North American Rescue Combat Application Tourniquet

C-A-T Windlass Tourniquet

The Combat Application Tourniquet, or C-A-T, from North American Rescue is a windlass tourniquet for stopping severe bleeding from an arm or leg. A windlass is a rigid rod you twist to tighten the band around the limb until blood flow stops. The C-A-T is built for military medics, police officers, first responders and civilians who carry a trauma kit, and it is designed to be applied quickly under stress, including on yourself.

Features

• Windlass Rod — A ribbed black rod twists the internal strap to apply pressure, and the ridges give your fingers a grip even when gloved or wet.
• Windlass Clip — A molded clip at the end of the band catches the rod once it is tight, so the tension cannot unwind.
• Windlass Retention Strap — A gray hook-and-loop strap closes over the locked rod and carries a printed TIME field for writing down when the tourniquet went on.
• Single Routing Buckle — The band passes through one buckle, so there is no threading back through a second slot when you need it on fast.
• Stabilization Plate — A flat plate under the windlass spreads the load and keeps the rod sitting square on the limb as you turn it.
• Self-Adhering Band — The band is lined with hook-and-loop so it grips itself as you pull it snug, before you start turning the windlass.
• Red Tip Technology — A red tab on the free end of the band makes the tail easy to find and grab, even in low light.
• NSN Marked — The band is printed with NSN 6515-01-521-7976, the National Stock Number that military supply systems use to identify this item, along with a lot number.

Build And Markings

The C-A-T has a black nylon band with hook-and-loop lining, black molded hardware and a gray retention strap. Each band is printed with the C-A-T logo, the NSN, a G7 generation mark and an individual lot number for traceability. It folds into a flat, compact bundle that fits a tourniquet holder, IFAK pouch or medical kit. A tourniquet works best in trained hands, so practice applying it before you need it.