The Basics of Long Range Shooting with Apex Training Solutions

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Long range shooting is a skill that many shooters will never pursue, and that's a shame. Before you dismiss it as a niche skill that's only applicable to snipers, consider an analogy  — let's say your friend buys a brand new Lamborghini that's capable of 220 miles per hour, but never once exceeds 65 miles per hour. You'd probably scoff at him and tell him he wasted his money. How many of us own rifles that are capable of accurate hits at 500 yards or more, but almost never shoot beyond 100 yards? Worse still, many guns are relegated to 30-yard indoor ranges. If you've got hardware that's capable of a modicum of precision — you almost certainly do, whether it's a bolt-action hunting rifle or even a 16-inch AR-15 — I'd encourage you to take it out to stretch its legs. You'll learn more about your rifle, the ammunition you're feeding it, the optic that's mounted on it, and most importantly, your own capabilities as a shooter. With this goal in mind, I linked up with the experienced instructors at Apex Training Solutions for a four-day, in-depth course on the basics of long range shooting.

About Apex Training Solutions

Apex Training Solutions is based out of Saint Augustine, Florida, but the class I attended was hosted in Arizona by local firearm instructor Core Dynamics. Apex CEO and founder Damian Knight is a US Marine Corps veteran who started his career in the Recapture Tactics Team, a SWAT team that's part of the US Department of Defense PRP program for nuclear security; later in his career, he served as a Scout Sniper team member and Combat Marksmanship Coach. After leaving active duty, he served as a Defensive Designated Marksman Firearms Instructor for the Department of State in support of the Diplomatic Security Mission at the United States Embassy in Kabul.

Knight designed the curriculum for this course along with Apex's co-founder and Long Range Instructor Francis Santore, who is an active-duty Scout Sniper instructor for the Marine Corps' Urban and Aerial Sniper courses. Santore wasn't able to attend this class due to operational commitments, so Knight was assisted by Austin and Anthony, two other Scout Snipers.

Although long range shooting is one of Apex Training Solutions' specialties, the company offers a variety of other courses that include concealed carry pistol and defensive carbine skills. There's even a School Resource Officer training curriculum to assist those who protect children on a daily basis.

Hardware: Rifle Components

Much like Garand Thumb video, this course began with a “tip to butt” examination of a long range precision rifle. Read on for a high-level overview of some of the critical considerations.

Barrel
While there's a common misconception that a longer barrel equals better accuracy, that's not necessarily the case. However, barrel length does affect the velocity of a round — roughly 50 feet per second per inch — which in turn affects its stability and terminal ballistics. Barrel length of 24 inches or more is typically preferred to maximize velocity, but many shooters are willing to accept the trade-offs of a shorter barrel for improved portability. Muzzle velocity also decreases as a barrel wears out, so you should keep track of your round count (life expectancy is roughly 10,000 rounds for a .308 or 5,000 for a 6.5 Creedmoor). Barrel contour and fluting are also considerations; lighter barrels are easier to carry around, but heat up after only a few shots, leading to diminished accuracy.

Action
Our class focused primarily on bolt-action rifles, although it's certainly also possible to build a semi-auto “gas gun” for long range precision. The Remington 700 short action (or a third-party clone) is a common place to start. It's important not to skimp on your rifle's action, because machining tolerances for precision shooting parts can be as exact as 1/1,000th of an inch — about 1/3 the thickness of a human hair.

Above: Each student learned how to disassemble their rifle's barreled action, and used a torque wrench to confirm that it was securely reinstalled in the chassis or stock.

Chassis
The rifle chassis holds and supports the barreled action, and it can have a substantial effect on accuracy. A good rifle chassis should be able to withstand a firm side impact without the action or set screws moving. The chassis should also allow the barrel to free-float without making contact and affecting its harmonics. Many chassis offer adjustability for cheekpieces and length of pull to tailor the rifle to the shooter, which is important for comfort.

Bipod & Bags
At a minimum, you should have a bipod to support the front of the rifle chassis and shooting bag to support the the buttstock. The bipod should be sturdy and finely adjustable, including tilt to compensate for uneven terrain. The bags should be dense yet pliable enough to squeeze and adjust elevation of the buttstock in small increments. Knight says most bags come from the factory over-filled, so it's usually a good idea to take out a little filling to improve squeezability.

Above: I used bags from Crosstac during this course. They're constructed from a grippy material that helps maintain stable contact with my rifle.

Optic
This is a very deep rabbit hole that could easily constitute its own article, but suffice to say you should choose a high-quality optic from a reputable brand — in many cases, a long range precision optic costs more than the rifle it's mounted on. When selecting an optic, here are some variables to consider:

  • Magnification – In Knight's words, “magnification is not always your friend.” He recommends variable-power optics that cover the 15x magnification range — less than that, and you may not be able to see targets clearly at long distances; more than that, and you may have trouble finding a comfortable head position inside the eye box (more on that term later). Excessive magnification also leads to too much visual focus on the target, and not enough on reticle markings.
  • First Focal Plane vs. Second Focal Plane – A FFP reticle increases in size with magnification, and maintains correct measurements at all magnification settings; an SFP reticle stays the same size, but its measurements are only correct at a predetermined magnification setting (usually full power).
  • Parallax – Adjustable parallax is an important feature for optics with >10x magnification, since it allows you to bring the target into focus at a specific range and get precise impacts. Parallax is usually adjusted with a dial that's marked with distances from 100 or 150 yards to infinity.
  • Eye box – The 3D space behind the optic where you can see a full sight picture; as magnification increases, the eye box gets harder to find.
  • MIL (a.k.a. MRAD) vs. MOA – These are two reticle measurement systems, and are mostly a matter of personal preference; choose the system you're most comfortable with and stick with it.
  • Reticle type – Although a basic MIL Dot reticle gives you the essential information you need, getting accurate hits at long range is easier with a “Christmas tree” reticle that includes a wider grid of markings below the crosshair.

A spotting scope and/or laser rangefinder will also be extremely valuable tools for long range shooting.

Ammunition
Whether you're using off-the-shelf factory ammo or hand-loads, you should always use a chronograph to check average velocity and standard deviation (a measure of the variation between fastest and slowest rounds). Apex Training Solutions says a standard deviation of 15 or lower is good enough, but 10 or lower is preferred. Reaching a S.D. of 5 or less is possible but may require hand-loading. However, before you obsess too much over ammo variance, keep the following variable in mind…

The Shooter
Here's a hard truth: you are the weakest link in any long range shooting setup. Good shooting technique and stability are essential, because even a tiny fraction-of-an-inch deviation of the weapon's position can throw rounds several inches off target at 100 yards, or several feet off target at 1,000 yards.

My Rifle & Supporting Gear

Here's an overview of the rifle and gear I brought to the Long Range 101 & 102 class:

Rifle
Savage 110 Magpul Hunter

Ammunition
Norma Golden Target 6.5 Creedmoor 143gr

Suppressor
JK Armament 155 RCX

Optic
Vortex Razor HD LHT 4.5-22x50mm FFP with XLR-2 MRAD reticle

Optic Mount
Vortex Pro Series 30mm Scope Rings (Medium)

Laser Rangefinder
Vortex Viper HD 3000

Bipod
Magpul Bipod for M-LOK

Bags
Crosstac Ultralight Tactical Rear Squeeze Bag (8 inch, Grip material)

Shooting Mat
Crosstac Precision Long Range Shooting Mat

Tripod
Manfrotto carbon fiber camera tripod with SunwayFoto SM-76 saddle

Tool Kit
Fix It Sticks Long Range Precision Kit with All-In-One Torque Driver

Accessories
Vortex 30mm Bubble Level
HopticUSA Quiver spare round carrier with BC Quiver extension
Crosstac Lockout Sling (QD)

Fundamentals of Long Range Shooting

There are a few common factors for all long range shooting positions:

  • Rifle-to-body connection – The buttstock should be pressed securely against your collarbone (a solid foundation, unlike soft muscle tissue).
  • Cheek weld – Your head should be stable against the rifle and positioned within the optic's eye box.
  • Grip – Knight says this factor is much more important than most new shooters think. According to him, the number one mistake to avoid is wrapping your thumb around the grip like a carbine; the thumb moves slightly with the trigger finger, pulling the gun out of position. Keep your thumb along the top of your hand on the outside of the grip.
  • Support hand position – The non-firing hand should be used to squeeze the rear support bag under the buttstock and fine-tune the rifle's elevation.
  • Body position – Your body should be relaxed and comfortable, because this will lead to repeatable shooting. Tension leads to discomfort, shakes, and misses. From the prone, the rifle should be aligned with your spine; your chest should be off the ground, legs spread apart, and heels flat against the ground to maximize stability.
  • Sight alignment – Your eye should be positioned behind the optic with a full sight picture and no noticeable scope shadow. Scope shadow on one side of the reticle will “push” the bullet's impact towards the opposite side of the reticle.
  • Natural Point of Aim (NPA) – The point where your crosshairs come to rest between breaths. Identify this point once you're fully relaxed; don't try to force the reticle into position.

Above: Instructor Austin demonstrates a stable prone position. His chest is lifted slightly off the ground, and his spine is aligned with the rifle. His support hand controls elevation via the bag beneath the buttstock.

If at any point you need to move, adjust and rebuild your entire position. If you shift one of the elements above without adjusting the others, you can induce tension or instability.

Breath Control
Don't hold your breath! Knight says humans are better adapted to shooting at the “bottom” of a breath after an exhale, rather than straining to keep in air at the “top” of a breath. Inhale, exhale, find the natural point of aim, and repeat until you're ready to fire.

Trigger Control
Press the trigger straight to the rear and follow through, pinning it back until you see an impact. Many pistol and carbine shooters (myself included) will jump off the trigger quickly to find the “wall” and prepare for another shot, but this is a bad habit for long range shooting.

Apex Training Solutions uses the mental checklist BRS — breathe, reticle, squeeze. When you're ready to fire, remember to breathe out, confirm reticle position, and then squeeze the trigger.

Running the Bolt
Without changing your head position or body position at all, keep your dominant side elbow planted and move your shooting hand to the bolt handle to chamber a new round. With a smooth action, you'll only need your thumb and forefinger, so don't induce tension by making a fist or disturb the gun by slamming the bolt forward.

A Shooter's Checklist

Long range shooting is all about consistency, so make every step of the process deliberate. One way to do this is to form a mental checklist — or even a physical list on a notecard — that gives step-by-step instructions for shooting. For example:

  1. Buttstock position
  2. Cheek weld
  3. Body position
  4. Sight alignment
  5. Acquire target and check range
  6. Data and dial (check ballistic data, and dial the optic accordingly)
  7. Set parallax
  8. Check wind
  9. BRS (breathe, reticle, squeeze)
  10. Follow through

Ballistics: The Technical Stuff

This is yet another topic that could easily be broken off into a separate article or book, since it involves a lot of underlying math and physics. However, before you skip ahead, know that you only need a basic understanding of ballistics to get started with long range shooting.

Each bullet's drop is affected by two predominant factors — drag and gravity — as it flies through the air. Gravity is a constant, but drag varies based on a bullet's shape, which can be summarized by a number called ballistic coefficient (BC). Atmospheric conditions such as barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity also play a role; these atmospherics are combined into a single number called Density Altitude (DA). Unlike the actual altitude of your shooting range, the DA (measured in feet) can increase or decrease as temperature, pressure, and humidity change. DA often fluctuates thousands of feet throughout the day as cold morning frost dissipates into afternoon warmth.

The variables above, as well as what you know about your rifle (caliber, muzzle velocity, etc.) and the range to your target, are collectively known as deterministic factors. In other words, these are exact elements we can factor into a ballistic calculation before taking a shot, giving us an idea of the corrections we need to make to hit the target. Thankfully, there are many smartphone apps that can help us do these calculations in seconds — Apex Training Solutions recommends the free Hornady 4DOF ballistic calculator app. The calculation will tell you how many MILs or MOA you need to dial into your scope's elevation turret for each shot.

Above: During the second half of our class, a thunderstorm blew in, producing strong gusty winds and rapidly-changing environmental factors that had to be factored into our ballistic calculators.

Other non-deterministic factors — namely wind — fluctuate every few seconds and are therefore impractical to plug into an exact ballistic calculation. As Apex Training Solutions puts it, compensating for wind is usually one big-ass f**king guess (OBAFG), but it's still an educated guess you need to make. We can estimate the wind using clues such as movement of foliage, blowing dust, and disturbances in the mirage effect in the air. For example, if the mirage appears to be rising straight up from the ground, wind is likely less than 4 miles per hour; if it's moving parallel to the ground, it's 12 miles per hour or more. In addition to wind speed, wind direction also matters. Long range shooters determine wind through a “wind value” system: direct headwind is zero value, wind at a 45-degree angle is half value, and 90-degree wind is full value. So, an 8mph wind at a 45-degree angle would be treated like a 4mph wind.

To compensate for wind, you'll need to hold your crosshairs into the direction the wind is coming from. How much? That can be determined based on a chart from your ballistic app of choice, which will provide MIL or MOA wind holds in increments of a few miles per hour. Some calibers are more sensitive to wind than others; .308 might need to adjust for wind in 4mph increments, while 6.5 Creedmoor may only need 7mph increments (higher velocity projectiles are less affected by wind).

On the Range

We began the practical portion of the Apex Training Solutions class by dismounting each student's optic and confirming that it was mounted level. This is critical for long-range shooting — an optic that's a few degrees out of level may appear zeroed at 100 yards, but the bullet will seem to move laterally as it drops at further distances.

Once our optics were leveled, we secured them on our rifles and re-zeroed our guns from a stable prone position. Once zero was confirmed, we loosened and “floated” our optics' elevation and windage turret caps back to the zero setting. This ensures we can easily return to zero after dialing elevation or windage corrections in the future.

Each student also used a Magnetospeed device to chronograph 10 rounds of our chosen ammo through his or her rifle. My Savage 110 Magpul Hunter with JK Armament suppressor and Norma Golden Target 143-grain 6.5 Creedmoor ammo came in at an average of 2,550 feet per second. The 10-round standard deviation was 14.8 feet per second, which is just below the S.D. of 15 recommended by Apex instructors. It's worth noting that my rifle's 18-inch barrel resulted in noticeably lower muzzle velocity than the 2,723 fps quoted on the box, which was measured on a rifle with a 24-inch barrel. A longer barrel would have improved ballistic performance, but this comes at the expense of increased weight and reduced mobility.

Long Range 101 Drills
For the first drill, called “Build and Break,” each student started in a standing position. On the command, we moved to prone, mentally reviewed the shooter's checklist, and fired one shot. This was repeated 15 times to confirm the consistency of our fundamentals. Difficulty was gradually increased by adding time constraints to this process — 15 seconds, then 12, 10, 8, and finally 6 seconds from standing to one round on target. Unsurprisingly, many of us began dropping our fundamentals as we hurried to get behind our rifles. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance of consistency for every single shot.

We also practiced shooting without a support bag under the gun, proving that it's helpful, but not mandatory. We even tried finding our natural point of aim, closing our eyes, and breaking a shot to prove the importance of NPA. Despite being unable to see the paper target, all the other fundamentals allowed us to continue shooting tight groups.

The 101 portion of the Apex long range shooting class concluded with a final test involving 5 steel targets from 200 to 750 yards. If a shot on any target was missed, it could be re-engaged one time within a 10-second countdown. Based on the ballistic data I calculated for my Savage 110 rifle and Norma 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition, I made a quick list of how many MILs I needed to dial into the optic for each target — for example, 5.6 MIL elevation at 750 yards — and referenced this list before each shot. I ended up hitting the first four targets, but missed twice off the left edge of the last 750-yard target due to an incorrect wind estimate. This told me that my DOPE (data on previous engagements) was correct and my fundamentals were relatively solid, but I needed to be more cautious about wind estimates.

Above: Damian Knight demonstrates a tripod shooting position. By spreading his legs apart, he lowers his head to the rifle without bending at the waist and inducing muscle tension. The support hand is placed on the tripod, not on the rifle.

Long Range 102 Drills
Unlike the first two days, which were spent almost entirely in the prone, the third and fourth days of the course focused on working from other positions. These included standing with rifle supported on a barrier or tripod, high kneeling (one knee up), low kneeling (both knees down), and sitting. We also worked with hard-on-hard (e.g. bipod on a barricade) and hard-on-soft (e.g. rifle on a shooting bag on a barricade) supports; the former tended to bounce and shift more between shots. Compared to prone, there was much more noticeable “wobble zone” as we breathed and the crosshair moved in a figure-eight pattern. The wobble can be reduced through good fundamentals and support, but not eliminated — we learned to accept it and time our shots as the crosshair passed over the target.

Above: In a seated position, it may be helpful to use a bag to fill the space between your elbow and leg. This offers more support.

Drills began with standing shots at 100 yards, a stark reminder of how much our accuracy degraded without the stability of a prone position. We then experimented with the other positions and transitioning between them to increase stability for longer shots. I quickly learned that I'm more comfortable standing behind a tripod or sitting; kneeling caused discomfort and slight muscle tension that led me to miss more.

Above: Our class included a young shooter who quickly got the hang of long-range skills. Soon, he was ringing steel at distances the adults were struggling with.

On the final day of the class, we began incorporating competition-style stages with multiple shots from various positions. This positional complexity was layered on top of the challenge of maintaining fundamentals (don't forget your shooter's checklist!), dialing corrections into our optics, and holding for wind. Students traded off shooter and spotter duties, learning to communicate misses quickly and clearly. “You're low and slightly left” is not very helpful; “hold 0.2 MIL above right shoulder” is much more useful feedback. For quicker and less precise corrections, the clock method also worked well: “hold just off the edge of the target at 2:00.”

Our “final exam” combined all of the skills from the 101 and 102 portions of this four-day Apex Training Solutions class. It consisted of five targets, ranging from a full-size IPSC silhouette at 344 yards to an 8-inch round plate at 784 yards. We had a 4.5-minute time limit to hit each target once, with the same 10-second re-engagement window as before.

Above: An example range card drawn on a white board, illustrating target placement, shape, distance, and shooting order for one drill.

We sketched range cards with illustrations of each target shape and position, plus nearby landmarks (such as a tall cactus or tree) that could help us spot the targets. Some were partially obscured behind brush and difficult to locate, especially under the pressure of a time constraint. Our range cards also included MIL (or MOA) corrections to dial into our optics, corresponding to the range of each target. On top of all of this, we had to shoot each target from a different position — prone, sitting, low kneeling, high kneeling, and standing with a tripod.

Impact!

Coming into this class as a relative novice to the world of long range shooting, I learned a lot about its intricacies and challenges. It's certainly a different experience to shooting a carbine at intermediate range — even when you're chasing sub-1-inch groups at 100 yards, you're not having to consider any of the deterministic or non-deterministic ballistic factors. However, when you perfectly manage the variables and everything falls into place, it's incredibly satisfying to hear your spotter yell “impact!” a split second before the distant ringing of steel reaches your ears. I completely understand the allure of the long range shooting skill set. And, as I mentioned at the start of this article, it's a skill more shooters should pursue. When you can get consistent hits out to 1,000 yards, doing it at 100 yards will feel like child's play.

If you'd like to take a long range shooting class with Apex Training Solutions — whether it's their 101, 102, or the more advanced 103 curriculum — you can go to www.usapextrainingsolutions.com to check their course calendar.

4Runner Upgrades: Westcott Roof Rack, Baja Designs Lights, & sPOD

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Hiking, camping, shooting, and off-roading — these are a few of our favorite things. Even if you're not a custom vehicle enthusiast, it's hard to deny the value that a well-equipped truck brings to each of these outdoor activities. It offers the space to load up all the gear you want, the ruggedness to make it through mud and snow, and the emergency supplies you need if you get stuck or injured. Essentially, it offers the freedom to go on a variety of adventures. This was the realization that led me to start our Toyota 4Runner overland vehicle project, which began with the installation of off-grid communication and navigation equipment inside the cab. The next phase involves some more noticeable upgrades: a Westcott Designs roof rack, an array of Baja Designs LED lights, and an sPOD system to control the onboard electronics.

Function Over Fashion

Above: Here's a photo of the 4Runner in stock form shortly after I purchased it.

Plenty of guys like to upgrade their trucks with heavy-duty roof racks piled high with recovery gear and enough LED lights to resemble one of the UFOs from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There's nothing wrong with these flashy builds, but personally, I prefer the “less is more” approach. So, I started the exterior upgrades with a Lo-Pro roof rack from local Arizona truck parts manufacturer Westcott Designs. This offers expandability for a variety of gear and accessories in the future — awnings, rooftop tents, rifle cases, mountain bikes, and so on — but maintains a sleek appearance.

Lighting was next on my wishlist. I live in an area where streetlights are few and far between, and I often drive to remote locations where it gets extremely dark after sunset. Light makes any nighttime activity easier, whether it's cleaning up gear after an evening range session or attempting to navigate a narrow trail back to the main road. My 2022 4Runner's stock Bi-LED headlight low beams are good, but the high beam only moves a shutter to adjust the light pattern; it barely makes a difference in a truly dark environment. So, I reached out to Baja Designs for a few auxiliary LED lights that will massively increase the truck's available light output.

These include amber lights in the bumper and grille to cut through dust and fog, a 40-inch white light bar on the roof rack to replace the puny factory high beam, and a pair of rear-facing area lights that double as high-powered hazard/strobe lights.

Above: The sPOD BantamX Touchscreen kit serves as an electronic brain that simplifies the wiring and management of electronic accessories. I'm using it primarily for lights, but it can also control up to 8 items such as refrigerators, air compressors, radios, backup power stations, and all kinds of other vehicle-mounted gear.

Wiring four sets of auxiliary lights could easily lead to a rat's nest of wires under the hood; that's not only ugly, it's a huge headache to install and troubleshoot. I decided to alleviate this problem by installing an sPOD BantamX, which conveniently manages all the lighting connections (and other electronic accessories) in a single unit that mounts in the engine bay atop the fuse box. The BantamX unit is then simply connected with a single wire to an sPOD touchscreen controller inside the truck, allowing me to activate any or all of the lights. It also adds dimming, strobe, automatic shut-off timer, and many other smart functions (more on that later).

Baja Designs Lights

I began this project by planning out the lights I needed using Baja Designs' lighting zones framework. The 4Runner's stock high beam will be supplemented by a long-distance light (Zone 4); I chose a 40-inch OnX6+ light bar that would be mounted on the roof rack. This high mounting position ensures it clears low brush and other obstructions near ground level. I went with a Driving/Combo beam pattern since I still wanted the versatility of some spill, as opposed to a tightly-focused spotlight. This bar produces an insane 38,900 lumens with an average rated lifespan of nearly 50,000 hours — that's more than 5 years of continuous runtime.

Next, I wanted some driving lights for navigating tighter trails where the immense power of a 40-inch OnX6+ would be overkill. To maintain a stealthier appearance and reduce the likelihood of theft, I decided to mount a 20-inch Baja Designs S8 light bar behind the grille. This covers Baja Designs' Zone 3 with a “primary driving light” pattern. I recently upgraded the 4Runner to a white TRD-Pro-style grille from Trail Standard Offroad, which deletes the Toyota emblem and chrome strips that block the upper grille on TRD Offroad models like mine. That modification made it possible to place the S8 inside the upper grille using light bar brackets from SDHQ.

Above: The 20-inch light bar is barely visible when it's turned off, but shines through the upper grille clearly once it's powered on.

I supplemented the grille light bar with a drop-in Toyota 4Runner Fog Pocket Light Kit from Baja Designs. This includes a pair of Squadron Sport lights with Wide Driving pattern lenses (covering Zone 2 / cornering light) , plus brackets and wiring connectors to install them in place of the factory fog lights. I used the brackets, but opted to connect these lights to the sPOD system for independent control, rather than using them with the truck's factory fog light button (which is only active when the headlights are turned on). These Squadron fog lights add an even wider spread of light to illuminate both sides of the road and any obstacles immediately in front of the truck.

Finally, I selected a pair of S2 Sport reverse lights with a wide cornering beam pattern. While it's possible to mount these beneath the rear bumper or flush-mount them in the bumper itself, I decided to place them higher up at the back of the roof rack.

These Wide Cornering work lights can be used for backing up in extremely dark places, camping or working around the rear of the truck, or even as a way to alert vehicles of a roadside emergency. The latter function is especially useful with the sPOD's strobe setting.

Above: The S2 Sport lights are angled down slightly to project light over the edge of the spoiler at the top of the 4Runner's hatch. Clearance is very tight with the hatch open, but they don't make contact.

A Note on Amber Lighting

Above: A color temperature scale and LED example diagram from Baja Designs.

Why are yellow or amber lights so popular in the off-road and overland market? Well, as some of you may already know, amber lights help with visibility in less-than-ideal conditions — dust, rain, fog, and snow. However, the reason behind this is a little more complicated. The human eye is adapted to see best in daylight, which is equivalent to approximately 5,000 Kelvin on a color temperature scale. As light becomes more blue (higher than 5,000K temperature values) it can cause fatigue and eye strain to gradually build up. In a video on the Baja Designs YouTube channel, an engineer explains that yellow light (lower than 5,000K) results in “less optical workload to register and define what's in your environment.” While amber lights don't physically cut through dust particles or raindrops better, they do help your brain process visual data more easily despite haze or reduced contrast.

Technically, Baja Designs “amber” lights aren't true amber. They're selective yellow, or approximately 3,000K color temperature. The term amber is used because that's the industry standard for off-road lights in this portion of the color spectrum. Many amber lights on the market are more orange, but Baja Designs says that color has a detrimental effect on lumen output. As light enters the orange and red portion of the color spectrum, it can become harder to recognize objects we're used to seeing in daylight, so you wouldn't want to go too far into the “warm” end of the spectrum. Selective yellow is similar enough to daylight with the added advantage of enhanced visibility in inclement conditions.

Westcott Designs 4Runner Lo-Pro Roof Rack

I'm a big believer in supporting local businesses whenever it's possible — I'd rather help those who are bringing jobs and revenue to the local economy, as opposed to those who outsource it overseas. So, when I learned that Westcott Designs was only a short trip from my home in Arizona, I decided to head over and check out their shop. They gave me a tour of their manufacturing facility in Phoenix, AZ, and showed me some of the metalwork that goes into building rock sliders, roof racks, bed racks, spare tire carriers, and other off-road vehicle parts. From raw sheet metal to cutting and welding to the powder-coated final product, everything is done in-house.

Above: The workshop at Westcott Designs is full of beautiful metalwork, such as these TIG-welded 2022 Tundra rock sliders that were about to head off to the powdercoating booth.

Westcott Designs offers two roof rack styles for the 5th Gen 4Runner: the standard Modular Rack and the Lo-Pro Rack. Both are constructed from lightweight aluminum with sturdy steel mounting brackets. I selected the latter design, and pulled my truck into one of Westcott's shop bays to have it installed. First, the rack was loosely assembled on the ground with all slotted crossbars in place.

Various wind deflector options are available to accommodate aftermarket light bars from 40 to 44 inches or arrays of individual lights (ten 4-inch lights or six 6-inch lights). I selected the 40-inch cutout visor option, and Westcott employee Jesus got started on assembling it with the OnX6+ light bar. Tracks on the back side of the wind deflector allowed him to secure the wiring harness out of sight.

After an appropriate amount of 10-gauge wire was measured and cut to reach from the light bar into the engine bay, Jesus coated it in a combination of wire loom and heatshrink to protect it from the elements.

Moving to the rear of the rack, the S2 Sport reverse lights were mocked up on the rearmost bar. The hardware was left finger-tight, since these would need to be adjusted later.

Jesus removed the factory Toyota roof rack, and applied weather-resistant sealant around the bolt holes to prepare for the Westcott Designs rack. This new rack is a no-drill design, so it reuses the original mounting points on the roof.

A few extra helpers stepped in to lift the Lo-Pro roof rack onto my 4Runner. It's not heavy — only 44 pounds — but we didn't want it accidentally scratching the roof as we maneuvered it over the truck.

Finally, Jesus lifted the visor and light bar into position, and tightened the remaining hardware to secure the rack and visor. The angle of the light bar was also set at this point by tightening the bolts on either end.

The final step was to route the wires from the three lights (OnX6+ and dual S2 Sports) down into the engine bay. A protective rubber channel was adhered along the edge of the A-pillar, and the wiring harnesses were routed through the channel and under the hood.

sPOD BantamX Installation

The flat top of the 4Runner's fuse box provides a perfect mounting location for the sPOD BantamX. The positive and ground wires from the lights will be connected to four of the eight switch terminals on the BantamX unit, leaving four terminals open for future upgrades. Jesus started by using the included template and a punch to mark the drilling locations onto the fuse box lid.

Next, the lid was removed and drilled in the appropriate locations. The BantamX was attached using the included screws.

Since the BantamX is connected to the sPOD Touchscreen controller inside the cab by a single Ethernet cable, we only needed to run one wire into the truck's interior. That certainly beats running eight wires to four traditional switches. There's a second Ethernet cable port on the BantamX so it can be daisy-chained to another unit, expanding up to 4 daisy-chained BantamX units with 32 switches.

The power wire from the BantamX was connected to the battery, with an in-line fuse attached to the engine bay wall near the fuse box. The ground wire was also attached to a nearby ground point. To connect the individual positive and ground wires from the light bars, Jesus crimped the included spade connectors onto the end of each wire and secured them to each + and – screw terminal.

Inside the 4Runner, the other end of the Ethernet cable was routed through the firewall and up to the left side of the dash. We decided to mount the sPOD Touchscreen on a removable trim panel to the left of the gauge cluster for easy access. The position was marked onto masking tape, then the panel was removed and drilled out.

Once the controller was mounted and plugged in, we started the engine to boot up the sPOD system (it won't start under ignition power alone on the first boot-up). The full-color screen turned on, and we confirmed that pressing each switch activated the appropriate lights.

There are many options for customization, including renaming the switches, changing icons, and even linking multiple switches together. Some features can be accessed through the built-in menu, but since the sPOD has Bluetooth, it's easier to configure it through the sPOD mobile app. The app also allows for firmware updates and access to “Pro-Series” functions for a one-time $30 fee — these include advanced functions such as circuit timers, variable strobe settings, and programmable ignition control. The Pro app isn't mandatory, but it was worth the upgrade for our needs.

I configured my sPOD with custom names and icons for the four Baja Designs lights. Each switch shows the light's amp draw in the bottom corner, and turning on “Off Road” mode enables flash or strobe functions. A slider on the right side of the screen allows each light to be dimmed from 100% to 1%. The controller also displays battery voltage and the temperature of the BantamX unit under the hood.

If I ever forget to turn off a light, the unit will automatically shut off once voltage drops below a set threshold; this prevents the battery from draining completely and rendering the truck unable to start. And if there's a short or current spike, the self-healing fault protection system will kick in to turn off the offending switch without blowing a fuse.

The Road Ahead

These upgrades feel like a substantial step forward for our OFFGRID 4Runner project. The Baja Designs lights have already proven themselves valuable by cutting through rainstorms and dust like a hot knife through butter. The sPOD controller makes it possible to dim the output and transform any of the LEDs into area lights at a campsite, or to send them into full strobe mode for signaling. Beyond this, I've barely scratched the surface of the incredible amount of customization offered by the sPOD touchscreen and mobile app. As for the Westcott Designs roof rack, it's a good-looking, rock-solid platform for these lights as well as future upgrades — I plan to add an awning, locking cargo case, and some basic recovery tools onto the rack in the near future.

SOURCES

A New Path: A Custom F-250 Built for a Triple-Amputee EOD Veteran

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Andrew Bottrell’s life changed instantly on October 1, 2011. Less than four months earlier, he deployed to Afghanistan as a U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tech attached to SEAL Team 10. On that fateful day, the vehicle Bottrell was riding in was struck by a roadside IED. In the wake of the explosion, he realized he had sustained severe injuries to his left arm and both legs — this would result in the amputation of all three limbs. As he spent the following months enduring painful physical therapy and learning to use his new prosthetics, he maintained a strong sense of determination. “Always dominate your life — do not let your life dictate what you do or how you live. If you do not like your situation, change it. Do not blame somebody else for it and do not wait for somebody else to do something about it.”

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 65 of our sister publication, Recoil magazine. | Photos by Iain Harrison

A Super Duty Built for a Unique Purpose

In 2018, Richard Harrison (aka The Old Man) of the famous TV series Pawn Stars passed away. He was a Navy veteran and loved vehicles, so his son Rick Harrison decided to give a custom truck to a wounded Navy vet in his father’s memory. Rick teamed up with Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) to accomplish this goal; Bottrell was nominated by the EOD Warrior Foundation and eventually chosen.

Above: Hunting is one of Bottrell’s favorite hobbies, so he enjoys having a truck that serves as a comfortable base of operations in remote areas. Adding a Skin It Rite gambrel to the crane allows him to skin game easily.

WWFS had built custom trucks for other wounded veterans in the past, so they approached Bottrell and offered him a new 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty with hand controls, an automatic wheelchair lift, and any other modifications to make his life easier. Bottrell explained that he doesn’t own a wheelchair, and they replied, “Well, what would you like to have added to your truck?” After he put together a wish list, WWFS started on the build.

First, Bottrell’s F-250 was sent to Kelderman in Iowa to receive a variety of the company’s air suspension upgrades. The front suspension was replaced with a Kelderman 2-stage stock height kit, and the rear suspension was swapped out for a stock height 4-link system. An Air Lift control system was also installed, along with dual compressors in a weather-resistant box, two 3-gallon air tanks, sensors, wiring, and more. Bottrell says, “It’s like riding on a cloud — it’s so smooth.”

Above: The Kelderman adjustable air suspension allows this F-250 to ride smoothly, both on and off road, regardless of how much weight is loaded into the bed.

The next stop was at Nuthouse Industries in Ohio, where it received a Tech 3 Series Expedition Bed Rack equipped with numerous accessories. One side of the rack features two Rotopax diesel containers and a water container; the other side carries another water container plus two 18-inch Nut Shell modular storage boxes. The first box contains the brain of the Super Duty’s auxiliary power system, a Xantrex charger/inverter, which is linked to the truck’s alternator and four Dragonfly Energy LiFePO4 batteries in the bed. This system provides 400 amp-hours of power, which is accessible from a power strip inside the second Nut Shell box.

Above: One Nut Shell container houses a battery monitor, circuit breaker, and master power switch for the four onboard LiFePO4 batteries. Those batteries are hidden between the outer walls of the TruckVault drawer system and the inner walls of the truck bed.

This electricity can be used to power a SpitzLift DC-powered crane in the bed, allowing Bottrell to lift heavy gear in and out of the truck, or even suspend a deer for gutting and skinning after a hunt. The batteries also power the deluxe lighting package Nuthouse Industries installed on its rack, a Dometic CFX100 fridge-freezer for camping trips, and various other small electronics. The fridge typically sits alongside a Canyon Coolers Navigator on a Cargoglide sliding platform, which is bolted to the top of the TruckVault locking drawer system. Nuthouse also installed Fab Fours bumpers, Warn winch, Rigid Industries LED lights, and even ported air from the Kelderman tanks so Bottrell can re-inflate his truck’s tires on the trail. In case of emergencies in remote locations, a WeBoost cell phone network extender and a Garmin InReach satellite communicator ensure he can always call for help.

Above: Each side of the Nuthouse Industries bed rack is equipped with storage for fuel or water tanks and other gear. It’s also equipped with area lighting for nighttime activities.

Finally, Bottrell had an iKamper rooftop tent and a Bush Company 270-degree awning attached to the top of the rack, making the truck a comfortable base camp for multi-day outings. But even without the spacious tent, Bottrell pointed out one upside to having detachable limbs: “I disassemble, so I can stretch out on the back seat to sleep.”

Above: The power-operated SpitzLift crane swings out and extends up to 4 feet, helping Andrew Bottrell hoist coolers and other heavy items into the bed or the TruckVault drawers. With a mast extension, it can also lift the rooftop tent off the top of the rack.

With all these upgrades, Bottrell’s F-250 is equipped with everything he needs for an active lifestyle off the grid — spare fuel, shelter, water, cold food and drinks, lighting, and more than enough juice to run power tools and other electronics. So far, he has used the F-250 to hunt wild pigs with his dad in central California, hunt elk in Montana, and hunt Nilgai antelope in Texas, as well as for several cross-country road trips.

Although losing three limbs wasn’t the path Bottrell anticipated taking in life, he hasn’t let that stop him or even slow him down. He’s thankful for the new truck that has made it easier for him to enjoy adventures with his family and friends.

2019 Ford F-250 Lariat Sport 4×4 Specifications

Drivetrain: 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V-8 with hand controls and a Titan 55-gallon fuel tank

Suspension: Kelderman 2-Stage front and 4-link rear air suspension, Air Lift 3H Electronic Air Control System, dual air compressors, dual 3-gallon air tanks

Wheels & Tires: Stock 20-inch wheels with 285/65R20 BFGoodrich KO2 tires

Body Modifications: Nuthouse Industries Tech 3 Series Expedition Bed Rack with Nut Shell storage boxes, Rotopax plates, and Maxtrax mounts; TruckVault Field Ranger bed drawer system, CargoGlide CG1000XL bed slide, Fab Fours Matrix front bumper and Vengeance rear bumper, iKamper xCover rooftop tent, Bush Company 270 XT awning

Electronics: Four 100-amp-hour Dragonfly Energy heated 12-volt LiFePO4 batteries with Xantrex Freedom XC 2000-watt inverter/charger and custom power box containing a Victron Energy battery monitor, Blue Sea Systems circuit breakers, and a power strip; SpitzLift LTD-4QRT 4-foot DC-powered crane, Rigid Industries bumper lights, Nuthouse Industries deluxe bed rack lighting package, Dometic CFX100 fridge/freezer, Warn Zeon 12-S Platinum winch

Interior Upgrades: Console Vault center console safe, Greyman Tactical seat back MOLLE panels, Garmin Navigator tablet on a Ram Mount, WeBoost cell phone network extender

Owner: Andrew Bottrell – San Diego, CA

Special Thanks: Wounded Warriors Family Support, Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars, Nuthouse Industries, and Dragonfly Energy

Pocket Preps: Serrated Knife Buyer’s Guide

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When it comes to serrated blades, there are two schools of thought: Those who love them and those who think they’re only good for cutting into a loaf of bread. Gluten tolerances aside, let’s look at a few knives that are fully or partially serrated. A wise knifemaker once made the very logical and coherent argument that “if a blade is properly ground and sharpened, you don’t need serrations.” He was right, to a point. If you solely use your knives for opening cardboard boxes, shaving arm hair to impress your friends, slicing pepperoni, or opening envelopes, then you probably don’t need a serrated knife. If you take your knives to realms beyond that in hard use, you may appreciate the benefits of a serrated or partially serrated blades.

If you’ve heard about carbides in steel, the actual microscopic components that allow your steel blade to cut, you may have heard them described as resembling shark’s teeth or serrations when viewed under a microscope. A serrated blade magnifies this concept and improves upon it.

Some blades are completely serrated from tip to hilt. These are usually special-purpose blades designed for rescue or similar tasks that involve a lot of cutting of fabric or thick ropes in a maritime environment that’ll quickly dull a typical non-serrated knife.

Outside of those duties, there are other options in the form of partially serrated blades or blades that have serrations on the spine. A partially serrated knife can give the user the best of both worlds. You can make a clean cut with the straight edge or turn to the serrations for more serious work. Many users of partially serrated blades in the military have noted that when the non-serrated edge had dulled, the serrations kept on cutting with no problem.

Serrations on the spine make a lot of sense on a fixed blade in most cases. Use the non-serrated blade for most normal tasks but should you need to use your knife to cut sisal rope, the aluminum fuselage of an aircraft, or anything else that will not yield to the plain edge of your knife. The only drawback here can be some overly zealous handle shapes that may prevent you from turning the knife over in your hand to use the back edge like a saw.

The bias against serrations can be understood from a custom knife collector’s standpoint as it alters the clean lines of the blade. Yet, don’t let that mentality cloud your vision as a user if you’re looking for something to keep you going in the great outdoors.

Skallywag Tactical Dive/Rescue Tool

Handle Material
440C

Blade Steel
440C

Blade Length
2.25 inches

Overall length
8.25 inches

Weight
4.3 ounces

Price
$125

URL
skallywagtactical.com

Notes
Part karambit, part probe point and all serrated, this blade wreaks havoc on just about any material you throw at it short of other steels and the like. This one-piece blade is completely constructed of 440C stainless steel and has a black PVD coating. The Kydex sheath is well made and firmly secures the knife, but its hardware may be prone to rusting if left in a maritime environment for extended periods of time. This knife represents a great bargain with an MSRP of $125. That’s not something we typically touch on when evaluating knives, but the price really is unbelievably low for a piece like this.

Pros:

  • The serrations are perfect for working on tough cutting chores underwater.
  • A generous-sized ring (1.25 inches) aids in retention while wearing gloves.
  • PVD coating protects the 440C blade from corrosion.

Cons:

  • The sheath hardware isn’t impervious to rust.
  • The flat probe point is great for what it is, but a pointed version would make an impressive EDC karambit.

Benchmade Auto Presidio II

Handle Material
Aluminum

Blade Steel
CPM-M4C

Blade Length
3.72 inches

Overall Length
8.72 inches

Weight
6.32 ounces

Price
$300

URL
benchmade.com

Notes
For the Auto Presidio II, instead of pushing the button inward, you retract it downward as if you were unlocking an Axis lock knife. This mechanism is backed up by a secondary lock on the back of the handle that when engaged leaves you with a fixed blade for all practical purposes. The Auto Presidio II features a grippy tread molded into the aluminum handles that have a subdued bronze anodized finish. The serrations as well as the plain edge of the blade are razor sharp out of the box. It ships with a quality sheath equipped with a Malice clip for attaching to a belt or plate carrier.

Pros:

  • CPM-M4 is a high-quality tool steel that offers hardness and excellent edge retention.
  • Pocket clip is reversible.
  • Serrations are sharp and chisel ground with no secondary bevel.

Cons:

  • Somewhat heavy. If you’re wearing extremely light pants you may want to put it in its sheath.
  • CPM-M4 is a hard-use steel, but with a content of less than 4-percent chromium, it’s hardly stainless. It has the potential to rust and is difficult steel to sharpen.

CRKT APOC with Veff Serrations

Handle Material
G10

Blade Material
8CR13Mov

Blade Length
3.98 inches

Overall Length
9 inches

Weight
6.2 ounces

Price
$250

URL
crkt.com

Notes
CRKT’s APOC was designed by custom knifemaker Charlie Ochs. This version is outfitted with Veff Serrations, a unique take on a serrated edge that seems to be growing in popularity. Intended to cut through fabric as if it were made of cheese instead of fibers, it’s essentially a frame lock with added G10 scales. The blade is opened flipper style, complete with IKBS bearings. Its profile is somewhere between a Wharncliffe and a drop-point, meaning it maintains the strength of the blade fully to the tip.

Pros

  • The Veff serrations are easier to sharpen than most and have the cutting power of a gut hook.
  • Flipper action is impressive, and the IKBS system gives around a 99-percent success rate.
  • Surprisingly sharp and stabby due to Krein’s angles of sharpening and ability to make for a thin edge.

Cons

  • The steel used here is decent, but requires more care than the super steels out there.
  • Pocket clip is non-reversible.
  • As effective and consistent as the flipper is, we still like a secondary opening mechanism.

Emerson Knives Black Shamrock

Handle Material
G10

Blade Material
154CM

Blade Length
3.8 inches

Overall Length
9 inches

Weight
6 ounces

Price
$260

URL
emersonknives.com

Notes
Ernest Emerson started his own fraternity of like-minded individuals, and the Order of the Black Shamrock had their own knife designed for its members. This is an elongated recurve in a liner lock with optional serrations. The blade is 154 CM and is equipped with the Emerson Wave Shaped Opening Device. Each knife is serial numbered and can only be ordered by members of the Order. This may be one of the harder-to-find knives in this lineup.

Pros:

  • Emerson’s serrations are some of the best in the industry.
  • The recurve pattern to the blade gives the cutting power of a slightly longer blade into a more compact design.
  • Very ergonomic and comfortable to use all day long

Cons:

  • Some users don’t like the Wave-shaped opening feature because it tends to shred clothing pockets after a while.
  • These knives are made once a year in small batches, and you must be a member of the Order of the Black Shamrock in order to purchase one.

Spyderco Police

Handle Material
Stainless steel

Blade Steel
VG10

Blade Length
4.125 inches

Overall Length
9.38 inches

Weight
5.6 ounces

Price
$230

URL
spyderco.com

Notes
Spyderco may have built the first truly modern tactical knife with the Police Model. It has the one-handed Spyder-hole for opening, a four-way pocket clip for left, right, tip-up or tip-down carry, a slim profile, lock back, lanyard hole, and on this version a fully serrated knife blade. Spyderco may not have invented all of those features but were the first company to put them all together in a factory knife. The Police Model was intended for law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties, whether cutting open seat belts, cutting zip-ties, opening boxes, or as a last-ditch self-defense tool.

Pros:

  • Spyderco’s serrations practically set the bar for every other knife company out there.
  • The handle shape is extremely ergonomic.
  • Spyderco’s round hole makes for a fast manual opener.

Cons:

  • The stainless steel handles can be slippery to hold.
  • A folding knife with a blade in excess of 4 inches may be forbidden in some cities, states, etc. Please research local knife laws before carrying.
  • Even though it’s a classic design, it lacks a lanyard hole due to the length of the blade and economy of the handle.

Cold Steel Black Talon II, Serrated

Handle Material
G10

Blade Steel
S35VN

Blade Length
4 inches

Overall Length
9.5 inches

Weight
4.8 ounces

Price
$185

URL
coldsteel.com

Notes
The Cold Steel Black Talon II with serrated edge is a monster of a pocketknife designed for self-defense. It opens by an extra-large square-shaped thumb disk that can perform double duty as a pocket opener when needed. Constructed of S35VN steel, this blade is serrated from front to tear in a reverse-S pattern very similar to the Spyderco Civilian. Only this knife is more substantial in just about every way with a thicker tip and a more squared-off handle.

Pros:

  • This reverse-S blade style is executed to perfection on this one, giving the effect of a somewhat longer edge in a more compact design
  • The Tri-Ad lock is one of the strongest locking mechanisms used in modern pocketknives.
  • The serrations look simplistic but are extremely effective. This is helped in part with the S35 steel.

Cons:

  • The blade has a tip in more of a hawksbill pattern, but doesn’t allow for an effective forward stab. This is a pure slicer.
  • Its pocket clip may be reversible, but it’s extremely tight and requires a break-in period before you can carry it normally clipped to the pocket.

TOPS Knives Ranger Bootlegger II

Handle Material
G10

Blade Steel
1095

Blade Length
5 inches

Overall Length
9.6 inches

Weight
7.3 ounces

Price
$190

URL
topsknives.com

Notes
TOPS Knives took one of their more popular designs, the Ranger Bootlegger, and added serrations to the top of the spine for a great multipurpose fighting and outdoor knife. At first glance, you might find the blade stock to be extremely thick for a boot knife at ¼ inch, but there’s a reason for it: the serrations on the spine. These serrations are unique to TOPS, and while they don’t have that scalloped contour that all the others we’ve looked at have, they’re 100-percent serious in their own right. These ones won’t just help you get started on a thick piece of hemp. This serrated knife cut through everything we threw at it from plastic to wood to aluminum.

Pros:

  • The serrations are amazing.
  • The contoured G10 handles aren’t overly done in regard to finger grooves; you can roll this one upside down in your hand and comfortably use the sawteeth like a hand saw.

Cons:

  • Unfortunately, in spite of the coated blade, 1095 will rust in a maritime or even very humid environment.
  • That thick edge can make it difficult to maintain.

First Aid in the Field: Become Your Own First Responder

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It was a spring-like day in early March when I met Nick Gaines. He was our instructor for Prolonged Field Care (PFC), which I would endure over the following 48 hours. Gaines was a former 18D and Special Operations Forces Austere Course (SOFAC) instructor. He currently works as a flight medic in eastern Texas. To our knowledge, this was the first time a PFC course was offered to a civilian cadre over a weekend anywhere in the country. The only prerequisite for the class was that you had to have taken Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) in the past. Eager students ranged from everyday people to paramedics, law enforcement officers, nurses, and myself. On day one, we reviewed the 75-page guidelines most recently released in December 2021. Day two was a hands-on practical scenario.

Above: Nick Gaines sharing his expertise.

Where TCCC focuses on the immediate care of the casualty, PFC focuses on what happens after stabilization of the life-threatening injury and evacuation to higher care. Transportation of the casualty to definitive care could be hours or even days. An example would be something like this: A mass casualty has occurred. At the scene, the triage would occur, and MARCH protocol would be initiated. A Casualty Collection Point (CCP) would then receive the casualties before transport to the Field Hospital (FH). Once at the FH, the casualty is continually assessed and treated accordingly. Any casualty who needs further treatment is then evacuated to definitive care.

Above: Our field hospital.

Day One

The daunting task of whittling down 75 pages of PFC guidelines (www.prolongedfieldcare.org) to an eight-hour course was a challenge that Gaines handled well. An initial caveat that he emphasized was this: “Everyone is expected to participate in their own survival.” With that, he had a captive audience eager to learn more about improving their odds in the austere setting.

After the opening remarks, we started with a brief review of TCCC concepts. Gaines reiterated throughout the day that if you are in a mass-casualty setting and don’t know what to do, go back to the MARCH algorithm. As a quick reminder, the MARCH acronym stands for Massive hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, and Head injury. In PFC, MARCH was expanded to MARCH PAWS L. This added communication as a second “C” in MARCH and continued with Pain, Allergies, Wounds, and Logistics. Once the initial triage was performed, it was necessary to hand the patient off to the next level of care in an efficient manner. We were given the MISTE acronym, which stands for Mechanism of Injury, Injury/Illness type, Signs and Symptoms, Treatments, and ETA to the next level of care. This was one area that many of us took shortcuts on, erroneously, on day two during the scenario.

Above: Field triage of myocardial infarction.

We next reviewed the 10 PFC tasks. The PFC working group developed these to establish a minimum, better, and best practice for PFC of the casualty. For simplicity’s sake, I will list the tasks, and you can read further in the guidelines that I have provided in the link above. The first task is to (1) monitor the casualty to create a useful trend in vitals. Next, (2) resuscitate using blood products if needed. (3) Ventilate and/or oxygenate the patient. (4) Control the airway. (5) Use a sedation or pain control protocol that allows the provider to perform all tasks. (6) Perform a physical exam and any diagnostic measures. (7) Provide nursing care or comfort measures. (8) Perform surgical procedures (e.g., chest tube, cricothyrotomy). (9) Perform a telemedicine consult if needed, and lastly, (10) prepare the patient for transport. The students in the class picked up on many of these tasks, given the brief overview in such a compressed class.

Next, Gaines recognized the daze of the postprandial hypersomnolence that followed lunch. He decided to give us a tour of his truck medic bag and emphasized having items that had multiple uses. He suggested that it wouldn’t be possible to lift the medic’s bag if we tried to plan for every medical emergency we encountered. As it took about half an hour to review the contents of his bag, there wasn’t a space that wasn’t utilized in the bag. Admittedly, my bag isn’t as sexy as his, but you can see mine in Bag Drop of RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 51.

Above: Awaiting transport to Casualty Collection Point.

For the last bit of didactics, we discussed the ramifications and reasoning of tourniquet conversion. The goal of TQ conversion is to move toward a hemostatic agent or a pressure dressing. This can safely be done in the 30- to 120-minute window as long as the bleeding has stopped. The window of two to six hours is also considered safe but not ideal. After six hours, it’s not recommended to convert a TQ unless the casualty is in a definitive care location. The risk of tissue damage, kidney problems, and elevated potassium are problems that could occur after the TQ has been on for greater than six hours.

Day one ended with preparation for the day two scenario. We identified the strengths of the participants and placed them in roles to carry out the following day. We took about 90 minutes to organize during this portion of the class.

Above: SAR assessing the casualty.

Day Two

We started the morning with a one-hour review of the previous day’s didactic session. We then continued to break down our group into their definitive roles. Overall, there were 24 people in the class. We had an additional 12 casualties for the scenario. The breakdown of our roles for the scenario was as follows: Security (two), search and rescue (two), triage (five), FH (four), transport team (three), resources manager (one), operations manager (one), communications manager (one), medical director (one), logistic coordinator (one), dispatch (one), and incident commander (one). We were given two hours to ready resources such as medical kits, litters, and logistics.

Above: Security taking charge of motor vehicle accident.

As the scenario started, security (two people), SAR team (two people), triage team (five people), comms manager, transport teams (two), and logistics coordinator traveled from FH to CCP. SAR went from the CCP to locate the incident. Once they identified the scene, they radioed for triage and transport to mobilize to the scene. SAR performed the initial TCCC/MARCH assessment. Triage arrived on the scene and started secondary assessments with essential documentation. Casualties were then prioritized and transported to the CCP, which was approximately 500 yards from the incident.

Once at the CCP, Triage performed their assessment and documentation to prepare for transport to FH. Transport took 13 minutes from the CCP to the FH. We used one vehicle for transportation from the incident scene to the CCP and one for transport from the CCP to the FH. Later in the scenario, we used other vehicles to transport casualties to speed up the scenario. Once at FH, four people were serving as nurses. We established a 12-bed FH with one charge nurse and three circulating nurses. The total time of the scenario went from 1,000 to 1,515 hours with no stop for food. The after-action review/debriefing lasted 45 minutes.

Above: Triage team assessing casualties.

There was a consensus that it was a successful learning experience for everyone involved. We proved that you could teach civilians with varying degrees of medical skills the basics of PFC. The exercise was complete chaos for five hours, but everyone did a fantastic job handling their role. The casualties were only given a few items to incorporate into their role play to keep it simple. They did an amazing job as well. We used Zello for our communications during the exercise, which worked out reasonably well. There were lapses in communicating information throughout the exercise, but given the chaos and inexperience of the students, I thought they did an excellent job. The transportation logistics were also a bit of a bottleneck at the scene and CCP. Had there been more participants, this would’ve been the area to bolster aid.

In summary, this was a successful exercise in PFC for the civilian population. During the scenario, everyone was actively involved, and nobody had any downtime during the event. Gaines did an exceptional job presenting the information, and we were pleased with how everything turned out. Everyone, including me, came away with more knowledge to add to their skill set.

Above: Transport team loads casualty.

About the Author

David L. Miller, DO, FACOI, is an internist in private practice for 20 years. His experiences away from the office have included time as a fight doctor in regional MMA events and as a team physician for 10 years at a midmajor university in the Midwest. Currently, he serves as the lead medical instructor for the Civilian Crisis Response team based out of Indianapolis.

Situational Awareness Evaluation: Part 3 – Baselines & Anomalies

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Most of your training in the emergency response field is reactive. You definitely want to be trained in how to react to events, because we can’t observe everything all the time. Muscle memory is a huge advantage when faced with violence or stressful situations. But what if there was a way to be proactive instead of reactive with your situational awareness? Analyzing behavior is proactive and is a method of observing human behavior (baselining) and looking for suspicious indicators (anomalies), which may indicate an individual’s or group’s intentions.

Editor's Note: This is Part 3 in a series on the benefits of situational awareness. We'd recommend reading Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already.

Why Behavior Analysis Is Important

Above: As behavioral expert David Matsumoto discussed in his interview in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 51, there are common physiological giveaways inherent to dishonesty and maligned behavior.

Analyzing behavior offers a unique approach to threat mitigation that begins from the point of view of the threat and is based on the actual adversary’s methods of operation. It allows us to anticipate the behavior and intentions of the bad actors, rather than just react to their actions.

The Left of Bang Mindset

 

If you think about an incident time line, imagine bang is right there in the middle. After a bang event there are “good guy” actions and “bad guy” actions that happen. The good actions are people calling 911, rendering medical aid, locking down their area, and so forth. Examples of bad guy actions would be escaping from the area, ditching weapons or clothing used in the crime, or selling stolen goods. All of these actions fall into the right of bang category. Bad things have happened and we’re just cleaning up the mess.

We want to be observant of everything left of bang. The pre-event indicators and actions that happen before violence or an attack. If you can spot a crime or attack before it happens, your chances of stopping or disrupting the attack go up exponentially. So it’s important to know and train how to react to these events, but there’s a whole other side of the coin that most people don’t pay attention to.

Establish Behavioral and Atmospheric Baselines

You may not realize it, but you use baselines all the time in your everyday life. A baseline is simply what’s normal and usual given a particular time, situation, and context. You create a baseline by observation. The longer you can observe an individual or area, the better baseline you establish but you’re not going to have an infinite amount of time to make these observations in the real world. Baselines can also be developed through past experiences, historical examples, or knowledge of bad actor tactics. Baselines are constantly changing based upon new people, events, and time. For example, a certain section of town may look and feel one way during the daytime but may be extremely different at night.

So why are baselines important? By having a baseline, you’re able to more easily detect anomalies. Anomalies can be anything out of the ordinary — things that just don’t seem right. And when it comes to safety and security, anomalies can be extremely important to pay attention to. By being aware of your surroundings and knowing what’s normal for that particular environment, you’re more likely to spot something that isn’t right. This could be anything from someone loitering around your neighborhood to an unusual package left on your doorstep.

Above: Were you expecting a package? If not, this may be a ploy someone uses to get you to open your door or make observations about your behavior or lifestyle without you realizing it.

Establishing Individual Baselines

To establish individual baselines, you need to get a read on a person’s nonverbal communication and what they’re putting out to the world. Depending on what research you look at, nonverbal communication makes up 60 to 65 percent of communication, but most people just focus on the spoken word. You should pay attention to what people are saying, but there’s a whole world of other indicators out there to pay attention to. The good news is most people don’t even realize the amount of information they’re giving away as they go about their day to day.

Individual Baseline Indicators

Posture: Does the person seem closed off and appearing to make themselves smaller (submissive behavior) or do they stand tall with their shoulders back making eye contact with everyone in their vicinity (dominant behavior)?

Tone of Voice: Is their tone of voice and volume consistent or erratic? The more bass someone adds to their voice can be viewed as trying to intimidate. The more high-pitched their tone gets can be viewed as a stress indicator.

Speed of Movement: Does the person walk with a purpose and have their head on a swivel, or do they look down as they move with little to no arm swing in their gait. If a person is walking slower than everyone else around them but then starts moving faster with a longer gait, why? What caused this shift?

Attention: Where is the person’s attention focused? Is their attention where it should be? If I am at the end of a marathon waiting to see the winners cross the line, why is this person’s attention focused down at purses and pockets?

Clothing: Does their closing match the baseline of the area you’re in? Are they wearing a bulky sweater with sweatpants but it’s 92 degrees outside? Is this a corporate event where everyone is in a suit and tie, but one individual is wearing flip-flops?

You can use these questions and any of the other nonverbal indicators like facial expressions, gestures, touching, physical movements, body adornment, and so on to become a student of people and establish these behavioral baselines.

Establish Group Baselines

Above: One person is standing still while others are fluid. This individual is out of baseline and stands out. This is a common way to spot someone whose behavior isn’t consistent with the group. Reviews of surveillance footage immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing showed the bombers moving against the flow of the crowd, which enabled authorities to zero in on them.

You can establish group indicators using the above nonverbals, but would also want to pay attention to proxemics or the distances people keep from people or objects. Proxemics is the branch of knowledge that deals with the amount of space that people feel is necessary to set between themselves and others. Proxemics consists of the messages people express when, for example, they prefer to sit at the front or back of a classroom, or whether they sit near to or far from the head of the table at a meeting. Basically, the more comfortable you are with a person or object, the closer you get. The more uncomfortable you are, the farther you get.

Proxemic baselines definitely have cultural variance, depending on where you’re from. But generally, in the Western world, we like to keep about one arm’s distance from people. If you see a group of people with less than that distance between, you can confidently say they’re comfortable with each other and know each other well. By noticing how a group of people interacts with each other, you can start to gather critical information.

Group Baseline Indicators

Distance Apart: How close or far does the group maintain their distance from each other? Does it appear that they just met, or do they act like they’re very comfortable?

Attention: Does their attention stay inward with each other like they’re having a conversation or are their eyes wandering, taking in the area. If one individual notices something and orients themselves, does the rest of the group change their focus too?

Noise Level: Is the group loud and obnoxious or are they quiet and having personal conversations with each other?

Mimicry: Is there one individual in the group who people are mimicking with their posture? If one person goes from hands-on-hips to hand-on-chin, does everyone else follow? That’s usually the leader or “alpha” of the group.

Intrusion: If someone approaches their group, do they “open the gate” and let them into the group or do they close ranks and go shoulder to shoulder?

These are just a few examples of what Group Baseline Indicators are, but there are many more out there. The best way to learn about them is to pay attention to the next conversation you have and see if you can spot any of these indicators being used.

Above: Is someone getting in your bubble without your expressed interest or consent? This may be an indication of someone trying to take advantage of you.

Establish Environmental Baselines

You’ve probably heard of reading the room, but have you ever heard of reading the atmospheric indicators around you? Just like the mood of a room can change based on the people in it, the collective attitude or mood of a place can also change. These changes can be caused by a combination of cultural, social, geographic, and individual elements. By asking specific questions about the area, you can start to read what that geographic area is communicating to you.

Your Immediate Surroundings: This may seem obvious, but it’s important to take the time to look at your surroundings and notice the details. What kind of environment are you in? Is it dirty or clean? Bright or dim? Quiet or loud? By taking a moment to really see your surroundings, you’ll start to get a feel for the atmosphere.

Listen to People Around You: Another important element of reading atmospheric indicators is listening to the people around you. What are they saying? How are they saying it? What kind of emotions does their conversation evoke in you? By paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues, you can start to get a sense of what the mood is like.

Overt Security Elements: If there are security cameras and “No Trespassing” signs on almost every block, it’s a good indication that the residents are afraid of something — or someone. Bad actors often conduct their shenanigans out of abandoned buildings or vacant lots, so property owners put up these types of signs to deter them.

Pay Attention to Graffiti: While graffiti can be an expression of art, it can also be used by criminals to mark their territory. Not just what the specific graffiti communicates, but any change in its frequency. If there’s a complete lack of it one day and then there’s a huge amount the next or vice versa. If there’s always fresh graffiti in the area, then one day it just stops, I want to know why.

Above: Get to know the symbols that gangs known to congregate in certain areas use to mark their territory. 

The key to reading an environment is noticing the little details. But don’t just look at what’s happening right now — take time each day over weeks or months until eventually these things become clearer than ever before because all aspects combined create an atmosphere that tells us everything we need to know about any location whether good/bad, warming/cold, etc.

Detecting Anomalies

Now that we’ve established our different baselines (what should be), we can start scanning proactively for our anomalies. Anomalies are any changes or new developments in a situation that rise above or fall below the baseline. When most people hear the word anomalies, we instantly connect it to a deadly threat, and that could be the case. But sometimes anomalies aren’t an immediate threat, but just more information. The street sweeper who shows up every Tuesday at 9 a.m. doesn’t show up is an anomaly. Would I call 911 immediately? No, but I might want to find out what caused the anomaly. That’s the essence of the left-of-bang mindset; you’re a hunter out in the wild searching for any deviations from the baseline. If it’s a threat anomaly, make a decision and act. If it’s a less serious anomaly, you go in investigative mode and don’t stop until your questions have been answered.

The presence of these oddities suggests there has been some kind disruption; it might even hint toward what caused said change. And since we’re trying to figure out why things went haywire here, looking into every last detail will help us get closer toward solving this mystery quicker than ever imagined possible.

Above: Pay attention to things like cars following you. While it may be completely reasonable someone is going the same way you are, there’s a point where you need to realize that the odds of coincidence are dropping fast and you may be getting set up for an ambush.

Tomorrow Is a New Day

As we wrap up this three-part series on tightening your awareness shot group, it’s important to remember that being observant of the world around us is key to preventing violence. Most people only take in 20 to 30 percent of the information flying around their head, so by becoming a student of behavior and expanding your baselines you can truly increase your chances of disrupting or stopping a violent event before it happens. It may seem like a daunting task, but with the current state of our world it’s more important than ever to be “left of bang.” Thank you for reading and keep your eyes open — something you observe tomorrow might just save your life.

About the Author

Yousef Badou is the owner and founder of Emergence, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) providing behavioral awareness training to Fortune 500 companies, military, and other government agencies. Yousef began his journey into security training after multiple deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps. He’s an Arabic speaker and former infantryman, along with being the longest-standing member of the USMC Combat Hunter Training Program. With so many threats on the horizon, Yousef believes the best way to disrupt these threats is through education on pre-event indicators and behaviors of violence. www.emergencedisrupt.com

Bond Arms Lever Action AR-15 – 2024 Update

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Whether you love them or hate them, modernized or so-called “tactical” lever action rifles have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. We can attest that our own Marlin 336 Dark Series project is a ton of fun to shoot, but it still has a few downsides. The magazine tube can only hold five rounds, it must be reloaded one round at a time, and the manual of arms is substantially different from a modern semi-auto rifle, leading to a steep learning curve. At SHOT Show 2023, we found a new Bond Arms lever action rifle that fuses this classic operating mechanism with the ergonomics, capacity, and modularity of an AR-15. The Bond Arms lever action AR lower can be used with any milspec AR-15 upper, feeds from an AR-15 mag, and accepts a variety of Remington 870 shotgun stocks.

About Bond Arms

Bond Arms is a Texas-based gun manufacturer that has been around since 1995, but they're not typically associated with rifles. The company primarily makes Derringer-style double-barrel handguns. So, when we walked by the Bond Arms booth at SHOT Show this week, we were surprised and intrigued to see the lever gun pictured above on a table surrounded by handguns. We immediately asked for more information and were directed to the rifle's designer, who gave us a detailed run-down of its features. See it in action here!

The Bond Arms Lever Action AR-15

To be clear, this rifle is still in a pre-production prototype phase, but Bond Arms tells us they've been testing and refining it for more than a year already. It's not the first lever-gun-meets-AR project we've heard of — the FightLite Herring Model 2024 comes to mind — but it certainly seems like a major step forward in this category.

Starting from the top, it accepts a standard AR-15 upper receiver. Bond Arms says it has been proven to work with everything from a .223/5.56mm upper all the way up to a .50 Beowulf upper. Most of us already own multiple AR upper receivers that can be used with the Bond Arms lever action lower.

Moving on to the lower receiver, this is where it gets really interesting. There's a push-button safety similar to what you'd find on a lever gun, and a unique mag release that extends rearward to offer easy access to the shooter's index finger. The front portion of this mag release — the part where a regular AR mag release button would be — can also be pressed directly to drop the mag. On the opposite side of the receiver, there's another mag release button for ambidextrous use. The mag well is flared for quick reloads; we tested its retention and release with a 30-round PMAG.

The most surprising part of the Bond Arms lever action AR is the lever mechanism itself. According to the designer, it uses an asymmetric cam that rides in a track (the slotted silver piece protruding from the receiver in these photos). This allows the leverage applied to the bolt to increase at points where more force is needed, such as while feeding a round from the magazine. Bond Arms says this complex cam mechanism wasn't necessary for 5 or 10-round mags, but feeding the first few rounds from a full 30-round mag created more resistance and required more leverage for smooth operation.

There's also a secondary “grip safety” built into the lever — in order for the rifle to fire, the lever must be squeezed lightly against the stock. This functions similarly to a 1911 grip safety, only reversed to the front of the grip.

We were able to handle and dry fire the lever gun prototype, and found it to be smooth and easy to use. Compared to a traditional lever gun, this rifle has a noticeably shorter throw that lends itself to rapid fire. The only time we noticed the grip safety mechanism was when we attempted to press the trigger without touching the lever; it worked as intended and prevented the rifle from firing.

Another ingenious aspect of this design is the interchangeable lever loop. Bond Arms realized that some users prefer large loops for use with gloves, while others prefer more traditional small loops. They also wanted to allow users to swap to various Remington 870 shotgun stocks, such as the Magpul SGA 870 stock and Hogue Overmolded stock pictured here — this would require different loop shapes to match the contour of the grip. The solution was simple: make the the loop and trigger guard a separate piece from the internal part of the lever. The loop attaches to the gun via two dovetailed sections around the trigger guard.

This modular design allows the user to easily swap lever loops (and stocks) without affecting the rifle's internal mechanism or requiring gunsmithing work. Want to learn more about the history behind its inspiration, watch the video here.

Price and Availability

We haven't had a chance to shoot the Bond Arms lever action AR yet, but we hope to get our hands on one soon for a thorough review. Bond Arms told us their goal is to release the retail version of this lever gun by early 2024 at an MSRP of $1,499. Obviously, the price and time frame are not set in stone at this point. For more information, keep an eye on BondArms.com or follow the company's Instagram @BondArms_.

2024 Update – Bond Arms LVRB Final Prototype

At SHOT Show 2024, one year after we first saw the Bond Arms Lever Action, we learned a few new details about this rifle. According to Bond Arms owner Gordon Bond, this rifle has been named the Bond Arms LVRB and will be available in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024. MSRP will start at $1,599, a slight increase from the original estimated price. Gordon showed us the final prototype of the LVRB and explained that its action has been refined with improvements to the locking mechanism that ensures the rifle won't be able to fire out of battery. We're glad to see the dovetailed interchangeable lever is still present, and the trigger feels great. After handling and cycling this final prototype, we're more excited than ever to get our hands on the production model later this year!

FAQ

  • Q: How much is the new lever-action ar15?
    A: The Bond Arms LVRB is estimated to cost $1,599
  • Q: When will the Bond Arms lever-action be available?
    A: Bond Arms says it's coming in Q2 of 2024, meaning between April and June.
  • Q: Is there another 556 lever-action?
    A: Yes! Other than the Bond Arms lever action AR in this article, there is also the Henry Long Ranger Express.
  • Q: Are lever-action rifles obsolete?
    A: No! Although they are not as common as they were in the past, they are still used in a variety of shooting sports.
  • Q: Why are lever guns so expensive now?
    A: Lever action rifles use older technology which must be machined and fitted to work properly. This is a work intensive and time consuming process that usually costs more than their semi-automatic counterparts.

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Cell Phone Surveillance: Can They Hear You Now?

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Editor’s Note: The author of this article works full-time in law enforcement in a major metropolitan area of the United States, within a state that has used StingRay devices and other cell phone surveillance systems for various investigations. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, his article has been published under a pseudonym.

It’s safe to assume our readers fall into one of two groups: you know your cell phone tracks you constantly without your permission, or you’re unaware of the potentially serious privacy risks from the neat little device in your pocket. Being in the latter category doesn’t make you wrong — most people tend not to think about things that haven’t affected their lives yet, or dwell on dangers they believe are outside their control. However, when you’re in a particular line of work, the thoughts and ideas mentioned above constantly run through your mind. As writers in this industry, we often joke about being on government watch lists, but those jokes lose their humor when Big Brother may actually be watching.

Above: Cell phones automatically connect to nearby towers, but a StingRay device can drown out these towers within a targeted radius, tricking devices into connecting to it instead. The StingRay then collects data and passes it along to the real tower.

If you’ve been watching cases of domestic surveillance in the United States over the last 20 years, you may have heard references to a surveillance device known as a StingRay. So, what is the StingRay, you might ask? Well, it’s not the animal that killed Steve Irwin. It’s a whole different animal in terms of what it can do. Keep in mind that some of this information can get pretty technical, so I’ll do my best to make this as easily readable as possible.

According to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), there are at least 75 agencies in 27 states that are currently known to use StingRay surveillance devices — the actual count is believed to be much higher, since “many agencies continue to shroud their purchase and use of StingRays in secrecy.” On a federal level, users include all branches of the military as well as the FBI, NSA, DEA, ICE, ATF, and even the IRS. However, the devices are also employed by numerous state and local police departments.

Above: The transition from a legitimate cell tower to a cell site simulator is seamless, and the typical user will have no idea that anything unusual has occurred.

Terminology

Before I get started, let’s go over two acronyms I’ll be using. These are important for you to know in general as they are things that can link you to a device:

IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity is a 14- to 15-digit number that identifies your specific device on a cellular network

IMEI: International Mobile Equipment Identity is a 15-digit number that identifies a device but does not have a permanent tie to the owner(s)

For further phone identifier information, go to imei.info/FAQ-what-is-IMEI

How Does the Stingray Work?

Above: Few images of these devices have been released to the public. These illustrations show the layout of two known variants, the StingRay and StingRay II. A document obtained by VICE magazine showed a StingRay II package was offered to Rochester Police Department in New York for $148,000.

The StingRay is a suitcase-sized device created by L3Harris Technologies, formerly known as the Harris Corporation. It allows the user(s) to gather information about a device, and as a result, a person by multiple methods. The StingRay is designed to be used while mobile or stationary; the live use of the device is conducted by a secondary operator via computer. Due to advancements in technology, the ability to hide the device and antennae have significantly improved in recent years, leaving the public utterly unaware of a StingRay’s location.

The primary application we’ll be going over is using the StingRay as a cell site simulator. A cell site simulator is just what it sounds like — the device impersonates a cell tower. The difference is the simulator will put out a more robust signal that essentially forces smartphones, tablets, and other cellular devices in the area to connect to it. Once your device connects to the StingRay, the IMSI, IMEI, GPS location, and much more information about the device is collected. The connection also stops a device from connecting to an actual cell tower, so certain functions of the device can be disabled on demand. The StingRay can intercept calls, text, and other data depending on the model.

Keep in mind that authorities can still obtain all of this information through traditional investigative channels, by contacting a cellular service provider and requesting data with a warrant. The StingRay is an alternative tool that can be exploited and manipulated to gather information on large groups of subjects without their knowledge, and as we’ve seen from past examples, without a warrant.

Real-World Cell Phone Surveillance Cases

Above: The Los Angeles Police Department was involved in a 2013 scandal that indicated StingRay devices had been used extensively for investigations without warrants and were intercepting private data from innocent bystanders.

Starting with a warrantless use case, let me first address one thing: There are multiple exceptions that allow warrantless searches, granted by the supreme court; there are also ways to get an exigent data request without a warrant. Authorities are still required to get a search warrant within a reasonable amount of time for the collected information or data. An example of an exigent request could be live location data from a cell phone provider for a kidnapping suspect. When going over these cases, let’s look at the facts of the case — I want you to think of how devices such as the StingRay could be abused in certain situations.

The first case, 15-CF-322, originates from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. The case facts are explicit, so I will do my best to make them easy to read. A male, Jones, met a woman for a paid sexual encounter. During that encounter, he forced her to perform sexual acts at knifepoint, then robbed the female and another female who came with her of their belongings, including cellphones. A police report was made, and the StingRay device was used to track Jones’ and a victim’s phones without a warrant. Jones was arrested and subsequently found guilty of the crimes. However, he fought the conviction to the court of appeals, where the following ruling was made in September 2017: using a StingRay type device violates the Fourth Amendment (unreasonable searches and seizures) and a warrant must be authored when utilizing the StingRay. The court then ruled to reverse the conviction unless the arresting agency could prove the use of the StingRay on Jones’ device did not contribute to the verdict. This was the case that paved the way for true rights when it comes to our cellular data privacy. It also showed a local law enforcement agency’s willingness to abuse million-dollar technology in order to spy on citizens.

Above: Washington, D.C., has been the epicenter of more than one controversy regarding use of StingRay devices, both by local law enforcement and by unknown, potentially foreign entities.

Another case comes from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 2013. The LAPD has used the StingRay device since approximately 2006; in 2013, information about how often it was being used was revealed to the public. The LAPD used the device to assist in locating burglars, drug dealers, and murderers. LA Weekly reported that LAPD had 155 cellular phone investigations within four months, but only requested 21 search warrants during that time. In many of these cases, the privacy of citizens was blatantly disregarded. Private data including device information, text messages, or other data transmissions were able to be intercepted by the LAPD from individuals who were innocent bystanders in their cases. Whether that data was stored or looked at — a violation without a search warrant — is unknown. Just like the previous case, a pattern is emerging of local law enforcement’s ability to take private and personal information absent a search warrant.

We’ve seen glimpses of how local law enforcement uses this technology, but upon a request filed through the Freedom of Information Act, the department should give information about tools it uses, right? For that, we’ll take a look at a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Arizona against the Tucson Police Department (TPD). The lawsuit was filed in 2014 on behalf of Beau Hodai, an investigative journalist. Hodai requested information on the StingRay device used by TPD. However, due to the non-disclosure agreement TPD had with the Harris Corporation, Hodai was denied this information based on the NDA. Fast-forward to 2016 after multiple appeals, and the ACLU got what it was after. The appeals court held that when TPD failed to release records, it violated the public records laws in Arizona. This shows that while citizens are supposed to be granted access to information on technology that’s used against them, larger entities will use technicalities to fight giving that information out.

We’ve focused quite heavily on local law enforcement, so now we’ll zoom out to a larger entity. In 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disclosed knowledge of multiple unauthorized cell site simulators in and around Washington D.C. DHS explains there isn’t much to be done, goes on to blame the phone companies for poor security, and further deflects the reason for failing to stop the malicious cell site simulators to cost and lack of equipment. As far as we know, DHS still hasn’t determined who was responsible for placing these illegal cell site simulators in D.C. — a foreign intelligence agency, corporate spies, an organized crime ring, or a rogue element of our own government. According to a 2018 article by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), “DHS doesn’t know who’s operating them or why, or whether these fake cell towers are installed elsewhere in the country.” The prior cases focused on civilians, Jane and John Doe, working hard to live the American Dream, but this one potentially violated the privacy of many high-ranking politicians (including foreign nationals) in our nation’s Capitol. The question remains: if senators and dignitaries can be spied on, how can civilians protect themselves from this technology?

What Can You Do?

Above: The StingRay is capable of silently intercepting calls, text messages, and other data from all devices within its operational radius — that may include the target of an investigation and everyone else nearby.

Directly protecting oneself from cell site simulators is virtually impossible, since you have very little control over which cell tower your phone is using, and no way to know for sure if it’s legitimate, but there are other steps you can take. It must be remembered that the same data collected by the StingRay, and much more, is available from your cell phone provider via a warrant.

The use of Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) to direct and encrypt your internet traffic is a basic step to start a privacy journey and is something I suggest everyone use. However, the best way to prevent a StingRay, and your cellphone provider, from gathering information on you is the proper use of two items: a burner phone and a faraday bag. The faraday bag is the most accessible and user-friendly option. Buying a reputable bag — not just an Amazon brandless bag — can make all the difference in your phone’s ability to block GPS tracking. I’ve had good experiences with Mission Darkness (mosequipment.com) bags, and SoCal Offgrid wrote about his experience with EDEC Digital Forensics’ OffGrid line of bags (offgrid.co) in Issue 48. Using it is simple; put your burner or daily-use phone in the bag and close it. The signals will be blocked, and the device cannot be communicated with. The obvious drawback to this method is that your phone also can’t send or receive calls, texts, or any other data while it’s inside the bag.

If it’s used properly, a burner phone can give you great privacy; with improper use, it can lead right back to you. Using a burner phone in the same way a daily phone is used — i.e. contacting your spouse, talking to friends and family, not using secure messaging and calling applications — gives the same information to cell phone providers (or StingRays) as a daily use phone. Collecting that data and showing the same patterns of life in two devices can easily link a person to those devices. It’s critical to be cautious about keeping your burner phone isolated from your other electronics and networks. For more details, refer to W. Dean Freeman’s article on burner phone basics in Issue 52.

Lastly, there are unconventional and old-school spycraft techniques for communication. One that’s becoming more popular to talk about, making it more common now, is the use of video game chat functions. Though it’s less obvious than communicating through a phone, most online games don’t dispose of chat logs or have end-to-end encryption, so the messages (and the user’s IP and account information) can still be revealed via search warrant. This is mostly a matter of security through obscurity, which isn’t ideal. Another technique, and one still used today, is a dead drop. Storing a flash drive or SD card in an unlikely location, such as drilled into a tree or concrete wall, allows users to create an offline file sharing system. However, this secret location is only secret when it’s not talked about. Failing to understand proper operational security, a.k.a. OPSEC, paves way for all the private information to become public, or worse, available to an adversary. It’s wise to encrypt any data you share via dead drop, so that any third party who accidentally finds it won’t be able to access it.

The Future of Cell Phone Surveillance

The StingRay is a device that has been used against citizens and criminals without a warrant, time and time again. For every high-profile incident we know about, it’s safe to assume there are dozens more that were never revealed to the public. The device takes naivety, complacency, and blind trust in the government — an entity that employs humans just like you and I, all capable of great good or evil — to gather intelligence on our whereabouts, conversations, and so much more.

The good news is that most of the cases mentioned were quite old, and due to misuse of their devices and the media backlash it generated, L3Harris Technologies stopped selling StingRay technology directly to local law enforcement at the end of 2020. Do not cheer just yet, as Nyxcell, a competitor of L3Harris, has created its own cell site simulator. The Nyxcell can perform the same surveillance as the StingRay, but also has upgraded features for the newer phones hitting the market. Jacobs Solutions, a Fortune 500 company with $14 billion in annual revenue, offers another cell site simulator device through its subsidiary KeyW Corporation. The mysteriously barren web sites of both companies offer no information about the existence of these products or their capabilities, but Nyxcell’s slogan — “When lives and security are at stake, Nyxcell solutions get results” — certainly seems ominous given the context.

I want to leave you with this: Do not be afraid of your phones. A cellphone is an amazing piece of technology that truly helps us all on various levels, from basic communication to controlling life-saving medical equipment attached to our bodies. Just be aware of the risks taken while using them and pause to consider the information you’re revealing before you hit “send.”

Infographic: Digital vs. Analog Radios

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If you're learning about radios, it's important to understand the key differences between digital and analog radios. Explaining all the details of the digital vs. analog radio debate would require a lengthy technical article, and that would be overwhelming for beginners, so we'll give you the simplified Cliff's Notes version instead.

Most consumer-grade two-way radios and walkie-talkies are analog, meaning they send information (i.e. your voice) in a continuous wave. Digital radios convert information into packets of binary data (ones and zeros), which are sent over the air and converted back into audio by the receiver. Rather than a continuous wave, digital signal is intermittent.

In practical terms, this means that the quality of analog transmissions gradually declines as distance increases. If you’re near the edge of an analog radio’s range, voices may sound garbled or may be drowned out by white noise. On the other hand, digital radios maintain loud and clear audio quality all the way to the end of the covered area, at which point signal will cut out completely.

Pros and Cons of Digital Radios

For the sake of brevity, we’ll leave you with some general pros and cons for digital radio:

PROS

  • Clearer audio quality
  • Longer usable range
  • Up to 50-percent longer battery life due to low standby power consumption
  • Capable of transmitting voice or data (text messages, GPS coordinates, caller ID, etc.)
  • Capable of “splitting” channels to allow simultaneous private conversations from multiple users
  • Wide variety of encryption and privacy features

CONS

  • Vastly more expensive than analog
  • Programming has a steep learning curve, and often requires special (expensive) equipment and/or software
  • Most systems are designed for enterprise applications with dozens of radios, making features unfriendly to personal or family use

Digital vs. Analog Radios Infographic

Plate Carrier Radio Setups: Safariland Liberator & Silynx Clarus

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Napoleon famously said, “The secret of war lies in the communications.” This concise statement reinforces the importance of communication at all levels of a fighting force — individuals, squads, platoons, companies, battalions, and so on. If communications are severed, the ability to coordinate often follows suit. Outside of a military context, the same principles apply to civilian emergency preparedness. If your group of family and friends is your squad, you should establish a solid plan for communications for any emergency. In yesterday's article about encrypted radios, we provided an introduction to how encryption can help you ensure communication security (COMSEC). Today, we'll take a look at two plate carrier radio setups from Safariland and Silynx that integrate our encrypted Off Grid Comms handhelds into our load-bearing gear.

Radio Setups & Applications

Above: Integrating a dual-comm setup into this TYR Tactical plate carrier was easy, with one radio placed on each side of the cummerbund.

You can do a lot better than clipping your radio to your belt or shoving it into a pocket. There’s a nearly endless ecosystem of accessories and upgrades for radios, especially popular models such as the Motorola XTS series. To make the most of your radio, we recommend integrating it into the rest of your gear. A few options to consider:

  • Add a speaker mic so you can use the radio while it’s stowed in your hiking pack or on your duty belt
  • Connect a low-profile earpiece so you can talk more discreetly in public
  • Pair your radio with an active ear protection system for use at the shooting range, or other loud environments
  • Build a complete dual-comm system that includes two radios on separate frequencies with a push-to-talk (PTT) button to activate each radio

Above: The Motorola XTS 3000 radios provided by Off Grid Comms can be used as stand-alone handsets, or can be connected to a variety of headsets and PTT systems.

Read on as we share two plate carrier radio setups configured by our staff. Each of these is connected to one of the Motorola XTS 3000 radios featured in our encrypted radio article. However, through the use of modular connectors, each of these systems can also be connected to a variety of other radios and comms devices.

Patrick McCarthy: Safariland Liberator V

I spend a lot of time shooting, whether it’s out in the desert with friends, at local competitions, or taking classes to learn about specific skills and weapon platforms. These activities don’t always require the same amount of gear — sometimes it’s just ear pro and eye pro, and other times it’s a full plate carrier, battle belt, and helmet with night vision system attached. With this in mind, I wanted a scalable, modular comms system.

The Safariland Liberator V is a professional-grade headset that integrates active ear pro and a dual-comm radio setup. Ordering the Liberator V reveals options for color (black, FDE, or OD green), left or right-side microphone placement, three types of suspension systems, two types of PTT controls, and even a gas mask input. Each system is made to order, and can be configured for a wide variety of military, law enforcement, and commercial radios. Certain configurations also offer a connector to integrate a cell phone into the system.

Above: Safariland's Adaptive Suspension Kit allowed me to mount the Liberator V headset to the back of the rails on my Team Wendy helmet, keeping the top rails open for lights and other accessories.

Since the Liberator V is a dual-comm system, I requested connectors for two Motorola XTS radios. This allows me to use one in digital encrypted mode for secure communication with Off Grid Comms radios, and one in analog GMRS mode for general use, or use both in encrypted mode to communicate on two separate encrypted channels. Audio from both radios is piped into the headset, and I can control each from the two-button PTT. This configuration didn’t offer a cell phone connector, but I’m OK with that. My phone is clipped into a Juggernaut Case PALS mount for navigation and video-recording duties.

Above: This PALS Plate Carrier Mount from Juggernaut Case offers quick access to a cell phone for communication and navigation.

Both XTS radios are mounted on opposing sides of my TYR Tactical plate carrier’s cummerbund in Blue Force Gear elastic pouches. The PTT’s inline disconnects allow me to unplug or replace a radio without any hassle. In situations where I don’t need one of the radios, I can shove a rifle mag into the vacant pouch.

Safariland’s Adaptive Suspension system makes it possible to swap the headset from a headband to a helmet mount in seconds. When I’m training with night vision, I attach it to the Safariland rail mount installed on my Team Wendy Exfil LTP bump helmet. The rest of the time, I use the headset in the standard Comfort Fit headband. And in situations where I just need ear pro without comms — like casual range sessions with friends — I can disconnect the headset from the PTT and use it as active ear protection. Clear sound and comfy gel cups make the Liberator system easy to wear all day, no matter what I’m using it for.

Above: The Safariland Liberator V headset can be used as standalone ear protection, or it can be connected to the included push-to-talk button that offers control over two separate radios.

Tom Marshall: Silynx Clarus

Setting up my comms system, I was looking for two things. First, I wanted my communications system to be independent of my helmet. While over-the-ear muffs attached to helmet rails look cool and are awesome for combat operations where a helmet is mandatory, nowadays I rarely wear one outside of a photo shoot. Even working as a security contractor overseas, helmets weren’t widely used, even though comms capability was mandatory when rolling out of bed in the morning. The other factor important to me was a system that could integrate with multiple types of communication devices. While having an encrypted setup is a boon for family or neighborhood teams working together, prepared civilians cannot ensure everyone around them will be operating on the same frequency or even using the same radio platforms. Enter Silynx. Though their bread-and-butter is outfitting military and government organizations, almost all of their equipment is available to civilians, and they offer scaled hardware suites for a variety of applications.

I started with their Clarus dual-lead push-to-talk (PTT) box, the cornerstone of this entire setup. I wanted to make sure I had the ability to communicate within my family/team on the Off Grid Comms encrypted radios as well as outside elements or responders who may be talking to me on other devices. The Clarus has a modular split-cable adapter system allowing you to configure the PTT box to interface with multiple types of devices. Silynx offers adapters for a variety of device types. I focused on three: the Motorola XTS pattern, a two-pin adapter for Baofeng radios, and a 3.5mm headphone jack that’s compatible with smart phones.

After playing with a couple of different permutations, I settled on setting up my Arbor Arms Communicator Armor System (CAS) plate carrier to run the Silynx Clarus with one Motorola and my smartphone. The Motorola is stowed in an Esstac radio pouch on the left cummerbund arm of the CAS. The smartphone is on a Juggernaut Case phone case and PALS Adapter tray, which lets me attach my phone directly to my plate carrier for hands-free operation. It should be noted that most current-gen smartphones don’t have legacy-style headphone ports built in anymore. But there are small adapters available that will interface this jack with either USB-C or Apple Lightning Cable ports. Since I run a Galaxy phone, I purchased a $20 USB-C adapter from Amazon and was in business. This particular capability — integrating your cell phone into your radio communication setup — is perhaps the most unique and useful feature of the Silynx system for prepared citizens.

With this setup, I’m able to make a phone call and keep the line open hands free. But the person on the other end of the phone can only hear me when I press the corresponding transmit button on my Clarus PTT box. This is an outstanding capability to have if, for example, you have to call 911 and speak with first responders while also coordinating with a family member, neighbor, or friend who has an Off Grid Comms Motorola. Now you no longer have to be at the scene of the incident to direct responders to someone else who needs help — you can relay information remotely by having two lines of communication open. While a regular phone call will not be secure, you can use apps like Signal or Threema (both discussed in Issue 53), to make voice or video calls with end-to-end encryption, while still having the ability to transmit/receive through your Off Grid Comms Motorola, also encrypted.

Above: We used an Esstac pouch to secure the radio to the cummerbund, routing the wires through it and into the rear plate bag.

Since I specifically wanted my communications to be independent of a helmet, Silynx sent me their Clarus in-ear buds, which are equipped with an in-line microphone as well as their hear-thru and sound localization technology. This feature directionally amplifies low-level ambient sound to enhance situational awareness but cuts out when receiving or transmitting communication so you can have clear conversations over radio or phone. This technology functions much like current-generation active hearing protection systems, but with the added benefit of receiving radio and phone transmissions as well. It should be noted that the Clarus we used also has a modular top lead, meaning you can unhook the in-ear buds and switch to helmet-mounted muffs or boom mic-style headsets if that better fits your application.

Above: The Arbor Arms CAS 2.0 offers plenty of routing pass-throughs, which let us bury most of the Silynx wiring underneath the carrier.

I was able to route all my cables through sleeves integrated into the Arbor Arms CAS, to minimize the amount of cable exposed to snagging or environment damage. While the Silynx system does include clips that are sized to pass through MOLLE/PALS-style webbing, I used a couple of small zip-ties to fully secure the hardware to my carrier. Routing the antenna and PTT cables through one arm of the wraparound cummerbund lets me don and doff the carrier without having to swim through a sea of cables to get the carrier off.

My experience with Silynx’s communication hardware suite was excellent. Transmission and receiving quality were both clean and clear. The modularity of the Clarus system offers a high degree of flexibility for both user interface and communication/radio platform interface. There are also single-channel and fixed-lead versions of the Clarus available that’ll save you some money if you don’t need dual-comms capability or don’t plan on switching radio types.

Plate Carrier Radio Gear Sources