Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2018 i Survivor's Edge

Because of a $400 error in a newspaper advertisement, I purchased my first mobile phone in the Fall of 1991 for only $99. It was a Panasonic EBJ-1114 “transportable mobile phone,” a monolithic brick that required its own backpack in which to cart it around. I used it only once, and the allure to be always available faded. Plus, CompuServe, AOL, and Prodigy had all just recently opened easy passage to the Internet. Times were changing. Now we take for granted the device in our pockets that gives access to the entirety of human achievement, from shopping, communicating, and calculating, to researching, gaming, and watching cat videos. Long gone are the archaic relics of a bygone era, like beepers, encyclopedias, fax machines, 9600-baud modems, VHS tapes, and floppy disks. Comparing…

Spend enough time looking for people carrying concealed firearms and you’ll find them. Simply possessing a license to carry handguns and revolvers in a concealed nature doesn’t make a person immune to a discerning eye. Sometimes the mistakes made are only picked up by other concealed carriers and other times the accidental exposure of a handgun can lead to a frantic soccer mom’s call to the authorities. When you learn how and where you can carry concealed, you begin to examine those around you and “weapons check” them with your eyes. We’ve assembled some of the common mistakes we’ve witnessed over the years to make you more aware and less likely to violate the cardinal rules of concealment. 1. REVEALING CLOTHING: The “Smedium” shirt you prefer to show off your biceps…

OCTOBER 2016: More than 2.5 million people were told to evacuate in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina due to the approach of Hurricane Matthew. This became the second largest evacuation in U.S. history and the fourth-largest peacetime evacuation in modern times. OCTOBER 2007: California wildfires forced more than 900,000 people in Southern California to evacuate, making it the largest evacuation in California’s history and the largest evacuation for fire in United States history. SEPTEMBER 22, 2005: More than 3 million evacuated in Texas and Louisiana, including 2.4 million from Houston, Texas, due to the approach of Hurricane Rita. This is the largest evacuation in U.S. history, and the third-largest peacetime evacuation in modern times. SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: Evacuations from high-rise buildings across the United States. This included 3200-plus survivors of…

Good packs are important to every adventure, but for a survival situation, great packs are essential. The best backpacks are light but sturdy, keeping gear dry and well organized, and they allow the wearer to carry heavy loads of equipment efficiently and easily. The Stone Glacier R3 3300 is such a pack. Earlier this year, the Montana-based backpack manufacturer Stone Glacier unveiled the R3 3300, an ultralight pack designed for tactical and military applications. The R3 3300 boasts a modular design that can go from 3,300 cubic inches—hence the name—all the way up to 6,300 cubic inches. It features many of the amenities of their Solo 3300 but with pointed improvements, such as offering customization of up to eight detachable interior pockets, extended main bag zippers to allow easy access to…

The image most people have when they think of wildfires is one of a roaring blaze engulfing trees and vegetation as giant clouds of smoke fill the skies. The truth is that there are three major types of forest fires that can affect woodlands in different ways, some easy to contain and put out, while others seem to take control of the land and never let go. Here’s a breakdown on the main culprits: SURFACE FIRE: This is the easiest to put out because it affects only a small portion of the forest floor. Surface fires burn litter and surface debris, without affecting the large surrounding trees. They also cause the least amount of damage; if any fire is to occur, this is the most preferred. GROUND FIRE: This type…

Fortitude Ranch Members will have food, shelter, essentials and some comforts, including: • 500 ft X 500 ft square fort with outer walls, guard posts, easily manned by defenders to deter or defeat marauders • Shallow underground shelters and log buildings, community center, horse stable, gardens inside; fields for livestock • One year food stockpiled; with ability to garden, maintain livestock, hunt • All camps will have goats, chickens, horses, and hunting • Small medical clinic in Community Center, doctors in membership • Stockpiled protective masks and gloves • Quarantine facilities and procedures; ability to keep groups separated long term • Public, well, and tank stockpiled water • Stockpiled coal, wood, propane and methane gas generators • Small arms and ammunition (company and personal) • All members have locked storage…

TYPE: Over/under break-action combination gun CALIBERS: .22LR over 20-gauge shotgun (3-inch chamber) CAPACITY: One round in each barrel CHOKE: Modified choke tube included, barrel threaded for Rem Chokes BARREL LENGTHS: 19 inches each OVERALL LENGTH: 36 inches (folds to 21.2 inches) FINISH: Blued STOCK: Checkered beech SIGHTS: Williams adjustable green fiber optic ghost ring sight; front fixed orange fiber optic SAFETY: Top tang safety WEIGHT: 6.8 pounds OTHER FEATURES: Double triggers; no external hammer; extractors, but no ejectors; action opens with lever integral with trigger guard; comes with sling swivel studs; carry case sold separately MSRP: $499 ($429 for .410 model)…

IMAGINE, for the next 72 hours, you are alone and completely cut off from everything you know, all that you love, and everywhere you find comfort and safety. Imagine, for the next 72 hours, the only things you have with you are what stands between you and injury, uncertainty, and possible death. If this were the case, Uncharted Supply’s Seventy2 Survival System is the one thing you could grab and be certain it will contain something to help you survive. This kit was conceived with multiple parents, experts in a variety of fields, financiers (Shark Tank and Indegogo), and survivalists bent on, well, surviving. All of this planning and creation was born under the immutable scrutiny of the public and media…and it has held up as a fantastic product with…

.02 Number of seconds it for the radiation from “Little Boy” to spread just one mile from ground zero. A woman sitting on steps on the bank of the Ota river was instantly vaporized. A new phenomenon called “nuclear shadows” emerged around the city. 1 Gaps in the clouds that allowed for “Fat Man” to be dropped onto Nagasaki. The city was covered by clouds and the single break in the clouds allowed for a drop point several miles from the intended aim point. 2 The miles per second that the blast wave from “Little Boy” travels across the entire city of Hiroshima. 3 Days between the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The initial drop day was moved to August 10, then the 9th to avoid five days of inclement…

Jeff Pavek is lucky to be alive. He incurred a broken neck, fractured skull, collapsed lung, broken breastbone, and crushed vertebrae—all caused by a nearly 20-foot fall from a tree stand while out hunting in the backwoods of Iowa. Pavek, from his hospital bed, stated: “That strap let go around the tree, it was a cable, and I must have went backwards. I don’t remember any of that though ….” He was face down for what he thought to be nearly two hours before his girlfriend and best friend became worried and went out to look for him. Once found, he was transported to the hospital for what is going to be a long road to recovery. Pavek wants his accident to help other hunters to be safe. He wants…

The construction of my DIY rocket stove starts by cutting the steel to the measures you can see in the picture. Then take the bottom (short) and the chimney (long) piece and cut a 6.5 cm piece on the 45 angled cuts, to make room for the 45 degrees angled loading tube. If you received the middle sized tube with a 45 degree cut, then cut it down to the 90 degrees we need. Weld the internal grille that will allow the oxygen (air) to feed the fire from the bottom and allow the ashes to fall down. Weld all three sides in contact with the bottom (short) tube to increase grille strength. You should have three pieces now: the short with the grille, the long chimney and the middle…

ARMANDO BASULTO has been a combatives instructor for various government agencies and has co-authored a combatives training manual for the Special Operations community. He is a 2nd Degree Black Belt Professor in Gracie Jiu Jitsu as well as competitive kickboxer in Europe and the US. N.E. MACDOUGALD is a U.S. Army veteran who performed classified duties with the 519th M.I. Bn. in Vietnam. He is one of five instructors for a series of survival videos produced by Panteao Productions. THOMAS RAY grew up in rural South Carolina. His youth was spent outdoors in the Broad River Basin area. His interests include history, aboriginal studies, survival, primitive arts and frontier life. He has taught numerous primitive skills classes and has presented a multitude of interpretive programs to a wide audience. MICHAEL…

Sub-second pistol draws. Rapid transitions between multiple targets. Shooting while moving and around barricades. We’ve all seen videos where professionals crush these challenges and we’ve wondered how they could be so fast and so smooth. We have to remember, at some point, every one of those Instagram firearm guys and gals with thousands of followers sat in a basic handgun safety class. At some point, the most impressive operators, marksmen and trainers were amateurs. Even the best shooters have to start somewhere. If you’re a novice now, remember, the best out there were once just like you. With all the cool gear that comes out each year and with the viral videos spread all over the internet, sometimes it’s easy to let run-and-gun aspirations get ahead of realistic concealed-carry training…

Long before you conceal carry, you should do plenty of legal research and have a discussion with someone well-versed in the use of lethal-force and its consequences. Do not mistake a casual conversation with a range guy or gun shop clerk as sound legal advice. You need someone who has your best interests in mind and who can help you navigate the right decision-making process. A good discussion includes the realistic second and third order effects of your actions. That is, analyzing what happens to your job when they learn of you being involved in a shooting, and what happens to your life when your job is uncertain. Discussions about gear, training, and situations all matter, but so do discussions about life after you win a fight that required you…

FIRE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. ON ONE HAND, FIRE KEEPS A PERSON WARM, ALLOWS THEM TO COOK FRESHLY KILLED MEAT, AND PROVIDES LIGHT AND COMFORT IN THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCES ON THE PLANET. IT CAN RAPIDLY SPREAD AT AN ALARMING RATE, AS IT ENGULFS FUEL ALONG THE WAY, FEEDING ITSELF AND GROWING EXPONENTIALLY. And no other version of a raging, out-of-control blaze is more damaging to civilization, nature’s creatures, and specifically to human life than the forest fire. Forest fires are created by nature or by human intervention—either accidentally or controlled and, in rare circumstances, intentionally—creating blazes that destroy thousands of acres of woodland, homes, and businesses. Although the idea of a raging wildfire consuming incredible amounts of…

Rick works on marketing and will be running FR Wisconsin when it opens. Cox joined the U.S. Army, serving eight years on active duty, five years in the reserves, and eight years with the Illinois National Guard. On active duty he was a Cavalry Scout, Sheridan [M551, light tank] Crewman, and M60 series crewman, as well as a telephone-systems technician. In the reserves he worked as a German and Russian linguist in a military intelligence unit. In the National Guard, he worked as a nuclear, biological, chemical specialist and an Artillery Forward Observer. His civilian career leveraged his telephone-systems technician specialty and work experience. In the decades since serving on active duty, he’s worked for voice and data providers in wireless and wireline technologies. Much of that time has been…

IN the bush, the animal world is divided into predator and prey. The predator is at the top of the food chain because of its ability to proactively identify, pursue and acquire the resources it needs for survival. Homo-sapiens, not naturally endowed with pointed claws or sharp teeth, must either bring those tools with him or be skilled enough to fashion them from found materials. For survival against other predators or the merciless fickleness of nature, for millennia the knife has been mankind’s “equalizer” in the wild. A large knife not only provides a man with de facto “claws and teeth” to fight, but perhaps more importantly, the ability to survive empowered to build shelter, acquire food or access water sources. The Gossman Predator Knife was a joint effort by…

TYPE: Over/under, break-action combination gun CALIBERS: .22 WMR over .410 bore shotgun (also available in .22LR over .410 bore) CAPACITY: 1 round in each barrel CHOKE: Fixed, cylinder bore BARREL LENGTHS: 20 inches each OVERALL LENGTH: 35.75 inches FINISH: Matte black over carbon steel STOCK: Black synthetic SIGHTS: Adjustable, rear sight can be removed to mount scope base WEIGHT: 6.1 pounds OTHER: Barrel selector switch on the external hammer; one-button easy takedown; comes with sling swivel studs; includes an Uncle Mike’s zippered nylon carry case MSRP: $499…

ELECTRONICS 3-in-1 radio Phone charger USB charger AIR & VISION RZ M5 air filtration mask (filters 99.9% of all particulate matter) Goggles FIRST AID 20-piece first-aid kit Anti-bacterial wipes Sunscreen Splint TOOLS Multi-tool Convertible shovel/pickaxe Duct tape 100 feet of paracord with a 7 strand core Survival knife and sheath (paracord wrapped) FOOD & WATER Datrex food (5-year shelf life) Nalgene water bottle Squeeze water filtration bag (works with Sawyer) Sawyer MINI water filter Water syringe LIGHT Flashlight CREE Q5 LED (300 lumens) Chem lights (2) Matches Magnesium alloy fire starter WARMTH Gloves with leather fingers and palms Beanie Heat packs (providing up to 10 hours of warmth) Mylar thermal space blanket Mylar thermal survival tent…

A LITTLE-KNOWN fact about the bombing of Hiroshima is that there were 12 American POWs being held captive in the city. The men were crewmembers of the B-24s Lonesome Lady and Taloa who, on July 28, were shot down on a bombing run over Kure Harbor. Twelve of the survivors were taken to Hiroshima. The police station where they were being held was 900 meters from ground zero. While most of the men died instantly, it is believed that about half of the men had survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Normand Brissette (gunner, Taloa) and Ralph Neal (ball turret, Lonesome Lady) survived the bombing by diving into a cesspool. They were seen wandering the city and were picked up by a truck carrying other American POWs and brought to another…

PRE-CHARGED PNEUMATIC air guns feature an air tank that you load in advance with compressed air either from an external tank or pump. They allow for multiple shots before they need to be recharged with air. They are powerful and are available in calibers to hunt both small and large game. The downside is that they are usually more expensive. BREAK-BARREL air guns require a single cocking motion to compress a powerful internal spring. Upon pulling the trigger, the spring is released, compressing the air in a chamber that propels the pellet. Many are sufficiently powerful for small game, are relatively inexpensive and don’t require external pumps or air tanks, making them ideal for survival. The downside is that cocking them can be difficult for some people and follow-up shots…

Wilderness is dangerous. From an enraged mother bear protecting her cubs, to violent spur-of-the-moment changes in weather, to toxic wild mushrooms and rash-inducing plants, Mother Nature dishes it out. However, out in the wild we too often overlook a source of possible danger and even death—trees. These giants of the forest pose many dangers. From a random branch dropping from a great height, to mishaps caused by incorrect felling, to misjudging the stability or strength of a tree resulting in injury or destruction of gear—these are all real and possible scenarios that we may encounter. The benefits of trees are many, without a doubt, but they have a “bad” side and without the proper knowledge and preparation, you could very well become a victim of tree tragedies. WIDOW-MAKERS Dead branches…

Aokigahara, located at the base of Mt. Fuji, is better known to locals and foreigners alike as the suicide forest. So named for the great number of people who venture into the dense foliage with no intention of ever leaving. Some estimates, which are probably low due to the difficulty or inability to recover remains, claim that around one hundred people a year have successfully committed suicide within the vast 13.5 square mile “Sea of Trees.” However, for those exploring the area with no intention of ending their lives, other dangers can occur at every turn. The landscape is very difficult to navigate due to its proximity to the base of a mountain. Uneven ground, littered with fallen trees and twisted live roots create a “bone-breaking” lattice, if one isn’t…

The following books and references can help you in your plans and preparations for the next weather-related disaster that strikes near you.: The Ready.Gov website has good information at https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes Check out NOAA’s website for lots of good information at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php The Red Cross website has detailed information and checklists at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/hurricane#About The Fortified Home building standard (https://disastersafety.org/fortified/) provides good information on how to build or upgrade your home’s structure to withstand a hurricane.…

By definition, a rocket stove is an efficient and hot-burning stove that burns small-diameter wood fuel in a simple combustion chamber. This chamber contains an insulated vertical chimney that insures almost complete combustion prior to the flames reaching the cooking surface. Simple, efficient, and inexpensive to build, rocket stoves are used to cook, to heat up your cabin, or as a controlled-temperature heat source. I had never used the Dakota fire-pit principle, which is the idea behind the rocket-stove oxygen feed system, but the logic behind it was clear to me. As a fire arson investigator, I fully understand the triangle of fire and that if we add oxygen and raise the temperature, we will be able to extract more heat and energy from the combustion and our stove will…

WHAT’S IN A GENERATOR? TERMS TO HELP MAKE A GOOD GENERATOR CHOICE. Wanting portable power when or if an outage occurs in your town is a very solid way of thinking. However, for most people, the ins and outs of generators is just too daunting a subject to make a sound purchasing decision. With prices ranging anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, you can’t afford—literally and figuratively—to have the wrong info and make an incorrect choice. Thankfully, we gathered the most prominent and important terms below so you can confidently choose the unit that will keep your lights on and your necessities running under blackout conditions. GENERATOR: The device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Without this item, you’ll stay in the dark…

Anyone who is concerned about protecting their firearms from damage due to corrosion should have their rifles, handguns, and shotguns treated with an application of one or more Robar products. The Robar product line includes both coatings and platings such as NP3 Plus Finish, standard NP3 Teflon/Electroless Nickel Finish, Roguard Poly-T2 PTFE Coating, Phostphate, and Parkerizing. Its NP3 Plus Finish provides five times the protection of their NP3 Finish and 10 times the protection of a electroless nickel finish. This includes protection while operating in a marine environment and in locations where the humidity level is exceedingly high. Robar can also apply a product such as their Roguard Finish to the external parts of your firearms and NP3 Plus or NP3 to the internal components.…

Based on a variety of factors, Glock pistols have a well-deserved reputation for remaining serviceable after being exposed to extremely harsh operating conditions, including exposure and immersion in salt water and contaminated flood waters. It is also important to note that a large number of U.S. and Allied/Coalition military personnel, including Special Forces personnel, have carried and continue to carry Glock pistols, Nitron blackened stainless-steel Classic SIG Sauer Pistols, and Heckler & Koch pistols with a Hostile Environment Finish in the most demanding conditions imaginable. The adoption of the SIG Sauer 320 (M17) by the U.S. Army adds this pistol to the list of service handguns that are “good to go” in harsh operating conditions. Premium-brand stainless-steel revolvers are also better suited for use in a survival situation, when exposure…

1 5.11 Tactical Revolver Reversible Jacket Any outdoor enthusiast knows that on the trail, the temperature can change in an instant. With the reversible Revolver jacket from 5.11, you won’t even flinch when you start to feel that cool, crisp fall breeze creep up your back. The jacket has internal concealed carry access, so you go from outdoor explorer to city dweller in a snap. STARTING AT $140; FROM 511TACTICAL.COM 2 5.11 MISSION READY CHUKKA Đ Disaster can strike at a moment’s notice, so you need to be ready for it. With the Mission Ready Chukka from 5.11, you can go direct from the office to your pre-determined evacuation plans. Designed with maximum cushioning, heel protection, and all-day comfort in mind, these boots let…

The possibility of urban evacuation was put to the test on June 15, 1955, when the Federal Civil Defense Administration staged Operation Alert in cities around the country, including Washington, D.C. As The New York Times observed on June 16, “This was the first Civil Defense test in which the Government actually left Washington and in which account was taken of the lethal and widespread effects of radioactive fall-out.” The government was able to estimate the spread of fallout because it had exploded a hydrogen bomb on March 1, 1954, in the Bikini Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. The test revealed that the fallout spread 7,000 square miles over the Pacific. “On land,” the Times explained, “that fall-out would have killed virtually every exposed person in an area about…

Houses are nearly always destroyed in out-of-control wildfires, vital farmland is scorched beyond use, and people are injured or killed. Yet, ironically enough, the horrible destructive power of a wildfire can actually create abundant, thriving life. Although forest fires appear to be a malevolent force of nature, they do provide a plethora of benefits to the natural world. First, they release nutrients back into the soil from the ashes of dead and decaying plant material. They also burn surface weeds and invasive species of plants that would otherwise “choke” more beneficial varieties. This allows the “good” species to become healthy and flourish. The canopy, during a wildfire, would be cleared by the burn, allowing sunlight to once again permeate the trees and reach below. With the increase in light, plants…

LET’S DISPEL THE LONE WOLF MYTH: Unless you don’t sleep, don’t get sick, and can watch your own back, you’ll need the assistance of others to survive attacks on your compound. Hollywood and survivalist novels often feature a lone hero: Rambo, John McClane (Die Hard), and Neo (The Matrix) perpetuate the myth of a rugged individual prevailing against all odds. And that’s what makes these films and books so compelling—we can fantasize about being that rugged individual. The fact that these heroes aren’t plausible doesn’t bother viewers or readers, and it certainly doesn’t bother Hollywood. If cost is no concern, consider a bunker like the Survival Condo (survivalcondo.com), their tagline is Atlas Missile Silo turned Luxury Condos. According to the website, exterior walls are between 2.5 and 9-feet thick. The…

Wild food foraging has gotten very popular in the last decade, everyone wants to add wild foods to their meals. Campers want to try adding wild plants to their MREs and freeze-dried meals. But just a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. Berries are always a popular choice among beginning foragers, and just about everyone knows blackberries. They grow profusely in some areas, even urban areas, and they are often found along streams in the wild. But there are a few other vining plants that bear a resemblance to blackberries which should be avoided. An experienced berry collector should not confuse blackberries with poison oak, especially when the blackberries are fruiting. Nevertheless, if you’re going into the woods to forage, you should know about poison oak and poison ivy…

Though the traditional short and stout machete called the “bolo” can be found in agricultural settings as far flung as Cuba and Indonesia, it is in the Philippines that this ubiquitous knife became closely intertwined with national history and identity. During the war for Filipino independence from Spain, the Katipunan freedom fighters all carried their bolos into combat, making them feared adversaries in close quarters. The Bolo became a symbol of the Philippine Revolution and is even prominently depicted in the Bonifacio monument in Caloocan, Philippines, commemorating Revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio and the start of the insurrection. The Bolo continued to be used by guerilla fighters during the Philippine-American War. During WWII, the famous US 1st Filipino Regiment became know as the “Bolo Brigade” used this formidable blade as they…

You can add even more versatility to your Chiappa Double Badger by getting the company’s X-Caliber System of shotgun inserts. In the 20-gauge package, you get four barrel inserts that allow you to fire .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP and 9mm handgun cartridges through the shotgun barrel. The inserts can be installed or removed without tools and require no modification to the firearm. Chiappa also makes a system for 12-gauge shotguns that features barrel inserts allowing you to shoot .380 ACP, 9mm, .357 Magnum, 40 S&W, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, .45 Colt and 20-gauge shotgun shells.…

Another combo gun offered by Chiappa is the M6, patterned after the survival guns originally designed for use by downed pilots. It’s available in .22LR or .22WMR over 12-gauge and .22LR or .22WMR over 20-gauge. This is a bare-bones firearm with skeletonized metal stock with a foam insert that has room for spare ammo and a cleaning kit. It has a carbine-style rear sight with fiber optic front sight. Picatinny rails on the top and sides allow for mounting optics, lights and lasers. Like the Double Badger, it too has two triggers and a shotgun barrel threaded for interchangeable chokes. It too folds in half for easy carry. The MSRP on the M6 is $729.…

In the early morning of August 6, 1945, Col. Paul Tibbets gave a final briefing to the crew of the Enola Gay. They were about to change the world. At 2:45 a.m., the Enola Gay lifted off from the small Pacific Island of Tinian. In Hiroshima, it was an hour earlier and nearly everyone slept. For Tsutomu Yamaguchi, this day would forever change his life. He was about to become one of a small handful of Japanese citizens called nijyuu hibakusha, or “twice-bombed people,” and the only Japanese citizen officially recognized as such by the Japanese government. Born on March 16, 1916, Yamaguchi grew up in the industrial city of Nagasaki. He came from a wealthy family and embraced the varied culture that Nagasaki offered at the time. When he…

The concept of a modern tactical knife has devolved from its military background as a fighting knife. That fact that tactical knives share some features with their military brothers. Though “tactical” has been used traditionally to describe folding knives in this category, lately it has been termed to an increasing array of anything that is simple in design, quick to access, and colored black (most times the blade too). A better term for these would be utility, as they are useful in the field and at home as both a personal defense knife but as one that could open boxes and cut wire just as easily. They normally feature small blades with interesting styles such as a tanto or useful edges like serrated and are (mostly) less expensive than hunting…

You don’t have to think small—as in small game—when it comes to air rifles. The new Umarex Hammer is being touted as the most powerful production air rifle on the planet. The rifle fires a 550-grain, .50-caliber lead slug at a reported 790 feet per second for 760 foot-pounds of energy. This PCP (Pre-charged Pneumatic) rifle is made in the U.S. It makes use of a 24-cubic inch carbon fiber tank that holds 4,500 psi of compressed air and uses about eight cubic inches per shot. It uses a quick-disconnect Foster fitting for filling the tank. The Hammer features trigger pull of about three pounds and has hammer-block, trigger-block and magazine lockout safeties. It also features a familiar Magpul AR grip and 8.5-inch Picatinny rail. The Hammer weighs 8.5 pounds.…

When it comes to the most dangerous jobs in America, the top spot, unfortunately, is lumberjack. Taken from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for 2016, the number of fatal injuries in the logging industry was just shy of 136 per 100, 000 workers. In perspective, the second most fatal profession, fisherman, had 86 fatal injuries per 100, 000 workers, illustrating that a lumberjack doesn’t just work extremely hard for his/her money, but also incurs the most risk and possible death. The chart below rounds out the final eight of…

The atlatl, or spear thrower, was the first true weapons system developed by humans. Atlatl is an Aztec word, describing the device as experienced by early Spanish explorers The spear thrower also saw the longest continuous use of any weapons system in the history of the North American continent. Most likely, this technology was brought to North America by the first people to visit and it was still in use at the time of European contact. At any rate, in North America, the atlatl was used much longer than the bow and arrow. The atlatl occurred not only in Europe and North America, but around the world. The Australian Aborigines used a version called a woomera. It was multi-functional, the body being trough-shaped and serving as a plate or container,…

3 the number of minutes you can live without breathable air, number of hours you can live without shelter from the elements, the number of days you can live without drinkable water, and the number of weeks you can live without food. 5.6–5.12 the dates in May for Hurricane Preparedness Week. See https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricanepreparedness for more details. 10 the number of hurricanes during the 2017 hurricane season; Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, and Ophelia. 15 the largest number of hurricanes in one season; the year was 2005. The average is 5.9 156.4 the cost of damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in billions of US dollars. 180 the maximum wind speed in mph reached by Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Maria reached 175 mph.…

VERSA ROCKET STOVE: The most interesting rocket stove to me is the EcoZoom Versa, a fantastic stove with a social project behind to help developing countries. The Versa stove uses wood, charcoal, or solid biomass fuel. It is perfect for camping, outdoor, and off-grid cooking. It has an insulated, reinforced refractory metal lined burn chamber and door that allows a hot efficient burn, while reducing the heat transfer to outer metal surfaces. The burn chamber’s insulated door can be closed when cooking with charcoal to increase efficiency, and the smaller damper door beneath allows you to control airflow and therefore flame height and temperature. It comes with a rugged and durable three-pronged cast-iron cooktop that works with most round or flat-bottom pans and has temperature shielded stainless-steel handles. Unique to…

PULSAR 5250W DUAL-FUEL GENERATOR Whether using gasoline or liquid propane, you’ll get high performance and long-lasting durability from this versatile machine. With Switch & Go technology, there is no need to shut down between fuel-type changes; just flip a switch and your power continues to flow. With a locking, fold-down handle, large oversized wheels, and a sturdy frame, this generator travels easily with you in any environment. Use for work, at home, or at your remote bug-out location. SPECS AND FEATURES 5250W Peak 4250W Rated GAS 4750W Peak 3850W Rated LPG Strong, powder coat steel frame 4 Stroke, air-cooled engine Large 10 inch no-flat tires MSRP: $449.99 PULSARPRODUCTS.COM Because flipping a light switch or charging your cell phone is such a routine task, most people constantly assume that the results…

I initially became fascinated with the ruggedness of firearms to withstand harsh operating conditions when I was issued a 6-shot blue steel Smith & Wesson .38 Special Model 10 with a four-inch barrel. This previously issued service revolver was carried in a leather holster when I worked as a uniformed New York State Park Police Officer in the Bronx, NY. Even though this revolver was exposed to rain, snow, and humidity, it always worked and was just as serviceable as the S&W Model 10 with the three-inch barrel that I had coated with Teflon. My five-shot Smith & Wesson Model 36 and my blue steel Walther PPK were also never taken out of service for repair, even though these handguns were carried either close to the body or in an…

Rifles such as the LWRCI Mid Length Piston Operated SPR Model M4 Variant, the LWRCI Mid Length Direct Impingement M4, the FN SCAR 17S, as well as AK47s and 74s are designed to withstand the absolute harshest operating conditions. Even rifles like the U.S. made M16 and M4 have reliably operated in the most demanding weather and combat conditions imaginable. One way to improve the capabilities of a premium brand-direct impingement powered M16/AR15 rifles and M4 Carbines is to replace the carbon steel bolt assembly with a Nickel Boron or Robar coated bolt assembly. Rogard’s Polymer 15 M4 style carbine that weighs 4.5 pounds unloaded is also ideally suited for use in harsh operating conditions. Mossberg’s 590 Mariner Shotgun with a Marinecote Finish is also ideally suited for use in…