Table of contents for December/January #40 2020/21 in RECOIL OFFGRID

Let’s face it — the quality and versatility of shoe and boot laces tends to get overlooked. We’re wondering why footwear companies tend not to put as much effort into this component as they do sole construction, padding, and breathability. It has created a misconception that all laces are the same. When the laces on your sneakers or boots break, you usually replace them with some store-bought laces of questionable composition, or a generic piece of cord, right? That being said, we felt this oft-neglected product deserves closer inspection. Here, we’ll show you some options you probably never knew existed before. We discovered some brands out there that’ve put the time and research into creating laces far superior to what you’re used to seeing. Whether it’s using your laces as…

As you cruise along the highway listening to your favorite podcast, you watch in disbelief and horror as a car a few lengths in front of you swerves violently, knocking a biker clear across three lanes of traffic. You pull over immediately and feel that natural desire to help. But what are you going to do? Do you have the knowledge and willingness to become part of the scene? Are you a bystander or a “by-doer?” Never at a loss for a smile or a Southern phrase that will keep you grinning from ear-to-ear like a mule eatin’ saw briars, Kerry Davis of Dark Angel Medical wants to create a vast army of “bydoers” — regular people with the ability and willingness to help save a human life. Effortlessly blending…

Walking cautiously down the seemingly abandoned city streets, a solitary man peers suspiciously at his surroundings. A flicker of motion in the periphery of his vision brings his travel to an abrupt halt. He shifts the weight of his survival pack on its straps and shoulders his carbine, turning in the direction of the potential danger. Creeping forward, the man sees a pair of ragged survivors fumbling with something that resembles a makeshift explosive. He decides to eliminate this threat and scavenge whatever supplies he can from what remains. Bringing his eye to his scope, he puts the crosshairs on his first target. He takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, and holds steady. He begins applying pressure to the trigger and bam! — the man is knocked unconscious with a…

Today, we live in a world of rapid innovation and obsolescence. Tools and technology that are common now are likely to be forgotten in a decade, if not much sooner. You’re probably not using a typewriter or telegraph to communicate in this era of laptops and smartphones. But there are exceptions to this rule — instances where the old ways may still have their merits. The surge in popularity of so-called tactical lever guns, such as this Marlin 336 Dark Series, illustrates this point. Old, But Not Obsolete The Marlin Model 336 was introduced in 1948, but the core of its design dates all the way back to the Model 1893, a rifle named after the year it began production. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, lever-action repeating…

Imagine, if you will, there’s an outbreak of a virus threatening the lives of millions of people, and the only way to stop the spread is to stay indoors and not interact with the general public. “Stay in your homes,” we’re told. Well, not being able to leave your home for much besides essentials will make a lot of us stir-crazy. Not only that, but it’ll also make many people sedentary and out of shape. Without a gym to visit, it’s difficult to know how to approach a fitness program to stay in shape for whatever is in store for us down the line. The good news? Bands are a readily available and versatile piece of exercise equipment you can take full advantage of in a home exercise setting. Sit…

Over the last few months, I’ve taken several handgun classes that incorporated intermediate and advanced concepts. These skills have made me more well-rounded, but it’s critical to periodically check and strengthen the foundation they’re built upon. With this in mind, I signed up for a one-day pistol fundamentals class taught by David Laird of Dynamic Combative Solutions (DCS) in Phoenix, Arizona. This class was split into two four-hour segments taught back-to-back. The first half, Precision Pistol, was intended as an introductory class, covering basic shooting technique and accuracy. The second half, Holster Fundamentals, focused on drawing the gun from a holster quickly while maintaining accuracy. If you’re an experienced shooter, this may sound painfully simple, but don’t underestimate the value of these core skills. As Ernest Emerson told students at…

The necessities of our print production cycle sometimes act as a speed bump for us when we want to address current events as they relate to survival. Unfortunately, seven months past our “two weeks to flatten the curve” and five months past the death of George Floyd, the enduring fallout from one or the other continue to make many people anxious about leaving their homes. Whether intended to combat the spread of disease or to exploit a sociopolitical movement, both the government and malevolent actors alike have figured out how to press the big red STOP button on people’s daily lives. When I was in the military, we used the phrase low-intensity conflict to refer to things like terrorism and guerrilla action — armed clashes that don’t involve a full-scale…

In Issue 28 of RECOIL OFFGRID, we wrote a feature on Operation: Dark Winter (ODW) — a senior-level government exercise from June 2001 that simulated a bioterrorism attack in the United States using smallpox as its agent of choice. Its findings were discouraging to say the least. The results of the ODW study revealed a gut-wrenching reality that many Americans weren’t aware of until COVID-19 found its way here — we as a nation are drastically ill-prepared for pandemics. Problems range from a lack of sufficient training, delays in developing vaccines or drugs to treat a new illness, and the collateral damage it causes to our infrastructure and commerce. Fast-forward to 2020, and the world has seen firsthand how devastating the effects of a highly communicable disease can be on…

Americans face challenging financial times as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy. The definition of how society and the economy works is changing as companies shift to increased reliance on telecommuting. A significant fraction of the American workforce may never see an office again. Migrations out of cities to communities offering better lifestyle options for remote workforces is resulting in an active real-estate market in suburban and rural areas of the country even as urban centers atrophy. This, in turn, is causing a crisis for commercial real estate and banks as companies begin to take advantage of less need for office space. The middle tier of the consumer economy, small businesses, is cratering under the combined weight of COVID-19 operating restrictions and fewer customers even when…

Pick your favorite (or least favorite) disaster scenario and ask what your top priorities following that disaster will be. Are a clean body and living space on your list? They should be. Sanitation and hygiene are fundamental forms of preventative medicine to block disease transmission. Human waste and household garbage harbor numerous infectious diseases. Properly disposing of these items and maintaining clean bodies are staples of the modern running-water world. With a flush of the toilet, taking a can to the curb, the turn of a knob, a little soap, and a few seconds, most of our sanitation and hygiene is handled effortlessly — so much so that very few of us ever consider life without these conveniences. History shows that in disasters, one of the first things to become…

In addition to the unique pros and cons of lever guns against more modern alternatives, we also took a look at the ballistic potential of the .30-30 cartridge itself, with an eye toward performance against light barriers in an urban environment (think car bodies and Sheetrock) as well as soft targets — whether two- or four-legged. As it turns out, the “vintage” .30-30 Winchester displays a striking resemblance to the Soviet-era 7.62x39mm. Despite being septuagenarian itself, the 7.62x39mm carries global notoriety for being barrier blind and brutally efficient inside of 200 yards, and it continues to shape the balance of world power well into the 21st century. Both cartridges use a .30-inch bullet diameter, although 7.62x39mm slugs are generally lighter — typically 122-150 grain versus 150-170 grain for .30-30. Meeting…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our lives. Among the most obvious is the routine use of protective masks to prevent spreading this disease. There has been much debate about the usefulness of masks, and official guidance has flipflopped from discouraging to encouraging their use. Many are left wondering, can they help? What kind of mask do I need? Can I make my own? These are important questions right now, and they’ll remain relevant the next time a disease inevitably spreads like wildfire through the human population. Airborne Transmission – How Masks Can help Face masks can prevent the spread of viral illness, including COVID-19, if the right type is used and used correctly. To understand how masks help, we must first understand transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus…

While I was writing this article, strong Santa Ana winds had caused catastrophic fires in several regions of California. In the name of public safety, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) — California’s largest utility company — intentionally shut down power to hundreds of thousands of people. The idea was simple: If there’s no power running through utility lines, the risk of fire goes down. Unfortunately, the most recent fire started when a tree fell on a power line in an area where power hadn’t been turned off yet. These events are yet another reminder that our world is changing rapidly. The evolution and progression of technology has anchored our dependence on the power grid, and this is making us more vulnerable. I want you to ask yourself this question: What…

My introduction to Pelican cases came decades ago when I first started doing rescue work. I was arriving to a training class and spotted a pile of black, hard-sided boxes sitting outside, but there was a problem — it was starting to rain. Thinking that whatever was inside the cases must be valuable and could possibly be damaged by the rain, I quickly found one of the instructors and proclaimed that we needed to get the boxes moved to a dry location. The instructor came outside and chuckled a little, realizing the equipment I was concerned about was already stored inside Pelican cases. He calmly explained that they were waterproof. When I asked if he was sure the contents would be OK, the instructor said that everything would be fine.…