Since its introduction to US forces in 2005, the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) by North American Rescue has become a mainstay of many federal, state, and civilian organizations. But unscrupulous vendors (mainly overseas) have sought to capitalize on a largely unsuspecting consumer, manufacturing near-look-alike CATs that have been known to fail at critical moments. In this two-part series, we will explore the features to legitimate CATs, and then follow-up with detailing the features that identify fraudulent tourniquets.

Part 1: Real v Fake – Identifying the Correct CAT Tourniquet

Part 2: Real v Fake – Identifying Fake CAT Tourniquets

Disclaimer: The purpose of this series is strictly informational, much like our COVID Chronicles, body armor, or gear guide, this series is not intended by High Ground to sway or convince the reader that one specific brand of tourniquet is superior to all the others. In the end, this series is intended to provide the reader with a condensed and focused resource—nothing more. It is not to be considered medical advice nor instruction. For proper use of applying a tourniquet, end-users are encourged to receive legitimate training from a certified instructor.

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