Table of contents for October/November #45 2021 in RECOIL OFFGRID

The world has slowly returned to some semblance of normalcy after COVID, and with it comes an increasing desire to travel. Technology has made travel significantly easier, but this convenience also brings new risks. When I began traveling full-time over 10 years ago, travel safety was merely a matter of personal physical safety. Never leave a bag unattended, always pay attention to surroundings, and so forth. However, in the current day and age, digital life presents new and significantly heightened threats. When you travel domestically or internationally, you’re now traveling with personal information that’s far more valuable (and that can be accessed far more readily by predators) than the contents of your bag. This shouldn’t be a deterrent to travel, so long as you prepare with a few simple measures…

There’s no doubt that every RECOIL OFFGRID reader understands the importance of a well-constructed knife. It’s arguably the most valuable tool in any survival kit. Whether out of love of the blade or an innate desire for selfsufficiency, many have considered putting their own hands to the forge only to be dissuaded by the expensive equipment and technical skills employed by modern-day bladesmiths. In this step-by-step instructional article, we’ll guide you through the knife-making process from start to finish, using a stock removal method and basic hand tools. STEP 1: Select A Steel The foundation of the knifemaking process is steel, so consider your options carefully. Choosing a steel that has the right balance between hardness, durability (toughness), and corrosion resistance can be challenging, especially when you’re working with limited…

As we mentioned earlier, NFC tags can be used in conjunction with automation apps to trigger complex sequences of actions. For example, let’s say an emergency has occurred and you need to send text messages to each member of your family, start the navigation app on your phone to check traffic conditions, dim the screen to conserve battery, and turn on do-not-disturb mode for any incoming calls outside your inner circle. These tasks could be completed by swiping your phone over a “SHTF” tag that does it all instantly. If you’ve already integrated “smart home” features into your house, you could tie these into your NFC tag automation sequence. Remotely turn on the lights, crank up the volume on the TV, and activate your security system to convince potential intruders…

Knowing how to shoot has obvious value. If your fundamentals are solid, you’ll be able to quickly and reliably put rounds where they need to go. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle — it’s also critical to know when to shoot. Missing a shot might have serious consequences, but shooting someone without adequate justification (or hesitating to shoot when you need to) is guaranteed to be a life-altering event. In order to hone my judgment, I connected with Josh and Karen Logan, the owners of Guardian Training and Consulting. At the time I connected with Guardian, the company was sometimes hosting classes at the Scottsdale, Arizona, headquarters of Haley Strategic. While Haley’s courses are tailored to experienced shooters, Guardian offers varied and affordable curriculum to a broader audience,…

Preparedness has traditionally been a physical endeavor, highly focused on concrete tangibles: food, water, ammunition, medical supplies, and so on. But the information age is here to stay, and we feel there still exists a large dead space in current discussions about preparedness, and media representation of it. Communications security, known in military parlance as COMSEC, is a critical part of your individual, family, or organizational preparedness infrastructure. It’s a nebulous concept that can encompass a wide array of different skillsets and best practices — most of which go well beyond the technological savvy of the average person. So, we felt it was important to dedicate some serious effort to the topic and try to help you add some electronic tools to your preparedness tool belt. As part of that…

George Orwell was right — invasion of our private lives is becoming a greater threat with each passing decade. Even if it’s not being used by Big Brother’s totalitarian regime, our sensitive information is increasingly accessible to unscrupulous corporations, cybercriminals, and anonymous strangers who know where to look. According to Wikipedia, “Doxing or doxxing is the act of publicly revealing previously private personal information about an individual or organization, usually through the Internet.” It’s an increasingly common act of intimidation and an exposure meant to enable complete strangers to actively engage in harming you. In 2012, an interactive map was posted online showing the names and addresses of New York handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties. Was this freedom of the press or potentially endangering people? Whether those…

Whether you’re on-grid or off, information is king. The data traveling around us via radio and microwaves can provide a wealth of intelligence about what’s going on, be it in our neighborhood or around the world, for anyone who can tap into it and make use of it. Thanks to advances in Software Defined Radio (SDR) receivers, anyone with a couple hundred dollars and some modest skills can turn their computer or tablet into a signals intelligence platform that was once the exclusive, multimillion-dollar domain of governments. In this series, we’ll discuss the basics of SDR, from selecting the right receiver and antennas, to basic setup for gathering both communications intelligence (COMINT; listening to audio transmissions) and signals intelligence (SIGINT; receiving other types of signals such as tracking aircraft or…

You’re standing in line at a crowded consulate in a foreign country when you get a sinking sensation that you’ve been flagged to be detained. As you begin to slink away toward the lobby, an agent calls out to you. You calmly and deliberately take stock of your situation, noting several Marines posting security and another agent readying handcuffs. You stop and raise your hands to a surrender position, which appears submissive while also being an effective fighting position. Your eyes continue to scan as you’re surrounded by three men — a Marine and two in suits. As the Marine places his hand on your shoulder, you control him with a wrist lock, strike one of the others in the throat, elbow the Marine, and kick the other one again.…

1 MAKE & MODEL DECKED Tool Box COMPATIBILITY Select truck model years, including the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra MSRP Starting at $700 URL decked.com NOTES DECKED made a name for itself thanks to its innovative drawer systems, allowing drivers to securely stow tools, firearms, and valuables in their truck beds. Now the company’s revolutionizing vehicle storage once again with a fresh toolbox design that (for an additional $175) can include a telescoping ladder so you can easily reach inside. But even if you don’t get that upgrade, this 73.4-gallon tool box has several brilliant design features. Its seamless construction and EPDM lid gasket ensures waterproof storage. Torsion springs deliver smooth lid opening and closing — no accidentally crushing your fingers. A steel armored locking mechanism is virtually pry bar…

For nearly 20 years, Michael Rozin has focused on terrorism prevention and security. As the president and a founding partner at Rozin Security, he’s skilled in proactive protection against terrorists and other highly motivated perpetrators of violence. Rozin began his career in the Israel Defense Forces as a sergeant in the specialized combat unit known as Barkan. After his military service, he completed an advanced security and antiterrorism training program at the Israel Security Academy under the oversight of the Israel Security Agency. He then joined the Israel Airport Authority, where he worked as a security agent for Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. In 2005, he received an award for excellence for his performance at the agency. In 2006, Rozin was hired as the Special Operations Security Captain at…

The digital spaces that society has become virtually dependent upon over the last 10 to 15 years are increasingly becoming nonpermissive. Big Tech censorship, intelligence organizations, and law-enforcement agencies continue to push against the First Amendment rights of Americans in ways that were previously only encountered by those living in overtly authoritarian regimes such as Iran, China, or Russia. It’s not surprising then, that many people have been turning to secure communications (COMSEC) tools such as Signal or Keybase, both of which provide end-to-end encryption. COMSEC is essential, protecting the contents of your communications, whether you’re chatting with family members on Signal or accessing your online banking via HTTPS. Sometimes, COMSEC isn’t enough to protect your privacy or security, however. The Problems with Cryptography When operating in a nonpermissive space,…

The Ruger 10/22 is a decades-old, highly proven design that belongs in the safe of every red-blooded American. The 22LR cartridge has been used to take a wide variety of game and provides a reliable, lightweight, sometimes inexpensive plinking round that can be carried by the hundreds. The 10/22 is supported by an immense amount of aftermarket part manufacturers, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on SB Tactical’s new SB22 fixed kit for review. Why Rimfire? First, let’s beat the dead horse of how great the 22LR is as a survivalist cartridge. Carrying a brick of 22LR takes up little space and provides the shooter with several hundred rounds of ammunition for squirrels and such. We can all agree, however, that 22LR wouldn’t be our first, or…

Sticky notes provide a quick and easy way to write down snippets of important information — phone numbers, addresses, appointments, website URLs, and so on. But these colorful scraps of paper are low-tech tools in a high-tech world. If you could design a modernized Version 2.0 of a sticky note, what characteristics would it have? It might be more durable, and waterresistant so it won’t become illegible if it gets wet. Maybe it’d be smaller, but with the capacity to store more text. Most importantly, the data it contains — letters and numbers are a form of data, after all — should be easy to access at a moment’s notice. These “advanced sticky notes” might incorporate some technology, but they shouldn’t rely on access to the internet or the power…