NAR SOLO IFAK
A real tourniquet and bleeding control plus everyday first aid, in one belt-size pouch.
Gear guide · First aid
NAR SOLO IFAKImage: North American Rescue 
NAR STRAC Bleeding Control KitImage: North American Rescue 
C-A-T Gen 7Image: My Medic / North American Rescue 
SAM XTImage: My Medic / SAM Medical 
SOF Tourniquet Gen 4Image: TacMed Solutions
The best IFAKs, trauma kits and tourniquets.
Get a North American Rescue SOLO IFAK for the bag or the car: a genuine C-A-T plus real bleeding control and everyday first aid. Keep NAR's STRAC bleeding kit at home. Just need a tourniquet? The C-A-T Gen 7 has been the U.S. Army's since 2005. Buy from the maker or an authorized seller, never a marketplace bargain, and take a Stop the Bleed class.
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What are you building?
The short list
NAR STRAC Bleeding Control Kit
The bleeding-control kit for the kitchen drawer and the car, with picture instructions.
C-A-T Gen 7
The tourniquet the U.S. Army has used since 2005. Buy it from an authorized seller.
SAM XT
An auto-locking buckle takes out the slack, so it needs fewer windlass turns.
SOF Tourniquet Gen 4
Wide strap and an aluminum windlass, made in the USA.
Store links checked Oct 11, 2026, 3:00 AM ET. Check current prices at the store.
Best IFAK
The bad day and the bad cut, one pouch.
North American Rescue SOLO IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) · 1 of 5
C-A-TTourniquet included
1.54 lbWeight (NAR)
7×4.5 inPouch size
Get it if You want one kit on your belt, in the car or in the go-bag that handles a severe bleed and the everyday stuff too.
Skip it if You already own a good first aid kit. Add the STRAC kit or a tourniquet instead.
Full specs & caveats
Strengths
- Comes with a genuine C-A-T, sold by the company that distributes it
- Covers the bad bleed and the everyday cut in one pouch
- Compact 7 × 4.5-in pouch; NAR lists vehicles, hiking and camping among its uses
Keep in mind
- Pricier than building your own
- No chest seal in this kit
- Gear is only half of it: take a Stop the Bleed class
| Type | IFAK: bleeding control plus everyday first aid |
|---|---|
| Tourniquet | C-A-T (orange), included |
| Bleeding control | 4-in Responder trauma dressing, compressed gauze, QuikClot Bleeding Control Dressing |
| Also inside | Burn dressing, bandages, wound closure strips, petrolatum gauze, irrigation syringe, triangular bandage, eye shields, gloves, shears, penlight, CPR mask |
| Size | 7 × 4.5 × 2.75 in |
| Weight | 1.54 lb (NAR) |
| Recommended by | Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list |
Best for home and car
Nothing but the life-savers.
North American Rescue STRAC Personal Bleeding Control Kit (HB496, nylon) · 2 of 5
C-A-TTourniquet included
16.5 ozWeight (NAR)
YesChest seal
Get it if You want a kit anyone in the house can open and use, with picture instructions and a chest seal.
Skip it if You need bandages for small cuts. Keep a regular first aid kit next to it.
Full specs & caveats
Strengths
- Everything for a life-threatening bleed and nothing else, so it stays simple
- Picture instructions help someone who's never trained
- Adds a chest seal the SOLO IFAK doesn't have
Keep in mind
- No bandages for small cuts: pair it with a regular first aid kit
- Nylon pouch isn't vacuum-sealed (NAR sells a sealed version)
- Still no substitute for a class
| Type | Bleeding control kit (no everyday first aid) |
|---|---|
| Tourniquet | C-A-T (orange), included |
| Bleeding control | 6-in Responder trauma dressing, compressed gauze, HyFin Vent compact chest seal (twin pack) |
| Also inside | Nitrile gloves, 7.25-in trauma shears, survival blanket, marker, Just in Time picture instruction card |
| Size | 7 × 5 × 2.75 in |
| Weight | 16.5 oz (NAR) |
| Standard | Built to Texas HB 496 school bleeding-control kit contents |
| Recommended by | Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list |
Best tourniquet
The Army's tourniquet since 2005.
C-A-T Combat Application Tourniquet Gen 7 · 3 of 5
2005U.S. Army tourniquet since
CoTCCCRecommended
One handSelf-application
Get it if You're adding a tourniquet to a kit you already have and want the model the U.S. Army has used since 2005.
Skip it if You can't buy from NAR or an authorized seller. A fake is worse than none.
Full specs & caveats
Strengths
- The official U.S. Army tourniquet since 2005, per NAR
- One-handed design you can put on your own arm
- Easy to verify: genuine ones carry the C-A-T logo and NSN
Keep in mind
- The most counterfeited tourniquet: skip marketplace listings
- Train with it before you need it
| Type | Windlass limb tourniquet |
|---|---|
| Recommended by | CoTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care) list |
| Application | One-handed, single routing buckle |
| Made in | South Carolina, USA (all genuine C-A-Ts, per NAR) |
| Spot a fake | C-A-T logo with a cat outline and NSN 6515-01-521-7976; buy from NAR or an authorized distributor |
Easiest to tighten
Locks the slack out for you.
SAM XT Extremity Tourniquet · 4 of 5
4.1 ozWeight
CoTCCCRecommended
Auto-lockBuckle
Get it if You want fewer windlass turns and an auto-locking buckle.
Skip it if You trained on a C-A-T. Carry what you practiced with.
Full specs & caveats
Strengths
- The TRUFORCE buckle locks and removes slack before you twist
- Fewer windlass turns than older designs, per SAM Medical
- Metal windlass rod
Keep in mind
- Less common in classes than the C-A-T
- Buy from an authorized seller, like any tourniquet
- Train on it before you rely on it
| Type | Windlass limb tourniquet with auto-locking buckle |
|---|---|
| Recommended by | CoTCCC list |
| Windlass | 6061-T6 aluminum rod |
| Fits | 5.5–35 in circumference |
| Folded size | 2.5 × 1.5 × 7.5 in |
| Weight | 4.1 oz |
Best metal-windlass tourniquet
Aluminum where it counts.
SOF Tourniquet Gen 4 (SOFTT-W) · 5 of 5
1.5 inWide strap (SOFTT-W)
CoTCCCRecommended
USAMade in
Get it if You want a stout aluminum windlass and a wide strap, made in the USA.
Skip it if You're offered the old 1-inch SOFTT. It's off the CoTCCC list.
Full specs & caveats
Strengths
- Aluminum windlass with a Tri-Ring Lock
- 1.5-in wide strap: the CoTCCC-listed SOFTT-W
- Sold direct by the maker
Keep in mind
- The old 1-inch SOFTT is off the CoTCCC list: make sure you get the Wide/Gen 4
- Buckle routing differs from the C-A-T, so train on the one you carry
| Type | Windlass limb tourniquet |
|---|---|
| Recommended by | CoTCCC list (as SOFTT-W); TacMed says DoD and CoTCCC approved |
| Windlass | Aircraft-grade aluminum, Tri-Ring Lock |
| Strap | Reinforced, low-stretch polyester, 1.5 in wide |
| Made in | USA |
Side by side.
Pick two. Compare the numbers—not the marketing.
Manufacturer and retailer specs. All three tourniquets here are on the CoTCCC recommended list.
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | ||
| Recommended by | ||
| Weight |
| Specification | Best IFAKNAR SOLO IFAK | Best for home and carNAR STRAC Bleeding Control Kit | Best tourniquetC-A-T Gen 7 | Easiest to tightenSAM XT | Best metal-windlass tourniquetSOF Tourniquet Gen 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | IFAK: bleeding control plus everyday first aid | Bleeding control kit (no everyday first aid) | Windlass limb tourniquet | Windlass limb tourniquet with auto-locking buckle | Windlass limb tourniquet |
| Recommended by | Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list | Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list | CoTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care) list | CoTCCC list | CoTCCC list (as SOFTT-W); TacMed says DoD and CoTCCC approved |
| Weight | 1.54 lb (NAR) | 16.5 oz (NAR) | Not listed | 4.1 oz | Not listed |
NAR SOLO IFAK
- Type
- IFAK: bleeding control plus everyday first aid
- Recommended by
- Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list
- Weight
- 1.54 lb (NAR)
NAR STRAC Bleeding Control Kit
- Type
- Bleeding control kit (no everyday first aid)
- Recommended by
- Its C-A-T tourniquet is on the CoTCCC list
- Weight
- 16.5 oz (NAR)
C-A-T Gen 7
- Type
- Windlass limb tourniquet
- Recommended by
- CoTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care) list
- Weight
- Not listed
SAM XT
- Type
- Windlass limb tourniquet with auto-locking buckle
- Recommended by
- CoTCCC list
- Weight
- 4.1 oz
SOF Tourniquet Gen 4
- Type
- Windlass limb tourniquet
- Recommended by
- CoTCCC list (as SOFTT-W); TacMed says DoD and CoTCCC approved
- Weight
- Not listed
How we chose
We started from the CoTCCC recommended devices list, the military’s committee for trauma care, and only picked tourniquets on it. Kit contents come from each maker’s product page. We don’t test medical gear, we’re not medics, and we haven’t joined any of these brands’ affiliate programs.
IFAK or first aid kit?
A first aid kit handles cuts, burns and blisters. An IFAK (individual first aid kit) is built around the injuries that kill fast: severe bleeding from an arm or leg, deep wounds, and holes in the chest. That means a tourniquet, packing gauze and a pressure dressing. Most households need both. Our 72-hour kit checklist covers the everyday kit.
How to avoid a fake tourniquet
North American Rescue says counterfeit C-A-Ts made overseas have flooded the market and have failed when people needed them. A federal general exclusion order now lets U.S. Customs seize fakes at the border, but some still slip through.
- Buy from the maker or an authorized distributor. Every genuine C-A-T is made in South Carolina, NAR says.
- Check the markings. A real C-A-T has the C-A-T logo with a cat outline and the stock number NSN 6515-01-521-7976.
- Be suspicious of a bargain. A deep discount or a listing that says “combat tourniquet” without the brand name is a red flag.
- Not sure? NAR offers to help you check yours: customerservice@narescue.com.
Gear is half of it
A tourniquet you’ve never practiced with is hard to use on a bleeding stranger, or on yourself. Stop the Bleed classes from the American College of Surgeons teach the basics, and the American Red Cross teaches first aid. We’re not medical professionals; this page isn’t medical advice.
Swaps we made
My Medic’s Bleed Stopper and Trauma Pro. Well-built kits from a brand we already recommend for first aid, but both ship with a RATS tourniquet, which isn’t on the CoTCCC list. If you buy one, add a C-A-T, SAM XT or SOF Tourniquet.
TacMed Operator IFAK. A solid pouch, but TacMed’s page doesn’t list the full contents, so we couldn’t compare it fairly.
Sources
- CoTCCC — Recommended devices and adjuncts, limb tourniquets (Deployed Medicine)
- North American Rescue — Counterfeit C-A-T tourniquets and the general exclusion order
- Stop the Bleed (American College of Surgeons) — Training
- North American Rescue — SOLO IFAK
- North American Rescue — STRAC Personal Bleeding Control Kit
- TacMed Solutions — SOF Tourniquet Gen 4
- My Medic — SAM XT Tourniquet
- My Medic — C-A-T Tourniquet Gen 7 product page (NAR description)
Image credits: NAR SOLO IFAK — North American Rescue · NAR STRAC Bleeding Control Kit — North American Rescue · C-A-T Gen 7 — My Medic / North American Rescue · SAM XT — My Medic / SAM Medical · SOF Tourniquet Gen 4 — TacMed Solutions.