expired medical gear

How important is it to relegate expired medical gear to training and update with new?

For example, I have 3 x CAT 6 TQs, with exp dates of 2013 and 2014. One is in my range bag, one is kept in my emergency "bug in" kit and one is kept in my IFAK.

Same question for the other items that have exp dates but no medicines associated with them - Israeli Battle Dressings, Chest Seals, even some compressed gauze. Can these be kept for use (if not exposed to UV, left unsealed and protected from the environment other than from heat or cold) indefinitely? If not, is it because they "go bad", or just to ensure you get the latest and greatest version (for example - getting rid of my CAT 6 TQs for CAT 7s or upgrading to SOFTs)?

While I'm asking, what about Combat Gauze? Can it be used past its exp date, might it cause harm if it was, or might it just not work very well?

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Originally Posted by moonshot

How important is it to relegate expired medical gear to training and update with new?

For example, I have 3 x CAT 6 TQs, with exp dates of 2013 and 2014. One is in my range bag, one is kept in my emergency "bug in" kit and one is kept in my IFAK.

Same question for the other items that have exp dates but no medicines associated with them - Israeli Battle Dressings, Chest Seals, even some compressed gauze. Can these be kept for use (if not exposed to UV, left unsealed and protected from the environment other than from heat or cold) indefinitely? If not, is it because they "go bad", or just to ensure you get the latest and greatest version (for example - getting rid of my CAT 6 TQs for CAT 7s or upgrading to SOFTs)?

While I'm asking, what about Combat Gauze? Can it be used past its exp date, might it cause harm if it was, or might it just not work very well?

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There are a couple of threads on this topic, and the general consensus seems to be that items such as those you describe are good beyond their expiration date, if they were stored under appropriate conditions. The risk to using expired bandages has less to do with the bandages themselves than the integrity of the packaging.

Now for an unpaid, non-political announcement: I give basic first-aid classes to high school students, and I'm always looking for sources of bandages, tourniquets, cravats, and similar supplies to use for hands-on familiarization training. If anybody has items they plan to dispose of, I'll happily pay for postage costs.

Thanks for the info. I figured this subject had been addressed before, but my searchs aren't working as well as they used to. I'm getting way too many hits on unrelated posts. Must be operator error.

Looks like I can keep using my gear, with the possible exception of combat gauze. I am a little concerned with my CAT 6 TQs. I hear the CAT 7s are stronger, and I hear there are knock offs that are very hard to differentiate from authentic CATs. I don't know if it's a big deal of not.

I may switch to SOFT-Ws. If I replace my CAT 6s, I'll send you a PM for an address and I'll send my 6s to you.

moonshot, Are the date years that you mentioned, 2013-2014, the dates that are printed on the CAT tourniquet straps? If so, those are dates of manufacture, NOT expiration dates. See post #10 in the link below.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...-CAT-E-bandage

Thanks 3 AE. The dates I mentioned are printed on the CAT straps. I just read your link, and I'm an idiot. If my search skills were better I might have found this on my own, but as I mentioned above - operator error. Thank you for the info.

I may still switch to the CAT 7. I trained on the CAT 6, but my current training TQ is a CAT 7, and there is enough of a difference in operation that I feel more comfortable carrying the same style gear as I train with. Same reason my carry gun is a G26 and my training gun is also a G26.