Table of contents for August/September #26 2018 in RECOIL OFFGRID

The reason I chose a photo of lions stalking oblivious herbivores for my editor’s note is because it’s a metaphor for the herds of uninformed suburbanites I converse with on a regular basis who are potentially setting themselves up for undue hardship in a time of crisis. Case in point: I recently had a discussion with someone about what I do and why I believe in the notion of prepping and survival. This individual was convinced that I peddle paranoia for a living and that RECOIL OFFGRID’s readership is nothing more than some fringe movement of isolationists who store canned food in their underground bunkers and live in fear of enemy paratroopers or hordes of the undead. Of course, she’s formed all these conclusions without ever having read RECOIL OFFGRID,…

The rhythmic vibrations of the subway car had almost lulled me back to sleep, even though the cabin was crowded with morning commuters. Strong scents wafted back and forth. The cologne and perfume of the passengers, as well as the countless cups of coffee, created a riot of scents assaulting my nose. I tried to ignore the odors in my groggy state, shutting my eyes and blocking everything out. It was working, until the passengers at the end of the subway car started screaming and a new smell caught my attention. Nostrils stinging, I began to process the new information. My eyes opened as the stinging sensation traveled from my nose into the back of my throat. Scent can trigger memory, and as I fumbled for recognition, it hit me…

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 his wide range of hands-on training courses that are open to the public at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com. Lorenzo Paladino MD is an emergency physician at a large trauma center and an EMS medical director. He’s an advanced trauma life support and a tactical combat casualty care (TCCC)…

Joey Nickischer: A nationally certified Search and Rescue Technician 1 Lead Evaluator (SARTECH1), Joey Nickischer is also a retired New York City Police Department detective. Over the course of 20 years, his assignments in NYC have included uniformed patrol, Tactical Patrol Force, Citywide Task Force - Plainclothes and Pickpocket Squad. Additionally, for 14 years, he was assigned to the Fugitive Enforcement Division, where his job was to track down people who didn’t want to be found. He currently works as a lead technical rescue instructor for RIT Safety Solutions, AAA Emergency Supply, and Newburgh Rescue Supply. On the volunteer side, Joey is the Chief of New York Search & Rescue and has led his team through searches ranging from the Word Trade Center Terrorist Attacks, to Hurricane Katrina ravaged New…

The Annual Disaster Statistical Review of 2016 ranked the United States second on the list of countries most frequently hit by natural disasters. A 2016 FBI report found that there was a 4.1-percent rise in violent crime in the U.S., totaling over 1.2 million incidents. According to a Washington Post article, “a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survey found that nearly 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster by participating in a disaster drill or preparedness exercise at work, school, or home in the past year. Further, only 39 percent of respondents have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. This is despite the fact that 80 percent of Americans live in counties that have been hit with a weather-related…

Basking in the warm sunlight on a cool day is a pleasant feeling. But when temperatures continue to climb and you can’t avoid its merciless heat and blinding glare, that same sunlight quickly becomes a source of frustration. Even if you’re wearing polarized glasses to protect your eyes, the skin on your face and neck will be left wide open to ultraviolet radiation that can eventually lead to painful sunburns or skin cancer. Well, I’ll just wear sunscreen, you may think — but that’s also fraught with flaws. It’s an expensive consumable that’ll eventually run out in a survival situation, and sweating from heavy exertion can cause it to wash away and run into your eyes. On top of all this, an unprotected head will inevitably get hot in direct…

In the Southeastern United States, particularly in Florida, there have been outbreaks of pythons roaming the wild. These pythons are non-native species that have invaded the ecosystem and have no natural predators. Some grow to lengths of over 15 feet. While many have escaped from breeding facilities, the majority are former pets that irresponsible owners set free when they grew too large. Should you find yourself face to face with one a constrictor, don’t panic. Attacks on adult humans are rare. A python will typically bite its prey and throw its coils around the victim in an attempt to strangle it. Don’t try to pry the mouth from your body, instead go for the tail and either attack it directly (most of the snake’s nerves are located in the tail)…

Prep The sprawling public transportation system of New York City safely moves over 1-billion people a year, but with the threat of a terrorist attack in my mind I’d think long and hard whether to ride a subway car with that looming threat. Sure, more people die every year from automobile accidents than train wrecks and terrorist attacks combined — so much so that car accident fatalities rarely make the news. But that doesn’t mean that I’d be eager to get into a crowded underground facility with limited exit strategies. In my preparation, job one is to study the subway transit system. Learn its routes, its safety procedures, and escape routes, with particular attention to obvious bottlenecks or other points that would hinder evacuation. My second specific piece of preparation…

In a world where a compulsion for media appearances, showboating, and followers on social media has become a metric of credibility, people often mistake pretentiousness or marketability for truth. Cody Lundin doesn’t have millions of followers on social media. He doesn’t pawn his students off on questionably experienced underlings. He detests the word “survivalist” as well as the question, “What’s your favorite survival tool?” For Cody, the best survival tool is something you can’t buy at a big-box store — your brain. But even after some 30 years as a survival instructor, Cody still manages to remain humble. There’s no mistaking the tone in his voice for anything other than what it is — a passion for teaching people skills that will keep them alive. “People are quick to want…

The dreaded, high-pitched buzz of the Emergency Broadcast System simultaneously came across my phone and television. I was finishing my coffee and bracing myself for Friday morning rush-hour traffic, but realized there was something unusual about this broadcast. I was so used to hearing the word “test” after these alerts began that I initially ignored what was being said. As the message continued past its usual duration I realized things were about to get hairy real quick. A massive chemical spill had occurred at a railway junction less than two miles from my home. The broadcast was unclear about the contaminants being released into the air, but what I knew for sure was that staying here was dangerous. It was time to beat feet. Since the freeways were gridlocked due…

Imagine that you’re strolling by a large city park near your home on a beautiful sunny day. There’s a popular museum across the street and a busy metro line on the corner, crowded with locals and tourists throughout the day. Your heart skips a beat when you hear a muted bang. You turn to see a large white delivery van parked at the curb with smoke and mist starting to billow out of the back. Something else seems odd about the van — then it dawns on you that there’s no driver. Suddenly, screams begin to fill the air. Some people appear to be choking, grasping at their throats while their eyes tear up; others begin vomiting. The pedestrians closest to the vehicle collapse to the ground and start convulsing.…

Understanding Hat Sizes It’s important to select a hat design that meets your needs, but it’s equally necessary to order your chosen hat in the correct size. A hat that’s too small will feel constricting and can cause headaches, while a hat that’s too large will constantly shift on your head and might fall off or blow away. Unfortunately, manufacturers use several different forms of measurement: inches, centimeters, letter size (e.g. S/M/L/XL), and U.S. hat size (a fractional number between 6½ and 8). Adding to the confusion, some manufacturers don’t transition between sizes at the same points — a 23½-inch head may be considered large by some manufacturers, but an X-large by others. For the purposes of this article, we have converted all hat sizes to inches. To determine your…

In the current political environment, self reliance and disaster preparation have become a priority for many people. You don’t have to look very far to understand why. While most would say they have the basics of preparation covered: food, water, shelter, self defense, and so forth, the mere thought of having safety measures in place for a chemical exposure is daunting. Not only because of the vast possibilities of solid, liquid, or gaseous hazards, but also the potential cost of such preparations. Fast-Act provides a kit that seems to have you covered, at least in general hazmat terms. At a list price of $190, their chemical decontamination kit isn’t beyond the budget for most people and covers a lot of ground in a small package. At first glance, it seems…

The history of gas masks is long and varied, in hopes of matching the threat from various different types of agents. Early “masks” were just wet sponges covering the user’s mouth and nose. As threats changed, so did the masks and the technology behind them. Lots of people are familiar with the M17 military gas mask, but like everything in life, filters and composition have improved. Today, the M17 is nothing more than a conversation piece since the filters contain chromium, which we now know to be a carcinogen. The first question you should consider is whether you even need a gas mask. If the anticipated threat is simply riot control agents (RCA), then any of the masks listed here will be fine. And depending on how uncomfortable you want…

Elsewhere in this issue we discuss using a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) as a potential bug-out vehicle. UTVs are quick, agile, and designed to handle all but the toughest ground conditions. They offer all the off-road benefits of their ATV siblings, but unlike ATVs, UTVs can accommodate between two and four passengers and most models feature a pickup-style bed for additional cargo. All but the most bulked-up UTVs can fit inside a two-car garage and be hauled on a trailer. While they offer many benefits, some people are easily misled to believe the only prerequisite to driving a UTV is having a license. Wrong answer. Just like novices who pilot a boat or personal watercraft for the first time, thousands of people are injured every year who mistakenly assume that…

If you’re wondering if meters for detecting chemical agents similar to the ones that the gas company uses to find gas leaks in your home are available, the answer is yes, but you shouldn’t rely on them to keep you safe as they’re limited in scope. Various companies offer them for industrial gases, cyanide, chlorine, etc., but won’t detect nerve gases or some specialized warfare agents. These meters are usually handheld and look just like the fire department or gas company ones. Many of these are only calibrated to detect one type of gas. The U.S. Army has the Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) M4A1, which is another handheld unit and pretty bulky. They start at around $2,500, with many in the $7,500 to $10,000 region. Biological weapons, such as…

One of the most iconic “survival rifles” or “prepper rifles” of the past 60 years has been given a face-lift and embedded into a survival kit of its own by Henry Repeating Arms. The rifle in question is the AR-7, and it’s currently manufactured as the Henry U.S. Survival AR-7. You may have seen it in its original form in one of three James Bond movies — From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service — or heard about it from someone who owned one over the past six decades since its inception. That can be good or bad, depending upon the particular rifle in question. The latest version from Henry appears to have greatly improved upon the basic model. History Designed in the 1950s by Eugene…

It’s summertime, and warmer temps mean people are enjoying the outdoors with greater frequency. So, RECOIL OFFGRID is here to provide you with some tips to keep from provoking the bite by one of nature’s oldest predators. Whether you’re wandering through their habitat, or should they make their way into yours, it’s helpful to identify the venomous snakes and know how to treat a bite. The majority of people bitten by snakes were either trying to handle a snake or inadvertently got too close. Encountering a snake should be dealt with in a manner similar to what you tell a child about finding an unattended firearm: Stop Don’t touch Leave the area when safe (usually the snake will lose interest and move on) If you’re gathering firewood in snake country…