QuikClot Combat Gauze is the new kid on the block of Hemostatic Agents and is the TCCC‘s agent of choice for first line treatment for life-threatening hemorrhage.
Tactical Combat Casualty Care (Pronounced “T-Triple C”) are guidelines developed by USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command) to properly train non-medics to deal with the preventable causes of combat deaths.
At a recent Live Tissue class we attended we were amazed at the versatility of Combat Gauze. If you’ve ever used HemCon Dressings, you’ll know how impossible it is to pack it’s cardboard-like material into wounds. Continue reading →
The Knot of the Week continues this week with a knot submitted by one of our users, Mr. Max, via our comments on the Highwayman’s Hitch post.
His brilliant knot, the Tarantula Hitch solves the tendency of the Highwayman’s hitch to pull through whenever weight is applied to the load bearing line of the knot.
Another wonderful benefit of this knot is that the release line cannot be pulled when the load bearing line is under heavy tension.
We’ve tested the Tarantula Hitch and it does in fact hold the weight of a 180 lb. person, but without putting it though further testing it’s hard to tell if it could be used as a lifesaving knot.
Ensure the Tarantula Hitch is tight, or it won’t hold whatever you’ve tied up. Also pay particular attention to the start of this knot, as the working end of this knot becomes the release end.
Uses:
Tying up a Zodiac to dock cleats
A situation where you need to release a knot with one hand
Towing another boat or canoe that would need to be quickly released
Tying up your horse to rob a stagecoach
Tying Instructions:
Begin with a loop and at least two feet remaining on the working end of the line
*The first photo is just a reference to show which section will become the working part
Make a turn around the desired object you’ll be tying up to
Continue the working end around the front of the loop you’ve made
Ensure at this point that as you’re pulling the working end around the object, the the line crosses behind the standing part
Form a bight in the working end and thread behind the standing part
Finally, pull the bight through the top loop and tighten up the Tarantula Hitch
We’ve just found out about a new training facility in the works called Wind Zero. The 1000 acre facility is located in California’s Imperial Valley, near to the Naval Special Warfare training facility in Niland, CA and Imperial County’s Salton Sea.
Rather than compete with existing training programs, Wind Zero seems to be an all-inclusive facility available for rent by various law enforcement, military and public agencies to allow them to run their respective training blocks in a state-of-the-art facility.
While 400 of the 1,000 acres will be dedicated to this training, the other 600 will be used for a country club motorsports race resort featuring 6.1 miles of road course. The motorsports facility will be the first of its kind in California and the longest road course in all of North America.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July from everyone here at ITS Tactical!
Remember our founding fathers and their War for Independence which created our great nation. The soldiers who have gone before us and those who can’t be with us today… are not forgotten.
Here’s a couple of great reference reads that everyone interested in getting into lock picking should peruse.
We feel these are the top three open-source guides available out there right now, and should give everyone a solid understanding of lock picking basics.
If anyone knows of another great resource, please post it to the comments
These lock picking tips and techniques provided in this article are only to be used in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and provided for lock sport (recreational lock picking) use only. Lock sport should be used to learn about the illusion of security, and how to properly protect yourself and your possessions. Don’t do anything illegal.
An interesting news segment rolled across the local news here today on a simple device that can be installed to make it difficult for thieves to steal your mail. Not impossible, but difficult.
The product had no contact information for the man that produces these devices, but here’s a link to a similar product called a Locking Mailbox Insert. Continue reading →
The Knot of the Week climbing mini-series ends this week with the Bachmann Knot. Yes, another relative of the Prusik Knot.
Our reason for reviewing so many similar knots is to illustrate the different applications they all have, and Prusik Knots are extremely important in climbing.
Like the standard Prusik, the Bachmann Knot is a friction hitch, which works by gripping the rope and providing friction to support a climbers weight. The Bachmann’s main characteristic that visually separates it from Prusik Knots, is the use of a Carabiner. Continue reading →
The card was originally designed by Jenni Mattison for Melvin, a self proclaimed “hacker, entrepreneur, and all around mischief maker.” Mitnick requested Melvin’s permission to copy the design and asked Mattison to create a variation on it, since he wanted more text to go on the card.
Here’s a great way to make a little modification to a Blue Force Gear VCAS Padded Double A Model and quickly convert it from a two-point sling to single-point sling.
There are a couple of slings out there currently that can convert like this, The Emdom/MM Gunslinger and the Magpul MS2 Sling. Both of these are excellent slings and easily make the two-point to single-point conversion, but the purpose of our modification is to take a sling that many people might already own, and enable it to convert.
We first began by noticing that the BFG sling had an area between bar tacks that would be ideal for a D-Ring. (Be sure to look at your VCAS and see if there’s an area that will work for the D-Ring modification) We then took take an awl to this area and created a hole under the material to enable us to slide in a D-Ring.
ITW Nexus manufactures the D-Ring we used, but it requires a modification. The D-Ring must be cut in order to split and snake through the hole made by the awl. We did this by using bolt cutters.
Bolt cutters will press the plastic until it cracks, which will be along the pressure point already created by the blades of the bolt cutters. This makes for a very clean break that can come back together very easily without any material being lost in the D-Ring.
Another method would be to use a cut-off wheel on a Dremel Tool, but this might take too much of the material away from the D-Ring and cause it not to meet back up.
Once the D-Ring is threaded through the sling, you’re ready to add on a H&K style Spring Snap Sling Hook and compatible sling adapter on your weapon. We chose the Midwest Industries MCTAR-TS which is made specifically for the H&K style Spring Snap Sling Hook.
We’re also running the Blue Force Gear Mash Hook Adapter to have a quick release on the sling. The Mash Hook Adapter works very well with the Magpul ASAP that’s on our gun. The ASAP was designed to give a shooter over 180 degrees range of motion of the sling attachment point and can be used ambidextrously by both left or right handed shooters.
Be sure to order the male slide release buckle with the BFG Mash Hook Adapter so it will attach properly to your VCAS Padded Double A Model Sling.
We’re pretty stoked about this small modification that will enable you to run your favorite sling in not only a two-point configuration, but now in a single-point as well.
We’ve sent off the idea to BFG, and hopefully we’ll see a D-Ring on future versions of their slings.
Let us know in the comments if your padded VCAS will allow for this modification.
The Knot of the Week mini-series on climbing knots is coming to a close with only one more week remaining. This week we focus on the Klemheist Knot, another relative of the Prusik Knot.
Like the standard Prusik, the Klemheist Knot is a friction hitch, which works by gripping the rope and providing friction to support a climbers weight. With the Klemheist, too many wraps around the main line will bind the knot and not allow it to function. Continue reading →
QuikClot Combat Gauze is the new kid on the block of Hemostatic Agents and is the TCCC‘s agent of choice for first line treatment for life-threatening hemorrhage.
We’ve just found out about a new training facility in the works called 
Have a safe and happy 4th of July from everyone here at ITS Tactical!
Here’s a couple of great reference reads that everyone interested in getting into lock picking should peruse.
We received a tip today from WK at 
, but this might take too much of the material away from the D-Ring and cause it not to meet back up.
