I’ve discussed in past editor’s letters that we sometimes struggle to keep up with current events due to the lag time that’s inherent to a print production cycle. For example, by the time you see this, we’ll be about two months into Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Given that the situation is changing literally by the hour as I sit here typing, I have no clue what the geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe will look like by the time this letter gets to you. While we try to supplement our coverage of emerging threats with real-time articles on www.offgridweb.com, we do what we can to give similar due diligence to those of you purchasing the magazine in hard copy or digital formats.

Originally, we had planned on focusing on bug-out bags: how to select them, how to fill them, and how to maintain them over extended periods. And we’re still addressing some of that content. Specifically, Patrick McCarthy rounds up a series of rifle bags designed to carry SBRs in discreet fashion. Our health column also details how to handle aging or expired medical supplies — which is something you’ll wind up with plenty of, if you keep a survival bag packed long enough. We also have our normal Bag Drop column, featuring a deep woods survival pack.

But we also wanted to include some articles that seem pertinent to the invasion of Ukraine, and how that might be causing a lot of us to re-examine our preparedness plans. David Roy runs down some of the factors to consider in terms of vulnerabilities in our national infrastructure. Energy, communications, and transportation hubs were all targeted by Russia up to and during their invasion, with a combination of cyber and physically destructive attacks being used. I also want to direct you to this issue’s Spotlight, featuring Greg Mihovich. Greg grew up in Belarus before and during the fall of the Soviet Union. He was also a child when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered its catastrophic disaster. Unfortunately, both Belarus and Chernobyl are back in the public eye in light of recent events. Greg also has personal insight into the value of a preparedness culture as well as what life was like before and after Soviet rule.

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Above: Our interview with Greg Mihovich is already available online — you can read it here.

We’re not sure what the long-term geopolitical or economic fallout from Russian aggression will be. But as the world gets smaller and more connected, there’s no doubt this will touch us in some way, shape, or form. We hope the direct impact on America and its citizens will be minimal. However, we will stay true to our mission of calculating the severest of outcomes and giving you as much information as we can to avoid or mitigate hardship to the greatest degree possible.

Stay ready, and stay safe.

Click here for a full list of articles from Recoil Offgrid Issue 49 that are currently available online.

Written by Tom Marshall