Staying warm during the winter is crucial in order to survive. Without adequate clothing, the human body quickly becomes susceptible to hypothermia and frostbite. The traditional solution is to layer garments, trapping air pockets and slowing the loss of heat. However, modern technology has provided an alternate means of staying warm: the electronically-heated jacket.
One such heated jacket is (appropriately) called the Heacket, produced by Chinese company Meltpartners Outdoors. This jacket has some features that appear promising, and is currently accumulating the funds necessary to begin production via an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign. This campaign has already generated over $32,000, far above the company’s initial $10,000 goal.
The Heacket works via three panels of patented carbon-based soft warming (CSW) fabric, with waterproof heating wire sewn into the material. Speaking of which, the jacket is said to be entirely waterproof (to 6.5 feet immersion) and washable. The heat panels are controlled by a handheld detachable battery pack, which provides four temperature settings:
25% Power – 77°F / 25°C
50% Power – 95°F / 35°C
75% Power – 113°F / 45°C
100% Power – 131°F / 55°C
Futuristic virtual-reality temperature gauge graphics not included.
The company states that the wearer will begin feeling warmth within 3 seconds of powering on the control module, and demonstration videos using a FLIR thermal camera appear to corroborate this claim. The battery is said to last up to 6 hours, and additional batteries are currently available for $39 each.
Early supporters of the IndieGoGo campaign can currently purchase the Heacket with a single battery pack for $119 plus shipping. Once the crowdfunding campaign closes on Tuesday, January 17th, the Heacket will be available at the standard MSRP of $249.
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”:
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.
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.
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 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.
Let’s play a quick game of word association. If we say the word glass, what’s the first word that comes to mind? We’d wager that things like “broken”, “smashed”, “shattered”, and “cracked” are all near the top of the list of words associated with glass. That’s understandable, as glass is one of the more brittle substances we handle on a daily basis. Drop a cup on the kitchen floor, and you’ll see what we mean.
However, glass doesn’t have to be fragile, and innovators in material science have developed new forms of glass that are far more resilient against scratches, cracks, and breakage. Gorilla Glass, developed by Corning, has been used to great effect on smartphone screens for many years. The latest fifth-generation Corning Gorilla Glass is incredibly strong, and works well to protect smartphones and other electronics. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, former hosts of Mythbusters, explain how Gorilla Glass works in this video:
Recently, one of the experimental applications in the video above has become a reality: automotive Gorilla Glass. This high-tech laminated material was introduced officially at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week.
Corning displayed a vehicle they call the Connected Car Prototype, with automotive Gorilla Glass built into the windshield, sun roof, rear window, and side windows. The glass on this prototype is also embedded with an Active Tint layer, which can be changed from crystal clear to almost opaque at the touch of a button. This allows the occupants to instantly tint the windows for improved privacy, and then clear them up for low-light visibility — the best of both worlds.
Aside from the very cool Active Tint feature, the big advantage of automotive Gorilla Glass is its strength. The company states that pound-for-pound, automotive Gorilla Glass is five times tougher than the standard soda lime glass found in car windows today. This has already seen a retail application in the new Ford GT supercar, and is being used in a thinner and lighter form, while still providing more impact-protection and clarity than standard glass.
While it seems that automakers will be using Gorilla Glass primarily as a weight-saving measure for added fuel efficiency, it’s conceivable that extra-thick Gorilla Glass could be installed to provide near-bulletproof levels of chip and crack protection.We’re excited to see how this new glass tech evolves as it makes its way into more production vehicles.
Concealable soft armor is a good option if you're only dealing with handgun calibers. (Photo: Miguel Caballero)
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 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 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/.
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
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 constricts blood vessels, allowing tissue cells to freeze. Source: Wikipedia / BruceBlaus
“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.”
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):
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.
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.
Nighttime visibility is paramount to safety, whether you’re in a dimly-lit urban setting or a pitch-black forest. We’ve said before that we often recommend headlamps, as they enable the user to keep both hands free to manipulate tools, unfold maps, write notes, or use a self-defense weapon. However, during the cold and wet winter months, it’s important to consider the effect the elements will have on your electronics. The last thing you want is for your light to short out or malfunction in the rain or snow.
Black Diamond has addressed this problem with the release of the completely-redesigned Black Diamond Storm headlamp. This new light is rated at IP67, meaning it is sealed against dust and water. Specifically, the light has been tested and certified to withstand total immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. The company says it can even be used in saltwater, and requires no maintenance after submersion. It’s also resilient against a wide range of temperatures, from 0°F (-17°C) to 110°F (43°C).
The new Black Diamond Storm features a central LED cluster, which emits up to 250 lumens of clear white light. The light’s PowerTap controls allow the user to adjust quickly between full and dimmed power by tapping the side of the housing. Additional LEDs to the left and right of the central lens can produce red or green light for night vision, and offer dimming and strobe settings, as well as direct access without powering on the main white light.
Four AAA batteries power the Storm, and a three-level power indicator helps the user monitor power level. A built-in heatsink also keeps the batteries warm to preserve life and maintain functionality in cold environments. Total weight is only 3.9 ounces including batteries, and maximum run time is 250 hours in night vision mode (or 60 hours on full power).
The Black Diamond Storm headlamp is available at an MSRP of $50. For more information, visit BlackDiamondEquipment.com.
Many of us have considered stockpiling shelf-stable food for emergencies — items that won’t go bad for years, even if there’s no electricity to power a refrigerator or freezer. However, what about everyday life? Unless you’re living in an extremely remote area without a reliable power grid, or you just time-traveled here from the 1930s, you probably store your everyday food items in a fridge. So, it’s important to make the most of the food you use on a daily basis, including perishable items like dairy and fresh produce, rather than only considering emergency food storage.
Optimizing your home’s food storage — whether it’s the fridge, freezer, counter, or pantry — will have a dramatic effect on your life. Here are a few key benefits of rethinking your food storage system:
Quick access – Stop digging through disorganized leftovers to find the items you need.
Longer lifespan – Properly stored items won’t spoil as quickly, and you won’t end up with moldy science experiments in the back of your fridge.
Better taste – Fresh food tastes better and retains more nutrients.
Save on groceries – Less spoiled items means less wasted money and fewer trips to the store.
Help the planet – Tossing less food in the trash means less ends up in landfills, and more food is available for those who might otherwise go hungry.
Self Storage Finders created the following infographic that helps visualize food storage and pantry organization. It addresses several important topics, like how to organize your food, which items don’t belong in the fridge, and tips for how to extend the lifespan or regrow vegetables. Check it out below, or click here for a full-size version.
Every industry has its tools of the trade — a logger needs an ax, an electrician needs a multi-meter, a surgeon needs a scalpel. For those who make a living through bar-tending, few tools are more important than a good bottle-opener. Even if you don’t spend much time behind the bar, it’s a useful item to have, and always manages to come in handy at get-togethers. TOPS Knives realized this, and built a tool that combines a compact blade and a convenient bottle-opener. It’s called the Bartender Defender, also known as the de-cap-itator.
Top: the original Bartender Defender. Bottom: the revised Bartender Defender XL.
TOPS released the original Bartender Defender several years ago, and it has been a popular choice for those who needed a bottle opener and small blade. But, over the years the company also received some feedback from customers who wanted a longer blade to work with. So, the Bartender Defender was redesigned, and a new XL version was created.
The Bartender Defender XL may be larger than the original, but not by much. It’s still only 4.63 inches long, or about 8% longer than the standard model. However, the business end was significantly revamped, producing a 2.13-inch upswept blade edge. That’s over 80% more usable edge than the original 0.38-inch blade design.
The bottle opener is still an integral part of the Bartender Defender XL, but has been moved to the spine of the blade. The Kydex neck knife sheath was also redesigned, and now features a cutout for the bottle opener. When you need to open a beverage, you won’t even have to draw the blade, and we’d call that both a safety improvement and ergonomic upgrade.
As opposed to the black wrinkle finish on the original model, the 1095 steel Bartender Defender XL has a smooth tumble finish, with a clear Cerakote to protect against rust. Here are the rest of the key specs for this blade:
