Table of contents for April/May #54 2023 in RECOIL OFFGRID

AGE: 60 HOMETOWN: Born in San Antonio, Texas. Now lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina. MILITARY EXPERIENCE: U.S. Air Force, 1979 to 1989; law enforcement; and South Carolina State Guard, 2020 to present. Provost Marshal Detachment/Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit. FAVORITE QUOTE: Image is everything, but it is nothing without substance. FAVORITE SNACK ON DETAIL: Granola bars FAVORITE MOVIE: Seven Samurai (1954) RECOMMENDED READING LIST: Anything written by Joseph Wambaugh Warrior Mindset by Dave Grossman The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker URL: www.teamkdi.com…

Although humans and canines have been faithful companions for over 30,000, the dog food industry is barely 100 years old. Until 1922, with the introduction of canned dog food called Ken-L Ration, very little consideration was extended to the dietary needs of dogs. Draft horses that died in the streets were sliced up and used to feed the local pets, while any leftover table scraps were slopped into a bowl for Fido. Regardless of the ups and downs of the bourgeoning dog food industry, horse meat was a staple of every brand, so much so, that until 1941 — when horses and tin were being rationed for the war effort, horses were being raised specifically for dog food. The opportunity to create a food without using horse meat led to…

Cover: Protect your head by wearing a hat. This will avoid the loss of body heat from your head. Instead of using gloves to cover your hands, use mittens. Mittens are more helpful than gloves because they keep your fingers in contact with one another, conserving heat. Overexertion: Avoid activities that cause you to sweat a lot. Cold weather causes you to lose body heat quickly; wet, sweaty clothing accelerates the process. Rest when necessary and frequently self-assess for cold-related changes. Pay careful attention to the status of elderly or juvenile group members. Diabetics are also at high risk. Layering: Loose-fitting, lightweight clothing in layers do the best job of insulating you against the cold. Use tightly woven, water-repellent material for wind protection. Wool or silk inner layers hold body…

1 MAKE & MODEL Miller Bros Blades M-4 BLADE LENGTH 16 inches MSRP $2,100-$2,400 URL millerbrosblades.com NOTES That’s not a knife. This is a knife! Miller Bros Blades is what happens when a group of makers listens to their hearts and acts accordingly. Focusing on overbuilt knives and swords, they create a product with jaw-dropping aesthetics that can be put to the test without worrying about damage. The M-4 is a serious chopper with a back sharpened blade designed to cut no matter which way it’s swung. Composed of Z-Wear PM steel, it has a durability and toughness that exceeds many standard stainless steel grades. The sheath is designed to endure whatever beatings it may be exposed to and is equipped with a leather back carrying system so you can rock…

Cory Fechtelkotter has been a police officer in northern Ari-zona for 14 years, serving in a wide variety of roles including patrolman, rangemaster, field training officer, recruit training officer, school resource officer, crisis negotiator, and detective. As a detective, Fech-telkotter has investigated everything from financial crimes (extortion, fraud, and counterfeiting) to major crimes including sex offenses, crimes against children, and homicide. Fechtelkotter has successfully negotiated the surrender of multiple barricaded homicide suspects and served as a member of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards & Training Patrol Procedures Subject Matter Expert Committee, where he helped update academy curriculum for topics such as behavioral health crisis response and off-duty officer safety. Fechtelkotter’s passion is firearms training, both as an instructor at the local academy, and as a lifelong student of the nation’s…

In each of these two pictures, there’s a plate of dog food and a plate of people food. Without trying to guess which is which, of the four plates of food, ask yourself which looks more appetizing. Do the chunks of beef drizzled in a lather of gravy and speckled with carrots and potatoes look better than the plate of beans with ham chunks, carrots, and slices of celery? What about the lentils served in an olive oil sauce of organic potatoes and onions? If you were presented these four plates at a dinner party, which would you take? A? B? C? D? Answers: A. Dog food. Blue Buffalo Blue’s Stew; B. People food. Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup; C. Dog food. Just Food For Dogs’ Beef and Russet Potato Recipe;…

Modularity is a convenience we often take for granted. Many of the important items we purchase use modular designs to allow customization and upgrades, either at the time of purchase or later down the line. For example, look back at the early days of the automobile. In 1909, Henry Ford famously said each Model T buyer could “have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it’s black.” Fast-forward to today — when you buy a new truck, you’re presented with an almostoverwhelming list of submodels, trim levels, factory options, and dealer-installed equipment. Would you like two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive? Gas or diesel? How many doors? Which bed length? And we won’t even get started discussing all the paint colors, upholstery styles, and other cosmetics…

It’s an unfortunate fact that businesses based on the likeli-hood of bad things happening are booming in America right now. It’s not however, much of a surprise to any of us — or any of you, for that matter. Alternately known as executive protection, protective service detail, personal security detail, or close protection (among other names), there’s a bustling industry for bodyguards to protect anyone who can afford to pay. This includes everyone from CEOs and celebrities to schools and churches. These protection specialists spend their entire professional lives becoming experts at all the bad stuff that could happen, how it could happen, and how to prevent or interrupt it. But these abilities are not magical or superhuman, nor should such knowledge be restricted to the minds of paid professionals.…

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended to be a brief overview of the viability of dog food as an emergency food source, and not a comprehensive guide to food safety or nutrition. Weigh the risks carefully before eating any food not intended for human consumption, and only do so when there is no safer alternative. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic in April 2020, Regina Loicano lived in abject fear, holed up in her Upper East Side, New York, walkup. She was so afraid of getting sick that she didn’t dare leave her small apartment. She was convinced that deadly germs were everywhere. Three weeks later, what was left of her food was gone and she resorted to eating pet food. Soon, the thought of starvation outweighed her fears of…

MAKE & MODEL Dakine Poacher 14L Backpack MSRP $110  URL www.dakine.com When it comes to how you can carry a weapon, variety isn’t just the spice of life, it’s a measure of responsible carry. Few things are worse for your credibility than forcing a carry option to apply in a situation where it shouldn’t … or just can’t. In my work, well-done concealed carry is far more prudent and professional than the alternative. As a result, I have firearms and holsters for nearly every occasion and type of dress I’d likely need. That being said, I realized that despite trying to cover as many bases as possible, I was missing an off-body carry (OBC) option. OBC is somewhat controversial and has its fair share of critics. Opposition usually breaks down to…

The Premise: For Dr. David Perrodin, chaos events, and the human reaction to them has been a focus of his throughout his career. The worldwide chaos created by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to examine individual and population level behaviors more closely. Perrodin states that if we study the reaction to different stages of chaos, others will be able to anticipate and position themselves out of harm’s way and ahead of pack. Perrodin explores the effect of time perception during traumatic events and the ability to discern factual information through observation of seemingly mundane details. Unfortunately, by tapping into external sources, such as 24-hour news, people dismiss what should be corroborated by what’s happening directly in front of them. The 411: Chaos strikes daily around the world. Whether it’s war,…