Table of contents for April - May 2017 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1. Footwear Make: The North Face Model: Women’s Shellista II Tall Boots MSRP: $150 URL: www.thenorthface.com 2. Socks Make: Point6 Model: Block Stripe Medium Crew MSRP: $22 URL: www.point6.com 3. Firearm Make: SIG SAUER Model: P225 MSRP: $1,087 (for current production P225-A1) URL: www.sigsauer.com 4. In-the-Waistband Holster Make: CrossBreed Holsters Model: SuperTuck Deluxe MSRP: $70 to $92 (depending on options) URL: www.crossbreedholsters.com 5. Magazine Pouch Make: CrossBreed Holsters Model: Single OWB Mag Carrier MSRP: $36 to $46 (depending on options) URL: www.crossbreedholsters.com 6. Knife Make: Spartan Blades USA Model: Spartan Harsley Folder MSRP: $495 URL: www.spartanbladesusa.com 9. Pants Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Wyldcat Pant MSRP: $80 URL: www.511tactical.com 7. Shirt Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Willow Henley MSRP: $55 URL: www.511tactical.com 8. Vest Make: The North Face Model: Women’s Nitchie…

Clear vision is essential in any survival situation, since it allows you to observe, orient, decide, and then act on what’s around you. In the dark of night or a pitch-black room, it can be difficult to accomplish any of those tasks reliably, so illumination is key. However, there’s one particular time when visibility is almost guaranteed to make the difference between life and death: self-defense with a firearm. If you can’t see your attacker clearly, you may hesitate to fire or miss your target completely; and with devastating consequences. Worse, misidentification of an innocent as a threat may lead to a different set of devastating consequences. Therefore, we expanded our HighLights guide for this important theme, selecting 10 pistol flashlights to test and review. These lights offer diverse…

As a law-abiding citizen and a trained gun handler, I, like you, am obligated to carry wherever the law permits. It’s my duty to protect and serve. It’s my duty to protect myself and my loved ones — and to serve my community. And, at the end of the day, you are your own first responder. But let’s suppose you’re not carrying when sh*t goes south. How do you survive a mass shooting? Whether it be an ISIS fanatic or a lunatic with too many prescription meds flowing through his bloodstream, what steps can we take to avoid becoming a victim? I travel nearly every weekend to various states. My concealed carry permit gives me reciprocity in 36 states. But, when I’m in the Dark Blue States, I follow the…

You’ve got the survival basics covered: food, water, first aid/medical, sanitation/hygiene, security and self-defense — heck, you even have a fully stocked retreat in an “undisclosed” location. This is a great start, considering that the vast majority of the population doesn’t have a clue. But, you still have a nagging feeling that something’s missing. While some preppers place much of their focus on buying cool stuff, stocking up on long-term food rations, and getting that very latest bug-out bag, some of us realize that a viable survival plan has to be much more than just having awesome gear. A survival plan must protect you and your loved ones in a comprehensive manner, including the most likely scenarios which fall short of complete societal collapse. Specifically, it needs to ad…

Minnesota-born novelist Sinclair Lewis once wrote, “Winter is not a season, it’s an occupation.” In other words, winter is not the time for complacency, especially for survivalists. To endure the cold and stave off hypothermia, we need to view staying warm as a full-time job. Layered clothing and a proper shelter can go a long way, but the cornerstone of warmth is knowing with complete certainty that you can quickly and reliably start a fire. This means your survival kit should contain a diverse and redundant set of fire-starting tools. Why? Because if you rely on just one, you’ll eventually learn the answer the hard way when it fails. Whether you need to add a backup firestarter to your bugout bag or you’re looking to replace an item in your…

It wasn’t the popping gunshots that shocked your senses the most in that crowded mall. You’ve fired enough rounds in your life to be familiar with the sound of gunfire. It was the screaming child who made you stop in your tracks. The sound you heard wasn’t the commonplace tantrum of a spoiled child screaming for a new toy. No, this was a shriek of pain and absolute fear from a young one. It was a piercing wail, and the instincts of a parent took hold. You had to find the child. As you ran hunched over, zigzagging toward a stone planter, the screaming grew louder. You were almost there! Then the ground rose up to meet you. You didn’t remember losing your footing and falling, you simply realized you…

You’re at a football game when shots ring out. A lot of shots. Then screams. You know instantly this is a mass-shooting scenario, and you want to help after the smoke clears. Though developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Sort Assess Life-saving Triage (SALT) method can be used by anyone to help save lives before first-responders arrive. As a prepper, you might think, I’m no paramedic. How can I use SALT after the shooting stops? Although many people think “mass shooting” when they envision a mass-casualty incident, by definition it simply means that there are more casualties than can be effectively managed by the available resources. There doesn’t need to be dozens or hundreds of victims. Two paramedics pulling up to the scene of a…

A wise person once wrote, “Winter is a harsh mattress.” Or was it a “harsh mistress?” Either way, a frigid landscape is no place to slumber without a proper outfit, an insulated shelter, and a reliable heat source. But you don’t have to climb K2 or get ambushed by a Wampa for poop to go sideways during the colder months. So if you can’t find shelter, bring shelter with you. And we don’t mean that in a “Hugh Glass, slice open your horse and slither inside” sort of way. Hobos, ultralight backpackers, and survivalists know a quality sleeping bag can serve as a life-saving shelter by itself. With snow pummeling many parts of North America, it’s time we crawled feet first into the topic of cold-weather sleeping bags. Rated T…

WARNING! The content in this story is provided for illustrative purposes only and not meant to be construed as advice or instruction. Seek a reputable self-defense school first. Any use of the information contained in this article shall be solely at the reader’s risk. This publication and its contributors are not responsible for any potential injuries. The nature and history of combat is the utilization of weaponry, and victory most often goes to those who train with their weaponry. For an experienced prepper, this same philosophy can and should be applied to self-defense survival situations, so long as the weapon used is a legally appropriate response to the perceived threat. Unfortunately, gone are the days when we can walk with a sword strapped to our side, and today’s equivalent can’t…

Rice. Ramen. Mac and cheese. Potatoes. In America, these are a few of our favorite dishes. It’s no surprise then that our love for carb-loaded comfort food has trickled into our emergency cache menus (and waistlines). But forgetting for a moment the impact these foods can potentially have on our bodies, the rationale for making carbohydrates the focus is simple and tough to argue: These tasty foods tend to be cheap, easy to store, easy to prepare, and full of energy (read: calories) to power your grid-down activities until the town bakery opens up again. If it opens up again. But when your ramen runs dry, and you’ve reached the bottom of the rice bucket, how are you going to sustain yourself and your family? Is it even possible? The…

1 MAKE & MODEL Gear Aid FLUX LED Light & Power Station LUMENS 640 MSRP $150 URL www.gearaid.com NOTES Gear Aid is known for camping gear repair kits, but is now branching out into the illumination game. The FLUX has 82 LEDs, three color temperatures, and 10 brightness settings (from 20 lumens up to 640 lumens). It features an IPX5-rated spray-proof casing for outdoor use. There’s also a 1/4-inch-20 threaded point to attach a tripod, the included hanging hook, or assorted Ram mounts (pictured, but not included). It comes with an adjustable metal kickstand, too. Oh, and it can double as a battery charger, thanks to its 1.5-amp USB ports and 20,800-mAh capacity. This dual-purpose station can light up your basecamp, backyard, or garage while also charging you mobile devices.…

A former firefighter and SWAT paramedic, Sean McKay is the director of Disruptive Rescue/Austere Medicine at Element Rescue and program manager of Mobile Training and Rescue Development at Rescue Craft by Tactical Medical Solutions. Here’s what he carries in his med kit and why: Multiple SOFTT-W Tourniquets: “These are one of the most widely used tourniquets within U.S. Special Operations Command and large city first-responders,” McKay says. “They’re known as the AK-47 of tourniquets because they’re so durable. You can treat that thing like a prison bitch, and it’ll keep working regardless of environmental factors.” Chest Seals: These are needed to treat sucking, penetrating chest wounds. McKay also carries a sturdy decompression needle to vent the chest and prevent a buildup of air within the chest cavity. Lesser-trained civilians should…

To fight off any possible winter nightmares and ensure a solid night’s rest, it’s ideal to supplement your sleeping bag with other key pieces of gear: Cold-Weather Apparel: People sometimes forget that your clothes are actually your first layer of shelter in a survival situation. Be sure to bundle up before you head out. And if you didn’t, hopefully you’ve packed backup apparel in your emergency kit. Sleeping Pad: It’s important to get off the ground if you’re spending the night outdoors. That means putting a layer between you and the snow or frozen dirt — a sleeping bag alone won’t cut it. Consider a foam pad or an air mattress that doesn’t require an air compressor, such as the Therm-a-Rest Neoair Camper SV. You can also create a ground…

You’ve just spent three days away from your basecamp gear cache and raft, and have been hiking and hunting a few miles into the mountains. When you return to camp, you’re tired, running low on rations, and looking forward to resupplying from your raft. As you step into your campsite, your mental celebration is cut short as you realize your camp was raided. Everything is scattered. Food containers are clawed and chewed through, every bag is torn, and worst of all, your raft — your means of transportation — is damaged. The crisp tracks in the mud are a dead giveaway; a grizzly was just here, and there’s a good chance it’s still in the area. Will you have enough food to finish your trip? Is your raft beyond repair?…

Every season has its dangers. If you live in an area that offers the extremes of all four seasons, you know you need to prepare for all the challenges each brings. In the case of winter, travel presents its very own set of potentially fatal hazards. To make traveling safer, we put together a winter car survival kit. Some of the elements chosen for the kit are common to other seasons. For the most part, we’ll take a more in-depth look at items and techniques that’re more useful in winter. Stuck in a Rut Getting stuck is more likely to happen in the winter season than any other, depending on where you live. Winter’s probably also the most dangerous time to be stuck as well. Here are some ideas to…