Page 154 – RECOIL OFFGRID

6 Beginner’s Training Tips for Concealed Carry

Posted on June 26, 2017 at 6:00 am.

In This Article

Choose the Right Holster
Get Used to Carrying Your Firearm
Train Your Drawing Technique
Learn Body Language Control
Plan for Complete Concealment
Know the Laws

When carrying a concealed weapon, you should ensure that you are exercising your right responsibly. This may seem obvious to those of us who are experienced with firearms, but those new to the world of CCW may not be entirely comfortable at first. This can lead to unfortunate incidents such as undue fear, loss of license, and even negligent discharge. Therefore, here are some simple and practical concealed carry tips that you should consider when training with firearms. For a more advanced take on CCW tips, check out this article on RECOILweb.com.

Choose the Right Holster

A concealed carry holster is the most essential piece of gear that you should think about after purchasing your firearm. Without the right holster, all your training and knowledge on handling a concealed firearm will be less effective. When choosing your holster, it's wise to select one designed specifically for your gun. Generic holsters might be inexpensive, but the fit may be poor which means that the weapon can shift or even fall out. You should also check the ride height of the product, particularly in inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters. In addition, test your comfort level by trying on your preferred holster for optimal results.

Get Used to Carrying Your Firearm

You should think about practicing carrying your concealed setup before going out. Too often, people wear their belts, holsters, and guns for the first time in public. The unfamiliar feeling of the carry is uncomfortable, and this is apparent to anyone who knows what to look for. Therefore, you should take some time to get used to your new gear. Wear it in your house and get the general feeling. After this, you can make adjustments as necessary until you find the best carry position. When experimenting, you should walk around, sit and bend so that you will get a clear picture of what will happen in each position.

Train Your Drawing Technique

If you are carrying a concealed firearm, it should go without saying that you need to practice your draw stroke. Theoretically, the process of readying a weapon is simple. However, the reality is more complicated, especially if you are a rookie in the practice. If you are not properly trained, the weapon will be difficult to draw from beneath your normal apparel and your grip might not be ideal for consistent firing.

You can avoid these issues by practicing how to draw your weapon efficiently. Most shooting ranges do not allow drawing from a holster. However, you can work on your technique at home. Simply remove the magazine, unload the chamber, and remove all live ammunition from the vicinity. Then you will be ready to practice your draw and dry firing your weapon.

Learn Body Language Control

People with concealed weapons often fidget and adjust their firearm setup. While their goal is to ensure that the carry is not visible, they end up drawing more attention to it. Therefore, you should learn how to resist the urge to keep checking your weapon and making certain that it has not shifted. You should know your concerns; for example, looseness of the weapon. If you understand your reasons for fidgeting, you can resolve the problem by changing your gun setup or getting used to the pertinent feeling.

Plan for Complete Concealment

Concealing a firearm requires deliberate effort. Therefore, you should always plan for complete concealment instead of hoping that people will not notice you're printing. Some guns are easy to hide away in IWB or pocket holsters. However, if you have a large carry, you should consider changing your wardrobe for better results. You should also reevaluate your carrying method.

Know the Laws

Finally, you should learn the laws in your region with regard to concealed guns. Most states will require a special CCW license, so you should do your homework and comply with the regulations. If you are found to be illegally carrying, you will be treated as a criminal — ignorance of the law is not a valid defense.

Surreptitious Entry and Exit: Bypassing Security When SHTF

Posted on June 25, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

Surreptitious Exit – Breaking Out
Lessons Learned: Surreptitious Exit
Surreptitious Entry – Breaking In
Lessons Learned: Surreptitious Entry
About the Author

When the proverbial excrement hits the fan, you don’t want to be in its path. To avoid danger in a life-threatening emergency scenario, you may need to be able to break into or out of a restricted location without drawing attention to your actions — in the security world, this is known as surreptitious entry and exit.

Usually, individuals with experience in this this skill set are either criminals or those who have a professional career-driven need for these specialized skills — locksmiths, security analysts, or MacGyver impersonators. Familiarizing yourself with surreptitious entry and exit can get you out of hot water in a hurry, but beware, as these techniques could also get you into that same hot water if used without discretion.

Editor’s Note: These techniques are for emergency purposes only, and should never be used unless you're trying to get to safety in a life-and-death situation. Be sure to research and follow all local and federal laws, and respect private property. Don't do anything stupid or illegal with this information — if you do, we're not responsible.

Surreptitious Exit – Breaking Out

Hypothetical Scenario: Active Shooter in a Hospital

You’re at a hospital the next county over visiting a close friend who just had his first-born son. As far as the layout and points of egress, they are completely foreign to you.

You’re in the cafeteria on the first floor of the hospital, when suddenly a panicked voice comes over the intercom. The voice repeats that an Emergency Code Silver is occurring in the Orange Zone, and that all patients, employees, and guests must shelter in place and lock themselves in the nearest room. Code Silver — you recall that this means a violent individual with a weapon.

On your way into the hospital, you noticed charts on hall doors showing the zone designation for each area, and the code key. But before you have the chance to find out where you are, you hear shots. Worst of all, you just so happened to be unarmed, so there’s no question in your mind that evasion is priority number one.

It seems that the Code Silver had been called in by someone who spotted the gunman before he began shooting. Feeling trapped, and hearing the shots coming closer, you find shelter in a nearby closet. Thankfully, the gunman passes your location and proceeds through the cafeteria, which is located centrally on the first floor.

Not knowing where to go, you proceed into the hallway where the shooter had just committed his acts of violence, and see multiple individuals with fatal GSWs. You also catch a glance of what appears to be a second shooter near the hall that leads to the lobby and parking lot. Knowing that you’ll have to take an alternate way out, it’s time to think quickly.

Surveying the area, you spot a deceased staff member’s RFID badge, designated with name and job title. Knowing you have to exfil quickly and quietly to avoid alerting the shooters, you plan on snatching whichever badge can get you through the highest number of secure doors, thereby creating space between you and the shooters. Then you’ll need to find an alternate egress route.

Lessons Learned: Surreptitious Exit

So, what can we learn from this hypothetical surreptitious exit scenario? Consider the following tips and takeaways.

1. Social Engineering and Physical Security

If possible, find badges of those with the highest clearance privileges. Security, maintenance, and facilities staff members are usually safe bets. Food service workers, receptionists, and office workers are not likely to have access to secure areas.
Biometric readers will deny entry if they're contaminated with blood or grime. Avoid these systems when possible.
Avoid two- or three-factor authentication readers. Even if you are able to use the fingerprint of an unconscious person, biometrics can be skewed by grime and blood. Avoid biometric scanners at all costs, and stick with single-factor doors where you can simply swipe a badge to enter.
If you have no other option, and the badge/ID has the individuals D.O.B, you may get lucky with two-factor card+PIN readers by entering their birth date as the required pin. Also consider trying common PINs such as 1234, or 0000. It’s worth a shot in a pinch.

2. Emergency Pull Stations

Usually red or blue, these can be handy to unlock doors that drop power during an emergency. However, if a facility has its security system set to “fail secure” rather than “fail safe”, the door will stay secure and only allow egress. Also keep in mind that these are often on the secure side of the door, which could require some sort of secondary plan, like getting another individual to activate the station, or reaching through broken glass in the door to drop power.

Pull stations (blue)

Most likely labeled as “emergency exit”, “police” or “security”
Stations don’t always have an audible alarm, but beware if they do. It could give away your position.
If there is an audible alarm, it can likely be masked by wrapping clothes around the pull station, or damaging the small exposed speaker.

Pull stations (red)

Almost always a fire alarm
In situations where silence is key, never initiate red pull stations unless you are ready for panic to ensue, or to risk exposure.
It’s more likely that this option will drop all power to the door and allow both egress and ingress. However, this is not always the case.

Watch the employees – they’re more familiar with the facility than you are.

You may find an exit for employees only, or a safe area to shelter in place.
If you aren’t alone, work together. The employees may know where the CCTV feed is, which could provide valuable information to help you locate the threat and avoid it to get out alive.

Surreptitious Entry – Breaking In

Slyly entering a secure facility isn’t something most ordinary people would ever consider. Unfortunately, it’s something that you may have to think about if you’re faced with a scenario similar to the following one. When there’s nowhere else to go, surreptitious entry into a secure location could save your life.

Use this thought process to better understand the infiltration aspect of making entry unnoticed. And again, these techniques are for emergency purposes only, and should never be used unless you're trying to get to safety in a life-and-death situation. Be sure to research and follow all local and federal laws, and respect private property. Don't do anything stupid or illegal with this information — if you do, we're not responsible.

Hypothetical Situation: Caught in a Tornado

After being summoned home from work to care for your sick spouse, you’re greeted in the parking lot with sheets of pouring rain. The weather had been worsening all afternoon, and you had been watching the downpour from your office window. What you hadn’t noticed was the rash of tornado warning alerts popping up on your cell phone. Luckily, the continuous vibrating prompted you to take a look as you were driving home.

As you continue your 40-minute drive, the emergency alert buzzer blares over your radio, issuing a shelter-in-place order for the county that you just entered. The news only gets worse — it should be hitting you within the next 10 minutes.

Even though you don’t necessarily live in tornado alley, small tornadoes occur yearly in your area. This is enough of a lesson for you to obey the order, especially since you see the sky circling aggressively above. Just as it starts looking like a scene from the movie Twister, you decide to park your car and take shelter at the next sturdy building you see. Unfortunately, the desolate rural farming area has left you with limited options for shelter. All you can find is a small brick building in an unmanned yet heavily-secured electrical substation. It’s much better than your other options of a dilapidated barn or staying in your vehicle on the road.

Recalling that substations are unmanned is a welcome thought, because no human intervention will prevent you from gaining access. However, it’s almost as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Electrical substations are typically heavily-guarded in terms of physical security due to their connection to the national grid. Physical systems inside of electrical substations, if accessed and hacked, could be used as a gateway toward crippling sections of the national grid.

As you pull into the small gravel parking lot, you realize that regardless of the situation at hand, you could still get in hot water with law enforcement for finding your way into a substation. At the same time, your life may be in jeopardy, so it’s time to proceed with caution and be ready to justify your decision if authorities arrive.

You notice the abundance of CCTV cameras around the perimeter of the substation, but rather than worrying about them, you feel relieved. If anyone questions your motives and actions, the cameras will provide evidence to back up your immediate safety concerns about the tornado. Even if you wanted to spare yourself the headaches of getting caught on camera, you don't have any time to spare, so you ignore their presence and focus on the facility's physical security.

Before exiting your vehicle, you take stock of the items you’ll need to make an entry, and figure out your timeline. You only have a few minutes to infiltrate or face the storm, so keeping this simple is the only way to make it out alive.

You grab some screwdrivers, a pocket knife, a small ball peen hammer, a dollar store ratchet set, and a wire coat hanger that your spare shirt was was hanging on. Finding a way to defeat the chain link fence — rather than going over it and looking like you were attacked by piranhas — is quite the challenge. Instead of picking a fight with the concertina wire, you decide you’re going to go right through the fencing.

Your lack of heavy-duty cutting tools won’t be a problem. It’s just as easy (and often more expedient) to circumvent all security measures and disassemble the corner post of the perimeter fence. In most cases, you can use a basic ratchet set to loosen connectors at the corner post on the secure side, and use body weight to pry the fencing and tension band from the post. This will allow just enough room to sneak through. The positive side of this is that you’ve done zero damage to the fencing itself.

On the other side of the fence, things start to look tougher. The door is a heavy, fire-rated steel door with card access. Hoping for a stroke of luck, you try the handle to see if it’s unlocked. No success there. Damn. Fumbling around for your gas rewards card, you next check if swiping any card will bypass the electronic lock set. Again, no luck.

The wind starts to pick up and debris is flying everywhere. If there’s any time to figure this out, it’s now. You figure you have about two or three minutes remaining. You notice the card reader, and realize that there must be a hole in the wall for wire to run to the other side of the block.

Quickly unscrewing the entry reader confirms your assumption. You can see light and another reader on the opposite side, so you punch it out with the butt of the hammer handle. Once the reader is out of the way, you can snake the unraveled coat hanger through and work the handle. After a few attempts, voilà, you’re in! You re-mount the outbound reader to plug the hole, seek shelter, and wait it out. Once the storm passes, you plan to call law enforcement and explain the situation — it'll probably go over better than leaving the scene and forcing them to track you down for breaking and entering.

Lessons Learned: Surreptitious Entry

1. Situational Awareness

Locate Motion Sensors/CCTV Cameras. These are red flags to criminals, but in an emergency, corroborating evidence may be the only thing that keeps you out of a courtroom later.
Take stock of the facility before selecting your tools, and don’t carry more than what you need.
Grab as many useful entry tools as possible before leaving your safe area.
Move quickly, but don't rush too much. Adrenaline can really mess up your fine motor skills, and panicking will skew your thinking. This will only slow you down and put you at risk. Staying calm while managing your time efficiently is the key.
Prioritize. Will entering a structure take longer than continuing on to a different, less secure building?

2. Outside Physical Security

If there are single-factor pin pads to gain access to doors, try simple codes involving sequential numbers and repeat numbers. Codes are usually 4-, 5-, or 6-digit, and are often followed by the “#” key.
Check to make sure that doors are actually locked! It’s surprising how often even the most secure facilities don’t bother to arm perimeter doors.
Think outside the box. Going over a fence, or cutting through it may be the most obvious way to infiltrate, but what about dismantling part of it to go around it? If you can sneak your wrench through the fence and turn the bolt on the secure side, it can take a few minutes, but should guarantee you access.
Card readers always have holes or electrical boxes behind them, no matter how small. Brick walls will always have a hole straight through to either conduit or another reader. This is a secure door’s weakest point to anyone who can’t bypass a lock.
Not exactly surreptitious, but brute force can work! The last thing you want to do is damage someone else’s property, but if it’s a life or death situation don’t hesitate to use some good ol’ elbow grease! Whether you’re kicking, prying, or ramming a door, hitting it just right near the handle can sometimes jar it enough to make entry.

About the Author

Jim Henry is a physical security and surveillance expert who has spent all of his adult life working to keep people out of places they shouldn’t be, and locating individuals who need to be found. Prior to his current employment in the private sector, where he works as a government contractor, Henry was a Surveillance Investigator for The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, PA. He also worked in Erie, PA in a similar role. Before that, Henry was busy building a diverse portfolio of education, studying countersurveillance, critical infrastructure protection, and threat detection. Even though most of his current work remains secret, Henry is very vocal about his love for firearms, writing, EDC gear, hiking with his dog, and spending time with his family.

New: TOPS Sling for Small-Game Hunting

Posted on June 22, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Many of us started shooting firearms at a young age, often an air rifle or 10/22 passed down to us by parents or grandparents. But there may have been another projectile weapon we laid hands on long before this early experience — a slingshot. These simple but powerful tools have become associated with childhood and Dennis the Menace, but they're certainly not just for kids.

Slingshots can be effective for small-game hunting in a survival scenario, and their ability to fire almost any small hard object makes them excellent for long-term situations when ammo might otherwise run out. They're also fun to practice with, whether you're knocking over soda cans in your backyard or plinking in the woods.

TOPS Knives recently announced the release of a new tough metal slingshot, known simply as the TOPS Sling. Leo Espinoza, the president of TOPS Knives said, “Childhood memories. That’s why I designed it. I was just thinking back to when I was a kid and I used to make my own and wanted to do that again.”

The TOPS Sling is made from the same tough 1095 high-carbon steel the company uses for most of its knives, with a tumble finish and black canvas micarta handle scales. The 3.5-inch forks are paired with green elastic rubber bands and a black leather shot pouch. Every TOPS Sling includes a brown leather sheath with a belt loop and retention snap strap.

MSRP for the TOPS Sling is $100. For more information on TOPS knives and gear, go to TOPSknives.com.

What If You’re Trapped by a Major Flood that Threatens to Drown You and Those Around You?

Posted on June 20, 2017 at 7:00 am.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

The Scenario
AVERAGE JOE: Ryan Lee Price's Approach
FEDERAL AGENT: Erik Lund's Approach
SURVIVAL EXPERT: Tim MacWelch's Approach
Conclusion
Meet Our Panel
More From Issue 13

Illustrations by Sarah Watanabe Rocco

I knew I wasn't supposed to text and drive, especially while I was on the clock delivering packages. But I was on the open road and my wife had already texted me five times in the past two minutes. It must be urgent, I thought. I'll just see what she needs. Thank God I looked up from the phone when I did. There hadn't been a lot of cars on the road at that time of day, but there were brake lights and vehicles stopped right in front of me.

I slammed on the brakes hard and nearly struck the SUV in front of me before coming to a screeching halt. Before I could finish the cursing, I looked beyond the SUV and saw the reason it had stopped. There was muddy water rushing over the roadway — lots of it. And as I sat there stunned by this unexpected sight, I watched the top of the guardrail disappear under the murky surge. The water was rising!

For this edition of “What If?” we're asking, what if a massive river flood engulfed your path in a blink of an eye? And to see how this story would play out among different experts, OG asked three different survival writers to tell you their tale.

In this installment, we have Erik Lund, a federal law enforcement agent with a bevy of tactical and survival experience. We also have Ryan Lee Price, a freelance journalist and outdoors enthusiast who has contributed to the SHTF column in our sister publication, RECOIL. Finally, I'll be telling you a story too. I have been a professional survival instructor for the past 20 years, and have written multiple best-selling books on survival.

This is what it would be like to be a modern-day Noah, minus the bombproof ark full of delicious animals.

The Scenario

SITUATION TYPE
Flood

YOUR CREW
Just you

LOCATION
St. Louis, Missouri

SEASON
Spring (mid April)

WEATHER
Raining, 68 degrees F

The Setup: You're a delivery driver for an international courier service (think UPS) in your early 30s. Little do you know that the warm temperatures and excessive rain of the past two weeks have melted this past winter's snow pack faster than expected, elevating the Missouri River. While driving on a highway along your usual route, you come around a bend to find a low-lying part of the road blanketed by floodwater — and it's rising fast.

The Complication: The rush of floodwater causes other drivers to freeze out of panic. You know you can't drive through the water; you don't want to stall your engine or, worse yet, have the water sweep your van away and kill you. And you're certainly not going to sit there like the others and hope the water stops before it gets to you. But there are cars behind you and you can't exactly reverse your way to freedom. Do you bust a U-turn? Stay in your van and search for supplies or tools to help you? Or do you bail on your van and go on foot … even though there are no tall buildings in sight? Just as you decide to make your move, you realize the SUV stopped in front of you contains a young mother and three kids of grade-school age. You certainly can't leave them to stall out or drown. What do you do?

AVERAGE JOE: Ryan Lee Price's Approach

Rain is just rain, right? I always brought my poncho when the weather turned sour, and I kept some all-purpose boots in a bag behind my seat along with some other stuff — some bottled water and a few granola bars. But I wasn't thinking of ponchos or granola bars or the rain or anything else — except my next stop — that is, until I came around the bend to see that New Halls Ferry Road where it meets Douglas Road seemed to disappear under a torrent of rushing water. It was like someone opened the floodgates.

I slammed on the brakes and nearly rear-ended a cream-colored SUV already hood-deep in the river and getting immersed in the rising tide. Two cars ahead of the SUV were swamped in the middle of the flood. Inside, shadows moved in a panic.

I threw the truck into reverse only to hear the muffled screech of slick tires on wet roads and the sickening sound of metal crunching metal behind me. It looked like I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Brown eddies of water swirled and stormed across the road, and carried upon the rapids were tree branches, debris, and trash along with it. The water surged closer, and one of the cars in the middle of the flood gently lifted up and slid across the road, slowly rolling onto its roof and under the mucky water. The other swamped car began to move too. The water was only a few inches below the windowsills, when a man in a business suit clamored out of the window and attempted to make his way onto the roof. It happened so fast. His foot slipped, plunging the lower part of his body into the water; his arms clawed at the roof of his car, and only for a small second, the struggling grimace of terror twisted across his face.

Then he was just gone. No bubbles. No yelling for help. No sign of him at all.

Screams came from the SUV, and the water wasn't stopping. It was well past time to leave, but I couldn't. These trucks are 24-feet long and made to drive in straight lines; they don't exactly turn on a dime. I'd have to do a 30-point U-turn to get this rig pointed the other way on this small road. Plus, the three-car pileup presented quite an obstacle I couldn't just plow through — not with a fully loaded truck and a 215hp engine. I was stuck and could only hope the river crests before it reaches me. The SUV wasn't so lucky.

The window of the SUV rolled down and a woman's head jutted out into the rain. She was waving her arms wildly and yelling to be heard over the rushing water and rain. I threw on my poncho, slid open the door, and stepped into the shin-deep water, sloshing the 20 steps to her window. She was frantic, lost, hysterical, saying said she was on her way to Bridgeton and took the wrong road and didn't know where she was. The SUV's engine was flooded and wouldn't start. There were three kids with her, none looked older than 5.

She asked me if I saw the guy get swept away. Of course I did! And we're next, I thought. “What do we do?” she pleaded, looking to me. Her kids were perched on their seats, either panicked or crying.

“You've got to get out of there,” I said without thinking. “Come with me. Leave everything.”

She handed me a Hello Kitty umbrella like she wanted me to open it for her kids. I threw it into the water. Useless. The kids piled out through the windows, and between the two of us, we carried them back to my truck. They were safe in the back, but it wouldn't do us any good if we couldn't get away from the rising flood. I kept a couple of packing blankets for fragile cargo, and they wrapped themselves in them. Behind my truck, one car had already turned around and left, while the people from the other two were pushing one of the wrecked cars from the road. I joined them in the rain.

The front end of the red car was completely caved in, and the force of the collision had spun the silver car sideways across the road. Its engine belched steam through the downpour. It wasn't going anywhere under its own power and was difficult to push into the grassy shoulder that was nearly underwater.

“This water is still rising,” I shouted to the other two drivers over the din of the rain. “Once these cars are out of the way, we can take my truck!”

The second car was easier to move. The water level near the truck was up to my thighs, and, out into the middle of the swelling river, only the rear of the SUV could be seen poking up from the torrid waters. It was difficult to walk in the rushing river without holding on to something, but the three of us joined the woman and her kids in the back of the truck.

The water had reached the top of my hood, but I knew these Cummins diesels could take a beating. I turned the key and … nothing. Click and nothing. It wouldn't start. My heart sank. I tried a third time, and the engine roared to life. As water poured in and around my feet, I stabbed the gas pedal, and we lurched rearward and out of the surging flood. All was saved with only moments to spare.

Just as the woman and I shared a small smile thanks to our good fortune, a grumbling thunder filled our ears. The woman's eyes grew wide as I looked at her. She screamed and pointed just as a wall of water slammed into the left side of the truck. Everything jolted sideways. Boxes, paper, and people were flung around the cargo area, and everything began to spill out a gaping tear in the thin sheetmetal side of the truck. Gurgling screams and the crashing of debris drowned out all sounds. Freezing water surrounded me, and darkness filled my eyes.

I was swept from the truck, as if yanked through the sliding door by the hand of God and pitched into the thrashing waters. The lumbering truck tumbled under the whitecaps, hemorrhaging cardboard boxes, and parcels, while I was tossed farther downstream, alone. The two men. The three kids. The woman. All gone.

I was roughly carried down the swelling torrent like a pinball, but I was able to have enough wherewithal to put my feet forward in the classic white-water rapids position. The water, as it swelled over the undulating landscape, dragged me under and spun me around time and again. I bounced off of debris in the flood, boxes full of who knows what, and was caught up on fences and trees, but always torn free.

If I had time, I could make a life preserver from my pants, but instead I clamored for anything that would float. Of the boxes tumbling through the flood with me, I was able to tuck one under each arm to keep me upright.

Water filled my lungs, and I coughed and sputtered. Light, dark, air, water … Dead ahead was a small house or a barn. It was taking the brunt of the flood, but most of it was still standing. My truck had already careened off its side and spun around behind it, and I was approaching quickly.

A small stand of trees loomed large in front of me, part of a small spit of high ground. I reached for them, kicking my feet in the rapids to edge closer. I strained my arm, my fingernails digging into the bark. The water thundered past me as I shimmied up the drenched embankment. I took off my belt and tied myself to the tree. How long could I hold on here, and what had happened to everyone else? Was this the end?

FEDERAL AGENT: Erik Lund's Approach

The rear tires locked up at the same time I felt the seatbelt tighten across my chest. My truck was rapidly bleeding off speed, but it was going to be close. The SUV in front of me had come to a complete stop. I got on the brakes quick enough, but would there be enough real estate between us to prevent a collision? The truck shuddered and skidded, audibly protesting the demands I had put on the brakes. Packages broke free from their shelves and started flying into the cab. I felt something smash into my calf, but I didn't notice any pain.

As fast as it had started, the shuddering subsided as the truck came to a stop. I looked at the SUV just a few feet in front of me and noticed three wide-eyed children looking at me. I smiled at them and gave them a thumbs-up. The youngest one smiled at my gesture and hid her face in the seat. Looking up from the SUV, the smile on my face quickly disappeared. The reason for the sudden stop became readily apparent. Mother Nature had decided this part of the highway would make an excellent location for a new river and she wasn't wasting any time filling it up.

At the current rate of flooding, the rising waters would be to my truck in minutes. My gaze was broken when I noticed the woman from the SUV in front of me get out and look around. I got down out of my truck and walked to her. She was looking at the growing river as I walked up to her, “When do you think it'll stop?” she said. I looked her directly in her eyes and said, “It's not! And if we don't leave right now, we are going to get swept away!”

A look of disbelief came across her face as a pickup truck blasted by us barreling toward the flooding river. The truck slowed slightly as it entered the rushing water. Just as it looked like the truck was about to make it across, the rear of the truck suddenly swung around with the current. The river was flowing too fast and as soon as the truck tires lost traction, it was over. Circling out of control, the rushing water soon flipped the truck with the driver still inside. I watched, hoping to see a head pop to the surface, but it never did.

I looked back to the woman and grabbed her arm asking her name. She responded. “Look, Christy. We have to get out of here right now. This entire area is a flood plain and will be underwater very soon. Get in your car and follow my truck across the median.”

Christy seemed to now comprehend the gravity of the situation and nodded her head in agreement. As I turned to get back into my truck, Christy said, “Oh my God, your leg is bleeding!” I looked down at my calf and sure enough, there was a long gash across it and blood was running down my leg. I guess that package hit me harder than I thought. “Don't worry about me,” I said, heading back to my truck. “Get in your car and follow me across.”

A quick look at the gash confirmed that it would need a few stitches, but that would have to wait. I needed to get the bleeding stopped quickly for now. I grabbed my sling bag and pulled out my travel medical kit. I opened a package of gauze and wiped away the blood. Keeping pressure on the wound, I grabbed a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and poured it down into the wound. It would kill anything in the wound, including some of the good skin. It wasn't an ideal solution, but it was a quick clean.

I wiped away the foaming blood and fluids and grabbed a small tube of superglue from the kit. I liberally coated both sides of the wound and squeezed them together. After maintaining pressure for a few seconds, the wound was closed. I was careful to leave just a corner of the wound unsealed to allow the wound to seep fluid. I repacked my kit back into my sling bag and looked up. Christy was ready to go, but it was already too late.

The flowing river had already started to flow up the grass median separating the highway. I would never get the truck across without getting stuck. I only had one option left.

Climbing out of the truck, I threw on my sling bag while running up to Christy's car. I opened her door and said, “Grab whatever you need and get the children. We have to run.” I helped the children out of the car and picked up the youngest one. Christy screamed, “Where do we go?” I pointed to an 18-wheel tractor trailer, “Run to the truck!” The quick 50-yard run to the truck seemed to take forever. Getting to the cab, the truck driver climbed down from the cab and said, “Get in.”

In between my heavy breaths I asked him how much weight he was hauling. He responded that he was fully loaded, 78,000 pounds. Perfect! The weight of the truck will help keep it from drifting away in the current, I thought. I told the driver that we needed to get onto the top of the trailer. It sits up higher than the cab of the truck and it'll be easier to spot us when the rescuers arrive. He agreed and started climbing onto the top of the trailer.

Climbing up onto the trailer, all eyes seemed to be on me. Everyone was safely on top of the trailer and I finally had a moment to mentally catch my breath. I looked toward the river to survey the scene and froze in astonishment. The flooding had already reached Christy's SUV and its roof was barely visible. Water was flowing into the open side of my truck, flooding the storage area. Christy walked up and touched my arm, breaking my gaze on the horizon. “Thank you,” she said. I smiled back sheepishly and walked over to the truck driver who introduced himself as Karl.

I asked Karl if he had any blankets in the truck as it would be dark soon and it was sure to get colder. Karl agreed and I helped him retrieve them from the cab of the truck. When we got back onto the trailer with the blankets, Christy told us she had called 911 and that the locals were aware of the flooding and were sending help. All of us settled down and watched the sun slowly set, while the river continued to rise and sweep away everything in its path.

Shortly after darkness had fallen, the emergency lights from the first responders could be seen off in the distance, but they weren't getting any closer. I peered over the edge of the truck. The flooding was up over the tires of the tractor trailer. There's only one way they can reach us now, I thought. I grabbed my sling bag and pulled out two glow-in-the-dark chem-sticks. I gave one each to Christy and Karl: “Tie the string to the sticks and when I tell you, activate the lights and swing them in circles over your heads.” I pulled out my EDC flashlight and started scanning the dark sky.

About 30 minutes later, I heard the muffled sound I was expecting. “OK, activate the lights and start swinging them,” I told Christy and Karl. I turned and located the navigation lights of the helicopter. I pointed my flashlight in its direction and activated the strobe function. Instantly the helicopter turned directly toward us. As it got close, the powerful searchlight activated and illuminated our entire area. I turned back to Christy and Karl with a smile and said, “They've got us now.” Looking down at Christy's children I asked, “Who wants to go for a ride in a helicopter?” All three hands shot into the air instantly accompanied by big smiles. Yep, me too.

SURVIVAL EXPERT: Tim MacWelch's Approach

My first thought was the same as everyone's first thought when faced with a crisis. How do “I” get out of this? I wasn't thinking about the other drivers around me, or any passengers they may have. My first thought was selfish, and just about me. It was human nature I suppose, but as I looked around I wasn't proud of my knee-jerk response. There were lots of people around me, stopped and stuck in their vehicles too.

I thought of making a U-turn and driving down the side of the road, but I had nowhere to maneuver my big delivery van. I looked out my window and saw that the water had reached my tires. I tried calling 911 many times, but the call wouldn't go through. I set the phone on my dash and looked out my windows to see if there was anything I could spot that would help me. That's when I saw the little girl looking at me through the rear window of the SUV in front of me. I could see her shaking. As I thought I have to do something, I felt a sudden cold wet feeling on my feet. The water was coming inside my van.

I had reached the point where I had to do something. But I wasn't the only one. I noticed that the driver of a pickup truck to my left was growing very agitated. He was clearly angry, pounding his fists on the steering wheel and moving his mouth as if shouting. I couldn't hear his words over the sound of the water or through the glass, but clearly he had reached his breaking point. He pulled out of the fast lane to cut in front of the last vehicle before the moving water. He then pulled forward into the water. The idiot was trying to drive through it!

He made it a few car lengths out into the muddy torrent, but when the water was halfway up his doors — the truck's bed lurched sideways and then the rest of the vehicle followed it downstream. As it slid off the roadway, the driver tried to emerge from the window. But with the window open, the water rushed in and the truck sank completely. In a matter of seconds, the vehicle and its brash driver were simply gone. Wherever he was trying to go in such a hurry, it cost him his life.

Then I heard a sound from outside, over the water's roar. It was a high-pitched sound in front of me. I realized it was the children screaming.

I couldn't leave that family to the same fate as the impatient driver, and time was not on my side. I opened the van door and stood up to survey the scene behind me. Numerous tractor trailers were stopped on the road behind us. There was no way they could turn around. The cars and trucks that tried to turn around in the rain-soaked median were hopelessly mired in the muddy riverine soil. I could also see that there was no higher ground or climbable trees nearby, and the flood waters were quickly filling the several square miles around us.

In the distance behind me, I saw a tractor trailer with a flatbed. I decided that would be my high ground. The water was still rising, so it was past time to move. I took off my webbing belt, one of my everyday-carry items and tied a slip knot in each end. Then I trudged through the knee-deep water to the family in front of me. As I reached the driver, I could tell that she and her kids were at their wits' end. At first, she didn't roll down the window, she just looked at me. Through the glass I called, “I'm here to help you!” This finally spurred her into action.

She rolled down her window and asked what I was going to do, as if still suspicious of my intent. I told her that I would take her and the kids to higher ground. With that, she was out of the car. I told her that I would carry the smallest child, a terrified little girl with braids in her hair. And that the other two kids would be tethered with my belt and we'd both hold onto that. I asked the older boy and girl to give me their hands and I secured the belt tightly around their wrists. Then I hoisted the little girl onto my back and we began to trudge through the water. The mother and I both held tightly to the center of the belt, and each kid clung to the ends of the belt. The little one held me as tightly as she could, nearly choking me until I asked her to move her arms down a bit.

The water was at my knees and the children's waists. As it flowed past us, I felt small things hitting me. No doubt, they were bits of debris, sticks, and other junk stirred up by the water. After a few minutes, we had reached the tractor trailer I had seen, a flatbed covered in lumber. I had to smile a little. It was brand-new, soaking-wet, pressure-treated wood — some of the heaviest lumber on the market. We might as well be climbing up onto a boulder. I helped the mom and kids onto the stack, and some nearby drivers who caught on quick to this idea.

Once all the nearby flood refugees were atop the lumber pile, I finally felt my breathing return to normal. This load of lumber wasn't going anywhere, unless the water got really high. I put that nasty thought out of my head and helped another man to climb up onto the top of the lumber stack. It was the truck driver, the steward of our improvised high ground. His unlikely passengers and I thanked him profusely for not kicking us off his load. He graciously accepted our thanks and told us that he had done another good deed.

Before leaving the cab of his truck, he had reached the state police on the CB. He had informed them of the situation and given them an idea of the large number of people in harm's way. They said that help would be on its way very soon. I didn't know what kind of help they could give to evacuate scores of people on short notice, but it was the best news I had heard all day. The minutes ticked by and the water rose further, lifting cars and even my delivery van, then sweeping them into the current.

I began to look at my watch and wonder when this would end. As the bed of the trailer was finally covered by water, I heard a pulsing sound in the distance. It was a helicopter, and there were several specks in the sky behind it, more helicopters! I knew they couldn't see us, they were too far away, but instinct took over. I began to wave my hands, and so did most of my new friends.

Conclusion

Virtually every ancient culture told stories of world-ending floods. They scribed these frightening tales into clay tablets and chiseled them into stone. This was clearly a global fear to our ancestors, and flooding remains a global threat today. Fast-moving water that is only a few inches deep can knock a person off their feet and drag them to their death in deeper water. And a wall of deeper water can knock down homes and leave heavy vehicles bobbing like corks on a wave.

While we need water to live, it can ironically be the death of us as well. Whether you live in a flood-prone area, or not, it's vital to know that you should never try to drive through a waterlogged road or walk through flowing floodwaters. And if the authorities make emergency announcements about flooding in your area, you'd damn well better listen.

How would you react to the same scenario as played out by our panel?
Share your plan with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/OFFGRIDmag.

Meet Our Panel

Tim MacWelch

Tim MacWelch has been a survival instructor for more than 20 years, training people from all walks of life, including members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the State Department, DOD, and DOJ personnel. He’s a frequent public speaker for preparedness groups and events. He’s also the author of three New York Times-bestselling survival books, and the new Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual. When he’s not teaching survival or writing about it, MacWelch lives a self-reliant lifestyle with his family in Virginia. Check out his wide range of hands-on training courses that are open to the public at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com.

Erik Lund

Erik Lund has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience - with much of that time spent as an instructor of frearms, defensive tactics, and use of force. He served as a Virginia State Trooper before accepting a position as a federal agent. Lund is also a senior instructor at Mike Seeklander’s Shooting-Performance LLC, a tactical training company. As a champion competitive shooter, he’s earned several regional, state, and national three-gun titles and is ranked as a grandmaster by the United States Practical Shooting Association.

Ryan Lee Price

Ryan Lee Price is a freelance journalist who specializes in outdoor adventuring, emergency preparedness, and the automotive industry. He has contributed to the “SHTF” survival column for our sister publication RECOIL Magazine and is a longtime hiking and camping enthusiast. He currently resides in Corona, California, with his wife Kara and their two children.

More From Issue 13

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today.

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 14

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 12

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

New: Brothers & Arms T-Shirts

Posted on June 20, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

We're all for wearing plain “gray man” apparel when it's necessary to fly under the radar, but that doesn't mean you need to dress like a movie extra 24/7/365. There are times where it's nice to express yourself through your clothing, and a graphic T-shirt can do just that. When you can support a veteran-owned and -operated business at the same time, that's just icing on the cake.

We recently heard about Brothers & Arms, a firearm-oriented apparel company based in the unlikely locale of Riverside, California. Despite hailing from a state notorious for its draconian gun laws, the crew at B&A made a point to create a clothing line for “military, law enforcement, fire, EMS, and patriot gun enthusiasts with a strong belief in the 2nd Amendment”. The company also says its designs are intended to make a statement — “We create clothing items that evoke emotion and generate conversation, sometimes strong ones.”

Brothers & Arms has recently expanded its apparel line, which now includes more than 50 shirt designs, as well as hoodies, hats, and bandannas. Quite a few ladies' shirts are available as well. In addition to clothing, the company offers some firearm parts and accessories — AR handguards, single-point slings, and their latest product, B&A True Blue gun lube.

To see more of the latest apparel designs from Brothers & Arms, go to brothersandarmsUSA.com or follow the company on Instagram at @brothersandarms.

Polymer-Bodied Flashlights

Posted on June 19, 2017 at 5:24 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Polymer-Bodied Flashlights
More From Issue 13

Photos by Michael Grey

Much like leather seats in a luxury car, flashlights with metal bodies are durable and feel nice to the touch. Some can even be called elegant. As nice as they may be, however, they can act as conduits for heat and cold. Ever grabbed a steel flashlight that's been sitting in the sun? It's the same searing sensation as when your legs touch sunbaked leather seats, isn't it?

No matter if you have one as part of everyday carry or pack one away with your emergency gear, a high-quality polymer-bodied flashlight gives you the confidence to tackle any low- or no-light situation with confidence.

Polymer is less thermally conductive than metal, which makes them easier to handle in extreme temperatures. They also don't conduct electricity, making them safer to work with around live currents. Flashlights with plastic bodies are less susceptible to dents and noticeable scratching than their metal counterparts as well. More capable of absorbing shock than metal versions, polymer flashlights also tend to be lighter in weight and can be “grippier” in wet situations. They may not be as sexy as their aluminum- or steel-encased brethren, but the next time you consider your next workhorse flashlight, it's worth taking a look at the polymer variety.

To get you started, let's take a look at seven flashlights that won't sear off your fingerprints.

Polymer-Bodied Flashlights

5.11 Tactical TPT R5 14 Flashlight

Make & Model - 5.11 Tactical TPT R5 14 Flashlight
Max. Lumen Output - 301
Max. Runtime - 86 hrs. (low mode)
Overall Length - 9.1 in.
Weight with Batteries - 10.4 oz.
Battery Type - NiMH Rechargeable (included)/6 AAA (not included)
Controls - Constant-on/momentary side button switch
MSRP - $120
URL - http://www.511tactical.com
5.11's TPT R5 14 is a rechargeable duty light whose body is built from rugged PC/ABS polymer composite, and it features a squared-head design to prevent rolling and an intelligent smart switch can toggle between three light modes.
Coast Polysteel 400

Make & Model - Coast Polysteel 400
Max. Lumen Output - 300
Max. Runtime - 15 hrs. (low mode)
Overall Length - 5.75 in.
Weight with Batteries - 6.4 oz.
Battery Type - AAA (4, included)
Controls - Constant on/momentary tail-cap push button
MSRP - $42
URL - http://www.coastportland.com
Featuring a stainless steel core and a polymer outer body, the Polysteel 400 Flashlight is waterproof, drop proof, and crush proof, which makes it one durable flashlight.
First-Light TORQ

Make & Model - First-Light TORQ
Max. Lumen Output - 155
Max. Runtime - 10 hrs. (low mode)
Overall Length - 3.9 in.
Weight with Batteries - 4.4 oz.
Battery Type - AA (2, included)
Controls - Three button constant on and mode select top switch panel
MSRP - $100
URL - http://www.firstlight-usa.com
The First-Light TORQ is held upright as you would with a pistol, and has three different rubberized activation switches that are operated by the thumb.
Nightstick TAC-300B

Make & Model - Nightstick TAC-300B
Max. Lumen Output - 180
Max. Runtime - 3 hrs.
Overall Length - 5.5 in.
Weight with Batteries - 4.4 oz.
Battery Type - CR123A (2, included)
Controls - Constant on/momentary tail-cap push-button switch
MSRP - $34
URL - http://www.baycoproducts.com
The Nightstick TAC-300B features a CREE LED that is rated at 180 lumens, and it has a high-efficiency deep parabolic reflector giving the TAC-300B has an effective range of 190 meters (that's over 620 feet).
Pelican PM6 3320

Make & Model - Pelican PM6 3320
Max. Lumen Output - 81
Max. Runtime - 1.5 hrs.
Overall Length - 5.27 in.
Weight with Batteries - 3.45 oz.
Battery Type - CR123A (2, included)
Controls - Constant on/momentary tail-cap push-button switch
MSRP - $46
URL - http://www.pelican.com
The Pelican PM6 3320's body is made of Xenoy, a lightweight, corrosion-proof, and extremely strong polymer; couple the durable body with a Xenon lamp and what you get is a long-life, hard-use flashlight.
Streamlight PolyTac

Make & Model - Streamlight PolyTac
Max. Lumen Output - 275
Max. Runtime - 65 hrs. (low mode)
Overall Length - 5.34 in.
Weight with Batteries - 4.2 oz.
Battery Type - CR123A (2, included)
Controls - Constant on/momentary tail-cap push-button switch
MSRP - $70
URL - http://www.streamlight.com
Designed as an all-purpose flashlight, the versatile Streamlight PolyTac features a high-impact, super-tough nylon-polymer body that boasts an aggressive grip texture that is comfortable and slip resistant.
SureFire G2X LE

Make & Model - SureFire G2X LE
Max. Lumen Output - 400
Max. Runtime - 45 hrs. (low mode)
Overall Length - 5.2 in.
Weight with Batteries - 4.4 oz.
Battery Type - CR123A (2, included)
Controls - Constant on/momentary tail-cap push-button switch
MSRP - $80
URL - http://www.surefire.com
The SureFire G2X LE features a lightweight, durable Nitrolon polymer body that is designed to maximize grip, even in slippery situations, and it even has a hard-anodized aluminum head for durability.

More From Issue 13

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today.

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 14

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 12

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

Biggest Outbreaks in U.S. History

Posted on June 19, 2017 at 4:52 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

SOURCE
More From Issue 12

Historically, the United States has seen its share of epidemics. There are others, however, that continue to be a thorn in the side of our population in spite of having some of the best doctors and technology on the planet.

A total of 9,421 tuberculosis cases were reported in 2014. Norovirus, Salmonella, and Listeria cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations each year, many of which can be avoided through proper food preparation. The CDC estimates that from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. One of the most prevalent? Approximately 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year. Since the first cases were reported in the early '80s, over 25 million have died worldwide.

Here, we've compiled some of the biggest that have wreaked havoc on U.S. soil over the last 200-plus years.

Boston Smallpox Epidemic
1721
5,889 INFECTIONS
844 DEATHS

Yellow Fever Epidemic
1793
N/A
5,000 DEATHS

Second Cholera Pandemic
1830- 1851
N/A
150,000 DEATHS

H1N1 Influenza
1918-1919
N/A
675,000 DEATHS

Polio Epidemic
1952
58,000 INFECTED (21,269 LEFT WITH MILD TO DISABLING PARALYSIS)
3,145 DEATHS

Asian Flu Pandemic
1957
N/A
70,000 DEATHS

AIDS
1981- PRESENT
N/A
658,000 DEATHS

Cryptosporidium Outbreak in Milwaukee
1993
403,000 INFECTIONS
100 DEATHS

Pertussis “Whooping Cough”
2010
9,477 INFECTIONS
10 DEATHS

Enterovirus
2014
1,153 INFECTED
14 DEATHS

SOURCE

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention > www.cdc.gov

Note: Amounts are approximations.

More From Issue 12

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today.

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 13

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 11

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

Short Film: Building a Log Cabin in the Latvian Countryside

Posted on June 19, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Some might say that craftsmanship is a lost art, all but extinct in this age of imported plastic products churned out by the lowest bidder. But it's still around if you know where to look. Some craftsmen work exclusively with their hands, others make use of modern technology to realize their visions. Either way, the end result is a precision product that's well-worn by human hands, inspected by human eyes, and finished with obsessive attention to detail.

We previously featured a short film from The Northmen Guild which showed woodworker Richard Vidzickis building a traditional dugout canoe. That project was artfully recorded and edited by Jacob Dimiter, a hobbyist filmmaker who is also a master woodworker. Jacob lives with his wife and two daughters in the small Baltic state of Latvia, and he built a log cabin for his family using trees he felled in the forest nearby.

In the following 25-minute video, Jacob documents the entire process of constructing his new home. With help from a handful of his friends, he cuts down trees, lays out a stone and masonry foundation, constructs the timber frame, applies a white oak shingle roof, and builds a central brick oven to heat his new home. The process is truly awe-inspiring to watch.

For more details on the construction materials and design, read Jacob's video description. The house's exterior measures 6.5 x 13 meters, or about 21 x 43 feet. Total living space is 120 square meters or 1292 square feet. Jacob says once the large oven is heated thoroughly, it will maintain warmth within the house for 2 to 3 days, even in the dead of winter. Jacob says it took one winter and three summers to build the cabin.

If you'd like to see more about the house and its current state, check out the following video interview from Karaliste (Kingdom), a local Latvian TV program.

Review: PELTOR Sport Tactical 500 Headset

Posted on June 18, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

PELTOR Technology
Testing & Initial Impressions
Conclusions

Much like insurance payments and dental check-ups, hearing protection often feels like a necessary evil. Every time we go to the range, we don our ear pro — not because we want to, but because we know we have to. The alternative is painful ringing in the ears and permanent hearing loss. So, many shooters still complacently shove foamies into their ears because they're cheap, disposable, and good enough.

It's 2017. We've progressed beyond cramming foam in our ears.

It's 2017. Let's face it, these are no longer the peak of ear protection technology.

However, hearing protection has come a long way in recent years. Electronics have made it possible to protect your ears from damage, but simultaneously retain your ability to hear conversations normally. Better still, this technology is no longer cost-prohibitive for ordinary consumers. For the price of a few trips to the range, you can pick up an entry-level set of modern electronic ear protectors.

PELTOR, a division of 3M, recently introduced two new models to its Sport Tactical hearing protection lineup. The basic Sport Tactical 100 has been out for a few years, so the new 300 and 500 models have added a mid-range and a high-end option to the company's consumer-oriented line. After seeing these headsets at SHOT Show in January, we were looking forward to testing them out, and that opportunity has finally arrived. PELTOR was kind enough to send us a set of the flagship Sport Tactical 500 ear muffs to try out.

PELTOR Technology

We won't address the full tech specs of the PELTOR Sport Tactical line here, but you can check our previous article for those details. Suffice to say that they're quite high-tech, with 3M SMART gunshot noise recognition tech, adaptive Dynamic Suppression Time that adjusts to your firearm and environment, and Clear Voice Tracking that actively allows the sound of speech through the filter.

The headset even has Bluetooth, so you can wirelessly make and receive calls, hear alerts, or listen to music while you're at the range. Bluetooth is exclusive to the Sport Tactical 500 model, but both this headset and the mid-range 300 model include a 3.5mm port for wired device connectivity.

This headset uses two AA batteries, or an optional 3M Alpha 1100 lithium-ion pack ($30) that can be recharged through the headset's micro USB port. With either option, the headset will give audible “low battery” warnings as the batteries begin to run out. The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is 26 dB, a slightly superior rating to most of its electronic competitors. MSRP for this model is $200, but you can purchase it online for about $150, or find the comparable 300 model minus the Bluetooth for about $110.

Testing & Initial Impressions

We tested the Sport Tactical 500 both outdoor and at our local indoor range, since the confined space creates a more challenging environment for hearing protection. Even while firing an AR-15 and a 12-gauge shotgun indoors, the headset's 26 dB NRR dampened noise to what we felt was a comfortable level. Admittedly, due to many years of shooting, driving loud cars, and attending rock concerts, our hearing isn't flawless, so your mileage may vary. But for more sensitive ears, doubling up with a pair of foam ear plugs could be a good option to reduce noise further.

As for the adaptive technology, we were thoroughly impressed. It was possible to hold a normal conversation without shouting, and to easily understand spoken replies. It's almost eerie how well it works, since you hear yourself so clearly that you assume the first trigger pull will produce a deafening blast through the speakers. But the PELTOR system detects the gunshot in an instant and reduces its sound to a comfortable thud. The dual microphones on the front of the muffs are also recessed and protected by foam to reduce wind noise.

The volume is easy to adjust via buttons on the right ear muff, and the system even announces messages such as “power on” and “Bluetooth connected” into your ear. Speaking of Bluetooth, it worked smoothly and paired easily with our phones. We were able to play tunes wirelessly through the headset while shooting — and we could still hear ourselves speak between shots. Let's see your foamies do that.

The speakers' sound quality is more than sufficient for speech, but you do get a noticeable amount of white noise in the background of music unless you turn the headset's pass-through volume down. Plugging your device into the headset with the included 3.5mm audio cord improves sound quality a little, but it still isn't designed primarily as a music listening device, so don't expect studio-grade performance from its speakers. However, we do appreciate the ability to play and pause music, answer calls, and reject calls by pressing or holding the Bluetooth button on the right muff.

The downside to the Bluetooth connectivity is that it's easy to forget to silence your phone and become distracted by the unexpected ding of a text message during a drill. That's not a fault with the PELTOR headset by any means, but it's still something to keep in mind. If you need to focus, either turn off the Bluetooth when you start to shoot, or remember to silence your phone.

After more than two and a half hours of shooting, the headset still felt comfortable, but produced some slight pressure across the top of the head. With the ear cups extended to their maximum reach, the headset fit this 6'5″ author's large head just right, but wearing it comfortably with a hat on would be difficult. So if you have an extra-extra-large head, you may want to try a pair before you buy them. It would've been nice to see an adjustable-length or flexible headband rather than only adjustable ear cups, but the existing range should be sufficient for most users.

Shooting long guns is made easier by the cut-outs at the bases of the ear cups, but the headset is still noticeable when you lean in for a cheek weld on the stock (unavoidable with over-the-ear protection). At the end of the range day, the headset folds and compresses down to a roughly 5.5″ x 5″ x 4″ package, and can be stored in the included drawstring microfiber bag.

Conclusions

The PELTOR Sport Tactical 500 provides excellent ear protection and an impressive list of features for the $200 MSRP (or about $150 on Amazon). While we felt that comfort and adjustability still have a little room for improvement, and it would've been nice to see a standard lithium-ion battery instead of an optional upgrade, the rest of the headset is outstanding. In fact, it makes wearing ear protection at the range feel like less of a chore, and that's a real accomplishment.

Pros:

Extremely sensitive and adaptable noise filter keeps gunshots quiet and conversations audible
Substantial 26 dB Noise Reduction Rating
Useful Bluetooth compatibility with wireless play/pause/accept/reject controls, and 3.5mm wired option
Recessed microphones reduce ambient noise and wind noise
Packs down for easy transport and storage

Cons:

Limited ear cup adjustment range; no headband adjustability
Headband design distributes weight across a small area, and may lead to mild discomfort during extended wear. We may try adding a padded headband sleeve to alleviate this.
Music sound quality is unimpressive compared to ordinary headphones
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery costs an additional $30

New: Air Lift 7500 XL Air Springs for GM HD Trucks

Posted on June 14, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

If you've got a bug-out truck and a plan to leave home during an emergency, it's essential to consider the reliability and safety of your vehicle. The last thing you want to deal with is a flat tire or an overheated engine slowing you down when SHTF. Beyond obvious maintenance, you should also consider improving your truck's safety features. Aftermarket LED lights can help you see further ahead on dark roads, push bars can help you clear obstacles in your path, and a winch can pull you out of a ditch if you get stuck off-road.

But there's another element that many of us forget to consider: weight. All these upgrades add pounds to your vehicle, and you'll probably be throwing even more heavy gear in back during a bug-out scenario — guns, ammo, jugs of water, boxes of food, clothes, extra fuel, and so on. It's easier than you might think to overload your truck's factory suspension, creating an unstable nose-high condition. Add a trailer, and the situation just gets worse.

Air Lift loadlifter XL truck suspension air bag vehicle 2

If your bug-out truck looks like this, you've got bigger problems than sagging suspension, but you get the idea.

A common solution to the issue of sagging rear suspension is an adjustable air spring system, sometimes known as air bags or helper bags. These inflatable air springs are installed atop a truck's rear axle, and air pressure can be adjusted remotely to compensate for a heavy load and even out ride height. This makes your truck more stable, prevents bottoming-out, and improves braking and steering control.

Air Lift recently announced a new heavy-duty air spring kit for 2000-2010 GM 2500HD and 3500 trucks. It's known as the LoadLifter 7500 XL, and as the name implies, it can provide up to 7,500 pounds of load-leveling capacity. If your bug-out kit includes more than 7,500 pounds of gear… well, you may want to look into a slightly larger vehicle.

Air Lift loadlifter XL truck suspension air bag vehicle 3

The new LoadLifter 7500 XL is now available for GM, Ford, and Dodge HD trucks.

Air Lift's LoadLifter 7500 XL is adjustable from 5 to 100 psi of pressure, and installation can be completed in two hours with no drilling required. You'll need a separate air compressor for any air suspension system, but that can come in handy for other reasons — refilling a low tire, blowing dust off gear, or blasting a train horn to signal for help.

For more information on the Air Lift 7500 XL series, go to AirLiftCompany.com.