Tourniquets: No Longer A Tool Just For Military Medics – Choosing the Right Tool to Stop the Bleed
- Ty Jewell
- Jul 22
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 13
Beyond The Basics: Selecting the Right Medical Kit For Your Outdoor Adventures
By Ty Jewell MBE
Tourniquets: No Longer A Tool Just For Military Medics – Choosing the Right Tool to Stop the Bleed
When it comes to medical care and first aid, controlling bleeding is one of the most critical skills and capabilities you can have, in every and any environment. Trauma and bleed control kits are no longer just for military medics or emergency responders, they are becoming essential for outdoor enthusiasts, families, commuters, and everyday carry.
It’s essential to understand what to include, what brands to trust, and unbelievably, due to our current geopolitical climate, how to spot a fake. With an emergency tourniquet, how you decide to balance packing size, price and functionality can make all the difference in an emergency.
Why Bleed Control is Critical
Uncontrolled bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death in trauma. Even minor injuries can escalate quickly if blood loss is not managed promptly, along with other factors. Whether you’re dealing with a hiking accident, horse riding incident, driving up to a roadside emergency, or an unexpected injury at home, having effective bleed control tools at hand can save lives. A trauma kit with proper bleed control equipment allows you to:
Apply pressure to control bleeding
Use tourniquets to control severe limb haemorrhage
Pack wounds with haemostatic agents (dressings that promote clotting, don’t worry, stay tuned for next article to explore these).
One of the most effective ways to prevent it is with a tourniquet. But not all tourniquets are created equal. Some save lives. Others simply fail.
This article breaks down the types of tourniquets, why some outperform others, what makes a good tourniquet for personal vs group use, and how factors like cost, bulk, and ease of application can make or break your decision, and possibly someone’s life.
What Is a Tourniquet?
A tourniquet is a device that applies focused pressure around a limb to stop blood flow to a traumatic wound. They’re typically used on arms and legs where direct pressure alone won’t control bleeding or you need to utilise precious recourses for other tasks. For example, a wounds after a penetrating injury, blast trauma from a cooking gas bottle overheating, vehicle incident, fall or deep laceration. Some newer types have been designed for junctional use on groins and armpits, but we are focusing in this article on limb application.
Tourniquets are not a last resort, modern pre-hospital research and military data confirm that timely application saves lives without always causing limb loss, especially in the pre-hospital phase.
Types of Tourniquets
There are two broad categories:
1. Commercial (Purpose-Built) Tourniquets
Made to strict specifications, widely studied/researched, and used for public assess bleed kits, The Military, emergency medics, and rescue teams.
Best Options (Field-Proven)
Here’s a breakdown of some of the top commercial tourniquets:
2. Improvised Tourniquets
These are made from available items, belts, scarves, rope, etc.
If done well, better than nothing.
Often fail to apply enough pressure.
Can cause damage (nerve, tissue, vein).
Require skill, and practice to apply effectively.
Can be more painful that commercial tourniquets.
Acceptable only as a last/only resort.
Improvised kits that include purpose made windlass straps or pressure devices can offer better performance, but they’re rarely equal to commercial devices.
Tourniquet Application: On Yourself vs Others
A critical factor when choosing a tourniquet, that is often not spoken about in training or mentioned in product information is the difference in types of tourniquet when self applying or applying to another person. Not all models are equally usable one-handed, especially in high-stress, cold, or wet environments.
Models like X8T, CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet) and SAM XT are designed for single‑handed use, making them easier to apply under stress. Some tourniquets may require two hands or complex threading, making them impractical for self‑care. X8T and SOF‑T, however, are easier to apply to somebody else under stress and environmental challenges.
Remember to always consider the PPE (personal protective equipment) and clothing you will be wearing during your adventure and not what you are wearing while packing. Will you be completing your activity in thick gloves/mittens or a dry suit? These factors also play a huge part in human factors and your own stress level and ability to function when an emergency occurs.
What kit is going to support you and your factors best, when trying to utilise it on myself or somebody else, at the peak of stress, in the most amount of PPE I could possibly be wearing, in the worst possible environment, weather and time of day?
Size, Bulk, and Carriage
Size and weight matter, especially on ultra light hikes, hill racing, climbs, or when building a compact personal trauma kit.
Pouch placement is key: outer pocket, belt-mounted, chest rig, or externally MOLLE’d on your med bag.
Don’t bury it or spit it between bags or vehicles, your tourniquet should be the most accessible item you carry.
Cost vs Quality
A legitimate, field-proven tourniquet costs between £30–£45. Anything dramatically cheaper may be:
A counterfeit (dangerous and widely sold online)
A poor imitation that looks real but fails under pressure
A training only version not meant for real world use
Research unknown brands or untested models, lives depend on the equipment doing what it’s supposed to do under extreme conditions.
Look for These Features
When selecting a commercial tourniquet:
Windlass (winding) or ratcheting mechanism with lock
Wide strap (≥3.8cm / 1.5”) to reduce tissue damage
One handed, intuitive use capability
Tested by TCCC / CoTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care)
Decent time tag or label area
Training: The Best Tourniquet Is the One You Can Use Under Stress
You must practice with your chosen tourniquet, on yourself and on others. Practice in:
Gloves
Low light
Bad weather
With your non-dominant hand
In full PPE
Refer back to our previous article referencing human factors and bandwidth for reasons to justify these. Tourniquet use is a high stress motor skill. Without rehearsal, it’s very easy to apply too loosely or too slowly.
Final Thoughts: One is None, Two is One
If space and budget allow, carry two tourniquets:
One for your dominant arm (in case it’s you injured)
One for treating others
Multiple Tourniquets for multiple injuries or casualties.
For expedition kits, paddling teams, rope crews or medics supporting high risk activities, this redundancy may be essential.
Summary
Recommendations for Outdoor Users
Solo adventurers / climbers: X8T, CAT Gen 7 or SOF-T Wide, mounted on belt or front pouch.
Group leaders: 2 - 4 x tourniquets, carried separately.
Water-based: X8T, SAM XT (good grip and materials), sealed in waterproof pouch.
Training: Get a training specific version or spares of the real version to rehearse with and keep the real one sealed.
About the Author
Ty Jewell MBE
MCPara | DipSR | GInstr | ESEEM | MAEEM | IMM
Ty Jewell MBE is a Specialist - Advanced Paramedic with a focus on Austere and Specialist Rescue and pre-hospital medicine. With over 16 years of distinguished service in the British Army, much of it spent on operations globally with elite and specialist units around the globe,
Ty brings a unique blend of operational experience, research, medical innovation, and strategic leadership to every environment he works in.
His career has seen him operate and command as a Solo Paramedic, within multidisciplinary and multinational teams, and as Medical Director and Clinical Lead for some of the most extended evacuation timelines seen in modern military operations. His final military appointment was as the Chief Army Paramedic, a national level advisory role responsible for shaping the future of pre-hospital care across UK Defence and NATO.
Ty is a highly decorated clinician, specialist operator and operational leader, having received the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Her Majesty's New Year’s Honours List for life-saving innovation, medicine in operations and development of medical protocols now used globally. His work spans frontline trauma care, strategy, clinical governance, education, political protection, and specialist rescue, while also advising government, emergency services, and international agencies on risk, capability, and command.
Ty continues to maintain his operational currency and clinical credibility across a wide spectrum of environments. He is actively engaged in pre-hospital and critical care research, regularly works within the NHS and HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services), and serves in various command, advisory, and clinical roles for counter-terrorism units, TV and film production teams, elite rescue services, and hostile environment consultancy. He is also the key medical Director for UKRO (United Kingdom Rescue Organistation), production Hostile Environment Training, and numerous specialist response organisations.
As a Founding Director of The Soteria Group, Ty leads a world-class provider of rescue, medical and specialist training, operations research, and consultation. With a dynamic faculty of highly qualified, operationally active instructors and clinicians, The Soteria Group delivers bespoke, high-fidelity, immersive training and real-world operational support, both in the UK and internationally. From blue light response teams and clinical oversight, policy development, specialist - advanced instruction and mentorship, and medical direction in austere environments. The Soteria Group is setting new international standards in rescue and medical capability. The company's ethos is simple yet powerful:
Comprehensive RESEARCH leading confident, safe and effective RESCUE, creating results and RESILIENCE.
Ty holds membership with the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh), UKRO (Medical Director – Rope Rescue), the Austere and Extreme Environment Medicine Faculty, and is a Graduate Member of the Institute of Search and Technical Rescue. He is also an area representative for the College of Paramedics.
A passionate BASE jumper, surfer, climber, and motorcyclist, Ty combines physical resilience with an insatiable drive to teach, learn, and lead. His interests in crew resource management, human factors, and remote medicine keep him at the cutting edge of pre-hospital care. As a clinician, instructor, strategist, and operator, Ty Jewell continues to push the boundaries of pre-hospital medicine and specialist rescue excellence, developing capabilities, and empowering teams wherever he goes.
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