10 Lessons From an Urban Escape and Evasion Class

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Photos by Mark Saint

Our feature “Bound & Determined” in the Summer 2014 Issue of RECOIL OFFGRID dealt with methods for escaping different restraints if you've been kidnapped. When we set out to research how to survive unlawful incarcerations, we discovered that there are very few subject-matter experts — at least known outside of covert circles. However, we lucked out when we interviewed Kevin Reeve.

Prior to founding onPoint Tactical, he studied under renowned survivalist Tom Brown, and much of his other skills came from what he calls “a misspent youth.” Reeve's resume includes training military, law enforcement, and organizations at every imaginable level. You know, like three-letter governmental agencies.

Naturally, we jumped at a chance to learn directly from Reeve. In late 2016, RECOIL OFFGRID participated in his Urban Escape and Evasion Class and walked away with a renewed appreciation for those who've made it out of real life-threatening situations. Although nothing beats taking the program yourself, here we're going to distill some of the top lessons that could mean the difference between life and death if you have to flee a dangerous area and avoid capture.

Think tourists who may have been in Turkey during the recent coup. Picture commuters on their daily route home when a riot erupts. Imagine a natural disaster in which emergency services are too overwhelmed to help you. It can happen. It does happen.

The Setup

One sentence in Reeve's course outline is an attention-grabber: “Please be advised that upon entering the training facility, you will be entering a ‘safe-house in a foreign country,' and the enemy will have surveillance in effect at all times.” The tension begins as soon as you arrive. You start looking at everyone (and the way they look at you) differently.

The course takes place over three days. The first two are primarily classroom lectures with homework that carries over into the evenings. The last day is the big test: You're “kidnapped” and must escape from custody and remain undetected while fulfilling certain tasks at various checkpoints along the way to your rendezvous point. You spend a good 10, if not 15 miles, on foot — all while Kevin's minions try to hunt you down and return you to the very beginning to start over.

Lesson 1: Know Your Surroundings

“L.A. County has 10-million people, about 180,000 known gang members, and about 22,000 active police officers,” Reeve posits to the class. “There are roughly 92,000 hospital beds, with usually 70 percent of those filled at any given time. Imagine what would happen if an earthquake along the lines of Hurricane Katrina-level damage happened here. People are always nine meals away from anarchy.”

Being reminded of these facts reaffirmed our belief that those who criticize our devotion to prepping (as well as people who insist that tougher gun legislation will reduce crime) aren't living in the real world.

“Roughly half the deaths during Katrina were victims of gun violence,” Kevin continues. “The police went home. They had families of their own to take care of. Those left behind were preyed upon mercilessly. Don't assume the government will protect you. You have to rely on yourself.”

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So what should you do? First, be proactive.

Gather intel on a location you might be visiting, such as demographics, safe and dangerous areas, road infrastructure, emergency response times, and transportation systems. Consider places that offer government services and the quality thereof. Is a police station in the foreign country you're visiting as legit as they are in the USA? Are there nearby locations that offer free Internet, like a library? How many hospitals are in your vicinity? The more you research this info ahead of time, the better off you'll be.

When you're traveling, the enemy already has home-field advantage, you don't.

Lesson 2: Use Social Engineering

The notion of using social engineering to manipulate people into giving you something you need in a desperate situation was another important part of the coursework. One of our practice assignments was to use social engineering tricks on a random person. I stayed at the hotel where the class was held and hustled the staff to finagle a new room. I won't tell you the angle I used, but no matter what the situation, you have nothing to lose by asking. What's the worst that can happen? People say no and you try again.

This concept is put to the test on the last day when you'll be required to talk to strangers into giving you things in an area known for its homeless population, so people are understandably suspicious. Learn to get out of your comfort zone and shake the guilt of asking for something for free. Start practicing now. Pretend you're one of those people trying to sign shoppers up for Direct TV. It might save your life.

Lesson 3: Get Your Stress Inoculation

By now you've read many articles in this magazine explaining how people don't rise to the occasion, but rather sink to the level of their training. One of the biggest things that gets people killed is panic. If you haven't trained realistically, you'll act the same way under stress. An escape-and-evasion scenario is one of the most stressful situations you can encounter. The higher your heart rate gets, the more your cognitive and fine-motor skills deteriorate.

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The mock kidnapping we experienced began when we entered a room with a group of hooded individuals in one corner, lots of torture devices on display, and plastic sheeting on the floor where the students are told to sit. If that weren't enough, our heads were covered with pillowcases, we were bound with restraints, and interrogated aggressively. We got shocked (and listening to others being shocked), heard chainsaws being turned on, were sprayed with water, and had a trash bag put over our head. Trust us, this experience was not fun.

In a kidnapping situation you have to assume you're going to die and compliance won't save you. The only things you should be thinking about are how to stay calm and what you can do to escape. Don't fall victim to Stockholm Syndrome. Stay focused, practice drills, and try to keep your breathing deep, slow, and consistent.

Lesson 4: Create a Cache

Building and hiding a cache is key and plays into how well you can get to know your surroundings. The contents are up to you, but it's all about what you'd need in a desperate situation: food, money, weapons, water, a medical kit, etc. Use leak- and corrosion-resistant vessels to house the contents: Ziploc bags, ammo cans, PVC pipe with capped ends, or 5-gallon buckets.
Create more than one and stash them where they won't be discovered by others but in a location you'll be able to relocate easily. You think this should be easy, right? We thought so, too. We were wrong.

Our class was given a practice assignment. We were each provided a box with a set of handcuffs inside. Reeve asked us to hide the empty box somewhere nearby.

During our lunch break on the first day, we found a restaurant down the street where I hid the box at the base of a billboard near the parking lot and covered it with dirt. It seemed inconspicuous enough. When we returned the next day, lo and behold, the box was gone. Our photographer informed us that when we got out of the truck, he noticed a guy in the parking lot had taken a particular interest in our actions. Apparently, we didn't look or act as discrete as we had thought.

Lesson 5: Learn How Restraints Work

We spent a good portion of the course discussing techniques to remove handcuffs, how to break out of flexi-cuffs, and how to free yourself if you've been bound by duct tape or rope. Research shows these are the most common forms of restraint used by kidnappers, but there are plenty of ways to escape using what's at your disposal. Again, it takes practice.

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We also delved into techniques on how to pick locks. I'll never look at a Master Lock or basic door lock the same way again. It's amazing how much of a false sense of security these items create for those who don't know how easy they are to defeat. With just a few simple tools or everyday items that you could easily fashion into a lock pick, bypassing the average door or car lock is not terribly difficult.

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While you might think a deadbolt on your front door is all that's needed to protect you, those who commit home invasions know how many seconds it'd take to get through one and be inside.
Have redundancies for your home security measures.

Lesson 6: Blend into the Baseline

Just like every song has a tempo, every environment has a unique vibe or “baseline” to it. Paying close attention to the way people dress, walk, talk, and act is critical if you want to blend in with the local populous.

What are the movement patterns like? Does your gait and appearance assimilate easily into a city or country you're unfamiliar with?

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Reeve says that one of the top reasons students are spotted by his trackers during the final test is that they're out of baseline — the normal pace and appearance of the general public in a particular area. If you're rushing through a crowd and constantly looking behind you, guess what? You look suspicious and won't probably don't blend into your surroundings. Spend some time observing the public when you're in a new location. If you need to blend in, start by identifying the patterns you see.

Lesson 7: Use Disguises

Reeve talked about people who usually go “unseen.” Hookers and street people are noticeable, however, you tend not to stare at them, lest you provoke a nasty response. Service people, such as mailmen or construction workers, are usually written off as part of the environment.

How often do you give the aforementioned types of people a second look? Something to think about if you're trying to become “invisible.”

Another facet of changing your appearance is creating a fake ID or having something that acts as a “scepter of authority.” There are actually apps that can help you do this. If you look the part and act the part, people are often gullible enough to believe what you say and not question you, particularly if you have some official-looking symbol.

Most of us are all too anxious to avoid confrontations with those who we think “outrank” us. You should exploit the hell out of this situation if it means saving your life. Having confidence in your role is also part of your disguise. Try practicing this on friends. You might be surprised how much little nuances, such as acting like an authority figure, altering your voice, and minor appearance changes can fool people who know you.

Lesson 8: Keep Walking (While Looking for Shelter)

One thing Kevin said that really stuck was “movement is life” during a catastrophe. Also, people tend to take the easiest route to get where they're going, he added. So, during the final test, assuming the kidnappers were combing the main thoroughfares, we took a lot of side streets to get to the class's required checkpoints.

Don't stay stagnant in an escape-and-evasion situation. Keep moving. You may have to find a location to hold up for a night, so keep an eye on places that'd serve this purpose. Even if it's nothing more than a public restroom that doesn't get much traffic, it's better than nothing. Keep an eye on structures that appear abandoned or under construction that'd work as temporary shelter if you're traveling abroad.

Assuming you've studied daytime movement patterns enough, as long as you match the baseline, you'll remain invisible.

Your escape-and-evasion priorities should be immediate security, medical attention, protection, physical needs, communications, and transit to safety. Whatever you can do on the move, do it. A dogcatcher can only catch a dog if it's cornered or immobile.

Lesson 9: Improvise Your Weaponry

How to select and prioritize your gear, as well as improvising with what you have, was another point of discussion. You'd be surprised how much junk is lying around in a major city and can be converted into a striking or stabbing implement. Just take a walk around the parking lot of a restaurant and you'll see what we mean.

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Look near trash enclosures and construction sites for the really good stuff. Other small items may not be suitable as weapons, but can help you break out of restraints. Finding a bobby pin, paperclip, or empty soda can goes a long way when you need to cut through something or pick locks.

Lesson 10: Use Counter Surveillance

Learning to spot suspicious behavior and people following you can help you devise “disinformers” to throw them off. Look for suspicious vehicles cruising the area repeatedly. Trust your gut if something about them appears unusual. Broken down and parked vehicles with people gathered around or sitting inside, or individuals loitering nearby, might be an indication that you're being watched, particularly if you're in a foreign country.

Check the rearview mirror often when you're driving. Do not take the same path to and from your destination each day.

Are cars following you for more than a few miles? Make multiple stops and direction changes to eliminate the possibility of coincidence. Be aware of this, even in your own hometown. Home invasions often begin with the enemy picking soft targets who are oblivious to anyone following them and gathering intel on their living situation.

If you think someone is following you, drive to the nearest police station and pay attention to the license plate number. Leave enough space between your vehicle to see where the tires of cars in front of and behind you touch the ground. This will enable you to switch lanes easily if someone tries to box you in. Never get out of your vehicle, unless you're the victim of a carjacking and can run. You're sitting in a 3,000-pound weapon and can use it as such if a mob tries to attack you. Look into evasive driving courses as a way of enhancing this skillset.

Conclusion

Reeve and onPoint Tactical travels the country holding a variety of courses. Our particular class was an amazing experience and provided us a wealth of potentially life-saving knowledge. As Reeve would say, “The only way out is through.” A real-life survival situation is not the place to practice — courses like these are.

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The more you rehearse skills like these, the better your odds are if you're in an area where the rule of law disappears or you're kidnapped. You can live in denial about the likelihood you'll ever be in a dangerous situation, but those who choose to do so become statistics. This would be a great way to introduce friends or family to the importance of prepping/survival and do it in an informative and exhilarating way.

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Oh, and for those keeping score, we did indeed pass the final test by escaping our restraints, hitting every checkpoint, and making it to the rendezvous site without being detected. It gave us renewed confidence in what we did know, but also reminded us how much we still need to learn.

Hidden in Plain Sight

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No one plans to be kidnapped, but at least your apparel can give you an edge if you're ever put in that situation. Wazoo Survival Gear let us borrow one of its Cache Belts for onPoint Tactical's Urban Escape and Evasion Class. Not only does it look innocuous, but the hidden pocket contains lots of tools that'll help you escape. A plastic handcuff key, wire saw, compass, ceramic knife, Ferro rod, and bandages are just a few of the items it comes with. We ran the course wearing this, and it wasn't cumbersome at all. Something to think about, especially if you'll be traveling into potentially hostile territory.
www.wazoosurvivalgear.com

Source:

onPoint Tactical
www.onpointtactical.com

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

Frostbite Treatment Drug Being Studied in Canada

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Frostbite is an insidious threat. While it can cause the same level of tissue damage as a severe burn, it doesn't create the reflexive pain response that intense heat produces — instead, it slowly numbs your peripheral nerves. By the time you feel pain or notice visual symptoms, the damage may have already been done.

In the past, we wrote a comprehensive guide to frostbite diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Since then, a new method of frostbite treatment has undergone testing in Canada's frigid Yukon territory, and the results are promising. This research was spearheaded by Josianne Gauthier, a pharmacist at Whitehorse General Hospital, and her colleague Dr. Alex Poole.

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Josianne Gauthier (pictured) worked with Dr. Alex Poole to test Iloprost for frostbite treatment. Photo: Whitehorse...

The pair were inspired by European doctors who have used a drug called Iloprost to treat frostbite. Iloprost is a vasodilator used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension — in simple terms, it opens up blood vessels to alleviate conditions which cause high blood pressure. Frostbite constricts blood vessels near the skin to consolidate warm blood at the core, so it appears that Iloprost counteracts this by restoring blood flow to the extremities.

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Illustrations of the three stages of frostbite. Source: The Mayo Clinic

Poole said, “At the time, this approach was not well-known [in Canada], and the drug was not available for use in North America.” Gauthier and Poole worked with Health Canada to receive special permission for limited testing of Iloprost in the Yukon. Initial tests produced encouraging results — so far, two patients with severe frostbite have been treated with a combination of rapid rewarming and Iloprost, and both patients were able to avoid amputation and serious long-term damage.

Survival scenarios winter log cabin house snow

This study has encouraged other hospitals in Canada to apply for permission to use the drug. If results continue to produce positive results, it may lead to widespread adoption of Iloprost for frostbite treatment in Canada and potentially even the United States. However, Poole reiterated in an interview that quick access to professional medical attention is the key to recovery from frostbite:

“It is critically important to seek care for frostbite within the first 24 hours of exposure. Unfortunately, many cases of the injury still go unchecked, or people wait too long to seek medical assistance.”

For more information on frostbite diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, read our article titled “Frostbite 411”.

New: Steel Will Gekko 1555 Folding Knife

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First and foremost, a knife is a cutting tool, but there's more to it than that. A good knife needs to cut smoothly, but also to be durable and comfortable. And, while we're not about to bedazzle our blades with rhinestones and glitter, aesthetics also come into play. If all else is equal, most of us tend to gravitate towards knives that look cool and fit our taste.

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Most knives play it safe in the looks department, sticking to varying quantities of silver and black. Of course, there's nothing wrong with this — most of my own EDC folders stick to these finishes — but it's also good to see more colorful options becoming available.

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The new Steel Will Gekko 1555 uses an interesting shade of maroon micarta on its handle, paired with a black PVD-coated 3.5-inch blade and satin silver hardware. Steel Will says that this “may not be a typical color combination for folding knives, but it emphasizes the individuality of its owner.” Whether you love it or hate it, it's not a color you see very often on a knife.

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The Gekko 1555 is made in Italy with a D2 steel blade hardened to 59-60 HRC and a sturdy lockback mechanism. This knife is part of the Gekko Mini family, though its 7.87-inch total length isn't really what we'd consider small. This knife tips the scales at 4.75 ounces, and includes a reversible pocket clip (tip-up only) and lanyard hole.

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This knife is currently available for pre-order, but we're told it will be available soon. MSRP for the Gekko 1555 is $220. For more information, visit SteelWillKnives.com.

Spruce Pitch Chewing Gum for Oral Hygiene

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Maintaining a positive mental attitude can be difficult during survival situations. So, when things aren't going your way, it's important to have some go-to methods of boosting your morale. You might take some down time to read a favorite book, play cards, draw or write, or enjoy a tasty snack. These activities help you stay productive, and take your mind off the harsh realities of your situation.

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Chewing gum also falls into this morale-boosting category. It provides a burst of flavor, and keeps your mind and jaw muscles occupied. Scientific studies have even shown that chewing gum can significantly reduce anxiety and fatigue and improve your mood. On top of all this, many varieties of chewing gum can improve oral hygiene and keep your breath smelling fresh.

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It may not look appetizing, but this spruce pitch can be turned into tasty chewing gum.

Unfortunately, during a survival scenario, you probably won't be able to stroll into the local grocery store and pick up a package of your favorite minty gum. Outdoorsmen in the past couldn't either, so they learned to make their own chewing gum from the sap of coniferous trees, such as pine, spruce, and fir. This natural gum has a refreshing flavor, and its antiseptic properties can also help keep your mouth healthy.

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After cleaning, melting, and straining the pitch, it can be poured into a container to harden.

In the video below, Lonnie of Far North Bushcraft and Survival shows a step-by-step process for making spruce pitch chewing gum. It's a relatively easy process, but you will need some basic tools: two metal cans, a metal strainer, an oven or heat source, foil or parchment paper, and some corn starch (to prevent sticking).

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The solidified gum is broken into bite-size pieces, which will be coated with corn starch.

Lonnie also makes an important note: be careful how you chew this gum, as it may stick to your teeth. The last thing you want in a survival situation is to lose a filling or break a crown when no dentist is available. However, with a little caution and an active jaw, this gum can spruce up your breath and keep your spirits high.

Yurta: A Portable All-Season Tiny Home

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Shelter from the elements is a top priority in any survival situation, no matter the time of year. In the summer, staying in the shade helps avoid heat exhaustion and sunburn; in the winter, insulated walls protect you from wind chill, sleet, and snow. You can always improvise a shelter in a pinch, but it's ideal to have a shelter that has been prepared ahead of time. This structure doesn't need to be elaborate, but it does need to be affordable, durable, and spacious enough for your family and all your essential gear.

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Marcin Padlewski and Anissa Szeto, of Ontario, Canada, have designed a structure that they claim meets all of these needs. It's based on the yurt, a traditional circular Mongolian tent that has been used for centuries. Marcin and Anissa's company, Yurta, has been building these pre-made yurt kits in Canada since 2004.

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Each Yurta shelter consists of a natural hardwood frame, a wool felt insulation layer, and a water-resistant yet breathable canvas outer shell. These materials can be packed down into a long pickup truck bed or 4'x8′ trailer for easy transport.

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Once you choose a suitable location, company says its yurts can be deployed in 2 to 3 hours without turning a screw or hammering a nail. Deck foundation kits are available, or you can build your own insulated floor platform from included plans. If all else fails or you need to set up in a hurry, you can still stake the structure directly to the ground.

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Yurta is available in two sizes: 13-foot diameter and 17-foot diameter. The company also offers connectors for multiple units, so you can set up an entire compound with multiple joined rooms. With the addition of a wood-burning stove, the company says these structures can remain comfortably warm even if it's -25°C (-13°F) outside.

Pricing for the larger 17-foot Yurta is $9,000 to $9,500, depending on wall height option. This includes the framework, roof, walls, solid cedar door, window inserts, storm flaps, awnings, floor building plans, and other components. Wool insulation for colder months is sold separately, and ranges from $2,400 to $3,400. A pre-built stained and insulated floor kit is $2,800. This may seem like it adds up fast, but considering the potential year-round use capabilities of these structures, a Yurta may be an effective option for a long-term bug-out shelter.

For more info on these modern yurts, check out Yurta.ca.

Passive Gill Net Fishing for Survival

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In a true survival situation, staying alive becomes a battle against nature, and when you're fighting for your life, there must be no holds barred. This is why you'll sometimes hear us discuss survival methods that are discouraged, considered unsportsmanlike, or are even downright illegal under normal circumstances. The gill nets we'll be discussing here fall into the latter category in many regions — in other words, there's a good chance they are against the law where you live, so check your local regulations before trying any of the following.

Fish can provide a sustainable source of calories, protein, fats, amino acids, and other nutrients. In a survival situation, actively fishing from the shoreline or a boat with a rod and reel consumes time and effort that could be put towards other critical tasks. This is where passive methods come in. Leaving some form of trap in the water can generate a food source, even when you're not monitoring it. This is why our ancestors progressed beyond hunting and gathering — it's not exactly efficient in the long term.

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One of the most effective types of passive net is the gill net. These are vertical panels of netting which are set across bodies of water, with floats along the top of the net and weights along the bottom. Once the net has been deployed, fish attempt to swim through it, and become trapped as the net snags behind their gills.

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The size of the gill net's mesh determines the fish it is most effective at capturing. Small fish can pass straight through, while large fish can't fit their heads through the mesh and are able to swim away. In survival situations, this means you'll be able to capture a steady supply of fish which are large enough to provide substantial calories, assuming the location you choose for the net is viable. In the past, the high effectiveness of gill nets often led to over-fishing and damage to the ecosystem, and that's why they are so heavily regulated today — but in a SHTF scenario where you need to find food to avoid starvation, they can be lifesavers.

The following video from Bob Hansler shows how to set up and use a gill net in a river:

Regardless of the scenario you're in, use this knowledge responsibly. Even if you are in a survival situation, you don't want to decimate the local fish population with an unsupervised net, leading to more food than you can eat before it spoils. Do what you need to in order to survive, but be cautious with this highly efficient passive fishing method.

Graphene Nano-Membrane Developed to Filter Seawater

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“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” This classic proverb explains the conundrum of being surrounded by seawater — there's more than enough to drown in, but none of can quench your thirst. The high salt content of seawater can cause the body to go into shock if it's consumed, so it's unwise to drink seawater, especially if you're already dehydrated.

This or that ocean

The other problem is that this salt is often extremely difficult to remove from water. Simple filters like the LifeStraw can remove bacteria and other pathogens, but are unable to trap the dissolved salt on a molecular basis. Seawater can be desalinated through distillation or reverse osmosis filtration, but both of these processes are time-consuming and require large amounts of energy input. However, researchers have recently announced the development of a graphene nano-membrane filter which can efficiently remove salt from seawater.

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Graphene forms a single-layer hexagonal structure of carbon atoms. Source: University of Manchester

Graphene is a cutting-edge material composed of a flat hexagonal lattice of Carbon atoms. Each layer of graphene is two-dimensional on an atomic scale, meaning it's only one atom thick. This structure generates some very interesting properties — it exhibits tensile strength higher than steel, it's nearly transparent, and it's a highly efficient conductor of heat and electricity. One form of graphene, graphene oxide, has a microscopic structure which enables it to form a filter with extremely small pores.

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A depiction of water molecules passing through a graphene filter. Source: University of Manchester

Scientists at the University of Manchester recently announced research which demonstrates the effectiveness of graphene oxide for desalination. These filters can reportedly be produced easily in the lab, and the membrane pore size can be precisely controlled to less than one nanometer in size. Common salt molecules found in seawater are about one nanometer in size, so the membrane efficiently strips salt from water molecules while retaining a high flow rate.

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Until now, this level of control over graphene membrane pore size was not possible. Researchers say more work needs to be done to prove these filters work on an industrial scale, and to document the filter cleaning or replacement intervals, but this study still represents a major step forward in seawater desalination. The initial testing shows these graphene oxide filters can reject 97% of common salt (NaCl) in water.

In layman's terms, this presents the possibility of simple, portable, high-flow molecular filters which can convert seawater into drinkable water. For survivalists, especially those who live near the coast, that's an exciting prospect. For more info, check out this article from the BBC or read this University of Manchester press release.

New: Limited-Edition 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt

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When we published our April Fool's Day post last week, the Survival Fashion Buyer's Guide, we got a few salty responses on social media because we didn't actually spend days compiling and photographing 25 of the latest glamorous tacticool outfits. As much we would've liked to devote our resources to an in-depth satirical guide, our editorial team simply didn't have the manpower to divert from our other serious projects. However, after much demand from their customers, the guys at 5.11 Tactical have decided to make their April Fool's project a reality — and the results are pretty entertaining.

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Back in 2012, 5.11 Tactical came up with an April Fool's Day joke about offering a tactical kilt. Much like our post this year, it was just a joke at the time. But then the company started receiving purchase requests from paying customers. So, they set out to turn this Tactical Duty Kilt (TDK) into a real product. For a limited time each year, the once fictitious 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt is actually offered for sale through the company's web store.

“A standard kilt says you're a man. A 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt says you're a bad man.”

The 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt is designed for the man who's not afraid to flaunt his undercarriage, free from the stifling constraints of traditional pants. It's built from TACLITE polyester/cotton ripstop fabric with reinforced triple-stitching and a water-resistant Teflon coating. It features front slant pockets, as well as interchangeable TDU cargo pockets which can accommodate AR magazines.

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The belt loops are sized for a 5.11 Tactical 1.75-inch Duty Belt, and they include dual fixed D-rings. The Tactical Duty Kilt is offered in six colors: black, moss green, MultiCam, khaki, stone grey, and burnt brown. Sizes range from 28-inch waist all the way to a 54-inch waist. MSRP starts at $75 for solid colors, or $80 for MultiCam.

“The hiiiills are alive with the sound of gunfire…”

Like previous years, the 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt will only be available for purchase this year while supplies last. For more information on the 5.11 TDK, go to 511tactical.com/kilt.

Infographic: Sunburn, Sunscreen, and SPF

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The sun is an incredible force of nature — its heat, light, and gravitational pull make life on this planet possible. Without the sun, there'd be no plant life, no animal life, and certainly no human life on Earth. However, the sheer power of this celestial body also has some unfortunate consequences. The sun generates ultraviolet (UV) radiation that has the potential to damage our skin cells, leading to painful redness, peeling, blisters, and even cancer.

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A diagram of sunburn's cause and effect, via the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Those of us with fair or sensitive skin know the excruciating pain of a sunburn all too well. For some, being out in direct sunlight for a mere 30 minutes can lead to a visible sunburn. Other skin tones may be more resilient, but if you're outdoors for an extended period, it catches up with most of us eventually. Under normal circumstances, a severe sunburn is uncomfortable and annoying; during a survival situation, this condition can be crippling.

Sunscreen is the obvious choice for preventing sunburns, but there are many misconceptions regarding its use. For example, you're probably not applying as much sunscreen as you should; studies show that it takes the equivalent of a shot glass full of it to protect your entire body. You also might think that the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) scale is simple enough, but it's actually not as straightforward as it appears. A sunscreen with SPF 30 is not twice as effective as SPF 15 — the former blocks 97% of UVB rays, while the latter blocks 93%.

The following infographic from the Cleveland Clinic gives some basic tips on “sunscreen smarts”:

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Here's another useful infographic from sunscreen producer Eucerin. It provides some statistics to reinforce the importance of protecting your skin.
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Making a Minimalist Survival Bow & Sinew Bowstring

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When you're preparing for any outdoor excursion or survival scenario, it's wise to bring a generous supply of food with you. This ensures that under normal circumstances, you'll have enough to eat until you can make it to safety and resupply. However, there are some cases when resupplying or scavenging is not an option. If you become stranded, or the food distribution network is interrupted, you'll need to go hunt for food — and make it quick, because your food reserves will dwindle with every passing hour.

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Obviously, having a hunting rifle and plenty of ammo is the best-case scenario. When you don't have those items, you'll need to improvise. One tool that can provide an effective means of hunting is a bow, and it's possible to craft your own bow with some sturdy yet flexible wood and a sharp knife. Primitive cultures have been making simple wood hunting bows for centuries.

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In the following 10-minute video, YouTube historic hunter Shawn Woods makes a minimalist survival bow out of ocean spray wood. The only tool he uses is a sharp knife, namely a square-tipped stainless fixed blade called a takenata hatchet. In an ideal world, you'd want to season and treat the bow wood for maximum longevity, but this simple bow works surprisingly well, even using living green wood.

Shawn selects a thick and pliable piece of ocean spray bush, also called creambush or ironwood, and cuts it into the bow stave. He intentionally leaves the bark intact on the back (outermost portion) of the bow, and shaves down the belly carefully to allow the thinner wood to bend. At first he works with a chopping motion, and then uses his blade as a draw knife to smooth out the limbs. After forming a tapered handle and adding notches, he can string the bow.

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Paracord or any manmade cordage could work as a bow string, but if that's not available, you'll need to make your own. One traditional method uses animal sinew — in other words, dried tendons which can be broken down into individual fibers. These fibers are then moistened, and twisted together in a two-ply braid, with new fiber fed in gradually until the desired length is achieved. The video below shows the complete method:

Of course, you'll also need arrows and arrowheads, but that's yet another project. Shawn Woods covers numerous arrow designs on his channel, including Cherokee two-fletch arrows, Norwegian slate arrows, and ancient mesolithic microblade arrows. Check out his channel if you're interested in learning more about survival bows and primitive archery.