Accounting for half of all deaths, uncontrolled hemorrhage remains the leading cause of death on the battlefield. Gaining hemostatic control of lethal vascular injuries sustained in combat using topical agents remains a challenge. Recent animal testing using a lethal arterial injury model compared a variety of woven and non woven products with granular products, and found only one product (WoundStat) consistent animal survival (J Trauma. 2007;63:276-284). This product is a granular substance which zeals the hemorrhaging wound in 30 seconds. However, the Army Institute for Surgical Research has put forth the challenge to develop an intact dressing with comparable hemostatic properties. The challenges in developing this type of product from woven and non woven cotton-based materials will be discussed.