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How to Build a Six-Month Food Supply

May 10, 2018

In This Article

Pick Your Food Plan
Package Your Own Dry Goods
Build a Dry-Goods Menu Plan
Three-Week Menu Plan
Store it in the Right Spot
It’s All About the Calories
Common Mistakes to Avoid

You may find yourself asking, Six months of food? Do I really need that much? — especially when most people seem to be content with 72-hour go-bags and two-week disaster kits. But if you’re reading a magazine like RECOIL OFFGRID, you already know why long-term food storage makes sense.

A Katrina-level natural disaster, an economic collapse, or another Sept. 11-style attack — these and any number of similar catastrophes could wipe out your normal resources for food. In these types of situations, you’d have to rely on your own reserves, or devolve into a hunter/gatherer (and there are no guarantees with that menu plan). But maybe your problems aren’t so widespread. Perhaps you’re just suffering a personal crisis, such as a job loss or an injury that prevents work. For any of these situations, building a food reserve becomes a valuable insurance policy — one that you can actually eat.

Pick Your Food Plan

“Plan your work, and work your plan.” A project like this can be a daunting task, so planning is one of the most important parts. You’ll want to pay great attention to calorie content, methods of food preparation, storage conditions, and your own personal dietary restrictions. It’s also helpful to plan out the meals and create a meal rotation. You don’t need to plan 180 days of unique meals, but a two-week menu plan will give you some much-needed variety (unless you’re buying a pallet of MREs or mixed, freeze-dried foods).

Finally, you’ll need to decide which food preservation method best matches your plan. In this article, we’ll look at four different approaches to building a food supply: MREs, freeze-dried food, canned goods, and dry goods.

1 MRE: Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are a quick solution to build your food reserves, but they’re expensive, bulky, and only last about five years. This approach is easy and no cooking is involved to prepare the food — it’s truly “ready to eat” as the name declares. Each MRE contains approximately 1,400 calories, so two per day provides an average of 2,800 calories. You’ll need 360 MREs (30 cases) for a six-month supply. For your daily ration, open up two MREs, pick through the contents to decide which items you want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then eat them when you’d like. Better MREs include a water-activated chemical heater, which would give you two hot meals a day. This is a great morale booster and perfect for those who are cooking-impaired.

Cost per day: $16
Cost for six months: $2,880, plus shipping (though discounts may be available for large orders)
Longevity: Five-plus years

2 Freeze-Dried Food: Mountain House and many other companies provide a wide selection of freeze-dried meals and food items. They’re even more expensive than MREs, but may last up to five times longer. Freeze-dried foods generally require hot water to prepare, and they’re as bulky as MREs (yet without the weight). They’re available in serving-sized pouches, larger cans, and even buckets. Four pouches a day will be needed to reach 2,400 calories. Oddly enough, the No. 10 entree cans only contain about 2,000 calories each, yet cost over $30 apiece. The greatest asset to freeze-dried food is shelf life, with 25 years or more expected. You’ll need about 180 cans or 720 pouches for a six-month food stash.

Cost per day: $25 to $35
Cost for six months: $4,500 to $6,300, plus shipping (though discounts may be available for large orders)
Longevity: 25-plus years

3 Canned Goods: Your average canned pasta, stew, and chili are more cost effective than MREs or freeze-dried food. They’re typically ready to eat from the can without the need for extra water, and cans are insect and rodent proof. Canned goods do come with a few drawbacks, though. They’re even heavier than MREs, and their life span is only about five years as well (maybe less for pop-top cans). Check the calorie count when planning meals with canned goods. You’ll need at least five cans per day to reach 2,400 calories. Roughly 900 cans will provide you with a six-month food supply, and these are the easiest foods to work into your normal meals.

Cost per day: $10 to $15
Cost for six months: $1,800 to 2,700, with no shipping costs if purchased locally
Longevity: Five-plus years

4 Dry Goods and Grains: Cooking these foods and preparing palatable meals from them may be a bit of a challenge, but if you’re familiar with cooking from scratch, this is the cheapest way to go. Dry pasta, rice, flour, dried beans, sugar, and many other staple foods can be stored for 30 years with negligible nutrient loss when properly packaged. They’re also relatively easy to work into your regular meals. The drawbacks are that you’ll need even more potable water than for freeze-dried foods, and you’ll need to know how to cook. You can purchase these staples already packed in cans or buckets with oxygen absorbers and Mylar liners for maximum longevity. Or you can save a few dollars by buying the food in bulk and repacking it yourself. Depending on the staple food item, a 5-gallon bucket usually holds over 30 pounds of dry goods, which can represent over 40,000 calories. This means that 10 five-gallon buckets will hold enough staple foods for your six-month supply.

Cost per day: $2 to $5, depending greatly on your menu plan
Cost for six months: $360 to $900, with no shipping costs if purchased locally
Longevity: 30 years

Package Your Own Dry Goods

One of the easiest ways to package your food is in 5-gallon, food-grade buckets. If your budget allows, buy new 5-gallon buckets with regular lids. Purchase a few gamma (screw-on) lids as well, handy for accessing foods that will be used often, like sugar. If you’re doing this project on a shoestring budget, ask for buckets from bakeries and restaurants — they may be free or only cost a few dollars a piece.

The bucket alone is good, but to still have edible dry goods after 30 years, you’ll also need Mylar storage bags and oxygen absorbers. Smaller bags and several 100cc absorbers are great for rationing the food and for modular storage. The large “bucket liner” bags and 2,000cc absorbers are perfect if you want to dump a big bag of grain into a bucket and call it done. You’ll need a total of 1,500cc of absorbers as a minimum for one bucket of grain, flour, beans, or pasta. You won’t need oxygen absorbers in sugar, honey, or salt. They don’t go bad, and sugar and salt will become a solid brick from the oxygen absorber (still edible, but you’ll need a chisel to chop them up). Once you’ve figured out which staple foods will be in your bucket, place the Mylar liner in the bucket (even if your food is in smaller packages with their own oxygen packs), and fill it near the top. Add oxygen absorbers to total at least 1,500cc for the entire 5-gallon bucket.

Press the liner bag together and expel any air you can. Lay a 2×4 board across the bucket and smooth out the bag mouth on top of it. Run a hot clothes iron across the bag opening to heat seal it (you could also seal the bag with a flat iron for hair; no need for the piece of wood). Seal the bucket lid tightly and store it in a safe storage spot.

Build a Dry-Goods Menu Plan

Staple foods are easy to plan, if you have a shopping list and a menu. Here’s a very simple menu, and the accompanying shopping list, for a three-week food supply that fits in a single 5-gallon bucket. Put together 10 of these buckets, and your six-month food plan is covered. Although a bit bland and monotonous, this basic menu provides 2,500 calories a day and only requires boiling to prepare, no oven baking required (which may not be an option in a grid-down situation). Just make sure that the shortening is stored outside of the buckets and rotated annually, as it will spoil. When packed with oxygen absorbers in a sealed Mylar bag, all of these dry goods should last for two to three decades.

Three-Week Menu Plan

42 Lunches and Dinners

10 Plain Rice
10 Plain Beans
10 Pesto Pasta
12 Beans & Rice

21 Breakfasts

7 Oatmeal
7 Grits
7 Cream of Wheat

Snacks

Hard candy
Sweetened beverages (tea, coffee, herb tea, etc.)

Shopping List for Each Three-Week Bucket

5-pound spaghetti pasta
11-pound white rice
11-pound mixed beans
2-pound sugar
1-pound hard candy
1-pound rolled oats
1-pound corn grits
1-pound cream of wheat
5 packs of pesto pasta mix
1 package of black tea, coffee, or herb tea
2 sticks of butter-flavored shortening (not stored inside bucket)
Assorted salt, pepper, and dry seasonings as desired

Store it in the Right Spot

To get the maximum life span from your stored food, it’s critical to store it in a food-friendly location in your home or bug-out site. The traits of a good food storage spot include the following:

Dark: Light can damage some foods and shorten their life span.
Cool: Heat is one of the most destructive forces to food. A few months in a hot garage or vehicle will drop the shelf life of your MREs to just a few months. Cool temperatures are critical to storage, and it’s best if temps don’t fluctuate.
Dry: Moisture can allow mold and bacteria to flourish in stored food. Pick a dry spot to begin with, and package your food to keep moisture out.
Protected From Pests: Hungry rodents can chew through MRE bags and plastic food buckets in a matter of minutes. Set mouse traps and rat traps around your food storage area. For greater security, place the food in metal containers like job site tool boxes, steel barrels, or metal garbage cans.

A dry basement, cool closet, or secure pantry works in most cases, though these are likely spots to be searched if looting occurs after a crisis cuts off your shopping trips. Consider mislabeling some bins of food or hiding food in floors, walls, ceilings, or furniture to give you a backup if your home is pillaged. Buckets buried in the flowerbed are another option in food security. Although this is more vulnerable to moisture and rodents, it offers protection from both house fires and theft. Use regular bucket lids when burying buckets.

It’s All About the Calories

Consider 432,000 calories. In a world of dieting and calorie counting, this sounds like a huge number. But once you’ve done the research and the math, you’ll see that this seemingly large number of calories only supports a sedentary man between the ages of 19 and 30 for a span of six months, using the USDA model of 2,400 calories a day. Sedentary females (and males that are younger or older) will require fewer calories, and of course active people will need a higher caloric intake. Calories should be your major concern when building a food storage system. Read the labels and add up the calories for yourself. Ignore the “servings per package” notations as they’re often based on ridiculously small portions. For a short-term emergency, any food is better than none. But over a long-term crisis, a calorie deficit could have a major impact on your energy levels — and ultimately your survival.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning curve, but mistakes in food storage can be disastrous, leaving you with an empty wallet and an empty belly. Learn from the failures of others, and avoid these blunders yourself.

Forget the water. Store several large containers of safe drinking water and the disinfection supplies to refill them over and over.
Store dry and wet together. Jugs of water, cans of wet food, and any other containers of liquid should always be stored
outside of bins and buckets of food. If they leak, the food may get ruined and you wouldn’t know it until you needed the food (and opened it). I recently learned this one the hard way — a jug of water leaked inside a bin of dry food and converted it into a bin of black mold.
Food expires? Write the expiration date on food cans and packages with a marker for easier inspection, and check your food seasonally for aging items.
Heap it up in a pile. Stock your pantry like a store does, placing new items in the back and pushing older items forward. This helps to create an easy rotation of goods.

A Basic Guide to First Aid Kits

Offgrid Staff

May 9, 2018

In This Article

Basic First Aid Kit
Inventory & Expiration Dates
Customize Your Kit
First Aid Knowledge
Pre-Built First Aid Kit Buyer’s Guide

This article was originally published in Issue 1 of our magazine.

Living in urban areas where medical help is only a phone call away makes it easy to take immediate first aid care for granted. The unfortunate reality is that when things go bad, these lifesaving services can be interrupted. Whether your medical need is for something as minor as a scraped knee or something as substantial as a broken arm, do you know what to do and have the supplies needed if professional help is not available?

You never know when a medical emergency is going to happen. For this reason, everyone should have at least basic knowledge of first aid and a first aid kit available at a moment’s notice. Stick one in your home, workplace, car, and wherever else you frequent. In places with limited storage space such as a daily carried bag, having a travel-sized kit on hand is better than nothing. In the car, a small basic kit would work, and at home or work, a more substantial kit is ideal.

Having a kit is only half of it. Have you ever opened a first aid kit and realized other than the Band-Aids and aspirin, you really had no idea what was going on in there? If you’re not a medical professional, you know what we mean. Bandages, gauze, compresses, and funny-shaped scissors, how are we supposed to use this stuff? Knowledge of how to use the kit properly is just as important as having it.

Basic First Aid Kit

Let’s take a look at a basic kit and break down what each item is used for. Because there are so many kits on the market, nailing down a “basic” kit can be a task unto itself. We’ll go with what The Red Cross recommends for inclusion in a first aid kit.

There are plenty of first aid kits on the market that cover the basic needs in the above list and much more. Remember that the overall size of the kit also limits how many people it can treat and its duration of use, as well. Now that we know what we need, let’s take a look at what each item is and what it is used for.

Inventory & Expiration Dates

Mark your kits with the date that they were manufactured or put together, and remember to update expired items regularly. We recommend checking your kits once a year to make sure everything is accounted for. It’s easy to forget that you may have grabbed a Band-Aid or a pack of aspirin from it. It’s important to remember to replace any missing items before you forget.

Customize Your Kit

When looking for a store-bought kit or choosing what goes into a kit you build yourself, it is important to take into account any particular needs that you and your family may need. If anyone may be allergic to certain medications such as aspirin, be sure to substitute or add other meds such as ibuprofen, instead. But, don’t play the guessing game; consult your doctor to see what works for you and your family member’s particular medical condition and go with that.

Customize your first aid kit to include any prescription drugs that you and your family may need. Include any other personalized items, such as asthma, diabetes, and allergy meds that you will need in an emergency.

01 Absorbent Compress Dressings:
Compress dressings help promote blood clotting to stop bleeding. Use them by pressing the dressing against a wound to help stop blood loss.

02 Adhesive Bandages:
Adhesive bandages, also known as Band-Aids, are useful to help cover minor cuts and scrapes. They come in different shapes and sizes for general and specific applications. Their adhesive qualities mean that they can be self-applied.

03 Adhesive Cloth Tape:
Adhesive cloth tape has many uses, including being applied to non-adhesive bandages to adhere them in place, being taped over a bandage to create pressure over a wound, and being used for making a splint.

04 Antibiotic Ointment:
An antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin, protects wounds against infections and bacteria, and it promotes faster healing. Apply as directed.

05 Antiseptic Wipe Packets:
Use antiseptic wipes to clean cuts and other wounds prior to dressing them.

06 Aspirin:
Aside from pain relief, aspirin is also good to have on hand for those suffering a heart attack. If you do use it for a heart attack, be sure that it is chewed instead of it being swallowed whole.

07 Space Blanket:
Space blankets have many uses that include keeping one’s body warm, minimizing the loss of moisture, and creating makeshift shelters, since they are usually windproof and waterproof.

08 Breathing Barrier:
A breathing barrier prevents the direct contact of a patient’s mouth and nose during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

09 Instant Cold Compress:
To ease swelling, fever, and treat injuries to soft tissue such as sprains, strains, and bruises, apply a cold compress. Instant cold compresses are activated by simply squeezing and shaking them.

10 Non-Latex Gloves:
Gloves add a layer of protection for the person giving first aid care by protecting them from blood pathogens that a patient might carry. The Red Cross recommends a large-size glove, so that they will easily fit on anyone who needs to use them.

11 Hydrocortisone Ointment:
For skin irritation that is caused by bug bites, poison ivy, and rashes, apply some hydrocortisone ointment for relief.

12 Bandage Scissors:
Special curved blade bandage scissors allow you to safely cut bandages, gauze, and cloth tape without cutting your patient.

13 Roller Bandages:
A roller bandage can be employed to help cover a greater surface area than a smaller adhesive bandage can. Used alongside sterile gauze and cloth tape, this type of bandage can be applied as a pressure dressing to help slow or stop blood flow from a larger wound.

14 Sterile Gauze Pads:
Sterile gauze has very little lint and is used to treat minor wounds. They absorb excess blood and other fluids and can be used to clean wounds.

15 Oral Thermometer:
It’s best not to guess what temperature someone is running. Have a thermometer on hand.

16 Triangular Bandages:
The three-cornered bandage can be used as an arm sling or as a large bandage.

17 Tweezers:
Tweezers are a general-use tool for jobs such as taking out splinters and cleaning out debris from wounds.

18 First Aid Instruction Booklet:
Since most of us aren’t trained medical professionals, a first aid guide is good to have on hand for instructions on how to handle first aid emergencies.

First Aid Knowledge

It is a good idea to get some training on how to properly administer first aid and CPR. The American Red Cross offers classes in various disciplines of first aid, including First Aid Basics, Emergency Medical Response, First Responder in the Workplace, and even Dog and Cat First Aid. To find a class in your area, visit http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class.

Pre-Built First Aid Kit Buyer’s Guide

All prices listed are deemed accurate at the time of writing. Each kit featured may include different items than shown, please check the contents of the kits prior to making your purchase.

[buyersguide title=”A Basic Guide to First Aid Kits” ids=”3253, 3254, 3255, 3256, 3257, 3258, 3259, 3260″]

Lights Out: Chokehold Basics for Self-Defense

Offgrid Staff

May 8, 2018

In This Article

The Advantages
The Disadvantages
Administering the Sleeper
Anatomy of the Choke
All Choked Up
Fantastic Figure Four
Get a Grip
Crushing It
Knocking Out Chokehold Myths
The Choke’s on You
Wake Up!
Self-Defense
About the Author
More From Issue 12

WARNING!
The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Chokeholds are inherently dangerous and can potentially be fatal. Seek a reputable instructor before attempting any techniques discussed or shown here.

Any true Rowdy Roddy Piper fan knows that the sleeper hold — aka a chokehold — can put people to sleep. And fans of mixed martial arts and action movies are keenly aware that it can possibly even kill them. But is it really that easy to apply? And how can it help you when SHTF?

Well, for starters, we need not wait for an EMP attack, nuclear fallout, or a zombie apocalypse to experience fecal matter going for a whirl. The following three scenarios illustrate that danger could happen at any time in our everyday lives — and why learning to apply a choke is no joke.

August 21, 2015: A terrorist — armed with at least an AK-47, nine magazines, and a box cutter — on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris could have meant only one thing: carnage. Lucky for the passengers, Spencer Stone and his two buddies were onboard. Stone, a U.S. airman, tackled the terrorist and put him in a chokehold while his two friends and a British passenger disarmed and pummeled the bad guy unconscious. Loss of life that day? Zero.

April 13, 2011: After teaching a class, martial arts instructor Pedro Arrigoni witnessed a police officer getting punched in the face and then mounted on the ground, right outside his San Francisco school. Arrigoni quickly went outside and jumped into the fray, sinking in a chokehold on the thug. Within seconds, the attacker yelled, “I give up! I give up!” before being taken into custody by the officer.

December 30, 2009: Drew Heredia, a 9-year-old boy from Bakersfield, California, witnessed a dog attacking his friend and came to the rescue. The dog, a mix of pit bull, Shar Pei, and Rottweiler, was restrained by … wait for it … a chokehold. Drew reportedly held the dog at bay for 20 minutes until an animal control officer arrived on the scene to take over.

Three hazardous scenarios. Three different individuals. All survived. What they had in common was training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and knowledge of the chokehold. “Training and knowledge saves the day,” is the mantra for the serious student of the survival game. Therefore, we’re delving into the topic of chokes and submissions to give you a fighting chance when SHTF. Whether you’re a martial artist interested in a review of fundamentals or a prepper looking to add to your empty-hand arsenal, you’ll no doubt find some valuable — perhaps life-saving — information in these pages.

The Advantages

Using a chokehold has many advantages. Take note of the following benefits when using this effective technique.

Out Cold: Chokes are a high-percentage way to put people to sleep. Once the hold is in place, siesta for the bad guy is only moments away.

Damage Free: By using a chokehold, you may subdue and incapacitate an attacker with no damage to your hands. Punching someone in an altercation may lead to fractures of the carpal bones. Broken bones in the hand is a major setback, especially if you need to operate a weapon or build a fire, or if you find yourself in a situation where medical attention is scarce.

Restrain and Control: Controlling the neck leads to control of the body. This essentially makes the chokehold a leash on steroids.

Shielding: Once behind your attacker with a choke locked on, the attacker can now shield you from other threats. The choke acts as your virtual joystick to ragdoll your attacker into positions that protect you. Although the human body may not be bulletproof, it makes a great shield against punches, kicks, blunt, and bladed weapons.

Confined Areas: Fighting inside a car, a closet, or any confined space makes throwing a strike difficult. Chokeholds require zero space.

On Lockdown: Escaping Alcatraz was no easy task; same goes with escaping a good chokehold. Escape is difficult because few people practice escaping from chokeholds on a regular bases.

The Disadvantages

Strangling is a great way to end a fight, but it does have limitations. Beware of the following shortcomings when applying a choke.

Look, Ma, No Hands: Most chokes require two hands to be effective (there is a “one arm” choke, but leave that to the professionals). Because both hands are occupied, other options needing the use of your hands become limited. For example, aforementioned train hero Stone was cut and stabbed by the terrorist’s box cutter while applying the chokehold. If you need to access a weapon or push a loved one out of harm’s way, you’ll have to give up the choke (but not necessarily the control of the opponent).

Too Close for Comfort: If distance is your friend, you just lost a buddy. Acting like an anaconda on someone’s back creates instant intimacy. Therefore, use chokes when escape is not an option.

Armed and Dangerous: There may be fatal consequences if your opponent pulls out a knife or a gun during your chokehold. You may need to abandon the choke, and deal with the weapon threat first.

Coming Back: To secure a choke, you must be behind your intended victim. You can either sneak up on them or move to that position. During a fight, it may be difficult to get behind someone. But, once you’re glued to your opponent’s back, you will have the upper hand.

Deadly Outcome: Chokes can have fatal consequences if done incorrectly, or applied for too long. Because of a chokehold’s lethality, it’s important to treat any chokehold as a deadly weapon. Certain police departments frown on the use of chokes (what they label the carotid restraint or arm-bar) because of rare, fatal results and bad press. Like any other lethal weapon, chokes are dangerous tools and should be trained under the guidance of a qualified instructor — and used only during life-and-death situations.

Administering the Sleeper

There are many ways to put a person to sleep. Below are the most common, street-effective chokeholds that can put down just about anyone.

Fantastic Figure Four: The figure-four, rear naked choke (RNC) is arguably the most common method used in martial arts and military combatives. This type of choke has been used effectively for centuries. Because this sleeper hold does not use the collar of a jacket for strangulation (commonly seen in judo or jiu-jitsu matches), it is called a rear “naked” choke.

The most common way to apply the RNC is the figure-four grip. To apply the figure-four RNC, position yourself behind your opponent, reach across their throat with an arm. You want the crook of your elbow right in front of the opponent’s trachea. Keep your forearm off the trachea unless you want to do permanent damage. Your bicep and forearm will be on the sides of the opponent’s neck. Place the palm of the initial arm into the elbow fold of your free arm. Finally, place the hand of your second arm behind your opponent’s neck. The move is now complete, and you can squeeze your opponent into dreamland. Think of this move like a nutcracker with your elbow as the hinge. You are looking to reduce the space between your forearm and bicep.

Get a Grip: Another variation of the figure-four choke is the palm-to-palm or Gable Grip, named after legendary grappler Dan Gable. The application of the palm-to-palm choke is the same as above, but, instead of making a figure-four with your arm, you simply grip palm to palm. Resort to this grip when your opponent does not allow you to set in the full figure-four grip.

The figure-four and Gable Grip chokes are commonly used as a blood choke or carotid restraint. This means the pressure is applied to the sides of the neck to cut off blood flow to the brain.

Crushing It: The third method uses the same two grips described above with one minor, but important, difference. Normally, contact is made with your bicep and forearm on the sides of your opponent’s throat. This time, the forearm that is around your opponent’s neck, is touching the opponent’s windpipe. Contacting your forearm (what the police departments call an “arm bar control”) on the opponent’s windpipe (larynx and trachea) can leave permanent damage, including death. Use with caution!

Anatomy of the Choke

So how does a chokehold put someone to sleep? Time to channel your inner Bill Nye the Science Guy, because we’re going to describe three mechanisms that bring on the Sandman.

Blood Choke Mechanism: With the proper grip, the jugular veins are compressed initially. The jugulars are more superficial, which makes them “vain.” Venous flow from the brain to the body is the first to be stopped. This accounts for the initial flushing of the face in someone being choked. Further pressure, compresses the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries are more internal than the jugular veins and, therefore, require more pressure. One German study reported that, correct pressure from a chokehold can completely compress and occlude the carotid arteries of the neck. Unconsciousness results in about 10 seconds. No blood to the brain is like having the electricity turned off to your home — lights out.

Carotid Sinus Mechanism: The second mechanism toward unconsciousness is stimulation of the carotid sinus. The carotid sinus on the sides of the neck monitors blood pressure to the brain. When too much pressure is sensed by the carotid sinus, a message is sent to balance out the increased spike in pressure. The result is a drop in blood pressure and bradycardia (a slowing of the heart rate). Less blood to the brain, equals less consciousness — or nighty, night.

Collapsing the Airway Mechanism: Collapsing the airway by placement of your forearm on the opponent’s windpipe is the third way to induce unconsciousness. Force directly applied on the thyroid cartilage (a part of the larynx, aka the Adam’s apple) as well as the trachea (just below the larynx) can result in a collapse or fracture of the cartilage(s). Roughly 66 pounds of rope tension is required to collapse the trachea. Because of the extra strength required (66 pounds to collapse the airway versus 11 pounds to seal off the arteries), collapsing the airway is more difficult to do, especially for small or arthritic folks. Still, the possibility of fracture makes this a stone-cold chokehold with potentially fatal outcomes. Use with extreme caution.

All Choked Up

Knowledge to protect yourself and your loved ones without any weapons is just as important as the knowledge to survive in the wilderness without any tools. During a confrontation, you may not have much on you other than your clothes, and what you were born with. Even if you’re lucky enough to be armed during a critical incident, accessing your weapons system in certain situations may take too long. You might just have to go at it empty-handed.

To be a well-rounded prepper, experience in some sort of martial art or combative system is a must. The addition of chokes to your toolbox may be the checkmate move that saves the day on a train, in the streets, or even against a crazed animal.

Fantastic Figure Four

Diego Herzog — a silver medalist at the 2015 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship — shows how it is done. “Slide your hand behind their neck,” Herzog advises. “This way they cannot arm-bar you.” The victim of the choke shown here, Ricky Hui, adds, “I almost passed out during this shot. I felt a lot of forward pressure on my head and a pulling on my neck, like a scissor.”

Get a Grip

Diego Herzog demonstrates the palm-to-palm or Gable Grip choke. Note how the top hand is palm down and the second hand that is behind the opponent is palm up. Imagine your arm is a nutcracker with your elbow as the hinge and get cracking.

Crushing It

Standing behind his opponent, Herzog jams his forearm under Ricky’s chin. Here Diego uses the Gable Grip to collapse the airway. The figure-four grip could have been used just as well.

Knocking Out Chokehold Myths

Chokes Require a Lot of Strength: Blood chokes require skill and knowledge, not strength. When applied correctly, a young teenager can put a grown man to sleep within seconds. One study found that occlusion of the carotid arteries requires only 11 pounds of rope tension. This makes chokes an extremely important self-defense technique, since little force is required.

Escaping a Choke is Easy: That’s right, a good old poke to the eye will end the choke fast and make Larry, Curly, and Moe proud. However, a skilled martial artist will simply hide the eyes. What about a bite? Biting is difficult when the arm is already under the jaw and the eyes are fading to black.

Against an eye-jab counterattack, the author simple hides his eyes behind his arm. Now that Conrad Bui is safe and can maintain the choke, his opponent will soon be getting some shut-eye.

Chokes Work the Same on Everyone: Because of genetics, some people are more susceptible to chokes than others. This author has observed people being put to sleep during a demonstration in class. Some people simply nap faster than others once a chokehold is applied.

Chokes are Safe: Chokes are potentially lethal. People die from chokes. Therefore, treat strangulation techniques with the same respect as you would a knife or a gun. Never play around with chokes or apply a choke unless your life is in danger.

Watching the UFC is the Same as Learning the RNC: Watching someone applying the choke on screen from the comfort of our La-Z-Boy recliner is much different than applying it against a resisting opponent. To use the choke when it counts, get the correct instruction and training from a qualified instructor.

The Choke’s on You

The choke is a dangerous, possibly lethal weapon. What do you do if someone slapped one on you? Here are two simple yet effective escapes.

Early Detection: Scott Stroup makes the mistake of telegraphing his attack by extending his right arm instead of snaking it around Conrad Bui’s neck. Bui quickly raises his shoulders for protection, reaches up with his hands, and snatches a quick over-the-shoulder arm bar. Be sure to turn your opponent’s wrist so his palm faces up. This simple move can dislocate the elbow joint or result in a fracture.

Too Late … Or Is It?: Scott Stroup completes the figure-four grip but has watched too many WWE matches and didn’t read this article — he leaves his supporting hand high on the head and doesn’t hide it behind Conrad Bui’s neck. Conrad simply peels off the attacker’s top hand and breaks the arm by using his shoulder as a fulcrum.

Wake Up!

What do you do when you’ve choked out a training partner or that annoying drunk friend? How do you wake them up safely? Here, Conrad Bui demonstrates the most common way to wake someone up from dreamland. Bring up the legs to get blood back into the brain. Remember proper lifting mechanics and lift with your legs not your back. Hold the victim’s feet up until he’s regained consciousness.

Be careful when the victim wakes up because he may still be in fighting mode. “I did this for a competitor when I was a referee,” Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Diego Herzog said with a smile, “and the guy tried to sweep me when he woke up.”

Self-Defense

Haymaker Counter: Haymakers pack plenty of power, but control? Not so much. Conrad Bui parries and ducks under an overcommitted right punch then positions himself behind his attacker for a rear naked choke.

About the Author

Dr. Conrad Bui is a San Francisco-based chiropractor and freelance writer with more than 30 years of continuous martial arts experience. A former bouncer, he holds multiple gold medals and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As an instructor at World Team USA, he enjoys giving and receiving chokes on a regular basis.

Source: Diego Herzog www.worldteamusa.com

Infographic: The 7-Minute Body Weight Workout

Patrick McCarthy

May 7, 2018

If you believe in living a lifestyle of preparedness, it’s important to acknowledge that this goes far beyond material goods. Of course it’s wise to have stockpiles of food, water, medical gear, and other important resources ready for an emergency, but you also need to be mentally and physically prepared for that same scenario. If you don’t have the strength and endurance to deal with adverse conditions, you’ll end up in trouble almost immediately.

As much as many of us hate to admit it, it’s necessary to work out regularly in order to maintain your physical strength, endurance, and health in general. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean driving to the gym and pumping iron for hours on end. You can play sports, hike, swim, or any number of other activities outside the home to improve in this area. But even if you can’t leave your home and you don’t own a single weight, you can get in shape through body weight workouts.

One body weight workout system that has been studied extensively and recommended by scientific research is known as high-intensity circuit training (HICT). This consists of a varied series of 30-second exercises performed in quick succession, with high intensity and minimal rest between exercises. A study in the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Journal found the following:

“HICT seems to be an efficient means of exercise to help decrease body fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and improve V˙O2max [aerobic endurance] and muscular fitness. As the hectic pace of today’s corporate world continues to infringe on the amount of time individuals have for exercise, these types of programs can offer a good option to help busy individuals improve their health and recover from stress via exercise.”

The following infographic from Greatist illustrates one variation of the HICT system that takes roughly 7 minutes to complete. Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

Vehicle Security: Part 1 – Auto Theft & Break-In Deterrence

Patrick McCarthy

May 6, 2018

Auto security theft break in car truck safety preparedness vehicle burglary 3 — Photo: Flickr.com/tcb613

In This Article

Auto Theft & Break-In Statistics
Deterrence: Making Your Vehicle Less Attractive to Thieves
Lessons Learned

Anyone who has been the victim of an automotive break-in knows the feelings of anger and helplessness it creates. Maybe you walked out to go to work in the morning, only to find an empty parking space where your truck once was. Or maybe you made a quick stop at a fast-food restaurant, returning to a pile of smashed glass on the car seat. Regardless of the circumstances, the perpetrator is likely long-gone and may never be caught. If you’re lucky, you might see your vehicle or your belongings again.

Despite taking reasonable precautions, this author has experienced several vehicle break-ins over the years. These included the theft of a catalytic converter — an exhaust system component that’s worth hundreds of dollars on the black market due to its precious metal content — and a smash-and-grab incident where a thief ransacked the vehicle only to find nothing of value inside. Frustratingly, the criminals in both incidents got away scot-free. These crimes led to questions about how to make it more difficult for the perpetrators to get what they want.

Catalytic converters are one of many commonly-stolen car parts. Photo: Flickr.com/sidewalk_flying

Auto Theft & Break-In Statistics

Personal anecdotes aside, automotive theft and burglary are serious concerns throughout the United States. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there were an estimated 765,484 thefts of motor vehicles nationwide in 2016, resulting in a total financial loss of $5.9 billion that year. Although motor vehicle thefts are down about 30% over the last 10 years, this type of crime has been making a resurgence over the last few years, rising 5.8% in 2015 and 7.4% in 2016. Preliminary data for 2017 shows an estimated increase of 4.1%.

Theft of vehicle contents and parts, which the FBI Uniform Crime Report above categorizes as “larceny-theft from motor vehicles” and “larceny-theft [of] motor vehicle accessories” (i.e. wheels or other parts), also rose in 2016 by 6.5% and 2% respectively. Larceny-theft from motor vehicles the most common of all theft categories, with an estimated 1.3 million incidents in 2016. These types of crime often take 60 seconds or less. A smash-and-grab can be over in as little as 5 seconds.

So, given these trends and the likelihood of auto theft or a break-in affecting one or more of your vehicles, it’s wise to prepare and defend against these crimes. This is especially relevant for those of us who keep emergency kits and other valuables in our cars, since your get-home bag could be a nice prize for a thief — especially if it contains cash, weapons, or personally-identifiable information that could be used for identity theft.

Deterrence: Making Your Vehicle Less Attractive to Thieves

The ideal situation is to avoid being a victim in the first place, and this is accomplished through deterrence. We’ll be placing most of our focus on this goal.

If you’ve been following our site for a while, you’ve probably heard of the “grey man” philosophy. This is generally used in reference to choosing apparel and other on-body gear that won’t make you stand out in a crowd, but it can also be applied to the appearance of your vehicle. Depending on your surroundings, this can mean drastically different things. For example, a new BMW 3-series might seem plain in Manhattan, but it’ll look extremely unusual in a low-income rural town. And if your vehicle looks unusual, criminals are likely to take a closer look.

However, don’t assume that if you have a plain or older car that criminals will overlook it. FBI statistics tell us that the most stolen cars in America in 2016 were the 1997 Honda Accord, 1998 Honda Civic, 2006 Ford F-series, and 2004 Chevy Silverado. These popular vehicles are well-known by thieves, who often have experience breaking into and starting them up. In the case of older cars, a lack of electronic safeguards can allow criminals to start the ignition with a filed-down key or screwdriver.

Older keys lacked the programmed electronic security chips found in newer keys. Photo: Flickr.com/teakwood — Older car keys lack the programmed electronic security chips found in newer keys. Photo: Flickr.com/teakwood

Beyond make and model, it should go without saying that clearly advertising your preparedness on your vehicle puts you at increased risk. A light bar on the bumper, toolbox in the bed, or a nice set of wheels and tires can easily be taken without entering the vehicle, much like the catalytic converter mentioned earlier. A sticker, license plate frame, or vanity plate can give thieves an idea what gear might be in your vehicle — you might really like your Glock, but broadcasting this info on your vehicle can cause criminals to go looking for it. If theft-prevention is your priority, keep your vehicle as plain and anonymous as possible.

Be cautious about the message sent by your vehicle’s appearance. Photo: Flickr.com/rulenumberone2

As for the contents of your vehicle, the same principles apply. Several former criminals have stated in interviews that virtually any personal item visible inside a car could provide motivation for a break-in. Former car thief Steve Sivertsen told KREM 2 News, “You know, if I’m hard up enough and I’ve walked by six cars with change, I know I’ve got 20 bucks, so I’m going to break your window at least.” Another reformed thief put it as follows: “Unless you go the route of having a car filled so much that you’re a mini-hoarder, you absolutely gotta keep it empty. No loose change. No little screwdrivers, tollway passes, sports equipment, cool signs, t-shirts, or anything!”

This sign might actually work if a thief is considerate enough to read it. Photo: Flickr.com/spine — This sign might work, but it’s likely that thieves won’t bother to read it. Photo: Flickr.com/spine

Regarding other deterrents, there are many conflicting reports on the deterrence value of security devices such as alarms or steering wheel locks. One of the thieves above said he’d think twice about breaking in if he spotted a blinking light on the dash, but a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute found that these alarms don’t noticeably reduce theft losses. A former design engineer at Chrysler said devices like The Club can be circumvented easily by cutting the steering wheel, and may actually be helpful to criminals due to their effectiveness as improvised prybars. In-car dashcams with motion sensors might deter criminals if they know they’re being recorded, or they may serve as another item to steal and sell.

Finally, consider where you’re parking your vehicle. It’s common sense to avoid leaving it in a dark or secluded area, especially overnight. Many thieves are most active between the hours of 2am and 5am. As one put it, “it’s nice and quiet [with] less distractions, less people walking around.” Be especially wary if you’re in a region where theft is common — refer to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s 2016 Hot Spots report to check your city’s car theft rate.

If you see this on the curb near your parking spot, you'll know theft is likely. Photo: Flickr.com/dumbonyc — If you see this on the curb near your parking spot, you’ll know theft is likely. Photo: Flickr.com/dumbonyc

Lessons Learned

So, to recap our deterrence tips:

Avoid expensive or flashy vehicles that may draw unwanted attention.
Avoid older models that lack anti-theft features, especially those which are also popular targets for thieves.
Maintain a low profile by avoiding modifications that broadcast preparedness.
Never leave any exposed belongings in your vehicle. Even seemingly worthless items can lead thieves to break in hoping to find more.
Park in a well-lit high-traffic area if possible, but don’t assume that this will protect your vehicle.

Unfortunately, none of these tips provide an ironclad guarantee that your vehicle won’t be touched by criminals. Much like hardening your home against burglaries or protecting your online identity from hackers, you can take steps to make it more difficult, risky, and time-consuming for these individuals. However, this is essentially an arms race. If a thief is determined, clever, and skilled enough to work around your security measures, he’ll still be able to gain entry to your car or truck.

So, in the second half of our two-part vehicle security series next week, we’ll share some insights into mitigating the damage once a criminal accesses your vehicle.

Video: Making a Simple DIY Forge

Patrick McCarthy

May 5, 2018

Metalworking is one of the skills that separated the eras of human history — the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age were defined by our ability (or lack thereof) to produce tools and weapons from durable metal. These days, we may feel as though we’ve progressed far beyond the need for such simple tools, but the ability to forge and repair metal items remains extremely valuable. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which our fancy CNC mills and power tools become unusable, but a hot fire, hammer, and anvil will always get the job done.

Whether you’re forging a knife, repairing a tool, repurposing some scrap, or simply learning metalworking as a hobby, you’ll need a forge. One of the simplest ways to achieve this is by forcing air up through a layer of burning charcoal or coke. This was originally done through manually-operated bellows, but can now be done with a small shop vac or leaf blower. Even if the power grid is down, this could easily be run off a battery or a small generator, and it saves a tremendous amount of work that would be necessary to keep bellows pumping.

Swedish YouTuber and blacksmith Torbjörn Åhman recently posted a video that shows how he made an extremely simple forge in his backyard without any special tools. The forge consists of a wood box atop two sawhorses. A hole is cut in one side of the box, and a metal pipe (called a tuyere) is inserted with the protruding end connected to a shop vac hose. The space in the box is then filled with dirt and heat-resistant stones — concrete or other types of stone could explode, so these must be avoided. Wood kindling and coke fuel are added and ignited atop the pipe opening, forming a hearth.

After the first attempt at forging, the stones fracture, so Åhman replaces them with more durable hard-burned bricks.

Unless you’re going to go 100% primitive and rely on manual bellows, this is about as simple as it gets. Check out the video below if you’re interested in trying your hand at blacksmithing or blade-forging:

Video: Black Powder Cloth Fire Starters

Patrick McCarthy

May 3, 2018

Char cloth is a great resource for fire-starting — we often carry a small tin of it in our packs, and this tin also doubles as the vessel for making more char cloth in a campfire. While char cloth definitely takes a spark easily and burns for a long time, it’s not the most energetic fire-starter. This can cause it to be less effective at igniting damp kindling.

Char cloth fire starters 13 — Traditional char cloth is created by heating cloth scraps in a tin with an exhaust hole.

If you’re looking to kick your fire-starter up a notch, the following video from Coalcracker Bushcraft shows how to make black powder cloth, also known as rub cloth. Like char cloth, this material starts with a scrap of 100% cotton fabric. But instead of charring it through combustion, the fabric is soaked with water and rubbed with black powder, impregnating it with the highly-flammable substance.

Dan from Coalcracker lights the black powder cloth with sparks from his flint and steel, and the cloth burns in an energetic and almost-explosive manner. However, it doesn’t burn out immediately afterward, continuing to smolder like char cloth. Check out the video below to see for yourself:

What do you think of this fire-starter? Would you use it as an alternative to char cloth?

Looking Back: Jake Hoback Supports Knife Rights with WarHorse Folder

Patrick McCarthy

May 2, 2018

We’re big believers in carrying some form of knife on an everyday basis, whether that’s at home, at work, running errands around town, on a casual hike, or in a survival scenario. The knife is an important tool that proves itself useful in a variety of circumstances, and it’s rare that we leave home without one.

Unfortunately, there are those who believe that knives are inherently dangerous and who have pushed for restrictions on their ownership, carry, and use. This has led to the establishment of anti-knife laws within the United States and other countries, most notably the UK, where carrying a restricted knife can result in up to 4 years of prison time.

Jake Hoback knives Black Stallion WarHorse folding knife rights donation 3 — A map of the state-by-state progress made by Knife Rights since 2010.

In order to rewrite existing knife laws and prevent the establishment of additional knife restrictions in the USA, the organization Knife Rights was established in 2006. Since then, they’ve seen 28 pro-knife bills established in 20 states and stopped 8 anti-knife bills. You can read more about the organization’s accomplishments at KnifeRights.org.

Knife maker Jake Hoback set out to support Knife Rights in 2018 by donating a special WarHorse Black Stallion folding knife to the organization’s Ultimate Steel fundraiser. The WarHorse design was originally created in 2011 through a collaboration between Hoback Knives and Alphahunter Tactical Design. The new Black Stallion model features many revisions, which Jake outlines below:

“I pulled out all the stops in a redesign of the knife! I ran a full FEA (finite element analysis) on it to check for any weak spots. Pocketed all non-structural components to get the weight down. Did a ground-up design of a perfect hardened lock insert. Even did a full Bio/Organic 3D machined semi-floating backspacer. Added my HRD (Hoback Roller Detent), HCP (Hoback Cammed Pivot), and hardened stainless bearing races.”

The resulting knife features a 3-inch CPM Cru-Wear steel blade, titanium handle with frame lock, and Battleworn Green finish. MSRP for this knife would be $850, but the donated knife will be won by a lucky entrant to the Ultimate Steel drawing. Entrants will be donating money to support Knife Rights, and entering for a chance to win a choice from over $185,000 in prizes. This includes knives, guns, EDC gear, and even an African safari.

To learn more about Hoback’s WarHorse Black Stallion and the Knife Rights Ultimate steel drawing, go to KnifeRights.org.

Infographic: Driving The World’s Longest Roads

Patrick McCarthy

May 1, 2018

What do you consider a long drive? Many of us would say anything beyond a few hours; cross-country truck drivers and experienced overlanders might say a few days. But some routes make those trips look insignificant, with thousands upon thousands of miles of continuous highway stretching across a continent (or more).

Traveling one of the longest roads on earth could make for a great adventure and a fun undertaking. On the other hand, you could look at these routes as the ultimate long-distance bug-out paths — when “getting out of Dodge” isn’t enough, putting Dodge on the opposite side of the continent might do the trick.

The following infographic from CarRentals shows the 7 longest roads on earth, as well as major landmarks, route length, and estimated travel time. Click here to download a full-size version of this graphic.

RECOILtv: Full-Auto vs. Semi-Auto

Patrick McCarthy

April 30, 2018

If you’ve spent time reading comments on social media lately, you’ve probably seen more than a few uninformed statements about the AR-15 platform. One common misconception relates to the differences between a full-auto weapon and a semi-auto weapon. There are many who conflate the two, leading to descriptions such as the infamous “full semi automatic”. Others wrongly believe making an AR full-auto is as simple as filing down the firing pin.

In order to dispel these myths and take a closer look at how a full-auto rifle really works, RECOIL‘s Iain Harrison met with Jack Leuba of Knight’s Armament Co. The pair analyzed the mechanism and different parts that are present in an automatic KAC SR-16, especially the critical auto sear component. Without it, the gun would experience problematic hammer-follow and wouldn’t operate in full-auto.

Check out the 3-minute video below, or head to RECOILtv for more episodes.

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OFFGRID

Pick Your Food Plan

Package Your Own Dry Goods

Build a Dry-Goods Menu Plan

Three-Week Menu Plan

Store it in the Right Spot

It’s All About the Calories

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Basic First Aid Kit

Inventory & Expiration Dates

Customize Your Kit

First Aid Knowledge

Pre-Built First Aid Kit Buyer’s Guide

The Advantages

The Disadvantages

Administering the Sleeper

Anatomy of the Choke

All Choked Up

Fantastic Figure Four

Get a Grip

Crushing It

Knocking Out Chokehold Myths

The Choke’s on You

Wake Up!

Self-Defense

About the Author

More From Issue 12

Auto Theft & Break-In Statistics

Deterrence: Making Your Vehicle Less Attractive to Thieves

Lessons Learned

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