Video: Eating a 118-Year-Old Emergency Ration

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“It smells so foul and… oh man! Nice!” — Most people wouldn't react with this level of joy after opening a practically-petrified tin of beef concentrate from the turn of the century, but YouTuber Steve1989 is not like most people. This MRE historian is dedicated to documenting and (often at great risk of illness) taste-testing military rations from throughout history and from countries all over the world. We can't fathom how strong his stomach must be, but it's impressive.

Steve1989 MRE 1899 British emergency ration food survival meal 2

The Second Boer War took place in South Africa between 1899 and 1902.

In years past, we wrote about Steve's taste tests of a 1953 Food Packet and a 1943 U.S. Army K Ration, but this latest video goes much further back in time. Steve managed to procure a British emergency ration from the Second Boer War — that places the ration's date of manufacture between 1899 and 1902. Back then, there was no convenient air-tight plastic packaging, so this ration was placed in a metal capsule that was soldered shut.

Steve1989 MRE 1899 British emergency ration food survival meal 3

Steve cautiously peels open the seams on the emergency ration, and examines its contents: 4 ounces of beef concentrate and 4 ounces of cocoa paste. This wasn't intended to be a full meal, only a survival calorie source for dire situations. Either way, the contents certainly didn't look (or smell) appetizing, and eating something this far out of date is clearly dangerous. But Steve digs in anyway.

Steve1989 MRE 1899 British emergency ration food survival meal 5

Check out the full video below for Steve's detailed impressions:

Infographic: 25 Ways to Learn Faster

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Learning is at the core of preparedness — we've said many times that knowledge weighs nothing, so the more survival skills you can learn and master, the more ready you'll be when the time comes to put them to use. If you're serious about learning these skills, you'll need to study them like you're studying for the toughest test of your life, because survival might end up being just that.

Survival psychology mindset gun backpack urban bugout SHTF 1

However, as you'll probably remember from your school days, studying usually isn't easy. It requires focus, determination, practice, and consistency. Fortunately, there are techniques that can be applied to make your studies easier, whether you're prepping for a trip into the wilderness, an urban disaster, or an important presentation at work.

x-ray-diagram-of-brain

The following infographic from WriteMyPapers discusses 25 ways to learn faster, as supported by the findings of psychologists and neuroscientists. Some of these are rather obvious, like taking regular breaks, but others are more surprising. You might think doing yoga between study sessions is a little silly, but there's scientific evidence that indicates it improves memory and cognitive function. So next time you come back from a day in the backcountry, you'll have an excuse to meditate on the couch and eat a chocolate bar.

Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 2Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 3Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 4Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 5Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 6Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 7Infographic learn faster memory survival skills preparation study 8

Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

Primitive Technology: Round Hut Shelter

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Shelter is always one of the top priorities in a survival situation, and if you don't have manmade protection against the elements, you'll need to improvise. A simple lean-to shelter provides a good short-term solution, but if you're going to be off the grid for an extended period, it's worthwhile to invest more time into a structure that's more spacious and durable.

Primitive Technology round hut shelter jungle palm fronds mud fire 2

In his latest YouTube video, the host of Primitive Technology builds a round hut shelter from naturally-occurring materials in his surrounding rainforest environment. The A-frame shelter he previously built had been damaged by heavy rainfall and moths, so he starts from scratch with a larger cylindrical shelter and conical roof.

Primitive Technology round hut shelter jungle palm fronds mud fire 4

According to the video description, this round hut shelter consists of 12 wooden posts and an incredible 700 palm fronds split in half. The walls are constructed from Loya cane, a jungle vine, which is woven between the posts and covered in clay from the soil. A drainage ditch is also dug around the exterior of the shelter, providing a gutter for rain that runs off the thatched roof.

Primitive Technology round hut shelter jungle palm fronds mud fire 3

Check out the video below and keep this technique in mind if you find yourself in need of a long-term survival shelter.

New: Aquaforno II “Kitchen in a Backpack”

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Some in the outdoor community look down on so-called “glamping”, but we'd say this disdain is not always deserved. Admittedly, staying in a fancy tent a stone's throw away from your car doesn't really provide the same experience as hiking up a remote trail with all your gear on your back. However, this more laid-back form of camping provides a fun and relaxing way to get outdoors with the whole family.

Aquaforno II kitchen backpack outdoor stove oven grill cooking food fire 2

Another advantage to glamping is the ability to cook more advanced food. Rather than sticking to lightweight freeze-dried food and trail mix, you'll be able to grill, fry, saute, bake, roast, and even smoke your grub. That dutch oven and cast iron pan set would be exhausting to carry on a long backpacking trip, but they're perfect for a campground cookout with friends.

Aquaforno, a small family-run company from the UK, has released a new outdoor stove system that looks like it'd be just right for this sort of trip. The new Aquaforno II is an updated and improved version of the company's original stove, and it's currently receiving funding on IndieGoGo for a mass-production run.

Aquaforno II kitchen backpack outdoor stove oven grill cooking food fire 4

The Aquaforno II stove is a three-tier telescoping device that can compress down to fit in a backpack-style carrying case. The stove is said to function as a “BBQ grill, pizza oven, rotisserie, smoker, water boiler, clothes dryer and outdoor heater all in one”. Its tiers function as follows:

  1. Base with tripod legs, removable grill top, and water boiler with spigot.
  2. Raised grill for less direct heat application — toasting, warming, or frying with a pan or wok.
  3. Oven top — a large space for cooking meat, baking casseroles or pizza, heating a Dutch oven, or smoking.

Aquaforno II kitchen backpack outdoor stove oven grill cooking food fire 3

The Aquaforno II can be used with wood, charcoal, or gas (with optional gas burner). It includes a pizza stone, a double-lined insulated lid with integrated thermometer, and pop-out side hangers for drying out wet clothing or holding utensils. A rotisserie kit for roasting meat and a paella pan for cooking stews are also available as options. The entire system packs down to 12×17 inches and weighs 44 pounds.

For those who pre-order the Aquaforno II on IndieGoGo, the kit is available at $239 for black finish or $299 for stainless. Retail MSRP is expected to be $339 and $399, respectively. For more info, check out the Aquaforno II IndieGoGo project page.

Book Review: The Savage by Frank Bill

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The Premise: Very rarely are novels reviewed in RECOIL OFFGRID, as this column is mostly reserved for books that delve into the how’s and what’s of surviving a variety of catastrophic situations. Post-apocalyptic fiction still offers teachable moments about survival and human nature during desperate times, though, so enter Frank Bill’s newest book, The Savage, a dark, dreary, gut punch of a novel that’ll leave readers wanting to hug their children, and be thankful for a house, job, and food on the table.

The story focuses on Van Dorn through the eyes of an omniscient point of view, allowing the reader to see, hear, and feel just enough of what’s going on to remain solidly in the dark until a spotlight is splashed in your eyes at just the right moment. We jump back and forth through a multiyear period, alternating between when he was a young teen full of petulance and disdain to a 20-something man, alone and fully engulfed in the desperate world his father warned him about.

Chock full of violence, both past and present, we see a hostile world through Van Dorn’s eyes, one of death, bloodshed, slavery, and ultimate despair.

The 411: In a word, The Savage is grim and will likely make people uneasy. Its choppy, staccato prose rat-tat-tats off of the page in fits and jerks with long stretches of vagueness pointed by sudden explosions of text, all of it purposefully jarring your ability to remain comfortable. Mixed with that is horrific imagery, presented in slow motion. When a man is shot point blank, “blood spewed like a blown head gasket,” and he meets survivors of this economic holocaust that have survived solely on “the meat of man, woman, and child.”

With elements of other popular dystopian novels at its base, like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, — The Savage presents a not-so-distant future we want to remain fiction, but the book reads like it’s happening tomorrow. There’s no clever turns of phrase as with 1984 (“the clock strikes thirteen”) or languid, stretching prose that settles you into a well-paced and linear timeline like The Road. Bill holds neither punch nor gouge from the get-go and doesn’t let up until you close the book at the end.

Of course, for the reader to not completely lose every bit of hope of humanity in Van Dorn against “the savages,” which are nothing more than packs of murderous kidnappers to deal in skin and slavery — the plot curves into the realm of a romance between young Van Dorn and a girl he knows called Sheldon (whom we meet early on, while we’re still wondering if Van Dorn is someone worth rooting for).

The Verdict: In order for a book to earn a space on these pages, it usually must present itself as a tool for a life-after-disaster scenario. Though this is a novel, there are some gems of knowledge that can be gleaned from it. Bill succinctly describes the proper method of gutting a deer, for example, and his fight scenes show a writer who has researched methods, actions, and reactions.

They can/jar provisions, build fires, properly care for weapons, and Bill describes the harrowing instincts these bleak survivors experience in an unforgiving wasteland, one that nearly lacks all scruples and morals of any kind. However, the minor characters themselves are rather two-dimensional stereotypes (the burly white supremacist and the scholarly Asian, for example), and the book contains more than its share of astronomical coincidences that the reader’s suspension of disbelief will need to put in some overtime.

Bill’s style of writing is, at times, difficult to read without stumbling. His reliance on gratuitous violence nearly hampers his ability to shape characters that the reader can associate with and adequately root for, and it doesn’t give the story a chance to build suspenseful situations that pay off in later chapters. The theme of “immediate satisfaction” shows throughout the book and Bill’s overused motifs of blood-spattered vengeance, righteousness, and justice appear obvious and tired to veteran dystopian novel readers.

That said, it’s a riveting book set in the same universe (with some of the same types of characters) as Bill’s previous novel, Donnybrook. The loss of manufacturing jobs, the devaluing of the dollar, the destruction of the national power grid, a full-blown drug epidemic, the desolation of towns and communities, and the domination of roving, warring bands of cannibals are all thing that feel too real, too close to home, and seeming coming to a town near you sooner than we’d all like.

Novel & Author
The Savage
by Frank Bill

Publisher
FSG Originals Publishing, New York

MSRP
$10.18 (Amazon.com)

URL
FSGOriginals.com

Pages
400

Rating
Thrive
>Survive
Die

OFFGRID Library of Recommended Books

More From Issue 25

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Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 26

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 24

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

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

Buyer’s Guide: Boonie Hats

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Whether you're escaping the harsh sun in the desert, dodging downpours in the rainforest, or simply going on a weekend hike with the family, a good hat will make the experience more pleasant. It reduces glare, protects your face and neck from sunburns, keeps you cool, and prevents sweat from running into your eyes. This is why you'll rarely meet an experienced adventurer or outdoorsman who doesn't don some form of headwear in the backcountry.

As you'll read in the upcoming Wide Brim Hat Buyer's Guide in Issue 26 of our print magazine, there are many styles of headwear to choose from. One of the most noteworthy and popular styles of outdoor-oriented hat is the boonie hat — that's what we'll be focusing on in this guide. Read on for a brief history of the boonie, and for our reviews of three currently-available examples of this design.

History of the Boonie Hat

Photo:

Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

The term boonie is a shortened version of boondocks, a word defined as “rough country filled with dense brush”. Looking even further back, the word boondocks was adopted by U.S. military forces stationed in the Philippines at the beginning of the 20th century. These soliders derived it from the tagalog word bundók, which translates to mountain. This etymology goes to show that even the name of this hat is strongly linked to rugged environments.

So, where did the boonie hat design come from? As with many of the tools we use today, the boonie hat wasn't invented in a vacuum by one individual — instead, it developed organically over time. The general design was borrowed from preexisting hat styles, such as the WWII-era “Daisy Mae” fatigue hat seen below:

Photo: Life Magazine, circa 1942

Photo: Life Magazine, circa 1942

This hat style remained popular among the troops due to its simplicity, flexibility, and durability. By the early days of the Vietnam War, members of the U.S. Special Forces could be seen wearing similar hats that matched their tigerstripe camouflage fatigues. Rather than being officially-issued, these hats were reportedly made by local Vietnamese tailors using cloth salvaged from other items. It was at this point that the name “boonie” was first applied.

Members of the 5th Special Forces Group and Vietnam Special Forces (VNSF) soldiers wearing boonie hats. Photo: S. L. A. Marshall Photograph Collection

Members of the 5th Special Forces Group with local VNSF soldiers in Vietnam. Photo: S. L. A. Marshall Photograph...

Since they were often custom-made, features of these first boonie hats varied. All had soft floppy brims, were made of either camouflage or muted solid-color fabrics, and could be crushed or rolled up and shoved in a pocket when not in use. Some had snaps on the sides, allowing the brim to be turned up like an Aussie slouch hat; others had eyelets or holes for ventilation.

Boonie hat buyer's guide 21

Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

One of the most distinctive features of the boonie hat is the bar-tack-stitched strip of fabric around the crown. This forms a series of foliage loops that could be packed with jungle vegetation to break up the wearer's silhouette. Foliage loops aren't present on all boonie hats, but they have become a common feature for modern designs.

Boonie Hats for the Civilian Market

As the popularity of boonie hats grew in the military, it also carried over to law enforcement personnel and civilians. Boonie hats are now worn by many hunters, fishermen, and hikers. Rather than uniform-matching camouflage patterns, these civilian-market boonies favor solid colors. And although we may not need to fill the foliage loops with twigs and go crawl through the brush, this band does provide a handy storage spot for small items — fishing lures, paracord, sunglasses, a chemlight, or a ferro rod.

Boonie hat buyer's guide lead photo

We picked up a trio of consumer-grade boonie hats from 5.11 Tactical, Propper, and Rothco. Below, we'll compare and contrast their features, construction, and value.

5.11 Tactical Boonie Hat

Materials: 65% polyester/35% cotton TDU ripstop fabric with Teflon coating, moisture-wicking foam sweatband, metal mesh vent eyelets

Colors: TDU Khaki, TDU Green, Dark Navy, Black

Sizes: 22 to 23-7/8 inches

MSRP: $25

URL: 511tactical.com

Boonie hat buyer's guide 05

Notes: With a wavy 2-1/2 inch brim and a choice of four subdued colors, the 5.11 Tactical Boonie stays true to the classic design for the most part. The foliage loops around the crown vary in size from 2 inches to 4-1/4 inches wide — this makes it easier to stash a variety of small items on the brim. A hidden pocket inside the crown offers more storage space, as well as a location to stow the chin cord. Dual vent eyelets on each side and a moisture-wicking sweatband keep the wearer's head cool. The Teflon finish does a surprisingly good job repelling water, making this hat a good choice for rainy days. The foam-filled brim also springs back into shape nicely after being rolled up, while the other hats we tested have more of a tendency to retain creases and wrinkles.

Pros:

  • Excellent water-resistance thanks to the Teflon-coated fabric
  • Foam-filled brim doesn't pick up hard wrinkles or stubborn creases
  • Hidden pocket in the crown provides a good spot for stashing money or valuable documents

Cons:

  • Large plastic chin cord slider is rather clunky and makes stowing the chin cord uncomfortable
  • Our sample had some areas of loose stitching inside the sweatband, though this didn't affect our ability to use the hat

Propper Summerweight Wide Brim Boonie (Prototype)

Materials: 94% nylon/6% spandex ripstop quick-dry fabric, mesh crown

Colors: Khaki, Olive, LAPD Navy, Black

Sizes: 21-7/8 to 24-3/8 inches

MSRP: $20

URL: Propper.com

Boonie hat buyer's guide 11

Notes: This hat is a pre-production prototype of Propper's boonie hat redesign, so its features and appearance differ from the previous model that you may have seen elsewhere online. The Wide Brim Boonie is part of Propper's Summerweight collection, and is designed to keep the wearer cool and comfortable in hot environments. It's made from the same ripstop fabric as the company's other Summerweight apparel items, and features Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 50 — for more info on how UPF clothing protects your skin from the sun, check out our UPF Shirt Buyer's Guide from Issue 21. This redesigned model omits the side snaps seen on the old hat, and has a revised crown with a contoured mesh section. This crown is deep and spacious, and true to its name, it breathes well in warm weather. Although the hat can be rolled and packed, its 4-inch brim displayed some distinct wrinkles and creases after coming out of storage.

Boonie hat buyer's guide 12

Pros:

  • Light and breathable, ideal for hot and dry climates
  • 4-inch brim and UPF fabric provide maximum sun protection

Cons:

  • Brim forms hard creases after being rolled up and stored, and its width accentuates this floppy unevenness
  • Foliage loops are stitched only 7/8-inch apart, so they're too tight for larger items
  • Although it excels in hot and dry environments, it soaks up rain or sweat like a sponge

Rothco Boonie Hat

Materials: 55% cotton/45% polyester, metal mesh vent eyelets

Colors: Black, Coyote, Khaki, Olive Drab, Navy Blue, White, various camouflage patterns

Sizes: 21-1/8 to 25 inches

MSRP: $13

URL: Rothco.com

Boonie hat buyer's guide 17

Notes: The actual name imprinted on this item's tag is “Hat, Sun Hot Weather Type II” but Rothco lists it online simply as Boonie Hat. This hat bears a product designation of MIL-Type-J-44320 and what appears to be a NATO Stock Number (NSN): 0423-41-082-7360. Rothco offers numerous boonie hat variants, ranging from a tigerstripe camouflage Vintage Vietnam Style to a painfully garish Savage Orange Camo model that looks like it belongs in a '90s hip hop music video. The standard boonie we tested resembles the traditional design, with a 2-1/2-inch brim, large vent eyelets on each side, and a chin cord with simple leather slider. We noted that the crown on this hat feels rounder and more form-fitting than the otherwise similar 5.11 Tactical hat.

Boonie hat buyer's guide 18

 

Pros:

  • Good value at a sub-$15 price point
  • Rothco offers many color and style variations to choose from (but we'll point and laugh if you wear one of the neon “urban” camo colors unironically)
  • Simple construction and flexible single-layer brim is true to the original boonie hat style

Cons:

  • Form-fitting crown may feel constricting for those with thicker hair or larger heads
  • Water-resistance is good, but not great

New: Carbon Tactics TiSlice Keychain Knife

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Carbon Tactics is a small machine shop based in southern Arizona that produces a number of niche products that are well-suited for use by every-day carry gear fans and prepared citizens. Most of the company's products have been crowdfunded through highly-successful Kickstarter campaigns. Their clever designs and generous campaign rewards have left them with an excellent track record for success in this arena.

Carbon Tactics TiSlice pocket knife EDC titanium blade box cutter keychain tool 1

The latest campaign is for a product that we first found out about nearly a year ago, and have been anxiously waiting to share with you ever since. The TiSlice is a small titanium device designed to work as an EDC knife. Using inexpensive and widely-available box cutter blades, the TiSlice is a simple design consisting of a titanium housing, a brass slider, and the blade itself. There is a small loop in one end of the housing for a lanyard cord, chain, or key ring.

Once the blade dulls, push the slider all the way out of the housing and flip it or replace the blade if you’ve already used both sides. While this will never replace the need for a sturdy carry knife (fixed or folding) it is more than suitable for daily suburban tasks and some basic survival ones – think shaving tinder, cutting paracord or other thin ropes, even piercing some small animal hides for game dressing. If you choose to carry your TiSlice on a lanyard, Carbon Tactics has four different lanyard beads available: brass, titanium, copper, and the Fire Bead.

Carbon Tactics TiSlice pocket knife EDC titanium blade box cutter keychain tool 2

The Fire Bead, our personal favorite of the floor, may be slightly less pleasing to the eye, but doubles as fire steel that, when scraped with the blade of your TiSlice, creates enough sparks to light dry kindling. We tried it and, while it does work, scraping the small Fire Bead with the small TiSlice isn’t the easiest thing we’ve ever done. But it sure beats being cold or going hungry.

Carbon Tactics TiSlice pocket knife EDC titanium blade box cutter keychain tool 6

In addition to its survival uses, the TiSlice is far more easily concealed than your favorite tactical folder. While it certainly wouldn’t be our first choice if we were expecting a fight, it may be better than bare knuckles in places where larger knives are frowned upon. But we’ll leave those decisions up to you.

Carbon Tactics TiSlice pocket knife EDC titanium blade box cutter keychain tool 3

You can currently get your own TiSlice for a Kickstarter contribution of $60. There are a number of texture options available, as well as colored anodizing. While gun companies anodize aluminum all the time, doing it to titanium — particularly in colors — is far more difficult. This a good indicator of the level of craftsmanship that goes into Carbon Tactics products, all of which are made completely in-house in their own shop on their own CNC machines.

Carbon Tactics TiSlice pocket knife EDC titanium blade box cutter keychain tool 5

For more info, check out the TiSlice campaign on Kickstarter or go to CarbonTactics.com.

Infographic: Venomous Snakes & Lookalikes

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Like most predators, snakes aren't interested in confronting humans unless they absolutely have to. They're just trying to hunt and survive, much like we may be when we encounter them. However, snakes are also masters of disguise, so hikers and campers often inadvertently surprise these animals. The resulting snakebite can result in serious injury or death.

Venomous snakes lookalikes infographic animal predator snakebite hiking 6

It's generally wise to avoid snakes altogether in the backcountry, but there are circumstances when that might not be possible. You may come across one in your campsite, or you may be desperate for food — if you're able to safely kill and cook a snake, it can provide much-needed protein and energy during a survival situation. No matter the circumstance, it's helpful to know what sort of snake you're dealing with.

Venomous snakes lookalikes infographic animal predator snakebite hiking 5v2

 

Several venomous snake species have non-venomous lookalikes, and being able to discern the difference can help you know how to approach the encounter. The following infographic from the Roger Williams Park Zoo shows three venomous snakes and their non-venomous counterparts. This info is most relevant to the northeast United States, but covers three of the most dangerous snakes in the country: the Timber Rattlesnake, Copperhead, and Cottonmouth. Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

Venomous snakes lookalikes infographic animal predator snakebite hiking 2Venomous snakes lookalikes infographic animal predator snakebite hiking 3Venomous snakes lookalikes infographic animal predator snakebite hiking 4

For more on how to handle a snakebite from a venomous snake, check out out the “Snake Bite First Aid” infographic we previously featured.

Thanks to contributor Tim MacWelch for letting us know about this graphic.

Video: Cooking & Eating Yucca

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The yucca plant can be found throughout much of the United States, but it's most plentiful in the southwest. If you live in the region, you've almost certainly seen it. Its pointed green leaves, tall stalks, and towering clusters of white flowers are easy to recognize, even for casual hikers and backpackers.

Eating yucca plant wild edible food desert survival 3

As we've mentioned in the past, yucca provides a wide array of survival resources, including cordage, tinder, soap, and even an extract that can be used to stun fish. Despite how its name might sound, yucca is also a source of several tasty wild edibles. During the spring, the blossoms and stalks are ripe and ready to eat.

Although yucca blossoms can be eaten raw, they can also be cooked to soften the texture and improve flavor. The plant's young green stalks should be cooked before eating, but this is as simple as roasting them directly on hot coals. Always a good source of info on survival in the southwest, YouTuber Bob Hansler recently posted a video that shows how to harvest and prepare yucca stalks and blossoms:

Hansler describes the flavor of the cooked petals to be relatively mild like cabbage or spinach, picking up the taste of the butter they were cooked in. As for the stalk, he says it's surprisingly sweet, much like sweet potato or butternut squash. Whether you're in a true survival situation or simply looking to supplement the food you already have in the backcountry, yucca is a great resource.

Review: Hazard 4 Pillbox Backpack

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Living the prepared lifestyle doesn’t always mean leaving your tech behind and living off the land. It’s about being prepared to handle (or prevent) disaster in all aspects of life, including your everyday routine. Whether you’re a nature photographer on the trail or a sniper/observer gathering critical intel for your unit, protecting your equipment is a vital aspect of your mission. The impact from a fall could result in a broken camera lens or optic, leaving you facing a hefty repair bill at best or unable to complete your mission at worst.

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 16

When hauling around high-dollar camera kit or expensive tech gear, we’re typically limited to two options: a heavy, foam-lined hard case, or a soft, padded nylon pack. When stuck with the hard-case option, we usually find ourselves confined to a vehicle, having to leave most of our gear behind when heading out on foot. Opting for the lightweight pack allows us to carry more essential gear, but often leaves us praying that the internal padding is sufficient to keep our equipment in operational condition. Fortunately, Hazard 4 has just expanded our options with their newly released Pillbox Thermocap Photo-CCW Daypack.

About Hazard 4

As a manufacturer of outdoor adventure and extreme sport travel gear, Civilian Lab has spent many years developing and manufacturing hard-use gear. Over the years, a growing number of users have brought their Civilian Lab gear into professional field use. The high demand for tactical versions of that gear led Civilian Lab to introduce the Hazard 4 line of “Progressive Tactical Gear.”

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 5

The Hazard 4 name was inspired by a standard threat-classification index that ranks hazards from Low (1) to High (4). The goal of Hazard 4 is to design gear that will be the “last line of defense” for the user facing extreme adversity, whether it be through environmental, industrial, or man-made factors. To this end, they have taken a progressive approach to their designs.

With a base of operations located in southern California where there is year-round access to mountain snow, dense forest, desert heat, urban congestion, and of course the Pacific Ocean, the Hazard 4 team is able to field-test their products in the most rigorous conditions and adjust as needed to ensure their products are suitable for any environment. The added input of professional end users helps ensure that the most desirable features are incorporated into every Hazard 4 product.

The Pillbox

The Hazard 4 Pillbox is a new tactical pack design consisting of a lightweight, thermoformed, padded hard-shell integrated into a Cordura nylon skin. Although Hazard 4 has previously integrated this hard-shell into components of some of their other packs, this is the first pack built completely around the technology. We had a chance to field-test the Pillbox after SHOT Show, and this experience left us impressed with the overall construction and design concept.

Overall Construction

The Pillbox is divided into three main sections, each lined with silent pull-tab YKK zippers. The outer sidewall is covered with bar-tacked connection points that are both ALICE- and MOLLE-compatible. A padded back panel with air channels provides comfort and airflow when wearing the pack.

The padded shoulder straps are equipped with quick-release buckles and lined with multiple attachment points. The attachment points hold the adjustable sternum strap, giving the wearer full control over height placement. Each shoulder strap also has hook-and-loop retention for channeling a hydration tube, a feature often overlooked even on dedicated bladder carriers.

The removable waist support belt is fully adjustable and comes with Hazard 4’s original locking side release buckle. This unique buckle has a locking lever resembling an AR-15 safety-selector located in the center of the buckle. Placing it in the locked position will prevent any unintentional buckle release.

It might be overkill for the average user, but to those who operate in hazardous conditions and know all too well the crazy things can happen under stress, this locking lever will likely be a welcomed addition.

Camera/Tech Compartment

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 15

The camera compartment features a customizable, internal photo-bag divider system for organizing and protecting camera gear or other fragile items. Those familiar with traditional camera bags with recognize the concept, but notice a significant difference in the quality of the Hazard 4 design. Although we could have used a few more small dividers for improved organization of loose items, the pack configured nicely around our camera, lenses, flash, and accessories.

Laptop/Accessory Compartment

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 6

The laptop compartment, located in front of the camera compartment and directly behind the thermoformed shell, contains an internal padded pouch for housing a laptop or tablet. It’s also appropriately-sized to carry a soft armor panel, like the 11”x14” Spartan Armor Systems Level IIIA panel we threw inside to add some ballistic protection.

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 7

The front padded section of the laptop compartment features an assortment of accessory pockets to hold pens, memory cards, cables, and other small items, as well as a MOLLE-compatible panel covered with back-fill loop-fasteners for accepting a variety of add-ons. An accordion-style divider lies between the hard shell and laptop compartment. This area is perfect for carrying books, files, or large accessories like solar panels or light reflectors. The divider can be disconnected on the inside to allow for full opening of the accessory compartment.

CCW/Hydration Compartment

The rear section of the pack is lined internally to accept hook-fastener-backed attachments. Hazard 4 offers a number of concealed carry attachments (such as the Stick-Up Modular Universal Holster) that can be used to customize the CCW compartment to your liking. Of course, any aftermarket hook-fastener-backed attachment will work with the system, so your options are endless. We used a generic adjustable loop holster to hold a Glock 19.

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 17

The one downfall with the Pillbox’s CCW compartment is the lack of any type of rapid access system. If your only concern is having a convenient place to pack a handgun, then this isn’t an issue. But if your intent is to have a readily accessible, off-body carry option, then this probably isn’t the best choice. You would be better off carrying a hydration system using the built-in hydration hanger. The nice part about the CCW/Hydration compartment is that it is perfectly suitable for housing additional electronics thanks to the generous padding lining the compartment.

External Modularity

The hard shell of the Pillbox has six recessed double grommets for mounting Hazard 4 HardPoint items. HardPoint is a unique series of accessories that bolt into the double grommets to add loops, valves, wire passages, etc.

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For example, the Stop Gap-1 (pictured in the diagram above) can be paired with shock cord or nylon webbing to strap additional gear to the outside of the pack.

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Other accessory designs are in the works, such as the soon-to-be-released HardPoint external LED light. When not housing a HardPoint accessory, the double grommets can be sealed from the inside using the hook-backed covers included with the pack.

Specifications

External Dimensions: 19.7″ L x 12.2″ W x 7.5″ D
Main Compartment: 19.7″ L x 12.2″ W x 3.7″ D
Laptop Compartment: 19.3″ L x 12.” W x 0.6″ D

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Total Capacity: 1800 cu in
Weight: 5 lbs 2.5 oz
Main Materials: Invista 1000D Cordura, PU x2 Water Repellent Coated
MSRP: $200
Website: www.hazard4.com

Final Thoughts

Hazard 4 Pillbox backpack camera tech ccw handgun EDC daypack 2v2

The Hazard 4 Pillbox is one of the best packs we’ve used for the purpose of packing and protecting valuable optics and electronics. Whether you’re on a high-stakes reconnaissance mission or just photographing the local wildlife, the Pillbox provides the ideal blend of protection, function, durability, and comfort to guarantee you won’t break your gear or your back.

About the Author

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Chad McBroom is the owner of Comprehensive Fighting Systems, a company that offers practical training in armed and unarmed combatives. He has over 30 years of martial arts experience and specializes in edged weapons. He also does a bit of knifemaking himself, a hobby he took up to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of blade craft. Follow him on Instagram @cfs_combat.