North American Rescue Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT Gen 7 Tourniquet)

Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) Gen 7 by North American Rescue

When seconds matter, the right piece of equipment in your kit can be the difference between life and death. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) Gen 7 from North American Rescue is the most widely fielded and most extensively studied prehospital tourniquet in the world. It has been the official tourniquet of the U.S. Army since 2005, and it is credited with a dramatic reduction in mortality from extremity hemorrhage on the battlefield — the U.S. Army attributes an estimated 85% decrease in exsanguination-related deaths during the Global War on Terror in part to its fielding.

The Gen 7 is the result of more than twenty years of continuous refinement. Every component has been engineered based on real-world feedback from military operators, law enforcement, EMS professionals, and civilian first responders. In testing by the U.S. Army's Institute of Surgical Research, the CAT was proven 100% effective at completely occluding arterial blood flow in both upper and lower extremities.

Built for One-Handed Application Under Stress

The CAT Gen 7 is a true one-handed tourniquet, designed for the reality that you may need to apply it to your own arm or leg while injured. The single routing buckle allows for faster application with decreased blood loss, effective slack removal, fewer windlass turns to achieve arterial occlusion, and a simplified single-protocol training standard. Whether applied to yourself or someone else, the procedure is the same.

Component Breakdown

The reinforced windlass rod features an increased diameter for enhanced strength and aggressive ribbing for improved grip, even with wet or bloody hands. The bilateral windlass clip allows for rapid locking from either side, and the beveled stabilization plate minimizes discomfort while providing stable pressure under the windlass. Inside the band, a patented free-moving internal band distributes pressure across the full width of the tourniquet for true circumferential pressure on the limb.

The windlass security strap is welded directly to the clip using a new manufacturing process for improved durability. This strap secures the windlass rod to prevent dislodgment during casualty movement and evacuation, and provides a writable surface to document the time of application — a critical detail for the next level of medical care.

Red Tip Technology

NAR's signature Red Tip Technology elliptical tab is more than a visual cue. In low-light, high-stress situations, the distinctive red tab provides both tactile and visual confirmation that the strap is properly threaded through the buckle. This small design choice significantly reduces the chance of application error when it matters most.

Specifications

• Packaged Dimensions: 6.5" L x 2.4" W x 1.5" D
• Open Length: 37.5"
• Strap Width: 1.5"
• Weight: 2.7 oz
• Designed to perform in all weather conditions
• Meets and exceeds ANSI/OSHA requirements for self-applied arterial tourniquets with a windlass or ratchet
• Recommended by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC)
• Selected as one of the U.S. Army's "Top 10 Greatest Inventions"
• Single-patient-use medical device (a dedicated Training CAT is available separately for practice)
• Made in the USA

Whether you're building an IFAK, upgrading your range bag, stocking a work vehicle, or preparing a home emergency kit, the CAT Gen 7 is the gold standard. Don't trust your life — or someone else's — to a counterfeit. This is the genuine North American Rescue CAT Tourniquet.

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1. Specs:
2. Country of Origin: USA