I've carried a SOF-T daily for almost 2 years now as a result of one of your videos, and I got one of the newer generations with the extra bracket. I love the thing, it's bulletproof, and I practice with a training duplicate like crazy, but that bracket was of incredibly poor quality-- it snapped after two or three uses. Just putting it out there that I wouldn't trust that bracket to maintain tension-- the triangle is what works, even if it's pretty hard to get the windlass in there. Thank you for everything you do, though, Prepmedic-- you've upped my knowledge where the average red cross course couldn't.
Great video. Thanks for taking time to make it. I would add one comment: a March 2020 study concluded that "both SAM-XT and CAT7 demonstrated a better pressure profile and hemorrhage control rate compared to SOFTT-W, with no significant difference between the two. The better outcome measures were strongly correlated to less slack". I haven't used any of them thankfully on myself, but I've had many who love the CAT and now the SAM XT. Keep up the great videos.
In my opinion the SAM XT ist the best choice for a strictly civilian EMS Tourniquet. Especially over here in Europe, where we don't have that many providers with military background. It's quite unlikely, that we'd ever have to apply it to ourselves and most of us are familiar with the locking mechanism from the SAM Pelvic Slings. So you don't need as much training and you mitigate the Risk of applying to little pretightening force.
Just one i have come across i thought i would share, Tourniquet - RapidStop, seems to address a lot of the concerns raised here, especially the being able to get it past obstructions ones
Went into this saying “I can’t wait to rail this dude for saying anything other than a CAT”, but this was actually super informative and I’ll definitely add an RMT to my kit. I’ve used a water logged CAT before and it was less than fun, the RMT looks like a great backup/primary care TQ.
Very nice summary. I would reinforce two of your points. The most common cause of tourniquet failure is that tourniquets are initially applied with too much slack. The second most common cause is Velcro failure. The SAM XT was developed to eliminate slack and Velcro dependence. It solves both problems very well.
Have you seen the Snakestaff System ETQ Tourniquet? It is small and easy to carry. I am a retired Fire Captain/Paramedic and am an EMT/Paramedic Instructor. I will look into adding these to our equipment to teach.
Great content, as always! I’m trying to help a friend make an IFAK for her family’s boat. This was one of the things I was hesitant about. Like you, I use the SOF-T and the CAT mostly and was looking for a maritime alternative. Thanks!
What i like to do with SOF-T's is to swing it like a lasso to tighten it enough to fit around my arm better. This makes it more convenient when I'm tightening it for real because I don't have a ton of slack to deal with. Maybe not very ideal in some tactical combat scenario, but I'm personally more likely to get injured in an accident than in combat/crime
Just got my Omna ratchet tourniquete which I thought would be perfect for maritime and scuba application. And than saw your video) And yes, there's newer a perfect things. Very interesting, thanks.
the only real issue I see with the ones that ratchet other than what he was saying is it looks like the handle for the ratchet mechanism is pretty small so it might be an issue if you have larger hands
Haha nooo. The rats is one of the most hated TQ of medical professionals everywhere. High occlusion pressures, comes off with patient movement, difficult to apply in real world situations etc..
I’m looking at getting a tourniquet, I have never owned one but have used one. I want to only carry 1 in my bag and i want to be able to trust it 100%. After looking on Amazon there are a lot of crappy 10 dollar ones that have good reviews and then ones that say it’s just a scam and it broke after 2 seconds. I will say the RMT looks fantastic, it seems great for self application and also seems reliable. Should I just go with the RMT?
My opinion: If u want to use it on ur self, buy the rmt. If u want to use it on others I would prefer the SAM or if u want the Cat. but also the rmt works well here. when there will be a lot of dirt or water the Sam or the rmt is best. I would never trust such 10 dollar stuff when things get serious
@@Flo-hv1zu yeah, bought the RMT and I have tested it on a lot of people. Skinny, fat, muscular- it doesn’t play around and it hasn’t broken yet even though I put on a 300 pound corn fed MF.
@@AstatineOfficial But out of my own interest: you have no comparison to a cat7 or a Sam XT for example, do you? It would be interesting to see if it doesn't matter how heavy the patient is with one of these both
any suggestions for Pediatric applications? I noticed many of the CAT and even my SOFTT was too big for a kids, and while a lot of people crap on RATS I found that it worked really well for the kid in question. BUt its RATs..... soo any better alternatives?
In theory it's a multiple time use device. In practice/field it's a once and done. Reason being, you don't want the chance of a tq breaking on you because you played with it. So you want a fresh unused tq. Also if you have to use a tq, most likely it will get blood on it. You don't want to use a bloody tq on someone else do you?
@@UnfiItered What if you simply wash the tq when you have time after the action? Put it in proper state, than it can be used again? The only thing is that the manufacturer and the law doesn´t approve re-using tqs, but without any visible physical damage, I think it is pretty obvious, that you can use it again.
Get a degree while you're in, then when you're out, join the local cop. From there you can sign up for swat. You won't always be in the swat team. You only get together when training and actual deployment. If you're not training or on actual deployment, you're on your regular cop duty. At least that's what I was told.
Any thoughts on the Recon Medical TQ? It's a 1 on 1 CAT copy, but with an aluminum windlas, which eliminatess the breaking of plastic windlas' problem. It's not CoTCCC approved but has a lot of good user feedback.
There is no published data on the Recon cannot be recommended. Furthermore, windlass failures are usually user error, Gen 7 doesn’t have any published data on windlass failures.
Just bought a SAM-XT to put in one of the water bottle pouches of my backpack. After I had to use my SOFT, I had been carrying a blood pressure cuff and a hemostat because I am a cheapskate EMT gonna EMT lol
1) yes. But why tf would you not train. Get 2 tqs, use one as a trainer and get a friend and learn it. It’s not rocket science. 2) did you even listen to the video? Listen again. Each one has its best uses. Only you can know which is the best one for you.
Yes. Tourniquets are made to stop blood loss from extremities with arterial or substantial venous bleeding. If you get a chance, I would suggest a stop the bleed course. A lot of people choose the CAT due to popularity but depending on your needs the alternatives mentioned in the video are great options.
@@ReadySetGoPictures 1) I'm 16, that's why I don't get trained 2) are there any difficulties regarding applying them which need live/real life training, that's what I mean with which would be the best for someone who isn't trained
Try a CERT class, when I took one, they had 16 years in the class. Also ask if they give “ stop the bleed “ classes too. Awesome that you want to learn to save someone or yourself
@@aronvdr00720 To be fair, I got that training at about 13... Nevertheless, I'd recommend (as said here previously) the Stop the bleed course, getting one TQ and trying it on yourself... A pretty good thing to do is doing a quick exercise to get your heart rate up, get a tad stressed (10-20 quick pushups and some jumping jacks?) and then try to put it on with one hand - isn't as good as professional training, but it'll show you how "good" you are at it, as far as a bit of stress is considered (don't overtighten after this, though... also not medical advice etc. :D). In the end, it's great that you want to get into this at such a low age, and I encourage you to try what people here suggested! As far as specific tourniquets go, I would personally go with the CAT because that's what I've trained with. However, as a civ, the SOFT-W might be a good idea since you're "usually" gonna help someone else and not yourself (generalising, don't hate me ppl!) and it folds away better - would still take the CAT over it any time tho.
I just got the SAM tourniquet, thinking it was the best design, however there’s no way to turn the windlass more than 1/2 a turn. It binds on the plastic and makes a mess. ALL THE VIDEOS showing it only do 1/2 turn, then some fancy editing and hooking it into the hooks. How about you, have you been able to turn it 1-2 full turns? I’m starting to think it’s a bad design. 😕😒
@@PrepMedic great thanks for the reply. Can you tell me is there a difference between the SOF T and the SOF T Wide? I can’t seem to find any measurements or details, and most places don’t list the “gen” generation. I buy mostly off ebay not amazon. Will buy from other suppliers if price & shipping are reasonable.
Мені подарували TMT турнікет. Наскільки він нормальний, хто і що може сказати про нього? Він підійде, чи краще все обрати щось інше?.. Я з України, у нас зараз м'яко кажучи неспокійно, і така річ, нажаль, може стати у нагоді...
An outstanding video. I think you should design "the perfect tourniquet", modifying for different environments, and sell the line of them. You could retire early... ;-)
Forget a tourniquet carry zipties instead. They work better, smaller, lighter. Can be used as handcuffs, fix your clothing or rifle, camping, small appendages, hanging gear, holding on a bandage. Can get ones that are reusable too.
Zip ties cannot be used as tourniquets. There are actually a lot of studies about that and they are almost 100% ineffective. The STAT TQ was one brand that tried to be a zip tie TQ and they failed miserably.
They literally tried to make a tourniquet that was a zip tie. There is no mechanical advantage to zip ties and they simply don’t have the pressure needed to stop arterial flow.
There are quite literally studies that show zip ties are not adequate tourniquets. 1. Like I said, you need a mechanical advantage. 2. Any restricting band needs to be at least 1.5 inches wide to bring the occlusion pressure down to a manageable level. This both increases effectiveness and decreases discomfort and tissue damage.
Good information to be sure but the cat and soft will still be king. They work and they are proven. Other than that just carry 2-in electrical tape....
I've carried a SOF-T daily for almost 2 years now as a result of one of your videos, and I got one of the newer generations with the extra bracket. I love the thing, it's bulletproof, and I practice with a training duplicate like crazy, but that bracket was of incredibly poor quality-- it snapped after two or three uses. Just putting it out there that I wouldn't trust that bracket to maintain tension-- the triangle is what works, even if it's pretty hard to get the windlass in there. Thank you for everything you do, though, Prepmedic-- you've upped my knowledge where the average red cross course couldn't.
Great video. Thanks for taking time to make it. I would add one comment: a March 2020 study concluded that "both SAM-XT and CAT7 demonstrated a better pressure profile and hemorrhage control rate compared to SOFTT-W, with no significant difference between the two. The better outcome measures were strongly correlated to less slack". I haven't used any of them thankfully on myself, but I've had many who love the CAT and now the SAM XT. Keep up the great videos.
I've started looking for a tourniquet for my personal woodshop in Portugal (retired over here). I really appreciate your video. Thanks.
In my opinion the SAM XT ist the best choice for a strictly civilian EMS Tourniquet. Especially over here in Europe, where we don't have that many providers with military background. It's quite unlikely, that we'd ever have to apply it to ourselves and most of us are familiar with the locking mechanism from the SAM Pelvic Slings. So you don't need as much training and you mitigate the Risk of applying to little pretightening force.
Thanks!
Glad to see the Sam-XT has gotten TCCC approval, I picked one up about 4 years or so ago because I liked the added features over the CAT.
Just one i have come across i thought i would share, Tourniquet - RapidStop, seems to address a lot of the concerns raised here, especially the being able to get it past obstructions ones
Went into this saying “I can’t wait to rail this dude for saying anything other than a CAT”, but this was actually super informative and I’ll definitely add an RMT to my kit. I’ve used a water logged CAT before and it was less than fun, the RMT looks like a great backup/primary care TQ.
I too know the taste of my foot. But I do understand the mindset going into this.
These are all CoTCCC recommended btw
Any thing beats using a neckerchief and a stick.
Very nice summary. I would reinforce two of your points. The most common cause of tourniquet failure is that tourniquets are initially applied with too much slack. The second most common cause is Velcro failure. The SAM XT was developed to eliminate slack and Velcro dependence. It solves both problems very well.
Have you seen the Snakestaff System ETQ Tourniquet? It is small and easy to carry. I am a retired Fire Captain/Paramedic and am an EMT/Paramedic Instructor. I will look into adding these to our equipment to teach.
Great content, as always! I’m trying to help a friend make an IFAK for her family’s boat. This was one of the things I was hesitant about. Like you, I use the SOF-T and the CAT mostly and was looking for a maritime alternative. Thanks!
Great video!
sup dude
What i like to do with SOF-T's is to swing it like a lasso to tighten it enough to fit around my arm better. This makes it more convenient when I'm tightening it for real because I don't have a ton of slack to deal with. Maybe not very ideal in some tactical combat scenario, but I'm personally more likely to get injured in an accident than in combat/crime
Very informative as always. Will pass this newly acquired information onto SAR
I'm good with the SWAT T general use. The sof t wide is my favorite and we carry CAT T on the ambulance.
Thanks for making these. Super informative as always.
What about the SICH ?
Just got my Omna ratchet tourniquete which I thought would be perfect for maritime and scuba application. And than saw your video) And yes, there's newer a perfect things. Very interesting, thanks.
Very Informative. Thanks for all you do.
I was recently AHA Heartsaver certified. One of the things I learned was how to use a CAT windlass tourniquet. What is the best for civilian use?
Do you have an option about the RATS system? It’s meant for one hand application but it’s basically a bungee cord that has been demonstrated to work.
Excellent presentation, thank you...
Tks for your videos. What so you think about Rhino torniquets?
Hey man great videos as always im going to be joining the fire department as a cadet soon so I was wondering if you have any tips
Thumbnail looks cool.
Excellent presentation.
Do you have any thoughts on a Rapid Application Tourniquet?
Fantastic, as ever, many thanks. I carry 2 CAT'S.
Is there a holder for the TX3, so I put it on my duty belt?
the only real issue I see with the ones that ratchet other than what he was saying is it looks like the handle for the ratchet mechanism is pretty small so it might be an issue if you have larger hands
How small will they go ? Like for kids in elementary school?
Can you please do a vid on the rats tourniquet.
Great video, good info!
You didn't demo a RATS style, which I carry. Is it not TCCC approved?
Haha nooo. The rats is one of the most hated TQ of medical professionals everywhere. High occlusion pressures, comes off with patient movement, difficult to apply in real world situations etc..
@@PrepMedic , Thanks for the reply! Guess I may have to re-think my TQ choice! Maybe a SOF-T...🤔
Sof-t is what I do for EDC because you can flat fold it.
Excellent video Sam! Thanks for making us aware of these details, otherwise left out. 😁👍👍🇺🇸
I’m looking at getting a tourniquet, I have never owned one but have used one. I want to only carry 1 in my bag and i want to be able to trust it 100%. After looking on Amazon there are a lot of crappy 10 dollar ones that have good reviews and then ones that say it’s just a scam and it broke after 2 seconds. I will say the RMT looks fantastic, it seems great for self application and also seems reliable. Should I just go with the RMT?
My opinion:
If u want to use it on ur self, buy the rmt.
If u want to use it on others I would prefer the SAM or if u want the Cat. but also the rmt works well here.
when there will be a lot of dirt or water the Sam or the rmt is best.
I would never trust such 10 dollar stuff when things get serious
@@Flo-hv1zu yeah, bought the RMT and I have tested it on a lot of people. Skinny, fat, muscular- it doesn’t play around and it hasn’t broken yet even though I put on a 300 pound corn fed MF.
@@AstatineOfficial But out of my own interest: you have no comparison to a cat7 or a Sam XT for example, do you? It would be interesting to see if it doesn't matter how heavy the patient is with one of these both
What are your thoughts on the SWAT T tq?
Apparently the Rhino Rescue Aluminium windlass TQ is a pretty good alternative, anyone have any experience with them?
Any of the TX Tourniquets available in Canada or shipping to Canada?
I bought the Sam tourniquet and it suck’s because the Velcro digs into your skin and when you tighten it your skin gets jammed between the plastic.
None of them are comfortable
Sof t gen 5 very easy to do one handed now.
Will the Sam tourniquet fit in a standard CAT kydex holder?
Not usually. The clip mechanism is a bit more bulky
Thanks for the video!
Excellent video. Thank you
any suggestions for Pediatric applications? I noticed many of the CAT and even my SOFTT was too big for a kids, and while a lot of people crap on RATS I found that it worked really well for the kid in question. BUt its RATs..... soo any better alternatives?
A pressure bandage (kids have lower BPs and seldom require a TQ) or a SWAT-T
@@PrepMedic off topic of kids, why does everyone hate on RAT TQs? Is It because of the thin cross section?
Loosens over time, very high occlusion pressures, difficult to apply/self apply. Limited literature.
Have a question are these Tourniquets a one time use product or you can use it more then one time.
In theory it's a multiple time use device. In practice/field it's a once and done. Reason being, you don't want the chance of a tq breaking on you because you played with it. So you want a fresh unused tq. Also if you have to use a tq, most likely it will get blood on it. You don't want to use a bloody tq on someone else do you?
@@UnfiItered What if you simply wash the tq when you have time after the action? Put it in proper state, than it can be used again? The only thing is that the manufacturer and the law doesn´t approve re-using tqs, but without any visible physical damage, I think it is pretty obvious, that you can use it again.
Biggest problem i have is where to get a REAL tq from here in UK. There are sooo many fakes on the market, even from main distributors unfortunatly
What do I have to do to become a swat. I plan on becoming one after I join the military
Get a degree while you're in, then when you're out, join the local cop. From there you can sign up for swat. You won't always be in the swat team. You only get together when training and actual deployment. If you're not training or on actual deployment, you're on your regular cop duty. At least that's what I was told.
the new SOF-T wide generation 5 has a much better buckle :)!
What do you think of the rat tournament
It's too thin, easy to cause excessive damage to flesh.
Any thoughts on the Recon Medical TQ? It's a 1 on 1 CAT copy, but with an aluminum windlas, which eliminatess the breaking of plastic windlas' problem.
It's not CoTCCC approved but has a lot of good user feedback.
There is no published data on the Recon cannot be recommended. Furthermore, windlass failures are usually user error, Gen 7 doesn’t have any published data on windlass failures.
@@sunnydeng9263 thank you for reiterating my point. Overall, a metal windlass doesn’t improve performance.
He made a video on why not to buy it. Cheap chinese knockoff
Just bought a SAM-XT to put in one of the water bottle pouches of my backpack. After I had to use my SOFT, I had been carrying a blood pressure cuff and a hemostat because I am a cheapskate
EMT gonna EMT lol
Can I use tourniquets as a non-trained civilian? (And if yes, which one would be the best for me?)
1) yes. But why tf would you not train. Get 2 tqs, use one as a trainer and get a friend and learn it. It’s not rocket science.
2) did you even listen to the video? Listen again. Each one has its best uses. Only you can know which is the best one for you.
Yes. Tourniquets are made to stop blood loss from extremities with arterial or substantial venous bleeding. If you get a chance, I would suggest a stop the bleed course. A lot of people choose the CAT due to popularity but depending on your needs the alternatives mentioned in the video are great options.
@@ReadySetGoPictures 1) I'm 16, that's why I don't get trained 2) are there any difficulties regarding applying them which need live/real life training, that's what I mean with which would be the best for someone who isn't trained
Try a CERT class, when I took one, they had 16 years in the class. Also ask if they give “ stop the bleed “ classes too. Awesome that you want to learn to save someone or yourself
@@aronvdr00720 To be fair, I got that training at about 13... Nevertheless, I'd recommend (as said here previously) the Stop the bleed course, getting one TQ and trying it on yourself... A pretty good thing to do is doing a quick exercise to get your heart rate up, get a tad stressed (10-20 quick pushups and some jumping jacks?) and then try to put it on with one hand - isn't as good as professional training, but it'll show you how "good" you are at it, as far as a bit of stress is considered (don't overtighten after this, though... also not medical advice etc. :D). In the end, it's great that you want to get into this at such a low age, and I encourage you to try what people here suggested!
As far as specific tourniquets go, I would personally go with the CAT because that's what I've trained with. However, as a civ, the SOFT-W might be a good idea since you're "usually" gonna help someone else and not yourself (generalising, don't hate me ppl!) and it folds away better - would still take the CAT over it any time tho.
Sounds like evidence for designing and patenting your own based on EXPERIENCE!
TCCC recommended not approved.
Just like CDC not approved? 🤣
I just got the SAM tourniquet, thinking it was the best design, however there’s no way to turn the windlass more than 1/2 a turn. It binds on the plastic and makes a mess. ALL THE VIDEOS showing it only do 1/2 turn, then some fancy editing and hooking it into the hooks. How about you, have you been able to turn it 1-2 full turns? I’m starting to think it’s a bad design. 😕😒
It doesn’t matter how many times it turns. Only thing that matters is the pressure applied. I have never had the SAM bind up before pulses were cut.
@@PrepMedic great thanks for the reply. Can you tell me is there a difference between the SOF T and the SOF T Wide? I can’t seem to find any measurements or details, and most places don’t list the “gen” generation. I buy mostly off ebay not amazon. Will buy from other suppliers if price & shipping are reasonable.
Try SICH Tourniquet
Nah. Not a ton of litterateur and not on the COTCCC list.
Мені подарували TMT турнікет. Наскільки він нормальний, хто і що може сказати про нього?
Він підійде, чи краще все обрати щось інше?..
Я з України, у нас зараз м'яко кажучи неспокійно, і така річ, нажаль, може стати у нагоді...
Exiting!
An outstanding video. I think you should design "the perfect tourniquet", modifying for different environments, and sell the line of them. You could retire early... ;-)
Bro you forgot the SICH, the most robust tq of the world !
Forget a tourniquet carry zipties instead. They work better, smaller, lighter. Can be used as handcuffs, fix your clothing or rifle, camping, small appendages, hanging gear, holding on a bandage. Can get ones that are reusable too.
Zip ties cannot be used as tourniquets. There are actually a lot of studies about that and they are almost 100% ineffective. The STAT TQ was one brand that tried to be a zip tie TQ and they failed miserably.
@@PrepMedic good to know. Did they try 2 zip ties? And were they also selling tourniquets?
They literally tried to make a tourniquet that was a zip tie. There is no mechanical advantage to zip ties and they simply don’t have the pressure needed to stop arterial flow.
@@PrepMedic ever tied one around your arm?
There are quite literally studies that show zip ties are not adequate tourniquets. 1. Like I said, you need a mechanical advantage. 2. Any restricting band needs to be at least 1.5 inches wide to bring the occlusion pressure down to a manageable level. This both increases effectiveness and decreases discomfort and tissue damage.
Nice
YES .THE BEST OF THE BEST.IS THE RAT tourniquet.
Lol no….
wut..
RATS work fine if you use it correctly. Problem is, I cant say I have ever seen anyone in real life use one correctly.
The tarkov is strong with this one.
Good information to be sure but the cat and soft will still be king. They work and they are proven. Other than that just carry 2-in electrical tape....
I will point out that all the other TQs mentioned in this video also hold CoTCCC recommendations, meaning they have also been “proven”
Let be honest, if you have to use a TQ, your having a really shitty day
I'm gonna turn your videos into drinking games. Everytime you have to say tccc I will take a shot. I'd be hammered at the end of it. We get it
I work literally 5 minutes from sam medical
imo, SOFFT-W is the worst one. Id pick SAM-XT.
Algorithm.
Подскажите, пожалуйста, что за храмовые механизмы применяются и кто их делает?
Check out the rapidstop tq from x1safety... the thing is amazing and solves the issue about the closed system for a ratching tq