Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Survivor's Edge

Michael Bowman had just dropped his pack for a minute to go looking for his missing tripod. The 57-year-old was out backpacking in the Lake St. Clair region of Tasmania when he realized that one piece of gear had gone missing in the bushes. “I was mindful I couldn’t go too far from the pack in case I couldn’t find it again,” he said. But he didn’t count on a dense fog rolling in when he was a mere 30 yards away from the pack, his personal locator beacon and his radio. He searched for three hours across dense vegetation with limited visibility but was unable to find his way back to the correct spot. Eventually, he decided to prepare for a night in the wilderness without his gear. “I…

WE WOULD BE hard-pressed to do a bug-out vehicle spread without shining a spotlight on the Jeep Wrangler. For over 70 years, Jeep has built vehicles for the civilian market and has made getting outdoors and off the grid just that much easier. In the late 1980s, Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand from the American Motors Corporation, and the Wrangler was introduced. The flagship CJ model received a full redo, becoming the YJ model in the mid-1980s, although it still sported leaf springs and solid axles. Fast-forward to 1997 and the intro duction of the TJ, arguably Jeep fans’ most-beloved model. It ditched the leaf-spring suspension in favor of coil springs on all four corners while still retaining those beloved solid axles. This would prove to be the key ingredient…

Storing ammo for survival isn’t a no-brainer. It involves more than just leaving it in a place that’s cool, dry and dark. But before you buy a waterproof container and bury it in the backyard, you need to have a good idea of what you’re preparing for and how to keep the ammo fresh after the balloon goes up. THE NEXT CRISIS Step one in preparing for the next crisis is doing a red-team evaluation. Red-teaming is a two-step process. First, list all of your potential vulnerabilities in the place you live and how they might affect you. Then, critically ask yourself how likely each event is to occur. History is a good guide for this process, so I’ll use our household as an example. In the 13 years that…

When we think of tracking, we often picture the quintessential footprint, pawprint or hoofprint that’s left behind on the earth for all to see. We imagine following a string of tracks, observing all the sign that relates to the tracks, eventually catching up to the animal or person. But what would you need to know about tracking as a survivalist? Tracking is broadly defined as the ability to identify and then follow a person or animal based on the track and sign left behind. Sign, then, is defined as supporting evidence, such as the chews, rubs, scratches, various scats, bends, breaks, smudges, scuffs, bones, digs, lays, runs, trails, bed-downs, feeding grounds and so forth—all clues leading to the goal, so that we can follow the target and eventually catch up…

The average person spends a lot of time on the road: getting to and from work, shopping, vacationing, etc. Whether your concern is bad weather, questionable road conditions or the zombie apocalypse, having a good medical kit in your vehicle can help save lives. Unfortunately, most people don’t have any sort of medical kit in their cars (or anywhere, for that matter). Why bother? Just call 911! Society seems to take the ready access to modern medical help for granted. After all, medical miracles happen every day. Although many believe the typical response time for emergency services is five minutes, one recent study reports that it takes an average of 7.7 minutes for urban EMS to arrive; in rural areas, the average is twice that or more. Various factors like…

Whatever the label (i.e., combat, tactical or self-defense), shotguns can be had in various forms ranging from double barreled, pump action, semi-automatic and, for good measure, even lever action. Recently, a new genre has arrived on the stage labeled the non-NFA “pistol grip firearm.” Make no mistake—these are true smoothbores chambered in potent 12 gauge and 20 gauge. This article will strive to shed more light on the shotgun-chambered firearms labeled “pistol grip firearms” by taking a closer look at the Remington V3 TAC-13 semi-automatic. The Remington V3 TAC-13 can be purchased with the basic paperwork associated with most any other over-the-counter firearm purchase. The Gun Control Act of 1968 that defines what a shortbarreled shotgun consists of is the key. A shotgun that is manufactured from the start with…

Trailers serve many purposes, and most standard lengths have floorboards strong enough for large loads. Since I live in Wyoming, outdoor adventures are a weekly occurrence, and hauling the right gear is essential. I found that traditional wooden-floor trailers were cumbersome to move and tow throughout the trail systems my vehicle was frequenting, and low axle clearance and wide frames added to the difficulty of towing an ATV into the mountains for camping, fishing and hunting. So, I became obsessed with the thought of building a custom trailer for my purposes. It needed to have slightly more ground clearance, flatbed loading for ATVs and snowmobiles, watertight storage and additional rack space. The goal wasn’t to build the ultimate off-road trailer, but to boost its off-road capabilities while retaining general-use abilities.…

Selecting a backpack gun or two might seem an overwhelming task, as there are so many reliable guns out there to choose from. But as survivalists, we know that every ounce we choose to carry counts a hundredfold. So, let’s look at two modern 21st-century 9mm pistols and one revolver that saw front-line law enforcement service in the 20th century. The pistols that I am referring to are the full-sized 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P (Military & Police) M2.0 and the 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact. The revolver is a stainless steel Smith & Wesson Model 66 chambered in .38 Special/.357 Magnum with a 2.5-inch barrel. The question is, why these handguns? THE FLAWLESS RUNNER During my law enforcement career, I carried no fewer than 10 personally owned…

From the mind of an American hero comes a utility blade fit for a SEAL. During my stop at the Case Knives booth at the 2019 SHOT Show, I had the privilege of learning about the new American Heroes Knife Series. There were two knives in the line when I was introduced to it: the Hambone (which you saw in the May/June issue) and the Recurve Utility #6 that I’ll detail for you now. Like the Hambone, the Recurve Utility #6 is a collaboration between Harry Bologna (the designer), Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler and legendary knife company Case Knives. It’s a well-thought-out design steeped in experience, and it’s well suited for anything you can throw at it, from hunting and wilderness survival to combat. A SOLID DESIGN The 4.8-inch recurve…

The human eye is an incredibly advanced system of cells and nerves designed to process millions of colors (and 500 shades of gray) at 576 megapixels. It uses the quickest muscles in your body. The eye is capable of seeing two distinct headlights from three miles away, and it can measure the light difference between 49 and 50 candles in a room. After the brain, it’s the most complex system in your body, made up of two million working parts. But it isn’t perfect. Under normal conditions, it’s difficult to see unlit objects at great distances. Though you might be able to see something moving around —a deer in the manzanita bushes, for example—you can’t be 100-percent sure it’s a deer. You might just recognize something brown. VISUAL AIDS Enter…

The Great Blizzard of 1993, more commonly known as the Storm of the Century, was a superstorm that ravaged the east coast of the United States. In every metric, this storm was extreme; its size and intensity were unheard of. The cyclonic storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico reached all the way up to Canada during its peak. This storm had something for everybody: It created tornadoes, churned up the seas and induced flooding, blanketed half the country in snow and shut down highways from the Southeast to Canada. Southeastern states where snow was almost a foreign concept (especially in mid-March when the storm struck) reported shocking amounts of snow. Alabama, Georgia and Florida all received unprecedented amounts of snow along with hurricane-force winds that cost billions of…

SINCE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2016, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE LARGE PROTESTS AND RIOTS THAN I CAN COUNT. GETTING CAUGHT IN ONE WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO COME TRUE. I RECALL SEEING NEWS CLIP AFTER NEWS CLIP OF VEHICLES BEING GRIDLOCKED IN TRAFFIC WITH LARGE CROWDS OF PROTESTORS SURROUNDING AND POUNDING ON CARS, SOMETIMES EVEN DRAGGING DRIVERS OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND ASSAULTING THEM. IMAGES OF POLICE CLASHING WITH ROCK-THROWING INDIVIDUALS HAVE BECOME WAY TOO COMMON ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Just imagine being on vacation alone or with loved ones, driving leisurely and turning a corner only to be caught in this kind of chaos. What would you do? If the police are busy fighting back the crowds, who would protect you? In this issue, I’ve gathered together a roundtable of…

In 1991, an astounding discovery was made in the Ötztal Alps along the border between Austria and Italy: A body was found frozen in a glacier. This fact alone was not uncommon in that part of the world. What was unusual was that this body was found to be approximately 5,000 years old! Along with the body, many artifacts were found, giving the world an unprecedented glimpse into everyday life in the Copper Age. Ötzi, or the Iceman, as he came to be known, was found with a copper axe, a bow stave and arrow shafts, a stone knife, birch bark containers and a back pannier, or pack frame, along with many other items. THE PACK FRAME Years ago, after Konrad Spindler’s excellent book about the discovery, The Man in…

First off, a book that claims to be able to advise you on how to get out of any dire survival situation should be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, if you’ve ever watched Survivorman, then you’ve seen Les Stroud feel miserable under survival conditions in nearly every conceivable environment, from Southwestern American deserts to South Pacific islands. Stroud spends a week at a time exposing himself to the kinds of ordeals that most of us only hope we would be able to overcome: biting insects, lack of food and water, extremes of temperature and weather—all while lugging along tons of cameras, batteries and other video equipment that none of us would willingly burden ourselves with. Survive! is a straightforward survival manual, and as such, it covers…

CIVILIZATION HAS ENDED; GOVERNMENTS AND THE RULE OF LAW ARE GONE. IN THIS SHIFT, ALL FORMS OF CURRENCY, CREDIT, MONEY AND ANY VALUE PRECIOUS METALS MIGHT HAVE HAD WITHIN THAT SYSTEM LOSE THEIR WORTH. ALONE, YOU’RE LEFT WITH NO RECOURSE TO PURCHASE FOOD, WATER, GASOLINE OR ANY GEAR YOU MIGHT NEED TO SURVIVE, BUT YOU DO HAVE A SINGULAR TRICK UP YOUR SLEEVE. YOU’RE A MASTER TRADER, AND NOW IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE. THE BARTERING SYSTEM Bartering is the oldest known form of acquiring goods, dating back to the prehistoric times of mastodons and cavemen. Trading goods and services for like-kind built civilizations like the Phoenicians and Aztecs. The system is cleverly simple. If you need something that someone else has, find something of an equal value that person…

“Mother Nature and the sea—fickle mistresses for sure,” said 27-year-old Corey Smith of the day the two teamed up to nearly end his life. The marine technician had been sent out to repair the plumbing on the sailboat Goleen at Stone Harbor in Chatham, Massachusetts. Before setting out for the day’s work, Smith checked the weather forecast: blue skies. And the day was still calm when he was dropped off on the sailboat. He headed down into the cabin and got to work. But by 11:40 a.m., he’d received a weather alert on his phone: A tornado was headed his way. He poked his head up out of the boat to see how much time he had to make it to shore, but it was already too late. “This wall…

Colin Dowler jumped off his bike, set down his pack and picked up his trekking pole. He was ready to fight but knew that taking a defensive watch and wait posture was the smarter move. He’d been descending British Columbia’s Mount Doogie Dowler—named after his grandfather—by mountain bike when he spotted a 350-pound grizzly bear standing 100 feet away. “Too close, in my opinion,” said 44-year-old Dowler. “I wasn’t sure what to do. I just started having a conversation with the bear.” And this one was acting strangely. Instead of going about its business or, worse, charging Dowler, it casually walked toward him. With each step the griz took, Dowler continued to talk to it, hoping that if he could keep the bear calm, he could prevent an unwanted attack.…

EMERGENCIES DON’T WORK WITH YOUR SCHEDULE. One minute you could be in your normally secured home, and the next you may be scrambling out the door to reach a safer location somewhere far away. Now the question arises—how are you going to get there? The means of transportation during a bug-out situation vary greatly from incredibly simple, like a two-wheeled bike, to a veritable survival bunker on wheels (or tracks, even) and everything in between. All in all, the bug-out vehicle you choose should suit your particular situation, including the number of people accompanying you, the distance you need to travel, the terrain you’re going to cross and the amount of space for supplies and gear that is needed. It’s also a possibility worth taking into consideration that your bug-out…

A BLIZZARD IS DEFINED AS A POWERFUL, OFTEN DEVASTATING NATURAL PHENOMENON. IT’S A SEVERE SNOWSTORM WITH STRONG, SUSTAINED WINDS, AND IT CAN LAST FORHOURSE OR DAYS. A PECULIARLY NORTH AMERICAN PHENOMENON, THE BLIZZARD IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE INTERMINGLING OF COLD, DRY AIR FROM CANADA; WARM, MOIST AIR FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO; AND COLD, MOIST AIR FROM THE WEST COAST. WHEN ALL THREE AIR CURRENTS MEET, THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR HEAVY WIND AND SNOW. BLIZZARDS OCCUR MOST OFTEN ON THE GREAT PLAINS, COASTAL STATES IN THE NORTHEAST AND STATES SURROUNDING THE GREAT LAKES. There are three kinds of blizzards: snowstorm, ground and lake-effect blizzards. A snowstorm blizzard is a traditional blizzard, including heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures with winds over 35 miles per hour. In order for a…

Yes and no. Though consuming snow will provide you with some muchneeded hydration, doing so will significantly lower your core body temperature. The main problem with eating snow for the purposes of obtaining water is that it takes a lot of snow to get a little water. A conservative ratio of snow to water is about 10 to 1. But when in dire situations, it’s better to chance being cold than dying from dehydration. A better option would be to use the body heat from your activities to melt the snow. If you have a sealable container, put it in between your layers of clothing near your core and go about your business.…

IN THE ULTIMATE quest for complete off-the-grid sustainability, look no further than the Sportsmobile. To those unfamiliar with this vehicle, make no mistake about it, though: This is no ordinary van down by the river. Sportsmobile started coachbuilding vehicles back in 1961. Today, the company will customize your vehicle if you already have a van you’re looking to convert, or you can purchase a brand-new vehicle through a Sportsmobile dealer. The work begins on proven platforms, such as Ford, Dodge, Chevy and, more recently, Mercedes Sprinter vans. With numerous configuration options, there really is no better choice when you’re looking for a vehicle built to your exact specifications. THE NOMAD LIFE Now, let us enter the world of Jason Ramos, a man whose home address is literally decided by where…

TOYOTA trucks weren’t always the big, powerful, roomy workhorses that we’ve come to know them as today. Anyone who grew up watching television in the 1980s will, without a doubt, recall their “Oh, what a feeling!” advertising campaign, with owner after owner proudly boasting about how many thousands of miles they’d managed to rack up in their Toyotas. Of course, one of the main factors people consider when choosing a bug-out rig is a vehicle’s reliability, and this is something that Toyota trucks are known for worldwide. Although the Tundra has been produced worldwide since 2000, the secondgeneration Tundra is the iteration that has most notably caught the eye of the American public. A bigger payload capacity, improved towing capabilities and a larger cabin space make the Tundra an excellent…

It’s a rare individual who doesn’t have a female as part of their survival group. Many will be of childbearing age (say, 14 to 45 years old), a prime age to be valuable and productive assets in times of trouble. If the group is successful, even female infants will eventually reach the point of reproductive maturity. In modern times, the announcement of a pregnancy is often considered a blessing. In survival scenarios, however, pregnancy may be considered a cause for concern and, perhaps, a burden. So why this shift? A survival group must be at 110-percent efficiency. Talk to anyone with experience and they’ll tell you that’s rarely the case during pregnancy. Morning sickness, back pain and fatigue are part and parcel of being with child. These problems may take…

There’s really no substitute for this book by the late Konrad Spindler for anyone who’s interested in Ötzi and the technology that existed during the Copper Age in Europe. Spindler, an archaeologist at the University of Innsbruck during the time of the discovery, was directly involved in the events that unfolded afterward, so he could provide a vivid and detailed account of the discovery. The book also contains sharp, full-color photographs of the finds, as well as detailed descriptions and measurements of all artifacts. Even so, there could have been a little more detail included in some cases. For example, measurements were given detailing the length of the hazel rod of the backpack frame, but measurements of its diameter were omitted. From an archaeological and anthropological perspective, much more research…

IT’S AN INCREDIBLY disheartening feeling when you realize that your car battery is dead, but it can be heart-stopping to turn the key and hear a click when a hurricane or blizzard is barreling down on you. A car battery has a singular (albeit crucial) job and that is to provide power to the starter (and lights and some equipment when the engine is off). Once the car is running, all power for its various electrical systems is supplied by the alternator. Though a good battery can last up to five or six years, once depleted, the battery won’t have enough power to energize the starter, and you’ll be stuck. So, why not include in your cache of survival gear that you keep stowed away in your vehicle a singular device…