Whether you just started reading our magazine or you've been a die-hard supporter since Issue 1, you should know that our “What If?” column is an important staple of every issue of OFFGRID. We know that forethought is an important aspect of preparedness, so each entry presents a hypothetical survival scenario in order to get you thinking about how you'd overcome it. But it's not just a playful choose-your-own-adventure exercise — it's meant to help you become better prepared. Members from our pool of contributing writers use their real-life expertise to explain how they'd prepare for these challenges, and their input can steer you in the right direction. Until recently, these articles were only available separately, but we've released a new OFFGRID “What If?” book that compiles them into a single convenient format (your choice of paperback or digital).

What's Inside the OFFGRID “What If?” Book?

This book covers dozens of scenarios — from short-term natural disasters to long-term grid-down catastrophes — and draws on the experience of more than 40 contributors from a wide variety of fields. These writers aren't just keyboard warriors, they're professionals and subject matter experts who have made a living honing their skills and teaching students how to stay alive.

Check out the table of contents below for a complete list of the scenarios in our “What If?” book:

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NATURAL DISASTERS
Advice on how to prepare for Mother Nature’s worst and the collateral damage that can be both unpredictable and indefinite.

• What if You’re Forced to Endure a Blizzard With No Utilities? P. 6
• What if You’re Attacked by a Wild Animal? P. 16
• What if a House Fire Breaks Out During an Ice Storm? P. 24
• What if You’re Caught in a Tornado? P. 32
• What if You’re Trapped in a Major Flood? P. 39
• What if You’re Caught in an Earthquake? P. 48

CRIME
Learn to thwart some of the most common methods criminals use to target victims and carry out their crimes.

• What if Your Privacy is Compromised by Internet Doxing? P. 58
• What if Your Neighborhood is Attacked by an Angry Mob? P. 68
• What if You Become a Target of Road Rage? P. 77
• What if You’re Confronted by Someone Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer? P. 85
• What if You’re Assaulted in a Parking Structure? P. 94
• What if You Stumble Upon a Home Burglary? P. 104
• What if You’re Lured into a Roadside Abduction? P. 112
• What if You’re Threatened by a Stalker? P. 122
• What if You Awaken to a Kidnapping, Abduction, or Worse? P. 132
• What if Your Vehicle is Attacked by an Angry Mob? P. 141

TERRORISM
We take a look at tactics historically used by terrorists and mass murderers to wreak havoc on society.

• What if You’re in a Hostage Situation? P. 149
• What if Your Flight is Hijacked? P. 158
• What if Your Subway is Attacked With Chemical Weapons? P. 167
• What if Your Cruise Ship is Hijacked? P. 176
• What if You’re on a Train With a Suspected Suicide Bomber? P. 185
• What if You’re Caught in a Mass Shooting? P. 195
• What if a Dirty Bomb Goes off in Your City? P. 205
• What if Hackers Take Down the Power Grid? P. 214

TRAVEL
From traveling domestically to internationally, check out how you can survive threatening situations away from home.

• What if You’re Stranded on a Remote Backroad? P. 225
• What if You’re Trapped in a Country Consumed by Political Turmoil? P. 235
• What if You’re Locked up Abroad? P. 245
• What if You’re Lost at Sea? P. 255
• What if Your Child is Abducted While Traveling? P. 265
• What if You’re Stranded in the Desert? P. 274
• What if You’re Trapped in a Country Under Siege? P. 283

GRID DOWN
Take precautionary measures to sustain yourself when the resources we take for granted become unavailable.

• What if Critical Supply Lines are Indefinitely Interrupted? P. 294
• What if We’re Hit With Another Pandemic? P. 304
• What if Basic Utilities are Indefinitely Interrupted? P. 315
• What if the U.S. Plunges into Economic Collapse? P. 324
• What If You’re Captured by Marauders Intent on Taking Your Supplies? P. 334

Where to Buy a Copy

The OFFGRID “What If?” book is now in stock and shipping. Head over to the Gun Digest Store to order a copy in either traditional paperback ($25) or digital download format ($23).

Written by Patrick McCarthy