Table of contents for Summer 2014 in RECOIL OFFGRID

The ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. In the United States alone, water covers over a quarter million square miles of territory. That’s a formidable amount of area any way you look at it. If an emergency occurs, natural or manmade, and you need to get yourself and your loved ones to safety, water may be the very method — and obstacle — that you will need to contend with. Our country is dotted with lakes and ponds and is crisscrossed with rivers and streams of all depths and sizes. Because we need to be prepared for anything that is thrown our way, it would be imprudent for us to only consider getting out of a danger zone by land. In this issue of OFFGRID, we look at…

Just because you’re of-grid doesn’t mean you have to be out of touch. Previously we covered using ham radio as an alternative to cell phone and other wireless communication (OFFGRID Summer 2013) — but there’s another option. Satellite phones will allow you to keep in touch with everyone you need to, and it is as simple to operate as dialing a phone. Advantages to satellite phones over traditional mobile phones in times of emergency or disaster are obvious. Because they communicate directly with orbiting satellites, satellite-based phones are not dependent on terrestrial cell towers. This means they are completely independent of the power grid and traditional mobile telecommunications infrastructure. As long as you have a charged battery, you can not only make and receive calls, but texts and email as…

Anthrax Bacterial Severe skin ulceration, respiratory collapse. Contracted by inhaling spores, direct contact on an open wound, or ingestion. Anthrax spores can be created in a lab. (Treatable with antibiotics if detected early.) Plague Bacterial Severe fever, delirium. Spread by air, water, direct contact, or undercooked food. (Treatable with antibiotics if detected early.) Smallpox Viral Fever, headaches, fatigue, and rash on body. Spread person to person and by direct contact with contaminated objects. (No current drugs to treat infected.) Botulism Bacterial Muscle paralysis, respiratory failure. Difcult to handle, contain, and disperse. (Treatable if detected early. There is a new and very powerful strain of botulism called botulism H for which there is no known antidote.) Tularemia Bacterial Severe fever, weight loss, and ulcers at site of infection. Contracted by inhaling…

Kidnappings are an all-too-real situation both at home and abroad. Whether you’re an overseas contractor, a deckhand on a freighter in unfriendly waters, or a tourist in a foreign country who wandered into the wrong part of town, the unfortunate reality is that the fate of unlawful abductions and incarcerations can often be the worst kind. What’s even more discouraging is that the availability of training for the average person to deal with these kinds of situations is limited at best. Assume neither Liam Neeson nor anyone else is going to find and free you. You’re on your own. So in the event you are taken by unknown assailants and restrained, what can you do to escape? The variables that can occur in these situations are only limited by your…

If you find yourself in trouble and need help on the double, you’ll want to make your whereabouts known to anyone nearby. One of the best ways to catch the attention of rescuers is via the glow of an ultra-bright, fiery flare — day or night. When shot up high in the air, aerial flares can broadcast your signal for help to a wide-ranging area. Flare guns are commonly stored onboard boats, other watercraft, and aircraft, as well as carried by people traveling through the wilderness. Not a Firearm A flare gun, as its name implies, functions like a gun (although not recognized legally as a firearm in most jurisdictions). Pulling its trigger will draw its hammer back until it releases. The hammer then strikes the flare’s detonating cap, which…

1 MAKE & MODEL Triple Aught Design Traverse Tech T FIT Standard COLORWAY Black, slate gray MSRP $70 URL store.tripleaughtdesign.com NOTES At frst glance, 70 bucks for a crewneck T-shirt seems like a bit much. But once you wear the Traverse Tech T on a hike, a trip to the river, or a stroll to your favorite pub, you’ll soon realize that you’re defnitely getting what you paid for. This shirt is lightweight yet durable and versatile enough for all four seasons. The breathable Merino wool wicks moisture during hot summer days and insulates as a base layer for those bone-chilling winter months. In fact, wool continues to insulate even when wet, unlike cotton or other materials. Plus, it ain’t itchy like traditional wool. 2 MAKE & MODEL Secur Products…

Both of us grew up in seafaring families. We have lived on and around the water our entire lives. Yet, we still think bugging out on a boat would be more challenging than a land option and could potentially be a bad idea for the average person. So much so that both of us realized it was easier, safer, and more cost efective to move to landlocked Wyoming than to try to maintain a viable vessel in emergency departure readiness. Still, some knowledgeable and well-prepared individuals who live near a lake, river, or ocean might prefer a water escape route. If that’s the case, before even picking a vessel, you must determine where you will keep it. Obviously, having your primary residence located on the bay or a canal, or…

Sailing Yacht Ideal for the deep blue open water and long-term use. Most have desalinators and generators on board. Slower cruising speed. Typically has a small diesel or gasoline engine onboard for limited use. PROS: Can make fresh water, large livable area for several people, onboard electronics (radar, GPS, Loran, sonar, satellite communications, and redundant systems), unlimited range via wind power. CONS: Larger, meaning more things to go wrong. Engine room space limited, generators can fail, potential electronic and damage-control system failures, user must know how to sail, draf is ofen 6-plus feet. Expensive. Power Yacht Ideal for the deep blue open water and long-term use. Most have desalinators and generators on board. Medium cruising speed. Primarily has two large diesel engines. PROS: Can make fresh water, large livable area…

You know the old saying: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Being that water is the life source for all living things, cities tended to spring up around lakes, rivers, and oceans. And there we may find an aqueous motherlode of protein. Fish are not only the most plentiful source of animal protein on this big blue marble, they are also definitely the easiest to harvest. And you needn’t be Bill Dance to do it. Depending on your goals, fishing can be as basic as tossing a line in the water or as sophisticated and graceful as making a hook and feather dance across a stream like a marionette. Just like hunting, fishing can be an…

Water, 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both Flashlight and extra batteries First-aid kit Whistle to signal for help Dust mask, to help flter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation Wrench or pliers to turn of utilities Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food) Local maps Cell phones and chargers…

Bioterrorism is a very real threat, especially to urban dwellers in densely populated areas. Terrorists also know that the most devastating aspects of a bioterror attack could be psychological — millions of people reacting to news of the attacks with fear and panic, causing inevitable waves of chaos. Biological agents come in many diferent forms — some occur naturally, others are designed in a lab to be more efective. All can be lethal. Biological agents can be spread in many diferent ways — person to person, through the air, or via water. As with other kinds of terrorism, the objective of bioterrorism is to cause disruption, fear, and mass hysteria. Biological weapons appeal to terrorists because they are highly efective at achieving these goals. Agents can be released to spread…

Flat Ground Your pole should be long enough so that when it touches the ground, your elbow is bent at a 90-degree angle. Uphill Shorten your poles slightly so that you can maintain a 90-degree bend in your elbows, making it easier to pull yourself up. Downhill Lengthen the poles to sofen the impact of landings and provide stability. Traversing Uneven Terrain Maintain the 90-degree bend in both arms by lengthening the pole that’s downhill while shortening the pole that’s uphill, or “choke up” on the grip if your pole has an extended handle (as shown).…

Aboard: On or in the vessel Abaft: In the direction of the stern Above board: In plain view on the deck Absolute bearing: The heading of the vessel in relation to True North Aft: The rear portion of the vessel, toward the stern Aground: Vessel resting on the bottom of the seafoor Aid to navigation (ATON): A device, not on the vessel, implemented to help determine position and course or to provide warning of a hazard Alee: The lee side of a ship or to leeward Aloft: The rigging of a sailing ship; above the ship’s highest solid structure; or high above Alongside: By the side of a ship or pier (A)midship: The middle portion of the vessel Anchor: Typically a hook or plow designed to secure to the seafoor…

Starting a Vessel Each vessel will start utilizing a different system and checklist. Here’s a look at the basics. Ensure the power is active and running from the vessel’s batteries and not the pier Check oil levels and that there are no fumes Ensure cooling fuid levels are proper Prime fuel if need be Check power switches Inspect fuel tank levels to ensure they’re topped off Check freshwater tank and holding tank levels Stow pier power lines Turn the blower on Ensure throttle(s) are in neutral position Turn key to the on position, and ensure all electrical systems dependent on the key boot up and are ready Re-check engine compartment for fumes Turn key to start position Ensure oil pressure and operating temps rise to normal levels Turn on DC…

As soon as you land a fsh, it should be killed, gutted, cleaned, and eaten as quickly as possible. Fish can go bad very quickly — the skin turns slimy and is the perfect breeding ground for fies and bacteria. Cut the fsh’s throat and bleed it out. Wipe away the slime. Most fsh don’t need to be skinned, but if you have time it’s best to remove the scales since they can be a choking hazard. Hold the fsh by the tail and scrape of the scales with a knife, holding the blade and moving it away from you toward the head. Grab a sharp, thin blade. With the tail toward you and the blade facing up, insert the knife into the anal gland (yup, the anus) and slit…

“It takes a licking and keeps on ticking” was a slogan coined by a watch company over 60 years ago. The motto may be old, but the idea it presents is as pertinent as ever. A reliable daily-worn wristwatch is an indispensible tool to have in just about any situation you might encounter. During mundane times, you can reference it to count down the minutes until your lunch break. In more challenging times, you can use it to do everything from guiding yourself out of the wilderness to calculating the ETA to an objective. With so many watches available on the market, how do you go about selecting which one is right for you? Backup (Two Is One… ) Firstly, we suggest that you have more than one watch at…

If you haven’t heard of Aron Ralston’s horrific tale of survival, then you must be living under a rock — or at least been stuck under one, like him. Aron’s ordeal of having his arm pinned by a boulder inside a Utah canyon made headlines across the world and has even been told through the lens of Hollywood in the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated film 127 Hours. What makes his story so fascinating is his ultimate decision to perform self-amputation on his arm to escape and have any chance of survival Historically, amputations that were performed outside a hospital, called field amputations, have mainly taken place on the battlefield. In modern times, field amputations are mostly only needed for extrication purposes. Though very rare, field amputation cases are still…