Cool Features in Theory, not so Much in Practice

A lot of gear in the self-defense and preparedness community come loaded with features.  Often, however, those features are cool only in pictures of the product, not so much in functionality.  Case in point, the glow stick on the Snakestaff Systems Tourniquet.  

So far I like this tourniquet, and I hope it gets COTCCC approval, as it is very small and light for carry.  I have the 1.5” thick version, as they make a 1” version, but 1.5 inches in band thickness has been established as being the minimum recommendation for a tourniquet, so, quite frankly, I am not sure why this company makes the 1” version.  I like the wider version, however, and I will embrace it fully as a carry tourniquet if it gets committee recommendation. 

I have been carrying this tourniquet in my pocket just to test it out and it is great for on-body carry (again, fingers crossed that it gets vetted and approved by the committee) One feature that is incorporated in this device is a glow stick that, in theory, breaks when the TQ is applied and tightened, thus providing a potentially helpful visual indicator in low light as to the location of the device on the patient.  Sounds awesome, and sets this TQ apart, no? 

Well, the damn glow stick breaks in your pocket during even moderate activity.  In fact, I had this TQ in my pocket while I was playing guitar (my other thing in life) and I think the back of the instrument pressing against my thigh is what broke the glow stick.  Now, as soon as I looked at this particular TQ I knew the glowstick would never last and would inevitably break.  Well, it sure did, within the first two weeks of just carrying it in my pocket.

This is an example of a feature that seems cool, but is not vetted in real life.  I would presume the majority of people who would carry this TQ would keep it in a pocket.  The stick will, absolutely, break sooner than later.  What if you keep this in a back pocket and sit on it?  That stick will break immediately. 

Now, granted, this does not effect the functionality of the tourniquet at all, but I think it would be a much better product without the incorporation of this worthless glowstick.  For a device that is conceived from the ground up to be as small as possible, loosing the stick would make it that much smaller. 

This is a great example of a feature that is cool in theory, but not vetted in the real world.  I still like the tourniquet, however, and if it gets approved it will remain my pocket tourniquet choice.