Happy 4th of July

Before we get into product of the week I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a happy 4th of July. I hope everyone took a moment to remember just what the 4th is all about and that we all have a lot to be thankful for because we (the Americans in the audience at least) could be living in a very different country and world had certain individuals not stood up against the strongest country of the time and said NO MORE! As well, a big thanks to all the vets out there who have worked so hard to maintain the security of what our forefathers put in place.

So, onto the product of the week:

When you need a tourniquet...

You need it NOW! That is where the name came from for the Tourniquet NOW! Strap from Blue Force Gear. For years I have resisted the urge to use a dedicated holder for my TQs and always opted to stash them on retention straps for tear off med pouches or to simply rubber band them into the MOLLE on my vests, plate carriers, or packs. At SHOT this year I got a chance to play with a number of Blue Force Gear products and really liked the new additions to the line. I have been using BFG slings for years and they have always held up no matter what the application from training to deployments. Couple that with the fact that all products with the Blue Force Gear name on them are made right here in The USA and it is hard to go wrong.

I recently added Blue Force Gear to the line up here at Austere Provisions Company and as usual I made a starter order of products that I wanted to try out based on industry feedback as well as personal interest. The Tourniquet Now! Strap was one of those starter items and I have been playing around with it and have been very pleased with both the durability and how much more low profile of a solution it is over my long standing rubber band technique.

Let's see what BFG has to say about it and then we can get into some more details...

Our Tourniquet NOW! Strap is an easily attached adapter that securely mounts a tourniquet or similar sized object to any MOLLE surface for instant access. Bands can be used in two different configurations to fit currently available combat tourniquets.

Short, sweet, and to the point. Some more details. The strap is made with a polymer stiffener to create a firm foundation that simply slides into MOLLE loops allowing elastic bands to stick out between the rows of MOLLE.

Here is a pic of the strap not in MOLLE:

From Blog album

Here is a comparison shot with my more traditional method of securing.

From Blog album

An important factor in preventing these from coming loose in either securing method is placement on your gear. Ideally you would place these up on your chest where they are both easily reached in the event you need the tourniquet as well as are slightly more protected than down on the lower trunk section of gear. I kept TQs strapped to my chest my entire time in Iraq and never had one come loose unless I was pulling it off to put it to use. Now I have heard of a single report of a SOFT-T coming loose from a Tourniquet Now! Strap, I think this can be avoided with good placement and giving a glance over your gear before go time to make sure everything is tight and right.

To reduce the profile of the SOFT-T on my vest I fold it so that the clasp mechanism is offset to one end and tuck the windlass retainers under the windlass. This reduces the possibility of things get caught on the TQ iteself. As well I turn the clasp towards the vest so it is not sticking out further reducing the likelihood that it would catch on anything during movement. Here is a more detailed shot of what I feel is a solid placement and packaging:

From Blog album

So, where to get this thing:

Blue Force Gear Tourniquet NOW! Strap available at Austere Provisions Company

Until next week, stay sharp and stay safe,

Mike