Page 195 – RECOIL OFFGRID

Build Your Own Survival Bow

Posted on May 31, 2016 at 12:00 pm.

In This Article

The Setup
The How-To:
Conclusion
Build Your Own Arrows
Anatomy of a Bow
Take Aim and Fire!
Making Bows = Breaking Bows
Sources
More From Issue 11

Cool leaves of yellow and red pelted my face and hands in the autumn breeze. The wind was in my face, blowing from my quarry toward me. Good, I thought, one more advantage. He wouldn't be able to smell me. I waited for my prey to move clear of the vegetation, as one stray vine or branch could send my arrow careening off target. The shot was lining up perfectly. It was as if I were watching this happen to someone else. I was detached, emotionless, and simply allowing things to happen.

Age-old instincts took hold, and I began to draw the bow. My camouflage was perfect, right down to the bark still clinging to the back of my field-built bow. I drew the nock of the arrow to the right corner of my mouth. Then, to my dismay, the wooden bow made a sound like the “tick” of some large clock. My prey, a fat gray squirrel, looked right at me and bolted faster than my arrow could follow. I muttered a curse under my breath, and then fixed myself on the same thought that my ancestors must have thought on 10,000 failed hunts before me: next time…

It's entirely true that a field-built bow has a lot of quirks, ticks, and actual ticking sounds as you break-in the wood fibers (or actually break them). But if you don't have access to a bow after wolfing down the last of your emergency food supplies and firing your last round, it's nice to know that you can build your own bow just as our forebears once did. The natural materials for the archery tackle haven't changed at all in 10 millennia — all you need is wood, fiber, glue, feathers, and a sharp point for each arrow.

So maybe you're a hunter, looking to take things to the next level by building your own equipment. Or perhaps you're a serious prepper, interested in yet another backup method of food procurement. Or maybe you just watched the movie Predator one too many times as a kid and want to build an alien-slaying primitive bow, worthy of Arnold himself. Whatever the motivation, we're glad you're here. Bow making is an ancestral art form dating back thousands of years and appears in almost every traditional culture on earth. It's a means of hunting for food and fighting back against predatory animals and similarly motivated humans.

Making your own bows, arrows, and archery tackle are also a confidence builder and quite a bit of fun. Read along, and we'll give you the beginner's guide to the tools, materials, and techniques for survival bow making.

The Setup

You may imagine that you'd need an entire woodworking shop to build a wooden bow, and certainly, that wouldn't hurt. But you can also do all of the important work with a fixed-blade knife, a multitool, and a billet to strike the spine of the fixed-blade knife that will baton your way through the wood (see “Firewood Fundamentals” in Issue 10 of OG). The knife and multitool could be part of your normal everyday carry gear, and to finish off your bow-making toolkit, carry a few bow strings, some thread, a few fletchings, and some arrowheads.

Modern “glue-on” broad heads or “trade blank” points can be bought from specialty catalogs and websites, and are similar to the ones that were once traded to native cultures by Europeans. If you're particularly handy, you could chip arrowheads from stone or glass. You could also improvise your own bow strings from 550 cord, but a word of caution: 550 cord is a bit too elastic for the job of bowstring, even after stretching and twisting.

Arrowheads are modern glue-on broad-head, trade blank metal point, a stone point, and a beer bottle point.

Finally, you'll need the bow stick (also called a stave or billet, respectively). This can be a recently deceased sapling or branch from a larger tree. You'll want it dead and dry (but not rotten) for same-day use. If you can wait a few weeks, you could also cut a live sapling and allow it to dry in the shade, ideally with any cut ends sealed with paint or glue to prevent cracking. Do a bit of research to find out about the favored bow woods used by the native peoples of your area. Chances are good that those are your top choices.

In the East, I go out of my way to get hickory and black locust. I've also used ash, oak, maple, and other local hardwoods with good results. For those in the Midwest, look for osage orange, which is excellent. Midwesterners can also try more flexible species of juniper. And for the West Coast, try your hand with yew and cedar.

And while you're assembling your supplies, treat yourself to a strip of leather for an armguard. This may save you from a nasty bruise or large blister if you are shooting with bare forearms. A pencil is handy too, though a chunk of charcoal will suffice. A piece of 100-grit sandpaper and a tape measure will finish out your supplies for your first bow.

The How-To:

Step 1: Pick your Stave

This is where you begin striding down the golden path to glory, or the nature trail to hell. You need to select a suitable bow wood species, and it needs to be a good specimen. Start with one of the woods listed above, such as hickory or black locust. Osage orange is a little finicky for beginners. The bow we are creating here is a “quickie” stick bow. It will be more forgiving if the finished bow is longer, rather than shorter.

Start with a dead branch or sapling that shows no sign of rotting (no fungus, and the bark is tightly attached). It could be 6 or 7 feet long when cut in the field, and worked down to 5 or 6 feet long for the finished bow. Pick a stave that's relatively straight and free of knots, side branches, and twists. It should also be about 2 inches in diameter at the thicker end.

Again, if you plan to work the wood later, cut a live sapling and dry it for a few weeks, preferably a few months.

Step 2: Plan Your Bow's Shape

This means that you'll need to find the bow's belly, back, grip, and lay out the limbs. Start by figuring out which way the stick “wants” to bend. Hold the bow stave upright, with one end on the ground. Generally, this is the thicker end on the ground, in the orientation that the sapling once grew. Grab the top of the stave loosely with one hand and push on the middle of the stave. The stick should naturally swivel to indicate its tendency to bend. The outside of the bend is known as the “back” of the bow, and it is the side of the bow that faces your target. The inside of the curve is called the “belly,” and it faces the archer.

Be careful not to mix up these terms (or sides) as you work. Since the back receives the tension when the bow is drawn, damage to the outer growth ring on the back can cause the bow to break. Don't carve, hack, or saw into the back of the bow.

Finally, figure out where your grip will be. Find the middle point of the stave and mark out a 6-inch grip area in the middle. The belly area of the grip will remain unworked (for now). The wood above the grip is called the upper limb, the wood below is the lower limb.

Step 3: Shape the Belly

Bend your prospective bow again, pushing on the grip area from the belly side of the bow. Do this repeatedly and study the way that the upper and lower limbs bend. Generally speaking, the thicker limbs don't bend as much and will require more carving than the thinner limb. Look for areas that bend and spots that don't. Mark the areas that don't bend. Rest the bow stave against a tree, ideally in the fork of a tree. Use your fixed-blade knife and a baton to begin removing wood from the belly of the bow where you have marked them as stiff. Thin down the areas that don't bend, and for now, leave alone the sections that do bend.

Your goal for this rough shaping process is to leave the back of the bow untouched, and to get the limbs to bend equally by thinning down the belly of the bow. Go slowly and bend the bow often to check your progress. The grip and limb tips (ears) shouldn't bend at this point. Once the stave is bending equally and looking a bit like a bow, you're ready to put a string on it to more accurately see its action. Remember that thick staves require a significant amount of carving, but they typically yield stronger bows. And conversely, slender staves may only need a little belly shaping, but they're often weak bows.

Step 4: Cut Your Notches (Carefully!)

This can be the part were neophyte bowyers destroy all of their hard work. Notch cutting on the bow ears must be done carefully. Use the saw on your multitool to cut small matching notches on the both sides of each bow ear. Cut them on an angle, thinking about the direction the string will pull from each ear toward the grip. Do NOT saw into the back of the bow, just cut into the sides. These cuts should be shallow, just enough to seat the bow string. Attach your string to both ears. It doesn't need to be tight yet; this is simply for testing. Don't be tempted to do your best Hunger Games pose yet either, drawing a rough-shaped bow is a great way to shatter it!

Step 5: What the Hell Is Tillering?

Chances are good that you've never heard the word “tillering” before. It's simply a word that means thinning and shaping, usually in the context of woodworking. And that's what we are doing next.

Cut off a nearby tree branch, about head height, leaving a stub. You could also use some similar way to affix the bow grip. Pull downward on the bow string, gently at first. Carefully study how the limbs bend. You want to see each limb bending equally across its full length. You also want to make sure that the limbs bend equally — compared to each other. The two limbs should look like a mirror image of each other when bent. Use your pencil again to mark areas that are not bending enough. I like to shade them in aggressively, then carve away the marks completely, yet cautiously. It's best to take your string off when carving, so you don't accidentally nick it or cut it.

Tillering may take a while, perhaps hours, but this is how you make a bow. Recheck your strung bow frequently, and continue tillering until you feel you are pulling the string nearly to your draw length. Draw length is measured by holding a bow and pull the string back as if to fire and arrow. Measure the length between the grip and your jaw. Most draw lengths are around 28 to 30 inches for adults. Shorter folks and kids have shorter draw lengths, taller folks have longer ones.

Step 6: Finishing

Continue tillering, checking your limb bend and checking your draw length until you are feeling confident that your bow feels like a real bow. Sand down or carefully carve the belly of the bow to smooth it and remove any “chop marks” from your baton work. This is critical to eliminate weak points. Chop marks tend to create hinge points in the belly, which lead to breaks in the bow back. If you're curious about the poundage of the bow, you can test it now by getting a 5-foot piece of 2×4 lumber.

Use a tape measure and pencil to mark the inches on the lumber, up to 30 inches. Stand the lumber vertically on a standard bathroom scale. Set the bow grip on top of the lumber and pull the string down across the numbers you've marked. When you've pulled down on the string to a full draw length, check the scale reading for a good estimate of your draw weight. You can use a 25- to 35-pound draw weight bow for small-game hunting and target practice. You'll need a 40- to 60-pound draw weight for bigger game animals.

Conclusion

Bow-making and arrow-making are some of the most challenging feats of craftsmanship you can take on during a survival situation, but they are also proven and vetted game changers. The skills of bow and arrow making, and archery itself, could make you an invaluable member of your team or group. With a serviceable bow and a few well-built arrows, it's possible to take down a variety of game animals (some of which are almost impossible to take without projectile weapons).

After taking small game like rabbits, opossums, and raccoons, you can feed yourself for a day. By taking deer and large game, you can feed yourself for a month or provide for a whole camp of people for many days. In darker times, archery could even be used as a means of self-defense, but let's all hope it doesn't come to that.

Archery and bow-making, like many skills, carry a big learning curve, so it's best to start working on them now, rather than later. And despite all the blisters, splinters, and tears, this can be an immensely rewarding pursuit and quite possibly — your new favorite hobby!

Build Your Own Arrows

As you've seen, there's quite a bit of detail involved in the construction of seemingly simple survival stick bows. You'll have to pay close attention to craftsmanship if you're planning to build bows for the next Katniss Everdeen or some kind of dystopian Robin Hood. But now it's time for a bombshell. The bow isn't the hardest thing to make. At the end of the day (or the end of civilization), the bow is just a bendy stick with a string on it. That's all it is, a stick and a string.

The part that really takes some skill to create is the projectile, better known as the arrow. A great bow won't help us to survive without a proper set of arrows to fire from it. And if you thought bow making was hard, try crafting aerodynamic arrows from scratch — out in the woods. Arrow-making is where your biggest challenge lies. But don't let me scare you off. I'm just adjusting your expectations. Our ancestors built fine arrows from raw materials in the wild, and so can we. Here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Find slender and straight saplings, reeds, cane, or bamboo that are already arrow shaft diameter (5/16 inch underneath the bark for hardwood, a little thicker for hollow things like cane). Let nature do the work growing the perfect materials. Don't waste your time trying to whittle a log into an arrow shaft.
Step 2: Trim and straighten the arrow shafts. You'll need to trim, carve, or sand off anything that is not contributing to the perfect dowel shape. Cut the shafts a little longer than you think you'll need. Finished arrows should span from the nock to about 2 inches past your knuckles at full draw. The material should be dead, but not rotten. Straighten any curved or crooked spots by warming the spot over a fire, bending it a little beyond straight, and holding the spot in that position until cool. This heating (holding) cooling process helps the woody materials to retain a new shape, which could be “straight” if you do it right.
Step 3: Saw the notch and add the fletching. Carefully saw a notch (aka nock) about 1/2-inch deep into the end of the shaft (a multitool saw blade is usually the right size for this). It should match the width of your bow string. If using a hollow material, use a wooden plug and an insert and cut the notch in the solid wood — not the hollow shaft (unless you want to see the string cut the arrow in half). Then plan where your feathers will go in relation to the notch. Two feathers will need to line up with the notch, parallel to it.
With three feathers, the feathers will need to be equidistant from each other, with one feather perpendicular to the notch cut. These fletchings can be hard to accomplish without glue, even harder if you don't have a dead bird to provide a good assortment of feathers. Your feathers should match on each arrow. Use all right-wing feathers on one arrow, for example. Keep left wing and tail feathers together as well. Trim the fletching, apply glue if you have any, and tie them tightly in place with whatever string you can scrounge. Make sure the front edge of the fletching (toward the arrowhead) is smooth and well secured, or else it may scratch your hand as it glides across when fired.
Step 4: Attach your point. Small flat metal arrowheads would be a wonderful thing to add to your bug-out bag, along with a few proper bow strings. Saw a notch in the front of your arrow, then carve a slight tapering to the end of the shaft for better penetration. Glue the arrowhead in place, and bind it tightly with string. If you don't have metal points, try to make some or use stone or glass points you have chipped into a triangle shape. Failing all that, simply carve a point on the wooden shaft or leave it blunt to strike small game.

Anatomy of a Bow

Back: This is the side of the bow that faces away from you as you pull on the bow string. The back of the bow is toward the target. If a bow breaks, the back will often produce splinters of wood, as the back is under tension due to the wood fibers pulling away from each other.

Belly: The belly of the bow is on the inside of the bow, facing you as you pull the bow string. If a bow breaks, the belly may hinge or fold while breaking due to the fibers being compacted in the belly. In modern archery, the belly is now called the “face.”

Bowyer: A person who makes bows.

Brace height: The distance from the grip to the string when the bow is strung. The Old English term is “Fistmele,” which is the length of your hand when giving a “thumb's up.”

Ears: Each end of each limb is referred to as an ear, basically the last couple of inches on each end of the bow.

Grip: The grip is the middle of the bow where you actually grip it.

Limb: Each end of the bow is considered a limb, so every bow has two limbs, even though it may be made from one limb of a tree.

Stave: A solid stick of wood that will be made into a bow, also referred to as a “bow stave.”

Take Aim and Fire!

We could write a whole book on traditional bow marksmanship and aiming … and still not cover it all. But if you can stay alive long enough to get in lots of practice, you can learn a lot through observation and experience. So, to keep you alive that long (hopefully), here are the bare-bones basics.

First, you'll need to figure out your dominant eye. You can use the same trick that many early shooters use. Outstretch your arms, make a triangle or circle with both hands, and pick a distant object to look at through your hand opening (both eyes open). Take turns closing your right eye and left eye, to see which one is still looking at the distant object. The eye that's still on target (or sort-of on target) is your dominant eye. If you are right-eye dominant, hold the bow grip in your left fist and shoot across your left knuckles. If you are left-eye dominant, hold the bow grip in your right hand and shoot across your right knuckles. This puts your dominant eye looking right down the shaft. I'm right handled, but left-eye dominant. As such, I've been working on my “southpaw” shooting. Let me tell you without hesitation, eye dominance matters more than hand dominance.

Next, eliminate the variables. Make a mark on your bow grip so your hand always grasps the exact same spot. Then tie a wad of thread around your bow string to create a nocking point that matches the top of your grip. Don't tie your bowstring itself into a knot to create this lump in the string. That's too much stress on the bow string. Use a separate string tied in place.

Then start shooting the bow at a soft target, like a decaying stump. See whether you are more accurate with your arrow nock over or under the nocking point on the string, and try different finger placements. And for safety, wear a glove on the hand that is holding the bow, so that rough fletchings don't scratch up your hand.

Finally — practice, practice, and practice. Make certain that you draw the bow to the same spot for each shot. Try to keep your back “flat” when you are at full draw, and parallel to the target and arrow's path. And then practice some more.

Making Bows = Breaking Bows

It's been said by wiser bowyers than me, that a fully drawn bow is a stick that's almost broken. This is an unpleasant thing to imagine, especially when you have to invest so much time and labor into the process of bow-making. Yes, the lovely bow that you have carefully crafted could break at any time. It could be a hidden flaw in the wood, or more likely, an error in craftsmanship. But there are a few ways to prevent untimely breaks and cracks in your finished stick bow:

Never over-draw your bow (bending it farther than it was meant to bend).
Don't cut through the growth rings on the back of the bow.
Taper the belly of the bow smoothly. Abrupt changes in the bow's thickness create “hinges.” These are spots where the bow limb literally folds and creases, leading to breakage.
Protect the finished bow from dings, cuts, scrapes, and scratches. Don't use the bow as a tool, pry bar, walking stick, digging stick, etc. Damage to the bow's surface creates weak points, and weak points lead to breakage.

Oil the bow with grease from your first kill. Wipe some warm animal fat into the bow limbs to keep them supple, prevent cracking and prevent moisture from soaking into the bow. A dry bow is a snappier bow, while a damp bow is more sluggish.

Sources

Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual
www.amazon.com

Three Rivers Achery Supply
www.3RiversArchery.com

Traditional Bowyer's Bibles
www.boisdarcpress.com

More From Issue 11

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

Infographic: Combat Vehicles of the US Military

Posted on May 31, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Some people like to bird-watch, peering through binoculars to spot rare avian species. Now, there's nothing wrong with bird-watching, as it's a great way to understand the wildlife in your surrounding area, but we prefer to apply this skill set to a different hobby: military vehicle spotting. It's fun to be able to quickly identify various pieces of hardware we come across, whether that's a Humvee, APC, tank, or even a helicopter. Driving by Camp Pendleton in southern California, we practice this skill frequently.

Here's an easy one. Can you identify this vehicle? Photo: Wikipedia

Here's an easy one. Can you identify this helicopter? Photo: Wikipedia

Bird watchers often use a guide book or chart to determine the species they've spotted. So, as military gear spotters, we also see the usefulness of a reference chart. Browsing the internet recently, we came across this cool chart from Pop Chart Lab, called “Combat Vehicles of the US Military”. It shows illustrations of almost every vehicle currently in use by the US military—land, sea, and air.

For a larger version, click here to view it, or click the image below and hit “Download” in the top right corner.

If you like this guide, you can buy a large poster of it from Pop Chart Lab. We'd say it could make a cool addition to an office or man cave, and can help you memorize these vehicles each time you glance at it. Knowing the difference between an Apache and a Super Cobra might seem geeky to some, but we think it's a useful skill and a fun hobby.

Memorial Day

Posted on May 30, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Today is Memorial Day. While many of us will be enjoying a day off of work, spending much-needed time with our families, and celebrating the unofficial start of summer, it's essential that we never forget the real reason behind this somber national holiday. This is a day to honor and remember all who have died while serving in the United States military. Those men and women sacrificed everything for our sake, and they deserve our utmost respect.

The tradition of a day of remembrance for fallen members of the US military began in 1868, under the name Decoration Day. On May 30th, 1868, people throughout the US used flowers to decorate the graves of those who had died in the Civil War. Over the years, the name Memorial Day became more commonly used, and it was declared the holiday's official name in 1967.

If your home or business has a flagpole, please observe Memorial Day by flying the flag at half mast until noon, then raising it to the top of the pole for the remainder of the day. Aside from this simple gesture, we can all take a moment today to remember those who gave their lives while serving in our nation's Armed Forces. Without their ultimate sacrifice, we would not enjoy the freedoms we do today.

Packing Heat: Insulated Water Bottle Comparison

Posted on May 29, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

Insulated Water Bottles
AVEX 3Sixty Pour
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Coffee
YETI Rambler
Insulation Comparison Test

Imagine you've been out hiking all day in the summer heat, sweat dripping off your brow with each step. Your throat is dry and parched, but you've got just the thing to lift your spirits. You set down your backpack, and reach inside, feeling the touch of steel against your fingertips as they grasp a stainless water bottle. Unscrewing the cap and bringing the rim to your lips, you prepare to be refreshed as you take a gulp of… steaming hot water.

Ordinary single-walled water bottles have almost no insulation, and will change temperature rapidly.

That doesn't sound very refreshing at all, now does it? When temperatures reach triple digits, a sip of cool water can put a smile on your face, but hot water will do just the opposite. Alternatively, when it's freezing cold outside and you're chilled to the bone, you certainly wouldn't ask for a nice cup of ice water. What you'll really want is a beverage that's the opposite temperature of your surrounding environment—that is to say, a cold drink when it's hot outside, and a hot drink when it's cold.

However, this isn't an easy task. Left unobstructed, mother nature will inevitably alter the temperature of any beverages you have to match the ambient temperature. The scientific principle of thermodynamics tells us this transfer of heat energy must happen—it's only a matter of time.

Insulated Water Bottles

Fortunately, humans have developed a way to fight this natural process: insulation. Insulation dramatically slows the transfer of heat , keeping hot things hot and cool things cool. When applied to water bottles, insulation can maintain the temperature inside for hours or even days, no matter its surroundings.

There are many varieties of insulated water bottles on the market, so we decided to test three leading brands to compare the pros and cons of each. In addition to carrying and using each bottle on a daily basis, we performed a hot water test to see how well they actually insulate their contents in a refrigerator. For the purposes of this guide, we selected bottles that would fit a typical large cup of coffee (18 to 20 fluid ounces at most coffee shops). Here are the three bottles we tested:

AVEX 3Sixty Pour Thermal Bottle – 24 oz.
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Coffee Bottle – 20 oz.
YETI Rambler Bottle – 18 oz.

Read on to hear our thoughts on each bottle, and see how they fared in our testing.

AVEX 3Sixty Pour

AVEX produces a wide range of beverage cups and bottles, both with and without insulation. This particular thermally-insulated model is called the AVEX 3Sixty Pour. Here are its key specifications:

Capacity: 24 fl oz.
Dimensions: 11.4″ tall, 3″ diameter
Dry Weight: 16.3 oz.
Construction: 18/8 Stainless Steel
Finish: Blue/Black (also available in Black/Green)
Special Features: 360-degree pour spout, insulated cup lid
Claimed Maximum Insulation: 16 hours hot, 30 hours cold
MSRP: $30

The AVEX bottle is the largest of the three, both in internal capacity and external dimensions. It's nearly a foot tall, but provides some unique advantages as a result.

Unscrewing the top of the bottle reveals an insulated cup that can hold 6 ounces of your beverage of choice. Underneath the removable cup is AVEX's 360-degree pour spout, which provides a leak-proof seal. Twisting the pour spout one half-turn conveniently lets liquid flow from any direction the bottle is tipped.

The pour spout can be removed and disassembles into two parts for cleaning. However, AVEX says you shouldn't leave the spout at home, since the bottle will not seal fully with the cup lid alone. If you're planning to primarily use the bottle to dispense drinks, this is not a problem, but it makes drinking directly from the 3Sixty Pour difficult. You'll need to remove the cup, set it aside, unscrew the pour spout, set it aside, and then drink from the bottle and re-assemble.

Fortunately, the pour spout can be swapped for an AVEX ReCharge AutoSeal flip-top lid, if you're so inclined. That lid is sold separately by AVEX for $6.

Overall, we liked the AVEX bottle, and felt its vibrant blue color is quite appealing. The non-slip matte finish also helped us keep it firmly in hand. We'd probably end up buying the optional flip-top lid for daily use, since we prefer drinking straight from the bottle, but the spout-and-cup system is very good in its own right.

Pros:

Kept liquid hot the longest of the 3 bottles we tested (see results chart below)
Convenient built-in cup and easy-to-use pour spout
Attractive vibrant matte blue finish

Cons:

Cannot be used with only the cup lid, requires pour spout to seal fully
Difficult to drink directly from the bottle, unless an optional lid is purchased

Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Coffee

Hydro Flask is a well-known name in the insulated bottle market, and its products can be found in many large outdoor goods stores. We tested a Wide Mouth Coffee bottle, which comes with a flip-top lid for quick sips of coffee or tea. Here are its key specifications:

Capacity: 20 fl oz.
Dimensions: 9″ tall, 2.9″ diameter
Dry Weight: 10.8 oz
Construction: 18/8 Stainless Steel
Finish: Mango (also available in brushed stainless or 5 other colors)
Special Features: Flip-top lid, sweat-free powdercoat finish
Claimed Maximum Insulation: 6 hours hot, 24 hours cold
MSRP: $28

The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Coffee is appropriately-named, since it's specifically designed for coffee drinkers. Its 20-ounce capacity is just right for a large cup of Joe, such as a Starbucks Venti. Also, its compact size and light weight make it a great choice for travel. It fits nicely into a car's cupholder, and isn't so tall that it gets in the way.

The Hydro-Flip lid design makes one-handed drinking a breeze—just apply a little pressure with your thumb, and it pops right open. No unscrewing a tight lid, and no separate parts to worry about losing or dropping.

The only downside to this lid is that it seems to affect the bottle's insulation capabilities. With this lid installed, water in our Hydro Flask ended up about 30 degrees cooler than the other two competitors, after sitting in a fridge for 12 hours. We've noticed from previous experience that the screw-on Wide Flat Cap lids Hydro Flask offers for $9 are much better at retaining heat for long periods.

Hydro Flask offers tons of customization options to choose from—many capacities, mouth types, lid types, and color options. If you want a bottle in bright purple, or a tiny size for your kids to use, or even a huge 64-ounce insulated beer growler, they can accommodate.

The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Coffee is a good little insulated bottle for various uses. It may not retain heat for a full day in frigid conditions, but it does offer a lot of all-around convenience in a light and durable package.

Pros:

Quickest bottle to drink from, with a simple flip-top lid design
Compact and lightweight
Lots of size, color, and lid options to choose from

Cons:

Didn't retain heat as well as the other two bottles we tested, likely due to the flip-top lid

YETI Rambler

YETI became successful with their famous line of “grizzly bear proof” coolers, and branched out into tough insulated cups and beverage containers. This model is a new addition to that line, called the Rambler. Here are its key specifications:

Capacity: 18 fl oz.
Dimensions: 9.5″ tall, 3″ diameter
Dry Weight: 15.9 oz
Construction: 18/8 Stainless Steel
Finish: Brushed
Special Features: “Over the Nose” ultra-wide mouth, TripleHaul 3-finger carry handle
Claimed Maximum Insulation: No claims made by YETI
MSRP: $40

The YETI Rambler is a simple insulated bottle with a no-frills design. It may only come in one color, and it may only offer one lid option, but it's very good at what it does. Featuring a solid stainless design with a brushed exterior, this bottle is unquestionably tough. It also held its own in our insulation test, retaining over 60% of its heat after 12 hours in a refrigerator.

The Rambler's business end is topped off by an insulated TripleHaul cap, named accordingly due to the fact that it's designed to be carried with a three-finger grip. We also liked its “Over the Nose” wide mouth, which prevents you from bumping your nose or tilting your head back awkwardly with each sip. This design makes cleaning easy, too.

One downside to the Rambler is its price, about $10 higher than the competitors here. At 18 ounces, it's also slightly too small to pour in some large-size coffees. This wouldn't be a big deal if YETI offered a slightly bigger size, but the next size up is twice as large (36 ounces).

As long as the lack of color choices, lid options, and size variety doesn't bother you, the YETI is a solid choice. It did a great job retaining heat, ending up only a few degrees cooler than the dual-capped AVEX, and if it's anything like YETI's coolers, it'll be serving us well for years to come.

Pros:

“Over the Nose” wide mouth makes it easy to drink from
Very good heat retention
Simple, no-frills style

Cons:

No optional extras or color choices, and only three size choices
A bit more expensive than the other bottles

Insulation Comparison Test

To compare the insulation abilities of these bottles, we poured equal amounts of boiling water into each, and then placed them inside a 40-degree refrigerator for 12 hours. After pouring from the kettle into the bottles, the water temperature started out at 205 degrees. We then checked the temperature of each bottle's water at several intervals: 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, and 12 hours. Here are the results of our test:

The water we started with is approximately the temperature of a freshly-brewed pot of coffee—just under boiling. A cup of hot coffee is generally considered ideal for drinking at temperatures in the 120 to 140 F range. So, all our bottles can keep coffee piping hot for at least 6 hours, even in sub-40F outdoor temperatures. This is impressive considering how fast the temperature of our control glass of water dropped—it was barely room temperature after an hour, and ice cold after less than two hours.

By the 12-hour mark, the water in our Hydro Flask was still quite warm, but not what we'd consider hot. This actually exceeds Hydro Flask's claim that the bottle can keep beverages hot for 6 hours. We'd say it kept water hot for at least 8 hours. The AVEX and YETI were neck and neck until the very end, when the AVEX's contents remained 5 degrees hotter.

Overall, we'd say each of these bottles has its advantages. If you prefer drinking from a cup instead of a bottle, and want a little extra capacity to get through the day, the AVEX is a great choice. Anyone looking for a light and versatile bottle could be well suited by the Hydro Flask. And the YETI is simple and tough with very good insulation properties. Whether it's hot or cold outside, any of the three will help you pack a drink that's just the right temperature.

RinseKit Pressurized Portable Shower

Posted on May 28, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Whether you're out camping with the family for a few days or surviving alone in the backcountry, maintaining personal hygiene is important. Bathing regularly prevents disease and infection, and makes sure your smell doesn't scare off any people (or even wild animals) you come across. However, jumping into a freezing cold river is less than pleasant, and it's not always practical to drop everything and find a large body of water to bathe in. So, finding a way to bathe at your campsite is ideal.

Most of us are familiar with camp showers–devices that are often as simple as a suspended plastic bag attached to a hose and spray nozzle. These simple portable showers can get the job done in a pinch, but their lack of pressure and cold, gravity-fed water won't leave you feeling comfortable. Fortunately, a new type of shower has launched on Kickstarter, and offers promising features that set it apart from these bag-and-hose setups.

This new portable shower is called the RinseKit, and it's claimed to offer the power of a regular garden hose with added mobility. The unit connects to a household hose spigot or sink, and fills an internal chamber with water, compressing air already trapped inside the RinseKit to approximately 65psi. This pressure is trapped in the chamber, and is used to force water out of an attached hose, wherever you take the device.

The process takes 30 seconds to fill with 2 gallons of water, and enables the RinseKit to spray continuously for up to 5 minutes. No pumping or batteries are required, although the RinseKit does offer a heater attachment that can increase water temperature to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This heater can be powered from a home outlet or car battery, and the RinseKit's insulated design retains heat for hours.

For more information on the RinseKit, check out the KickStarter here.

Forbidden Fruit: The Deadly Manchineel Tree

Posted on May 27, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

As survivalists, it's advantageous for us to learn about naturally-occurring plant species, since various types of flora can provide renewable sources of food, water, cordage, and even medicine. It's OK to be a tree-hugger when one might end up saving your life. However, there are some species of plants that you'll want to avoid at all costs, as we have previously discussed in our “Devil's Greenhouse” article. These toxic and deadly plants may look unassuming, but if you eat or even touch them, you could become seriously ill.

The Manchineel fruit looks appealing at first glance. Photo: Dick Culbert/Flickr

At the very top of this list of dangerous plants is the Manchineel tree, a species native to Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The Manchineel tree is also known as the Beach Apple, due to its similar leaf structure and tasty-looking small green fruits. In contrast to this appearance and friendly nickname, it's certainly not an apple tree, and should never be eaten from or even touched.

Photo: Wikipedia

A more appropriate name for the tree comes from the Spanish language, where it is referred to as “la manzanilla de la muerte”, or “the little apple of death“. Even this name doesn't do justice to the extremely poisonous nature of the Manchineel tree, since the apple isn't the only dangerous part—literally every part of this tree contains strong toxins, some of which have not yet been identified. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the dangerous elements:

Fruit is reportedly “pleasantly sweet” at first, but soon progresses into an excruciating burning/tearing sensation, and causes an inability to swallow solid food. This may later result in gastrointestinal bleeding and bacterial infection.
Milky white sap contains skin irritants and can result in blistering of the skin on contact.
Touching the leaves can cause allergic reactions and rashes.
Exposure to smoke from burning the wood can cause blindness.

Photo: Wikipedia

Even standing under the tree during a rainstorm can cause damage to the skin and eyes, as the water contains traces of sap from leaves and bark. Manchineel trees are sometimes marked with warning signs to tell passersby about the danger.

There is at least one known use for the Manchineel tree, however. Carib Indians frequently used sap to poison the tips of arrows, and also used the leaves to poison the water supply of their enemies. For more information on this “Apple of Death”, check out this article from Atlas Obscura.

CRKT Homefront Knife with Field-Strip Tech

Posted on May 26, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

This week, Columbia River Knife and Tool announced the release of an all-new folding knife, which is the result of a partnership with famous blade designer Ken Onion. The new CRKT knife is known as the Homefront, and offers a vintage look inspired by WWI heirlooms. The bayonet-lug-style flipper, tank-tread-inspired jimping, and bronze-anodized handle scales provide an antiquated look.

However, despite its classic looks, this blade has a modern and innovative trick up its sleeve. The CRKT Homefront is the first knife on the market to feature patent-pending Field-Strip technology, which allows users to dis-assemble the blade and handle and clean these items in the field. Better yet, the takedown is operated by a lever and release wheel, so it requires no tools whatsoever.

Designer Ken Onion states, “The applications are vast. Hunters can clean the blood and entrails easily from their knife. Mechanics can clean the grime and grease out. Soldiers can take the dirt, dust and sand out.” According to a CRKT press release, this technology has been in development for over ten years.

On the business end of the Homefront is a 3.5-inch modified drop point blade, constructed of AUS-8 stainless steel. Here's a list of the rest of this knife's specs:

Blade Length: 3.5”
Blade Edge: Plain
Blade Steel: AUS-8 Stainless with Brushed Finish
Thickness: 0.133”
Open: 8.3”
Closed: 4.7”
Weight: 4.8 oz.
Handle: 6061 Aluminum
Lock: Locking Liner
MSRP: $150

For more information on the new CRKT Homefront folding knife, visit CRKT.com.

“Dual Survival” Drama – Cody Lundin Sues Discovery

Posted on May 25, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

It appears as though there's trouble brewing in TV survival paradise. According to a TMZ report earlier this week, former Dual Survival host Cody Lundin has filed a lawsuit against Discovery. You may be thinking that a celebrity gossip site might not be the most reliable source, but this information shouldn't come as a surprise, given previous statements by Lundin on his public Facebook page.

Cody Lundin is a professional survival skills instructor, specializing in primitive survival.

In a Facebook post on March 8th titled “Dual Deceit”, Lundin wrote:

“[Discovery Executive Producer Christo Doyle]’s recent Facebook post about cast changes on Dual Survival is not about “freshening up” the show; it’s about covering up what was happening behind the scenes. My firing, and the subsequent defamatory episode that was cobbled together by Discovery, Original Media, and show runner Brian Nashel in order to explain my absence, was also done to cover up serious issues behind the scenes. This was done after they offered to pay me, and asked me three times to lie to my fan base. I refused. These cover-ups will be exposed, as they always are.”

Cody Lundin pictured with Christo Doyle in April 2011. Photo: Cody Lundin/Facebook

This isn't the first scandal related to Dual Survival, since Cody Lundin's former partner, Dave Canterbury, was released from the show in 2013 after Discovery found he had lied about aspects of his military service record. Clearly Lundin had been unhappy about his continued relationship with Discovery for some time, but this lawsuit shows that he's taking the issue seriously.

According to TMZ, the lawsuit states that producers made him look like he was losing it on set, throwing a lighter and spear into a pond to sabotage survival efforts. Lundin states that this was actually due to physical threats from his then co-host Joe Teti, and that selective editing has made him look crazy, harming his career and reputation.

Joe Teti was Lundin's former co-host on Discovery's “Dual Survival”. Photo: Joe Teti/Facebook

Few additional details are available about the lawsuit at this time, and a rep for Discovery replied to a Fox News inquiry with “no comment”.

Improvised Angling

Posted on May 24, 2016 at 6:00 am.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Fish for Knowledge
Freshwater Techniques
Saltwater Techniques
Fish-Gone Conclusion
About the Author:
10 Worst Angling Mistakes to Avoid

Our SHTF nightmare goes a little something like this: Outnumbered and nearly overrun, we hit the mag release on our AR-15 and let the empty magazine fall to the soft ground below. Ripping our final magazine from our chest rig, we slam her into the magwell and drop the bolt. “Last one,” we whisper to ourselves. The last 30 rounds to fend off these blood-thirsty marauders, save our family, and protect the precious few provisions we have left.

But in reality, it'll probably go a bit more like this: Out of supplies and no signs of rescue coming, we drop our empty MRE packet and bury it in the soft ground below. Pulling the final protein bar from our chest pocket, we rip open its wrapper and scarf it down. “Last one,” we say with a hint of desperation.

While the first scenario is what some preppers plan for (and maybe even fantasize about), the second one is much more likely. Imagine an injured hiker who didn't pack anything but water. Or picture a suburban family stranded in a broken-down camper with no mobile phone reception, having already eaten through their cache of ham sandwiches. If they think the only way to stave off starvation would be to hunt small game, they'd be overlooking a vast source of sustenance. If you can find a stream, lake, or river, you'll find not only potential drinking water, but quite possibly a source of abundant food.

In past issues of OFFGRID, we've explored traditional angling techniques and introduced the concept of a bug-out kayak from which to catch fish. But not every outdoor adventurer is going to have the inclination or the knowledge to pack a fishing rod, just as not every prepper will have the room to jam a tackle box in their bug-out bag. So, here we're going to delve into improvised means of catching fish, covering all sorts of methods — from the unconventional to the ancient.

Warning!

This is not meant to be an exhaustive guide to improvised angling. Fishing in some regions under certain conditions can be extremely dangerous. Seek a professional guide or a reputable instructor for more information.

Fish for Knowledge

If you read “Teach a Man to Fish…” in OFFGRID Issue 4, you know that a mini fishing kit can fit into an Altoid box. But the low-cost nature of fishing gear allows for greatly expanded kits to be assembled and stored in multiple locations, from your home and your office to your daily driver and your kayak. This will enable you to take advantage of multiple environments, species, seasons, and waters, from ponds and upland freshwater to salty bays and coastal tidal creeks.

For anything longer than one night in the woods, less is not more when packing fishing kits. Yet, judging from a quick look at fishing gear on the market, the manufacturers' main objective seems to be to make them as small as possible with almost no line and few hooks or lures. But why settle for 30 feet of line when, for $7, you can grab a readymade spool of more than 3,000 yards of light monofilament? Add in a box of hooks and you're halfway to a good meal.

Survival fishing might require some improvised cooking. Soda cans can be splayed out and re-purposed as a grill

The key to it all? Understanding your target species and settling in for the long haul, to keep moving and harvesting fish as you go.

Learn your home species, and adjust your kit according to destinations. Ask yourself, “If I crossed the state line, would I be able to work my way home living on only fish I caught along the way?” Stepping off the grid should increase, not decrease, your confidence. And the best way to do that is to gain knowledge and develop skill through practice. Next time your wife complains that you go fishing with the boys too often, tell her you're doing vital research.

If 10 percent of the fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish, and 20 percent of the water holds 80 percent of the fish, the first thing you need is a decision matrix to eliminate the less productive waters and focus on more productive waters that you can still safely access. A decision matrix would look like this:

Freshwater vs. Saltwater

Shallow Water vs. Deep/Moving Water

Live Bait vs. Artificial Bait

Your target species and time window dictate your choice of tackle, and the tackle determines your movement and timing. Additionally, consider adding any of the following where it's legal and it makes sense: seines, cast nets, fish traps, bush lines, spears, or ancient techniques still practiced from bayou to backwater — everything short of dynamite.

Trust your instincts or you'll reduce your options. Stop reading the instructions and start reading the water, looking for those natural ambush points: bottle necks, choke points, sandbars, structural covers, or current lines that draw and concentrate bait flow, leading to small and large fish activity. Forget the trophy fish and focus on that small percentage of water that you can access safely and that holds the fish you need to survive. The key is to assemble a kit that enables you to work various levels of the water column, regardless of water body, for the target species, or make the tools you need.

Freshwater Techniques

Freshwater remains the common denominator. It can be a treatable source of hydration, a pathway to safe refuge, a barrier against potential hostiles, and an ambush point for life-sustaining fauna. Approach a pond, lake, river, marsh, or inland swamp almost anywhere throughout the USA, and you can count on a number of reliable “pan fish” species. There's bluegill, sunfish, bream or crappie, catfish, and regional fish — from trout to small-mouth bass. Look for spawning beds in the shallows during the spring, and keep your eye on cover vegetation holding ambush predators.

Improvised Fishing Pole

Freshwater species readily hit ultra-light artificial lures like micro-jigs, spoons, and flies. So connect a synthetic lure to a hook and paracord and voilà. These species also like live bait — from worms and crickets to frogs and crayfish. Catch some little critters and suspend them from hooks that are tied to ultra-light monofilament or micro-braid lines. To rig these baits, just follow these easy steps:

1. Look for a light sapling, a length of cane, some bamboo, or a long, lean tree limb.

2. Cut and trim the selected branch, then harden it over campfire coals.

3. Tie in your ultra-light mono or micro-braid line about halfway up the pole, wrapping it in long spirals until you reach the tip.

4. Tie off the line and leave as much as you can flip out, about 12 to 20 feet. This way, if a large catfish or bass breaks your cane pole tip, you'll still be connected to your dinner.

5. Complete this classic rig by attaching a small No. 8 hook, split shot, and cork.

At night, standing on an overhanging river or creek bank, you can use your heavy cane pole, tipped with a heavy length of line to artificial surface plugs, to draw fish by the lost art of “jigger-poling.” Swishing in tight figure-eight patterns and loops can sometimes trigger an explosive bass strike. Night fishing can be productive during the warmer months when you're on foot and fishing the shallows near shore.

Floating Bait

No cane poles or bamboo in your bug-out locale? No problem. It's just a matter of observation and adaptation:

1. Check the shoreline for any floating vessel, like an old soda bottle or bleach jug.

2. Rig your floatable device with bait on 3 to 4 feet of line.

3. Attach a length of paracord or twine to your bottle and let it float across the lake, pond, or river, where you can pick up strikes away from the shore.

Hanging Bait

Similar rigs can be suspended from tree limbs that hang over lakes or slow-moving rivers, especially when you have live or cut bait. Be careful not to offer your entire line and hook set in a trotline arrangement unless you can afford to lose it all at once to a gator or an alligator snapping turtle.

Nets And Traps

Rivers offer the advantage of allowing you to turn the current to your advantage. Send out worms, live or cut bait, or almost anything with scent to attract catfish. In moving water, creeks, and streams, don't rule out ancient techniques. Nets and traps are great for ensnaring bait, crayfish, or freshwater turtles. They're effective forms of passive fishing, allowing you to focus on other important tasks like filtering water or even sleeping overnight while prey get caught up in them.

For example, seine nets have been used all over the globe for millennia to capture seafood. Some resemble volleyball nets that are held down by weights on the bottom, but buoyed by floats at the top. Also, funnel-shaped traps can be crafted with nothing more than bait, a knife, some twine/cord, and tree branches that can be wrapped. Bamboo is best, but any light sticks that are flexible can be used.

Saltwater Techniques

Tools, tactics, and techniques vary more widely once you reach coastal waters based on species inhabiting estuaries, brackish rivers, mangrove islands, coastal beaches, shallow tidal bays, and barrier islands.

Reel in the Bait

Saltwater is where live bait rules. Netted, trapped, or hooked bait is used to attract larger predators. Common coastal species range from schools of small snapper, mullet, or pelagic species that cruise sandbars, oyster bars, and beach troughs looking to munch on something smaller while avoiding something toothier. Start by working through the shallows to procure scented live bait, from clams and barnacles to minnows and sand fleas (AKA mole crabs). You can catch them using a seine, a wire screen, or a handmade bait trap. Also, hooking even smaller baitfish on tiny hooks and mono line can do the trick.

Cuban Yo-Yo

No, this isn't the latest popular kid's toys; it's one of the simplest fishing systems one can use from a shore, jetty, or pier. This time-tested fishing device is a simple plastic spool with a concave channel capable of holding hundreds of feet of light or heavy line in various sizes. In coastal waters from Alaska to Florida, yo-yos are capable of taking trout, flounder, redfish, mangrove snapper — even small shark if you include some wire leader.

To use it, first quietly wade or stand in the shade of the mangroves, or at a low-profile spot where water movement shows signs of baitfish and feeding fish. To cast using the yo-yo, pay out several feet of line with the hand spool. Then swing the hook, leader, and sinker or lure around your head like a lariat, and let her fly, allowing the spool to spin in your opposite hand, your reeling hand. A 30-foot cast is plenty.

Terminal tackle can consist simply of a line connected by small sliding sinker, swivel, a length of leader, possible cork bobber, and a baited hook.

To manage large and small fish, practice rolling your wrist one handed and fishing by feel with your opposite hand. Take care not to allow the line to cut you when using microfiber lines. When that large fish hits, a braided line can cut you to the bone. Never wrap your bare hand with any fishing line lest you risk a deep cut; use the spool. A glove helps prevent skin loss when the fish hits. (If you receive a line cut or a hook stab, treat it immediately by flushing, disinfecting, and bandaging, then keeping as dry as possible.) Prepare to loosen your grip and allow the fish to exhaust itself by playing it carefully. Too many fish are lost by attempting to winch them in, tearing the hook or lure from their lips.

If you're able to procure, by hook or crook, a small seaworthy row boat or jon boat for fishing offshore, the yo-yo will allow you to drop weighted baits or lures into the deeper channel edges, where reef fish or even grouper may dwell (along with passing pelagic species during fall or spring seasons). Be prepared to play the fish and if need be, stab it at boat side with a handmade spear. Given time, you may even rig a small landing net by steaming and bending branches into a loop, and cross connecting with paracord fiber strands, square knotted into a small mesh screen.

Hawaiian Sling

Depending on the currents, the season, or the water temperatures, you may even be able to dive for crabs or to spearfish using a pole spear or Hawaiian sling. “A what?” you might be asking. A Hawaiian sling is a poor man's spear gun and works like a combination of a slingshot and a bow and arrow, but instead of flexing a wooden or fiberglass bow to build up energy you pull back on rubber tubing. While they're commercially available, you can fashion one yourself, MacGyver style:

1. Obtain a sturdy shaft for a pole spear and sharpen one end (i.e. wooden dowel).

2. Tie bungee cord or surgical tubing in a 12-inch loop at the base of your spear.

3. Slip your hand up the pole, tightening the loop across the webbing between your thumb and trigger finger until you can grip the pole under tension.

4. Then point and release.

Nets and Traps

These devices work just as well in saltwater as they do in freshwater. Premade or crafted from paracord, a simple cast net or seine can gather both bait and larger keeper fish. If you have the capacity to carry a premade bait or cast net, this can reward you with one simple toss after mastering the ancient technique. Set nets framed by fish traps to funnel both bait and larger fish. If you're able to rip some screen or chicken wire from a fence or window, roll and form a cylinder to use as a bait or crab trap, then weigh it down, and bait with fish heads to keep the food chain going.

However, these require a large time commitment to make in the field, so consider staging a premade net in your boat, vehicle, or bug-out location.

The author fashions a fish trap out of bamboo. As a passive form of fishing, the trap funnels both bait fish and larger...

Fish-Gone Conclusion

For long-term survival, the most well thought-out bug-out bags consist of core essentials surrounded by modular sub-component packs that may be added or deleted based on need, travel, and season. This holds true with angling supplies, too.

With each component, it's essential to know every element and how it works in the given environment you're in. Perhaps more importantly, it's vital to practice with it before it's needed. Just as you wouldn't wait until you're bleeding out from a gunshot wound before you try a tourniquet for the first time, you shouldn't add a single lure or tool to your kit without considering its cost, weight, safety concerns, and usefulness in the water. Instead of going entirely with the mini-fishing-kit-in-a-mint-box approach, consider how your off-grid adaptability and effectiveness will be greatly increased at very little cost by incrementally increasing the carrying capacity of your basic setup.

There are survival schools that will teach you how to survive by eating a worm. Or, if you go off the grid with grit and some knowledge, you can use that worm to catch an almost limitless abundance of fish. So save the Altoids, hero. You'll need them for kissing the girl once you've fed your clan long after the last MRE was devoured.

About the Author:

Native Texan David H. Martin is a conservation-driven kayak fishing guide and firearms instructor based in Sarasota, Florida, where he charters coastal waters, mangrove islands, and remote rivers. Competing with sharks and alligators for his next meal, he hones and teaches survival skills needed for transitioning from potential urban threats to remote backcountry camps.

10 Worst Angling Mistakes to Avoid

1 Don't Pack a Knife: A knifeless man is a lifeless man, goes the Nordic saying, and this is never truer than when working the water's edge. You don't want to connect with anything you can't disconnect from in a hurry — think getting tangled up with a fishing line, weighted fish trap, or even an anchor line. A fixed blade or a safety cutter like the Benchmade 9 CB will give you control over thrashing fish and save a trip to the emergency room when that unseen hook comes through the web of our hand.

2 Forget Edge Discipline: Almost any fisherman can show you the scar he got when his hand slipped on slime while cleaning a slick fish or when the blade ricocheted off a fish spine. Clean fish the way you'd sharpening your spear: cut away from your body.

3 Overlook Small Cuts: A knife is not the only thing that can cut you. The new micro-braid fishing line can cut to the bone when burning through your hand, leading to impairment and blood loss. Small hand cuts might seem insignificant, but can result in a red streak up the wrist, an early warning sign of an infection.

4 Go Deep: When wading, remember to keep it “shin deep, not chin deep.” The idea is to be predator, not the bait. Don't go for the trophy fish in deep waters without a boat, and just take what you need; small fish count, too.

5 Stay Unaware: Never turn your back on the water, especially at low light or nightfall. The water moccasin remains the most belligerent and malingering serpent at the water's edge, and the reason the .410 Snake Charmer shotgun was invented. And no one need be reminded about the dangers of crocs and gators.

6 Just Dive In: Your hiking stick works when wet. Don't attempt a crossing through moving water, even a seemingly smooth-flowing creek or channel, without probing the bottom. A safety line (i.e. a heavy rope) can provide a measure of security when crossing waters or maneuvering, scouting, or portaging river country. Recreational fishermen disappear every year, pulled down in their waders when stepping into a hole or slipping on a green mossy rock.

7 Ignore the Temperatures: Once you're wet, weather conditions can drastically affect you for the worst. It's easy to get so caught up in survival fishing that you forget to pay attention to your shivering body. When you're cold, you make bad decisions. Get a fire started at your basecamp before you realize that you have no dry spare clothing and your tinder is wet.

8 Clean Where You Eat: Clean your fish away from camp. If you can't use the entrails or head for cooking or baiting traps, don't bring it back to your bug-out base. Otherwise, you'll be sending out an aromatic invitation for raiders, from nuisances like raccoons to serious threats like bears.

9 Eat the Weirdos: Pass on any fish that acts disoriented or appears unnatural. Favor the firm, lively, and clear-eyed fighter. Prepare carefully and cook thoroughly. The fish will fall apart when done so plan on using a pan if you have one, or spreading out the fish on skewers or a grill. Even crushed beer cans make a good improvised oven or grill. A classic cooking technique is to wrap the fish in foil, coat in mud, then bury in campfire coals for about 30 minutes.

10 Pack Just One Line and Hook: Compared to ammo, whiskey, and cigars, the cost for ample line and hooks are low and their weight and bulk are minimal. Stock up well in advance, building in a variety of lines for any possible condition and having various kits set up for your different emergency packs.

Bicycle Maintenance Checklist

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

Written by Patrick McCarthy

As we've said before, cycling can be a great way to get around off the grid, and even has the added benefit of helping you stay in shape. However, it's not necessarily as simple as hopping on a bike and going for a ride. Like any vehicle, it's essential to keep tabs on the maintenance and wear items. Otherwise, you could end up stranded and pushing a broken bicycle on the journey back home.

The following infographic from Visual.ly shows ten of the most important mechanical components of a bicycle, and gives a few helpful tips on how to maintain each item.

Obviously, it won't be necessary to meticulously check each of these items before every ride, but they're good to look out for if you buy a used bike or remove one from long-term storage. For bikes that are regularly ridden, a simplified version of this bicycle maintenance checklist can be used, and is often called the “ABC” check. Here's what each letter stands for:

Air – Inflate each tire to the rated pressure stamped on the sidewall. Use a pressure gauge to check the PSI, if your pump doesn't have one built-in. Also inspect the tread for damage or punctures.
Brakes – Spin each wheel and check for brake clearance/rubbing. Check brake pad adjustment and remaining material (which should be more than 1/4 inch thick). Check the adjustment of each brake lever, which should be about 1 inch from the handlebar when fully squeezed.
Chain – Ensure the chain is lubricated, clean, and operating smoothly. Occasionally scrubbing the chain clean and applying fresh lubricant will prevent future wear or derailment.

When it comes to survival, simplicity is key, and vehicles don't get much simpler than a bicycle. Just give your bike a little maintenance now and then, and it will reward you with reliable, speedy transportation for years to come.