Recon Medical Tourniquet

by Ryan Cleckner

October 10, 2017

2 comments

3.8
(16)

FeatureRecon
One-HandedYes
Everyday Carry (EDC)No
Ease of UseMedium
Cost$16.97
Weight2.5 oz
Amazon Ranking4.8/5
Order on AmazonOrder
Recon Medical Tourniquet

The Recon Medical Tourniquet is a copy of a higher-ranking tourniquet on our list of Best Tourniquets, the CAT tourniquet.

Typically, we would never recommend a tourniquet that is a cheaper copy of a name-brand tourniquet but this tourniquet is such a good value that we had to include it.

This is the simplest way we can put this: if you want a CAT tourniquet but can’t afford it, then you should get this tourniquet instead.

This is the ONLY off-brand CAT tourniquet copy we recommend (and we still prefer the CAT). Stay away from all of the other copies – most we’ve seen are cheap Chinese knock-offs that we wouldn’t trust our life to.

The Recon Medical tourniquet appears well made and has a 4.8 star rating on Amazon with hundreds of reviews.

This style tourniquet is best as the official CAT tourniquet (#2 on our list) and acceptable as the Recon Medical. No other make of this style tourniquet is suitable as an IFAK tourniquet.

Use

Because this tourniquet is so close to the CAT tourniquet, please see the instructions for use on the CAT tourniquet.

The Recon Medical Tourniquet has two notable unique features.

First, it has a finger hole in the strap that can be used for tightening the tourniquet. This could be a benefit in situations where it might be difficult to grasp the flat strap of the CAT Tourniquet. The tighter the strap can be adjusted prior to turning the windlass, the less turns of the windlass will be required and therefore it can stop bleeding faster.

Second, it has a “single-pass” buckle. Earlier models of the CAT Tourniquet had a “two-pass” buckle that was more difficult to use and could make the tourniquets difficult to tighten and loosen. It was such an issue that the US Army Special Operations Command created a report on how the “single-pass” method was preferred. The latest version (Gen 7) of the CAT Tourniquet now has a “single-pass” buckle also.

Recon Medical Tourniquet Pros and Cons

  • Familiar operation – similar to US Army standard tourniquet
  • Inexpensive
  • Quick open/close (single-pass)
  • Finger loop for tightening
  • Lightweight
  • Bulky
  • Budget-model

Colors

This tourniquet comes in four colors: black, orange, tan, and blue. If you decide to carry this tourniquet exposed on your gear, then you should probably get the black or tan version.

However, if this tourniquet will be inside of an IFAK, we strongly recommend the orange model. It will be easier to see while you’re working with it and it will likely stand-out easier to medical personnel.

The blue model of this tourniquet is the training model. It is the same quality as the other colors, however, blue helps it to be identified as the training tourniquet.

Rate

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 3.8 / 5. Vote count: 16

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

About Ryan Cleckner

Ryan is a former special operations sniper (1/75 Ranger) and current firearms attorney, firearms industry executive, university lecturer, and bestselling author of the Long Range Shooting Handbook.

Recent Posts

2 COMMENTS

  1. Stop recommending non TCCC tourniquets. It’s 2019, the internet is here, you can easily find good info.

  2. Hey Ryan, I hope all is well. I don’t know if you remember me from the class in AZ. In your last podcast you stated you were moving more stuff over to this site and I thought I would check it out. Any way aside from being a shooter I am also an emt (I know you were at one point also) so glad to see a post about tourniquets might even be a good pod cast topic.

    Now for the reason for my comment, I concur the CAT is the 800 pound gorilla in the tourniquet space…but you should check out STAT Medical. I am not affiliated whit them just own a few and seen them used in the street. https://www.statmeddevices.com

    I EDC one (my kids have them in their book bags) for the following reasons 1) it’s a one handed easy to apply almost idiot proof 2) it will fit a child or kid, a cast only will go so small before ineffective/will not fit for a child 3) I you can put two together to hold an abdomen wound and lastly 4) it’s basically a big tywrap and can be a restraint if need be!!

    Hope the info helps

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *