RECOILtv: The Self-Defense Circle of Awareness

Written by

In any survival scenario, situational awareness is critical. We often think of that term solely in the context of observing your surroundings — for example, looking or listening for signs of incoming threats. But situational awareness also extends to your every-day carry gear. Is your gun always in the same place on your body, and have you confirmed recently that it's maintained, loaded, and ready to use? Is your flashlight battery dead? Is your knife sharp and ready to draw consistently? What about medical gear? These are questions you must answer before an emergency occurs.

In the following RECOILtv video, Bill Rapier of Am Tac Shooting discusses a technique he calls “the circle of awareness.” It was derived from skydiving, where each participant has to be continually scanning for external issues (e.g. other divers they might collide with) as well as internal issues (e.g. problems with the altimeter or chute handles). Overlooking either one of these factors could lead to a jumper making “a very insignificant divot in the earth,” as Rapier says.

The circle of awareness is “a lifestyle, a way of thinking about things continuously” as well as a means of loading a concealed-carry firearm. Rapier explains how it involves framing the weapon in an elevated work space, seating a magazine, racking the slide while keeping the muzzle on target, and confirming that a round has been chambered properly. Whether you're going through these steps in your bedroom before leaving the house or during a chaotic firefight, they could mean the difference between being confident your gun will go bang and finding out the hard way that it didn't.

New: Primitive Technology Survivalist Guide Book

Written by

We've been following the YouTube channel known as Primitive Technology for several years now — the odds are good that you might be another one of its 9.8 million subscribers. Despite creating what some may see as simple content, devoid of flashy editing, music, or even narration, this Australian YouTuber has turned his hobby of teaching primitive survival skills into a successful full-time job. While streaming video is a great way to demonstrate these skills, it's not readily-accessible in off-grid settings, so he has created a hardcover survivalist guide book you can bring into the backcountry.

The man behind the channel, who we now know as John Plant, wrote the following statement to announce the book:

“This video coincides with the release of my new book “Primitive Technology,” which releases exactly 4 years and 6 months since my first video post on this channel. This video compilation, as well as the book, outlines all the skills and achievements I've attained in this time period using research, hard work and trial and error. Writing this book is something I wanted to do even before making videos and launching this channel. I wanted to offer something tangible that benefited those who had the same keen interest in primitive technology as I do. With that, I thank each and every one of you for your continued support throughout the years, and I really hope you enjoy the book.”

At 192 pages, the Primitive Technology book is said to feature “50 projects with step-by-step instructions on how to make tools, weapons, shelters, pottery, clothing, and more.” It also includes illustrations, sidebars with historical background on the primitive skills, as well as tips for finding materials and constructing components. This book is available today, October 29th, in hardcover form for $14 or as a Kindle ebook for $10.

For more information on Primitive Technology: A Survivalist's Guide to Building Tools, Shelters, and More in the Wild, go to PenguinRandomHouse.com.

OFFGRID Library of Recommended Books

Tom Marshall Spotlight – The Inside Man

Written by

Some of you may be familiar with Robert Burns’ poem “To a Mouse” since one of its lines became the title of the Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men. It tells of a farmer who inadvertently digs up a field mouse’s winter home with his plow and apologetically consoles the mouse as it trembles before him with fear. He ruminates on how the mouse, who instinctively burrowed to build a home for the winter, is now temporarily without shelter. His observation continues about how mice and men are alike in that their plans can often be disrupted without notice, but he’s somewhat envious that the mouse lives in the present. Meanwhile, humans often remain anchored to the regret of their past and look with apprehension and uncertainty about what the future holds.

Perhaps we can learn a bit from the survival reflexes this animal has honed, as well as its complete absence of self-pity. It’ll quickly rebuild its home, while a larger, more technologically advanced human would likely be an emotional wreck if his or her home were suddenly destroyed. When you spread that woe-is-me mentality across the entirety of a major metropolitan area, you quickly have a recipe for desperation — one that could’ve been avoided, had the right mindset been taught to those affected by the crisis.

Herein lies the ongoing struggle of the survival community and its purveyors. How do you convince the average fragile human of the value of preparation without sounding like some Chicken Little, the-sky-is-falling paranoiac? As it’s been said before, preparation is largely a matter of attitude and knowledge. What good are your supplies if you’ve never practiced with them in a realistic context with stressors and time constraints? Hardware will only get you so far if you don’t have the software to use it and remain level-headed when the moment of truth is upon you.

Tom Marshall has not only lived the lifestyle of preparation, but continues to study it and espouse his distilled brand of survival to those who need it. Whether it was as a U.S. Army Captain, overseas contractor, or as RECOIL OFFGRID’s newest editor, he believes in instilling people with both the confidence of self-sufficiency and the no-punches-pulled insight of using the right tools for the right job. We welcome Tom to the editor’s chair and wanted to pick his brain a bit more to understand his approach to the “I think, therefore I am” outlook that’s critical to facing adversity when the proverbial plow upends your life.

Tom Marshall Interview

RECOIL OFFGRID: Where did you grow up?

Tom Marshall: Yonkers, New York. It’s about 10 to 15 minutes outside of Manhattan.

At the helm of an M1 Abrams battle tank during his uniformed service career.

How were you initially introduced to firearms?

TM: You know, for having grown up in a place where firearms were so taboo, they were kind of always around for me. I think my first actual trigger time was in Boy Scout Camp when I was in middle school. We had single-shot bolt-action .22s made by Sears. I didn’t stick with the Boy Scouts, but went on to work with the Civil Air Patrol, New York Search and Rescue, and the New York State Guard. All of those organizations were heavily populated with law enforcement officers and military folks, so I was exposed to firearms pretty consistently, despite being in a part of the country with a pretty negative view of individual liberty.

Tell us about your military and private security background.

TM: After high school, I attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, New York). It’s a graduation requirement for all Midshipmen (students) there to not only take a commission in the armed forces, but to also successfully complete all the requirements for a Merchant Mariner’s License as either a 3rd Mate or 3rd Assistant Engineer. Before you can even take the test for this license, you have to spend 360-plus days at sea.

In Navy whites during a formal at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

By my 21st birthday, I’d been to 15 countries on three different continents — a few more by the time I graduated with a degree in logistics, my 3rd Mate’s License, and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army. I branched cavalry and was assigned to a Stryker Brigade RSTA (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Target Acquisition) Squadron at Fort Lewis, Washington. I worked as an Assistant Operations Officer, Recon Platoon Leader, and finally as Headquarters Company Executive Officer. I spent a year of that time in Iraq and separated from active duty as a Captain.

Afterward, I worked briefly in corrections before going back overseas as an Independent Contractor, providing security services for a federal agency with officers stationed downrange. I logged 13 separate deployments in four years with that gig, before returning stateside full-time to accept a staff position here with the RECOIL and RECOIL OFFGRID family.

On break during an urban warfare exercise.

What are some experiences you had that you felt were pivotal moments for you?

TM: When I was a Merchant Marine cadet, I was on shore leave in Souda Bay, Greece. I went out with a couple of the other crew members. I got handed way too much to drink and, shortly thereafter, a fight broke out between us and a couple of local longshoremen who had been very clumsily shadowing us for much of the evening. I got separated from my shipmates in the scuffle and, long story short, wound up wandering the streets for most of the night before finding a taxi to take me back to the port. From there, I hitched a ride back to my ship (anchored off-shore) in a Navy patrol boat about 30 minutes before I was due to start my shift. The other guys made it back safely, too, though it could’ve gone very differently.

My year in Iraq was one giant experience in survival all by itself. There are probably too many individual experiences to count, but I certainly learned a lot about the mental and physical skills that will save your life under adverse conditions.

What survival lessons did you glean from those experiences?

TM: There were some big lessons that I took from the street fight in Greece — at a very early age, relatively speaking. One was that I allowed myself to become impaired to a point that I couldn’t effectively look out for myself. Major no-no. And I’ve never let it happen again. The other lesson there was that I didn’t have any plan for myself in the event of getting separated from my group, which is exactly what happened. Most people think of escape and evasion in terms of being actively chased by bad guys. This was not the case for me but, even still, I basically had to depend on the good will of some locals to get me where I needed to be. And I had to do it totally alone in a foreign country with a language barrier.

The only thing I had on me besides my clothes were my wallet and a pocket knife that, in reality, would have failed at anything more than mundane household use. Even if your plan includes working as a team or group, having the ability to operate alone is priceless. True self-sufficiency, whether in the woods or a seedy neighborhood, hinges on mental toughness, a broad set of “hard skills,” and keen awareness of both the physical and human environments.

One of the biggest lessons I took from Iraq relates to gear selection. Before we deployed, I bought a whole slew of personal gear that I thought would serve me better than what I was issued. But I purchased all of it through military surplus stores and eBay. Within the first 90 days of a 12-month deployment, all of that gear had broken down and fallen apart. The adage “buy once, cry once” proved all too true for me. Take the extra time to pinch pennies and spend what you’ve got on sturdy, high-quality equipment. Trying to replace hardware on the fly from the other side of the planet is way more trouble than it’s worth.

When it comes to preparation, what rules do you live by?

TM: “Pack light, move fast, hit hard” — I can’t remember where I heard it, but I’ve always liked it. I try to carry less and make the most of what I’ve got.

“Software over hardware” — I try to spend more time training and developing skillsets than I do drooling over gear.

“Equipment selection is a form of mission analysis” — I guarantee the equipment I do use regularly was painstakingly thought out. Before you put something on your kit or in your pack, rigorously examine what exactly you’ll be doing and what exactly that piece of gear will do for you in that context.

I’m sure there’s more than those three, but those are definitely some of my go-to gold nuggets. I’m also a huge fan of mental rehearsal. War-gaming or what-if-ing is vital to keeping your brain warmed up for quick reaction in an emergency situation.

Above: A self-proclaimed training junkie, Tom routinely uses classes to field test gear. This photo is from the Law Enforcement Basic Parachutist course with Dynamic Solutions Training Group.

Where do you think mainstream media typically fails in its portrayal of survival and preparation?

TM: The “survivalist” in any group of movie or TV characters is always crazy. They’re typically portrayed as over-the-top, paranoid, slightly unstable, and just sort of an overall wahoo. One of my personal favorite examples of this is Burt and Heather Gummer, from the movie Tremors. No matter how hard Hollywood tried to ridicule their basement full of guns and home-brewed pipe bombs, it just made me jealous. It may be fun to chuckle at, at first. But the truth is that this archetype, fed to us over and over throughout mainstream media, only serves to marginalize and stigmatize those who choose to practice even a modest level of preparation. Which is kind of bullsh*t, really. At the end of the day, what’s wrong with wanting the capability to provide for yourself and your loved ones? Isn’t that why our parents and teachers and guidance counselors all harangued us about studying hard and getting good jobs? The goal was to provide for our own and contribute to the common good wherever possible. It’s no different today.

The irony here is that, in a lot of those shows, it’s the “crazy prepper” who winds up saving everyone’s ass.

What do you think people passionate about survival can do to educate their non-survivalist friends about preparation?

TM: Ease them into it. Nobody wants to be pushed out of their comfort zone straight into an underground bunker built inside an old missile silo. If you can convince someone to keep a couple protein bars, a gallon of water, and a first-aid kit in their trunk, that’s something. The great thing about prepping is that it’s entirely self-paced and small steps are totally acceptable. Not everyone’s going to have the means or motivation to build up a 12-month food store or run bug-out drills with their in-laws. Some will realize an undiscovered passion and go all-out, and that’s awesome! But when dealing with true skeptics or those who are intimidated by the stereotypes, I would simply encourage them to learn one thing they no longer have to call someone else to do for them. That’s the underlying goal for all of us — a lifestyle that breeds self-sufficiency. A lot of people, when they get that first taste of I-can-do-this-all-by-myself, realize a level of empowerment and self-confidence that most of modern society trades away for convenience. There’s almost a rush to it, and I think that has the potential to be an incredibly powerful teaching tool.

Above: In addition to his military/tactical background, Tom also doubles as RECOIL OFFGRID’s resident bourbon expert. Photo from a field assignment to Buffalo Trace distillery.

Why do you think so many people look at survival and preparation as a negative thing?

TM: I think there’s a couple of things going on here. I’ve personally heard a lot of people talk about survival and prepping in context of a certain scenario they think will take place, or a certain path they think society is on. Some of those scenarios have the potential to become politically charged, which can turn people off. I also think when we discuss prepping strictly in terms of mass-impact events like dirty bombs, viral epidemics, or EMPs, you lose a lot of your “swing voters” — people who aren’t sure how they feel about prepping — because you only offer them a yes-or-no doomsday decision.

If you believe giant catastrophe X has good odds of happening in your lifetime, you should absolutely prep for it. If you don’t believe that, why bother? But a true survival-focused lifestyle has, I would argue, more to do with everyday problems than cataclysmic events. You can prep for getting a flat tire on the way home from work, or for getting dysentery in Cancun, and those events are far more likely than an end-of-the-world situation. Being prepared only requires you to acknowledge that life doesn’t go according to plan, and to figure out how to handle that before you actually have to.

If you could wave a magic wand and change the K through 12 system, what sort of education do you think they should implement about survival?

TM: By the time kids get to high school, everyone should know how to start a fire, how to build a makeshift shelter, and how to tie a few basic knots. Some high school students in my area are actually being taught the Stop The Bleed trauma care curriculum, which is amazing. Medical knowledge is huge: CPR, splinting, tourniquets, and basic wound cleaning/dressing ought to also be mandatory. My home state of Arizona is also fortunate enough to have a wide selection of competitive shooting programs at the high school level. Basic firearms education used to be prevalent and should be brought back. While we’re at it, let’s bring back shop class and home economics too. I didn’t learn how to cook until my mid 20s. I also just started doing some of my own vehicle maintenance within the last 18 months, and that’s still under the supervision of someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

When I was at the Academy, I had to take welding and pipe fitting. I’m a huge believer in skilled trades — there’s an intrinsic emotional value in being able to make or fix something with your own hands that’s not only practical, but also deeply satisfying. While this may not be the kind of stuff people think of when they envision survival training, basic labor skills develop a well-rounded sense of self-reliance that’s useful before, during, and after a survival situation. If our society put a higher premium on getting sweaty and scraping your knuckles, we’d be a much more independent people. I also think we’d be less stressed out. There’s a lot to be said about the value of a hard day’s work.

Above: Tom believes preparedness should include preparing for “street level” survival situations like hijacking and kidnapping. Photo from the final exercise of Ed Calderon’s Counter Custody class.

What do you think the survival industry should be doing differently?

TM: I think there’s a lot of marketing through fear. That’s certainly not unique to the survival industry, but I think the subject of survival makes it the path of least resistance for companies looking to literally scare up a couple of sales. It’d be great for more companies to focus on the value their products provide across a variety of situations and not just “if the world goes to hell, you’d better have one of these!”

What disaster or survival situations do you think people are the most likely to face in their lifetime?

TM: In terms of disasters, I think there’s two primary issues to be concerned about: natural disasters and terrorism. Natural disasters are, of course, regionally biased. People in the upper Midwest are, hopefully, not losing any sleep prepping for a hurricane. But tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, and severe storms are all things that can induce a large-scale collapse of infrastructure at the local level. During the appropriate season, things like tornados and hurricanes can hit multiple locations in a very short span of time, creating a regional strain on first-responder capabilities.

The other is terrorism. Extremist ideology isn’t going away, and it’s no longer a danger confined to other countries. We’ve been very fortunate that only a small number of planned attacks were executed successfully in America. I once heard a quote that went something like, “The bad guys only have to get lucky once. The good guys have to get lucky every single time.” Our men and women in government service are doing a fantastic job, but it’s unrealistic to think they’ll foil every plot every time. I’m not sure what the next attack would look like, though I believe active shooters and small IEDs are the most cost-effective and gruesomely efficient solution for terrorists. I also have no doubt that multiple groups are engaged in a continual cycle of planning, assessing, and probing for exploitable weaknesses in our society’s armor.

There are, of course, plenty of other survival situations that aren’t so large-scale. When we think “disaster” most people envision a single event that affects millions of people. But what about the millions of events that affect individuals and their families every day? For Issue 29, I took a counter-custody class with Ed Calderon. That article contains some of the most unflattering pictures that have ever been published of me. I also saw a lot of kidnapping and hostage taking overseas. If you don’t think being kidnapped counts as a life-threatening disaster, or think it’s a rare occurrence, there’s plenty of grim statistics that prove otherwise.

What sort of situations do you see a serious lack of education about?

TM: Survival education, as a whole, is shunned by much of modern society, which forces many of us with a preparedness mindset to closet our ideas and information. The basic principles of survival are simple — even if they’re not easy. Whether you’re taking a trip to a foreign country, worried about street crime, or foresee the possibility of a large-scale terror attack in your hometown, being prepared is a critical thinking exercise: make an assessment of what potential disasters could touch your life, and come up with a plan on how you and your family will cope with it.

When you read this somewhere, everyone kind of rolls their eyes and slaps their forehead and says “yeah … obviously!” But talk is cheap, and we don’t teach this as a life skill. Medical professionals learn how to diagnose diseases. Scientists learn the scientific process for developing theories and testing them. But when people apply this kind of thinking in the context of natural or man-made disasters, they get labeled as crazy or paranoid. They get asked, “What are you so afraid of all the time?” This stifles any kind of education or open discussion about how to be ready for bad things that can happen in life.

How do you think technology is going to play into survival down the road, both good and bad?

TM: Let’s talk about the bad first — we’re all glued to our phones and tablets. They’re raising our kids and delivering our groceries and allowing us to say awful things to strangers who disagree with our politics. I think, on a large scale, it’s crippling people’s ability to put up with inconvenience or discomfort, a critical skill in any kind of survival situation. It’s also smothering people with useless distraction that allows us to digitally stick our heads in the sand about what’s happening in the world around us and what we can do to prepare for it.

Having said that, there are plenty of great benefits provided by technology in the context of survival. Lighter, more durable equipment. Smaller and brighter flashlights. GPS navigation. Not too long ago, we ran a review of emergency preparedness apps that put all kinds of news and emergency knowledge just a swipe or two away on your smartphone. The ability to leverage technology to save ourselves and persevere in the face of adversity is greater now than at any point in human history.

What is your advice to gun owners who think their rights and ability to protect themselves will continue to be compromised by political pandering?

TM: Just like other self-sufficiency skills, our right to self-defense and the tools associated with it shouldn’t be political bargaining chips. Get involved and stand up for your individual rights! Write letters, join advocacy groups, vote, donate if you can. If not, there’s always a need for volunteer assistance at the grassroots level. I know that everyone is strapped for cash and time, but these are surefire ways to ensure that our voice as a gun-owning community gets heard in public forum. The other thing I would stress heavily is being a good ambassador of gun culture. Don’t judge or talk down to people who are fearful or ignorant of the subject. It’s absolutely possible to change people’s minds on this topic. But you have to be sensitive to the stigma that pop culture has placed on the 2nd Amendment. It’s unfortunate, and it really shouldn’t be a thing, but it is.

Above: Tom's vehicle bail-out bag, as seen in the Bag Drop column in Issue 34.

What do you think are the terms or practices that tend to be a bit overhyped in the survival community and why?

TM: This is tough. One person’s “too much” is somebody else’s “not enough.” There seems to be a big push over the last few years for bunkers and compounds. Whether it’s burying a shipping container in the backyard or buying land two hours outside of the city and building an entire second homestead on it, I think this survival concept is way out of reach for most people. I also think the idea that society will begin eating itself at the first sign of trouble is way overblown.

I was living in New York on Sept. 11. With everything from cell service to the stock market being completely shut down, it was prime time for riots and leather-clad marauders. But there was none of that. Likewise, when that EF5 tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. In both cases, the community banded together and picked itself up, mostly as a team. Unfortunately, there are times when this hasn’t been the case. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is one example. So are the Watts and Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. But if you look at all the large-scale catastrophes that have occurred in America, I think coming together is the trend and falling apart is the exception.

What survival skills do you think are the most important to teach children?

TM: For young children, the most important thing overall is to be aware of your environment. I know that situational awareness is quickly becoming one of those overused phrases you asked about before. But it’s like that old saying — “an ounce of prevention or a pound of cure.” A child’s best chance of survival in any given situation is to simply keep away from serious threats as much as possible. Situational awareness also plays directly into their ability to scavenge for supplies, signal for help, figure out escape routes, and so on. Children lack the library of experience and mental shortcuts that adults have to quickly spot a dangerous situation, or to deduce improvised solutions to unanticipated problems. So teaching them to think critically about their environment — to be clever — will allow them to adapt to sudden changes in their world and overcome the hardship of those changes.

About Tom Marshall

Age: 34

Family:
My awesome boy, my wonderful woman, and our five dogs: two Boxers, two English Mastiffs, and a Foxing Hound. Our youngest fur baby is 8 months; our oldest is 13 years. The English Mastiffs are 125 pounds and 200 pounds, respectively.

Hometown:
Yonkers, NY

Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation from U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY

Military service:
Four years active duty, U.S. Army (Cavalry)

Childhood idols:
I always idolized a weird ensemble of novelists and famous military leaders. To this day, writing and shooting are probably my two biggest passions. On the literary side: James Byron Huggins, David Morrell, Fredrick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, and Stephen Hunter. Military heroes growing up included: John Mosby, “Swamp Fox” Marion, Bill Donovan, Richard Marcinko, Billy Waugh, Hal Moore, and Carlos Hathcock.

Favorite firearm:
Just one? If we’re discarding practicality for a second, some of my favorites are high-end 1911s, the Browning Hi-Power, M1 Carbine, M3 Grease Gun, HK G36, and 5.45mm AKs.

Required reading list:
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

Defensive Living by Dave Spaulding and Ed Lovette

Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne and Jason Riley

Meditation for Warriors by Loren Christiansen

Blink by Malcom Gladwell

Dream car:
’68 Chevelle SS or an ’85 Buick Grand National

Favorite cigar:
Drew Estate Liga No. 9

Favorite drink:
Blanton’s bourbon, neat

Tom's EDC

  • SureFire EDC L1-T
  • Kershaw Emerson
  • CQC-7B
  • TuffWriter carabiner
  • Casio G-Shock watch
  • Phone
  • Glock 19 modified by TMT Tactical and Johnny’s Custom Glocks, loaded with Federal 124-grain HST.
  • Carbon Tactics “Badger Strap” EDC belt
  • Merrell Agility Peak shoes

Review: Kopis Designs La Caja Survival Kit

Written by

Over the years, we've seen countless variations on the concept of an Altoids tin survival kit. Whether the pocket-sized tin originally contained curiously strong mints, hard candies, chewing gum, or some other consumable item, they're practically made to be repurposed once they're empty. We've used them to carry fire-starters, fishing line and hooks, sewing needles and thread, water purification tablets, snare wire, Band-Aids and antiseptic, signaling equipment, or countless combinations of these (and many other) items. You can even turn one into an alcohol stove, punch a hole in it and use it to make char cloth, or pour wax into it to create a long-lasting packable candle. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Ever since these convenient containers have existed, people have been repurposing them.

Kopis Designs La Caja

We recently learned about a more advanced, ready-made version of this concept from Colorado-based EDC gear maker Kopis Designs. Its founder, Jon Bahlatzis, has been crafting custom knives and pocket tools since 2014, and decided to create his own spin on the classic Altoids tin kit — a pocket-sized collection of tools suitable for an urban escape and evasion scenario.

The result is known as La Caja — literally “The Box” in Spanish. It's a mysterious-sounding name that matches the clandestine purposes of its contents.

Bahlatzis developed La Caja with input from experts in the escape and evasion, covert entry, and counter-custody fields. These included the Serepick team and OFFGRID contributor Ed Calderon. Based on their feedback, this kit comes standard with 15 tools that can be used to escape handcuffs, pick locks, shim doors, cut through restraints, and even defend the user's life.

Rather than a cheap mint tin, this kit comes in a sturdy steel container that's finished in a matte black coating with the Kopis Designs logo stamped on its lid. The lid snaps securely in place, but a black rubber band is included as an additional safety measure to make sure the contents don't get scattered. Read on as we unbox and analyze each item inside.

V Nickel “Bracelet”

You may notice our use of quotations around the word bracelet. Although you can certainly wear this tool around your wrist by looping it and tying a double fisherman's knot, its purpose is more than decorative.

It consists of two early-1900s Liberty Head nickel (a.k.a. V nickel) coins connected by a strand of 900-pound-rated Technora cord. By wrapping each end of the cord around your hands, you could use it as a garrotte to silence an abductor in order to escape unlawful captivity. Alternatively, you could use it as a friction saw to cut through restraints, either with your hands or by placing the coins between your toes and moving your feet in a pedaling motion.

G10 Dice Pick

Next, you'll find another defensive tool — a 3.5-inch G10 polymer spike with a glow-in-the-dark die. The latter piece has been drilled out to serve as a removable handle, creating a weapon that can be wielded like a punch dagger or icepick.

The spike small enough to hide inside a waistband or pocket, and it's completely nonmetallic, so it can also be concealed past checkpoints with metal detectors. A simple sheath has been formed from clear plastic tubing, with one end crimped shut and punctured to accommodate a lanyard.

Kopis Designs' site notes that this G10 spike “comes slightly blunted so it can be carried into a non-permissive environment and field-sharpened to personal preference on carpet, sidewalk, nail file, etc.” We brought it to a sharp tip in minutes using a scrap of fine-grit sandpaper. In a pinch, the spike could be discarded and replaced by any other 1/4-inch-thick sharp object that fits the die, such as a nail or drill bit.

If you're looking for additional capability and aren't concerned about metal detectors, Kopis Designs can swap the G10 spike for a steel “deflator” spike, such as the one paired with the El Valiente Micropick handle in the photo below. This hollow, slash-cut tube can be used to puncture tire sidewalls to disable a vehicle… or puncture arteries to disable an attacker.

Ferro Rod Toggle and Tinder

Everyone knows that a fire-starting tool is critical for wilderness survival, but even if you're in an urban environment where hypothermia isn't a concern, it's still a valuable resource. You could use the fire to signal for rescue during a disaster, trigger a building's smoke alarm to create a distraction, or destroy sensitive documents.

The kit includes a small ferrocerium rod with two pre-drilled holes — these allow it to be attached to a lanyard, keychain, or shoelace, or used as a cinch toggle on a necklace. A cotton ball is also included in a plastic bag. We'd recommend smearing it with some Vaseline to help it take a spark more easily and burn more efficiently.

Ceramic Razor Blade

This tiny blade can be used as a striker for the ferro rod, or as a cutting tool for delicate tasks. Since it's nonmetallic, it can also easily be concealed into non-permissive environments by slipping it into the waistband or hem of a pair of pants. A hole allows the addition of a lanyard, such as a piece of dental floss or thread — this can make it easier to retrieve if you're restrained.

Braided Kevlar Cord

This cord may be thin, but it's extremely heat- and abrasion-resistant and rated to hold 200 pounds. Kevlar cord is ideal for making a friction saw, but it'll also work well for almost any other task that requires a strong binding implement. A 10-foot bundle is included in La Caja.

Here's a bonus tip: if you're ever looking to buy more of this special cordage, don't buy the expensive stuff that's marketed to survivalists. Instead, look for braided Kevlar kite line — it's the same thing, but far cheaper and available in bulk rolls (i.e. 100 feet for less than $20 on Amazon). It can be purchased in a variety of colors and strength ratings.

Gorilla Tape

The value of duct tape needs no explanation, and Gorilla brand tape is one of the strongest and stickiest varieties on the market. One foot of black Gorilla tape is tightly rolled around a toothpick and included in the kit.

A pair of 1.5-inch mini glow sticks can be used to discreetly illuminate a map or notebook, tag a significant object or path, or leave behind breadcrumbs to help rescuers find you. We previously discussed the uses of these lights in our review of the Blue Force Gear MARCO dispenser. We plan to add some blue and red sticks to our kit to expand the signaling options.

Serepick V 1.1 OSS Tool

Named after the Office of Strategic Services, America's covert intelligence agency during WWII, this five-piece set is a modern recreation of a tool carried by actual spies during the war. The Serepick OSS tool features three lock picks (city rake, Bogota triple rake, and long reach hook) connected by a pivot.

Also attached to the pivot is a stainless saw blade, which can be used to cut through illegal restraints. The final component is an L-shaped tension wrench for use alongside the lock picks. A rubber sleeve keeps the pieces together.

Handcuff Shim, Quick Stick, and EZ Decoder

These three flexible steel tools from Serepick allow the user to defeat various types of locks by slipping into the mechanism and interrupting its engagement. For a step-by-step demonstration of how the forked handcuff shim works, refer to the “Escaping Handcuffs” sidebar in our article on surviving a kidnapping.

Similarly, the Quick Stick is designed to defeat heel-and-toe locking dogs on inexpensive padlocks, filing cabinets, or tool chests (here's a video demonstration). The EZ Decoder looks almost identical but is much thinner and more flexible. It is designed to defeat combination padlocks, luggage locks, and cash boxes (here's another demo). These tools prove that some locks are so easily defeated that you shouldn't even need to get out a set of picks.

Serepick Delta Cuff Key

Kopis Designs calls this “the Cadillac of cuff keys.” It can be used on a wide variety of handcuff makes and models, ranging from common Smith & Wesson or Peerless cuffs, to more exotic international and high-security cuffs. The stainless steel key is cut at an angle to make it easier to insert while your hands are immobilized.

A small zip tie is included to attach the cuff key to a shoelace, belt loop, or other retention point.

If you're taken captive by amateurs, you might find yourself restrained by zip ties, rope, or duct tape that can easily be cut with the Kevlar cord, saw, or ceramic blade. If your captors are using high-end equipment, a cuff key might be the only thing that saves you from painstakingly sawing through hardened steel.

Diamond Wire Blade

This 2.75-inch wire is impregnated with diamond particles, and serves as an extremely durable abrasive surface. You can use it for simple tasks such as sharpening a knife, or as a means of slowly grinding through hardened metal such as handcuff chains. Lots of time and blisters are guaranteed to be involved, but if other options fail, it's a valuable fall-back plan.

Card Shim

You may have heard of the old technique of “credit carding” door locks — this 0.02-inch-thick shim is a thinner and more flexible tool for the same technique. Slip the card between the door and door frame next to the handle, moving the door back and forth as you attempt to work the card into the latch. If it's done correctly, you'll open the door without needing to unlock it. (Note that this doesn't work on doors that are deadbolted — you'd need to pick those locks before attempting the latch.)

Adhesive Strips

The final tool in the Kopis Designs La Caja may be perplexing to those who haven't gone through counter-custody training. These two pieces of heavy-duty double-sided adhesive offer a means of attaching small items (i.e. shims, lockpicks, the ceramic blade, or even the G10 spike) to your body or in other strategic locations.

Experience in Ed Calderon's counter-custody class taught us that taping items to your groin is a surprisingly-effective means of smuggling them past even the most thorough pat-downs. And while removal may involve the painful loss of some leg hair, it's a whole lot better than attempting to use your “prison wallet.”

Conclusion

La Caja retails for $165, and as with most items from Kopis Designs, it's made in short production runs. If you want one, you'll need to keep an eye on the company's site, Instagram page, and/or Facebook page to watch for availability. At the time of publication, La Caja is marked as “Sold Out” on the Kopis web store.

A Kopis Designs sticker is also included inside every kit.

The product page for this item rightly mentions that La Caja shouldn't stay in its caja for very long. It defeats the purpose to keep all your eggs in one easily-confiscated basket. These items should be scattered across your body, your clothing, and your other gear. They should be woven into your waistband, slipped behind your fly, tucked into belt loops, attached to shoelaces, or adhered directly to your skin. That way, if you're ever abducted, you'll have a variety of options to escape. Your captors are unlikely to find all of them.

This pocket-sized kit should appeal to almost anyone with an appreciation for the history of espionage and the darker side of survival skills. Frankly, we suspect that many owners (ourselves included) may not use every one of the tools to their fullest potential in a real-world setting, but the select few who can will be a force to be reckoned with. Even if you're not an international super-spy or E&E expert, the Kopis Designs La Caja serves as a comprehensive starter pack for clandestine urban skills.

For more information on La Caja, go to KopisDesigns.com.

RECOILweb: Ammo Storage 101

Written by

Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by our sister publication RECOIL, and appears here in its entirety with permission. For more articles on guns, training, and gear, go to RECOILweb.com.

As we enter fall and winter, and temperature and shooting conditions change, it’s critical to pay attention to ammunition storage. Ammunition isn’t exactly becoming any less expensive, and for the integrity of your weapon system, and your wallet, it pays to take care of this commodity. Proper storage can dramatically extend the shelf life of your ammunition.

The basic tenets to follow with ammunition storage are cool, dry, and dark. With those principles, there are other considerations and suggestions to follow such as storage container selection. Here are a few tips to help you preserve your ammunition as we approach a change in seasons.

Keep it Cool & Dark

Swings in temperature invite moisture, and moisture is not a friend of ammunition. Don’t keep your ammunition in locations that typically experience drastic swings in temperature such as a car, garage, or attic. These locations can reach temperatures above 100F on a warm day, and then even below 30F on a cold day, depending on the season. The basement, with a dehumidifier, is the perfect choice for ammunition to be stored as it is generally cool and stable in temperature. A dehumidifier unit will continuously pull moisture out of a damp basement. Ammo should not be placed on the floor of the basement but elevated on a shelf. Rain naturally soaks into the ground, contacts your home’s foundation, and this ground moisture is dangerous if allowed to accumulate. A dehumidifier will help remove any moisture in that cool, damp basement.

UV light is a destructive force to just about anything, including ammunition. Vehicles, for example, if left in the sun for years see a deterioration in its exterior metal and paint. Not surprisingly, you should keep your ammunition out of the light as well. This makes the basement, once again, a logical choice for ammunition storage. If you are without a basement, closet storage can work as well.

Keep it Dry

While the construction of ammo has improved considerably since the 1800s, the old Oliver Cromwell quote, ‘keep your powder dry’ remains true today. There is a considerable detrimental effect of moisture on ammunition. Not only will moisture eventually corrode the metal casings, primer, and bullet of your ammunition, but over time it will penetrate and deteriorate your powder, rendering the ammunition worthless. Wet powder will not ignite effectively, if at all.

The Pelican V250 Vault Ammo Storage Case

The first step in keeping your ammunition dry is to find a suitable waterproof or sealed container. Historically, the military-issue green ammo can have been a popular favorite due to its simple and efficient design. But, there are some new versions of this classic option, such as the Pelican V250 Vault Ammo Case. The Pelican Vault line of products was designed with durability in mind, outfitted with stainless steel hasps, heavy-duty handles, push-button latches, and made from crush resistant polymer.  With an interior space of 12.7×6.3×10 inches, similar to a .50 cal ammo can, the case is crushproof, dustproof and weather resistant. The Pelican V250 is a great functional option for long term or bulk storage and an upgrade from the long traditional military surplus cans.

In addition to the right container, using desiccants, silica gel packets, or even homemade moisture absorbents like rice and salt assist in keeping ammunition dry. Desiccants use osmosis to attract air moisture particles, trapping the moisture, allowing the remaining air inside the ammo container to be dry. Sodium bentonite and calcium bentonite are great clay desiccants and can be purchased in the form of Desi-Paks. Silica gel packets are another simple and low-cost option, and some silica packets change color when they’ve absorbed as much moisture as possible. The homemade option, rice and salt, will keep ammunition dry as well. Simply mix some rice with salt, tie up in a tissue or mesh, and place with your ammunition.

Transport

A large ammo container is ideal for the long term and bulk, but it’s also important to have a more convenient and practical container when headed to the range or on duty. One functional option is the Bang Box from G-Code Holsters. These small multipurpose storage containers have an easy to use, wide mouth, zipper opening that can hold about 100 rounds (depending on the caliber).

The Bang Box Ammo Storage Containers from G-Code Holsters

There are no sharp corners on the Kydex base and multiple color options are available. A cool feature is the Velcro strip on the outside top of the lid for placement of a PVC caliber patch, to denote the caliber inside. There is also the option of a carrying case that can hold up to three Bang Boxes. You can still fit in a desiccant into the small cases as well, helping with any moisture exposure on transport.

Care for equipment doesn’t just end at your primary weapon system. As a shooter, the concept extends to all components of your craft to include gear and ammo. Ammunition is a commodity growing more expensive by the day, and with some basic elements of care, you can preserve and extend its shelf life. Execute the basic tenets, and grab yourself proper long term and range ready storage containers. Your wallet and your weapon will thank you for it.

Footprint Analysis 101: Getting a Foot Message

Written by

With a seemingly unending list of useful survival skills and limited time to master them all, why should you invest your most valuable resource (time) into learning an esoteric skill such as tracking? We can answer this question with one word: versatility. Like any good piece of survival gear, your SHTF training should be multifaceted and applicable across a broad spectrum of activities. Although there’s often a preconceived notion that tracking is following a subject until contact is made and you capture or detain the fugitive, the true utility of this skill reaches far beyond the Hollywood manhunt. Tracking encompasses a wide array of uses, some of which require little effort to employ after the initial cultivation of track awareness.

The Value of a Footprint

Let’s talk about a few scenarios in which track awareness could be useful, even when you’re not following anyone (or anything):

Home/Campsite Security
It’s beneficial to know who has been in or around your area while you were away. Can you definitively ID if the tracks belong to your party or an outsider, and ascertain their intentions in approaching your area?

Food Acquisition
If you plan on tracking game and harvesting it, track awareness can help ensure you’re not sitting on a “dry hole” or aid in identifying the species, age of track, and level of activity in your daily area of operations (AO). This skill will also allow you to more effectively place snares for small game.

Bug-Out Planning
When scouting for a safe bug-out rendezvous point (RP) or escape route, it might be of interest to know the level of human activity in the area under normal circumstances, as well as the presence of large predatory species. When it comes time to use an RP, tracking can tell you whether the other party has come and gone, or if they haven’t yet arrived.

Backtracking
One of the first things people think of when they realize they’re lost is to retrace their path back. This is much harder than most people realize, however, utilizing
tracking makes it possible. Tracking takes the guesswork out, so you no longer rely on looking for that “familiar” landmark.

In a survival situation, the worst enemy is panic. The best antidote to panic is good information, along with the proper mental attitude. Tracking is one very reliable and low-tech means to acquire such information. A further benefit to adding tracking skills to your toolset is that it allows you to gather information on what has occurred in the past as well as the present.

In simple terms, track awareness is opening your eyes to the staggering number of tracks that we pass by on a daily basis. Essentially, it’s an extension of tactical situational awareness, expanding it to include information that, until now, you may have been overlooking. However, this is easier said than done, because it takes more than simple observation. The other half of track awareness is developing the skills necessary to interpret the detailed information in tracks you see. With that goal in mind, we’ll discuss the anatomy of a single footprint and some of the information it can tell us.

A single track isn’t seen as an individual unit — in the tracking realm it’s broken down into various components. The major areas of the track are terms familiar to nearly everyone: heel, toe, ball, and instep.

It should make sense that areas of the track would correspond with the part of the foot which made them. The rest of the terms used by trackers when referencing a footprint can be thought of as topography. Imagine you’re the size of an ant viewing the track from the inside, or that you’re standing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. There’s a floor to the canyon, walls, and there may be a ridge above it. The floor is the flat area at the lowest level of the track — this is the area the foot actually rested on and compressed the soil into a uniform surface.

Above: The floor, wall and ridge of an individual track each provide the tracker with unique feedback on both the quarry's movement and the age of the track.

The track wall is in the vertical, or near vertical, area at the edge of the uncompressed medium surrounding the track floor. As the foot lands on the ground and weight is applied, some of the soil gets squished out from under the foot and piles up in a line around the track, slightly above the surrounding ground level. Think of this like water spraying out from under car tires as you drive through a puddle. This soil is known as the ridge, or the horizon line of the track topography. There’s some very clear basic information that can be contained in a track. First and foremost is direction of travel.

Direction and Speed of Travel

The toe is where we start looking for directional indicators as well as clues regarding speed of movement. If you’ve ever seen an old cowboy movie, there may have been a scene where someone walks backward to throw off pursuit. But how effective is this technique, and what does it look like when compared to someone walking normally? There are a whole host of factors that play into this, but for now we’ll limit our discussion to the elements present in a single footprint.

Above: Shadow, lighting and soil conditions all affect how easily tracks can be spotted and interpreted. 

Humans are plantigrade walkers — this means that while walking naturally, the foot strikes the ground heel-first and rolls toward the toe. In contrast, many animals are digi-grade walkers — their toes land first and the foot rolls backward in a tiptoe fashion, in reverse of human mechanics. How does this apply to moving forward or backward? When the foot first makes contact with the ground, regardless which part of the foot, there’s more body weight on a smaller area of the foot. This is the point of the greatest pressure on the soil. As the rest of the foot makes contact, the weight is distributed throughout. This causes the area of initial contact to be the deepest, clearest, most distinct section of the track. When we apply this concept to walking forward versus backward, immediately we should see the difference in clarity of the heel compared to the toe.

Newton’s Third Law of Physics states, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This can be seen in a footprint by noting how the soil medium is moved in the opposite direction of the direction of travel. In other words, for someone walking forward, the medium will be pushed from toe to heel, in reaction to the pressure they exert in moving forward. On the other hand, if that individual is walking backward, the soil will be pushed from the heel toward the toe in reverse of what is normally seen.

Above: One of these tracks was made walking forward, the other by walking backwards. Backwards motion is unnatural for the human body and produces abnormal tracks. 

Lastly, walking backward is an unnatural movement that the body isn’t efficient at. When walking forward, our hips rotate and lift the leg — and by extension, the foot — off the ground and out of the track. This rarely leaves a dragging mark in the soil at the toe of the print, unless the medium is very deep or the person is tired. When walking backward, however, the hip doesn’t easily rotate in this direction, nor does the knee bend the right way, this combination of factors often leads to the heel of the foot dragging out the back of the print rather than lifting cleanly out of it.

While each area of a track has a primary focus we look at, no part exists in isolation from the rest. Anything that’s seen in one area should be confirmed with evidence from another.
In this example, if we find the horizon line in the toe is disturbed at the 10 o’clock position indicating the person has moved in that direction rather than straight ahead, we should also look for a higher ridge to have been pushed up by the foot’s rotation, on the outside of both the ball and the heel at around the 4 o’clock position of each. In the ball area of the track, we should also see the dirt has been moved from toe to heel along this line.

The depth of the dig, amount of soil moved, and distance it was pushed back give us an idea of the amount of force used as the person stepped off, which can be used to correlate speed of movement. This should be confirmed by looking at the disturbance to the ridge.

Both of the tracks above were made by someone turning left mid-stride. The speed and severity of the turn alters the depth and shape of the track.

Track ID

As previously discussed, the heel is usually the most distinct part of the track and it’s often here that you’re able to find conclusive evidence to positively ID your quarry. Keep in mind, however, that “conclusive evidence” varies depending on the circumstances. Conclusive in a court of law is different than conclusive for an elk hunter. According to Bill Bodziak, former FBI forensic specialist and world-renowned footprint and tire impression expert, the mathematical odds of matching three individual characteristic points in a track to a shoe based on location only is 1 in 683 billion. This doesn’t take into account the shape or type of point which is matched. For most of our purposes, this is a little extreme. However, the concept remains the same. There are three types of information we’re looking for to make this ID:

Size can be the overall size of the track using length and width at various points, or it can be the measurement of a specific area — in this example photo, size can be determined by overall width, 5 1⁄8 inches, or by the width of the lug under the tape measure, 1 3⁄16 inches.

Pattern is matching the print to a specific type of footwear. Many shoes have a unique tread pattern, which can be used to narrow the possibilities of a match. The shoe in this picture is a higher-end hiking boot, much less common than what is sold in a big box store.

Individual characteristics are the random collection of tears, nicks, and cuts that footwear collects throughout its lifespan.

Age of Track

Determining the correct age of a track, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult skills to learn. There are a seemingly unlimited number of variables to consider we have to account for — local weather, soil type and moisture, flora and fauna characteristics, and much more. There are two types of aging that apply to a track: absolute age and relative age. Absolute age is the simplest and is tied to a verifiable event. If I have time-stamped footage of a cougar on a trail cam, I’m able to verify the exact age of the track it left behind. Similarly, if I’m able to determine there’s a set of human tracks on top of the cougar tracks, I can safely say the human tracks are no older than the animal tracks. This is their absolute age. In order to further refine the age, we have to rely on relative aging.

Before we dive into the relative aging process, we need to correct a common misconception. Time doesn’t age tracks; rather, exposure to the elements over time ages tracks. Here’s an example to illustrate what I mean. There’s a cave in Italy with easily distinguishable human tracks in the mud, which scientists estimate to be 10,000 years old, because the cave system was a sealed environment, there was no exposure and therefore no erosion of detail that we call aging. However, under most normal circumstances, a track will degrade much more quickly.

Relative aging considers the amount of exposure and the level of intensity of the elements acting on a track. The best tool a tracker has to determine relative age is a comparison track. Place one near the track you’re aging and note how the older track has changed. One of the first things to change is the moisture content of the soil. As you walk, the upper crust of the soil is disturbed; the soil underneath often is moister and has a different color. As this moisture evaporates, the color of the soil will begin to blend with the surrounding undisturbed earth.

Another major clue to look at in determining the relative age of a track is the fine lines left by lugs or the outer edges of a hoof. When a track is fresh, they’ll be very sharp and crisp looking. As the wind and elements attack, the print these lines will slowly be eroded with a softer, more rounded look. Think of this like a mountain range — more recently formed mountains are jagged and distinct, while older mountains tend to have rounded profiles.

Other aging indicators to look for are debris blown into a track, the extent that vegetation has repaired itself, or grass slowly straightening after being pushed down by a passing foot. Aging is where the art of tracking really shines through, and the only way to develop the “eye” needed to correctly age a track is practice. In order to accomplish this, you should experiment with how your own tracks age in as many environments and seasons as you’re able. This allows you to compare the known absolute age of your tracks to your observations of the relative age, thereby refining your estimation.

Conclusion

If we can match size, pattern, and age of a track, as well as any individual characteristics, we can be reasonably confident in our ID. While the age of a track isn’t necessary to make a positive ID, it’s absolutely necessary to understanding the context in which the track exists. For example, if we find a track in our campsite that doesn’t belong to anyone in our group, the ability to determine the age of the track means knowing the difference between the track of the previous person who camped here or someone snooping through our area while we were gone. Judging the age correctly will tell you two very different tales.

The indicators we’ve discussed can be blatantly obvious or subtle in the extreme. As I like to tell my students, “The ground doesn’t lie.” The trick is in correctly interpreting what it’s telling you. Having said this, these telltale bits of information are extremely difficult — if not impossible — to fake. If you invest the time to learn how to properly read them, you’ll be difficult to trick. While we’ve only covered track ID and direction of travel in this article, there’s a great deal more information that can be gleaned from a track. When we widen our scope to include multiple tracks, the amount of information to be gained increases dramatically.

One final thought to remember: When we talk about tracks, most often what comes to mind is footprints. However, there are vast quantities of information present in impressions made by other parts of the body such as knees, hands, and butts. Equipment that a person could be carrying, ranging from food to weapons, may also offer an informative source of tracks. Vehicle tire tread marks are yet another application. By combining all these clues, you’ll become more aware of your environment and more prepared to face any threats or opportunities it may hold.

Want to Learn More?

Tracking is an in-depth, and at times, arcane, subject. If you’re interested in learning more about the subject, there are a handful of great books, digital accounts, and schools to attend in order to learn more. The author recommends two books for those looking to jump in with both feet. One is A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America by James C Halfpenny. This is a comprehensive guide to identifying and interpreting animal tracks of all kinds throughout the American continent. If you’re looking for something a little more … tactical … try The SAS Guide to Tracking, which touches on a variety of tactical tracking subjects including tracking vehicles, defeating counter-tracking and misdirection methods, preserving night vision, and how the environment affects the track. Either of these books will give the reader a broad, fundamental understanding of how to track and why you should.

About the Author

Growing up in rural Michigan, Matt spent his free time in the surrounding woods, hunting and learning about survival and fieldcraft from his grandfather as well as a local primitive skills instructor.

In 2003, he joined the Marine Corps as an infantryman and deployed with 1st Bn 4th Marines, participating in the Battle of Najaf during OIF II. After two years in the line company, he joined the Scout Sniper platoon, earning his HOG’s tooth in 2005. Returning from his second Middle East deployment, he attended his first formal tracking class and was hooked. He immediately began practicing his tracking skills and attempting to spread the knowledge (probably to the annoyance of those around him). After getting out of the Corps, he found himself in Arizona with fellow Sniper Freddy Osuna, teaching at the U.S. Army Combat Tracking School.

In 2010, Greenside Training was created, and Matt assisted in the development of the curriculum, drills, and philosophy behind this organization. When the opportunity to get back overseas arose, he couldn't resist, and for five years has been deploying as a security contractor, teaching tracking informally to keep his skills sharp. Additionally, all the travel has allowed him to continue his own tracking education in a variety of environments, including tracking with a bushman tribe in Africa.

New: DEVCORE Plate Carrier Backpack

Written by

Plate carriers can be a catch-22 for those of us who aren't in the military, law enforcement, executive protection, or other jobs that require the use of body armor on a daily basis. On one hand, if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you're being shot at, you'll absolutely want body armor to protect your vital organs and increase your odds of survival. On the other hand, you'll turn some heads and raise some eyebrows (at the very least) if you wear your “full battle rattle” while walking around town or running errands. And if you have armor but can't access it quickly when SHTF, then it's not going to do you any good.

Concealable soft armor is a great option if you're only dealing with handgun calibers. (Photo: Miguel Caballero)

The obvious solution is to find a way to wear armor without looking like you're wearing armor. Many companies offer form-fitting Kevlar vests for protection against handgun rounds, but rifle plates are not so easy to hide, especially the all-important front plate that sits against the chest. DEVCORE has developed a new product called the Plate Carrier Backpack (PCB) that offers the ability to conceal rifle plates in a quick-deploy package that resembles an ordinary backpack.

We've previously written about armored backpacks — refer to our buyer's guide from Issue 28 if you haven't read it already. But, as seen in the animated GIF above, the Plate Carrier Backpack doesn't just offer single-sided protection like traditional armored packs. It features a rear armor plate pocket, as well as thumb loops on the shoulder straps which can be pulled up rapidly to deploy a front plate pocket. The pull straps attach to Velcro on the waist belt once the plate is deployed.

This system can be used with soft Level IIIA plates for reduced weight and increased mobility, or Level III rifle plates for increased protection.

In addition to armor, the DEVCORE PCB is designed to accommodate various weapons — a submachine gun or PDW can be stored in the rapid-deployment bottom compartment, or in a Chest Holster ($65 MSRP) that attaches to MOLLE-compatible webbing on the front plate carrier. Its bottom compartment can also hold one of several optional inserts:

Plate Carrier Backpack with deployed front plate carrier (left) and optional Chest Holster (right).

The pack itself is made in America from 1000D nylon with YKK zippers and Airprene mesh padding on the back panel, shoulder straps, and removable waist belt. Its full-zip main compartment is lined with Velcro for attachment of magazine pouches and other accessories. There's also a zippered slash pocket on the exterior for documents and personal items.

MSRP for the pack, not including armor or optional inserts, is $599. However, at this time it's only available for pre-order, with DEVCORE stating that order fulfillment will begin in early November. Weight is 7 pounds empty, 10 pounds with Level IIIA soft armor, or 13 pounds with Level III hard plates.

For more information on the Plate Carrier Backpack, go to DEVCOREgear.com or check out the video overview below.

Bag Drop: The Vehicle Bail-Out Bag

Written by

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to “Bag Drop” — a new column all about bags, and what we fill them with. We’ll be covering a variety of bail-out, bug-out, get-home and go bags. All of these terms are thrown around willy-nilly in the preparedness community with little time taken to define the intent and purpose of each type. What you put in your bags depends entirely on your needs and wants, but we hope to provide you with a little food for thought about what’s possible and how to pack effectively for the unforeseen.

For our inaugural installment of “Bag Drop,” I’m going to talk about a bag that’s been with me for years. It has literally traveled the world and was built for a clear purpose. I learned a long time ago that equipment selection is a form of mission analysis. In layman’s terms — a well-packed bag should fill a specific need and do so with a minimum of bulk or excess. This particular bag can also be seen in “Trick Your Truck” in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 33.

The Bail-Out Bag

In a previous lifetime, I worked in Afghanistan as an independent contractor, providing facility security and close protection services to government personnel. Part of this job required driving or riding in armored SUVs, often as a single-truck element, in areas where IEDs and ambushes were a very real risk. In many cases, if a vehicle is blocked in or disabled during the course of an attack, you may have to bail out of it (possibly under fire) and leave the area on foot. Because of this, I wanted a lightweight low-profile bag to hold extra supplies I could bring with me if I was ever forced to exit my vehicle during a fight. This bag also stayed with me while manning static posts in the event of an active shooter or large-scale ground assault against our perimeter.

The bag itself is a Terrorist Interdiction Bag from Suarez International. Measuring only 10 by 12.5 inches, the overall design is flat and lean. I found it perfectly sized to tuck under the driver seat of my vehicle or the drawer of my desk while working various duties in Afghanistan. The bag also includes a waist strap. With the shoulder strap slung across your chest like a seatbelt, and the waist strap clipped around your torso, you can fight directly from the bag with minimal bouncing or flopping while you move. In effect, this turns the TIB into an oversized holster, with all on-board supplies easily accessible on the go. On their website, the folks at Suarez International say this: “The TIB is the answer for the man that needs to carry a full high intensity-short duration fighting kit 24/7/365, but in a very compact and ultra-discreet manner … We suggest you do not overfill it with non-essentials. Quick and dirty. Fill it with weapons, magazines, weapon accessories, and medical stuff. That is all.”

The Contents

To this end, my personal TIB would be a dedicated fighting bag. There would be no long-term survival provisions. I didn’t keep any actual guns in this bag, as my duties required weapons be kept on my person while on duty. The main zip compartment includes a removable “kangaroo pouch” that holds three rifle magazine with bungee-cord top retention. I filled all three slots with spare 30-round magazines for my carbine. Behind the magazines is a large pocket, divided down the middle that I used for extra trauma medical supplies: hemostatic gauze, an Israeli bandage, and chest seals. Since the rifle mag pouch is covered with loop-side Velcro on the outside, I added a small placard with elastic loops that I filled with small chem lights for signaling or room-marking in a CQB scenario.

The front-flap of the bag is held closed with a Fastex buckle and covers a shallow pocket lined with elastic loops. I used the loops in this compartment to hold a flashlight, tourniquet, folding knife, and multi-tool.

Finally, there are two small end pockets on either side of the bag. In one pocket, I kept “personnel control” supplies — flex cuffs and pepper spray, in the event that hostile or unknown personnel needed to be subdued or transported after the immediate fight. In a pinch, flex cuffs can also be used to help secure doors or gates. Opposite this, I kept fire-starting supplies. This is the closest I came to including actual survival gear. A Zippo lighter, bottle of lighter fluid, and several waterproof fire-starting wicks were just enough to fit in this pocket. The only things in this bag without a direct and immediate application in combat, this inclusion was simple personal preference. In retrospect, a personal GPS beacon or satellite phone would’ve been an excellent substitute. Most small-to-medium phones or pocket beacons would’ve fit perfectly in the same pocket.

Closing Thoughts

That’s it. I carried this bag, in this configuration, for several deployments. Fortunately, I never needed to use it. But I always felt better knowing I had the extra muscle in case I did. Even if Uncle Sam never sends you on that all-expense-paid trip to the Mid East, a dedicated fighting bag is a worthwhile consideration in any preparedness plan. Even if you can’t — or don’t want to — carry a firearm on you, this bag will hold even a full-sized handgun with ease. Stashing a government-sized 1911 or Glock 17 with several extended magazines gives you an all-inclusive solution to go from unarmed to fight ready. Having a bag like this cached in your trunk, hall closet, or desk drawer gives you a strong alternative to hiding and hoping for the best if faced with armed assailants.

Suarez International Terrorist Interdiction/Active Shooter Bag (TIB)

MSRP
$55

URL
suarezinternational.com

Preparedness Lessons Learned from the Recent California Blackouts

Written by

People, on average, like to think that they are prepared for whatever life throws at them. If you are a concerned citizen who reads this type of article, you probably consider yourself sufficiently “prepped” for whatever cataclysmic event comes your way. Much of mainstream preparedness media focuses on being prepared for a “Big Event” like an electromagnetic pulse killing off all electronics, or a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack from a terrorist organization or rogue nation-state. This also includes massive natural disasters, such as a tsunami or hurricane which wipes out coastal metropolitan centers.

Many people think of disasters as world-ending catastrophes, rather than small-scale, short-term events.

But, realistically, we need to be most prepared for events that, although smaller in scale, can have very real and serious impacts on our lives and safety. A more mundane crisis that only affects a smaller geographical area or population can be just as devastating in the short term. I recently learned this lesson the hard way.

The California Blackouts

“Public safety power shutoff” was the official term used by the utility provider to describe this incident.

As a resident of California I’m used bad decision making by politicians and others. So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the state’s largest provider of electricity, announced they would be shutting off power to hundreds of thousands of customers this month. PG&E makes its case for this “Public Safety Power Shutoff” in the optimistic-sounding video below:

Ostensibly this was done to prevent the types of wildfires that ravage the state every fall and winter. Investigations have indicated that several of the major wildfires in 2017 and 2018 — including the Camp Fire, the most destructive in California’s history — may have been caused by faulty PG&E electric power lines and equipment failure. So, PG&E’s solution was to de-energize power lines so they couldn’t inadvertently start a fire.

In the article linked above, we interviewed a CA resident who narrowly escaped the Camp Fire in 2018.

Regardless of the reason, when I heard of the pending shutdown, I got concerned. I live in a good-sized suburb nestled between three major cities. In this sea of humanity, a blackout is a huge problem. Resources like food and gasoline disappear quickly as people empty the shelves at supermarkets and gas stations are drained of their precious dinosaur juice. Non-functioning traffic lights cause already congested streets to turn into complete gridlock. Cell service becomes spotty, even non-existent. In the short term, this can lead to shortages of essential items to residents. Longer-term effects can be price gouging of those items and civil unrest. It’s medieval times in the Golden State.

Outages could have affected any of more than 5 million customers, according to the company's web site.

I quickly realized I wasn’t sufficiently prepared for this situation. PG&E was forecasting blackouts lasting from 2 to 5 days. Adding to the difficulties was that the power provider couldn’t narrow down what parts of the state were going to be on the receiving end of a blackout or when it might occur.

Although I’ve given some consideration to emergency preparedness in the past, this was a wake-up call that I hadn’t given it enough. I wasn’t sure if I had enough food, water, gas and other items. However, there was one thing I was sure of — unlike many others in my state, I certainly wasn’t going to rely on the government to provide for my family’s needs. Here’s what I did in response, along with some lessons I came away with.

Act Fast

I did a quick assessment of what I already had around the house to decide what I needed to stock up on. I realized I had a lot of food, but most of it was refrigerated. I don’t have a backup power source for large appliances, so if the power went out and my fridge stopped working, my food would spoil. This was especially disconcerting to me because I had about twenty pounds of sausage from a pig I had harvested this summer which I didn’t want to see go to waste. I had coolers, but not enough ice. I wasn’t sure how accessible water would be or what its potability would be once our water provider was out of power, so that was a major concern as well. I quickly put together a list and headed out.

As soon as the supermarket opened, I loaded up on canned food, dry goods, water, ice, propane, and batteries. I then filled up the gas tanks in both of my cars. Surprisingly, despite feeling as though I was catastrophically late to the party, I didn’t have to wait in line at the market or the gas station. It wasn’t until after the power went out that people crowded those locations. Many were surprised to find out that gas stations were without power, resulting in pumps not operating. I may not have been fully prepared, but at least I wasn’t THAT unprepared.

Establish Short-Term and Long-Term Plans

History tells us that most power outages are short-duration events, not long-term ones. Based on what I knew of this situation, I felt no need to hang up concertina wire around the house and prepare for the end of days. I needed enough provisions to sustain my family for a week, at most.

Although some disasters lead to widespread chaos, this one thankfully did not.

That being said, I have a bug-out plan in place for a larger event like a catastrophic earthquake or some other major disaster. In retrospect, I was better prepared for the “big one” rather than a more-likely, short-term event in the comfort of my own home. A blackout isn’t as dramatic as some cataclysmic large-scale collapse of society. But it is a fairly common occurrence that, if it becomes a long-term problem, can have cataclysmic results. It doesn’t take much to disrupt our daily lives.

Decide to Stay or Go

A short-term crisis doesn’t necessarily trigger the need to relocate. In my case, the power shutdown didn’t require my family to bug out. I also wanted to stay home because I was concerned about my residence being vulnerable to break-ins, since my alarm system and cameras wouldn’t be functioning.

Be prepared to defend your residence against threats if your alarm system is compromised. Looting is a legitimate risk after any major disaster.

In 2017, when fires swept through towns in Northern California, large numbers of criminals showed up to break into the abandoned houses. I witnessed this first-hand when I deployed up there as part of a law enforcement response. Crooks from all over descended on the abandoned residences to steal whatever they could. Officers arrested many opportunists who showed up to take advantage of the situation. I’ve seen the same thing occur during other natural disasters I have deployed to, such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Factor this into your plan, but also remember that your safety is a much higher priority than protecting your property. Looted items are replaceable. Family members are not.

If you do choose to go to your bug-out location, do it as soon as possible. Highways become choke points as everyone takes the same roads to get where they are trying to go.

Don't Depend on Government Assistance

In the military and in law enforcement I have responded to locations after major hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. One consistent theme I have observed is that during the initial phase of a major disaster — the first two to three days — local, state and federal government is completely unprepared. Their plans for evacuation, resupply, medical treatment, and controlling civil disorder are woefully lacking. You are on your own, so plan for it.

In any disaster, self-sufficiency is always preferable to waiting for rescue.

For the “planned power outage” here, the state and local government put out super-helpful hints like “have an alternative way to open your garage door.” Many local politicians gave passionate speeches condemning the power supplier. While these words did very little to improve the situation, all the resultant hot air most likely resulted in an increased risk of fire.

Develop a Backup Plan for Electronics

Think of the last time the power went out in your house. Did you catch yourself trying to turn on a light, fire up the television, microwave a meal, or charge your cell phone? We rely on electricity for everything, and it's easy to take it for granted.

A small solar charger can be a life-saver if a short-term outage turns long-term.

Just prior to this event, my son and I had gone on a camping trip. This proved to be fortuitous. I had propane for our camp stove (the backup plan to my outdoor grill), batteries for lanterns and flashlights, and so on.

Camping is a good dry run for prepping. The location my son and I had camped at was pretty austere so if you didn’t bring it with you then you had to do without it. The Coleman two-burner stove is excellent for preparing all kinds of meals. I have both battery- and propane-powered lamps which became essential for keeping the house illuminated. We have a Yeti cooler which, when stocked with ice, keeps food preserved for days — just the thing for my precious pork! My camping kit includes seemingly unimportant items like single-serve packets of condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard) and freeze dried coffee. These aren’t essential to survival, but they’re sure nice to have and make the lean times a little more bearable.

Knowing how to use topo maps and a compass is an essential for when Google Maps goes offline.

I had charged all the portable electronics. I also made sure not rely on them too much, since I knew cell service might be down. If there are important items like maps or other documents that can only be accessed over the internet, make sure you plan accordingly by printing them out.

Closing Thoughts

So, how did it all turn out? Surprisingly, my neighborhood was spared from the outages. There were roving blackouts in surrounding counties, so fires were supposedly prevented, or PG&E made their point, whatever the case may be. But, as is often the case with disaster preparedness, we thankfully didn't experience the worst-case scenario we prepared for.

Being prepared for no lights also means being prepared for no alarms, and potentially no cell service.

In this particular instance we had been forewarned about the blackouts. When a weather event or natural disaster causes one, which is more often the case, you won’t have the advantage of knowing it is coming. As if to underscore this point, while I was working on this article, we were hit with a 4.6 magnitude earthquake. For those not living on the Left Coast, that’s a small one, just enough to rattle the windows and knock items off the shelves of stores. Overall, little to no damage was done. However, it served as yet another reminder that you can’t predict when the next disaster will arrive.

Even if your preparations lead to self-righteous neighbors calling you paranoid after a potential disaster fizzles out, it’s always better to be prepared. More importantly, I now have the necessary supplies on hand to survive a short-term disaster — supplies I should have had in the first place.

About the Author

Nick Perna is a Sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in Northern California. He has spent much of his career as a gang and narcotics investigator. He served as a member of a Multi-Jurisdictional SWAT Team for over fifteen years. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has a Master’s Degree from the University Of San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor to multiple print and online publications on topics related to law enforcement, firearms, tactics, and issues related to veterans.

Infographic: A Quick Guide to Seasonal Edibles

Written by

Unless you're a hardcore foodie, you might roll your eyes when someone starts talking about locally-grown organic seasonal heirloom produce. It's easy to assume these things only matter if you're chasing exquisite flavor or trying to sound sophisticated, but they're actually very relevant from an emergency preparedness standpoint — delicious taste is a nice bonus. If your goal is to become self-sufficient, you shouldn't rely on buying whatever produce is on sale at the grocery store. You should be working towards harvesting seasonal fruits and veggies that are locally-grown in your own backyard garden.

The following infographic by April Swiger offers a basic overview of some of the most common seasonal edibles that might be found in a backyard garden. For year-round produce availability, plant a few of your favorite items from each section — just be sure to confirm that they're viable in your climate and soil conditions first. Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

Even if you haven't gotten into gardening yet or don't have the time or space to cultivate crops, this guide can be used to select the freshest and most ripe ingredients from your local farmer's market or grocery store. If a disaster occurs, supply chains to exotic, out-of-season, imported produce will be the first to be interrupted, so this infographic provides some items that should be more reliably-stocked in each time of year. There's even a financial element to this information — seasonal produce involves less overhead cost, so it's usually inexpensive.

The USDA Seasonal Produce Guide (linked below) is an excellent source for more info.

For a more in-depth look at seasonal edibles, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Seasonal Produce Guide. This is an extremely helpful resource — just click on any fruit or veggie on the list for nutritional facts, recipe suggestions, storage recommendations, and educational documents.