A tourniquet you have to dig for is a tourniquet you reach too late. Put the holster where either hand finds it without looking.
At a glance
12 things to know about the TMT™ rigid holster with DCL
What the holster and attachment do, what is in the set, and what the tourniquet inside it does.
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01
Built for one tourniquet
Safeguard describes it as a custom-designed Kydex® holster for the evidence-based standard Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet.3 It carries the TMT; it is not a universal case.
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02
The status belongs to the tourniquet
The evidence-based list names the Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet, NSN 6515-01-656-6191.2 It names tourniquets, not holsters: the TMT in the set is evidence-based standard and an FDA-registered, Class I (510(k)-exempt) tourniquet;7 the holster is how you carry it.
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03
Vertical or horizontal
The DCL mounting attachment lets the holster ride vertical or horizontal on belts and web gear.3
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04
It closes like a door
Safeguard describes the DCL as working like a door swinging closed and snapping into place for a secured carry.3
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05
One-handed release, with a safety
The DCL unlocks and comes off with a one-handed spring closure release. That release has a built-in slide lock safety that secures the mount to your belt.3
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06
Fits belts, cords and webbing
The DCL hole spacing is 3/4 in. on centers, and a removable belt-size adjustment bar fits 2 in. belts down to 0.25 in. cords and webbing.3
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07
Set or empty
The holster set is the holster with a black TMT in it (89-321-xx); the empty holster (89-121-xx) is for a TMT you already own. Safeguard registers the set in the FDA's device identifier database as the TMT Rigid Holster Kit with Combat Loop back attachment, catalog 89-321.4
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08
Four colors
The holster comes in Olive Drab, Black, Coyote Brown and Multicam. The tourniquet in a set is black whatever the holster color.
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09
Hard shell on the body
Safeguard's device record describes the rigid kit as designed to protect the tourniquet from damage while it is worn anywhere on the user's body.4
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10
The tourniquet: a 2 in. strap with no internal band
Safeguard states the 2 in. strap achieves occlusion at lower pressures and that the absence of an internal band eases slack removal and allows rapid resetting. A UV-protective additive makes the TMT durable enough to be stored outside its packaging, in the one-handed configuration.5,6
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11
Ratchet, twist, click — and a buckle for trapped limbs
You ratchet the strap tail snug, twist the torsion bar until the bleeding stops, and lock the bar into its retainer; it clicks when it seats. The quick-disconnect buckle opens to pass the strap around a trapped limb.5,6
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12
What the data show
In 24 British military volunteers self-applying at mid-thigh, the TMT succeeded in 71% and the C-A-T in 92% — not a significant difference.9 In a three-way crossover, arm failure was 19.4% for the TMT, 5.6% for the C-A-T Gen 7 and 58.3% for the SOFTT-W.10 On a manikin thigh, the TMT and the C-A-T controlled bleeding equally often, the C-A-T at higher pressure.11
How to mount, draw and apply it
Mounting first, then the one-handed TMT sequence with the placement decision made up front.
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1Mount it within reach of either hand. Close the DCL onto your belt or web gear and set the removable adjustment bar to the belt, cord or webbing width. Choose vertical or horizontal carry, and run the release as a drill: spring closure to release, slide lock to secure.3 Military, law enforcement and anyone armed carry it on their person.
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2Stage the TMT. Out of its packaging, folded in the one-handed configuration, seated in the holster.5,6
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3Choose the placement. Under threat, or when you cannot see where the blood is coming from: hasty — high and tight, over clothing. When the source is found and time and safety allow: deliberate — on bare skin, 2–3 in. above the wound. If that point lands on a joint, move above the joint. Never place it across or directly over a joint.1
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4Draw and open. Pull the TMT from the holster, hold the strap end by the white time-label tab and let it fall open with "PULL" facing away. For a trapped limb, separate the buckle, route the strap around the limb without twisting it, and reconnect.6
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5Free the strap and ratchet. Pull the time tab until the hook-and-loop separates, grip the tail close to the buckle, pull up and away, then down in a quick ratcheting motion until snug.6
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6Twist, lock, record. Twist until the bleeding stops and the distal pulse is gone — it hurts, and that is expected. Lock the torsion bar into the retainer, secure the excess strap, and write the time on the tourniquet and the casualty card. If bleeding continues, add a second tourniquet side by side with the first.1,6
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7Reassess a hasty tourniquet. When the scene allows, expose the wound. If a tourniquet is needed, place a second one on bare skin 2–3 in. above the bleeding site, tighten it, then slowly release the first. If the source still cannot be found, the first stays high and tight.1
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8Leave it on — or convert by protocol. For civilians and most law enforcement, especially in self-aid, leaving it in place for the receiving clinicians is good practice. The TCCC Guidelines direct every effort to convert within 2 hours when the casualty is not in shock, the wound can be watched, and it is not an amputation.1
Where it fits
- Carrying a evidence-based standard limb tourniquet on a belt or web gear2,3
- Life-threatening bleeding from an arm or a leg, and any traumatic amputation1
- A trapped limb — open the quick-disconnect buckle, route around, reconnect5,6
- Vertical or horizontal carry on belts, cords and webbing from 2 in. down to 0.25 in.3
- Any tourniquet other than the TMT — the holster is custom-designed for it3
- The groin, armpit or neck — pack those wounds with hemostatic gauze and hold pressure
- Across or directly over a joint — move above it
- Bleeding that direct pressure or a pressure dressing controls
The evidence
The evidence is for the tourniquet in the holster — what each study tested and how strong it is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kragh et al., Ann Surg 2009 | Human · combat clinical | Tourniquets as a class: 232 casualties with 428 tourniquets, Baghdad combat support hospital, 2006 | Tourniquet use when shock was absent was associated with survival (90% vs 10%, P < 0.001); no amputation resulted solely from tourniquet use |
| Beaven et al., J Spec Oper Med 2018 | Human volunteer · randomized | 24 British military volunteers self-applying the C-A-T and the TMT at mid-thigh, ultrasound of popliteal flow | Success C-A-T 92% vs TMT 71% (not significant); median time to occlusion 37.5 s vs 35 s |
| Treager et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2021 | Human volunteer · randomized crossover | C-A-T Gen 7 vs TMT vs SOFTT-W on arm and leg, Doppler pulse, then retested after crawling and dragging | Arm failure 5.56% vs 19.44% vs 58.33%; leg failure 27.78% vs 44.44% vs 61.11%; no significant difference after movement |
| Gibson et al., J Spec Oper Med 2016 | Manikin | TMT and RATS vs C-A-T on a manikin thigh, two users, 30 tests each | Effectiveness and pulse cessation did not differ by model; the C-A-T applied more pressure than the TMT |
| Montgomery et al., J Spec Oper Med 2019 | Expert review · evidence-based update | Review of limb tourniquets for the evidence-based's 2019 update, which added the TMT | evidence-based voted to update its list in April 2019; the authors note the lack of unbiased data and official test criteria |
Strongest to weakest: human clinical data, then human-volunteer tests, then manikin studies, then expert review. The combat data are for tourniquets as a class; none of these studies tested the holster.8
How it compares
The ways Safeguard Medical packages a TMT for carry.
| This holster — DCL belt attachment | Rigid holster — Malice Clip® | MOJO® TMT Holster Kit | TMT alone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safeguard catalog | 89-321-OD / -BL / -CB / -MC set · 89-121-OD / -CB / -MC empty | 89-323-BL / -OD / -CB / -MC | 88-115-01-BL / -OD | PDF185 · 31-115 · PDF186 |
| Carrier | Rigid Kydex® TMT holster | Rigid TMT holster | 500D nylon pouch, red pull strap | Your own pouch or holster |
| Mounts to | Belts and web gear, vertical or horizontal; cords and webbing down to 0.25 in. | MOLLE/PALS webbing | MOLLE, or a standard 2 in. belt | — |
| Tourniquet | Black TMT in the set; none in the empty holster | Black TMT | TMT | Black or orange TMT |
| evidence-based standard | The TMT inside — yes | The TMT inside — yes | The TMT inside — yes | Yes — TMT |
Holster kit catalog numbers from Safeguard Medical's device identifier records;4 DCL details from Safeguard Medical;3 TMT part numbers from Safeguard Medical.5
Build the system
The tourniquet on its own, the other ways to carry it, the TQ-RAM that rides on it, and the rest of the bleeding kit.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Available Options:
- Olive Drab / Holster Set
- Black / Holster Set
- Olive Drab / Empty Holster
- Coyote Brown / Holster Set
- Coyote Brown / Empty Holster
- Multicam / Empty Holster
- Multicam / Holster Set
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
Domestic & Military Shipping
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Order Processing & Tracking
Fulfillment Timeline: In stock merchandise ships within 48-72 hours from Florida HQ.
Automated carrier tracking details are emailed immediately upon shipment dispatch.
30-Day Returns & Medical Safety
Returns: Unused, unopened equipment in original manufacturer packaging is eligible for return within 30 days of delivery.
Bio-Safety Notice: To ensure sterility and patient safety, medical consumables with opened or broken tamper-evident seals cannot be returned.
Return Facility: MED-TAC International Corp., 15757 Pines Blvd, Suite 154, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027.
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North American Rescue (NAR) products and rifle hard armor plates are strictly restricted to US and APO/FPO addresses and cannot be exported internationally.
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