Page 212 – RECOIL OFFGRID

RamRodz Barrel Cleaners

Posted on December 9, 2015 at 6:00 am.

Ever look at a product and wonder how it was invented? Well, if you take one look at RamRodz, you'll know where the inspiration for these firearm cleaning swabs came from: personal hygiene cotton swabs, also called Q-tips. Those little cotton swabs have been around for many years, and work great for everything from cleaning your ears to applying touch-up paint. Essentially, RamRodz are a scaled-up and refined version of this same concept, but specifically for firearm cleaning.

The traditional way of cleaning a barrel involves a long slotted rod with a cotton patch pushed through it, but this is a bit of a hassle if you're working with several calibers and have to repeatedly “thread the needle” with new patches. Fortunately, RamRodz has developed effective and affordable swabs that are caliber-specific. These swabs can be quickly run through your gun's barrel and breech, removing debris from hard-to-reach areas. They're even flexible, so they won't break if you bend them.

RamRodz are available in eight different calibers, each available separately:

.22/.223/5.56mm
.38/9mm/.357/.380
.40/10mm
.44/.45/.410
.50
.30/.308/7.62mm
12 gauge
20 gauge

For more information on these cleaning swabs, visit RamRodz.com or look for them at your local outdoors retailer.

The Art of Building Effective Makeshift Weapons

Posted on December 8, 2015 at 6:08 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Types of Improvised Weapons
Building a Weapon
The Moment of Truth: Using Your Weapon
Learning from the Past
The Filipino Connection
3 Unusual Prison Weapons

Sharp rocks. Arrows. Catapults. Blunderbuss. SCAR-17 rifle. Intercontinental ballistic missiles. Since the dawn of time, man has been crafting weapons. Much like our need for food and shelter, it seems the desire to defend ourselves from harm is ingrained in our DNA — and most of the time our fists and feet just aren't good enough. Take a look at even the most primitive, isolated cultures on earth, and you'll see a plethora of different weapon designs, from simple spears and clubs to more advanced contraptions. It's easy to understand why: In many cultures, to have no weapon is to face an immediate, painful death.

Today, weaponry has evolved considerably beyond the humble spear. In fact, many of us own firearms that are more powerful, durable, and compact than our ancestors could have possibly dreamed. Still, it's easy to become overly reliant on our modern technology, and we rarely consider what might happen if these high-tech weapons malfunction. Or, worse yet, if we found ourselves in a life-and-death situation completely empty handed.

What if you were thrown into a hostile scenario with nothing but your ingenuity and the clothes on your back? Would you have what it takes to create your own weapon and survive?

The mention of improvised weapons may evoke images of wilderness survival TV personalities building overly complex snares or poison darts, but the reality is much simpler. In fact, makeshift weapons have a long history of real-world effectiveness — for example, just look at the prison system. Even in the most Spartan environment imaginable, with limited resources and under near 24/7 observation, convicts have managed to create deadly weapons from combs, toothbrushes, and even toilet paper. It's all about setting one's mind to the task at hand and taking stock of one's resources. Once that happens, weapons will become readily apparent.

Types of Improvised Weapons

Here's a small sample of a few improvised weapons created by untrained survivalists over the course of a few...

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, with all manner of predators (either the two-legged and four-legged variety)? The first step is to take in your surroundings and note what objects are available. Then consider whether those items can be crafted into three classes of improvised weapons: blunt-force, piercing, and projectile. Each category has its advantages and disadvantages:

Blunt-force weapons can be as simple as a rock lashed to a stick. However, don't mistake their lack of complexity...

Blunt-Force Weapons: They're exactly what they sound like — simple, no-nonsense, and absolutely devastating when used correctly. Channel your inner caveman, because the club is one of the most well-known weapons in this category. Maces, staves, batons, and knuckledusterswould also fall into this class, as do kali sticks (for those of you familiar with Filipino martial arts). In a wilderness setting, a solid tree branch would make an excellent blunt-force weapon, while an urban environment might furnish a pipe, 2×4, or even an actual hammer.

This improvised flail features sharp spikes lashed together and tethered to a handle, similar to designs used during...

Piercing Weapons: These are much more versatile for survival situations, but also more difficult to create. These weapons are designed to slash or stab, and include shivs, spears, pikes, knives, and swords. If you're in an urban setting, you'll be likely to find any manner of cutlery, scissors, or even a letter opener to use or modify into a spear. In the wilderness, a simple sharpened stick of any length is a tried-and-true implement of defense.

Projectile weapons, such as this MRE-pouch sling, have proven to be highly effective for both hunting and defense. On...

Projectile Weapons: These tools have better range, but are the most risky to use.Once you've used your weapon, you're left defenseless while you reload, draw another weapon, or make your escape. However, with proper training, these weapons can be deadly. Included in this category are slings, bows, javelins, throwing knives, and bolas.

Keep in mind that any of these categories may be combined for added effectiveness. For example, a shovel, pickaxe, or hatchet would serve as an excellent hybrid of blunt-force and piercing. A tomahawk can be used for hacking and slashing, or thrown for added range. The more weapons you make, the more options you have. The possibilities are as limitless as your ingenuity.

Building a Weapon

Now that you're aware of the differing weapon classes, on to the harder part: how to actually build one. These techniques, and your available resources, will vary greatly between urban and rural environments, so we will address both settings.

Rural environments require more creative use of materials. Bone is lightweight, strong, and easily sharpened, and has...

Urban environments (whether metropolises or small towns) are rife with all sorts of useful manmade materials. Building a weapon from scratch probably won't be necessary here, seeing as how there are many preexisting weapons available — and we're not even talking about guns and machetes. Crowbars, chef's knives, baseball bats, and the like would be relatively easy to obtain. If you find yourself in a place devoid of any effective impromptu weapons and forced to create a more effective tool, plenty of building materials can be found in homes and businesses — duct tape, cable ties, baling wire, and even broken glass.

One key point to remember: In urban settings during a chaotic event, you'll be more likely to run into other people carrying more formidable weapons or guns, making stealth a key to self-defense.

Rural or wilderness environments make it much more difficult to build improvised weapons, primarily due to the lack of manmade materials. Even finding something as simple as cordage to lash a club together can be a struggle. Your primary materials will be stone and wood, so think primitive. Clubs can be formed by lashing a rock to a branch with fibrous vines or bark strips. You can also use twine, paracord, or fabric from your own clothing — whatever is available will (have to) do.

In addition to its obvious use as a binding agent, cordage can be used on weapon handles to provide additional grip and...

Barbed-wire fences can be a real asset, since the sharp wire can serve as both a binding agent and part of the weapon itself. Additionally, the thin stamped steel fence posts found in some areas can serve as a lightweight, strong weapon handle. Other materials to keep an eye out for include nails, bone, shells, and garbage. Something as innocuous as a discarded plastic bag can be repurposed into a sling pouch or cordage.

Many other weapons can be constructed quickly without complex tools. A spear can be formed by working the tip of a branch against a rock, or using a small knife if you happen to have one. If you've got a larger fixed-blade knife, just lash it to the end of a pole for added range. Even if you're not in a wooded area, palm fronds or yucca stalks can be used in place of branches.

Look to nature for creative solutions. This goat carcass's horn was broken off and repurposed into an imposing...

The Moment of Truth: Using Your Weapon

It may still seem unlikely that an improvised weapon would ever be used in modern combat, and we certainly hope that's the case. However, it can and does happen in desperate situations. That's why law enforcement groups worldwide study and document improvised weaponry. Criminals on the run sometimes resort to these tactics, and the fact that armed police officers take these weapons seriously shows their effectiveness.

Just as with any other type of weapon, the element of surprise can yield a major tactical advantage. If you feel threatened enough to use your improvised weapon, and can get the jump on your attacker, do so when possible. The last thing you want is to end up facing an armed aggressor head-on, or to end up outnumbered. Another factor to keep in mind is having a backup plan. Remember, if your primary weapon breaks, you don't want to be left defenseless. Most importantly, know when to back down and when to stay hidden.

An improvised weapon will always be a last-ditch measure — one that you don't want to test out unless you absolutely have to. The moral of this story is not to become a luddite and abandon modern weaponry. In fact, it's wise to embrace the finest weapons the 21st century has to offer. Just don't become overly reliant on this modern technology — you never know when you might be reduced to fighting with sticks and stones.

The key to success is practice. Learn to swing or throw your weapon with precision, and if you ever need to use it to...

Learning from the Past

Learning about ancient weaponry is crucial to creating effective implements of your own. Thousands of years of trial and error went into the designs of many so-called primitive weapons, and it would be foolish to disregard this knowledge.

Online encyclopedias have huge indexes of edged, blunt-force, and projectile weapon designs to study — or you could go old-school and visit your local library. Start with a simple design, and practice building it from materials commonly available in your area. Don't go expecting to build yourself a crossbow under pressure.

Most importantly, learn how to use your weapon of choice as its originators intended. If you study the warfare of the past, you'll be better prepared for anything that comes your way in the future.

The Filipino Connection

If you're a fan of The Bourne Identity, you've probably never looked at a ballpoint pen the same way after watching the first installment of the movie franchise. In the 2002 original, the titular amnesiac spy (played by Matt Damon) dispatches various assassins with the help of all sorts of ordinary objects, including said pen.

Much of the innovative action came courtesy of fight choreographer Jeff Imada, a stuntman and martial artist who borrowed heavily from his background in both Jeet Kune Do (the system founded by Bruce Lee) and eskrima (a Filipino martial art). These systems emphasize adapting to your environment — and your opponent — using any and all means available to you. While eskrima is often considered a blade-and-stick art, its students can apply its combat principles using almost anything they can grasp. Pencils, umbrellas, and even this very magazine rolled up into a tube are potentially lethal improvised weapons in the hands of a skilled eskrima practitioner.

Your name doesn't have to be Jason Bourne for you to develop competency in using everyday objects as self-defense tools. From handheld flashlights to scissors, ordinary items can make the difference between going bare-knuckled and having a distinct tactical advantage in an unexpected emergency.

— By Patrick Vuong

3 Unusual Prison Weapons

When you're caged almost 24/7 for years on end, you have lots of time to ponder both your existence and your death. Therefore, prisoners often get quite creative when it comes to fashioning weapons. Here are three surprising types:

1) Powdered Non-Dairy Creamer Flamethrower: Yes, you read that right. Sodium aluminosilicate is an ingredient added to powdered creamer to keep it from caking. It also can become highly flammable when it is blown into an open flame. Place some creamer in a toilet paper tube, blow on one end with a lit lighter on the other. Voilà, flame on!

2) Chocolate Napalm: Melted chocolate sticks to the skin and is nearly impossible to get off before it scalds — causing serious burns, a lot of pain, and possible disfigurement or worse. Boil a Snickers bar for extra sticky caramel gooeyness.

3) Razor Blade Whip: Tie a shoelace to the end of a stick and, on the other end of the shoelace, string up several razor blades. There you go, a razor blade whip.

— By John Teator

Warning!

Making and using improvised weapons can be inherently dangerous and doing so is at your own risk.

Key Chain Duct Tape

Posted on December 8, 2015 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

We love duct tape. It's extremely useful in a survival situation, whether you're patching a hole in your tent, creating a makeshift bandage, or twisting thin strands into cordage. It's also great to have on hand in everyday life, but you can't exactly fit a full roll in your pocket. Wrapping it around a plastic lighter or pill bottle works fine, but it also may get bulky or peel off over time.

Gearward, a Los Angeles-based EDC gear company, has developed a solution that not only carries the duct tape securely on your keys, but does so in a way that's stylish and sleek. It's aptly named the Keychain Duct Tape, and it's made in the USA out of solid brass or stainless steel. This unique patent-pending design is only the size of a tube of chapstick, and its simple exterior would look right at home next to most ordinary house keys.

The keychain will hold either 18″ of Gorilla tape or 24″ of gaffer's tape, which may not sound like much, but it's plenty for most quick fixes. A 35-yard roll of Gorilla tape costs about $9, and will refill the keychain about 70 times. This can be done easily by hand, or by using a power drill, as seen below (click image to view animation).

That's pretty cool if you ask us, and it makes reloading quick and easy. The Gearward Keychain Duct Tape is currently available for $20, and seems like it would make for a cool add-on to any EDC kit. It never hurts to have spare duct tape on hand, especially when you can do so in a way that's less obvious.

Cracking a Padlock Without Tools

Posted on December 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

If you've ever tried picking a lock, you'll know it's nowhere near as easy as TV shows and movies make it look. There's a lot of technique and practice that goes into opening a lock with picks, and it can be extremely frustrating for a beginner. You can't just jam a paperclip or bobby pin in a lock and twist. However, with some locks, it's much easier than you might imagine. In fact, many of the padlocks in use today can easily be cracked with nothing more than a mallet, knife handle, or even a rock.

Disclaimer: We're certainly not advocating you do anything against the law, so only practice this technique on locks you own. Please don't do anything stupid and/or illegal with this knowledge, and if you do, we are not responsible.

The YouTuber known as BosnianBill has hundreds of lock-related videos, including lock disassembly, rare lock analysis, and how-to videos for a wide array of lockpicking techniques. However, this video might be our favorite yet. In under a minute, he shows how to open a very common Masterlock padlock with no picks or fancy tools, just a small mallet. This technique works with many similar padlock designs—just apply a little pressure with your fingers, and tap rapidly with a hard object.

If you don't believe it's this easy, here's another video of the same technique being performed by some construction workers. Unlike BosnianBill, the guys in this video are clearly not lockpicking experts, but they still manage to open the padlock after only a few minutes.

So, if you ever lose the key to one of your locks, or you're being illegally detained behind a padlocked door or gate, remember this technique. It won't work on some higher-end padlocks, but it's at least worth a try if you have no other options.

Landline Phones: Make the Right Call

Posted on December 6, 2015 at 3:25 pm.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

In This Article

Why Phones Matter When SHTF
The Problem with Cell Phones
The Advantages of Land Lines
Conclusions

Smoke signals, light beacons, messenger pigeons, telegraph—all of these forms of communications tech were widely used, then suddenly abandoned. It's gotten to the point that unless you're reading a history book, you might forget they even existed. For centuries, humankind has followed this pattern of development and obsolescence, and most researchers today would agree that we're teetering on the brink of abandoning yet another form of communication technology: landline phones.

Compared to today's cell phones, this early-1900s “candlestick” phone seems laughably archaic.

Just this month, the CDC released a new survey that indicates nearly 50% of American households no longer use landline phones. Even more striking is the fact that 71% of 24-34 year-olds surveyed solely use cell phones. Younger generations are clearly phasing out landlines, and embracing cell phones and the Internet instead. At this point, you may be thinking, “So what?” or even “good riddance”. However, we're here to tell you that the loss of the landline telephone network poses a major threat in disaster scenarios.

Why Phones Matter When SHTF

First, we need to establish why phone communication (either landline or cellular) is important in a disaster scenario. Many of us may plan to bug out if there's a large-scale disaster, and if you're going to cut and run, you may not think you'd need a phone. However, there are many factors that could make a phone call your best chance for survival.

If seconds matter and you need to communicate, a phone may be the best available option.

Even if you have established a location to meet your friends or family after a disaster—which you absolutely should—things often don't go according to plan. The location you intended to meet at might be inaccessible, overcrowded, or affected by the disaster you're trying to escape. If you need to go to plan B, a single phone call can help you inform friends and family of this change, in case you can't communicate again.

Additionally, if things really go wrong, you may end up with broken bones, a gunshot wound, or other serious injuries that you may not survive without immediate medical care. Even if a phone call to 911 is impossible, you can call someone you trust to come to your aid. Again, you may think you can be self-reliant during a disaster, but emergency communication often becomes necessary whether you like it or not. A quick phone call can make the difference between life and death.

The Problem with Cell Phones

Ask any kid what this outline symbolizes. Most will reply “the send/end button”.

Now that cell phones have been going strong for decades, many people are ready to leave landlines behind. However, cell phones have proven time and time again to be less reliable when SHTF. For example, during Hurricane Sandy, roughly one in four cell towers went out of service, leaving thousands of New York City residents unable to communicate. Even with battery backups, cell phone towers rarely last for more than four to six hours if the power grid is down.

Massive call volumes can easily overwhelm functional cell towers in a disaster.

While backup generators could extend cell tower service for a day or two, cell service providers are reluctant to install them in most towers due to cost. This limited reliability can be compounded by panicked masses making thousands of calls at once, and overloading the few towers that still have power. In the end, if the power grid goes down, you should expect your cell phone to be useless in mere hours, if not sooner.

Even in ideal conditions, cell phone reliability is less than perfect. We've all experienced the frustration of garbled conversations, dropped calls, or text messages that never make it to their intended recipients. Even the GPS data for 911 calls is often unreliable or inaccurate. Then there's the simple issue of phone battery life, which can run out in hours if your device is constantly searching for a signal that's not there. When it really comes down to it, we have traded dependability for portability and convenience, but having a phone in your pocket isn't much use if it can't make calls.

The Advantages of Land Lines

So, what's so great about landlines, anyway? They don't take photos, they don't fit in your pocket, you can't use them in the car, and you can't even play Angry Birds on one. There's a single word that defines why we need landlines, and this word means everything to disaster preparedness: reliability. Hardwired telephones have been in use for well over 100 years, and countless man-hours have been spent on their design, development, and maintenance.

With this long history comes a number of advantages. Essentially, all the bugs have been worked out long ago, and the technology behind landline phones has been fully optimized. There are no software glitches, no SIM cards to swap, no compatibility problems, and no fragile touchscreens to break. There's a handset, a few buttons, and an internally-powered cable that connects to a massive infrastructure of telephone wires.

Willing to make a fragile handheld device your only method of comms? You shouldn't be.

You may notice we mentioned that landline phones feature an internally powered cable. This is one of their largest advantages, as it means that even if your power is out, there's a very good chance you can still make phone calls. Most phone companies have a long-established backup generator system already in place at your local hub, which can keep landline phones operating for a week or more, even if the remainder of the grid is down and your other electronics are long dead.

If you're not sold on paying for a landline for your home, remember that landlines are accessible virtually everywhere in an urban setting. You can call from your office, a payphone (although they're becoming rarer these days), or make 911 calls from just about anywhere with a landline phone jack (even if it's no longer in service for regular calls). Speaking of 911 calls, the operator will receive your location much more reliably with a landline than with a cell phone.

Telephone wires may seem obsolete, but they've been around this long because they're reliable.

Conclusions

So, what can we take away from this? If a major disaster strikes, a cell phone may be good to have for the first hour or two, but it's almost certainly going to fail you after that. You should plan for this, and either have a landline phone at your home, or know a location where you can quickly and easily access one if necessary. Of course, there are alternate means of communication to consider (most importantly, CB and Ham radio), but that's another can of worms for a different day.

For now, don't disregard landline phones as ancient technology. They might just save you when you need it most.

Cold Steel – Another Day in the Office

Posted on December 3, 2015 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

We like finely-crafted knives and blades, but we also recognize they're made to do more than sit in a display case and look pretty. What's the point of a blade if you never use it to cut anything? Cold Steel understands this better than most, since they've been making knives, swords, and other weapons since the early 1980s. And, rather than letting them sit on the shelves, they have fun torture-testing their creations on film for our enjoyment.

One of the latest additions to the Cold Steel YouTube channel is the video below, called “Another Day in the Office”. It features Cold Steel crew member Robert Vaughn putting the Chaos Kukri through its paces, chopping up some rope and lumber. The angled blade on this design is perfect for cutting 2x4s down to size, as Robert demonstrates.

We'll warn you now: if you venture onto Cold Steel's YouTube channel, you'll probably look up at the clock and realize you've been watching knife videos for an hour (or more). That's what always ends up happening to us… but we have no regrets.

Emergency Ration Bar Reviews – Open Bar

Posted on December 2, 2015 at 12:17 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

SOS Food Lab Inc. Apricot New Millennium Energy Bar
SOS Food Lab Inc. Blueberry New Millennium Energy Bar
SOS Food Lab Inc. Coconut New Millennium Energy Bar
Datrex 3600 Calorie Food Bar
SOS Food Lab Inc. Lemon New Millennium Energy Bar
Mainstay Products Inc. 3600 Emergency Food Rations
SOS Food Lab Inc. Raspberry New Millennium Energy Bar
SOS Food Lab Inc. SOS Emergency Food Ration
SOS Food Lab Inc. Vanilla New Millennium Energy Bar
Best-Before Date

It's been a couple of days and help still hasn't arrived. Being stranded, lost, and injured in the middle of nowhere wasn't how you pictured spending your vacation, but here you are. Having the innate sense to be prepared for just about every contingency has always been one of your strengths, and now you're about to benefit from it. With potable water levels dangerously low, food supplies all but exhausted, and your blown-out knee preventing you from hunting or gathering, you turn to your backup's backup plan: the almighty emergency ration bar.

You doubted that you'd ever need them. But because you're a survivor at heart, you weighed your options and figured that a few bars would add another layer of preparedness at the cost of just a few ounces and a negligible amount of pack space. Good thing you did. You can now sustain yourself longer while the search party works its way toward you.

If you've ever handled an emergency ration bar, you know that they feel as dense as bricks when they're sealed airtight in their long-term packaging. These rations contain much of what you need to keep your body and mind functioning and energized for high stress and high-energy survival situations because they're chock full of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and essential minerals.

Also, unlike MREs, which require water for their preparation, ration bars are designed to be consumed as is, no water or cooking required. They're also compact, as well as rated for storage up to five years and to withstand a very wide range of temperatures. As a result, these bars make sense to toss in a car's glovebox or even a bug-home bag in the trunk without worry that they'll spoil.

We took a quick poll around the OFFGRID office and realized that, even though most of us had these bars stashed away for a rainy day, a few of us haven't actually tried eating one yet. That in turn brought up the question, just how do these things really taste? Again risking our taste buds and digestive systems for you, our dear readers, we got nine different flavored ration bars from our friends at Emergency Essentials (www.beprepared.com) for a taste test. After our last taste test of canned meat (OFFGRID issue 6, “Meat Feast”), you may understand why “volunteers” had to be solicited for this assignment. We begged OFFGRID head honcho Patrick Vuong and our amazing bottomless pit of a managing editor, John Schwartze, to join in on our high-octane calorie fest. Because they're gluttons for punishment, they begrudgingly agreed. So read on and enjoy their “we're doing it for journalistic purposes” misery.

SOS Food Lab Inc. Apricot New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut. (Not a Complete List)

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: What do you get when you mix sand, sugar, cake, and a hint of fruit?

Overall: We need to resurrect J. Edgar Hoover, because someone needs to investigate where all the “natural” apricot flavor has gone. This product had the consistency of a 10-day-old coffee cake, the grittiness of a pile of brown sugar, and almost no flavor resembling the yellowy-orange fruit. Perhaps it's just my expectations, but I was sorely disappointed by this one. As a survival ration, I wouldn't say no. But it's definitely going to be sitting at the very back corner of the bottom shelf of my emergency food stores.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: Like eating an apricot-flavored piece of chalk.

Overall: This was very powdery tasting, almost like dehydrated Triaminic. The texture was hard to chew. Could I survive on it? Sure, but I'd probably deplete my water in storage pretty fast since it was so dry. It touts itself as an energy bar, but I think if fitness guru Susan Powter caught me eating one to feel livelier that she'd tell me to stop the insanity. One bar has 49 percent of your daily saturated fat intake, so I think it's best to describe this one as a fruity lead ingot.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: Like walking into a candle store with your mouth wide open.

Overall: If I didn't see the label and you were to ask me what flavor this ration bar was, I'd answer that it was a generic scented candle flavor. It tastes reminiscent of what the candle area at Bed Bath & Beyond smells like. You know that department — with its yoga music and rain sound effects soundtrack, it doesn't have a particular aroma or taste, it's just got a sweet, fruity kind of thing going on. That sums up what this ration bar is like, only that it's also dry and powdery in texture.

SOS Food Lab Inc. Blueberry New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut. (Not a Complete List)

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Like a blueberry muffin that's been left out too long…but is too delicious to pass up.

Overall: Have you ever bought a dozen of the most perfect muffins from your favorite bakery only to curse the heavens a few days later when you realized you forgot to seal the leftovers in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container? That's kinda how I felt biting into this bar. It was dry as sawdust and hard like a Jawbreaker, but, oddly enough, it was pretty good. After a few teeth-rattling bites, the bar crumbled into soft, enjoyable clumps.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: I may have cracked teeth, but at least it tasted good doing it.

Overall: I liked the taste quite a bit, but this was the hardest to chew of the bunch. Not sure if it's coincidence or something inherent to this particular flavor. Would've been quite good had it not been for the hard texture of the bar. I'd grade this one about a C. Points gained for making it appetizing, but points lost for something along the lines of peanut brittle in terms of consistency. Oh well, you can't have everything.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: Dry, but a blueberry-tasting treat.

Overall: This bar may look very similar to the others, but for some reason it seems a bit dryer. It takes a little more effort to bite through this one, but once you do, your taste buds will thank you. It's sweet and has a definite blueberry taste to it. The flavor reminds me of blueberry-flavored pancake syrup from IHOP.

SOS Food Lab Inc. Coconut New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut. (Not a Complete List)

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Coconut? More like Koko B. Ware!

Overall: OK, lame pro-wrestling reference aside, you should be made aware that this ration bar tastes nothing like coconut. “Desiccated coconut” is listed among the ingredients, but little if any registered on my palate. Was it horrible? No, it's definitely more sweet than bland, if a bit gritty. But I just feel disappointed that I wasn't tasting coconut, especially considering I “volunteered” to munch on what looked like a hardened chunk of sand. Am I being too picky about something that is meant to be eaten only during the End Times? Probably. But even the world's last survivors need to get their tropical fruit on from time to time.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: This is coconut flavored? What'd they use, the husk?

Overall: This was on par with the apricot flavored one since it was made by the same company, but coconut isn't really a flavor I picked up when eating this one. Perhaps bland honey or vanilla, but that's it. Although the flavor is misleading, I did like it better than the apricot one. This wasn't too bad, but the texture was definitely not very light. Would resort to this one if I couldn't find one that was easier to chew. Call me crazy, but I'd imagine the chefs (or chemists more likely) who created these aren't Cordon Bleu graduates.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: I don't taste the coconut.

Overall: This bar is supposed to be coconut flavored, but I only taste sugar. The texture is probably as dry as the blueberry version, but flavor wise it's just sweet with little else added. Can I survive on it? Absolutely. Would I choose to buy this flavor again? That's a maybe.

Datrex 3600 Calorie Food Bar

Notable Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Shortening, Cane Sugar, Water, Coconut, and Salt.

Calories Per Bar: 200 (18 bars per pack)

MSRP: $8

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Slightly sweet…then torturously clumpy.

Overall: This comes in one massive brick (which, in a pinch, could be used to smash bandits in the face). Once it's opened, there are 18 individually wrapped bars, each one slightly larger than a domino tile. They had an average cookie taste — until they crumbled and sucked up all the saliva in my mouth to create a chewy paste that reminded me of that time I failed the 60-second saltine cracker challenge. Still, if I were stranded, this would be a solid snack. Side benefit: This could be the healthiest option of this bunch, as its main ingredient is wheat flour and not sugar like the others.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: Middle of the road. Very light texture.

Overall: This one had the lightest texture of any I'd eaten. It was like eating wafer cookies. Taste was OK — mildly sweet, but a bit on the bland side. This would probably be your best choice for kids since the consistency was so soft. I wouldn't pass this one up since it was so easy to get through. If they could find a way to make the taste sweeter, they'd really have something here.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: Looking like a slab of SPAM, this is not at all what I expected.

Overall: Don't judge a high-calorie ration bar by its cover. Who could have guessed that a food called Datrex, which looks like a cross between a slice of SPAM and a slab of granite, could come close to my precious Pepperidge Farm cookies? Well, in my opinion this does come relatively close and tastes better than some things I've tried from Whole Foods. It has a nice very light sweet taste with a slight coconut aftertaste. As amazingly dry as it feels in your mouth, it somehow doesn't give you the need to wash it down with some liquid refreshment — unlike my favorite olde timey cookie

SOS Food Lab Inc. Lemon New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut.(Not a Complete List).

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Like crunching on a rectangular-shaped Lemonhead candy.

Overall: Unlike most of the New Millennium bars, this lemon-flavored option actually tasted like the fruit that's pictured on its wrapper. It had a hint of citrus going in and a surprising tangy aftertaste. There's just one problem: I almost busted my four front teeth trying to bite into it for the first time. Smarting a bit after that first crunch, I shoved the bar back toward my molars, which were able to get the job done. It was good, if hard. Why can't this company make its rations have the same softness (or hardness, in this case)?

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: Pretty good flavor, but hard as a rock.

Overall: I'm usually good with anything lemon, but those initial bites might use up my dental insurance deductible sooner than expected. Not as hard as Corn Nuts, but close. Hard until you start chewing it a few times. Flavor was sort of powdery and diluted with what tasted like Lemonhead candy mixed in. All in all not bad, but was on par with the blueberry for how hard it was.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: This lemon fan is still trying to figure it out.

Overall: I'm a huge fan of lemon-flavored bakery confections. Lemon meringue pie, lemon bars, lemon pound cake, the list goes on and on. Being the lemon fan that I am, I actually looked forward to trying out this ration bar. After a few bites, I was still undecided on whether I like this bar. On one hand, it does undoubtedly taste like lemon. On the other, I think it borders on being so artificially “lemony” that it reminds me of something like Lemon Pledge. While I'm still trying to figure this conundrum out, I've already put a few in my pack for who knows when.

Mainstay Products Inc. 3600 Emergency Food Rations

Notable Ingredients: Enriched Flour, Vegetable Shortening, Granulated Sugar, Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Natural Lemon Flavor, Artificial Butter Flavor.

Calories Per Bar: 400 (9 bars per pack)

MSRP: $10

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Like eating peanut brittle, but without the sweetness, shine, or peanut.

Overall: This reminded me of tungsten: hard as hell until it shatters into a million pieces. Inside this package are nine super-dense slabs of concentrated flour, vitamins, vegetable shortening, sugar, and other “flavors.” The first cube was so hard I feared I'd lose a tooth or two if I bit into it, so I smashed it with the butt-end of a knife. Unfortunately, part of the slab crumbled rather than split up into manageable chunks. I basically had to shovel the mounds of tiny bits into my mouth as if I enjoyed eating sand. The good aspect is that each slab has plenty of nutrients to keep you going in a dire scenario and only 14 grams of sugar (less than half of the New Millennium bars). Plus, an unopened Mainstay package (about the size of square hardcover book) is ridiculously hard and great for throttling raiders.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: Looked tasteless, smelled tasteless, was tasteless.

Overall: This one was somewhere between dried Play-Doh and stale sugar cookies without much sugar. Hardly tasted like anything other than solidified flour. With so many other varieties that actually had some flavor, this would be my last pick. Nothing appealing about this one, and would make survival that much more difficult. I'd recommend this if you couldn't find anything else to live off of, and that's about it.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: It's lightly sweet and even buttery in a survival kind of way.

Overall: Imagine crumbling up a batch of half-baked, dried-out sugar cookies and forming them into a densely packed brick. That's pretty much what you get here. The flavor is not at all bad for a survival food option, but it does want to crumble all over — so be careful not to waste its precious bits when consuming it. Inside the airtight package is a large square chunk, scored into 9 individual pieces. The easy-to-break-off pieces are good for 400 calories of fuel each. One problem is that once that pack is open, there's no way to seal it up other than to try to fold the bag on itself. Each bar is not individually packaged, leaving it up to you to figure out how best to store the leftovers.

SOS Food Lab Inc. Raspberry New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut. (Not a Complete List).

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: A nice treat, and I didn't bust a tooth in the process.

Overall: This bar didn't require a hammer and chisel, so it definitely scores points for being softer than the others. In fact, I could break off a chunk using nothing but my fingers. As for the flavor, it was good — even if it barely tasted like raspberry. A closer look at the packaging reveals that it actually contains plenty o' sugar (as the primary ingredient, it clocks in at a whopping 32 grams per bar!), desiccated coconut (“desiccated” is a fancy word for dehydrated), and natural and artificial flavor (I guess that's where the “hint” of raspberry comes from).

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: Raspberry! Only one brand would give me raspberry … New Millennium!

Overall: The best of the Millennium lot. I love raspberries, though, and you tend to eat with your eyes first, so my opinions may be biased, but it was flavorful. That's the one thing I have to say about the offerings of this company, they definitely give you variety and earn points for that. Texture wasn't bad. Not as hard as some of the others. I'd stock up on these for sure.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: Tastes like this morning's breakfast.

Overall: This bar fits in the cupboard next to my sugary breakfast cereal and breakfast bars. The raspberry flavor is distinct and, like the rest of the bars in this series, plenty sugary. The texture is easier to chew through than most of the other New Millennium Energy Bars, which further pushes Raspberry into the lead of this flavor competition.

SOS Food Lab Inc. SOS Emergency Food Ration

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Enriched Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose. (Not a Complete List).

Calories Per Bar: 410 (9 bars per pack)

MSRP: $8

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Like grandma's cookies, but in the shape of a granola bar.

Overall: The SOS bar tasted surprisingly familiar, like a Christmas cookie made from store-bought dough. Then I looked at the nutritional contents and saw sugar listed as the No. 1 ingredient (31 grams per bar). No wonder my sweet tooth liked it. However, for some reason, the bar and the wrapping inside the packaging was greasy. Not sure if it's due to the partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening (listed as the third ingredient), but I suppose if I were starving in a life raft, the grease would be a moot point. If nothing else, an unopened brick of this brand would make for one wicked improvised blunt weapon.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: First bite tasted like vanilla wafers. Good.

Overall: So this one was the first ration I ever had. Had very low expectations of something hard, salty, tasteless, and completely unpalatable, but was pleasantly surprised. I think if I were to do a blind taste test with some high-end cookies on the market, I might actually choose this one. Sweet, not too dry, and crunchy, but not unchewable. Finished the bar with no problems and actually wanted another. Comes in a block of nine bars about the size of your average granola bar. You could easily survive on these for a while. No complaints at all.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: An enjoyable ration bar option.

Overall: Although it looks and smells very similar to many of the other ration bars, the SOS bars are a bit more cookie-like. The texture is not as hard or dry as the others in this taste test, and the flavor is a bit sugar cookie-like. Each of the nine bars is individually wrapped so stowing them each separately after you open the package shouldn't be a problem.

SOS Food Lab Inc. Vanilla New Millennium Energy Bar

Notable Ingredients: Sugar, Palm Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Desiccated Coconut. (Not a Complete List).

Calories Per Bar: 400

MSRP: $1.50

Tester #1: Patrick Vuong

At First Bite: Yummy, but didn't I eat this one already?

Overall: The taste of vanilla just brings a small smile to my face — and this bar did, too. Relatively soft without being too crumbly, it tasted as good as any pastry or candy bar I might actually buy at the check-out stand. This is the winner of this taste test, in my humble opinion. But oddly enough, this vanilla bar tasted similarly to some of the other new Millennium options, but just better. Hmm, perhaps that's why Disneyland pumps out vanilla scent through vents on Main Street (true story, bro) — because we perceive that smell and taste as familiar and pleasant, yet hard to pinpoint.

Tester #2: John Schwartze

At First Bite: My second favorite of the ones by this particular company

Overall: Texture wasn't too hard and flavor was actually pretty good. I think if I had to stock up on these types of bars, I'd easily go to this one. Was happy to finish the whole thing. Curious why there's such texture differences between flavors though, and if that really has an effect on how hard some are to chew. Thankfully that wasn't the case with this one. Survival actually tasted pleasant this time around.

Tester #3: Martin Anders

At First Bite: It's forgettable, in a vanilla kind of way. (Which is a good thing.)

Overall: If you're going to be eating something day in and day out, you can either go for different big bold flavors in an attempt to not get sick of it, or you can go for a non-descript, forgettable flavor that you might never get sick of. This vanilla is the latter of the two choices. This bar is as basic as you can get.

Best-Before Date

The great thing about ration bars is that they're designed to last a long time under a wide range of temperatures. Many bars can be stored at temperatures ranging from negative 40 degrees up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit without worrying that they'll go bad before you ever need them. (For specific details, take a look at the manufacturers' information.)

All of the emergency ration bars we featured in this taste test list a five-year expiration date. Many of the expiration dates are mandated through certifications, so they might actually last past those printed dates, as well. We do, however, recommend swapping out expired ration bars for new ones. After all, when it comes to food and water, it's always better to be safe than sorry!

Source
Emergency Essentials
www.BePrepared.com

Affordable Winter Off-Road Vehicles

Posted on December 2, 2015 at 6:00 am.

Written by Patrick McCarthy

Whether you're looking for a winter bug-out vehicle or simply a tough off-road rig for the colder months, most of us don't want to spend big bucks on a winter vehicle. After all, many winter vehicles break down or fall victim to rust after a few seasons. So, if you don't have a lot of money to spend, but you still need to take on some rough terrain, what kind of car or truck should you buy?

The guys at Bangshift put together a useful list of winter off-road vehicles to choose from. They're affordable, durable, and they'll get you through the snow, ice, and mud this season. Here are some of our favorites from the list:

Dodge Ram (1994-2001) – large size, strong axles, and a wide array of engines
Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ (1993-1998) – affordable, and “can take a punishment like no other”
Ford Explorer (1991-1994) – very affordable, and reliable with the 4.0L V6

To see the complete list, click here to check out the BangShift article.

Rain Jacket Buyer’s Guide – Let it Pour

Posted on December 1, 2015 at 5:07 pm.

Written by Offgrid Staff

In This Article

Keeping Dry
What to Look for
Rain Jacket Buyers Guide

It's said that Chuck Norris doesn't need an umbrella when it rains, because rain drops avoid him. The average rainfall across the entire United States is estimated at approximately 28 inches per year, with the wettest states enduring over 60 inches per year. The wettest countries in the world drown in an average rainfall of more than 120 inches per year.

Rain is inevitable, so like many things in life, you need to embrace the suck. Or perhaps you enjoy a good downpour. Either way — get yourself a good rain jacket that'll keep you dry…and make you feel like Chuck Norris.

Keeping Dry

Ever since man first walked the Earth, he has surely learned the value of keeping dry. But achieving this while out and about is not so easy. You need to balance the ability to keep rain out with breathability so your body heat and sweat don't get trapped in. On top of that, you also need comfort and mobility.

The ever-inventive ancient Chinese fashioned protection from precipitation in the form of straw rain capes, oiled silk garments, and woven grass and tree leaves. Amazonian Indians figured out how to use extracts from rubber trees to waterproof clothing and footwear. And indigenous Aleuts used seal and whale intestines to craft waterproof jackets, with seams sealed by animal glues. While today's fashionistas would find them hideous, they perfectly foreshadowed modern designs, with the use of semi-permeable membranes (keeping water out while still being breathable) and sealed seams.

Sailors oiled heavy cloth to waterproof it, a concept still found today in waxed and coated fabric jackets, such as the Kuhl shown in this article. But it was during the 1800s that Charles Macintosh, a chemist from Scotland, invented a process to combine rubber with fabric, creating the progenitor of today's modern-day raincoats. His process sandwiched rubber between two layers of fabric, which stopped water, but also air. This was followed by Burberry's gabardine coats, made of finely woven wool that breathed while shedding water. They were also cleverly tailored to allow for strenuous activities.

The rise of synthetic materials paved the way to today's highly refined offerings. Plastic and vinyl were light, cheap, windproof, and waterproof…but lacked breathability — two steps forward, one step back. It was the introduction of Gore-Tex in the 1970s that marked a quantum leap forward. Gore-Tex is a membrane constructed of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, commonly known as Teflon) with pores so small that water droplets can't penetrate, but big enough to allow water vapor to escape. Typically, the membrane is sandwiched between a protective outer layer with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating and an inner layer to prevent the pores from getting oily or dirty and becoming clogged up. These three-layer laminates have served reliably for decades and gave rise to lighter variants with two and two-and-a-half layers — characterized by different treatments on the inner layer.

The Gore-Tex patent expired in the 1990s, opening the doors for other companies to produce their own variations on the theme and also putting downward pressure on prices. As you can see in this product guide, there are now numerous jackets on the market at various price points, made of various different waterproof yet breathable materials.

What to Look for

Soft-shell jackets (as reviewed in RECOIL Issue 11) may be more versatile all-around outerwear, but when you're concerned first and foremost with rain, examine these considerations:

Material: The waterproofing material used in a rain jacket helps determine its water resistance, breathability, durability, and comfort. Most jackets utilize some type of multi-layered expanded PTFE membrane for this, with the specific concoction determining how stiff or soft it is, how breathable it is, and how bombproof it is. The DWR treatment on the exterior provides for the water beading and sheeting effect that is so amusing to watch.

Seams: A rain jacket is only as waterproof as its weakest link. You can have the best material in the world, but if the seams between the panels aren't sealed, you're getting wet. On the inside of a waterproof jacket, you'll typically find strips of tape bonded to the seams where material has been stitched together. As jackets get beat up over time, seams can spring leaks.

Construction and Design: Similarly, the design of the jacket can also affect how dry you'll be when it really starts raining cats and dogs — waterproof zippers with hoods to cover the zipper pull when closed, wrist cuffs with Velcro that cinch tightly, closed versus open pockets, hoods that shield your face effectively without letting much water get inside.

Features: Jackets can be jam-packed with handy features. Zippered side vents can allow for much needed extra ventilation during physical exertion, and if open on the bottom can also provide easier access to a sidearm or other belt-mounted accessories. Pockets are expected, of course, but can be found in a multitude of styles and locations. Hoods can be enhanced with a variety of adjustments, extended bills, and support to maintain their shape.

Fit: You can select a snug fit to make it easier to kit up on top of your jacket and also increase the transfer of water vapor away from your body. Or you can opt for a looser fit, to allow for more layering and provide more insulation and ventilation. As usual, there's no right or wrong, just what is better suited for your application.

Of course, you're always seeking a balance between desired features and functionality, aesthetics, and price — for the types of situations and applications that you anticipate. If you live in Nevada, your needs will be different than if you live in Costa Rica. Peruse the selection of jackets on these pages with an eye toward determining what combination of attributes will best suit your needs.

Finally, don't abuse your rain jacket, and it will reward you with many years of water-shedding service. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to clean it periodically as it gets dirty — oils and particles can clog the pores in the waterproof membrane, reducing its effectiveness. In addition, you may need to occasionally apply a treatment to restore the DWR coating on your jacket's outer layer.

Rain Jacket Buyers Guide

Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket

Material - Gore-Tex Pro
Weight - 1.04 pounds (large)
Colors - Anvil grey, arctic fog (shown), black, chipotle, citron, thalo blue
URL - http://www.arcteryx.com/
The hip-length hard-shell Beta AR has everything you'd expect to find in an Arc'teryx product - premium materials, features, construction, and price.
Beyond Clothing A6 Axios Rain Jacket

Material - Gore-Tex
Weight - 1 pound (large)
Colors-Coyote (shown), multicam
URL - http://www.beyondclothing.com/
Featuring traditional three-layer Gore-Tex, the A6 Axios waterproof shell is lightweight, comfortable, and supple for a hard-shell. It's hip-length and fitted to be worn over other layers.
Blackhawk! Advanced Waterproof Jacket

Material - Polyester
Weight - 1.6 pounds (extra large)
Colors - Black/black (shown), hedge green/citron green, navy/blue
URL - http://www.blackhawk.com/.
Blackhawk's jacket features 100-percent polyester waterproof fabric with additional reinforcement on the shoulders and arms.
Helly Hansen Marstrand Rainjacket

Material - Helly Tech Protection
Weight - 1.1 pounds (large)
Colors - Alert red (shown), antibes, evening blue, silver white
URL - http://www.hellyhansen.com/
The Marstrand jacket is a waterproof wolf in sheep's clothing.
Kuhl Kollusion

Material - Cotton/poly/nylon fabric with polyurethane coating and synthetic wax
Weight - 1.5 pounds (large)
Colors - Carbon, pirate blue, teak (shown)
URL - http://www.kuhl.com/
The stylish and funky Kuhl will have you looking good while brushing off some rain.
Propper Defender Gamma Long Rain Duty Jacket with Drop Tail

Material - HALT (Highly Advanced Laminate Technology) barrier
Weight - 1.9 pounds (extra large)
Colors - Black, LAPD navy (shown)
URL -http://www.propper.com/
Designed in particular for law enforcement, public safety, and fire professionals, the Defender Gamma is a relatively heftier jacket for that purpose.
Tru-Spec H2O Proof All Season Rain Jacket

Material - H2O Proof two-layer
Weight - 0.8 pounds (extra large)
Colors - Black, charcoal grey (shown)
URL - http://www.truspec.com/
The bargain of the group from Tru-Spec features a nylon shell with a two-layer waterproof, windproof, and breathable membrane. It has a surprising number of features - where it counts - for the price.
Under Armour UA Storm Tactical Woven Jacket

Material - UA Storm (water resistant)
Weight - 1.4 pounds (large)
Colors - Black, marine OD green (shown)
URL - http://www.underarmour.com/
Unlike the other jackets shown here, the UA Storm Tactical is rated as water resistant rather than waterproof.
Vertx Integrity Waterproof Shell

Material - 37.5 Technology
Weight - 1.4 pounds (large)
Colors - Law enforcement black
URL - http://www.wearvertx.com/
Vertx's 37.5 Technology gets its name from its goal to maintain body temperature at 37.5 degrees Celsius, for optimum performance.

First-Aid Kit Buyer’s Guide – Med Kit Medley

Posted on December 1, 2015 at 11:13 am.

Written by Offgrid Staff

You've got your bases mostly covered. Food, water, a dozen or so ways to create fire, a fully packed super ninja backpack, batteries, backup batteries, extra backup batteries, and about 10 miles of paracord. What are you forgetting? A first-aid kit? “Nah,” you reply. “I already thought of that and got one from Walmart.”

Well that's all fine and dandy, but how much thought went into that kit? Should you be carrying a potentially life-saving component that you didn't spend more than five minutes deciding on? Medical kits should be taken seriously. We're not saying that you're not serious about your medical care, but when most people shop for medical kits, there's a certain “Ah, that's good enough” kind of attitude attached to it. For most people, buying a first-aid kit just isn't as “fun” as, say, buying a 1,500-lumen flashlight or an awesome new knife. Maybe because buying things that don't come with a Kydex sheath just doesn't get the blood pumping. But you know what? Survival isn't fun.

Many people may choose to create their own medical kits, and kudos to those of you who have the time to do so. Generally, OFFGRID recommends you assemble your own homemade kit, as it'll be customized to exactly what you want and need in an emergency. They do take time to create, however. Researching what you want, sourcing what you need, and finding where to buy it in the right quantities requires time that many people don't have in their busy lives. That's where preassembled medical gear comes in. These pre-fab kits are wonderful at saving time and sometimes (but mostly not) save you money. Someone's got to pay for all that convenience.

Between balancing a job, a spouse, kids, and life in general, we've become fans of off-the-shelf medical kits. They take a lot of the legwork out of putting together a great kit that will work for our requirements. It's important to remember that it's unlikely that any kit will be a 100-percent perfect solution. Specific medications, prescription drugs, medical devices, even disposable contact lenses may be required and added separately.

Be aware of expiration dates. Most newly purchased kits are marked with “use by” dates that are two or three years down the road. That means you need to renew the kits or specific items in the kit every couple of years to keep them up to date. Keep in mind items that you might add yourself (i.e. EpiPens, asthma inhalers, diabetes medications, etc.) might have specific storage requirements and shorter expiration dates.

The kits you choose to store or carry depend on your individual situation. If you're looking for something compact that covers only the essentials to stuff in your already-overloaded three-day go-bag, there's a kit for you. If you're looking for a product that's good for a family hunkered down in a fortified shelter, it'll require a much different kit. Medical packs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and service many different functions. Some are small plastic boxes with handles or come sealed in a bag, while others look like mini backpacks.

Because it can be hard to figure out what's in a medical kit when you're shopping for them at a store or even online, we've taken the guesswork out of the following models to show you exactly what they come with.

First-Aid Kit Buyers Guide

12 Survivors First Aid Roll Up Kit

Weight - 2 pounds, 3 ounces
Dimensions Rolled Up - 15 x 6 x 5.5 inches
Dimensions Opened - 35 x 15 inches
URL - http://www.12survivors.com/
Kit Contains - 1 Emergency blanket
1 Poncho
8 PBT elastic bandages
4 Sterile non-woven gauze pads
2 Wet cleaning wipes
4 BZK antiseptic swabs
4 Alcohol prep pads
1 Pair of PVC gloves
10 Adhesive band-aids
1 Breath mask for mouth to mouth
1 Pair of tweezers
1 Zinc oxide adhesive plaster (tape)
2 Pairs of scissors
1 Tourniquet band
1 Emergency dressing

This kit offers all the first-aid basics in one life-saving heavy-duty nylon medical intervention containing roll.
Camillus Les Stroud Slingpack First Aid Kit

Weight - 1 pound, 2 ounces
Dimensions - 12 x 9 x 5 inches
URL - http://www.camillusknives.com/
Kit Contains - 10 Bandages (1 x 3 inches)
2 Butterfly Wound Closures
2 Gauze Pads (2 x 2 inches)
2 Eye Pad Bandage
1 Extra Large Woven Bandage
1 Stretch Gauze (2 inches x 5 yards)
1 First-Aid Tape Roll
1 Triangular Bandage
4 Ibuprofen Tablets
4 Non-Aspirin Tablets
2 Diphenhydramine (Allergy) Tablet
4 Loperamide (Anti-Diarrhea) Tablets
5 Cotton Tip Applicators
2 Nitrile Exam Gloves
1 Pair of Steel Forceps
1 Pair of Titanium Non-Stick Scissors
1 Les Stroud First Aid Kit Guide

Survivorman's Slingpack First Aid Kit is similar to his aforementioned Triage First Aid Kit, only in a larger package.
Camillus PhysicansCare Les Stroud Triage Frist Aid Kit

Weight - 5.4 ounces
Dimensions - 5 x 6 x 2.5 inches
URL - http://www.camillusknives.com/
Kit Contains - 4 Antiseptic Wipes
4 Alcohol Wipes
1 Hand Sanitizers
2 Burn Cream Packets
2 Antibiotic Ointment Packets
10 Bandages (1 x 3 inches)
2 Butterfly Wound Closures
2 Gauze Pads (2 x 2 inches)
1 Stretch Gauze (2 inches x 5 yards)
1 Extra Large Woven Bandage
1 Triangular Bandage
1 First-Aid Tape Roll
1 Eye Pad Bandage
2 Ibuprofen Tablets
2 Non-Aspirin Tablets
1 Diphenhydramine (Allergy) Tablet
1 Pair of Steel Forceps
1 Mini Scalpel
1 Les Stroud First Aid Kit Guide

The Triage First Aid Kit comes direct from Les Stroud's Signature Series line of first-aid gear by Camillus.
Chinook Medical Gear MinimalistPAK

Weight - 9.2 ounces
Dimensions - 8 x 3.75 x 2.25 inches
URL - http://www.chinookmed.com/
Kit Contains - 1 Stretch Gauze (3 inches x 12 yards)
1 Wound Closure Strips (0.25 x 4 inches)
2 Non-Adherent Dressing (3 x 4 inches)
3 Povidone-Iodine Prep Pad
4 Sterile Gauze Pad (3 x 3 inches)
1 Elastic Bandage Wrap (2 inches x 4.5 yards)
2 Aspirin (Analgesic)
2 Diamode (Anti-diarrheal)
2 Diphen (Antihistamine)
2 Ibuprofen (Anti-inflammatory)
3 Hydrocortisone 1% Cr_me (1.5 grams)
3 Triple Antibiotic
Ointment (0.9 gram)
1 Hydration Powder
1 Tweezers
1 Flat Duct Tape (1.89 inches x 2 yards)

If you're looking to add to an existing med kit of your own or want to go with a minimalist approach to your medical kit, you'll want to take a look at this one.
Chinook Medical Gear Plight of the Living Med IFAK

Colorway - Black, olive drab (shown)
Weight - 1 pound, 8 ounces
Dimensions - 5 x 6.5 x 3.5 inches
URL - http://www.chinookmed.com/ Kit Contains
Chinook has more than 20 years of field medical experience working with U.S. military, government, and law enforcement, and they've taken that experience and put it into a zombie survival individual first-aid kit (IFAK).
Ready America First Aid Kit Value Pack

Weight - 14.8 ounces
Dimensions - 8.25 x 6 x 3 inches
URL - http://www.readyamerica.com/
Kit Contains - 12 Adhesive Bandages (1 x 3 inches)
6 Adhesive Bandages (1 x 3 inches)
12 Adhesive Bandages (3 x 0.75 inches)
6 Adhesive Bandages (1.75 x 3_8 inches)
3 X-Large Strips
2 Knuckle Bandages
2 Fingertip Bandages
2 Butterfly Wound Closures
1 Moleskin (2 x 2 inches)
1 Tape Roll
1 Triangular Arm Bandage
1 Trauma Pad (5 x 9 inches)
1 Eye Pad
4 Gauze Pads (2 x 2 inches)
2 Gauze Pads (3 x 3 inches)
1 Gauze Rolls (2 inches)
2 Examination Gloves
1 Instant Cold Pack
1 Pair of Tweezers
2 Antibiotic Ointment
2 Burn Creams
6 Alcohol Pads
3 Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes
1 Safety Pin
1 First-Aid Guide
1 Case

If you're looking for affordable and weather resistant, you'll be glad to know that this Ready America First Aid Value Pack is only $12 and comes in a rubber-gasket-sealed plastic container.
SOLKOA Survival Systems Medical Module – Core

Weight - 3 ounces
Dimensions - 3 x 5 x 2.25 inches
URL - http://www.fast-fire.com/
Kit Contains - 1 Adhesive Bandages
2 Antiseptic Pads
2 Alcohol Pads
2 Iodine Pads
2 Antibiotic Ointment
1 Topical Ointment
1 Burn Jel
1 Anti-Itch Cream
1 Micro EMT Shears
1 Antihistamine
2 Anti-Diarrheal
2 Electrolyte Tabs
2 Ibuprofen
2 Aspirin
2 Non-Aspirin
1 Scalpel Blade
1 Duct Tape (24 inches)
1 Flat Pack Nylon Stuff Sack

The Medical Module - Core contains supplies for maintaining personal health during an unexpected night stranded in God-knows-where, as well as short-duration emergencies in normal environments.
TSSi TACOPS Emergency Aid Kit

Weight - 1 pound, 12 ounces
Dimensions - 9 x 4.5 x 5 inches
URL - http://store.tssi-ops.com/
Kit Contains - 1 QuickClot LE Combat Gauze
1 Sterile Gauze Pads (4 x 4 inches)
1 Sterile Burn Dressing
1 Emergency Bandage (4 inches)
1 Nitrile Black Large Gloves
1 Combat Application Tourniquet
1 Hypo-Slik Tape (1 inch x 10 yards)
1 Antiseptic Towelettes
1 SAM Splint (36 inches)
1 Elastic Bandage (4 inches x 5 yards)
1 EMT Shears
1 CPR MicroShield
1 Emergency Blanket
1 Survival/First-Aid Card
1 Fabric HD Bandages (7_8 x 3 inches)
1 Fabric HD Knuckle Bandages
1 Fabric HD Fingertip Bandages
1 General Purpose Black Pouch

The TACOPS Emergency Aid Kit (EAK) is designed to give the user the correct medical supplies to treat a variety of moderate to life-threatening injuries.
TSSi TACOPS Range First Aid Kit

Weight - 3 pound, 1.6 ounces
Dimensions - 10.63 x 9.69 x 4.88 inches
URL - http://store.tssi-ops.com/
Kit Contains - Emergency Bandage (4 inches)
1 Emergency Bandage (6 inches)
1 SOF Tactical Tourniquets
1 Cravat/Triangular Bandages (40 x 40 inches)
1 Compressed Gauze
1 Water-Jel (4 x 16 inches)
1 Triple Antibiotic Ointment
1 Adhesive Bandages (7_8 x 3 inches)
1 Large Fingertip Adhesive Bandages
1 Knuckle Adhesive Bandages
1 Chest Seal
1 QuickClot LE Combat Gauze
1 Disposable Gloves
1 Trauma Shears
1 Permanent Felt-Tip Marker (blue)
1 SAM Splint (18 inches)
1 TacNotes (4 x 6 inches)
1 CamoForm Tape (2 x 48 inches)
1 Waterproof Case
1 Basic First-Aid Card
1 CPR Pocket Mask
1 Cleansing Towelettes

The Range First Aid Kit was specifically designed to treat everything from a routine knee scrape to life-threatening injuries that could occur in combat or at tactical training ranges.