Thursday, 1 November 2012

CTOMS Tourniquet Pouch, Gen II

CTOMS Tourniquet Pouch 
Gen 2
During Care under Fire (CuF), the tactical situation is still active; meaning you are engaged in combat or under an impending threat. Accurate fire superiority and simple quick medical interventions are the most viable forms of treatment at this time. The only equipment available to a responder, at this time, would be the casualties’ tourniquet and their own hands.  Stopping life-threatening extremity bleeds with a tourniquet and use of recovery position are the only interventions done during this phase. These are simple and rapidly executed interventions that will save a good portion of battle casualties.


Opened pouch- notice the Pull Tab

Armed professionals should carry a tourniquet within the ‘Diver’s Triangle’. The diver’s triangle is the area between the shoulders to the belt buckle. That way, no matter what position you are in, it is easily accessible for rapid self-application.  It should be stored ready for one handed application in a dedicated marked tourniquet pouch that protects the tourniquet from the elements, UV degradation, and dirt. This, also, ensures a standardized location and a viable tourniquet readily available for buddy application.

A sharp upwards tug
and the TQ is clear of
the pouch ready for use...
 The CTOMS™ Tourniquet Pouch Gen II w/ MALICE® Clip is an ideal solution for storing your personal tourniquet. The pouch designed in Canada and made the USA using on the highest quality materials to make a rugged long service PALS/MOLLE compatible pouch that protects the tourniquet from dirt, abrasion and UV rays. It consumes only one channel of MOLLE/PALS real estate on your rig or belt. I like that it is clearly marked to identify pouch contents with contrasting "T" embroidery. It fits the C-A-T®, SOF™TT and SOF™TT-W tourniquets which are all approved by the CoTCCC and WGCCC. The part of the design that I like the most is the pull tab webbing, like in the ’86 pattern mag pouches, to ensure positive one handed access every time. With a little practice and some proper packing, you can get really slick at self-application of a tourniquet.

I have used this pouch for tourniquet storage on my fighting rig during an eight month deployment in Afghanistan. It is rugged and well made; like everything from CTOMS. My primary tourniquet has been stored safe and secure, protected from the environment, ready for immediate use. 


Take care out there.


Ensure when stowing your tourniquet, you thread the pull tab webbing through the guide sewn to the inside front of the pouch and trap the trailing end of the pull tab between the hook and pile of the TQ pouches flap. 

                          

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