Stress Inoculation at RECOIL OFFGRID Undisclosed

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The participants who signed up for RECOIL OFFGRID Undisclosed knew very little about what they were getting into. They knew that they were signing up to be part of an immersive tactical training event that would last approximately 36 hours somewhere in the vicinity of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — and they knew that we had selected some of the best instructors in their respective fields to train them.

On arrival, Undisclosed VIPs hit the Lodge, got the mission brief, split into teams, geared up, and prepped for what was coming next. The night set off with a trauma care overview, a primer for the training to follow. The evening was spent getting to know one another, the instructors, and the support crew over good food and easy conversation. Still, unease lingered. Details of what was coming remained vague. None of the VIPs realized this would be their last chance to relax for the next 30 hours.

shoot house

Each block of instruction was approximately an hour long. This meant they had to pick up the fundamentals quickly and apply them immediately.

Drinking from a Fire Hose

Training day kicked off at 7 a.m. with a quick grab-and-go breakfast. After a bite to eat, the participants were told to gear up in their full kit, and the group rucked down to the Ben Franklin Range shoot house. From there, the two groups split up for a marathon of training that went from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with only a short break for an authentic MRE lunch.

Over the course of nine hours, the participants covered several vital tactical and survival topics and learned to utilize the gear they received the day before. Each class offered the opportunity to get some practice time for each skill. Following the completion of the day’s classes, the weary participants returned to the lodge for dinner and were encouraged to ask the instructors to clarify anything they learned that they didn’t fully grasp.

CQB at undisclosed

Reacting to this breakneck pace mimicked the velocity a real-world situation can force on an individual. It was a controlled environment where VIPs could learn how to control themelves in potential do-or-die scenarios.

Close Quarters Combat

At Ben Franklin Range’s multi-story CQB building, RECOIL’s Editor-in-Chief Iain Harrison taught an introduction to close quarters combat for Undisclosed VIPs. The class set clear expectations from the start and stayed focused on fundamentals. The goal was a fast primer that put movement before theory. Every block designed to be simple, repeatable, and immediately useful.

Participants worked in four-person teams throughout the session. Harrison defined what each position in the stack was responsible for during an entry. Teams hear how duties shift based on who is the one-, two-, three-, or four-man in the stack. That shared understanding framed every rep that followed.

Teams began by pieing corners around corner-fed and center-fed rooms. They practiced reading angles and adjusting movement to match their place in the order. Reps stayed tight and controlled to reinforce clean footwork and spacing. The emphasis was on exposing as little of yourself as possible, while maximizing your own visibility of potential targets.

After a few runs with no rounds, teams cleared rooms with simunition. The switch kept the same fundamentals in place while adding training speed. Entries remained structured around position and room type. The class ended with concise takeaways that align with the drills they just performed.

trauma class at undisclosed

Injury treatment was explained in simple ways, reducing the time spent thinking, and increasing the time spent acting.

Ballistic Trauma Care

Kristopher Hasenauer used his extensive experience as a Special Forces Medical Officer to train the Undisclosed participants in the essentials of ballistic and battlefield emergency care. This course covered common firearm and combat-related injuries and the equipment and techniques used to treat these injuries.

Hasenauer discussed prioritizing injury types using the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and how to utilize the head-to-toe method for identifying injuries.

TCCC Injury Priority:

  1. Massive Bleeds
  2. Airway
  3. Respiration
  4. Circulation
  5. Hypothermia
  6. Traumatic Brain Injury

As a crash course, Hasenauer focused on treating massive bleeds, discussing the science of blood clotting, the importance of applying pressure to wounds, and the appropriate situations to use tourniquets, quick clots, pressure bandages, and gauze. He demonstrated how to use different types of tourniquets and how to create improvised tourniquets.

class at undisclosed

Having a selection of the most effective medical equipment to treat traumatic injuries gave VIPs practical, hands-on experience.

Most importantly, he dispelled many of the myths around tourniquet use and reminded the participants that the best tourniquet is the one you have on you. The participants all experienced having a tourniquet put on them so they could understand the proper tension and got the opportunity to practice using them.

Following massive bleed treatment, Hasenauer covered treating airway and respiration discussing methods of clearing the airway and discussing the use of commercial chest seals, how to make improvised chest seals, and needle decompression to treat tension pneumothorax.

Some time was spent discussing circulation injuries, hypothermia prevention, and identifying traumatic brain injuries followed by treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and the usage of common first aid equipment including splints for arm and leg injuries.

Throughout the course, Hasenauer discussed the differences between military and civilian trauma and first aid and answered many of the questions the Undisclosed participants had. While the course run time was relatively short compared to the extensive training programs, the participants left with a great deal of knowledge and a basic understanding of how to utilize the equipment found in their supplied Gorilla Medical Trauma kits.

long range shooting at undisclosed

CQB can be a useful skill, but it also presents a high amount of risk. Learning how to reach out and touch someone puts life-saving distance between you and a life-threatening target.

Long-Range Shooting

Harrison also plied his marksmanship expertise to teach an introduction to long-range marksmanship for Undisclosed VIPs. The class set expectations early and stayed on fundamentals. The goal was a fast primer that built a repeatable shot process. Each block was simple, focused, and immediately useful.

He broke the shot sequence into clear parts. Students built a stable position they could return to every time. Instruction covered natural point of aim, sight picture, trigger control, and follow-through. Shared language kept everyone aligned on the same steps.

Work began with short dry-fire reps to groove the routine. Dry practice set the cadence for breathing, prep, and release. Coached strings followed to put the same steps into practice. Students focused on calling shots and making small adjustments between reps.

The session closed by sending rounds downrange to transform theory into live range time. Students left with a concise set of reminders that mirrored the sequence taught. Emphasis stayed on repeatability and clean fundamentals. Fifty minutes of clear instruction and focused reps set a solid foundation for longer work.

navigating at undisclosed

Navigating an area alive with threats takes deliberate planning to stay unseen.

Land Navigation

RECOIL OFFGRID Senior Editor Patrick Diedrich taught a land navigation course that did not rely on a map or a compass. He opened with a story about a failed missing person’s case from a place he once called home. That moment became his call to action to apply his military know-how to help his local search-and-rescue organization. He set the tone by tying skills to real outcomes. The aim was clear and practical from the first minute.

He then covered major and minor terrain features. He explained how identifying those features could help others home in on your location if you were lost. The same skill set could orient you and shorten the path to safety. He kept the focus on what you can see and describe. Students learned to use the ground as their guide.

He also taught how to use the OnX app, since everyone has a phone that can be used as a potent navigation tool. He discussed key points from Lost Person Behavior that affect how people move and how they are found. He outlined methods to hold a straight line when the sun was covered or when visibility was low. The guidance stayed simple and usable under stress. Each point supported navigation without extra tools.

The session culminated in a practical exercise around the Ben Franklin Range. Undisclosed VIPs applied the same techniques discussed in class to move from point to point. The route demanded attention to terrain and consistent direction keeping. The drill reinforced the connection between observation and movement. Students finished with a working framework they could repeat on their own.

shelter at undisclosed

The best clandestine shelter does not look like a shelter at all to the casual observer.

Escape and Evasion

In the escape and evasion course, Michael Caughran covered the basics of defeating illegal restraints and how to evade hostile forces when making your escape from an area both individually and as a group.

The course opened with Caughran discussing a variety of restraint types that are commonly used including zip ties, rope, duct tape, and electrical tape. With the help of Hasenauer, who used these methods to restrain Caughran, methods of defeating each were shown to the Undisclosed participants. Through the demonstration, Caughran discussed using passive resistance and proper body position while being retrained to provide an advantage when defeating the restraints.

Caughran explained that the more aggressive you are when being restrained the more the abductor would work to restrain you. By remaining calm and compliant, it can lull the abductor into a false sense of security when retraining and guarding you. While remaining compliant you should take note of any information you can gather such as building layout, people within the area and their movements to provide an edge when escaping. Caughran emphasized that the best chance of escape will be shortly after you are taken as you will not be worn down from poor conditions and potential integration.
Following the demonstration and discussion, the participants got the opportunity to practice defeating each of the restraint types before moving on to the escape portion of the evasion part of the course.

During the evasion portion of the course, the participants had to escape from the lodge area into the woodland trails behind the building. Caughran emphasized the importance of “getting off the X” as quickly as possible and putting as much distance between the escape point as possible. During this portion, the participants were taught to move quickly as a unit and how to use terrain features to cover their movement. Caughran and Hasenauer covered the best times to move, avoiding areas where patrols are likely, and generally avoiding the easy route in favor of areas that are less likely to have hostiles moving about.

The course is wrapped up with a discussion about the importance of pre-planning meeting points for your unit when operating in an area in the event of separation. This is contingent on having a good knowledge of the lay of the land before entering the area.

early warning devices

Early warning is an important aspect of maintaining security at a clandestine shelter site. Caughran discussed several techniques that could be used.

Clandestine Shelters

Caughran’s course covered building a variety of survival shelters using the participants supplied Rab tarps and paracord. While this skill is commonly taught in Wilderness Survival 101, Caughran kicks it up a notch using his USAF SERE experience to teach the Undisclosed participants how to build effective concealment shelters from the resources around them.

The class kicked off with a discussion of some of the concepts around concealment shelters and their use to evade those tracking you and to gather information on an area or building. In the case of evasion, Caughran emphasized the importance of understanding the tracking capabilities of those pursuing you. He discussed methods of ensuring that enemy forces cannot see you while remaining visible to friendly forces.

After the discussion, Caughran took the participants around the training site to attempt to identify shelters he had built the previous day. He also strategically placed distraction devices in the area to throw the participants off. After explaining the uses of distraction devices, Caughran revealed his shelters. The first looked like nothing more than a pile of discarded building materials but he demonstrated the interior space being large enough to fit his body and give him a great vantage point on the hypothetical target he was observing. The second concealment shelter Caughran created utilized natural plant materials found in the area. The only significant tell was that some of the day-old plant material he picked was starting to wither. Caughran reinforced the importance of using longer-lasting plant materials so as not give away your hide site. He also noted that the best concealment shelters are found not built.

Following the demonstration on concealed shelters, Caughran showed participants common devices that could be used as perimeter alarms, distractions, and deterrents to warn of incoming hostiles or throw them off track.

The course wrapped up with building a variety of tarp shelters and various knots and hitches that can be used while building non-concealment survival shelters. After that the participants had the opportunity to practice building shelters.

camo at undisclosed

VIPs built their own ghillie veils, tweaking and adapting them as the environment shifted.

Camouflage and Sensory Defeat

In this course, Freddy Osuna covered the art and science of personal camouflage and discussed how to move silently and discreetly through the environment. This course blended Osuna’s professional experience as a Marine Scout Sniper and extensive knowledge of the environment to provide the Undisclosed participants with a unique approach to the topic.

The course started with the students following a trail behind the lodge to meet up with Osuna in a stretch of tall grassland in the woods. The participants found him The course started with the students following a trail behind the lodge to meet up with Osuna in a stretch of tall grassland in the woods. The participants found him waiting on a section of trail by a small tree housing an active wasp nest. As the participants glanced apprehensively at the nest, Osuna was completely unphased by them. He began the course with a brief discussion about the history of camouflage and then pulled out a collection of different types of camouflage to discuss the history and innovations throughout history.

The next section of the course went into the usage of camouflage paint on the body. Osuna explained different methods of applying camouflage paint with local plants as brush and stressed the importance of using it to reduce the visual appearance of facial structures. He also explained how the reflective nature of skin stresses constant reapplication of camouflage paint to maintain the effect.

Throughout the discussion, Osuna talked about the science of vision and how the human eye detects things. He went into the differences in how humans see and how animals see and why certain types of camouflage work on animals but not humans.

Next, Osuna covered movement through the environment and how erratic movement such as swatting at bugs around or on your body can quickly give away your position. He also discussed how the shape of the human “V” and contrast between the background and foreground are highly detectable to the human eye. Osuna demonstrated how to use local plants and terrain features to conceal yourself while moving.

camo class undisclosed

Participants learned multiple camouflage techniques, chose what worked best for them, and put those ideas to the test once the mission went live.

Osuna focused on the importance of understanding the environment around you and being familiar with the plants and animals within it. He explained how having a healthy respect for the land will allow you to survive longer and move more efficiently. To wrap this section, Osuna offered the participants the most valuable piece of advice when it comes to camouflaged movement: “It’s not what you are wearing; it’s how you move.”

The final section of the course covered creating ghillie suits using bits of camouflage material scraps and local plants. The participants were then tasked with creating their own ghillie veils using their provided hats, camo scraps, and natural materials.

watermelon at undisclosed

Breaks were short, but carried flashes of humor that kept spirits up.

A Short Reprieve

With the marathon of training classes ending around dusk, the weary participants shuffled into the lodge to eat dinner. They talked amongst themselves about the day’s events and discussed what their thoughts on tomorrow’s training may bring. They were given the opportunity to ask the instructors questions about the day’s training. It wasn’t long before the instructors and support staff discreetly started moving out of the room. Suddenly, the participants’ relaxation was interrupted by the sounds of shouting and gunfire in the distance. Diedrich went into the kitchen and called the participants into the briefing room for an emergency meeting — the official mission of Undisclosed was about to begin!

Read More From Issue 70

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

Man Tracking With Greenside Training

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Could the difference between life and death be determined by a boot print in the dirt? Or a single broken blade of grass? I’ve learned firsthand that it very well could be. Your tracking skills, or lack thereof, could be the determining factor in whether your quarry escapes and you fail to put food on your family’s table. Or whether a child lost in the woods isn’t found. Or an escaped fugitive isn’t apprehended and remains free to cause more harm to others. Simply put, tracking is a skill that saves lives. It’s a skill that was once necessary for our very survival and was passed down through generations so our bloodlines could carry on through the ages. But now, as humans seek comfort in modernity and move further away from nature, man tracking is becoming a dying skill. Freddy Osuna, Founder and Lead Instructor of Greenside Training, seeks to return this valuable craft to our modern-day warriors in the military, law enforcement, and civilian populace.

Freddy Osuna’s closing words at the end of the man tracking course.

From an early age, Osuna faced and overcame significant hardships. Those challenges forced him to quickly learn, understand, and adapt to both natural terrain and human terrain. This early resilience became the framework for developing and honing his skills as a tracker. A skill set that would later serve him well as a United States Marine deployed overseas, as well as an instructor for the Corps’ Combat Hunter program.

Freddy Osuna teaching his first lesson man tracking, analyzing a single footprint.

His abilities as a tracker have also been put to the test far beyond the battlefield. He has helped search and rescue teams near his home in Arizona find lost children. His teachings have been credited by law enforcement agencies around the world in the apprehension of dangerous armed criminals. As I learned under Osuna’s tutelage, tracks aren’t always obvious, and tracking can be difficult and exhausting. One instance in particular had him tracking for over six hours. When fatigue set in and his focus began to dwindle, he had to draw upon strength from deep within, and from forces greater than himself, to keep going. As a tracker, he has saved lives. Now, his mission is to teach others this valuable skill so they may have the ability to do the same. And with that comes Greenside Training.

Group photo at the end of the man tracking course.

From June 21–22, 2025, a group of students gathered at The Ranch TX near Dilley, Texas, for Osuna’s weekend-long Weaponize the Senses man tracking course. This sprawling 300-acre tactical training facility in the South Texas brush is home to multiple firing ranges, shoot houses, K9 kennels, and driving tracks. But for this weekend, it hosted its very first tracking course. Students included active law enforcement officers, military veterans, hunters, prepared citizens, and even a mother who was seeking more ways to protect her children. Several staff members from The Ranch TX also took part, including Founder and CEO, Chad Timney.

Upon arrival on the first day, Osuna and Co-Instructor Manny Tellez led the students deeper into the property for their first lesson: examining a single footprint. “Every track is a word, a set of tracks is a sentence, and the trail tells a story,” said Osuna. He pointed out a vast array of details about the track. Details that left the students bewildered yet fascinated. He also explained what he referred to as the “time shadow effect,” where a low angle of light reveals details that may otherwise be less visible. This makes early morning and late evening the best times to conduct tracking.

Manny Tellez showing the students sets of tracks.

When it came to analyzing track details, students were taught to look for a specific set of criteria: the size of the impression, the type or shape of footwear, any distinguishing patterns, and the age of the track. Osuna explained that at least two of these criteria must be determined, and one of them must be the age. By analyzing the size of the impression and the type of footwear, certain deductions could be made. A large impression might suggest a larger person. Footwear style offered additional clues: did they look like hiking shoes, indicating outdoor competency and perhaps athletic ability? Or were they boots that could suggest prior military experience?

Manny Tellez preparing a student for the final test.

Osuna also explained how the age of a track could be assessed by examining the shape of the outer ridges and the hue of the soil. Outer ridges are formed from the displacement of air and dirt when someone steps into the soil, creating raised edges around the footprint. These ridges begin to wear down over time due to the elements. Additionally, fresh tracks typically expose darker soil due to retained moisture, which lightens as it dries out. He went on to highlight what he considered the most important detail in the track: the toe dig. By lining up the toe dig with the small dirt mound kicked up behind it, trackers can determine direction. Once direction is established, your senses, weapon, drone, team, dog, and other assets can be oriented accordingly.

Freddy Osuna starting the second day.

Students then moved on to examining different sets of tracks, where they were tasked with determining who they were tracking. Were the footprints closer together or spread farther apart, indicating whether someone was walking or running? Did the footprints have a wide straddle, which could suggest the person was carrying a heavy load? Furthermore, students were taught to put themselves in the shoes of their quarry and think as such. “There’s a person at the end of the trail,” said Osuna. He emphasized the importance of considering who you might encounter and being prepared for that encounter.

A student about to start the final man test tracking alongside Freddy Osuna, Manny Tellez, and The Ranch TX staff.

Osuna didn’t make the training easy. Much of the ground throughout The Ranch TX consisted of densely compacted dirt, making footprints much more difficult to see after steps had been taken. “This is what it’s going to be like,” he said, making sure the students were well aware of how challenging tracking can be. Tracks aren’t always readily apparent and easy to spot. Therefore, sharpened senses, coupled with the techniques being taught, are crucial to tracking successfully. To further emphasize this point, Osuna put the students through an exercise in which they were divided into two different groups. One group would conduct a scenario and walk through an area in a particular way. The other group would then have to analyze the tracks and try to determine what might’ve taken place. Not only did this serve as a means for the students to practice and develop their own individual tracking skills, but it also taught them how to track as part of a team.

When night fell on the first day of training, the students returned to The Ranch TX for Osuna’s nighttime tracking demonstration. He showed how different colors emitted from a flashlight could be used for tracking in various ways and environments. For instance, blue light is good for showing contrast, making it ideal for tracking blood as it’ll appear darker while the surrounding foliage appears lighter. Green light works well for providing contrast at a longer range, making it a solid choice for tracking in the snow or on other light surfaces. Red light helps a tracker retain night vision and is less likely to spook animals. The demonstration concluded with Osuna showing the students how they could even track at night using a laser, yet another thing that left them fascinated.

The students also learned about various animal tracks they might encounter in the wild. Osuna explained how animal tracking could be done for various reasons. The obvious being hunting, though he also shared that he likes to track animals for recreational purposes as well, such as wildlife photography. The first tracks the students were shown were ungulates: hoofed animals such as deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep. This part of the training drew great enthusiasm from the hunters in the group. The students were also taught how to identify the tracks of predators, such as coyotes, big cats, wolves, and bears. Even small critters like raccoons made the roster of animal tracks covered in the training.

It wasn’t just practical tracking skills the students learned during the weekend. Mindset was another critical aspect Osuna instilled in them. “Tracking is a search for the truth,” he said, explaining how personal bias could negatively affect one’s ability to track effectively. Students were told to keep those biases in check so they could see what is actually there, not what they’d like to be there. He also explained how the skills learned during the course could be plugged into each stage of the OODA loop. By Observing with enhanced senses, Orienting with track direction and context, Deciding based on quarry profile, and Acting with the right tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Osuna also emphasized that the skills learned during the course could be applied to other aspects of life. Using the senses, staying focused, and removing distractions allows people to be more present with their families and friends, in their careers and businesses, and when out in the world.

The course culminated on Sunday afternoon with a final test: an individual exercise in which students would, one by one, traverse down a trail armed with an AR-15 rifle repurposed to fire simunition paint rounds. They had to use their eyes, nose, and ears in unison to recognize anomalies on the trail and engage targets lying in wait. Each student was graded on their ability to determine the direction of sounds, smells, and sights they encountered. This also allowed students to combine their newly formed tracking skills with marksmanship skills. It took many by surprise, and they had a lot of fun doing it.

At the end of the course, Osuna presented each student with the Greenside Training arrowhead patch as a mark of completion. He also awarded one student the coveted “Black Wolf” patch. A tradition established to honor Osuna’s friend and fellow Marine, Josh Robinson, a highly skilled tracker who was tragically killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Robinson was the first Black Wolf, and now the title, along with a solid black arrowhead patch, is presented to the highest-scoring student at each course. This time, I was awarded that honor.

Greenside Training arrowhead patches and a single Black Wolf patch.

Weaponize the Senses wasn’t about gimmicks. It was about helping students reclaim their innate human capabilities and sharpening them with intention. By the end, I walked away more connected to my environment, more confident in my perception, and more aware of the gaps in my own abilities, which was exactly the point. Though Weaponize the Senses is just one of several courses offered by Osuna and Greenside Training, he also teaches tactical tracking, urban tracking, anti-tracking, and more. Each is designed to give students a faster and more intuitive grasp of the OODA loop through deliberate sensory engagement.

To learn more and sign up for a course near you, visit GreensideTraining.com. To explore the variety of other training opportunities at The Ranch TX, visit RanchTX.org.

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Low-Light Advantage: Enter to Win an XC3 WeaponLight from SureFire and RECOIL

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In a crisis, information is everything—and light is information. Our friends at RECOIL are giving away the SureFire XC3, a compact handgun light built for durability and situational awareness.

Why the XC3 Fits a Preparedness Kit

  • 500 lumens / 7,200 candela with a Hybrid Beam to ID threats and navigate cluttered spaces
  • Front-loading 123A battery for quick swaps—no tools, no removing the light
  • Ambidextrous momentary/constant-on switching you can operate under stress
  • Aerospace-grade aluminum, Mil-Spec hard anodized, and water-sealed to 1m/30 min
  • Universal/Pic rail mounting and compatibility with many existing holsters

How It Works

  • Drop your email and agree to receive sponsor newsletters to claim your first entry
  • Increase your chances by following the sponsors on social and referring friends

Timeline

  • October 13–19, 2025
  • Single winner receives the XC3

Tap the entry link via RECOIL and get your name in the hat. Stay ready, stay informed.

Surefire XC3 Weaponlight

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Into the Unknown at UNDISCLOSED

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Invitations gave almost nothing away, which was the point. Applicants filled out an authorization request, waited for a quiet yes, and then booked flights to Pittsburgh. Staff met them at the airport, made small talk that revealed little, and waved them into an SUV that rolled out of the city and into an undisclosed location in the Pennsylvania hills. Phones lost signal as the road wound past farms and timber lots, and conversation settled into the kind of silence that comes when people realize the plan belongs to someone else for the moment.

An hour later the vehicles turned into the driveway of the Ben Franklin Range, a sprawling property with steep ridgelines and pockets of cedar swamp. The lodge felt like a modern hunting camp built for small units, with common rooms that encouraged conversation and bedrooms that promised short nights. Bags went on bunks, boots lined up under bed frames, and the group filed into a classroom where a flatscreen threw the word UNDISCLOSED across the display.

The intro brief was simple and carried weight. Rather than a themed vacation, this would be an inoculation against chaos. The organizers wanted participants to feel uncertainty in a controlled way, build skill under pressure, and leave with a mindset that would serve family and neighbors when systems faltered or failed. The staff would issue all needed gear, teach core skills, and then hand the class a mission that would run through the night and into the next day. Every decision would matter, and the unknown would stay part of the experience from start to finish.


Undisclosed logo

Why the Secrecy Mattered Leading up to UNDISCLOSED

Keeping details under wraps changes how people prepare. Applicants for UNDISCLOSED could not game the packing list or rehearse a route. They had to show up ready to learn and adapt, which are the most transferable skills in any crisis. The selection capped at eight, which kept teams tight and allowed instructors to watch every rep. VIP tickets covered food, lodging, equipment, instruction, and the live mission.

Before anyone touched a rifle or a radio, the staff set the stakes with stories that set the tone for UNDISCLOSED. One highlighted Hurricane Katrina, the famous storm that put most of New Orleans underwater, during which, a man named Robert Green commandeered a small boat and pulled neighbors from rooftops. He had no credentials on a lanyard and no uniform in a plastic bag. What he did have was the will to act, and he improvised care with what he could find while navigating debris, downed lines, and the threat of violence.

Next, the class was reminded about the chaos in Ferguson, Missouri. After the police shooting of Michael Brown, protests grew into nights of unrest, and the cellular network strained. Shop owners guarded glass, families maneuvered around barricades and tear gas, and ordinary people used improvised first aid on strangers because ambulances were not responding to every call.

The room also heard about Susan Walters, a hospital worker who fought off a hired attacker who came to her door with a delivery ruse and a hammer. She had training, she had a reason to live, and she refused to give up. Finally, one more story came from Alaska, where a woman abducted by a serial killer escaped into thick forest and survived by masking her trail in rivers and moving when the landscape hid her.

Numbers followed the narratives and gave the class an even deeper perspective. Forecasts point to more large-scale natural disasters in the near term. Grid stress will push power outages higher. Insurers expect more looting and burglary. Emergency response times already stretch beyond 15 minutes in many places, and call centers report regular disruptions.

The conclusion: You must become your own first responder.


Undisclosed slide show

First Lessons

UNDISCLOSED’s safety brief was more of a reality check rather than a legal checking of the box. Timber rattlers live in those rocks and wasps populated the region. Ticks thrive in Pennsylvania’s summer vegetation. A family of black bears had made the Ben Franklin Range part of their home. Poisonous plants grow in riparian zones. Firearms, blades, and vehicles multiply risk when fatigue and weather arrive. Heat, humidity, and sudden rain would be a factor. The staff did not polish the edges off the environment, which made the training feel more honest. Afterward, the class split into two groups of four, and each elected a team leader to represent their group. This first night was concluded with a catered meal, and a chance to pick the brains of the instructors around a campfire.


prep for undisclosed

There was not much time to prep newly acquired gear. Any adjustments needed to be addressed in the field whenever a lull in the action presented itself.

Issued gear was arranged in a neat line of cases and packs. UNDISCLOSED participants stowed personal items, learned what each pouch was for, and started their first morning rotating through training blocks that built a common language. Camouflage and concealment emphasized light and noise discipline, while the teams built their own ghillie veils. Land navigation covered terrain association, handrails, and lost person behavior in addition to how to maximize the use of apps like OnX. Traumatic injury triage focused on MARCH, airway management, bleeding control, and time management under stress. Long-range marksmanship returned everyone to fundamentals that actually hold up on demand. Clandestine bivouac gave teams a new perspective on how to shelter without being noticed. ATV operation connected terrain to momentum and risk. Close-quarters battle sharpened communication and movement. Escape and evasion taught people to disappear with intent.


Undisclosed mission brief

Nobody knew what challenges they were going to face until it was revealed. Instructors used everything from unscripted scenarios to organized presentations to keep VIPs on their toes.

The Mission Begins

Late in the second day, while the sun was starting to set, gunfire echoed from the distance and somewhere out beyond tree line, the Islamic call to prayer floated in. Everyone was gathered in the classroom again and the instructors handed over the next phase. The UNDISCLOSED scenario called itself “Operation Free Franklandia.”

The setup was this: a non-governmental worker named William T. Riker had been snatched around 1700 and moved to the south end of the range. The motive connected to the class in a way that tightened jaws. The hostage was likely being worked for information on the training site and the participants who were on the property.

undisclosed role players

Enthusiastic enemy role players gave the event an element of realism you can’t get training against paper targets.


The mission walked through a sequence that required patience and unanimity. Navigate to a prescribed area without being compromised. Establish a clandestine patrol base. Put listening and observation posts in positions that could watch the structure where Riker was believed to be held. Observe and report through the night. Use what you learn to design a hostage rescue at 0700. Every team needed to reach agreement on their plans before stepping off. Teams could combine or move independently. Everyone had to depart no later than 2000, which kept the timeline real.

Headlamps blinked for a few minutes while people sorted kit and batteries, then the property grew quiet. Small groups slipped into the woods with the kind of energy that makes you breathe deeper without thinking about it. Radios stayed on low volume and voices stayed close to the mic. The moon worked its way over the ridges, and the night drew out the senses.

undisclosed particpants in the trees

Undisclosed was an immersive and dynamic experience. No two scenarios were the same, and covered environmental transitions and different modes of travel.


Watching from the Shadows

The observation sites required patience. Vegetation scratched as ghillied teams crawled into position, while insects found their way to exposed skin. Closer to the target building, the movement picked up. Shadows flexed behind dimly lit windows, and roving patrols of enemy role players were on high alert for any activity in the surrounding wood line.

Soon an SUV pulled up, and a man with a machete and keffiyeh pulled a hooded and bound person from the back. This was the hostage they needed to rescue. Watching from their vantage points in the wood line, they observed the hostage being moved roughly into the building. Muffled shouts came and went. Shots rang out, and blood splattered the windows. Everyone realized that the stakes were high, and that the hostage was not faring well.

Outside the building, the outline of long-guns stood against a wall in familiar shapes. AK pattern rifles, and a large, ominous-looking tube near enemy combatants drew whispers. Teams rotated overwatch positions through the night. They took notes on guards, light patterns, and how often a door opened. Teams kept discipline on comms and moved slowly when they had to move at all.

shoot house

It wouldn’t be a RECOIL event without guns, and VIPs were schooled in several forms of defensive firearm methodologies.

Sunrise Hostage Rescue

At first light, the teams formed up and the instructors gathered everyone at the shoot house for the rescue phase. Participants carried ATAC ADER rifles with simunition, donned their protective gear, and readied themselves to neutralize enemy targets. Role players brought energy and uncertainty to every doorway. Using the skills acquired mere hours ago, teams systematically cleared the building. Rooms fell one by one until the building sat quiet.

Tactical site exploitation followed. Teams looked for papers, maps, and devices that gave up clues pointing toward the next phase of their mission. Participants were directed toward a drop site a short distance away where valuable assets had been left by friendly forces. They also found intel about the location of a potential ambush site that needed to be verified. Intel in hand, they set off on foot to the coordinates of the assets.


man on atv

Cavalry to the Ambush Site

ATVs waited at a drop site found through collected intel. It wasn’t long before an entire pack of quads were keyed up and throaty engines revved. Skies shifted while the teams ate the distance across the range to the ambush location, and heavy rain moved in. Water beaded on goggles, mud threw rooster tails, and adrenaline surged as the weather fed the excitement.

Arrival near the ambush location forced a change in pace. Parking the quads in a herring bone formation, teams dismounted and moved tactically into the shadows of a nearby cedar swamp. Movement slowed to a crawl as sectors of fire were covered. Sim fire cracked between trunks as enemy role players surfaced. Quick decisions made a difference in tight lanes with low visibility. As the noise faded, a grim reveal replaced it. Friendly forces had already been hit in the tree line, flipping the script to a mass casualty response.

Training turned into muscle memory, and triage took shape. Immediate threats to life were corrected in an order that preserved as many as possible. Tourniquets bit down, airways were cleared, and shock management began. Voices stayed calm when adrenaline spiked, and partners checked work. Lessons learned during instruction the day before paid out in a very human way, even within a controlled scenario.

instructor and undisclosed participant at long range shoot

Hitting small targets at far distances can be tricky. Those who did were rewarded with a satisfying 2-pound Tannerite explosion.

Gun Fire and Explosions

With the wounded handled and the lane secure, another tasking came in. Remaining hostiles had emplaced a mortar site and were preparing to launch a barrage toward the Ben Franklin lodge. ATVs hummed again as the teams rode to their next location. Upon arrival, they discovered a pre-staged firing position equipped with 6.5 Creedmoor rifles running suppressors and good glass. Mortar tubes downrange wore a little chemistry to make success unmistakable. Large Tannerite cannisters fastened to the mortars were the targets that needed to be hit.


Tannerite explosion

The rain lightened then stopped completely. RECOIL Editor-in-Chief Iain Harrison stood behind the rifles and checked mounts. He ran the teams through a quick confirm on natural point of aim, body position, trigger press, and follow through. Shooters settled in, and spotters searched for splash.

A shooter pressed a first round that went high. The spotter called correction. The second round kicked up dust at the base of the tube, and the shooter walked the reticle onto the center of the Tannerite cannister. The third shot hit clean. A white flash ripped through the air and a deep, percussive boom punched the hillside. Cheers rolled across the line. No barrage on the lodge today.

After Action

UNDISCLOSED Mission complete, the teams rode back in through wet fields and gravel. Fatigue loosened smiles, and gear found benches again. After action discussions started while plate carriers came off and hats got wrung out. People called out personal wins and hard lessons. Points of friction became opportunities for improvement. The afternoon brought a catered spread and music that cut through tired ears. A bonfire collected small groups into a single circle. Stories started and rolled well past sunset. Strangers now had a shared language built out of an adversity they navigated through without quitting.

Feedback matters more than a schedule or a slick flyer, and participants did not hold back. One participant said that the team and the mental tests led to a major mindset shift. Another thanked the staff for a program that pushed hard while still giving a bed and a shower at night. For an entry-level cohort, the balance hit the mark.

undisclosed after action

Even though instructors applied steady pressure during the entire event, they were always ready to mentor the VIPs through any sticking points.

A participant who works at a desk wrote that he would return to the gym on Monday with a new reason to train. Fitness started to feel less like a hobby and more like a duty to his family. Another said he came with no mentor in firearms or hunting. He had searched for years for a place where professionals would treat a civilian with respect and still demand high performance. He found it here.

Praise for the cadre of UNDISCLOSED was universal. One graduate said the event and the facility were excellent on their own, yet the instructors elevated everything. He appreciated that they could bark when needed while never making a student feel small. Corrections landed like guidance, not insult. One participant called UNDISCLOSED unlike anything they had experienced and described how the air of uncertainty set a tone from arrival to the last fire ember. Another said the instructors were not just experts — legends is the word they used. Hands-on access and immediate application under pressure pushed people past their self-imposed limits.

Ultimately, out of all the feedback on the UNDISCLOSED event, one refrain stood out. Assembling a crew of instructors with different backgrounds and beliefs could have turned into noise. It did not. Students picked up on a single current running through the group. A sincere desire to pass on knowledge that might save lives.

Final Thoughts

A training event can feel like theater if the narrative never leaves the classroom. UNDISCLOSED chose a different path. It asked for presence inside a moving story, and for decisions that mattered minute by minute. It rewarded good choices with momentum and consequences that taught hard lessons without lasting harm. The result was a room full of ordinary people who looked in the mirror and saw leaders in the making.

If leadership has a feel, it feels like the ride back from the last target. It feels like mud on boots and a grin that will not quit. It feels like a notebook full of details that add up to a plan. It feels like the moment you realize that help is not on the way, yet the people around you are ready. That is a dynamic that changes families and strengthens a community. That is the power of a weekend thrown into the deep end of the unknown.

Meet The Instructors of Undisclosed

Iain

Iain Harrison

Serves as editor-in-chief for the RECOIL group. He is a former British infantry officer with decades behind rifles and an ongoing connection to current conflict. He has spent time on the front lines in Ukraine and brings a clear view of modern small unit problems. His presence on the range matched the calm of someone who has seen the real thing.

Patrick

Patrick Diedrich

Carries the voice of RECOIL OFFGRID as senior editor and host of the OFFGRID Podcast. He has a professional background in combat reconnaissance, and as a SAR Training Officer. He has responded to terrorist insurgencies and natural disasters alike. His instruction favors field results over cool theory, and keeps the focus on people, decisions, and what wins under stress.

Michael

Michael Caughran

Founded American Reconstruction Concepts. He is a full-time survival and tactics instructor with a background as a USAF SERE Specialist. He graduated Selection with distinction and teaches a mindset of stewardship along with hard skills. When he speaks about personnel recovery or advanced field craft, you sense a mentor, not a lecturer.

Freddy

Freddy Osuna

Founded Greenside Training and wrote a respected guide on human and animal tracking. He blends Native American field craft with modern tactics and teaches people how to weaponize their senses. His work and mentorship with military, border patrol, law enforcement, and countless others has changed the way people interact with their surroundings.

Kris

Kristopher Hasenauer

A board-certified physician assistant, veteran Special Operations medic and founder of T1RX. He moved through a decade of operational and advisory experience, and brings precise, repeatable protocols for traumatic injury. He also brings intensity that drives home the difference between theory and competence.

Read More From Issue 70

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid’s free newsletter today!

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

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

Grey Man Academy

Written by

I did not expect to start a training course taped to a chair. Wrists bound to the armrests. Forearms pinned. Ankles secured to the legs of a battered office seat. There is a saying that echoes through survival circles, “You do not rise to the occasion. You sink to your lowest level of training.” It sounded dramatic when I first heard it. It felt different with adhesive biting into skin. The room smelled like dust and coffee. The instructor’s footsteps moved behind me. A timer started. I took a breath and tried to think like someone who had done this a hundred times.

That scene was no movie set. It was a drill at Grey Man Academy. The program promises a quiet path to an uncommon skill set. Think less costume drama and more practical competence. The goal is not to become a walking action figure. The goal is to move through modern life with a trained mind and a steady hand. The weekend is built to pressure test both.

Instructor at Grey man academy

Instructor Michael Caughran discusses the layers of the “Capability Pyramid.”

The Silent Professional

The phrase came up within the first hour. Our instructor, Michael Caughran, spoke in an even tone that fit the room. He was not interested in social media theater or tactical fashion. He addressed teachers, parents, young professionals, and the occasional veteran with the same message. Capability is a choice. You do not need a certain background to become the person who stays calm when the rest of the room is losing its footing. However, you do need discipline and a plan.

Michael introduced a simple idea that shaped everything that followed. He called it the capability pyramid. Mindset forms the base. Tactics sit above mindset. Skills go on top of tactics. Tools rest at the peak. The order matters. People love to start with gear. It is easier to buy a flashlight than it is to build a decision-making habit. Tools do not save you from poor choices. Even a legend from the frontier can walk into the wrong seat at the wrong time and fail to face the door. The pyramid rewards clear thinking before clever hardware.

person in zip cuffs

Zip cuffs, a commonly used restraint, can be defeated with a cleverly manipulated bobby pin.

The Escapist Mindset

The first day of Grey Man Academy focused on mental control and threat recognition. The topic sounds dark at first. But it is all about understanding how people get trapped, and how they get out. We talked about situational awareness in plain language. Look for what does not belong. Notice who is watching who. Identify exits. Keep a simple baseline of the space you are in. These are life skills, not paranoia drills.

Michael walked us through case studies that turned abstract ideas into vivid markers. Two anti-apartheid activists in South Africa spent a year shaping a path to freedom and kept their heads clear enough to lock a cell behind them as they left. An American contractor used his captors’ assumptions to buy a sliver of time and eventually escape. A former student’s family faced a planned home invasion. Preparation, instincts, and decisive action made the difference. These are rare events. Rare is not the same as impossible. The lesson was not to seek danger. The lesson was to honor early warnings and act sooner rather than later.

We studied a simple model that breaks a kidnapping into phases. Capture is shock. Movement creates windows. Temporary holds are messy. Interrogations mix manipulation with pressure. Permanent holding creates overconfidence in the people running the show. None of this was presented as a script to follow. It was a way to organize stress. When your brain labels a phase, you can ask better questions. Where is the noise? Where are the doors? Where is the attention? Those questions turn panic into a plan.

person zip tied to chair

Students were placed in what initially seemed like impossible situations, only to discover they could overcome the scenario with a calm and curious mind.

Mindset Meets Mechanics

Escape work begins between your ears. You need belief before you need a tool. You are not a statue. You are an investigator. You are always looking for slack, for edges, for changes in rhythm. Night favors the patient. Noise hides small movements. Distraction is a resource. Understanding how a restraint is supposed to function makes you better at finding its weak points. You can carry a lawful tool. You can improvise when you must. You can also make something simple out of what is available. None of this requires superpowers. It does require grit and curiosity.

The class moved from theory to carefully controlled practice. Each student chose a restraint to work against under supervision — tape, rope, plastic cuffs, steel cuffs with training keys. We practiced in a way that emphasized safety. We used communication. We checked circulation. We took turns as spotters. Under the pressure of a stopwatch, the test was to manage adrenaline as much as it was successfully escaping.

When it was my turn I chose plastic, law enforcement-style zip-ties. I tried one approach that failed. I shifted to another that demanded focus, coordination, and more patience than I thought I had in me. The timer stopped after 5 minutes and 11 seconds. The room felt 10 degrees cooler once the cuffs broke free. My forearms stung. My head felt oddly clear. I understood what the instructors meant by confidence built under pressure. You cannot buy that in a catalog.

women working with a combative trainer at grey man academy

Methods focused on strikes that came naturally so that reactions under stress became quick and efficient.

Combatives with Purpose

The second block moved from restraints to the human body. The premise was direct. Violence is rare in daily life. If it finds you, you will not schedule it. You might be in a kitchen. You might be stepping out of a car. You might be wearing clothing that restricts motion. You may have to act with one hand or from a compromised position. In those moments the goal is simple. End the threat as fast as you can and escape to safety. The techniques were rooted in structure rather than sport. We learned to think in terms of posture, base, and alignment. Strength was a bonus, not a requirement.

We drilled strikes that do not depend on perfect conditions. Palms, hammer fists, elbows, knees, simple kicks delivered with balance. We used open hands more than closed fists to protect our own bones. We practiced moving after contact, so we did not freeze in place. We drilled from different positions and while partially restrained to stress creativity and body awareness. You can hit hard and move smart at the same time. The metric was not speed or flash. The metric was repeatable damage that buys space and time.

handgun defense traing

Grey Man Academy’s Combatives training went beyond practicing moves by pitting students against potential real-world scenarios.

An important thread ran through every rep. We were learning how to protect ourselves and others inside the law and inside our values. There were no calls to escalate a minor incident. There was constant focus on de-escalation where possible and on accountability when force is necessary. The class asked hard questions about proportionality and about bystanders. We did not dodge those conversations, and they made the training more honest.

classroom hand gun training

Fundamentals of drawing and presenting a concealed carry firearm were practiced before sending rounds down range.

Handgun Skills for Reality

The third day shifted to handguns. New shooters stood next to experienced ones. The range brief covered safety in plain terms. Muzzle discipline. Trigger discipline. A culture of calling a stop if anything looked odd. We began dry, working on grip, sight picture, and trigger press. Fundamentals sound boring until you watch them save time. Under pressure you do half of what you can do on your best day. That was the mantra for this block. We raised the bar in practice so our half would still be enough when it counted.
We built from slow draw strokes to faster ones.

We drew from concealment. We tested how clothing affects access. We shot sighted and unsighted at appropriate distances and learned when each method makes sense. We reloaded and cleared simple malfunctions. We adapted our stances to odd terrain. We learned about different carry positions and how they interact with driving, sitting, grappling, and daily tasks. We looked at everyday items and asked whether they enabled access or created a trap. Running a qualification drill turned our scattered reps into a single arc. It did not feel like a test for bragging rights. It felt like a map we could use to see where to spend our next month of practice.

trainer discussing targets after live fire drill

After working on a few live-fire drills, Michael discusses what the shot patterns might be saying about our technique.

Life Between Sessions

A word about the setting. Grey Man Academy is not a spartan camp where you crash on a cot and eat mystery stew. The lodging sits on quiet ground with enough space between buildings to let your nervous system find neutral. Early registrants can land rooms with a patio and extra views. Everyone gets a private space with clean linens and simple comforts. The walk to the training areas takes the edge off the morning.

The food supports the pace. The kitchen crew leans into a farm-to-table approach that tastes like a place rather than a supplier catalog. Three full meals arrive like clockwork. Coffee appears when you need it. The menu shifts with the season and with the animals raised nearby. Dinner included a slow-cooked cut from the ranch that refilled everyone without sending us into a coma. It is surprising how much better you process new information when what you eat is simple and clean.

When the day ends, you are not stuck pacing a hotel hallway. A hot tub sits near a pond where the light lingers at the edges. There is a small gym for the people who like to prime their legs before breakfast. Trails cut through the property for slow walks that turn jittery energy into reflection. An on-site range lets motivated students revisit a drill with a coach watching. Benches near fire pits become quiet corners for writing down what you want to remember. Recovery is not a treat. It is part of the curriculum.

students during a live fire drill

Out at the range, we went through the motions of presenting our firearms with our eyes closed to work on our consistency and develop that all-important muscle memory.

What Sticks When the Tape Comes Off

Grey Man Academy sells skills. The thing it really delivers is composure. That word kept surfacing as I unpacked the weekend in my head. Composure is noticing the shape of a room before a problem starts. It is remembering that movement creates options. It is choosing a tactic that fits your values and your laws. It is acting without advertising your intent. The training turns those ideas into a set of habits you can feel in your bones.

A skeptic might ask whether any of this is necessary for an average person. My answer is straightforward: The vast majority of days will be normal, but that is exactly why you train. Skills you never use in a dramatic way still change how you carry yourself. You lock your doors with intention. You read a crowd with a softer gaze. You pick a table with better sight lines without making a show of it. You handle a flat tire at night without spinning into anxiety. You speak calmly to the person next to you when a loud noise rattles the room. You keep your head while others are searching for theirs.

For students who already have experience, the Grey Man Academy offers a chance to refine rather than accumulate. Michael’s pyramid forces you to ask whether you are building on the right layer. It is humbling to realize that a new holster will not fix a mindset issue. It is empowering to watch your draw times fall after you correct a single habit at the base of your stance. Tools become meaningful after tactics and skills are anchored.

The class returns to that point again and again until it becomes muscle memory.
The ethical tone matters as much as the technique. The staff frames every drill with real-world context. We talked about communication with law enforcement after a defensive incident. We talked about the presence of family members and strangers. We talked about how to ask for help clearly and how to keep others from rushing into danger. There is a strong thread of responsibility running through the course. You leave with more power. You also leave with a better sense of when not to use it.

assorted tools on a chest

Although the Grey Man Academy class made use of a variety of tools to escape restraints, the items in this photo are by no means exhaustive. The only limit to what constitutes an appropriate tool is what your mind can come up with

Final Thoughts on ARC’s Grey Man Academy

I keep thinking about the first seconds of that chair drill. I remember the taste of adhesive and the thud of my heart and the weird urge to thrash. Then, the breathing starts. The plan forms. The panic drains just enough to move. That transition is the essence of Grey Man Academy. It is not a fantasy factory. It is a place that teaches you how to meet stress with a steady mind, a smart tactic, and a skill you practiced when no one was watching. The weekend gave me stories to tell, but it also gave me quiet habits that do not need an audience.

The goal is not to be the hero in a camera frame. The goal is to be the person who gets home. Sometimes that means you escape a situation you never wanted. Sometimes that means you use your voice to settle a room. Sometimes that means your hands do what they must so you can reach a door and hold it open for someone else. The Academy does not promise that life will present you with a perfect scenario. It shows you how to move through the imperfect ones with humility and resolve.

I left with sore hands and a clear head. With respect for the quiet people who practice without a spotlight. With a pyramid I can carry in my pocket. Mindset first. Tactics next. Skills after that. Tools last. That order feels like a compass I can trust. When the world gets loud, it points me in the right direction.

Train with ARC

Beyond Grey Man Academy, ARC offers numerous classes in topics of self-defense, dedicated weapons training, and wilderness survival skills. Check out the ARC website for more information.

Read More From Issue 70

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid’s free newsletter today!

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

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

GEAR UP: Mission Ready

Written by

You’ve just been briefed on the mission. Time is short, so hit your cage or wall locker and get geared up. Success begins with preparation, and preparation means making smart choices about the kit you’ll trust your life with. Plan for how long you expect to be out, then add half again to that time. Check the weather and layer up accordingly. Load mags, top off canteens, swap batteries, and inspect snaps, zippers, buckles, and swivels. If it shakes, rattles, or rolls, tape it down. Bring what you need, leave what you don’t. Link up with your battle buddy for gear checks. We step off on in 30.

Undisclosed logo
5.11 TACTICAL PLATE CARRIER

5.11 Tactical TacTec On Duty Bundle

MSRP: $390
URL: 511tactical.com

NOTES 

This is a great quick mission setup. The TacTec line is lightweight, offers freedom of movement, as well as being highly modular. The one-handed quick-release cable system is highly regarded should you need to get the carrier off to conduct emergency medical procedures or drop your kit in a hurry to blend in with human terrain. Front and back bags have generously sized air flow panels with an extendable drag handle on the back panel. Flex Double AR Magazine Pouch 2.0 has its own mounting hardware and secures in place with non-metallic snaps. Flex Tourniquet Pouch has multiple mounting configurations because only you know the best way to mount lifesaving equipment to your kit. Flex Admin Pouch is a tidy package and packs in the features.

COLD STEEL SHOVEL

Cold Steel Spetznaz Special Forces Trench Shovel

MSRP: $40
URL: coldsteel.com

NOTES

There are few tools that are as capable as a trench shovel. Use it to dig fox holes and ranger graves, build hide sites, chop roots, or bushwhack. The Cold Steel Spetsnaz Special Forces Trench Shovel has a medium carbon steel shovel head with three sharpened sides to tackle the previously mentioned tasks or use it as the Spetsnaz did and fight with it. Topping the head is a hickory handle that is not only as tough as the shovel head, but it can also be scraped down, if need be, to get a small bundle of tinder should you find yourself in a bad way and need fire. While there are no moving parts, the Cold Steel Spetsnaz Special Forces Trench Shovel is a multi-tool that pulls its weight on the battlefield and is worthy of your consideration.

COMPASS

Cammenga H3

MSRP: $114
URL: cammenga.com

NOTES

Have a compass or get lost! It cannot be overstated how important it is to have the skills to navigate to and from your area of operation. As an example, just 2 degrees off target over the course of 5 kilometers brings you 174.6 meters off your intended target. It only gets worse the farther you have to travel. Starting with an aluminum body, the Commenga H3 is a 1:50,000 scale compass. Be sure you check your map scale to be as accurate and timely as possible. Low light to no light, the tritium lights up enough to read your compass without blowing out your eyeballs. No batteries. No charging. Just a little radioactive isotope in glass vials to light your way for up to 12 years.

POWERTAC HEAD LAMP

Powertac Explorer HL-10

MSRP: $112
URL: powertac.com

NOTES 

Mounting compatibility with action cameras like DJI and GoPro makes it easy to mount to your helmet, use the head band and pull it directly over your head, or use a chest harness. Whatever your preference is, get your light mounted up and do it at double time. We’ve got to move out! The 2500 lumens of the Explorer HL-10 will light your way over 200 meters down range, dial back to 150 lumens and reduce your light’s throw to roughly 24 meters, select red light for map reading and signature reduction. There are also settings for strobe, S.O.S., and IR functions to utilize. Magnetic charging means you can easily mount a battery pack to the back of your helmet and blind the opposition for extended run time. Light equals information. Information means decision-making capability. Turn on the sun when you can and be the smartest individual on the battlefield.

MISSION FIRST TACTICAL MAGAZINE

Mission First Tactical EXD 30 AR/M4

MSRP: $15
URL: missionfirsttactical.com

NOTES

Grab all those boxes of ammo and dump them out. There is no better place to store your rounds than in the magazines you’re going to be using. EXD 30 AR/M4 mags are your go-to ammo storage unit when it comes to launching hot rocks down range: three times more impact resistant than typical nylons because of the next-gen long glass fiber polymer, with an oversized bolt catch to hold open your breach when you run dry, four-way anti-tilt self-lubricating follower to minimize jams and misfeeds, and four scalloped-out finger grooves front and back for a positive tactile feel even under stress. Jam your mags and get into the fight with Mission First Tactical.

RAB SILTARP1

Rab SILTARP 1

MSRP: $90
URL: rab.equipment

NOTES

When speed and maneuverability are a priority, the weight and dimensions of your gear have to be considered. The SILTARP 1 comes in at just 8.5 ounces and measures 8.5 by 5.5 inches stowed away. Rab SILTARP 1 offers approximately 95 by 60 inches of cover and 16 external tie-down points to give you a variety of shelter options to get out of the rain or hide from the sun. Made from one continuous piece of siliconized 30d Cordura with a PU coating goes a long way for making this tarp strong. Light and waterproof, you can count on the Rab SILTARP 1 to cover you.

EAR PRO

ISOtunes Sport Advance BT

MSRP: $120
URL: isotunes.com

NOTES

Shoot, move, and communicate. If you can’t do all three, mission effectiveness breaks down. Protect your hearing and be able to keep comms with your team by using the ISOtunes Sport Advanced BT. Noise-reducing microphone improves communication, and the Bluetooth 5.1 supports dual pairing. Tactical Sound Control (TSC) amplifies environmental sounds and limits harmful noise like gunfire. Battery life for Bluetooth usage is 10 hours while TSC can be used for up to 20 hours of straight hearing protection. Advanced BT comes with a variety of silicone eartips to customize your fit for best results, a small, zippered case to protect your headset as well as keep the included charger handy. Rated at IP67 means this headset not only withstands a little sweat and rain, they also can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. This is a key bit of info when going outside the wire.

fiber light

Fiber Light Original Round

MSRP: $10
URL: outdoorelement.com

NOTES

Everything is soaked and you need a fire? No problem. Fiber Light Original Round is an aluminum tin equipped with a fat Ranger Band to ensure closure as well as a bit of sound deadening. All that is required is a pinch of Fiber Light and a spark. You can use a ferro rod, lighter, fresnel lens, or the side of a very recently used suppressor (we’ve lit cigars with them in the field). The larger the pinch the longer it’ll burn, but the average is 3 to 7 minutes. Make sure you have kindling processed and waiting for when your Fiber Light takes off. Made from a proprietary blend of natural fibers, it is safe to cook over. Pro tip: Drop a small ferro rod and scraper into your tin to be ready for use. This is a no-brainer for a field pack.

MISSION FIRST WATER BOTTLE

Mission First Tactical M67 Frag

MSRP: $45
URL: missionfirsttactical.com

NOTES 

Do yourself and your team a favor and start hydrating right now. You can lighten your load in many ways. Carrying minimal water is not one of those ways. Water is always going to be on the packing list. Put as much as you can in your body and then fill up every container you plan to take with you. The M67 Frag is a vacuum-sealed double-wall container to help keep your water cold or coffee hot as well as to reduce the chances of condensation soaking your gear. BPA and toxin free, the 32-ounce capacity is a great way to travel with your life-saving water.

GLOW FOB

Glow Rhino Ember Glow Fob

MSRP: $20
URL: glowrhino.com

NOTES

Glow Rhino Ember Glow Fob is a lightweight unobtrusive low lumen tool to add to an inside zipper pocket or in an admin pouch. Mark rally points, doors to rooms that have been cleared, attach to the zipper of an often-used item in your pack for quick recognition, or check a map while minding light discipline. Choose from green or blue light. No batteries to change or charging cord to contend with, as Glow Rhino Ember Glow Fob has a half-life of 12 years.

PRPPER DISK UNIT

Prepper Disk Premium

MSRP: $185
URL: prepperdisk.com

NOTES

This innocuous-looking device is like having a mobile library that works even when you don’t have cellular or Wi-Fi signal. Augment your mobile device and up to 19 additional devices to access Wikipedia, FEMA, National Library of Medicine, iFixit, Amateur Radio repeaters, and much more. The Prepper Disk is off of a Raspberry Pi 4B with 2 GB of RAM and a 512GB premium SD card. Need a reminder on how to turn tubular nylon into a harness or emergency litter? No sweat. There are also over 60,000 eBooks from Project Gutenberg should you need to brush up on shelter building, foraging, or finding water. Toss a Prepper Disk into a dry bag and mount up.

RAB RAIN JACKET

Rab Men’s Downpour Mountain Waterproof Jacket

MSRP: $180
URL: rab.equipment

NOTES

Rain is the perfect weather when it comes to mounting an attack. The enemy tends to get complacent when they’re cold, wet, and tired. For those of us on the offensive, we can rely on the Rab Downpour Mountain Waterproof Jacket. Keeping the rain off your head and back while on foot has always helped keep morale high. Breathable and lightweight, the 2.5-layer Pertex Shield ripstop fabric is shockingly robust. This jacket has survived rough terrain and long treks through dense forest with no trails. Lots of scuffs and dirt have been left behind, but not a single rip. Toss one in your kit, rain or shine. You’ll be glad you stay dry or use it to stop the driving wind.

MISSION FIRST CASE

Mission First Tactical ACHRO Storage Case

MSRP: $30
URL: missionfirsttactical.com

NOTES

Strong enough to carry loose ammo, but we’ve jammed mags already so this storage case can be used for other needs. For the sake of knowing, the ACHRO is tough enough to lug around 500 rounds of 9mm, 350 rounds of 5.56, or 1,500 rounds for your .22LR hushpuppy. This is possible because of its 1000D Korda Carbonate construction. Need to keep extra frags together in your pack? Problem solved. Want to have a toiletry kit in the field or an expanded ouch pouch? This ACHRO Storage Case is Johnny-on-the-spot. Measuring 9 by 4.5 by 4 inches, you can jam a lot of gear into this low-profile tough-as-nails pouch.

5.11 GLOVES

5.11 Tactical Hard Times 2

MSRP: $65
URL: 511tactical.com

NOTES

Protect your hands with HardTimes 2 knuckle protection. A four-way stretch top with a two-piece molded knuckle offers protection from impact and abrasion. 5.11 Tactical opted for touchscreen-ready fingers and palm constructed from goatskin for comfort, dexterity, and increased feeling. Thumbs have a microfiber textured sweat wipe for use in heavy activity. Thick, tactile-reinforced cuff seam, pull tab, and Velcro closures keep dirt and debris out of the Hard Times 2 Gloves.

5.11 JACKET

5.11 Tactical PT-R Arrive

MSRP: $98
URL: 511tactical.com

NOTES

To the casual observer, the Pt-R Arrive hoodie is just another article of clothing, but those in the know see it as part of a layering to keep you on mission. The quilted front panel has a PrimaLoft filler to assist in holding in heat around the core. To shed excess heat, take advantage of the full-zip front. Keeping your eyes up and situational awareness high is important when on watch. Jam your hands in the kangaroo pouch to stay warm and preserve dexterity or keep heavily used gear ready. Your right-hand pocket has a hidden pocket to secure an ID, credit card, lockpick set, or cash. Fleece back panel, sleeves and hood finish off the design and keep it looking low-profile while still being purpose built.

UNDISCLOSED PARTICIPANTS IN GEAR

Dirt Time

Thirty hours of heat, rain, and brush gave every item a real shakedown. TacTec On Duty carriers came out of the wrap, took load and mags, and moved clean through thick cover. Quick-release cables were pulled for medical drills and to dump weight at checkpoints, then reset quickly. EXD 30 magazines fed without drama while HL-10 lights ran on headband and chest mounts as needed. Layering stayed simple with the PT-R Arrive for warmth on the move and the Downpour Mountain jacket when the sky opened.

UNDISCLOSED PARTICIPANTS IN THE WOODS

H3 compasses set headings under canopy at night, while the Spetsnaz shovel handled digging, chopping roots, and scraping tinder. SILTARP 1 pitched in tight spaces for shade and rain cover and packed down fast. M67 Frag bottle carried cold water and the ACHRO case hauled extra items without sagging. Every item came straight from the box to the field and did the job, which is why we are tipping a hat to the brands that helped our VIPs level up at Undisclosed.

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ATAC, OLIGHT & Sunshine

Written by

Bodies moved through the Undisclosed schedule with that blend of curiosity and pressure that always settles over a good field course. ATAC rifles came out of cases in a neat line, and eyes did a quick scan of controls and optics. No one realized a personal surprise sat held in their hands. That realization landed only after the final scenario wrapped and the dust of sim rounds settled. Each rifle belonged to the person who had just spent more than a day living with it. That reveal hit hearts and sparked grins. Before that moment, those carbines simply had a job to do.

ATAC ADER Rifle

The ADER can come in several flavors of Cerakote: Black, Burnt Bronze, FDE, OD Green, and Tungsten.

Mission Ready: ATAC ADER Rifle

ADER 5.56 stands for ATAC Defense Enhanced Rifle. ADER 5.56 arrives as a complete answer for long, busy evolutions. Weight stays friendly at 5.95 pounds, so shoulders hold steady when the schedule stretches. Overall length adjusts from 33.125 to 36.25 inches and length of pull ranges from 10.75 to 14 inches, which makes fit simple whether plates are on or off. Controls fall under the hand without guesswork.

ATAC Defense built this carbine with a process that favors results. Receivers are machined in-house, which keeps the fit tight and free of rattle. Components are selected with function in mind, then assembled by hand, test-fired, and checked again before shipping. A lifetime limited warranty stands behind that promise. Real use brought the proof. Thirty hours of movement, vehicles, barricades, and sim rounds produced no major breakdowns and no malfunctions.

Balance reads right as soon as a shooter brings the gun up. Nothing feels nose heavy or drags on the back end. Movement through door frames and vehicles stays tidy. A free float handguard gives room for hands and small accessories without extra bulk. ADER treats ambidextrous as a working standard rather than a label. Safety levers mirror each other. A magazine release with an enlarged pad answers pressure from either side. The bolt release gives a broad target, which helps when gloves are on or angles get awkward. An ambidextrous charging handle with generous paddles shortens every press check and clears the way for quick action when a stoppage drill shows up. Nothing feels crowded.

Upper and lower receivers come from 7075 forgings that see their final cuts in the same shop that assembles the rifle. That choice keeps tolerances matched and eliminates the loose, hollow sound that arrives when parts do not agree with each other. Feed ramps meet the barrel extension cleanly. The magazine well is flared and broached to speed insertion when nerves are high. A captured rear detent saves time during maintenance. Cerakote covers surfaces evenly and resists the scrapes that show up around vehicles and barricades. Trigger weight lands at a clean 3.5 pounds on the single stage unit. Travel feels smooth, the wall is obvious, and the break arrives with a crisp finish. Reset returns with a confident click that steers timing on follow-up shots.

Mission first tactical stock on ADER

The bolt carrier group has the look and feel of a part built for miles. Edges are smooth where they meet each other. Contact points are finished so friction stays low. Nickel boron coats the assembly, which gives a slick feel that wipes clean with a single pass. Small fasteners are staked correctly. Parts are checked with the right tests before they ever see a receiver.

The carbine comes up on target with a simple, centered feel that holds through transitions and short bursts of movement. A free float handguard gives space for hands and accessories while keeping weight down. Edges feel smooth and the top rail runs clean from receiver to muzzle, which means backup sights or accessories can go exactly where they belong. Quick-detach sockets are built-in, so sling setup takes moments rather than minutes.

Furniture from Mission First Tactical rounds out the package. The Battlelink Minimalist stock trims unnecessary mass yet stays solid when shouldered. The Engage grip sits at 15 degrees, which supports a compact stance and helps the wrist stay neutral during long sessions. Nothing bites the palm. Nothing snags on kit. The parts read like choices made by people who pay attention to honest use.

ADER Specs

  • Weight: 5.95 pounds
  • Length: 33.125 to 36.25 inches
  • Length of pull: 10.75 to 14 inches
  • Barrel length: 16 inches with free float rail
  • Twist rate: 1 in 8 inches
  • Chamber: 5.56 with six-groove button rifling
  • Extra: Ambidextrous safety, magazine release, and charging handle with oversized bolt release
    Single stage trigger at 3.5 pounds with curved or straight shoe, two-stage option available
    Nickel boron-coated carrier, Cerakote receivers
  • Lifetime limited warranty
  • MSRP: $1,369
  • URL: atacdefense.com
Osight X

he Osight X comes with a magnetic charging cover, allowing the operator to charge the battery up to three times without needing to plug it in.

An Adaptable Optic

Each platform came with an Osight X mounted to the top. The sight drops on with a standard footprint that fits common plates and mounts. A three-MOA dot sits in the middle. A 32-MOA circle can surround it, or run by itself, or disappear so the dot stands alone. Switching between these choices takes seconds. Circle with dot frames targets that hide behind cover or appear at odd angles. Dot only leaves a clean view for longer looks across open ground. Glass stays clear to the edge and coatings hold glare in check, so the picture remains honest when light shifts.

Housing uses Olight Aluminum Alloy (OAL), a proprietary aluminum material, which keeps weight close to light aluminum while staying strong. Level III anodizing brings durability against impact and weather. Field testing by the maker covered a very high round count and reported no loss of zero.

ADER on ATV

Battery questions can ruin a plan. Osight X answers that with a magnetic charging cover that clicks into place and shows live status for the cover and for the optic itself. No one needed to wonder how much time remained. Stored power inside that cover can fully recharge the sight three times, and a full cycle finishes in about two and a half hours. A small kit of screws ships with the optic, which makes fitment across different plates and mounts straightforward.

Osight X Specs

  • Reticle: 3 MOA Dot, 32 MOA Circle
  • Color: Red
  • Footprint: RMR, 407c, 507c
  • Power: Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
  • Runtime: 57,000 hours on level 3
  • Weight: 1.62 ounces
  • MSRP: $230
  • URL: olight.com
Sling

An impressive sling with an efficient form factor, the QUIK Sling holds up to punishment without getting in the way.

Sling Without the Clutter

Built in Orlando, Florida, Sunshine Safety offers a single-point sling that lives out of the way until it is needed. Rolled up, the bundle is barely larger than a quarter. Weight lands at 1.4 ounces, so it disappears until a break arrives or a long walk demands support. Webbing measures 51 inches, which covers plates, layers, and seasonal changes. Materials follow Mil-spec callouts, and stitching uses Kevlar aramid thread. Attachment can be a Berry compliant QD swivel or a snap hook.

Deployment is as simple as a thumb push through the roll. The sling opens, slides over a shoulder, and takes the weight so hands can rest, or tasks can change. When the next block begins, the strap rolls back into a neat puck that does not swing or snag. Small details like this keep attention on tactics rather than housekeeping.

QUIK-Sling Specs

  • Material: Mil-spec nylon, Mil-spec elastic, Kevlar Aramid thread
  • Size: 1 by 1.2 inches rolled, 51 inches long
  • Compliance: Berry (on QD swivel models)
  • Weight: 1.4 ounces
  • MSRP: $35
  • URL: sunshinesafetyfa.com
ADER and tactical gear

Field Performance

Dirt time forces gear to show real colors. Movement through vehicles and tight structures tests balance and control placement. Barricades scrape finishes and pull at sling points. Sim rounds add urgency that makes rough handling inevitable. ADER, Osight X, and the SPLIF Sling moved through that storm without calling attention to themselves. Reloads were easy to reach from either shoulder. Press checks took a light pull and a glance. The adjustable stock kept the dot where eyes wanted it, which made correction shots feel natural. Trigger feel stayed even across the duration of the event. The carrier slid without drama as grime collected, and a quick wipe brought the shine back when a break allowed it.

Sight work told the same story. Using the circle with dot combo landed hits around and through clutter. The dot only option gave a clean view across longer lanes and wide-open terrain. Switching modes became muscle memory after a few reps, and the wide window made it simple to recover the dot after awkward positions. Battery status sat in plain view on the cover, so nobody played the “what if” game.

The sling solved movement problems that rarely get headlines. Nothing slapped against plate carriers while climbing into or out of a vehicle. Nothing wrapped under the handguard during quick transitions. When it was time to take a break, the strap took the load and kept rifles close without having to search for a place to set them down. When work resumed, the roll tucked away, and the front of the gun stayed clean.

Used ADER on ATV

Despite the abuse these platforms received during the Undisclosed event, they performed admirably.

Final Thoughts

ADER paired with Osight X and the Sunshine Safety QUICK-Sling created a package that stayed calm while the tempo reached high speeds. Weight and balance made long days realistic. Controls were easy to reach and obvious under pressure. The carrier kept cycling cleanly, and cleanup asked for little more than a cloth. The rail and furniture carried accessories without fuss and kept hands comfortable. The optic adapted to distance and clutter without stealing attention, and the charging cover kept power flowing. The sling hid until called for, then took the load and vanished again.

Thirty hours revealed what mattered. Parts that were supposed to work did exactly that. No major breakdowns arrived. No malfunctions turned the day into a maintenance drill. At the end of the event, VIPs were able to leave Undisclosed with the very platform they had been working the entire time, giving the whole exercise an afterglow that felt earned.

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Mission Ready Pack: Minimalist Survival Kit

Written by

On the first day of Undisclosed all the participants were issued the gear they would be using over the course of the event. Part of their setup included the Mission First Tactical ACHRO 22L EDC Backpack loaded with some minimalist survival essentials. While I received the same pack, my role as support staff and field photographer put me in the position to require a bit more gear, so I decided to modify my loadout to accommodate my duties for the event.

Like the participants, I was facing long days and nights in the intense summer heat while traversing the rough terrain of the Ben Franklin Range. Keeping my kit as minimalist as possible to keep the weight down and reduce fatigue were top of mind when building out my kit. Ultimately, I was able to put together a minimalist survival kit that covered shelter, water, fire, medical, navigation, comms, light, and backup power along with a few essential tools.

Minimalst Survival Kit in trunk of vehicle

The Mission First Tactical ACHRO is discreet enough for urban carry, but tough enough for the harshest conditions.

The Bag

The ACHRO 22L is a compact 22-liter pack designed for EDC use and equipped with a good amount of organization as well as the ability to carry a handgun. The pack is purposely designed to have a low-profile appearance and would go unnoticed amongst a sea of other packs in an urban setting. Despite the low-profile look, the laser-cut panels offer plenty of attachment options should you wish to add pouches or lash gear.

The outer body is constructed with 1000D Kodra Carbonate Nylon, which offers both abrasion resistance and superb water resistance. Combined with premium YKK AquaGuard zippers, the ACHRO is ready to take on rainy days in the field or the city and keep the gear inside dry.

The ACHRO has a nicely padded adjustable harness equipped with an adjustable sternum strap that allows the user to fit the pack to their body and adjust based on carry style and load. The back panel offers significant padding with a built-in air channel to keep your back cool.

Finally, the exterior offers two stretchy mesh bottle holders that accommodate up to a 32-ounce bottle in each. When not in use, the bottle holders don’t stick out and won’t get in the way when moving.
The interior offers four compartments. The front of the pack has a nice-sized admin pocket that can fit small tools and various EDC items. Above that is a long, soft-lined pocket designed for sunglasses with a secondary zipper pocket inside. While made for glasses, the pocket can accommodate items that you want quick access to, and the soft lining can ensure your cell phone screen is safe from scratches.

The main compartment offers a generously sized zipper pouch, a back pocket that can accommodate a 16-inch laptop and a smaller pocket that can fit a tablet. Of course, these organizational features can easily work with other items like pouches.

The backside of the pack offers an ambidextrous concealed carry pocket. The loop-lined wall can accommodate hook and loop holster options and includes Mission First Tactical’s Multi Mount Platform.

The ACHRO as a Minimalist Survival Pack

Twenty-two liters is not huge, and, in my opinion, that is a good thing — the bigger the bag the more excess we tend to pack. This is a sweet spot for creating a minimalist survival system that keeps the weight down. Many people don’t consider weight when packing a survival bag, but the importance of it was evident during the Undisclosed event, as even under light load participants struggled moving up steep hills and rough terrain.

Outside of an event like Undisclosed, weight is important, particularly in EDC scenarios. If your pack is too heavy and uncomfortable to carry, the chances of you leaving it at home or in your vehicle are much higher. Your emergency kit doesn’t do any good if you don’t have access to it.

When packing out my ACHRO, my goal was to create a comprehensive minimalist survival kit along with a few EDC essentials so that I could handle any emergency situations that might come up, and I had everything I needed to get my job done throughout the event.

Storage and Organization

The ACHRO has some great organizational features, but I take the organization game a step further using pouches to organize certain types of gear. This allows me to quickly identify and access various kits in an emergency. In addition, pouches can be easily swapped out to accommodate activity-based needs.

Wilderness Survival items in minimalist survival kit

he Mission First Tactical ACHRO Storage Case is a versatile pouch that can be used for a dopp kit, ammo haul, or for survival gear.

Mission First Tactical ACHRO Storge Case

Along with the ACHRO backpacks, participants were issued ACHRO storage cases — the participants used them to store extra magazines. The ACHRO storage case is made from the same water-resistant material as the pack and features the YKK AquaGuard zippers to ensure everything inside stays dry. At 9.5 by 4.5 by 4 inches, the versatile case can serve as much more than just magazine and ammo storage. During the Undisclosed event I didn’t need to carry magazines or ammo, so I opted to use mine for my wilderness survival kit.


Badger Claw Outfitters Scout EDC pouch with edc survival essentials

The Badger Claw Outfitters Scout EDC Pouch is an ideal place to store everyday carry essentials.

Badger Claw Outfitters Scout EDC Pouch

As the name indicates, the Scout EDC Pouch is ideal for housing all your EDC items. This compact 7x5x1-inch pouch fits in any bag and even a large cargo pant or coat pocket. The Undisclosed participants received one of these in water-resistant X-Pac material, but I opted to use a custom version made from Nemesis Camouflage Cordura. I keep basics in here including a pen, notebook, lockpick kit, lighter, and a small “ouch pouch.”

Shelter

In a wilderness emergency, shelter is a top priority. We can survive without food and water for a time, but exposure to the elements can lead to death in as little as three hours. Having the ability to quickly and easily set up a makeshift shelter can be the difference of getting home alive and not getting home at all.


RAB SILTARP1 for survival shelter

The Rab Siltarp 1 is ideal for setting up a one-person survival shelter.

Rab SILTARP 1

Each Undisclosed participant was issued a Rab SILTARP1 as part of their kit. I opted to keep this one in my kit as it was lighter and more compact than the large tarp I usually carry. This ultralight tarp weighs just 8.5 ounces and is made from 30D Cordura fabric, making it both waterproof and durable. When unfolded, it is 1.5 by 2.4 meters (roughly 5 by 12 feet) and is the ideal size for building a one-person shelter. There are built-in loops that can serve as attachment points, and each loop area is reinforced to reduce the likelihood of damage from the elements after being setup.

Atwood Parapocalypse Paracord

Cordage is a vital part of the shelter-building process and can serve a variety of other purposes including lashing gear to packs, hanging food to deter animals from getting into it, and more. I use Atwood Parapocalypse cord as it adds even more survival functionality. This 11-strand paracord is incredibly strong, but if you break it down you will find seven nylon strands, a waxed jute stand, 10-pound fishing line, 160-pound test line, and 110-pound test line.

Fire

Minimalist survival kit fire starter items

Even when building a minimalist survival kit, a good fire kit should always contain redundancy and account for different environmental conditions.

Fire makes us warm, which was not something needed with the intense heat at the Ben Franklin Range during Undisclosed — but fire can do a whole lot more for us in a survival situation. With the proper vessel, fire can be used to boil water to kill pathogens found in wild water sources and cook any wild food sources you can acquire. Fire can also be used to signal rescuers for help, provide light, and boost our mood. I always carry redundancy when it comes to fire-starting tools, as weather conditions and injuries can limit the ways I can start a fire.

BIC Lighter

A classic BIC lighter is the simplest way to create fire. It can be done quickly and easily one-handed. The downside to a lighter is that they will not function well when wet, and the fuel is finite.

Outdoor Element Sparky

The Sparky is a small carabiner made from hardened aluminum. While it is not to be used for climbing, it is ideal for attaching gear, carrying keys, and using as an attachment point with paracord. What makes the Sparky standout is the attached ferrocerium rod, which can be used to create sparks to ignite tinder. While not as easy as a lighter, ferro rods function well in wet and cold environments.

Wazoo Fire Card

The Wazoo Fire Card is a simple credit card-sized piece of highly flammable material that can be used in an emergency to start a fire. Simply shave down some pieces and use a lighter of ferro rod to ignite. The material will ignite in both cold and wet conditions.

Black Beard Fire Plugs

These waxed plugs will burn even when wet for a few minutes, giving you ample time to get some tinder and kindling going.

Water

Under ideal circumstances we can survive for up to three days without water, but in the intense summer heat that number drops dramatically. Having the ability to source clean drinking water is not just vital in an emergency, it can help avoid an emergency all together. The Ben Franklin Range had several creeks and streams onsite, so sourcing water was not a problem I just needed a way to make it safe to drink.

Water filter bottle for survival kit

Having the ability to access clean drinking water can be the difference between life or death in an emergency. The Epic water filter bottle serves double duty in a minimalist survival kit as both a water filter and water storage device.

Nalgene Water Bottle with Epic Filter

All Undisclosed participants were issued a 48-ounce Nalgene water bottle equipped with Epic water filters. This is ideal for this type of adventure, as it stores a large amount of water and can be used to filter wild water sources through a filter that attaches to the straw. The bottle is as wide as a 32-ounce bottle but is taller, so it fits perfectly into the ACHRO pack’s bottle holder. Each bottle kit contained two filters, one for wild water sources and a second for tap water.

LifeStraw

Like fire, having a backup way to purify water is important. I keep a LifeStraw in my wilderness kit as a backup due to its lightweight and ease of use. Simply stick it in any wild water source and use it like any other straw.

Note on Water Filters: While water filters are a great option, they have their limitations. Smaller microbes like virus particles and some environmental contaminants can get past the filter. When possible, source your water from moving water sources and avoid water that is near industrial or farm areas.

Emergency Medical

In most cases, my ouch pouch is enough to handle the small cuts, scrapes, and bumps that come along with traversing rough wilderness terrain, but it is not equipped to tackle major muscle and bone injuries or major bleeds. Undisclosed also had portions of the event that used live firearms, so while it is always good to have some advanced bleeding treatment in the wilderness, it was even more relevant for this event.

Gorilla medical trauma kit with rifle

A proper trauma kit is essential when working with firearms, even in a controlled environment.

Gorilla Medical Individual Trauma Kit

Each participant received a Gorilla Medical individual Trauma kit loaded with a number of lifesaving items focused on the types of injuries most likely to occur with firearms, though many of the items apply to injury types that could potentially occur in the wilderness.

The kit included:
• C.A.T. Tourniquet
• Emergency Bandage
• Compressed Gauze
• Hemostatic Gauze
• Non-Latex Gloves
• Trauma Shears
• Surgical Tape
• Casualty Document Card
• Permanent Marker
• HyFin Vent Chest Seal
• Nasopharyngeal Tube
• Surgical Lubricant
• Needle Decompression

The trauma kit was housed in a custom nylon pouch, which could be easily mounted to our packs or belts.
Note on Emergency Medical Equipment: Medical equipment is only as good as the training you receive. Without the knowledge of how to properly use medical gear, it is just dead weight. Our participants received a crash course in emergency medical training, and I have personally taken numerous courses in the subject. These skills are perishable, and it is important to periodically train to retain and update your skillset.

Navigation

Having a reliable means of navigation in unfamiliar areas can get you out of a bind if you know how to use the tools available. Cell phone-based apps can be helpful, but in the wilderness, and many areas in the Ben Franklin Range, service is limited, and those apps may not be functional.

Garmin GPS navigator

GPS navigation devices allow you to find your way and better understand the topography of the area you are in.

Garmin 64st

This handheld GPS unit has been with me for a while. It may not be the newest unit on the market, but it’s reliable and still receives updates from Garmin. It offers an array of features, but most importantly it provides a topographical map of the area, which is helpful when planning movements. The external antenna gives you a solid connection to GPS satellites for accurate location information even under dense tree cover and during adverse weather conditions. It is rugged and can handle drops and driving rain, ensuring it will be available when you need it.

Coms and Signaling

With limited cell phone reception or in the instance that our mesh radios fail, having a backup communications plan is important in the event of an emergency. Beyond communications, having the ability to signal others, especially in the dark, is important if facing an emergency.

ZOLEO Sat comm for minimalist survival kit

When in remote locations cell phone service can be unreliable. Compact satellite communicators like the ZOLEO allow you to communicate with others when there is no cell service.

ZOLEO

As a stand-alone device, the ZOLEO satellite communicator is a great, easy-to-use option capable of sending SOS messages and contacting emergency services. What is even more useful is that it turns your cell phone into a text-based satellite communicator, allowing both emails and text messages to be sent and is capable of automatically sending your GPS location to emergency contact or search-and-rescue services. The device itself is built to withstand the elements and has great battery life. The compact size makes it easy to carry in your pocket, attached to your gear, or in a pack.

glow rhino ember for signaling in minimalist survival kit

The Glow Rhino Ember is an ideal low light gear marker and signaling device that add next to no weight to your minimalist survival kit.

Glow Rhino Ember

Glow Rhino packs tritium into their fobs. Tritium is a harmless radioactive isotope that will glow brightly for well over a decade without the need for any light or electronic charging. While small, the bright green glow is picked up easily by the human eye in dark conditions, which can help you stand out to those looking for you. These also make great gear markers when working in dark conditions.

Light

Having a light source when operating at night or in dark conditions is essential. Even if you are not planning to be out in the wilderness at night, emergency situations can leave us trying to navigate back to a safe location in the dark. In the wilderness, the absence of building and infrastructure lighting can result in pitch black conditions, making movement difficult and unsafe.

Powertac HL-10 Headlamp

The Powertac Explorer head lamp was provided to all participants, and I opted to use this as my primary light source as headlamps are ideal for creating hands-free light when working or on the move. The Explorer produces up to 2500 lumens of white light and has almost three days of run time on low mode between charges. In addition to white light, the Explorer has a red light option, which is ideal for preserving your night vision and an IR mode for tactical pursuits.

Backup Power

With a heavy reliance on electronics comes the need for backup power. Power banks are a daily carry necessity, but when operating in adverse conditions, picking a ruggedized weather-resistant option is vital.

Power bank and head lamp for survival kit

With a heavy reliance on electronic devices, backup power should be part of every survival kit.

Dark Energy Poseidon Pro

The Poseidon Pro is a great solution for wilderness backup power. The ruggedized frame is drop, water, and temperature resistant, and it provides 10,000 mAh of power, which is enough to charge all the devices I carry and my phone at least once.

on body survival kit

On-Body Gear

The kit I put together was comprehensive, but as our participants learned during the event, your pack doesn’t do you any good if it is not on your person when an emergency happens. While the participant faced a staged mass casualty event, I have learned from firsthand experience how easy it is to become separated from your pack in high-stress situations. Developing some redundancy in your kit to store on your person should be part of every survival kit build. Even though my on-body gear is not as robust as the gear in my pack, it is important to remember the best survival gear for any situation is the gear you have on you. My on-body carry included The Reiff Vicon, Skallywag Tactical Iron Jaw, Fenix PD25R, Sunshine Safety BRIK Micro, Outdoor Element Sparky, and Glow Rhino Ember.

Closing Thoughts

My ACHRO packed out came in at just over 11 pounds, not including water weight, and left plenty of room to add some snacks and house my camera when not in use. Having a light pack was welcome when traversing the challenging terrain and intense summer heat at the Ben Franklin Range during Undisclosed. Fortunately, I did not encounter emergency situations, but being prepared brings confidence and peace of mind to charge forward during the event with less stops back to the lodge to get supplies.

Much of the gear came in handy throughout the longer days, particularly the navigation, lighting tools, backup power, and water bottle. While we may instinctually want to pack everything and the kitchen sink, finding the right balance between weight and functionality is vital to reduce fatigue. When operating in challenging terrain and high heat, over-packing survival and EDC gear will quickly do more harm to your body and performance that outweigh any benefit the gear may have.

Read More From Issue 70

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

Garmont Tactical Boots

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When it comes to operating in high-stress environments, navigating the wilderness, or moving quickly during an emergency, next to our minds, our feet are our most important tool. The ability to move quickly and efficiently can be seriously hampered when foot injuries or discomfort are present. Having proper footwear is essential, and with the footwear market being as large as it is, it is difficult to know exactly what the best show for the job is.

While your average sneaker, work boot, or sandal may be a comfortable choice for daily use — these types of shoes are not built to hold up to miles of on foot travel, adverse weather conditions, and rough terrain. They also aren’t designed to keep our feet happy and healthy in these activities. In the years I’ve spent as an avid hiker, taking a variety of tactical/survival courses, and making it through several emergency scenarios, I’ve seen the impact of improper footwear both personally and with others. Blisters, rolled ankles, and fractures are just a few of the injuries that can stop you in your tracks, and over time more serious chronic conditions can develop because of improper footwear.

When it comes to selecting the best footwear to manage extended wear through harsh conditions that won’t slow you down when you need to move, it is best to trust our feet to footwear that is specially designed for that scenario. Fortunately, Garmont Tactical has years of experience doing just that.

Introducing the T8 Tactical Boot

Garmont has been in the footwear game since the 1960s and is known for making highly functional hiking boots and shoes. In 2008, Garmont was contacted by U.S. Special Forces and asked to create a better military boot. Garmont went to work incorporating their extensive experience and innovation in developing hiking boots, to create a military boot that had the benefits of a hiking boot and the protective qualities that the military required. The result of this process yielded the T8 family of boots and the creation of Garmont Tactical. The T8 was designed for comfort and breathability during extended wear, while also providing top-of-the-line traction in numerous operation terrains and ensure superior ankle protection.

The innovation did not stop with the first versions of the T8. Since its inception, Garmont Tactical has continued the Garmont’s legacy of innovation by producing several versions of the T8 and have introduced several new tactical boots to their lineup to meet the evolving needs of military and law enforcement personnel.

Many Applications

Garmont Tactical’s widespread adoption throughout military and police forces clearly shows their dedication to producing a premium battle-ready boot, but these boots have a lot of practicality beyond the battlefield.

  • First Responders: Both volunteer and career first responders have a need for protective footwear that won’t slow them down when split-second decisions matter.
  • Security Professionals: Those in the security field can find themselves on their feet for long periods of time and will face situations where moving quickly, scaling obstacles, and operating on varied terrain is essential.
  • Shooting Sports: Enthusiasts can benefit from a durable and protective boot, especially when training classes and events take them beyond the bench.
  • Outdoors: Not all outdoors people stay on the trail. Thanks to Garmont’s roots in outdoor footwear, search-and-rescue teams, state and federal parks employees, hunters, and anyone else who ventures into the wilderness can maintain the benefits of a hiking boot with the upgraded protection of a tactical boot.
  • Emergency Preparedness: During a natural or human-caused emergency, the ability to move quickly over varied terrain for long distances can be vital to surviving the situation. Having a solid pair of tactical boots can help accomplish that goal and protect the wearer’s feet while doing it.

Choosing the Right T8 Tactical Boot

We tested four different variants of Garmont Tactical’s T8 boots built for different circumstances. Each boot was tested in varied environments through multiple seasons and weather conditions. We break down the features and benefits of each. All of Garmont Tactical’s T8 boots feature 8-inch height, non-reflective hardware, and suede/leather and nylon construction.

T8 Defense Tactical Boot

T8 Defense: Maximum Foot Protection

The T8 Defense is the latest member of the T8 family. Based on the original T8 boot design, the Defense incorporates the addition of D30 impact-resistant material throughout the boot to protect the wearer and reduce shock impact on the feet. For those unfamiliar with D30 technology, it is widely used for motorcycle, athletic, and military protective gear due to its lightweight impact and vibration resistance —­ it has also been used in electronic equipment.

D30 is incorporated into the ankle and tongue of the T8 Defense to help protect the most sensitive areas of the foot from blunt-force impacts. Garmont has also utilized D30 in the footbed to reduce the effects of impact while on the move. The result makes the T8 Defense one of the most comfortable boots I have worn for extended periods. During my testing, I had the T8 Defense boots on for upward of 16 hours per day and covered many miles with less foot fatigue than other boots I have worn.

The Defense is a breathable boot, which was welcome during the 95-plus-degree days. I was surprised at how breathable there in the intense heat and direct sunlight despite being made primarily of black leather.

While the Defense is not rated as waterproof, it stands up fine to light rain for a few hours, but I would not be looking to stand in deep puddles or attempt to move across a shallow creek and expect to stay dry.

The Vibram outsole provides an excellent grip in wet and dry conditions in both urban and wilderness environments while providing good stability. The T8 Defense is stiff to provide support, but not so stiff that fast movement is impaired.

Finally, when it comes to weight, the T8 Defense is not what I would consider a lightweight boot, but they are not heavy either. They are lighter on the feet when compared to an average work boot and a touch heavier compared to a hiking boot.

Overall, the T8 Defense was a comfortable boot that provides excellent support for your foot and ankle during all-day wear and covering significant distances at varied paces. The T8 Defense is available in regular or wide sizes in both the black leather LEO version and the tan military version.

T8 Extreme Evo Tactical boot

T8 Extreme Evo GTX: Warm and Waterproof

The T8 Extreme Evo line was developed to incorporate a cold weather boot into the Garmont Tactical lineup. Two variations were made — one with 200-gram Thinsulate and a second with Gortex waterproof material. As I frequent the wet woodlands in New England, I opted to evaluate the Gortex variant.
Gortex provides breathable waterproofing, and while it doesn’t breathe as well as a boot without a waterproof lining, it is far more breathable alternative to waterproofing like sealed boots made from some kind of rubber material. Gortex will aid in heat retention, though not as much as Thinsulate.

The Evo Extreme GTX was my go-to boot the entirety of this past winter, and I found when combined with wool socks, they did a great job of keeping my feet warm while trudging through the snow and ice — both while in a suburban environment and while navigating the frozen woodlands. The waterproofing held up very well even when moving through shallow running water or standing in slushy standing water.
The Vibram outsoles provide an excellent grip in all conditions and perform exceptionally well in wet woodland environments. The addition of Ortholite insoles aided in comfort during all-day use and collecting serious milage out in the woods.

Like the T8 Defense, I found the Extreme Evo to be very supportive during wear, with an appropriate amount of stiffness to handle uneven terrain but not hinder fast movement when needed.

T8 extreme evo sole

Despite being a boot designed for colder weather, when combined with the appropriate sock to manage foot moisture, the EVO Extreme GTX is a good option for navigating wet environments across all seasons.
The Extreme Evo GTX is noticeably heavier when compared to the T8 Defense, but that is expected when incorporating the Gortex waterproofing. Despite that, the boots do not feel overly heavy on the feet and are comfortable for extended wear in harsh conditions.

Overall, The T8 Extreme Evo GTX is a great option for cold and wet weather, especially when operating in uneven and rocky terrain. Like the other T8 variants, the Extreme Evo is available in regular and wide sizing. As of the time of writing, the Extreme Evo line is only available in the tan military coloring.

T8 Athena Tactical boot

T8 Athena: A Specialized Women’s Tactical Boot

The T8 Athena is one of the most unique boots in the Garmont Tactical lineup. While many boot manufacturers make tactical boots in women’s sizing, Garmont is currently the only tactical boot on the market that is built from the ground up for women. The T8 Athena is specifically designed for a woman’s anatomical foot structure.

Women have a slightly shorter Achilles’ tendon, a narrow more pronounced arch, less foot muscle density, and weight distribution on the front of the foot when compared to men. While women can wear a tactical boot that was designed for men, having a boot that is built with these differences in mind will increase comfort and performance and reduce fatigue and injury.

The T8 Athena features the same lightweight breathability found in the T8 Defense with a slightly less rigid outsole for increased mobility and comfort over extended wear. The Athena uses Garmont’s proprietary Diamante outsole designed for comfort when navigating uneven terrain and prioritizes traction in ascent and descent scenarios.

t8 Athena Sole

My wife assisted me in the testing of the T8 Athena in the same conditions as the T8 Defense. Her feedback: The Athena was the most comfortable boots she had worn and she preferred them to some of her other technical footwear for the increased mobility and support they provided. Like the Defense, the Athena held up to light rain for an extended time and remained breathable and comfortable in 95-plus-degree temperatures. She found them comfortable for all-day wear during an extended outdoor event and while attending woodland-based training classes.

Like the other T8 variants, the Athena is available in both regular and wide sizes. The Athena is available in both black LE and tan military variants. The T8 Athena has become a mainstay of her footwear lineup for outdoor and strenuous tasks.

t8 falcon tactical boot


T8 Falcon: The Official Boot of Undisclosed

The T8 Falcon is a lightweight variant of the T8 that is designed for speed and agility. While not waterproof, the Falcon provides incredible breathability in hot environments and dries quickly when wet.
Each participant of the Undisclosed event was issued a pair of T8 Falcon boots for the event, and they wore them throughout the training and scenario portion of the event. The Falcon’s grippy outsoles ensured positive traction when navigating uneven terrain and scaling up and down steep and rocky areas. The lightweight nature of the boots ensured all-day comfort and breathability in 90-plus-degree temperatures.

Undisclosed logo

When faced with rain, the leather and nylon construction did a good job keeping their feet dry despite not being waterproof, and the boots quickly dried out after crossing streams. The durable leather and nylon construction held up to the rigors of the event — and, best of all, the participants noted there was no break-in period needed.

The T8 Falcon is an ideal choice for those looking for lightweight foot protection that won’t slow you down or impact the wearers agility. The Falcon is only available in the military tan colorway.

Final Thoughts

As an outdoors person, preparedness enthusiast, and someone who takes part in a wide range of tactical and survival training programs, I can give the Garmont Tactical T8 lineup my seal of approval. I place a high value on functional technical footwear. I spend a lot of time in the woods hiking, camping, and training. While hiking boots are a great option for navigating the trail, they lack the versatility, durability, and load-bearing capacity found in tactical boots. In this case, I feel like Garmont gives you the best of both worlds.

The T8 variants we evaluated all provided great traction in a variety of conditions in the wilderness but performed equally as well in urban and suburban environments. The tread on all variants have held up very well both on and off the trail, something not often found in your typical hiking boot where pavement can quickly wear down hikers.

The added support found in the T8’s was welcome when moving with heavier loads, leading to far less discomfort and swelling compared to a light hiking shoe. Outside of the woods, the support also helps when on your feet all day both just standing and when doing a good deal of walking.

When compared to a typical work boot, the difference is night and day. The T8 boots fit better, provide more support, and weigh significantly less. They also have better traction in wet and oily conditions found in some industrial circumstances.

If you are looking for a rugged, durable, highly versatile pair of boots, the Garmont Tactical T8 lineup has great options with specific models boasting specialty features that may fit your needs. If you are like me and have wide feet, you will be happy with the addition of wide sizing and the roomy toe boxes. Finally, the addition of the anatomically designed Athena is a game changer for women who want or need a tactical boot, and we hope to see this expand to other aspects of the Garmont Tactical lineup.

Read More From Issue 70

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

Blades for any Challenge

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Knives are among humanity’s oldest tools, serving as companions for cooking, hunting, utility, and combat. While the first knives made by humans were likely all-purpose tools — modern design and production techniques have allowed knifemakers to develop tools for very specific purposes.
The VIPs at Undisclosed got their hands on several exceptional knives. Each of these knives vary in size, blade shape, materials, and more, giving each a distinct specialization in survival and tactical scenarios. Let’s dive into the details of each of the knives from Undisclosed and discuss the best roles for each knife.

Scout Feather Knife

Outdoor Element: OFFGRID Scout Feather

Outdoor Element is known for producing a wide array of outdoor survival gear, with a focus on multifunctional design features that allow each item to serve multiple functions — the Scout Feather is no exception. This compact survival knife packs an arsenal of essential survival features into a slim and easy to carry package.

Light as a Feather

Weighing in at a mere 2.3 ounces, the Scout Feather is a lightweight knife that packs a ton of functionality. The Scout Feather has a 2.75-inch VG-10 blade, which provides good edge retention, easy sharpening, and corrosion resistance when working in wet and humid environments. The spine includes jimping for positive grip retention along with a generous portion being ground to 90 degrees to easily strike a ferrocerium rod to help you get a fire started. The blade features a utilitarian saber grind that functions well in both outdoor and everyday cutting tasks.

The handle is thin and ergonomic, featuring durable G10 handle scales that will hold up well in the harshest conditions and stand the test of time. The end portion of the handle features a hex driver and comes equipped with a small reflective lanyard and 115-decibel whistle that can be utilized for signaling during an emergency.

Sheath or Portable Toolbox?

When it comes to knife sheaths, most people are looking for a high-quality sheath and easy draw. The Scout Feather accomplishes this with its Kydex sheath and adjustable pocket clip — but it also packs a whole lot more functionality. Included on the sheath is a replaceable ferro rod to help get fires started in adverse conditions and a knife sharpener to keep the Scout Feather razor sharp in the field.

scout feather knife in nature


RECOIL OFFGRID Upgrades

This special edition of the Scout Feather came with a few upgrades over the standard production model. For starters, we added glow-in-the-dark liners and a glow-in-the-dark whistle to enhance low light visibility. We also added a black coating to further enhance corrosion resistance in harsh environments.
Best Uses for the Scout Feather

The compact and ultra-light nature of the Scout Feather makes it a great option for everyday carry. When it comes to outdoor tasks, the Scout Feather packs a lot of functionality in a very light package, making it ideal for hiking and ultralight backpacking. It is easy enough to carry on your person or in your pack to serve as a very utilitarian second knife during any outdoor adventure.

URL: outdoorelement.com
MSRP: $60 (RECOIL OFFGRID variant for Undisclosed VIPs only)

Reiff Vicon Knife

Reiff Knives: Vicon

We started with an ultra-compact knife, and now we move to the opposite end of the spectrum with the Reiff Vicon, a full-sized tactical field knife. Reiff Knives has made a name in the knife industry for producing high-end, American-made outdoor and survival knives. The Vicon is their first venture into the tactical market. While the Vicon may be Reiff’s first tactical knife, they went into it with the same level of expertise, testing, and refinement that they have become known for in their outdoor lineup.

Development for the Vicon began three years ago with the collaborative input of active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs. Throughout the development and prototyping phases, early versions of the Vicon were put to the test in some the harshest conditions all over the world. The result of this elaborate prototyping and testing process is the Vicon that is now available to the public.
Robust and Versatile

The Vicon is definitely what I would consider a full-sized field knife coming in at just over 10 inches overall with a 5.2-inch blade. The blade stock is a stout 3/16-inch thick, and the total weight comes in around 9.8 ounces. The blade sports a clip point and well-done swedge design to keep the clip point’s piercing tip while providing enough “meat” to prevent tip breakage. The Vicon’s blade is made from premium CPM-Magnacut steel, which is known for its corrosion resistance, durability, and edge retention. The spine of the blade has a large section of jimping for grip and control followed by a nice section of 90-degree spine that could easily strike a ferro rod.

The handle features textured handle scales and an ergonomic contoured grip with a striking surface that doubles as a lanyard hole at the tail end that can be used to break glass and perform other blunt-force tasks.

Variety is the Spice of Life

In typical Reiff fashion, the Vicon is available in a variety of handle materials and colors to suit the user’s preferences. The Vicon can be had in tough OD green or black G10. If you are looking to maximize your grip, you can opt for the same colorways in Micarta.

The Vicon’s blade is available in three finishes — uncoated stonewash, black DLC, and coyote PVD. Magnacut is incredibly corrosion resistant, but either of the coated blades offer increased resistance. The black DLC finish creates an entirely non-reflective surface, and the coyote finish will blend better in arid environments. Both PVD and DLC coatings are considered premium coatings that are designed to withstand hard use and the test of time.
Versatile Knife, Versatile Sheath

Reiff vicon with tactical gear


The Vicon comes with a custom-made Kydex sheath, which offers numerous mounting options. The Sheath has an attached belt plate that was specifically designed to accommodate wider gunner and battle belts with an underhook design to ensure positive retention while also giving the user the ability to remove it from the belt on the fly.

Removing the plate allows for mounting on packs, plate carriers, and other webbing platforms and can accommodate other attachment options like Tek-Lok clips. The sheath also includes a retention screw that allows the user to adjust the retention to find their perfect spot between knife retention and ease of draw.

Best Uses for the Vicon

Based on the design and the minds behind it, the Vicon is an exceptional tactical knife, but this versatile knife can fit many different kits. Reiff’s heritage of robust outdoor knives has not been lost on the Vicon, and it makes an excellent survival and hunting knife. The piercing point premium steel and ergonomic design make it an excellent do-all workhorse of a knife with the added benefit of having combat knife capabilities. The Vicon fits in at camp as part of your survival kit and on the battlefield.

URL: reiffknives.com
MSRP: $435

auxiliary manufacturing pocket bowie

Auxiliary Manufacturing: Deadhead Pocket Bowie

Auxiliary Manufacturing is owned by Michael Jarvis, a custom knifemaker hailing from Nevada known for making compact tactical and defensive knives with a distinct aesthetic. His coffin handle design was inspired by historical fighting bowies and made their debut with the Pocket Bowie. The coffin handle design has since been expanded to several different blade shapes. Jarvis recently launched the Deadhead line of production knives, starting with a folding version of the Pocket Bowie and the production version of his fixed blade Pocket Bowie.

Discreet and Functional

The production Pocket Bowie maintains the same size as the custom version coming in at 6.25 inches overall with a 3-inch blade. The blade steel is 14c28n, a well-rounded stainless steel that provides good edge retention and toughness while also being very easy to sharpen. The blade is black PVD coated, providing additional corrosion resistance and reducing reflection. The spine offers enough jimping for a single finger to ensure grip and control. The clip point is reminiscent of the classic bowie, but the addition of a well-designed swedge greatly increases tip strength without sacrificing piercing capabilities.

The coffin shape of the handle combined with Auxiliary Manufacturing’s unique texture pattern provides a surprising comfortable grip despite being only 3.25 inches long. The handle scales are made from durable black G10 with black hardware, giving the Deadhead Pocket Bowie a sleek blacked-out look.

auxiliary manufacturing pocket bowie with edc gear


Multiple Mounting Options

The Deadhead Pocket Bowie ships with a well-fit Kydex sheath with an attached Tek-Lok for mounting. While Tek-Lok makes a great mounting option, the sheath can accommodate several aftermarket clips and loops, allowing the user to customize their carry system.

Best Uses for the Pocket Bowie

The Pocket Bowie is an aggressive knife. The sweeping clip point is ideal for piercing tasks, and the compact size makes it easy to carry discreetly. Combined this makes the Pocket Bowie an ideal option for a personal self-defense knife.

URL: auxiliarymanufacturing.com
MSRP: $99

Krate Tactical Ranger OTF Knife

Krate Tactical: Ranger OTF

Krate Tactical is a Veteran owned and operated U.S.-based company. Krate produces a wide array of tactical gear, including nylon goods such as pack and plate carriers, medical and trauma kits, steel targets, and a full line of out the front (OTF) knives.

OTF knives are a type of automatic knife that deploys from the center of the front of the blade and are sometimes referred to as switch blades due to the use of a front- or side-mounted switch to engage and disengage the blade. While useful, these knives face legal scrutiny in many states and jurisdictions due to laws written in the 1950s stemming from the wide-scale panic from movies. In recent years, knife laws have begun to recognize these useful tools, and many bans have been overturned.

Light, Durable, and Functional

The Krate Ranger is one of the lightest OTF knives I have had the opportunity to handle, weighing in at about 3.5 ounces. OTF knives tend to be on the heavy side because of their internal mechanics and robust metal frames. Krate does an excellent job combing high-grade aluminum and G10 for the body to keep the weight down while maintaining durability.

The ranger includes a glass breaker on the tail end of the frame that can be used in an emergency to break windows or to increase the effectiveness of blunt force striking. The deep carry pocket clip allows for comfortable and discreet carry in EDC scenarios.
The 3.5-inch blade of the ranger is made from tough D2 tool steel for maximum durability in hard-use scenarios. The Tanto-style grind is ideal for piercing tasks while maintaining reasonable tip strength.

Krate ranger OTF knife with tactical gear

Everything You Need

One of the biggest drawbacks to OTF knives is the sensitivity of the internal mechanics; dust, dirt, and grime can impact the performance of the deployment action. Fortunately, Krate includes a compact disassembly tool in the box, allowing for quick maintenance to keep your OTF running at peak performance when you need it most.

What is the Ranger Good For?

The Ranger makes an excellent EDC knife due to its light weight and easy carry. In emergency and tactical situations, the Ranger’s easy one-handed opening and closing allows the user to deploy the blade quickly and efficiently without effort or occupying a second hand. This is particularly important in a situation where your other hand is otherwise occupied or unusable.

URL: kratetactical.com
MSRP: $160

Undisclosed logo

Read More From Issue 70

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid’s free newsletter today!

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

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