Table of contents for February/March #71 2026 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1. CARBINE Make: LWRC Model: IC-DI 5.56mm 10.5 Pistol MSRP: $1,961 URL: lwrci.com 2. OPTIC Make: Aimpoint Model: Micro T-2 with Unity Tactical FAST Mount MSRP: $1,207 URL: aimpoint.us 3. IR ILLUMINATOR Make: Steiner Model: DBAL-D2 9001 MSRP: $1,900 URL: steiner-optics.com 4. SILENCER Make: Dead Air Silencers Model: Lazarus 6 MSRP: $1,060 URL: deadairsilencers.com 5. SLING Make: Blue Force Gear Model: Vickers Combat Applications Sling MSRP: $75 URL: blueforcegear.com 6. ACCESSORY Make: Law Tactical Model: AR Folding Stock Adapter Gen 3-M MSRP: $235 URL: lawtactical.com 7. SHIRT Make: Optimal Performance Center Model: Integrated Battle Shirt 2.0 Nemesis Woodlands Wolf MSRP: $95 URL: ur-tactical.com 8. GAS MASK Make: Avon Protection Model: C50 Ultimate First Responder Kit MSRP: $800 URL: shop.avon-protection.com 9. MASK STORAGE Make: Defense Mechanisms Model: Waist Mount Gas Mask…

For this edition of Offgrid Adventures, we’re setting our sights on two landscapes that tell very different stories of wild America. First is Jack Creek Preserve, an expansive stretch of Montana wilderness tucked between Ennis and Big Sky, where mountain trails lead deep into country still shaped by the hands of its original stewards. Then, we’ll move west to California’s Pinnacles National Park, a place born of fire and fracture, where ancient volcanic rock towers above caves and canyons. Together, these two destinations offer a study in contrast, one rooted in alpine forests and conservation, the other in shifting geology and survival of the land itself. Adventure Appeal Jack Creek Preserve offers a rare wilderness experience in Montana’s Madison Mountains, where 4,500 acres of protected land serve as both a…

Richard Bottomley, who has worked in Antarctica, says: “Your body knows what it wants! If you’re a chocolate eater, then your brain knows that chocolate is a great source of fats and sugars. When we’re cold, our body metabolizes either stored or consumed sugar. This process produces heat. Chocolate is a good source of simple sugars, which can be easily converted to heat — easier than breaking down stored glycogen from the muscles or liver and much faster than breaking down stored fats.” There are a lot of reasons why chocolate is a good survival food. It’s energy-dense, providing high-calorie, long-lasting energy from fats and carbohydrates. It also contains protein, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial antioxidants, which support bodily functions and morale. Its high caloric content in a small, portable package…

For some, the holidays and winter months bring more isolation than cheer. The cold months test both body and mind, and survival can depend on more than just firewood and food. Here’s how to protect your mental health when darker months close in. The first Christmas I spent alone wasn’t in a snowbound cabin or a remote survival shelter but rather a quiet night alone in my own home. I was on call for emergency mental health crises for my area, while my spouse visited family. I couldn’t travel with her. Outside, the streets were empty, the air dry and sharp, and the sky clouded with that dark “winter gray” that seems to hover from November to March in some states. It was sprinkling wet, fluffy snow, something I would…

The Premise When the lights go out, the rules vanish. 45 Miles of Hell by Stathis El Greco imagines the terrifying aftermath of an EMP strike that erases modern civilization in seconds. What follows is a raw, unflinching tale of survival as one man, Stathis, finds himself cut off from home and everything he loves. Only 45 miles away, yet separated by a city in chaos, his path is filled with gang-ruled streets, desperate survivors, and impossible choices. This debut survival thriller leans heavily on realism, pulling from the author’s tactical training and military experience to craft a tense and believable scenario. The world is not just dangerous but predatory, forcing survivors to decide who can be trusted and what must be sacrificed. It is as much about the psychology…

Being able to rappel is an often overlooked and underappreciated skill. In a lot of scenarios, like in the mountains, burning buildings, clandestine operations or anywhere high up where things could go wrong fast, sometimes the best direction to go is down. However, falling is not an option. The problem with rappelling kits — or abseiling as they call it across the pond — is that they are often large, expensive, and heavy. But what if a person had something that is the opposite of all these things? A rappelling kit that is practical in size, reasonable in cost and lighter than most other backcountry gear? Well, I’ve been on a mission to accomplish just that. This DIY kit I created weighs less than 3 pounds, contains enough rope for…

Auxiliary Manufacturing has done a great job translating the fixed blade version of the Pocket Bowie into a practical folder that is designed to tackle the same tasks. While folding knives have their inherent limitations when it comes to some hard-use tasks, neither the original fixed blade or the folding version of the Pocket Bowie were designed to be a hard-use survival knives — both are designed to be capable EDC knife with some viable self-defense features and both variants deliver in a big way. The Pocket Bowie became an instant classic thanks to the ergonomic handle design, aggressive piercing point, compact size, and surprising utilitarian functionality in everyday tasks. This led to several new knives including the larger Pocket Bowie XL and several different blade styles using the Pocket…

Christmas is a time for warmth, wonder, and — if you’re like us — a dash of wilderness grit. Once the lights are strung and the hearth glows, step outside into the relentless cold beneath a sky glittering brighter than your holiday tree. The wind cuts and whispers, telling stories older than carols and time. Out among the snow-laden pines, frozen trails call to those willing to listen. Survival has never been solely about gear or skill. It’s a celebration of self-reliance, an act of reverence for wild places untouched by complacency. This year, I’ve taken much of the guesswork out of shopping for your favorite adventurer or preparedness-minded loved one. From thoughtful stocking stuffers to main-event gifts, each item here has been used, tested, and proven worthy of your…

At first glance, the training near Vero Beach, Florida, looked like a straightforward tactical course. It was hosted by Gorilla Ammunition, a company better known for precision cartridges than emotional insight. Yet beneath the surface of its trauma drills and field exercises, something deeper took shape. The lessons were not only about how to save a life, but also how to regulate one’s own nervous system under threat. What unfolded resembled a form of therapy in motion, a physical and cognitive practice that echoed the principles of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR. EMDR is a therapy developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro. It helps people process disturbing experiences by combining focused attention with bilateral movement, such as eye motions, taps, or alternating tones. The technique…