Daniel Lombard Spotlight – True Grit

Written by

Photos by Dobson Entertainment, Inc.

There’s a saying often attributed to John Stuart Mill that the subject of this issue’s Survivalist Spotlight is quite fond of: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” While we feel that’s a pretty self-explanatory statement, some may ask what makes a man good. Daniel Lombard has quite a body of experience to answer that question. His dedication to protecting others is truly limitless.

Lombard is a policeman in one of the toughest cities in the country — Chicago. He founded DAVAD Defense, a firearms training company that not only provides instruction to Chicago PD’s various units, but teaches the average citizen how to defend themselves. When Daniel has earned enough respect to be selected as an adjunct instructor by the likes of Kris “Tanto” Paronto of Benghazi fame, you know there’s something to be said for his integrity.

Daniel Lombard survivalist spotlight interview hunting poaching south africa guns shtf 3

If that weren’t enough, as a native of South Africa, he also took it upon himself to train local game rangers and assist in an ongoing struggle that has no end in sight — battling poachers. Even as rhino populations dwindle and poaching syndicates become better equipped than the native game wardens tasked with protecting them, that doesn’t discourage Daniel from taking an active role in the conservation effort.

We’re pretty sure that the world’s evil wouldn’t stand a chance with more people like Daniel Lombard in it. We sat down with him to get the inside scoop on the anatomy of the poaching underworld, what it takes to survive in the Africa bush and streets of Chicago, as well as the challenges he faces in his police work.

Our Interview with Daniel Lombard

RECOIL OFFGRID: Where were you born?

Daniel Lombard: I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, but pretty much right after that my parents moved to Durban on the coast. I ended up moving down to the ocean there when I was about a year old.

What did you want to do when you grew up?

DL: When I was in school I ended up going to the university to study law. I was the first person in my family to go to a university. My dad expected me to be a lawyer, but law school didn’t quite pan out. I majored in history as well as constitutional law, so once I had my bachelor’s degree I decided not to pursue law. I think I got tired of being a student at that point.

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Daniel seen here in rooftop training exercise with fellow Chicago PD.

And you’re now a Chicago police officer, is that correct?

DL: Yes, in fact I just got done celebrating my 17th year on the job. Kinda strange, you’d think I would’ve gone to a warmer place [laughs].

What made you want to become a Chicago policeman?

DL: Because of my weapons background, I met a few guys who immediately told me I needed to get onto the police department. At the time you didn’t need to be a U.S. citizen, so that was fortunate. I thought, for lack of a better plan, I’d send the application and see how it went, and here we are.

What’s been your toughest experience so far as a policeman?

DL: The rules of engagement continue to change. Even if you’re perfectly right, public opinion seems to matter more than anything else.

Have you been in a situation where your life’s been threatened?

DL: Oh yes, I spent 12 years on the gang unit, so we’ve had some issues. I’ve never been involved in a shooting where I had to fire my weapon, but on our team I’ve certainly been in the line of fire.

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With all the gun laws that’ve been passed there, what do you recommend citizens do to stay safe in a big metropolis with such strict legislation?

DL: The funny thing is that you think Chicago has such strict laws. Chicago makes a lot of laws, but no one ever follows them and no one ever gets prosecuted. The issue we have is continual shootings, gang violence, etc., but all the people doing the shootings are a small minority that are basically repeat offenders usually on parole for gun crimes that end up doing another gun crime. Cook County is notorious for having a high bar to prosecution for anything.

As you know, I run a civilian firearms training company where we do concealed carry training. We offer training after that as well, because just doing the state-mandated legal stuff isn’t really good enough. If you’re in a big city like Chicago, obviously common sense, where you go, and what time of night is important, but if you’re proficient, capable, and legal it’s probably not a bad idea to carry a firearm. Last year in Chicago, there were more shootings involving concealed-carry holders than those involving the police department. We only got concealed carry four-and-a-half years ago; we were the last state to get it. Be proficient, be safe, and be lawful. Under the current climate in Chicago, you’re kind of on your own.

Daniel teaching a concealed carry course.

Daniel teaching a concealed carry course.

Tell me about your company DAVAD Civilian Defense.

DL: I’ve always had a background in training and trained police officers in South Africa. I was also a competitive shooter. Having been a consultant with DS Arms and working with a few training companies here, I’ve trained the guys on my gang team, because I had a lot of experience from South Africa. When concealed-carry came about, it was a new market and I saw an opportunity to not necessarily make money, but offer premier training for civilians. So if you decide you want to carry a firearm and go get your concealed carry permit, that in no way, shape, or form prepares you for anything. My idea was to provide the next level of training, similar to the stuff like Jeff Cooper and all these top trainers offer where you could truly be proficient and get the same if not better training than a police officer. And, of course, I focus on training police officers to a higher level too.

I train officers to basically be better at what they do when they come out of the academy, and I prepare them to try out for special units like SWAT. I will hone their shooting skills so that they can make their selection. I try and align myself with credible, real-world trainers, not just your Instagram warriors. I hosted Kris Paronto and Dave Benton, the guys from Benghazi. Kris is actually going to take me on as an adjunct instructor helping him out with stuff. We met when I was doing a video; a company out of New York saw a video I did on long-range pistol shooting. Being law enforcement, I went and did a video with Rudy Reyes, myself, Kris, Geoff Reeves, who is a Navy SEAL, and Ron Holmes, a former Recon Marine. So there were the five of us and we did this video for this shooting system, which was actually pretty good and so I was lucky enough to be put in that group of people and once I was there I kept in touch with all those guys.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions people enter your training with?

DL: They get caught up in buying stuff. They buy a gun or all this gear and they start thinking that if you spend money it will solve the problem, especially people who’ve been shooting before, but have never taken a class. Give me the new shooter who has never handled a gun before, and within a few hours I’ll have them outshooting the guy who thinks he knows everything because you don’t know what you don’t know.

Tell me about this show Zulu Land’s Rhino Warriors you’ve been working on.

DL: I met up with the owner of a company called DS Arms. The reason why I knew them so well is because my police-issued rifle in South Africa was the same one that they now manufacture in the USA. So basically 93 countries around the world adopted this FN FAL, and the owner, Dave Selvaggio, basically bought all the tooling from the Austrian government after the end of the Cold War and started making this iconic battle rifle — “the right arm of the free world.”

Through time, he asked me to help him out and do some demos for some smaller police departments. When he decided to take his business overseas, he asked me to come with him.

At Aquila Game Reserve in Cape Town, South Africa.

At Aquila Game Reserve in Cape Town, South Africa.

That grew and we started doing stuff in other South American countries, and during this time friends of mine who were working anti-poaching in South Africa kept asking me for parts to keep their weapons going. This particular rifle is the one that all the anti-poaching units use in Africa because it’s a .308. One thing led to the next, I flew to Nairobi, did a demo for the game rangers, and we sold a few hundred rifles to the Kenyan Wildlife Service. That’s what really got me interested in this. When I was there, they basically had one game ranger and two unarmed rangers who would follow this guy with the rifle around because there weren’t enough to go around. If he got shot, they’d just pick up his rifle, which was crazy. We got these rifles to them, and we started supplying logistics and support to my friends in the South African police who became game rangers.

I’d always known about it when I was there, but on my trips back I met with some people and realized, holy sh*t, this is a big, big problem. It’s way worse than I could’ve imagined, and the poaching had just spun out of control out of nowhere. When friends of yours who you grew up with tell you that they’re losing this war, then you take notice. I talked to Dave at DS Arms, and asked if we could sponsor some kind of equipment these guys needed like clothing, uniforms, holsters, slings, binoculars, and also training. There’s all these ITAR regulations you have to be careful of so it doesn’t seem like you’re supplying some army, so we decided to make a YouTube video on the poaching epidemic.

We reached out to Rick Dobson, who had gone with us to record a show in Peru and the concept was to pay for it ourselves, wing it, and we came up with the idea of doing a docu-series. The concept was that we went down and showed how things really were. I had the chance to go on patrol, interview a lot of people, and get a really good grasp of the problem. The people who saw the show loved it. It’s only been on the Sportsman’s Channel so far, and the idea was to try and get the message out about what’s going on and maybe get volunteers. We went to five or six different game reserves, and they showed us some rehabilitation of the rhino and got an idea how big the problem is.

Interviewing a veterinarian at the Tala Game Reserve.

Interviewing a veterinarian at the Tala Game Reserve.

It’s literally on the national consciousness there, and it’s everywhere you turn. We self-funded it, went down on our own expense, donated training to the rangers, and got them some gear. We did some things to highlight the problems logistically, and at the same time say, ‘Hey don’t just give money,’ because there’s a lot of corruption going on. We couldn’t just give money to the government. It’s a hard cause to raise awareness for, because there’s so many other causes flooding the social media feed.

We showed what it’s like being a game ranger, tracked with them, interviewed them, and showed what surviving in the bush is all about. What do you do at night? What do you avoid? What types of snakes do you have to watch out for? What do you do if you’re charged by a hippo? Basically it was just, let’s do something. It’s also about showing how guns can be used for something good and show the positive impact of what a company with a social conscience can do.

What’s the appeal of the rhino horn all about?

DL: The tragedy of this is that it’s nothing; it’s just keratin like your fingernails. It’s not like gold or something that can be used in industry, there’s nothing it can be used for. Its medical power is all a perpetuated myth. Trying to educate people about this myth is tough. It’s gotten so big, and there’s so much money involved now. One rhino horn could be worth a million dollars.

People risk their lives for it. We keep selling rifles to the anti-poaching units because they get involved in shootings on basically a monthly basis, those weapons get taken for evidence, and that case could take two to three years to wrap up, so in the meantime they have to replace those guns on the street. So it’s weird that there’s this crazy war going on over the rhino, which has no value whatsoever other than what’s been made up by man.

We were trying to focus on how ridiculous this whole thing is, but now it’s worse than ever. These are private game reserves, one of which we’d go to as kids, where rhinos were poached in broad daylight. The poaching that goes on is that they’re basically sneaking in, darting these animals with tranquilizers, and hacking off their horns while they’re still alive. It’s very elaborate crime syndicates that are doing this. They’re literally poaching them in zoos now, so it’s completely out of control.

Training a game ranger at Aquila Game Reserve.

Training a game ranger at Aquila Game Reserve.

The demand mostly comes from the Far East. You’d have thought that myth would’ve dissipated with Viagra, but then there are other myths about it being a cure for cancer. Vietnam is one of the biggest purchasers of rhino horns, because it’s a status symbol. It’s evolved from aphrodisiac to cancer cure to where it’s seen as something the richest of the rich have. There’s private funding for education that bring out a lot of children from Vietnam, Laos, and places like that have them stay on the game reserve for a week and try and teach them that these rumors just aren’t the case and rhino horn has no mystical power.

What do the local populations and government do to combat poaching?

DL: Most of the anti-poaching in the government game reserves is funded by the government; however, there are levels of corruption that run pretty deep, especially in South Africa. It’s always been known that there are government officials involved in this, because there’s so much money at stake. South Africa has the largest rhino population left in Africa, so there’s been police involved, government officials, etc. You think about someone poaching one rhino, and they could become a millionaire. It’s the most valuable substance on the planet today. Per weight it’s more valuable than gold and diamonds.

Because of the massive amount of money involved, Muslim terrorist groups have also been involved in rhino poaching. In Kenya, you’ve got the Somalians just across the border, and they would go in with military capabilities funded by Al-Qaeda, poach the rhino, and send it to Yemen. The Yemenese also use the rhino horn for ceremonial daggers for the very wealthy when their sons would have their coming-of-age party. That pipeline was basically funding a lot of terrorism. That’s basically symbolic, and again not something that was used for anything other than its mythical power.

Learning tracking techniques with local game ranger.

Learning tracking techniques with local game ranger.

What happens to a poacher who is captured?

DL: It depends on where you’re talking about. In Botswana they’re pretty much shot on sight. That’s why Botswana doesn’t have much of a problem, although they do experience some issues. In Kenya, it may also involve some sort of lethal force. Some of the rangers have been killed, and they have a court system. Not sure what their penalty is though.

In South Africa, the rules of engagement are pretty much if the poachers are armed it turns into a lethal confrontation. It also depends on if you’re on a private game reserve or not. If it’s the government that’s doing it, then they would make the arrest and charge them through the court system. Penalties are pretty severe. I know there’s easily a 10-year sentence for being caught with rhino horn, but the problem is just catching the low-level players, meaning the poachers themselves. You’re not catching anyone in the syndicates and the next level up.

How big and well-financed are these poachers?

DL: Very. I can’t verify this, but we know that they have state-of-the-art equipment, cell phone jammers, military-grade night vision, and are funded at the highest levels. They use big-game hunting rifles and very high-schedule drugs for the darting of these rhinos. They’re not shooting them with a rifle with night vision and a silencer; they’re hunting them with a dart gun and a highly restricted drug, which can only be sourced through backdoor channels in the veterinary circles. So there’s even corruption among veterinarians.

At Tala Game Reserve with rhino receiving veterinary treatment for a wound.

At Tala Game Reserve with rhino receiving veterinary treatment for a wound.

What effects do you think the disappearance of rhinos would have on the global ecosystem?

DL: Ecosystems might not collapse, but what’s next? The elephant for its ivory, then the lions for more mythology that their bones cure cancer, so where does it end? It doesn’t. I’m an avid hunter. I have no issue with hunting, but I don’t see the need to shoot an animal that you can’t eat or do anything with, so I’d be morally opposed to people hunting it for nothing. But if you see what people pay for hunting, it might be the only option to pay for some conservation. Apparently, social media isn’t generating any money for the conservation effort. The only people paying to come to Africa to do anything are hunters.

So you can legally hunt rhino over there?

DL: Yes, but it’s very expensive. It’d probably cost you over a million dollars. That would be a permit issued by the government that’d only be for an older rhino that couldn’t breed. Again, I think probably not too many people would sign up to shoot a rhino under the current climate, but I don’t know of any other way to raise money.

What can the average citizen do to support anti-poaching units?

DL: I wouldn’t recommend donating money because you don’t know where it’s going. I think the best thing you can do is educate others and shame them about possessing the stuff. Tell the truth that it’s just a status symbol and doesn’t have any medicinal purposes. There’s causes like Saving Private Rhino and Rave Rhino that will take volunteers who come out and put them in the field.
It may be difficult to arm them, but we literally have volunteers following around the rhinos 24/7 in the game reserves. Maybe if people came out and did that they could come back and tell their story. A lot of these places will accept donated equipment as well. If someone wanted to get involved, get on a plane, and go down there. That’s the conviction it probably takes.

Resting after a patrol at Aquila Game Reserve.

Resting after a patrol at Aquila Game Reserve.

So what does it take to survive in the bush down there if someone wanted to go do that?

DL: This is where it gets interesting. When it comes to working around rhino, you have to be careful where you’re at in relation to the rhino. Their eyesight is bad, but their hearing and sense of smell is really good. If a rhino charges you, it’s an angry 2,000-pound animal that can overturn a vehicle. You also have to be very careful of snakes. At least 70 percent of them are poisonous. You need to be able to identify what kind it is since some carry neurotoxins, others carry cytotoxins, and so forth.

The other thing is, at night, the most dangerous thing in the bush is the hippo. They’ve actually killed more people in Africa than any other animal. Generally your rhino and hippo congregate around the water holes, so they’re very large animals that can run very fast. Same thing with buffalo. There are also animals like lions in those game reserves, so you could easily end up being stalked by a lion. Everything wants to kill you down there [laughs].

The game ranger has to have good bushcraft and be able to stay out there overnight. He’s got to know his camouflage, he has to know the wind, keep an eye out for lights coming. The average game ranger almost has to have gun-handling skills above the average soldier or police officer, and combine that with all the fieldcraft. He has to know where the animals tend to lay down. It’s a litany of 101 things combined. It’s like a soldier combined with a police officer combined with someone who does counterinsurgency tracking. Plus, you have to have patience, sitting in one place for five or six hours without moving and looking over a vast terrain. If the rhino move, you have to be able to shadow them without spooking them and not fall afoul of the other wildlife. Not everyone’s cut out for it.

You have to be able to carry enough water with you. You can’t drink out of the watering holes like they do in the movies. You also have to know where to shade yourself. Insect repellent is huge. Some of these areas there are malarial. Rangers are generally equipped with a .308-caliber-or-above rifle and a knife. You’d also need a tourniquet, first-aid kit, and snake anti-venom. If you’re darting animals you’d need an antidote for the opioid in case you prick yourself with the dart. It can get complicated.

White rhino at Tala Game Reserve.

White rhino at Tala Game Reserve.

If you’re not running white light if you’re out at night, you’d need some sort of night vision. Always carry extra rope with you for darting a rhino. You’d use this for sneaking up behind them and slipping that rope over the back of their leg. That’s what will finally trip them, otherwise they walk around like zombies forever. They don’t drop that easily, and you want to be able to dictate where they fall because you don’t want them to aimlessly wander into a gully or fall into a river.

Has your life ever been in danger while working in Africa?

DL: Sure, when I was in the country for the African air defense in Pretoria. After dinner, not far from the hotel, I went to a local bar with the guys. As we were walking out I was struck with a metal bar above my left eye and grabbed by a number of individuals who continued to hit me in the head with the object. Hands went in my pockets, and they grabbed my phone.

I had a Cold Steel Tanto Voyager in my right pocket, but struggled to get it out and open as I was being held by guys behind me. I believe they were searching for my pistol. I eventually got it open and cut my thumb in the process, I was still being held, and I managed to get the blade into the crook of the arm of the guy holding me from behind and pushed in hard and out, slashing his tendons. At that point he screamed they all let go and ran away.

I received 18 stitches and the blood washed out my left contact lens. I lost a lot of blood and had two black eyes and severe vertigo for a few months. Next day, we found a massive blood trail and witnesses stated about six street people had attacked us. I got lucky, should never have happened as I shouldn’t have been arrogant enough to walk the streets that late and after a bar. Should never have separated from my group.

What do you think the rhino populations will look like in 30 years without intervention?

DL: I don’t think they’ll make it that long. I think we’ve got five at best if the current poaching rate continues.

About Daniel Lombard

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Age:
49

Family:
Virginia (wife), Daniel Jr., Andrew, Amelia, Rachel, (and Rebecca, not pictured) (children)

Hometown:
Durban, South Africa

Favorite movie:
Heat

Daniel’s required reading list:
Commando by Deneys Reitz
A Hunter’s Wanderings in Africa by Frederick Courteney Selous

Daniel's EDC:

Daniel Lombard survivalist spotlight interview hunting poaching south africa guns shtf 12

Glock 23
Cuda Bob Terzuola CQB2

Favorite firearm:
The right arm of the free world — FN FAL

Favorite quote:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — John Stuart Mill

If you could have lunch with three people, living, dead, or fictitious, who would they be?
Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Teddy Roosevelt

URL:
davaddefense.com

Zulu Land’s Rhino Warriors
Check out the pilot of Daniel’s TV show here: https://youtu.be/2MZbZBia60M

More From Issue 28

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

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Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Review: Filson Mackinaw Cruiser Jacket

Written by

This gear review has its start back in the Vietnam War. My father, Chuck Schrader, was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska. He served as a medic caring for casualties who were being evacuated from Vietnam on their way back to the states.

“I wish I’d had this during my three winters in Alaska,” he told me. “It would have been warmer than my Air Force-issue parka, especially when the chill factor was -75˚F and I was working on an ambulance, or just walking from the barracks to the hospital.”

He’s referring to a legend in the outdoor community — a garment design that’s been endlessly imitated but never quite duplicated. He’s talking about the Mackinaw Cruiser Jacket from Filson. “Having grown up in northern Pennsylvania, and hunting deer since I was 14, I was accustomed to the Filson Buffalo plaid (red and black checks),” he said. “All of my uncles wore it. In fact, everyone I knew wore it hunting and even in general. I guess that’s why they called it the ‘Pennsylvania Tuxedo.’”

Filson Mackinaw Cruiser Jacket

A scanned page from the C.C. Filson Company catalog in 1922.

A scanned page from the C.C. Filson Company catalog in 1922.

The Mackinaw Cruiser was originally patented on March 3, 1914, as a pullover shirt that buttoned down to the sternum. Patented elements included a double-layer back with access from both sides that created a large, full-width pocket. Outdoorsmen would use it to store maps and charts, or anything else that was necessary to access quickly and carry on their person. The other signature element was the four snap-flap closure pockets on the front of the shirt. One was sized for a compass, and another included slots to hold small utility tools.

Made of 24 ounces-per-yard virgin wool, the jacket itself is not light. When you pick it up it definitely feels more like a piece of gear that’s going to be there to support your endeavors instead of just a random garment that you found in your hamper. In other words, there’s nothing accidental about the jacket’s details. When you look at it you can see that it was designed from the ground up to perform a certain function — to keep you warm and comfortable even when it’s cold and very wet. This even applies if, for example, you accidentally tipped your canoe over into a half-frozen river.

At first we weren’t sure how a garment designed more than 100 years ago would stack up in this age of microfiber fabric technology. These days, garments are designed on computers, produced on mechanized assembly lines, and incorporate synthetic materials with names that sound more like pharmaceuticals than fabrics.

Is there still a place for the old-fashioned wool jacket that our great-great grandfathers might have worn? After all, there’s a reason we bring satellite phones and GPS tracking on our outdoor adventures now — because the new technology gives us an advantage against nature. Anyone who’s ever worn one of these jackets is probably chuckling right now, because they already know that new doesn't always mean improved. The old ways often stand the test of time, especially in the wilderness.

The Advantages of Wool

Filson Mackinaw Cruiser wool jacket review coat wilderness outdoor bushcraft apparel 10

The jacket is available in Charcoal Gray, Dark Navy, and Forest Green as well as the classic plaid pattern.

As many of us have found out the hard way, some modern waterproof jackets can trap moisture inside and feel stifling, despite claims of selectively-permeable materials. The Filson wool, however, feels extremely breathable. The natural characteristics of wool provide air flow and keep the material feeling warm even when wet. This is critical because exerting yourself in cold weather can too often lead to sweaty clothes, which then freeze over and can put you on a dangerous path towards hypothermia.

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This is likely one of the big reasons that the Filson Mackinaw Cruiser became a common sight in logging camps in the 1920’s, and by the 1950’s became standard issue for the United States Forestry Service (USFS). Simply put, guys who spent their days in the wooded backcountry realized that there was no better alternative. And after 121 years of service, the jacket is still Filson’s best-selling coat.

Regarding the fit, be sure to take good measurements and try to find one in a store to try on, if possible. Wool does not have a lot of stretch or give, and you want your shoulders to be able to move and swing freely as you hike. If in doubt, err on the larger side since you’ll probably be wearing more layers underneath the jacket. With that being said, Filson offers free shipping on exchanges — if you got the size wrong, all you have to do is ship the jacket back to them and they’ll ship out a different size to you at their own expense.

Conclusion

Filson Mackinaw Cruiser wool jacket review coat wilderness outdoor bushcraft apparel 4

With a retail cost of $395, this jacket is not inexpensive. In the same way that every detail of the jacket seems designed with a purpose, buying the jacket won’t be a random accident for most of us. It’ll be something we save up for and think about for a long time prior. But if you do choose the Mackinaw, you'll have a made-in-the-USA piece of history that will most likely last for decades of adventuring through the backcountry. When that happens, the jacket will be ready and waiting to be passed on to a grandson or granddaughter, to be there for them as they step out and venture into the unkown.

Who knows? At some point maybe my Dad will want to spend less time outdoors, and end up passing on his Mackinaw Cruiser jacket to me. Then again, maybe he won’t. Maybe I need to buy my own.

About the Author

Andrew Schrader is a licensed professional engineer and is certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Structures Specialist. His company, Recon Response Engineering LLC, advises state and federal government organizations on the subject of urban search and rescue and building collapse. He recently assisted the U.S. Department of State’s Italian Consulate in the development of their post-earthquake response and rescue protocol. Website: www.reconresponse.com Instagram: @reconresponse

Issue 28 Gear Up

Written by

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-SLUMBERJACK-01.jpg

Make & Model
Slumberjack Roughhouse Tent

Weight
13 pounds

MSRP
$200

URL
slumberjack.com

Notes
Whether on a weekend camping trip with the family or enduring a more arduous trek in undiscovered country, venturing through Mother Nature requires reliable shelter. The four-person, three-season Slumberjack Roughhouse Tent is up for the job, and aptly titled. On the outside, it’s covered by a 66-denier polyester fly, while its stout, non-traditional shape helps it repel downpours and intense wind. Under the fly, two steel/fiberglass main poles and two fiberglass ridge poles maintain the structure around 61.8 square feet of floor space — though the $30 footprint is sold separately. There are four interior pockets for organization. Plus, a “front porch” vestibule can convert into a large shade awning. A six-person version is available for $259.

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Make & Model
Arc’teryx Cerium SL Hoody

Sizes
Men: S through XXL
Women: XS through XL

MSRP
$349

URL
arcteryx.com

Notes
With the mercury dropping in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to think about packing an extra layer of clothing that won’t weigh you down. Thankfully, the Cerium SL Hoody provides a solution, at least when it comes to jackets. It’s extremely lightweight yet provides plenty of warmth as a shell during autumn and as a mid-layer during winter, thanks to its 850-fill-power goose down. The hoody is insulated, too. The Cerium SL (“superlight”) is highly compressible — fold, roll, or squish it into the included stuff sack to keep your loadout at a minimum. Though the nylon shell has a durable water repellent finish, the jacket is meant for dry conditions only. Available for men and women in various colors.

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Make & Model
SwiftShield

Compatibility
Various door knob types and swing directions

MSRP
$140

URL
swiftshield.com

Notes
The quickest way to end a lethal threat is to be the faster, more accurate shooter. But what if you’re in a classroom? Or inside an office building in a non-permissive environment? The SwiftShield is designed for such situations. Made of reinforced carbon steel, this one-piece device can lockdown a room in seconds. Just slide it over the doorknob and make sure the super obvious arrows with the “This side down” label is pointed, well, downward. The folks at SwiftShield say the roughly 1/8-inch-thick piece of steel can withstand “thousands of pounds of force,” including from rifle and shotgun blasts. Of course, it won’t solve the problem if your door is paper-thin or has a window, but when used properly on a standard entryway, it can act as a reliable barricade.

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Make & Model
Phoozy XP3 Series

Colors
Cosmic Black, Iridium Gold, Iridium Silver, and Realtree Edge

MSRP
$50

URL
phoozy.com

Notes
Don’t let the Phoozy’s looks fool you. It might look like a simple phone pouch and not much more, but the Phoozy folks say it’s the world’s first smartphone container to provide integrated drop, float, and thermal protection. The ripstop shell has UV and hydrophobic coatings to prevent fading and make it easier to clean. The interior has layers of NASA-inspired materials, including a chromium-infused thermal barrier to shield your phone from heat or cold. Other benefits include flotation on water, battery life preservation, and Mil-spec shock and impact protection up to 9 feet. For convenience, it has an internal pocket for cards, cash, and ID, as well as external loops to attach it to packs, lanyards, or carabiners.

OFGP-181000-GEARUP-HELLE-04.JPG

Make & Model
Helle Wabakimi

Overall Length
7.9 inches

MSRP
$199

URL
helle.no

Notes
The Wabakimi is the third collaboration between Helle (a Scandinavian company known for its survival knives) and Les Stroud (perhaps the world’s most famous survivalist thanks to his Survivorman TV show). This fixed blade dispenses with the flash and sticks strictly to function and durability. Its 3.3-inch drop-point blade features Helle’s triple-laminated steel (a high-carbon steel core sandwiched by two stainless steel layers), which gives you a lasting razor’s edge with reliable strength and corrosion resistance. Opposite the business end is an ergonomic handle made of curly birch. It comes with a quality leather sheath. While it won’t give you Stroud’s skills, the Wabakimi will definitely give you a fighting chance in the wilderness.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-STREAMLIGHT-01.JPG

Make & Model
Streamlight Twin-Task 3AA Headlamp

Weight
7.6 ounces

MSRP
$75

URL
streamlight.com

Notes
Much like 9mm cartridges, the AA battery is ubiquitous. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, you’re more likely to find a stash of this common battery type than, say, CR123 or 18650. Which is just one reason we like the Twin-Task so much. As its name implies, it uses three AA cells to produce a maximum of 300 lumens at up to 118 yards and has dual functions: spot and flood. In spot mode, it has three levels — 50 and 100 lumens in addition to the max 300. In flood mode, it offers a low of 125 and a high of 250 lumens. This headlamp can run on high for 4.25 hours and on low for 38 hours. The low-profile Twin-Task has 120-degree tilting, an IPX4 water-resistance rating, and a 2-meter impact-resistance rating.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-OUTDOOR-05.JPG

Make & Model
Outdoor Edge ParaClaw CQD Watch

Case Material
Zinc alloy or stainless steel

MSRP
$80 or $135

URL
outdooredge.com

Notes
Just when we thought the paracord bracelet was played out, Outdoor Edge brings something fresh to this genre with the ParaClaw CQD Watch. It combines three essential survival tools: a paracord bracelet that can be disassembled for various lashing duties, a 1.5-inch stainless steel hawkbill blade that can act as a last-ditch self-defense tool, and a water-resistant timepiece that has several survival uses, including help with navigation. The watch comes in either a zinc alloy body or the more expensive stainless steel version. Both have Japanese quartz movement, mineral glass, and a titanium PVD coating.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-KEYPORT-05.JPG

Make & Model
Keyport Slide 3.0

MSRP
Starting at $39

URL
mykeyport.com

Notes
While most everyday-carry gear has gotten slimmer, lighter, and smarter, keychains have pretty much stayed the same for decades. House keys, office keys, car key fobs — all bunched together on a ring that’s then crammed into your pocket. The Keyport Slide 3.0 aims to change all that. This compact device organizes your keys in a single rectangular device that allows for one-handed operation. To access a specific key, just slide it out by pushing on the color-coordinated button with your thumb. And because the Slide is modular, you can swap in optional tools like a blade, mini flashlight, or flash drive (though they’re sold separately). Available with either four or six ports for tools.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-WAZOO-02.JPG

Make & Model
Wazoo Survival Gear Bushcraft Fire Starter Leather Necklace

Pendant Colors
Black, White

MSRP
$29

URL
wazoosurvivalgear.com

Notes
Wazoo Survival Gear makes some innovative wilderness tools that sometimes look good with your urban attire. Take the Bushcraft Fire Starter Leather Necklace for example. Wazoo updates the ancient flint-and-steel concept with modern-day aesthetics by attaching a small ferro rod to a white zirconia ceramic pendant using a 1/8-inch-round leather cord. Handcrafted in Texas, the necklace has a sliding double fisherman’s knot that adjusts from 14 to 26 inches. The result is a life-saving tool that’s disguised as discreet jewelry.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-CESTUS-06.JPG

Make & Model
Cestus Security Services Stinger

Weight
2.6 ounces

MSRP
$40

URL
instagram.com/cestus_ss

Notes
No, this isn’t some strange spanner from the U.K. or prop from a sci-fi movie. The Stinger is a karambit-inspired multitool that has six functions: bottle opener, glass-breaker, hex wrench, multi-hex bit driver, the arrow-shaped slot can hold a tool bit (and held in place with rubber washers or paracord), and the hook can hold pots over a campfire or gear on a tree branch. The fact that it’s a single 5.1-inch piece of stainless steel with a retention ring also makes it great for a seventh role: improvised impact weapon.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-RITE-02.JPG

Make & Model
Rite in the Rain Side-Spiral Notebook

Dimensions
4.625 by 7 inches

MSRP
$7

URL
riteintherain.com

Notes
In an emergency situation, you generally don’t want your tools to camouflage into the background — especially in a crisis when you might need them quickly. The same can be said about your writing instruments. Think drawing a map of your bug-out route, posting signs for search-and-rescue to find you, or leaving a coded message for your survival group. Rite in the Rain— the pioneers of waterproof ink and paper — recently released a series of notebooks with Blaze Orange Polydura covers. The tough, high-visibility covers help your pad standout if you accidentally dropped it at the jobsite, your campsite, or on the hunting trail. This Side-Spiral Notebook has 64 all-weather paper and an impact-resistant Wire-O binding that won’t lose its shape.

OFGP-181200-GEARUP-HEMISPHERE-04.JPG

Make & Model
Hemisphere Coffee Roasters Hunter’s Blend

Weight
12 ounces

MSRP
$13

URL
hemispherecoffeeroasters.com

Notes
There are few things the owners of Hemisphere Coffee Roasters love just as much as espresso beans. Hunting just happens to be one of them. As avid hunters themselves, the folks at this Ohio-based company decided it was time to roast up a brew that wouldn’t just taste good, but also fuel them for their next pursuit into the backcountry. Enter the Hunter’s Blend. This pick-me-up is roasted from responsibly sourced beans in a direct-trade business model, the company says, allowing them to acquire quality products in places like Peru, Kenya, and Indonesia while also helping to create hundreds of jobs in local farming communities. Available in whole-bean or ground-bean bags, the coffee is roasted in small batches to retain freshness.

More From Issue 28

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 27

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Video: Distilling Water with Two Glass Bottles

Written by

Finding a source of potable water is one of the top priorities in any survival situation, but this is especially challenging in coastal areas, on small islands, or at sea. Drinking seawater is extremely harmful to your body as a result of its high level of dissolved salts, and boiling seawater will only concentrate its salt content. The most practical method of processing seawater into drinkable fresh water is distillation.

Photo: Alessandro Caproni / Flickr

Distilling water traps pure steam as condensation, while excluding minerals such as salt. Since distillation is accomplished boiling the water, it's also an effective method of destroying harmful bacteria, protozoan cysts, and viruses that may be present in the water. For more information on the waterborne pathogens seawater contains, refer to our article “Debunked: Preventing Infection by Rinsing with Seawater”. Distillation can even be used to produce drinkable water from urine, unlike most other filtration and purification methods which cannot remove the dissolved salts.

Distill water seawater salt ocean survival purifier glass bottle 1

An example of a simple copper still that can be used to distill water or produce moonshine.

When we think of distilling water, we often envision the large copper stills and networks of coiled tubes used to produce alcohol. These would provide an ideal way to distill water, but it's unlikely you'll have access to such equipment, especially in a survival situation. Fortunately, it's possible to distill water in smaller quantities using scavenged items.

Distill water seawater salt ocean survival purifier glass bottle 4

In the following video, YouTuber NightHawkInLight shows how to distill water using two standard-sized glass bottles. He also adds metal trays and some sand to help act as heat sinks — this keeps the hot side evenly-heated and dissipates heat from the cool side. However, these additions aren't strictly necessary. Check out the full video below:

Review: PWS MK107 MOD 2-M 7.62×39 Pistol

Written by

For those living the prepared lifestyle, ammunition shortages during a time of crisis are one of the biggest concerns. It’s ideal to have stockpiles of ammunition on hand prior to such events, but if the situation is bad enough, those stockpiles will eventually be depleted. You could find yourself scrounging for whatever ammunition you can find. Having a gun that runs on a food source that’s highly available and effective for survival use will up the odds in your favor should the SHTF.

5.56 NATO is plentiful and easy to find in the United States, but it has some disadvantages. Although the 5.56 NATO has a flat trajectory and is fairly accurate over distance, its energy bleed-off limits its application to smaller game. Barrier penetration is also limited with this light and fast round, and ballistics suffer when used in a short-barrel weapon, which is probably what you’ll want in a SHTF scenario where mobility is key to survival.

Having originated in the former Soviet Union as an intermediate cartridge, the 7.62×39 is one of the most used cartridges throughout the world today. Ammunition is plentiful and ranges from steel-cased, FMJ surplus to high-grade, polymer-tipped variations, with bullet weights ranging between around 122 to 150 grains. Many excellent 7.62×39 loads, including hunting and defensive rounds, are available — please see Issue 26 of RECOIL for a buyer's guide.

The 7.62×39 has been highly regarded as an excellent close-quarters round. On average, the 7.62×39 produces about 220 foot-pounds more muzzle energy than the 5.56, giving it a distinct advantage in kinetic energy delivered on target that continues out to about 200 yards. It also offers better ballistics out of a short barrel and a lot more power for penetrating barriers, making it an effective round for close-quarters combat applications.

IMG_7260.CR2

Primary Weapons Systems (PWS) has combined the usefulness of the 7.62×39 in a compact and trusted platform with their newly upgraded MK107 MOD 2-M Pistol. With its potential as a grab-and-go weapon that packs the punch of a .30-caliber projectile in bountiful supply, the “Diablo” as it has been nicknamed, demanded our attention. Here are our observations and what we learned when we put pin to primer.

Receivers

The MOD 2-M upper features a forged 7075 aluminum receiver with handsome aesthetics. Forged aluminum is stronger than cast or billet because of the continuous grain structure that results during the forging process, so this is a definite plus for the MOD 2-M.

The 7.75-inch Isonite QPQ-finished chromoly barrel with a 1-10 twist is capped off with a PWS CQB Compensator. The CQB Comp was developed for military and law enforcement units operating indoors and in close proximity, and specially designed to redirect sound forward rather than to the side like most compensators. This feature not only improves overall weapon control, but also keeps you on speaking terms with your friends and teammates when you have to shoot next to them.

The barrel and piston system are housed inside a free-floating handguard that incorporates Primary Weapons Systems’ PicLok technology. This unique handguard design provides M-LOK mounting capabilities along the sides and bottom with integrated Picatinny rail segments on the forward portions for direct mounting of hard products. This keeps the handguard very sleek by having rail where you need it most, while offering room for expansion as needed.

The forged MOD 2-M lower receiver is enhanced with recessed ambidextrous controls that are thoughtfully placed in intuitive locations. These include a left-side magazine release lever located just in front of the trigger guard and a right-side bolt release placed slightly above and to the rear of the magazine release. A Radian Talon ambidextrous safety selector completes the ensemble with a modular short/long throw lever that can be modified from the standard 90 degrees to a 45-degree short throw.

A disassembled view of the MOD 2-M reveals the configuration of the PWS long-stroke piston operating system.

A disassembled view of the MOD 2-M reveals the configuration of the PWS long-stroke piston operating system.

The driver seat of the MOD 2-M is a BCM Gunfighter Grip Mod 3, which offers a reduced angle and high-rise beavertail backstrap for improved ergonomics and trigger control. A BCM polished nickel teflon enhanced Mil-spec trigger assembly offers a crisp pull and clean reset with zero over-travel. PWS also went the distance and eliminated the traditional pinned AR flat trigger guard in exchange for a solid, oversized trigger guard.

The buffer tube is covered with a Pistol Mounted Solutions Pistol Storage Device, which can be configured to store a variety of items, such as a secondary magazine, tourniquet, IFAK, etc. According to a BATFE ruling, it doesn’t change an AR pistol’s classification to a short-barreled rifle (SBR), even if used to brace the pistol against the shoulder.

Operating System

The MOD 2-M uses the PWS long-stroke piston operating system. For those who might not be familiar with this type of operating system, it's similar to the direct impingement system found on most AR-style rifles. However, rather than being channeled through a gas tube where it proceeds to act directly upon the bolt carrier, the hot gas created when the weapon is fired moves into a gas chamber, where it acts upon the front of a piston to drive the bolt carrier to the rear.

Intuitively placed ambidextrous controls improve functionality for right- and left-handed operation.

Intuitively placed ambidextrous controls improve functionality for right- and left-handed operation.

The MOD 2-M has a three-position adjustable gas system to function correctly with gas pressures that can vary with ammunition and suppressor use. Position 1 is the default position used when firing unsuppressed. Position 2 is for running low-power ammo through a suppressed barrel. Position 3 is for normal suppressor use with standard-power ammunition, or when running high-powered ammunition. This feature allows you to fine-tune the gun’s gas system for optimal performance.

What might be one of the best features on the entire gun is the enhanced buffer tube with a ratcheting castle nut. The castle nut is a weak point on the AR platform. It keeps the buffer tube and the lower receiver end plate in place. With this design, the castle nut ratchets against a detent, eliminating the need for staking.

Rounding out the ambidextrous design of the MOD 2-M is the Radian Raptor charging handle. The Raptor allows you to cycle the bolt using your palm or thumb-and-finger from either side of the gun, while its V-shaped design is less likely to catch on your kit than some of the other upgraded charging handles on the market.

The 20-, 28-, and 30-round 7.62x39 magazines from C Products Defense provided a reliable feeding system for the MOD 2-M.

The 20-, 28-, and 30-round 7.62×39 magazines from C Products Defense provided a reliable feeding system for the...

One thing AR enthusiasts are sure to notice is the elimination of the forward assist from the MOD 2-M receiver. While this is sure to stir controversy among die-hard SPORTS fans, PWS concluded after over 10 years of piston system testing that the forward assist is unnecessary. Most schools of modern gunfighting have gotten away from the tactic of forcing the bolt forward in favor of a more diagnostic approach, so the absence of a forward assist shouldn’t be an issue. For the occasional press check or to quietly chamber a round, the bolt carrier can be assisted into battery using the original AR forward assist, the thumb notch on the bolt carrier group.

Rounds Downrange

We paired the MOD 2-M with a Vortex Crossfire 2 MOA red dot sight before heading to the range. This proved to be a good match, as our windage was almost centered right out of the box. All we had to do was come up 4 inches in elevation, and we were dead on at 25 yards.

The MOD 2-M shot groups under 2 MOA at 50 yards and 2.5 MOA at 100 yards out of its 7.75-inch barrel using 123gr Hornady SST.

The MOD 2-M shot groups under 2 MOA at 50 yards and 2.5 MOA at 100 yards out of its 7.75-inch barrel using 123gr...

Hornady sent us a few hundred rounds of their premium 123gr SST Black ammunition, along with some 123gr SST Steel Cased ammunition to use in our testing. Both yielded excellent accuracy results out of the MOD 2-M. At 25 yards, we consistently shot one-hole, five-round groups that measured 0.5 inch at worst. Those groups widened just a tad when we moved to 50 yards, our worst group holding a 1-inch spread.

After moving back to the 100-yard line, we dropped our elevation 6 MOA to put us in the bull’s-eye and shot numerous five-round groups. Accuracy at this range held at roughly 2.5 MOA. Given this weapon’s configuration, we were plenty pleased.

Although the gun itself shot and functioned very well, the weakness in the platform is definitely the ammunition source. The 30-round Ammunition Storage Components magazine provided with the gun had some issues right out of the gate. Fifteen rounds was the most we could comfortably load into it.

The MOD 2-M in full bug-out configuration with the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot sight and C Products 20-round magazine for tight urban movement.

The MOD 2-M in full bug-out configuration with the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot sight and C Products 20-round magazine for...

With a lot of persuasive spine-tapping and brute force, we were able to cram 25 rounds inside, but the magazine didn’t like that one bit. The spring and follower would bind up, allowing rounds to fall freely out of the magazine. As a result of these magazine issues, the gun experienced multiple failures to feed during initial live-fire testing. PWS was quick to replace the bad magazine after we notified them about the problem. The two new ASC mags they sent loaded to capacity and ran pretty well aside from an occasional failure to feed that was quickly remedied with a tap and a rack.

Running 7.62×39 out of modified AR magazines has posed a significant challenge over the years with these types of 7.62×39 ARs, undermining confidence in them for defensive or survival use. One of the problems that doesn’t want to go away is the tendency for the cartridge rims to hang up on the extractor grooves of the cartridges below. Giving the mag a couple of good raps on the spine during loading to seat the cartridges all the way to the back helps prevent this issue. Some new mags require a break-in period before they'll hold a full complement of rounds. Even afterward, depending on the individual magazine, 28 rounds might be the max functional capacity of a 30-rounder.

To be as thorough as possible, we obtained three additional magazines from C Products Defense, one of the only other manufacturers of 7.62×39 AR magazines. They sent us a 30-, 28-, and 20-round magazine. These magazines performed exceptionally well with the MOD 2-M. Each one loaded smoothly and to full capacity right out of the box, running without a single malfunction. They would definitely be our magazines of choice for this particular platform. Stock up on them — you won't find a lot of these mags as battlefield pickups, so you'll need to hang on to and take care of them in a crisis situation.

The repeated malfunctions with the original defective magazine gave us a chance to operate the ambidextrous controls to their full extent. The ambi controls are placed to give the left-handed shooter the luxury of operating the gun in a manner that closely mirrors right-handed operation, providing optimal ergonomics no matter which hand you use. Ripping the magazine out can be done with one hand if necessary, since the left-side mag release is located in front of the trigger guard, midline with the trigger. This makes for an easy transition from the bolt catch (left side only) to the mag release when locking the bolt to the rear during a malfunction, since the right hand is occupied with the charging handle.

IMG_7211.CR2

Conclusion

The PWS MK107 MOD 2-M Pistol is an excellent choice for a grab-and-go weapon. Paired with a discreet carrying case like the Hazard 4 Dropshot “tennis racket” case, the MOD 2-M Pistol can be easily carried through an urban setting without drawing unwanted attention. Once you get your magazines sorted, the terminal ballistics and abundance of 7.62×39 ammunition, the reliability and ergonomics of the trusted AR platform, and the quality delivered by Primary Weapons Systems are a hard combination to beat when all hell breaks loose.

Whether you’re looking for a compact weapon to have on hand as part of your bug-out supplies, or a trunk gun to add some additional firepower to your get-home plan, take a look at the MK107 MOD 2-M Pistol.

Specifications

PWS MK107 MOD 2-M

Caliber
7.62×39

Barrel Length
7.75 inches

OAL
24.75 to 28.25 inches

Magazine Capacity
30

Weight
5 pounds, 10 ounces

MSRP
$1,850

URL
primaryweapons.com (also available at fortresstactical.com)

Magazine
C Products Defense – cpdmags.com

Case
Hazard 4 Dropshot – $140 – hazard4.com

More From Issue 28

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 27

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Pocket Preps: Individual First Aid Kits (IFAK)

Written by

WARNING: This article is intended to be a quick overview and not a detailed guide on emergency medical treatment. Before relying on any IFAK, tourniquet, or other piece of medical gear, you should thoroughly research its efficacy and seek training on its proper use. Always seek professional medical treatment first before attempting any trauma care techniques.

According to BleedingControl.org, a federally sponsored medical education campaign, uncontrolled bleeding is the number-one cause of preventable death from trauma. In situations where a traumatic injury has occurred, the ability to slow blood loss often makes the difference between life and death. This outcome may be decided in three to five minutes before professional medical personnel can arrive on scene, and that’s why it’s essential for individuals on-site to control bleeding as soon as possible.

Whether you’re dealing with a badly broken limb while hiking on a remote trail, a gunshot wound at the range, the aftermath of a violent car crash, or a mass-casualty terrorist attack, you certainly won’t want to do so empty-handed. An individual first aid kit, or IFAK, can give you the tools you need to stop blood loss and save lives — including your own. IFAKs are available in a variety of sizes and configurations, but given the everyday-carry–oriented theme of Pocket Preps, we’ll be focusing on ultra-compact kits.

We collected and evaluated six premade kits for this guide. At a minimum, each of these kits contains a tourniquet, which will serve as the most important tool for stopping life-threatening blood loss as a result of wounds to extremities. The kits also include ancillary items for treating serious wounds, such as hemostatic gauze to aid in clot formation and elastic compression dressings (often referred to as Israeli bandages) to maintain pressure.

Although no one wants to encounter a situation where these items are necessary, you’ll be glad you have them if that catastrophic day ever comes. Read on to see if one of these IFAKs has a place in your EDC loadout.

Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Kit NOW! Basic

Blue Force Gear Micro Trauma Now IFAK

Dimensions
5.2 by 3.1 by 2.6 inches

Weight
9.7 ounces

MSRP
$129

URL
blueforcegear.com

Notes
This kit is available with either a nylon belt-mount pouch or MOLLE-compatible pouch in your choice of several colors, and with either basic or advanced medical supplies. We opted for the basic belt-mount kit. This configuration includes a Tourni-Quik TK4, a minimalist elastic tourniquet that has been deployed with the U.S. Marine Corps and Special Forces. (For those who wish to also carry a standard C-A-T or SOFTT, Blue Force Gear offers a matching Tourniquet NOW! carrier.) The kit also has a hemostatic gauze dressing, a compression dressing, six strips of medical tape, and a pair of large gloves. These contents are housed in a quick-deploy insert, which can be removed from the belt carrier by pulling a tab on either side. The exterior panel features a laser-cut cross symbol with three interchangeable inserts — glow-in-the-dark reflector, red, and black.

OFGP-181200-POCKET-02.jpg

Pros:

  • Removable insert provides fast one-handed access to contents
  • Nylon belt carrier is well-made, and its belt loops can be removed if you prefer to carry in a pocket.

Cons:

  • Supplies aren’t pre-loaded into the carrier
  • The carrier is too small for a windlass tourniquet, and even the TK4 is a very tight fit. Per the instructions, its plastic wrapper must be removed.

Tactical Medical Solutions Pocket Medical Kit (PMK)

OFGP-181200-POCKET-09.jpg

Dimensions
6 by 5.2 by 1.4 inches

Weight
10.1 ounces

MSRP
$53

URL
tacmedsolutions.com

Notes
TacMed Solutions was founded in 2003 by a Special Forces medic who created the original SOF Tactical Tourniquet (SOFTT). That tourniquet is one of two windlass models approved for use in combat by the Department of Defense and the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (the other is the C-A-T). TacMed Solutions’ Pocket Medical Kit includes the Wide variant of this tourniquet, the SOFTT-W, with a high-visibility rescue orange strap. It also contains an Esmark elastic compression bandage, a Beacon chest seal, gloves, and compressed gauze. For $99, the kit is available with Combat Gauze instead of the non-hemostatic variety. The entire kit is tightly sealed in a plastic pouch and slips easily into the pocket on a pair of pants, a shirt, or a jacket.

OFGP-181200-POCKET-10.jpg

Pros:

  • Flat vacuum-packed kit fits comfortably into the back pocket of a pair of jeans.
  • With a wide strap, quick-release buckle, and metal windlass, the SOFTT-W is an excellent tourniquet choice

Cons:

  • Unlike other compression dressings discussed in this article, the Esmark bandage doesn’t contain an additional absorbent sterile pad.

MyMedic Solo Advanced

OFGP-181200-POCKET-03.jpg

Dimensions
6.5 by 4.3 by 1.7 inches

Weight
13.9 ounces

MSRP
$70

URL
mymedic.us

Notes
Bridging the gap between an IFAK and a wilderness first aid kit, the MyMedic Solo includes a wide range of items for life-threatening and non-life–threatening scenarios. A $40 Basic kit is available, but we chose the Solo Advanced. It features a RATS tourniquet, which uses a metal cleat to lock the nylon-covered rubber strap in place around a limb. It also features a stainless steel Readyman Medical Card with breakaway fish hooks and other micro tools, as well as a vial of Liquid Skin cut sealant. The other contents, which are common to both Basic and Advanced kits, include adhesive bandages, pain and allergy meds, antibiotic ointment, burn gel, and sunscreen. There’s even a whistle and 10 feet of paracord. The supplies are contained in a waterproof polymer case. MyMedic also offers the kit in a soft pouch.

OFGP-181200-POCKET-04.jpg

Pros:

  • Contains a tourniquet plus many other helpful supplies for less-dire situations
  • Waterproof case is durable, reusable, and spacious enough for a few extras (e.g. water purification tablets).

Cons:

  • Lacks gauze and a compression dressing — this kit is clearly geared toward minor injuries rather than life-threatening trauma
  • Too large and rigid to fit comfortably in most apparel pockets.

North American Rescue M-FAK Basic with Combat Gauze

North American Rescue M-FAK IFAK

Dimensions
6.2 by 3 by 3.5 inches

Weight
13.2 ounces

MSRP
$160

URL
narescue.com

Notes
North American Rescue is a leading name in bleeding control products for military, law enforcement, EMS, and community preparedness applications. The company offers numerous medical supplies, including the ubiquitous Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T), which has been the official tourniquet of the U.S. Army since 2005. Unsurprisingly, the NAR Mini First Aid Kit (M-FAK) is centered around a C-A-T tourniquet. The kit also includes the company’s Emergency Trauma Dressing, a twin pack of chest seals, and a pair of nitrile gloves. The standard kit includes plain rolled gauze, but we opted for Combat Gauze. Each M-FAK is housed in a zippered nylon pouch. A staple and stand out IFAK.

OFGP-181200-POCKET-06.jpg

Pros:

  • The C-A-T is currently standard-issue for the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
  • Chest seals enable you to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating injuries.

Cons:

  • The cylindrical pouch feels bulky in a cargo pocket, and should ideally be carried horizontally on belts up to 3 inches wide or vertically on MOLLE-compatible packs.

Rescue Essentials Public Access Bleeding Control Module

OFGP-181200-POCKET-07.jpg

Dimensions
7 by 3.6 by 2.8 inches

Weight
9.9 ounces

MSRP
$55

URL
rescue-essentials.com

Notes
This IFAK was designed to comply with the Department of Homeland Security’s “Stop the Bleed” campaign, which aims to educate and equip members of the public to save lives in emergencies and mass casualty situations. As indicated by its name, the Public Access Bleeding Control Module is intended to be simple to use and includes clear instructions for inexperienced users. It contains a C-A-T tourniquet, PerSys Medical WoundStop pressure dressing, two packs of compressed gauze, nitrile gloves, trauma shears, and a Sharpie marker for marking the time when the tourniquet was applied. These items are contained in a clear plastic wrapper with expiration date label (our sample read June 2025).

OFGP-181200-POCKET-08.jpg

Pros:

  • Instruction sheet with clear diagrams makes this kit usable by anyone, regardless of training level or experience.
  • Sharpie marker is helpful, and beats the alternative of writing TQ application time on a patient’s forehead in blood.

Cons:

  • Lacks hemostatic gauze option
  • Rescue Essentials’ site doesn’t give kit dimensions, and weight is incorrectly listed as 1 pound

The Tactical Medic Micro Kit Mk-2

OFGP-181200-POCKET-11.jpg

Dimensions
6.1 by 2.9 by 1.3 inches

Weight
5.5 ounces

MSRP
$30

URL
thetacticalmedic.com

Notes
At roughly the same size as a standard AR-15 magazine, the TTM Micro Kit lives up to its name. Three variants are available — we selected the Mk-2 kit, which adds a TK4 tourniquet. If a chest seal is desired, you’ll want the Mk-3. Each kit also includes a pack of QuikClot hemostatic gauze, a PerSys Medical WoundStop pressure dressing, a roll of tape, and a pair of gloves. By default, the kit comes in a sealed clear plastic container that’s ideal for standalone pocket carry. If you prefer to carry on a belt, TTM also offers a simple nylon pouch with hook-and-loop closure for $10 extra.

OFGP-181200-POCKET-12.jpg

Pros:

  • Smallest and lightest of all the kits in this guide
  • Slim rectangular shape is convenient for carry in a pocket or standard magazine pouch

Cons:

  • While the TK4 makes this kit extremely compact, it’s a compromise. We’d much rather rely on the ease of application and consistent results of a standard windlass tourniquet.

More From Issue 28

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 27

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

Fluid Thinking: Long-Term Water Storage for Survival

Written by

Water. It’s so essential to life that in a matter of three days or less, most human beings will die without it. Depending on age and gender, the human body is made up of between 50- and 75-percent water. Nevertheless, many of us take water for granted. The latest medical statistics show that about three quarters of Americans are frequently dehydrated, shocking given our country’s widespread availability of clean water. The tragedy, however, is that for many in this world, procuring potable water is an all-day chore, making it a resource more valuable than gold.

What most Americans don’t realize is that our world is in a serious water shortage crisis. Seventy percent of our planet is covered by water, so it may be easy to think that this resource will always be plentiful. Fresh water, the water we drink and bathe in, is very rare, by comparison. Only 3 percent of our water sources on Earth are made up of fresh water, according to the United Nations. Most of that fraction can only be found in glaciers, making it fairly inaccessible.

River Oil Spill

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) estimates that almost 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water, while another 3 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Many in the world are exposed to water-borne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, while over 2 million people — most of whom are children — die each year from diarrhea due to water-borne pathogens. By 2025, the UN estimates that almost two thirds of the world’s population will live in areas of the world that suffer water scarcity as our ecosystem adversely changes. This growing problem can be attributed to several factors.

Causes of Water Scarcity

Climate Change
Over the past few decades, we’ve seen an increase in volatile weather patterns and changes in our water supply throughout the world. While some regions may suffer an increase in flooding, others may experience increased droughts. As glaciers continue to melt, freshwater supplies to downstream communities are often affected. The combination of climate changes may cause less water to be available for agriculture, and decreased energy generation for cities and ecosystems around the world.

Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, believes that there’s a significant correlation between climate change and water scarcity. “Perhaps the greatest compounding factor of existing infectious diseases will be climate change. Climate change will affect soil moisture, which affects the size of harvest, even as increased heat decreases the nutritional value of foods, including the protein content of wheat and rice. The specific effects of global climate change in any given location will vary from drought leading to desertification to rising seawater, leading to massive flooding.”

water pollution in river.

Industrial pollution continues to contaminate clean water supplies and contribute to ongoing water shortages around the...

Pollution
From pesticides to untreated human wastewater, water pollution is on the rise in the world. Many sources of groundwater are also seeing an increase in contamination as many industrial chemicals leach into underground aquifers. High levels of pollutants can immediately make people sick and cause massive illness outbreaks. Their effects can also be long-lasting and overlooked for years, in which case the damage has already been done to our environment and health.

Agriculture
The world’s agricultural system utilizes over 70 percent of its freshwater supply, but over 60 percent of this water is wasted due to faulty irrigation systems, inefficient water application methods, and the cultivation of crops that are too thirsty for their given environments. The inefficient use of agricultural water thus dries out the world’s rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, making some countries in danger of reaching their water resource limit. Add to this the high amounts of pollution due to fertilizers and pesticides, and it becomes clear that increasing harm to our environment and society are soon to follow.

Population Growth
In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled in size, along with its drain on the planet’s resources due to industrialization and increased world hunger. Dr. Khan notes that, “More and more people move to urban areas, creating megacities that dwarf the likes of New York and London, some with peri-urban slums where people live in proximity to livestock. Meanwhile, population growth in general, along with the choices that people make about land use, has led to increasing encroachment on open spaces and disruption of ecosystems.” Because populations tend to build around sources of water, the increase in the world’s population has stressed its water basins, therefore decreasing the availability of fresh water to the planet.

Natural Disaster
Although not necessarily a factor for long-term water shortage, natural disasters adversely affect communities in the short term, often resulting in increased disease transmission and pollution. History provides countless examples of how the lack of freshwater has destroyed civilizations and communities, but Puerto Rico’s devastation due to Hurricane Maria serves as a prime example of how natural disasters can decimate local freshwater supplies.

Water shortages typically accompany the aftermath of natural disasters and often lead to water-borne disease outbreaks.

Moreover, hurricanes aren’t the only destructive force that can cause a water crisis. In 2010, Haiti experienced one of the worst earthquakes in the world’s history, killing more than 92,000 civilians. Of those who died, close to 10,000 died from a cholera outbreak due to unsanitary water conditions. This is particularly due to the 890,000 Haitians who were displaced after the disaster, which in turn stressed an already weak freshwater infrastructure. This furthers the evidence that human displacement and migration only add to the scarcity of fresh water.

Why Store Fresh Water?

For many Americans, the need to store fresh water might be extremely low on their daily list of priorities. With many disasters, nothing is a priority until we don’t have it. But what if we don’t experience an Armageddon-style event, and the problem is subtle, gradual, and causing collateral damage? The 2011 California six-year drought put many of the state’s farmers out of business and devastated its ecosystem. In turn, the world food industry suffered a major economic blow due to California’s drought conditions, thus raising food industry prices throughout the world … all because water was scarce in one state.

Disasters and water scarcity, though, are as varied as the regions they affect. Survival expert and author Creek Stewart notes that, “The only event that people should have real concern with are the natural disasters that happen in their areas routinely. It’s typically natural disasters that lead to some sort of water disruption, whether that’s the loss of local utilities or the pollution of a community’s water supply. Typically, a lack of water stems from a lack of electricity or a grid-down scenario that is directly tied to a natural disaster.”

Because we should have a good idea of what disasters may affect us based on where we hang our hat, we can plan ahead for how readily we should store water and in what amounts. Whether it be the loss of power for several weeks or toxic contamination as seen with high levels of lead in Flint, Michigan’s water supply, every American can and should find a reason to store emergency water in their homes.

Water Storage Options

There are several ways that we can store fresh water in our homes based on a variety of budgets, a little ingenuity, and some education on storage and filtration principles. At a minimum, people need about 1 gallon of water per day, the recommended amount according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Everyone should consider what his or her basic needs are, and if we tracked every drop, we’d probably be surprised at how much water we consume each day.

Beyond basic drinking water, most of us should factor in activities such as hand washing, sanitation, cooking, bathing, and washing our clothes. Storage of water should also be realistically taken into account depending on where we live. Jonathan Yoder, from the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the CDC, emphasizes the importance of water storage based on our residence of choice: “I think that there could be different considerations of water storage based on where you live. If you live in the desert and there are no streams, and every bit of water you have has to be stored, then that would be a different consideration than if you lived in a place in the country with a stream nearby, and you have a means to filter that water. This would be an example of understanding your environment in terms of adequate and safe water storage.”

Water storage should also be increased for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. It’s also important to remember that our pets need water, and should be considered when developing a daily water usage plan. Keep at least two week’s worth of drinkable water based on your needs analysis. Yoder also suggests that water should be stored in “containers meant for water, be it buckets or bladders specifically designed to store only water. They should also be food-grade containers. You certainly wouldn’t want something that has had chemicals in it or other things that could be harmful or have a bad taste or odor.”

Continued climate change causes flooding, which also can disrupt clean water supplies.

Continued climate change causes flooding, which also can disrupt clean water supplies.

To properly store our water, there are several food-grade options to consider, each with their pros and cons:

Stackable Water Containers

Most of these water containers are made with heavy-duty, dark plastic (typically blue) and can be stacked on top of each other to save room. Each container typically contains a spigot and handle to easily transport and dispense water, usually coming in 5- to 7-gallon capacities. Most stackable containers can be found in the camping section of almost any department store and average between $15 and $20 a piece. Be careful not to get overzealous with stacking them though. Stacking too many can result in containers at the bottom cracking under the weight.

Some water storage containers, such as this JerryCan 10000UF from Life- Saver, have integrated filters.

Some water storage containers, such as this JerryCan 10000UF from LifeSaver, have integrated filters.

Collapsible Water Containers

The benefit of a collapsible water container is the obvious storage capability. Much like stackable containers, they’re usually fitted with a spigot and handle. Because the containers are collapsible, the materials used aren’t as rigid as more permanent water containers. While most hold 3 to 5 gallons, owners should make sure that they don’t overfill them as the increased pressure can possibly make them rupture with long-term use.

Bladders

Most home-use water bladders are typically large, can fit inside sinks or bathtubs, and store large amounts of water. Many bathtub water bladders can store up to 100 gallons and come with kits to siphon the water out. The drawback is two-fold: First, it monopolizes an entire bathtub until drained, so hopefully families have more than one bathtub or shower to use. Second, once filled, don’t make any plans to move the bladder until the water is drained, since a full bathtub bladder may weigh well over 100 pounds. There are water bladders on the market that are more heavy duty and can be stored outside, but the tradeoff of losing integrity of the material due to heat, or potentially puncturing it, should be considered.

Long term water storage survival shtf disaster prep filter purifier bleach boiling 2

Above: Check out our previous review of this bathtub water storage kit from AquaPodKit.

2-Liter Soda Bottles

Two-liter soda bottles are a fantastic way to store water cheaply. If you live in the city or a small apartment, 2-liter soda bottles can be collected, washed out thoroughly, filled with water, and stored with relative ease in a closet or food pantry. The plastic of the 2-liter soda bottle is also made of longer-lasting material than most milk jugs we buy from our local grocery stores.

Rain Barrels

Some stored water isn’t suitable to drink without proper filtration and purification, but can be used for non-potable purposes, such as plant irrigation. Utilizing barrels that collect rainwater is a great option for collecting non-consumable water. Rain barrels come in a variety of sizes and styles.

Water storage tanks can be hooked up to your rain gutters to collect water for plant irrigation.

Water storage tanks can be hooked up to your rain gutters to collect water for plant irrigation.

Heavy-Duty Water Barrel

A 55-gallon blue barrel is made of rigid, food-grade plastic and can store enough water for almost two months for an individual. Creek Stewart notes that, “In the past 10 years, the market has exploded in options for water storage. If I were to choose a way for a family to store water, it would be in a 55-gallon food grade drum. The price of the drum itself is very affordable, and they’re sold in ready-to-go kits that are offered in a number of major retailers that can run you anywhere from $100 to $179.” If you have a family, you can upgrade to either add more blue barrels, or dish out the change for an upgraded version of a heavy-duty water container that holds several hundred gallons. Just be sure that once you select your heavy-duty water containment site, you stick a fork in it and call it done, because once it’s filled, it’ll take the strength of Samson to move it.

Storing Water Long-Term

Yoder suggests, “Store your water in a place that’s dark and cool, which limits the amount of sunlight coming into it. This preserves the water as long as possible, because if the water warms up, the water degrades much quicker than if kept cool.” Creek Stewart agrees and adds, “The number-one factor in storing water long-term is temperature. You always want to store water in a cool, dry place. Under a stairwell, or a closet, but the basement is best. You never want to store water in an attic or a garage where it’s going to be really hot.”

Both the CDC and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) urge that water that hasn’t been commercially bottled should be replaced every six months. In addition, check the expiration date on purchased water to ensure that the product is of the safest value to you and loved ones.

Long-term water storage isn’t just for lone survivalists and those preparing for the apocalypse. It boils down to promoting good common sense that each one of us should follow. Although the water in our homes is generally safe, Yoder reminds us about what we take for granted on tap: “There are times when a water main breaks or water gets contaminated, so it’s a good idea for people to store water.” Yoder, Creek Stewart, and Khan all see the writing on the wall when it comes to the increasing scarcity of the Earth’s fresh water supply.

Yoder continues, “I think that there are some clues that people should look out for, and use that as a reminder to store up what they and their family might need. I think that it’s certainly prudent for people to have water stored up for any kind of occasion.” Stagnant thinking is much like stagnant water. It goes nowhere and leads to diseased thoughts. If the human-race is to get ahead of the world’s water crisis, it’ll take personal diligence to ensure our long-term water storage needs are met for ourselves and loved ones. It’ll also take flexible and forward acts of conservation by all of us to ensure others in this world share the same luxury of fresh water as we do.

Filtration & Purification Methods

Water filters and purifiers can remove or kill microscopic pathogens in water.

Water filters and purifiers can remove or kill microscopic pathogens in water.

Filtering Water
Maybe you’ve thought ahead and decided to store your water long before a disaster hits. Bravo! For many people, storing water only becomes a concern in the days or hours immediately preceding a disaster. In a true emergency, or after the disaster has happened, people attempt to obtain their water in the worst of conditions, which is typically unsanitary and non-potable at the time.

Disasters rarely grant us the forewarning needed to secure our basic survival needs if we haven’t prepared ahead of time. For those in this situation, unless provided by the government, nonprofit disaster relief organization, or the best of good Samaritans, the water that’s collected will more than likely need to be filtered and purified before it can be used for drinking — especially if the water source is unknown.

Purifying Water
Many make the mistake of thinking that filtering water is the same as purifying water. This misunderstanding often means the difference between staying hydrated and losing your fluids through bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Micro-filtering can remove many harmful bacteria and protozoan cysts, but it doesn’t eliminate the viruses that cause diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.

Chemical Purifiers
There are several chemical purifiers that can be purchased, such as purification tablets and iodine. “They’re all different,” says survival instructor Creek Stewart. “Some only purify a liter, some do five gallons, so it’s really important to read the instructions on the type of chemical purifiers that you’re using. Also, chemical purifiers in general only work in clear water. They don’t work on water that’s milky or cloudy, or has silt, where it’s a lot less effective. The second thing about chemical purification tablets is that they don’t work immediately. They typically take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for the purifiers to affect the water they’re treating.” Jonathan Yoder adds to Stewart’s sentiment on chemical purifiers. “You also have chlorine dioxide tablets and iodine, but you certainly don’t want to use iodine for an extended amount of time. It’s very much for short periods.”

Chlorine Purification
One common method of purifying water is to add a small amount of household bleach. To ensure that you retain the highest level of purification, only use regular, unscented chlorine bleach that’s intended for disinfection as the label indicates. Users of household bleach should look for an active ingredient that contains 6 or 8.25 percent of sodium hypochlorite. Avoid scented, color-safe, or bleaches with added cleaners. Using a clean medicine dropper, add either eight drops of 6-percent bleach or six drops of 8.25-percent bleach to each gallon of water. If the water is cloudy, colored, or very cold, then the amount of bleach should be doubled. After the bleach has been added, stir the water and let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water doesn’t have a slight chlorine odor, repeat the dosage and let it stand for another 15 minutes before using.

Purifying Water with Bleach

Long term water storage survival shtf disaster prep filter purifier bleach boiling 1

Boiling Water

The ultimate in home water purification is boiling water. Boiling sufficiently kills pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. However, it isn’t effective at removing chemical or metal contaminants in water. If the water is cloudy, it’s best to first let it settle and filter it either through a clean cloth or coffee filter. After your water is clear, bring it to a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute to be safe — three minutes if you live at an altitude above 5,000 feet. After boiling, let the water cool to store it in suitable containers. Boiled water usually tastes flat, so to improve its taste, add a pinch of salt to each liter of water or pour it from one clean container to another several times.

Water Boiling on a Gas Stove, stainless pot.

Long-Term Fuel Storage

Contrary to what you've seen in post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, gasoline will eventually expire and render motorized vehicles inoperable. However, like water, the shelf life of gas and diesel can be extended substantially with proper preparation and storage techniques. We discuss some steps you can take to keep your bug-out vehicle fueled after SHTF in the following OFFGRIDweb article: www.offgridweb.com/?p=9351

Meet Our Panel

Dr. Ali Khan

Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan is a Pakistani-American practicing physician and former Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since July 2014, he has served as dean of the College of Public Health and Retired Assistant General at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. www.unmc.edu/publichealth/departments/epidemiology/facultyandstaff/ali-khan.html

Jonathan Yoder

Jonathan Yoder is the deputy branch chief and water preparedness and response coordinator for the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch in the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role, he works to develop and coordinate waterborne disease outbreak and response activities. Yoder has worked in waterborne disease outbreak and emergency response since joining CDC in 2003. He deployed to support CDC’s Ebola response activities in Liberia and Sierra Leone during 2014 to 2015 and CDC’s hurricane response activities in U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in 2017. www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/index.html

Creek Stewart

Creek Stewart is a survival instructor and host of the Weather Channel’s SOS: How to Survive, and previous host on the Weather Channel’s hit show Fat Guys in the Woods. He has authored over eight books and has been featured as one of the nation’s leading subject matter experts on survival on several television programs and magazine interviews. In 2015, Creek was presented with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) by the Boy Scouts of America. www.creekstewart.com

More From Issue 28

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 27

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

 

Reader’s Tip: Quick-Access Clothing

Written by

Humans are creatures of habit, and we're easily conditioned to expect that something bad won't happen because it hasn't happened yet. This phenomenon is known as normalcy bias — in other words, a bias to believe that things will always function the way things normally function. This is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in order to be adequately prepared for emergencies. Often, it takes a jarring event to snap us out of our normalcy bias and force us to reevaluate the likelihood of something breaking our routine.

Sleep is one of our most routine behaviors — you probably go to bed around the same time every night and wake up at a predictable time each morning. Unless you have a newborn baby or work an on-call job, it's rare for this cycle to be broken, and even rarer for it to be broken by something catastrophic. One of our readers who goes by Mountain Goat recently emailed us about a lesson he learned when his sleep was interrupted:

“Recently, a dogfight occurred in the middle of the night outside my house. During the eternity it took for me to find my clothes, get them on, and tie my boots, a quick-thinking friend broke up the fight. This impressed upon me the need to have some clothes in the bedroom that are always where I can find them. These should be quick to put on and hopefully somewhat weather-appropriate.

If you should need to confront an unexpected guest, fight a fire, evacuate, or break up a dogfight you'd probably rather not do it totally naked.

If you run outside in your skivvies during an emergency, you may be stuck wearing them.

If you run outside in your skivvies during an emergency, you may be stuck wearing them.

In my case, this quick-access clothing is bib overalls hanging on a hook just inside the bedroom door. Also there is a medium-weight hooded jacket, a dark-colored rain shell, and a pair of slip on boots. A good call is for the boots to be one size too small, that way without socks they don't fit sloppily.

Clipped in one pocket of the bibs is a folding knife; in another pocket there's a flashlight. It might also be a good idea to photocopy the important cards from one's wallet and put that into the pocket of the emergency clothes along with some cash in case of evacuation. Of course, then you have to worry about a burglar getting that important info if you're burglarized while not at home. So the dangers need to be weighed against each other. I'll probably do it.

Bibs (left) and coveralls (right) can be combined to provide better cold-weather protection.

Bibs (left) and coveralls (right) can be easy to access in an emergency and provide plenty of warmth.

Another option is for pants, insulated bibs, coveralls or the like to be kept ready slipped down over the boots firefighter-style. I tried the firefighter technique, but the stuff got kicked around and wasn't always right there! So I think for me hanging on a hook by the door is best.

Duck hunting waders with attached boots combined with a jacket might work, but keep in mind that they could melt or burn if exposed to heat or flames. It should also be noted that walking in waders can be noisy and clumsy, so probably not the best if you're trying to sneak up on an intruder. Not to mention the difficulty of convincing one's spouse of the importance having them in the bedroom. But they could be handy in wet weather.

Weather conditions will dramatically affect your SHTF clothing needs.

Weather conditions will dramatically affect your SHTF clothing needs.

Whatever a person decides will work is probably OK. The important thing is to have something! Whatever it is, you have to be able to lay your hands on it on very short notice, possibly in the dark.”

This strikes us as a valuable lesson. In warm climates, a pair of shorts, trail shoes, and a sweatshirt might be sufficient. For those in the Great White North, warm layers should be prepared in such a way that they're easy to put on, as well as insulated waterproof footwear. These items will of course be supplemented by gear in your bug-out bag or get-home bag.

So, what's your take on quick-access clothing for nighttime emergencies? Let us know in the comments, or you can continue the conversation with Mountain Goat via email at mudsnowchains@gmail.com.

Review: SOG TOC 20 Backpack

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Years ago, we got a word of advice from a Special Forces friend that has remained memorable. He told us that there are two pieces of gear you never want to skimp on: footwear and packs. Since then, we have always taken this advice into consideration and it has never done us wrong. Good footwear is critical because your feet are your most important asset for anything from a casual hike to an emergency bug-out situation. But what makes a good pack, and why is that important? Let’s take a deep dive into a backpack from a company you probably know well, but one that might not be the first to come to mind when shopping for a new pack.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 11

Whether it's a multi-day adventure hike, a day trip to the lake, or an overnight away from home, you're bound to have gear you need to bring along. Keeping your belongings secure and carrying them comfortably is vital if you want to make it home alive. Granted, your circumstances may not be that dramatic, but the last thing you want is a bruised back and aching muscles from hauling a cheap, ill-fitting pack around all day.

The SOG TOC 20 Pack

Recently, we picked up the latest addition to our collection of packs. This one is from a company not typically associated with gear bags, but one you've almost certainly heard of in another context. SOG Specialty Knives and Tools is the producer of some of our favorite pocket knives and multi-tools. Today, we're going to show you what they have done to demonstrate their proficiency with fabrics as well as steel.

Just like with their knives, SOG has placed the end user at the forefront of the development of their line of packs. From the day-tripper Ranger 12 to the multi-day Seraphim 35, SOG packs are designed to provide storage, versatility, and comfort as well as a unique look.

For this review, we are going to focus on the TOC 20 pack, which is the middle child of the SOG family of packs. You’ll notice that each pack has a number in the name. As you may have guessed, this number corresponds to the volume of the pack. The TOC 20 is a 20-liter pack, with TOC standing for “Tactical Operating Center”. And that is exactly what the TOC 20 is: a pack for everyday use that serves as a safe and organized home for your gear.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 2

Construction & Features

The first thing we noticed about the TOC 20 is its build quality. Everything from the placement of the zippers to the thickness of the shoulder pads feels well-thought-out and well-made. The pack is constructed from 500D nylon that has been coated in polyurethane for durability and water-resistance.

Unlike other packs we've used, it doesn't have any extraneous straps hanging off it. The straps it does have for the shoulder adjustment have small Velcro loops to keep them secured and out of the way. The large zipper pulls are also a welcome feature. They are large enough to use with or without gloves and allow the user to open zippered compartments quickly and efficiently.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 9

Another area where it is apparent that SOG put time and effort into the engineering of this pack is how it sits on your back. As we all know, packs should be worn high and tight against your back with the weight spread out evenly on the shoulder straps. With the TOC 20, the shoulder straps are nicely padded and paired with a suspension sheet made of 2mm polyethylene, ensuring a structure that's firm enough to support heavier loads.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 6

The integrated adjustable sternum strap is a nice touch to help keep those heavy loads from pulling the shoulder straps down. This is vital to being able to continue to move throughout the day while wearing the pack. It even includes an emergency whistle on the buckle. However, if you don’t need a sternum strap, you can remove it entirely.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 13

This pack features a smooth back panel emblazoned with a large printed SOG logo, rather than the contoured mesh pads seen on many competitors' packs. The design is OK for cooler environments, but it may not provide sufficient airflow for warmer climates, potentially leading to a sweaty back. This is one feature we feel could be improved upon.

Gear Organization

Obviously, a key factor when considering purchasing a new pack is storage and organization. The TOC 20 consists of a main compartment with several zippered pockets and sleeves for holding smaller items securely. In front of the main compartment is a pair of side-zip pockets for quick access. In the back of the pack is a pass-through laptop compartment. If you are not in need of a laptop, it also doubles as a hydration bladder compartment.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 7

One of our favorite elements of the TOC 20 is the molded top compartment. This area contains several sleeves and pockets for small items you need access to quickly — pens, a knife, a flashlight, a cell phone, and so on. This entire pocket is impact-resistant and fleece-lined, making it a safe place for glasses, goggles, binoculars, and any other fragile items that need extra protection.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 5

Inside the main compartment and along the front side of the pack and the bottom is MOLLE-compatible webbing with various lash points to attach additional gear to the pack if necessary.

Conclusion

Backpacks are built for one purpose: carrying stuff on your back. However, in the real world they're not always on your back. If you are in a vehicle or at a campsite, packs will be handled and used differently than when they're being worn. A pack’s functionality when not in use can be as important as when it is being used for its obvious purpose.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 10

The TOC 20 is not overly bulbous with extraneous straps, bulging pockets, or a lopsided appearance when not filled to the brim. It is also rather small for its internal capacity, not taking up a ton of room unnecessarily. One unconventional test we've used for backpacks is the pillow test. There may come a time in the woods, an airport, or across the seat of your vehicle that you need to rest your head for a while. The TOC 20 feels great as a pillow when loaded with gear. It's not excessively thick and has a nice gradual slope to it. And when it comes time to hit the road, there is a large handle built into the side of the pack to quickly grab it and get going.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 8

As you can tell, SOG didn’t produce a line of packs as an afterthought to their repertoire. They take them as seriously as their other products. These will hold their ground against many of the other name-brand packs on the market. With well-thought-out features, a durable, waterproof construction, and comfortable ergonomics, the SOG TOC 20 impressed us.

Time will tell if the pack is durable enough to be used for the long haul. However, based off several trips we've taken with it and the initial build quality, this seems like it will be a pack we can use for years to come.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 1

For more information on these packs and other products from SOG, visit SOGknives.com.

Infographic: Salary Needed to Afford a Home in U.S. Cities

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Making the most of your finances is an important part of an emergency preparedness plan, although admitting this is easier than putting it into practice. If you're not careful, expenses can add up quickly and can leave you wondering where your paycheck went. But if you're diligent about cutting costs, you'll have more money left over to put towards training, gear, and other important resources.

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For most of us, housing costs — either rent or mortgage payments — make up a large part of our monthly expenses. As a result, cutting even a small portion of these bills can have a big impact on our ability to save money each month.

You're probably aware that housing costs vary quite a bit throughout the United States, but you may be surprised to see exactly how much they vary. The following graphic from FascinatingMaps shows the salary you'd need to afford an average home in major U.S. metropolitan areas. Click here to download the full-size graphic.

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These salaries were calculated based on median home values from Zillow, assuming a 30-year fixed mortgage with 10% down payment and normal 4-5% interest rates. Industry experts recommend spending no more than 30% of your income on housing costs, so this was also taken into consideration. You can read more about FascinatingMaps' methodology here.

Unsurprisingly, the West Coast cities top the charts, with San Jose, CA requiring a staggering $313,480 salary to afford an average home. In fact, California takes five of the top six spots on this list — the exception is Hawaii. The chart below shows the corresponding average home values in bar graph form:

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Where does your hometown rank on this list? If it's near the top, it may be worth considering how moving to a less costly area could improve your ability to save for a rainy day.