One reason to take your TCCC class!

[osok-308]

People look at me cross eyed when I hear I have a tourniquet in the truck, my work bag, shooting bag, backpack etc. Never know when you might need one.

I work with a guy who was walking through woods up North on vacation, when a hunter mistook him for a deer. Dude got shot in the thigh with a .300 WM. His CAT tourniquet saved his life. Since then, I make sure to always have one in my vehicle, ready to go with me wherever I go. Like having a gun, it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

TCCC is a great thing to be trained in. That's for sure.

[gnihcraes]

Not to derail completely, which tourniquet is reasonable to purchase? I have none and should have some.

[Sawin]

these.
https://www.amazon.com/Tourniquet-Mi...urniquet&psc=1

[cmailliard]

That video is good, the most important part the the aftermath and how much work was needed on his leg. Lucky it was not worse.

Here is a video of nasty femoral injury from mountain biking

It is not just bullets and knives. The time and place pick you, having the kit and training is vital to stay alive. If you have been to the class you know I stress TIME. It's all about TIME. EMS will not be there fast enough to save you. You may get lucky, but luck can run out.

As far as tourniquets go, I like the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT). PLEASE, PLEASE be careful where you buy them from, only get them from North American Rescue Products Rescue Essentials or Chinook Med. Buying from Amazon and eBay you are risking a lot, there are tons of fakes out there and they are getting real good at it.

I will post another thread about the fake CAT I took from a participant in class on Saturday (I did give them a new one).

[hollohas]

cmailliard, maybe not the place, but I haven't seen you post any 2017 classes. Anything coming up? I'm do for a refresher.

Not all 1st aid course are equal. I took a 1st aid course a couple years ago from a local outfit that was horrible. The course was only basic 1st aid but I took it with a group of folks for the CPR portion. However the instructor was bad mouthing tourniquet use left and right. He was obviously clueless and had no experience. He told a B.S. story about a guy he helped as a EMT. Said the victim cut his toe and self-applied a tourniquet, then the ER had to amputate his leg 1 hour later. B.S. He advised to NEVER use one. I tried to bring up recent civilian incidents like the Boston bombing that demonstrated they can save lives but he was stuck in the old AHA guidelines that said no tourniquets (despite the fact the guidelines had changed and no longer said that). But he was not receptive.

The casualty care and trauma courses I've take have been a million times better than the 1st aid or AHA CPR courses. The latter two seem to always be taught by someone with zero real life experience while the former two seem to always be taught by legitimate medics who have done it.