Page 167 – RECOIL OFFGRID

Learn How To Start Fires In Cold Weather

Posted on January 17, 2017 at 7:26 pm.

In This Article

Scavenge For Your Fire
Steps to a Sustainable Fire
Conclusion
Fire By Fritos
Vehicle Fire Kit
Common Mistakes to Avoid
More From Issue 12

WARNING!
Fire-starting is inherently dangerous. The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Seek a reputable instructor before attempting any techniques discussed here.

Hopelessly lost and out of fuel — that's the condition of you and your rental car as the engine sputters its last gasp and you roll to the edge of the snow-covered road. The large heavy clumps of snowflakes fall downward, turning the hilly woodland into a beautiful landscape of winter white. But this striking postcard-worthy scene isn't the most pressing thing on your mind. All you can think about is your inoperable vehicle, your mobile phone with no service, and the fact that you could die from exposure in a few hours under conditions like these.

You check the trunk and glovebox for anything useful. No blankets, no food, no water — just a book of paper matches and a half-dozen napkins. The late-afternoon sun is hidden behind the thick bank of snow clouds, but you can tell it's going to get dark early.

Are you going to let your bad luck continue into the night? You could use five of your napkins to catch your tears of self-pity, and the final one to write out your last will and testament. Or are you going to start making your own luck?

For any prepper, bushcrafter, or outdoor adventurer worth their salt, making a fire should be second nature — when you have your normal gear and equipment. But what happens when you have none of your usual fire-starting tools? “No problem,” you might say, “I'll just rub two sticks together and make a fire the old-fashioned way.” That's great. But what if you're stranded in the dead of winter and snow blankets every inch of your vision? What now?

Scavenge For Your Fire

They say we started out as scavengers. In the savage wilderness of the African plains, we chased the vultures away from the bones of last night's predator kills, broke open the leg bones, and feasted upon nutrient-rich marrow to become the brainiacs we are today. You might say scavenging is in our DNA. And with that uplifting story in your head, let's delve into the art of scavenging for fire-building materials. Working within the confines of our stranded motorist's situation, let's outsmart the problems and seize the opportunities this situation presents.

Though a rare sight these days, a car's cigarette lighter might be the safest and easiest way to light a fire in...

There are two things our unlucky traveler needs to make a fire: an ignition source and some fuel. Since it makes sense to go for the easiest win, let's pick apart the car. Given the vehicle simply ran out of gas, it means the battery is still operational. This big block of heavy metals and acid is more than capable of starting a fire.

The safest and easiest way is with a vehicle cigarette lighter, if it's an older model. Should the vehicle have one of those, heat up the lighter and quickly touch it to some fine fluffy tinder. A fluffed cotton ball will work, as will seed down from the cattail plant. This fluffy stuff burns exceedingly well due to its high amount of surface area, which easily catches sparks and quickly turns them to flame.

If the vehicle doesn't have a lighter — most don't these days — then you can jump-start your fire directly from the battery. Hook up your jumper cables to the battery, and touch the free ends together briefly over some fine tinder. The shower of hot metal sparks should do the trick, but use great caution with this method. Do not allow the free jumper cables to weld or stick together. This creates a closed circuit, which can cause the battery to explode.

And what about fuel for the fire? A modern car or truck is a storehouse of flammable products (someone really should look into that). Obviously, the gas will burn, but since it's gone in our story let's not open that dangerous topic.

All of the fluids in the vehicle are flammable, except for the engine coolant and wiper fluid. Open the reservoir for the power steering and dip one of the previously mentioned napkins in it to get an oily boost to the napkin's flammability. Wipe the engine oil dipstick numerous times on paper or cloth to enhance its burn time. These oily substances burn great, as they are very dense fuels. They just need something papery or fibrous to act as a wick and they will produce strong flames.

Dabbing a napkin in engine oil or steering fluid can help your tinder burn more intensely in winter conditions.

Once you have your fire going, cut or break off plastic components to throw into the fire, both as fuel and to create black smoke, which is ideal for a signal fire. (Be cautious of burning anything that might produce toxic fumes — what good is a fire if its smoke is going to kill you?) Between the burnable plastics and fluids in a modern vehicle, I'm surprised there aren't more spontaneous car fires every day.

If you have a toolbox with you or your trusty Swiss Army Knife, then it's MacGyver time. Open the drain plug for the engine oil pan and catch that Texas tea in a soda cup. Pour some of the oil on your frosty damp twigs and they're sure to burn. Or use a knife to cut the vehicle's fabric seat covers into makeshift outer wear. Or wrap upholstery strips around sticks and soak them in oil to make 20-minute torches for emergency signaling. You're only limited by your imagination and the limits of the materials themselves.

Steps to a Sustainable Fire

Yes, you can go from a single burning match to a pile of burning logs, but there are some critical steps in between. It's easiest to consider these as stair “steps.” To build a fire, the materials must increase in size gradually. Your materials can't step up in size too quickly, or the fire will go out. Follow these steps, and you'll be well on your way to a deeper understanding of fire behavior and fire dynamics.

Step 1: Pick your fire site. Try to find a place that is out of the wild wind, sleet, snow, and rain. The spot should be close to both your fuels and your shelter (if you have one). However, it shouldn't be dangerously close to either. Dig down through the snow to reach the bare frozen ground, or build a platform for the fire from the best materials that are easily available.

Step 2: Find your fuels. Fire is like an engine, it won't work without fuel. Scour the local area for dead dry plant materials to act as tinder, kindling, and firewood for your fire. Bring back more than you think you'll need. You should pay extra attention to evergreens, if they are available in your area. Needle-bearing evergreens usually contain flammable sap in their twigs, wood, and dead needles. And the dead ones are easy to spot. Look for twigs without any green on them, and needles that are tan or brown. Bring in several armloads of firewood, too — you're going to need it.

Step 3: Assemble your fire lay. On your fire site (hopefully bare ground), make a fist-sized mound of your tinder materials. If conditions are really rough, use double that amount of tinder. This can be material you have found, like dead leaves, evergreen needles, grasses, or bark fiber. It can also be tinder that you scavenged from your pockets or a vehicle. Crumpled paper or napkins will serve you very well. Over this material, place your skinniest dead twigs, sticks, grass stalks, or wood splinters. Build a cone-shaped structure with these materials, and then add finger-diameter sticks, about a foot long. Your overall fire lay should be a cone-shaped construct (like a tepee), which is about a foot wide at the base and about a foot tall at the center. The staging of your materials (from tinder, to twigs, to sticks) will allow the fire to grow quickly, but at its own pace.

Step 4: Light it! Once all your fire lay materials are ready, and you have several armloads of firewood, it's time to light it. Figure out which way the wind is coming from. It's generally best to allow the wind to work with you, and light the fire lay on the side that the wind is coming from. This allows the airflow to push the flames into the center of the tepee, right where you want them to go. Also, make sure you light the fire at the base. Don't light the tip of the tepee; it's not some kind of firework. Light is at the base, on the side the wind is coming from, so the flames will rise into the structure and consume the materials.

Cotton balls mixed with petroleum jelly can go a long way in getting a fire going. Prepare some in your go-bag or...

If you happen to have some fire-starter materials like Wetfire cubes, cotton balls with petroleum jelly, or some wax-soaked cardboard, place it in the base of the fire and light your fire helper as well as the tinder. Flammable vehicle fluids can be poured over the tinder and twigs prior to lighting, if you feel you need it. This additional fire-friendly material (combined with the tepee fire lay shape) should allow you to use damp materials and still get them to burn.

Step 5: Maintain your fire. You've won the battle, lighting a fire in rough conditions, but you still could lose the war. It's been argued that letting your fire go out is worse than never making one at all, since you now have no fire and less fire-starting materials than before.

Important Safety Note: If you decide to burn materials from your vehicle, be aware that some are quite toxic. Brake fluid is typically the most hazardous, followed by power steering fluid, and motor oil. And don't even think about messing with gasoline. It's far too dangerous to be of benefit in an already sketchy survival situation.

Conclusion

Your need for a fire can be seen as a barometer of the severity of your survival situation. The more you need a crackling blaze, the worse your situation really is. Intense cold weather, wet and windy conditions, or a dunking in cold water can all lead to hypothermia, a dangerous and potentially fatal cooling of your body's core temperature. And in some situations, your only option to dry out and warm up will be to make a big fire — quickly! — though sometimes it's easier said than done.

The skill of fire building is age old and relatively simple. It's not hard, but to master it you have to put in the practice time. You can't just read about it and hope to perform well under pressure. Like every other survival skill, this one has a learning curve and it demands practice and patience. It also demands real-world training. Any novice can light a fire on a warm dry day with a butane lighter and a handful of pocket lint. But it takes a real pro to walk out in the wet snow and build a quick fire from just a few carefully chosen items. This is the level you should aspire to reach. Don't be content with being an armchair expert or Internet commando. Put in the hours during nasty weather to become a real world expert. Then, and only then, will you always be able to rely on fire's warm embrace.

Fire By Fritos

For those of you who already know about the flammability of snack chips, good for you. Your pyromaniac nature should serve you well. For those of you who don't know, listen up! When it comes to fire starting with modern materials, oily snack chips are a great way to get your fire going. These grease-soaked foods burn very well when an open flame is applied to them, and it won't take many chips to make a big impact. Just three or four chips will burn for minutes and help you establish your fire. Of course, if you had chips in your stranded winter motorist scenario, you should be eating most of the chips for calories in the cold weather. But do try to save a couple for fire starters. Here are some of the top performers.

Bugles
Cheetos
Cheese puffs
Corn chips
Fritos
Kettle chips

Vehicle Fire Kit

I'm sure that there were once fire-building kits in every car. The earliest steam-powered cars had an onboard stove that burned coal or wood, and an onboard servant who built and fed that fire. This is where we get the word chauffeur. It doesn't mean driver, it basically means “fire guy” or more correctly, “one who heats.” If you want to be prepared like a modern day fire guy or gal, then build your own fire starting kit and keep it in your vehicle at all times.

Waterproof box: The container can be very important, especially in the event of a water landing. Pick bright colors for easy visibility.

Ignition sources: These are the most important part of the kit. Place at least two butane cigarette lighters in the kit, along with several boxes of matches and at least one ferrocerium rod.

Tinder material: Dryer lint, cotton balls, paper, and many other plant-based items can be used as tinder, the first fuel used in fire building.

Fuel sources: Mix a little petroleum jelly with your cotton balls and you now have a potent fuel that will burn for several minutes with a generous flame. There are also store-bought fuels like Wetfire cubes from UST and various fire-starter tabs, packets, and pastes. A nub of a candle is a historical fire-starting classic that still pulls its weight today. Drip the melting wax from a lit candle all over stubborn kindling.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Winter is the most unforgiving season, and if you need a fire to stay alive, this can be the toughest time of year to kindle a blaze. If you can avoid these rookie mistakes, you'll be way ahead of the curve.

Building on Bare Snow: You may be able to light some twigs on fire, briefly, on top of the snow — but it won't last. As the red coals drop down to the base of the fire, they fall into snow, which melts and extinguishes them. This prevents you from establishing a proper base for your fire, and it will soon die. If possible, dig down through the snow to place your fire on bare ground. If that's not an option, find something to act as a barrier rather than trying to burn a fire directly on the snow. It can be something temporary, like a raft of logs on top of the snow. Or it can be something more substantial, like a piece of metal you have scavenged and placed upon some rock or log supports.

Forgetting the Melt: When planning where you'll burn a fire in snowy conditions, think about the snow melting power of fire. If you burn a fire long enough, it will melt a massive amount of snow. This can mean that your fire is eventually going to be surrounded by slush or even water. Before you build your blaze, pick a spot that is out of the wind, yet has good drainage to allow any snowmelt to run away from the fire.

Grabbing the Green: One of the fastest ways to waste your matches is trying to light live twigs on fire. Just because a tree or shrub has dropped its leaves in the winter season, doesn't mean that the twigs are dead and dry. Among deciduous woody plants, live twigs look just like the dead ones at this time of year. You should only collect twigs that are actually dead, and pass one of these two tests. First, if conditions are cold and dry, squeeze the twig with your bare hand. Live twigs are full of water, which will make them feel colder. Dead twigs will quickly “warm up” to your touch, while live ones seem to stay cold. Secondly, see if the twig will snap off easily. This is often a sign of dead material (though not a guarantee, especially in soft woods at subfreezing temperatures).

More From Issue 12

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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.

Weapon of Opportunity: Self-Defense with a Baseball Cap

Posted on January 17, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Think fast: if an attacker was charging headfirst in your direction, would you rather be unarmed or holding a weapon? You shouldn't have a hard time answering, because the answer to this question is painfully obvious. With a weapon in your hands, you stand a far greater chance of successfully stopping the attack and escaping unharmed. This is why it's recommended to carry some form of dedicated self-defense weapon whenever possible — be it a gun, a knife, a tactical pen, or even a self-defense cane.

Even if you already carry a firearm, you should always be thinking of backup self-defense plans in case SHTF.

The doctrine of Filipino martial arts known as Kali emphasizes self-defense with weapons, but this system also acknowledges that there are many cases in which carrying a weapon may not be an option. In these non-permissive environments, you'll need to think on your feet and improvise as the aforementioned attacker charges in your direction. This is when finding a weapon of opportunity can save your life.

Marcaida self defense baseball cap weapon martial arts 2

In the video below, Doug Marcaida discusses various ways to use a ball cap as a defense weapon.

Doug Marcaida is the founder and expert martial arts instructor at Marcaida Kali. Put simply, he's the kind of guy who knows a thing or two about self-defense, with or without a dedicated weapon. If you're unfamiliar with Doug, we'd recommend reading our exclusive Q&A with him from last March. In the following video, Doug addresses the concept of weapons of opportunity, and shows how even a simple baseball cap can serve as a powerful self-defense tool:

So, you can toss your own baseball cap as a distraction while you throw a punch, or block your attacker's line of sight by pushing the cap in his face. If the attacker is the one wearing a hat, you can pull it over his eyes, or yank his head backwards using the brim. There are many options to consider — the real key is to think about them and practice exploiting them before you find yourself being attacked in real life.

For more on improvised weapons, check out our previous article on the newspaper-based Millwall Brick.

Web Exclusive: What If You Were Trapped in a Mass Shooting?

Posted on January 15, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

What If?
Average Joe: Ryan Lee Price's Approach
About the Author

In the upcoming Issue 18 of our print magazine, our recurring “What If?” feature addresses a topic that has become tragically relevant of late — mass shootings. The hypothetical scenario in this issue addresses how to cope with a deranged and unstable individual firing indiscriminately into a crowd. While this situation may be frightening to consider, thinking seriously about how you'd handle an active shooter can help you mentally prepare in case that horrifying day ever comes.

Issue 18 shares the thoughts and reactions of three experienced individuals: U.S. Marine veteran Candice Horner, federal agent Erik Lund, and survival instructor Tim MacWelch. To read the entirety of these three perspectives on how to deal with a mass shooting event, pick up a copy of Issue 18 on sale January 27th, 2017. As a web-exclusive supplement to this print article, we'll be sharing a fourth perspective with you today. Ryan Lee Price is a freelance journalist and outdoor adventurer who resides in southern California. He wrote the following approach from his “average joe's” mindset.

What If?

Before we share Ryan's approach to dealing with a mass shooting, here are the key details of the hypothetical scenario he'll be writing about.

The Setup: You’re visiting the Windy City and decide to have your last lunch in Illinois at Water Tower Place, the eight-level mall located inside a 74-story skyscraper. You figure you can hang out there for a few hours, buy some souvenirs, and still have plenty of time to catch an Uber to O’Hare International Airport. More importantly, you’ll be out of the bitter cold!

The Complication: You’re about to enter the Oakley store when a loud noise echoes throughout the mall. Everyone flinches, then freezes. Suddenly, several more bangs ring out. It’s gunfire! Immediately, people scream and sprint in every direction. You instinctively duck behind cover and carefully scan for the safest way out — instead of seeing an exit you spot a gunman who fires randomly into a crowd of people then heads in your direction. He didn’t see you, but he’s about 35 yards away and approaching. What do you do?

The New Plan: With this bad guy shooting at people indiscriminately, you’ll have to formulate a plan (and fast) for what to do. You need to deal with the environment (the store and mall), the gear you happen to be carrying, and the reaction (if any) of other shoppers, security guards, or police.

Average Joe: Ryan Lee Price's Approach

Chicago had never really been on the list of places I wanted to visit, as the idea of going from one crime-ridden, filthy, overcrowded metropolis (Los Angeles) to another isn’t very appealing. The only thing that even remotely interested me was Wrigley Field and perhaps the view from Sears Tower — er, I mean, Willis Tower. To me, vacations should be filled with relaxing activities, like dropping a hook into the Snake River with a backdrop of the spiky Grand Tetons cutting into a crisp autumn morning, or trekking through the serene Sierra Nevadas during deer season with little more than a pack and my .30-06.

However, opposites attract, right? My wife, Kara, would rather dial 9 for room service or drop her credit card at Bloomingdale’s with a backdrop of a spiky city skyline cutting into … well, you get the idea. Plus, as she pointed out to me months ago, we did the caveman thing last year, and it was her turn this time. Thus, the four of us hopped on an expensive flight to stay in an expensive hotel and drive around in an expensive rental car to eat expensive food or a week. Fish from the Snake River are free; just saying.

Because of work and my staunch appreciation for the Second Amendment, I have a concealed-carry permit … and obtaining one in California isn’t an easy feat. But Illinois law is different than California’s. The state, which just recently passed its own concealed-carry law in 2014, doesn’t recognize permits from other states, and Chicago is most undoubtedly unfriendly to gun owners, especially those from out of state.

Taking a firearm with me and having to declare, transport, and worry about the TSA stealing it at the airport didn’t seem worth the hassle, especially since Illinois law stipulated that I had to keep it secured (aka locked up and useless) in my rental car. Before traveling, I always read the laws of my destination to determine what would be best for my situation.

That being said, I would have given almost anything to have my Smith & Wesson with me when I walked into the Oakley Shop four days into our trip.

By then, we’d been to nearly every museum within 20 miles of our hotel. The family voted for a day of relaxing shopping at Chicago’s biggest indoor mall, Water Tower Place, part of the Ritz Carlton on famous Michigan Avenue. I relented, if only to have a chance for a day out of the cold — if you have to go to Chicago, by God, don’t go in the winter. It was probably 25 degrees out, with a windchill factor of 0. The mall was heated, at least, and with eight levels and a glass-enclosed elevator cascading down a center atrium, it was like hiking a waterfall in a concrete wilderness of commercialism.

Kara and the kids bee-lined to the American Girl store on the first floor. I graciously bowed out, saying I was going to wander around and find some souvenirs for my brother, an avid Cubs fan who’s back home and probably still celebrating the World Series win.

My wandering took me up to the sixth floor, where there was very little for me: A whole slew of stores geared for millennials who don’t get their clothes dirty for a living. The only bright spot to the L6 (no pun intended) was the Oakley store, as I wanted some new sunglasses.

As I stepped into the store, behind me, I heard a tremendous blast. My first thought was someone dropped a pallet of something, as the sound echoed across the marble flooring. Immediately, there was a panicked scream, then several — what seemed like far off wailing like that of gleeful children. A pallet, fireworks, backfire from the street, six floors up? Everyone around me turned to look, speechless, and struck dumb at the sight. Before I could join them, another boom exploded across the atrium, this time closer, and there was no mistaking what it was. Gunfire. Shotgun? Rifle? Pistol?

My heart stopped, and I hit the deck just inside the store along with three or four other people. Beyond the threshold of the doorway, the tan parquet floor filled with people tumbling over themselves to escape, like panicked buffalo. Screams were pitched and piercing. Three blasts reported from directly in front of us, each punctuated by a distinct racking of a weapon and the crumpled slump of a victim. The parquet floor turned red. Flat on my face, I peered out from behind the store’s folded open doors. A bank of escalators to my right blocked most of my view, but I could make out the silhouetted profile of the gunman through the glass elevator enclosure across the atrium.

He was walking my way, calmly, slowly, indiscriminately leveling his shotgun at anything that moved or caught his eye. Three more people were cut down before my eyes, and I could do nothing about it. My heart raced, and my body jittered with adrenaline.

He was closer now, and I hadn’t moved from my spot. I could see him clearly, standing about 15 feet from the escalator. My thoughts snapped to my family, five levels below, undoubtedly aware of what was going on. A fire alarm rang out, but beyond, it was eerily quiet. He stood there, looking for an opportunity. The time for me to run had passed, and I was in prime position to engage him if I had something to fight back with.

For one reason or another, I remembered a quote I saw on Facebook earlier in the week: “If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore, what he must be taught is to fear the victim.”

The gunman’s head twitched in my direction. Several customers of the sunglass shop were attempting to scurry to the back room and to the safety of the maintenance hallway, and the scuffling noise caught his attention. As he turned to the entrance of the store, he volleyed a shell through the door, destroying a display case just over my head. Maybe he saw me, maybe not, but in a few short seconds — just the span of time it takes a man to walk 15 feet — I would become a victim, a line item in the newspaper that would forever change the lives of only a few people, my friends, family, coworkers. In those few short seconds, everything I am and everything I’d ever be would be taken from me.

We’d all like to see ourselves as heroes, John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, calmly entering the fray. With a quick retort, determined grit, and great hair, we’d educate the perp on the error of his ways before dispatching him to hell. But the truth of the matter is that self-preservation is a strong obstacle, and the brave, the scared, the fearful charge in with reckless abandon to defend ideals and beliefs bigger than themselves.

I couldn’t die in a room with lime-green walls.

The barrel of the shotgun slowly poked in through the door. When I saw a dirty hand on its fore-end, I knew he had a pump shotgun with enough room for about five shells. Had he spent them all or did he have one more round? Did he reload at some point? Where’s my .45 when I needed it? Locked up safely at home, not doing anyone any good.

I didn’t have time to go back in my head to do a round count. I pounced. With a violent and blinding upward motion, I grabbed the barrel of the shotgun with my left hand and his jacket collar with my right. The force lifted him off the ground and back out into the walkway. He let go of the shotgun, and his arms flung behind him as if he was falling backwards. I struck with my fists, feet, knees, and head. His coat flew open, revealing a pistol in his waistband. Before he could reach for it, I fell on him with a bear hug, grasping my arms around his scrawny body. He clawed, kicked, and thrashed his head around.

The struggle brought us to the railing of the atrium; there was no way I could let go of him. Neither of us could reach his handgun, and I couldn’t let go of him. It was as if I were holding the tail of a rattlesnake.

In our struggling, we slammed against the railing, and there was my solution: gravity. I pushed his body, his head with my head. I tangled my legs around his, and I lifted, I strained, I twisted. He had a hold of my coat, and his feet, off the ground now, were kicking at my knees. He began to scream, and my grunts and muffled swears punctuated our struggling. He’s going over, or we’re both going over. There was no third choice in my mind, until something huge slammed into both of us, like a battering ram in human form.

I found myself on the bottom of a growing pile of Chicago Police SWAT team members bristling with gear and guns. I let go of everything as something powerful dragged me free by my legs.

As it turns out, Chicago’s Northwestern Police Department is on Michigan and Superior avenues, only two blocks to the south, and my life and maybe those of many others were saved by a phone call. However, the stringent gun laws of Chicago, Illinois, and the Federal government allowed 13 people to die because they disarmed its people, leaving us as soft targets.

Change the laws. Votes count. People count. Freedom counts.

About the Author

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 in our sister publication RECOIL and is a long-time hiking and camping enthusiast. He currently resides in Corona, California, with his wife, Kara, and their two children.

Beyond Charcloth: Alternate Materials to Char for Tinder

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

Written by Patrick McCarthy

If you've ever operated a barbecue grill, you'll no doubt be familiar with charcoal. These small black briquettes were created by thoroughly heating wood in the absence of oxygen. This causes a chemical reaction that chars and blackens the wood, while restricting oxygen so the wood doesn't start to burn. The same principle is applied to charcloth, a material we've discussed here many times in the past. By cutting up old cotton rags or T-shirts and charring them, you can have a supply of instant tinder material on hand. This can be a real life-saver during the cold winter season.

Last week, we talked about how to char cloth in an unconventional vessel — instead of a hard metal container, a few sheets of aluminum foil will suffice. Today, we'll turn the tables and show how to use a traditional charring vessel, but some very unconventional materials. Since it's possible to char wood pulp and cotton fabric, logic dictates that it should be possible to char just about any type of plant material. Then again, some substances may work better than others, so testing is necessary.

In a video titled “What else can you Char? Beyond Charcloth”, popular YouTube survivalist AlfieAesthetics documents the effectiveness of various charred materials. These include spruce needles, two types of fungus, damp moss, tree bark, pine cones, acorn caps, chestnut husks, and even some scraps of meat. Check out the video below:

The fact that all materials aside from the meat burned relatively effectively shows that charring isn't restricted to coal or cloth. Pine cones seemed to be especially valuable, as they tend to burn well even before charring. If you're out in the woods and have an air-tight and fireproof vessel, you should be able to create some charred tinder with relative ease. It sure beats struggling in vain to ignite some wet bark shavings or twigs on a cold day.

Disposable Vs. Rechargeable Batteries – In Charge

Posted on January 13, 2017 at 6:05 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

NiCad
NiMH
Lead Acid/Gel Cell
Alkaline Batteries
Li-Ion (Polymer)
No Li-Ion King
About the Author
More From Issue 12

Most of our gadgets today rely on some sort of battery. But how do you power them if the grid's down? And even if there's electricity, how do you know you're charging them correctly? Proper charging and maintenance is key to assuring your rechargeable batteries maintain a long and useful lifespan.

So, we're taking an in-depth look at some of today's most popular battery types, including an analysis of shelf life, capacity, charging methods, and the best uses suited to each type.

All rechargeable batteries are rated for capacity (C) and nominal voltage (V). Their capacity is usually measured in amp hours (Ah) in larger batteries, such as lead acid types, or in milliamp hours (mAh) for smaller cells. Capacity is defined by the battery's ability to supply the specified current for one hour of time. For example, a battery with a rating of 12V 7Ah will supply 7 amps (A) of current for 1 hour before being fully discharged, meaning the battery's voltage will drop to a point where it should be charged before further use — lest you risk damaging the battery.

Why get into the science of it? Understanding the capacity/time rating can greatly aid in planning an off-grid power solution, as well as not over/undercharging your batteries.

Since most rechargeable batteries are capable of high current delivery, many can deliver currents that will damage the cell from the temperature rise associated with a high rate of discharge. For example, the 12V 7Ah battery used to power a 35W spotlight should not be used to power 600 watts of lighting. A good rule of thumb for sizing most rechargeables to their task is that the current draw in A shouldn't exceed the battery's capacity rating (irrespective of hour rating) by more than three to five times, or a 3 C to 5 C discharge rate. Using our example battery to power 600 watts worth of lighting would draw 50 A (over 7 C) from the battery, potentially overheating and causing permanent damage.

NiCad

411: Nickel cadmium, or NiCad, are one of the most popular rechargeable batteries in use today. Almost everyone uses them. Used in everything from cordless phones to power tools, NiCads supply very high peak currents if needed (discharging more than 5 C in some applications and with specially designed cells) while being rechargeable roughly 1,000 times.

Form: NiCad batteries are available in many common sizes, such as AAA, AA, C, and D. A NiCad cell in these sizes are rated at 1.2V nominal. Capacity varies with cell size; however, the AA samples we used were rated at 1,000 mAh.

Shelf Life: Typical shelf storage losses are approximately 10 percent per month. They should be stored in cool, dry places (not to exceed 85 degrees F). For extended or long-term storage, they should be stored fully discharged. Cells or battery packs left to self-discharge will eventually suffer from the dreaded “memory effect” known as voltage depression due to crystal formation on the cell's electrodes. Anyone old enough to remember MySpace will have used a cordless phone that showed a full charge but, once removed from the charger, immediately died.

Recharging: Proper cycling is important for long cell life. Without getting too technical, this means simply running the pack to a discharged state before recharging again. It's best to fully use a NiCad pack's capacity completely before recharging to ensure the longest pack or cell life.

Crisis Capable?: Because NiCad cells can tolerate a large range of input currents and less-than-ideal charge methods, the ubiquitous “wall wart” household power transformer can accommodate if there's no other option. Practically every household has a few of them sitting in a junk drawer, legacies to devices that no longer work or were long since thrown out. These simple DC power sources can be wired to a simple battery holder available at electronics stores or, if total improvisation is needed, the leads simply taped or held to the batteries themselves.

NiMH

411: Like NiCad cells, nickel metal hydride (or NiMH) is ubiquitous in today's high power electronics, such as two-way radios, professional-grade flashlights, and toys. They're capable of high discharge rates like the NiCad, but not to the same extent. They are capable of rapid charging with proper equipment, and are gradually overtaking NiCad in terms of popularity. Quality NiMH cells are typically good for 500-plus recharge cycles.

Form: Like NiCad, NiMH batteries are available in the typical consumer sizes and at a 1.2V nominal rating. One of the primary differences between NiMH and NiCad cells is the capacity of a NiMH cell of a given size is roughly double. The NiMH AA we tested had a capacity of 2,000 mAh, while the NiCad was only 1,000 mAh.

Shelf Life: NiMH cells generally don't last as long as NiCad. Typically, charge drops off rapidly after the first day, sometimes 5 to 20 percent, then gradually drops to somewhere between 0.5 and 4 percent per day at room temperature. However, there are new NiMH cells out there that claim to be low self-discharge (like the Tenergy cells we sampled) and can maintain a large majority of their charge for over a year. Discharge rates vary greatly with temperature, and if they need to be stored fully charged for long periods. Long-term storage of fully charged packs or cells can be done in the refrigerator, but must be kept in airtight containers to prevent condensation from forming when brought back up to room temperature. These cells are best discharged to 0.9V per cell for long-term storage.

Recharging: It's best to cycle on a monthly basis if stored. If NiMH cells are stored for long periods of time without charge, they may need to be charged at a 1/10C rate and discharged a few times to regain nominal capacity. NiMH have less tendency to develop voltage depression with improper handling, and cycling can reverse this effect to a greater extent than in the NiCad. Note: Generally, it's not ideal to charge NiMH or NiCad cells longer than 24 hours and doing so can promote crystal growth and voltage depression.

Crisis Capable?: There are some inexpensive and unique ways to charge both NiCad and NiMH even with no electricity available. We used the low-cost Sunjack 4 AAA/AA charger that plugs into your USB battery or a small solar charger like the SunTactics Scharger-14 Solar Charger. The Suntactics 14W panel can top off a high-capacity USB battery and charge four AAA batteries at the same time. The AAA batteries take about two to four hours to charge, depending if they are NiCad or NiMH.

Lead Acid/Gel Cell

411: These batteries are the heavy hitters of energy storage. They can be found in everything from handheld spotlights to batteries that run off-grid homes at night. Their ratings are usually in amp-hours (Ah) or reserve capacity (RC) and usually rated nominally at 6 V or 12 V. They're not particularly portable — unless you've won a Strongman Competition or two.

Form: Available in various sizes and capacities. They're capable of sustained moderate current discharge and deep cycling (full discharge) and not to be confused with automotive batteries, which are capable of high current and very intolerant to deep discharge.

Shelf Life: Lead acid batteries have moderate shelf life and, depending on quality and age of the battery, a self-discharge rate of 3 to 20 percent a month. Overall lifespan seems to be approximately three to five years when properly cared for. Generally, 500 to 800 charge cycles can be obtained within that time. Left discharged for long periods of time they can undergo sulfation, or the crystallization of lead sulfate on the battery's plates. Early on, it can be reversible, but continued neglect can cause this to become permanent, and the battery's capacity will degrade over time.

If storing a lead acid battery for extended periods, it's best to keep it on a trickle (float) charger. A simple DC power adapter rated at 12V would be sufficient to tend a fully charged battery. Even an adapter capable of only a couple hundred milliamps can offset the discharge rate of a large battery, provided the adapter never exceeds approximately 14.5 V — higher than that and electrolyte boiling/gassing can occur. In a gel cell and VRLA (valve regulated lead acid battery), this can cause the battery to swell or explode. It's always best to use a proper float charger for long-term storage of this battery type and store in a cool dry place.

Recharging: Charging can be done with a small taper charger. Since lead acid batteries vary so greatly in size and can be quite large, it's important to match charger current to battery. Generally, deep cycle batteries should only be fast charged with a proper tapering current charger. Gel cells are best charged at a 1/10C rate or in some cases slightly faster.

One question that people ask all the time is, “How do I know my battery is charged? I have it hooked up to my generator for 12 hours, and I'm not quite sure.” A deep cycle battery is usually fully charged with a voltage of around 13 V and completely discharged around 12 V.

It's also vital to know approximately how long it'll take to conserve fuel. Deep cycle batteries are usually rated in RC instead of Ah. Reserve capacity is the number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a 25 A discharge. Our test battery had an RC of 140. This means it can deliver 25 A at a useful voltage for 140 minutes. To get a more useful number, we convert to seconds and multiply by 25 A. The resulting number is the charge in ampere-seconds. Then, we divide by 3,600 to get hours, giving us 58.3 Ah. Therefore, if the charge output of our Yamaha EF2000iS generator is 8 A (58.3 divided by 8), we get almost 7.5 hours of solid power.

Crisis Capable?: If power isn't available, they can be easily charged with a generator's secondary DC output, which is usually around 8 A for most manufacturers. There are also many solar charge options available that combine a 50 to 100W panel and small charge controller, such as those manufactured by Renology Solar Suitcase RNG-F-2X50D.

Alkaline Batteries

411: The most common battery for all electronic appliances. Available everywhere, and most people have dozens on hand. Low to very moderate current capability. While most manufacturers won't label the capacity of their cells, their capacity is around 3,000 mAh-plus for quality brands. However, it's important to note that their capacity varies greatly with load. At a 1A draw they may only provide 700 mAh.

Shelf Life: For top quality brands, they could last 10 years or so. It's best to store alkaline batteries in a cool place, but keeping them in the fridge like mom did isn't necessary with today's construction. They self-discharge at a rate of less than 2 percent per year at room temperature. Shelf life will degrade in high temps, though. At 85 degrees F they only lose about 5 percent per year, but at 100 degrees they lose 25 percent per year.

Recharging: Many people don't know that an alkaline battery can actually be recharged. This should be carried out only with a specialized charger. We sampled the Maximal Power FC999 Universal Rapid Charger, which is capable of recharging alkalines. Charging works best if the batteries aren't completely dead. We first saw this type of charger emerge in the mid '80s by a long-gone toy manufacturer. It was the Buddy L Super Charger #8000, which this author still has to this day. While there's little data on how many recharge cycles the batteries can take, it seems to range from a handful of times to a couple dozen depending on use and load. We advise recharging at your own risk and only with brands recommended by the charger's manufacturer or top-quality brands.

Crisis Capable?: Extending your disposable battery supply 10 or more times, and combined with how readily available alkaline batteries are, these specialized chargers are definitely worth considering. In desperate times, you could take other people's dead alkalines and give “good ones” in exchange for other necessities.

Li-Ion (Polymer)

411: While Li-ion batteries are the stuff of science fiction with energy densities that make grown product engineers weep for joy, they must be properly handled, charged, and protected. Please don't use any of the aforementioned charge methods unless you have a proper charger suited specifically to Li-ion batteries. Found in smartphones and other high-tech consumer electronics, they commonly require a constant-current, constant-voltage (CCCV) type of charging algorithm and are not compatible with standard constant-current type methods that the other battery types require. Most of the time, you can't even open a device to access the battery to service it.

Shelf Life: The Li-ion has excellent shelf life. If stored, it should be done so in a partially charged state. Partially discharge a battery to around 50 percent life (usually indicated by the device it's installed in). Depending on battery quality, they can be stored this way for up to a year.

Recharging: Li-ion doesn't suffer from a memory effect as with NiMH and NiCad, and can be recharged up to 1,000 full cycles. It's OK to use a device and recharge the battery even when not completely discharged. These smaller micro cycles do not count as full charge cycles and will not degrade or diminish the battery's charge cycles significantly. A rough example would be if the battery is only brought to 50 percent every use and then recharged, there may be closer to 2,000 recharge cycles available.

If batteries are stored for long periods of time in a discharged state and look as if they have swelled up don't attempt to recharge. This could cause a fire or explosion.

Crisis Capable?: While they probably fare the best for holding a charge over long periods of time and potentially have a thousand more charge cycles compared to other battery types, Li-ion aren't rugged enough or versatile enough to count on during an emergency situation. However, an excellent device to add to your off-grid lifestyle is a ruggedized Li-ion battery that can power USB devices. We used the Limefuel L150XR that includes a 15,000-mAh battery housed in an IP66 water-resistant case and can charge two USB devices at once. The capacity is roughly 10 times that of an average smartphone. Using the SunTactics solar charger we could achieve full charge in a little over 10 hours. This makes a super lightweight rugged power solution for indefinite communications off-grid.

No Li-Ion King

While lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are excellent batteries, their physical and electrical characteristics make them a tough choice in a grid-down situation. Why? Here's a brief look.

Fragile: You can bend them by hand or easily puncture them, potentially causing a “thermal runaway,” or fire. Water can also permanently damage them or cause a fire.

Size Limit: They're usually designed with a specific product in mind, so they don't power other products they weren't designed for — think batteries for smartphones or certain flashlights. I can still use my 1980s electronics today because they run on AA or C batteries. I can't use my first-gen iPad with a dead battery that's barely five years old.

Cell Blocked: Each individual cell is rated at 3.7 V, making combinations less available to power most other electronics. For example, you shouldn't use a 7.2V 2-cell pack to power your 6V (four-AAA-powered) radio.

Tricky Charges: If a Li-ion is even removable from a device (such as with a digital SLR camera), you will notice there are multiple contacts and not just the usual positive and negative. This is because chargers are also specific to each battery and requires cells to be balanced — the extra contact(s) allow each cell to be charged individually. Overcharging can cause immediate damage or fire.

Discharge Distress: Like a maxed-out credit card that's never repaid, a Li-ion battery that's been over-discharged can be ruined. This can occur even after just a couple of times. Fortunately, most electronics designed for these batteries have protection circuitry designed to prevent over-discharge, i.e. The latest smartphones.

About the Author

Robert Swenson is the owner of Mission Technical Services, an IT company specializing computing, networking, and large-scale battery backup/uninterruptible power systems. He studied electrical engineering at Cal State Long Beach. He has built several electric vehicles and has a lifetime of experience with electric radio control modeling.

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

Infographic: Conventional & Guerilla Warfare Strategy

Posted on January 12, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Since the dawn of man, military strategy has been the subject of much analysis. From Genghis Khan to Napoleon, the many great military leaders of history have become renowned for their ingenious tactics and quick decision-making. Only a fool would run headfirst into battle without a plan, and this plan becomes even more important as a battle's scale increases. However, even for individuals and small groups, it's wise to learn military strategy and tactics. These skills can greatly improve your chances of surviving an attack, or of defending yourself against enemies during a survival situation.

Obviously, countless books have been written on warfare strategy, including the ancient and often-quoted Art of War by Sun Tzu. Despite the many innovations and creative solutions that tacticians have developed, conventional warfare still adheres to a general course of actions. A user of Reddit's Military Strategy sub summarized these general tactics with the following flowchart, titled Military Strategy in a Nutshell:

Of course, a smart strategist would not follow this flowchart to the letter, since that would make actions entirely predictable to the enemy. Nevertheless, it provides a solid summary of the general logic used in planning attacks and defense. You may have noticed that the image also refers to guerrilla warfare, which radically changes this combat philosophy, and would likely be most useful in a real survival scenario. Fortunately, the same Reddit user created a second flowchart for guerrilla warfare:

Now, it's entirely possible to poke holes in both these guides. There's no such thing as a perfect warfare strategy — if there was, we'd all be enslaved by whoever figured it out first. But if you don't like either of the two infographics above, not to worry. There's one last guide for you, titled “Military Strategy Flowchart for people who don't like Military Strategy Flowcharts”:

Campi Flegrei Italian Supervolcano Nearing “Critical State”

Posted on January 11, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

The history of Italy is irreversibly linked with volcanoes. Two thousand years ago, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on the central coast of Italy annihilated the city of Pompeii, leaving victims' bodies frozen in ash. In fact, the word volcano is derived from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. These connections are unsurprising, since the country sits atop a literal hotbed of volcanic activity.

Campi flegrei volcano magma lava eruption fire 4

Left: The Campi Flegrei volcanic network. Right: Mount Vesuvius, the volcano which destroyed Pompeii.

One large portion of this ancient volcanic network is known as Campi Flegrei, which roughly translates to “the burning fields”. The region consists of 24 individual craters, plus various geysers and vents, many of which are undersea. The largest concern of all is its location: Campi Flegrei is situated to the west of Naples, Italy, one of the top ten most densely-populated cities in Europe. Approximately 3.1 million people live in the Naples metropolitan area.

Campi flegrei volcano magma lava eruption fire 3

A photo from the International Space Station shows the features of Campi Flegrei. Source: NASA / Wikipedia

This Italian supervolcano has been laying relatively dormant for the last few centuries, but a scientific study published in Nature Communications journal last month indicates that it may be reawakening. In fact, the title of this study presents a worrying conclusion: “Magmas Near the Critical Degassing Pressure Drive Volcanic Unrest Towards a Critical State”. The study's abstract clarifies why this is happening:

“At the [Critical Degassing Pressure] CDP, the abrupt and voluminous release of H₂O-rich magmatic gases can heat hydrothermal fluids and rocks, triggering an accelerating deformation that can ultimately culminate in rock failure and eruption. We propose that magma could be approaching the CDP at Campi Flegrei, a volcano in the metropolitan area of Naples, one of the most densely inhabited areas in the world, and where accelerating deformation and heating are currently being observed.”

Artist Michael Wutky painted this depiction of fumaroles in Campi Flegrei in 1780.

Artist Michael Wutky painted this depiction of fumaroles in Campi Flegrei circa 1780.

The last documented eruption at Campi Flegrei was in 1538, and lasted 8 days, creating a new mountain. Volcanologists admit that the timing of any eruption is impossible to predict, but the data indicates that it's a distinct possibility in the near future. As a result, the Italian government has reportedly raised the supervolcano's threat level from green to yellow, and accelerated geothermal monitoring.

If you're curious about the potential dangers of volcanic activity closer to home, check out our “What If?” article on the Yellowstone supervolcano.

Miguel Caballero Fashion: Discreet Bulletproofing

Posted on January 9, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Few people on earth understand the importance of bulletproof materials better than the citizens of Colombia. This South American country has been rocked by decades of violence due to drug cartels (like the infamous Medellin cartel led by Pablo Escobar) and paramilitary groups. In 1992, this situation led Colombian college student Miguel Caballero to launch a line of fashion apparel with bulletproof properties.

The Baeza Blazer may not look it, but it's bulletproof to NIJ Level II.

The Miguel Caballero Baeza Blazer may not look it, but it's rated as NIJ Level II bulletproof.

The Miguel Caballero company grew rapidly, and is now a leading manufacturer of discreet protective clothing. Many world leaders and celebrities are known to wear Miguel Caballero apparel, including Steven Seagal, twelve unnamed country-leaders in Latin America, and even Barack Obama.

The Miguel Caballero Armor T-shirt recently received a Red Dot award for Product Design.

The Miguel Caballero Armor T-shirt recently received a Red Dot award for innovative Product Design.

Caballero himself isn't shy about testing the bulletproof clothing on live subjects — according to a 2013 Bloomberg article, he has personally shot more than 650 people without inflicting serious injury. He even shot magician David Blaine at point-blank range with a .38 revolver:

In the video above, Blaine is wearing a product that has garnered Miguel Caballero significant attention recently: the Armor T-Shirt. This shirt won a 2016 Red Dot Product Design award in Germany, due to its high-tech and low-profile construction.

Despite weighing about two pounds (depending on size), the Armor T-Shirt is Level II certified by NIJ 0101.06, and can stop a .357 magnum round. It's also moisture- and fire-resistant, and the Thermo-Regulating system is designed to keep the wearer cool and dry. Models are available for both men and women, in black or white fabric, and range in size from XS to XXXL.

Miguel Caballero's latest Armor T-Shirt is certainly impressive, but that protection comes at a cost. It's currently available at an MSRP of $1,540 USD. For more information, check out MiguelCaballero.com/en/.

Frostbite 411: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Posted on January 8, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention

Imagine grabbing a searing-hot pan straight out of the oven. The pain hits you in a split-second, and you jerk your hand away in shock, cursing under your breath as you run your fingers under cool water to soothe the throbbing. The skin becomes red and inflamed, and eventually forms a fluid-filled blister. Eventually, the blister will drain, and the wound will scab over. Permanent scarring may also occur. It's an extremely unpleasant experience, to say the least.

Even young children quickly learn that heat equals pain. Damage from cold, however, is less obvious.

Most of us have been burned at one time or another, leading to an extra level of caution when dealing with extreme heat. However, many Americans are not adequately prepared for the severity of injuries that may occur at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum. Tissue and skin injury from extreme cold is known as frostbite, and its symptoms can be just as destructive as serious burns.

In fact, frostbite may pose an even more insidious threat, since its numbing chill lulls victims into a false sense of security. While it can cause tissue damage and blistering similar to a burn, frostbite won't necessarily produce the instant pain response like our example of grabbing a hot pan. If you're unprepared and unaware of the initial warning signs of frostbite, you or someone you know may fall victim to this dangerous condition this winter.

To adequately defend against frostbite, there are three key points to consider. First, we must diagnose the signs and symptoms of its onset. Second, we need to know how to treat frostbite, and alleviate the damage and pain it causes. Finally, we should prepare ourselves with the gear and mindset to prevent frostbite in the first place. Follow along as we address each of these points below.

Diagnosis

Frostbite snow cold winter man smoking cigarette 12

Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs/medications can impair blood circulation, increasing the risk of frostbite.

Frostbite is a direct byproduct of the human body's natural reaction to extreme cold. In order to preserve its core temperature and protect the vital organs, the body forces blood vessels near the skin's surface to constrict. This consolidates warm blood closer to the core, delaying the onset of hypothermia and keeping you alive. However, it also begins to starve your extremities of blood flow and warmth.

Frostbite snow cold winter medical health 1

Frostbite constricts blood vessels, allowing tissue cells to freeze. Source: Wikipedia / BruceBlaus

The University of Maryland Medical Center explains the biological mechanism:

“At first, the blood vessels alternate between narrowing and widening, to keep the extremities as warm as possible. But under extremely cold conditions, the vessels stop widening. When skin temperature drops low enough, ice crystals can form around and within the cells, freezing tissue and possibly rupturing cells. The lack of circulation that occurs when the body directs blood flow away from the extremities may also cause cell damage.”

Frostbite snow cold winter medical health skin 13

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

Frostbite generally affects exposed skin and extremities, such as the fingers, toes, nose, cheeks, chin, and ears. Much like burns, frostbite has three levels of severity, known as degrees:

First Degree (Frostnip) – The outer layer of skin becomes irritated and begins to freeze, leading to a cold feeling and tingling pain. This soon leads to numbness, as well as a red or blotchy discolored appearance. Damage is usually not permanent at this stage.
Second Degree (Superficial) – Skin will begin to harden as it continues to freeze, but deeper tissue will remain relatively soft. A deceptive sensation of warmth may occur, causing victims to remain unaware of the damage that is occurring. Rewarming at this stage will turn skin blue or purple, and fluid-filled blisters will begin to form within a few days.
Third Degree (Severe) – Freezing will continue from the surface through the deeper tissue layers. Skin will feel very hard and waxy. The victim may lose all feeling in the area, as well as the use of affected joints or muscles as nerves are destroyed by the cold. Rewarming at this stage will result in large blisters, and the skin will turn black and hard. Surgery and/or amputation may be necessary.

Treatment

If the signs of frostbite are recognized, action should be taken immediately to prevent further damage. As you may have guessed, the key to treating frostbite is warmth. However, care must be taken to control the rewarming process, otherwise more damage can be done.

The following infographic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the general recommended steps for treatment of frostbite, which also apply to treating a low core temperature (hypothermia):

In more specific terms, here's the treatment process, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic:

Get emergency medical help, if at all possible. Immediate treatment by medical professionals is always the best-case-scenario.
Protect skin from additional cold and exposure. Get to a warmer location ASAP.
Avoid bending, stretching, or putting pressure on frostbitten skin. DO NOT rub or massage frostbitten skin, it will only cause more damage.
Use ambient temperature or warm water to treat frostbite, rather than direct heat from a fire.
Gently rewarm frostbitten areas by soaking in warm water (99F to 108F). Avoid using direct heat or open flames, as numbness can lead to overheating and burns.
If water is unavailable, use layers of clothing and body heat. For example, hold your hands under your armpits.
Don't allow thawed skin to refreeze. This could make the damage far worse.
Tingling, burning, and redness will indicate that blood flow is returning. Ibuprofen pain medication can be used to reduce swelling and pain.

Again, these steps are not substitutes for proper medical care. If at all possible, see a doctor immediately if blisters occur, as they indicate second- or third-degree frostbite.

Prevention

It should be clear by now that frostbite is a truly miserable condition, so the best plan is to avoid it altogether. Simple preventative measures can go a long way to stave off frostbite, as well as the hypothermia that often follows:

Limit Exposure – If you're outdoors in freezing conditions, frostbite is less a matter of “if” and more a matter of “when”. Take breaks to warm back up, rather than trying to tough out the cold.
Wear Warm Clothing – Mittens or gloves, moisture-wicking socks, ear muffs, a hat or face covering, and layered undergarments will keep you toasty and dry. Avoid apparel that fits too tightly, as it can restrict blood flow and put you at risk.
Food and Drinks – Consume warm food and beverages, and be sure to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol — it may make you feel warm, but it will cause you to lose heat quickly.
Stay Active – Physical activity will dilate blood vessels and keep your blood flowing. However, be careful not to sweat excessively or exhaust yourself, as this will make the situation worse.
Watch for Warning Signs – Pay close attention for the warning signs listed above, even if you feel fine. Noticing frostbite early can help you treat it promptly and recover quickly.

For more information on frostbite how it relates to hypothermia, pick up RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 18, on sale January 27th, 2017. In the 411 column titled “Hypothermia Versus Frostbite”, John Schwartze compares and contrasts the warning signs of these two common winter medical conditions.

How to Make Char Cloth in Aluminum Foil

Posted on January 6, 2017 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In the colder winter months, starting a fire reliably can spell the difference between life and death. This means that you'll need a reliable ignition source, such as matches, a ferrocerium rod, or a lighter. It also means that you'll need tinder that will take a flame quickly, and burn long enough to ignite the kindling wood. One excellent type of tinder for survival situations is known as char cloth — if you're not familiar with it, check out our previous post on “How to Make Char Cloth Fire Starters”.

The traditional method for making char cloth involves a metal tin, typically with a small vent hole punctured in the top. The cotton or jute material is placed inside the tin, which is positioned near the base of the fire. Over the course of 10 to 15 minutes, the heat causes the cloth inside to blacken or char into a highly-volatile tinder material. This method works well, and we've used it many times.

However, what happens if you don't have access to a metal tin? Perhaps you have a tin but don't want it punctured and covered in soot, or maybe you didn't bring one with you in the first place. The following video from Sharp Works shows how to make char cloth in aluminum foil:

The biggest advantage to this technique is that aluminum foil is very lightweight and compact. Folded into a small square in your pack, it will take up far less room than a hard metal tin. Also, aluminum foil can be re-purposed into a container for cooking food or boiling water.

Ideally, you'll want to find some commercial-grade heavy-duty or extra heavy-duty foil, as it will be slightly thicker than the ordinary kitchen variety. This will improve durability, and allow re-use of the same foil multiple times. Even if you don't need it for char cloth, aluminum foil is a great tool to have.