Page 222 – RECOIL OFFGRID

Straight to the Point

Posted on October 15, 2015 at 6:22 pm.

In This Article

Elbow Striking 101
Horizontal Elbow
Fine Arts
What If…?
Getting Tooled
Conclusion
Drill It to Kill It

You've spent lots of time and plenty of greenbacks planning and preparing for TEOTWAWKI. You have your evacuation route planned. Your bug-out vehicle is a well-oiled machine. And your go-bag is full of all the good stuff only a survival Santa could bring. But Murphy and his damn law can pop up at anytime, anywhere — if anything can go wrong, it will, and that includes your self-defense plans.

Every prepper probably has a knife, hatchet, or a firearm at the ready — or perhaps all three simultaneously. But what if you're caught bugging out empty-handed? Say a fire tore through your neighborhood, and you had to bail with nothing but the pajamas you were wearing. Or maybe the first part of your bug-out plan went as you expected, but you stopped to take a leak by a tree and a band of marauders ambush you? Perhaps it doesn't have to be a catastrophic situation. It could just be you walking to the corner store and getting jumped by a couple of hoodlums. As the old saying goes, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” At that point, you'll have to survive using nothing but your skills and the tools you were born with.

No worries. Just put a little (warning, puns ahead!) elbow grease into it. With a little knowhow, that knobby little joint in the middle of your arm can save your hide when used as a defensive shield, a devastating hammer, and a leveraging tool. Read on and learn how three different masters, representing three different fighting arts, reveal all you need to know about making a little “elbow room” when SHTF.

Elbow Striking 101

To learn how to throw a proper elbow strike, OFFGRID went straight to the elbow-striking expert, Sam Phimsoutham of World Team USA in San Francisco, California. Even though he's knocked out and pummeled many opponents with his fists and feet as an ajarn (or master) of Muay Thai (AKA Thai boxing), Phimsoutham doesn't suggest using either as your primary empty-hand weapon. “On the street, you want to use palm and elbow strikes so you don't break your hand,” says Phimsoutham, who has trained more than 40 Muay Thai and MMA champions. Indeed, when the grid goes down, getting medical attention for a fracture may prove difficult.

Using your elbow as a weapon is not rocket science, nor should it be. Phimsoutham shows us two effective elbow strikes to be used when your life is on the line.

Vertical Elbow

How: This strike is thrown upward like an uppercut, but with your arm bent all the way so that you connect with your elbow instead of your fist:

– Start in a good stance. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart with your dominant leg slightly behind you (if you're right-handed, step back with your right leg). Place your hands up with your palms out to protect your head.

– Raise your elbow straight up with your palm traveling along the side of your head, like you're combing your hair. Keep your other hand up by your temple to protect your head.

– Elbows are lonely creatures, so practice throwing multiple strikes on both sides.

Why: The vertical elbow strike is an instinctive motion. Plus, it doubles in protecting your cranium because it blends well with the natural flinch response. From a distance, you can use your elbow as a shield.

If you're close enough, your elbow will cause damage to your opponent's face, head, or neck. “This strike works best when a fighter comes at you aggressively,” Phimsouthamsays. The harder they come charging in, the more damage they will do to themselves — talk about karma at work.

Horizontal Elbow

How: Think of this strike as if you're throwing a hook punch, or pretending to be Dracula pulling on his cape:

– Just like with the vertical elbow, you want to start in a good stance: feet shoulder-width apart and hands up.

– Bring your elbow up to your shoulder, keeping your forearm level to the ground. Bring your elbow across your chest, like throwing a hook punch in boxing. (Your right elbow makes a straight line from your right shoulder to your left and your left elbow goes from left to right.)

– Keep your other hand up by your temple to protect your head.

– For extra power tighten your abs, rotate your hips, and pivot your same-side foot (if you're using your right elbow, pivot with your right foot with the heel off the ground like you're grinding a cigarette butt).

– Practice throwing multiple elbow strikes.

Why: When thrown correctly and utilizing your core, the horizontal elbow strike can knock someone out or cut them open. “One of my champions opened a cut on his opponent that took 20 stitches to close,” Phimsoutham says. “During a disaster, you want to end the fight fast so, for maximum trauma, use your entire body weight.”

Target Anatomy

For both vertical and horizontal elbow strikes, you want to use the pointy part of your elbow (the olecranon process of the ulna for you studious types) and up to 2 inches of bone below that. This will allow you to create more pressure (and damage) per square inch.

In fact, your elbow is the strongest area of your arm and one of the strongest parts of your anatomy. This makes it a durable blunt instrument against all manner of targets. “Aim for the chin, bridge of the nose, neck, temple, behind the neck,” Phimsoutham says. “Or anywhere on the spine.” Attacking the back of the neck and the spine can be fatal blows, but desperate times may call for desperate measures — particularly if you have loved ones depending on you for their safety.

However, your elbow, like all tools, has limitations. “You must be in the correct range,” says Phimsoutham, who has been teaching Muay Thai for over 20 years. “Use your elbow when you can grab the guy. If you cannot grab, don't throw the elbow — you're too far. You use your elbow in close quarters only.”

“A good time to throw the elbow strike is when they can't see it coming. For example, after you off balance them in the clinch,” Phimsoutham says. “It works even better when you set it up with a low technique, like a knee to the groin.”

Firing your elbow, like firing a gun, requires training to become proficient. Training will help develop technique, coordination, power, and proper distancing.

Fine Arts

As a prepared individual, you'll want to be proficient with at least one empty-hand self-defense system. But where to start? There are thousands of methods, from military combatives and reality-based programs to traditional Asian fighting styles and modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Below is a brief overview of the three we've highlighted in this article.

Muay Thai: The Art of Eight Limbs

Muay Thai (or Thai boxing) is often referred to as the art and science of eight limbs because competitors use their fists, feet, knees, and — yes, you guessed it — elbows to beat each other into a bloody pulp. Originally from Thailand, MMA competitors have known for many years that this “science” is a must learn for effective stand-up fighting in the cage. The elbow techniques of Muay Thai are perfect for preppers because they are simple to learn, easy to implement, and traumatic in their usage.

Krav Maga: Pressure Tested

It used to be that everyone was kung-fu fighting. Now everyone is doing Krav Maga, from German police officers to Jennifer Lopez in the film Enough. And for good reason: Krav Maga has been battle tested, over and over again, by the Israeli Defense Forces in the war-torn Middle East. Created in the 1940s by Imi Lichtenfeld, this system incorporates elements of boxing, Muay Thai, Combat Sambo, and wrestling. Translated as “contact combat,” Krav Maga is known for its instinctive body movements, simple principles, and devastating techniques.

Pentjak Silat: Minimum Movement, Maximum Devastation

Pentjak Silat, or the study of movement and combat, is one of the most effective styles you have never heard of. Because of silat's effectiveness, many gurus (teachers) aren't open to teaching this system to the public — hence silat's lack of popularity in the USA. Pentjak Silat is a general term for hundreds of different styles from Indonesia. These deadly styles are a unique blend of Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian martial arts forged from centuries of jungle warfare. Represented in this article is Pentjak Silat Anak Serak, identified by its bladed weapons, close-range fighting, sophisticated angles, extreme leveraging, and effortless sweeps.

What If…?

“Using the elbow is one of the most underrated weapons out there,” says Edgar Gabriel, a certified Krav Maga instructor who co-founded the Academy of Combative Defense and Fitness in San Jose, California. “Elbow strikes are instinctive movements and are used to induce blunt trauma and break or cut open the skin. These weapons are fight-enders.”

Because of this, Gabriel often teaches how to respond with elbows in these three specific situations:

Baseball Bat Swing: Found in nearly every garage in North America, a baseball bat is another nasty weapon you may encounter when facing looters and troublemakers. This technique can also be applied against any object of similar length, such as a stick, 2×4, or pipe.

– If you see someone holding a big green, zombie-busting baseball bat, get your hands up to protect your noggin like Gabriel does here.

– The attacker isn't raising that bat to stretch, he's trying to hit a homer with your head. Immediately step inside the arc of the bat. Block at their arm with your left arm, keeping your right hand high, just in case. With any luck, your attacker may hyperextend their elbow and drop the bat right there.

– No, such luck? Use your left arm to cup their elbow (controlling the bat wielding arm) and unleash all the nasty elbow strikes you've been drilling.

Rear Bear Hug: This attack is often used by multiple thugs to hold you in place so their buddies can finish you off. It's also a common move used by rapists and kidnappers to move you to another location before inflicting further pain and other evil acts.

– Bend your knees and settle your weight so the attacker cannot lift you and throw you around like a rag doll.

– Strike with a rear, upward elbow strike to the attacker's neck, face, or jaw.

– Repeat your rear, upward elbow strikes on both sides (right and left) as often as necessary until you make enough space to turn, facing your attacker for more horizontal elbow strikes to their chin.

Knife Threat: It doesn't take society to be ripped apart at the seams for a thug to be armed. Blades are often the weapon of choice for the unprepared and the desperate because they're cheap, commonplace, and concealable.

– In this instance, the attacker is using the knife to intimidate you from behind, but this technique will work just as well for a stab to the gut.

– Turn to face your attacker using your forearm to deflect the knife off line and away from your body.

– Using the same arm, tightly cup the attacker's elbow for control.

– Violently smash your elbow into the attackers chin. Don't be a Scrooge; deliver as many horizontal elbow strikes as necessary to stun your attacker until you can get away.

Getting Tooled

All preppers look at their tools as multifunctional items. For example, your knife can be used for self-defense, to skin an animal, for batoning tree limbs, and for a hundred other things. Your elbow, too, has multiple uses and can function as a shield, a wrecking ball, or a lever, depending on the situation.

One expert on the versatility of the elbow is Dr. Andre KnustGraichen, a master of the Indonesian martial art called Pentjak Silat.

“The elbow is conditioned and trained for striking already,” says KnustGraichen, who serves as CEO of Pentjak Silat USA, the American chapter of the International Pencak Silat Federation. “You will also notice your elbow has very little nerve endings.” That means your elbow can be used as a destructive barrier, because it is solid compared to the small bones in the hand. By guiding the opponent's punch into your elbow, it's like making them punch a brick wall.

Wrecking Ball and Lever Versus a Punch: After breaking the attacker's hand, you can immediately turn your elbow into a leveraging tool. Your elbows can produce a large amount of force and leverage because they are closer to your core than your hands. Also, you can use your elbow as a lever to break an attacker's elbow or redirect a strike in a pinch.

– The good doctor shows how to guide a left punch right into a left horizontal elbow. Because the elbow is larger than the carpals of the hand, the elbow will win out every time. The result is a broken hand for the bad guy. The harder they strike, the worse their injury — karma strikes again.

– KnustGraichen quickly follows up with a left-handed wrist grab and a right vertical elbow motion as a lever, to hyperextend his assailant's elbow, ending the confrontation.

Wrecking Ball and Lever Versus Machete Attack: The brilliance of Pentjak Silat is using one principle for many applications. Here, KnustGraichen, who has mastered multiple systems of silat, demonstrates the same principles of the wrecking ball and lever against a back-hand machete attack.

– This time Dr. KnustGraichen guides the back-hand machete slash into his right vertical elbow strike. This strike may fracture the small, delicate bones in his assailant's hand and end the fight right there.

– If the enemy still has the machete, Andre performs a right-handed wrist grab and simultaneously executes a left vertical elbow motion to dislocate the elbow. With his attacker injured, KnustGraichen can choose to disarm his attacker or end the fight with more blows.

Conclusion

By definition, a prepper is always preparing. Preparing to protect yourself and your family with or without weapons is all part of the plan. It's not unlike making a fire. While a lighter and fuel is ideal, any Boy Scout will also know how to spark a flame using nothing but his skills and his ability to adapt to his surroundings.

And just like making fire out of two branches and some brush, the time to practice is not during a crisis. With proper training, your elbows can be used as effective self-defense weapons when you have no other choice. Practice your elbow strikes, and eventually learn to use every part of your body as a weapon. This way if your primary, secondary, and tertiary weapons go off-line or aren't immediately available, it won't be the “end of the world” because you can simply roll up your sleeves and use your elbows.

Drill It to Kill It

Bruce Lee once said, “When you're talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then, baby, you'd better train every part of your body!” Although elbows are just a small part of your body, they can be deadly weapons if trained properly. Like making shelter, creating fire, or shooting a gun, forging your elbows into effective weapons takes practice. Here are some simple drills to train your new tool.

Shadowbox

What: Go through the motions to develop proper form

Required Equipment: Mirror

How: Standing in front of the mirror, practice your upward elbow and horizontal elbows trying to keep proper form

Key Points:

– Practice both right and left sides.
– Keep your guard up.
– Tighten your abs and use your core to increase power.
– Start slow to maintain proper form and eventually speed up.
– Set a timer and do one round of two or three minutes.

Heavy Bag Work

What: Hit the heavy bag to develop your power and distancing

Required Equipment: Heavy bag

How: Stand in front of the heavy bag and unleash the fury that is the apocalypse

Key Points:

– Maintain form. Just because we're hitting something doesn't mean we can get sloppy.
– Start slow and increase speed as you warm up and get comfortable, eventually striking with full speed and power.
– Set a timer and do one round of two or three minutes.

Situational Training

What: Practice applying techniques in common scenarios

Required Equipment: Partner, training tools

How: Have your partner slowly attack you and practice your stuff. In a SHTF scenario, you will most likely be attacked by a gun, empty hands (a punch or grab, most likely), a blade (knife, machete, or axe), a stick of some sort (like a bat). Train for all four scenarios.

Key Points:

– Partner training is a must for proper distancing and realistic responses.
– Safety first: Make sure to use training weapons. Start slow and increase speed as you become more familiar with the techniques.
– Do sets of three and switch roles.
– The techniques in this article are a good place to start, but ultimately there is no substitute for proper instruction from a qualified, reputable teacher.

Sources
Edgar Gabriel, Academy of Combative Defense and Fitness
www.academydefensefitness.com
Andre KnustGraichen, Pentjak Silat USA
www.pukulanpentjaksilatserak.com
Sam Phimsoutham, World Team USA
www.worldteamusa.com

Scavenger Chop Shop

Posted on October 15, 2015 at 5:27 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Why Vehicles?
General Guidelines
Gasoline
Jack and Tools
Tires
Carpet and Upholstery
Mirrors
Battery
Lights
Spark Plugs
Seatbelts
Motor Oil
Scavenge it Clean
Read More

In a long-term survival scenario, scavenging is essential. Sure, many of us have go-bags, or even stockpiles of emergency supplies, for when SHTF. However, sooner or later, those supplies will be used up, lost, or stolen, even for the most prepared among us. It's inevitable. So, where do you turn when your supplies are dwindling? You could spend valuable time scavenging buildings that have already been picked clean of resources, or you could look for something that literally surrounds us in everyday life – the automobile.

Why Vehicles?

There are over 250 million cars and trucks in the United States alone, and each one is packed with useful survival items that are easily overlooked. From obvious resources, like gasoline, to more obscure parts, every abandoned vehicle you see is a veritable treasure trove of resources. You certainly don't have to be a mechanic to find them, and oftentimes, you don't even need any tools – you just need to know where to look. And that's where this guide comes in.

General Guidelines

Before we get started, let's go over some general guidelines:

Choosing the Right Vehicle: Almost every make and model will have something you can scavenge, but everyday economy cars will generally be easier to work with and disassemble. Expensive luxury or sports cars may be less user-friendly and require specialized tools, making life difficult if all you've got is a multitool. However, keep an eye out for commercial vehicles, such as vans and work trucks, as they may contain items a passenger car wouldn't.
Check for Operable Condition: Look for keys, and see if the car is in operable condition. There's no sense in tearing apart a car you could easily use for transportation.

Note: For demonstration purposes, we'll be scavenging from a common 2008 model four-cylinder Japanese sedan. However, virtually any type of passenger car or truck will do.

Warning: The techniques described in this article are for illustrative purposes only. We need not remind you that it's illegal to scavenge from cars and junkyards you don't own.

For more useful survival hacks and tips, check out our book OFFGRID Presents: DIY Survival, on sale now.

Gasoline

Scavenger Level: Moderate
Tools Required: Small-diameter rubber hose or a strong piercing instrument
Uses:
- Replenishing fuel supply for functional vehicles
- Starting fires
- Solvent to remove grease and grime
- Barter good

Above: The gas cap is easily found on most vehicles, but may be easier to access on older models.

If you don't already know why gasoline would be like mana from heaven in a doomsday situation, you're better off putting down this magazine and going to www.darwinawards.com. If you have a functional vehicle, you'll want to replenish its fuel supply. Also, gasoline burns, and it does so very efficiently. Naturally, it can be used for starting fires, as an excellent solvent to remove grease and grime, and as a highly sought-after barter good.

Above: Rubber hose and something to pierce with, such as an awl, can be easily sourced from a hardware store.

How to Scavenge:

Due to its obvious value, gasoline is often surprisingly difficult to scavenge. Most new vehicles have a screen or valve that prevents the use of a hose to siphon from the gas tank filler neck. If you can find a vehicle from the mid-1990s or earlier, it may lack this security feature – but you'll need to pry the metal flapper near the opening out of the way with a screwdriver or stick before inserting the hose. If siphoning using your mouth, you also run the risk of serious injury from gasoline inhalation.

Assuming you don't care about damaging the vehicle, a much better option is to look underneath the car, find the fuel tank, and bore or punch a hole using a knife, awl, cordless drill, or other sharp instrument. Modern cars with plastic fuel tanks are ideal for this purpose, although it still can be done on older metal fuel tanks. Work with care, as you don't want to cause a spark. Note that you might need to punch a second air hole to help the gas flow more easily – a la those 2.5-gallon water jugs you get at the grocery store.

Jack and Tools

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: None
Uses:
- Removing the car's wheels and tires
- Steel lug wrench as a blunt instrument, weapon, or pry bar

Above: Many vehicle models store their recovery tools under the carpet in the trunk.

Almost every passenger car includes a jack and tools for changing a flat tire. Primarily, they can be used to remove the car's wheels and tires – we'll get into why that's useful in the next step. Secondly, the steel lug wrench found in most cars functions as an excellent blunt instrument, weapon, or prybar. It's definitely worth holding on to.

Above: Vehicle recovery kits typically include everything you'd need to remove a tire.

How to Scavenge:

Most cars store these tools underneath the trunk floor panel, although they may also be found underneath or behind the seats in some vehicles. The jack is typically also located near the tools. If you don't spot it immediately, check for storage compartments or removable panels in the trunk.

Tires

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: None for spare tire; jack and tools for other four
Uses:
- Burning for signaling rescue with acrid black smoke

Above: A spare tire has many uses beyond replacing a flat.

Ever see a tire burn? It creates acrid black smoke that's visible for miles. If you're in a survival scenario where rescue is possible, burning car tires is a great way to alert rescuers of your position.

Note: Always remember to let the air out of tires before burning, or they may burst and scatter or put out your fire.

Above: With the use of a jack stand, a tire can be removed even if a spare is unavailable.

How to Scavenge:

Start by looking for a spare tire, as most vehicles have one inside or underneath the trunk. If the vehicle is missing the spare tire, or you need more tires for a larger fire, you can use the jack and tools (see No. 2) to remove the other four wheels and tires. One caveat: Removing a tire from its wheel is quite a chore with handtools, so hopefully you needn't roll them too far to where you plan to use them.

Carpet and Upholstery

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: Knife
Uses:
- Warm bedding, blankets, or shelter against the elements

Above: Carpet, even in small amounts, has several uses.

Thick, soft, insulated fabric is always handy to have in a survival scenario. It can be used for warm bedding, blankets, or shelter against the elements.

Above: You may need the help of a blade to completely remove upholstery from a vehicle.

How to Scavenge:

Look for trunk liners, floor mats, and seat covers that are easily removable. If these aren't available, you may have to cut away the upholstery. The headliner is a great place to start, as it's usually one large piece of fabric.

Warning: If you're stranded in a cold-weather environment, you might be tempted to use the upholstery as kindling for a fire. Be cautious. They usually contain chemicals that turn into toxic fumes once burned.

Mirrors

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: Screwdriver or prying instrument
Uses:
- Rescue signaling at long distances
- Starting fires
- Assisting with personal hygiene

Above: The reflective properties of a scavenged mirror can be used for signalling and self-care.

Automotive mirrors are large and high-quality, perfect for rescue signaling at long distances. They can also be used to start fires or to assist with personal hygiene (e.g. check for ticks, inspect an injury, or examine debris in your eye).

Above: Most mirrors will require a prying tool or screwdriver to remove.

How to Scavenge:

Exterior mirrors can be carefully pried out of their housings with a knife or flat screwdriver. Interior mirrors can be unscrewed from the roof, or unclipped from their windshield mounts with relative ease.

Battery

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: Wrench or pliers, jumper cables (optional)
Uses:
- Jump-starting other cars
- Starting fires
- Powering lights or AC electronics with a power inverter

Above: Jumper cables aren't just for getting your car moving again.

Car batteries provide strong, long-lasting 12-volt electrical power. When combined with jumper cables or two lengths of large-gauge wire, they can be used to jump-start other cars, start fires, or even directly power lights (we'll cover that part later). If you're able to find a power inverter elsewhere, you can also use a car battery to power a myriad of AC electronics, such as mobile phones or radios.

Above: The voltage of a car battery can create sparks, but care must be taken to the risk of electric shock.

Above: These common recovery tools can usually be found somewhere in the vehicle.

How to Scavenge:

Pop the hood and take a look. Most of the time, the battery location will be obvious. Some cars hide the battery under a removable plastic cover, and a few luxury cars and sports cars relocate the battery to the trunk (where they may be hidden underneath trim pieces). If you've got jumper cables, you can connect them directly to the battery and touch them together for instant fire-starting sparks. If you want to take the battery with you, you'll need to disconnect the tie-down bar and terminal wires, usually with a small wrench or pliers. They are heavy, though.

Lights

Scavenger Level: Moderate
Tools Required: Car battery, wire, wrench, or pliers (if removing entire light assembly)
Uses:
- Providing instant, bright light

Above: Bulbs can be accessed either through an open hood, or by removing the headlight casing.

Automotive lights can be wired directly to a 12-volt battery for instant, bright light. An entire headlight assembly can be removed for focused light, or the bulbs themselves can be used to illuminate a wide area.

Above: Removing a headlight requires a little more effort, and possibly some extra tools.

How to Scavenge:

If you have a set of wrenches or needle-nose pliers, it may be possible to unbolt and remove an entire headlight with bulbs, but it'll take some time. If not, you can reach behind most car headlights and unclip or twist the bulbs to pull them out of the housings. Then cut two pieces of wire from the engine bay, and connect the positive and negative battery terminals to the corresponding bulb terminals for instant light.

Spark Plugs

Scavenger Level: Hard
Tools Required: Tool kit with ratcheting wrench, sockets, and extensions
Uses:
- Glass-breaking tool

Above: Spark plugs are much easier to access on older vehicle models.

If you've got spark plugs, you've got a quick and easy glass-breaking tool. Just smash the white ceramic section on the plug with a blunt instrument, collect the larger chunks of ceramic, and you've got projectiles that can shatter glass panels instantly from a distance. It's much more effective and safe than trying to kick in a window or smashing a glass partition with a valuable tool (you wouldn't want to use, say, your flashlight as a hammer and risk damaging it, especially in a SHTF scenario).

Above: The ceramic insulator of spark plugs can be broken and used as shrapnel.

Above: Larger pieces of ceramic will be the most useful.

Above: Spark plugs can be removed with deep sockets and a socket wrench.

How to Scavenge:

The downside to spark plugs is that they're quite difficult to remove, even with basic tools. However, if you've got a standard hardware store tool kit with a ratcheting wrench, sockets, and extensions, it's doable. Our example car is a four-cylinder with coil-on-plug ignition, the most common style for cars newer than the mid-1990s. On top of the engine, one 8mm bolt is removed to take out a coil pack, and a 5/8-inch deep socket is used to remove the spark plug itself. Then just wrap the plug in a cloth and smash it to collect the ceramic pieces.

Seatbelts

Scavenger Level: Easy
Tools Required: Knife or cord-cutting tool
Uses:
- Excellent cordage

Above: A knife, scissors or dedicated seatbelt cutter can be used to remove a section of belt.

Seatbelts are constructed of extremely strong, durable nylon, making for excellent cordage. If you need to tie something down, look no further.

Above: Sharp cutting tools are necessary to get through the nylon of a seat belt.

How to Scavenge:

Simply pull to unravel the seatbelt from its reel, then cut. You can always use a knife, but we jumped at the chance to finally use the nifty seatbelt cutter on our multitool.

Motor Oil

Scavenger Level: Moderate
Tools Required: Jack and tools, wrench, empty bottle or rag
Uses:
- Lubricant for mechanical items
- Providing heat in an oil-burning furnace

Above: Oil is a petroleum product, which means it has both protective and flammable properties.

Motor oil is an excellent lubricant for mechanical items – including your firearms – hence its use inside car engines. It can also be used in an oil-burning furnace to provide heat (there are plenty of guides available online).

Above: Since it's in the engine, getting to the oil will require tools and a basic understanding of where to access it.

How to Scavenge:

For most passenger cars, you'll need to jack up the vehicle, although some pickups have enough ground clearance for you to crawl underneath. Remove the oil drain bolt with a wrench and drain some oil onto a rag or into a bottle.

Scavenge it Clean

When scavenging from a vehicle, always check the glovebox, center console, and other storage compartments for miscellaneous items. You might be surprised by what you'll find – bottled water, medications, first-aid kits, hand sanitizer, flashlights, lighters, pens and paper, tools, and more. In addition, vehicles have a lot of glass, wiring, and rubber hoses to be salvaged. You might even be able to use the vehicle itself as a temporary shelter – or disconnect and use the hood and trunk lids as roofing or sleds. Car parts and accessories have many uses beyond what they were built for, so your adaptation will be limited only by your creativity and ingenuity.

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

OFFGRID 411 – Weather Fatalities

Posted on October 13, 2015 at 4:49 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

There are certain forces of nature we have no control over, such as the pull of gravity or the excruciatingly long lines at the DMV. Another uncontrollable factor that affects our lives is the weather and the potential for weather fatalities. When Mother Nature's in a foul mood, conditions can get downright deadly.

With rain and harsh weather being one of the prevalent themes this issue, we decided to take a closer look at the U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics. The National Weather Service collects this data by tracking fatalities in the United States caused by weather in nine different categories, including tornadoes and hurricanes. It also records fatalities, injuries, and other damage caused by weather-related hazards.

Making plans and preparations on how best to deal with the weather can keep you and your loved ones safe. Looking at how many people have lost their lives due to meteorological conditions serves as a reminder to take the forecasts seriously.

Just by taking a quick glance at the graph above, you can see which types of weather can play a role in meeting your maker. The top three contenders over nine years (2004-2013) racking up the highest mortality rate are heat tornados, hurricanes, and heat related weather fatalities. Of course, succumbing to the weather depends on your present location, but it helps to highlight that the forces of nature are not to be ignored.

There are plenty of ways you can prepare for the inevitable harsh weather event, from extreme heat inducing blackouts to frigid blizzard conditions, and anywhere in between. Whichever strategy you decide to use to prepare, it pays to look up the data available in your area. By looking into what you will be most affected by, the safety and well being of you and your loved ones can be better protected.

Sources
National Weather Service – www.weather.gov
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – www.noaa.gov

Urban Foraging: Food is Everywhere

Posted on October 13, 2015 at 4:48 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Urban Foraging Basics
Acorns
Chickweed
Pine
Dandelion
Maple
Plantain
The Conclusion
Common Foraging Mistakes to Avoid
Reading Material
Additional Sources
Related Posts

Warning! This article is meant to be a quick overview and not a detailed guide on urban foraging. Eating certain plans could lead to serious illness and even death. To learn more, consult with a reputable instructor or trained botanist

Tough times call for tough measures — sometimes, they may even call for a weed — and this is where urban foraging comes in. No we don’t mean the “medicinal” kind. We’re talking about the ones that grow annoyingly al over your lawn. Should the nation fall into an economic collapse and your month-long emergency supply of food becomes depleted, there’s no doubt that you and your family would be in real trouble. In a scenario like that, grocery stores would have long been emptied, and hitting your favorite drive-through would be a thing of the past. Without stores and restaurants, you’d be thrown back to hand-to-mouth subsistence, back to hunting and gathering. But there are few animals you’d want (or be able) to hunt in the city, and do you even know how to forage for plant foods?

Urban Foraging Basics

At first look, foraging can seem scary, mysterious, or even nauseating. Yes, we’re suggesting that you eat the “weeds” from the gutter. Some of those weeds are edible, and some are actually tasty. With some patience, practice, and careful observation, you’ll begin to see wild food along the city streets, in your neighborhood, and especially in the park. Positively ID these plants, prepare them correctly, and you might even like them.

This is a quick list of wild edible plants that can be found almost anywhere, and it can form the foundation of your urban foraging skill set.

Acorns

What is it: Acorns are the nuts from oak trees (the genus Quercus). All species of oaks produce acorns that are edible to humans, though a few are exceptionally bitter. Look for symmetrical, egg-shaped nuts with a two-part shell. One part is the shell covering the entire nut. The other part is the acorn cap, which only covers part of the inner shell.

Where to find it: Oaks are commonly planted throughout cities and suburbs, as they are strong and resilient shade trees. Native to the Northern Hemisphere, they can be found coast to coast in the USA. Luckily for the forager, oaks also produce a hailstorm of nuts in early autumn.

How to get it: Wait for them to fall, then scoop them up when they’ve piled up in a low spot. You’ll often find them on sidewalks and road surfaces directly beneath oak trees. A broom and dust pan makes quick work of collecting them; so can a square shovel and a bucket.

How to process, prepare, and store it: Acorns do require some processing to eat. Crack them, remove their shells, soak the nut pieces in water, and change the water several times a day. When the nut pieces are no longer bitter, they can be eaten as is, dried and ground into flour, or prepared in many other ways. Store the processed nuts by drying or freezing them. Acorns can still be harvested several months after falling, if the nut meat still looks good and solid. One pound of acorns (depending on the species) can provide almost 2,000 calories.

Possible dangers: Make sure you’ve actually found acorns. Buckeye nuts (genus Aesculus) look similar and are poisonous. Buckeye nuts have an asymmetrical shape, and their outer nutshell covers the entire inner nutshell. Another trick to identify a bad nut is that buckeye trees have opposite branching (most leaves and twigs have a “twin”), while oaks have alternate branching (leaves and twigs grow in a zigzag pattern, like most plants).

Chickweed

What is it: Chickweed (Stellaria spp.) is a small herbaceous plant with leaves in opposite pairs and little white flowers that appear to have 10 petals (but it’s just five, each deeply split). Chickweed is a great salad plant.

Where to find it: Widespread in Europe and North America, this plant can be found at the edges of pavement, parks, yards, planters, and almost anywhere. It can be found in full sun or in the shade. It’s surprisingly tough for such a small, tender, and juicy plant.

How to get it: Collect the tender stems (and the leaves along with them) by picking them as you would any other salad plants. They’re tender enough to pinch off what you need.

How to process, prepare, and store it: Wash the plants thoroughly, and eat them as salad or cook them as cooked greens. Fresh chickweed can be stored in the fridge for a few days, but doesn’t keep long. Let it stay alive and unharmed until you’re ready to pick it and use it. Being a salad item, chickweed is low in calories, but it does provide vitamins A and C.

Possible cons: Chickweed can have a mild laxative effect. Also, be cautious of where you go foraging. Cities and counties often spray herbicides and pesticides along roadways, and any chickweed not killed in the process could be contaminated with toxic chemicals.

Pine

What is it: Pine trees (the genus Pinus) are easily identified by having needles in clusters of two to five — and mature trees can also bear the tell-tale pine cones. Fresh green pine needles, the innermost layer of bark, and the seeds of large-cone species can be used as food.

Where to find it: Pines can be found in a wide range of soils and climates, largely in the Northern Hemisphere. Hit your nearest city park to find them, or a Christmas tree lot in December.

How to get it: Pine needles are the easiest pine part to forage, and they make a surprisingly tasty tea. Just tear them off the live branches. Pine nuts can also be peeled out of larger pine cones. Inner bark (the cambium layer) can be shaved from live wood, though it’s very damaging to the tree.

How to process, prepare, and store it: Use the needles fresh or dried for tea. Rip up a small handful of needles and drop them into a cup of scalding hot water. Let them sit for five minutes, strain, sweeten, and sip. This cup of tea should provide about 500 milligrams of Vitamin C. Don’t boil your tea, or it’ll become bitter and destroy the vitamins. The inner bark from the tree can be scraped from branches and tree trunks, dried, and ground into powder for a flour additive. The pine cones can sometimes be opened near a fire by the heat. These can be eaten as is, or stored in jars until used. One cup of pine nuts has over 900 calories.

Possible dangers: Pine needle tea (consumed regularly) is not recommended for pregnant women — some of the compounds may be abortive. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) may also have some additional toxins, so these are no longer recommended for tea (for anyone).

Dandelion

What is it: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a lawn-loving weed native to Europe, but it’s also found coast to coast in the USA. They provide edible flowers, leaves, and roots.

Where to find it: This plant can be found anyplace sunny. Dandelion is one of the most common plants to actually grow out of cracks in the sidewalk. It’s widespread in parks and abandoned lots.

How to get it: Use a small shovel to pop the entire plant out of the ground. Cut the sections apart so that you can take advantage of the different uses of its various parts.

How to process, prepare, and store it: Wash the leaves thoroughly, and eat them as a salad or sauté them in oil for a nice cooked green. Fresh flowers only last one day in the fridge, but can be battered and deep fried for amazing fritters. The roots can be washed, dried, roasted, and brewed into a caffeine-free coffee substitute. The roasted roots will last indefinitely in a jar or paper bag. Leaves and other parts are low in calories, but packed with Vitamin A.

Possible cons: None that are inherent. However, because dandelions are so prevalent, be wary of possible contamination from herbicides and pesticides used in certain parts of your city.

Maple

What is it: Maples are beautiful trees that produce edible seeds in late spring and safe drinking water and sweet syrup in midwinter. Sugar maples and black maples offer the highest sugar levels, but any native maples can be used for sap and syrup.

Where to find it: Used similarly to oaks as shade trees, maples can be found growing along streets, in landscaping, and in yards and parks. Maples are commonly found in the eastern half of the United States and Canada, though they can be grown almost anywhere as a landscaping species.

How to get it: The “helicopter” seeds can be picked up or swept up beneath the trees in late spring. The sap can be tapped in February by drilling a hole into the tree and attaching a container. If you’re picking up seeds in an urban setting, no one usually cares. But if you’re drilling holes in trees and hanging jugs on them, make sure you have permission and that your neighbors understand what you’re doing. “Syruping” doesn’t harm the trees, but it’s very conspicuous and occasionally alarming — what with all the odd containers lying around and the propane tanks to run the outdoor burner for sap cooking. In Illinois, one family of syrup-makers had a SWAT team at their door after neighbors called in about the suspicious “meth lab” activity.

How to process, prepare, and store it: The seeds can be peeled of their helicopter housing, rinsed, and then boiled for 30 minutes to create a unique cooked vegetable. Sap can be collected in buckets or bottles and drunk immediately as a water source. The xylem tissue of the trees provides excellent filtration of ground water. The sap can be boiled and reduced dramatically to yield the familiar maple syrup. You’ll need to boil off roughly 40 gallons of sap to produce just 1 gallon of syrup, but it’s worth it. Real maple syrup is 825 calories per cup — and delicious.

Possible dangers: Don’t use the sap from a maple if it’s milky white in color. This comes from the invasive Norway maple (Acer platanoides), which is toxic.

Plantain

What is it: This plant is often the sidekick to the ubiquitous dandelion. Plantain (Plantago spp.) is a low-growing herbaceous plant with leaves that bear several heavy parallel veins. There’s no relation to the banana-like fruit in the grocery store, just the same common name. The leaves and seeds are edible.

Where to find it: Lawns, sidewalks, parks, or any other sunny place where dandelions would normally be present.

How to get it: Pick the leaves and strip off the seeds by pulling the stalk through your hand — easy!

How to process, prepare, and store it: The fresh leaves can be chopped up and added to salad or cooked as a cooked vegetable. The cooked leaves also freeze well, and can be dried and rehydrated. The seeds can be dried and stored in a jar or bag. They can be used fresh or dried by grinding them up and stewing as porridge, or by boiling them alongside other grains (like rice). Fresh plantain leaves can also be mashed and applied to cuts, scrapes, rashes, and burns to speed healing. This mashed leaf poultice is even better at relieving the pain of bee stings and venomous insect bites.

Possible dangers: Like the dandelion, the plantain has none in its natural state, but could be affected by herbicides and pesticides.

The Conclusion

Having taught people the art of foraging wild food plants for almost 20 years, I’m still surprised myself at the bounty of wild edibles within city and suburban limits. Flimsy concrete and sticky asphalt can’t hold back the eruptive force of the weeds trying to break free into the sunlight. In urban environments and in the wild, there’s food literally everywhere. You just have to be able to spot it, make sure it really is the right plant, and prepare it properly.

If times ever get so tough that you’re wondering if you can eat the weeds in the sidewalk cracks, we hope you had the foresight to hang onto every copy of OFFGRID. And please pick up one of the edible plant books mentioned in the sidebar. We might not find our favorite dishes out in a post-apocalyptic world, but there’ll still be plenty of food out around.

Common Foraging Mistakes to Avoid

Not every plant wants to be your friend. Poison ivy should be a good enough example of the dangers of the plant kingdom. Just brushing against the plant can cause a severe rash (for those who are allergic to its oils). But this dreaded itch is a mere inconvenience compared to the real harm from ingesting the wrong plant.

Making assumptions: We all know what happens when you assume something. But with foraging, you’re not just making an “ass” out of “u” and “me,” you could kill us both. Assumptions about plant identity can lead to hospital trips — or even a trip to the morgue. If it doesn’t look exactly as it should, don’t assume you know what it is. And don’t eat it.

Eating multiple new plants: In your excitement to try new things, it’s easy to load up a plate with many new plants that you’ve never tried before. Don’t do that. If you’re allergic to one of them or have some other negative reaction, you won’t know which one is the culprit. Rather than play vomit-roulette, try only one new plant per day until you see how your body handles it.

Leading without experience: If you’re in a legit survival situation (or any other situation), don’t let the amateurs pick the wild food. Make certain that experienced foragers are leading the hunt for edibles and inspecting everything that their helpers collect. Of course, people can learn to identify plants fairly quickly, but hunger can make us less keen observers. Just as you wouldn’t send someone out hunting who’s never fired a shot before, make sure someone who knows what they’re doing is running the foraging foray.

Reading Material

Peterson’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants by Lee Allen Peterson. Over 400 plants with detailed drawings, as well as thorough descriptions and usage information.

Edible Wild Plants, A North American Field Guide by Elias and Dykeman. Over 200 plants, arranged by season with beautiful color photos and solid usage information.

Edible Wild Plants, Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate by John Kallas. Great book on wild food preparation with excellent pictures of plant parts and growth stages.

Additional Sources

Build the Perfect Post-Apocalypse Micro Cleaning Kit for Your Gat

Posted on October 13, 2015 at 4:20 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Cleaning Cloth
CLP
Cleaning Rod
The Nice-to-Have Options
Bore-Cleaning Alternates
Substitute Cleaners
SHTF Lube and Preservatives

The enormous ship appeared first in the atmosphere, like a giant cumulonimbus cloud made of alloy. Then when the large transport crafts disengaged from the mother ship and slowly lumbered down toward the surface, nobody quite knew what to think. When the smaller carrier ships launched from the transport ships and landed on the surface, nobody quite knew what to say. When the three-legged aliens with electro-discharge plasma weapons started exiting the ships, nobody knew who to call. And when those weapons started shooting humans and causing them to explode like water balloons, nobody quite knew what to do — except for your friend, Bubba.

Bubba raised his Remington 870 shotgun and fired back with some 00 buckshot, kinda exploding one of them in return. He sent the first clear message to our new visitors: Exploding humans would not be tolerated. From that point on, interstellar diplomacy emanated from the barrel of a gun.

Since that time, the war had settled into a stalemate. The visitors mostly controlled the population centers while the humans surrounded and controlled the backwoods and countryside. While the alien technology was truly awesome, their tactics sucked. The humans were slowly forcing them into tighter and tighter security zones around their ships. Quick hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and sniping missions were taking a toll on the invaders, but they were also taking a toll on our weapons. Firearms maintenance was difficult at best; there were very little supplies.

Funny thing — when the end of humanity is approaching, everybody remembers to bring guns, magazines, and ammunition. But cleaning supplies? Not so much.

Prepped Cleaning Kit

Regardless if you’re preparing for an alien invasion or a disaster of more terrestrial origins, it’s always ideal to have at least one firearms kit with tools, spare parts, and much-needed cleaner and lubrication. Let’s take a look at putting together a bare-bones cleaning kit that is small and easy to pack.

Cleaning Cloth

Some type of cloth is needed for wiping away dirt, carbon, and debris from your firearm. While just about any piece of cloth will work, standard-colored handkerchiefs work well. They are thin, absorb fluids, and easily fold into flat compact sections. Cut a standard-sized handkerchief in half, wrap it around your BoreSnake, and pack it away. Another option is using custom cut sections of cloth from men’s white undershirts. When selecting cleaning cloths look for materials made from 100-percent cotton. They tend to absorb fluids better than other blends.

CLP

Proper firearms maintenance involves the use of several different types of task-specific cleaning solutions, which are generally broken down in three categories: cleaners, lubricants, and preservatives.

Cleaners are solutions specifically designed to dissolve carbon and copper fouling. They are used to clean all surfaces of the firearms and the bore of the barrel. Lubricants are various types of oils that are used to coat the surfaces of metals that contact each other. Lubricants reduce friction and drag between metal components and suspend dirt and fouling in the fluid to reduce its accumulation over long periods of use. Preservatives are liquids that coat the metal parts of the firearms with a thin film of liquid that prevents rust and corrosion from forming due to exposure to the environment. All three are needed to effectively maintain your firearm over long periods of time, but carrying three different bottles of cleaning accessories compromises the idea of a small cleaning kit.

Fortunately, there are products available specifically for multiple cleaning tasks called CLP, named so after the three categories. CLP products such as Break-Free and FIREClean perform all three cleaning functions with only one solution. While the individual solutions most likely offer better performance in their respective categories, CLPs offer good performance across the board. When building a micro cleaning kit, a CLP solution is really the only choice for effectively performing all of your cleaning requirements without weighing down your bug-out bag. An easily packed ½-ounce bottle of CLP, when judiciously used, will last several cleaning sessions.

Cleaning Rod

Conventional bore cleaning tools use a metal rod, either in sections or as a one-piece unit. The end of the rod is threaded for the use of multiple cleaning accessories such as a wire brush for scrubbing the barrel and different diameter barrel jags. Patches are wrapped around the jag to create a seal for pushing fouling out of the bore and for coating the inside of the bore with protective oils. Unfortunately, cleaning rods are bulky to store (even the sectional ones) and are prone to bending and breaking. They also require the use of at least two different detachable accessories, the wire cleaning brush and the bore jag.

A much better option that combines all of these features into one small package is a product by Hoppes called the BoreSnake. It’s a braided nylon cord with small sections of wire bristles implanted in the weave of the cord. There’s a small section of nylon prior to the bristles for the application of cleaning solution and a large section of braided nylon behind the bristles to pull out any debris loosened by the bristles. The BoreSnake effectively replaces the cleaning rod, the wire brush, and the jags in a single braided cord that can be folded very tightly for storage. It’s the centerpiece of any micro cleaning kit.

The Nice-to-Have Options

While our micro cleaning kit is complete, there are few additional accessories that make our cleaning tasks a bit easier with just a small trade-off in additional packing space. The first is a small section of grade #0000 steel wool (the super-fine grade). It makes the task of scrubbing off hardened carbon fouling (especially on the AR-15 bolt) a much easier chore. The second accessory is a small brush. An old toothbrush with the handle cut down to size is perfect for this task.

Improvised Cleaning Kit

Though small, the aforementioned micro cleaning kit will take you and your firearm far. But what do you do if you didn’t have the wherewithal to build one ahead of time? Let’s look at some options for cleaning our firearms when nothing is available except for our wits.

Bore-Cleaning Alternates

With the proven design of the BoreSnake as our guide, we can creatively build a clone using a length of 550 paracord. Tie several knots into the paracord to match the diameter of the bore. When completed, pull the cord through the chamber and bore to remove any fouling.

Should paracord be unavailable, bootlaces or bungee cords make adequate substitutes. A more creative solution could involve fishing string with a hook small enough to fit through the bore of the firearm. Fold several sections of cloth over the hook and pull this setup through the bore.

Substitute Cleaners

These are really only limited by your imagination. Just about any cleaner that is used on machinery can be used to clean your firearms. A few options would be automotive brake and drum spray cleaners and heavy-duty marine degreasers. If no automotive or machine cleaning solutions are available, you can use fuel from abandoned cars. Gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, or even kerosene will work.

A few home-cleaning solutions could work, too, such as mineral spirits, paint thinner, Simple Green, or even Formula 409 cleaner. Don’t overlook dishwashing soaps like Dawn or any other detergent that specializes in removing grease. There is also the old Coca-Cola trick. Being highly acidic, Coke will also clean off dirty firearms parts as well. Regardless of what cleaner you choose to use, ensure all parts are thoroughly rinsed and dried before reassembly.

SHTF Lube and Preservatives

Substitute lubricants and preservatives can basically serve the same purpose. Usually any lube can act as a preservative. Wipe a thin coating of lubricant on any exposed metal and it should offer some level of corrosion protection. You should use enough liquid to put a slight shine on the metal, but not so much that it looks or feels wet to the touch.

Finding a substitute lubricant is actually pretty easy. Any type of machinery that requires an engine will require lubricant. Vehicle fluids such as motor oil, transmission fluid, or even hydraulic fluid will all suffice as a lubricant. Home and gardening tools such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, gas-powered weed wackers, or even generators will all require some manner of lubricant that can also be used on firearms.

Another type of lubricant to consider is grease. All vehicles have grease points on the chassis and suspension. A finger swipe of grease will also work as a lubricant. Even common petroleum jelly (i.e. Vaseline) will offer some level of lubrication. Again, be creative in your search and look at anything with an engine as a good source for lubrication.

Get Cleaning

It shouldn’t take the fear of an alien invasion to spur you into action. Set aside some time to gather the right supplies to make a lightweight yet efficient micro cleaning kit and pack it alongside your firearm and bug-out gear. If you’re like us and have multiple go-bags in various locations for different emergencies, you’ll want to make sure you have one cleaning kit per pack.

And, should you ever have the misfortune of being separated from your cleaning supplies, know now that you have the knowledge and skills to craft your own kit in the field. Like with any survival skill, all it takes is some awareness and creativity to adapt to what life’s given you.

10 Uses for Emergency Blankets

Posted on October 13, 2015 at 3:50 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

1. Insulation
2. Signaling
3. Water Gathering
4. Shelter
5. Heat Reflection
6. Medical
7. Waterproofing
8. Catching and Cleaning Meat
9. Cooking
10. Cordage
Read More

It’s easy to bundle up in a scarf and jacket when the temperature drops. And packing a sleeping bag when you go camping is a no-brainer. But what if you end up stranded while on a day hike or have to flee unexpected danger after SHTF? Enter the emergency blanket. This thin piece of Mylar film doesn’t look like much more than a reflective sheet of flexible plastic, but it can retain life-saving heat if you’re caught outdoors without shelter. Plus, it has a myriad of other improvised functions.

The amazing emergency blanket, also known as a space blanket, was developed by NASA back in 1964 and has since become a mainstay in many emergency and first-aid kits — and for good reason. Emergency blankets take up little room, are very lightweight, and can keep you warm by efficiently preventing heat loss. Stash one in your backpack or vehicle’s glove compartment and wrap yourself in it if you ever need a way to stay warm in a jiffy. Its powerful heat-retention properties are why marathon runners are draped in them after running their 26.2 miles and the reason its Mylar material was used to line the spacesuits that went to the moon.

Offgrid Tip!
How to Properly Use an Emergency Blanket: To be fully effective, an emergency blanket should be placed with the shiny side facing your body or any surface you want to keep toasty. This shiny side reflects about 90 percent of your body heat, while the dull side, which is not as efficient, only reflects about 65 percent of radiated heat.

Aside from making you feel like a toasty Pop Tart when wrapped in them, what else are they practical for? Let’s examine 10 alternative uses for the blanket from space.

1. Insulation

An emergency blanket makes a great insulator from the cold. Use it to help fortify your sleeping bag, if you’re fortunate to have one, or cut a blanket up and stuff it into your shoes and gloves to help keep your tootsies warm.

2. Signaling

Emergency blankets usually come in a silver or gold chrome-like finish. Their mirrored reflective surface is great to bounce light off of to signal for help. When strung up on a tall object such as a tree, wind may cause it to move, creating a fluttering light reflection that may improve your chances of being detected.

3. Water Gathering

Because it’s a large sheet of non-porous material, a space blanket is great for catching and collecting water. If it rains, you can dig a hole in the ground and line it like a mini-swimming pool to collect water. Make sure its edges are raised to avoid any dirty runoff. Or if you want to keep your water off the ground, you can tie up four corners onto a tree and use a rock to weigh down the middle. Water will collect at the bottom of this makeshift funnel.

Another alternative is to create a funnel or slide that can divert rainwater into a container. If you’re contending with snow, you can shape the blanket into a cone and place snow into it. Then align your “snow cone” to catch sunlight so that the light generates heat to melt the snow.

4. Shelter

In conjunction with some paracord, duct tape, or even strips of itself (see Use #10), you can make a “lean-to” shelter by tying up two corners of the blanket up on trees and the other two corners lower to the ground to create a shelter from rain or the sun.

5. Heat Reflection

Mylar has a melting temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit so it is relatively safe in close proximity to open fire. Use a blanket to reflect heat from a campfire back into your aforementioned emergency-blanket shelter.

6. Medical

You can use an emergency blanket to fashion a makeshift sling to help better immobilize a broken or sprained arm or use it as a tourniquet in an extreme emergency. Use strips of it to tie sticks to a leg or arm create a splint for injured limbs. It can also act as an impromptu compression bandage if needed as well.

7. Waterproofing

Since the sheet is completely waterproof, anything you sufficiently wrap or shield from falling water should be able to stay dry. Use it to help keep the contents of your backpack dry by placing everything on the blanket then wrapping it prior to placing it in the pack. Keep yourself and your stuff dry by using a blanket as a tent footprint or groundsheet.

8. Catching and Cleaning Meat

Fish like shiny things, so strips of a blanket used as lures should better attract them than just a hook. Also, an emergency blanket makes for a clean and large enough surface on which to clean fish or field dress game. Keep the dirt off your meat!

9. Cooking

Fashion a blanket into a bowl shape and face it into the sun. Place very thinly sliced meat into it and allow nature to take its course. This works best when there is a blazing sun in the sky. Or if you opt to cook by flame, use pieces of a blanket to wrap up food for cooking near the fire. Not on the fire mind you, but place your wrapped food near the fire and it should get hot enough to cook what’s inside.

10. Cordage

Strips of blanket can be braided together to help form improvised cordage. Large braided pieces can even serve as makeshift rope in some circumstances. Though, probably not safe enough to climb with, emergency cordage is good for helping you build a shelter or secure your gear.

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Bug-Out by Air?

Posted on October 13, 2015 at 3:27 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Winged Transport
Step One: Pilot's License
Step Two: Obtain a Plane
Step Three: Practice
Aerial Go-Bag
Air Glossary
About the Author:

Warning!

This article is meant to be a quick overview and is not a detailed guide on aviation, nor should it be construed as an endorsement to operate an aircraft without proper training and licenses. To learn more, consult with a reputable training school or instructor.

The TV reporter said all you needed to know in one sentence: “The governor is declaring a state of emergency and evacuation plans will be announced in the next five minutes. ” Strong winds from the Northwest are driving the flames toward a derailed train of tanker cars filled with volatile chlorine. A solid wall of flames stretches across the television screen and roiling clouds of thick brown smoke climb thousands of feet into the sky. Fire departments from all over the state have been unable to slow the fire's path toward the overturned tankers.

Your wife and two young children enter the room and stand next to you. Their survival will depend on your skills and decision-making over the next hour. You know what to do. You need to bug out now, and it's got to be by plane.

Without being told, each member of the family grabs their go-bags, and 10 minutes later you're entering the code that allows you into Sky Ranch Airport and to your bug-out aircraft: a 22-year-old Cessna 172. The preflight complete, you reach for the ignition key. Your wife puts her hand over yours and squeezes gently as the engine coughs to life, settling into the familiar rhythm. After a few heart-pounding minutes, you're in the air and cruising through 2,100 feet. You share a relieved look with your wife as you gently bank northeast toward your first destination, the mountain top airport 150 nautical miles north.

The preceding story, although fiction, has its basis in the stark reality of compromised land and water egress. Take this story's hypothetical opener: a chlorine tanker accident.

Chlorine is used in industrial and commercial products and is therefore commonplace. Depending on the concentration and the exposure time, this chemical can cause severe health problems and even death. At room temperature, chlorine is a gas that's heavier than air, which means it'll linger in low-lying areas unless the wind picks up. The safest means of escaping its potentially fatal and widespread mist could very well be via an aircraft.

At this point, some of you might be asking, “What if I don't know how to fly?” or “Having a bug-out plane is stupid because it isn't realistic. ” Remember: If disaster has already struck, it's too late to develop a bug-out plane strategy. Having an aircraft is an option that may take years to fully develop. But once you have it, it could mean the difference between saving your family and being stuck on the highway with thousands of other panicked drivers wishing you could grow a pair of wings. As they always say, “You can never have too many options when the SHTF. ”

Winged Transport

If you're a regular reader, you know that OFFGRID delves into all manner of bug-out vehicles, from kayaks and snowmobiles to off-road rigs and mountain bikes. So, in this edition we shine the spotlight at aircraft as a survival option. Here's a look at the benefits and disadvantages of being a prepper pilot.

Pros:

Best answer when getting distance between you and the event quickly is a priority
Reduce limiting variables, such as traffic, road closures, unpredictable crowd behaviors (survival mob mentality), etc
Fly over disasters, hostiles, blocked roads, destroyed bridges, etc.
Not stranded if the infrastructure can't handle the automotive traffic
Ability to do fly-over reconnaissance prior to landing
Access multiple destinations

Cons:

Dependent on fuel
Possibility of public airport closures (the best reason to keep your aircraft at a private airport)
Governmental flight restrictions (e. g. Sept. 11 terrorist attack)
Most small private aircraft are vulnerable to theft or vandalism due to poorly constructed locks
Aircraft not parked in hangers are susceptible to weather events
Cost of buying and maintaining an aircraft, and need for maintaining flight skills (whereas you drive your car or truck every day)
The variable of flying in poor weather
Limits of gross weight (baggage, supplies, etc. ), depending on aircraft

Step One: Pilot's License

Let's say you've weighed the pros and cons, and you're game. Where do you start? Obtain a valid pilot's license (private, sport, or recreational) if you don't already have one. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, you can begin training at any age. However, you must be at least 16 to obtain a sport pilot certificate and 17 for a recreational pilot or private pilot certificate.

Here's a look at the main types of pilot's licenses and what it takes to obtain them.

1. Private

Privileges:

More than one passenger may be carried
Flight outside U. S. airspace allowed
Night flight allowed

Training Requirements:

40 hours minimum
Pass FAA written exam
Pass flight exam with an FAA examiner
Requires FAA medical exam
Average cost: $9,900

2. Recreational (Airplane and Rotorcraft)

Privilege:

Only one passenger may be carried
Night flight allowed, but only under the supervision of a certified flight instructor

Training:

30 hours minimum
Pass the FAA written exam
Pass flight exam with an FAA examiner
Requires FAA medical exam
Average cost: $7,700

3. Sport (Airplane, Gyro, Weight-Shift-Control, Airships)

Privileges:

Only one passenger may be carried

Training:

20 hours minimum
Pass the FAA written exam
Pass flight exam with an FAA examiner
Requires FAA medical exam or a U. S. driver's license and self-certification
Average cost $4,400

Step Two: Obtain a Plane

Once you've acquired your pilot's license, it's time to get an airplane that has the basic characteristics needed for a bug-out vehicle. Avoid a rental or club aircraft. Instead, consider a seaplane. It's quite possibly the most versatile bug-out aircraft available to the general public. The seaplane allows you access to runways, grass and dirt landing strips, lakes, ocean, and all manner of waterways.

Due to the inherent ruggedness and reliability of the Husky, Skyhawk, Caravan, and Beaver, all four models are ideal for bugging out to and from land, snow, or water. They also have several rather significant benefits not found in the newer aircraft: long production runs and availability of parts. These planes can be found used in greater quantities and at a lower cost. Here's a closer look at each one. See if one of them meets your needs.

De Havilland Beaver
This single-engine, high-wing Canadian bush plane has been used by military all over the world, from the U. S. Army to the Ghana Air Force.

Capacity:	One pilot, six passengers
Cargo:	2, 100 pounds of useful load
Length:	30 feet, 3 inches
Wingspan:	48 feet
Height:	9 feet
Empty Weight:	3, 000 pounds
Gross Weight:	5, 100 pounds
Power Plant:	450 hp Pratt and Whitney Wasp Jr. radial engine
Maximum Speed:	158 mph
Cruise Speed:	143 mph
Range:	455 miles
Service Ceiling:	18, 000 feet
Rate of Climb:	1,020 feet per minute

Aviat Husky
In production since 1987, this rugged and dependable two-seater is one of the best-selling light aircraft designs of the past two decades. This high-wing utility plane is used
for all sorts of functions, from pipeline inspection and glider towing to border patrol and anti-poaching missions.

Capacity:	1 pilot, 1 passenger
Cargo:	925 pounds of useful load
Length:	30 feet, 6 inches
Wingspan:	35 feet
Height:	9 feet
Empty Weight:	, 275 pounds
Gross Weight:	2, 250 pounds
Power Plant:	180 hp Lycoming O-360
Maximum Speed:	145 mph
Cruise Speed:	140 mph
Range:	800 miles
Service Ceiling:	20, 000 feet
Rate of Climb:	1, 500 feet per minute

Cessna Caravan Amphibian
This rugged and proven aircraft can operate from terra firma or water— you can land on and take off from almost anywhere. The passenger capacity and ability to transport extensive supplies put this bug-out aircraft at the top of the list. Manufactured since 1998, it's the largest seaplane with a single engine.

Capacity:	Eight, 10, or 14
Cargo:	3, 230 pounds
Length:	38 feet, 1 inches
Wingspan:	52 feet, 1 inches
Height:	17 feet, 7 inches
Empty Weight:	5, 555 pounds
Gross Weight:	8, 750 pounds
Power Plant:	675 hp Pratt & Whitney Model PT6A-114 A
Maximum Speed:	175 kias
Cruise Speed:	159 knots
Range:	820 nautical miles
Service Ceiling:	20, 000 feet
Rate of Climb:	939 feet per minute

Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing aircraft that first flew in 1955 and has been in production since 1956. More 172 s have been manufactured than any other airplane in history. The availability of used aircraft in good condition is extensive.

Capacity:	Two to three passengers(including the pilot)
Length:	27 feet
Wingspan:	36 feet
Cargo:	446 pounds of useful load
Empty Weight:	1, 275 pounds
Gross Weight:	2, 300 pounds
Power Plant:	Lycoming O-360
Maximum Speed:	188 mph
Cruise Speed:	143 mph
Range:	800 miles
Service Ceiling:	20, 000 feet
Rate of Climb:	1, 500 feet per minute

Step Three: Practice

Much like any other survival skill, flying a bug-out plane proficiently takes repetition. So once you have your license and your plane, practice, practice, and practice. And when you think that you have practiced enough, practice some more. Obviously, you can't learn how to fly from reading a magazine article. So we'
ll give you a brief overview of the basics.

Takeoff and Climbing
Complete your pre-take off checklist. Typically use one degree of flap and the elevator trim is adjusted to neutral. Now slowly advance the throttle, using the rudder pedals to steer the aircraft to the active runway and point the nose into the wind. Wait for the tower to say, “Skyhawk 6 Charlie Lima, clear for takeoff. ” The throttle is opened fully to start the takeoff roll. During this takeoff roll, the control wheel, or stick, is usually held in the neutral position, and the rudder pedals are used to keep the airplane on the runway's centerline.

As takeoff airspeed is approached, gently apply backpressure on the control wheel or stick and the plane's nose will begin to lift off the runway. Use the rudder pedals to keep the nose point straight.

When the airplane is clear of the runway, gently relax the control slightly, letting the nose drop slightly as you gain speed. As your airspeed increases, remember the best rate of climb
for your aircraft(found in the aircraft operating manual).

Landing
First, find the airport— sometimes that's more difficult than it sounds. Check the wind direction at the airport by asking the tower controller the wind direction or look at the windsock on the airfield. At a controlled airport you must comply with the directions of the tower, and a controller will give you the runway information and tell you when to land.

At an uncontrolled airport, there is no tower. You announce your intentions, look for other planes, and when clear, land. Whether you are told which runway to land on or you make the choice, align yourself into the wind and control your airspeed so that the needle in the airspeed indicator is in the white arc. This is a time to be careful and maintain the appropriate airspeed since the bottom of the white arc usually represents the planes stalling speed.

Run a “before landing” checklist, found in the aircraft manufacturer's operating handbook, prior to the final leg of your pattern. Maintain your glide slope angle by using the VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator) system installed along the runway. If you see a set of red lights over a set of white lights on the VASI system, you are on the proper glide slope. If the runway you are landing on doesn't have approach lights, you should be 300 feet above the ground 1 mile from the end of the runway and as you cross the runway threshold, smoothly bring the power to idle and smoothly pull back on the controls and flare(slightly nose up) and allow the plane to settle to the runway.

Once you've become proficient at the fundamentals, take it a step further and begin practicing for a potential bug out. Try these four exercises:

Checklist It: Keep a checklist in the office, house, and car. Discovering that you forgot an essential item after you're already strapped into the plane is of little use.

Preplan It: Find the best and fastest route to the airport from your home, work, and any other location were you go at least three times per week on a regular basis.

Drill It: Do a complete run-through at least once every three months with whomever is in your family or survival group.

Old-School It: Once in there air, pick an objective location and see
if you can get there without a GPS and other advanced navigational aids. Hint: At times it may be as simple as following the highway and making the appropriate turn off— it's just that you'
re 4, 000 feet above the ground.

Aviation Adaptation

Whatever the cause, any disaster of significance will adversely affect the power and communications grids. That means your entire wiz bang— state-of-the-art communications and navigational devices will be useless, at least
for a time. The world of convenience will be transported back to the 19 th century.

Right now you are probably saying, “Yeah, but my glass panel and GPS have backup batteries. Wrong, all the backup batteries in the world will not be of any help if society's infrastructure begins to collapse. Tuning to your favorite radio station will be a waste of time if the station can't broadcast a signal. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) burst will fry everything electrical and whatever survives will be worthless because satellites will be non-functional, ground-based NDBs (non-directional beacons), VORs (VHF omnidirectional range beacons), and TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation Beacons) will cease to function.

Within a matter of seconds you will be transported back to the days of the biplanes, when traveling from point A to point B involved following geographical landmarks such as roads, bridges, mountains, and lakes. Times when one's most important assets were common sense and self-reliance.

How about while you're flying? Are there specific altitudes you need to fly? Visual Flight Rules (VFR) will most likely be used if a crisis hits. The designated altitudes to fly at are 7,500 feet and 8,500 feet since the VFR state that traffic flying easterly should be at odd altitudes plus 500 feet (e. g. 7,500 feet). Westerly traffic utilizing VFR should be at even attitudes plus 500 feet (e. g. 8,500 feet).

Not every catastrophic event will be a chlorine tanker explosion fueled by a wildfire. And not every bug-out vehicle will(or should be) an aircraft. But if you're already a pilot, or have the means to become one, consider a plane as another card in your survival deck.

Aerial Go-Bag

The bug-out bag(BOB) may be as essential to your survival as the fuel in the aircraft's tanks. The first thing to remember is that although you are flying, nothing has to be TSA compliant. Each passenger should have his or her own BOB. There should be one bag for the aircraft that remains in the plane.

The BOB is a very important yet personalized necessity. Unlike on a motor vehicle or a boat, weight is of paramount consideration in an airplane. Weigh each bag and calculate into the total passenger and carry-on weight. This is extremely important as it relates to the plane's performance. You should inspect everyone's bags on a monthly basis using a checklist. Your family's BOBs should be stored in the same place and stored together. Some have used a hall closet or cabinet in the garage. Here's a closer explanation of what your bug-out gear should be.

On Your Person

Whether you're flying commercial or private, make sure you're wearing cotton or wool(no nylon) and leather sole shoes or hiking boots. Pack a light jacket, a hat, and medication. Ask your doctor if you can get a prescription for a wide-spectrum antibiotic and an anti-diarrhea medication.

Captain's BOB

For sake of clarity, the pilot's bag will be called the “Captain's BOB ” and it's the responsibility of the pilot to verify that each passenger has their BOB. The Captain's BOB should contain:

Sectional Charts
Sectional Plotter
Multiple forms of identification(passport, pilot ‘s license, driver's license etc.)
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Aviation Transceiver with NOAA weather channel
Handheld radio transceivers
Pilot's tool kit
Compass with mirror
Poncho
Hat
Notepad with pen and pencil(preferably a pad that is designed to be used in rain or foul conditions)
Spare prescription eyewear and sunglasses
Fire piston(sparks for fires)
Paracord 550 (50 feet)
Headlamp plus spare batteries
Long – sleeve shirt
Socks and undergarments
Leather work gloves
Medical kit
Life-Straw for water treatment
Mylar blankets (one for each person on board)
Vaseline – soaked cotton balls in container (starting / maintaining fires)
Large Ziploc bag with toothpaste, medications, deodorant, dental floss Travel Kleenex Packets
Sunscreen
Tube of Vaseline Lip Therapy
Hand sanitizer or wet wipes
Extra batteries
Assorted plastic bags(trash plus gallon and quart Ziploc bags
At least $500 in cash and old / well used silver coins
Two knives: one folding, one fixed blade
Duct tape
Leatherman type tool
Aircraft Navigational Maps(Sectionals)
Red marking pen or pencil for drawing route and adding changes
Handgun and ammunition

Family BOB:

The list here is a sample. Build your own go-bag based on your location, the age and health of passengers, and the potential weather.

Quart Ziploc bag with toiletries
Undergarments
Two changes of clothes
Hat
Sunglasses
Small flashlight
Compass with mirror
Three pairs of socks
Gloves
Compact water purifier
Mini first – aid kit
Wet wipes packets
Ferrocerium rod fire starter
Folding knife
Mylar blanket
Two large trash bags

Worst Bug – Out Aircraft

Given the parameters of a bug – out aircraft, there are certain aircraft that would not be appropriate for this type of mission.They ‘re too small, too slow, have little to no cargo capacity, or have limited pilot and passenger protection, among other concerns.

Avoid these types of craft when bugging out:
Single seat self – launch gliders
Hang gliders
Paragliders
Ultralight aircraft
Hot air balloons
Speed Parachutes

Air Glossary

ADF: Automatic Direction Finder: Radio compass giving a relative bearing
ADT: Approved Departure Time
AGL: Above Ground Level
AIRMET: A type of weather advisory regarding turbulence, icing, and low visibility
AME: Aviation Medical Examiner
APP: Approach control
ARTCC: Air Route Traffic Control Centre
ASI: Airspeed Indicator
ATA: Actual Time of Arrival
ATIS: Automatic Terminal Information Service. Automatically recorded message transmitted on a particular frequency, containing current weather conditions, altimeter setting, active runways, etc., provided at airports with a tower (controlled).
AVGAS: Aviation Gasoline. Usually followed by the octane rating. Used by piston-engine aircraft.
Call sign: Phrase used in radio transmissions aircraft to identify an aircraft, before proceeding to actual instructions. An example would be “Motorglider 351 Hotel” or “Cessna 13 Whiskey.”
Ceiling: Height above ground or water level of the base of the lowest layer of cloud.
Clearance: Authorization given by ATC (the tower, Air Traffic Control) to proceed as requested or instructed (for example: “Cleared for takeoff,” “Cleared to land”).
Crosswind: Wind perpendicular to the motion of the aircraft. The crosswind leg is also one of the many words describing the approach segments.
Density altitude: Pressure altitude (as indicated by the altimeter) corrected for air temperature.
DI: Direction Indicator. A gyro instrument, which indicates the magnetic heading of an aircraft.
Downwind: When flying parallel to the runway.
ELT or ELB: Emergency Locator Transmitter/Beacon
ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration
FBO: Fixed-Base Operator. Supplier of fuel, maintenance, aircraft rental or sale, flight training, etc. at the airport.
FINAL: Final Approach is the part of a landing sequence in which the aircraft has made its final turn and is flying directly to the runway.
GND: Ground
Go-around: When an aircraft on final terminates its plans to land, gains altitude and begins the landing pattern again.
GPS: Global Positioning System (Navstar). Navigational system using orbiting satellites to determine the aircraft’s position on the Earth.
IDENT: SQUAWK function of a transponder. When the “Ident” button is activated, an aircraft will briefly appear more distinctly on a radarscope and this may be used for identification or acknowledgment purposes.
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules for the operation of aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions.
ILS: Instrument Landing System provides horizontal and vertical guidance for the approach.
Knot (kt): Standard unit of speed in aviation were 1 knot equals 1.1515 mph
LAT: Latitude
Magnetic course: Intended horizontal direction, measured in degrees clockwise from magnetic north.
Mayday: The international radio distress call.
MSL: Mean Sea Level
NM: Nautical Miles
NTSB: National Transportation Safety Board
OAT: Outside Air Temperature
Payload: The combined weight of passengers and/or cargo.
POH: Pilot’s Operating Handbook (aircraft’s owners manual)
RPM: Revolutions Per Minute
RWY: Runway
SIGMET: Significant Meteorological Information. A type of weather advisory regarding severe weather conditions (thunderstorms, turbulence, icing, volcanic ash, etc.).
Squawk: To transmit an assigned code via a transponder.
STOL: Short Take-Off and Landing.
TAS: True Airspeed. Airspeed corrected for altitude and outside air temperature.
TCA: Terminal Control Area
Tailwind: Strong wind in the same direction as the motion of the aircraft.
Touchdown: Synonym for landing.
Transponder: A transponder is a wireless communications, monitoring, or control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal.
UNICOM: Privately operated radio service at uncontrolled airfields.
UTC: Co-ordinated Universal Time, formerly Greenwich Mean Time
VHF: Very high frequency. Radio frequencies in the 30-300 MHz band, used for most civil air-to-ground communication.
VOR: Very high frequency Omnidirectional Range.
Wake turbulence: Wingtip vortices generated behind a wing producing lift.
Waypoint: Reference point used for navigation indicated by latitude and longitude.
Wind shear: Refers to a rapid change in winds over a short horizontal distance that can cause a rapid change in lift, and thus the altitude of aircraft.
Zulu: Used worldwide for times of flight operations.

About the Author:

Dr. Neal H.Olshan is a consulting psychologist, a pilot, a writer, and a fine art photographer, as well as the chief combat psychologist for LMS Defense.He is the developer of the Evolution of Mindset Training Program. Olshan is the author of six non-fiction books and wrote the novel The Panama Escape with his wife, Mary.

>> www.drolshan.com

How Do You Measure Its Worth?

Posted on October 12, 2015 at 6:47 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

“Hello, my precioussssss.” Due to their scarcity and, for some, their beauty, precious metals have been highly desirable and considered quite valuable by many cultures for millennia. Those of us who enjoy living a prepared lifestyle may opt to keep precious metals because these commodities traditionally hold their value and are trusted after financial institutions fail. After an economic collapse, a nation's currency might be worthless, but a metal such as gold will still be sought after.

The truth is the value of precious metals isn't fixed — it fluctuates according to the mood of the economy as well as other outside factors. Everything from a weak economy, conflicts between countries, and even natural disasters can affect their worth. Let's take a look at the values of two prominent precious metals — silver and gold — during economic crises of the past four decades. We're not economics professors, but the correlation would be evident even to Gollum.

Sources
Info Mine www.infomine.com
National Mining Association www.nma.org
U.S. Geological Survey www.usgs.gov

*Note: Prices not adjusted for inflation.

A Guide to Knife Sharpeners and Sharpening

Posted on October 12, 2015 at 6:38 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Repetition Equals Skill
Sharpening Stones
Manual Sharpeners
Dynamic Sharpeners
Mechanized Sharpeners
Portable Systems for the Prepared
3 Tips From the Master
Sharpening the Emerson Way
Strops and Steels
Improvised Sharpeners
Read More

On a recent visit to a major sporting goods store that had a counter dedicated to blade sharpeners, a woman took out a folding knife from her pocket, turned on a sample grinder, and just stuck the blade directly into it. This author noticed and said, “You might not want to do that.” She pulled her knife out of the machine and the blade tip was rounded, plus the edges were beat to hell. Her husband said, “I’m glad you said something or I would have just stuck my Benchmade in there just like she did.”

Since the dawn of mankind, the most basic survival tool has been the blade. Its basic requirement is a sharp cutting edge. Surprisingly, maintaining that edge seems to be a lost art.

One of this author’s shooting mentors, Rob Virkus, was fond of saying, “There are two completely useless things in the world: an unloaded handgun and a dull knife.” When knife blades go dull there are three options: dispose of the knife, return the knife to the manufacturer for sharpening, or sharpen the blade yourself.

The first choice is typically used for only the cheapest knives or by people who don’t appreciate the value of a decent blade. The second is the mark of a user who lacks the skill, confidence, or tools to undertake the task of sharpening on their own or maybe someone who has a somewhat valuable piece with a particular edge that lost its factory grind and it needs to be restored by the maker. As a rule, if a knife must be returned to the manufacturer for something as basic as sharpening, it’s probably not intended to be a working knife to begin with.

Readers of OFFGRID tend to be a self-reliant group. We like to do things for ourselves, on our own whenever possible. In some circumstances it may be our only option. When that happens, we want to be able to keep our tools sharp — both proverbially and literally.

Repetition Equals Skill

Sharpening with any device requires a basic understanding of how the sharpener is meant to be used. Before using any sharpener, you must read the manual and understand the instructions. If you don’t know the angle of your blade grind, contact the manufacturer and find out. Sharpening at an incorrect angle will result in changing the profile of the blade.

Always start slowly and use precise, deliberate strokes. The key to a proper edge is in being consistent. Forcing the blade can damage the sharpener or the knife, and it can create a thick burr on the edge that will be difficult to remove.

Whether you are restoring a completely dull piece of steel or using the finest stone available to touch up an edge, always remember that you’re removing metal. There is a learning curve. It’s best to start out with the cheapest knives in your house, like the set of steak knives that your uncle gave you as a Christmas present 10 years ago.

Sharpening Stones

The stone is the most basic type of sharpener available. It is quite literally a stone, just available in various degrees of coarseness or grit (from extra coarse to extra fine). These are most commonly produced from natural silicates found in Arkansas or India. Manmade versions are produced by companies such as DMT, which rely on the same principle of a flat abrasive sharpener, but use microscopic diamonds bonded to a metal surface.

Stones can be used dry or with water as a lubricant. Some manufacturers recommend water-based honing oils instead. These products work as advertised, but once oil is used on a stone or aluminum-oxide sharpener, it cannot use water again.

The major downside to natural stones is that they wear down and are prone to breakage. Their relatively low cost may mitigate this somewhat, but if you’re on the move and have one in a sheath pouch or in a pack, it may not be usable when you need it.

Secondly, most stones have no guide and the user needs to know how to gauge the angle by eyesight. As basic as they may be, stones are not ideal for a complete beginner.

Manual Sharpeners

These are the most basic sharpeners on the market and include the previously mentioned stones, but in this case some of the guesswork has been taken out with regard to angles. The easiest ones to use are the “pull through” types offered by companies like Chef’s Choice. The sharpener is either mounted to a counter or held down in place with one hand and the blade is pulled through from the choil to the tip. The sharpener uses integral stones or sticks of varying degrees of grit and set at predetermined angles. A few strokes on the coarse stone will tune the edge and expose more carbide. The finer stones will refine these and result in a basic and durable sharpening job. They are rugged, lightweight, and portable.

Another variant on the manual sharpener is known as “the sticks.” The sticks form a V-shape and the knife is sharpened by bringing the blade down and rearward in one smooth and continuous motion.

By far the best one we have found has been the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpener. Spyderco is mostly known for its innovative and cutting-edge knife designs, but it was this sharpener that gave the Colorado-based company its start.

The Tri-Angle breaks down for easy storage and portability. What makes this sharpener different from all the others, in this author’s opinion, is the choice of using a plastic base. Many lesser designs use wood and the uncoated rods wear away at this much quicker than they do on a knife blade. The result is an inconsistent angle that will give you an inconsistent grind. In this day and age, people try to save money where they can, but that extra $10 or $20 savings can potentially ruin a much more expensive blade.

Dynamic Sharpeners

Up to now, all of the sharpeners we have discussed are of the static type. This makes sense because we want consistency and stability in our sharpening. A dynamic sharpener is different in that the knife blade is stabilized and it’s the stone that comes into contact with it on the part of the user. In essence it’s how the majority of manufacturers put the factory edge on their knives.

The best sharpener of this type in our experience has been the Lansky system. There is a bit more of a learning curve than with the others, but it’s not very steep. The knife blade is secured in a padded clamp that has various holes indicating different angles. A stone or hone is fastened to a rod and then the rod is inserted into the hole. The hone makes contact with the blade at this angle and is moved back and forth from choil to tip on each side. It is a series of very coarse to very fine stones allowing everything from a quick touch up to a complete restoration.

Aside from the brief learning curve, we have found this system doesn’t work well with particularly long or thick blades. If the majority of your blades are shorter than 8 inches and less than a ¼-inch thick, it might be one of the better systems out there for you.

Mechanized Sharpeners

There are a lot of myths about using a powered sharpener. Unfortunately, many of these types, such as the rotating stone included on many electric can openers for maintaining kitchen knives are essentially worthless and the hazards associated with these and common stone grinding wheels have contributed to a huge amount of misinformation.

We found one sharpener that stands out from the rest. It is made by Work Sharp and this particular model was designed by none other than famed knife-maker Ken Onion.

The Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition is a scaled-down belt grinder. There are guides on either side of the belts and the angle is completely adjustable. The belts are available in a variety of grits, and a leather belt for buffing or stropping an edge is included to really make that final result pop.

Like the pull-through model by Chef’s Choice, set the choil of the blade in the guide and slowly squeeze the trigger on the beltdrive. Pull the knife rearward and stop before you get to the tip or else it will round. Do this as many times as you need to while counting to 10, and then grind the other side.

The biggest myth about a system like this is that you will ruin the temper or heat-treatment of your blade as if you had used a motor-driven grinding wheel. This is most often espoused by folks who have no knowledge of steel, chemistry, or physics — the same types who wear belts with suspenders. There is simply no way to get this device’s motor-driven belt system that fast and hot to cause the damage that they fear. That damage can occur with a faster motor-driven grinding wheel, but not with the Work Sharp.

For even more versatility, Work Sharp offers a knife and tool grinding attachment. This replaces the belts and will let you do an expert job on chisel grinds, lawnmower blades, axe blades, and can act as an introduction to grinding a blade from bar stock.

Portable Systems for the Prepared

Every sharpener we have touched on to this point is portable, including the Ken Onion Work Sharp model (it needs power, but it is by no means heavy). They would all require a minor degree of setup to work in the field and are fine for hunters. But if you’re bugging out and don’t have the time or facilities to set up a sharpener, or are tallying every item down to the ounce or cubic-inch, there are a few options beyond the basic whetstones. Here’s a look at a few:

Guided Field Sharpener: Made by Work Sharp, it’s roughly the weight and dimensions of an unloaded pistol magazine. The guide is a 20-degree angle with coarse and fine diamond abrasive stones. A three directional ceramic rod is located on the spine for coarse or fine work and even has a fishhook setting and a rod for sharpening serrations. The opposing side has a practical leather strop treated with a polishing compound.

Blademedic Knife Sharpener: This Lansky model comes in an even smaller package and can handle serrations with a swing-out diamond hone rod. The tool may not work on large knives or machetes due to the smaller dimensions, but for maintaining pocketknives, fishing knives, or hunting knives, it makes for a very handy piece of kit for your bug-out bag.

Golden Stone: Spyderco’s portable tool makes for a much more portable version of their Tri-Angle sharpening system. This oblong sharpener is made from alumina bonded ceramic covered in micron-sized sapphires and comes in a suede pouch that doubles as a base. Position one of the legs on the base for the proper angle to sharpen one side, and then rock it over to the other leg to sharpen the reverse. Unlike a stone, this one will never wear out and requires no water or honing oil.

Whichever sharpener you choose will require some study and research to get the most out of it in order to be able to properly maintain your knives. Most sporting goods stores and hardware stores have in-house samples to let you try them out before you buy them.

Luckily for the couple in the opening paragraph, we were able to restore the edge on the cheap pocketknife the wife tried to destroy by using a demo unit of one of the very sharpeners mentioned in this article. The knife still looked beat-up, but based on the model, it definitely had a better edge than when it left the factory.

3 Tips From the Master

Ken Onion is a master knife-maker and was kind enough to give us a few tips for the sharpener he developed with Work Sharp:

Slow Your Roll: “I realize it was easy to round the tips with the old Work Sharp. We addressed this with my version. The belts are wider and the variable speed makes it much easier to dial down the speed to where you are comfortable. Start slow and work it up.”

Sponge It Up: “If the dust becomes bothersome, try putting a damp sponge on your table and place it right across the face of the wheel so it just barely touches it, but do not get the belts wet. The sponge will collect the dust.”

Get Attached: “If you are having trouble getting the hang of things or wish to sharpen zero grinds or just want to take your knife sharpening to a whole new level, I recommend getting the knife and tool grinding attachment. I feel it’s much easier to use and does a much more precise job of sharpening. You’re much less likely to scratch the finish of your knife, as you’re not pulling your blade through a guide.”

Sharpening the Emerson Way

Ernest Emerson helped popularize the chisel-grind edge on folding knives and revolutionized the concept of the tactical knife in the 1990s. As simple and efficient as the grind may be, it still mystifies some users. He was kind enough to share some of his wisdom with us:

Why the Chisel Grind Edge? “When designing a knife for use by SEAL Team Six back in the 1980s, we chose the chisel-grind edge because it is the easiest to sharpen (you only have to sharpen one side of the knife) and it holds its edge for a long time.”

When is it Sharp Enough? “Use whichever device you are most comfortable with and sharpen the primary edge. When you feel a burr with the back of your fingernail off the edge, you have sharpened the front edge enough.”

What About the Back Side? “Turning the knife over, you lightly stroke the flat side just to break the burr free. This only takes a couple of light passes. Incline the sharpener slightly so you don’t scratch the surface of the blade and are only touching the very edge. Next you take the cardboard back of a yellow legal pad and strop the knife back and forth on the cardboard. You have to use some pressure, so be sure that your fingers are clear of the blade if it were to accidentally close. Do this repeatedly for 10 to 20 strokes on each side.”

Strops and Steels

Perhaps the best way to maintain any blade is to strop it on a regular basis. A few passes on a strop or razor strap will keep a keen edge on most blades. For certain blades, it may be the only failsafe method of maintaining the edge, such as on a zero-bevel knife or “Scandi-grind.”

Another touted method is the “Butcher’s Steel.” These steel sharpening rods used to be a standard feature in most kitchen knife blocks, and they do a great job of cleaning blood, gristle, and skin from knives that have been processing meat because they are made from the same steel with the same hardness. For that reason it is not a good idea to “touch up the edge” on your EDC knife with S30V, ATS-34, D2, or any other steel that the Butcher’s Steel was not made for.

Improvised Sharpeners

Sometimes the best plans fail, and maybe you bugged out without a decent sharpener. Abrasive stones found in the wild that are flat will mostly work the same as a sharpening stone. The rough inside of a quality leather belt can function as an effective strop as can denim, cardboard (see the Ernest Emerson sidebar), and most rugged material of a similar nature. Coffee cups, bowls, and other items made of ceramic are sufficiently hard enough to stand in for a field expedient sharpener if necessary. Other abrasives, such as files and sandpaper, can be used as well.

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Two-Wheel Torque

Posted on October 12, 2015 at 6:37 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

“Rock and Row”
In-The-Dirt Testing
Getting Hands On
Kit Up
Offgrid Tip
Rokon Lineup

With one twist of its throttle, the stout Rokon motorcycle can transform from a rubber-burning all-terrain vehicle to a gravity-defying projectile that can down an incoming enemy helicopter, sacrificing its own life to heroically save your entire team from a deadly strafing run. Naturally, this can only be done if you're Sylvester Stallone, your team includes Jason Statham, and the helo is a prop in Expendables 2.

Artistic license aside, its movie-star turn serves to illustrate what its loyalists have believed for nearly 50 years: the Rokon is not only America's best kept secret weapon, but also the ultimate transporter that can practically roll on, over, and through almost everything.

The modern-day Rokon stakes its claim as the second-oldest U.S. motorcycle in constant production. Remaining true to its heritage, today's Rokon closely resembles the simple schematics that inventor Charles Henry Fehn first submitted with his patent applications in 1958 when he called it the Trail-Breaker. The patent was granted in 1966, and even today's models are instantly recognizable as offshoots of the original version, what with the MIG-welded steel frames and tractor-like 8x12x25 Titan tire treads over hollow aluminum drum wheels. In fact, the sealable drum wheels hold 2.6 gallons each of water or fuel, so you could almost triple the amount of fuel available on board from the standard 2.69-gallon fuel tank. Its four-stroke, fan-cooled 7hp Kohler 208cc engine is mated to a three-speed automatic torque-converter transmission.

With a burn rate of 1/4 gallon per hour, and with a running speed of, say, 30 mph, your bug-out-route range will approach 330 miles on one 2.69-gallon tank before you tap into the wheel reservoirs for two additional fill-ups for a total range of over 900 miles. And if things get to Mad Max: Fury Roadlevels of desperation, you can always sling another tank on the back.

And, OK, the Rokon does not fly. But when each wheel drum is left empty, the 218-pound Rokon may be laid on its side and floated across open water, carburetor up. “What good is a floating bike?” you might ask. What if your bug-out route brings you to a deep creek or river and a roadblock is set up at the only bridge crossing for 200 miles? Try wading chest deep with your dual-sport bike or ATV.

A pair of Rokons relied upon by the U.S. Forest Service to hit the trails inaccessible to ATVs and quads.

“Rock and Row”

From his 1915 birth in San Bernardino to his passing in 1972, Fehn lived in Southern California with a penchant for invention and seeking investors, demo-ing the Trail-Breaker in steep sand dunes or by driving over the dropped tailgate and into the bed of his El Camino. Through development of an innovative clutch, front and rear chain-driven wheels, and gearing system, Fehn's ideas enabled the rider to maneuver in tight turns without grounding — a system that has since undergone considerable refinement.

Early bikes were sold in kit form or from various distributors, the most successful being Orla Larsen. Larsen named his distributorship company Rokon, after his Vermont ski lodge that he called “On The Rocks.” While some die-hards still pronounce the motorcycle name “Rock-on,” the universal pronunciation is “Row-con.”

Today the company is enjoying a resurgence as Rokon International, Inc., based in Rochester, New Hampshire, with 29 dealers in the U.S. and eight overseas. Factory-direct custom order sales are strong with Rokons arriving at dealers and doorsteps around the country, said President Tom Blais.

If the Internet's latest “ultimate” bug-out jeep, truck, or tank is beyond your financial reach or free space in your garage, consider adding a Rokon as your bug-out vehicle. For those who have the scratch, it could also serve as a secondary ride mounted on your truck bed or on a trailer hitch. It's available in street legal or strictly off-road versions and is highly customizable from dealer options. Dual-sport bikes fit the higher speed, on-road/on-trail route scenario very well (see RECOIL Issue 10, and OFFGRID Issue 7 or turn to “(No) Easy Rider, our feature on motorbike techniques, elsewhere in this issue). Still, when SHTF, Rokon riders say the low and stable two-wheel-drive difference is unbelievable if you have to leave the urban landscape and go beyond established trails, all the while towing a trailer or dragging big-game behind you.

In-The-Dirt Testing

In a series of real-world tests, we were able to validate the Rokon's billy-goat-meets-Big-Foot qualities by joining a small group of hardcore riders on a 200-mile journey deep within the Ocala National Forest. There the U.S. Forest Service Rangers receive training on the usage of the Rokon for taking chainsaws and other gear deep within trails that are too narrow for ATVs. Rangers favor the low-pressure Rokon tires (3.5 pounds psi) and spark arrestor mufflers in the deep sugar sand, inclines, and muddy crossings. The tubeless tires are said to leave less pressure than a human footprint, passing easily between narrow trees on handlebar-width trails. The bikes also can perform search-and-recovery efforts, even towing out other vehicles with a ball hitch if needed.

“These Rokons are not about speed,” said one of the riders, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general who once demo'd the Rokons for the Pentagon. “These are about torque. These are about getting from Point A to Point B when there is little or no path before you and you must absolutely arrive. They are unstoppable. They will go where a dirt bike, quad, or ATV will not pass.”

Rokons feel very different from traditional dirt and street bikes or ATVs and require a shift in thinking. All Rokon controls are accomplished by the hands. The unsprung, folding front or rear foot pegs serve only to support the rider and passenger's sturdy boots while riding, allowing the riders to place one or both feet on the ground to steady the bike on slow maneuvers and obstacles.

The tractor-like tires and high (14-inch) ground clearance allowed seesaw, teeter-totter log crossings by shifting weight fore and aft. Compared to high-riding dirt bikes, the Rokon's low-seat position inspired confidence while traversing slopes.

Although one novice rider laid his bike down about three times in deep shifting sands, the rider was never thrown and was faulted more than the bike. These were not bunny slopes, and the fact that a beginner could negotiate these hills is a tribute to the bike's low center of gravity and pure torque.

Orientation commences with powerful front and rear hydraulic disc brake levers, with the left hand braking the rear and the throttle hand controlling the front. Both brakes are mounted high to keep them free from mud and water. The left hand also controls a black engine emergency “kill” button that shuts off the engine if the bike goes down, plus headlight switch. Above all, we insist on opting for the “Brush Buster” optional handguards to protect the grips and hands from impacts with trees, rocks, or any other obstacles.

Getting Hands On

On the lower right-hand side, fuel management is controlled by the fuel tank shutoff valve, for storing or transporting the Rokon. Close by and beneath the choke, an engine fuel valve is opened for riding and closed for storing the motorcycle. The fuel tank cap air valve may be closed to air intake in the event the Rokon is floated sideways — during our test, this was followed by an immediate and sure start. Some early model bikes attending were equipped with snorkels for exceeding the recommended maximum operating depth of 24 inches.

With the engine in neutral, and using the three-position (anti-theft) ignition key switched to on, the Rokon is started either from a steady pull on the right-side starter rope or from an optional key electrical starter.

Testing the Rokon's flotation at lakeside. With carb side up, the Rokon creates a splash, but comes up and starts.

What sets the Rokon apart from other motorcycles is the sealed three-range transmission that appears as a straight shaft inline horizontal plunger on the lower right side of the bike, with a black ball end. Shifting is not done on the move, but from a dead stop and only then at idle speed or when the engine is off. Grasping the plunger ball and pulling outward all the way brings the bike into first gear. If needed, gently rock the bike until the gears synch. The shift pattern from the inside to the outside is as follows: third, neutral, second, neutral, first. There's no reverse. To turn the bike in tight quarters, it may be pivoted 180 degrees on its kickstand.

The Rokon may be started in gear, with one hand lightly on the brake lever and without revving the engine. From any gear, the Rokon may be run from a dead standstill to the top speed range of its gear. When coupled with the automatic torque converter, it has extremely broad capabilities from steep grade climbing to routine routes. The torque converter provides a large overlap of speed and torque between gears, making frequent gear changes unnecessary and eliminating the need to shift on the move. In the event a dangerous encounter occurs, the Rokon may be brought to an abrupt stop, still in gear at idle speed, and hands switched to sidearm or long-gun without downshifting or going to neutral. Even in third, one twist of the throttle later, and you are gone.

Auto-Grab suspension has 8 inches of travel, and the aluminum wheel holds 2.6 gallons of water or fuel.

The torque converter is designed especially for Rokon and provides smooth automatic clutching and ratio changing in response to throttle control and terrain requirements, all without loss of engine revs or power, as the front and rear-driven pulleys transfer power through the gears to the front or rear chain drives.

We crawled and drove up tree trunks and ditches in first, floated through sand in second, and hauled down logging roads in third, although some expert riders never left third and managed the responsive throttle beautifully.

With the front wheel chain guards removed, proper chain tensioning and lubrication is accomplished with simple wrenches.

For many years, riders had only an adjustable seat spring for one or two riders and low-pressure tires to absorb vibrations while covering terrain. More recently Rokon offers a new Auto-Grab front suspension, allowing for 8 inches of shock travel via a swing-arm pivoted at the bottom of the front fork. In order to maintain proper chain tension as the suspension moves, a second chain was added up front on a dual idler sprocket, adding a slight amount of weight and improving traction. Rokon's Geoff Richardson said the front spring was developed at the insistence of the Jordanian military for ease of negotiating asphalt that's pockmarked with mortar rounds. Jordan now imports its own Rokons and assembles them in a plant, where the King of Jordan maintains a Rokon museum.

Maintenance on most items is accomplished with a simple set of wrenches and lube, with many parts available from local hardware stores. Checking for front and rear chain tension and lubrication is standard operating procedure.

Front suspension soaks up the drop

Kit Up

A cult-like following of Rokon rebuilders is constantly searching for Rokons to restore and to rally with in remote locations the nation over, while squeezing out an additional 5 to 10 mph. During our ride, accessories were basic, ranging from tomahawks and handheld GPS units to ammo cans that went unopened. To equip and customize a modern Rokon, the company makes it simple for new owners by providing an itemized accessory menu, with a rumored Prepper Edition in all black arriving some day.

Meanwhile, for bugging out and keeping a low profile, we highly recommend accessories, including:

– Trail Maintenance Kit, (fuel filter, air filter, spark plug and wrench, two connecting chain links, two half links and chain, chain breaker, low-pressure gauge, pump, tubeless repair kit, and drive belt in leather pouch
– Camouflage Upgrade
– Carrier ramp plus ratchet straps to secure Rokon to trailer hitch or truck
– Gun boot, saddle style; keeps the width of the bike down and is safer than carrying a rifle across the handlebars on narrow, wooded trails.
– Tow bar kit chain, trailer hitch, and hard bar
– Brush Busters (handguards)
– Tachometer/hour meter
– Game Carrier, which replaces the rear seat to transport backpacks, cargo, rigging saddle bags, and large objects
– Single Track Trailer, a long linear carrier that increases carrying capacity
– GPS/cell phone holders
– Fuel siphon pump
– Waterproof 12-volt plug for recharging cellular phones, lap tops, and powering low-pressure air pump for tires
– Tactical carry system (two ammo cans) on saddle bag position
– Stihl chainsaw, machete, axe, rope, spare fuel, trail maps, tent, pack

The Rokon Trail-Breaker has come a long way from its origins in 1958, one year after some young Americans first carried the M-14 into Vietnam. Just as a new generation of fighters has rediscovered the worth and staying power of the old battle rifle, so too are new generations of “urban bug-out planners” realizing the potential of the Rokon ride.

Our deep wilderness ride ended with one broken mirror, but we're not courting bad luck. As this author tells his firearms students, “Leave luck to the unprepared.” Rock on, Rokon.

Offgrid Tip

Company president Tom Blais pounded the Chilean Andes with his. The U.S. Special Forces covered sands with it in Desert Storm. And U.S. Border Patrol agents use theirs to pursue narrow foot paths. Rokon motorcycles are relied upon by the military and law enforcement agencies all over the world, from Fort Bragg to Brunei.

So, we were thrilled at the chance to join the ranks of those who've tested these all-terrain vehicles. Here are some lessons learned from a recent hardcore training session:

– Starting in neutral is best.
– Carry maps, a GPS unit or two, plus plenty of fuel in reserve.
– Keep a few basic tools with you to tighten up any loose fittings, and always keep your chain properly tensioned and lubricated.
– Practice your bug-out skills by creeping through the woods or your given landscape, walking the bike if necessary. Work less on speed and more on negotiating obstacles.
– If you're unable to avoid traveling on or across roads, keep your head on a swivel, scanning and assessing 360 degrees when traveling and stopping, watching first from the woods and listening before crossing.

Rokon Lineup

Rokon offers three similar models with slight variations in color, available suspension, wheel, and motor-gearing options. Each model is available with 50 factory accessories, from a one-bolt add-on sidecar to a 2,000-watt generator.
Rokon

Trail-Breaker
The flagship bike is the complete package with Auto-Grab front wheel suspension, 12-inch aluminum drums, and the high-output 208cc 7hp Kohler engine.
Drive System Full-time all-wheel drive
Engine 7hp Kohler, one-cylinder, four-stroke
Piston Displacement 208cc Kohler
Power Transmission Auto torque converter into a three-gear range selector
Fuel Tank 2.69 gallon
Grade Capability 60-percent
Wheels 12-inch aluminum sealed drum
Tires 8x12x25 tubeless
Wheelbase 51 inches
Ground Clearance 14 inches
Height Over Seat 32 inches
Height Over Handlebars 41 inches
Width 30 inches
Length 79 inches
Weight 218 pounds (dry weight)
Fordable Water Depth 24 inches
Base Price $7,350

Ranger
The middle-of-the-pack model, appealing to those wanting the 160cc 5hp Honda engine and solid non-drum heavy-spoke wheels.
Drive System Full-time all-wheel drive
Engine 5hp Honda, one-cylinder, four-stroke
Piston Displacement 160cc Honda
Power Transmission Auto torque converter into a three-gear range selector
Fuel Tank 2.69 gallon
Grade Capability 60-percent
Wheels 12-inch steel spoke
Tires 8x12x25 tubeless
Wheelbase 51 inches
Ground Clearance 14 inches
Height Over Seat 32 inches
Height Over Handlebars 41 inches
Width 30 inches
Length 79 inches
Weight 218 pounds (dry weight)
Fordable Water Depth 24 inches
Base Price $6,975

Scout
Basically the same as the Trail-Breaker, only without the drum wheels and the front suspension for a lighter or more traditional feel.
Drive System Full-time all-wheel drive
Engine 7hp Kohler, one-cylinder, four-stroke
Piston Displacement 208cc Kohler
Power Transmission Auto torque converter into a three-gear range selector
Fuel Tank 2.69 gallon
Grade Capability 60-percent
Wheels 12-inch steel spoke
Tires 8x12x25 tubeless
Wheelbase 51 inches
Ground Clearance 14 inches
Height Over Seat 31 inches
Height Over Handlebars 41 inches
Width 30 inches
Length 79 inches
Weight 218 pounds (dry weight)
Fordable Water Depth
24 inches
Base Price $6,500

Rokon
www.rokon.com

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