A tourniquet you have to dig for is a tourniquet you reach too late. Mount it where either hand finds it without looking.
At a glance
12 things to know about the TMT holster set
What is in the box, what the holster and clips do, and what the tourniquet inside it does.
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01
What is in the set
One black TMT and one Safeguard Medical rigid TMT holster with Malice Clip® attachments. Safeguard registers the set in the FDA's device identifier database as the TMT Rigid Holster Kit with Malice Clip attachment, catalog 89-323.5
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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, added in the evidence-based's 2019 update.2,11 It names tourniquets, not carriers: the TMT inside the set is evidence-based standard and an FDA-registered, Class I (510(k)-exempt) tourniquet;10 the holster is how you carry it.
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03
Rigid on purpose
Safeguard describes the kit as designed to protect the tourniquet from damage while it is worn anywhere on the body.5
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04
How the Malice Clips hold
Malice Clips are Tactical Tailor's injection-molded, reusable connecting clips for attaching pouches to MOLLE/PALS webbing. They are unaffected by heat or cold and, once properly closed, do not open until you release them with a flat-tipped tool such as a knife or screwdriver.6
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05
Four holster colors, one black tourniquet
The holster comes in Black (89-323-BL), Olive Drab (-OD), Coyote Brown (-CB) and Multicam (-MC). The tourniquet is black in every set; the orange TMT is sold on its own.
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06
Other mounts for the same holster
Safeguard also builds the rigid TMT holster kit with a Combat Loop belt attachment, catalog 89-321, for carry on a plain belt.5
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07
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.4
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08
Ratchet, twist, click
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.4,7
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09
A buckle for trapped limbs
The TMT's quick-disconnect buckle prevents misrouting and lets you open the loop, pass the strap around a trapped limb, and reconnect it — or apply it one-handed.4,7
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10
Made to live outside its package
A UV-protective additive in the polymers makes the TMT, in Safeguard's words, durable enough to be stored outside of its packaging; it is stored in the one-handed configuration.4,7 That is exactly how it rides in this holster.
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11
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.12 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.13 On a manikin thigh, the TMT and the C-A-T controlled bleeding equally often, the C-A-T at higher pressure.14
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12
It pairs with the TQ-RAM
The TQ-RAM™ attaches to the TMT to give hands-free compression on top of a packed wound, and to control compressible bleeding in areas a limb tourniquet cannot reach.4,9
How to mount, draw and apply it
Mounting first, then Safeguard's one-handed TMT sequence with the placement decision made up front.
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1Mount it within reach of either hand. Weave the Malice Clips through the MOLLE/PALS webbing and close them until they lock; they open again only with a flat-tipped tool.6 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.4,7
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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.7
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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.7
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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.1,7
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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 MOLLE/PALS webbing — plate carrier, chest rig, PALS belt or bag2,6
- Life-threatening bleeding from an arm or a leg, and any traumatic amputation1
- A trapped limb — open the quick-disconnect buckle, route around, reconnect4,7
- Limbs from 5.75 to 38 in. (14.6–96.5 cm) around4
- A plain belt without PALS webbing — the Combat Loop version is built for belts5
- 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, 2006 | Survival 90% when tourniquets were applied before shock vs 10% after; no limb lost because of a tourniquet |
| 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 5.6% vs 19.4% vs 58.3%; leg failure 27.8% vs 44.4% vs 61.1%; no 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.15
How it compares
The ways Safeguard Medical packages a TMT for carry.
| This set — Malice Clip | Rigid holster — Combat Loop | MOJO® TMT Holster Kit | TMT alone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safeguard catalog | 89-323-BL / -OD / -CB / -MC | 89-321 (with TMT); empty holster also offered | 88-115-01-BL / -OD | PDF185 · 31-115 · PDF186 |
| Carrier | Rigid TMT holster | Rigid TMT holster | Berry-compliant 500D nylon pouch, red pull strap | Your own pouch or holster |
| Mounts to | MOLLE/PALS webbing | Belt, by Combat Loop attachment | MOLLE, or a standard 2 in. belt | — |
| Tourniquet | Black TMT | 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;5 MOJO® kit details from Safeguard Medical;8 TMT part numbers from Safeguard Medical.3
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:
- Black
- Olive Drab
- Coyote Brown
- Multicam
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
Domestic & Military Shipping
Free Standard Shipping: Automatically applied at checkout on all orders $200 and above within the 48 contiguous United States (CONUS).
APO/FPO Military Addresses: Unconditionally free standard shipping on every order, with no minimum purchase required.
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.
Export Compliance
North American Rescue (NAR) products and rifle hard armor plates are strictly restricted to US and APO/FPO addresses and cannot be exported internationally.







