Table of contents for Winter 2015 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1 Balaclava MAKE & MODEL Black Diamond CoEffcient Balaclava MSRP $35 URL www.blackdiamondequipment.com 2 Goggles MAKE & MODEL Zeal Optics Z3 GPS MSRP $399 URL www.zealoptics.com 3 Jacket MAKE & MODEL The North Face Bushwick Bomber MSRP $299 URL www.thenorthface.com 4 Shirt MAKE & MODEL GatorSkins Charcoal Thermal Zippered Shirt MSRP $90 URL www.gator-skins.com 5 Gloves MAKE & MODEL Youngstown Glove Company Waterproof Winter XT MSRP $60 URL www.ytgloves.com 6 Binoculars MAKE & MODEL Maven Outdoor Equipment Company B.3 MSRP $500 URL www.mavenbuilt.com 7 Pants MAKE & MODEL The North Face Jeppeson Pants MSRP $199 URL www.thenorthface.com 8 Footwear MAKE & MODEL Hi-Tec Sports Phoenix Thermo 200 i WP MSRP $100 URL www.hi-tec.com Knife MAKE & MODEL TOPS Knives TOPS 10/27 MSRP $150 URL www.topsknives.com 10 Axe MAKE & MODEL…

So you’ve finally made it to safety. Whether you’re taking shelter from a passing tornado or hunkering down in a basement until the bad guys leave, at some point you’ll need to be able to see in the dark. It’s obvious that having a source of constant light is invaluable. While we always preach that everyone should have a flashlight, keeping a portable lantern at the ready can illuminate your workspace while freeing up your hands. Like most lighting equipment, portable lanterns come in many shapes and sizes with difering features. In this guide, we take a look at models that can be easily stowed. These lanterns are made to be packable and can be stufed into a car trunk, glovebox, camping pack, or bug-out bag. Depending on what your…

Survival Supplies Communications This is the first type of gear that can get you out of a roadside winter emergency. Since most people carry mobile phones these days, the only other thing you’d really need is a way to recharge it. A car charger or battery backup pack can keep your phone powered and allow you to call for assistance — providing that you have signal. Try sending a text message if calls won’t connect and consider a satellite phone for way-ofgrid driving (see OFFGRID’s Spring 2014 issue for more on satellite phones). For up close and personal forms of communication — like to other motorists — keep an assortment of road flares and reflective signs in the vehicle. Thirty-minute road flares can alert other drivers of your distress and…

Though Ebola is getting all the media attention lately, it’s certainly not the most likely infection to be contracted — at least if you’re not going to West Africa. What are the diseases you should be most concerned about when traveling? These statistics change constantly, and new diseases come on the horizon every year. New strains of infuenza and tuberculosis are always being discovered and could be resistant to any current vaccinations you may have received. And then there are those that have been around for a long time and haven’t gone away despite the scientifc and medical communities’ best eforts. In the United States, 36,000 people die from the fu every year. Around the world, HIV and AIDS are still some of the most deadly infections, killing 1.5 million…

It’s been a month since the nation’s power grids went down and with them almost all modern conveniences. Grocery stores are either sold out or were gutted by looters weeks ago. Fast-food joints are all shut down. Hoping to nuke your favorite Hungry-Man meal? Forget about it. Freezers and microwaves have stopped working. Most urban-dwellers are living of of prepackaged foods or what they can scrounge from their backyard gardens. Naturally, you’re better prepared and equipped than most. Though your fresh provisions have been exhausted, your inventory of nonperishable food is well stocked. (After all, it’s been suggested that one needs to store two years’ worth of food.) As grateful as you are to not be starving, you don’t want to be eating crackers and pinto beans for God knows…

I was working hard in the store, counting products and taking inventory, but little things kept gnawing at the edges of my attention. My two employees, normally industrious kids, just wouldn’t stop texting the moment they started their shifts. Then, there were the sounds of helicopters flying overhead. And a lot of foot trafic passed by the storefront, yet it seemed odd that no one was coming inside. Sure, it was snowing a little, but not enough to slow sales to a grind. Suddenly, there was a loud slapping sound. Someone had thrown a cup of soda at the store window. Beyond the cola-soaked glass, people ran down the sidewalks and street, all in the same direction. My youngest worker said his friends were texting him about a riot. “Riot?…

One doesn’t have to go very far to find out how it would look to live of the utility grid. While most of the country is more or less stable (at the time of this writing), there are hundreds of thousands of people living nomadically in every city in the United States without the privileges of electricity and running water — let alone PlayStations and smartphones. They are our society’s homeless, and they live of the grid despite living among us. We have seen time and again throughout history all sorts of events that thrust people, once living comfortably, out of their homes and onto the streets. We’re only one natural or manmade disaster away from ending up like the more than 600,000 people estimated by the U.S. Department of…

Some of the most ordinary items found at home can be used alternatively for all sorts of life-saving needs. Repurposing everything from cooking oil, snack chips, and even used tea bags can help you get through a tough spot — if you know what to do with them. (See “Household Survival” in OFFGRID’s Spring 2014 issue.) As you can tell by the title of this article, we’re about to delve into a household item that some people might be too shy to speak about, let alone buy, stock, and experiment with. Yes, people, we’re talking about one particular feminine hygiene product here: the tampon. In this case, tampons are no laughing matter. Knowing what you can do with them can mean living to fight another day, so listen up. Tampons…

WARNING! The exercises and content expressed in this column are for illustrative purposes only. Consult a licensed ftness trainer or medical professional before trying any physical activity or nutritional plan. Who enjoys spending time frolicking in frigid temperatures? Exactly. As a result, staying warm and cozy indoors often comes at the expense of physical activity. Humans were never meant to hibernate, contrary to what most people do after Thanksgiving dinner or what teenagers think when they’re forced out of bed on a Saturday morning. We don’t always have the luxury of a heated building with a roof over our heads, so our ability to cope with the environment is critically important to our ability to not only survive, but thrive in a cold weather scenario. Winter can present many challenging…

Sharp rocks. Arrows. Catapults. Blunderbuss. SCAR-17 rifle. Intercontinental ballistic missiles. Since the dawn of time, man has been crafting weapons. Much like our need for food and shelter, it seems the desire to defend ourselves from harm is ingrained in our DNA — and most of the time our fists and feet just aren’t good enough. Take a look at even the most primitive, isolated cultures on earth, and you’ll see a plethora of diferent weapon designs, from simple spears and clubs to more advanced contraptions. It’s easy to understand why: In many cultures, to have no weapon is to face an immediate, painful death. Today, weaponry has evolved considerably beyond the humble spear. In fact, many of us own firearms that are more powerful, durable, and compact than our…

With major winter storms crippling large areas of the United States and Canada this season, the usually mundane task of getting yourself from one place to another has become a dangerous, and in some cases deadly, ordeal. At times, transportation has ground to a standstill due to vicious snowfall in some areas. In Bufalo, New York, a recent storm reportedly dumped as much as a year’s worth of snow in one week. The powder came down so quickly and heavily that it left people stranded, fending for themselves in cars, ofices, and shopping centers. With that as the backdrop, let’s say a great calamity has befallen your city and it’s time for you to get out. The biggest hurdle will be the impassable roads, which are clogged with both snow…

Learn Important Health Considerations to Protect Yourself While Traveling. We’ve all been glued to the TV and Internet lately to find out the most current information on one of the most feared diseases today: Ebola. The lingering question that always seems to be in the backs of people’s minds is “How safe am I?” The answer is that you’re only as safe as your level of knowledge in how to avoid deadly diseases like Ebola, others that are also highly contagious, and situations that are potentially dangerous in general. Although we may not be visiting countries where deadly diseases are endemic, risk of exposure and other accidentrelated situations may be unavoidable. Travel may be part of your career or something that only occurs for summer vacations, but it could still…

So, you’ve stocked everything you need in your underground bunker, from 50 pounds of Spam to 5,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammo. You even have a few boxes of silver rounds just in case werewolves emerge after the nuclear fallout. As Yanni’s greatest hits gloriously flow from the built-in speakers, you have peace of mind because you feel nothing can touch you in your supplied and well-fortified shelter. WARNING! This article is meant to be a quick overview and not a detailed guide on microbes. To learn more on how to defend against pathogens, consult a licensed medical professional or accredited healthcare agency. Little do you know that there’s an entire army of marauders just waiting for the right opportunity to burst in, take over, and ultimately destroy you — and…

Life is hectic enough. Working, running errands, picking up the kids, fixing that leaky faucet — there’s a never-ending to-do list. Try compounding that daily grind with formulating an emergency plan based on a to-bedetermined, life-altering catastrophe of unknown origins can be overwhelming to say the least. But if you’re reading this magazine, it means you’re responsible enough and have enough foresight to make disaster preparedness a priority. So, is there a way to balance everything going on in your life to find the time to get ready for what may come? Well, you’re in luck. There’s an entire industry dedicated to convenient preparedness. You probably have already seen the products while surfing the Web, shopping at your local big-box store, or flipping through the advertisements in these pages. Readymade…