While living through a real disaster would be no walk in the park, practicing those survival skills doesn't have to be a total drag. In normal circumstances, it can be a lot of fun to gather some friends and head out into the woods to practice fire-starting or shelter-building. A crackling campfire, hot meal, and some cold beers make the experience all the more enjoyable.
Unfortunately, transporting beer to remote locations isn't exactly a simple task. You can lug around a heavy cooler full of ice, but that's no fun, and it's certainly impractical to transport a full-size beer keg in a wheelbarrow or cart to your off-grid campsite. Bottles break and cans get crushed, both take up lots of pack space, and neither keeps the liquid inside cold for very long.
ManCan is a Denver, Colorado-based start-up that has developed a compact and portable beer keg for use in the outdoors. The ManCan design retains the advantages of a full-size beer keg—substantial capacity, maximum freshness, and easy dispensing—without the tremendous size and weight. It's also said to be extremely durable, and fits in a refrigerator door so you can chill it before your adventure.
The ManCan 128 contains the equivalent of about 10.7 standard U.S. beer bottles.
The ManCan is powered by standard CO2 canisters and a built-in pressure regulator, and dispenses beer (or any other cold beverage) through the flexible tap hose and nozzle. It's certainly not what we'd call light, weighing in at about 6 pounds dry, but it's a heck of a lot lighter than the 29.7-pound dry weight of a standard empty beer keg. When filled to the brim with 128 ounces (one gallon) of beer, it should tip the scales at about 14 pounds, which is relatively manageable for hiking and backpacking. A regular keg would weigh over 150 pounds—good luck carrying that on your back.
The 128-ounce ManCan seen here is available for $199 with flex dispensing kit and CO2 cartidges. You can also order it without the dispenser for $70, or get a smaller 64-ounce ManCan for $40. To learn more about the ManCan line of portable kegs, go to ManCan.beer (yes, that's the real web address).
In order to deal with a life-and-death survival situation, or any important decision, it's essential to stay calm, collected, and logical. If you panic, act impulsively, or allow your subconscious to control your decision-making abilities, you could make the wrong choice when it matters most. This is why understanding the psychology of survival is crucial—in many cases, your mindset is just as important as your physical condition, if not more so.
One of the biggest barriers to making rational decisions is cognitive bias. Cognitive bias is a systematic tendency to make undesirable choices or errors in logical thought. In simpler terms, it's when our brain distorts incoming information to make us believe something that's untrue or irrational. Many of the various types of cognitive biases arise from mental shortcuts (also known as heuristics). The brain tries to “connect the dots” to improve efficiency, but ends up leading us astray.
Fortunately, all is not lost—we can fight back against our cognitive biases by understanding them. The following infographic from Business Insider shows 20 of the most common cognitive biases, and explains how they negatively impact our decision-making skills. For a larger and easier-to-read version, click on the image, then select the “Download” button in the top right corner. Alternatively, you can click here for a direct link.
Next time you're faced with a difficult choice, consider these biases, and ask yourself: Am I making a decision based on the facts, or am I allowing bias to skew my perception? For more information on real-life instances of cognitive bias having catastrophic effects, check out this list of “Real-World Effects of Cognitive Bias”.
Even if you've never taken an interest in studying world history, you've surely heard the name Chernobyl. It's linked to one of the most catastrophic manmade disasters of all time, the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine (at the time part of the Soviet Union).
With frequent modern-day references in movies, TV shows, and books, as well as comparisons to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, it's easy to assume that the destruction caused by the Chernobyl event and its radioactive fallout has been greatly exaggerated. As with most disasters, it's true that some exaggerations have been made over the years, but make no mistake—the reality of the Chernobyl accident was truly staggering.
A view of the Chernobyl plant, taken from a rooftop in the abandoned city of Pripyat. Source: Wikipedia / Jason Minshull
Still, the event was nearly much worse. If not for the brave actions of three men, the Chernobyl disaster would almost certainly have spread throughout the power plant's other reactors and taken more lives. But, before we get to those three men, let's first take a historical look at the events that led to their selfless choice.
The Chernobyl Disaster
It all started in April 1986, in the remote city of Pripyat, on the northern border of what is now Ukraine. Pripyat was constructed in the 1970s, along with a facility that was officially known as the V. I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station. We now refer to this plant as Chernobyl, due to its proximity to the pre-existing Ukrainian small town of the same name.
This power plant was the third RBMK nuclear power plant constructed in the Soviet Union, and the first power plant constructed within the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Despite its remote location, the plant and its newly-built city of Pripyat attracted a support staff of 50,000 individuals. It was also one of the “youngest” cities in the USSR, with a high percentage of recent college graduates and an average age of 26.
Compared to other cities in the Soviet Union, the recently-built city of Pripyat must have seemed like a utopia....
On Friday, April 25th, engineers began testing an emergency cooling function on reactor number four. This was the most recently-completed unit, although construction was still in progress on a fifth reactor, and there were additional plans to build two more blocks in the near future. The test that day was intended to demonstrate a technique for bridging the gap between the reactor's two cooling systems: primary steam turbine cooling pumps, and emergency backup diesel generators. If you'd like to read more about the technical aspects of the test, you can find a detailed explanation here.
A diagram of reactor 4 shows the immense complexity of its design. Source: Andrew Leatherbarrow
Needless to say, something went very wrong. A subsequent report by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG) stated the following: “During preparation and testing of the turbine generator under run-down conditions using the auxiliary load, personnel disconnected a series of technical protection systems and breached the most important operational safety provisions for conducting a technical exercise.”
In other words, corners were cut in order to expedite the test, and this led to the situation spiraling out of control. This was compounded by the fact that Soviet authorities refused to allow reactor power to be reduced to 30% as per protocol, as it would result in mass power outages. By 1:23 AM on April 26th, an emergency shutdown procedure was initiated, but a massive power spike caused the core to reach 120 times its maximum output. The overheating reactor also overheated the water-cooling system, leading to a powerful steam explosion which severely damaged the reactor and started a chain reaction we commonly refer to as a meltdown.
A photo of the corium “elephant's foot”, taken 10 years after the Chernobyl disaster. Source: U.S....
The so-called meltdown literally melted everything surrounding the reactor core—uranium fuel rods, graphite control rods, and even the concrete floor beneath the reactor. This highly-radioactive material is known as corium, and can maintain a temperature of 1,200°C (or 2,192°F). Corium behaves much like radioactive lava, slowly flowing down the path of least resistance, and liquefying virtually everything in its path.
Preventing a Steam Explosion
This is where the next part of our story begins. The corium lava was making its slow descent through the reactor floor, and would inevitably reach the basement. Since the reactor explosion had severed cooling pipes, this basement had partially flooded.
Corium lava flows formed in this steam relief valve beneath the damaged reactor core. Source: Wikipedia / insp.pnl.gov
To the uninformed, this may not seem like a problem—after all, you might think the water would cool off the molten corium sludge. In reality, the corium was so hot that it would have instantly flashed the cold water into steam, causing a powerful underground explosion. This in turn would have destroyed the remains of the reactor, scattered radioactive material, and potentially led to meltdowns in the other three active nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl plant.
Author and Chernobyl disaster expert Andrew Leatherbarrow wrote, “If [the corium reached the water] it would have triggered a second steam explosion that would have done unimaginable damage and destroyed the entire power station, including the three other reactors.”
Engineers at reactor number four knew that this radioactive steam explosion would surely occur unless the water was removed. However, in a cruel twist, the drainage valves were located in a flooded corridor in the basement, and the entire area (including the water itself) was contaminated with potentially-deadly levels of radiation. The only way to drain the water was to open the valves, and the only way to reach the valves was to enter the flooded basement corridor.
Rather than draw straws or evacuate to save themselves, three men volunteered for this duty, knowing that it might be a suicide mission. Those men were Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bezpalov, and Boris Baranov. The first two were engineers who knew the location of the valve, while the third was a shift supervisor at the reactor. The men donned the best protective gear they had—wetsuits and respirators—and waded into the dark basement. Amazingly, the three men successfully opened the valves, drained the water, and emerged alive.
The Aftermath
A photo of the above-ground damage to the building surrounding reactor number four.
This chart gives perspective to the immense amounts of radiation released by the Chernobyl disaster. Source:...
While the men survived that day, it certainly doesn't diminish their heroism. If they hadn't bravely and selflessly opened those valves, it's likely that the Chernobyl nuclear disaster would have been far worse, and taken many more lives. Thirty years later, we still haven't seen anything like it.
If you travel frequently for work, you likely know the hassle of carrying a bag or backpack full of electronics. This usually includes a laptop for typing out emails and documents, a smartphone for business calls and navigation on the road, and possibly a tablet for quick access or watching movies on long flights. You may even have two smartphones—one for personal use and one for business. Then, of course, there are all the required cables and accessories.
In some cases, carrying these items in a backpack or over-the-shoulder messenger bag can be very functional. However, this can also draw attention from opportunistic criminals and muggers. If you walk the streets of an unfamiliar city at night with a laptop bag in hand, you might as well be wearing a sign that says “rob me”.
SCOTTeVEST has developed a streamlined solution to this conundrum. It's called the Off the Grid Jacket, or OTG Jacket for short, and it comes packed with 29 pockets. Now, you may be thinking that it must look like a bulky fly fishing cargo vest with all those pockets, but that's not the case. It's actually impressively sleek, and the company claims it can conceal a full-size laptop without showing bumps or bulges.
Check out the video below to see it in action:
The SCOTTeVEST OTG Jacket doesn't just scatter the pockets willy-nilly, either. They're designed for specific functionality with a variety of items, including a digital camera, touch-screen phone, RFID-sensitive credit cards, headphones, and hand warmers. The ripstop nylon fabric is treated for water- and stain-resistance, and it's machine-washable for easy cleaning—just don't forget to remove your electronics first!
Clear touchscreen-compatible pockets allow quick access to your smartphone.
The OTG Jacket is available for both men and women, with a variety of color and size choices. Currently, it's available through SCOTTeVEST's web site for $215. If you're looking for a different exterior appearance with similar features, you can go to SCOTTeVEST.com to view some of the company's other apparel options.
If you've ever compared and cross-shopped knives, you've likely noticed that there's a lot of terminology to understand. In the past, we've talked about blade grinds and profiles, knife steel types, and even the complete anatomy of a fixed-blade knife. There's still lots more that we haven't covered, however. Steel hardness is one such topic, and it's an extremely important concept to wrap your head around if you want to know more about knives.
The Zero Tolerance 0630 is made of S35VN steel hardened to approximately 60 HRC.
In order to explain steel hardness correctly, we reached out to the team at KnifeArt.com. KnifeArt has nearly 20 years of experience as an online knife retailer, and offers blades ranging from affordable EDC workhorses to exotic custom designs. Site founder Larry Connelley wrote the following guide on steel hardness, and shared it with us:
“Knives are immensely versatile tools that with proper care and maintenance, can last an extremely long time. If you're in the market for a new, high-quality knife, you've probably come across mentions of the Rockwell Hardness scale and ratings. But what is this scale, and why is it important?
Generally, knives are described as having an HRC rating of X. “HR” stands for the Rockwell Scale of Hardness, and the “C” represents part C of the scale. The Rockwell Scale is used to determine the hardness of a material, and part C specifically refers to steel. The hardness of a steel is determined by the heat treatment of the blade.
In simple terms, the higher the number, the harder the steel. However, one steel is not better than another simply because it is harder. While a harder steel generally holds an edge longer than a softer steel, harder steel can be more brittle; some steel alloys can even shatter or crack because they are too hard!
Optimum hardness is a balance between toughness and edge retention.
Steel with a high number on the Rockwell scale will have higher edge retention but lower toughness. Likewise, steel with a lower Rockwell Hardness rating will not hold its edge for as long, but will be tougher. Axes and survival blades may tend to have low HRC ratings, making them tough enough to function well under frequent abuse and hard work. Folding knives tend to have higher ratings, because they are expected to hold sharp edges longer and are not typically used for heavy striking like an axe would.
A chart showing the HRC values for various common knife steels.
When you're buying a new knife, take into account the primary purpose that knife will serve. If you want something that will retain its edge sharpness for a long time without a need for extreme toughness look for a knife with a higher Rockwell rating. If you need something that will be tough and survive hard jobs but may require more frequent sharpening, look for a knife with a lower Rockwell rating. Most often, knives are heat treated to a Rockwell hardness range that balances the needs of edge retention and toughness under a normal range of use for that individual knife.”
Have you ever caught someone in a lie? If so, it's likely that what really gave them away was not the cold hard facts or their verbal statements—it was probably their body language. Even if neither of you realized it, human psychology tells us that there's a complex exchange of physical signals during tense interactions. Some people may glance around the room furtively, others may stare at the floor. Blinking rapidly, fidgeting, and crossing arms or legs can all be warning signs as well. You may not catch these signs immediately, but if you know where to look, you can spot a liar in seconds.
Poker players learn to visually identify tells, but this technique is applicable to any part of life.
On the flipside, understanding these “tells” can enable you to use them to your advantage, and use your body language to bluff when you're at a disadvantage. This can throw off anyone who might be looking to take advantage of your weakness, whether that's in a game of cards or a very real and dangerous negotiation.
The following infographic from Visual.ly shows some facts about body language, as well as how to identify liars and bluff convincingly. Again, these techniques are shown in the context of a poker game, but they could easily be applied to almost any real-life circumstance—a business negotiation, convincing a criminal you don't pose a threat, or bartering for goods in a survival scenario.
Body language is a powerful tool, so use it wisely. To learn more about survival psychology, check out our articles on managing fear and the 7 Keys to the Survivor Mindset.
When it comes to survival knives, high carbon steel is preferred by many bushcraft experts and outdoorsmen for its extreme durability and ease of sharpening. However, there are some circumstances when high-carbon steel may be a hindrance rather than a help. If you're in a wet and corrosion-prone environment, this steel can develop rust and require more frequent maintenance to stay sharp. In these situations, a high-quality stainless steel can really shine.
TOPS Knives recognizes that there's a place for both high-carbon and stainless steel. With this in mind, the company has recently announced the launch of a new stainless steel Fieldcraft knife. The Brothers of Bushcraft (BOB) Fieldcraft fixed-blade design is tried and true in the survival community, but up to this point, it was only offered in TOPS' signature 1095 high-carbon steel. This new model allows customers to choose the same knife in a 154CM stainless steel construction.
Learn more about the original 1095 Fieldcraft knife in the video below:
The stainless Fieldcraft looks and functions almost identically to its 1095 sibling, except for the “154CM” designation on the flat of its blade. Otherwise, it has the same 10-inch full-tang design, 3/16-inch spine, and 4.5-inch blade with modified Scandinavian grind. The contoured handle scales include a divot for use with a bow drill fire starter, and the pommel has a scraper specifically designed for striking ferro rods.
The stainless Fieldcraft is also available in seven different handle configurations, ranging from subtle to eye-catching. Here's a list of the colors, as seen in the photo above from left to right:
Black G10
Black Linen Micarta
Tan Canvas Micarta
Blue & Black G10
Green & Black G10
Red & Black G10
White & Black G10
As with the previous iterations of the TOPS BOB Fieldcraft, these stainless models will come with fitted Kydex sheaths, each with a steel belt clip and built-in ferro rod mounting point. All stainless Fieldcraft knives are currently available for $200 (temporarily discounted from the $250 MSRP), regardless of the handle color selected. Optionally, customers can also upgrade to a black or brown leather sheath for $45 extra.
For more information on the stainless TOPS Fieldcraft knife, go to TOPSknives.com.
It's often said that finding a source of clean water in a survival setting is a difficult task. While that's sometimes true, it also becomes much easier when you know where to look. There are water sources all around us—they're called plants.
In addition to cleaning our air by transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen, plants suck up moisture from the underground water table and “exhale” it through a process called transpiration. The leaves of trees, bushes, ferns, and other green plants are covered in tiny pores called stoma, which emit water vapor each day during the photosynthesis process. In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, 10 percent of the moisture in earth's atmosphere is a result of plant transpiration. That's a whole lot of water.
We also know that as water passes through a plant, the cells in the stem naturally filter out contaminants like bacteria. So, as long as the stems and leaves of the plant are clean and free of insects, dirt, animal droppings, or poisonous/toxic sap, the water produced by transpiration should also be clean and drinkable.
Clear plastic trash bin liners work well for capturing water vapor. Obviously, only use brand-new clean bags.
Sounds good, right? It's clean water, it's produced naturally every day, and it's all around us in the majority of geographic locations. You just need to know how to trap it. This requires the use of a transpiration bag, also known as a clear plastic trash bag. This bag must be placed around a leafy branch, ideally in direct sunlight, and sealed tightly with cordage. Over the course of the day, it will collect water vapor, which will condense onto the inside of the bag, and run down to form a puddle at its lowest point.
Here's a video that shows how to set up a transpiration bag:
If you set up several of these bags, you can capture liters of water without lifting a finger or leaving your camp. So, if you haven't already considered it, you may want to add a few clear trash bags to your bug-out bag or survival kit. They serve many other purposes, including rain shelter and food storage— you can also use them to build a solar still water collection device.
How would you rather survive for one week: trapped inside a tiny snowed-in cabin during a blizzard, or wandering a barren and frigid tundra landscape?
Before you answer, we’ll provide some more background information on the circumstances. As with previous Survival Scenarios, in either case, you’ll need to survive for a full 7 days, and you will be alone. You'll be located in a remote wilderness environment, specifically the sparsely-populated region of Nunavut, Canada.
The town of Baker Lake, Nunavut is located just outside the arctic circle.
You traveled to Nunavut in January to hunt caribou, accompanied by your friend Jed, an experienced hunter and outdoorsman. Jed owns a small one-room log cabin, which he visits each winter to set up base camp. It's accessible only by flying into the small town of Baker Lake, then riding snowmobiles north for almost a full day. This year, he invited you to join him, and you jumped at the chance for an adventure, despite the cold conditions.
Speaking of which, the local weather generally fluctuates in the neighborhood of -30°C this time of year—that's -22°F to Americans. Snowfall is inevitable, with a rapidly-changing forecast par for the course. Staying warm in these inhospitable conditions is essential.
Jed's cabin is outfitted with the most basic requirements for survival in the north—a sturdy fireplace, stacks of wood, sleeping platforms, shelving, and a few basic hand tools. Of course, there's no electricity, communications, or running water, but that's to be expected in this remote location. As for other necessary items and supplies, you brought them along with you. Food, water, thick sleeping bags, extra clothing, rifles, and some gasoline for the return trip.
During your first few days in the cabin, things were going well. However, on the morning of the third day, the skies began to darken, and the wind picked up. A major snowstorm appeared to be slowly heading your way from the northeast. Knowing that the cabin's firewood supplies were dwindling and that more might be needed to weather the storm, Jed grabbed an ax and decided to head out on his snowmobile to collect some more. He said he'd be back within the hour, so you left it in his capable hands, and stayed behind at the cabin.
Three hours later, Jed still hadn't returned. You start to realize something must have gone wrong, as wind howls around the cabin. Cracking open the door, you can see snow is falling fast now, and visibility is low. It's time to make a difficult decision—do you head out after Jed, and risk getting lost in the white-out? Or do you hunker down, wait out the worst of the storm, and hope that he miraculously makes it back alive?
Staying Put
Declining to leave the safety of the cabin may seem like a wise choice now, but what you don't know is that this storm won't be relenting any time soon. If you stay at the cabin, you'll make it through the night, only to find a solid wall of snow blocking your only exit the next morning. You're snowed-in, and you'll be stuck inside this cabin with limited supplies as the blizzard rages.
First and foremost, the lack of firewood will become a problem. As noted earlier, that's the reason Jed left in the first place, so you'll need to carefully ration what's left. If worst comes to worst, you can start tearing apart the cabin's interior and furnishings to feed the fire. Food will also become a problem, as you were nearing the end of your time in the cabin, and beginning to exhaust your supplies. That, too, will have to be rationed.
The biggest danger in this scenario is not physical, however. It's psychological. You'll be stuck in a small windowless cabin, all alone. There's very little to do to keep your mind occupied, and you're deeply worried about your friend, not to mention the doubts about whether rescue is coming for either of you. Cabin fever will set in quickly if you don't stay vigilant.
In this scenario, you're trapped with your own thoughts at the mercy of Mother Nature, but at least you're relatively safe and warm for now.
Heading Out
On the other hand, if you choose to brave the cold wind in search of your friend, you'll find that your fears about getting lost were not unfounded. In complete white-out conditions, you stumble through the snow aimlessly, and realize after only a few minutes that falling snow has obscured both Jed's tracks and your path back to the cabin.
Fortunately, you had enough forethought to bring along warm clothing and survival supplies for a longer trek. You're decked out head-to-toe in warm hunting gear and heavy snow boots, and your backpack is filled with enough remaining food to sustain you for a few days. When that food runs out, you have your rifle, so you can attempt to hunt to survive. You can also make use of your limited knowledge of trapping to set some snares for small game, but the odds of catching anything substantial seem low.
In the vast northern wilderness, staying busy and mentally occupied will not be a problem. What will be a problem is staying warm. Remember what we said about the temperature? The weather is bone-chilling. Even with your thick gear, you'll need to start a fire and find or build a shelter ASAP. That may mean digging into a snow bank, or you may be able to fashion an A-frame or lean-to structure from saplings. It's no log cabin, but it'll have to do.
With some luck, the weather will relent long enough for you to orient yourself and head back towards civilization. You may even be able to track down Jed. Regardless, it won't be easy, and you're likely going to be stuck out in the open for several very long and cold days.
The Decision
So, make your choice of either staying put in the snowed-in cabin, or wandering in the arctic wilderness. Enter your decision into the poll below, and feel free to justify that choice in the comments section.
Survival Scenarios is a recurring feature on OFFGRIDweb.com, and will ask you to make a difficult choice between two or more hypothetical situations.
We don’t just want you to read our posts silently—we want to hear what you have to say. That’s why we’re working hard to provide more interactive content like quizzes, polls, and giveaways. Got any suggestions? Post them in the comments below, or head over to our Facebook page.
Shoelaces are something we often take for granted. As long as they're present and not broken, frayed, or untied, we tend to forget they're even there. However, these strands of cordage can become invaluable in a survival situation, especially if they're replaced with strong 550 paracord. In addition to serving the many useful purposes of paracord, they can be converted into a shoelace saw.
Plastic zip ties or cable ties are commonly used as illegal restraints.
The shoelace saw technique works as a friction saw, generating heat and cutting force by rapidly pulling the cord back and forth across a surface. Instead of using your hands to pull the shoelace back and forth, you use your feet in a “pedaling” motion. This is especially effective against plastic zip ties, which are often used by kidnappers and criminals to restrain their prisoners.
The video below from ITS Tactical shows the method applied to basic off-the-shelf hardware store zip ties:
In previous articles, we've shown how to break zip ties using a quick downward movement of your arms. However, this isn't always effective, depending on the thickness and strength of the ties. In some cases, you can also use a shim or thin metal implement to pry the locking tab open. When these two methods fail, the shoelace saw can be a lifesaver.
The following ITS Tactical video shows this technique applied to much stronger Mil-Spec Plastics Cobra Cuffs. Although it takes significantly more effort and time, the shoelace saw eventually breaks through the cuffs. Skip to the 6:30 mark to see the saw in action.
Obviously, the major drawback to these techniques is that they require your hands to be cuffed in front of your body. If they're behind your back, you'll want to try breaking them using a downward motion of the arms (click for a video demonstration). Otherwise, you can try bringing them around and under your feet, and start using one of the other methods mentioned in this article.
