Tourniquets are a hot topic again: they save lives in traffic accidents, on the mountain or in military conflicts – if you know how to use them and make the right choice. In order to get an orientation on the market, we had three experts from Critical Knowledge test common “TQs” for Ranger Magazine (made by Militär Aktuell) for their practicality (-> To the large test overview).
SOF Tourniquet Gen4
The toggle and strap fixation on the SOF Tourniquet Gen4 are made of metal, while the toggle mount and safety catch are made of plastic. The other materials used also appear to be of high quality. A small box on the label of the drawstring allows you to enter the application time. The fastener has been improved compared to the previous version, but could still be a problem for less trained users in a stressful situation. It should also be noted that this product can only be used double-threaded, which can again make it difficult to apply to the upper limb. You can help yourself by pressing your upper arm against a rigid surface or your upper body to pinch the drawstring. The excess length is wrapped around the tourniquet and secured.
Product: SOF-Tourniquet Gen4
Manufacturer: Tacmed
Price: approx. 45 Euro
Source of supply/manufacturer: tacmedsolutions.com
Test & evaluation*
Haptics & optics: 13
Even OE: 7
Even UE: 12
Foreign OE: 13
Foreign UE: 13
Gloves: 10
Training intensity: 8
Total points: 76
Ranking in the test: 5th place
*Self OE: self application upper extremities, self UE = self application lower extremities, external OE = external application upper extremities, external UE = external application lower extremities, gloves = application with gloves, training intensity = can the tourniquet be used without much practice? 15 points were achievable in each test category = a total of 105 points could be scored
This review first appeared in Ranger Magazine #2 (available here as an e-paper).
Click here for the overview article of the big Tourniquet test.
