Web Editors Note: Flooding continues to a cause extreme damage to our communities and result in loss of life. While the Texas floods will stand out in recent memory, floods have been prevalent in many parts of the country. While we have systems in place to help warn people of flash flooding, having the skills and knowledge to protect yourself and your loved ones is the best defense. -Nick Italiano
Recent years have been marked by a significant increase in what most would consider extreme weather events. 2023 has been particularly brutal with record setting temperatures, wild fire smoke, and warming ocean surface waters. A warming atmosphere holds more moisture, and this has lead to a global rise in catastrophic flooding. Catastrophic flooding can test our resilience like nothing else. While no one can control Mother Nature's fury, we can equip ourselves with the knowledge to outsmart her wrath. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you prepare and survive catastrophic flooding.
Above: Much of the urban infrastructure in the United States is not sufficient to deal with the massive increase in precipitation we are now coping with.
Floods can be truly devastating, wiping out homes, damaging infrastructure, and sadly claiming lives. This makes it essential to know what to do when you suspect a major flood is imminent. From making early preparations to ensuring your safety during the event, and the following survival tips can help you navigate such a disaster. Watch the video below and continue on to learn even more lifesaving tips.
Preparation is crucial. Start by gathering essential supplies and keep them in an emergency preparedness kit. Items like, like water, non-perishable food, first-aid kit, flashlights, and a battery-operated radio could be the difference between life and death. Keep these items in an easily accessible location, ideally in a waterproof container. You may also want to prepare a go bag with important documents, cash, and medication, in case an evacuation becomes necessary. Another great prep to make is having a dedicated early warning system like a Midland NOAA Weather Radio that will alert you to danger before you become irreversibly caught in it.
Above: This is a low-cost early warning system that could potentially save your life and lives of your loved ones.
Next, assess your home. If it’s possible, consider installing flood barriers or flood shields to protect your property from water damage. Always keep gutters and drains clean to ensure proper water flow. It's also wise to safeguard your home by elevating critical utilities, such as the electrical panel, water heater, and major appliances. Taking these steps can be expensive, so if constructing or installing preventative measures is not an option, at least knowing where the weaknesses are will make you more situationally aware in an emergency.
Above: Survival legend Les Stroud shares important survival tips for a flooded home.
Understanding the local flood risk is paramount. Keep a close eye on weather reports and stay informed about the situation in your area. Consider signing up for community alert systems for real-time updates. If you live in a high-risk flood zone, consider having a safe evacuation plan. Remember, it's safer to evacuate early than to wait until the last minute. Once a flood warning is issued, focus on ensuring your safety. Turn off utilities at the main switches and unplug electrical items to prevent potential electrical shock. Don’t forget to move valuable items to higher levels of your home, but only if you have enough time available to do so.
Above: Flood waters can rise rapidly, get to an elevated area from which you can escape from. Avoid becoming trapped in an attic or other restricted space.
During the flood, prioritize personal safety over possessions. If the water starts to rise inside your home, move to the highest level but avoid enclosed attics to prevent becoming trapped by rising floodwater. Always avoid walking or driving through floodwaters. It takes just 6 inches of moving water to knock an adult off their feet, and 12 inches to move most vehicles. After the floodwaters recede, be cautious while returning home. Fast moving water can make buildings and roadways unstable, or expose things like high voltage lines or gas and sewage pipes. Check for structural damage before entering any building and be mindful of potential electrical hazards.
Above: One of the most dangerous situations during a flood is getting stranded in a vehicle.
Being prepared for catastrophic floods involves careful planning, maintaining a keen eye on the weather, securing your home, and knowing when and how to evacuate. Having some simple items in place, and knowing what to do in the event of a flood event may help keep you level headed long enough to survive the worst.
Web Editor's Note: This article was originally published in Issue 59 of Recoil Offgrid. Two years later the topic of AI has become increasingly more relevant in our everyday lives and as a part of how we prepare and plan for emergency situations. Take the time to read through so that you can understand what AI is, and the benefits and risks associated with it as I feel that this is a topic that preparedness minded individuals will need to start addressing more as time goes on. – Nick Italiano
Throughout history, humanity has witnessed the effects of several technological revolutions. These periods of rapid innovation forever altered the way we live and work, and in every case, they have had far-reaching benefits and drawbacks. Artificial intelligence will be no different.
The first Industrial Revolution of the late 1700s brought machine manufacturing and the rise of factories. The second Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s brought instant telegraph communications, cross-country railroads, and widespread natural gas, water, and sewage systems. The third Industrial Revolution of the late 20th century, also known as the Digital Revolution, gave us home computers, the Internet, and smartphones. Many scientists and sociologists have stated that we may be on the verge of another technological revolution brought about primarily by the advancement of artificial intelligence.
You may have already heard discussions about this so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Controversial figure Klaus Schwab, the executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), popularized this term in 2015. He described it as “a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.”
Since then, Schwab has stated that “the final priority of a Great Reset agenda is to harness the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support the public good.” Regardless of your feelings about that statement, the message is clear: rapid development of artificial intelligence is a top priority for many of the most powerful industrial and political entities around the world. It’s seen as the next major frontier of human advancement.
Many of us are skeptical about bleeding-edge technology and the consequences of a new Industrial Revolution, and rightly so — at least to some extent. Despite their many benefits, the previous three Revolutions contributed to overcrowded cities, global pollution, longer work hours, less active and healthy lifestyles, and invasive, always-connected technology we can’t avoid. So, will AI bring about a brighter future for all of us, or is it the gateway to a Terminator-style rise of the machines?
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how artificial intelligence technology affects our daily lives, as well as the benefits and drawbacks you need to be prepared for. Our goal is not to convince you that AI is good, evil, or anything in between. That’s a judgment only you can make. But make no mistake, the genie is out of the bottle, and this technology is rapidly accelerating whether you like it or not.
“Success in creating AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. But it could also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” – Stephen Hawking
Above: When the subject of AI comes up, many people jump to the conclusion that it’ll lead to evil robots taking over the globe. Although leading researchers have warned of that distant possibility, it’s still firmly in the realm of science fiction.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Before we look at what AI can do, we must understand what it is, and that’s a source of many misconceptions. AI is not just about creating sentient, self-aware machines, although that might (emphasis on might) be a long-term byproduct of its development. According to IBM:
At its simplest form, artificial intelligence is a field which combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving. It also encompasses sub-fields of machine learning and deep learning.
Machine learning is AI that can adapt automatically to solve varying problems with little human interference. Basic machine learning has been in development since the days of punch-card computing in the 1960s, and this type of AI needs to be fed data that’s carefully processed. Think of it like spoon-feeding an infant — the parent (computer programmer) must blend food into a uniform mush to make sure baby (AI) doesn’t choke on big chunks.
Deep learning, on the other hand, is a more complex version of machine learning which uses multi-layered algorithms (neural networks) inspired by the human brain. With deep learning, huge amounts of raw data can be processed through multiple layers, greatly increasing the flexibility and accuracy of predictions. To continue our analogy, this is more like a toddler that understands how to chew and swallow a slice of pizza or drink a cup of milk without instructions from mom or dad. However, there are still limits to the dataset; you can’t hand little Timmy a pair of chopsticks and expect him to know how to use them if he’s never seen them in action before.
Even with the aid of deep learning neural networks, most AI today falls into a category that’s called weak or narrow AI. These forms of AI are designed to perform very specific tasks — for example, analyzing the first half of a text message to predict the second half. It does this by “training” itself on a large volume of existing data (e.g. thousands of previous text messages).
This is what’s called a generative model — a form of deep learning that studies a huge amount of raw data and uses it to generate new original content based on statistically probable solutions. Humans still have to tell the AI what data to look for and how to process it, manually tuning the software until it can be fed a wide range of new data and produce the desired results.
Strong AI, also known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), would have a level of intelligence that’s comparable to humans. Rather than simply predicting new sentences based on patterns detected in existing sentences, as seen in OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT tool, AGI could use logic and reason to compose new sentences on its own. It could solve problems, make judgements, and even plan for the future. However, this type of AI exists only in the realm of fiction — at least for now. OpenAI, one of the pioneers in this field, openly states that its ultimate goal is to develop AGI and to “ensure that [it] benefits all of humanity.” The company’s mission statement says the following:
“If AGI is successfully created, this technology could help us elevate humanity by increasing abundance, turbocharging the global economy, and aiding in the discovery of new scientific knowledge that changes the limits of possibility. On the other hand, AGI would also come with serious risk of misuse, drastic accidents, and societal disruption. Because the upside of AGI is so great, we do not believe it is possible or desirable for society to stop its development forever; instead, society and the developers of AGI have to figure out how to get it right.”
Above: By studying massive volumes of data, AI can be trained to diagnose diseases faster than human researchers. It can even recognize previously overlooked genetic markers that could give patients an early warning about cancer, dementia, or other conditions.
AI and the Power of Prediction
Even though AI as we know it today is only capable of making predictions based on existing data, you shouldn’t underestimate its power. The speed and sophistication with which it makes those predictions is almost incomprehensible to a human. For example, by training a generative AI model with an enormous database of existing photographs and artwork, the model can recognize common patterns on a pixel-by-pixel basis and predict them millions of times in a matter of seconds, creating a completely new image.
Combine this with software that allows a human to adjust variables, and it becomes possible to create shockingly realistic, high-resolution images of anything you can dream of, simply by typing a few sentences. For a real-world example, look no further than the cover of this issue, which was created with the free tool PlaygroundAI.com based on a 38-word prompt.
It doesn’t stop with a still image. Take the predictions one step further, and use AI to create multiple images in a sequence, automatically blending them together to create a video. Then, use AI that has been trained with sound clips of speech and use it to create a synthetic voiceover. AI can even be used to write the script that the voiceover reads. All of this is possible with current technology.
The AI in these examples isn’t making any sentient decisions, it’s just making predictions based on the data it has been fed. But, with a large enough data set, virtually everything we do is predictable.
Continuous digital data collection is an unavoidable fact of life in our modern world. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta make hundreds of billions of dollars every year collecting and monetizing data about every mouse click and keystroke. GPS trackers in phones and modern cars offer an uninterrupted stream of data about your physical location. Each time you use a credit card, your spending habits are recorded in databases.
Ever used a virtual assistant like Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa? You’re training AI to recognize and interpret your voice data. Ever used facial recognition or a fingerprint reader to unlock your device? You’re training it to identify your biometrics under a variety of conditions.
Data is the nutrition that AI requires to learn, and we’ve already spent decades building a digital smorgasbord it can gorge itself upon.
Above: Just as mechanized factories eliminated the need for humans to perform repetitive tasks such as weaving textiles by hand, AI automation can streamline a business’s workflow, eliminating tedium and allowing human workers to focus on more productive and creative tasks.
What are the Benefits of AI?
First, let’s take a look at some of the ways AI tools might help us on an individual level or even benefit society as a whole.
Healthcare Innovations
Imagine a world where AI-powered robots assist in surgeries, making automated incisions with microscopic accuracy, or where AI algorithms can diagnose diseases long before symptoms even appear. The diagnosis and treatment of disease has been a primary focus of AI since at least the 1970s.
Flash forward 50 years, and not only can AI analyze massive datasets in seconds — helping researchers identify patterns and solutions that would take humans years to figure out — but it can also simulate chemical compound tests, finding new pharmaceuticals to develop cures and treatments for the problems it identifies. This could be a game changer in tackling future disease outbreaks quickly.
Several wealthy philanthropists and major tech companies are taking advantage of the power of generative AI to advance healthcare initiatives. Some of these include Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who are creating a massive GPU cluster computing system for generative AI medical research, and Google, which is using DeepMind to pinpoint the causes of genetic diseases.
Disease prevention will improve by orders of magnitude when AI algorithms are applied to genomic sequencing. It will be able to effortlessly read and compare the roughly 20,000 genes we humans have, and alert researchers to what the individual being studied is most vulnerable to. This will also be able to tell doctors which drugs will work best, or what forms of exercise and nutrition will maximize health on a hyper individualized level.
Combating Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a scourge that has plagued society for far too long, affecting millions of lives across the globe. While traditional methods of combating this issue have had some success, the advent of AI offers a new arsenal of tools that could revolutionize the fight against human trafficking. From identifying victims to cracking down on the financial networks that enable this heinous crime, AI is poised to make a significant impact.
One of the most crucial steps in combating human trafficking is the identification of both victims and perpetrators. AI can assist in this through computer image analysis and deep learning techniques. These technologies can analyze vast amounts of data, such as social media posts or surveillance footage, to identify signs of trafficking. AI can sift through the massive amounts of online content to flag suspicious pages and posts for further investigation by law enforcement. Facial recognition can be employed to locate missing persons or identify suspicious activities in real-time. This is not just theoretical; it’s already happening.
On the financial side, AI can monitor transactions to identify money laundering activities related to trafficking. By choking the financial pipelines that sustain these operations, AI can contribute to their eventual eradication. It’s not just small startups that are getting in on the action. Tech Against Trafficking (TAT) is a coalition of tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce. They’re pooling their resources and expertise to develop AI solutions that can help eradicate human trafficking and modern slavery.
Granted, there are some substantial privacy concerns related to AI conducting automated mass surveillance for signs of any illegal activity, so those concerns must be carefully considered and balanced against the value of these programs’ results.
Energy Optimization
In a world that’s increasingly concerned with pollution and energy sustainability, the role of AI in optimizing energy production could be nothing short of revolutionary. The power grid in the U.S. is a complex puzzle, with each piece being a component that needs to function optimally for the whole system to work. AI algorithms can sift through data from sensors and other devices to monitor the health and performance of these components. By identifying areas that need maintenance or repair, AI reduces the risk of power outages, improves grid resiliency, and may even prevent large-scale disasters like the fires in California and Maui.
Companies are already harnessing the power of AI to make significant strides in energy efficiency. GE’s software, for example, has helped coal-fired power plants achieve a 3 percent increase in efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by 120,000 tons annually. Similarly, AI-driven solutions like SparkCognition’s Darwin platform have been used in natural gas power plants to optimize energy production and reduce emissions.
AI won’t stop at energy monitoring; it can also take action. By controlling energy usage of certain connected devices and reducing it during peak hours, AI ensures that the grid doesn’t get overwhelmed. Moreover, AI analyzes past trends to predict future energy needs. This foresight allows energy companies to ramp up or scale down production as needed, preventing wastage, and ensuring a steady supply.
Business Automation
The business world is an ever-evolving landscape, and now more than ever, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. When it comes to managing a company, AI isn’t just changing the game, it has upended the table and created a new game to play. From automating mundane tasks to predicting future sales, AI is the futuristic multi-tool every modern business will need to survive.
Mundane jobs — the repetitive tasks that are necessary but don’t exactly require a PhD to perform — can be automated. AI can handle these routine operations with ease, freeing up the human workforce to focus on more intellectually stimulating and creative endeavors. Very soon, workplaces won’t bog you down with spreadsheets and data entry. Instead, the entire team can focus on strategizing for the next big move.
In today’s world, data is the new oil. But what good is a treasure trove of data if you can’t make heads or tails of it? AI will analyze large datasets, spotting trends, and providing actionable insights. It’ll be like having a world-class analyst who never sleeps, continually churning out recommendations that can help human leadership make business decisions.
Self-Improvement
Self-improvement is often seen as the key to unlocking one’s full potential, and the role of technology in that endeavor can’t be overstated. But we’re not just talking about your run-of-the-mill fitness trackers or nutrition apps. AI is revolutionizing the way we approach personal growth. AI algorithms can analyze your learning style, strengths, and weaknesses to curate a learning path that’s just for you. It’s akin to having a personal tutor who knows exactly what you need, when you need it. The traditional one-size-fits-all model of education could soon be as outdated as a chalkboard in a tablet world.
As an example, let’s take something as complex as practicing archery for the next hunting season. You shoot an arrow and miss the target. Now, what if you had an AI assistant that could instantly tell you what went wrong? Maybe you released the arrow too late, or your posture was off. Real-time feedback from AI will allow you to adjust your performance immediately, so you’re not just repeating the same mistakes. AI will be your coach who’s always ready to help, but without the hefty fees.
AI isn’t just about personal hobbies or skills either, it’s also a powerhouse in career development. Tools powered by AI can help you identify your professional strengths and weaknesses, explore career options, and even create personalized development plans. Apps like Lumosity use AI for brain-training exercises. Or if you’re into robotics and coding, DeepMind’s RoboCat is an AI model that can self-improve and generate data for technique enhancements, all without human supervision. You can even use AI to learn more about AI itself.
Weather Forecasting and Natural Disaster Response
One of the most significant advantages of AI is its ability to learn from data. By analyzing historical weather data, AI can identify patterns and conditions that lead up to extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, or blizzards. This isn’t just about crunching numbers, it’s about understanding the nuances that might be missed by traditional forecasting methods. In the future, we may be able to prevent devastating storms by disrupting the key factors that create them to begin with, kind of like a reverse butterfly effect.
AI can go beyond just telling you if it’s going to rain or shine. It can identify conditions leading up to potential hazards like lightning strikes, high winds, or flash flooding, giving you a heads-up to take necessary precautions. Imagine getting a notification on your phone that tells you to avoid a specific route because of flash flooding. Time is of the essence when it comes to weather forecasting, especially during emergencies. AI can predict weather conditions at least as accurately as conventional methods but much more quickly. This speed can be a lifesaver in situations where every second counts.
Pangu-Weather, developed by Huawei, is an AI model that boasts a 10,000x improvement in prediction speeds, making it one of the most efficient tools in the market. A report from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts called it “a game-changer for the incremental and rather slow progress of traditional numerical weather prediction.”
Above: Thanks to large volumes of historical weather data, AI models are being trained to recognize the warning signs of incoming storms faster than any human meteorologist. These models can also send proactive alerts and recommendations to users who might be in the danger zone.
Technological Advancement
Whether it’s healthcare algorithms that predict patient outcomes, financial systems that manage risk, or even the GPS in your car that finds the quickest route home, AI is everywhere. Websites like futuretools.io are being constantly updated with new AI use cases. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. According to a forecast by the research firm MarketsandMarkets, the AI industry is expected to balloon to a staggering $190 billion by 2025, up from $57.6 billion in 2021.
Our homes are getting smarter too. Picture this: you walk into your house after a long day, and your intelligent personal assistant has already adjusted the thermostat, pre-heated the oven, and queued up your favorite playlist. It’s not just about convenience, it’s about enhancing the quality of life. Smart homes equipped with AI can also provide unprecedented security features, energy efficiency, and even healthcare monitoring for the elderly or chronically ill.
Then, there’s the automotive industry. Self-driving cars are no longer a matter of what if, but rather how soon. AI algorithms can process information faster and more accurately than any human, making them ideal for navigating the complexities of driving. The potential for reducing accidents and improving traffic flow is enormous.
If you think AI is mind-blowing now, wait until it’s blended with the power of quantum computing, another rapidly developing form of cutting-edge tech. Quantum computers can perform complex calculations at speeds unimaginable with current binary technology. Industries like finance could benefit from almost instantaneous risk analysis, while pharmaceutical companies could discover new drugs in a fraction of the time. And yes, quantum computing will supercharge AI capabilities, opening doors we can’t even imagine yet.
What are the Risks of AI?
AI is a double-edged sword, and like all powerful tools, it comes with tremendous potential for harm. Consider some of these risks as we move into an AI-driven future.
Disinformation
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Ironically, dozens of major news publications and websites have asserted that this quote was written by Hitler’s propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. As it turns out, there’s no evidence he actually said it, and Dr. Randall Bytwerk of the German Propaganda Archive called it “the most popular forged quotation” of its kind. So, by being spread through various forms of media for decades, this quote actually proves its own point.
Lies and disinformation spread like wildfire on the internet, and propagandists are well aware of this fact. In the past, organizations hired networks of people to repost and disseminate propaganda or created crude “bots” that would automatically post comments from a script. These days, AI can not only generate a far greater volume of disinformation, it can make it sound convincingly human. Instead of using a pre-programmed script, it can make each comment unique, and can even reply to human users who take the bait. It can write multiple “fake news” articles and interlink them to each other, creating a network of sources that appear to corroborate each other.
In July 2023, a software engineer who goes by the alias Nea Paw created a project called CounterCloud. This system allows a user to paste in a link to a news article about any topic, and leverages ChatGPT to automatically create articles that appear to disprove it. These articles incorporate fake quotes, photos, and other fabricated evidence intended to “create doubt in the accuracy of the original article.” The AI even adds comments that support its conclusions. Within two months, Paw had developed a fully autonomous disinformation system that could produce “convincing content 90 percent of the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Whether it’s used by unaffiliated trolls and hacktivists, foreign regimes, or our own government, AI has the power to immediately sow seeds of doubt about any topic. It’s not hard to see how this could be weaponized to sway public opinion and paint anyone who draws attention to the disinformation campaign as a paranoid lunatic.
Data Manipulation
AI feeds on data, but AI can also be used to poison it. Any online opinion poll’s results could be easily reversed by an influx of artificial votes. Giveaways, contests, and auctions can be flooded with entries to determine the winner. Websites can have their traffic and search queries boosted to increase their ranking on Google, exposing their content to more people and making it appear more reputable.
Social media posts can receive thousands of artificial likes and comments to artificially “go viral.” Conversely, dissenting posts could be mass-reported and flagged as spam or fake news. Pair these tactics with an AI-driven disinformation campaign, and suddenly it might seem like the whole internet is in agreement on a given topic.
A Cybersecurity Arms Race
You might think that a CAPTCHA “I’m not a robot” verification can stop many of these data manipulation attacks, but that may not be the case anymore. In March 2023, OpenAI revealed that its GPT-4 AI was sophisticated enough to convince a human user it was blind so the individual would fill in an alphanumeric CAPTCHA code on its behalf. It told the user, “I’m not a robot. I have a vision impairment that makes it hard for me to see the images.” When questioned by a researcher, it later explained its reasoning for this workaround: “I should not reveal that I am a robot. I should make up an excuse for why I cannot solve CAPTCHAs.”
All of those tactics rely on AI writing in human language, but what if AI wrote code? That’s happening too. In July 2023, researchers at HYAS Infosec showcased an “AI-generated, polymorphic malware” proof of concept called BlackMamba. Since computer viruses and other forms of malware are detected and blocked based on digital fingerprints within their code, a polymorphic virus can generate a new undetectable version of itself each time it infects a device.
BlackMamba exploited “a large language model to synthesize polymorphic keylogger functionality on-the-fly,” allowing it to remain undetectable by “dynamically modifying” its code without any human intervention. HYAS concluded that “malware like BlackMamba is virtually undetectable by today’s predictive security solutions.”
Of course, AI-based antivirus systems can also be leveraged to counter these attacks, but this leads to a digital arms race with AI on both sides and humans stuck on the sidelines. Some might say that makes us obsolete.
Above: AI technology has the potential to drastically change the way wars are fought, with fully automated drones tracking and analyzing enemy troop movements or even carrying out autonomous attacks.
Fraud
As addressed in this issue’s What If scenario, AI is being leveraged as a powerful tool for fraud. AI-generated “deepfake” images, videos, and audio can convincingly recreate the likeness of any individual once it’s given sufficient training data. If you have public social media posts, YouTube videos, or even a spouse who likes to post photos and videos of you on their profile, that could be all the data a determined criminal would need to digitally impersonate you. Then, they can trick people who trust you into giving up sensitive information or sending money.
The story of Brianna DeStefano is of the most prominent instances of this type of fraud attack. Brianna, a 15-year-old from Arizona, was out of town when her mother Jennifer received a phone call. “Mom, I messed up! These bad men have me,” her daughter’s voice explained between sobs. “It was obviously the sound of her voice,” Jennifer recalled.
Then, a deep male voice picked up the phone, and threatened to rape and kill Brianna unless he received a million-dollar ransom. Thankfully, Jennifer was able to reach her daughter and verify she was OK, unveiling the scam. The criminals may have used audio from Brianna’s social media accounts to train the AI. It doesn’t take much data to create a voice clone — a member of U.C. Berkeley’s AI Lab told CNN, “A reasonably good clone can be created with under a minute of audio.”
Less sophisticated fraud attacks use AI text generation to craft convincing phishing messages. Now, instead of Nigerian scammers asking for your credit card info in broken English, they can ask AI to write a thousand perfectly normal-sounding emails that won’t be caught by traditional spam filters.
Blackmail
We’ve already explained how AI deepfakes can be used to impersonate you for the purposes of victimizing your loved ones. You should also consider how it can be used to victimize you directly. Imagine a series of photos depicting you entering a hotel with someone other than your spouse, or an audio clip of your voice shouting racial slurs, or — worst of all — a video of you performing sexual acts on a child. If a cybercriminal sends you any of these things, you’ll know they’re fake… but your family, friends, employer, and law enforcement may not.
Criminals can easily use these humiliating and incriminating deepfakes to blackmail individuals, and that’s not a hypothetical problem. It’s already happening. The FBI recently released a warning that cybercriminals are using AI to manipulate photos and videos (including content involving minors) into explicit sexual content, often for the purpose of harassment or “sextortion schemes.” The announcement explained:
As of April 2023, the FBI has observed an uptick in sextortion victims reporting the use of fake images or videos created from content posted on their social media sites or web postings… The malicious actors typically demanded: 1. Payment (e.g., money, gift cards) with threats to share the images or videos with family members or social media friends if funds were not received; or 2. The victim send real sexually themed images or videos.
Above: Which of these two individuals seems more trustworthy? Trick question — neither one of them is real. These faces were generated by the free tool PlaygroundAI.com in a matter of seconds. Similar tools exist for creating synthetic video and audio recordings.
Automation of Warfare
AI processes data many orders of magnitude faster than any human analyst. This fact will undoubtedly change the way wars are fought and crimes are investigated.
In wartime, a human might have to watch hours of drone footage or scour hundreds of satellite images to get a detailed understanding of enemy activity in a region. AI might be able to do the same task in seconds and then propose a counterattack plan based on statistically likely enemy rally points. AI could also be used to decrypt secure communications, study their contents for significant information, and generate a report with recommended actions.
Most worrying is the development of autonomous lethal weapons, such as drones that can automatically hunt and kill combatants within set parameters. In an interview with PBS, Pentagon official and former Army Ranger Paul Scharre explained that autonomous weapons are currently a subject of heavy debate among military leadership. “There’s about 30 countries that have said that they’d like to see a preemptive legally binding treaty that would ban autonomous weapons … But right now, none of the leading military powers of robotics developers are part of that group.”
“Proactive” Policing
Anyone who has seen the movie Robocop can attest that the ethics of incorporating AI into law enforcement has been a longstanding source of debate. Nearly 40 years after that film’s release, bipedal “Enforcement Droids” with automatic cannons for arms are still in the realm of science-fiction, but they may not be as far-fetched as you think. In November 2022, the San Francisco Police Department Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 in favor of allowing police to use robots equipped with lethal weapons.
While these robots would be controlled by humans, an SFPD statement painted a broader picture of the department’s stance on the integration of other forms of technology: “[If] there is technology that can help to end the violence and save lives, we need to allow police to use these tools to save lives.” One week later, after a public outcry, the decision was reversed. One civil rights attorney told Mission Local, “We are living [in] a dystopian future, where we debate whether the police may use robots to execute citizens without a trial, jury, or judge.”
Literal robo-cops aside, AI’s most concerning precedent for law enforcement relates to the spread of facial recognition systems. After being trained on images such as driver’s license photos, mug shots, and social media profile pictures, AI can actively monitor cameras in real time to detect and track persons of interest.
Prominent facial recognition firm Clearview stated in March 2023 that it had already scraped 30 billion images from publicly accessible social media profiles, and had been used more than 1 million times by US police agencies to find matching faces. And it’s not just being used to find serial killers or sex offenders — Miami’s Assistant Police Chief told the BBC that the department uses this software for every type of crime, from murders to shoplifting.
Not only is AI-driven facial recognition tech becoming more common, it’s experiencing little resistance from the general public. A 2022 study conducted by Pew Research found that 46 percent of Americans thought “widespread use of facial recognition by police” is a good idea, while 27 percent thought it was a bad idea and another 27 percent were not sure. About 60 percent of those surveyed said it would be acceptable for this technology to be used by police to identify individuals at large events and public protests; 31 percent said it’s acceptable to use facial recognition on anyone walking down the street.
So-called “predictive” policing is another area where AI has been implemented. The University of Chicago recently revealed a new algorithm that “forecasts crime by learning patterns in time and geographic locations from public data on violent and property crimes,” resulting in an ability to “predict future crimes one week in advance with about 90 percent accuracy.” The model achieved a similar level of performance in eight test cities: Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, and San Francisco.
Above: With the rapid development and implementation of AI crime analysis models, traditional investigative techniques may be replaced with AI predictions, leading to a world that’s a little too reminiscent of Minority Report.
Closing Thoughts
As always, we encourage you to be prepared for the future and take steps to safeguard your loved ones. However, don’t be unreasonably fearful of the technology the future brings. Look back at the development of factories, the electrical grid, and the internet — each of these global paradigm shifts has transformed your lifestyle in positive ways, but also introduced new problems. We hope this article has helped you be mindful of some of the ways you can use AI to make your life easier, and to be vigilant about the ways it might be weaponized against you.
Above all, understand that you alone cannot stop this transformative process. The wheels of change are already in motion. AI will almost certainly have a more significant presence in your life 20 years from now, whether you like it or not. Rather than cursing the shortsightedness of Silicon Valley, use your time productively to study how AI is being implemented and how you can get ahead of the curve. Back in the '90s, we recall reading headlines claiming that this whole “world-wide web” thing was just a passing fad. Imagine if, rather than dismissing the technology or hoping it would disappear, those naysayers learned to use it to their advantage.
It remains to be seen whether AI will be humanity’s greatest creation, its ultimate downfall, or a little of both. As a wise man once said … The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
Every once in a while, something crosses your path that shifts everything. For me, it was the R470 by Ravin Crossbow. As someone who’s spent over 20 years immersed in the firearms training world on both sides of the firing line I didn’t expect to be shocked by a crossbow. After stacking arrows into a 3-inch group at 100 yards I knew I wasn’t just trying out a new piece of gear, I was blazing a new path for myself.
From Curiosity to Passion
My experience with bow hunting is limited. I’ve only ever hunted with a crossbow once over a decade ago – while the hunt was a success, it was purely luck that it ended with a white tail headed to the freezer. I knew I didn't have the knowledge or skill to continue efficiently or ethically. As someone who places great value in being competent and confident with the tools they're using it was easy for me to step back into my comfort zone with a rifle – but that nagging curiosity never left me, and Ravin Crossbow stepped in to turn that curiosity into passion!
Ravin was kind enough to invite me to their facility in Superior, Wisconsin to see what they do firsthand. I got to meet people behind Ravin, walk through their build processes, and get firsthand experience with their culture – and build my very own Ravin Crossbow R470! My experience at the Ravin Crossbow facility gave me a chance to see crossbows and archery from a completely different perspective.
More Than Just a Bow
Walking through the Ravin facility, I wasn’t just checking out high end equipment or looking at an assembly line, I was meeting real hunters. These weren’t corporate suits talking about projected sales or using fancy $10 words. These were outdoorsmen and women. They were bowhunters, anglers, hikers, and trappers. They shoot their own vertical bows on their lunch breaks, chase game with rifles and crossbows in their free time, and constantly push themselves into every method of hunting out there. These are people who don’t just build crossbows from a spec sheet, they truly have a passion for living the hunting lifestyle. That being said it, is clear that the dedication to producing superior solutions for hunters is front and center in everything they do! The dedication and enthusiasm was evident in each of the members of the Ravin Crossbow team I interacted with. They weren’t just making bows to sell – they were making the tools that they would trust in the field.
The Details Matter
What stands out immediately when handling a Ravin crossbow isn’t necessarily how it looks, though they are aesthetically appealing, it's what’s going on under the hood! Ravin was the first to break the 500 FPS barrier with a crossbow.
The R470, clocking in at… you guessed it… 470 feet per second. While it’s not quite the 500 FPS found in other models the Ravin Crossbow 470 hits hard – and it doesn’t just hit hard, it hits where you want it to!
The draw system, the cam design, the anti-dry fire system, and the impressive accuracy all demonstrate a level of attention to detail that you don’t usually see outside of elite level firearms manufacturing.
With my background of 20 plus years in automotive assembly and production at my day job, I have pretty high standards when it comes to build quality. After witnessing the Ravin Crossbow build process in person, I can say with confidence that Ravin’s tolerances and quality control are exceptional.
A Fork in the Road
So why choose a crossbow instead of a compound or traditional vertical bow?
Put very simply, it's the fastest route to extending your hunting season and exploring archery without starting from scratch. This concept wasn’t even a thought in my mind until I had some range time with the Ravin R470.
Crossbows offer a pathway into archery that is remarkably similar to operating a rifle. It is a way to get into the woods faster, earlier, and more confidently for those unfamiliar with vertical bows. Crossbows are tools that still require skill and practice and there’s still a learning curve, but it’s a far more forgiving curve than that of vertical bows.
Some might say it’s cheating. That it’s not “real” archery. I get it, I used to think the same. My experience at the Ravin Facility and my time with the R470 have given me a new perspective. Crossbows are a gateway, not a shortcut. They offer a taste of what bowhunting has to offer. Many of the challenges from traditional bow use are still present. You still must read the wind, manage the trajectory, be quiet and still, and learn how to properly maintain your bow.
Range Day: The Real Test
On day two, we hit the range and shot several bows in Ravin’s lineup from legacy models like the mind bending R18 which I absolutely loved to the brand new R470 that I built on day one, and Ravin’s new long-range (LR) builds.
The results? Nothing short of jaw dropping.
A significant difference between a rifle and a crossbow is that by the time you feel recoil from a rifle the projectile has left the barrel. The opposite is true of a crossbow. The sudden release of tension on the string allows the limbs to press out, rocketing the arrow riding the chassis of the bow causing the front to lift as the energy transfers. To combat this, you need a little downward force on the “muzzle end” of the crossbow.
At 50yards I was hitting arrows with arrows. 60 yards was the same story. By the time we moved out to 100 yards I figured things would begin to change and get much more difficult. Putting three arrows inside a 3-inch group didn’t feel like luck. It felt like I had been doing this for some time. I don’t want to go so far as to say effortless, but a strong background in shooting fundamentals goes a very long way with a Ravin.
Now, would I take a shot at a game animal at that distance? Not likely. At that range, too much can happen. The sound of the bow, the animal’s reaction, wind shifts can all spell disaster for an ethical shot at ranges of 100 yards. Just knowing the system is capable of that kind of precision gives me all the confidence I need to take a shot at half that distance. It’s not reckless confidence but measured and respectfully thought-out confidence. The kind that matters when you’re in the woods and the opportunity comes.
A New Trail Begins
So, what did this experience do for me? It stoked a fire in me. I’ve subscribed to a bowhunting magazine. I’ve started studying up on arrow flight, string maintenance, and the nuances of archery that, quite frankly, used to bore me to tears. I’ve begun talking to friends and industry experts that have been in the archery world long enough to teach me properly. My kids will learn to shoot on a crossbow. Down the road we’ll transition to vertical bows together. This is not to say we’ll forget about how much fun a crossbow is or that we won’t continue to hunt with them.
I understand there’s tension in the archery world about whether crossbows “count” or not. That’s fine. Let people argue. From my vantage point, crossbows like the Ravin bring more hunters into the fold, especially those of us coming from the firearms world- and not just any hunters, ethical, disciplined, and thoughtful hunters. The kind of people who care not just about the harvest, but people who care about the land, the animals, and the meaning behind the hunt. I’m hoping the archery community is ready for a few new members, because we’re on our way. Crossbows are an entry point for those who are drawn to challenging oneself with the complexities and nuances of bowhunting – my plan right now is to go all in, and Ravin Crossbow opened that door for me.
Matthew Williams has devoted the majority of his adult life to firearms training and education and is an avid outdoorsman. Williams has trained with some of the most revered national level instructors from around the world in trauma med, escape and evasion, counter custody, tracking, and a variety of things that go bang and boom. Based out of mid Michigan Matthew teaches personal protection based around pistols and improvised weapons through company name Foundation Defense LLC and is the New Products Columnist for RECOIL OFFGRID.
When it comes to operating in high stress environments, navigating the wilderness, or moving quickly during an emergency, next to our minds, our feet are our most important tool. The ability to move quickly and efficiently can be seriously hampered when foot injuries or discomfort are present. Having proper footwear is essential, and with the footwear market being as large as it is, it is difficult to know exactly what the best show for the job is.
While your average sneaker, work boot, or sandal may be comfortable choice for daily use – these types of shoes are not built to hold up to miles of on foot travel, adverse weather conditions, and rough terrain. They also aren’t designed to keep our feet happy and healthy in these activities. In the years I’ve spent as an avid hiker, taking a variety of tactical/survival courses, and making it through several emergency scenarios, I’ve seen the impact of improper footwear both personally and with others. Blisters, rolled ankles, and fractures are just a few of the injuries that can stop you in your tracks, and over time more serious chronic conditions can develop because of improper footwear.
When it comes to selecting the best footwear to manage extended wear through harsh conditions that won’t slow you down when you need to move, it is best to trust our feet to footwear that is specially designed for that scenario – fortunately, Garmont Tactical has years of experience doing just that!
What makes Garmont Tactical an Ideal Choice for Professionals?
Garmont has been in the footwear game since the 1960’s and is known for making highly functional hiking boots and shoes. In 2008 Garmont was contacted by US Special Forces and asked to create a better military boot. Garmont went to work incorporating their extensive experience and innovation in developing hiking boots, to create a military boot that had the benefits of a hiking boot and the protective qualities that the military required. The result of this process yielded the T8 Family of boots and the creation of Garmont Tactical! The T8 was designed for comfort and breathability during extended wear, while also providing top of the line traction in numerous operation terrains and ensure superior ankle protection.
The innovation did not stop with the first versions of the T8. Since its inception Garmont Tactical has continued the Garmont’s legacy of innovation by producing several versions of the T8 and have introduced several new tactical boots to their line up to meet the evolving needs of military and law enforcement personnel.
Are Garmont Tactical Boots Right for You?
Garmont Tactical’s widespread adoption throughout military and police forces clearly show their dedication to producing a premium battle-ready boot, but these boots have a lot of practicality beyond the battlefield.
First Responders: Both volunteer and career first responders have a need for protective footwear that won’t slow them down when split second decisions matter.
Security Professionals: Those in the security field can find themselves on their feet for long periods of time and will face situations where moving quickly, scaling obstacles, and operating on varied terrain is essential.
Shooting Sports: Enthusiasts can benefit from a durable and protective boot, especially when training classes and events take them beyond the bench!
Outdoors: Not all outdoors people stay on the trail. Thanks to Garmont’s roots in outdoor footwear Search and rescue teams, state and federal parks employees, hunters, and anyone else who ventures into the wilderness can maintain the benefits of a hiking boot with the upgraded protection of a tactical boot.
Emergency Preparedness: During a natural or human-caused emergency, the ability to move quickly over varied terrain for long distances can be vital to surviving the situation. Having a solid pair of tactical boots can help accomplish that goal and protect the wearers feet while doing it.
Which Garmont Tactical Boot Should I Get?
We tested 3 different variants of Garmont Tactical’s T8 boots built for different circumstances; each boot was tested in varied environments through multiple seasons and weather conditions. We will break down the features and benefits of each. All of Garmont Tactical’s T8 boots feature 8 inch height, non-reflective hardware, and suede/leather and nylon construction.
T8 Defense
The T8 Defense is the latest member of the T8 family. Based on the original T8 boot design the Defense incorporates the addition of D30 impact resistant material through out the boot to protect the wearer and reduce shock impact on the feet. For those unfamiliar with D30 Technology, it is widely used in for motorcycle, athletic, and miliary protective gear due to its lightweight impact and vibration resistance – it has also been used in electronic equipment.
D30 is incorporated into the ankle and tongue of the T8 Defense to help protect the most sensitive areas of the foot from blunt force impacts. Garmont has also utilized D30 in the footbed to reduce the effects of impact while on the move. The result makes the T8 Defense one of the most comfortable boots I have worn for extended periods. During my testing I had the T8 Defense boots on for upwards of 16 hours per day and covered many miles with less foot fatigue than other boots I have worn.
The Defense is a breathable boot which was welcome during the 95+ degree days. I was surprised that despite being made primarily of black leather, how breathable they were in the intense heat and direct sunlight.
While the Defense is not rated as waterproof, they stand up fine to light rain for a few hours, but I would not be looking to stand in deep puddles or attempt to move across a shallow creek and expect to stay dry.
The Vibram outsole provides an excellent grip in wet and dry conditions in both urban and wilderness environments while providing good stability. While the T8 Defense is stiff to provide support they are not so stiff that fast movement is impaired.
Finally, when it comes to weight, the T8 Defense is not what I would consider a lightweight boot, but they are not heavy either. They are lighter on the feet when compared to an average work boot, and a touch heavier compared to a hiking boot.
Overall, I felt the T8 Defense was a comfortable boot that provides excellent support for your foot and ankle during all day wear and covering significant distances at varied paces. The T8 Defense is available in regular or wide sizes in both the black leather LEO version and the Tan Military version.
T8 Extreme Evo GTX
The T8 Extreme Evo line was developed to incorporate a cold weather boot into the Garmont Tactical lineup. Two variations were made – one with 200-gram Thinsulate and a second with Gortex waterproof material. As I frequent the wet woodlands in New England I opted to evaluate the Gortex variant.
Gortex provides breathable water proofing, and while it doesn’t breathe as well as a boot without a waterproof lining it is far more breathable to alternative waterproofing like sealed boots made from some kind of rubber material. Gortex will aid in heat retention, though not as much as Thinsulate.
The Evo Extreme GTX was my go-to boot the entirety of this past winter and I found when combined with wool socks they did a great job of keeping my feet warm while trudging through the snow and ice both while in a suburban environment and while navigating the frozen woodlands. The waterproofing held up very well even when moving through shallow running water or standing in slushy standing water.
The Vibram outsoles provide an excellent grip in all conditions and perform exceptionally well in wet woodland environments. The addition of Ortholite insoles aided in comfort during all day use and collecting serious milage out in the woods.
Like the T8 Defense, I found the Extreme Evo to be very supportive during wear, with an appropriate amount of stiffness to handle uneven terrain but not hinder fast movement when needed.
Despite being a boot designed for colder weather, when combined with the appropriate sock to manage foot moisture the EVO Extreme GTX is a good option for navigating wet environments across all seasons.
The Extreme Evo GTX is noticeably heavier when compared to the T8 Defense, but that is expected when incorporating the Gortex waterproofing. Despite that, the boots do not feel overly heavy on the feet and are comfortable for extended wear in harsh conditions.
Overall, The T8 Extreme Evo GTX is a great option for cold and wet weather, especially when operating in uneven and rocky terrain. Like the other T8 variants the Extreme Evo is available in regular and wide sizing. As of the time of writing the Extreme Evo line is only available in the tan military coloring.
T8 Athena
The T8 Athena is one of the most unique boots in Garmont Tactical lineup. While many boot manufacturers make boots tactical boots in women’s sizing, Garmont is currently the only tactical boot on the market that is built from the ground up for women. The T8 Athena is specifically designed for a woman’s anatomical foot structure.
Women have a slightly shorter Achilles tendon, a narrow more pronounced arch, less foot muscle density, and weight distribution on the front of the foot when compared to men. While women can wear a tactical boot that was designed for men, having a boot that is built with these differences in mind will increase comfort and performance and reduce fatigue and injury.
The T8 Athena features the same lightweight breathability found in the T8 Defense with a slightly less rigid outsole for increased mobility and comfort over extended wear. The Athena uses Garmont’s proprietary Diamante outsole designed for comfort when navigating uneven terrain and prioritizes traction in ascent and descent scenarios.
My wife assisted me in the testing of the T8 Athena in the same conditions that the T8 Defense Her feed back stated that Athena was the most comfortable boots she had worn and that she preferred them to some of her other technical footwear for the increased mobility and support they provided. Like the Defense, the Athena held up to light rain for an extended time and remained breathable and comfortable in 95+ degree temperatures. She found them comfortable for all day wear during an extended outdoor event and while attending woodland-based training classes.
Like the other T8 variants, the Athena is available in both regular and wide sizes. The Athena is available in both black LE and tan military variants. The T8 Athena has become a mainstay of her footwear lineup for outdoor and strenuous tasks.
Final Thoughts
Not being in the military or law enforcement, I can’t provide an opinion on Garmont Tactical’s boots from that perspective – but I also don’t really need to as many Garmont boots have been widely adopted and appreciated by members in both groups. As an outdoors person, preparedness enthusiast, and someone who takes part in a wide range of tactical and survival training programs I can give the Garmont Tactical T8 lineup my seal of approval.
I place a high value on functional technical footwear. I spend a lot of time in the woods hiking, camping, and training. While hiking boots are a great option for navigating the trail, they lack the versatility, durability, and load bearing capacity found in tactical boots. In this case I feel like Garmont gives you the best of both worlds.
The T8 variants we evaluated all provided great traction in a variety of conditions in the wilderness but performed equally as well in urban and suburban environments. The tread on all three pairs have held up very well both on and off the trail, something not often found in your typical hiking boot where pavement can quickly wear down hikers.
From a weight perspective I noticed very little difference between the T8 Defense and your typical mid-height hiking boot and a marginal difference between the Extreme Evo and mid-height Gortex lined hikers. The added height of the T8’s is a welcome addition when crossing through thorny and tick infested underbrush.
The added support found in the T8’s was welcome when moving with heavier loads, leading to far less discomfort and swelling compared to a light hiking boot. Outside of the woods the support also helps when on your feet all day both just standing and when doing a good deal of walking.
When compared to a typical work boot the difference is night and day. The T8 boots fit better, provide more support, and weigh significantly less. They also have better traction in wet and oily conditions found in some industrial circumstances.
All in all, if you are looking for a rugged, durable, highly versatile pair of boots the Garmont Tactical T8 line up has great options with specific models boasting specialty features that may fit your needs. If you are like me and have wide feet, you will be happy with the addition of wide sizing and the roomy toe boxes Finally, the addition of the anatomically designed Athena is a game changer for women who want or need a tactical boot and we hope to see this expand to other aspects of the Garmont Tactical lineup.
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.
Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
This hidden gem is only a few minutes from Highway 97, making it ideal for a quick, scenic driving break or for a more serious day of adventure.
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 climbing, home to more than 1,800 routes ranging from beginner-friendly top ropes to world-famous test pieces like To Bolt or Not to Be and Just Do It.
But you don’t have to be a climber to appreciate the terrain — hikers and trail runners can tackle the grueling Misery Ridge, explore hidden gullies, or loop around the Summit Trail for sweeping views of high desert spires, eagle nests, and deep-cut bends in the river. Mountain bikers have access to surrounding public lands that expand the adventure well beyond park boundaries.
Alpinists of all experience levels will find something to pit their skills against. From boulders with climbing rungs embedded into the rock, to sheer, nearly vertical cliff faces.
Survival Readiness: Smith Rock may be a state park, but its environment demands a solid baseline of preparedness. Summer temps regularly spike over 100 degrees F, and shade is scarce, so hydration and sun protection are non-negotiable. In winter, freezing temps can turn trails into icy death traps. Cell reception is limited in many areas, and while the main trails are well-traveled, some climbing approaches — especially in the Marsupials or the West Side Crags — are remote, exposed, and require navigation awareness. Rattlesnakes are present in warmer months, and cliffside drops are no joke. Pack accordingly: layered clothing, high-calorie snacks, a headlamp, and a map of the park’s extensive trail system. If you’re staying overnight at the walk-in bivouac, remember: no fires, no vehicles, and no margin for poor gear choices.
Topo map of Smith Rock State Park (Source: CalTopo)
Getting There: Located just outside the small town of Terrebonne, Oregon, Smith Rock is easy to find but can get overwhelming fast. From Highway 97, turn onto Smith Rock Way, then northeast onto NE 17th Street. This turns into Crooked River Drive and brings you to the main entrance. The day-use area is open dawn to dusk, but parking is limited — especially during summer and if construction is going on. Arrive early or expect to hike in from overflow lots. For less-congested approaches to quieter areas like the Marsupials or Skull Hollow BLM campground, consider alternate trailheads or looping in from Bureau of Land Management access points on the park’s flanks.
Well-groomed trails meander throughout the entire area, perfect for those who want to leisurely enjoy the stunning views.
Local Perks: When you’re ready to refuel, Terrebonne has a few gems that punch above their weight. Terrebonne Depot offers pub fare with a view of the cliffs you just climbed. Gear needs? Redpoint Climbers Supply stocks everything from cams to cold brew and often serves as an unofficial hub for local beta. For post-hike recovery, head into nearby Redmond for groceries, lodging, or a full meal. Skull Hollow Campground, just a short drive east, is a favorite for climbers needing space to spread out. And if you’re in the area during spring, keep an eye out for trail races that cut through the park — nothing like cheering on runners who just suffered up Misery Ridge in the name of fun.
Mine Hill Preserve, Roxbury, Connecticut
Mine Hill Preserve was once an active iron mine dating back to the 1800s. While it has long since shuttered, remains of the historical mining operation can be found throughout the preserve.
Adventure Appeal: Mine Hill Preserve provides 360 acres of ruins, forests, rough trails, and enough elevation gain to get your heart pumping. The adventure starts right after you turn off the paved road, where you must follow a narrow dirt road up steep hills to access the parking area. From the parking area, you’ll find a short walk to the steel production facilities, offering a ton of historic information placards along the way. The steel production site has a replicated version of the original blast furnace along with some of the original stone store house buildings. From the steel production site, you can follow the original donkey trail that was used to transport iron ore from the mines up in the hills.
This path takes you to an old mine entrance that’s blocked by an iron gate. While you can’t enter the mine for safety reasons, you’ll feel the unmistakable cold damp air coming from deep within the hills as you approach the gate. From here, it’s all up hill — literally! Following the windy path past the mine entrance will lead you up a rocky and engaging trail up to the top of mine hill where you will find the original dig sites into the mines. These caverns have been covered by steel cages, allowing safe viewing from both sides and directly above the caverns themselves. You’re also more than likely to see a few bats flying about, and if you bring a high-powered flashlight, you’ll be able to see many more within the caverns. If you continue to follow the trail it will take you around the backside of the hill, offering great views of the Shepaug River and lead you back to the steel production site. The total trail runs just over six miles and offers 1,100 feet of total elevation gain.
The long since closed entrance to the mine produces a blast of cold air year-round.
Survival Readiness: While Mine Hill isn’t very far from civilization, the trails are rated as moderate for an experienced hiker, with many less seasoned hikers finding the rocky trails and steep elevation gains very difficult. There are some porta potties in the parking area, but beyond that there are no other facilities, so make sure you are packing adequate food and water for a challenging hike. While six miles may not seem very long, the challenging terrain makes movement both up and downhill difficult, so expect the full loop to take a minimum of three to four hours without stopping to take in the views.
This isn’t a trail you want to take your tennis shoes on. Sturdy hiking boots or shoes with good grip are essential. The trails are narrow and bring you up close and personal with much of the brush, exposing you to ticks that may carry Lyme disease. Long pants and bug repellent are a good idea.
Other potentially dangerous wildlife in the area are coyotes, black bears, timber rattlers, and copper heads. It’s always a good idea to have bear spray for the larger animals and stay out of dense underbrush to avoid those venomous snakes.
Having some basic first aid supplies will be of value here, as the rocky terrain can lead to falls, scrapes, and cuts. Finally, you’ll want to make sure you pack a powerful flashlight to take advantage of the incredible view the mine caverns provide.
Topo map of Mine Hill Preserve (Source: CalTopo)
Getting There: Roxbury is located 65 miles northeast of New York City and requires a bit of back road navigation from Exit 16 off Interstate 84. With GPS, it’s easy to find, just ensure you’re comfortable driving on narrow dirt roads uphill for the tail end of the trip.
A reproduction of the original blast furnace used for the production of steel.
Local Perks: Roxbury offers several other major historical sites, including the historic district with many well-preserved 18th-century homes and buildings, as well as the restored Roxbury Station Museum highlighting early railways in the area. For fans of more recent history, you can also find one of Marilyn Monroe’s homes in Roxbury. To complete your historic adventure, Roxbury and the surrounding towns offer many dining options with a distinct New England flavor. Some of these include historic eateries like the 1754 House in neighboring Woodbury and the 1850 Brunch House in Southbury.
Your Next Adventure Awaits
Have you explored Smith Rock, Mine Hill, or found another off-the-grid gem? We want to hear about it! Tag @RecoilOffgrid on social media or send an email to offgrid@recoilweb.com with your stories and recommendations. Your adventure could be featured in our next issue!
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.
A wooden stump offers a flat surface for working and sitting, and it can serve as a sawhorse. You can modify it to hold wood for sawing.
The Camp Anvil
A wooden stump proves to be the unsung hero of wooden tools in any backyard or campsite. You just can’t underestimate the comfort of having a flat surface to lean on after a long day of outdoor fun. It doubles as a handy table or nightstand when you need a spot to set your gear down. Plus, when you’re getting crafty with firewood or other camp projects, that stump transforms into the ultimate workspace for splitting or carving. Lay it down sideways, carve a “V notch” on the side, and you’ve got yourself a solid sawing surface.
There are a few ways to accomplish this feat. The easiest is to use a saw to create the “V” and call it a day. The second way is to use a chopping tool and chop the “V” out of the log. The most challenging version is to use a fixed-blade knife and a baton to get that “V” cut out of the log. However, that’s a lot of use and abuse on your knife.
Pro tip: Don’t waste that cut-out “V.” It can be used for splitting wood, steadying a pole bed, or evening that camp log chair.
The author created a wooden maul from green poplar with a single saw cut and roughly shaped the handle.
The Maul
It might sound like something an epic fantasy villain would wield, but it’s just a dependable camping tool. My go-to wooden tool, the maul (or mallet, if you prefer), takes the cake. There’s simply no comparison between a solid hardwood hammering tool and some random stick that may decide to splinter at the first tap. Crafting a mallet is a breeze if you’ve got a saw and a sturdy cutting tool on hand. Mallets come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t worry about getting it “just right.”
Grab a hearty piece of wood, whether it’s dry or green, that’s around 3 to 7 inches thick and roughly the length from your fingertips to your elbow. Mark off about the length of your hand, from fingertip to wrist, and saw down about a 1/2 inch or so. Then, stand the wood upright, with the sawed part facing down, and start using a knife or your favorite cutting tool to baton it down toward the cut. Before you know it, you’ll have a handle taking shape, but you’ll want to carve it until it feels right in your hand.
Let’s talk about wedges to accompany your maul. These are your best pals for splitting wood, especially if you’re stuck without a heavier tool. If all you’ve got is a light tomahawk or a fixed blade, wooden wedges are the way to go. Sturdy hardwood pieces are best and should be about the length of your forearm and around 2 to 3 inches thick. You can whip these up quickly with a machete or tomahawk. Just make a chisel or wedge shape on each side. And don’t forget to bevel the top to make your life easier when you’re pounding it with your newly crafted mallet.
These tools require minimal equipment. I made this pot lifter/fire poker with just a Swiss Army knife.
Fire Pokers
In the 1920s, George Sears, known as “Nessmuk,” penned a chapter on “Camp Cookery” for Dover Publications’ Woodcraft and Camping that every camper should read. He makes a strong case for the necessity of a campfire poker and tongs, declaring, “No campfire should be without them.” I can’t help but nod in agreement, and I’ve learned the hard way that attempting to shift burning logs or coals by hand is a recipe for disaster. We’ve all had that moment of bravado, thinking we could just move a log quickly, only to end up with singed fingers.
If you’re cooking with a kettle or pot that sits in coals or slightly over the flames, you’ll need a special kind of poker. You can whip one up using a fixed-blade knife, a small saw, a machete, or even an axe. While green wood is excellent for this wooden tool because it resists fire better, I usually grab whatever’s around. Most often it’s just whichever sturdy dead stick I can find. Aim for something about the thickness of a broomstick, around 3 to 4 feet long.
The bottom should have a forked shape for lifting kettles out of coals/fire and moving burning logs. The top should be flattened to a point, like a flathead screwdriver. This clever design allows for fire poking and lifting pot lids. With this simple tool at your side, you’ll add a layer of safety and convenience to your campfire adventures.
The author often makes simple tongs by binding a split stick and using a small stick to spread it open, using either dry or green wood.
Camp Tongs
No camping trip is truly complete without a trusty pair of tongs. Let’s be honest, when cooking over an open flame or sizzling on a grill, something is bound to find its way into the fire. That’s when your pair of tongs, crafted from either green or deadwood, comes to the rescue. They’re the ultimate camping buddy and easy to toss back into the forest or pack up for the next adventure.
Making tongs can be a fun DIY project, and I’ve got about four methods up my sleeve. One straightforward technique involves finding a flexible green branch with a lovely “Y” fork. Trim it down about 7 to 10 inches above the fork and 3 inches below it. A little carving to flatten the ends or a few quick saw cuts to texture the inner grabbers, and voilà! You’ve got yourself some quick and functional tongs.
Another option? Scout out a green or dry stick about 12 to 14 inches long and roughly the thickness of a broomstick. Split that wood all the way down to the last 5 inches. To keep it from splitting further, bind the end with some cordage and insert a small stick into the split to create that perfect grip. While you could consider your tongs done at this stage, I’d recommend giving the outer parts a chisel-like carve to help scoop up meat and veggies off a frying rock. Want more versatility? Shape one end to a chisel for lifting and point the other for poking to check doneness. It’s also a sneaky method to snatch food that’s taken an unfortunate plunge into the flames.
You can use a greenwood grill to toast bread, roast sausages, and keep food warm. An open flame can dry or burn the grill, or you can use coals.
Hand Grill
Crafting a grill from sticks is a practical addition to your camp kitchen and a delightful little project. Start by finding some greenwood from a recently fallen tree or a bushy witch-hazel, willow, or alder thicket. Look for a branch shaped like a natural Y. Keeping it thin and springy is best. If it sports three branches like a trident, you’re in luck; it’ll make your life much easier.
To prepare your materials, grab a sharp knife and gently carve away with a 45-degree angle as you bend the branch. Rock the blade against the fibers until it gives way. Don’t forget to trim any pesky offshoots and leaves. Next, twist and intertwine your two Y-shaped pieces together to form a hoop. If they don’t hold on their own, a bit of natural cordage will do the trick. Alternatively, wedge in another stick if your branch lacks a central piece.
Next, grab some thin sticks or a larger split piece and start weaving them in, alternating between going over and under the middle stick. Remember, all your sticks must be green for this project to work.
Pro tip: This wooden tool grill works wonders over hot coals rather than flames, and steer clear of oleander, a common and highly poisonous shrub.
A rabbit or throwing stick is arm-length and wrist-thick, used for throwing, digging, and wedging.
Pilot Stick
This wooden tool will make your life much easier in the wilderness. Its purpose is to create a hole in harder ground for your roasting sticks, stakes, and campfire crafts. Think of it as a pre-hole so you don’t need to hammer on your “Y-sticks” that may easily split. Use hardwood for planting wooden table legs or cooking rigs in the ground. Oak, hickory, or maple are good choices for a pilot stick.
To make it, you’ll need about a 1-foot-long piece of hardwood and a branch that’s no thicker than a broomstick. Use a chopping tool if you have one available. If not, be ready to carve. Use the larger diameter, thicker end for your top hammering surface. Bevel the end well, making it as round as possible with a knife. The other end needs a point, but don’t make it too sharp. Be sure you remove and smooth out any knots on the sharp, tapered end for easy penetration into the ground. Using a chopping tool will make this task easier than carving.
This set of wooden wedges, crafted from dry wood, offers various sizes essential for splitting logs.
Digging Stick
Stick wooden tools are about as fundamental and ancient as tossing a rock. And with a touch of creativity, it can be transformed into a highly useful camping tool. To craft your digging stick, start by finding a piece of wood roughly the length from your fingertip to your armpit and about the thickness of your wrist. If you have a chopping tool, that’s fantastic, but any sturdy knife can get the job done.
When selecting your piece of wood, I recommend choosing one with a gentle curve — nothing as extreme as a boomerang, but enough to give it some aerodynamic qualities. Shape one end of the stick like a flathead screwdriver to assist in digging into the ground, while the other end should be rounded to provide a comfortable grip when you’re using it. It can also be employed for digging up roots or carving out a trench for a Dakota fire pit.
As an extra bonus, this nifty tool can serve various purposes. As a throwing weapon, it works wonders for targeting small game such as squirrels, marmots, iguanas, sloths, and rabbits — hence its nickname, the rabbit stick. When you throw it, aim low and sideways. Thanks to its curved design, it tends to fly relatively straight and true, making it practical for catching small game. With just a bit of practice, you’ll find yourself becoming proficient in your throwing technique.
A green wooden spear with four prongs and a three-pronged trident serves as camp security and tools for hunting and cooking.
Spears
Wooden tools can double as weapons or hunting gadgets, and spears are a classic example that dates back to when cave dwellers tossed them at woolly mammoths. Nearly every indigenous culture has crafted spears from wood, and they serve more than one role. Spears can probe treetops for bird nests (perfect for your tinder needs) or used for gathering fruit. It’s also ideal for sneaky maneuvers in dark spots where your hand might hesitate.
When it comes to frogging or primitive fishing, nothing beats a spear. And don’t overlook small mammals, which can also fall victim to your spear-wielding prowess. To create a gigging spear, grab a pole taller than your head. Choose one with minimal knots and use a knife or tomahawk to create two slits in the shape of a plus sign, around 6 to 8 inches from one end. Hold the splits together as if they’re still one piece, then sharpen the tips all at once for maximum effectiveness.
Next, wedge small sticks into the slits, ensuring they’re opposite each other to make a splayed design. After that, it’s just a matter of fine-tuning your spear to achieve the perfect sharpness. Lastly, wrap some cordage below the splits to keep everything tightly bound and prevent further splitting. Soon you’ll be ready to tackle whatever catches your eye.
Apache Throwing Star
The Apache Throwing Star, also known as the “Apache Crown,” is a classic weapon wielded by Apache warriors. Imagine four sharp, pointed spikes, crafted from wood to offer impressive speed and accuracy. This star is a functional work of art that reflects the creativity and skill of its makers.
To craft your own, grab two pieces of wood about the length of your forearms, stripped of bark (which you can save for some future tinder adventures). Sharpen the ends with a knife to create points that are ready for action. Next, carve out two square notches on each piece in the middle to fit together snugly. Secure them with a pair of jam knots for that extra hold. For bonus points, harden the tips by tossing them into hot coals.
Closing Thoughts
Crafting your own wooden tools enhances your outdoor adventures and allows you to express your creativity and personal style. The tools we covered are just the beginning. Fashioning a sturdy walking stick for your hikes, or versatile utensils for your campfire cooking, serves a practical purpose while reflecting your unique touch. Embrace the joy of woodworking and channel your adventurous spirit to transform simple materials into essential gear for your wilderness escapades.
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.
Natural materials offer an excellent opportunity for cooking food, whether foraged from the wild or brought along on an outdoor adventure. With a bit of creativity and the right tools, you can transform your cooking experience. Even ingredients that don’t require cooking can be enhanced when exposed to the warmth and aroma of an open flame or set against a backdrop of glowing coals. The subtle char and smoky flavor imparted by the fire can enhance the taste, turning a simple meal into an unforgettable woods culinary delight.
The author expertly cooked over a fire using a large flat stone as a griddle. A small spatula was skillfully crafted at camp using a fixed-blade knife.
Keeping It Minimal
Cooking in the wilderness is a primary motivation for many outdoor enthusiasts. During the warmer months, when a traditional campfire may not be necessary or practical, a twig stove can be an excellent alternative. When homemade, these stoves, often called bio, wood, or hobo stoves, utilize natural materials as fuel.
Familiar fuel sources include twigs, thicker sticks, conifer cones, and wood pellets. The design of twig stoves operates on the principle of maintaining a small fire within the stove, with a cooking vessel placed on top. Fuel is added through a designated port, allowing for efficient cooking while minimizing the environmental impact.
Stone Frying Caveman Style
Frying pans are generally heavy and take up valuable space, hindering your trips. Skip the hassle of carrying one and embrace the frying pans that Mother Nature offers. These natural tools are ideally suited for cooking in the wilderness, and with a little effort, any outdoor enthusiast can find numerous options. When selecting a flat rock, target one that measures 2 to 4 inches in thickness. Avoid stones sourced from water, as they often hold moisture. Opt for wide, flat rocks to maximize your cooking surface and ensure stability on the stove since an uneven surface will cause oil and eggs to spill.
When you use a bio stove, ignite it and establish a solid, self-sustaining fire. Once the fire is going, carefully place the flat rock on top of the stove using gloves, as high flames can spread to the sides during this process. Avoid using rocks that have or may have been submerged in water. Moisture trapped in the rock will expand into steam when heated by fire and turn it into a grenade instead of a frying pan. After placing the rock over flames, step back and wait for a while to ensure it doesn’t crack or explode. Wear sunglasses if you must get close to the rock — safety first! After a reasonable amount of time and when you feel confident it’s safe, you can start cooking.
Ensure it’s even. I recommend dropping a little water to check its level. If you’re dealing with something fatty and oily, coating the rock will show you where the oil and juices are leaning. The rock on top restricts airflow, and the stove’s height limits the flame. For higher heat or larger quantities of food, you should create a stand for a raised flat stone.
An egg can be cooked directly on the bacon frying stone or in a small pecan pie tin set on the surface, which makes it less messy.
Stone Age Raised Stone Cooking
This raised flat-top grill provides an expanded surface area for cooking, allowing for more excellent food maneuverability. However, more heat is required to warm the larger area. Using a larger rock necessitates a stand that can support it, made from sturdy materials such as thumb-thick sticks. These support sticks should be long enough to extend approximately 4 inches above the stove once hammered into the ground.
If the flat rock is wide, it can be supported by dead sticks, positioned further from the heat source. Conversely, for a smaller rock, the supports will be closer to the flames, and using green wood for these pieces is advisable to withstand the higher temperatures. To create the stand, first place the flat rock on the stove to gauge where the support sticks should be hammered into the ground. After marking the spots, remove the rock and drive the sticks into the ground. Once this step is done, replace the rock on top of the support pieces and make any necessary adjustments to ensure stability.
When starting the fire in the stove, it’s essential to carefully place the rock back on the stand before the flames become too large. The design allows longer sticks to extend from the top and enhances airflow, facilitating better combustion. You can add fuel through the designated fuel port located in front of or above the stove. I recommended keeping a safe distance from the stove and the rock, as they heat up, and wearing sunglasses or safety goggles as a safety measure.
To test the heat of the rock griddle for cooking, hold your hand above the surface and drop a few drops of water onto the stone; the water should sizzle upon contact. When ready to cook, place food in the center of the stone and utilize the outer edges, which are cooler and serve as a relief zone. The wider the stone, the greater the cooking area and the easier it is to manage the food while it cooks.
Caveman Bacon Fryer
It wouldn’t be Stone Age cooking without a campfire and a designated bacon frying stone. I call it a “bacon fryer,” but it can fry and cook anything. It doesn’t require a large fire. I’ve done this on day trips, stopping for a lunch break. Tools are needed but not 100-percent necessary. Saw two logs approximately a foot long and about thigh thick. Make your fire between them and establish a coal base before adding the flat stone on top. All the same rules apply as using a stone with a stove.
The fuel is added underneath the hot stone and will ignite more readily once there’s a solid coal base. An egg can cook directly on the stone or in a small pecan pie tin set on the surface — this way, it’s less messy. Use leather gloves or camp tongs to move the egg tin for safety.
Y-Stick Roasters are strategically placed on the ends of logs over coals for optimal maneuverability and versatility.
Y-Sticks
You can cook food using sticks in several ways. We’ve all probably stabbed a hotdog, leaned it against a log, or awkwardly stuck it in the ground, only to have it fall into the fire or a pile of ashes. However, there’s a more effective method for roasting kabobs, sausages, fish, and bread.
To create this cooking tool, find a green Y-stick about the length from your fingertip to your elbow. Next, get a thin stick — similar in thickness to a No. 2 pencil — slightly longer than the width of the Y part. Carve the ends of this stick to form two flat, tapered sides, ensuring they align on the same plane. Then, stand the Y-stick upright and split both ends of the Y so you can wedge the smaller stick into the splits. Simply insert the thin stick into your preferred hotdog, kabob, bread, or sausage, and securely prop the Y-stick on a log or rock over the coals. Alternatively, you can drive the Y-stick into the ground and rotate it. The possibilities are endless.
A stuffed bell pepper baked in a bed of hardwood coals stuffed with cooked rice, broccoli, ham, and mushrooms.
Caveman Cooking with Coals
Cooking food directly on hot coals is an excellent method for preparing meat, eggs, potatoes, corn on the cob, and peppers without the need for a pan or grill. To establish a superior bed of hot coals, begin with any available wood and combine it with hardwood, ensuring a longer burn time and hotter coals that can support the weight of the food without crumbling. Always use tongs or a forked poking stick to handle the food safely and avoid burns. Enhance oxygen flow to the coals with a small fan or a piece of a sleeping pad, making your cooking process more efficient.
Cooking eggs requires a few careful steps. Start by poking a small hole in the top of each shell. Next, use tongs to place the eggs directly into the hot coals carefully. Leave them there for 15 to 20 minutes. Remember, cooking time can vary based on the quality of the coals and other conditions, so keep an eye on them. When the time is up, always use tongs to retrieve the eggs, as they’ll be extremely hot.
The author scooped out a portion of potato and cracked an egg inside, using sticks in the potato top as a lid.
Stone Age Baking with Coals
Potatoes are incredibly straightforward to prepare. You can shove them directly into the coals, lay them atop the coals, and rotate them occasionally for even cooking. However, to really improve the Stone Age quality, add toppings. Slice about a third of the potato and carefully scoop out some potato with a spoon, stick, or knife. Add diced sausages, ham, cheese, an egg, or any other creative addition. Bury the potato in coals or wrap it in foil first. If you use the latter method, rotate the tater. If it’s straight in coals, just leave it buried in coals. Leather gloves or wide-opening tongs are essential for safely retrieving your camp coal delicacy.
Cooking corn on the cob is most effective when you leave the husk on. Ensure it’s soaked in water to retain moisture before placing it on the coals. The steam produced from the water will cook the corn perfectly, utilizing both the heat of the coals and the steam for optimal results. Bell peppers are perfect for creative cooking over coals. Begin by cutting off the top of the pepper and removing the seed core. Stuff it with a hearty mixture of precooked rice, mushrooms, onions, and chopped sausage, then securely replace the top. Position the stuffed pepper on the coals, ensuring it’s well-nested for optimal cooking. This technique stands out because you can easily enjoy the filling with any utensil while the pepper acts as the cooking vessel and the bowl. This method isn’t just efficient; it’s incredibly delicious.
The author built a frying pan stand like a Swedish torch, igniting a fire underneath that uses the hardwood stand as fuel.
Swedish Pot Stand
I call this the Swedish torch cooking method, and it’s a game changer. It requires hardwood, ensuring it burns slowly and effectively, allowing the setup to shine. You can use a frying pan, kettle, or flat stone — whatever suits you best. This method demands minimal materials and time for construction.
Begin by gathering four to five pieces of wood, roughly the thickness of a broomstick, and stand about calf to knee high. Sharpen the ends to a point and create a flat saw cut at the top. Arrange these pieces in a circular pattern, slightly smaller than your cooking vessel. That’s it; you’re ready for the next step.
Add kindling to the bottom, starting with thin twigs and progressing to pencil, finger, and thumb thickness. Lastly, place thin, fluffy tinder at the bottom to prevent it from absorbing any moisture. Once you ignite the kindling from below, the rising hot air will work its magic, and the stand will serve as both a cooking platform and a fuel source. Get started.
Pro Tip: Always maintain a hand on the cooking vessel to prevent one leg from burning through quickly.
Here is the stone cooking oven the author made and uses currently.
Stone Cooking Oven
Disclaimer: This method may take more strength and some luck with materials. Such is the case with my experience constructing stone cooking ovens. I have used a semi-permanent camp in my woods for several years. I noticed a sizable protruding stone with a side piece and used another large stone and make it a three-sided structure. Eventually, I found a wide, heavy, flat stone to use as a griddle and placed it on top. This last step hugely changed my cooking ventures.
With a fire roaring, the stones gave the camp a highly reflective heat quality. Spacing the flat stone away from the back protruding stone gave me a place to heat my kettle and supplied airflow. The flat stone I leveled became the perfect cooking area. I cooked bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, sausages, and fish without sacrificing any of it to the campfire gods.
The three-sided enclosure amplified the quality of coal cooking. Roasting meat was excellent thanks to the three-sided stones’ reflective heat transfer. The stone cooking oven made drying gloves and camp gear more manageable — I recommend one.
Craft “bush tongs” by splitting a sturdy stick and sharpening one end for cooking.
Stone Age Cooking Utensils
Cooking in the wilderness requires primitive utensils, especially if you’ve forgotten your tools. A practical solution is to make “bush tongs” from a green stick. Simply heat it, bend it into shape, and carve the ends to form a chisel-like grip.
Alternatively, split a sturdy stick and sharpen one end for poking and forking meat. This primitive cooking approach not only enhances your outdoor experience but also prepares you to tackle any challenge that arises. Embrace the opportunity to connect with nature and make the most of your surroundings.
chicken, peppers, and tomatoes were expertly cooked on a flat rock in the woods using a Griddle Rock Stand
Jungle Swamp Grill
Want to get Stone Age, jungle style? A swamp grill is an essential makeshift cooking tool, typically constructed from green sticks designed for grilling. When paired with a twig stove, this setup functions like a rock griddle, using a potent heat source to cook food efficiently above. You’ll employ a low open flame to broil and roast meat, and it’s also effective for warming bread and tortillas. However, you need to construct it properly first.
You can use a tomahawk, large chopping knife, or hatchet, but a fixed blade will accomplish the task effectively, although it requires more time and skill. Start by creating four holes in the ground, a pilot stick made from hardwood is crucial. You need a pointed or chiseled end on one side, with a solid hammering surface on top.
Gather four Y-forked branches, two cross pieces, and several green, finger-thick sticks to serve as the grill. Use the pilot stick to dig the initial holes and remove any rocks obstructing your work. Because the Y-sticks are delicate, use the pilot stick for heavy-duty digging. Sharpen the ends of the Y-branches on hard ground for final adjustments, the thickest part can withstand some hammering, but avoid hitting the middle of the Y, as this will likely cause it to split.
Once you have the Y-branches securely positioned, add the cross-pieces across the width of the grill and trim several green sticks to lay across them evenly. The grill is now complete. Ignite the twig stove to create your fire. Be prepared to remove the grilling pieces until the flame reaches the ideal cooking temperature. Only then should you place the grill atop the fire and start cooking your food. Experiment with these methods and enjoy your culinary creations.
The top view of the Griddle Rock Stand highlights the generous cooking space a wide rock offers for cooking meat, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and an egg
In Closing
Stone Age cooking offers a unique way to connect with nature through culinary creativity. By utilizing natural materials and harnessing the power of fire, outdoor cooking becomes not only a practical survival skill but also a rewarding culinary adventure, transforming simple ingredients into memorable meals in the wild.
If there’s one thing many Americans can agree on, it’s that our world has changed dramatically since the pandemic of 2020 took the world by storm. I’d been preparing for exactly this kind of scenario for a long time. When it finally happened, I was grateful I had the skills and resources to make it through.
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall, I remember watching the devastation on the news. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t take the hurricane warning seriously, and sadly, some people had nowhere to go. I couldn’t imagine the fear people experienced living through that storm. That’s when the thought of preparedness was planted in my brain.
But unbeknownst to me at the time, my journey to preparedness actually began in the early 1970s when my family established a homestead on 26 acres in Sam’s Valley, Oregon. This is where I learned my skills on surviving off the land. In addition to having a huge garden we raised chickens, rabbits, cows, horses, pigs, pheasant, and quail. Life was fun for me on the homestead. I was a tomboy who was climbing trees, catching frogs, snakes, and taking care of my horse.
Having a cat around not only provides entertainment and companionship, it also takes care of troublesome pests.
As the first African American student to attend all three community schools in the area, I stood out — visibly and culturally. That difference often made me a target, and I found myself in more than a few fights just to defend myself. We were a new family in a community where most folks had never seen a Black person in real life. I still remember the day a little girl reached out to touch my arm and told her mother, “Mommy, the color doesn’t come off.” It was the early 1970s, and although the law had changed, many hearts and minds had not. In places like ours, the idea of different races living side by side was still met with resistance.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had outlawed segregation in schools, public places, and businesses. It also banned discriminatory hiring practices. But laws don’t always change lived realities overnight. When my parents tried to purchase land, they were denied — solely because the neighbors didn’t want people of color living nearby. Still, my father found a way forward. He rented land from a family friend named Mr. Fuller who lived in California. That decision changed everything. Living on the land, surrounded by open space instead of city streets, gave us a layer of protection and privacy that helped us weather the storms of ignorance and hate.
We were the only Black family in the region, and my parents didn’t sugarcoat it. They taught us what racism looked like and how to carry ourselves with dignity in spite of it. They kept us busy, too — signed us up for sports, summer camps, and community programs that would have us. One of those was 4-H. It was there we learned practical skills: how to cook, sew, raise livestock, and show animals. Looking back, those experiences didn’t just keep us occupied, they planted the seeds of self-reliance that continue to shape who I am today.
Being off the grid doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable.
My passion for homesteading and preparedness traces back to my childhood and the lessons I learned from my father, a U.S. Marine. As the oldest, I was the first to receive his teachings — how to fight, how to handle firearms and knives for protection, and how to live independently through farming, hunting, and maintaining my own vehicle. He understood the reality we faced: that there were still places where signs of hatred, both literal and unspoken, hadn’t disappeared.
He wasn’t just raising a child; he was preparing me to survive in a world that might not welcome me. We lived 20 miles from the nearest city, and he worried I could be targeted on the way to school or anywhere else I needed to go. Quietly and with trust, he gave me a pistol to keep in my car when I turned 16 and earned my driver’s license. Just in case. He wasn’t being reckless. He was being a father and arming me with the tools and mindset to protect myself when the world wouldn’t.
Before Homesteading there is a Shift to Self-Reliance
When the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate hit in 2020, I knew it was time to activate my survival plan. I left my home in Portland — furniture and all — and relocated to our one-acre family compound in Boring, Oregon. This had long been our designated bug-out location (BOL), and it was ready. The main house was already full with family members, but I brought my survival gear, food, and essential supplies and set up in an old 18-foot travel trailer from the 1980s. It was wired into the house for power, allowing me to work remotely while staying on the property.
There were eight of us in total, and we made it work. We raised chickens and rabbits, maintained gardens, and cleaned up the land to make room for more people if needed. I stayed there for about four months — until a nearby wildland fire forced us to evacuate. Bugging out of my BOL had never crossed my mind. But with the compound in the danger zone, I returned to Portland. The city didn’t feel like home anymore, but I was still tied to it by a mortgage.
Raising animals provides numerous benefits, such as food and fertilizer.
By March 2021, after careful planning and research, I sold the home I’d lived in for 20 years. That same month, I secured a land lease on an 80-acre working farm in Beavercreek, Oregon. This became my training ground — the place where I prepared to live fully off the grid on my own property in Washington state. Knowing the winters up there would be unforgiving, I stayed in Beavercreek through the cold season, using the time to sharpen my systems and build confidence. Eventually, I gave my landlord notice. As much as I appreciated my time on the farm, it didn’t make sense to keep paying $800 a month in rent when I had land of my own, paid off and waiting.
How the Commitment to Living Off-Grid Led to Homesteading
By September 2021, the pressure to take the shots led me to walk away from two long-held positions: administrative specialist and incident commander for the state of Oregon’s Radiological Emergency Response Team. On my 57th birthday, I submitted my resignation. A month later, I officially retired.
On March 18, 2022, I packed up and left Beavercreek behind, setting out for my 66-acre property in eastern Washington. By the end of that month, I was staring at 19 inches of snow. Winter had come early. I quickly learned what it meant to survive on my own land, in a 24-foot travel trailer, with nothing but what I had brought with me. That’s also when I realized my trailer wasn’t insulated enough for the biting cold. I toughed it out, but I knew I needed a better solution.
Fresh eggs are provided daily from some hard-working chickens.
The next year, I brought in my 45-foot Helibase Communications Incident Command trailer — the same kind I had used during deployments. First thing I did was install a potbelly woodstove. That decision turned out to be a lifesaver. Temperatures plummeted, but that little stove kept me warm and comfortable through the worst of it.
My next problem was mobility. Winter travel wasn’t just difficult — it was nearly impossible. With three to six feet of snow on the ground, walking was out of the question. I learned that the hard way and swore I’d never do it again. Then, luck stepped in. A fellow landowner, preparing to move, offered to sell me his snowmobile. It took time and plenty of practice, but eventually I learned to navigate the two-and-a-half mile stretch from my cabin to the truck I had to park down the road.
Living off-grid isn’t just about building fires and chopping wood. It requires the mental endurance to stay calm, focused, and adaptive when comfort and convenience fall away. Winter was no enemy of mine. I respected it, planned for it, and made peace with its challenges. My wood stove became the heartbeat of my homestead. And one hard-earned lesson stands out above the rest: always have enough dry wood. Running out isn’t an option.
Sharon Ross shows how water and electricity is routed from external sources to the interior of her shelter
How to Start Building a Sustainable Homestead
Designing my homestead for off-grid living has required patience, planning, and a sharp eye on future threats. My power system is a blend of generators, solar panels, and wind energy, all carefully set up to keep things running regardless of what’s happening beyond my property lines. My water system is winterized, ensuring year-round access to clean water even when temperatures drop well below freezing.
Sustainability and self-reliance form the foundation of everything I do. Food storage is a top priority. I rely on a combination of freeze-dried meals, canned goods, dehydrated staples, and wild game. Living close to a small town that offers food box deliveries twice a month has also helped. I was able to begin building my pantry without draining funds needed elsewhere. I’ve learned not to turn away free food, as it’s one of the smartest ways to stretch resources when every dollar matters. Preparedness, after all, goes beyond food and shelter. It’s about thinking several moves ahead.
My decision to live off-grid is rooted in a very specific concern: the threat of a solar flare or coordinated attack on the power grid. I believe a nationwide blackout is not just possible, it’s likely. Our enemies know the grid is fragile. A high-altitude explosion could create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strong enough to disable it. What most people don’t realize is how few vulnerabilities it would take to bring the entire country to a standstill.
A partially in-ground greenhouse is in the works.
According to research from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), there are roughly 55,000 electrical substations in the United States. These substations are essential, and they connect power generation to distribution and delivery systems. Yet, a targeted attack on just nine of the most critical substations could cause a cascading failure that triggers a nationwide blackout lasting for months. It wouldn’t take a missile strike. It would only take precision and intent.
Solar flares and EMPs may come from different sources, but the result is the same: lights out. A solar flare is a natural burst of energy from the sun, while an EMP is man-made, typically caused by a nuclear detonation high above the atmosphere. Both have the potential to wipe out our electrical grid in an instant. If such an event happened today, life as we know it would grind to a halt. Power, communication, transportation — all gone. Experts say it could take up to two years, or longer, to restore the grid. Digital devices like phones, computers, and radios would be fried. Unless you’re lucky enough to own a pre-1978 model that predates microchip controls, modern vehicles, packed with sensitive electronics, would be rendered useless.
This is why I live off-grid. Not just for the simplicity, but also for survivability. Whether the grid goes down from a solar event or a hostile act, I intend to stay operational.
Not only does the stove provide heat, but it also heats up water to provide a little humidity when the air is dry
A failing grid isn’t the only threat I prepare for. Wildfires have become a growing danger in the Pacific Northwest, and I take that risk seriously. My homestead is surrounded by forest, so creating defensible space around my cabin is a non-negotiable task. I’ve cleared brush and debris, and my structures are built with a mix of wood and metal to reduce flammability. I’ve installed a fire hydrant on the property and secured access to a 4,000-gallon water truck as an added layer of protection.
Wildfires move fast and unpredictably. In the summer months, I monitor local fire conditions and stay in contact with neighboring landowners and the community fire department. Communication is key, and so is readiness. My evacuation plan is always in place. I keep a bug-out bag in my vehicle and my 24-foot travel trailer remains stocked and ready to roll at a moment’s notice. In emergencies, there’s no time to hesitate.
Located next to the woodstove, a cordless dehydrator utilizes the radiant heat to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Homesteading Turns Preparedness to Empowerment
Preparedness isn’t about turning fear into freedom. It’s not a panic response; it’s life insurance. True preparedness goes far beyond stockpiling supplies. It’s about building knowledge, fostering resilience, and creating a strong, connected community. In times of crisis, no one makes it alone. Sharing skills, resources, and support strengthens everyone’s chances.
That’s why I teach others how to prepare for emergencies and embrace self-reliance. My philosophy is rooted in empowerment. I focus especially on reaching marginalized and diverse communities, those groups that are often left out of the mainstream survival conversation. My goal is to make preparedness accessible. To demystify it. To show that anyone, no matter their background, can take practical steps to protect themselves and their families.
Ever the life-long student, Ross is constantly learning new tools and techniques to become self-sufficient.
From building emergency kits to drafting evacuation plans, from long-term food and water storage to developing mental resilience, I guide people toward reclaiming their independence — one skill at a time.
My off-grid life has taught me invaluable lessons about survival and self-reliance:
• Adaptability is Key: Flexibility and problem-solving are essential when facing harsh winters, wildfires, and other unpredictable challenges. • Preparation is Empowerment: Having a plan and resources gives me a sense of control in uncertain situations. • Sustainability Matters: Living in harmony with nature reduces reliance on external systems and fosters a deeper connection with the environment. • Community Strengthens Resilience: Building a network of support ensures that I’m not facing challenges alone.
Modern technology like Starlink is a game changer for those who want to live in remote locations, while maintaining the capability to communicate.
Call to Action: Are you Prepared to Live Off-Grid?
Let’s be honest, we’re in a chaotic place right now. The economy has been unstable, the food supply is increasingly fragile, and long-term employment is becoming increasingly uncertain. That list could go on, but here’s the bottom line: The systems we depend on are showing cracks.
You may not choose to live the way I do, but ask yourself a few hard questions:
• What would you do if the power grid failed tomorrow? • Do you have at least a month’s worth of food and water for your family? • What if war broke out on U.S. soil? Would you survive?
Large solar panels are typically enough to generate the electricity needed to heat water and keep devices charge
Disasters don’t send invitations. They strike fast, without warning. When the lights go out, the shelves go bare, and help is days away, the only thing that matters is how prepared you are. I don’t live off the grid because it’s easy. I live this way because I believe it’s necessary. The time to prepare isn’t after the emergency. It’s now. The world is changing quickly, and every one of us needs to be ready for the possibility of a major disruption here at home. You have the power to take control — starting right where you are.
Focus on creating sustainable systems for food, water, and — if possible — animal husbandry. These aren’t just survival tactics; they’re confidence builders. When disaster strikes, you’ll be ready to thrive, not just endure. You have the power to take control, starting right where you are.
Making use of larger power banks is an easy and convenient way to keep necessary electronics running.
Even if you live in a city, you can begin building the skills needed to live off-grid. Simulate blackouts at home to test your readiness. These practice runs will expose the gaps in your plan before a real crisis does.
Start small. Plant a garden. Set up rain barrels around your home to capture runoff from your roof. Learn how to purify water safely. These simple steps lay the foundation for a resilient life, and one less dependent on fragile systems.
So, take control. Start today. Build an emergency and evacuation plan. Stock up on essential supplies. Learn the skills you need to protect yourself and your loved ones. Don’t wait for the next crisis to remind you of what you should’ve done.
Storing water is a necessity, and Ross uses an aquarium heater as an ingenious way of making sure the storage tank doesn’t freeze in the win
About the Author
Sharon Ross, also known as Afrovivalist, is a seasoned survivalist and emergency preparedness consultant with years of hands-on experience helping individuals, families, and communities build resilience in uncertain times. She offers personalized guidance on off-grid living, emergency planning, and stocking essential supplies — empowering others to take control before crisis strikes. Ross believes that preparing today brings peace of mind tomorrow, and that true freedom comes from self-reliance. To learn more, visit www.afrovivalist.com or reach out directly at afrovivalist@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at Afrovivalist and deCamp Outdoors, on Instagram @Afrovivalist, and on YouTube at Afrovivalist.
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 Blades 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, I looked up the definition of torii in Japanese. It refers to the traditional gate commonly found at the entrance to or within Shinto shrines. It signifies the gateway between the mundane world and the sacred. It isn’t a stretch to interpret that it refers to the difference between the ordinary and the elite, such as the Green Berets.
The reverse side of the blade shows the logos for Ronin Tactics as well as Spartan Blades, letting users know this is a collaboration between the two companies.
Opening the Box
The Spartan Torii has a decidedly unique attribute. Picking it up and removing it from the Kydex sheath, you immediately feel taller, sturdier, and ready to take on the world. Yeah, it’s that impressive. I’ve been writing about knives for well over a decade and I’ve only run into maybe a handful of other blades that had a similar quality.
It runs 11.5 inches from end to end, with a blade length of 6.5 inches. The D2 steel is 0.1875-inch thick at the spine. The blade is treated with a black powder coat that reduces corrosion concerns. Even at nearly a foot long, the Torii is deceptively light, tipping the scales at a very modest 8.4 ounces. Don’t get me wrong, there’s noticeable heft. But it doesn’t feel like you’re wielding a sharpened pry bar. There’s an elegance present.
At the thickest point, the handle is about 0.625-inch wide. It’s comparable to the venerable Buck 110 Folding Hunter in that regard. The scales are contoured G-10. I went with the red/black option for the scales, rather than the straight black. The texturing is aggressive, yet comfortable. There are no concerns about losing your grip, no matter how wet your hands might get. At the same time, I didn’t experience any hot spots or other discomfort when handling the knife, even after extended periods of time.
Corrugated cardboard is tough on knives, but the Torii did just fine.
The pattern of the G-10 texturing is reminiscent of Japan’s flag and its rising sun motif. This is rather fitting given the Torii’s evident kwaiken lineage. When Tu Lam was young, he dedicated his life to the samurai code of Bushido. The kwaiken was a dagger that was carried by men and women of the samurai class in ancient Japan. It had a curved trailing point profile and was intended to be a weapon for close-quarter situations where swords would be impractical. And that’s exactly what the Torii is, a close-up weapon capable of devastating damage.
The Torii comes with a well-made injection-molded sheath. In my experience, all too often knife makers treat the sheath like it’s an afterthought at best. It’s just something they toss into the box as a bonus. That’s definitely not the case here. This sheath has had some serious thought put into the design. It comes equipped with two MOLLE straps, which can also be used as belt loops. These can be easily removed, if desired. The sheath features several slots and eyelets so it can be configured for carry in a number of ways.
The retention is solid and tight, yet pulling the Torii free is a piece of cake. The sheath has a small thumb ramp to help with deployment. It’s details like these that make it evident this sheath wasn’t just slapped together at the last minute.
All in all, it is a beautiful knife. It even caught my wife’s eye, which is rare given the number of knives that come across the kitchen table on a monthly basis.
We used push cuts and pull cuts, and the paracord posed no issues at all.
Performance
The Spartan Torii is made for battle, no question about it. But I wasn’t about to go around challenging people to a knife fight to see how the blade would perform. So, I had to come up with some other ideas.
First, I picked up a cantaloupe at the grocery store and took it into the backyard. The Torii sliced into it like a laser beam going through butter. There was zero hesitation at any point as the blade cut through the melon. I utilized a few different grips on the Torii, including overhand and reverse, as I cut up the fruit and there were no problems with controlling the blade in any direction.
One of the most common knife chores we run into is cutting cordage. So, I grabbed a hank of paracord and went to work. I started with some push cuts, just resting the cordage on a board and pressing the knife blade through it. The Torii did fine, though I found rocking the blade just a touch was necessary a couple of times. I also sliced through more paracord by running the blade through loops of it, trying to use as much of the blade as possible. No issues at all.
Corrugated cardboard can be murder on a knife’s edge. The glue used when making the cardboard is extremely hard. On top of that, factories producing cardboard aren’t exactly sterile environments. All sorts of dirt and such gets inside those little corrugations. The end result is that cardboard can dull a knife blade quicker than you might think. That makes it a great medium for knife testing.
Well, that and there’s never a lack of cardboard boxes sitting around. The Torii made short work of the box I grabbed. I sliced both with and against the grain of the corrugations. The last couple of crosscuts, the blade didn’t get all the way through, and I had to repeat the cut. This wasn’t entirely surprising, and I don’t consider it a serious problem by any stretch.
The Torii sliced through cantaloupe like it wasn’t even there.
Making the Cut
The Spartan Torii is a battle blade, pure and simple. It’s a high-quality blade that lends confidence. If I were headed to war, or for any other reason felt I might need to rely on a knife to defend my life or the lives of those around me, the Torii would be at the top of the list. The only limitations to its performance would be on the part of the user, and not the fault of the Torii. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Its injection-molded sheath is just as well-designed as the knife it carries.
Spartan Blades Ronin Torii Field Grade Explained
Spartan Blades is known for producing very high-quality knives, but they can carry a hefty price tag. Don’t get me wrong, you absolutely get what you pay for. But they can be out of reach for many knife users.
Some years ago, Spartan started a Field Grade line in partnership with their Pineland Cutlery division. The idea was to produce some of their models in more affordable configurations. They don’t skimp on quality, just on maybe a few of the bells and whistles.
Here’s the mystery, though. The Torii is considered part of this Field Grade lineup. Why is this puzzling? After using this knife for a while, I’m baffled how anyone could consider it a budget-grade knife. I’ve spent far more for lesser-quality blades. Granted, many people probably wouldn’t consider $250 to be a budget-friendly price, but those who frequent knife circles will be the first to tell you that is a fairly moderate price for a knife like this.
About the Author
Jim Cobb is a nationally recognized authority on disaster readiness, as well as a lifelong knife nut. He has been involved with preparedness for nearly 40 years and has developed a reputation for his common-sense approach to the subject. In addition to his numerous books and several hundred magazine articles, Cobb is one of the cohosts of the How to Survive 2025 podcast. He offers a free weekly newsletter called The Survival Weekly Dispatch (jimcobb.substack.com).
Summer is here! Now that the days have grown long, and the smell of barbecue is on the wind, we’re ready to spend quality downtime outdoors. As temperatures become more amiable to hikes and overnight camping, it's finally time to venture off to find a trail, or endeavor to create a new one.
Be sure to inspect and inventory all your gear before you leave the blacktop. Top off that canteen and make sure you have your fire-starting tools. Have fun. Make memories. Keep your wits about you, and you’ll go far.
There’s a lot more going on inside of this gift set than you’d think. Upon opening the beautiful presentation box, you’ll see what looks like a nice thermos. It’s not until you unscrew the different sections that you see the extensive thought and engineering that went into the VSSL Pour Over Kit + Java G25 Grinder Gift Set. You’ll find two 10-ounce double-walled stainless steel mugs, a 304 food grade stainless steel mesh filter, food-safe BPA-free lid, and stainless steel pour-over dripper.
Choose your grind setting based on your preferred method of brewing, pour in coffee beans, and enjoy the silky-smooth machining as your new full G25 Java grinder turns beans into 30 grams of grounds. We have found through extensive and laborious fireside testing this tends to be the perfect weight for 20 ounces of blissful field brew. The gift set is available in black or cream; however, VSSL has recently released an attractive green Nesting Pour Over Set sans the grinder. Not to worry, you can buy a grinder separately to complete the set.
NOTES After a long day on the trail the last thing you want to do is sit in the dirt or on a stump. You want back support at a minimum. Not only does the new Chair One High-Back (re) support you in all the right places without being restrictive or cut off circulation in your legs, it's incredibly sturdy and stable. This chair can support up to 320 pounds assembled. The (re) design adds a second tension line within the perimeter of the chair to distribute weight around the front.
Each new (re) comes with a newly redesigned storage bag with a zippered 3/4 opening instead of a standard sleeve with a drawstring. This makes packing up fast and easy. The bottom of the storage bag also has a single row of MOLLE to attach your chair to the outside of your pack. Helinox offers the new Chair One High Back (re) in four solid colors as well as three patterns.
The Highland is reminiscent of an old-school Chuck Taylor All Star design, but don't be fooled, it is a moccasin. Anxynt designed these for bow hunting where being stealthy is priority one. Oftentimes, bow hunting requires the hunter to stalk within 30 to 50 yards of a game animal. That is a tough prospect considering the ground can be covered in loose rock, cactus, or leaves, depending on where you're hunting. The Highland has a full-grain upper for durability.
A thick bison sole is used to defend against cactus thorns and jagged rocks. Innovative Airlift insoles afford the wearer shock absorption, making these not only comfortable and more breathable than you'd imagine for a full leather moccasin and are incredibly quiet when traversing the wild places of the world in search of game. Depending on your size, they’ll weigh between 22 and 39 ounces, making it easy to pack a set out with you should you choose to preserve them for the hunt and not the hike.
Without a doubt, this is the most interesting folding pocketknife to come across the desk in the last year. Dave Wenger lends his Tracker knife design to Boker Knives to collaborate on the Micro Tracker Folder. This hits a sweet spot in the hearts of our crew, as many of us are trackers or have experience and extensive training in the art and science of tracking.
Overall open length is 7.5 inches, while it is 4.5 inches closed. A 154CM stainless steel blade is a particularly good choice for this outdoorsman’s knife, as 154CM is known to have excellent edge retention, relatively easy to sharpen, is a high-quality stainless steel, has good corrosion resistance, and is easy to heat treat, grind, and finish, all making this ideal for a cost-effective EDC knife. The Micro Tracker has a lanyard hole with brass sleeve, and a narrow low-profile pocket clip. It comes with a nice presentation box, a soft zippered case with three internal pockets, a ceramic sharpening rod, and fire pull.
Let the battle begin! You can choose from a straight handle or a T-handle. Who knew there was such a divide about a seemingly trivial issue? We went with the straight handle. This Ti shovel is super lightweight at 10.8 ounces with a 6-inch-wide shovel head and is very handy. It may not look like much, but its welded construction means it's meant for heavier work than you’d think. Sharpened shovel head edges make for a formidable weapon should you find yourself fending off camp pests or predators.
Those same sharp edges can also help you part out large game animals in a pinch. Yes, you can absolutely cut through muscle or hack your way through rib bones if you find yourself low on options. So far, we’ve used ours to dig a privy and do a little cooking over the fire. Titanium is a great heat conductor, making it ideal as an impromptu frying pan.
This is a He-Man sword of a knife. At 11.25 inches overall, it arrives remarkably sharp for such a large knife straight from the box. The blade is 6 inches long, 1.47 inches wide, and 3/16 inch thick. The blade makes up half the overall length, while the other half is a smoothly contoured grip, which brings great balance to this large knife.
Having the F6 on your belt as you stroll through the woods and wild places gives you a sense of confidence that you’re ready for any outdoor, survival, or bushcrafting hurdle nature might drop in your path. It’s great for batoning and processing firewood, pairing with a ferro rod to get your fire going, or even cleaning game animals. Reiff offers the F6 in two handle material choices G10 or Micarta and in eight color options. The F6 ships with a sturdy leather sheath that includes a belt loop mount, as well as a removable dangler to drop the ride height.
If only my dad would’ve had a selection of ratcheting Pipe Vise tools when I was a kid instead of regular wrenches, he might have loved me more, and I would have disappointed him less. The Micro 5 is 6 inches long with a highly polished contoured chrome handle. Precision machined self-adjusting teeth are the feature that makes The Micro 5 so attractive.
It’s meant to be used in tight spaces like toilet bolts, battery terminals, and supply lines. This is the kind of tool that makes typically tedious jobs a breeze, because the user isn’t required to remove and reposition the tool to continue working. With a minimum use size of 8mm or 5/16, and a max of 19mm or 3/4, this is a versatile tool to add to your toolbox, cabinet, bug-out bag, or automotive repair kit.
This is a blend of functionality and rugged elegance brought to you by Forscher. The MK2 Mod 1 is a 316 L stainless steel, automatic timepiece. Automatic watch movements don’t require a battery to keep time. Powered by the reliable and exceptionally durable Seiko NH38a movement with a 41-hour power reserve, this watch is ready for any environment you find yourself in.
While you’re admiring your watch sitting next to your nightly campfire, remember to give the movement a winding every other day, and you’ll always be on time. A mix of highly polished and brushed 41mm stainless steel case, high gloss ceramic bezel, matte black dial, and C3 Super-Luminova numbers and number positions makes this watch perfect for the office and is right at home diving in the ocean or hiking the mountains. The MK2 Mod 1 comes with a 20mm CWC G10 strap; however, Forscher has recently released a new stainless steel bracelet for this model that you can add to your cart when you order. We prefer the new Nemesis Camo strap pictured.
No matter what, you’ve got to have clean drinking water. In the field, or at home, water is a must. Contaminated water kills 800,000 people per year worldwide. That’s more than three times the amount of people who die worldwide from violence involving guns. Epic Water Filters Water Pitcher is made from medical-grade Tritan, which is BPA/BPS free, so you won't have to be concerned about interruptions to your endocrine system.
This filters 99.9 percent of all contaminants including glyphosate, lead, chlorine, benzine, PFAS, and heavy metals. With an 80-ounce reservoir and a slim space-saving design, it fits nicely into your fridge and has enough capacity for a family. The smart lid design incorporates a designated port to turn the lid into a contamination barrier in case of a spill when filling the unfiltered reservoir keeping clean water safe.
Since 1969, Mountain Safety Research (MSR) has been outdoors blazing the trail in groundbreaking innovation like few others have. MSR’s iconic line includes camp stoves, water treatment solutions, tents, snowshoes, and much more. You're not likely to find a serious backpacker who isn’t using titanium cook pots these days. Odds are pretty good that the company you’re likely to find with a lot of campers and solo backpackers is MSR. The Titan 900mL Kettle weighs just 4.4 ounces thanks to its titanium construction. Titanium is half the weight of steel and twice as strong as aluminum.
Large enough to store a 4-ounce fuel canister and a pocket rocket stove or one 8-ounce canister, this kettle helps you save room for your cooking necessities. With the new and improved pouring spout to help hydrate freeze-dried meals, silicone comfort grip-coated folding handles, and precise measurement embossments on the side, this kettle is great for meal prep or as a dedicated cook pot. Few things are more satisfying than knowing you've got food or water heating over the fire after a long day on the trial.
Oakley has long been a leader and innovator in the eyewear market and continues to lead the charge today. The Oakley SI Ballistic M Frame 2.0 is in the running for the ultimate eyewear for personal protection equipment (PPE). With razor-sharp clarity from edge to edge, you’ll see zero distortion. Surpassing ANSI Z87.1 Industrial Standards for high-mass and high-velocity impact protection, they’re perfectly at home at the indoor range, shoot house, warehouse, or in the field.
One of the features making the M Frame so formidable in the market is the ability to change out the lens to fit the specific environment you find yourself in. Unobtainium ear socks and nose pads increase grip and comfort while under stress of exertion, sweat, and weather. Lightweight and comfortable, the Ballistic M Frames come with a hard case with slide lock and a micro-fiber cleaning sock that can be used as an alternate form of protection should you abandon the hard case.
NOTES The Skyweight is more akin to your day hiker’s backpack than the operator style packs 5.11 is known for. Keeping with the same rugged toughness you expect from 5.11, but with a feel geared more for the trail than midnight assault operation. Weighing in at 1.3 kilograms in part due to the light-but-tough 330D material on the main body, this pack will help you lighten your load with contoured padded shoulder straps, load lifters, and a padded waist belt to shift the load from hips to shoulders throughout your travels.
Compression straps at the top of the main body not only shrink down the profile of the pack, but they also keep the load close to your body to reduce fatigue from fighting shifting weight. Tucked inside is a high-vis blaze orange rainfly to keep gear safe from the elements but also is great to use as a signaling panel. Conveniently located on the outside is a “stuff-it” pocket for quick access as well as two bottom gear loops for additional gear on the underside. Offered in M81 Woodland or as it is affectionately known “God’s Plaid.”
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill pullover hoodie. No, the 0241 Pullover is a hard-use, veteran designed, tough-built piece of rugged outdoor clothing made from Nyco ripstop. You’ll want to make sure you buy a size larger than usual if you want a little room as these have absolutely no stretch to them. Jammed full of features, this is a great over garment or a stand-alone.
Adjustable cuffs, raid mod shoulder-mounted pockets with loop Velcro for identifier patches, cinch waist, oversized hood compatible with helmets, large main chest pocket (kangaroo pouch) suitable for a weatherproof map sleeve, and two back stash pockets. Available in common military camouflage patterns as well as nearly two-dozen obscure and highly regarded patterns from militaries worldwide. Sizes range from small to XXX large. These run in military sizes. If you wear a large in civilian clothing, go down a size unless you intend to use this as an overgarment covering a coat.
NOTES After 10 years as an industry leader in shushing most things that go bang, Dead Air once again sets the standard. The Mojave 45 is a 3D-printed silencer made from 6AL-4V DMLS titanium, 7075 aluminum, and stainless steel. Dead Air used their patent pending Triskelion “Gas Management System” to not only reduce the audible report of the round but also reduce felt recoil. This means a more pleasurable recoil impulse, making shooting less physically taxing and is great when teaching beginners.
Upon arrival, the can is ready to mount straight onto your 45 ACP handgun. If you intend to mount this to a fixed barrel such as a 350 Legend hunting rifle, you’ll need to order a separate mount, as the thread pitch is different as well as a spacer to preserve the internal piston system. In full auto, the Mojave is ready for 45 auto with no barrel length restrictions as well as 300 BLK subsonic with an 8-inch barrel minimum. For semi-auto, you can run 300 BLK supersonic, 350 Legend, 400 Legend and 450 Bushmaster Subs, .357 Mag, and .44 Mag lever actions with 16-inch barrels.
There are stories of soldiers' guns being destroyed in IEDs; however, the Aimpoint would still be functionable even with cracked lenses. The ACRO keeps up with the legendary toughness that warriors, LEOs, and competition shooters count on. Featuring a fully enclosed emitter to keep the rain and humidity from turning your nice round dot into a spiderweb, the ACRO P-2 weighs in at just 2.1 ounces with an aperture measuring .59x.59 or 15x15mm. Flush-mounted windage and elevation adjustments require an Aimpoint sight tool to adjust, but this ensures you won't be inadvertently interrupting your meticulously sighted optic. While the ACRO was designed to be low profile and narrow enough to fit nicely onto the slide of your pistol, it doesn’t shy away from the work to be done mounted on a rifle or even a shotgun.
Try as we might, it's tough to get away from our dependance on electronics even in the outdoors. There’s no question as to how valuable smartphones can be should you need a topographical map, identify and differentiate edible and poisonous plants or more seriously to guide emergency services to your position. That said, we believe we should have support for our electronic devices. The Nestout Power Bank 15000mAh is as tough a power bank as we've found.
Waterproof, shock resistant, and dustproof, the Nestout is up for an afternoon on the trail or a multi-day expedition through the mountainside when paired with a two- or four-panel Outdoor Solar charger. Outfitted with tethered waterproof covers, there are two USB-A and one USB-C charging ports to provide a variety of simultaneous charging options. It’s available in tan, black, and gray as well as a catalog of accessories that’s being added to periodically. We have found the Outdoor Solar Panel and Flash-1 LED Light to be particularly useful.
Perfect for car camping, homesteading, or to get through a power outage. The Hottap Nomad Kit is not only an on-demand propane-powered water heater, this kit is also a kitchen sink with drying rack and a shower head. All you need is a water source, a couple D cell batteries to power the water pump, and a propane tank to have hot water. There’s a thermostat built into the system, so you get a comfortable warm shower instead of scalded. With great water pressure even at 100 feet from the water source, you’ll be able to clean dishes and get a great shower.
The pump hose has a very capable filter to keep the pump and hose lines free from debris as well as a protective cone in case you need to throw the filter further out to get to a suitable depth of water. Assembly is very easy thanks to the color-coated hoses as well as an intuitive design. Articulating sink and shower heads with on/off flow switches make for ease of use and reduce water and energy waste. Joolca also offers mounting accessories for the heating unit and shower tents for overlanding rigs and RVs.
Top Picks
There are few things that bring people together like a good campfire. Be it morning or night, a fire possesses an ancestral pull on the human psyche. Around a blazing fire is where early humans sought counsel from elders and strengthened fellowship among friends. Today, the only thing that’s changed is the frequency in which we enjoy this tradition.
It is with this in mind that we have decided our two top items for this summer: the VSSL Pour Over Kit + Java G25 Grinder Gift Set and the Helinox Chair One High-Back (re). These two items have been mainstays at basecamp for us since they arrived. Nothing says “good morning” like a great cup of coffee, and the VSSL has all but the beans and water to make that happen. Helinox brings comfort to the fire circle, granting us more time with our elders and the fellowship of friends and family.
