Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Kit (TQ Sling + CAT)

First AidEditor's Pick
Written By

Editor's Personal Pick — This is gear our editor carries afield.

Editor's pick: the smallest serious trauma kit you can carry — tourniquet sling and CAT tourniquet integrated, designed to be on you, always.

Why we picked this

The trauma kit problem is simple: the kit you have on you when something happens is the kit that matters. The kit in the truck is half a mile away, and the gold-standard rule of major bleeding is that brain hypoxia starts in 4 minutes. Blue Force Gear's Micro Trauma Kit solves the carry-it-or-not problem by being small enough to live on your belt or vest every day. Combined with the integrated TQ sling and a CAT tourniquet, this is what serious hunters and serious shooters carry as their first-line emergency response.

Quick specs
Category First Aid
Brand Blue Force Gear
Made in Pooler, Georgia, USA
Pouch dimensions ~4" × 5" × 1.5"
Tourniquet CAT Generation 7 (included)
TQ sling Integrated, MOLLE-compatible
Includes Tourniquet, hemostatic gauze (typically Combat Gauze), pressure dressing, gloves, mini shears
Attachment Belt loops, MOLLE/PALS, Tubes
Price around $165 ($$$)
Use case Body-worn trauma response for hunters trained on stop-the-bleed
Editor's verdict The kit that lives on you, not in the truck.

The full review

Blue Force Gear is in Pooler, Georgia, building gear for military and law enforcement professionals. Their trauma kit line crossed over to the hunting and outdoor world because the same design constraints apply: kit that needs to be carried, accessed under stress, and serviced without specialty tools. The Micro is the smallest serious kit they make.

The integrated TQ sling is the design choice that justifies the price. Most tourniquet pouches require you to fumble with closures under stress; the BFG sling is designed to release the tourniquet with one hand while the other hand applies it. The training is real — anyone carrying a tourniquet should have taken a Stop the Bleed class (60 minutes, often free, available at most hospitals and many gun ranges) — but the kit's design supports the training rather than fighting it.

The CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet) Gen 7 is the right tourniquet. There are alternatives (SOFTT-W, RATS) and arguments for each, but CAT is the most-trained-on, most-tested, and most-used tourniquet in current military and civilian medical practice. If you're going to carry a tourniquet, carry one your training matches.

The hemostatic gauze (typically QuikClot Combat Gauze, sometimes Celox depending on stock) is the second critical inclusion. For a wound where direct pressure isn't enough but a tourniquet would be excessive (junctional bleeding, a deep arm or leg laceration that's not a major artery), packed hemostatic gauze stops the bleeding fast. Two minutes of pressure with hemostatic gauze does what 20 minutes of pressure with regular gauze can't.

The pressure dressing handles the next-tier-down injuries — punctures, lacerations, and bleeding that's controllable with direct pressure. Combined with the included nitrile gloves and mini shears, the kit covers the full spectrum of upland injuries from "dog ran into a barbed-wire fence" through "self-inflicted gunshot wound while crossing a fence."

The pouch attachment options (belt loops, MOLLE/PALS, BFG's proprietary Tubes system) mean it goes on whatever you're already wearing. Final Rise vests have MOLLE-compatible webbing; the Micro mounts directly. Belt-only days, the belt loops work. The kit follows you.

What we love

  • Smallest serious trauma kit — actually fits your daily carry.
  • Integrated TQ sling — one-hand release under stress.
  • CAT Gen 7 included — the right tourniquet, factory-installed.
  • Hemostatic gauze + pressure dressing — full bleeding-spectrum coverage.
  • MOLLE/belt/Tubes attachment — mounts to anything.
  • Pooler, GA manufacturing — real American tactical-gear maker, real warranty support.

What to know before you buy

  • You need training — Stop the Bleed class is 60 minutes and often free. stopthebleed.org finds local classes.
  • The kit alone is not enough — for serious hunting parties, pair the Micro on-body with a larger kit (BFG Trauma Kit NOW! Standard) in the truck.
  • Hemostatic gauze has a shelf life — typically 5 years from manufacture. Check the date and rotate.
  • CAT tourniquets degrade in heat — don't store the kit in a closed truck in summer for years.
  • Brand-direct only — not at Bass Pro or Amazon.

Where to buy

Important: trauma gear is not a substitute for training. Take a Stop the Bleed class (stopthebleed.org) before you carry this kit afield. Most hospitals and many gun ranges offer free or low-cost classes.

CaliforniaUpland.com earns commissions from qualifying purchases at affiliated retailers. We recommend BFG because their gear is genuinely the best in its category.

See also

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Final Rise Upland Glove
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