Think back to the last few action movies you’ve seen. The odds are good that at least one of them featured a character getting knocked out, whether it was a villain, one of his henchmen, or the movie’s protagonist. The fight usually involves a quick blow to the head from behind, and the unfortunate individual on the receiving end goes limp and falls to the floor. A few minutes later, the individual wakes up dazed, disoriented, and possibly bruised, but otherwise OK. Is this harmless Hollywood knockout a real phenomenon?
Sorry James, it turns out those pistol-whip knockouts aren’t so humane after all.
Despite the popularity of this myth, the answer is clearly no. One-punch knockouts are possible, but the unrealistic part is that it’s supposedly possible to K.O. someone for several minutes without any long-lasting ill effects.
Hard impacts to the head are always bad news — even if they don’t result in a knockout, they can produce traumatic brain injury, broken bones, intracranial hematoma (brain bleed), or coma. If an individual is unconscious for a few seconds, concussion is likely, but they may be able to stand and walk within minutes, and eventually fully recover. If that individual is out cold for several minutes, they won’t just wake up, shake it off, and walk away unharmed.
This video from Dr. Sanjay Gupta provides a helpful overview on how concussions happen, and the effects they have on a victim’s physiology:
Even fiction writers know that this convenient knockout isn’t real. Renowned science fiction author Poul Anderson wrote, “Writers make man out to be more durable than he is. Their heroes get knocked out, awaken after a while as if from a nap, and plunge right back into action. The truth is, a mild concussion is disabling for periods ranging from hours to days, and as for a severe one, the consequences are not pleasant to watch.“
The takeaway from all this: if you or anyone around you is ever knocked out by a blow to the head, take this injury very seriously, and get medical attention immediately if possible. Despite what we often see on TV, 5-minute knockouts are far from harmless.
Red wine and a perfectly-seasoned steak, scotch and a cigar, a few close friends and a round of cold beers. Alcohol pairs well with many things in life, but does it really pair well with survival scenarios? Unless you plan to get liquored-up and forget your troubles as society crumbles around you, drinking it during an emergency shouldn’t be your first thought.
In the 411 column titled “Drinking Contest” in Issue 17 of our printed magazine, John Schwartze addresses the realities of alcohol consumption in a survival situation. While alcohol can cause you to feel less thirsty, warmer, and more relaxed, it also masks your perception of the real effects it’s having on your body: dehydration, decreased core temperature, and loss of coordination. These effects may not be dangerous if you’re sitting on the couch at home, but they’re catastrophic in a survival situation when wise choices and quick reflexes are essential.
Here’s a preview of our “Drinking Contest” infographic from Issue 17, on shelves on December 2nd, 2016.
Now hold on — don’t go pouring all the booze down the drain when disaster strikes. There are many alternative survival uses for alcohol that make this substance an extremely valuable commodity. Even if you’re not ingesting it, booze can aid your survival efforts in a variety of ways. In order to help you consider these alternate uses, we’ve compiled a list of a few of our favorites.
1. Bartering Tool
While you may understand that drinking your sorrows away during an emergency is a bad idea, there are many others who will certainly not hesitate to do so. Also, good alcohol is time- and labor-intensive to produce, and breweries, distilleries, and wineries will almost assuredly cease production after a disaster. This means that even if paper money becomes useless as a commodity, alcohol is going to become rarer and more valuable as time passes. If you’ve got a stockpile of top-shelf booze, you can trade some for other items you may need.
2. Medical Disinfectant
If you’ve ever felt the sting of rubbing alcohol on a cut or scrape, you’ll know that highly-concentrated alcohol kills germs. However, don’t go thinking that you can simply pour some light beer on your wound — you’ll want the strongest stuff you can find. Isopropyl “rubbing alcohol” is typically at least 70% alcohol by volume (ABV), so look for something approaching that figure. For reference, “100 proof” alcohol contains 50% ABV, so you’d ideally want to find 140 proof (70% ABV) or higher for disinfection purposes. Cheap grain alcohol like Everclear (190-proof or 95% ABV), whiskey, or moonshine can be very effective as a disinfectant.
3. Anesthetic/Sedative
In the days before aspirin and other pain pills were commonplace, alcohol was often used as a rudimentary painkiller and/or sedative. However, it shouldn’t be used in large quantities or for serious medical issues — “the large doses of alcohol needed to produce stupefaction are likely to cause nausea, vomiting and death instead of sleep.” A glass of alcohol can keep your mind off minor muscle aches and pains, or it can be used as a numbing mouthwash to temporarily dull a toothache. (If tooth pain persists, see a dentist. If no dentist is available, you may need to deal with the problem yourself.)
Alcohol also works well as a flexible ice pack. Just pour some vodka in a sealable plastic bag, and place it in the freezer — the alcohol will prevent the bag from freezing solid.
4. Household Cleaner
Alcohol makes for a good cleaner and degreaser around the home. Cheap vodka can be used to clean glass, polish chrome, kill mold, and deodorize clothing or shoes. As we mentioned above, high-proof alcohol also kills bacteria, so it can be used to wipe down surfaces if no other cleaners are available.
5. Solvent/Degreaser
Oily and sticky substances can be naturally dissolved by alcohol. This is why denatured alcohol and rubbing alcohol are often used to remove paint, adhesive residue, and grease from surfaces. Drinkable ethanol alcohol can be used for similar purposes, though it may not be as effective due to its higher water content. If you use your booze to clean a metal object, like a firearm, bicycle, or tool, be sure to dry and oil it thoroughly afterward to displace residual water that might otherwise lead to rust.
Also, since poison ivy and poison oak cause rashes by leaving an invisible oil on your skin, scrubbing your skin with alcohol can prevent these rashes.
6. Pest Control
All sorts of annoying pests are attracted to the scent of beer, so it works well as bait in traps. If you have a cockroach problem, a piece of bread soaked in beer can be placed into a Vaseline-lined container. Roaches will go to the beer, but won’t be able to climb back out. Snails and slugs in your garden will also be attracted to beer.
7. Cooking
Booze has many uses in the kitchen. If you’re feeling fancy, you can use it in a sauce or marinade for meat, add flavor to a dessert recipe, or even flambé your dish (carefully). Alcohol is also great for making natural flavor extracts, which you can add to other recipes in the future. Vanilla, lemon, orange, mint, and other flavors can be captured by soaking in alcohol for 5-6 weeks.
8. Fuel and Fire
Aside from being used in food, alcohol serves as a heat source for cooking and boiling water. Check out our previous article about how to make an ultralight alcohol stove. Alternatively, an alcohol lamp can be used for lighting or sterilizing tools. A quick spritz of high-proof alcohol can help you get your campfire going, too.
In a worst-case home-defense scenario, you can even add a rag to a bottle and make a Molotov cocktail. Just don’t burn your house down in the process.
9. Raw Materials
Even when all the booze is dried up and you run out of survival uses for alcohol, the containers can be re-purposed. Glass bottles can be cut into cups or glasses, and plastic bottles can be turned into cordage. Wine corks can be sliced up and formed into a cork board, or can be ground up finely and used as moisture-retaining mulch for your garden’s soil.
Whether you’re a casual hiker or an expert survival instructor, it can be a lot of fun to bring a camera on your outdoor treks. A good camera enables you to track your progress, document survival techniques, and capture the serene beauty of nature around you. If it really comes down to it, you can even use your camera’s lens to start a fire.
Unfortunately, camera gear is also somewhat fragile, and it’s unwise to leave it exposed to the elements or let it bounce around loosely inside your survival gear bag. One bump, drop, or spill could ruin thousands of dollars of gear. So, an outdoor-rated camera bag is a must for wilderness photographers.
Mountainsmith has partnered with legendary photographer Chris Burkard to create a new line of outdoor-oriented camera bags. These bags are nicknamed T.A.N. for “tough as nails”, and they’re designed to be weather-resistant and highly durable.
The Mountainsmith Tanuck 40, seen above, forms the core of this system. The 40-liter backpack has water-resistant 610-denier CORDURA fabric, PALS webbing, D-ring attachment points, and a high-visibility yellow interior. It also accommodates the other Mountainsmith Kit Cubes, which provide modular organization of camera components and smaller items. MSRP for the Tanuck 40 is $230.
The Mountainsmith Kit Cube Large fits seamlessly into the lower portion of the Tanuck pack, or into any other backpack or suitcase. It’s also water-resistant, with color-coded zippered pockets and a yellow interior. Internal dividers can be re-organized to support a variety of camera bodies, lenses, batteries, flashes, and other equipment. MSRP for the Kit Cube Large is $70.
The Kit Cube Small (above, $50 MSRP) and Kit Cube Medium ($60 MSRP) offer many of the same features in a smaller format. These cubes can sit atop the large kit cube inside the main compartment of the Tanuck backpack, or can be used on their own. A Tanack 10 Lumbar Pack ($100 MSRP) is also available as part of the Mountainsmith Chris Burkard line.
For more information on these Mountainsmith adventure photography packs, go to Mountainsmith.com.
If you’ve ever had a conversation with a mechanic or gearhead friend, you’ll surely know that speaking in automotive terms can be like speaking another language. To the average person on the street, terms like torque vectoring, locking differentials, pinion gears, and half-shafts are meaningless. However, there’s one pair of terms that’s more confusing than it needs to be: all-wheel-drive vs 4×4.
This illustration of a differential shows how power is transmitted from the engine (7) to the axles (1) and the wheels.
Many off-road-capable vehicles these days are marketed as having one of these two systems, and the differences between the two are often confusing to consumers. These systems both send power to all four of the car or truck’s wheels, but the way in which they do so is different. A true 4×4 system is also significantly more capable for extreme off-road use than an all-wheel-drive system, making the distinction even more important to understand.
4WD is usually offered on pickup trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps.
4×4, also known as part-time four-wheel-drive or 4WD, is a system that can be set to transfer power to either two or four wheels. Generally this is accomplished through the use of a transfer case, which the driver of the vehicle can engage or disengage with a lever, knob, or button inside the vehicle. Many 4×4 vehicles have a 2-wheel-drive setting for everyday use, as well as high-range and low-range settings, labeled as 4-Hi and 4-Lo. These options effectively give the driver more power and control at low speeds — for example, selecting 4-Lo would help crawl up a muddy slope at 5mph.
Vehicles with true 4×4 systems are ideal for heavy off-road use, such as climbing steep hills, crawling over boulders, and tackling rutted muddy trails.
AWD is usually offered on passenger cars, like this Subaru, and some small or mid-size SUVs.
All-wheel-drive, also called full-time four-wheel-drive or AWD, typically powers all four wheels at all times. Many modern AWD vehicles have anti-slip systems to distribute power from front-to-back or side-to-side. So, if one wheel begins to spin, power will be sent by a computerized or mechanical device to the other three in order to help the vehicle keep moving. Most AWD vehicles don’t have user-controlled settings to force the vehicle into two-wheel-drive mode, or high or low reduction gear transfer case settings.
Many small SUVs like this Honda CR-V offer optional AWD.
AWD excels on loose surfaces, such as gravel, sand, or snow, and is often used in off-road rally cars for this reason. However, it isn’t ideal for low-speed crawling over extremely tough terrain.
To see a better demonstration of all-wheel-drive vs 4×4, check out the video below from The Fast Lane. It compares an AWD Mitsubishi SUV to a 4×4 Nissan pickup truck.
Have you ever considered how electricity gets to your wall socket? Many people take this modern convenience for granted, or simply never even consider the complexity of the power grid. In ordinary circumstances, it my seem unnecessary to comprehend the transmission of electricity — when it works, it works. However, if (or when) something goes wrong with the grid, the situation will go from bad to worse in mere hours.
Think about it: electricity doesn’t just keep our lights on and our smartphones charged. It maintains a network of vital and time-sensitive systems including traffic control, food storage, water processing, and medical devices. It’s terrifying to consider a long-term failure of the power grid, and the devastating consequences it would have.
To better understand the functionality and potential fragility of our power grid, check out the following infographic from the U.S. Department of Energy. It outlines the four phases of electricity: generation, transmission, distribution, and use. We often think of power outages as a result of the middle two phases, but in reality, a grid-down situation could be due to a failure anywhere along the line. As the graphic points out, there are only two major and three minor grids controlling the entirety of North America. Fortunately, the grid is gradually being updated to be more efficient and self-sustaining. From a containment standpoint alone, we really like the sound of micro-grids.
Gerber recently released a new folding knife called the Gerber US-Assist, and RECOILtv contributor Billy Birdzell managed to get his hands on one. In the latest RECOILtv Mail Call video segment, Billy shows off the ins and outs of this blade. Check it out:
In case you can’t watch the video, we’ll outline the details of this Gerber blade here as well. This is an assisted-opening folding knife, offered in three variations:
S30V holds an edge extremely well due to its Vanadium content, so it’s ideal for an EDC blade. 420HC is better-suited for outdoor use, since it doesn’t hold an edge as well as S30V but is much easier to sharpen in the field. Aside from blade steel and edge type, these knives are otherwise identical in design.
All US-Assist blades feature ambidextrous thumb studs, a push-button plunge lock, and a cross-bolt safety lock. Gerber’s BOSS system (Balls Of Stainless Steel) keeps the action buttery-smooth and fast. These knives include a invert-able pocket clip for tip-up or tip-down carry, but sadly it’s not reversible for left-handed carry. As long as that doesn’t deter you, this seems like a very cool blade — it’s even made in the USA.
The Gerber US-Assist S30V is available for $119, while the 420HC varieties will set you back only $99. For more info on these new knives, check out GerberGear.com.
Have you ever tried to anchor a tent peg, fence post, or other stationary object in the ground, only to have that ground give way? It’s frustrating to say the least, especially when you’re dealing with extremely soft surfaces like fresh snow or fine sand. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to stop an EZ-Up tent from blowing over at the beach or rappel down an alpine cliff — strong in-ground anchor points are essential.
Need to anchor a tent on windswept sand dunes? Regular stakes aren’t going to cut it.
Obviously, pounding an ordinary straight stake into the soft sand or snow isn’t going to work, since it’ll pull straight out again. There are specialty stakes made for use in sand, but if you don’t own any, you’ll need to improvise anchor points. Fortunately, this isn’t a new problem, so solutions already exist.
The initial trench should be dug into a section of undisturbed terrain.
One time-tested method for anchoring a line to soft soil is called the T-slot anchor. As you might guess from the name, this method involves digging a T-shaped trench into the ground, and tying your line to a straight object placed in that trench. The straight object can be a pair of skis, an ax, a walking stick, or even a rifle. This distributes the line’s tension across a wider area, so your anchor won’t pull out or slip.
Two types of T-slot anchors using ice axes to distribute the load.
The second part of the “T” formation is a thin slot dug perpendicular to the trench. This is where your line will sit. The goal is to avoid any upward pressure on the line, so the slot should start as deep as the trench and gradually get shallower as it moves away from the trench.
Here’s a great video from teamBMC that shows how to build a T-slot anchor using skiing gear. The same technique could easily be applied to sand or loose dirt, using a log or other long object as the anchor device.
Headlamps are excellent tools for various low-light scenarios, but they’re not ideal in every case. For example, if you’re wearing a helmet or other headgear, you may not have room to wear a headlamp. To continue using your hands freely, you’ll need an alternative lighting solution.
SureFire has developed a new lightweight polymer tool that serves as an alternative to a headlamp. It’s called the SureFire 2211 WristLight, and it’s worn on a wrist strap with a forward-facing beam.
The company says its new WristLight can be used for EDC, walking a dog at night, or even while aiming a firearm. When worn on the support-side wrist and using a two-handed grip on a pistol, this light naturally aligns with your target. This allows clear threat identification without requiring a dedicated light on your gun.
The 2211 WristLight is also available with a built-in Luminox watch option.
The SureFire WristLight incorporates a soft white MaxVision Beam pattern, and offers three output modes: 300, 60, and 15 lumens. The sequence is programmable between low-medium-high, or high-medium-low, and is controlled by a large power button atop the light. The WristLight is also rechargeable via USB, and includes a battery level indicator LED. MSRP for the standard 2211 model is $229.
Knowing that different customers will inevitably have different needs, SureFire offers a variety of options and variants for this WristLight. There’s a Conversion Headstrap (sold separately) that can turn the light into a traditional headlamp. The light is also available with a built-in Luminox wristwatch, combining glow-in-the-dark markings with a forward-facing light. MSRP for the SureFire 2211 Luminox WristLight is $649.
The SureFire 2211X uses a smaller CR123A battery configuration.
Finally, the 2211X WristLight uses a different power source: a standard CR123A battery. This keeps the light more compact and affordable. The 2211X is available at an MSRP of $169.
For more information on SureFire’s latest products, go to SureFire.com.
Flip on the TV or spend 5 minutes on any social media site right now, and you’ll see that we’re living in a deeply divided nation. No matter your stance on politics and the recent election, it’s clear as day that hate and anger are overflowing — online, in the media, and in the streets. Most say that this extreme reaction will subside in the coming weeks, but others fear that it’s only going to get worse as the protests build momentum.
In Issue 14 of our print magazine, we addressed the topic of anarchy and civil unrest.
As a survivalist, it’s important to prepare yourself both mentally and physically to deal with any credible threat. That’s why this week, we’re posing a Survival Scenarios question that hits a little closer to home. What would you do to survive politically-motivated urban rioting: bug-out to a safer location, or bug-in and stay put to ride out the chaos?
In case you’ve missed our previous installments of Survival Scenarios, here’s how it works. We ask you how you’d handle a difficult choice in a hypothetical survival situation. Previously, we asked whether you’d prefer to be snowed-in or snowed-on in a fierce blizzard, or whether you’d rather have a flashlight or a firearm in a dark flooded urban area. As always, today’s post ends with a poll where you can make your choice, and see how others felt about the scenario.
Background Info
Before you decide whether you’d choose to bug-in or bug-out, we’ll provide some details about the setting. As with previous Survival Scenarios, in either case, you’ll need to survive for a full 7 days, and you will be alone. The location will be near the center of a densely-populated major American city, though this time we won’t specify which city — it could be anywhere. Winter is approaching, and it’s getting cold outside, but hasn’t snowed yet.
You live alone in a rented room, on the second floor of a small house 3 blocks from the city center. Housing costs are high in the city, and you just moved into town last month for a new job. So, you’re temporarily renting this room before finding a place of your own. The elderly couple that owns the house (and rents the room to you) is on vacation this week, so you have the house to yourself.
However, due to the small room you’re renting, your belongings are limited. Most of your stuff is still in storage several hours away, aside from the bare essentials. The entirety of your emergency gear consists of your bug-out bag stashed in the closet, with the following items inside:
Two MREs
A stainless canteen full of water, and some purification tablets
Basic first-aid kit, pain/allergy medication, and tourniquet
Fixed-blade knife with sheath and ferro rod
LED headlamp with batteries
Miscellaneous consumables: paracord, duct tape, tinder material, pen/paper etc.
A change of clothes, wool cap, gloves, and a winter jacket
The pantry of the home is pretty much empty at this point, except for some dry pasta, oatmeal, and condiments/spices. The homeowners don’t see disaster preparation as a priority, so the home has no other emergency gear to speak of. As far as transportation, your old Jeep has been on its last legs for some time now, but it’s still operable. It’s parked on the street, but you didn’t have time to fill it last night, so it has maybe 1/4 tank of gas left. One of the injectors has been acting up lately, so it misfires, idles rough, and goes through fuel quickly.
Civil Unrest
You heard on the news yesterday that some protests were being held in front of city hall, in the wake of the presidential election’s results. Some of the protesters seemed to be peaceful ideologues, while others were openly hostile to reporters at the scene. From the limited local news footage you saw on TV, it was obvious that tension was thick in the air. Police officers were on site observing from a distance, and most of the protest consisted of chanting slogans and holding signs, so you figured it was under control.
This morning, you turned on the TV while getting ready for work, but the screen revealed a completely different view of city hall. Not only were hundreds of protesters still crowded out front of the building, but their numbers had grown substantially. The crowd’s tone and intensity had also taken a turn for the worse. Scattered beat cops you saw last night had now been replaced by officers in head-to-toe riot gear, many of who had formed a line to contain the crowd. Then, as news cameras recorded from a distance, you watched tear gas canisters cascade into the center of the group.
iStock / camacho9999
The crowd scattered instantly, clashing with police and breaking through the line. The news camera cut off abruptly, returning to the studio anchor, who commented that the feed had been interrupted and that citizens may want to avoid the downtown area. At this point, you knew that it was time to make a choice.
Should you lock up the house, and stay put at home? Or grab your backpack, take your Jeep to get some gas, and head out of town?
Bug In
If you decide to stay put, there are a few factors to consider. First of all, your position is not far from the protest. City hall is only a 15 minute walk from your house, and that’s at walking pace. If you’re unlucky, looters could be on your doorstep in ten minutes. Secondly, your position is not easily defensible. A single brick through the large ground-floor windows would allow entry to the house.
The upside to staying put is that you won’t be directly exposing yourself to danger on the street. You have food and supplies in your backpack, and you can lock and barricade the door to your upstairs room. Your only means of self-defense is a knife, but against a crowd of angry (and possibly armed) individuals, it won’t do much. You’ll have to lay low and hope you’re overlooked or ignored until things die down.
Bug Out
If you decide to get out of Dodge, you’d better get going immediately. Your bug-out bag will give you a source of food, water, and first aid, but transportation is the biggest issue. Your Jeep isn’t very reliable, and it’s almost out of gas. You’ll have to stop at a gas station almost immediately, and hope to go unnoticed.
If the engine doesn’t start, stalls, or runs out of fuel, you’ll be in serious trouble. You do not want to end up carrying your pack down the street on foot, as you’d be an easy target for the violent mob. You’ve got no means of self-defense aside from your knife and fists.
Obviously, getting away from the epicenter of the protests will distance you from danger. But based on what you saw on TV, the situation is already spreading. For all you know, you could be heading through an even more dangerous area on your way out of town. Police blockades and otherwise-obstructed roads could also be an issue. However, if the crowd starts going house-to-house, you don’t want to be a sitting duck when it happens.
Swedish knife manufacturer Morakniv is known in bushcraft circles as one of the best sources for survival fixed blades. Mora adheres to a formula that seems quintessentially Swedish — light, simple, and durable. These are not the tacticool or “mall ninja” blades you may see from other manufacturers of so-called survival knives. They don’t have thick spines, spiked pommels, unconventional grinds, exotic materials, or flashy coatings.
So, if you’re looking for an eminently practical knife for survival scenarios, it’s hard to go wrong with a Mora. We tested a Mora Basic 511 as part of our Forcite Ammo Can Survival Kit Review, and we found it to be a great choice. The tough polymer handle conceals a stick tang, keeping the knife incredibly lightweight. The business end is made of Morakniv’s signature “secret recipe” carbon steel, and its slim double-beveled edge batons through firewood like butter.
YouTube host MD Outdoor Reviews demonstrates a key feature of the Morakniv sheath.
A Mora’s included sheath has very good retention, and a nice belt loop for traditional carry on the hip. However, there are some cases where this carry style is not ideal. Carrying the knife on one side makes it inaccessible to your non-dominant hand, so it’s tough to draw if your dominant hand is occupied or pinned down. It can also be uncomfortable and get in the way if you tend to sit down and stand up frequently.
YouTube channel host MD Outdoor Reviews found a pretty cool trick that can turn the Morakniv sheath into an improvised neck knife holder. It doesn’t even require a lanyard, only a button-down shirt or jacket. Check it out:
Whether you already own a Mora or are considering adding one to your bug-out bag, this “hack” can be very useful. It definitely made us wonder, “why didn’t we think of that?!”
