Table of contents for February/March #47 2022 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1. Shirt Make: A-TACS Camo Model: Integrated Battle Shirt 2.0 MSRP: $68 to $105 (depending on size/color selection) URL: www.a-tacs.com 2. Pants Make: A-TACS Camo Model: Stealth Warrior Pants MSRP: $65 to $128 (depending on size/color selection) URL: www.a-tacs.com 3. Backpack Make: Raptor Tactical Model: Marvn Rucksack MSRP: $470 URL: www.raptortactical.com 4. Rifle Case Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: VTAC Mk II 42” Double Rifle Case 39L MSRP: $180 URL: www.511tactical.com 5. Range Bag Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Range Ready Bag MSRP: $110 URL: www.511tactical.com…

In the turbulent world we all experience these days, too many people are finding themselves in survival situations that require knowledge or a skill that they haven’t yet acquired. Disrupted supply chains, extreme weather events occurring with increased frequency, and violent civil unrest have pushed millions of humans into scenarios where they discover a startling gap in their knowledge. Unfortunately, that realization may come too late, and the knowledge gap may lead to injury or even death. However, if you know where to look, there are instructors who have extensive training and experience in survival situations who are happy to pass along that life-saving wisdom. Jerry Saunders — Marine veteran, bladesmith, and founder of Corvus Survival — is one such individual. Jerry has an extensive background in a myriad of…

The People Problem Population density can become one of the biggest dangers to your safety and wellbeing, before, during, and in the aftermath of a crisis or public emergency. There’s a very simple reason for this — during a crisis, these areas are likely to experience the most severe and extensive eruptions of violence, looting, rioting, and overall civil unrest. This isn’t mere speculation; history has confirmed this sad reality time and again — when the SHTF, many people will be at their worst. Add to this a finely tuned infrastructure and supply chain that may be unable to keep pace with sudden changes to demand for food, water, sanitation, and public services. The more people there are in a given geographical area, the more precarious the situation will be.…

Part of what makes long-range shooting so expensive isn’t just the rifles and optics, but the ancillary equipment needed to support it. During our time training with Josh Reeves, we used a Leupold Gold Ring 10-20x spotting scope and a compact aluminum tripod. For $500, the GR 10-20x makes an earnest attempt to balance price point and optical capability. This model doesn’t have a reticle, which makes ranging and shot corrections a little more difficult. But having a reticle different than what’s in your rifle scope can also introduce confusion between spotter and shooter. The compact aluminum tripod is, sadly, discontinued but for sub-$200 offered a lightweight, packable solution for spotting.…

Exercising with minimal equipment has certainly become more prevalent over the last year and a half. Amidst a pandemic, more and more people have chosen to stay home and workout. This has given rise to many home-training options like video products, streaming fitness classes, home gyms, and easy-to-use equipment. Among the companies entering this arena is 5.11. While 5.11 products are becoming associated with CrossFit, they’re also a solid home gym investment for anyone looking to get in better shape, regardless of the type of training you do. Given that these products are from 5.11, a company whose products many of us have likely used in the past, there’s certainly a level of durability and functionality we can expect. So, let’s take a closer look at their TacTec Plate Carrier,…

We’ve always said that survival is a team sport. Whether it’s your family, neighbors, co-workers, or the fated group of strangers you wind up alongside, humans are pack animals and there’s indeed strength in numbers. But modern life, particularly in a post-COVID world, has many of us working remotely and socially distanced. While there’s certainly something nice about a little bit of privacy, the complications of survival are compounded without anyone else to rely on for assistance. If a crisis shows up on your doorstep when you’re home (or away from home) alone, what you have in your bag and in your brain will be all you have to rely on. Combine that with increased risk of exposure that is part-and-parcel of the colder holiday weather, and the severity of…

While there have always been patterns of migration throughout the United States, according to a U.S. Migration Report from North American Moving Services, 2020 saw Americans moving in record numbers. While some moves may have been influenced by COVID-19 and the fallout from lockdowns, job losses, and failing businesses, Americans continue actively leaving big cities for more rural locations as they’ve done in previous years. This annual study tracked nearly all interstate and cross-border household relocations from January 1, 2020, to December 11, 2020. Here’s a breakdown of the top states that Americans were moving to and leaving in 2020. Top Inbound States: Idaho (70%) Arizona (64%) South Carolina (63%) Tennessee (63%) North Carolina (61%) Top Outbound States: Illinois (69%) New York (65%) California (64%) New Jersey (64%) Maryland (61%)…

Josh Reeves served in the 2/75 Ranger Regiment as a sniper and team leader with multiple combat deployment in support of both OIF and OEF. After his military service, he again deployed as a contractor multiple times and continued to train while attending an array of firearm courses. In 2011, he returned to the states full time and became a guest instructor for multiple training facility across the U.S. with Independence Training becoming his home institute in Arizona. He has taught courses to everyone from military special operations and conventional forces to law enforcement and the civilian hobbyists. He currently competes in multiple shooting competitions such as NRL, PRS, and USPSA 3/2 gun matches.…

The Premise: Since the 1950s, the United States has had a plan on how the government could survive a nuclear attack. In August 1949, the Soviet Union detonated their first atomic bomb, sparking the nuclear arms race and the Cold War. In the early days, the nuclear threat was small, but it gradually escalated to earth-shattering superweapons such as the Russian Tsar Bomba. At 50 megatons, that hydrogen bomb was over 1,500 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. What started as a few hardened facilities able to withstand a near miss snowballed into a multibillion-dollar, multitiered plan to save the government in hopes of rebuilding the United States of America after a catastrophic event. The 411: In writing Raven Rock, author Garrett M. Graff…

MAKE & MODEL 1 Off Grid Utility Bag Window Kit CONSISTS OF 3 bags for a laptop, tablet, and mobile device MSRP $330 URL offgrid.co NOTES You don’t need to be a superspy or a tier-one operator to be concerned about online security. Everyone should be. After all, as the world and its processes become increasingly digital, so too are the criminals. That’s why OffGrid LLC (a tech company not to be confused with this publication) offers the Utility Bag Window Kit. It comes with three bags of different sizes, each made of lightweight, Faraday technology that provides heavy-duty protection against intrusions made through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular, RFID, or FM radio. That means each bag shields its device from any outside network so it can’t be hacked, tracked, or…

Patrick Diedrich owns and operates a one-man forestry business located in the remote north woods of Upper Michigan. Diedrich is the training officer for Superior Search and Rescue, an organization that responds to incidents within an area covering over 12,000 square miles of challenging terrain, hundreds of islands, and extreme cold weather. He has instructed domestic and foreign soldiers in close-quarters combat, small unit tactics, and vehicular operations. In a former life, Diedrich adventured across the globe conducting combat reconnaissance and providing humanitarian aid with the U.S. Army. You can learn more about his organizations and undertakings by visiting hemlockandbirchllc.com and superiorsar.org. Jerry Saunders is a Marine Corps veteran, Scout Sniper, and former Staff NCO in charge of Survival for the United States Marine Corps, Mountain Warfare Training Center. He…

It’s with heavy hearts that the RECOIL editorial team found out about the recent passing of one of our own. Chad McBroom was a U.S. Border Patrol tactical officer who wrote frequently for the entire RECOIL family of publications. He was a prolific contributor not just to this magazine, but also to our sister titles CONCEALMENT and RECOIL, as well as RECOILweb. We were deeply saddened to learn of his untimely departure from our lives at the end of August, and we felt compelled to share some thoughts with those of you who may have crossed paths with him or known his work. I personally recruited Chad as a contributor in 2015, after taking his collapsible baton tactics seminar. It was a one-on-one training session conducted in a local park.…