RECOILtv: Off-Road Testing a Mercedes G-Class

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Although most Americans know Mercedes as a luxury vehicle brand, the German automaker has produced some seriously rugged trucks throughout its long history — the legendary Unimog is one notable example. The Mercedes G-Class, also known as the G-Wagen or Geländewagen (meaning “cross-country vehicle”), is another. In the United States, most of these SUVs are outfitted with fancy chrome wheels and low-profile tires, and rarely see terrain more challenging than mall parking lots — but the underlying platform is surprisingly capable.

An early civilian G-Wagen. Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The G-Wagen has been around since the 1970s. It was originally developed as a military vehicle but later offered in civilian form, much like the Humvee. Although newer versions of the G-Class have transformed into luxury SUVs, they're still off-roaders at heart. They feature true body-on-frame construction, three locking differentials, short overhangs, and respectable ground clearance.

For the latest RECOILtv Transport episode, Mike Glover and George Bell of Fieldcraft Survival took a 1996 G320 out on the trails in Arizona to review its performance. This G-Class was imported straight from Germany, so you'll notice its appearance is a bit more barebones than that of newer American models (especially the flashy AMG version).

The duo also discussed considerations for a search and rescue vehicle, and how a PACE plan — primary, alternate, contingency, emergency — should be applied to communications gear in the backcountry. Check out the full video below:

Selling Preparedness: How to Introduce the Prepper Lifestyle to Skeptics

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This article originally appeared in Issue 9 of our magazine.

Photos by Michael Grey and Jorge Nuñez

Among the most common complaints heard from preppers, an unsupportive or uninterested spouse ranks just behind not having enough money in the disaster readiness budget and just ahead of not being able to find like-minded folks in their local area. While the world would be pretty boring if we all agreed on every single thing, it can be nearly impossible to work out a complete disaster readiness plan if you’re the only person in the household interested in doing it.

Even if you’re unmarried and living alone, undoubtedly there are people in your life you’d like to get involved with prepping, but they’ve thus far resisted your efforts.

Here’s the thing. If these are people you truly want around you, odds are they’re fairly intelligent, rational human beings, right? That being the case, and this can be difficult to admit, odds are that they aren’t the problem. Most likely, it’s you, or at least your approach when it comes to talking about preparedness. In other words, you’re not selling it very well.

Preparedness isn't necessarily about being ready for the end of the world. It's a practical mindset.

One-Trick Pony

You know that guy at work who’s way more interested in football than seems sane? It seems like you can’t have any sort of conversation with him without passing plays, injury reports, or the latest trade rumors being somehow brought up. All you were trying to do is be polite in asking him how his weekend was and now you’ve been trapped for the last 30 minutes as he goes all Monday morning quarterback on you. Sound familiar?

Guess what? That might very well be exactly how you sound when the subject of prepping comes up. If your spouse’s eyes tend to glaze over rather quickly any time you talk about bug-out bags, home canning, or first-aid supplies, odds are pretty good you’ve overdone it a time or two in the past.

Being passionate about disaster readiness is one thing, obsessed is quite another. Honestly, it just isn’t healthy for any particular interest to have such an overriding effect on a human being. Remember your teen years when your primary mission in life seemed to be to attract the attention of a potential girlfriend or boyfriend? Remember all the dumb stuff you said and did back then? That, my friend, is what obsession can do.

If all you ever talk about is prepping, you begin to sound like a used car salesman who’s just trying to close a deal. Expand your horizons just a tad. Let people see you as a well-rounded person rather than a one-trick pony. Then, when the subject does come up, they’re more likely to pay attention and not feel as though they’ve heard it all before.

Slow Your Roll

Another very common mistake is going from 0 to 60 in 0.2 seconds flat. Here’s how it often plays out: Coworker comes and up and says, “Hey Bob, did you see the sale this week on canned chili?” Within moments, Bob is explaining, in excruciating detail, just how many cans of chili are necessary in a comprehensive food-storage plan, one that’s designed to last a family of four at least 10 years, taking into account all of the caloric and nutritional needs of each individual in the family. Ten years, of course, being the minimum time necessary for society to rebound from the coming zombie apocalypse, a disaster the government has been grooming us to handle for years, as they’re the ones behind all of the wildly popular undead TV shows and movies.

Associating practical preparedness with zombie-apocalypse fiction can make it seem unrealistic or absurd.

Coworker probably lost interest about four seconds into that conversation, and now thinks Bob is a weirdo.

If you truly want to get more people on board with prepping, you can’t go from zero to “end of the world as we know it” at the drop of a hat. You need to ease them into it. Talk about far more common, though admittedly more boring, disasters like severe weather, power outages, and such. Leave the world-altering disaster discussions for later, once they’ve caught the prepping bug.

Dollars and Sense

Money, or the lack thereof, leads to more marital strife than any other cause. The reason spending habits cause so many arguments is because the two people involved don’t agree on the relative importance of the items being purchased. If you both agreed that Jimmy Choo shoes were absolutely essential to life, there wouldn’t be an argument at all, right?

Here’s the thing. Some preppers do go overboard and put their families into serious financial trouble. Of course, so do many non-preppers. But, the fact is that prepping costs money. While there are many things you can learn to do on your own, such as gardening, home canning, and such, there are expenses involved no matter what. Your significant other might see these purchases as being wasteful because they don’t believe a disaster will ever strike.

Here’s the counter-argument: By maintaining a decent food pantry at home, you can eat tomorrow at today’s prices. Do some homework and keep track of what you spend on food supplies and let your spouse see how you’re actually saving money in the long run. Of course, you should also be using coupons and taking advantage of sales, rather than just buying for the sake of buying.

Insurance

Here’s a secret that many non-preppers don’t know. Most of us who are actively preparing for potential disasters truly and deeply pray we never need to use our plans for real. You know what else we spend money on and hope we never have to use? Insurance.

Think about it. Car insurance, in particular, is something that costs us a lot of money, and yet we’ll go out of our way to never use it. If we’re in a small fender-bender, we’re far more likely to try and work things out privately than we are to call our insurance agent. If we drive for 50 years, spend a total of $30,000 or more in insurance premiums during that time, and never once file a claim, we call that a win.

People often think (incorrectly) that preppers are all about the doom and gloom, hoping and praying for a major disaster to wipe out significant portions of the population. Really, though, that’s like saying anyone who buys house insurance is praying for a fire to turn all their possessions into ash. The reality is that we buy insurance because it’s a necessary evil. If our house burns down, we need the insurance to help us rebuild. If we get sick, we need health insurance to help us afford the proper treatment. If a major disaster strikes, we want our preparations to be able to keep us safe and alive until all is right with the world again. It truly is that simple.

Unsurprisingly, insurance companies frequently attest to the value of a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan — this article from USAA is a great example to share. Here's a relevant excerpt:

“You don’t have to live in Tornado Alley or along a major geological fault line to have a plan for surviving and riding out a disaster. It’s prudent to have an emergency plan and an emergency kit in place no matter where you live, because even if you’re at low risk for a hurricane or earthquake, events like house fires and power outages can happen anywhere.”

Conclusion

We each have a vested interest in getting our friends and family on board with prepping. Not only will doing so reduce the overall stress in your life, every person who preps is one less person likely to be knocking on your door, looking for a handout, if disaster does hit.

Something else to keep in mind — you can lead a person to knowledge, but you can’t make them think. There will always be people who will refuse to see the light. That doesn’t make them bad people. But, if they are close to your heart, you might consider doing a little prepping on their behalf.

About the Author

Jim Cobb is a recognized authority on disaster preparedness. He has studied, practiced, and taught survival strategies for about 30 years. Today, he resides in the upper Midwest with his beautiful and patient wife and their three adolescent weapons of mass destruction. His books include Prepper’s Home Defense, Countdown to Preparedness, and Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide. Jim’s primary home online is www.SurvivalWeekly.com. He’s also active on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimcobbsurvival. Jim offers a consulting service as well as educational opportunities at www.DisasterPrepConsultants.com.

RECOILtv: 3 Simple Carbine Drills from Dan Brokos

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Shooting — much like fire-starting and other critical survival skills — should be considered a perishable skill. In other words, if you don't use it regularly, you might lose it. In the context of a survival situation, that could mean an inability to protect yourself and your loved ones from harm. So it's advisable to get out to the range regularly and practice with your weapons in a variety of positions and conditions.

Performing a few easy drills on a regular basis can help your shooting skills stay fresh, and this is exactly the reason the RECOILtv Training Tune-Ups channel exists. In the three latest videos on this channel, Dan Brokos of Lead Faucet Tactical demonstrates three simple carbine drills to practice with your AR or other preferred carbine. They don't require a lot of range space or any special gear, just some paper targets, a shot timer or friend with a stopwatch, and (for the third drill) a few barricades to shoot around.

The first drill is a variation of Around the World, a drill we previously wrote about when Dan demonstrated it for handguns. It involves shooting a dozen 3-inch dots with two rounds per dot, reloading once during the drill. The goal is to complete all 24 shots and the reload in less than 13 seconds, with each shot outside the dots adding one second to your time.

Carbine drill number two is exceptionally simple, but challenging nonetheless. Shoot 10 rounds into a 5.5-inch bullseye target at 50 meters. The entire drill has to be completed in 20 seconds, and eight of the rounds have to be within the circle to pass the test. This one focuses more on accuracy and precision than all-out speed.

Finally, drill number three also starts at 50 meters, but places some barricades at 45 and 40 meters. You'll need to hit a silhouette target twice at the starting line, four times standing at 45M (twice on the left of the barricade, twice on the right), four more times kneeling at 40M (two left, two right), and then run back to the starting line and shoot it two more times. The entire drill should be completed in 25 seconds. If you don't have barricades, you could simplify this further, or even work in different positions such as prone. This one should get your heart rate up after a few runs, which is ideal for simulating the reality of a life-threatening situation.

Grid-Down Gardening: Become a Sustainable Survivalist

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The following article was originally published in Issue 8 of our magazine.

When’s the last time you got your hands dirty? Really dirty? Like, stuck-them-in-the-dirt-on-purpose dirty? It’s OK if the answer is never. You can still grow your own food, with very little in the way of experience or materials. And this home gardening can happen if your home has a backyard, or just a balcony, or even just a sunny window. You just have to pay attention to the details in gardening.

There are lots of reasons to take up this skill set, beside the taste and enjoyment of growing your own food. A significant crisis could cut off our current food supply, and a widespread grid-down scenario could mean that food would be at a premium. Even a job loss could be the culprit behind your hunger.

One of the best ways to inoculate yourself against starvation regardless of the cause is to have your own sustainable garden. But how can a city dweller get started?

So many of our ancestors were once gardeners, farmers, foragers, and capable agrarian types. They had to be. The food-packed grocery store is a luxury that is only a few decades old. Our hardy progenitors successfully built and maintained sustainable gardens that weren’t dependent on modern conveniences. They did it because they had to.

But waiting until you “have to” is not the right approach for the modern, would-be gardener. There’s a learning curve you can’t afford in a contemporary crisis scenario. Get started now, before trouble arises. You eat every day — why not tend some plants every day (within the growing season)?

5 Critical Things

If you want to succeed, you’ll need to pay attention to five vital areas: light, soil, water, plant selection, and damage control. When these five issues are in balance, plants can thrive. When even one of these areas has a problem, your plants have a problem.

Light: The area where you grow your vegetables will need at least eight hours of direct and uninterrupted sunlight each day. Less than eight hours of direct light means that their growth will be severely stunted, and interrupted light signals to the plants that night is coming, which also disturbs their growth. In a standalone house, duplex, or townhome, try to find a south-facing patch of yard where no trees, structures, or buildings block the sun. For apartments or condos, the south side of the building may offer you all the light you need. You may be able to set up on your balcony or fire escape. Better yet, get permission to place containers on the roof. Failing that, purchase a few sturdy window boxes to hang on sunny windows. Finding light is often the biggest hurdle for backyard and urban gardeners.

Soil: Unless you’re working on a hydroponic system, you’ll need some dirt. Potting soil can be purchased as your soil medium, and it is usually weed-free. Bagged topsoil is cheaper, but may be full of weed seeds. In a yard, just use the dirt that’s already there.

Water: If your plants are in the ground, in a backyard for example, they can draw some of their own water from the soil. Container plants, however, are very dependent on your regular and thorough watering. If using tap water, fill a bucket (or several) and let the chlorine evaporate away for two to three days before watering the plants. A better way to water is by collecting as much rain water as possible for your plants (if it’s legal in your area).

Plant Selection: Each species of vegetable plant usually has several “varieties” for you to choose from. For plants in containers, it’s best to select plants that are meant to stay small. Look for words like “patio” or “miniature” in the description. These don’t need as much space to grow, or such a big container of soil. Also pay attention to the calories the veggie would provide. A post-apocalyptic salad might be nice, but salad leaves are painfully low in calories. Focus on higher calorie vegetables (see sidebar below).

Damage Control: You aren’t the only thing that wants to eat your vegetables. Insects smell the plants you are growing and come to wreak havoc on your unsuspecting crops. Diseases can also affect your plants. Many vegetables are susceptible to viral and fungal ailments, which could kill them quickly. Be vigilant for signs of pests and disease to maintain the health of your plants. Frost will also damage or kill plants. Find out the date of the last expected frost in your area. Don’t plant frost-susceptible plants till the danger of frost has passed for the season.

High-Calorie Crops

Calories are the whole point behind a survival garden. Sure, salad plants look nice and grow fast, but you couldn’t eat enough lettuce to sustain you. Leafy greens like lettuce can have as few as 10 calories per cup. It’s a smarter path to focus on high-calorie crops. Here are some survival garden veggies to consider, and their calories per 8-ounce cup (seeds and beans counted dried, roots and fruits counted cooked

  • Peanuts (a massive calorie payout at 1,200 calories per cup)
  • Sunflower seeds (800 calories)
  • Soybeans (775 calories)
  • Chickpeas, kidney, lima, and fava beans (about 600 calories)
  • Sweet potato (180 calories)
  • Potatoes (140 calories)
  • Carrots (80 calories)
  • Tomatoes (50 calories)
  • Turnips (35 calories)

As soon as you have your game plan in mind, it’s time to get busy. Follow these steps to vegetable glory.

Step 1: Go Shopping

Once you’ve found your sunny spot, it’s time to buy some basic supplies. For backyard gardens, you’ll need:

Shovel: A round-point full-length shovel, to dig your garden bed and harvest root crops like potatoes and carrots.

Fertilizer: There is a dizzying number of fertilizer types and numbers on the bags. Those numbers are the NPK numbers. This stands for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It’s always in that order. Nitrogen is needed for leaves, stems, and green growth. Phosphorus helps flowers and fruit. Potassium is needed for root growth. The average organic fertilizer has about a 3-3-3 rating and a good conventional fertilizer has a 10-10-10 rating. Follow the instructions for application rates.

Plants or seeds: If you have time to wait for seeds to sprout, this is a cheaper way to get your veggies. If time (or patience) is short, buy seedling plants that are already several inches tall and growing strong.

For container gardens, you’ll need:

Containers: These can be pots, buckets, even small garbage cans. If there are no holes for water drainage, you’ll need to punch some in the bottom. You may also purchase (or build) self-watering containers. These are filled up with water every few days, and they water the plants slowly and automatically. Window boxes are also an option if you truly have no space to use.

Soil: Potting soil is a great choice, and it can be purchased with fertilizer already included.

Fertilizer: If not included in the soil mix.

Step 2: Prep Your Soil

You can’t just throw out some seeds and hope for the best. Contemporary vegetables are not as hardy as their wild edible forebears. To perform well, your plants will need loose, rich soil and no other plant competition. Get out your shovel and dig up the grass sod from new backyard garden spots. Then dig deeply and chop the dirt clods with the shovel until they are loose soil. Dig down at least 1 foot if you can, but 2-feet deep is even more productive.

While this is backbreaking work for most people, it’s worth the effort. Deeply prepared soil allows deep root growth, more nutrient and water uptake, and happier earthworms and other beneficial organisms. For container gardens, the work is much easier. Open a bag of potting soil, fill the container, and move to step three. Although potting soil lacks many nutrients and helpful soil creatures, it’s easy to work with and reusable for several years.

Step 3: Plant Your Veggies

If you’re sowing seeds, study the package info on the depth and spacing requirements for each plant. You can use your fingers to poke holes in the loose dirt, and a tape measure or ruler to get the spacing right. Cover the seeds with soil, unless the package says differently. Water the soil gently and wait for the seedlings to emerge. Large seeds grow quickly, since they contain more fuel for growth. Expect beans and squash to pop up in days.

Small seeds are generally slow to sprout, tomatoes taking several weeks to rise from the soil, while peppers and eggplants take more than a month to emerge. Live seedling plants give you a major head start. Bury each root ball in your prepared soil and water deeply. Again, pay attention to spacing. Overcrowding stunts all of the plants that are in competition with each other. As a final option, you could plant living shoots. Cut sprouting white potatoes and sweet potatoes into chunks. Plant each one a few inches deep, and 1 foot apart.

Step 4: Maintain Your Garden

Once the seeds or seedlings are in, water them gently each morning until they are established. You may be able to back off to watering every other day once their roots are deep and the plants are healthy. You may also want to mulch the bed or container to maintain moisture in dry climates. In the beginning of the growing season, you’ll still need to be alert to frost and freeze warnings in your area. Cover plants with a light plastic or bed sheet, and anchor it in place if frost is expected. Remove the plastic as soon as the sun rises to prevent the combination of light and condensation from burning the leaves.

With container plants, if frost or freeze is predicted, just bring the whole container inside. Not all plants are this sensitive to the cold, just plants of tropical descent like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and a few others. Later in the season, heat can also be an issue. For urban gardeners, be careful that summer sun and heat aren’t reflected off walls, fences, and other structures. This extra heat can actually cook them. If plants are well watered, but still become “droopy” in mid-afternoon, move them to a cooler spot.

Step 5: Be Patient Till Harvest Time

Gardening isn’t like the push-button activities of the modern world. Plants grow at their own pace. Some are faster than others, but they are never fast enough to suit an impatient person. Consider the length of time until harvest as you plan your vegetable selection. Radishes offer you the quickest turnaround, growing from seed to harvestable root in about one month. The bad news is that they only have 19 calories per cup. High-calorie plants like peanuts can take four months or more for the edible part to reach maturity. Be patient and be realistic, as you wait for your food to reach maturity and ripen; and be watchful for pests and disease.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few areas where new gardeners often screw things up. Avoid these likely pitfalls and blunders, and your plants will thank you for it — by feeding you.

Using Too Much Water: The western ideal that “if some is good, more is better” doesn’t apply to watering. Overwatering can cause the soil to remain too damp for too long, leading to fungal diseases which can kill otherwise healthy plants. Too little water is a mistake also, leaving the soil dry and stunting plant growth. Water deeply and regularly, preferably in the morning. Nighttime watering can breed fungus as well.

Ignoring Pests: You never know when an insect invasion will arrive. Frequently inspect the plants for bugs and bug eggs (underneath the leaves). A few bugs are helpful, like pollinators, but the rest are enemy combatants. Crush them with extreme prejudice.

Using Too Much Fertilizer: You may be head over heels for your new vegetable plants and want them to do well. But don’t overdo it on fertilizer. The overuse of conventional fertilizer can cause harm to your plants. Follow the package instructions for directions on the use of the product.

Foregoing Regular Checkups: Plants can pick up diseases from insects, fungal spores on the wind, and even from you! If you smoke around your tomatoes, for example, they can pick up a nasty virus from the tobacco. At the first signs of sickly leaves or messed up vegetables, prowl the Internet or good gardening books to find out the cause. Many diseases can be remedied — if caught early.

How to Cultivate Your Own Seeds

It’s surprisingly easy to save seeds from year to year, and continue your own gardening traditions (and genetics). This isn’t legal when dealing with modern protected plant varieties. Heirlooms, on the other hand, still exist because of home gardeners saving their seeds. Here’s how you can carry on the heritage of seed saving in your own family.

Plan ahead for seed saving by growing single varieties of each vegetable species. This will help you avoid unpredictable results from cross-pollination and mutant vegetables next year. Let the fruiting part of your plants mature fully. This will mean mushy tomatoes, dry crusty bean pods, and rock-hard squash. This also means that the seeds are fully formed.

Next, cut or tear open the fruiting body and pick out the seeds. Large seeds are easy to pick from the flesh, smaller ones take a little time. Place them on newspaper to dry in the shade. Once they are thoroughly dry, pick off any dried flesh and place the seeds in a jar with a small desiccant pack. Store these seeds in a cool, dry, dark place until next spring. A few odd seeds require a fermentation process or scratching with sandpaper for best results, but generally, it’s that easy.

Conclusion

Like all living things, plants want to grow. Their roots dig deep, and their leaves reach toward the sun. If we provide the right plants with the light, fertile soil, water, and protection mentioned throughout this article, chances are that you will have some success. But like most endeavors, there’ll be some missteps too. Learn from your mistakes, do some research and find out what went wrong. Use that information the next time, and your results should speak for themselves. There’s no such thing as a green thumb, just dirty thumbs with calluses.

Strange Brew: Making Beer is a Valuable Survival Skill

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The following article was originally published in Issue 8 of our magazine.

It goes without saying that we should all be proficient in basic bushcraft skills to ensure a certain level of self-reliance. Knowing how to build a fire, provide clean water, and hunt and defend yourself is crucial to surviving and thriving. But you don’t have to do it all alone. If you’ve read Jim Cobb’s “It Takes a Village” feature in Issue 7, you know one of the advantages of joining or forming a survival group is teaming up with others whose skills complement your own. Within those groups, various individuals will have specific skills and/or products that will contribute to the greater good. Essentially, that’s the way civilizations have functioned long before there was a grid to go off of.

Looking back on thousands of years of history there’s one skilled individual who has always been as essential as the hunter or the healer. One person who appears to be as integral to the fabric of society as a clean water source. That person is the guy (or gal) who knows how to…wait for it…make beer!

The role of beer in society goes far beyond grabbing a cold one and watching ’Bama football. It’s one of the oldest beverages created by humans. It goes even further back than the classic European monastic breweries founded after the Romans stopped sending Christians to the lions. In fact, archaeologists have found 4,000-year-old clay tablets that described beer recipes in great detail.

So maybe we’re waxing a little too poetic about “cold gold.” Nonetheless, within certain survival groups, your brewing skills could be almost as good as gold (did we mention that beer was used as currency at one time). The really good news is that — unlike learning medicine or gunsmithing — brewing is a skill easily acquired and practiced in the comfort of your own living room and/or kitchen. Whether you’re prepping for TEOTWAWKI where all bars have shuttered or you just want the extreme satisfaction of drinking an ale you gave birth to, having your own do-it-yourself brewery could be more of an asset than you think.

Setting Up Shop

You don’t need high-tech gear to start your home brewery.

If ancient cultures with no running water and poor hygiene were able to make beer, there’s no excuse should we fail to make a quality brewski with the resources we have today. It’s a pretty simple process, and the equipment is easy to find and store. And if you’re emotionally attached to your homemade tap, the buckets can be used to carry other things while you’re bugging out.

It’s easy to get started because you don’t need expensive gear. In fact, the process you’ll use will be basically the same even if we get thrown back to a 19th-century lifestyle after a massive solar flare or electromagnetic pulse attack. You don’t need any exotic cooking kettles, fermentation tanks, or bottling systems. Everything can be found at and/or made from stuff at your local home-improvement store. That being said, there’s no need to run out to The Big Orange Box and start playing MacGyver. Online supply houses like The Home Brewery are inexpensive resources for even the most basic ingredients. Plus, the folks there will have more expertise than you’ll find in this article. They will get you up and running, even if you only want to set yourself up for SHTF brewing.

Get the basic setup and you’re good to go; upgrade it and you’ll find the process a little easier and your end product a little better. Even with the much recommended upgraded kit, there’s no high-tech equipment. Below are the items you’ll want to gather.

The Gear:

  • A stainless steel brew pot big enough to hold 3 gallons of water
  • Thermometer
  • Large stirring spoon
  • Straining bags
  • Fermenting bucket (clean unused 6.5-gallon bucket) with an airtight lid
  • Bottling bucket (a 6.5-gallon bucket with a spigot)
  • Bottles and corks or caps (actually growlers with lock tops work great since they’re reusable and you don’t need a supply of caps and a capper)
  • Transfer tubing
  • Hydrometer to measure the alcohol content as an indicator of when to stop the process

An accurate thermometer is essential for brewing homemade beer, lest you just want flavored water

The essential upgrades are a 6.5-gallon glass secondary fermenting bottle (called a carboy), as well as a coil of copper tubing used in cooling the pre-beer mixture so you can add the yeast that turns boiled grains and malt into beer.

You’ll also need a reliable means of rendering all your equipment germ and bacteria free. If there’s one unbreakable rule in brewing: sanitize and sanitize again! You can stock up on sanitizing mix at online sources like The Home Brewery.

Now that you have the equipment, you’ll need ingredients. Every beer has the same basic ingredients. They are also the same staple ingredients you’ll need on hand to make bread, feed poultry, and season other foods. To start you’ll need to get your hands on the following items.

The Ingredients:

  • Yeast
  • Water
  • Spices
  • Grain (oats, barley, or wheat)
  • Sugar (cane sugar, honey, corn sugar, or milk sugar)
  • Hops (different strains yield different tastes)
  • Malted barley extract (if SHTF, you’ll need to make your own, which is a more detailed process than we have room for here. But commercial extracts are available for you to use until you need to make your own.)

Keep in mind: You don’t have to worry about sourcing all this at first. You can pick your favorite style of beer and purchase a kit that will have everything you need to cook up the recipe.

You can customize your post-apocalyptic beer by adding certain grains and spices.

Beer Pioneer?

Who made the very first mug of beer? Was it made out of a survival need or through serendipity? No one knows for sure. There’s a theory that says that cerveza was discovered because someone accidentally left soggy bread out to ferment and decided to give the run-off a swig. If you believe the ancient Egyptians, divine inspiration gifted an elder with the knowledge of taking a combination of water, grains, and wild yeast, and letting it age to create a drink that helped ease the stress of building pyramids — or at least one that would give the pharaoh a buzz. Beer was held in such high regard in Egypt that beer historians say if a gentleman gave a lady a sip of his beer they were engaged (yikes!).

The mystery as to how ale materialized might never be solved. But it’s certain that beer is so cross-cultural and enduring because the ingredients are easy to grow and are the same items used in bread making. Or perhaps it’s because beer can be a bacteria-free alternative to less reliable water. Any way you look at it, beer has been produced by virtually every civilization on earth for millennia, and it’ll surely be around for many more.

Two Types

There are two main classifications of beer: ales and lagers. They’re determined by the type of yeast used in the fermenting process.

  • Ale is a top fermenting beer, meaning the type of yeast used rises to the top during the process. These include pale ale, India pale ale, and Belgian ales.
  • Lager, conversely, is a bottom fermenting beer. The type of yeast used falls to the bottom during the process. These include bocks, dark lagers, light lagers, and pilsners.

Let’s Cook

So you’ve got your equipment and your ingredients kit — now what? Let’s get to brewing. As we mentioned, the prime rule in brewing is sanitizing. Anything that isn’t in boiled in the kettle needs to be sanitized thoroughly. Nothing ruins a brew quicker than errant bacteria. After that, in a nutshell, beer-making is simply taking the ingredients through a four-step process: boiling, fermentation, priming, and bottling. The timing and order in which to add the ingredients will determine whether your lager is worthy of a Super Bowl ad or if it’s a sad waste of water and liquid bread.

Step 1: Boiling

Beer making starts off a lot like making a good cup of tea. You’ll bring 3 to 4 gallons of water up to a pre-boil temperature of 170 degrees F. At that point you’ll fill a straining bag full of various grains and steep it like you would a tea bag. The types of grains you use will render specific tastes. When the grains have steeped, you bring your concoction to a boil. At a rolling boil, you’ll mix in your malt and hops. This mixture is called the wort and it starts to smell like beer. You’ll be boiling the wort for a good 60 minutes. Now is the time to sanitize the fermentation bucket, the lid, and the airlock if you haven’t already.

Step 2: Fermentation

If any part of the brewing process is frustrating, it’s cooling the wort after the boil. Remember: we’re brewing 5 gallons, but only boiling 3. Add the hot mixture to your sanitized fermenting bucket, then add 2 more gallons of cold spring water. You’re trying to get the mixture down to 75 to 80 degrees F so you can add the yeast. Any hotter than that and you’ll kill the yeast — meaning no alcohol will be produced.

This is the wort, a mix of malt and hops that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.

The cooling process is expedited with a wort chiller, a coil of copper tubing that connects to a faucet. Put the sanitized chiller in the wort mixture and run cold water through it. This takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes off the chilling time.

Now that everything has cooled down, it’s time to add the yeast. Just like making bread, yeast is the key ingredient in the process. If the yeast isn’t active, then kiss a good batch goodbye. Different types of yeasts are required for different types of beer.

After you pitched your yeast and sealed the bucket with the sanitized lid, the waiting game begins. The lid will have an airlock on it that allows the fermenting gases to escape without letting unwanted bacteria in. So now the waiting begins…for about two weeks. You’ll see the airlock bubbling — that’s how you’ll know your sweet barley pop is on its way.

Make sure your fermenting bucket is sanitized. Nothing kills a brew like errant bacteria.

Step 3: Priming

When your brew has stopped fermenting, it’s time to prime. This is the stage in which you add a measured amount of sugar or malt extract right before bottling. This fuels the yeast and creates a new fermentation process in the bottle and, more importantly, CO2. The gases produced in the next step carbonates the beer. (Refer to the experts in our source box or other qualified breweries for information on fermentation times, amounts of sugar, and other exact details.)

Step 4: Bottling

The last stage is to bottle your brewski in sanitized bottles. Bottles that require you to press on a cap are good for the casual brewer. In an off-grid scenario, however, bottle caps will be scarce; that’s why it good to start using snap lid growlers. After you’ve bottled your suds, wait for another week or two and it’s ready to drink.

That’s it. All in all, an easy process — unless you’re super impatient. The great thing is that when it’s TEOTWAWKI you can learn to recycle the yeast to make another batch of beer. The grains you use are good for bread and animal feed. Hops are easy to grow and can also be used for feed. In addition, the soggy grains and hops left over from the process can be used as fertilizer. So, as the brewmeister, you’ll be not only lifting the morale of your loved ones and producing a valuable bartering commodity, you’ll also contribute to your survival group’s overall well-being in several ways. And that’s something we can all drink to. Cheers!

Sources

  • The Home Brewery > www.homebrewery.com
  • Home Beermaking by William Moore > www.amazon.com

New: HK Knives Mini Incursion OTF Automatic

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Earlier this month at Blade Show, we stopped by the Hogue booth and noticed a new knife on display as part of the company's HK Knives line. The new Mini Incursion is an out-the-front automatic knife with a sub-3-inch blade, making it a good option for those who like the slick action of an OTF but want something more compact and EDC-friendly. We can see the appeal, since we often find ourselves minimizing gear while wearing light shorts in the hot summer months.

The new HK Knives Mini Incursion is made in the USA with an ambidextrous push-pull switch that swiftly deploys and retracts the blade. The handle/frame is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and anodized in either a matte grey or matte black finish. It also features a deep-carry, tip-down pocket clip with the HK logo and a built-in carbide glass breaker.

Pushing forward on the switch reveals the 2.95-inch 154CM steel blade, which is heat treated to 57-59HRC and ground to either a tanto or clip point profile. Available blade finishes are tumbled (matte black frame and clip point blade only) or black PVD coating. Each knife is hand-sharpened and honed.

MSRP for the new HK Knives Mini Incursion is $290 for the tumbled-finish model, and $310 for all other models. For more information, go to HKKnives.com.

Watch Commander: Survival Watch Buyer’s Guide

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Photos by Jorge Nuñez and Freddy Osuna

One century has passed since we started wearing watches on our wrists, and it appears that the wrist-mounted timepiece has yet to become obsolete. Companies continue to create a variety of features beyond simply telling time that adapt to the ever-changing needs of the tech-savvy consumer. This also raises an important question — why do you need a wristwatch when you can just look at your phone? The key question that you should ask is what kind of watch will serve your lifestyle best in the absence of a cell phone? Is it an analog automatic watch, serving the very simple task of keeping time accurately? Is a multi-function watch for work and play the way to go? How about a Bluetooth-compatible watch that’ll let you access your smartphone features at a glance?

Having an accurate, dependable timepiece has served me well on missions and in the classes I teach. Not only do they provide the ability to monitor this most precious commodity, time, but certain makes and models can also measure ambient temperature, barometric pressure, compass direction, and altitude. So what does this data translate to in austere circumstances or tactical situations? By having environmental info like temperature, you can better monitor your team’s diagnostics (gotta keep them horses watered). Temperature, barometric pressure, and altitude are factored into ballistic calculations for long-range shooting. Barometric pressure can alert you to unexpected weather, which could affect things like line-of-sight visibility.

You might think that an altimeter may only be relevant to pilots and mountain climbers — think again. In 2010, while navigating with GPS in the Sierra Nevada mountains, I had a power failure and interference that rendered the device as useful as a paperweight. I was alone and eight miles into my trek, trying to locate a designated landing zone. Since I’d mainly been following the GPS, I pulled out a map from my cargo pocket to do some terrain association. As I stopped for a map check, the GPS died. I was at 8,000 feet, it was 30 degrees F, and it was getting dark. Orienting my map to north, I looked around and tried to associate my position with visible landmarks in order to get an idea of where I was.

With my compass, I shot two azimuths, or lines of direction, in order to triangulate a resection — a method used to locate your own position on a map. In this terrain, it was very important to determine my exact location on the map because false peaks could be the difference between spending the night in the bush in very cold conditions or in my hotel. By having a general idea of where I was, I used the altimeter on my watch and matched that up with the contour lines (elevation indicators) on the map to get my exact location. This saved my bacon, and could save yours one day too.

An analog watch face can be used as an improvised compass in a pinch.

Do a web search for EDC gear. You’ll probably see a watch in almost every photo. Time keeping, orientation, coordination, and distance calculation may be the most common uses for wristwatches, but did you know there’s a hell of a lot more ways a watch can serve you?

  • In a SHTF scenario, it’s important to keep a chronological journal of even the most mundane activities. An accurate sense of time and date provides orientation and can keep the looming depression monster at bay.
  • By using an analog watch, you can approximate cardinal north and south — see this previous web article or refer to “No Compass, No GPS, No Problem” in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 2.
  • Those unsightly, ginormous watch faces are useful as a data board in a pinch. I often write reminders or other info I may not be able to recall later on my watch faces. You can use a Staedtler felt pen (map pen) or fine-point Sharpie.
  • A watch can be used for barter.
  • You can strop your knife on a leather watchband.
  • I used to have an older watch that had a sliver of space in the battery compartment. I kept a microSD card in there with important documents on it. Key fobs work great for this as well.
  • Pop the face off and work it to an edge to use as a cutting tool in an escape scenario.

Here we take a look at 10 of the latest watches on the market, with functions that go from simple to complex. See which watch has a place in your EDC.

Brazen Sports Military Tactical Chronograph

Movement
Swiss ETA 251.274

Case
44mm stainless steel

Glass
Anti-reflective sapphire

Band
24mm vulcanized nitrile NBR rubber

Weight
4.6 ounces

Price
$850

URL
brazensports.com

Notes
The triple chrono features a 60-second, 30-minute, and one-hour dashboard. Also handy is a tachymeter with which you can estimate speed, distance, and other metrics. The “non-luminous for black ops” specification was a bit amusing. It has great, large hands with a contrasting background, plus you can use the large face as a mini data board to write on. Water-resistant to 100 meters, with a two-year limited warranty. The design of the watch body is inspired by a centerfire cartridge, with its underside mimicking the look of brass with a primer. The bullet-case design on the backplate is a nice tribute to shooting sports and 2nd Amendment rights. The details in the markings and jewels are very appealing to classy watch folks. It’s a little heavy and bulky, but that also seems to be the trend. Six-year battery life.

Casio / G Shock Master of G GG1035A-1A

Movement
Quartz – Module #5476

Case
56.2mm

Glass
Mineral glass

Band
28mm resin textured band

Weight
3.3 ounces

Price
$370

URL
www.gshock.com

Notes
Features include a digital and hand display compass that measures and displays magnetic north, 16 direction points, and bearing memory. This watch also features an altimeter for navigation tasks and barometer for predicting weather and long-range marksmanship. It has an LED backlight with neo-brite luminous hands and markers. It has world time with 31 time zones. It’s water-resistant to 200 meters and mud resistant as well. The auto compass north feature is great, and I found myself engaging compass mode just for the fun of it. For the price, this is an excellent tool for land navigation short of getting a GPS. However, its bulk is a little obtrusive, and the strap is very stiff. Despite its size, it weighs only 3.3 ounces. Battery life is approximately two years, and its warranty is three years.

Dakota Steel Angler

Movement
Analog

Case
40mm stainless steel

Glass
Mineral glass crystal

Band
22mm silicone

Weight
2.5 ounces

Price
$75

URL
www.dakotawatch.com

Notes
Oversized analog numerals with a moonglow electroluminescent function. Large hands and a contrasting background make it easy to read day and night. Rated at 5 ATM (165 feet) of water resistance. Analog watches have always served me well as an instructor for monitoring timed events. The soft band was very comfortable. Overall the Dakota brand is a cost-effective choice, available at many large department stores. In fact, it’s one of the only watch brands I’ve seen in the Walmart hunting/sports section. Its simplicity, durability, and price point under $100 make it a great everyday watch choice. With so many other watches boasting features beyond time keeping, the Dakota may not meet all the needs of a serious outdoorsman who has other options at a comparable price point. It has a two-year warranty, and battery life is one to three years.

Isobrite Valor Series ISO304

Movement
Swiss Ronda quartz (battery)

Case
47mm carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate

Glass
Scratch-resistant sapphire

Band
22mm silicone

Weight
3 ounces

Price
$499

URL
www.armourlite.com

Notes
Isobrite is known for making the first tritium dial-lighted watches. This model has tritium vials at every hour marker, with two at the 12 o’clock position. The bezel has tacky contours with positive “clicks” and contains tritium vials at the 12 and 3 o’clock marks. The crown is nice and big with a smooth three-position function — my favorite turning crown of all the watches. The polycarbonate case is lightweight and strong. It comes with a matching silicone band, which I found to be thick and uncomfortable, or you can opt for a nylon NATO-style version. The watch is deceptively rugged and water-resistant (rated to 200 meters). The tritium vials (jewels) are amazingly bright — hence the name. Large positive clicking dials make for easy adjustment, even with sausage fingers. The tan desert color, although a low contrast color that may be a good choice for sneaking around in the bush, can make this watch look cheap or toyish to those who’d prefer other colors. Its lithium battery should last 10 years.

Luminox Master Carbon SEAL – 3813

Movement
Multi jewel Swiss quartz movement

Case
46mm Carbonox

Glass
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal

Band
24mm rubber oil-resistant strap

Weight
2.8 ounces

Price
$690

URL
luminox-usa.com

Notes
The “Carbonox” construction was very light. The company claims it’s six times lighter than steel and three times lighter than titanium. It was the lightest watch we reviewed at 80 grams. A huge, positive clicking single dial does everything. Tritium vials perform as advertised, and the single distinctive orange jewel at 12 o’clock was helpful for orientation. The watch has smooth contours with a low profile, easily accessed with long-sleeve uniforms or dress shirts. There are large bright numbers on the bezel, along with a tritium jewel at the zero mark. The strap is oil resistant, lightweight, and very comfortable — you forget you’re wearing it. It has a two-year limited warranty and 10-year warranty for the tritium tubes. It’s water-resistant to 300 meters and features an eight- to 10-year battery life.

MTM Black Predator 2

Movement
Chronograph Swiss Ronda 5040.D

Case
44.5mm stainless steel or titanium

Glass
Anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire

Band
24mm stainless or titanium

Weight
9.5 ounces (stainless steel); 6.6 ounces (titanium)

Price
$1,020

URL
www.specialopswatch.com

Notes
The MTM’s three-dial chronograph can measure down to 1/10th seconds. Features include tritium glow hands, bright tritium jewels, and a unidirectional ratcheting bezel. This is a man’s watch that says “business tactical” and looks like something John Wick would wear. You can bash someone’s face in with this timepiece due to its heft, but that weight may be a turnoff for some people. MTM offers many options for finishes, as well as band, case, hand, and dial color. The size of the band is easily adjusted with an Allen key rather than the typical swear-inducing, spring-loaded pins, and you can also select from numerous nonmetallic band options. The watch is water-resistant to 200 meters and has a three-year limited, nontransferable warranty. It comes in a watertight tactical box that’d rival many gun cases for durability. Four-year battery life.

One Eleven Master SW1 Solar 3-Hand Black Nylon Strap

Movement
Solar powered

Case
42mm stainless steel

Glass
Hardened mineral crystal

Band
22mm woven nylon field strap

Weight
1.4 ounces

Price
$125

URL
www.111watches.com

Notes
This watch design looks like a wrist compass and can be used in that manner like all analog watches. You could wear this watch with a business suit during the week and in the bush on weekends. The strap has a unique spring release switch to remove and clean it; it’s also very comfortable and easy to adjust. The crystal allows for image refraction that gives it an appealing look. It’s water-resistant to 10 ATM. The large solar cell watch face ensures great light collection in order to keep it ticking. The compass-like face not only provides cool compass nostalgia, but also makes it easily interpretable as a field expedient compass. Nice crystal glass gives this watch a great look, and in a pinch could be used as a cutting implement. The markings are a little small, and the hook and loop strap keeper will wear out with time. The watch has a two-year limited warranty, and the battery is rechargeable.

Resco Instruments GMT PVD Green

Movement
Swiss quartz battery

Case
44mm 316 L Stainless Steel, PVD Black Finish

Glass
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal

Band
22mm NATO nylon

Weight
3.3 ounces

Price
$1,205

URL
rescoinstruments.com

Notes
The Resco has a matte black dial with C3 SuperLuminova luminous markings; C3 refers to its yellowish color. It has a unique internal rotating bezel, operated by the upper rotating crown. The NATO nylon strap, while functional, seems like a cheap feature for a watch at this price point, but other options are available. Overall, though, it has very nice aesthetics. It’s water-resistant to 200 meters and has a one-year warranty. A great feature is the internal bezel that can be used to mark time elapsed or a direction for navigation. A unique service provided by Resco is factory conversion of an automatic watch to a quartz battery movement for many of their models. They also donate 20 watches per year to programs that support wounded service members; it’s great to see companies that support our nation’s heroes. Three-year battery life.

Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro Stealth

Movement
Firmware software

Case
50mm glass fibre reinforced polyamide

Glass
Mineral crystal

Band
24mm silicone

Weight
2.6 ounces

Price
$549

URL
www.suunto.com

Notes
This watch has it all. The weather barometer is excellent for reading environmental conditions. Bluetooth functionality with your smartphone is simple and intuitive, and the GPS navigation feature easily pairs with Suunto’s iOS or Android app, so you can track your progress and health diagnostics. The touch screen is responsive. Along with the amazing spectrum of features offered, you can monitor the last incoming text message while avoiding the distractions of trying to catch a glimpse of the peripherals of your smartphone. The battery life is a big con, ranging from 10 hours to 14 days, depending on which functions you’re using. And don’t forget your charge cable, because you can’t use just any USB cable. With a stainless steel bezel, it’s still very light and water-resistant to 100 meters. For a large smart watch, its contours are very unobtrusive with no sharp edges. The time face is adjustable for layout and color. Two-year limited warranty.

Traser Watches P49 Red Alert T100

Movement
Swiss Ronda 715 quartz

Case
44mm black PVD stainless steel

Glass
Anti-reflective sapphire

Band
NATO style

Price
$550

URL
www.traser.com

Notes
Known for their illuminated watches, Traser offers a proprietary “Trigalight” technology, using tritium gas in miniature tubes that light up at night. This is the same type of technology seen in self-illuminating night sights for guns. The markers are very bright, and the hands are easily picked up at the first hint of dusk. The bezel is excellent for marking time elapsed. The Traser has an overall masculine look and feel to it, and the strap is easy to remove for cleaning. The main issue that users may wish to consider is that it has a high profile and edges that may catch or snag on gear or equipment. It’s water-resistant rated to 200 meters with a two-year warranty.

More From Issue 32

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 33

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

Survival Scenarios: Stick Together or Go Your Own Way?

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Humans are social creatures — while many of us enjoy moments of solitude, we thrive in the company of other people, whether they're family, friends, or team members. Our greatest accomplishments, from circumnavigating the globe to landing on the moon, have been group efforts. However, as anyone who has endured a difficult relationship can tell you, other people can also make our lives into a living hell. It's a classic catch-22: we often can't live with people, but also can't live without them.

In a survival scenario, there are numerous advantages to having at least one other person by your side. Assuming you're able to work together, you can divide and conquer tasks, watch each other's backs, and assist one another in the event of an injury. But your partner can also become your worst enemy, whether through unintentional panic or deliberate opposition and conflict. Think of a drowning situation — if you attempt to grab the floundering swimmer and help them stay afloat, they may end up dragging you under so you both die.

We've all seen the stereotypical movie scene where the hero's buddy gets injured and selflessly exclaims, “Go on without me! Save yourself!” Usually, the hero bravely refuses to leave anyone behind and drags his pal to safety as the music swells dramatically. Cue fiery explosions in the background as they reach safety; fade to black, roll credits. Unfortunately, it's not so simple in real life.

Sometimes you'll have to work with someone unpleasant to make the best of a bad situation, while other times it may be wise to cut and run immediately. Where do you draw the line?

This is the question we pose in today's edition of Survival Scenarios. For those who have missed our previous installments of Survival Scenarios, here’s how it works. We ask you how you’d handle a difficult choice in a hypothetical survival situation. These exercises can help you mentally ready yourself for an event you might encounter in real life someday, and consider adjusting your emergency preps accordingly. As always, the article will end with a poll where you can make your choice and see how others felt.

Background Info

Photo: Flickr.com/Yisnd_2b (CC BY-SA 2.0)

You live approximately 40 minutes north of San Diego, CA, and work near the city center. Normally, you get on the freeway around 7am for your morning commute to work, but your trusty old SUV hasn't been so trusty lately. In fact, it broke down last week and left you sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow.

Photo: Flickr.com/cooljuno411 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It seems like your vehicle's reliability problems aren't too serious, but it's going to take a few days to get the parts and install them — in the mean time, you still need to get to work. So, you asked a few of your coworkers if they wouldn't mind giving you a ride. Unfortunately, everyone who lives near you apologetically explained they couldn't carpool… except for one person.

Steve is widely-known around the office for being a pain to work with. He never seems to be able to agree with anyone, and acts like a pompous know-it-all most of the time. You could mention that the sky is blue, and Steve would start a debate about how it's actually cyan, then lose his temper if you didn't agree with him. However, despite his disagreeable and childish behavior, your boss keeps him around because his sales numbers are second to none and he hasn't taken a day off in years.

Steve overhears you asking another coworker for a ride, and chimes in to say that he will pick you up (probably because he wants to show off the Audi he just bought). Knowing you've exhausted your other options, you put on a smile, thank him, and agree. Hopefully your SUV will be fixed soon and this will be a one-time occurrence.

He picks you up the next morning — right on time, as expected — and greets you with a smug expression before you drive off together. After 15 minutes on the freeway, several low-flying jets scream by overhead. You look out the side window and see military helicopters flying in formation in the same direction you're headed.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Parker Gyokeres

Living this close to Camp Pendleton, you're used to seeing similar activity, but never this much at once. Especially not concentrated in this area. As traffic slows to a crawl, you can see a huge column of dark smoke rising on the horizon. Cars begin to jostle for position to exit the freeway. Whatever this is, it doesn't seem like a training operation.

Steve frowns and turns the radio to a local news station. An automated message is playing, instructing everyone to stay calm, remain indoors, and keep the roads clear for emergency personnel. Maddeningly, it doesn't share any details on what's actually happening. You check your phone but web pages don't seem to be loading — maybe poor signal, or maybe an overloaded network. Steve shrugs this off and says it's just a drill, and that he's not missing a day at work because of something stupid like this. You protest and try to explain that this seems serious, and he responds with “Quit being paranoid. If you don't like it, you can walk. Otherwise we're going to the office.”

Conditions & Gear

Photo: Flickr.com/slworking (CC BY 2.0)

It's a typical southern-California summer morning, with clear weather and temperatures in the mid-80s. Your gear consists of only your lunchbox and a few items on your person. The office has a strictly-enforced “no weapons” policy, so you only carry a small folding knife inside your pocket. You also have your cell phone, keys, and wallet with about $30 in cash. You're wearing business casual apparel and dress shoes.

Sticking Together

You don't feel comfortable continuing on to work given the indications of some sort of major emergency. You considered the possibility of a wildfire, but the vague radio message, increased military activity, and location of the smoke in the distance suggest this is something more serious. It might be anything from an isolated industrial explosion to a dirty bomb, bioterrorist attack, or the start of a war.

If it's an isolated issue, you should be able to complete the remaining 25-minute trip to the office and decide what to do once you have more information. If it's some sort of large-scale attack, you could end up stuck in the car with your belligerent coworker — possibly the last person on earth you'd want to survive alongside.

Photo: Koalabaerchen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

However, you can't exactly force Steve to turn around, and he's the type of person who would stick to his word and leave you on the side of the road. In an absolute worst-case scenario, you could probably take the car from him by force, but you don't feel like adding felony carjacking to your résumé unless you're positive your life depends on it. Anything short of that means you either keep going with him at the wheel, or get out while it's still relatively safe to do so.

If you decide to stay in the car, you might be able to convince Steve to let you out somewhere more preferable further down the road. Then again, you're pretty sure he won't want to leave the freeway at all unless it's obvious that he has no other choice. This might lead him to drive the two of you right into the middle of a dangerous situation.

In the mean time, at least you'd be mobile with access to radio news broadcasts, and wouldn't be standing outside directly exposed to anything the smoke on the horizon might contain.

Going Your Own Way

Photo: Flickr.com/jenni61 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Although your head is telling you to think about the pros and cons of both options, your heart is saying tell Steve to go to hell and take his Audi and his smug attitude with him. Doing so would mean you're independent, and don't have to worry about the possibility that he will stubbornly endanger both your lives. For the time being, you'd be able to focus entirely on your own safety.

The obvious downside to this plan is that you lose your only guaranteed mode of transportation, aside from walking. You could try hitchhiking, but based on current events, you suspect that most people will want to get home to their families rather than stop to pick up a stranger. You're about 10 miles from your house, but you're not sure you should be walking around right now without knowing what's going on or how widespread it is. And your stiff dress shoes wouldn't be your first choice of footwear for that journey.

Photo: Flickr.com/darinrmcclure (CC BY 2.0)

One option would be to walk a short ways to the nearest business to check the news and ask around for more information. But if the situation escalates, you could end up stuck there. You'd much rather be at home where you have supplies set aside for a disaster, instead of stranded in some coffee shop with no gear and a bunch of panicking strangers.

Going on foot would undoubtedly feel better than staying with Steve, and reduces your risk of getting dragged into danger against your will, but it also limits your mobility and leaves you vulnerable.

The Decision

Based on the location, circumstances, and your gear, which course of action would you choose: stay in the car with Steve or head out alone on foot? Enter your decision into the poll below, and feel free to leave a comment on the poll to justify that choice.

What If You and Your Family are Threatened by a Stalker?

Written by

Illustrations by Joe Oesterle

There they stood, right on the sidewalk, just on the edge of your yard. You wondered how long they’d been standing there in the approaching dusk. It was bad enough that you made this unwelcomed discovery. You wondered what your spouse or kids would’ve thought if they had happened to spot your former companion standing out there. They just stood there, looking over the exterior of your home.

That was creepy enough, but then your eyes met theirs. In that instant, a coldness washed over your body. You felt an eerie connection — like predator and prey, and you were the prey in this exchange. This person you thought was part of your past was now standing there staring at you in the present, right through the window of your own home. They smiled faintly at you, but there was no hint of a smile in their eyes. Those empty eyes. That was the part that bothered you the most. It was like no one was home inside the person you once knew. Your “ex” stood there motionless, wearing a smile that was a false as a cheap rubber mask, hiding their real identity and hiding their intentions.

For this installment of RECOIL OFFGRID’s What If? column, there are no fanatical terrorists, savage animals, or extreme landscapes to challenge our skills and our wits. The editors have given us a far more subtle yet equally disturbing scenario — what if we were stalked by a crazed former love interest? This unsettling situation brings many issues into question. How could we defend ourselves and our family against someone with maligned intentions? And how could the law help us? During this unnerving What If? we’ll take a look at some of the strategies for personal security and several actions you can legally take to deal with an unhinged person.

The Scenario

Situation Type
Ongoing stalking from an ex

Your Crew
You, your spouse, and two children

Location
Your hometown

Season
Spring

Weather
Clear; high 78 degrees F, low 58 degrees F

The Setup

You’ve been on social media for several years, and with it, your friends list and exposure has grown. Eventually you receive a friend request from an ex you dated in your early 20s who found you on a mutual friend’s list. The relationship didn’t end on the greatest of terms back then, and you can see that they live within a half hour of where you currently reside. You know they may be able to get an idea, from the photos you and your friends have posted, of where you work and the neighborhood you live in.

Although you’re somewhat hesitant at first, you decide there’s no harm in accepting their friend request to your profile, which is usually private and only visible if someone is added to your friends list. You think that enough time has passed, and whatever happened is water under the bridge.

The Complication

Approximately a month into your acceptance of your ex’s friend request, things start to go sideways. You look at their profile and are concerned by a lot of their posts, which exude an emotionally unstable, desperate tone, with a lot of provocative pictures, many of which are sent privately to you. They’re constantly private messaging you to go have lunch with them to reminisce, catch up, and hang out more often. You politely decline on the grounds that your spouse wouldn’t approve, and you don’t think it’s a good idea, but you wish them well and are glad they seem to be doing OK. Unfortunately, your attempts to be diplomatic aren’t met with the same kind of friendliness you’d hoped for. They don’t go away, but instead they escalate their persistence to disturbing and dangerous levels.

Eventually, your ex starts posting old pictures of you and them together, tagging you, and saying that you were abusive to them physically, verbally, and sexually, and that you’re trying to rekindle their interest and have an affair with them. Needless to say, it doesn’t take long for their friends to chime in and start badmouthing you, echoing the accusations. You know your own personal friends know you well enough to dismiss this as jealousy and nonsense, but you’re still worried about colleagues and others possibly looking at this differently and taking it too seriously. Rather than dignify any of this with a response, you decide to block them from any and all accounts they previously had access to.

Unfortunately, the blocking on social media only seems to exacerbate the problem. You start receiving calls on your cell phone and home phone from a blocked number making threats to you and your family. How the heck did they get your number? You’re unsure how they got it and who is making these threats, since you haven’t talked to your ex directly and can’t tell if it’s their voice. You hope this will just go away, but you start to consider filing a restraining order. You’re concerned, however, that this will only provoke additional complications. You see a certain car driving by your house repeatedly, and eventually your 6-year-old daughter says a stranger approached them after school, showed a picture of you, and offered a ride home. This has gone far enough. What do you do to protect yourself and your family from this ongoing, and worsening, harassment? Your life is beginning to mirror Fatal Attraction.

Former Federal Officer Hana Bilodeau’s Approach

I’ve realized in the evolution of social realms that there are things I have to conform to in order to reach my full potential. Social media is one of those things. My profile is set to public, as my account is used for marketing. Aware of the risks when opening my profile, I still chose to keep it as a public platform. The only personal information I provide on my profile is my name, job title, and email address. I acknowledge the risks associated with not having privacy controls attached to the profile, but in order to have the marketing reach, it was a decision I went into prepared.

When posting content, I always follow a few simple rules: I don’t post personal content, only content relating to outreach as an influencer; I always keep the location tab turned off; and I’m mindful to the content that’s posted — no sexually explicit photos or inciting verbiage. I’m constantly reminding my family that what you post on the internet is there forever. There are some risk factors that we have to accept in exchange for the benefits of the internet and being searchable is one of them. When I post, I do so about fairly generic things, never giving my opinion or diving into political topics. I do this for two reasons: my opinion is mine and I choose not to entice negative interactions, and I’ve also learned that if negative interactions occur, it’s very easy to block and report those with keyboard courage.

If you experience hostile interactions that persist after blocking said profiles, you can contact the social media outlet to file a formal report. If the online harassment is more aggressive and contains actual threats or concerning behavior, a report should also be filed with the local authorities of the city/town you were in when you received the threat. Be sure to take a screen shot or save the content and profile from which the message was sent. If possible, gather the IP address of the user. If the situation rises to the level where you need to track someone down and take legal action against their online activity, it may be helpful to provide authorities with their IP address. The IP address can help identify the offender’s general location. There are limitations to what is made public — you’ll not be able to locate or identify this person, their home, or office. Most devices use dynamic IPs that change frequently, so it’s also difficult to tie an IP to a specific computer or mobile device. However, there is an exception — if an individual has participated in illegal activities, then a law enforcement agency can get a court order for the IP address and submit it to the internet service provider to request the customer’s information. You can also potentially grab an IP address through messaging applications as well:

“For Facebook users: It is possible to find an IP Address using the Facebook messenger/chat application. Using the command prompt tool (for Windows users) or the utility tool (for Mac users) and the netstat function, you can easily trace someone’s IP address on this social media platform. You must first establish a connection with the user — this should be an open connection;  therefore, the built-in Facebook chat system is the best option to use. Open a new chat window with the user and ensure that they’re online. Once you’ve opened a chat window, keep it open, and then proceed to open the Command Prompt tool or Utility tool depending on your OS.

Once you’ve opened this tool, simply type in “netstat –an” and press enter. Providing that you have an active connection with the end user, their IP address should then appear after a short period of time. Before executing this command, ensure that you’ve closed any other windows and browser sessions as other IP addresses could be returned also that could be confusing. By obtaining the IP address, you can then do as you wish with it and even report it to Facebook if you feel that the user requires a ban or disciplinary action.” Source: www.hotspotshield.com

“If messaging through your phone: Your mobile phone uses an IP address every time you engage someone through a messaging app, such as WhatsApp and Viber. Messaging app usage is growing incredibly fast. Your IP address is invisible to the person you message, but if-and-when you click on a link in a message, the website you sent it to has access to your IP address.” Source: https://whatismyipaddress.com/get-ip

Even though I may have covered my bases as best I can, sometimes the online threat is someone you know. Let’s say approximately one month ago I was contacted by an ex who I dated in my early 20s. Surely water under the bridge and harmless to accept a friend request, right? If I immediately recognized the communication was inappropriate and left feeling uneasy by the little contact we’d had, I’d start by researching my ex through social media and via internet search tools to see if any red flags come up. If I noted posts on social medial that confirmed my suspicion of a potentially unstable individual, I’d share my findings with my spouse. After conferring with him, we’d continue to monitor the situation, feeling that further intervention may entice or infuriate him.

If things drastically escalated, it’d leave me and my family with no choice but to seek police intervention. In preparation of documenting everything with the police, I’d gather copies of all the online interactions, including social media and messaging. I’d also download my mobile phone records to confirm incoming phone calls. I’d start by filing a police report. Once it was filed, I’d ask for an emergency restraining order, seeking no further contact. An emergency restraining order can be filed as long as the petitioner was a domestic partner at one time. Police intervention is only the beginning. A restraining order is just a piece of paper asking for no contact — it’s not a guaranteed safeguard from an individual who believes they’re above the law. Because my initial actions may trigger additional threatening behavior, there are still a number of things to do to keep myself and my family safe.

Home Safety

I’d call a family meeting to openly discuss the threat to the family, making sure that everyone understood the gravity of the situation. We’d establish a safety plan for my spouse, me, and our children. We have a home security system and motion-sensor lighting, but adding cameras to the exterior and perimeter of the home would provide us some additional layers of safety. The family would utilize the buddy system, ensuring there were no gaps where a single member of the household might find themselves alone until the threat is dispelled.

Workplace Safety

Requesting a private meeting with my direct supervisor to tell him about the threat, making sure he is fully aware of the severity and recent escalation of behavior, would also be a smart move to document the situation and raise awareness to protect myself and fellow employees. Making sure that building security personnel are also aware of the risk would be another recommended action. Tell a close friend at work what’s happening and ask him/her to buddy up with you while walking to and from the parking lot.

School Safety

In anticipation of a possible stalker who could’ve gleaned enough info from your social media profile that’d lead to a confrontation with your children when you’re not present, call a meeting with your children’s teachers, principal, and school resource officer. Bring them a copy of the police report and restraining order, and explain the situation, asking for their help in protecting the children while they’re under school supervision. Have an entry and exit plan to the school to ensure the children are only coming and going with an approved family member. If your child is involved in afterschool activities, make sure the staff knows about the potential threat to the family and that the only persons permitted to pick up and drop off the children are you and your husband, unless otherwise specified by the two of you.

Personal Safety

I’d also reaffirm my personal defense plan. I have a concealed carry license and choose to carry a firearm when feasible. Unfortunately, there are places I can’t legally carry, such as work and my children’s school. Because of this, I need to make sure I have a plan in place for the gaps in my safety plan. This could include freshening up on my defensive shooting skills by jumping in a class, finding a trainer in hand-to-hand combat, and making an appointment with a counselor for a mental health check — having a threat invade your personal space can be very taxing on you mentally.

Unfortunately, the behavior of others isn’t something we can control, but we can control how we respond to it. Being hyper-vigilant about personal security as well as online security is now more important than ever. The click of a mouse is a decision that takes seconds, but could catastrophically affect you and your family’s lives as you know it. If you could predict the future and see that allowing an outsider access to a seemingly innocent social media page could potentially change your life as you know it, would you still do it? Most wouldn’t. When it comes to posting, less is more, especially when it comes to inviting prying eyes with maligned intentions.

Survival Expert Tim MacWelch’s Approach

Preparation

Being constantly bombarded by opposing political views, hateful comments, and general nonsense every time we log onto social media, most of us (hopefully) develop a thicker skin by routinely observing this kind of online activity. Our exposure should prepare us for a certain amount of social media harassment. But if it went beyond the normal trolling and turned very personal, I’d have no problem shutting that noise down. Seriously, I’d close down all my accounts and revel in the spare time I just freed up. But I know, for some of you, this is unthinkable or just not possible.

Do your homework to decide if continuing on social media in the face of personal harassment is worth it. Look into the details of that social media platform and take advantage of any preventive measures regarding functionality, filters, and general use. Of course, you can’t control every time someone mentions your name online, but you can provide less fuel for the fire. Limit the invasion of your privacy by limiting your output. For example, stop posting publicly on Facebook. Choose the option to only post for known friends or customize the list of people who get your posts. Posting “I’m out of town for such and such event” publicly tells anyone who cares to look (both on and off Facebook) that your home is wide open for prowling, burglary, and vandalizing.

For those who crave a little more security in their lives, but still want to share everything they’re doing publicly, don’t post things as they happen. Go with the #latergram approach and give yourself a social media delay. Save that cool picture of your dinner plate for tomorrow morning (when you’re not at that restaurant anymore), and post your vacation pics after you return (not while you’re gone). This keeps strangers and troublemakers from knowing where you are at all times.

Another preventative step is to be more selective about the people you friend or follow on social media. Most of us often click without really looking in the quest to have a broader reach online. Do your research on the people who want to associate with you. Check them and their friends out before you add them to your friends list. If you see things that make you uncomfortable about their posts or profile, it’s best to keep your distance and not associate with them.

On Site

Let’s say that I was as careful as I could be regarding the information available about me via social media and online in general, but someone started vilifying me through Facebook. I might ignore or engage, depending on the nature of the posts, and try not to let it get under my skin. From the first threat, I’d take this issue very seriously and deal with it swiftly, but not by replying with an equally threatening response or some snarky remark to prove how brave I am. I’d use one of the best legal weapons that I could wield as a victim of harassment — documentation.

If you’re taking the “high road,” you have to expect harassment to be resolved through legal channels and the best way to solidify your standing is with proof. Document everything they say and do. Take a picture of every threatening text message. Get a screenshot of every nasty Facebook post (since they can delete the post on their end). Make note of the time and duration of every harassing phone call you receive, recording them if possible. Each and every time you encounter this person, tell them to leave you alone and document the interaction. With tangible evidence to show a judge, you’ll have a better chance of getting a conviction or obtaining an order of protection if things escalate to that point.

In addition to documenting each nasty interaction, you could also begin a little research on the person who has begun threatening you. In the case of our scenario, being stalked by an ex, you already know who they are — but see what else can you discover. You don’t have to hire a private eye, but a background check or online search could tell you a little more about the current state of the person you thought you knew so well.

One big issue with stalking charges is laws are vastly different between jurisdictions. Your situation (and outcome) may be very different if your stalker is outside of the state where you live, or even outside of the country. Talking to an attorney can let you know what laws are being broken, if any, and legal counsel can give you the information you’ll need if you have to take the “next steps” with local law enforcement.

Hopefully, things don’t go so far that you need to see a judge. If the abuse is only occurring on a social site like Instagram or Facebook, read through the site rules and notify the site owners about abusive comments. Due to frequency of online abuse these days, a number of social media sites have to provide a way to block individuals. If enough complaints are logged, the social media site can either lock the person’s profile or ban their IP from visiting the site. Even if the harassment happens outside of the social site, but points back to it, the site owners will likely be on your side — they don’t want to be involved in a dispute or lawsuit, and they don’t want to receive bad press.

Crisis

Unfortunately, having someone thrown in Facebook jail is not the solution to every situation. It may just push them over the edge. When the harassment is persistent or includes the threat of violence, it’s time to contact law enforcement. But here’s another problem — cyber bullying and online stalking are relatively new issues as far as lawmakers are concerned. Many states don’t yet have laws with clear-cut definitions on what constitutes these issues. When the laws aren’t in place, it can be hard for law enforcement and attorneys to stand up for the victims. Plenty of jurisdictions are considering the enactment of laws that regulate online harassment, but most legislation moves at a snail’s pace — if it moves forward at all. Talk to your lawyer about the orders of protection that are available in your home area.

If law enforcement in your jurisdiction is powerless to help with the type of online harassment you’re receiving, or your stalker just won’t go away, there’s a way the law can help — civil action. Depending on the documentation you have, you may be able to build a civil case against your stalker. If their comments and actions interfere with your business relationships, you may have a viable case. If your stalker is spreading lies in print somewhere, you could possibly go after them for libel (damaging someone’s reputation by writing falsehoods). You could even run the “infliction of emotional distress” angle.

In any case, an attorney would be the best resource for information on the most appropriate course of action in your jurisdiction. You may even be able to go after the social media site for not removing slanderous videos and libelous posts. These entities will likely have deeper pockets than your stalker, making it possible for you to get your legal fees back (and then some). But don’t expect a “win” overnight. Legal battles can drag on for years. Filing lawsuits and dealing with courts can be almost as scary as your unrelenting harasser, but you’re within your rights to protect yourself and your family in these uncomfortable (and even dangerous) circumstances.

So let’s say you got that restraining order; what happens when the restraining order doesn’t work? When the online threats escalate to unwelcomed notes placed around your property, “hang-up” or harassing phone calls day and night, or suspicious behavior around your home and family (e.g. spying on your home or approaching your child in public), how can we handle that? Now we’re away from the cyber issues and getting into criminal activity that the local police can address. Again, document everything! Don’t touch that threatening note on your car, or your slashed tires — that’s evidence and you don’t want to contaminate it. Call your local law enforcement and get them on scene.

Now, what if you encounter the stalker yourself, or your family runs into them, out on the street? When they’re in a public place, that’s not against the law. I’d simply leave without engaging the person. If they try to communicate with you or your family members in a negative way, leave and document it and see if you can accumulate witnesses. If they come onto your property, that’s trespassing and you might just win that round (with proof). If I were faced with an escalating situation at home, I’d definitely add extra security precautions around the house. If I didn’t already have an alarm system, I’d get one. And you’d better believe it would be a system with video cameras. I’d also beef up the door and window locks, and make sure everything is secure before going to bed each night.

And what if offline harassment starts to encompass workplace stalking? Tell your employer about your situation. Your stalker may attempt to file complaints against your work or get you in trouble at your workplace. Once notified, your bosses can keep an eye out for anything odd, such as mysterious workplace complaints against you. Sure, it’s embarrassing, but you’ll need your staff in the loop for your own safety and theirs. Pride won’t shield you from someone looking to ruin your life.

What if your stalker made an anonymous report to Child Protective Services that you (and/or your spouse) were sexually abusing your kids? Your kids would be taken away from you within the hour. Or what if your stalker called 911 from a payphone and said you were making bombs in your home and you planned to use them tonight? Can you say “Hello, SWAT team?” Or what if your ex simply burned your house down? The bitter truth is that you can’t always predict how far it will go. Assume this person may be psychopathic and there are no limits to their violent compulsions. Collect enough evidence to get your “ex” locked away if possible, and try to reassemble your life with a mindset of personal security.

Conclusion

Mental health is a serious matter that everyone should work to educate themselves about. Can we determine if someone we’re only moderately familiar with is going through a mental health crisis, if they’re lonely, heartbroken, or simply an evil person who finds fulfillment in persistently inflicting harm on you and your family? It can be hard for even professional mental health workers to make that distinction without thorough evaluation. Are most of us in the position to make that diagnosis through a computer and try to help them or rationalize with insanity? Not likely.

It’s important to seek professional help when dealing with an individual who is either inside or outside your personal circle and now projecting their compulsions on you. Talk to authorities, document everything, take photos, let local law enforcement collect any evidence, and keep your friends, family, and coworkers in the loop. There’s a broad spectrum between actions of a scorned ex and a sociopath, but across that span, the unwelcomed behaviors of these individuals can have a lasting impact on you and those around you. Don’t wait for things to go from bad to worse. Reach out for help as soon as you recognize there’s a problem.

And remember, we got by for many years just fine without social media before it became a source of human interaction. There’s no harm in shutting it down if you think it’d make you safer. Continuing to dabble in vanity-driven posts but expecting complete protection of your privacy at the same time isn’t realistic. There’s no solution for bad judgment except changing the behavior that’s provoking the problem.

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.

Hana L. Bilodeau

Hana L. Bilodeau has over 15 years of law enforcement experience, serving both locally and federally. Most recently, she spent time with the Federal Air Marshal Service covering multiple domestic and international missions. Hana has a wealth of knowledge in a number of different defensive modalities to include her present role as a full-time firearms instructor for SIG SAUER Academy. Hana is also a per diem deputy with the Strafford County Sheriff's Office, allowing her to stay current with the law enforcement culture. Learn more at www.sigsaueracademy.com.

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Infographic: Strength vs. Toughness

Written by

If you've ever broken a cheap knife or tool, you know that material choice is a major element of durability. That $30 knife from the clearance rack at your local outdoor store might be pretty decent, or it might bend, chip, and dull after a few uses — the type of steel used and how it's heat-treated make a huge difference. Either way, it's likely that the packaging attests to how strong and tough the blade is. If you have no frame of reference about the materials used, it's hard to know what those terms mean, or if they're just pointless marketing hype.

Do you want a knife that's stronger than it is tough, or vice versa?

Unfortunately, our interchangeable use of these two terms just makes things more confusing (much like accuracy vs. precision). From a materials engineering standpoint, strength and toughness are two very different things, and this isn't just important for pedantic language nerds. Understanding these differences can help you get a better idea of what you're looking for in a piece of survival gear, describe it appropriately, and narrow down the specific type of material you need (e.g. strong tungsten carbide or tough 1095 high carbon steel).

In a nutshell, toughness is resistance to breaking force — the ability to bend and deform rather than crack. Strength is resistance to deformation — the ability to maintain its shape under load. (Strength also has several sub-categories, such as impact, tensile, and compressive, but that's a topic for another day.)

The tires on your car are tough but not strong; a dinner plate is strong but not tough. In this way, the idiom “tough as nails” is surprisingly accurate, since we've all seen a wayward nail bend into a pretzel rather than snap in half. The following infographic from PolymerSolutions.com shows a comparison between toughness, strength, and hardness (a subject we've addressed in a previous article). In knife steels, increased strength generally correlates with increased hardness.

This understanding of strength and toughness can also be applied to other materials. Composites such as carbon fiber and fiber-reinforced nylon are both strong and tough, favoring toughness and flexibility over pure strength. Ceramics are extremely strong, but not very tough. Most stainless (high-alloy) steel is reasonably tough and strong, but there's a lot of variation depending on the specific stainless composition — see the knife steel comparison guide for more details.

The following charts from the University of Cambridge offer a helpful comparison between strength and toughness for various materials. Additional charts are available for more detail on specific material sub-categories — you can view all the charts here.

From a practical standpoint, you can see that adding nickel to steel can make it tougher, and adding carbon can make it stronger. Toughness is ideal for chopping tools like a machete, whereas strength is preferable for a slicing blade. Once you know this, you can look up the properties of the steel used on that clearance-rack knife we mentioned, and determine if it'll meet your needs. Check out this comprehensive steel chart from Knife Informer for a deeper understanding of how other elements can alter a knife's toughness and strength.

So, next time you hear a product called “tough as nails,” remember that you could just as easily call it “tough as gold.”