What If You’re Trapped in a Mass Shooting?

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Illustrations by Joe Oesterle

It wasn’t the popping gunshots that shocked your senses the most in that crowded mall. You’ve fired enough rounds in your life to be familiar with the sound of gunfire. It was the screaming child who made you stop in your tracks. The sound you heard wasn’t the commonplace tantrum of a spoiled child screaming for a new toy. No, this was a shriek of pain and absolute fear from a young one.

It was a piercing wail, and the instincts of a parent took hold. You had to find the child. As you ran hunched over, zigzagging toward a stone planter, the screaming grew louder. You were almost there! Then the ground rose up to meet you. You didn’t remember losing your footing and falling, you simply realized you were suddenly on the ground. Just feet away from the crying of the child — just feet away from the decorative stone structure that would afford you solid cover — you were down and if you didn’t move fast, you could die right there.

Whether the attackers are foreign-born terrorists or homegrown bad guys, their goal is the same — to kill as many easy targets as they can. In this edition of What If?, we pose the question: What if you’re in a crowded shopping mall when a mass shooter starts a killing spree? To get different takes on this deeply troubling threat, RECOIL OFFGRID asked three different survival writers for their knee-jerk reaction.

So, we have Candice Horner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, registered nurse, and competitive shooter. Next, we have Erik Lund, a longtime contributor who’s also a federal law enforcement agent with a bevy of tactical and survival experience. And to round things out, ROG asked me what I would do, as well. I’ve been teaching people how to survive almost everything for the past 20 years, and I’ve written multiple New York Times-bestselling survival manuals from my experience.

It’s an honor to continue writing for RECOIL OFFGRID, though it’s far from comfortable to wade through this all-too-real-feeling What If? story.

The Scenario

Situation Type:
Mass shooting

Your Crew:
Just you

Location:
Chicago, Illinois

Season:
Winter (late January)

Weather:
Cloudy and windy, 15 to 30 degrees F

The Setup: You’re visiting the Windy City and decide to have your last lunch in Illinois at Water Tower Place, the eight-level mall located inside a 74-story skyscraper. You figure you can hang out there for a few hours, buy some souvenirs, and still have plenty of time to catch an Uber to O’Hare International Airport. More importantly, you’ll be out of the bitter cold!

The Complication: You’re about to enter the Oakley store when a loud noise echoes throughout the mall. Everyone flinches, then freezes. Suddenly, several more bangs ring out. It’s gunfire! Immediately, people scream and sprint in every direction. You instinctively duck behind cover and carefully scan for the safest way out — instead of seeing an exit you spot a gunman fire randomly into a crowd of people then head in your direction. He didn’t see you, but he’s about 35 yards away and approaching. What do you do?

The New Plan: With this bad guy shooting at people indiscriminately, you’ll have to formulate a plan (and fast) for what to do. You need to deal with the environment (the store and mall), the gear you happen to be carrying, and the reaction (if any) of other shoppers, security guards, or police.

U.S. Marine Veteran: Candice Horner’s Approach

As usual, I procrastinated. This time, I waited until the last minute to buy my husband a birthday present. But, an extra day in Chicago, after my friend’s wedding, provided me with just enough time to get him a new pair of Oakleys. Thanks to a wannabe badass, I didn’t even step foot in the Oakley store.

Just as I was about to enter the store, shots rang out with a systematic, thundering cadence. Just from the tone, I knew it was a shotgun. The herd of people in front of me froze, until someone yelled, “Gun!” Then the frozen crowd dispersed into unorganized chaos, flaring out in every direction with unguided purpose. I quickly scanned for the shooter and spotted him about 35 yards away, reloading his shotgun while coming up the escalator. I made haste to the largest store next to Oakley.

The Oakley store was too wide open; I needed a better place to hide, so I ran to American Eagle Outfitters. I hurried toward the back of the store, where other people were also running. I didn’t want to get caught up in their large, flock-sized target. So, I hid inside of a circular clearance rack — the type that’s always over-stuffed and never organized.

As I crouched down in the circle of clothes, I damned myself for not staying in the hotel and shopping with Amazon Prime. This wasn’t like me; I don’t like shopping malls. Being in large groups of people is outside my comfort zone. What the hell was I thinking by coming here?! I felt I was getting what I deserved for coming to a city with terrible gun laws, a place I couldn’t legally defend myself. Damn it. Thank goodness I have an insatiable affinity for knives and carry several in my purse. I was armed, but to use a knife during a gunfight would take a little bit more than courage. I had to use his firearm of choice against him, capitalize on the weak points of a pump-action shotgun.

Shotguns are like good beer — they’re always empty. Knowing this was my advantage, as the sounds of his shots got closer, I counted each round. One, two, three, four … and five. After the fifth shot, there was about an eight-second delay — he was reloading.

By the intensity of the screams, I could tell the shooter was within the walls of my makeshift safe haven. The clearance rack provided enough concealment to hide me, while still allowing me to view the masked shooter’s location. He followed the sounds of screams coming from the back of the store.

I held my breath as his one-track mind guided him inches past me and to the screams coming from the dressing rooms and storage area. With a tormented sound of joy in his voice he yelled at the door, “This will be your tomb!” He discharged another five rounds until running the gun dry. Eight seconds of pure terror passed until the next five rounds of buckshot penetrated the door. The souls barricaded on the other side didn’t have a chance; he was determined to reach them. I had to do something.

After sizing him up, I knew my tiny frame wasn’t much of a match for his strong, tall build. I had to get him closer to the ground for a fair chance. Thank God for tunnel vision because as I slid out from behind the discounted skinny jeans, the gunman was laser focused on loading one shotshell at a time. With a knife in my strong hand, I kicked him with all my might to the back of his lead knee, which supported most of his weight. He stumbled toward the ground, his finger still on the trigger, accidentally discharging the shotgun toward the roof.

Since it was a pump-action, he couldn’t fire another round without racking the fore-end. In that instant, he was closer to my level, and I wrapped my left arm around his neck while simultaneously slicing through his trachea and right carotid with my Medford Micro Praetorian Knife. I kicked the shotgun out of reach, standing over him as his artery spurted blood all over the sand-colored tile. I stared at his lifeless body for what seemed to be an eternity.

I must have been in shock, because I was numb to my surroundings and seemed to be out of my own body as my eyes were locked on the carnage beneath my feet. But it wasn’t over, and I snapped back to reality.

The ringing in my ears from all the shotgun blasts was overpowered by the cries for help on the other side of the buckshot-riddled door. I pleaded with the survivors to open the door, explaining I’m a nurse and want to help. They hesitantly did. There were 12 of them behind that door. I scanned the group for serious injuries; no one was dead. There was a young boy, gray in the face with blue lips and bleeding profusely from his elbow. I grabbed a new belt off the storage shelf and tightened it around his upper arm until the bright red bleeding slowed.

By now, more people had joined us in the storage room. Several of them had hidden near me and saw me take down the gunman. A couple of them looked at me like I was dangerous. I didn’t care. At that point, anyone who had enough life in them to judge me was lucky they didn’t get shot by that crazy man. Their discontent was somehow comforting to me because it meant they made it through this ordeal.

About 10 minutes later, police and EMS arrived. The injured were taken away, and I was taken into custody. I didn’t have time to process the emotions that would come once the adrenaline eventually settled.

My adrenaline quickly turned to anger when I was told that I had to be held in custody and questioned by police. And, as expected, they took my knife. They charged me with carrying an illegal weapon, because Chicago law states a concealed knife can only have a 2.5-inch blade; mine had a 2.8-inch blade.

The charges were dropped after the story made the news, heralding me as a hero. Once released, the cops offered me protection while traveling back home. I gladly accepted because the motives and connections of the gunman weren’t yet known. I was, essentially, a walking target until they figured out why the shooter attacked. I didn’t regret my actions though. Some people just don’t belong on this Earth, and I categorized him as such.

What I learned from all of this was to trust my gut and not go into a city that doesn’t support the Second Amendment. Had I been able to have my everyday CCW, I would have been able to react sooner rather than waiting for him to reload. I also learned that sometimes due diligence isn’t enough. When I looked up the laws in Illinois, I read that knives with a 3-inch blade were legal — but Chicago has a stricter knife law than the state.

So, the next time I’m invited to a wedding in a state with such highly restrictive gun laws, I’ll just send my love and congratulations by mail.

Federal Agent: Erik Lund’s Approach

It didn’t take long for me to spot the shooter. The rolling booms echoed throughout the mall, but my eye instantly spotted a man cycling the action on a pump shotgun. The full-face ski mask confirmed this was indeed the shooter and not a mall security guard. The shooter touched off another round and then turned, walking in my direction while reloading more shells. Seeing the opening, I instinctively started my drawstroke by lifting my cover garment to access my pistol, only to stop and realize that I had no pistol.

Chicago is one of the most gun-restrictive cities in the entire country. Only the elites can obtain a concealed carry permit in Chicago, and I most certainly didn’t qualify as an elite member of society.

I quickly stepped behind a large square pillar right at the Oakley storefront entrance. Time for plan B. I’d never make it if I tried to run for it. I could try to find a back way out of the store; a work exit or maybe a fire exit. But being unfamiliar with the store, there was no guarantee of success. Even if I were successful, could I live with myself for not trying to do something to stop this rampage? I had the training and the skills to make a difference.

No, I will not run, I will fight back. If not me, then who? I needed a plan, and fast, but only one option seemed viable at the moment. If he comes into the store, I’ll have to try and ambush him from around this pillar and go hand to hand with him.

I pulled my SOG Kiku folder out of my pocket and deployed the blade. While I was pretty sure it was illegal to be carrying this knife, it was more important to survive this incident than worry about what kind of legal trouble awaited me. Win the fight first, then worry about lawyers. A quick scan of the interior of the store revealed complete chaos. People were running all around, some were starting to hide behind counters and displays, while others were trying to find another way out.

Good, all of this commotion and movement will keep him distracted and give me the opening I need. Two more booms echoed over the screams in the mall, only much louder this time. He’s getting closer.

I slowly shifted my head just enough to let one eye see past the pillar. The shooter was 15 yards from the entrance and still headed toward the store. He briefly stopped and raised the shotgun. I quickly pulled my head back as another boom rang throughout the mall. A scream drew my attention back into the store. A woman was running from behind an overcrowded display to another less crowded place to hide when buckshot impacted her hip. Screaming as she fell, she slid several feet along the floor until coming to a stop almost in the middle of the display floor.

The sound of the pump action cycling was followed immediately with another blast directed at the woman. Fortunately, it went a little high and the shotgun pellets passed over her body by a couple of inches. The shooter cycled the pump action again and by the proximity of the noise, I knew the shooter was extremely close. My heart was jackhammering in my chest as final thoughts popped into my head. Time to sack up. Drive him into the ground. Be fast. Be brutal. Every muscle in my body was twitching, ready to explode and attack with all the speed I could muster. Everything I could bring to the fight was set on a visual tripwire, ready to launch. Then I heard the loudest sound you’ll ever hear in a gunfight … click.

It wasn’t the visual stimulus I anticipated. No shotgun barrel or human body walking past the pillar where I lay in wait to ambush the shooter. No visual cue whatsoever; just an extremely loud click. My brain instantly processed the sound and sent the launch command. Go, go, go! He’s empty! Every muscle fiber released, and I accelerated around the pillar. The shooter had paused for a second after he heard the click of the empty shotgun. He was in mid-cycle when his eyes caught a flash of movement and he looked up at this figure that had appeared from nowhere, rapidly bearing down on him.

He was only three steps away from me, but the distance between us felt like a mile. It didn’t matter; I was committed, and the only thing I could do was continue to accelerate and close the distance. My plan was to hit him like an all-pro linebacker until I could get him off his feet or get him pinned up against a wall. Taking him to the ground or pinning him against a wall would make it virtually impossible in the tight confines of a hand-to-hand fight to use the long shotgun against me, but it still would allow me to use the knife in my right hand against him.

A step away from making contact, our eyes locked. I could see the shock and fear in his eyes. I had caught him totally off-guard, and I thought, You better brace for impact, mother f*cker.

My shoulder slammed into his midsection. (Later, my old high school football coach would track me down and send me an email after seeing the store surveillance video of the incident, congratulating me on the best hit he ever saw me make.) I made contact with enough force to lift the shooter off his feet and into the air. We crashed down onto the store floor in a tangled mess of limbs. I heard a loud groan as the air in his lungs escaped his body, sandwiched between me and the floor. Before he could recover, I quickly scrambled on top of the shooter, who was flat on his back.

Still holding my knife, I instantly reared back and rained a right-handed punch straight at his face. He was dazed but still putting up a fight, instinctively raising his left arm to block my strike. That’s exactly what I wanted him to do, and at the last moment, I changed my punch to a push, driving his arm across his neck as I collapsed my body down onto his. At the same time, I slipped my left arm around the back of his neck into a half headlock. As I pushed his arm across his throat, I ducked my head down behind his left elbow and used my head to pin his arm across his throat. I then curled my left arm toward my head and tightened my grip, pinning his arm and head in one position.

Using my head to pin his arm freed up my knife hand to strike and prevented him from protecting his left side. I made several rapid-fire strikes just under his left armpit into the upper lung. The strikes had the desired effect — he screamed and did everything he could to free his trapped arm and protect his left side. Now was my opportunity to finish this fight.

Releasing pressure on his pinned arm allowed him to move his arm down to protect his body. This also opened my next target area, the side of his neck. I reared back to begin a series of strikes into the side of the neck and throat when another body jumped onto us, followed by several more in quick succession. Several people from inside the store had jumped in to help me and in short order had the shooter completely overpowered and pinned to the floor.

In a matter of minutes, the local police had secured the area. The shooter acted alone; it was over.

He was transported to the hospital for emergency surgery to repair his damaged and collapsed lung — he survived to stand trial.

Several days after being interviewed and giving my statement, store surveillance video indeed showed that I made a perfect tackle, driving the shooter into the ground. It also showed that upon impact with the ground, the shotgun fell out of the shooter’s hands and skidded several feet away, out of his reach. Upon reviewing the footage, the local district attorney stated that because the shooter no longer had access to the shotgun, my use of the knife upon him was excessive and that I should have just held him down.

Apparently in Chicago, no good deed goes unpunished, and he charged me with carrying a concealed weapon and assault. My lawyer said that no jury would ever convict me and not to worry. I sure hope he’s right.

Survival Expert: Tim MacWelch’s Approach

Snapping out of my shock from falling to the ground, I scurried behind the stone planter just in time to see a panicked mother dragging her screaming child from the sturdy cover into a nearby clothing store. Thank God there was no blood on either one of them. It was one small victory in the sickening ordeal. But that might not last. I remember thinking, Racks of clothes may hide you, but they won’t stop bullets. At least the little family wasn’t in the open, and they did have some concealment. I popped up for a brief second to survey the scene, and then sunk my head back behind the stonework.

There was one man walking my way with a black down-filled jacket and a black ski mask. I wasn’t sure from my one-second glance, but from the profile it looked like he was carrying a shotgun.
My mind raced with questions. Was he acting alone? Did he have training? Where were the police and mall security guards? Why choose a shotgun for this?

But the questions stopped flowing when I heard the distinctive sounds of a shotgun being racked and another shot being fired. Since I had been traveling, I had no firearm and precious little in the way of everyday-carry (EDC) gear — just my phone, which I decided to use by dialing 911. I waited until the operator answered, whispered “Shooter in the Water Tower mall,” and set the phone in the greenery, still connected.

Since the shooting began, the mantra of “run, hide, fight” had been playing in my head, almost like some kind of religious chant. I could simply run away. I could keep hiding behind the planter. Or I could run up and try to seize the weapon. Or I could go with plan D, which was “none of the above.” Even if this murderous assailant had no training, his shotgun blasts could still be effective at killing and maiming people. I had to make a decision. Since I could be easily engaged with a close-range shotgun blast if I popped up from my cover and ran, I decided to stay behind the planter for the moment.

There was too much screaming in the mall to hear the shooter’s footfalls, and I couldn’t predict which way he would go to pass the planter. If I went around it to the right or left and made the wrong choice — I could crawl right up to the muzzle of the shotgun.

But then I heard another round rack and another blast, very close and to my left, so I began crawling to the right of the circular stone structure. I looked over the rim quickly, with the plants giving me some concealment. The culprit was just 10 feet from me, but walking away. He was heading toward the clothing store where the mother and child had fled. I thought about staying behind the stones, safe from the shooter.

But could I live with myself if he walked over and shot that woman and child? Then the little one started screaming again. I knew what I had to do.

I couldn’t see the woman or her child in the cramped and overloaded clothing shop. But I could hear the child’s wail coming from the back. The store’s space was filled with long racks and circular stands packed tight with clothing on hangers. The mass shooter stood in the doorway of the store, looking inside as I padded up behind him as quietly as I could. It was the dumbest moment of my life, very likely the bravest as well, and possibly the last moment too, if I screwed up. My goal was to grab the gun, but as he swung around toward me, everything changed.

His head turned toward me first, and as our eyes locked, I felt a very real sense of time slowing down. I felt as though I had all the time in the world. I could see that he had the shotgun firmly gripped in both hands. It would be no easy task to pull it from his grasp, so I grabbed his mask and spun it on this head as I shoved him hard. The thick black ski mask blinded my would-be killer, and he roared with anger as he stumbled back and I ran past him to the back of the store. There I saw the mother and child huddled on the floor in front of the cash register, as well as a young woman who was frozen in fear behind the counter.

I grabbed the mother by the arm without a word, raising her up as she clung tightly to her offspring. I also grabbed the petrified clerk as I passed and pulled them into the store office. I shut the door and locked it, then pushed them all to the floor. I had no idea what kind of shells the shooter was firing, but the door and wall looked rather flimsy. As the women lay on the floor in shock, a shotgun blast flew through the feeble door. The big holes told me he was using buckshot.

Thank God I had the presence of mind to get away from the door and lie down. I knew that average doors and walls won’t stop a 9mm round, so they’re not true cover, just concealment. As I heard the doorknob jerk, I pushed a file cabinet against the door with my legs, then several boxes, all while continuing to lie on the floor. He shot the doorknob next, the mangled assembly of metal falling onto one of the cardboard boxes I had pushed over. Without saying a word, the shooter began kicking the door.

The terrified clerk just lay there on the ground with her face covered. The young mother started screaming alongside her little girl. On the floor, we were out of the line of fire, but we were hardly out of harm’s way. The shooter seemed hell-bent on getting into the small office. He fired two more rounds into the door, each in the area of the hinges. He kicked a few more times, then stopped. I looked toward the mother and put my finger to my lips as if to say, “Shhh.” She quieted a bit and covered her child’s mouth, though they still whimpered a little and continued to breathe loudly. The clerk seemed to have gone catatonic or fainted.

Scanning the office, I found no phone or anything particularly useful. There was a fire extinguisher, which could be used as a blunt object or to spray flame-retardant dust in an attacker’s face. I picked up the extinguisher, broke the plastic safety line, and pulled the pin.

Did the shooter move on? I wondered. How would I know for sure? I didn’t dare peek through any of the holes in the door; he might see the movement and fire. Were we done? Was this over?

We had barricaded ourselves and fortified the door with office goods. He couldn’t get in, but I still didn’t feel safe. I put my ear to the wall and listened intently. There was shouting that seemed remote, at least from outside the store. The shouts seemed short, like commands. I thought I heard something like “Put your weapon down!” Finally, the police had arrived, but we weren’t out of harm’s way. One of the Chicago SWAT teams had the shooter cornered, in the store. I told the girls to stay down; the police didn’t know we were back there, and we could easily be hit by friendly fire.

In desperation, the shooter began kicking the door again — likely thinking that it was an exit. After another blast to the upper door hinge, he flung his full weight into the cheap door, buckling it inward. He scrambled to climb over the door and the blockade piled behind it. His hood righted again, those eyes stared at me through the mask holes full of recognition and hate. With one hand on the door and the other on his shotgun, he tried to slither over the caved-in door and take aim at me. I launched the fire extinguisher chemicals into his face, and my ears rang again as he pressed the trigger again.

By the grace of God, the buckshot went into the wall behind me and not into my body. That shot was all the police could take, and they stormed into the shop. Clearing each aisle of clothing, they found the coughing suspect standing there near the broken door. When he leveled his shotgun at the point man, several team members opened fire. Startlingly white puffs of feathers spewed from his down jacket as each round tore through his flesh. The shooter fell, and the team rushed forward, not sure if there were more shooters.

They found us in the hazy dust-filled room, coughing, and sputtering — but alive.

Conclusion

It should be with great humility that we admit the flaws of our age. Despite social media’s claim that the world is more connected than ever, we see people who have gone the opposite way. Some make national headlines by acting out against a world where they feel no connection, whether due to mental illness or other factors. And terrorist groups continue to add to their ranks, spreading their twisted ideologies and recruiting foot soldiers to carry out their evil deeds.

Mindset, preparedness, and situational awareness have always been important, but they’re especially so these days. The police can’t be everywhere at once, and the FBI can’t read minds. No one knows exactly when or where the bad guys will strike. But there’s one thing that we do know. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to be invested in our own self-defense and family security. It’s up to us to learn what to do, how to do it, and when to act.

Meet Our Panel

Tim MacWelch

Tim MacWelch has been a survival instructor for more than 20 years, training people from all walks of life, including members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the State Department, DOD, and DOJ personnel. He’s a frequent public speaker for preparedness groups and events. He’s also the author of three New York Times-bestselling survival books, and the new Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual. When he’s not teaching survival or writing about it, MacWelch lives a self-reliant lifestyle with his family in Virginia. Check out his wide range of hands-on training courses that are open to the public at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com.

Erik Lund

Erik Lund has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience - with much of that time spent as an instructor of frearms, defensive tactics, and use of force. He served as a Virginia State Trooper before accepting a position as a federal agent. Lund is also a senior instructor at Mike Seeklander’s Shooting-Performance LLC, a tactical training company. As a champion competitive shooter, he’s earned several regional, state, and national three-gun titles and is ranked as a grandmaster by the United States Practical Shooting Association.

Candice Horner

Candice Horner has the heart of a prepper, but the traveling schedule of a gypsy. Ever resourceful, this U.S. Marine Corps veteran and emergency room/prison nurse has a honed and refined skillset, focusing on adaptability and utilizing the tools on-hand. As a competitive shooter, Horner is often on the road, so she’s usually rolling with a go-bag, a survivalist mentality, and enough firepower to have your back in a SHTF scenario. www.recoilweb.com / www.candi323.com

More From Issue 18

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

 

Rose Hip Tea: A Nutritious Backwoods Beverage

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When it's chilly out, there are few things more rejuvenating than a steaming hot drink that warms your core. However, if you're out hiking or backpacking in the woods, it's not as easy as stopping by the local drive-thru coffee joint for a latte. Those of us who carry coffee or tea bags in our packs can cook up a drink over the campfire, but it's wise to know how to improvise some beverages as well. Rose hip tea is a great example — it's easy to make, tasty, and packed with healthy nutrients such as vitamin C, beta carotene, and lycopene.

Rose hips from a Beach Rose bush (Source: Morn the Gorn, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0)

Rose hips are simply the fruits of the rose plant, which form in spring or summer and typically turn red, soften, and ripen by the fall. They often remain on the plant through late fall or early winter. A handful can simply be steeped in boiling water for about 10 to 15 minutes until the desired tea color and flavor are achieved.

Most varieties of rose hips are filled with small seeds, so you'll probably want to strain them before drinking. These fruits can also be preserved for future use by drying them in an oven (or over hot coals) and grinding them into a powder.

The 3-minute video above from The Outsider shows the basics of finding and harvesting wild rose hips, as well as how to make rose hip tea. For more information on another traditional winter beverage, check out our previous article on Boilo.

New: Inforce 9 Zero Weapon-Mounted Light

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Last Friday, we flew out to Georgia to attend the Big Daddy Unlimited Epic Shoot event — you may have seen our on-site coverage on our Instagram page as well as RECOIL's Facebook live videos. While visiting the Inforce booth at the range, one of the representatives pulled us aside and said he had something new to show us. He then presented the pre-production prototype of the company's latest weapon-mounted light, currently referred to as the Inforce 9 Zero.

The BDU Epic Shoot is an annual invitation-only event for manufacturers and media.

We had the opportunity to snap a few quick photos of the new flashlight, and then inquired about its details. Each Inforce 9 Zero is made from machined aluminum, and includes a reversible picatinny rail mount with a built-in activation button. Both 45-degree and 90-degree-mount versions of the light will be available — the pictured example is the latter. The button offers momentary (half-press) and constant-on (click) activation modes.

As seen above, there's also a sliding lockout switch that prevents inadvertent activation when the weapon is being transported or stored.

A rubber dust cover on the back of the light flips open to reveal a tape switch attachment point. This switch will attach via strong magnets, requiring roughly 10 pounds of pull strength to remove the cable from the socket. The onboard switch can still be used alongside the tape switch, offering redundancy in case one of these elements is damaged in the field.

The new Inforce 9 Zero light is powered by either a single 18650 lithium battery or two CR123 batteries. With the 18650, it will produce 1,300 lumens and run for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. With the CR123s, output decreases slightly to 1,100 lumens.

Inforce tells us that the 9 Zero will retail for $220 with the 90-degree mount, or $240 with the 45-degree mount. The tape switch will be sold separately for about $50. Estimated ship date for the first batch is January 2020, which means that we should be able to get our hands on the final production version at SHOT Show that month.

We also hear that Inforce will soon be releasing two new all-metal pistol lights, a two-battery light and a single-battery compact light. Stay tuned for more info here on OFFGRIDweb, or check out Inforce-Mil.com for more on the company's lighting products.

Review: Zenbivy Bed

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Editor's Note: The following article was written by Hannah D., a 15-year-old up-and-coming outdoor adventurer. She tested the original Zenbivy Bed on several recent camping and backpacking trips, and shared some helpful feedback based on her experiences. We're always glad to see the next generation developing an interest in nature and learning survival skills firsthand.

The ZenBivy Bed system is lightweight, comfortable, and rugged… but it's also really confusing. At least at first. I didn't completely figure it out until after I'd used it the first time, even though I watched some videos and looked over the website beforehand. It kept me warm though, despite using it incorrectly, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It is possible I should have listened to my dad and uncle, who recommended I field test in the back yard overnight before relying on it.

About the Zenbivy Bed

Zenbivy first released its two-piece sleep system in late 2017. Since then, the company has also added a Light Bed variant to its product line — you may remember that item from the previous OFFGRIDweb article about its IndieGoGo campaign.

I recently received a sample of the original Zenbivy Bed, which the company calls “the most comfortable backcountry sleeping bag ever designed.”  That's a bold claim, but the product caught my attention.

The whole system (with pillow) weighs less than three pounds and features left and right zippers to secure the quilt to the fitted sheet. You can use it sort of as a sleeping bag and mostly like a quilt, with a little bit of both and neither depending on how you arrange it. If you're someone who kicks the blankets off during the night, you will probably like it, though if you have one leg stuck out into the snow that will kind of defeat the purpose of using it.

The Zenbivy fitted sheet attaches to a sleeping pad or mattress.

Described as a two-piece sleeping bag, the Zenbivy Bed is designed with a top quilt and fitted sheet. That quilt can be tucked in during cold weather, or left untucked on warmer nights. The fitted sheet can be secured to a 20- to 25-inch rectangular or tapered sleeping pad to prevent the bed from sliding out of place, and features a hood for your head and arms. The 20D nylon shell is coated in a water repellent finish and filled with 700 fill-power HyperDRY water-resistant 80/20 duck down.

In the Field

If you pick up the Zenbivy Bed, it doesn't seem heavy enough to really protect you from the cold. However, it does so very well. I used it on Pigeon Roost Trail in Arkansas with my Venture Crew back in late March.

Temperatures dropped to the low-20°F (-6°C) range with some wind chill, but despite how insubstantial it seems, the Zenbivy does a great job keeping you warm. It features an EN Limit rating of 23°F and a EN Comfort rating of 34°F.

It probably helped that I was using a good Marmot tent, too, but it does stand up to cold temps on its own well. I used it later for a week at Scout National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) event and it worked great, though most of the time during that trip I was just sleeping on top of it. I don't have photos from that time because we don't keep phones with us during NYLT.

I also used this bag in early October on a backpacking trip with my troop. We hiked part of the Buffalo River trail system in Arkansas. We did not hike very far, but I'm okay with that because I still don't have much experience when it comes to backpacking. Regardless, I was grateful for the lightweight bag. This campout was part of the requirements for our Wilderness Survival merit badge. Normally we would not be able to bring a sleeping bag, but because of the weather we were allowed. It got down into the 30s, and we had to build our own shelter that night! This bag made my night so much better — I would have been miserable for sure if I hadn't had it with me.

Using the Zenbivy Bed under an A-frame shelter made from a blue tarp

Here are some additional benefits and issues I noticed while using the Zenbivy Bed.

Pros:

  • The material shed water very well, both rain and dew.
  • It's light, fluffy, and comfy, and you can really compress it for storage. In fact, you could get it compacted even more tightly with your own compression sack than the stuff bags it comes with, if you wanted to.
  • I love the Zenbivy pillow. For how light it is, it's a great pillow!

Cons:

  • If you're not used to hooking your sleeping bag to your sleeping pad, it may cause you a few minutes of confusion.
  • The construction isn't straightforward at first. I worked with it for a little while before finally there was an ah-ha moment, and I realized how it was supposed to go.

The assembly issue might not be as bad for experienced (or younger) backpackers. My dad and uncle were having some trouble figuring it out, but they've been using old regular-style sleeping bags for a loooooong time in the military and for camping. They had also been trying out a new bourbon for a while the night we were messing with it. This might have had some impact on their ability to put it together and explained why their attempts to wrap up in it were kind of a trainwreck.

Final Thoughts

I would suggest someone “test fire” a bag like this before using it. It isn't intuitive. You definitely need to play with it for a little bit or watch some videos before using it in the field. If I had read some of the other reviews of the system, I might have expected that.

I was advised to try to put it together and to sleep outside in it before the trip to get a sense of it — more to see if it would be warm enough than to “make it work.” But I didn't do so. Lesson learned: I'll figure out my own gear on my own ahead of time. If I do get help from my dad or uncle, I'll do so earlier in the evening. Or on an evening when they haven't just gotten a kind of booze they've never tried before.

I would have preferred a better color than mustard yellow with a cactus green stuff sack, but that really doesn't impact how it performs, and there are other options now available. I have recommended it since then to some of my friends.

For more info on the Zenbivy Bed, go to Zenbivy.com.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly included references to the Zenbivy Light Bed. The product reviewed in this article is the original Zenbivy Bed, not the Light version. The article text has been updated to correct this error.

About the Author

Hannah D. is active in Scouts BSA and Venture Crew. She started as a tagalong when her brother was in Scouts. Soon, she discovered she could not only hold her own in that environment, but in many cases outdo male scouts. Hannah is now on her own “trail to Eagle,” has attended National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), and is determined to be one of the first female Eagle Scouts in her Council. Outside of Scouting she enjoys animals of all types and showing her brother up when she can.

Video: Comparing Car Jump Starters

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It's always a terrible sinking feeling when you turn the key in your car or truck and hear the engine fail to turn over. By the time you're in the driver's seat, you've already got somewhere to be, and this scenario means those plans are suddenly on hold. That might cause you to be late to work, miss a flight, or be unable to leave your home in an emergency. In some cases, you'll be able to grab a pair of jumper cables and give your battery a boost from another nearby vehicle, but that's not always possible, and it's certainly not the most self-reliant solution. This is why we're big believers in adding portable jump starters to the emergency kits in your vehicles.

There's never a good time for a dead battery. (Photo: Flickr.com/cooljuno411 | CC BY-SA 2.0)

Jump starters, or jump boxes, are essentially portable battery packs that can deliver a sudden jolt of cranking amps to start a car that has a weak battery. Each comes with a jumper cable attachment that connects to the battery terminals, and many of them include additional features such as a flashlight and USB output ports for charging small electronics. They can be built around common lithium-ion power banks, traditional lead-acid batteries, or other forms of tech such as supercapacitors.

A 500-amp load tester was used to determine the output of each jump starter.

In the following 20-minute video from the Project Farm YouTube channel, the host bought eight different jump starters and evaluated each of them based on a variety of tests. These include bench testing on a meter, starting a pickup truck with a weak battery, turning over a diesel tractor engine, and performing in freezing conditions. As with his previous experiments, Project Farm clearly states that he wasn't sponsored by any of these companies, and presents the results in an objective manner before sharing his conclusions.

This test serves as another example that big, heavy, and expensive doesn't necessarily mean effective. Some of the least expensive jump starters in the test performed the best, while also fitting into a small package and including helpful extra features. However, that wasn't always the case — a few of the cheaper units failed miserably. Overall, we agree with Project Farm's conclusion that lithium-ion jump starters are a good way to go. I carry one of them in each of my own vehicles, and although they haven't been a literal lifesaver, they've saved me from waiting for roadside assistance when my car's battery died on a 116°F summer day.

New: SKD Tactical PIG FDT Cold Weather Gloves

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When you're outside in frigid weather, you might reach for a pair of thick gloves or mittens to stay warm and avoid frostbite. But there's a major issue with this strategy: the thick insulation that keeps your fingers nice and toasty also robs you of the fine motor skills you need for a survival situation or self defense. In search of a middle ground between warmth and dexterity, SKD Tactical has released a new set of gloves known as the PIG Full Dexterity Tactical Cold Weather Gloves — that's a mouthful, so we'll just say PIG FDT Cold for short.

SKD says this new PIG FDT Cold variant is ideal for staving off numbness on a frosty day at the local range. They combine the tactile potential of previous PIG gloves with a fleece lining for wind-resistant insulation, as well as touch screen compatibility on all five digits. A press release states that “the burning hot jealousy from your friends” coveting your sweet new gloves will aid in keeping you warm — that's taking it a little too far, but we'll give them credit for the wordplay.

The PIG FDT Cold is constructed with a textured silicone-print palm and terry cloth nose wipe section on the thumb. It's currently available in black or white, but Carbon Grey will be available in December, and Coyote Tan will be available down the line in March. Sizes range from Men's S-2XL and Women's XS-XL. MSRP is $58. For more info on these and other SKD Tactical gloves, go to SKDTac.com.

Video: DIY “Inferno” Survival Matches

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Winter is a little more than a month away. For many of us, that means cold and wet weather. When you're outdoors in these circumstances, a fire becomes especially important, but also especially difficult to start. Between snow on the ground, scarcity of naturally-available tinder materials, reduced fine motor skills, and other winter factors, it may be a challenge to get a healthy flame going. Even if you already carry a few tried-and-true fire-starters in your kit, it's always worth considering more creative options for the times when plans A, B, and C don't work out. A recent video from Far North Bushcraft and Survival shows one such method, which is referred to as inferno survival matches.

Lonnie takes an old-school approach to survival. Just look at that majestic beard.

These matches combine powerful ignition sources with long-burning fuel in a compact, tightly-rolled form. Better yet, you probably already have most (or all) of these items around the house or in the garage. If you don't they can be purchased online for a few dollars, or picked up at local hardware stores and camping, fishing, or hunting gear shops.

As Lonnie demonstrates below, each of these inferno survival matches consists of two stormproof matches, two strike-anywhere matches, a cotton ball, a paper towel, a few coats of melted-down candle wax, a discarded bicycle innertube (a.k.a. ranger band), and some rubber bands.

Lonnie says this design burns for around 8 minutes without the rubber innertube, but can be extended by as much as 50% with its addition. You may want to consider the way you'll be using the fire-starter, and decide accordingly. If your fire will be used for cooking or built in a fairly-enclosed space, that burning rubber may be unpleasant. Either way, that long-lasting flame should be more than enough to ignite damp wood in a snowy environment. Lonnie lives in Alaska and often films episodes during the winter, so he's frequently used it in these conditions.

Review: Kershaw Launch 8 Folding Knife

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Stiletto is an Italian word derived from the Latin stilus (stylus), a pointed writing instrument used for engraving clay tablets. In the modern lexicon, a stiletto is a knife or dagger with a long, slender blade that tapers to a needle-like tip. The exact origins of this blade design are lost in history, but many experts believe it to be an offshoot of the rondel dagger, a weapon developed for penetrating chain mail and passing between the joints of heavy plate armor.

The stiletto was a favored weapon among Italian assassins during the medieval period, and was eventually outlawed, but it remained a popular weapon among criminals through the end of the 19th century. Its ability to penetrate heavy leather clothing while being easy to conceal made it a desirable and stealthy tool.

A Famous Legacy

Though Italian in origin, the impact of the stiletto reached across cultural divides. During the Second World War, famed British close-quarter combatives instructors William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes designed the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife:

Fairbairn-Sykes knife (Source: Greynurse / Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0)

The F-S Knife was designed based on the fighting concepts the duo developed while serving in the Shanghai Municipal Police. It employed a stiletto design with a double-edged blade that tapered to a needle point. This knife saw use by the British Royal Marines and SAS, and is the sole symbol found on the “Commando Dagger” badge worn by those who have completed the British All-Arms Commando Course (AACC).

American forces also found use for the stiletto. The U.S. Marine Raider Stiletto was patterned after the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife and was the first knife to be designed by a Marine Corps officer, Lt. Col. Clifford H. Shuey. Unfortunately, Shuey changed some of the material specifications from the F-S Fighting Knife to reduce costs and the demand for strategic materials, which led to durability problems with the Raider Stiletto.

Case V-42 Fighting Stiletto, a reproduction of the original design. (Source: Smoky Mountain Knife Works)

The V-42 stiletto, also based on the F-S Fighting Knife, was issued to the First Special Service Force (a.k.a. Devil’s Brigade), a joint Canadian/American commando unit. To this day, the V-42 is depicted overlapping crossed arrows on the crest of the United States Special Forces. Even where the stiletto is no longer in use, the historical impact remains evident.

The U.S. Special Forces crest, depicting a V-42 stiletto atop crossed arrows.

Kershaw's Modern Stiletto

The Launch 8 was designed for Kershaw by Matt Diskin, a widely-known maker of high-end custom automatic knives. It was based on the classic Italian folding stiletto that many of us grew up admiring through pop culture. Movies like The Warriors and The Outsiders depicted the stiletto switchblade as a staple weapon among rebels, and many of our parents kept these often-outlawed treasures safely tucked away with the family heirlooms.

The classic auto stiletto usually had a bayonet-style blade with a single saber grind and false edge. The Launch 8 has a more symmetrical shape reminiscent of the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, but with the classic false edge. It’s unknown whether or not the Launch 8 was inspired by the F-S Knife, but even the handle profile, right down to its coffin-shaped pommel, is instantly reminiscent of the F-S design.

The Launch 8 handle is constructed out of gray anodized 6061-T6 aluminum. The 3.5-inch blade is CPM 154 steel with a stonewashed finish. This stainless steel offers corrosion resistance properties combined with toughness and excellent edge retention capabilities. When opened, the knife measures at a workable 8.25 inches.

The pivot pin for this spring-loaded auto is hidden beneath a carbon fiber handle inlay, giving the knife a clean, classic look. The push-button release/lock is located on the carbon-fiber side just below the pivot pin. The Launch 8 has a snappy release that will cause the knife to “launch” right out of your hand if you’re not prepared with a good grip on the handle.

With a closed length of 4.75 inches and a weight of just 2.3 ounces (68 grams), the narrow Launch 8 is compact and hardly detectable in the pocket. Its steel pocket clip can be mounted on either side for a tip-up carry.

Hands On

After unboxing our review sample, we noticed it was missing the carbon fiber inlay. This was likely a pre-production oversight, but an oversight nonetheless. However, this gave us a good opportunity to see how Kershaw’s customer service handled the issue. We called them up and explained our dilemma, without offering any indication that we were anything but a regular customer. Within 48 hours, we had a new carbon-fiber handle insert in our hands and had it installed in less than a minute. Three days later, a second brand-new Launch 8 arrived in the mail, followed by an apologetic phone call from a Kershaw representative. We’ll put an A+ in the grade books for Kershaw’s customer service.

The reversible pocket clip may be one of the most robust clips we have ever come across. Using a left-side pocket-carry, this author found himself frequently catching the clip on the seatbelt when getting out of a vehicle. Having experienced this problem with other knives in the past, including other models from Kershaw, the number of bent pocket-clips this author has experienced would exceed the word-count limit for this article to list out. After at least a dozen seatbelt snags with the Launch 8, not once did the clip bend, loosen, or lose tension.

We used the Launch 8 as a daily task knife to see how well it would hold up. We opened packages, cut up cardboard boxes, dug out splinters, and pretty much everything in between. The blade is still as sharp as it was out of the box and has yet to see a stone.

The stiletto blade is designed for penetration first and foremost. The thin, needle-point blade is ideal for penetrating clothing and slipping between ribs and other bone structures, making it an excellent choice for self-defense. Heavy-duty cutting tasks can be a little more challenging because the blade geometry causes the cutting action to slow as it draws toward the point.

The Launch 8 rendition of the stiletto blade design has a little more belly than its predecessors, which helps with cutting, but it’s still limited. We found a push cut to be much more effective with the Launch 8 than a draw cut. This is because pushing essentially reverses the blade geometry and allows the belly dig in as the blade moves forward.

Closing Thoughts

The Launch 8 is a beautifully-designed auto with characteristics reminiscent of the old-world stiletto and the iconic military fighting knives of the past. Its quality craftsmanship and durable design are an attractive addition to any knife collection, and the lightweight materials and slim design make it a joy to carry. With a price tag of $160, it’s a hard knife to pass up if you're a fan of this classic style.

Video: DIY Solar Water Desalinator

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Whether you're stuck on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean or facing a Castaway-style desert island survival scenario, you'll face the cruel irony of being surrounded by water that you can't drink. This dilemma is one of the reasons surviving at sea is so difficult. With a little ingenuity, you can extract potable water from saltwater, but the improvised methods of doing this all come with substantial drawbacks. For example, a solar still can convert seawater or even urine into drinking water, but it's extremely slow — you might only get a few drops per hour. For maximum efficiency, you'll want a desalinator that strips salt and other dissolved solids from water.

The copper condenser coil is enclosed in a cylindrical shroud to direct airflow from the fan.

Off-the-shelf desalinators are available, and they can be a great way to efficiently produce clean drinking water from seawater. However, these devices are often large, costly, and/or require frequent maintenance. Creating a DIY unit based on the principle of distillation is a good alternative, and a fun project to undertake.

The computer fan is powered by a AA battery pack, which is charged by a removable solar panel.

In the video below, the YouTuber known as electronicsNmore shows off a desalinator he made from a metal water bottle, sterno can, some coiled copper tubing, and an insulated mug. Since distillation relies on quickly cooling hot steam, he also built a solar-powered fan enclosure that constantly pulls cool air over the copper coil.

As mentioned in the video, this design was inspired by a previous water desalinator built by another YouTuber, NightHawkInLight. You can watch that video below for an alternative approach — it's definitely a simpler design that would be easier to build and maintain in the field. However, it requires frequently discarding and replenishing the liquid coolant for the copper coil, rather than using air and sunlight. It's up to you whether you'd want to spend more time up front building the complex (and potentially fragile) solar water desalinator, or spend more time during a survival situation maintaining a water-cooled desalinator.

Knowing the Ropes: Bail-Out Gear Buyer’s Guide

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In your overall plan for preparedness, you may not have considered getting out of an elevated area. However, height, like most other environmental factors, doesn’t discriminate. If there’s no other viable option, you may need to descend a tall building or structure, whether you’re hunting on an elevated platform or just at home or work. Though the differences seem great, the principles and most of the equipment are very similar. Putting aside experience level and environment, bail-out systems can be easily added to your personal preparedness plan.

The environments in which we live and our individual experiences differ greatly, giving us widely varied ideas of the potential threats we anticipate in our lives. Consequently, we’ll each have different measures to achieve what we deem to be a safe level of preparedness. Since there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to any plan, including this one, your first step should be to identify the gap between your current capabilities and where you’d like to be to feel comfortable in your perceived “worst-case scenario.”

Most of us have already adopted things like wilderness survival kits, first-aid kits, and concealed carry weapons, as logical and effective methods to manage risk. What types of risk are those items managing? Physical threats, massive trauma, protection against environmental factors. A bail-out kit also helps manage environmental factors by enabling you to rapidly evacuate a structure at height (such as a multistory building or high-angle terrain).

Let’s look at commercially available kits to see how they’re put together and why that should matter to you. The most popular kits have been developed based on the needs of the groups who use them most frequently to manage the potential risk in their operating environments — primarily fire departments and military units. Most bail-out kits currently available were designed for scenarios that probably don’t match what you might encounter as an average civilian preparing for an extremely bad day.

To find equipment that works best for you, let’s look at the kits themselves, the components and terminology, and the data backing the equipment.

Important Terminology

The main components of a bail-out kit include: rope, a descent control device, a harness, an anchor building capability, and a mode of transportation (i.e., bag or carrying case of some sort). Here’s some terminology that’s important to understand:

Minimum Break Strength (MBS) describes the force it takes to break an item; for instance, a carabiner may have an MBS of around 24 kilonewtons (kN). On that note …

One kilonewton is roughly 224.8 pounds of force. You can use these numbers to determine the “weakest link” of your bail-out kit. In most kit, this will be the rope; however, always keep in mind the strength of what you attach your rope to. If you’re in a building that’s on fire or contains a fire, your anchor is the most likely component to be compromised, making the physical object you’ve made your anchor out of the weakest link.

Bail-Out Kits

When going through these kits, keep a few things in mind. Who is this kit made for? Why was this kit made? Under what conditions is it designed to operate? Use these criteria when considering a premade bail-out kit for your specific application. There has never been a kit specifically designed for you, but it’s possible to find a premade kit that suffices.

Sterling Rope Company F4 Tactical Response System

Weight
3.1 pounds

Price
$422

URL
cascade-rescue.com/f4-tactical-response-system/

Contents

  • 1x Sterling F4
  • 1x Osprey Carabiner
  • 1x 50-foot SafeTech Escape Rope, 7.5mm
  • 1x Double-action Snaphook

Notes: This kit utilizes a 50-foot 7.5mm aramid rope with an autolocking descent device. While its audience is primarily the tactical (LEO/military) side, it’s not limited to tactical settings. It has a double-action snaphook, a very easy-to-use and fast-locking carabiner. The 7.5mm aramid rope is slight overkill for a “one-time use” civilian application. As you’re about to see, you can go down to a 6mm aramid rope and still have an MBS of 21kN, which is pretty good. The 7.5mm gives you that added material for abrasion resistance and durability. If you’re using it in outdoor terrain, where there might be sharp rock edges, then this might be the right answer. But for urban environments when you have more control over what surfaces your rope comes in contact with, a 6mm will suffice.

Petzl EXO AP Hook

Weight
3.2 pounds

Price
$500

URL
www.petzl.com/US/en/Professional/Descenders/EXO-AP-HOOK

Contents

  • 1x Hook anchor hook
  • 1x Self-braking system with antigenic function
  • 1x 15m aramid fiber static rope, 7.5mm
  • 1x Am’D connector with CAPTIV positioning bar
  • 1x Fire-resistant carry bag

Notes: There are a few versions of this kit with slightly different contents. This is the firefighter version with a hook; the tactical package includes a double-action snaphook, similar to the one in the F4 Tactical Response kit. It’s difficult for me to justify carrying a bail-out kit with a hook as the anchor. While it’s incredibly easy to hook a doorframe or the side of a window, it’s just as easy to find an anchor that you can put a piece of webbing or a runner around. See if it works for you and, if not, you can always order it without a hook.

CMC Escape Artist System (Web)

Weight
2.6 pounds

Price
$550

URL
www.cmcpro.com/equipment/escape-artist-system-web/

Contents

  • 1x 50-foot fire escape web
  • 1x Escape Artist
  • 1x Flash.2 Escape Anchor
  • 1x Nomex Fire Escape Bag

Notes: What makes this kit unique is the 50 feet of aramid fire escape web. The “rope” is really like a thick webbing. It’s 11mm wide, around 4mm thick, and has an MBS of 13.5kN. It comes with a hook and a descent device called the “Escape Artist,” an auto-locking device like the F4 and F3. The Escape Artist works on both the fire escape web and 7.5mm ropes, so it’s slightly larger in size and more comparable to the F4. Though a completely different design, both the Escape Artist and the F4 have the same type of squeeze-activated release for rappelling.

After going through some of these kits, you probably saw some features that apply to you. This is because these kits tend to have some universal features intended to make them look more appealing. However, you might have noticed that the majority of these kits don’t include a harness. That’s because the target audience of these kits typically already have a harness of some type. Firefighters have their belts, as so do military and law enforcement. You could plan on wearing a Class One harness every time you carry a bail-out kit if you want, but that’s a hell of fashion statement to make with your daily wardrobe. So you may find that a pre-packaged bail-out kit needs to be supplemented with components that better suit your intended application.

Kit Components

The trick to setting up the ideal-for-you bail-out kit is to avoid limiting yourself to the discipline or practice that a given product originated from. I personally lean toward products that were designed for the alpine/mountaineering community, because my performance parameters for equipment is rooted in these practices. Whether you’re rappelling because there’s a fire in your building or because you’re bailing from a climb because of bad weather, it’s still rappelling. So figure out what you really need and become an educated consumer.

Rope

First things first — a rope. Many firefighters and military personnel use a rope constructed of aramid fibers due to its heat resistance and extended durability. Some of the more popular aramid fibers include Kevlar, Technora, and Twaron. Their performance parameters tend to be beneficial in almost all other applications of use, including for a civilian in an emergency bail out. The more durable the rope, the smaller it can be. The more heat resistant it is, the longer you can use it, and under more circumstances.

There are also many variables to a rope that change its behavior in use, but most of that would only be recognized over time. Most people who carry a bail-out kit will likely only use it once in an emergency and then buy another one. The length of your rope is 100-percent dependent on the height of the buildings you’re most likely to come across. I usually run with a 75-foot rope, more than enough to cover the buildings I typically run into. Most would probably be fine with a 40- or 50-foot section. Each building is slightly different, but a good rule of thumb is that each story is roughly 10 to 12 feet, with an 8-foot maintenance floor every 10 (depending on the building code). That being said, let’s look at some options to fill out our bail-out kit.

Sterling Xtec

Weight
0.4 pounds / 50 feet

MBS
21kN

Diameter
6mm

Core/Sheath
Technora/Technora

Price
$80 / 50 feet

URL
sterlingrope.com/store/work/cordage/high-tenacity-cords/6mm-xtec

Notes: Sterling Xtec is a 6mm aramid rope with a double braid construction, meaning that the core of the rope is braided as well as the sheath. That gives the rope better handling and added durability.

Sterling RIT 900

Weight
0.9 pounds / 50 feet

MBS
18.4kN

Diameter
6.8mm

Core/Sheath
None/Twaron

Price
$65 / 50 feet

URL
sterlingrope.com/store/work/ropes/search-rescue/search-ropes/rit-900

Notes: Sterling RIT 900 is a very unique rope in that it lacks a core, because its primary use in the fire service is as a search line. It has to bend around tight corners and fit underneath doors. This rope is also made from aramid fibers, so it’s still very strong and resistant to heat and abrasion.

Sterling Firetech2

Weight
1.5 pounds / 50 feet

MBS
25.5kN

Diameter
7.5mm

Core/Sheath
Technora/Technora

Price
$127 / 50 feet

URL
https://sterlingrope.com/store/work/ropes/search-rescue/escape-ropes/firetech2

Notes: Sterling Firetech2 is an incredible rope, if you want to size up to a 7.5mm. It handles great and works well with the Sterling F4 device.

Descent Control Device

Choosing a decent control device is typically the most dependent on personal preference when assembling a bail-out kit, so you should have an idea of what you might want in a device to rappel with. You don’t need a background in rappelling, but a general understanding of it will be very helpful. I categorize them into auto-locking and manual-braking devices.

An auto-locking device is designed to automatically stop you from moving if you lose control of the rope. For less experienced people, or people who have to use both hands for something in the middle of a rappel, it works pretty well. However, during the rappel you’ll have to use both hands to safely operate the device. The military sees value in the ability to use both hands to operate something in the middle of a rappel, while firefighters like the extra layer of security in operating the device.

Manual braking devices are typically more adaptive in different environments, less specific to the rope they’re being used with, and less complicated to operate when you gain competency in rappelling. They don’t provide that added layer of security of “catching” you if you fall, and it’ll be slightly more difficult to use both hands for something in the middle of a rappel. However, during the rappel, it’ll be easier to work around objects (such as air conditioning units, balconies, and so forth) because of its versatility in not needing two hands to operate the devices.

Mammut NanoEight

Weight
44g

MBS
16kN

Diameter Range
6-7.5mm

Price
$14.95

URL
www.mammut.com/us/en/p/2210-01810-2016/nano-8/

Notes: The Mammut NanoEight is a very lightweight rappel device that follows the traditional “eight plate design,” though it’s designed to work on low diameter ropes. The “wing” on the side of the device provides greater control over your rate of speed during the rappel.

Sterling F4

Weight
6.4 ounces

MBS
13.5kN

Diameter Range
7.5mm

Price
$100

URL
sterlingrope.com/store/work/hardware/descent-control-rigging/f4-device

Notes: The Sterling F4 Device is an auto-locking device. It’s very intuitive to operate the squeeze-activated release, so training on this device should be fairly quick and easy.

Sterling F3

Weight
4.8 ounces

MBS
3035

Diameter Range
6mm

Price
$77

URL
rwrope.com/climbing-safety-gear/ascenders-descenders/sterling-f3-descent-device/

Notes: The Sterling F3 Device is the little brother (or sister) of the F4. It’s simply scaled down, intended for smaller diameter ropes. It also has the added safety feature of a “panic brake” — if the rappeler over-activates the device and squeezes too hard, it’ll stop the rope from moving through the device.

Harness

Harnesses come in all shapes and sizes, typically matching the audience the company intended to market it to. There are two main types of harnesses: A Class One is essentially a weight-rated belt, and a Class Two is commonly associated with climbers —a weight-rated belt with corresponding leg loops to distribute the load.

There are also Class Three harnesses, but those are full-body harnesses used more for construction work or technical rescue, so we won’t go into them here. Emergency belts, or “last resort belts” rated as a Class One harness, have become a popular alternative to a traditional harness, which is awesome if that’s what you feel comfortable with. Due to the extent of research driving the outdoor sports industries, I’ve grown to like a lot of the “alpine” style harnesses, so we’ll focus on those the most.

Edelrid Loopo Lite

Weight
2.82 ounces

Price
$80

URL
www.edelrid.com/us/sports/sit-harnesses/loopo-lite.html

Notes: The Edelrid Loopo Lite harness is one of the lightest harnesses currently available; surprisingly, its construction doesn’t compromise comfort or the ease of putting it on. It also has reflective tie-in loops, so it’s easy to identify in low-light conditions and under stress. There are four gear loops (two on each side), so you can keep additional gear close at hand.

Black Diamond Couloir Harness

Weight
7.5 ounces

Price
$65

URL
www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/climbing-harnesses/couloir-BD651084_cfg.html

Notes: The Black Diamond Couloir harness is also a very lightweight harness, providing more durability than most due to the construction of the waist strap and leg loops. It has speed buckle adjustments so it’s easy to take on and off, as well as two gear loops (one on each side) to clip on additional equipment.

Petzl Altitude

Weight
5.3 ounces

Price
$80

URL
www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Harnesses/ALTITUDE

Notes: If the Couloir and Loopo Lite had a baby, it’d be the Petzl Altitude harness. It’s an ultra-lightweight design with Petzl’s Wireframe technology to improve comfortability and durability. A few differences include gear loops turned 90 degrees, so they don’t interfere as much with a backpack’s waist strap, as well as a quick adjusting, easy-to-operate buckle.

Anchor

A lot of people overthink anchor systems, probably because they’re often viewed as the most important part of the bail-out system. This is true in the sense that you couldn’t have a bail-out system without one, but your rope, harness, and descent control device are equally important. An anchor is also very easy to improvise with just your rope — you can simply wrap your rope around an object and tie it to itself. You don’t even need another piece of equipment; however, a dedicated anchor can be used for multiple purposes.

For example, if you decide to use a piece of webbing as an anchor, it can also be used as a harness (on yourself or someone else), or even repair a broken backpack strap if needed. Another advantage is you’ll preserve your rope’s full length for the actual distance of the rappel. For instance, if you use 10 feet of rope to build an anchor, that’s 10 feet less that you can rappel. There are also smaller, lightweight options like 120cm (48 inches) slings, common in climbing and mountaineering.

Edelrid Aramid Core Sling, 120cm

Weight
1.79 ounces

MBS
23kN

PRICE
$25

URL
www.edelrid.de/en/sports/runner/aramid-cord-sling-6mm.html

Notes: The Aramid Core Sling is one of the most durable slings I’ve ever used. It has a polyamide sheath with an aramid core, giving it a perfect combination of strength and abrasion resistance. It does tend to be fairly stiff when brand new and sometimes it gets in the way. Either way, once you’ve used it a couple times, it handles great.

Black Diamond 18mm Nylon Runner, 120cm

Weight
2.3 ounces

MBS
22kN

Price
$9

URL
www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en/18-mm-nylon-runner-BD380025_cfg.html

Notes: I typically use the 18mm Nylon Runner for general use, when I don’t quite need the abrasion resistance of the Aramid Core Sling but still want the ease of a 120cm sling.

Method of Carry

This is probably the most important aspect to a bail-out kit for the civilian population because, let’s be honest, if it’s not easy to carry, you won’t actually carry it. Transporting a bail-out kit heavily depends on what you typically carry every day. For those who carry a backpack, it’s pretty easy. When size and weight are an issue, such as if you usually roll with a messenger bag or a briefcase type of bag, a vacuum-sealed version with more specific equipment requirements might have to do.

You also have to consider how easily and quickly you can access and utilize is the kit. For most applications in the civilian environment, a bail-out will be used in case of emergency and then left on scene, still hanging from the building. In that case, a “one and done” type of packaging like a vacuum-sealed bag works and is even preferable over a reusable bag due to space savings and ease of transportation. Any of the kits listed earlier can be removed from their bags and packed in any of the options below, once you know what you need.

Vacuum Sealed

Contents

  • 1x 75-foot Sterling RIT 900
  • 2x Rock Exotica RockO, Autolocking Carabiners
  • 1x Mammut NanoEight
  • 1x Edelrid Aramid Core Sling, 120cm
  • 1x Edelrid Loopo Lite

Notes: I personally use this method the most because of its space savings and ease of use. When using this method, I’m not worried about repacking my bail-out kit as I’ll use it and leave it. The main advantage is the versatility of the various shapes and sizes that you can form the kit. If you have an open spot in a backpack or messenger bag, you can make a kit specifically to fit the available space.

IFAK Bags

Contents

  • 1x 50-foot Sterling Xtec
  • 1x Rock Exotica RockO, Autolocking Carabiner
  • 1x Rock Exotica Pirate, Autolocking Carabiner
  • 1x Sterling F3
  • 1x Edelrid Aramid Core Sling, 120cm
  • 1x Edelrid Loopo Lite

Notes: This is easy to pack and still has some of the features of the vacuum-sealed option, such as the ease of carry and use. Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) bags typically have some type of organizational aspect to them already, making it easier to pack and layout a small bail-out kit.

Stuff Sack

Contents

  • 1x 50-foot Sterling RIT 900
  • 1x Rock Exotica RockO, Autolocking Carabiner
  • 1x Rock Exotica Pirate, Autolocking Carabiner
  • 1x Black Diamond 18mm Nylon Runner
  • 1x Edelrid Loopo Lite

Notes: Stuff sacks are pretty much the easy button for bail-out kits — if all else fails, shove it in a bag. Some key considerations when looking for a bag to stuff and stuffing it with stuff: I typically look for a wide opening, preferably without hook and loop, which sticks to the rope when you pack it and causes frustration. When packing the bag, remember that you want the contents to deploy smoothly, without knotting up or tangling. Properly flake out your rope before packing it, and then pack using small compact bights of rope.

Conclusion

Whatever combination of components you decide to put together or if you choose a pre-made kit to carry, the most important thing is your understanding of your gear and techniques. Like all things, you need training to become proficient, so the better you know your equipment, the better you can utilize it to the extent of its abilities.

About the Author

David McKay is an instructor at Element Rescue, where he specializes in teaching and developing improvised and dynamic vertical mobility techniques. This includes identifying specific problems within the response of search-and-rescue, law enforcement, and military organizations. Element Rescue is a training and strategic problem-solving company that focuses on improving system efficiency when it’s needed the most. David also works as a Research and Development Lab tech at Tactical Medical Solutions, where he works on user experience design as well as the manufacturing of various products. Tactical Medical Solutions is a developer and manufacturer of pre-hospital medical gear made for both the civilian and tactical environment.