Page 141 – RECOIL OFFGRID

Video: Making a Swiss Army Knife Pump Drill

Posted on January 17, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Multi-tools like the Swiss Army Knife offer a large variety of useful functions, but in a convenient pocket-sized package. The inherent compromise with these tools is their relative effectiveness — a 2-inch saw is better than nothing, but it's substantially less efficient than a full-sized bushcraft saw. If you try to baton through some logs with the small folding blade, you're going to have a bad time.

The awl found on S.A.K.s, pictured above at bottom right, is useful for punching holes in fabric or leather — the eyelet even lets it work like a sewing needle. It's also useful for boring holes in plastic or wood, although this will require patiently twisting the tool in your hand to slowly drill through the material. If you're constructing something in the backwoods, it'll get the job done, but it's not going to be nearly as fast as a proper drill.

Pump drill swiss army knife multi tool wood bone 3

The crossbar is made of two sticks, notched for the shaft in the center and bound at the ends.

One clever German YouTuber known as Überleber figured out a creative way to turn a Swiss Army Knife into an efficient pump drill for working with wood and bone. For those not familiar with a pump drill, it uses the tension of twisted cordage (in this case, 550 paracord) to spin a vertical drill shaft. The cordage is connected to a crossbar, which is repeatedly pushed down like a bicycle pump, quickly spinning the drill bit clockwise and counter-clockwise with each up-and-down motion.

Another key element to the pump drill is a weight near the base, which acts as a flywheel to maintain momentum and keep the shaft spinning. In this case, the host sticks two chunks of fungus from a nearby tree on either end of the knife. Check out the video below:

We like that this technique doesn't firmly affix the Swiss Army Knife to the drill or make it hard to disassemble. This way, it can be used as a drill bit and then removed for use on other tasks. Not a bad way to make the most of your multi-tool.

RECOILtv: Glock 19X Minus the X

Posted on January 16, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Earlier this month, RECOIL announced that the details of the new Glock 19X handgun had been leaked. Since then, the internet has been abuzz with feedback about the unusual design. For those who missed the memo, the G19X is essentially a full-size G17 frame with a compact G19 slide, plus Coyote coloration and a few other Gen5 features.

We saw many of our social media followers wondering why Glock combined these parts in this manner, rather than producing the opposite — that is, a compact frame with a full-size slide for enhanced accuracy and concealability. The answer is that the Glock 19X is essentially the production civilian model of the MHS handgun that Glock was developing for a potential U.S. Army contract. This explains its design, but it's still a design that seems better suited as a duty gun than it'd be in a civilian CCW scenario.

In order to make the new Glock 19X into a better CCW gun for civilians, Dave and Iain at RECOILtv applied some creative thinking… and a saw. The result can be summarized as G19X – X = G19. Check out the making of a DIY Gen5 G19 in the video below:

Infographic: North America’s Primary Predators

Posted on January 15, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Humans often consider ourselves to be the top of the food chain on earth, and most of the time, we are. Our ability to use weapons and traps has allowed us to hunt animals and defend against threats. But if the playing field is leveled, and you find yourself facing a powerful predator empty-handed, you may realize just how weak and fragile the human body is. Large predators — or a group of smaller ones — can be a serious threat to an individual hiker.

The reality is that most animals are more afraid of you than you are of them, but there are many situations where that may not be the case. If a predator is desperate for a meal, thinks you might be an easy victim, or feels you're a threat to its territory, you'll need to know how to evade the confrontation. And if things get truly out of control, you'll need to know how to fight back.

The following infographic from Alan's Factory Outlet shows five major predators that may threaten humans in North America, and outlines some potential “dos and don'ts” for encounters with each. Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

Review: Decibullz Custom-Molded Ear Protection

Posted on January 14, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

Decibullz Percussive Ear Protection
Custom-Molding the Earpieces
Choosing a Pair of Tips
Hitting the Range with Decibullz
Conclusions

Every one of your five senses contributes to your situational awareness and long-term safety, so it's wise to actively protect them. It goes without saying that you shouldn't run an angle grinder in the workshop without glasses, or grab a red-hot piece of metal without gloves. These mistakes could immediately and permanently damage your senses of sight and touch. But damage to your hearing is often much more gradual — continual exposure to pounding drums at a rock concert, roaring engines at a race track, or loud gunshots at the firing range will slowly damage your hearing if you don't wear adequate protection.

Unfortunately, wearing ear protection can feel like a hassle. As a byproduct of blocking dangerously loud noises, it often interferes with your ability to hear quieter sounds. One means of solving this problem is active ear protection, such as the electronic headsets which actively block loud noises while transmitting quieter sounds to the wearer via a microphone and speakers. Although we're fans of this technology and wear active ear-pro frequently at the range, the drawback to these systems is their reliance on batteries and complex electronics.

On the other hand, passive ear protection uses a physical barrier to block loud sounds. This barrier suppresses loud sounds (such as gunshots or explosions) to a safe level, while allowing quieter sounds (such as conversations or background noise) to be heard clearly. Since there's no electronic circuitry involved, there's no need for batteries or bulky headsets.

Decibullz Percussive Ear Protection

Decibullz is a relatively new player in the ear protection market. The company was founded in 2012 by Kyle Kirkpatrick, an olympic-level gymnastics coach who wanted a set of comfortable earbuds that fit his ears perfectly. After finding that the custom-molded options from existing companies cost between $300 and $2,000, he set out to create a more affordable custom-molded earphone. This eventually led to the development of earplugs that used the same custom-molded fittings.

The latest ear protection product from Decibullz is its Percussive Shooting Filter set. As with other Decibullz products, this set is custom-molded by the user to fit his or her ears. However, as opposed to the company's fully-sealed earplugs, this product uses filter inserts which feature the passive ear protection tech we mentioned earlier. The filters exclude loud sounds and allow quieter ones to be heard clearly.

Decibullz says its filters are certified for noises up to 166 dB by ANSI IPIL (Impulse Peak Insertion Loss) standards. Most rifles, shotguns, and pistols don't exceed that decibel threshold. Decibullz also says its filters “retain sound directionality and spatiality, [which] is crucial in hunting and combat situations”.

The Decibullz Percussive Shooting Filter set retails for $75, and includes the following:

Two pairs of custom-moldable earpieces
One pair of percussive filters
Small, Medium, and Large foam tips
Small, Medium, and Large triple-flange tips
Zippered carrying case
Instructions

Custom-Molding the Earpieces

Before testing our sample of the new Decibullz ear pro, we needed to custom-mold the earpieces. Anyone who has used a custom-fit sports mouthguard will be familiar with this process:

Boil some water and remove it from the heat source.
Make sure the cylindrical percussive filters are removed from the black moldable earpieces. Install the orange silicone triple-flange tips.
Drop ONE earpiece into the boiling water and leave it for five minutes.
Remove the earpiece, let cool for 30 seconds.
Insert the percussive filter onto the earpiece.
Gently press the earpiece into your ear, forming the moldable portion into the contours of your ear. Avoid touching it with your fingernails.
Let the mold rest and solidify for 5 minutes.
Repeat the process for the other ear.

We found this process to be slightly trickier than it sounds. The heated-up earpiece material is sticky to the touch, and while it can be re-heated and re-shaped if you make a small mistake, bigger mistakes such as stretching or flattening the material too much aren't reversible. We suspect this is why two sets of earpieces come with the kit.

When pressing in the percussive filter as instructed in step 5, care must be taken not to touch the soft earpiece material. Also, as you begin molding the earpiece into your ear, it's important to avoid displacing the earpiece material so it overlaps the edges of the filter — we learned the hard way that this can make it impossible to remove the filter once the earpieces have hardened.

Choosing a Pair of Tips

The kit is advertised as including six pairs of tips: S/M/L foam and S/M/L flanged. Our kit did include twelve tips, but not the twelve we expected. All of the orange flanged tips (pictured above) were present and accounted for, but the black foam tips were another story. We received three small, two medium, and only one large — a clear quality control mistake by whoever assembled the kit.

Since we needed size large, we chucked the foam tips and installed the flanged style instead.

Hitting the Range with Decibullz

We took our new Decibullz ear pro on a recent trip to the range in order to test its effectiveness. Right off the bat, we found the custom-molded earpieces to be very comfortable, more so than ordinary “foamies”.

The percussive filters muffled the loud crack of a .223 to a comfortable level, but also allowed the wearer to clearly hear quieter ambient noises. It was easy to hold a conversation wearing these filters. Background sounds were also audible, providing awareness of our surroundings that wouldn't be present with solid earplugs.

While Decibullz mentions a decibel safety rating under ANSI IPIL standards, it does not clearly list the more common Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) on the product page of its website. This makes it difficult to directly compare performance against more affordable filtered earplugs, such as the SureFire EP7 Sonic Defenders ($20, 28 dB NRR) or SportEar X-Pro ($24, 30 dB NRR). However, after searching through a press release we received during the announcement of this product, we found the following chart of certification data:

Based on this data from Decibullz, these ear plugs offer an estimated 9 dB NRR — though that hasn't been directly tested as far as we know. However, the ANSI IPIL rating indicates the filters are effective against sudden impulse sounds (i.e. a gunshot or explosion). The comparison between NRR and IPIL is far too technical to address in this review — if you're interested, you can read this study from the National Library of Medicine which compares the two systems.

After some side-by-side testing, we felt that the Decibullz don't seem to provide as much protection or speech clarity as an active over-the-ear headset like the PELTOR Sport Tactical 500 we previously reviewed. However, these also cost substantially less, are much smaller, and don't require batteries — each type of ear pro has clear advantages and disadvantages, so you'll need to choose the one that better fits your needs.

Conclusions

This Decibullz molded ear pro offers a compact and comfortable solution to ear protection at the range. We'll summarize our impressions with some pros and cons below:

Pros:

Custom-molded earpieces are comfy and provide a secure fit
Filters effectively block loud noises but preserve your ability to hear quieter sounds
Zippered carrying case provides a convenient storage solution, and ensures spare tips don't get misplaced

Cons:

Value is questionable — this set cost nearly four times as much as a set of SureFire EP7 Sonic Defenders, which also feature sound filters that passively block loud noises (although they can't be custom-molded)
Mismatched tips in our kit indicates a lack of quality control
Molding process can be tricky, and earpiece material may overlap the edges of the filter inserts, making them difficult to remove

For more information on this filtered ear pro, or other custom-molded earplugs and earbuds, go to Decibullz.com.

New: Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine

Posted on January 13, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

We love the Ruger 10/22, especially in its Takedown configuration. It's a simple, light, and reliable rifle that's well-suited to a variety of survival situations. The .22LR ammo is cheap to plink with, easy for new shooters to manage, excellent for hunting varmints, and with good shot placement it can take down a variety of small game. However, .22LR is not the ideal round for hunting bigger animals or for defense against human attackers — for these tasks, 9mm is a much better option.

We built this 10/22 Takedown into a survival rifle in Issue

We built this 10/22 Takedown into a survival rifle in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 8.

Knowing this, Ruger has released a new carbine that's clearly inspired by the 10/22 Takedown, but also provides the advantages of 9mm. It's called the Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine, or PC Carbine for short. In addition to its resemblance of the 10/22, approximately 80% of the PC Carbine's trigger parts are compatible with that rifle, so you can easily upgrade the trigger with existing 10/22 parts. It also shares the same twist-to-disconnect mechanism as the 10/22 Takedown.

Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine survival rifle 9mm takedown 2

The new Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine is available now.

Another survivalist-oriented feature of the new Pistol Caliber Carbine is clearly visible at the gun's midsection. The carbine uses standard Ruger SR-series and Security-9 pistol magazines, and also includes a magwell adapter that makes the gun compatible with Glock magazines. If you already own one of these handguns, you'll only need to carry one set of mags and ammo — that means less money spent, less weight in your pack, and less headaches if you misplace a mag for one of your weapons.

The PC Carbine includes front and rear iron sights on the barrel, as well as a picatinny rail on the receiver. The barrel is fluted for reduced weight, and available in threaded and non-threaded variants. The charging handle and mag release are reversible for left- or right-handed shooters. The gun weighs 6.8 pounds unloaded and is available at an MSRP of $649.

For more info on the new Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine, check out the video below or go to Ruger.com. You can also read more details on RECOILweb.com. We've already got our hands on a sample of the carbine, and will be compiling a more detailed review with our impressions at the range in the future — stay tuned.

New: Boker Kwaiken Automatic Knife

Posted on January 11, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

SHOT Show is coming up, and that means the season of new product announcements is upon us. Many gear manufacturers use SHOT as an opportunity to unveil their cool new products, and the 2018 show will be no different. If you can't make it to the industry-only show, don't worry — you can learn about everything we see by reading OFFGRIDweb, liking our Facebook page, and/or following us on Instagram.

Boker has announced a new knife that'll be featured in the company's booth at SHOT. The Kwaiken, designed by custom knifemaker Lucas Burnley, has long been a popular model for Boker. Various fixed and folding versions of this knife are already available, but this year a new variant will be released: the Boker Kwaiken Automatic.

Boker Kwaiken Automatic – 06EX290

The new Kwaiken Auto is made in the USA, and features the same sleek minimalist design of previous versions. As you can guess by the name, it's an automatic that uses a push-button release to swiftly flip open the blade. The spring-loaded mechanism comes from Boker's partner ProTech and is said to deliver “an impressive kick” when opening the knife. We'll see for ourselves when we get our hands on one at SHOT.

Boker Kwaiken Automatic – 06EX291

The blade of the Boker Kwaiken Automatic is 154CM steel, and the handle is CNC-milled aluminum. It includes a pocket clip for EDC use. When the knife releases later in January 2018, it will be available as a limited release model with a total of 500 units produced. Half will have a two-tone machined-finish blade and stonewashed handle; these will be designated model 06EX290 and retail for $219. The other half will have a stonewashed blade and satin black handle; these will be designated model 06EX291 and retail for $229.

Boker's new auto Kwaiken models aren't currently listed on the company's web site, but you'll be able to see them later this month at BokerUSA.com or by checking out our SHOT Show 2018 coverage here on OFFGRIDweb from January 23 – 26.

Video: Forgotten Weapons Tests a 90-Round AK Mag

Posted on January 10, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Many preps sound great in theory until you attempt to use them in a real-world emergency. If you fail to consider all the factors at play and the potential flaws in a plan, you're bound to run into trouble eventually. As Murphy's Law tells us, if something can go wrong, it often does. The best way to avoid these headaches is to practice and test your preps early and often.

Case in point: the super-extended 90-round AK mag seen in the Forgotten Weapons video below. The concept of a 90-round magazine sounds fine — more rounds to defend your home from the vicious Mad-Max-style marauders who might lay siege to it in some hypothetical apocalyptic scenario. But unsurprisingly, here in reality, it doesn't work so well.

Ian and his assistant Clay analyze the AK mag, which is actually three normal 30-round magazines cut and welded together. Then they take it out to the range with a full-auto RPK, and it only gets worse from there. It ends up holding substantially less than its intended capacity, and has some rather hilarious quirks that show up on the slow-mo camera. See for yourself:

The lesson to be learned here is that you'd be much better off with three standard 30-round AK mags, as Ian concludes. But this is the sort of thing you learn by researching gear before you buy it, or at the very least, testing it before an emergency makes it a necessity. Even if you're left with buyer's remorse, it's better than being left with a silly-looking non-functional weapon when you need it.

Portable Utensils Buyers Guide – Have Spork, Will Travel

Posted on January 9, 2018 at 12:23 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Portable Utensils
Stick With What Works
More From Issue 23

Sure, you can eat with your hands. But who wants to do that all the time? Whether camping, surviving, or just taking a snack break on the trail, having handy, easily carried portable utensils can enhance your dining experience.

A quick story: During a multi-day rifle marksmanship course, the Tier 1 instructor took one morning to explain how to maintain the AR-platform rifle. During his demonstration, he field stripped the bolt carrier group on a sample rifle that had seen several thousand rounds since its last cleaning. For all to see, he held up the tail of the bolt, which had collected caked-on carbon and other fouling. He pulled a knife from his pocket, flicked it open, and showed the class how you could use it to scrape the bolt tail. He stashed the knife back in his pants pocket. Later, we broke for lunch. The seasoned, snake-eating instructor ambled over to a table and produced a loaf of bread, mayonnaise, and lunch meat from a grocery bag. He dipped into the mayonnaise and started spreading it on a slice of bread — with the very same pocketknife.

If this sounds like something you might do, then perhaps you can happily use some rusty nails as skewers and your dirty knife to cut your meat. But even those whose five-second rule is more like five minutes must admit that it's often easier to eat with utensils than your hands, especially when food is scalding hot. While they aren't strictly necessary, we suspect many of our readers would appreciate the luxury of purpose-built utensils. Plus, during tense and difficult situations, being able to feel a little more civilized with some comforts of home can provide much needed psychological benefit and boost morale.

So we collected a wide selection of portable utensils with varying design philosophies for your reading enjoyment. We tested them with different types of foods and took them on the road.

Evaluation Criteria

In particular, we assessed the following:

Scooping: How well does it function as a spoon?
Spearing: How well does it function as a fork?
Cutting: How well does it function as a knife?
Packaging: How compact and portable is it?
Durability and maintenance: How durable is it and how easy it is to clean?

The usability of a utensil as a spoon, fork, or knife involves not just the pointy (or spoony) end, but also how you grasp it. Products designed first and foremost for compact size typically hinder their effectiveness by compromising in two areas: a small handle and a “spork” design, combining a spoon and fork in one. Sporks are invariably better spoons than they are forks. In fact, they're usually pretty poor forks. Additionally, ultra-compact tools often lack a knife, which probably isn't the end of the world since we suspect nearly all of our readers have a pocketknife (if not an entire collection of them). Select one of these types of tools if you value portability over all else.

Some products use a folding design, like a pocket or Swiss Army knife. This results in a convenient, compact package, but has some disadvantages as well. Some designs also make the forks or spoons awfully small. While the handles are typically generously sized, the necks of the spoons and forks extending from the pivot are usually rather short, making them less useful for dipping deeply into your food or soup. And all suffer from being harder to clean — you need to be diligent to avoid rust. These types of tools make a tidy, compact package, but they aren't our favorites to use and maintain.

As you'll see, our favorite utensils for the actual dining experience feature separate spoons, forks, and knives, and stack together for storage. Simple and efficient.

In a web-exclusive supplement linked at the end of this article, we also looked at a couple of portable chopsticks. These are the ultimate minimalist utensils, as they offer the exact same functionality as regular chopsticks. Chopsticks are simply… sticks. Like a portable pool cue, two-piece chopsticks simply thread together for use, becoming identical to a one-piece chopstick. Not to mention that they're very compact and lightweight. As long as you're mostly eating solid foods, chopsticks can be a viable alternative to a utensil set.

So read on and see what'll make your next meal a more civilized experience.

Portable Utensils

Böker Magnum Bon Appetite

Make & Model - Böker Magnum Bon Appetite
Dimensions - 7.4 / 4.1 (open / closed) by 1.2 by 1 inches
Weight - 6.4 ounces
Material - 440 steel, laminated plywood
Colorways - Brown
MSRP - $27
URL - http://www.bokerusa.com
The Böker is a compact cutlery set, evoking the nostalgia of an old-school pocketknife.
CRKT Eat'n Tool Titanium

Make & Model - CRKT Eat'n Tool Titanium
Dimensions - 4 by 2.3 by 0.6 inches
Weight - 0.7 ounces
Material - TA1 titanium
Colorways - Bead Blast
MSRP - $20
URL - http://www.crkt.com
Designed by Liong Mah, the Eat'n Tool crams several functions into a light and small package.
CRKT Iota

Make & Model - CRKT Iota
Dimensions - 3.2 by 1 by 0.5 inches
Weight - 0.5 ounces
Material - 2Cr13 steel
Colorways - Black, Silver
MSRP - $6
URL - http://www.crkt.com
The Iota, designed by Tom Stokes, is quite diminutive — just one piece of contoured steel.
GSI Outdoors Stacking Cutlery Set

Make & Model - GSI Outdoors Stacking Cutlery Set
Dimensions - 6.1 by 1.5 by 0.8 (stacked) inches
Weight - 0.7 ounces
Material - Copolyester
Colorways - Blue, Green, Orange, Red
MSRP - $5
URL - http://www.gsioutdoors.com
At first, this cutlery set just looks like an up-market variation of disposable plastic utensils. But after using them for a while, they really grow on you.
GSI Outdoors Telescoping Foon

Make & Model - GSI Outdoors Telescoping Foon
Dimensions - 6 / 3.9 (closed / open) by 1.5 by 0.7 inches
Weight - 0.3 ounces
Material - Copolyester and acetal
Colorways - Blue, Green, Orange, Red
MSRP - $4
URL - http://www.gsioutdoors.com
This utensil has a head that slides back and forth on the handle. It might seem a little rickety when collapsed, but it locks in nicely when fully extended.
KA-BAR Hobo 3-in-1 Utensil Kit

Make & Model - KA-BAR Hobo 3-in-1 Utensil Kit
Dimensions - 7 / 3.9 (open / closed) by 1.2 by 1 inches
Weight - 5.3 ounces
Material - 3Cr13 and 420j2 stainless steel
Colorways - Silver
MSRP - $25
URL - http://www.kabar.com
Like the Böker, the KA-BAR Hobo features a folding pocketknife design. It also has three layers that come apart, with a knife, spoon, and fork.
KA-BAR Tactical Spork

Make & Model - KA-BAR Tactical Spork
Dimensions - 6.9 by 1.2 by 0.7 inches
Weight - 1.2 ounces
Material - Grilamid
Colorways - Black
MSRP - $8
URL - http://www.kabar.com
KA-BAR's Tactical Spork is made of Grilamid and separates in half by pulling it apart. True to its tactical moniker, it's quite sturdy.
Kershaw Ration

Make & Model - Kershaw Ration
Dimensions - 4.6 by 1.4 by 0.6 inches
Weight - 1.2 ounces
Material - 3Cr13MoV steel
Colorways - Bead Blasted
MSRP - $7
URL - http://www.kershaw.kaiusaltd.com
Rather than offering the ubiquitous spork design in the compact steel Ration, Kershaw went with a separate spoon and fork on either end.
Light My Fire of Sweden Spork Titanium

Make & Model - Light My Fire of Sweden Spork Titanium
Dimensions - 6.8 by 1.5 by 0.8 inches
Weight - 0.7 ounces
Material - Titanium
Colorways - Polished
MSRP - $17
URL - http://www.lightmyfire.com
Light My Fire calls this a spork, but the spoon and fork are on opposite ends of the utensil.
Red Rock Outdoor Gear 3 Piece Chow Set

Make & Model - Red Rock Outdoor Gear 3 Piece Chow Set
Dimensions - 6.8 by 1.8 by 0.6 (stacked) inches
Weight - 2.4 ounces
Material - Stainless steel
Colorways - Silver
MSRP - $4
URL - http://www.redrockoutdoorgear.com
This three-piece set from Red Rock Outdoor might remind you of the silverware in your college dorm's cafeteria, but, hey, you managed to stuff your face just fine for those four to seven years.
Red Rock Outdoor Gear 4-in-1 Chow Set

Make & Model - Red Rock Outdoor Gear 4-in-1 Chow Set
Dimensions - 7.5 / 4.5 (open / closed) by 1.5 by 1.3 inches
Weight - 5.2 ounces
Material - Stainless steel
Colorways - Silver
MSRP - $9
URL - http://www.redrockoutdoorgear.com
This Swiss Army-style design from Red Rock Outdoor Gear is different from the others.
TOPS Knives F.O.R.K. IT

Make & Model - TOPS Knives F.O.R.K. IT
Dimensions - 6.5 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches (7.1 inches long in sheath); 2.625-inch blade
Weight - 1.5 ounces (2.6 ounces with sheath)
Material - 1095 steel, Kydex sheath
Colorways - Stone Wash Finish
MSRP - $100 ($115 with serrations)
URL - http://www.topsknives.com
The F.O.R.K. It, designed by Leo Espinoza, is more of a fixed-blade neck knife configuration, with a multipurpose single piece of steel sheathed in Kydex.
Whole Foods Market Plastic Utensils

Make & Model - Whole Foods Market Plastic utensils
Dimensions - 7 by 1.3 by 1 (stacked) inches
Weight - 0.3 ounces
Material - Plastic
Colorways - Black
MSRP - Free
URL - http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
The point of this tongue-in-cheek product entry is that you surely have a local grocery store or restaurant serving prepared foods for you to take home.
Wildo Spork

Make & Model - Wildo Spork
Dimensions - 6.5 by 1.9 by 0.6 inches
Weight - 0.3 ounces
Material - Polyamide 6
Colorways - Black, Lemon, Light Blue, Lilac, Lime, Olive, Orange, Pink, Tan
MSRP - $3
URL http://www.proforceequipment.com
Wildo's spork might more accurately be deemed a sporknife or a knifoon, as it combines a spoon, fork, and knife all at one end.

Stick With What Works

If chopsticks are your preferred utensils, we've got that covered too. Check out OFFGRIDweb.com/gear/chopsticks to see our reviews of two chopstick sets and find out if they have a place in your meal loadout.

More From Issue 23

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 24

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 22

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.

Infographic: Scientists’ Predictions for the Distant Future

Posted on January 8, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Accurately predicting the future is no easy feat, but through careful study of the past and collection of data, we can make some educated guesses as to what might happen. Scientists are continually striving towards this goal, and have made some fascinating (and terrifying) predictions about the centuries and millennia to come. These range from 1,000 years from now — a minuscule distance on the larger timeline — to a staggering one hundred quintillion years (i.e. 100,000,000,000,000,000,000).

The following infographic from InformationisBeautiful.net compiles predictions from NASA, Britannica, Scientific American, and other publications to create a timeline of the distant future. Some of these events are based on extrapolating progressions at their current rates, while others are based on mathematical probability, such as the estimated odds of a supervolcano or climate-altering asteroid significantly affecting Earth. We certainly won't all agree on these predictions, but they're still interesting to consider.

Check out the infographic below, or click here to download a full-size version. If you're interested in reviewing the data and sources for these predictions, you can do so here.

Buyer’s Guide: Grayman Shoes

Posted on January 7, 2018 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

5.11 Pursuit Oxford
Danner Mountain 503
KEEN “The Rocker”
LOWA San Luis GTX Surround Lo
OluKai Hualalai
Salomon X Alp Spry

In Issue 24 of our print magazine, we featured six pairs of boots fit for day hiking, emergency bug-out scenarios, or anything in between. That hiking boot buyer's guide covered the sort of footwear that excels in a soggy forest or on a steep mountain path. However, they're not the right tool for every job.

Hiking boots aren't ideal for everyday use in urban environments, since they're much heavier, more expensive, and less flexible than sneakers. And they're far from subtle — you're likely to get some odd looks if you wear mud-caked hiking boots to the mall, the grocery store, or the office. On the other hand, ordinary sneakers and running shoes don't offer the sort of protection and grip you'd want during a SHTF situation.

The ideal everyday shoe provides a balance between the durability and performance of hiking footwear, and the comfort and flexibility of sneakers. In addition, it should fit the grayman mentality — in other words, it shouldn't appear out of place in an urban setting. For this web-exclusive buyer's guide, we collected six pairs of capable grayman shoes, and evaluated the merits of each from a survivalist's viewpoint.

5.11 Pursuit Oxford

Traditional dress shoes are one of the ultimate expressions of form over function. They're usually uncomfortable, inflexible, and offer about as much traction as a greased-up bar of soap. If your work or weekend activities require the dignified appearance of patent leather dress shoes, but you also want the performance of a cross-trainer, the 5.11 Pursuit Oxford is a great choice.

The polished finish of the Pursuit Oxford's leather upper would fit right in at any black-tie affair, whether you're on the job pulling security or getting dragged to some distant relative's formal wedding. Either way, if you need to make a sudden run for it (or bust out some sick moves on the dance floor), the grippy tread lugs offer plenty of traction. The lightweight design also provides good agility.

The thick patent leather upper leads to some drawbacks, namely limited flexibility at the ball of the foot and poor breathability due to lack of ventilation. However, these are essentially unavoidable in order to maintain the smooth exterior appearance. Aside from these compromises, the Pursuit Oxford feels like a tough and capable sneaker. If you often find yourself attending formal events, this shoe is certainly a superior-performing alternative to ordinary dress shoes.

If black-tie events aren't your thing, 5.11 Tactical also offers several casual variants of the Pursuit.

Pros

Professional, dignified appearance
Comfy enough for all-day use
Available in various styles, including more casual lace-up, slip-on, and chukka boot variants

Cons

Oxfords are only appropriate with formal outfits — not suitable for daily casual wear
Aggressive outsole texture is more visible than we'd like for a true grayman shoe

Color: Black

Materials: High-shine patent leather upper, low-profile CMEVA midsole, full-rubber outsole

Sizes: 4 to 15, wide sizes also available

MSRP: $100

URL: www.511tactical.com

Danner Mountain 503

Danner calls this shoe a “mountain sneaker” — this term may sound like an oxymoron, since we wouldn't want to be caught on a rugged mountain trail in most ordinary sneakers, but it's an appropriate descriptor of the Mountain 503's hybrid design. The leather and suede upper bears a resemblance to the company's Mountain Light hiking boot, while its slim outsole is better-suited to urban or casual trail use.

These shoes feature a few advantages over traditional sneakers for daily wear. The Ortholite open-cell polyurethane footbed is soft, springy, and designed to circulate air beneath your feet. If you live in a region that gets a lot of rainfall, the Danner Dry waterproof liner will keep your feet from getting soaked. We also appreciated the slim, contoured rubber outsoles, which provide enough dexterity for jogging or driving a manual-transmission car.

From a distance, the mid-top design of the Mountain 503 resembles that of many popular sneakers, but its distinctive D-ring lace eyelets are a clear departure from that style. While this may be a visible giveaway of the true capabilities of the shoe, we'd say it's still subdued enough with the black leather upper. The other colorways bear a much stronger resemblance to hiking boots, with combinations of brown, green, and tan.

Pros

Waterproof mid-top design provides good protection against inclement weather
Contoured outsole offers great traction without conspicuous hiking-boot-style tread lugs
Includes both durable round laces and casual flat laces

Cons

Raised metal lace eyelets scream “hiking boot” and diminish the urban grayman appearance
This subdued color fits urban environments, but the other brown leather colorways are far more likely to look out of place in the city

Colors: Jet Black, Barley, Brown/Khaki

Materials: Full-grain leather and suede upper, polyurethane midsole, full-rubber outsole

Sizes: 7 to 14

MSRP: $180

URL: www.danner.com

KEEN “The Rocker”

A good pair of casual boots offers far greater protection than appearance-oriented “lifestyle” boots, but isn't as heavy or inflexible as a pair of dedicated work boots. The KEEN Rocker falls into this middle-ground position, making it a solid choice for everyday wear around town.

The Rocker is constructed from sturdy full-grain leather, with a rubber toe cap and sealed seams for waterproof protection. The subtle two-tone brown looks classy, and pairs nicely with blue jeans. Large tread blocks on the rubber outsole offer plenty of grip on wet pavement or loose dirt, but retain enough flexibility that you don't feel weighed down. However, the Rocker leans more towards work wear than sneakers, so it emphasizes toughness over agility — you might go to the job site in these, but you wouldn't go jogging in them.

We found these boots extremely comfortable from the moment we put them on. The removable polyurethane footbed provides great arch support and cushioning, leading us to reach for these boots day after day as we headed outdoors. For this reason, we selected the Rocker boot as our RECOIL OFFGRID Top Pick for this grayman shoe buyer's guide.

Pros

Tough leather construction with waterproof seams and reinforcements in key wear areas
Footbed provides outstanding comfort and very good arch support
A durable middle ground between heavy-duty work boots and form-over-function lifestyle boots

Cons

Hefty rubber soles aren't ideal for running or high-speed agility
Smooth, round laces tend to come undone unless tightly knotted

Colors: Big Ben/Eiffel, Black/Black

Materials: Full-grain leather upper, lightweight EVA midsole, non-marking rubber outsole

Sizes: 7 to 15

MSRP: $160

URL: www.keenfootwear.com

LOWA San Luis GTX Surround Lo

We once bought a pair of Puma sneakers meant for daily wear, but they didn’t last long. They had no arch support. The midsoles were practically nonexistent; we felt the impact on our heels with every step. And the outsoles were shredded after just six months despite using them only on pavement, carpet, and tile.

This is why we were eager to test the San Luis. It looks just as cool as casual shoes made by Puma, Reebok, or Adidas, but can withstand much more than just walking to the local pub. It offers superior stability and durability because it incorporates several technologies from LOWA’s high-quality hiking boots. For example, the Monowrap frame provides far more support (forward, backward, and laterally) than any casual shoe we’ve ever worn, yet it’s ridiculously lightweight thanks to the DynaPU outsole. Plus, the Gore-Tex Surround lining makes it waterproof.

Whether you’re law enforcement working an undercover operation, a prepper needing footwear that will work well on asphalt and dirt, or interested in aesthetically pleasing shoes that’ll last longer than half a year, the San Luis might just be the kicks you’re looking for. Keep in mind it’s designed to be a warm-weather casual shoe and ideal for traveling. Still, it’ll shine for three seasons out of the year.

Pros

Its subtle good looks fit in most urban settings without screaming “tacticool” or “I’m ready to bugout through the backwoods!”
Excellent design, construction, and durability
Lightweight with strong foot support

Cons

The midsoles are actually vented, which is great for staying cool in the summer. The tradeoff is less shock absorption compared to other LOWA footwear we’ve worn; this was evident when we performed sprint tests on dirt, grassy hills, and sidewalks.

Colors: Navy/Orange

Materials: Split grain leather and fabric upper, DynaPU midsole, DynaPU outsole

Sizes: 7.5 to 14, women's sizes also available

MSRP: $200

URL: www.lowaboots.com

OluKai Hualalai

If the name didn’t give it away, OluKai is a Hawaii-inspired company that makes footwear for those who enjoy oceans, rivers, or lakes. Many of their shoes, boots, and sandals are waterproof or made with features that make it fun to get onto or off of the shore (such as insoles that can be removed to be dried or washed). Coincidentally, these watersports-friendly features also benefit the prepared individual who needs to haul ass at a moment’s notice and doesn’t have the time to change out of his everyday city attire.

Take for example the Hualalai. Its leather upper not only looks like a classy update of the traditional mid-cut work boot design but is also waterproof, providing protection from rain, sleet, and snow. (Note: it’s not a winter boot, so it doesn’t have much by way of insulation.) Its removable and anatomical insole is made of triple-layered, lightweight EVA with a soft microfiber cover. And the outsole is made of non-marking rubber prominent lug treads, which provide grip without adding excessive weight or affecting our gait.

Overall, the Hualalai is a versatile boot with performance around water in mind. You could dress it up with slacks and a collared shirt for work or dress it down with jeans and a T-shirt for play. And, most vital to this buyer’s guide, you could grab your go-bag and use these boots to get you to safety without fear of slipping or getting your feet soaked.

Pros

Sturdy outsoles offer strong traction and could do some serious sh!tkicker damage in a self-defense situation.
Leather upper is not only handsome and waterproof but will also stretch for a “just right” fit.
Great balance of comfort, performance, and visual versatility

Cons

We experienced some minor heel slippage when pivoting and sprinting

Colors: Black, Carob/Carob

Materials: Full-grain leather and fabric upper, EVA midsole, non-marking rubber outsole

Sizes: 8 to 14

MSRP: $190

URL: www.olukai.com

Salomon X Alp Spry

The first word that came to mind while wearing these was breathable. While beating them up in the hot Arizona sun, even with a black exterior they never made our feet feel like they were cooking. Weight is nice and light, like a track shoe, and cushioning is clearly evident. If you’re forced to run for extended distances, this would be a viable option to consider.

Water repellency was just OK, but the tradeoff is how well your feet are ventilated. We tried wearing these on wet pavement, only to find that it wouldn’t take much to slip and fall, so keep the sole’s limited grip texture in mind if it rains frequently in your area.

We aren't sure why only some of the eyelets are reinforced while others are not. As the Spry name indicates, these shoes allow you to haul arse at a moment’s notice, but they're still discreet enough to potentially double as office wear. This versatility is their greatest strength.

Pros

Good value for the money
Great ventilation for warm environments
Innocuous enough for use at the office or in other urban environments

Cons

If you don’t want loud colors, black is your only option
Shouldn’t be your first choice if you’re going through muddy, wet, or rocky conditions. Sole is slippery on wet pavement.

Colors: Magnet/Black/Monument, Mallard Blue/Reflecting Pond/Scarlet Ibis, Castor Gray/Beluga/Lime Punch

Materials: Textile and seamless Sensifit synthetic upper, EVA midsole with molded shank, Premium Wet Traction Contagrip outsole

Sizes: 7 to 13

MSRP: $130

URL: www.salomon.com