Table of contents for June/July #25 2018 in RECOIL OFFGRID

I’m the product of a very overprotective mother. Growing up, I had a hard time understanding her insistence on always knowing where I was and what I was doing. When I was a kid, I remember she had a bumper sticker on her car with a phone number to call for anyone with information about a missing girl named Laura Bradbury. Laura, who was 3½ years old at the time of her disappearance, was abducted in the fall of 1984 during a family outing in Joshua Tree, California. She accompanied her brother to a campsite restroom and waited outside. When he returned moments later, she had vanished. No one saw a thing. A subsequent search of the area and exhaustive investigation turned up little if any promising leads. The case…

One minute, she was there — holding my hand, just like she always did. And the next minute she was gone. The sickening panic began to rise within me, like a surge of nausea — but far worse. I whirled in circles looking for her, but in the press of people, there was no trace. As soon as my wife saw the look of fear on my face and realized our child wasn’t standing with us, she began to shout our daughter’s name. But over the din of the busy public square, no response could be heard. Our child was gone. In this installment of RECOIL OFFGRID’s What If?, the editors asked us to explain our own approach to one of the most horrifying scenarios that a parent can face…

Tim MacWelch has been a survival instructor for more than 20 years, training people from all walks of life, including members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the State Department, DOD, and DOJ personnel. He’s a frequent public speaker for preparedness groups and events. He’s also the author of three New York Times-bestselling survival books, and the new Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual. When he’s not teaching survival or writing about it, MacWelch lives a self-reliant lifestyle with his family in Virginia. Check out more at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com. Jacki Billings is a gun journalist and single mom of two. She holds a black belt in the Korean mixed martial art of Yongmoodo in addition to NRA Basic Pistol and Refuse to Be a Victim Instructor certification. She’s put in 17…

You fled your home several days ago when you received word of mass rioting heading your way. You haven’t eaten since losing your bug-out bag to a horde of attackers two days ago, but you managed to get away with a few cuts and bruises — and most importantly, your life. You’re cold, tired, hungry … and still at least 20 miles from your bug-out location. As you crest the next hill, your mood improves as you see how close you are to that proverbial X that marks the spot. Within an hour, you’ve dug up one of the caches you squirreled away along your planned route, and if your upturn of luck continues, you’ll recover the rest and replenish your supplies. You now have water boiling over a fire,…

We know what you’re thinking. Self-storage places are usually in the heart of the city, and that’s exactly where you don’t want to be if things are falling apart. Look a little harder, and you’ll probably find storage places that are off the beaten path but still readily accessible. Many people use a storage unit at some point. Why not have it serve double duty? Choose a location that would be along your bug-out route and that isn’t likely to be a bad area to visit in a crisis. Along with your old dishes and photo albums, store some survival gear and supplies. Make extra sets of keys to keep in various places so you won’t have a problem accessing it. This isn’t a perfect solution for everyone, but for…

1. Hello. My name is _______. What is your name? 2. I need help or Can you help me, please? 3. Can, would, or are you able to show me, please? 4. How do I get there or do that, please? 5. Where is that person/place/thing, please? 6. When is that or this, please? 7. What is that? or What do I do, please? 8. Who can help? or Who is that, please? 9. How much is best instead of how long or how far, as you can always say how much time, how much distance, as well as the usual how much does something cost. 10. Thank you, goodbye, until later, go in peace.…

Learning how to evacuate an injured person from a hazardous or remote location, such as an active-shooter event or a backcountry hike gone wrong, is like paying down your credit card bill rather than buying new stuff every month — in your heart you know you should do it, but it’s just not as fun or as sexy as other options. We believe in a holistic approach to preparedness and recognize that it’s just as important to know how to save the lives of others as it is to protect your own. To find out more, we spoke with Eric Soderlund, who has worked as a detective for a large Florida county law enforcement agency for the last 13 years. Prior to that, he served as U.S. Army military policeman…

Any prepper worth their weight in MREs will have SHTF packs set up in several locations for any number of potential disasters. A bug-out bag at home, a get-home pack at the office, and an emergency kit in the vehicle. But what if the bags themselves don’t hold up? What if they fall apart under a heavy load or get ruined in a torrential downpour paired with gale-force winds? Now your precious three-day cache is soaked, useless, or strewn across the muddy forest floor. With spring showers approaching, we’re taking a closer look at durable bags available today that will both increase your daily carry capacity and endure punishing weather. For the sake of argument, we’re calling them “stormproof” backpacks. Note: This is not a buyer’s guide exclusively on waterproof…

American Black Nightshade berries and leaves are traditionally eaten by Native Americans as well as modern cultures in Central American communities. Black Nightshade also has more protein, calories, fiber, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin C than spinach. Deadly Nightshade, on the other hand, can cause delirium, hallucinations, and death when eaten in large quantities. “This is the most likely deadly doppelgänger to get you into trouble,” Lee said. “Avoiding both varieties, if you’re unsure, would be your best bet.” Black Nightshade Range: Southern and Western United States, British Columbia Deadly Nightshade Range: Central United States, Saskatchewan Tell Them Apart: “The most obvious way to differentiate between them is that the edible Black Nightshade berries grow in bunches, as opposed to Deadly Nightshade berries which grow individually. Remember that only…

The roots of young carrots are very edible, although as they age they become more woody and inedible. Wild Carrot Range: Throughout the United States and Canada Poisonous Hemlock Range: Throughout the United States and Canada Tell Them Apart: Look for purple blotches or spots on the smooth (hairless) stems of Poison Hemlock. Wild carrot stems are usually covered in hairs, while hemlock is bare.…

In case you missed them, here are three web-exclusive stories that can help you better incorporate tech into your preparedness plan. Brandon Barton of Last Man Projects built a $200 DIY emergency power pack that stays in the back of his bug-out Ford Bronco. It keeps his mobile electronics charged and connects to a roof-mounted solar panel for sustainable power. http://www.offgridweb.com/?p=10962 Andy Schrader discusses the advantages of using a smartphone for off-grid navigation and how to download maps to your device for use in areas where cell signal is nonexistent. He also addresses ways to conserve and recharge your phone’s battery. http://www.offgridweb.com/?p=9479 During short-term emergencies and get-home scenarios, it’s helpful to be able to quickly recharge your devices from a multitude of power sources. This guide discusses considerations for assembling…

1 MAKE & MODEL Outdoor Edge Le Duck OAL 6.25 inches MSRP $35 URL www.outdooredge.com NOTES Outdoor Edge makes a variety of tools that are smartly designed, well built, and crazy affordable. One such example is the Le Duck, named so for its fowl-looking pommel. This little knife is adaptable thanks to its blade profile and carry options. Made of 8Cr14MoV stainless steel with a Blackstone coating, the razor-sharp fixed blade has a generous belly that allows for detailed slicing and a strong point for thrusting. It comes with a polymer sheath that has a removable clip, which can rotate 360 degrees for multiple carry positions. Also included is a paracord lanyard so you can use the Le Duck as a neck knife. Though made of thermoplastic rubber and a…

Prep As any parent knows, a simple trip to the grocery store with a child in tow can quickly turn into a nightmare without some foresight; so a trip overseas definitely entails some heavy preplanning. To avoid any hiccups, I’d focus on four areas: Research and more research: Months before we even set foot on an Air France flight, I’d begin to meticulously gather data about our French destination. Aside from the usual hotel and restaurant recommendations, I’d seek out specific data on the tourist locations we intend to visit. I’d want to know when the busiest times are, if there are any sketchy neighborhoods nearby, if there are travel advisories for the area, and the location of important establishments like police stations, hospitals, and the U.S. Embassy. I’d pick…

At first glance, it’d be easy to overlook Ed Calderon as a survival instructor. He doesn’t walk around in bare feet, have a lumberjack beard, or spend copious amounts of time talking to a camera from inside a tent. But the skills that one can learn from Ed’s Manifesto aren’t meant for long-term prosperity in harsh weather conditions. They’re meant to ensure survival in its most immediate and primal context — the continuance of one’s existence in the face of imminent physical danger and threat of imprisonment. Many survivalists consider the forces of nature to be their ultimate foe, but the brutality of other human beings may pose a far greater threat. Abduction by criminals is one of the most dangerous situations that any of us could possibly face. Mr.…

Once you’ve built a cache, you need to find a home for it. One of the best locations, of course, is hidden on property you own. If you own the property, there’s nobody to complain about digging holes. Next on the list would be property owned by someone you know and trust and who has given you permission to place a cache there. The next option is public land. Here’s the thing, though — legalities. There may be a nice park down the street that has an out-of-the-way corner you like or you might fancy the area right beneath the headstone of a deceased relative, but if there’s a big patch of dirt that looks like it was recently dug up, some city employees or groundskeepers who routinely landscape and…

Landline phones and public telephone booths were once as common as typewriters, transistor radios, and corner mailboxes. Fast-forward 30 years, however, and everything about how we communicate has drastically changed. Today, pay phones and landline phones are on the endangered species list, while the use of cellular and Internet-based phone networks has exploded. In January 2017, a report from the Pew Research Center concluded that the vast majority of Americans (95 percent) now own a cellphone of some kind. With so many cell phones, and the proliferation of high-speed internet communications, are pay phones and landline phones really just a relic of the past? And can the wired technology of the last century be of any practical use in an era dominated by smart devices and the ever-growing availability of…

Always repeat what you think someone said in the simplest way you know. They’ll respond either “Yes, blah, blah blah” and you’ll know you understood the gist or they’ll say “No, blah, blah, blah” and say more words, and you can then focus on key words. Then you can focus on listening for vital info like “go left” or “right,” etc. Constantly listen and read, trying to understand everything you can. Listen when folks are speaking to hear how the language is used. Challenge yourself by asking, “How would I say ...” Then try to say it without learning aids. This way, you’re using spare time to do mental language training, converting passive vocabulary into active vocabulary and usable phrases.…

Most of our readers already know that our preference is for fresh meat in the wild during a bug-out or backcountry hiking scenario. And as Green Beret Mykel Hawke noted in Issue 23 of RECOIL OFFGRID, it’s much easier to get life-saving nutrients and energy from animals than it is from plants. That being said, animals aren’t always available to us. And in a true survival situation we may need to end up foraging for plants in order to scrape by. The problem is that foraging for plants, although easier because they can’t run away from you, is complicated by the fact that some plants can harm you and others can kill you. The second issue is that some plants that resemble edible options and look familiar to us can…

The Virginia Ground Cherry is edible when ripe, resembling a small tomato. However, more often than not, any “wild tomatoes” stumbled upon in the wild should be regarded with suspicion due to their similarity to Horse Nettles. Though they look quite similar to cherry tomatoes, all parts of the horse nettle are poisonous and can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and death. Virginia Ground Cherry Range: Central and Eastern United States, Eastern half of Canada Horse Nettles Range: Throughout the United States, Parts of Eastern Canada Tell Them Apart: Horse Nettle has large spiky prickles on its stems, while the Ground Cherry only has thick, stiff hairs. Additionally, the fruits of the Ground Cherry are enclosed in a papery husk while those of the Horse Nettle are bare.…

If you haven’t thought about getting a carabiner, you’ll be a convert soon after trying one. It’s an incredibly useful tool, and you don’t have to be a mountain climber to appreciate it. Aside from using them for climbing, rappelling, or caving as intended, ’biners have all sorts of improvised functions, including, but not limited to, rigging a shelter, acting as a tourniquet (when coupled with a cord), being used as a striking implement, and linking smaller packs to your get-out-of-dodge bag. Of course, you can use them for more mundane roles, such as a keychain or to attach a water bottle to your hiking pack. The predecessor of the carabiner was made in the 1800s for French cavalry troops called carabiniers, who used metal spring hooks and slings to…

Prep Do My Homework: Planning and research are a vital part of all forms of preparedness. So the planning for a trip so far from home would be much more extensive than the planning for a local getaway. I’d endeavor to find out as much information about higher crime areas in Paris, then pick a hotel and plan activities in a “safer” part of town. We’d also take the time to learn a little bit of the language. Yes, English is a common language in Europe, but it’d be foolish to expect everyone to speak a little English. To increase our chances of successful communication despite the language barrier, I’d pick up an English to French dictionary. Any traveler should know more than just “Where’s the bathroom?” in the local…

Sixteen years ago while working as a police officer for Salt Lake City PD, I was involved in an intense and frantic search for a missing juvenile. It was the stuff of every parent’s nightmare. In the middle of the night, a cold and calculated psychopath crept through the window of a teenage girl’s bedroom while her family slept. He kidnapped her at knifepoint and, with the help of his wife, subjected her to nine months of intense mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Miraculously, the victim, Elizabeth Smart, was found and rescued. Most victims of such crimes aren’t so lucky. Women and children continue to be some of the most vulnerable members of society to crimes of this nature. On average, 321,500 people are victims of rape and sexual assault…

When it comes to survival, an often overlooked but seriously critical skill is language. You might be thinking, how is a language going to help me survive? It may not be able to start a fire, but let’s look at how language is the spark that ignites teamwork, a critical component of survival. First, if you’re not leaving the country, how can a foreign language help you survive? What if you’re lost, hurt, or need help from a stranger who doesn’t speak English? Or stuck in the middle of a large-scale disaster and good folks around you only speak Spanish? Or if someone is conspiring to steal from you, and you’re linguistically oblivious to their intentions? Even if you have no plans to travel internationally, language skills at home could…

The sound of a roaring engine wakes you from your sleep. You leap out of bed and look out the window, only to see your truck speeding backward out of the driveway with a stranger behind the wheel. As the man slams your truck into gear and takes off down the block, you notice the neighbors frantically throwing suitcases into their van. You can hear sirens echoing in the distance. Whatever’s happening, it’s not good. Now's the time to get your family to a safer location, but the highways are sure to be jammed with frantic drivers, so you grab your bug-out bags and prepare to hit the road on foot. In this hypothetical scenario, what weapons would you bring? A compact 9mm handgun, such as a Glock 19, provides…

“This is my favorite deadly doppelgänger comparison because everyone seems to want to eat anything that resembles a grape or berry,” Lee said. “When in season, wild grapes provide a tremendous amount of nutrition with their fruit, leaves, and even new shoots being edible, but keep in mind that the roots are poisonous. Wild grapes also provide a great source of potable water through cutting their vines. Cut high first, then low, to maximize the amount of water yielded per vine.” Wild Grapes Range: Eastern Half of Canada and throughout the United States, excluding the far Southwest and Southeast U.S. Virginia Creeper Range: Eastern half of United States and Canada Tell Them Apart: Wild grape tendrils are more conspicuous and grow in branches, as opposed to Virginia Creeper, which adhere…

Wild garlic should smell strongly of onions or garlic, and is generally edible without issues. Use the chopped green leaves as chives to make any food more palatable and eat the onion-like bulb. Be aware, though, that Death Camas also looks a lot like an onion. It can cause loss of voluntary muscle movement, diarrhea, vomiting, among other unpleasantries. Wild Garlic Range: Eastern half of United States and Canada Death Camas Range: Throughout the United States and Canada Tell Them Apart: Take a whiff. Although the Death Camas bulb looks like an onion, it won’t have the smell of garlic or onion like its edible cousin.…

Hot water is life — whether on a mundane level, as piping hot coffee keeps people sane and civilized during their everyday routines, or in a survival situation where the ability to sterilize water can keep you alive. In RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 5, we reviewed a selection of insulated and non-insulated stainless steel water bottles. The best of the insulated bottles did a great job of keeping hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold. But all they can do is maintain temperature as long as possible. The Cauldryn Fyre water bottle takes that a step further by incorporating a heating element at the bottom of its stainless steel, vacuum insulated bottle. You can attach a large rechargeable battery to heat on the go, or dock the bottle on an AC-…