TacMed™ BLAST Combat Wound Bandage

Key Specifications

Product Overview

Traumatic amputations and large-pattern blast wounds — the injuries that define modern combat trauma — present a wound management problem that conventional 4" combat bandages cannot address: the wound surface area is simply too large for effective pressure dressing with a single standard bandage, and multiple improvised dressings waste precious time and supplies. The BLAST® Combat Wound Bandage was designed specifically to solve this problem. TacMed Solutions engineered a non-adherent wound pad with sufficient surface area (20" × 20") to cover the entire back or chest of most casualties, yet compact enough to pack to 4" H × 7" W — identical to a standard combat bandage footprint. This ratio of deployed coverage to packed size is unmatched in the category.

The large non-adherent pad wraps around amputated limbs and secures with the integrated elastic wrap without sticking to exposed tissue — a critical property that prevents dressing adherence to granulating wound surfaces and reduces pain and re-bleeding during dressing changes or evacuation. The removable occlusive layer (19" × 19") offers a secondary function: it can be placed directly over abdominal evisceration wounds to retain heat and moisture (maintaining temperatures that prevent tissue desiccation and hypothermia onset in eviscerations), or applied as a burn dressing to minimize transdermal fluid loss. This dual-use capability makes the BLAST® the correct primary bandage for IED and blast trauma kits where the wound profile is unpredictable.

The control-strip brake system is particularly important for amputation dressings. Wrapping an irregular, bleeding stump requires the bandage to maintain position across surfaces with no consistent circumference. Standard elastic bandages slip and unroll under these conditions, requiring a second responder to maintain tension while the first applies the dressing. The BLAST®'s brake strips create multiple adhesion points along the elastic wrap length, preventing slippage and enabling single-provider application. For full context on hemorrhage control bandage selection, see MED-TAC's bandages & dressings collection, and for complete kit builds see massive hemorrhage control kits.

Application Guide

1. For traumatic amputation or large limb wound: Open the package and unfold the non-adherent wound pad. Wrap the pad around the residual limb or wound, covering completely. Begin wrapping the elastic bandage from distal to proximal. Use brake strips to lock each layer — apply firm pressure over the wound site. Secure with the end Velcro® tab.
2. For large pattern wounds (torso, back, chest): Deploy the full 20" × 20" pad over the wound surface. Wrap the elastic bandage to secure and apply pressure. If the wound area exceeds bandage coverage, combine with a second BLAST® or standard dressing.
3. For abdominal evisceration: Detach the occlusive layer. Apply it directly over exposed abdominal contents (do not try to replace viscera). Wrap the elastic bandage gently to secure — avoid pressure on the evisceration. Maintain patient warmth.
4. For burns: Apply the occlusive layer as a moisture-retaining burn dressing over the burned surface. Secure with the elastic wrap, maintaining light pressure only.

The BLAST® pairs naturally with the OLAES® Modular Bandage for comprehensive wound management coverage across injury types, and with hemostatic agents for high-volume hemorrhagic wounds. Learn more about bandage selection in The Complete IFAK Guide.

All products sourced from the actual brand manufacturer or authorized master distributors. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.