Table of contents for June/July #55 2023 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1. Pants Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Women’s Stryke Pant Price: $82 URL: 511tactical.com 2. Shirt Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Ruth Flannel long sleeve shirt Price: $54 URL: 511tactical.com 3. Jacket Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Thermos insulator Jacket Price: $160 URL: 511tactical.com 4. Hat Make: Rogue Outdoor Gear Model: Kalahari Price: 315 ZAR (approx. $17 USD) URL: rogue.co.za 5. Necklace Make: Wazoo Model: Bushcraft Necklace Price: $24 URL: wazoogear.com 6. Knife Make: Varusteleka Model: Terävä Skrama 240 Price: $110 URL: varusteleka.com 7. Bag Make: Tactica Model: Multi-Carry Thigh Bag Price: $25 URL: tacticafashion.com…

One of the more interesting blade styles is the Hawkbill blade. They have an old history and are used in everything from gardening to combat and personal protection. Of course, one of the more famous designs is the karambit. This time out we avoided ringed karambits, as they’re in a category all their own. Steve Tarani and others who specialize in karambits and the arts in which they’re used maintain that it’s the curved blade, even more so than the ring, that makes a knife a karambit. Not popular as a chopper like a machete or Kukri, the Hawkbill blade excels at slicing and cutting. These knives have a pointed tip but typically aren’t used for stabbing like a dagger. Hawkbill knife blades in the West were most commonly fixed…

Cities are full of life and can be fantastic; on the other hand, they can also seem to be more trouble than they’re worth. Because cities have higher populations, they also have more of everything. This increased concentration of people results in greater depth of food, culture, concerts, shows, shopping, sporting events, and life in general. Along with this comes an increased risk of criminal victimization, but there are tangible ways to reduce your risk factors through thoughtful planning and consideration. This article isn’t necessarily for those who already live in urban areas — those who do usually already intrinsically know much of this — but for those who are less familiar and perhaps have a skewed view of risk due to depictions in the media. Thanks to profitability of…

In a collaborative effort, Wander Tactical teamed up with Alessandro Padovani, owner of Safer Faster Defense, to produce an everyday carry (EDC) knife designed specifically for self-protection. The Barracuda EDC is the result of that collaboration and is the first knife in the Protego Line. Background Wander Tactical is a knifemaker whose mission is to provide soldiers, survivalists, bushcrafters, and hunters with reliable, high-quality cutting tools. Based in Milan, Italy, this company is run by brothers Alex Wander and Greymoose Dino. The duo operates by the motto: “We must be ready and sharp.” Every Wander Tactical knife design begins by determining the intended use of the tool. Inspiration is an important part of the process for Alex and Dino, so they begin by drawing out their ideas. With collaborative designs…

As the summer months approached, several officials and numerous media outlets reported that due to high temperatures and an overtaxed energy infrastructure, we should expect rolling blackouts. This has already turned out to be true in my region of the Midwest, having numerous power outages. Losing power, and subsequently losing indoor climate control, makes the human body more susceptible to ambient temperatures. Normally, this isn’t such a big deal but can quickly turn into a serious problem if it’s too hot. Having personally experienced heat injuries on more than one occasion, it’s a situation that I take every precaution with. My inspiration to put this bag together came to me when my significant other ended up needing to spend the summer months in an urban area on the West Coast…

Protection is an individual right and an individual responsibility. This statement shouldn’t be controversial in the slightest, but in recent years, an increasing number of politicians and lawmakers have expressed a belief that protection is solely the responsibility of the state. “Don’t take matters into your own hands,” they say. “Just call 9-1-1 and wait for help to arrive!” Thankfully, most of you can see the fallacy behind this statement. Rather than resigning ourselves to helpless victimhood, each and every one of us should become a trained protector and a first responder, even if it’s only to buy a little time until law enforcement, paramedics, or other professionals arrive. This mission statement formed the backbone of Protector Symposium, a multi-day training program that’s currently on its fifth iteration. In September…

Most of the training events we cover in this column are courses on how to shoot — whether it’s longrange shots with rifles, fast strings with pistols, or how to manage the oft-intimidating self-defense shotgun. This one is a little different. Last summer, we had the opportunity to attend two lectures put on by career LEO and firearms trainer John Hearne. Hearne has dedicated a significant amount of time to high-level academic research in some topics that may, at first glance, sound dry to the average shooter. These were full-day lectures, with zero range time and a lot of very in-depth technical and historical discussion. We don’t say any of this to dissuade you from his courses. On the contrary, we highly recommend you attend any of his lectures if…

Survival isn’t an easy game. It gets exponentially more difficult when you find yourself surrounded by a population that speaks a different language, eats different food, with different cultural norms than what we’re used to. Whether you’re on a business trip, overseas vacation, or a combat deployment, learning to live among a group of people wholly different than your own is imperative to survival and success. Ingratiating yourself to a foreign populace while also protecting your own safety is a complex but critical skill for anyone looking to go abroad. Instead of opining on the topic with our best estimates, we compiled a panel of RECOIL OFFGRID contributors who have spent their careers living and working alongside foreigners, for an in-depth discussion about best practices for navigating this nuanced survival…