CRKT Provoke Karambit – A Self-Defense Instructor’s Review

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We first saw the CRKT Provoke at SHOT Show early this year, and were immediately interested by its unconventional “kinematic” design. Check out our first impressions in our original web article, if you haven't already read it. Long story short, it's one of the coolest folding knife mechanisms we've seen in quite a while. We also appreciate the quality D2 steel and the clever hidden pocket clip. However, we were left wondering about its real-world practicality.

Combatives instructor Patrick Vuong recently posted a video review of the knife on the Tiga Tactics YouTube channel. Vuong is an avid knife collector, having reviewed dozens of them for OFFGRID and RECOIL's Unusual Suspects column over the years. He's also a practitioner of the Filipino martial art Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, which frequently involves edged weapons such as the traditional karambit. Given this background, he's able to shed some light on the Provoke's functionality as an every-day carry knife and as a defensive weapon.

Vuong's point about the offset placement of the ring is one we've never specifically considered, but we've certainly noticed that some knife handle rings feel more natural than others. It's definitely a good point to keep in mind if you ever plan to purchase a karambit or any other knife with a finger ring. And although the CRKT Provoke has some pros and cons, it's good to hear that it's not all show.

What if You’re Locked Up Abroad?

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Illustrations by Robert Bruner

The air in the jail was hot, humid, and foul beyond words. You were separated from your friends and shoved in a cramped concrete holding cell. There were no beds or chairs. The space just had three rough walls, a low ceiling, a filthy floor, and a row of rusty bars bearing a locked door in the middle. There wasn’t even a toilet in the cell, just a hole in the floor near the back corner of the room. You thought this was likely to be the source of the stench that filled your nostrils, nearly making you retch; but this wasn’t the most worrisome thing in the room.

Three local men were also in the cell with you. The expressions on their faces were varied. One man looked at you with a vacant expression and another stared at you with utter contempt. The third man, however, was the most unsettling. He looked at you hungrily, as if his jailors had just provided him with a treat. He muttered something to the contemptuous-looking man in a language you didn’t understand. There was some nodding, as if an agreement had been made, and then they both started to move slowly toward you.

For this installment of RECOIL OFFGRID’s “What If?” column, we are taken out of our normal surroundings and thrust into a situation that’s beyond our control. It’s a place where almost everything is stacked against us, and it’s an unfamiliar landscape where our normal rights, protections, and freedoms do not apply. We’ll look at some of the precautionary measures you should take before you travel overseas. We’ll also look at some of the resources that are available to U.S. citizens abroad, and things to do at the first sign of trouble. Finally, we’ll talk about some ways to preserve your sanity in a situation that looks hopeless. You’re going to need a good lawyer … if you ever make it to a courtroom at all.

The Scenario

Situation type
Traveling for vacation

Your Crew
You and a few friends

Location
Southeast Asia

Season
Fall

Weather
Humid; high 90 degrees F, low 63 degrees F

The Setup: You and a few friends take a trip to a Southeast-Asian country for some rest and relaxation. You plan to spend your days relaxing on the beach, enjoying the local bars and cuisine, fishing, and spending a few carefree days with your pals. There are a total of four of you, but you have only a marginal understanding of the local language, culture, laws, and key facilities such as the American embassy. Although this country is generally considered friendly toward Americans, you also know there’s a significant local criminal element that dabbles in everything from kidnapping to petty theft, as well as known terrorist groups who have a history of operating in the area. If something goes sideways, the ability to get help is questionable.

The Complication: You head out one night to a bar in the tourist-friendly downtown so you can hopefully comingle with some fellow Americans and English-speakers. You sit down at a table to have a few drinks with your friends. As a friend of yours is bringing drinks over to your table, he inadvertently bumps into one of the patrons and spills a drink on him. He appears to be local and is offended, because he’s dressed better than most who are at this bar. After some hard looks from this individual and a few curt words in another language, your friend does his best to apologize profusely and offer him a drink as a peace offering. The individual scoffs and returns to his table occupied by three other well-dressed locals. Your friend returns to your table and seems to brush off the incident as a misunderstanding and you all continue with the night under the assumption that the worst is over.

You occasionally look over at the table of other individuals who continue to stare at your table with looks of contempt on their faces. Although you only know some of the local language, you can definitely make out that they’re talking about you as you overhear them using common slurs that you know refer to foreigners. After about 30 minutes, your friend returns to the bar for another round. In a seemingly unprovoked manner, another man from the table of locals gets up, walks up behind your friend standing at the bar, and slams a beer bottle into the back of his head. It doesn’t take long for everyone else at the bar to take notice. Now the sh*t’s hit the fan. Your other friends get up to quell the situation, which provokes the rest of the table full of individuals who were staring at you to rush the bar and begin shoving and swinging at your friends. Your friends struggle to defend themselves as customers flee the bar. In a few short minutes, the local police have entered the bar and are blowing whistles to calm the situation.

Your friends are immediately handcuffed, and so are the locals who started the fight. You can’t understand what the locals are saying to the police, but as you sit at the table dumbfounded that this is going on, an officer grabs you and immediately puts you in handcuffs. Here, you’re in a foreign country with probably little to no “rights” as you know them. It’s your word against the locals — assuming you can manage to communicate with the officers. You know your friends didn’t provoke this fight. You’re all brought outside and put into the backs of police cars, where you’re whisked off to the local jail — you already know it’s the stuff nightmares are made of. The conditions are terrible, and you’re aware that many people have been incarcerated in this country indefinitely without even having a trial. What do you do? Who can you call? Do you have any rights whatsoever? The language barrier proves an even greater obstacle to navigate. What steps can you take to explain the situation believably and receive assistance from family, the State Department, or anyone else who can help you get free?

International Media Correspondent Miles Vining’s Approach

Getting arrested or detained in a foreign country will ruin anyone’s day. As responsible world travelers, we need to understand the extent of the situations we’ll be putting ourselves into.

Preparation

Having a background of the threat environment we’re entering is critical, and something we shouldn’t let our guard down on, even on vacation. Find out what local problems are common in the area you’re visiting. What are some of the more frequent crimes against foreigners in your vacation destination? What kinds of valuables do local thieves like to target? What scams are being employed? You can find answers to these in forums, social media groups, and news articles, but more importantly, try to get a feel for these when you’re on the ground — talk to locals and other foreigners. Many locals will claim their part of the country is crime-free, as they don’t want to discourage guests in their country. But if you can establish a rapport with them, they should tell you more about what the crimes, threats, and scams are in the area.

An important part of traveling is to bring our passports, but we can’t always rely on having them in our possession. Maybe they’ll be stolen and sold on the black market. Maybe we’ll give them to a law enforcement official and end up conveniently “lost” behind a desk. Either way, we cannot depend on this material object.

We need to make copies, preferably in color, and keep them waterproofed. Printing a high-definition image of your passport on paper and laminating it so you can keep it folded in your pocket would work well, but just having a paper copy in a small sealable plastic baggie works fine too. This copy shouldn’t be kept with your actual passport or your wallet. Remember, we’re operating on the assumption that both your wallet and your passport are gone. Having a digital copy on your phone is a good move too, but accessing it in a jail cell might be tough. If it’s hosted online, then you could access it through an internet connection given the opportunity to jump on a borrowed cell phone.

Establishing your identity is important when being held in detention, because you’ll have to prove a need to contact the U.S. embassy or nearby consulate. U.S. embassies and consulates will have a 24/7 duty officer which is usually one of the employees that rotates into that position. Before you travel, find the local emergency contact number for this role. This isn’t the general embassy contact number that’ll usually come up on the specific U.S. Embassy’s website, but is usually listed under an emergency contact page online. If you cannot find it, give the embassy a call beforehand and ask for the phone number directly. Another good set of numbers to have are options for English speakers in the country’s law enforcement. For example, Thailand and Vietnam have designated tourist police divisions designed to work with foreigners and have English-speaking officers on staff.

Having these phone numbers on hand, listed in your phone, and/or printed along with your passport copy is essential. If you’re only allowed one limited phone call from a prison, a U.S. State Department official or an English-speaking law enforcement officer in that country is the person you want to talk to. The State Department can notify your family in the United States, possibly pay you a visit, maybe even recommend local lawyers that you might be able to work with. An English-speaking law enforcement officer might be able to smooth things out with the police that are holding you.

Any time you travel, it’s always a good tactic to routinely check in with family or friends back home every day, even if it’s just a casual greeting and update on current events. Don’t give in to the temptation to post this publicly on social media along with some amazing beach photos. This could open up the possibility of thieves (or “friends” of yours with unsavory accomplices) targeting your residence in the States for a break-in because you aren’t home. Another point to consider is to develop a low-key alert plan with someone you trust. For example, something you can say or do if you’re in detention or maybe even kidnapped, without raising the attention of your abductors. This method has to be simple but effective and easy to remember. Maybe your family has never owned cats, but you send a message asking how your new kittens are getting along with each other. Just something to quietly let them know that not all is well and instruct them to get in touch with the U.S. embassy in that country.

There are a number of items that would be great to bring with you overseas in terms of a personal EDC kit. In regards to being detained, we have to remind ourselves that we might be separated from everything in our pockets, or even our clothes themselves, as they could be switched out for prison uniforms.

That being said, a few items certainly cannot hurt. In terms of self-defense, I always have a short, durable flashlight with me. I can use this to possibly blind an attacker, establish my presence without escalating a situation, or as a blunt-force striking tool. The beauty of a small metal flashlight is that I can have a self-defense weapon of opportunity almost anywhere, inside a plane, in a cinema, etc. A physical notebook and pen are useful for writing down important information if my phone goes dead.

It’s always a good idea to purchase an international cell phone service plan in the United States before traveling. It’s an even better idea to buy a local SIM card in the countries you visit. Not only is it going to be cheaper than overseas service, but it’ll most likely be more efficient for the local environment. Realize that the Third World depends much more on data than calling or text; this is why WhatsApp is so popular. But before you do this, check the countries’ networks to see if they are CDMA or GSM, and whether or not your own phone is unlocked for international use. Many times, I travel with two cell phones, an iPhone as my primary and an Android model as my secondary. If charging cables don’t fit or are unavailable, or maybe my phone gets stolen or broken in a scuffle, I still have a backup means of communication.

On Site

We generally have this impression of indigenous Southeast Asian peoples being very conservative, kind, and maybe even shy in the eyes of Western social norms. But like anywhere in the West, locations of social interaction such as nightclubs, bars, and popular restaurants will have their fair share of troublemakers and scammers. Look up videos of “Walking Street Pattaya” for examples of these scenes. We need to be vigilant as to the social environment around us and what could possibly escalate into a situation beyond our control. If we’re going to be drinking, we must be watching our consumption and understand that while intoxicated, we’re raising the possibility of a confrontation.

Different cultures bring all sorts of intricacies that can take many years of local immersion to comprehend. You don’t have the time, education, or experience to begin to understand these. Instead, what I’ve found is that if you genuinely feel something is off or probably wouldn’t fly in the States, then it probably is the same elsewhere, within a few degrees of magnitude. Listen to your instincts and watch what the locals do in response to a crisis happening. Don’t be the drunk tourist trying to mediate a situation or even escalate it. Play things conservatively and swallow your pride.

Think about what you’re wearing and what’s in your EDC kit in terms of how it could be perceived locally, either by a civilian who might confront you about it, or by a law enforcement officer who’s on the fence when looking at your case. Wearing a Grunt Style T-shirt with an oversized American flag printed on the right shoulder might not be the best attire in a country where hundreds of thousands of people were killed in a period of heavy U.S. intervention. Likewise, having some odd EDC survival gadget might also be looked upon with scrutiny by a law enforcement official searching your personal belongings. If they suspect you of being a spy or a criminal, this could serve as confirmation in their eyes.

Crisis

Let’s come to terms with one very important reality. You’re not James Bond, and you aren’t going to clandestinely sneak yourself out of a jail, slit some guard’s throat with your fold-out credit card knife, and make it to the extraction submarine waiting in the harbor. You’re an American citizen on holiday in Southeast Asia, now being detained by local police forces on suspicion of whatever it is they want to charge you with.

Our first priority should be proving our identity to the arresting officials and getting in touch with our diplomatic representatives in the local country. Our embassy isn’t an instant “get out of jail” card, nor can diplomats from the State Department even represent us in a court of law. But it can get information back to our families in the United States and at the same time might allow for some facetime with a State Department official who can explain some of the laws and various options we might have. Hopefully, we either still have our passport, our waterproofed color copy, or at least a digital version. Then, we should be able to call that emergency duty officer at the embassy obligated to answer at all times of the day and night.

Throughout your ordeal, your biggest asset is going to be your attitude and your code of conduct in dealing with law enforcement. Realize you’re in a situation beyond your control. What little there is you can control (asking for a phone call, requesting to speak to higher leadership, improving prison conditions) might completely depend on how you act and appear to the officials in charge. If you play the role as an arrogant, loud, insulting foreigner who couldn’t care less about local rules, then you’ll get treated as such. More importantly, in many of the respect-driven, conservative, and hierarchical societies that make up Southeast Asia, people tend to shut down when it comes to emotional temper tantrums. If you’re patient, respectful, and ask politely, officials will almost certainly respond in kind.

Unfortunately, in much of Southeast Asia, living with corruption is a part of daily life for the indigenous population. Understanding this, it’s dangerous territory to recommend that foreigners should simply bribe their way out of a sticky situation, as this is compounding one crime on top of another. Potentially offering a bribe to local law enforcement personnel is a personal choice that an individual has to make based on their own conscience. If the decision to offer a bribe is made, then it must be done so very tactfully. Southeast Asian police officers often don’t see bribes as themselves breaking the law so much as them being able to provide more for their families from their meager salaries. Of course, if you’re already in detention, officers could simply take your money and not do anything to help.

Law enforcement always wants to probe for information. As a foreigner, the scrutiny can be greatly amplified. Local cops have seen their fair share of foreign drug smugglers, scam artists, pedophiles on the run, and mafia types (Pattaya in Thailand is practically owned by the Russian mob), so another foreigner in trouble could be one or all of the above. Some might even suspect you to be a spy. To counter all of this, you need to be completely honest about everything. Don’t try to hide some fact because it’s embarrassing or makes you squeamish. If they suspect you of some foul play, then a single lie could be their smoking gun find. This advice goes with any interaction with law enforcement, but only state what you know happened during the incident. Do not be conjecturing, fishing for clues, or otherwise filling in gaps.

Facts and Figures

As a snapshot of foreigner-related or targeted crime, here are some stats by the Thai Tourist Police in January 2019: https://www.tatnews.org/2019/01/thai-tourist-police-release-statistics-highlighting-crackdown-on-illegal-activities/.

State Department Assistance During an Arrest

Using Thailand as an example, here’s what U.S. representatives are legally obligated to do in the event of an arrest: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/arrest-of-a-u-s-citizen/.

Survival Expert Tim MacWelch’s Approach

Preparation

It’s a dangerous mistake to skip the steps in preparing for a trip to a foreign country with a known criminal element and a different language. Any prospective vacation of mine would involve a lot of preparation.

Starting with my supplies, there are a few items I always like to carry on my person while traveling. The simplest everyday carry items include my mobile phone, some cash for emergencies, and practical clothing. These would be clothing and footwear selections that offer good movement, some protection and some defensive/offensive capability. For example, sturdy boots aren’t very breathable or comfortable for a hot and humid climate, but certain footwear works better for kicking bad guys than those goofy sandals and flip-flops the other tourists are wearing. I’d also want to carry a light source, like a small inconspicuous flashlight. And since traditional defensive tools like firearms, knives, and pepper spray are forbidden in so many places, a leather belt with a heavy buckle and a discreet tactical pen may be the best I can do while in transit. The belt buckle can act as a flail and the pen can add an extra jolt when striking.

Another facet to my preparation is research. A travel guidebook is an excellent resource to study, even before I make the decision to book a trip to another country. These books can give us some remarkable details about the destination, as well as dos and don’ts to observe. I’d also want to know about the crime in the area, particularly against travelers. Is it a high kidnapping area? Is it risky to use cabs for transport? Where are the “no-go” areas? It’s also smart to learn a few basic words and phrases in the local languages. “Yes,” “no,” “please,” “thank you,” “hello,” and “goodbye” can go a long way in a strange land. Simple phrases like “stop that,” “where’s the bathroom?,” “I’m sorry,” “how much does this cost?,” and “what’s your name?” are even more valuable.

Learning a little bit of the local language is a step few travelers bother to do, but it’s not only useful — it can create a much warmer reaction from local people. Prior research of the country’s customs and general laws can start paying off for me. For example, I’d want to know about major local holidays, as these will certainly affect my ease of travel. I’d also need to know the things considered rude or offensive, that an American might never recognize. Finally, I’d need to know the most common things that would be legal at home, but illegal when I’m abroad. For example, insulting the royal family of Thailand is punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison per incident. In 2011, an American named Joe Gordon spent nearly a year in prison after being arrested for a blog article he had posted prior to visiting Thailand.

And let’s not forget about communicating with our friends and family back home. I’d choose a person who I’d check in with on a regular schedule. They should have my itinerary, the hotel phone number and address, and some kind of instructions on what to do if I missed one or more check-in calls. Check the U.S. State Department website (www.state.gov) as part of your research it’s loaded with helpful advice, travel advisories, and warnings about the country you intend to visit. It can also direct you to embassy and consulate websites, which provide addresses and phone numbers for these vital resources.

Take down the information, especially the separate emergency and non-emergency phone numbers for the embassy and consulate in the area. These American outposts are ready to help in the event of a death, serious illness, violent crime against, or the arrest of an American citizen. Ask for American Citizen Services when contacting the embassy or consulate. ACS is the office that’d assist us in our jailhouse scenario.

On Site

Once checked into the hotel, I’d call home and then call the local U.S. embassy or consulate to inform them of our group’s arrival in the county, how long we’re planning to stay, where we’re staying, and how we can be reached. This information puts our names on their desks, which is helpful in the event that we have legal issues. It’s also important in an emergency situation where Americans would need to be evacuated from the country.

I’d also set up our hotel room for emergencies. Stocking some food and water (in tamper-evident containers) is a great start, and I’d learn the layout of the hotel. Whether we head to the hotel bar or out on the town, we’d make a plan to stick together. I always strive to sit against a wall, toward the back of any eating or drinking establishment. This allows me to watch the door for better situational awareness. I’d also encourage a bathroom buddy plan, where no one heads off to the bathroom alone (this is a good place to get jumped). I’d keep an eye on the crowd, and most of us don’t need a translator to understand the universal language of dirty looks.

If I began to suspect any problems with the locals (particularly a problem that could escalate), we’d simply leave the bar and go somewhere else. In some parts of the world, it’s easier to use the “gray man” tactic, attempting to blend into the background and avoid calling attention to yourself. This may not be possible when I’m a head taller than most of the local people and bearing the wrong complexion, but it’s still important to avoid bringing unwanted attention onto myself. For that reason, I wouldn’t bring valuables such as jewelry and watches on the trip.

Crisis

Despite our best efforts to avoid trouble, sometimes trouble has a way of finding us. In the event that some local inhabitants decide to give me and my friends a pummeling, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to talk my way out if it with a limited vocabulary. I’d attempt to circle up our group and stave them off until the authorities arrive. Despite our instincts to beat these attackers to death with our beer mugs, it really looks bad if we’re “winning” when the cops finally bust in. Some of the non-combatants may explain to the LEOs we didn’t start the fight and were just trying to defend ourselves. Ideally, we’d have a few bumps and bruises and be told to go back to our hotel by the officers. But let’s say that didn’t work. I certainly wouldn’t want to have anything that could be construed as a weapon or drugs on my person at the time of my arrest. Once placed in custody, I’d keep saying I’m an American citizen, and they’re required to inform the local embassy if they detain me (which is usually true). We wouldn’t resist arrest. I wouldn’t expect my “one phone call” like you’d get here in the U.S., but my communication plan with my contact back home would have them calling the hospital and police station if I missed my check-in by 12 hours (or some other preset time period).

After the arrest, it may be made clear that those who are holding me are operating by the book, or they may have a looser interpretation of the rules. I’d have to cautiously broach the subject of paying my “fine” to be released. All the while, I’d have to determine whether a bribe would solve my problems or add to them. However, without access to a translator, the chance to buy my way out from the authorities may never happen, and if the local PD that took us are crooked — we probably wouldn’t have our wallets anymore to offer a cash bribe in the first place.

As a final thought for our article, I’d like to address the one thing that you may be able to control in a situation that is completely beyond your control — your thoughts. It’s really hard to control other people, the things they do, and the situations that occur, but with the proper mindset and control, you may be able to stay in charge of your own thoughts. This could be a sanity-saver and lifesaver in both short-term and long-term survival settings. Your thoughts control your attitude, which in turn affects your emotions and experience. So, if I was stuck in a squalid foreign prison and had no idea when I might be released, I’d do everything possible to keep my thoughts positive and be there for my friends.

Conclusion

Despite our tumultuous history in the region, Southeast Asia is one of the safest places for American tourists to spend time on vacation. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world spend weeks and even months in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and more recently, Burma as it has opened up to the public. These countries truly are a fantastic combination of awesome people, breathtaking sights, delicious food, and unforgettable experiences. Don’t let the tales of a few taint a possible visit to the region. But on the same token, be smart and prepared about the possibilities of being the victim of criminal activity or ending up in a jail cell, no matter where your travels take you. Understand the situations you’re in and the consequences of acting rashly or making poor decisions. Ultimately, realize your biggest asset in a complex and chaotic dilemma is going to be a clear mind and a successful attitude.

The laws and customs of other countries can be completely different than those back home, and unfortunately, ignorance of a law or custom is rarely a valid excuse for breaking those rules. To further compound our problems, the local authorities may take an above-average interest in the activities and missteps of outsiders. These law keepers may range from being suspicious of travelers to being downright hostile to foreign citizens. Before you buy that plane ticket, take the time to do your research to determine if your destination might be a high-risk area or a place notorious for incarcerating foreigners. The ass you save may be your own.

Meet Our Panel

Tim MacWelch

Tim MacWelch has been a survival instructor for more than 20 years, training people from all walks of life, including members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the State Department, DOD, and DOJ personnel. He’s a frequent public speaker for preparedness groups and events. He’s also the author of three New York Times-bestselling survival books, and the new Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual. When he’s not teaching survival or writing about it, MacWelch lives a self-reliant lifestyle with his family in Virginia. Check out his wide range of hands-on training courses that are open to the public at www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com.

Miles Vining

Miles Vining spent his childhood and teenage years growing up in Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia, returning to the region after his service in the Marines to work with an international relief group that works in conflict zones in Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. He also worked in digital media with a local Afghan company in Kabul. Beyond RECOIL, his work has appeared in Small Arms Review, The Firearm Blog, the TFB TV YouTube channel, and Strife Blog. Currently, he’s the editor of Silah Report, an online resource group focused on researching historical and contemporary small arms and light weapons from the Middle East and Central Asian regions. Learn more at www.silahreport.com.

Distance from Disaster – The HAZMAT Rule of Thumb

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When a disaster strikes, one of the most important variables to consider is distance. Understanding how far you are from the epicenter of the danger will allow you to make immediate decisions about next steps, whether that's to stay where you are or to evacuate immediately to a safer location. This is especially critical in incidents where hazardous materials may be involved — for example, an industrial accident or a terrorist attack. These events may spread dangerous chemical, biological, or radiological contamination that's invisible to the naked eye, and if you're too close, you could be exposed. The HAZMAT rule of thumb can help you quickly gauge if it's time to bug out.

Photo: Koalabaerchen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

In The First Responder's Field Guide to Hazmat & Terrorism Emergency Response, author Jill Levy explains how this rule of thumb can serve as a gauge of evacuation distance:

“If you're not sure of the appropriate distance, back out and err on the side of safety. Consider, too, the old “rule of thumb.” If you've backed out to the recommended distance but can see the incident beyond your outstretched thumb, you may still be too close.”

Photo: Flickr.com/DieselDemon | CC BY 2.0

Although this applies to many HAZMAT incidents, it's not universal. Internet rumors have spread claiming that this rule applies to the mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion, but that's false. Multiple experts have attested that the heat, blinding light, pressure blast, and fallout from an actual nuclear explosion can still be dangerous even if the cloud appears smaller than your outstretched thumb. If it's visible at all, you're in big trouble. Unlike dirty bombs, which use conventional explosives to scatter radioactive materials over a smaller radius, the danger radius of an A-bomb or H-bomb can reach for dozens of miles.

Despite rumors on social media, Vault Boy wasn't using the rule of thumb to gauge a nuclear threat.

Part of the alleged nuclear application of this rule traces back to a 2013 Reddit comment. The comment author implied that Vault Boy, the mascot for the popular Fallout video game series, was giving the thumbs-up gesture to check the size of a mushroom cloud. However, producer Brian Fargo quashed these rumors in a Twitter post, explaining that Vault Boy isn't using the thumbs-up test — he “simply has a positive attitude.”

Although the rule of thumb is not relevant to nuclear blasts, it can help you gauge your distance from more conventional HAZMAT threats. To maximize its effectiveness, use it in tandem with another memorable HAZMAT rule, the three U's:

  • Upwind
  • Upstream
  • Uphill

If you can cover your view of an incident with your thumb, and wind, water, and gravity aren't carrying contaminants towards you, it's probably safe enough to take a moment to consider what to do next. In any other case, it might be wise to start moving away ASAP.

Clean Up Your Act: Maintaining Hygiene Off the Grid

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If you’ve ever watched Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel, you’ve wondered about the hygiene on the show. Twenty-one days is a long time without a shower and soap. Obviously, they generally do fine, and it seems as if hygiene is downplayed on the show. It always gets me thinking, though. What kinds of issues would arise in that type of survival situation? How would I mitigate the atrocity of no soap?

First, let me start by saying that not having soap in that three-week period might not be as bad as you might guess. As long as you had water to clean with, you might be fine. In using your hands to scrub all of those 2,000 body parts, you remove debris and dead skin. This may keep the pores from clogging up to a certain degree and prevent inflammation in the pores of your skin. Some of these pores can have pustules and look infected, but usually don’t progress in that direction.

Nature’s Soap

Making soap in a survival situation is possible, but time-consuming.

Some of you might be thinking about making soap from hardwood ash and animal fat. The ash wouldn’t be that difficult, and the animal fat would take luck and skill to acquire. But say you’re adept and lucky. It can take some time to make bar soap — time that you might not be afforded in a survival situation. You could, however, mix the fat and ash in a pan that you cooked the animal in. It’d be great for washing the pan; however, the basic (pH) nature of lye from the ash might be irritating to someone with sensitive skin. It’d feel like a bad sunburn or worse. [See RECOIL
OFFGRID Issue 30 about making soap from scratch.]

Buffaloberries are a natural source of saponins. Source: Lazarus000 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

For a field-expedient solution, it’s possible to crush the berries or roots of certain plants that contain natural compounds called saponins — soapberry (aka buffaloberry), soapwort, yucca, and creosote, to name a few. Upon mixing with water, these substances produce a frothy lather that was used historically as soap or shampoo. For more information, refer to our article on this topic.

Areas of Concern

Because most of the smelly parts on our body are also the most sensitive areas, and safely producing soap in the field may not always be viable, you'd be better off just using water on your body. You’ll notice on Naked and Afraid that the participants are almost always given an opportunity to find water. It may not always smell the best, but it’s available to make potable. I’m sure that a secondary reason is for bathing. You’ll also notice that the contestants don’t have rolls of fat like many of those in our citizenry. One of the problems with obesity is that the overlapping intertriginous areas are moist, hot, and rub against each other. These places, such as under the breasts, under belly fat, between the buttocks, and in the groin are common areas that are affected by poor hygiene and heat, and a foul smell can emanate from these areas. If left untreated, these areas can sometimes open up to create small wounds that may become infected by bacteria.

To treat these moist areas, air is probably the best weapon. Lying down and allowing the breeze to blow across those hard-to-reach areas will assist with keeping them dry and enable the areas to heal better.

Corn starch can assist in keeping certain areas dry that may be prone to fungal buildup.

If you happen to be near a corn field, you could grind corn into flour and apply it to the areas. Again, this takes time and effort, probably more effort than is worth the time. And while corn flour isn’t exactly the same as corn starch, it may be good enough to keep the affected areas drier. We usually recommend corn starch in our convenient environment if zinc oxide products aren’t available. Apply this twice a day and wash, then dry, each time before application.

Another issue is that these warm, moist areas are ideal places for yeast to grow. This is what contributes to the funky smell that emanates from these intertriginous areas. Besides the smell, there may be redness, itching, peeling or cracked skin, and perhaps even small blisters. Although this isn’t life-threatening, it’s uncomfortable and you could also be susceptible to secondary infection when the skin breaks down. Hopefully your diet has been high in garlic to help boost your immune system. If you happen to find some wild garlic, you could either eat it or make a paste and apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off. You could do this twice a day.

If you had a stockpile of apple cider vinegar, you could pour half a cup into a bathtub full of water, and soak. You could also try an apple cider vinegar compress by soaking a natural fiber cloth in the apple cider vinegar, then placing it on the affected areas for 15 minutes at a time. Do this twice a day until the area is healed. If there’s infection in a wound, this is also a good remedy.

Oral Health

Apple cider vinegar can also be used to make toothpaste. Use a ½ tablespoon of the vinegar with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and add water to make a paste. Dental hygiene is often overlooked, but is super important to maintain healthy gums. Once the gums deteriorate, infection can settle in. The gums can be painful, red, swollen, and may even bleed. The teeth can also become painful due to infection, making it difficult to eat and makes a person pretty miserable. If there are no ingredients to make toothpaste, take a small branch from a pine tree (about the size of a pencil) and fray the ends. This can serve as a makeshift toothbrush. [Refer to “Off-the-Grid Dentistry” in Issue 27 for more information on dealing with dental problems when medical help will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.]

Female Hygiene

Ladies, urinary tract infections are also something that can bring misery in a survival situation. Symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include urinary frequency, burning with urination, incontinence, and fever. With poor hygiene, and with poor hydration, this can be a real possibility. Without the benefit of toiletries, you’ll need to search for nature’s bidet, like a babbling brook. Anything that you can do to wash away the particulate matter will help minimize chances of infection. Finding edibles to help your immune system (e.g. garlic, spinach, citrus fruits) can help in general. Edibles that can act as natural antibiotics (e.g. honey and Echinacea) may help, but shouldn’t replace your stockpiled antibiotics. And be sure to stay hydrated.

Menstruation is another potentially troublesome issue in an austere setting. This was somewhat of a challenge for the military after Sept. 11, as the number of women in combat had increased. The idea was to suppress menstruation rather than accommodate hygienic practices that’d interfere with combat roles. There are options for menstrual suppression; however, these will require advanced planning. Your doctor can discuss a hormonal rod implant that provides contraception for around three years. An intrauterine device (IUD) can also be placed by a physician and stay in place up to five years.

Menstrual cups can be another method to assist that time of the month in austere conditions.

For shorter term options, an intramuscular injection of hormone every 90 days is available. The end goal for these types of options is to stop menstruation from occurring. If that isn’t an option for you, menstrual cups are available. Check out Eryn Chase’s article in Issue 21 of RECOIL OFFGRID for an excellent discussion on wilderness hygiene. Edibles that contain progesterone include soy, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and ginkgo, to name a few, but the reality is that even though these contain very small amounts of the hormone, it’s not likely it’ll be strong enough to affect the menstrual cycle.

Above: Ginkgo biloba tablets and certain vegetables contain progesterone, which can aid in managing menstruation during situations where conventional methods are unattainable.

Conclusion

Hygiene in a survival setting may not seem like a priority early in the chaos and is often ignored due to other pressing issues in the dire environment (i.e. water, fire, shelter, food, and safety). Keep in mind that taking a few minutes to wash up and brush your teeth in those early days can prevent misery as the event draws out into weeks. Women will have extra issues to contend with, and planning may be the best remedy. The old adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies here. Take some time to take care of your hygiene before minor problems become more of a pressing need.

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 mid-major university in the Midwest. Currently, he serves as the lead medical instructor for the Civilian Crisis Response team based out of Indianapolis.

Video: Pawpaw, The Fruit that Saved Lewis and Clark

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It's easy to study history and think of the larger-than-life individuals recorded in books as fictional characters, rather than real people. After all, it's difficult to imagine having a face-to-face chat with George Washington or Christopher Columbus. But the beauty of history is that these people were not so different from you and I, with regular concerns and problems. As survivalists, it's valuable for us to study historical pioneers, explorers, and wilderness adventurers — there's much we can learn from their experiences, even today. Lewis and Clark are one especially relevant example.

Between 1804 and 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark journeyed from Pittsburgh to the Oregon coast and back home. On this 28-month expedition, they encountered many problems, but lack of food was one of the most frequent. Even after completing their objective of reaching the Pacific Ocean, they ran out of provisions on the trip home in September 1806. Attempts at hunting proved unsuccessful. Fortunately, they were saved by a fruit native to the midwest — the pawpaw.

A map of the pawpaw's range. (Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture / Wikimedia Commons)

Also known as custard apple or “Indiana banana” as a result of their soft, sweet flesh, the pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to the United States. Asimina triloba is plentiful from eastern Texas through southern Pennsylvania. The fruits are edible raw in early fall, and their flavor is often compared to banana, mango, and pineapple. In the video below from the Townsends YouTube channel, Jon explains how the pawpaw helped Lewis and Clark survive, and discusses the flavor of the fruit after tasting one.

Video: Eating Whip Scorpions as a Survival Food

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In a wilderness survival situation, finding food is a never-ending task. In some cases, you may be able to rely on fishing or trapping to stave off starvation. In others, you may have to turn to less appealing food sources. Fish, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other conventional game animals have a prey mindset, so they're alert and cautious of their surroundings. Their primary defense mechanism is to escape quickly. However, animals that rely on alternate defense mechanisms tend to be less evasive, and therefore easier to catch. Whip scorpions fall into this latter category — they're slow-moving and edible, as long as you can stomach them.

Whip scorpion illustration via The Royal Natural History / Wikimedia Commons

Whip scorpions, also known as vinegaroons or uropygids, aren't what you think of when you picture a scorpion. Like true scorpions, they're arachnids, but they lack a venomous stinger. Instead, they have a whiplike tail and defend themselves by discharging a smelly liquid that contains acetic acid (the same chemical compound present in vinegar). Because most animals are deterred by this smell, whip scorpions are less concerned with running and hiding from predators. Unfortunately for them, humans aren't like most predators.

In the video below, survival instructor Bob Hansler cooks and eats whip scorpions he caught near his home in Texas. After his first bite of head and claws, he describes the taste as “bacony, woody” and likens it to “the shellfish of the desert.” It looks gross, but that's mostly a mind-over-matter problem. The second bite includes the acetic acid gland in the abdomen, and we definitely shuddered on his behalf.

Survival food isn't always pretty or appetizing, and this example is neither. But, as Hansler correctly explains, every type of food that you know about is going to increase your odds of survival. It also prompts an important question — how far would you go to find calories in a survival setting? No matter the answer, we wouldn't blame anyone for putting whip scorpions near the bottom of their snack list.

Book Review: “Lights Out” by Ted Koppel

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The Premise: The notion that the American power grid system is vulnerable to a cyberattack or an electromagnetic pulse device, launched by terrorists or a foreign nation, is a frightening premise. In Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, Ted Koppel, one of the nation’s most experienced and well-known journalists, outlines the realities of an attack on the American power grid, the vulnerabilities plaguing the defense systems which protect it, and the preparations that Americans can take now to prepare for an unthinkable grid-down scenario.

The 411: Koppel uses his proven skills in journalism to thoroughly explore not only the vulnerability of an aging power grid system, but also the politics that envelop hardening the system itself. The first few chapters offer an in-depth analysis of how the American power grid functions and the vulnerabilities attached to it. It can be technically difficult to follow at times, however, Koppel paints a compelling picture through several interviews with leading security experts on the potential impact that an attack on the nation’s power grid could have on everyday living. The remainder of the book explores individuals who have either developed contingency plans for long-term power outages, or currently live entirely off the grid. The book warns that our worst fears are grounded in plausibility, and that the failure to acknowledge the threat could be our biggest concern of all.

The Verdict: If a nationwide blackout occurred, it’s easy to imagine it could last for weeks to months. For those without prior preparations, tens of millions of Americans would face the loss of running water, sewage, refrigeration, and light. Communities would live an existence devoid of creature comforts, and many might acquiesce to rudimentary forms of survival, such as looting. Koppel paints a vivid picture of this scenario and lays out a technical but comprehensible map on how it could actually occur. Lights Out is both an acknowledgement of the power grid’s vulnerability, as well as a call to action to for the government and its citizens. While the federal government may be underprepared to aid citizens in a grid-down scenario, Koppel traverses the nation to find those who have exemplified personal preparedness measures for a myriad of disaster scenarios, including the decimation of the national power grid.

While the first several chapters of the book involve a large amount of technical jargon, they paint the picture that our nation is vulnerable to a large-scale cyber or electromagnetic pulse attack. It’s here that Koppel’s journalistic instincts shine as he interviews the nation’s top security experts and explores our level of readiness, both nationally and individually. The end result is a thesis that’s both sobering and hopeful, warning us that our worst fears may be grounded in reality and enlightening us at the same time. Ted Koppel hopes to provoke readers to prepare for a catastrophe that could potentially destroy modern civilization and succeeds in doing so.

The question of whether our nation can withstand the potential destruction of a cyberterrorist attack on its power grid, be it through rogue organizations or by state sponsorship, is an important one. Ted Koppel effectively delivers a book that raises more questions than it answers, but poses the kind of questions that elicit true discussion amongst our national security advisors as well as average families. Lights Out is alarming, but rife in purpose and relevance to all who read it, making a significant contribution to the mindset of any prepared individual.

Book & Author
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath
by Ted Koppel

Publisher
Broadway Books

MSRP
$16

URL
tedkoppellightsout.com

Pages
288

Rating
>Thrive
Survive
Die

OFFGRID Library of Recommended Books

New: THYRM DarkVault Gear Cases

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Under normal circumstances, pockets are great for carrying small items like your keys, phone, cards, and cash. However, there are times when pockets are definitely not the optimal place to store these valuables. If you're running, jumping, climbing, wading, or generally getting knocked around in a high-activity outdoor setting, the contents of your pockets are likely to get lost, soaked, or pulverized. THYRM recently relased a new product designed to protect your EDC items while keeping them close at hand — the THYRM DarkVault.

The DarkVault is available in OD green, FDE, rescue orange, and black.

At first glance, you'll notice the DarkVault is a gasket-sealed, hard-sided polymer clamshell case — that isn't exactly a new concept. We've used similar cases to stash small electronics and first aid gear in packs in the past. Measuring 7.2 by 5.4 by 1.7 inches, it fits most cell phones, including larger “phablets” such as the Galaxy Note 10 and iPhone XS Max.

However, there are some interesting features that set the DarkVault apart from traditional gear cases. First among these is the quick-detach MOLLE-compatible mount. This bracket attaches to webbing on backpacks, chest rigs, plate carriers, and other gear. When mounted vertically, such as on the front of a plate carrier, it serves as a fold-down tray table for your phone or GPS unit. Adjustable hinge friction prevents the lid from flopping open and dumping your gear on the ground.

Speaking of electronics, the standard DarkVault features 90+ dB of signal reduction between 300 and 1500 mHz. This blocks common signals from cell towers, Bluetooth, GPS, and many handheld radio frequencies, and offers the ability to take your devices off the grid temporarily. Alternatively, if you want to protect your electronics without losing connectivity, THYRM offers the DarkVault-Comms — the same case without signal-blocking.

The THYRM DarkVault also features holes for straps, latches, or locks to prevent tampering. Internal and external Velcro panels are included to prevent gear from sliding around, or to attach your favorite morale patches. The signal-blocking DarkVault retails for $90; the non-blocking DarkVault Comms retails for $60. For more information, go to THYRM.com.

Test Your Cybersecurity Senses with this Phishing Quiz

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Congratualtions! Youve just won a free luxury cruise too Bahamas. You must urgently reply to this e mail with your complet creditcard information in the next 24-hours to collect your prize. — Most sincerely, His RoyalHighness, King of Nigeria

You're probably rolling your eyes at this obvious example of a scam email — you'd never be gullible enough to fall for something like that. These information-soliciting scams (commonly known as phishing) are extremely common on the internet today, especially in email form. Although most of them are easy to spot, we should never allow this to lull us into a false sense of security. More advanced phishing attacks can be difficult to detect, and many of them are targeted “spear phishing” attacks that leverage knowledge of the victims to appear more convincing.

One of the keys to detecting phishing attacks is attention to detail. Emails from unknown senders filled with obvious misspellings, like the example above, are easy to spot. An email that closely imitates a legitimate message will be much more difficult to spot. In order to teach users how to distinguish legitimate emails from dangerous ones, Google created a short interactive quiz at phishingquiz.withgoogle.com.

Ironically, the phishing quiz begins with a form that asks for a name and email address. At first we thought this was a sneaky trick question, since it'd be a perfect opportunity for someone imitating Google to collect data under the guise of a quiz — a true double-cross. However, it clearly says you can use a made-up name, and we know from past experience that the domain this site is hosted on (withgoogle.com) is legitimate. Feel free to enter “John Smith” to start the quiz, and then see how you fare against the 8 examples.

For more information on phishing attacks and how to avoid them, refer to our previous article, Can You Spot the Signs of a Phishing Scam?

Behind the Scenes at Rowen Manufacturing, Home of ESEE Knives

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Man’s need for tools is as old as the species itself. Early man found usefulness in sharp stones and discovered the ability to knap flint for arrowheads, axes, and knives. Over time man has used copper, iron, and eventually steel to produce blades of all shapes, sizes, and purposes. Today a knife is as much a tool as it is an expression of the user. We take pride in the knives we carry, from actual day to day use to simply showing our friends for bragging rights. Many of them are even passed down through generations.

We recently had the opportunity to visit Idaho Falls, Idaho and take a tour of the Rowen Manufacturing facility, home of ESEE Knives.

About Rowen Manufacturing

Rowen Manufacturing didn't start out in the knife business — this facility has been making various types of machined parts for over 17 years. During the first five years, it produced auto parts such as superchargers. The last 12 years have been dedicated to crafting some of the best outdoor/survival knives on the market. Rowen is a family affair made up of Shawn Rowen, his wife, three sons, a daughter-in-law, and Gus the shop dog. In total, Rowen operates with around 20 employees.

Cody Rowen explaining how the ESEE Izula is made.

Quality and attention to detail are clear priorities at Rowen Manufacturing. Every step of production is meticulously performed and hand-inspected. All ESEE knives are made from 1095 carbon steel, a material that has several benefits for hard-use tools. It has a long history of use in blademaking thanks to its durability and ease of taking an edge.

As anyone who has studied blademaking knows, the heat treat is a pivotal step — it can elevate a good steel to greatness or quickly degrade it to worthless scrap. Properly heat-treating 1095 can be tricky, and it's something Rowen/ESEE has invested a lot of time into. We were allowed to witness the heat treat process, but photos were prohibited and some questions were dodged, much to our dismay. It's understandable that the company is secretive about this procedure — it's a big part of ESEE's reputation for exceptional toughness. Most knives made by ESEE come in around 55-57 HRC.

Some argue against 1095 carbon steel because of its propensity to corrode and rust. This is a founded concern, but one that's mostly alleviated by finishes like powder coat or black oxide. With a durable coating and proper knife care, users shouldn't have to worry about a tarnished piece.

The Knifemaking Process

Loading a sheet of steel into the laser cutter.

Rowen cuts blade blanks from sheets of rolled steel, which are fed into a large laser cutting machine. The laser causes the metal to heat up during the cutting process, so each blade is hand-checked and inspected for warping. Those that don’t make the cut are corrected by hand with an arbor press when possible, and the worst offenders are scrapped.

A bin full of scraps and blanks ready to be recycled.

Carefully straightening a blade to correct a warp.

Once the basic knife shape is cut, Rowen has grinding machines that are hand-fed. Depending on the model, knives take roughly 25 seconds of grinding to shape the cutting edge. After grinding, each blade is dumped into a tumbler to smooth the edges and prepare for the secret heat treatment.

Knives are tumbled to smooth the edges.

After heat treat, knives are sent to coating. ESEE knives are offered in powder coat or black oxide finish, depending on the model. Both finishes are applied off-site — the only part of the process not performed by Rowen. Once the coated knives return to the factory, they are laser-engraved and sent to sharpening. Again, each is inspected for quality.

Every ESEE knife is sharpened by hand.

As previously mentioned, 1095 carbon steel knives generally take an edge relatively easily. Each ESEE knife is sharpened by hand to a 40-degree-inclusive flat grind. Employees rotate stations regularly, so each feels responsible for the entire process. This keeps eyes fresh and quality high. The flat grind is utilized because it keeps the blade strong while offering an excellent cutting edge that can be maintained by even a novice user.

Several stacks of finished Izula II knives.

Blades are set up in small batches for sharpening and then transferred to the buffing station for an Instagram-worthy smooth surface. The buffed knives are all given a rust preventative coating and inspected one more time. Some are finished and ready for packaging at this point, while others are fitted with Micarta composite handle scales. The Micarta scales are machined in-house using custom-produced jigs, and hand shaved to the correct tolerances. Spacers are also created and used to ensure proper fit within sheaths.

Finished knives receiving a rust preventative coating.

The Finished Product

At the end of the tour, we were all given a choice of blades to assemble. The author chose the JG5, from ESEE’s camp-lore line. The JG5 is a “Nessmuk” style blade designed by James Gibson. The design is heavily influenced by George Washington Sears, who wrote under the pen name Nessmuk. He was an early pioneer of outdoorsmen and adventurers alike, and designed a blade that he deemed best for outdoor use.

Soon after this article, the author's JG5 saw use during a bushcraft class.

Gibson is a prominent survival and primitive skills instructor located in Tennessee, and also produces his own line of knives at his home shop. Gibson collaborates with ESEE/Rowen on a few designs for mass production. The newest addition is the Gibson Axe, a purpose-built bushcraft axe made to be taken along on any adventure due to its compact size and versatility.

Every ESEE design stemmed from a need for a specific type of tool. Many of the staff at ESEE and Rowen are adventurers at heart, so the designs have stemmed from their own personal needs and experiences. Patrick Rollins, lead instructor for Randall’s Adventure Training, designed the PR4 based on his time in the jungles of South America and all over the United States backcountry.

Rowen’s facility is an example of fine American craftsmanship. Each member of the team is proud of their work, and stands behind every knife that leaves their stations. ESEE has developed a loyal following in the survivalist community, and after our tour of the company's manufacturing line, it's easy to see why.