How to: Effective improvised tourniquet from a leather belt

Simple and effective ratcheting style tourniquet from a leather belt.

[@alexrider9782]

I dont know why or how I got here but its 3:42 AM and I am trying this out : )

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Good luck and stay safe :)

[@loadapish]

0337 i read this comment

[@toma8689]

ey same, 3:58 for me

[@RAPPERreal]

Same, I hope you’re safe man

[@lil-reaper0777]

3 47 as I read this, yes also AM

[@brooke.t2778]

Help I cant get it off

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Wiggle the top overlaying part of the belt :) Its pretty dang effective. Happy new years :)

[@Muzmammal]

Lmfao

[@holdmybreadbeer3793]

Same like help

[@MTG762]

Shit my arm is turning blue

[@nessiren3943]

Push the long flap part back through and your golden lol trust me I got stuck and figured it out lol

[@basicbryangames3208]

Good suicide technice

[@davidhurtado7134]

Idk you guys, but i am using this with sexual purposes

[@eliteteamkiller319]

Imagine when you can't get it off your girlfriend and you have to call an ambulance or go to the ER...

[@davidhurtado7134]

@@eliteteamkiller319 That would be extremely funny

[@naevasaedan8179]

Me reading to those who can't take it off: lol xD Me when I can't get it off my arm: hello God, it's me again ;-;

[@milicastojiljkovic9926]

Not me thinking its for bdsm...but nvm it was useful thank you

[@gagemortimer9578]

It is used for that more than what he’s showing it for since the belt gets only as tight as the person applying pressure

[@billbailey7628]

i tried this on my leg and i cant untie it now..

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Wiggle the top strap close to the belt buckle and it should loosen up :)

[@InevitableD3ATH]

Thanks for the "tourniquet" ill be okay.

[@VulgarRage]

A friend from Highschool used this method last December. And I was just curious how he did it. Didn’t know this was possible. RIP buddy

[@telmofonseca5219]

Tanka imma finna kill myself

[@nagasamuraigoichi4860]

Thank you so much for making this video I was thinking about this the other day on how to improvise a tourniquet. Shalom

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Thanks for the comment! This is the best method i have found to make a tourniquet from a belt. Trying to just hold it thight or using a windlass on the belt does not work very well compared to this! If you have a bandana/triangel bandage you can use a stick/knife/scissors/flashlight to make a windlass (twisting) tourniquet that also works good.

[@nagasamuraigoichi4860]

@@ThePreparedNorseman that's what I was thinking about I was trying to construct one potentially of paracord and some type of stick.

[@nagasamuraigoichi4860]

@@ThePreparedNorseman but the belt has width will the Paracord be too Slim

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Paracord and other string will not work, it will only damage and cut into your flesh. You could also use a gun sling or a strap from a shoulder bag with a windlass if its made out of canvas or nylon.

[@nagasamuraigoichi4860]

@@ThePreparedNorseman thank you so much for clearing that up. You also confirm some things I thought about with it cutting into your skin the power cord. But I always have a canvas belt on anyway

[@dummyexpert511]

So.. R U also gonna tell me how to put it off, cuz it starts feeling a lil unconfy after this 30 mins of struggling😃 Update: my arm just fell off

[@fuser9892]

I just don't want to suffer anymore so thanks

[@wildcatcreeksurvival2414]

Wow, never seen that before, thanks for sharing Fredrik!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Thanks, Mike! It sure is a handy trick to know, and a lot more effective than just trying to hold the belt on there.

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

And be careful trying it out, to get it loose can be a bit of a struggle :P

[@kuromi-san9267]

@@ThePreparedNorseman how do you get this out? my friend tried this and now he can’t get his belt off his arm 😂

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

@@kuromi-san9267 just gotta wiggle it and hope for the best

[@candifyd]

Thanks for making this, it could definitely save lives!

[@mairisbriedis6967]

Hello! Nice technique! However I have a feeling that this is more of a pressure bandage, than a tourniquet. It probably is going to be very hard to pull it tight enough to block an artery. Just like the commercial TQs have a windlass to provide a lot more tight pull, this improvised TQ would require one as well, I believe! I tried putting a stick through the loop that you form at 0:30 seconds on your right side (left side of screen for viewers), so that the stick is in between leather, and then putting on the TQ (on a metal pipe), pulling on the loose end, and turning the windlass. It definitely tightened a lot harder! Plus, I managed to tie the windlass down with the loose end of belt! Have you tried doing this? Thanks!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Valid concern, then again this is a last resort. But from my own testing this works occluding blood flow in an arm very well. The theory behind this is that it would work somewhat like a ratcheting TQ. Personally I have never had good results with windlass belt TQ's, cloth seems to be easier to deal with in that case. Your mileage may vary, and of course this wont work with every belt. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@DynamicThunder96]

@@ThePreparedNorseman worked really well, i damn near couldn't get it off after i tried it on myself over my shirt. Got a little panicked not gonna lie haha😅

[@eliteteamkiller319]

I imagine many people who would need to use this won't have much experience in emergency medical treatment, and would probably mess this up due to the pressure of the situation. Except for people into BDSM. They'd have quite a lot of experience cutting off circulation and would probably save many lives.

[@airsoftluke17]

Wtf

[@The_Great_Depression]

Would this get tight enough to cut off circulation in an emergency situation such as an amputation?

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

It is effective on an arm, but by the nature of how it works it partly depends on the strength of the person applying it.

[@caesar8683]

You'll never get this tight enough. Just rip your shirt and find a stick

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Works just fine for an arm, especially for self application. Improvising a windlass TQ form your shirt and a stick with one arm is extremely difficult.

[@StarLight-gj4jt]

Or just edc a tourniquet

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

@@StarLight-gj4jt thats what I do, but for mass casualty (car attack, bomb or stabbing) one might need more than one.

[@darthvader1000]

You save lifes and save my night too, thanks!

[@unknownreality3226]

came here for bdsm left for heroin

[@BushcraftNFun]

Great idea. Thanks for sharing!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Its always comforting to have some extra options when it comes to first aid.

[@mihaelgyofi7441]

Thanks, you are a life saver...

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

You’re welcome!

[@Henrikkarn]

Wait, how do I take it off. Cuz I never know if my mom gets inside my room and then there’s me struggling with a belt on my “arm”

[@deucifer4170]

very VERY underrated skill to have

[@AralAs-m9x]

Suicide ❤

[@catchablefoil60]

its gonna work

[@Callistospiralz]

Does anyone know how to take it off?

[@shovelhead8]

Great thing to know, Fredrik. Thank you for showing it to us.

[@bearmerica6668]

Oh my, I had a hard time taking it off, lol. Great idea!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

It is pretty effective, thanks for watching!

[@bardyconnors5453]

How might have you gotten it off

[@Albert-ct7gy]

​@@bardyconnors5453 you basically just have to struggle with it...wiggle it around as much as you can, took a few seconds

[@reflection8578]

What do you do if the injury is above where the belt will go.

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

If its bleeding in the shoulder or hip area you got to pack it by putting gauze into the would to the point of bleeding then filming it with as much you can and hold pressure. (could cut a cotton t shirt to strips If improvising)

[@Ozyrus]

Big resoect for this video, thank you for this valuable skill

[@zackcorby8163]

Such a life saver thanks!

[@tuffturner3296]

Aren’t you supposed to put both arms in? Lol

[@bobanderson1062]

Thanks, Fredrik. I’d like to more about first aid and this is helpful. Say, are you in Norge? Just curious, my great grandparents came over from there. I want some lefse!!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Indeed I am! Can’t go wrong with some lefse heheh! You could always make some ;)

[@karahankara7590]

🥄🔥💉

[@fasillimerick7394]

I'm not saying this necessarily won't work, but this technique puts a lot of faith in the stitching that holds the buckle in place. And whenever my belts have failed through normal use, that is the weak spot that fails first. And God help you if it's a cheap, Chinese Wal*Mart belt. Again, I'm not just trying to be ass, and if I had nothing else at hand I would give this a shot. Lastly, if you're in an active shooter situation, the best item to have to save a life (besides a gun to return fire) is in fact a tourniquet. Police have them on their duty belts.

[@fasillimerick7394]

Upon re-watching, I see I was wrong. The tension is not held by the stitching, but by the metal buckle itself.

[@BelligerentBrit]

Just tried this, oh my did my arm go numb with minimum effort hah nice one! Should teach this in first aid I think, depending on the belt, mine is quite rigid leather so took a little effort getting the double loop to work effectively!

[@princesssutton907]

Can you widen it to fit over a thigh? Like if your femoral artery was cut?

[@christopherpaul3810]

Oh I'm here for the wrong reasons

[@l8870]

Bro thx

[@orlandogil3608]

I can’t take this out jajajaj help meee

[@trevorlebert1929]

Dont forget to time your tourniquets. It greatly influences what doctors can do to the limb and how much time they have left. (I beleive 3 hours maximum???)

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Marking time is a good idea indeed! There is no global standard as far as time go, so know your local conditions. If your with out medical help or far from it, always keep in mind converting the TQ.

[@adrianpale2342]

can't hear anything

[@SaidZERO]

Good to know

[@vulcanus30]

Ok, I did put it on... how do I remove it? Please answer fast!

[@thedude4795]

i thought the tourniquet was like a loop that you twist so that the limb basically is squeezed, but that doesnt seem to be the case

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

There are many types of tourniquets, the most common ones is the windlass where you twist. But that does not work with leather belts.

[@thedude4795]

@@ThePreparedNorseman What about just put a stick inside the belt and twist the stick so as the belt tightens it squeezes the limb? Would that be better than nothing?

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

@@thedude4795 with a webbing belt that works, but a leather belt is usually either too stiff or it will breake when using a stick. This works well on arms and children, but for an adult bleeding from a leg I’d use a t-shirt and a strong stick in stead.

[@mattrobinson4815]

The buckles massive.

[@riveraceballosjavier8536]

Gracias me ayudo mucho

[@slotjes]

thank you dude its awesome i will try

[@JimmyKay1976]

Can it be loosened if need be?

[@helloladies5785]

IT'S STUCK

[@gamerhouse7790]

It works

[@The_Saxon_of_Riverstone]

Wow, very nice application!

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Thanks!

[@thenomadsurvivalist4459]

Nicely done 😉👍

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

Thanks mate! Would be nice to have the subs to match the views :)

[@aronesmith1312]

Bru i tried it on my hands to see if i could get out it almost got stuck i pulled that shit off with my teeth and it hurt a lot but I put it on an object and it was easy to take off so great for games

[@nebulaunfolding]

Tried it on my arm not tight at all and I couldn't hardly get it off. I can imagine if tightened tourniquet tight it would have to be cut off. In special ops training we were taught that a tourniquet could be left on more than 4 hours without loosing the limb, until hospital delivery. The hospital can then remove the tourniquet. This is a good technique to know. I always have a leather belt.

[@ThePreparedNorseman]

It sure beats just wrapping the belt and holding manual pressure. The friction really does help getting a good solid constant pressure on the limb. Thanks for watching!