Is TACgauze™ Berry Amendment compliant?
Yes. TACgauze™ Wound Wrapping Gauze is 100% Berry Amendment compliant, manufactured entirely from U.S.-sourced fibers using domestic production processes. This makes it fully eligible for U.S. military procurement and DoD contract purchasing. It was specifically developed through a joint research program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to leverage American manufacturing capabilities.
How does TACgauze™ differ from standard cotton gauze?
TACgauze™ uses a non-woven construction that sheds significantly fewer fibers than traditional woven cotton gauze, reducing contamination risk to open wounds. It is also less adherent to damaged tissue, which means less pain and less disruption during dressing changes. Additionally, it can be torn into smaller units by hand without scissors — an important advantage in austere emergency environments.
What are the dimensions of TACgauze™ when deployed?
TACgauze™ deploys to a 4.5" wide × 120" long (approximately 11.4 cm × 3 m) conforming roll. Packaged, it measures just 3.5" × 5" × 0.5" and weighs 0.13 oz, making it one of the most compact conforming gauze options available for IFAK integration.
What injuries is TACgauze™ appropriate for?
TACgauze™ is a general-purpose wound wrapping gauze suitable for a wide range of applications including securing hemostatic dressings in wound cavities, wrapping extremity wounds after hemorrhage control, providing secondary retention over primary dressings, burn wound coverage as a dry secondary wrap, and improvised splint padding. It is designed for both military and civilian emergency medical use.
Can TACgauze™ be used in an IFAK or trauma kit?
Yes — TACgauze™ is specifically designed as an IFAK component. Its lightweight (0.13 oz) and compact packaged dimensions (3.5" × 5" × 0.5") allow it to fit alongside tourniquets, hemostatic agents, and chest seals without consuming significant space. Its Berry Amendment compliance and 100% U.S. manufacture also make it the preferred choice for military individual first aid kits.
Is TACgauze™ the same as a standard conforming gauze roll?
No. TACgauze™ uses a non-woven construction developed through a joint research program between Safeguard Medical (H&H) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specifically designed to reduce fiber-shedding into wounds and minimize tissue adherence. Standard conforming gauze is typically woven cotton or polyester, which sheds more fibers and can adhere to wound surfaces during dressing changes. TACgauze™ is also 100% Berry Amendment compliant with fully domestic manufacture, a distinction many standard conforming gauze products cannot claim.
Can TACgauze™ be used as the primary wound-packing material for hemorrhage control?
TACgauze™ is a conforming wrap gauze, not a dedicated wound-packing or hemostatic gauze. For life-threatening hemorrhage requiring wound packing, use a CoTCCC-recommended hemostatic agent (Combat Gauze, ChitoGauze, or similar) as the primary packing material. TACgauze™ is appropriate as a secondary wrap layer over completed wound packing, as a conforming outer dressing, or for wounds not requiring hemostatic packing (lacerations, abrasions, burn coverage).
How does TACgauze™ work for extremity wound management after tourniquet application?
After tourniquet placement and wound packing, TACgauze™ provides a conforming secondary wrap that secures the primary dressing and absorbs bleed-through during CASEVAC. Its 4.5 in × 120 in deployed length is sufficient to make multiple passes around an extremity, and the non-woven material drapes over the contoured anatomy of a thigh or forearm without bunching. The material can be torn by hand to the needed length without scissors.
What does Berry Amendment compliance mean for TACgauze™ procurement?
The Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. § 4862) requires that certain DoD clothing and textile items be made from 100% domestically produced fibers, fabrics, and components. TACgauze™ is manufactured entirely from U.S.-sourced fibers using domestic production processes, making it fully Berry Amendment compliant per Safeguard Medical product documentation. For DoD contracts requiring Berry Amendment textiles, TACgauze™ can be procured without a Berry waiver — unlike most imported conforming gauze options.
