A surgical airway is the lowest-frequency, highest-stakes skill a tactical provider carries — performed rarely, under the worst conditions, with no room to assemble loose components or hunt for the next item.
What gets every surgical-airway component into one organized package?
The Tactical CricKit is NAR's all-in-one cricothyroidotomy solution, built to the CoTCCC requirements for a surgical airway kit. The 500-denier nylon pouch unrolls to a relatively clean working surface and holds every component in elastic loops in the order they're used, so a credentialed provider works sequentially without searching or reorganizing. It carries a flexible cuffed 6mm tube with obturator, NAR tracheal hook, #10 protected scalpel, 10cc syringe, tube securing strap, and prep materials — 3.7–4 oz, sized for a dedicated surgical-airway pocket.
Why This Kit
CoTCCC-Engineered
Built to contain the components CoTCCC requires for a surgical airway kit in tactical settings.
Order-of-Use Layout
Components staged left-to-right in the sequence they're needed — no searching mid-procedure.
Pouch Is a Work Surface
The 500D nylon roll-out provides a relatively clean drop zone in a contaminated field.
Light & Compact
3.7–4 oz and slim enough for a dedicated surgical-airway pocket on a medic's kit.
Provider Scope
Surgical cricothyroidotomy is an advanced intervention reserved for credentialed providers trained and authorized in the procedure, operating within their scope of practice and local protocol. This kit is offered as equipment for qualified providers and is not a substitute for formal surgical-airway training. No procedural technique is provided here.
Kit Contents
| Tactical CricKit Nylon Pouch (500D, roll-out) | 1 |
| Nitrile Trauma Gloves | 1 pair |
| Alcohol Pad | 2 |
| Gauze Pad (4″ × 4″) | 1 |
| #10 Protected Scalpel | 1 |
| NAR Tracheal Hook | 1 |
| 10cc Syringe | 1 |
| Cric Tube w/ Obturator (flexible, cuffed, 6mm) | 1 |
| Tube Securing Strap | 1 |
| Plastic Vacuum Bag | 1 |
Who Carries It
Credentialed providers — definitive surgical airway within scope
Combat medics & CASEVAC — surgical-airway capability in the field
Tac-medical programs — standardized, dedicated cric kit
Compare & Complete
Two complete cric approaches, plus the components and collection.
Tactical CricKit
One Kit. One Sequence.
Genuine North American Rescue, shipped from a clinician-founded, veteran-led team.
Genuine North American Rescue
Sourced direct from North American Rescue.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | North American Rescue |
| SKU | 10-0017 |
| Tube | 6mm ID, flexible, cuffed, with obturator |
| Pouch | 500-denier nylon, roll-out |
| Configuration | Sequential order of use |
| Dimensions (unrolled) | 6.5″ H × 7.5″ W × 1.25″ D |
| Dimensions (packaged) | 6.5″ H × 2.5″ W × 1.25″ D |
| Weight | 3.7–4 oz |
| CoTCCC | Engineered to meet CoTCCC requirements for a surgical airway kit |
When to Choose the Tactical CricKit
Tactical CricKit Contents (SKU: 10-0017, NSN: 6515-01-540-7568):
- 1× 500-denier nylon bag — unrolls to function as a clean working surface in austere environments
- 1× Protected #10 Scalpel
- 1× NAR Tracheal Hook
- 1× Cricothyrotomy Tube — flexible, cuffed, 6mm, with obturator
- 1× Luer-Lock Syringe (10cc) — for cuff inflation
- 1× Tube Securing Strap
- 2× NAR Alcohol Prep Pads
- 1× Gauze pad (2-pack, 4 in. × 4 in.)
Components arranged in sequence of use for low-light and battlefield environments. Packaged unrolled: H 6.5 in. × W 7.5 in. × D 1.25 in. | Packaged rolled: H 6.5 in. × W 2.5 in. × D 1.25 in. | Weight: 3.7 oz. Developed over 18 months with military medical professionals.
- Failed airway management — cannot-intubate, cannot-oxygenate (CICO) — surgical cricothyrotomy is the definitive rescue airway when BVM, oral/nasal airway adjuncts, and intubation have all failed. The CricKit is purpose-built for this last-resort intervention.
- TCCC M-MARCH Airway (A) — advanced provider failed airway protocol — CoTCCC specifies surgical cricothyrotomy as the primary airway intervention for unconscious trauma patients when other methods fail. The CricKit meets that specification explicitly.
- Maxillofacial and neck trauma with compromised natural airway — severe burns, blast injuries, and penetrating neck trauma can make oral/nasal approaches impossible; the CricKit provides a direct infraglottic airway.
- SOF, 18D, SOCM, and TCCC-trained tactical medic airway contingency — the kit is configured for performance in low-light, austere environments with components arranged in sequence of use. The 500-denier nylon pouch unrolls to a clean working surface.
- TEMS and tactical paramedic load-out — the CricKit is the definitive airway contingency for trained providers when RSI is unavailable in the tactical environment. Weight: 3.7 oz — no excuse not to carry it at this provider level.
Surgical technique (standard scalpel/tracheal hook method): Landmark the cricothyroid membrane (CTM) — the soft depression between thyroid and cricoid cartilage. Vertical skin incision over the CTM. Horizontal stab incision through the CTM membrane. Tracheal hook retracts the inferior edge of the CTM. Insert the 6mm flexible cuffed tube into the trachea through the CTM opening, directed caudally. Inflate the cuff with the 10cc syringe. Confirm placement. Secure with the tube strap.
Do not carry without training: A cricothyrotomy performed without hands-on training has a high complication rate. Train on cadaver, porcine trachea, or high-fidelity task trainer. Dry-run the kit sequence with all components before staging for field carry.
Tactical CricKit vs. Common Alternatives
Tactical CricKit (10-0017, scalpel/hook) vs. NAR Cricothyrotomy Kit with Bougie (10-0048): The CricKit uses the standard surgical scalpel + tracheal hook technique favored in CoTCCC training. The Bougie Kit uses a gum-elastic bougie introducer through the same CTM opening — slightly different technique, same 6mm cuffed tube. Both are NAR products. Confirm which technique your unit trains to before ordering.
Tactical CricKit vs. Melker Percutaneous Kit: The Melker uses a Seldinger (over-wire with dilator) technique — more steps, different skill set. The Tactical CricKit uses an open surgical technique — faster under stress per most military provider feedback. CoTCCC preference is currently the surgical technique for trained providers.
Tactical CricKit vs. Needle Cricothyrotomy: Needle cric (14 Ga. through the CTM) is faster but delivers inadequate ventilation for adult patients beyond a brief bridge. Surgical cric delivers a definitive 6mm cuffed airway with positive-pressure ventilation capability. In adults, surgical cric is the definitive field airway. Needle cric buys minutes — not a treatment.
Tactical CricKit vs. improvised cric from IFAK scalpel: An improvised cric with a field scalpel lacks a purpose-sized cric tube, a tracheal hook for CTM retraction, and a securing strap. Each missing component introduces a failure point under stress. Stage the kit, not improvised components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is this kit for — what training level is required?
A: Surgical cricothyrotomy is a provider-level skill: TCCC advanced medical training (18D, SOCM, flight medic), paramedic, PA, or physician. It requires anatomic knowledge and hands-on training — incorrect placement risks puncturing the tracheal wall, major vessels, or the esophagus. Do not stage this kit unless you have completed training on the specific scalpel/tracheal hook technique, ideally with cadaver or high-fidelity simulation.
Q: Why a #10 scalpel — not a #22?
A: The #10 blade is the CoTCCC-specified blade for surgical cricothyrotomy — its curved tip and belly are appropriate for the controlled horizontal stab incision through the CTM. The CricKit is purpose-configured with the correct blade; do not substitute.
Q: Is this CoTCCC-recommended?
A: Yes. The NAR Tactical CricKit was specifically engineered to meet CoTCCC requirements for a surgical airway kit and contains all features required by CoTCCC for a surgical airway kit in the tactical setting. Use 'CoTCCC-recommended' or 'meets CoTCCC requirements' — not 'CoTCCC-approved.'
Q: What does the 500-denier nylon pouch do?
A: It unrolls to provide a clean working surface in austere environments — critical for a sterile-field-adjacent procedure performed in dirt, sand, or blood. Components are pre-staged in sequence of use within the pouch so your hands follow the workflow without searching. The pouch also functions as the carry and storage case, rolled and retained by the integrated strap.
Q: What is the NSN for procurement?
A: NSN: 6515-01-540-7568. MED-TAC is SDVOSB-certified for government procurement, purchase orders, and set-aside pricing. Contact orders@tactical-medicine.com for procurement documentation.
Related searches: NAR Tactical CricKit, surgical cricothyroidotomy kit, CoTCCC surgical airway kit, tactical cric kit, 6mm cuffed cric tube, North American Rescue 10-0017
All products sourced direct from North American Rescue. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
