Table of contents for August/September #68 2025 in RECOIL OFFGRID

For those seeking more than a typical getaway, these handpicked wilderness escapes offer more than just scenic views. They challenge your grit, test your limits, and immerse you in landscapes where survival and adventure go hand in hand. Planning a backcountry trek or craving time off the grid? These destinations deliver the perfect blend of raw beauty and adventure. First, we get an awe-inspiring view with a location deep in the heart of Oregon. Not to be outdone, the East Coast of the U.S. offers an epic historical location. Adventure Appeal: Smith Rock State Park is an adventure junkie’s playground. Towering 600-foot cliffs of tuff and basalt line the Crooked River canyon, offering one of the most iconic climbing destinations in North America. This is the birthplace of American sport…

Founded by two retired Green Berets, Spartan Blades has a well-earned reputation for excellence. While many of their designs are jaw-dropping gorgeous, they aren’t just wall hangers or safe queens. Every single one is built for hard use. The Spartan-Ronin Torii is an excellent example. The Torii was designed to be the ultimate close-quarters combat knife, and it’s designed by people who know that subject matter intimately. It’s a collaboration between Spartan Blades and Tu Lam of Ronin Tactics. They wanted to commemorate the Green Berets who have served at Torii Station in Okinawa, Japan. This knife is a tribute to them and is intended to honor the C-1-1 CIF (CINC’s Extremist Force), a unit that has a formidable reputation for close-quarters battle and tactical prowess. Being the curious sort,…

The Premise Bushcraft Kid by Dan Wowak is a hands-on guide that lights a fire in young adventurers. With practical, step-bystep instructions on everything from building fires and shelters to trapping, fishing, and foraging, it makes learning survival skills both fun and educational. Loaded with engaging projects, safety tips, and cool facts, the book reflects Wowak’s experience and passion for the outdoors. Safety tips from a seasoned survival expert ensure that young explorers are well-prepared for their wilderness adventures. It doesn’t take long to realize this book isn’t just for kids. It’s designed for parents looking to empower their children with knowledge and guide them in discovering the world of information. It’s intended to encourage shared discovery, building a bridge between generations as they explore the wild together. At its…

Planting a seed. Lighting a fire with flint and steel. Shaping wood into a tool with your own two hands. These small actions might seem simple, even oldfashioned, but they carry weight. In a world marked by rising costs, fragile supply chains, and unreliable systems, they represent something solid. Something lasting. This issue of RECOIL OFFGRID carries the theme Homestead, but don’t mistake that for a lifestyle limited to people living miles from the nearest neighbor. Homesteading is skill-based. It’s mindset-driven. It starts when you stop assuming someone else will provide everything you need and begin asking what you can do for yourself. That spirit runs through every page of this issue. We’re proud to feature Sharon Ross, the founder of Afrovivalist, who shares her personal path into survival training…

Who doesn’t want to upgrade their camping game? Maybe you can relate — how many tools do you toss into your backpack before heading into the woods? And out of those, how many do you actually rely on? Spoiler alert: Some of the best gear is the stuff you whip up yourself. For many campers and bushcraft enthusiasts, the joy of crafting things in the wild is part of the adventure. There are plenty of clever ways to enhance your campsite, and they mostly hinge on mastering a few straightforward skills with simple tools at hand. The Camp Anvil A wooden stump proves to be an unsung hero in any backyard or campsite. You just can’t underestimate the comfort of having a flat surface to lean on after a long…

Every day we step outside, we’re surrounded by an abundance of plants. Trees, bushes, vines, flowers, herbaceous plants, and more fill our woodlands, grow in fields, and pop up through cracks in the pavement. While we may take note of these plants, most do not give them a second thought. Even though many people see plants as part of the background, the reality is much more complex. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen through their normal life processes. Their root systems keep the soil in place preventing erosion caused by wind and rain. They provide food, shelter, and health-enhancing effects for countless species. While humans passively benefit from the creation of oxygen and the binding of soil, we don’t think much about a wild plant’s capacity to feed us…

It’s time to unleash your inner cave dweller with the thrilling experience of Stone Age cooking, perfect for both backcountry adventures and backyard bonfires. In this guide, we’ll cover the art of creating mouthwatering wilderness dishes using flat rocks, roasting sticks, a stone oven, and hot coals. Get ready to heighten your outdoor cooking game. Cooking Outdoors Survival depends on the ability to make use of everything the environment offers, both natural materials and discarded items we might otherwise overlook. These resources can be repurposed to build shelters, carry supplies, secure water, and maintain fire for warmth and cooking. Just like machines need fuel to run, our bodies require energy to function efficiently. Knowing how to stretch and apply these resources effectively can make all the difference in tough conditions.…

When you hear the term “long-range shooting,” a few things might come to mind. Big rifles, bigger scopes, and probably a competition shooter buried behind a steel barricade somewhere in the American Southwest. What probably doesn’t come to mind is a vineyard in Southern California, a hunting rifle, and a group of down-to-earth people stretching their shots from 250 out to 1,250 yards. But that’s exactly what Practical Precision 101 turned out to be. Hosted at a private ranch somewhere in Southern California (for the privacy of the rancher and guests, we’ll keep the vineyard’s name off the record), this two-day course was run by South Coast Long Gunner, with Ryan Burns as the primary instructor. Burns — backed by the ranch owner and his range safety officers — put…