Table of contents for April - May 2016 in RECOIL OFFGRID

A great deal can be said about having quick access to intensely bright light. Whether you’re fending off an attacker in a dark alley by blinding him with a quick burst or searching for survivors of an office building collapse, sometimes only massive levels of illumination can get the job done adequately. Eye-stinging devices come in all shapes and sizes. A spotlight mounted on a helicopter can definitely provide plenty of light for emergency uses, and even the high-intensity discharge headlamps of a vehicle could be a source of lighting in a pinch — but their lack of portability and their power requirements limit their practicality. Fortunately, there are high-lumen flashlights. These go-anywhere tools can be carried in a pocket, mounted on a belt, or stuffed into a pack to…

It’s a deeply rooted fear in the psyche of our culture. What would happen if a large-scale, deadly disease outbreak occurred in close proximity to where we live? Our minds quickly run to scenes from films like Outbreak, Contagion, or I Am Legend as far as how the public would react and what the government would do to intervene. After we stopped hyperventilating about the possibility of roadblocks being set up, curfews being implemented, and soldiers in hazmat suits herding infected people into quarantine zones, we asked ourselves, “Are these realistic situations, or are we victims of Hollywood lore?” We were curious ourselves about what government protocol is for dealing with outbreaks and went to the experts to find out. What is an Outbreak? Actually this term is somewhat subjective…

WARNING! The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only and not an endorsement for breaking and entering, which is a crime. Do not lock-pick without permission. Seek a reputable instructor for more information. Bugging out is all the rage. There’s bug-out gear for your bug-out bag all ready to be thrown into your bug-out vehicle. Bugging out sounds cool and sexy, but for the majority of people and situations, bugging out is Plan B. Blizzard? Drought? An EMP hit? Or terrorist attack in another part of the country? Yep, bugging in. Even when bugging out is necessary, it may not be possible. The roads may be clogged, your car’s electronics might be fried, or a loved one or member of your survival group is injured and can’t be moved.…

In normal situations, cold hands mean it’s time to head in and warm up. But, when creature comfort isn’t available, cold hands can signal the beginning of dire circumstances Why do our hands get cold so easily? Like ear tips and feet, there’s much less fatty tissue in hands than the rest of the body. The blood vessels in our hands are also very close to the surface. So, blood circulating through the vessels in the back of the hand conducts heat away from the body instead of warming a layer of insulating, fatty tissue. Combine easy heat loss with the high density of nerves in our hands, and it becomes clear why cold hands are painful; and painful hands lead to problems. Lead guide for EXUM Mountain Guides, Brenton…

With the recent winters being more severe than almost any in recent history, snow-related structural collapses are occurring with record frequency. A major factor is lack of “warm-up” or sunny days that lead to ice and dense snow. This dramatically increases the stress on the roof. To help avoid a collapse, inspect all four sides of your roof for covering snow — just because the front is clear doesn’t mean the backside is the same. Although roof capacities (and snow density) will vary, as a rule of thumb anything more than 24 inches of snow on the roof is a red flag. Reduce that value to 18 inches if rain and/or ice is expected. Talk to a local structural engineer and/or your local building department, since local weather patterns and…

Chokes Require a Lot of Strength: Blood chokes require skill and knowledge, not strength. When applied correctly, a young teenager can put a grown man to sleep within seconds. One study found that occlusion of the carotid arteries requires only 11 pounds of rope tension. This makes chokes an extremely important self-defense technique, since little force is required. Escaping a Choke is Easy: That’s right, a good old poke to the eye will end the choke fast and make Larry, Curly, and Moe proud. However, a skilled martial artist will simply hide the eyes. What about a bite? Biting is difficult when the arm is already under the jaw and the eyes are fading to black. Chokes Work the Same on Everyone: Because of genetics, some people are more susceptible…

Most of our gadgets today rely on some sort of battery. But how do you power them if the grid’s down? And even if there’s electricity, how do you know you’re charging them correctly? Proper charging and maintenance is key to assuring your rechargeable batteries maintain a long and useful lifespan. So, we’re taking an in-depth look at some of today’s most popular battery types, including an analysis of shelf life, capacity, charging methods, and the best uses suited to each type. All rechargeable batteries are rated for capacity (C) and nominal voltage (V). Their capacity is usually measured in amp hours (Ah) in larger batteries, such as lead acid types, or in milliamp hours (mAh) for smaller cells. Capacity is defined by the battery’s ability to supply the specified…

For those of you who already know about the flammability of snack chips, good for you. Your pyromaniac nature should serve you well. For those of you who don’t know, listen up! When it comes to fire starting with modern materials, oily snack chips are a great way to get your fire going. These grease-soaked foods burn very well when an open flame is applied to them, and it won’t take many chips to make a big impact. Just three or four chips will burn for minutes and help you establish your fire. Of course, if you had chips in your stranded winter motorist scenario, you should be eating most of the chips for calories in the cold weather. But do try to save a couple for fire starters. Here…

Wes Massey had the sharpest eyes of anyone I’d ever known, and as we walked down a busy Seattle street something caught his attention. His pace slowed a bit, and I slowed my stride to match him. Without raising a hand to point, he simply nodded his head to direct my attention toward a homeless-looking fellow who was sitting up against a building. In a quiet voice, meant only for me to hear, Wes said “Hey, check out that guy.” We both slowed our walk to the point where people were bumping into us, and tried not to openly stare at the man. The scruffy and unwashed old man was coughing up blood. Red rivulets of spit and blood were running out of the corners of his mouth, down onto…

It’s a windy day, but you don’t notice. You’ve been holed up at home playing Fallout 4 for the past two days and haven’t seen the weather reports. Suddenly, there’s a thunderous sound of windows breaking and columns cracking. The roof caves in, and you’re pancaked under tons of steel, wood, and concrete. What do you do? Wind storms are possible throughout most of the country. Although a tornado brings wind speeds of up to 300 mph, its path is generally no wider than a mile. This makes the damage more localized and easier to access for responders. Although they have lower wind speeds, hurricanes may clear a path wider than 100 miles, which is more likely to spread rescuers out too thin. If and when this happens, rescue teams…

Early Detection: Scott Stroup makes the mistake of telegraphing his attack by extending his right arm instead of snaking it around Conrad Bui’s neck. Bui quickly raises his shoulders for protection, reaches up with his hands, and snatches a quick over-the-shoulder arm bar. Be sure to turn your opponent’s wrist so his palm faces up. This simple move can dislocate the elbow joint or result in a fracture. Too Late … Or Is It?: Scott Stroup completes the figure-four grip but has watched too many WWE matches and didn’t read this article — he leaves his supporting hand high on the head and doesn’t hide it behind Conrad Bui’s neck. Conrad simply peels off the attacker’s top hand and breaks the arm by using his shoulder as a fulcrum.…

Waterproof box: The container can be very important, especially in the event of a water landing. Pick bright colors for easy visibility. Ignition sources: These are the most important part of the kit. Place at least two butane cigarette lighters in the kit, along with several boxes of matches and at least one ferrocerium rod. Tinder material: Dryer lint, cotton balls, paper, and many other plantbased items can be used as tinder, the first fuel used in fire building. Fuel sources: Mix a little petroleum jelly with your cotton balls and you now have a potent fuel that will burn for several minutes with a generous flame. There are also store-bought fuels like Wetfire cubes from UST and various fire-starter tabs, packets, and pastes. A nub of a candle is…

You might think the ability to determine if someone is lying only applies to interactions with lawyers, car salesmen, and late-night infomercial hosts. But it’s difficult to imagine that anyone reading this article has never been told a lie. Just go to any nightclub on a Saturday night and you will definitely receive an overdose of bad pickup lines and deceptive statements. Unfortunately, shouting “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” at someone you suspect of lying to you is not a very effective technique at getting to the truth. And, your chances of running into a wooden puppet named Pinocchio would be slim to none. So, in this article, we’re delving into how you can get complete and accurate information to help you or your loved ones survive when SHTF. While…

It was the Department of Health vans that finally made it seem real. Up until that point, we’d felt like it was more of a hypothetical scenario rather than reality. But, seeing those squad cars leading the Department of Health vans up the street was our personal call to action. At that moment, we had two primary goals. First, we needed to get back to the hotel as quickly as possible, while hopefully avoiding any infected people. Second, we needed information. The talking heads on the network news programs likely didn’t know much more than we did at that point. Thankfully, the restaurant we were in was only a few blocks from the hotel. I told Kevin to grab the cloth napkins from the table as we got up to…

Picture this. You’re in one of America’s beautiful national parks with your family for the weekend. With the family hauler packed and the sun beginning to set behind the mountains, you begin piloting the winding roads back to civilization. The radio suddenly gives off an intrusive shrill. Your gaze goes back to the road while in the background you faintly hear that calm voice reciting a message from the Emergency Alert System, only this time, it doesn’t say, “This is only a test.” Highways are at a complete stop. All lanes in both directions jammed with cars going nowhere fast and with no end in sight. After an hour and a half with no information coming over the radio, people begin abandoning their cars to go on foot, carrying with…

WARNING! The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Chokeholds are inherently dangerous and can potentially be fatal. Seek a reputable instructor before attempting any techniques discussed or shown here. Any true Rowdy Roddy Piper fan knows that the sleeper hold — aka a chokehold — can put people to sleep. And fans of mixed martial arts and action movies are keenly aware that it can possibly even kill them. But is it really that easy to apply? And how can it help you when SHTF? Well, for starters, we need not wait for an EMP attack, nuclear fallout, or a zombie apocalypse to experience fecal matter going for a whirl. The following three scenarios illustrate that danger could happen at any time in our everyday lives — and…

What do you do when you’ve choked out a training partner or that annoying drunk friend? How do you wake them up safely? Here, Conrad Bui demonstrates the most common way to wake someone up from dreamland. Bring up the legs to get blood back into the brain. Remember proper lifting mechanics and lift with your legs not your back. Hold the victim’s feet up until he’s regained consciousness. Be careful when the victim wakes up because he may still be in fighting mode. “I did this for a competitor when I was a referee,” Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Diego Herzog said with a smile, “and the guy tried to sweep me when he woke up.” About the Author Dr. Conrad Bui is a San Francisco-based chiropractor and freelance writer with…

WARNING! Fire-starting is inherently dangerous. The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Seek a reputable instructor before attempting any techniques discussed here. Hopelessly lost and out of fuel — that’s the condition of you and your rental car as the engine sputters its last gasp and you roll to the edge of the snowcovered road. The large heavy clumps of snowflakes fall downward, turning the hilly woodland into a beautiful landscape of winter white. But this striking postcard-worthy scene isn’t the most pressing thing on your mind. All you can think about is your inoperable vehicle, your mobile phone with no service, and the fact that you could die from exposure in a few hours under conditions like these. You check the trunk and glovebox for anything useful.…

SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention > www.cdc.gov Note: Amounts are approximations. Historically, the United States has seen its share of epidemics. There are others, however, that continue to be a thorn in the side of our population in spite of having some of the best doctors and technology on the planet. A total of 9,421 tuberculosis cases were reported in 2014. Norovirus, Salmonella, and Listeria cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations each year, many of which can be avoided through proper food preparation. The CDC estimates that from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. One of the most prevalent? Approximately 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year.…