox, and dedicated pressure dressing.
