Page 194 – RECOIL OFFGRID

How to Tie a Shemagh: 7 Head Wrap Styles

Posted on June 23, 2016 at 6:00 am.

In a survival scenario, it's easy to see how headwear can be beneficial. A good hat can shield your skin from the intense rays of the sun, stop sweat from running into your eyes, and help maintain your body temperature. On top of these benefits, apparel that covers your face provides additional protection from dust, and can even be used to conceal your identity in emergency situations.

A pair of BLACKHAWK! brand cotton shemaghs.

For cold-weather settings, a wool or fleece balaclava (often called a “ski mask”) can be a great choice for full-face cover, but its form-fitting design will likely be stifling in summer heat. When temperatures rise into the triple-digits, you'll need something loose and breathable that still provides maximum protection. Enter the shemagh (a.k.a. keffiyeh), a square scarf which has been a prominent head covering in the Middle East region for centuries.

A U.S. Marine in Afghanistan wearing a shemagh. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense / Wikipedia

A shemagh is essentially just a large square of fabric, much like a bigger bandana. It's typically made of woven cotton for breathability, but cotton/wool blends and other synthetic fabrics are also available. You've probably seen them worn by insurgent forces in the Middle East, as well as by various western special-operations forces.

Whether you've already got a shemagh in your survival pack, or you're thinking about buying one in the future, it's helpful to know how to form this fabric square into a head covering. There are many methods, but the video below from Dakota Jennings on YouTube shows 7 useful styles.

Where Is Your Pain Coming From?

Posted on June 22, 2016 at 1:00 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Body
Self-Tests
Corrective Exercises
Conclusion
Sources
About The Author:

Warning!
The exercises and content expressed in this column are for illustrative purposes only. Consult a medical professional before trying any physical activity or nutritional plan.

People tend to think that all they need to do is pop a pill (of both the medicinal and supplemental kind) and their joints will be perfectly fine. What they don't realize is that the first step in joint health is to stay active, a key component in preventing injuries and also alleviating past pains.

You might be asking, “What does joint pain have to do with prepping?” Sure, it's easy to focus on working on bushcraft or testing out your latest bug-out bag. But how will you worry about any of that if you've blown out your knee while fleeing the initial catastrophe? Prepping also includes preparing and repairing the hardware you were born with, not just the ones you buy at the army surplus store. So, how can a prepper do this?

Body

Let's say your knee starts giving you trouble. You figure it's just the awkward way you hopped over the fallen tree while lugging your gear to the next safe zone. It'll go away in a day or two, you tell yourself. Well, when it still persists days or weeks later, maybe something else is going on. The problem is, it's far too common to think that knee pain equates to a knee problem. Most of the time, it's not your knee. Just because you feel pain there doesn't mean that it's the source of your problem.

Your whole body moves through an interconnected series of joints — some of which need to be more stable, while others need to be more mobile. In simplified terms, your shoulder and hips need to be mobile, while your lower back and knees need to be more stable. When you don't have enough stability or mobility in these joints, other areas need to pick up the slack. This extra slack is what we're looking to eliminate. Sometimes, it can lead to debilitating back pain or a painful shoulder. Let's take a look at some tests and corrective exercises to fix your ailing joints.

Self-Tests

Complete the following self-tests to determine which areas of your body need further work.

1 Shoulder: Apley Scratch Test

To test range of motion of the shoulder, we're going to use the Apley Scratch Test. To do this, reach behind your head to touch the upper part of your opposite side shoulder blade. Then, reach behind your back to touch the lower part of the opposite side shoulder blade. If you can't reach your shoulder blade, this is an area on which to focus.

2 Hip and Lower Back: Straight-Leg Raise

Begin lying on your back with your feet together and toes up, arms out to your sides with palms down. Lie next to a stationary object, such as the end of a wall, at the middle of your thigh.

Keeping both legs straight, raise the leg closest to the wall as high as you can. Do this test on both sides. If you're unable to raise your leg at the same level or higher than the wall, you'll need to focus on this.

3 Lower Back: Birddog

Begin on the ground on all fours. Simultaneously, reach your right arm forward and stretch your left leg backwards. Try to make yourself as long as possible and hold for 20 seconds on each side. If you're unable to hold for the duration, we'll look at fixing this area.

4 Knee, Hip, Lower Back, and Shoulder: Overhead Squat

Begin standing 6 inches in front of a doorway. Your feet should be hip-width apart with your toes pointed forward. Hold a dowel or broomstick overhead with your hands, about twice your shoulder width apart. Keep your arms as straight and vertical as possible.

Keeping your heels flat on the floor and your toes straight ahead, squat down as deeply as possible. Your hips should be able to get below your knees, with your toes staying straight ahead, and you shouldn't touch anything on the way down or up.

5 Knee: Wall Ankle Mobilization

Begin by standing and facing a wall with one foot about 4 inches away from the wall. Place your hands on the wall. Keeping your heel on the floor, move your knee forward to reach the wall with your knee. If you're unable to reach the wall, there's a restriction we'll need to address.

6 Knee and Hip: Hurdle Step

Begin by placing a piece of tape across a door frame just beneath the height of your knee. Stand directly in front of the tape. Raise one leg up and over the tape, and place your heel on the ground in front. Bring the same leg back over and return to the starting position. If you make contact with the tape during this process, this will be an area we'll focus on improving.

Corrective Exercises

Once you've determined which areas of your body you need to address, focus on the following corrective exercises.

Shoulders

The shoulder is a structurally unstable joint. Unlike your hip, which has a much deeper socket, your shoulder joint resembles a golf ball on a tee. The key to keeping your shoulders healthy involves keeping your rotator cuff strong, your shoulder blades stable, and your spine mobile in the area between your shoulder blades (thoracic spine).

1 Quadruped Extension/Rotation

Begin down on all fours and rock back, slightly arching your lower back. Place one hand behind your head. Start by rotating down and bring your elbow toward your opposite knee. Then, rotate your elbow up toward the ceiling. Follow your elbow with your eyes. Complete two sets of 10 repetitions per side.

2 90/90 Hip Lift With Breathing

Improper breathing can have a huge impact on shoulder function. If you're recruiting larger muscles to aid in breathing, this will cause the overuse of many muscles of the shoulder and upper body, causing them to become very tight and restrict movement. Begin by lying on your back with your feet flat on a wall. Position yourself so there are 90-degree angles at your hips and knees, with your right arm overhead. Breathe in through your nose, and as you exhale, pull down through your heels to curl only your hips off the floor. Hold this position as you breathe all of your air out and pause for three seconds, before inhaling again. Complete 2our to five sets of four to five breaths.

Hips

As explained earlier, the hips are a more stable structure than the shoulders, mainly due to the hip socket depth. It's a ball-and-socket joint, meaning there's a considerable amount of motion available. Keeping the hips healthy is all about retaining mobility, but also being able to stabilize when need be. It's when you lose range of motion or stability that problems arise.

1 Hip Rotator Stretch

Begin in a push-up position and bring one knee forward. Rotate that leg outward, bringing your front shin perpendicular to your body. Slowly lower yourself down, relaxing into the stretched hip. Focus on breathing slowly and deeply, trying to deepen the stretch throughout the time frame. Complete one set of 40 to 60 seconds on each side.

2 Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Begin in a standing position. Simultaneously reach both arms forward and stretch your other leg far back behind you. Push your planted foot through the floor to return to the starting position. Complete three sets of eight repetitions per side.

3 All Fours Glute Mobilization

Start in an all fours position. Place one foot behind the opposite knee. Slowly rock your hips back and to the rotated side. Complete one set of eight repetitions per side.

Knees

The knee is commonly referred to as a dumb joint because it's mainly a product of the hip and ankle. It lies between these two joints, both of which should be highly mobile. The knee primarily bends and straightens, so you need the hip and ankle to be mobile enough to move through their full range of motion, but also stable enough to resist any motion that would put the knee in jeopardy. Therefore, it's key to focus on the hip and ankle when keeping knees healthy and pain-free. Work on the hip mobility exercises described earlier, as well as the following exercises.

1 Wall Ankle Mobilization

Begin standing and facing a wall. Place your hands on the wall, and put one foot in front of the other. Keeping your front heel flat on the floor, slowly rock your knee forward until you reach the wall. Continue to move your foot further away from the wall until it becomes difficult but achievable to reach the wall. Complete two sets of 10 repetitions per side.

2 Single-Leg Squat With Tennis Ball

Begin standing about a foot in front of a chair or bench. Place a tennis ball under the ball of one foot. Keep your weight mostly on the other foot, and slowly reach forward as you sit back and down. Gently tap the chair or bench, then return to the starting position. If it's too difficult to reach the chair, place additional objects on it, such as a book or two, until you are able to complete eight repetitions. Complete three sets per side.

Lower Back

Who hasn't had lower back pain at some point? Unfortunately, it's far too prevalent. The lower back is an area that needs a lot of stability. Not only does that area of the spine allow much less movement, it's also where force gets transferred between the upper and lower body. If there isn't adequate stability, you won't be able to transfer force very well, and you'll probably have some pain.

Much like the other joints we've discussed, the lower back will have to make up for any mobility that's lacking in the surrounding joints. We're specifically talking about your hips, shoulders, and middle spine segment (thoracic spine). To address these areas, work on the shoulder and hip mobility exercises outlined above, as well as the following exercises.

1 Straight-Arm Plank With Shoulder Tap

Begin in push-up position with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your whole body rigid, alternately place one arm on the opposite shoulder. Move as little as possible. Complete three sets of 30 seconds.

2 Hip Hinge with Dowel

Learning to move through your hips can drastically reduce the amount of strain on your lower back. Begin by holding a dowel or broomstick along your back, touching the back of your head, spine, and tailbone. Soften your knees. Keeping the dowel in contact with all three points, drive your hips backward until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Push your feet into the floor to return to the starting position. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that rarely is an issue in one joint isolated to that particular joint. Most often, it's the surrounding joints — or even more distant joints — that have a significant impact on how well it functions. Oftentimes, you can help yourself overcome aches and pains simply by knowing how to take care of yourself. Self care is one of the best assurances to provide maximum advantage when disaster strikes. So learn what you need to do to become more durable and to take care of yourself and others when crap starts hitting the fan.

Sources

Athletic Body In Balance > http://www.humankinetics.com
Movement: Functional Movement Systems > http://www.otpbooks.com

About The Author:

A frequent Recoil Offgrid contributor, Ryne Gioviano is the co-owner of Welligee Personal Training & Lifestyle located in Naperville, Illinois. He holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
http://www.welligee.com

Pan-Fried Bannock Bread

Posted on June 22, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Centuries ago, survivalists and outdoorsmen learned to live in the wilderness, and they did so without the vast resources we now have available. Back then, they couldn't just stroll into Wal-Mart and buy some Power Bars and Gatorade—they had to make survival food from simple ingredients. One such recipe is known as bannock bread.

The core ingredients in bannock are simple: water, flour, and a leavening agent (such as baking powder).

Bannock is a form of quick bread, similar to a scone or biscuit. It's usually composed of water, flour, and baking powder, although other ingredients and flavorings can be added. The ingredients are mixed together to form dough, and that dough may then be baked in an oven, heated on a flat rock, grilled, fried, or even cooked on a stick. This versatility makes it an easy food to whip up at a campsite—just carry a pre-mixed bag of flour and baking powder, and add water as needed.

For an excellent tutorial on how to make bannock bread, watch the video below from Black Owl Outdoors. The host uses a cast-iron skillet and a squeeze-bottle of cooking oil to pan-fry the dough into a golden-brown cake. He even added a little cinnamon and sugar to sweeten the mixture—sounds pretty mouthwatering, right?

As the host mentions, it's easy to make this recipe your own by adding toppings or other ingredients. Here's a quick list of some suggestions we've found:

Salt and lard or oil (a traditional savory recipe)
Dried raisins, cherries, cranberries, or blueberries
Honey and oats
Nuts and chocolate chips
Diced dried meats, such as bacon bits
Garlic and herbs
Milk or cheese

You get the idea. The possibilities are endless, and you can make a different recipe every day with a handful of shelf-stable ingredients. This recipe is one to practice at home, so you can perfect it on your future journeys.

Do You Know Your Blade Grinds and Profiles?

Posted on June 21, 2016 at 6:04 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

On the Grind
User Profile
What Combo is Best?
Tanto Myth-Busting

Do you ever start shopping for a new knife, read a few catalogs, browse a few websites, or thumb through a magazine, and suddenly feel like you forgot how to speak English?

Knife manufacturers love to litter their marketing with all sorts of fancy terms like flat grinds, chisel grinds, Scandi grinds, zero bevels, mid-tech, forged, stock removal, textured G-10, S30V, Damascus, and pattern-welded — but what do all these terms mean? How does understanding these terms make one a better prepper?

They really are pretty easy to understand once you get your head wrapped around them. Knife-makers are a sensible lot and most of these terms have pretty direct meanings, but even after knowing what they mean, it still takes a little trial and error to determine which grind, edge, pattern, or profile works best for the task at hand.

Considering that we're always striving to provide the most in-depth knowledge on survival, we've compiled the following tutorial on knife grinds and blade profiles to help you understand each one, and let you pick the best tool for your needs.

On the Grind

The heart of the blade is essentially in the grind, or how the cutting edge is formed. This is the working part of the knife for 90 percent of its tasks and reflects how well it'll cut and, to a degree, retain its sharpness. There are many types of grinds out there. Here's a look at the most common types you might find:

Flat Grind

The flat-ground or “V ground” blade is one of the most basic edge styles in existence. In a flat-ground blade, both sides taper toward each other at a consistent angle from the spine of the blade to the edge, where they meet. The flat grind is most commonly found in kitchen knives, as well as many blades manufactured by Spyderco and Strider Knives.

Flat-ground knives have a distinct advantage in that they are possibly among the easiest to maintain.

Hollow Grind

Emerging in the 19th century as a grind to use on a straight razor, the hollow-ground blade gained popularity in the hunting and sporting community in the late 1950s. It has a distinctive concave grind to the edge, so that both sides of the knife have a bevel that bows inward until they meet in a thin, sharp edge.

Unfortunately, these are not the most durable edges, and proper maintenance needs to be performed more frequently by stropping or sharpening. Buck hunting knives, straight razors, and a number of custom knives make use of this thin and extremely sharp edge. Maintenance of a hollow-ground blade is not difficult, but must be performed often.

Scandinavian Grind

This grind, sometimes shortened to Scandi grind, starts below the halfway point and has no secondary bevel on the edge. Scandi-ground blades are ideal for whittling, woodworking, and bushcraft. The high bevel was desired so that the user could keep an eye on the wood grain while carving.

More of a carver than a chopper (which will certainly ruin the edge), the Scandi grind requires frequent stropping to maintain its sharpness. Using any other type of sharpener will ruin the edge or at least change the grind by adding a secondary bevel.

Convex Grind

Convex edges can be some of the most difficult to sharpen, but the edges are extremely durable and sharp. A convex edge features a bevel on each side of the blade, slightly rounded (convex) as they taper to form the edge.

Convex grinds are very specialized and are commonly found on heavy-duty chopping tools such as axes and machetes. The somewhat rounded shape of the edge will not bind in wood and helps to separate the two halves of the wood while they're being split. This is why it is also referred to as the axe grind.

Chisel Grind

The chisel ground blade is an older design from Asia that is very similar to the type of grind found on woodworking chisels. Only one side of the blade is ground, with the opposing side left flat. The chisel grind was popular on expensive Japanese kitchen knives and was introduced to the United States by the late Phill Hartsfield in the 1960s.

Hartsfield put them on his combat-oriented knives, which became popular with Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces. In the mid-1980s, another California-based knife-maker, Ernest Emerson, asked Hartsfield's permission to use this grind on his tactical folding knives, and within a decade they began appearing on all types of tactical knives. (See Issue 21 of our sister publication RECOIL for an exclusive interview with Emerson.) The chisel-ground blade carries no parasitic drag and can be made extremely sharp when there is no secondary bevel in what is known as a zero grind.

However, a zero-ground blade will need religious stropping to keep it that sharp. Sharpening this type of edge on a stone, a sharpener, or anything other than a strop or buffing wheel will put a secondary or compound bevel on the knife. The majority of factory chisel-ground blades have this bevel, which actually makes the knife easier to maintain in the field, but takes away some of its real cutting potential.

Compound Bevel

The compound bevel or double bevel is another grind that is commonly found on many modern knives. In essence, it's one of the aforementioned grinds with a secondary bevel. It adds durability and ease of maintenance to the grind.

Asymmetrical Grind

Typically a combination of two of the previous designs, the asymmetrical grind uses two distinct separate bevel angles for each side of the blade. (For example, one side may be convex and the opposite side flat.) The thought behind this is to produce a more durable edge by giving the user the best of both worlds.

Some makers and manufacturers take a different approach by grinding portions of the blade differently, such as making the front half a flat grind and the rear half a hollow grind.

User Profile

By looking at the various edges, the user can get an idea of what he needs in a blade. A hunter or trapper might prefer the hollow grind for skinning and dressing game, a Navy SEAL might prefer a chisel grind with a secondary bevel on a folder for its ease of sharpening or cutting ability, but turn to a convex grind on a machete for clearing brush.

The next question might be to think what profile is best for a particular knife. If the edge is the heart of a blade, the profile is its soul. This conveys much of the overall look of the knife and defines its function.

Drop Point

Today the drop point is one of the most prolific blade styles — but it was not always so. The late Bob Loveless popularized this style in the 1950s by grinding in such a manner to give the blade's spine the same strength and thickness from hilt to tip. It is one of the most practical profiles for a daily-use knife.

The tip is lowered, giving the user extra control when cutting with the edge without sacrificing too much power if the knife needs to pierce with the tip. This makes it extremely versatile, which is why you see it on knives for a wide range of functions: hunting, skinning, caping, woodworking, self-defense, etc.

Clip Point

At one time the clip point blade was the predominant blade style throughout most of the world. Originally, it was driven by the forging process, as the tip of the blade naturally curves upward due to the heat and hammering. As machine-ground blades replaced forged ones, the style stayed around through familiarity and perhaps as homage to the Bowie knife of the 19th century.

It gets its name from the back of the blade nearest the tip being clipped in either a straight or concave fashion. Common on pocket knives as a means of safely accommodating the blade within the handle when closed, the clip may have a false edge to aid in penetration. This profile is good for general use, hunting, skinning, caping, woodworking, and self-defense.

Sheepsfoot

This blade was originally designed to trim the hooves of sheep and goats. It has a straight edge and a straight dull back with a rounded and unsharpened tip that curves to the edge. This special purpose knife is designed to be held by the fingers very close to the edge for more control.

Today, it's become increasingly popular on rescue knives as they allow a first-responder to cut someone free of a seatbelt, rope, or clothes, while keeping the sharp tip away from the accident victim's skin. You'll also find sheepsfoot blades on knives used for skinning, woodworking, and sometimes self-defense.

Wharncliffe

Similar to the sheepsfoot, its curve on the back edge is more gradual and is typically thicker than knives of a similar size. This specialty blade was designed for use by mariners on sailing ships of old. The flat blade makes for predictable cutting action; important when the swaying movement of ship could cause a drop-point-shaped blade to slip from the work and penetrate a sail or a hand. Its tip is also excellent for fine work and the flat edge is easy to maintain.

Nowadays, you'll most commonly find a Wharncliffe on box-cutters, as well as other blades for rescue, skinning, woodworking, and self-defense.

Hawkbill

Resembles the previous two profiles, with one exception: The tip is pointed to add in penetration when used to strike and cut. This makes for a potent self-defense blade when used properly and with the correct technique.

Persian

This design is usually the opposite of the three previous types, as it curves upward with a pointed tip. This profile excels best at filleting, though you'll also see it on certain combat and general-use knives, as well.

Gut-hook

A gut-hook might be found on other blade profiles as an added accessory, but the true gut-hook has a blunt edge with a beveled and sharpened single serration usually cut in the top plane of the blade. This was originally intended to aid in the skinning of animals, where the blunt tip would not damage the hide or cut the intestines while dressing it out.

Common on hunting blades, the gut-hook is also found on rescue and military knives. The shrouded hook is a great way to cut seatbelts and cordage without risking injury from an exposed knife tip.

Tanto

The distinctive tanto stands out in the crowd. This type of profile was introduced to the United States on custom knives by the late Bob Lum. It gained popularity in the 1980s when companies like Cold Steel produced them under a variety of names and configurations. They exploded in the 1990s when tactical knives began to overtake the cutlery industry with tanto designs from makers such as Bob Terzuola, Allen Elishewitz, and the aforementioned Emerson. These modern U.S. blades have a flat spine, but the tip is most often set at an obtuse angle to the edge. Some have the spine angled toward the tip, creating a sort of triangle at the business end.

They're great for penetrating, but are less versatile than drop-points due to the obtuse angles near the tip. You'll see tanto profiles on tactical knives, everyday-carry (EDC) blades, and sometimes hunting knives.

Recurve

If there was ever a knife of the new millennium, it would have to be the recurve blade. On a recurve, the “belly” of the knife bows out from the edge before the point and gives more surface area for cutting. Recurves proved popular following the turn of the new millennium on many custom and factory designs.

These can be found on hunting knives, skinning blades, self-defense tools, and some EDC models.

Reverse S

This design was popularized by Spyderco and is found on many of their designs, such as the Cricket, Dodo, Matriarch, and Civilian. The sweeping curve allows for more surface area on the cutting edge than a typical straight edge or even the recurve. Hence, the blade in question might be right at the legal limit in most jurisdictions, but the extra surface area gives the cutting performance of a somewhat larger blade.

Dagger

It has had a single purpose for centuries: combat. This ancient profile is steeped in symbolism and due to its symmetry has been the base design of many art knives. Originally a scaled-down version of a double-edged sword, the dagger features two symmetrical sharpened edges. Some modern makers prefer to make the top edge unsharpened to avoid nefarious weapon laws in most jurisdictions and to make a more utilitarian blade. Its strength is in stabbing as the double edge (or top false edge) aids in penetration.

Carry of a dagger is heavily restricted, if not outright prohibited, in most jurisdictions. In response to this, a number of makers have refined the design into what is more commonly known as a spear-point blade or a bull-nose profile, in which one side of the blade has a false edge or is not ground, but maintains the symmetrical profile.

What Combo is Best?

Now that we've just downloaded a gang of knife knowledge on your internal CPU, you might be asking, “Great! I have all this info…now which knife do I buy?” Like pretty much any survival gear you invest in, the best knife is the one that fits your needs and your wallet.

If you're pretty much an urbanite who seldom even goes for walks in the park, let alone day-hikes or hunts, then a gut-hook skinner will probably be a waste of money. Likewise, if you find yourself in the woods most of the time, a double-edged dagger would make for a pitiful bushcraft knife. Looking for an all-in-one survival blade to keep in your go-bag? Keep looking past a sheepsfoot with a hollow grind. What does this all mean? Each design has inherent strengths and weaknesses.

When evaluating vastly different types of knives, sometimes it's pure aesthetics that win out. That is, much of this comes down to personal preference and what appeals to you visually. At the same time, be realistic and remember that just because a knife looks cool doesn't mean it's the most useful.

Tanto Myth-Busting

The tanto is a popular blade profile, but unfortunately there are some misnomers floating out there, mostly due to its name.

In feudal Japan, a tanto referred to a knife or dagger worn by samurai. It could have been single or double edged and was used mainly for stabbing (though it was also capable of slashing). Its profile resembled a straight-back blade: the cutting edge curved at the end where it met the flat spine to form the tip (similar to modern, high-end cutlery knives). Many of today's tanto blades today look nothing like the ones used by the samurai.

Another myth about the tanto that persists is that they're excellent at penetrating armor and the like. This has more to do with the thickness and strength of the steel in the blade as opposed to its profile.

The other falsehood is that the popular CQC series of knives by Emerson are based on the tanto. In actuality, that tip was designed as a point that would shear and chop in the manner of the guillotine blade. Unfortunately, knife collectors and writers at the time looked at the blade, saw that it superficially resembled a tanto coupled with the Japanese chisel grind, and assumed that the knife was a tanto.

Kickstarter: Renovo MUV Modular Water Filter

Posted on June 21, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Offgrid Staff

Renovo has recently added a new water filter design to its lineup, and it features some unique design elements. The new filter, known as the Renovo MUV (pronounced “move”), is a modular and adaptable 3-piece design.

Many water filters on the market use a single-stage filter, such as a hollow-fiber membrane. Previous Renovo filters (such as the Trio) have used a 3-stage filtration system, but the real key to the MUV is that each stage is housed in a separate module. These modules interlock, allowing users to choose only the modules they need for their environment.

In addition to its interchangeable modules, the MUV can be adapted to different use styles.

You may think: “why not use all three modules all the time for maximum protection?” This is a valid question, but it's easy enough to answer. As a water filter increases in effectiveness, it generally also increases in size, weight, cost of replacement parts, and complexity. Extremely thorough water filters also have a tendency to slow water flow rate to a trickle. So, it's valuable to only use the highest level of protection you actually need, thereby avoiding these drawbacks.

With the MUV, there are many configurations to choose from. If you're just looking to remove the hard water taste and odor from tap water, you can use only Module 1 (activated carbon). If you need to drink from a local stream while hiking or camping, adding Module 2 (hollow fibers) will block bacteria and protozoa that could make you sick. Finally, Module 3 uses high-tech Nanalum compound to trap viruses like Hepatitis A found in heavily-contaminated water sources.

The Renovo MUV filter has already doubled its original $30,000 funding goal on Kickstarter, and there are still several days left on this campaign. If you'd like to learn more about the modular filter's capabilities or back this project, visit the Renovo MUV Kickstarter page.

5 Ways to Sharpen a Blade Without Specialized Tools

Posted on June 20, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

We've said over and over that a good fixed-blade knife is central to any survival kit. Also, the key to any knife is that it must be sharp enough to cut through whatever material you're working on. In short-term survival situations, this is easy enough, since you can simply sharpen your blade at home and have it ready to use. In longer-term survival situations, however, even the sharpest and most durable blades will eventually dull and chip.

To keep your knife performing as it should, you may need to improvise and sharpen it in the field.

The frosted edge of a car window can act like a ceramic sharpener in a pinch.

The Sierra Trading Post YouTube channel created the video below to demonstrate 5 ways to sharpen a blade without the aid of a sharpener. Check it out, and see if you've considered any of these methods before.

For those who can't watch the video, here's a list of the techniques used:

Car window edge (famous bushcraft instructor Ray Mears also mentioned this technique)
Ceramic coffee cup base
Emery board from a first-aid kit
Spine of another knife
Smooth river rock
(Bonus) De-burr the blade using a strop, such as a leather belt or nylon strap

Editorial: YouTubers Drink Urine Through a LifeStraw & Embarrass Themselves

Posted on June 19, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

YouTube Hosts Drink Urine Through a LifeStraw
The Play-by-Play
What Can We Learn?

Since the invention of the video camera, humans have been using this technology to record themselves doing dumb things. Just look at the success of shows like Jackass, and you'll see that filming these dangerous acts can be a very profitable enterprise (as long as the medical bills don't exceed earnings). Of course, it's not hard to see that hurting yourself on camera can also result in lasting injury (and/or dead brain cells), so the paycheck doesn't exactly seem worth it to us.

Rhett (left) and Link (right) are the hosts of Good Mythical Morning on YouTube.

On top of this, filming and distributing stupid or dangerous acts might lead others to follow in your footsteps, no matter how many times you say “don't try this at home”. If you want to do something irresponsible, so be it—but at least try not to drag anyone else down with you. That's how we see it, at least.

YouTube Hosts Drink Urine Through a LifeStraw

Recently, we came across a video that demonstrates two popular YouTube hosts—Rhett and Link of Good Mythical Morning—drinking gross liquids through LifeStraws. Uninformed individuals may hear this and think, “the LifeStraw is made to purify dirty water, right?” It certainly is, but it also has its limitations.

The LifeStraw filter removes waterborne bacteria, protozoa, and other dirt and particulates larger than 0.02 microns. We own several LifeStraw products, and have used them repeatedly over the years. These lightweight filters are quite good at removing bacteria and protozoa, so please don't think that our criticisms below have anything to do with the device itself. This is a clear case of user error.

However, like many other hollow fiber water filters, the LifeStraw does not remove toxic chemicals, heavy metals (such as lead and mercury), or viruses. These are all things that tend to be rare in natural fresh water sources, but can be found in water that has been contaminated by industrial byproducts or human waste.

Despite this fact, here are some of the things the hosts of Good Mythical Morning chose to drink through their LifeStraws on camera:

“Dirty” bath water (which actually looked pretty clean, to be honest)
Contaminated water from the L.A. river
Each other's urine
Water with cat feces in it

We'll reiterate: drinking piss, raw sewage, or industrial runoff through a water purifier is a REALLY DUMB IDEA, especially when it's done just for laughs. Don't ever try it.

Contaminated water is not a joke, and millions of people die each year due to its effects.

If you'd like, you can watch the video below. In less than a week, the viral video (no pun intended) has already generated over 3.5 million views. However, we'd caution you not to imitate or encourage any of the behavior seen here.

The Play-by-Play

The video starts out tame, by drinking some dirty bath water through the LifeStraw. This is probably safe, unless the bathers have open wounds or extremely dirty skin. Rating: Probably OK

Next, the hosts drink water from the Los Angeles River, which is known to have a history of pollution (something the video hosts themselves are clearly aware of). Some might choose this as a last resort in a survival situation, but it likely contains traces of industrial pollutants and pesticide runoff that even the best filters can't remove. Water collected from a major city's drainage system may also contain traces of sewage, and therefore has a chance of being contaminated with viruses like Hepatitis A (although this is unlikely in the USA). Drinking this through a filter may be acceptable in a true survival scenario, but it shouldn't be your first choice, and it's certainly not something that should be done as a joke. Rating: Bad Idea

Then the hosts get to the main event: drinking each other's urine. Despite what you may have seen on some extreme survival TV shows, drinking urine is really stupid. Human urine has a high salt content of approximately 2 percent, compared to seawater's 3.5 percent. This number can rise dramatically as the body becomes dehydrated. Therefore, most sources (including the U.S. Army Survival Manual 3-05.70) recommend against drinking urine under any circumstances.

The only way pee might be worth drinking is after removing everything but the pure water through distillation (i.e. using an alcohol still or solar still). A LifeStraw cannot possibly remove things like the high levels of salt, uric acid, and other chemicals your body is trying to get rid of. Drinking substantial amounts of urine—even through a LifeStraw—can lead to severe dehydration and organ failure. Rating: Extremely Bad Idea

To verify these statements, we reached out to LifeStraw's parent company, Vestergaard, for a response to this video. Meryl Rader, communications director at Vestergaard, had this to say:

“LifeStraw does not remove dissolved salts and was not designed to be used to drink urine. It was designed for natural disasters and removing pathogenic, microbiological contaminants from water. Drinking urine, with or without a LifeStraw, is not something that we encourage. Whether or not drinking urine in small amounts is high or low risk is a question best asked to a physician.”

Finally, the pièce de résistance from this video: cat feces in water. This water is guaranteed to contain a variety of bacteria and protozoa, which should be mostly removed by the LifeStraw. However, it could also contain various harmful chemicals and inorganic solids, or even the Rabies virus (which is unlikely, but has an almost 100% fatality rate if contracted and left untreated). Since the solid matter in feces is 25 to 50 percent bacteria by volume, they're basically drinking a microorganism smoothie to see what happens. Brilliant. Rating: Bad Idea

What Can We Learn?

The moral of the story is that the LifeStraw and other water purifiers are not toys. Just like you wouldn't go play Russian roulette with a loaded revolver, or juggle needles loaded with infectious diseases, you shouldn't play around with a device that's designed to protect you from serious illness. You certainly shouldn't use it improperly on purpose, and you absolutely should not imply to others that this is acceptable behavior.

Look, we're not trying to be buzzkills here. We get that this YouTube channel is all about fooling around in a humorous manner, and we don't usually have a problem with comedy videos. However, this is a video that has been seen by millions of viewers—many of whom are likely too young or impressionable to know the danger of imitating its content. It lacks an adequate warning about the real dangers of drinking dirty water, and to top it off, it's (jokingly) posed as survival advice by the hosts:

Rhett: “We asked you to ask us questions about survival, because we know how to survive around here.”

Link: “Yeah we do!”

At the end of the day, it doesn't seem very funny to drink contaminated water as a joke, when waterborne diseases are the number one cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization. In our opinion, it seems distasteful, and it makes a mockery of those who need to use products like the LifeStraw to stay healthy.

It's also already causing misconceptions about water purification to be spread by other web sites. Don't take our word for it, just look at this Attn.com article titled, “Invention Allows You to Drink Your Pee Safely”. Despite the obvious scientific fact that a LifeStraw does not make urine remotely safe to drink (and was never designed to do so), this video has directly resulted in the spread of this dangerous claim online, and that's truly unacceptable.

Infographic: Cloud Identification & Weather Prediction

Posted on June 18, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Whether you're hiking in the backwoods, sailing out to sea, or simply enjoying an outdoor sporting event, it's extremely beneficial to be able to predict the weather. Of course, predicting it several days in advance has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, and skilled meteorologists can make big bucks forecasting the week's weather with high-tech satellites and radar. It's nice to have an idea what to expect in the next few days, but what really matters to a survivalist is the next few hours. Being caught unaware by a rapidly-approaching storm can result in hypothermia and may even put your life in danger.

Cloud identification weather prediction 1

A quick I.D. guide to some of the most common cloud formations.

Fortunately, you don't need access to the Doppler 9,000 to identify incoming weather patterns in your immediate vicinity. You can use a method that has been practiced since the dawn of time: reading the clouds. See the infographics below from NOAA and NASA, for a photographic guide to cloud identification. (You can click the image and use the “Download” button in the top right corner for a larger version.)

Obviously, there's a lot of complexity to cloud formation, and this subject can be confusing at first. As a general rule, clouds grow larger and sink lower as they build moisture, so watch how high-level clouds in your area develop over time. Most of us have seen the anvil-shaped Cumulonimbus clouds that lead to thunderstorms, so those are an easy type to watch for.

This Youtube video also does a good job explaining the concept of cloud identification and how it relates to weather:

So, to summarize:

Both cold fronts and warm fronts can bring rainfall, but cold fronts are generally more severe.
Cold front storm development: wispy high-level Cirrus clouds, rippled high-level Cirrocumulus clouds, mid-level Altocumulus clouds, low level puffy Cumulus clouds, building into larger Nimbocumulus clouds (occasionally anvil-shaped).
Warm front storm development: wispy high-level Cirrus clouds, high-level layered Cirrostratus clouds, high-level hazy Altostratus clouds, sheet-like lower Stratus clouds, darker Nimbostratus clouds.

William R. Forstchen Interview

Posted on June 17, 2016 at 6:30 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In 2009, Dr. William R. Forstchen's One Second After took the world by storm. Equal parts thriller and cautionary tale, it was cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read. For those who somehow missed it, the book examines the aftermath of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapon being detonated in the United States. In literally one second, virtually all electronics are rendered useless.

In the novel, John Matherson — a retired U.S. Army colonel and professor of history at Montreat College in North Carolina — reluctantly steps up to lead his community in the wake of this horrible disaster. One Second After realistically portrays both the good and the bad that would be associated with such a cataclysmic event. It became an instant classic in the prepper world.

The long-awaited sequel, One Year After, recently hit book shelves and is available on all e-book platforms. Forstchen graciously took time out of his busy schedule to discuss the realities of an EMP attack, how his best-seller changed his life, and what we can expect from his latest work of fiction.

OG: Every author hopes their work finds an audience with whom it will resonate. When you were writing One Second After, did you have any inkling of just how popular it would become?

William R. Forstchen: No idea whatsoever! By the time I wrote One Second After, I had published over 40 books, mainly in the field of science fiction. But after completing graduate school with a Ph.D. in history in 1994, I was shifting more into history, and military history. I had reached a comfortable level as an author but — other than the books I had coauthored with Newt Gingrich — had never, with just my name on the cover, hit best-seller status.

I actually wrote the book before “taking it out” for publishers to look at. Around 10 or so publishing houses rejected it, until finally Tom Doherty at Tor/Forge took a second look and decided to go with it. So from the time I first started writing until the day it hit the book shelves was over five years. It was the shock of a lifetime when, two weeks after the book was released, my agent called with the news that we had just hit New York Times best-seller status and the book was off and running.

It has been about six years since One Second After was first published. In the time since, the book has been cited on the floor of Congress as well as used as a cautionary teaching tool across the country. Do you feel the United States has made any significant progress in terms of EMP hardening?

WF: This is definitely one of those “yes and no” type answers. My hope was that the book would arouse interest at the federal level for two major actions. The first to begin a serious effort to at least “harden” some of our infrastructure from the threat of an EMP or CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) from the sun. Second to start, as was done back in the 1950s regarding nuclear war, a campaign of national preparedness, meaning public information, training of military and government personnel, and stockpiling of supplies. And third, to encourage a more robust foreign policy to prevent potential enemies willing to use nuclear weapons from obtaining those weapons.

The federal government has failed on all fronts. I am appalled by the lack of action in Congress and by an executive branch that has failed both with North Korea and Iran to make abundantly clear that even the remotest kind of threat will never be tolerated. America could and did recover from Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11 — recovery from an EMP strike is impossible. There will be no second chances.

The “yes” side of my answer? I have been amazed by the response of “we the people,” even while the federal government is moribund in its response. Millions of ordinary citizens are taking the threat seriously and preparing. I disdain how media tends to portray preppers. I have attended dozens of conferences since the book was published and have found the ever-growing prepper movement to be made of Americans who believe in self-reliance rather than wait for the government to do something first. I see them as the hope of the future.

From your perspective and research, what are one or two things you feel we as a country should be doing in terms of getting better prepared for an EMP threat?

WF: Every citizen should be prepared to provide for themselves and their family for up to a year after such an event. It is good common sense, which applies not just to an EMP, but also to a major solar storm, a Katrina-level hurricane, a serious financial collapse. Preparing is just plain old common sense.

On the federal level? If I could chose but one thing, it would be a robust foreign policy that made abundantly clear to Iran, North Korea, and their potential surrogates that we will not hesitate to strike first if we suspect a move toward hitting us with an EMP. An EMP is a first-strike weapon that, if used against us first, will be a blow this nation can never hope to recover from. The Congressional study of 2004 stated that the fatality rate would approach 90 percent after one year. We are not talking about 3,000 dead as witnessed on Sept. 11 and also on December 7th. A major EMP strike would be a near extinction level event for the United States, and our federal government has utterly failed to treat it with the seriousness required.

What was the impetus behind writing One Second After? Did research lead you to the story idea or was it the other way around?

WF: I was in Washington D.C. on the day the 2004 report on EMP was released and saw the complete non-reaction of the mainstream media and the rest of government. I later spoke with the chairman of that committee, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, who lamented that the problem was that the issue of EMP lacked a constituency of voters who took the topic seriously. He then urged me to write a popular novel to try to get the word out. That was the original motivation, then fueled by the research the work required and the realization on my part of how vulnerable we are to this threat.

My inspiration came as well from some of the great classic cautionary tales of the 1950s and '60s, such as Alas Babylon, Fail-Safe, and the truly frightening On the Beach. Those books helped to awaken and move public opinion, and I owe an acknowledgement to those works.

Without giving away any secrets, what is the basic storyline of One Year After?

WF: [Smiling.] As the title implies, it picks up the storyline a year after the end of One Second After. It presents two plotlines, the first being how to start rebuilding infrastructure, and even more importantly, how does America start to rebuild itself as a nation. Do we do so from the top down under the aegis of a renewed federal government, or from the bottom up of local communities reuniting?

Did you always plan to do a sequel to One Second After?

WF: Definitely not! I resisted for quite a few years. It was a highly disturbing storyline. I use to joke with my daughter that someday I was going to write a book titled Happy Bunny Goes to Town — seriously I really did want to write a happy children's book! I did have the pleasure of writing a book in cooperation with NASA, Pillar to the Sky, which presented a positive vision of a renewed space program. But always I was being asked to do a sequel to One Second After and finally I could no longer say no. That and enough time had passed that even in my own mind I found myself mulling over just how we might rebuild and what political and military challenges would then be “out there.”

Your hero, John Matherson, is a history professor at Montreat College. You are a history professor at Montreat College. Is that as far as the similarities go between you and your protagonist?

WF: We both teach at Montreat. I have one daughter who became something of a model for the two daughters, though a difference I thank God for is that my daughter's health is exceptional. But as to who John is, I modeled him after a dear friend, a retired WWII general who passed away just as I started to write the book, and several other veteran officers — men who, after the experience of war, sought to live lives of peace, but in a time of crisis could rise to the challenge. So many characters in the book are based on real friends and neighbors. I hope I did them justice because Black Mountain and Montreat, North Carolina, stand in my mind as the best of what America was, is, and will always be.

Novelists often mention how their characters seem to have a life of their own. Did any of your characters end up doing something that surprised you or perhaps took the narrative in an unexpected direction?

WF: There were moments of plot turns I had not anticipated. Two of the most difficult scenes to write actually involved John's dogs. I too owned Golden Retrievers and a Yellow Lab. When the moments came when the dogs played a major role, I had not anticipated writing about that aspect of post-EMP survival, but memory flashed of what happened during the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad in WWII. That was some very difficult moments to wade through, and since publication many readers have said those were the most difficult scenes to read in the book. Beyond that, part of the ease of writing the book was the fact that nearly all characters were based on people I know, and as the plot unfolded I simply had to write down how I would see them reacting.

Anything else you'd like to share?

WF: I still want to hope that not just my book, but others on the subject that have come out since my publication in 2009 will finally stir public reaction to demand a comprehensive and aggressive response by the federal government. I hope that protection and preparedness for an EMP or CME will actually be a serious issue in the 2016 elections. A presidential candidate, on either side, who states preparedness is one of their top priorities will most certain have my attention.

Everybody Loves a Good Story

Novels about the end of the world, or at least the end of the world as we know it, are especially popular amongst those who prepare for such things in real life. Not only do we enjoy reading about how folks fare after a major disaster, we can sometimes pick up new tricks and ideas to try ourselves. Many authors, such as William Forstchen, do extensive research as they craft their stories, working many real-world skills and bits of gear into the narrative.

Should you be in the mood for more world-altering destruction, here are a few suggestions:

The Ashfall Series by Mike Mullin

Alex is a teenager looking forward to having the house to himself for the weekend. His family is headed out of state to visit relatives. Unfortunately, fate has other plans and instead of a relaxing few days playing video games, Alex's world comes crashing down. The Yellowstone caldera, essentially a giant underground volcano, erupts and within days the entire United States is in disarray. What wasn't immediately affected by the blast is covered in feet of ash. Alex decides to make his way to where his family was heading and strikes out on foot. As the story progresses through three novels and one novella, Alex comes of age in a world irreparably and forever changed.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

A classic in every sense of the word, Hatchet has been thrilling readers for almost 30 years. Young Brian Robeson is flying to meet his father in Canada when his pilot suffers a fatal heart attack. After crash landing the plane in a remote lake, Brian is left on his own to find a way to survive in the wilderness. At his side is his only true survival tool, a hatchet his mother gifted him just prior to departing the airport. Brian spends almost two months in the wild, learning through trial and error how to survive. His adventures continue through another four books.

Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca

Lilianna is 16 years old when her world is turned upside down. Both of her parents have jobs that take them out of town, and it's during one of those times that a new flu strain crops up and begins sweeping the glove. Called the Blue Flu, because it chokes off the victim's air supply, it's deadly and very infectious. Lilianna is something of a closet prepper, but she's far from ready for a crisis like this. As society begins crumbling around her, she's forced to reach out for help. Eventually, she teams up with several other teens in town to scavenge supplies as well as try to locate more survivors.

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

EMP is the culprit in this trilogy. Adam is in high school, helping a friend with his homework, when the lights go out. It doesn't take long for folks to realize this isn't a normal power outage as vehicles, cellphones, and other technology have also gone dark. Adam's father, a commercial pilot, was out of town when the EMP hit. His mother, a local police captain, helps organize the community for safety and security. Adam's next door neighbor, Herb, is a retired government worker who turns out to be far more than he seems. Over the course of three novels, Adam learns just what it takes to survive in this new world.

The Weller by Adam Whitlatch

Some folks like wilderness survival stories, others are more interested in a community banding together sort of affair. For those who enjoyed the Mad Max movies, this one's for you. The Weller is full of gun battles being fought from muscle cars screaming through a desert wasteland. Matt Freeborn is the titular Weller, a person who can find water in a drought-stricken world. Time and again, though, it is his skill with a rather large firearm that keeps him alive.

Wake-Up Call by John D. McCann

The author is a well-known authority on survival and self-reliance. In this book, McCann's first novel, he utilizes fiction as a teaching aid. Todd and his wife, Melissa, are a relatively average couple. Far from anything resembling preppers, they are wholly unprepared for a massive earthquake that strikes their hometown. Utilizing an approach of, “Here's an example of what not to do,” McCann teaches the reader quite a bit about disaster readiness as the story goes along.

Emergency Dentistry: Where There is No Dentist

Posted on June 16, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

It's often said that nobody likes going to the dentist. It's not much fun to have someone poking and prodding inside your mouth with sharp metal instruments, especially when you've got to pay a hefty sum to have any dental issues taken care of. However, if you're stuck with a major dental issue like a broken or abscessed tooth, a skilled dentist is suddenly your best friend in the world. It's nearly impossible to go about your daily routine in excruciating, mind-numbing pain, and the dentist can quickly alleviate your suffering.

Like it or not, regular dental visits keep your pearly whites pearly and white.

Like it or not, regular dental visits keep your pearly whites clean and healthy.

In a SHTF emergency situation, it may not always be possible to simply go to the dentist. There may no longer be any dentists available, or those who are may be so busy they can't possibly help you. So, it's wise to have a basic level of knowledge about dental care and emergency treatment. This may make you squeamish, but it might be necessary to pull your own tooth or fill your own cavity to survive.

An illustration from “Where There Is No Dentist” by Murray Dickson.

There's an excellent book available that can teach you almost everything you need to know about emergency dentistry. It's called “Where There Is No Dentist”, and it was written by Murray Dickson in collaboration with Hesperian Health Guides, a non-profit medical organization. This 200-page book is available for free through Hesperian's web site, so you can start reading it today without spending a cent. It's even filled with simple instructions and illustrations, since it's targeted at readers with no medical background.

Here's a glossary of links to each chapter of the book, in free PDF format:

If you're so inclined, you can buy a hard copy of the book on Amazon.com for $16. For more medical tips and tricks, check out our previous medical articles.