Editor's Personal Pick — This is gear our editor carries afield.
Matt's tourniquet, carried outside his trauma kit in a $15 holder.
Why we picked this
Matt Gehrmann carries a North American Rescue CAT Gen 7 and thinks it's great. His Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Kit NOW! doesn't come with a windlass tourniquet, so he carries the CAT separately, in Blue Force Gear's Hammock tourniquet holder.
Quick specs
| Category | First Aid & Safety |
| Brand | North American Rescue |
| Weight | 2.7 oz |
| Open length | 37.5 in |
| Strap | 1.5 in, single routing buckle |
| Windlass | With a clip and a writeable security strap |
| CoTCCC | On the recommended list (Dec. 15, 2021) |
| Price | From $34.99 at NAR (checked Oct. 22, 2026) |
| Matt's holder | Blue Force Gear Hammock, $14.95, 19 g, made in the USA |
| Carried by | Matt Gehrmann |
| Editor's verdict | The tourniquet to carry, where you can reach it. |
The full review
The CAT Gen 7 weighs 2.7 oz and opens to 37.5 inches, with a 1.5-inch strap, a single routing buckle, a windlass clip and a writeable windlass security strap, according to North American Rescue. NAR says the CAT has been approved by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care "for two decades," and CoTCCC's recommended-device list dated Dec. 15, 2021 includes the CAT Gen 7 (CoTCCC list).
Blue Force Gear's Hammock is a $14.95, 19-gram holder for a CAT, SOF-T or RATS tourniquet. It threads onto MOLLE and hangs under a pouch with a three-column MOLLE footprint, a belt-mounted Micro Trauma Kit NOW! among them, which keeps the tourniquet outside the kit where you can grab it.
A tourniquet takes practice to put on fast, one-handed. Take a Stop the Bleed class, and practice on a trainer, not the tourniquet you carry. NAR sells blue training versions; make sure the one in your vest is the real thing.
What we love
- Matt's verdict: he thinks it's great.
- On CoTCCC's recommended list.
- 2.7 oz.
- The Hammock keeps it outside the trauma kit, ready to grab.
What to know before you buy
- Get trained first. The tourniquet doesn't replace a Stop the Bleed class.
- Buy the real one from NAR or a dealer you trust, not a lookalike.
- Trainers are blue. Don't carry one by mistake.
Where to buy
- North American Rescue CAT (brand-direct)
- Blue Force Gear Hammock (the holder Matt uses)
Important: trauma gear is not a substitute for training. Take a Stop the Bleed class (stopthebleed.org) before you carry a tourniquet afield.
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See also
- All first aid and safety
- Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Kit NOW! — Matt's trauma kit
- What I Carry for Alan — first aid for the dog