RECOIL OFFGRID

1. Backpack Make: Mystery Ranch Model: Rip Ruck 24 MSRP: $149 URL: www.mysteryranch.com 2. Medical Pack Make: Mystery Ranch Model: Med Lid MSRP: $100 URL: www.mysteryranch.com 3. Gloves Make: Viktos Model: LEO Riot Glove MSRP: $65 URL: www.viktos.com 4. Hat Make: Viktos Model: Notch Shield Hat MSRP: $35 URL: www.viktos.com 5. Pants Make: Viktos Model: Wartorn Pant MSRP: $115 URL: www.viktos.com 6. Shoes Make: Viktos Model: Core 2 Tiger Stripe Shoe MSRP: $120 URL: www.viktos.com 7. Shirt Make: Viktos Model: War Toys Tee MSRP: $29 URL: www.viktos.com 8. Jacket Make: Viktos Model: Alphadawn Jacket MSRP: $165 URL: www.viktos.com 9. Shirt Make: Viktos Model: Huff & Puff Tee MSRP: $29 URL: www.viktos.com 10. Shoes Make: Viktos Model: Range Trainer MSRP: $115 URL: www.viktos.com 11. Pants Make: Viktos Model: LEO Duty Pant MSRP: $85 URL: www.viktos.com…

As you read this, babies born on or immediately after Sept. 11 will be old enough to have their first beer. Like most of you, I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day — and it certainly doesn’t feel like 21 years ago. In a bitterly ironic twist of timing, we’re also passing the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Afghan capital of Kabul to Taliban forces. Watching a decades-long campaign that cost close to 3,000 American lives crumble on live TV in a matter of days was a tough pill for many people to swallow — particularly those of us who spent a significant amount of time there, or who had loved ones killed or wounded. In the aftermath of such…

MAKE & MODEL 1 Prometheus Design Werx ROAM Jacket EC COLORS Universal Field Gray, All Terrain Brown MSRP $245 URL prometheusdesignwerx.com NOTES Designed, cut, and sewn right here in the USA, and based directly on the classic American “Trucker Jacket,” PDW updated this style of outerwear with their Expedition Cloth. It’s made of a nylon/poly four-way Stretch Technical Soft-Shell fabric with a water-repellent coating. Comfortably cut to wear over a base layer or your favorite hoodie, the ROAM Jacket EC is also fully lined in Guide Cloth, features chest pockets specially sized for most smartphones, two hand pockets, two interior pockets, PDW’s signature hide-away pocket under the collar, snap cuffs, center placket, waist tabs, and pocket flaps. It's well-suited for cool to cold weather when worn with layers. MAKE & MODEL 2 Streamlight Wedge EDC Pocket Light LUMENS 1,000 MSRP $150 URL streamlight.com NOTES The…

To borrow a phrase from the firearms side of the house, knives have two enemies: rust and politicians. The latter is more complicated to deal with, but you can sometimes defeat the former by choosing a different blade material or treatment. A knife’s edge is composed of millions of microscopic serrations made of chemical compounds known as carbides. In blade steel, the carbide is composed of iron and carbon. The size and amount of these carbides affect how sharp a blade edge can be made as well as its wear resistance. However, because of the iron, they’re prone to rust and corrosion. For many knife users, extreme corrosion resistance is a necessity. You might need to do work in an extremely humid environment, or maybe you find yourself on the deck of…

The recent declassification of documents seized during the Bin Laden raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, revealed some alarming information about future attacks al-Qaeda was planning on U.S. soil. Strategies included bombing trains as well as chartering aircraft for suicide missions, rather than hijacking them. This is only a fraction of what’s been public ly disclosed about a single terrorist group’s intentions. When it comes to protecting your family from such catastrophes, keep in mind that if you can imagine it happening, someone else is likely trying to pull it off. In order to understand what you might be up against, you’ll need to develop what security researchers call an “adversarial mindset.” As uncomfortable as it may be, try to imagine you’re a terrorist seeking to maximize destruction — what would you target?…

Melody Lauer is a Rangemaster Certified Advanced Handgun Instructor, Deadly Force Instructor through the Massad Ayoob Group, and Agile Training & Consulting OC/Pepper Spray Instructor. She is an NRA Certified handgun instructor with 14 years of experience teaching men and women how to defend themselves with a firearm. As the owner of Citizens Defense Research, she has dedicated herself to quality, reliable self-defense information and training. With approximately 1,000 hours of professional development, Melody is one of the leading experts on armed conflict with children present. She continues to challenge herself through active participation in her local Brazilian jiujitsu academy and works as a front-end developer for a local programming firm. Melody is a mother of three and writer dedicated to learning and sharing the most effective skills in preserving…