American.survival.guide-january.2019.pdf

Vol. 8 Issue 01 FOOO WATER

SHELTER SECURITY C OM MS

HEALTH

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TABLE O F

FEATURES 12 IT'S ALL ABOUT SURVIVAL

Israel's defense against constant terrOI ttveats By Al J l'en1e,

20 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Part 1 of American 51.rvival Gulde's exclusive IWOi>ilrt battery gukle By Jim Jeffr�s

30 CHRISTOPHER NYERGES TALKS TOASG Celebfating more than 40 years of leadefshlp In self­ rellanc@ education By D.t lld Bl!Ml!I

02 SURVIVAL'S NITTY GRITTY! Part 3 of our exclusive three-part Interview with Creek

Stewart By M,cflael D:Ansona

82 MIND OVER MATTER

Keti:*1i your head can be the key to survival 8y D.t lld Benntt

HOW-TO 44 OLD SCHOOL, NEW EDGES Krile sharpener Julio T oruno gives new life to worn

blades.

Br Chrnlooher

N'/@rges

REVIEWS 28 SURVIVE WITH 0BERLEBEN

U!xlated traditional gear from the modem bushcraft

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Br Reli�n 8obeu 54 THREE FOR THE TRAIL

We test the new Abe & Moe series of knives By .SNn C1111rs

88 THE RIGHT BOW ON THE GO 51..mval Archery Systems· new, packable Atmos TakedcM'n Bow By Lauy ScllWd1IZ

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

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three great product reviews that shed some light on a

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seM.'d by seeing articles that cover a variety of subjects each month. This Issue Is a good example.

few essentlal products. Sean Curtis had

some tun

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ID W ert 1iD'k'ln:«rVITff1tflnN!l'U

in the boonies pUtting three

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With Al J. Ventel'"s article on the security situation in Israel

Ablaham and Moses knives to the test (page54). Reuben

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some Ober1eben

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camp

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struggle against the threat of terrOlismand wanton vlO­

gear (page 28): and L.ar,y Schwartt·s hands-on review of

ierce-a situation we

5ufvival Archefy Systems'

so,

hope never makes its way here. Eveo

It IS one we need to be familiar with.

new Almos takedown bow wltl

have you taking another look at adding a stringed weaPOn

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if you own a knife. be sure to check out Christopher

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to your arsenal (page 88).

"19C"'$1,P... r"' '"

Nyerges' feature about ace SoCal blade sharpener Julio

In W1H1am tcece's 1185 poem. "The Task: he writes that.

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Toruno. who has sharpened many thousands of blades and

-Yariety"s the very spice of life:

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agree. II you do. as well.

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iS happy to share M secrets for success (page 44 ). Dana Bemer's i'lterview wrth ctrlstopher Nyerges, a

SUBl!est you take Ciuide's website:

some time

to check out Ameticdn Survivdl

ASf.UAG.com There. you'll find an even

self-reliance educatcw for many decades. provides some

more divef5e collecllon of topics and writers whose worlts

insights on how Christopher became the legendasy resotKCe

number almost 500 as this Issue IS published (with rTIOfe

he Is (page 36). t-q:,ehJly. It prCMdes some motivation IOI

coming all the time). Easily navigated and sea,ched, you"U -.U.nDll

rroe of us to engage with our erMIOMleflt as a W
have access to a huge archive of articles from past A5G

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we get from outside

sources.

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be found on our website.

ENGAGED' This Issue also wraps up Michael D'Angona"sinforma­

This resource IS growing almost ddlly, and we trust you

M tiYe and entertaining three-part conversation with (reel!; Stewart (page 62). In this piece,

we get to know a bit more

prepping more efficient and successful while

you with some Inspiring stories of how others ove,came

most of us. He Is a curious and oetetreeo personwho"s

adversity

on lea,nlng and sharing skills that can keep us alive

in terrible

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circumstances.

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One of

mv laY01ite

subsuiptlons to the electronic version of

pieces Is Jim Jeffries" dive Into the

complex and fascinating wolld of batteries (page 20). We

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there, our website Is the best place to buy back issues and .......

this on a national scale.)

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In addition to all the Information and Insights you'll find ,..._,...g ..-

when our world goes sideways. (Creek Just happens to do

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atsc providing

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AMERICAN SURVIV

n toda(s world.safety ls a primary and

an unusual event. but !t dkl undel'score the Iact

mounting concern-f,om the national level

that that specific 1Srael1 emb.llsy had nevei

a11 the way down the Une tctteseu-tee-

been either attacked orcar·bombed

ant lnclvkluat While larger entitles have greater capacity and resources to detect and avert terrorist attacks. lessons they have

I

got a rT'IJCh better Insight Into the kind of

ieereo can provide good insiflts 1or those who

lengths to 'Mllch the ISraeUs wfU go. starting

are Interested In doins what they can to protect

c)J(q the

themselves from these andsimlla1 tteeets.

a decade aOO a half. beglming In 1975).1

It IS axiomatic that ls,ael Is extraordrlcllily vigilant

Lebanese CM[ war (wtw::h lasted

accOITl)arwd Anlc (Ariel) Sharon's Invading force

In PfOtecting ltS people from te.-roosm that usually

that occup,ed rT'IJCh of Lebanon. and. being

ant,es without warl'Wlg and In f11Jlt1falious gulSeS.

accredited to the Israel Defense Forces (lDF), I

both Internally and beyond Its baders.

went in and out of the rot.rltry through the Rosh

I

saw a bit of this when I recently VISltedan

HafllQl'a border post QUl!e ohen This WM ne,,,...

ls,aell embassy In an African state that. for

an easy loomeY by road and required traveling up

obviou5 reasons, I will not name. Having made an

the coastal tqhway ttvough the two maior aties

eccenteera beforehand. I was asked to arnve at

of Sidon (Six) and Tyre

a specific time but was held up. I was an houf late when l parked my ca, In the street outside Moments later, from nowhere,

two local

Roadblocks were regular and coold take time. especially if weapons were uncovered In one of the many Lebanese cars that were

residents unobtrustvely approached. although by

requlred to pass through

their accents, they were clearly lsiaelrs. Quietly

What was significant to this observer was the

and without ceremony. they asked me (one man

way the IDF handled them

standing directly behind me and the other In

rseeu

checkpoints.

Most roadblockswere chosen at l)OSltoos 'Mlerl!

front) who I was and why I had parked my vehicle

there were inl)edtments-a bridge or a cutting 11

lmmedlatelyad1acent to the embassy.

the road ....tere a mactwie Slfl crud be rm.rited

I told them. which was when they asked for my

on an elevated

point (without

It being too

passport. A QUICk cell phone call followed,arter

exposed to IX)SSl ble sniper Ire) or r«,sllly an area

which

ll1ed by concrete tanlc traps.

J

was ushefed Into the building.

t understood none diplomat while at d1Mer

atrt:r, hotel later that evenirli that thrs was not

we ·+Ye1en't sriped

at too often. altoough It dKl happen The real tbeet came from bombs laid alongside the ,oad.

AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDI;

••

usually during the darlr. hours.

with the trunk.

It was the actual vehicle search that Intrigued me-on

uerceo

At no stage was anvthlng opened dlrectty without two sets of fingers sensitively leading the way. As one of the bomb disposal men told me alterwa1d. it was astonishing how many potential

into lsiael at the Rosh HaniQra

bOlllel con11ol station especlally-whefe mlrroo

were In full play, Once the nirrors. which

attached at theeod of long

pol es,

cursory checks on the undelslcle,

1 1

bombs wee uncoveted this way Modem electronk: sensing machines were fine. he declared. but

were

rTIOle

It was Interesting that there was always someone else ceseu at these checkpoints. They did

had done was the

often than not. human touch invariably did the trick.

nothing but speak to occupants of the vehk:les and ask the kind of Intrusive Questions that did

j ob

Of did

of one of the soldiels to get right down and.

not make sense. This ls the same ,outlne employed for decades by Israeli security personnel at all the

with tws hands. check pa1tsof the chassis fol

Mlternatlonal airports used by El At, the Israeli national airline.

hidden Items. Thesamewasdooewlth the

I

never got the figures. but

I t

subseQuentty emerged that a fair proportion of Lebanese apprehended

were ss,gled out by these "psycho experts" who. wrth good

vehicle doors and seats, whk:h were p,odclecl

at roadblocks with explosives or weapor,s

with sharp objects.

experience, could tell by a man's actions (there we!'e not too many female terronsts then) or the way

II there was any evidence of wl,es

Of

he responded to QUeStiOns asked that eve,ythlllg was not what l1 was supposed to be.

etectrk

cables. the vehicle would be shunted some distance from the main building and army specialists summoned to do a

ITIOfe

WATCHING THE SHORE ANO THE SKY

tho,ough

sea1ch. They would start with the hood. ba1ely

Kif all that. the occasional activist did get through. usually heading toward subversive elements

> Be/ow-Agroup

dose to the Israeli frontiel. where other terror actions might have been plamecl.

ol tsreeu soldiers

lifting It in ordef to peer inside with the help of fla!>hUghts. Then, fingers would traverse

looksoul over the Old Ctty 01 Jeru·

These were multiple and Included some extremely Imaginative efforts to cross tsraell llnes and

attack cMllan buses (which took place several times •.• with loss of life), Kibbutzim, Moshavim or

s;:,.lem lrom their

all angles in search of exposing something unusual. The same PfOtocol would be followed

SRAEL I

observatk>n post on the Mount ol Oliva

even lone cMlians perhaps sunning themselves on a beach (which also happened). One small tefror group used a pclY,'ered hang glk:lef to launch an attack. but It was blown out of the

EXTRAORDINARILY VIGILANT IN PROTECTIN

ITS PEOPLF

FROM TERRORISM THAT USUALLY ARRIVES WITHOUT WARNING AND IN MULTIFARIOUS GUISES, BOTH IN

M

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE [JANUARY2019)

'ERNALLY AND BEYOND ITS BORDERS.

sky

••• TODAY, THERE ARE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN ISRAELI SECURITY ESTABLISHMENTS AND SIMILAR BODIES IN THE WEST ••• MANY OF THE TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED BY ISRAEL HAVE BEEN PUTTOUSEINTHE UNI

'EDSTA1i

There was no QUestion that the Intent was real,

because I was able to view photos or the SCUBA eQUipmeot that had originally been acquired

by the terror group's conlfollers In Beirut from

> Amott:,ecent photo ol an lsraell

by an alert lDF bolder patn:i Another group,ope,atir'QJ out of Tyre, welded together !cu 44-gallon dnxns

European

SOl.lCl!S. But

the attaclc

seei 1,s

to ha\'e

never taken place and was IXISSl bly thwarted by

auns111pon thepon

and, With a fitted outboard qine, atleff1)ted to eote lslaeli waters roe dar1( right Theysuffered a smilal' fate. and the dn.ms

were Later put on public

ol Hatta
an lsfael Speoa.\ Folces cross-border raid. So. too.

with

display.

More recently, An lsraeU airc,aft fvecl warning shots to deter a group of people In Gaza prepalfng to

one.

possibly two. miniature subma1ines

aCQUlred by terrcr WOODS linked to Hezbollah.

There iS no QUestlon that the undeisea boats did

fly a balloon equipped with explOSive deviees-the intent being to cause fres and serious damage across the border In lsfael.

Over the years. there have been several attempts by Palestinian terrorists to infiltrate Israeli coastal waters with small

merchant ships l oaded

Stephanie.One of these the

R ed Se a

Another

toward

was

sh ips

was

t1ackecl

continued Both

into

in

March 1979 lro,n

lo,

ships

was

the

through the

action. Gunboats

llOfthward, I t

of these

prepared

explosrves,

attack

time

yea,s befo,e

Ina

it was

Ciulf

moto,

port and then

vessels 6/nan

hea ded north

ordered the

ship

to

1.000

loa ded with a�t

SUez (anal.Once

It entered the

halt. a nd when

a nd

through

It

Gulf

igllOfed

t ons

of TNT in

a

of Ellat, the Israeli

those

demands a nd

dest101ed.

were dubbed terror

"mother vessers.'

port groups a t various points ashore. All were loaded

the ships and all

among them the

lsfael.

Meditenanean port a nd passed

na vy went

with

those on board

the Ginan Incident

onc e Inside

came

with on-board

with exploslv!!S.

the precincts of

crews. a s

Th e Intent

either Haifa or

the surrender to Israeli security

forces

EUat

well

was to

a s sup­

detonate

nertors. Ttv ee

of a Palestinian

speedboat bombin11 team that had come from a Lebanese port. They were stopped just short of

<

An aerial view ol south Lebanon low.ml theport of Sur (Sidon) (Phot o- Al

J. Venier)

the T el Aviv meroa It Is Interesting that with both the Ginan and Stephanie (and other ships since), it was a "lowly" shipping

clerk In the pay of the Israeli security seoees who tipped off his handler about exploslYes

beir1s loaded. From that

point

on, It was a formality to keep pace with the vessels' movements.

INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED THREATS All

these events suggest an increased level of sophistk:atlon. expense and lla!nlng on the part of

hostile lslalT'IC groups. coupled with the ability to carry out maritime terrorism (whk:h obviously necessitates considerable oves-head). Those Involved also need to acquife the appropriate vessels and rnailner sic.Ills. as well as speclaUst weapons and expertise. Possibly the most enterprising of maritime tenor events along the Israeli

coast.

about which

a curtain or secrecy has been drawn by .lerusa!em. has been a still relatively la ten!

unclefwater

threat. The IOF spol<.esman was guarded when, on my last visit. I asked about planned terror attacks that Involved frogmen and submefSlblevehlcles. pu1por1edty Ol'llllnatlng In the south

< Lebanese harbor ol Tyre.

Israeli women serve In the military and play a valuable role In the natlon·s

s,ecunry and delense. lncludm& m many lronlhne postings.

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

•

--

< llere.anexampie o, an IOF anU-ter

••• ISRAEL HAS THREE

rordefense setup

agalnstlslamk:at

MAIN INTELLIGENCE

1a1tptS t o pe,.et,ate

thelsraetiborder

AGENCIES (AS

Nole the lour -barrel

"Galll.na gun: CPholo:

WELL AS SEVERAL

AIJ. lknterl

SUBSIDIARY ONES, SUCH AS THOSE LINKED TO THE POLICE): DOMESTIC (SHIN BET), INTERNATIONAL (MOSSAD)AND MILITARY (AMAN).

exist and were delivered t o an Arab temir � I

was told as rruch bva reliable lsrM'll army SOUfte. How tte, were neutraliled iS somethng about

v.lth the IOF remains tight-lipped.

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

The reality of l!fe In Israel-for more than Six

decades-has forced Israelis to defend them­ selves against constant tenortst threats. and the struggle has been fierce. With time, both

Sides (the ISraeO nallon and

its

enemies) have

achieved extra01dina1Y skills. coupled with the

acumen that only results ffom experience. For countenenonsm purposes. the IU1d of lnteltigence needed relies primarlly on human sources ("HUMINr In the argot). and 1hls extJemely difficult and arcane discipline has

<

Along lsraers

frontiers

wllh the

Arab world. patrols

played the most significant 1ole In keeping ISJael intact. Obviously, thefe have been a

area never·end1ng

process. CPbol:o· Al J. Venter)

lot of lives lost In !he oocess. Indeed, It was ISJael's first prime minister, David Ben Gurlon. who declared that fo, his country, intelligence

constituted the •fifst Uneof defense." For that purpose. lSlael has three main intelligence agencies (as well as several subsidiary ones. such as those linked 10 the pollce): domestic (Shin Bet), lntefnatlooal (Mossad) aod military (Aman). We will deal with each In turn.

SHIN BET

Also known as Shabak. this security element Is In charge of preventing domes­ tic terro,ism and political subve,sion. This

< Border control

body reports directly to the p1lme minister.

•

-

along the lronuer

-

The powers of Shin Bet were doubled afte,

fiM:ln, LebanOfl

the occupation of the Golan Heights. West sometimes needs heavy 5(Uff qalnsl •

··­

-

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

Bank and Gaza Strip In 1967. after which the

pOSSlhle mine,: or

IEO!i {Pholo Al J.

•

[JANUARY2019)

Venter)

threat factor expanded exponentially.

<

a staff estimated at 7,000 personnel.

A warning slgrt

located at the border

Aman controls mcst signals Intelligence

-­

and Syn.ii on Moun t

("SIGINT"). as well as aerial reconnais­

Hebron CPhot o: Al J.

sance assets. Moreover. Aman collects

Venter)

human Intelligence ("HUMINT"). It

•

..::. ....... .... commands Sayeret Maktal. Israel's primary

'�.-.,".t. ,--

counterterrorism and Intelligence-gather­

....

ing entity and recresents Israel In a very

-

-

exclusive "club" of states that design,

•

launch and operate espionage seteunes.

•

The nature of problems n:,utinelv

encoun­

tered by Israeli security establishments are AU.

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l,blS

l777MIITNJ IIPllSITIS

I - lo.a.I lfNI• •tlCTlll U fMl

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-

manifold and come sharply Into focus with the kind of pronouncement made recently by Brigadier General Nitzan Nurlel, a 30-year

I �

veteran who was speaking In the wake of the

--

attacks. At least

MOSSAD

Established In 1951 and heaclQuartered In T el Aviv, Mossad ("The Institute"), short for HaMossad leModi

i n

uleTafkid1m Meyu adim. iS 1espoosible !Of alt of Israel's foreign intelligence activities. ove

many decades.

August 2017 Ba1celona anc!Cambrils terror

I t

has been unusually successful (although wtth a few notable glltches, such as the

eeeruse.eeeet

people were killed and

some 130 wounded In the two attacks, with the lslamie state claiming,esponsibihty. Followlog General Nurlel's warning. the Countet T erroostn Bureau of the Times of

Munich Olympics disaster) In thwarting te«of attacks aimed at Israel Very little Is known about Its structure o oceetcoet

1 4

that It Is a modest force

Israel on August 18, 2018, published travel

by lnternatlonal standa,ds, with about 2.000 operatives. What IS known Is that Mossad has what

warnings for Turkey. as well as the Sinai

are termed a collections department. political action and liaison department, special ope!'ations

Penwlsula, where. it declafed, al-Qaeda was

diviSion. psychologieal warfare department. research cecetrrem and a technology department.

particularly active. The bureau also warned of slgnltlcantly Increased threats In the rest of

AMAN

Miiitary intelligence rans under Aman, which Is the la1gest Intelligence organization In Israel. It has more recruits. assets and analytic capabilities than Its sister Intelligence agencies, with

Egypt. as well as Jordan. Pflor to that, Israeli sources warned that pa,ts of the Phlllpprnes were regarded as

<

AmlylronUez­

secur1ty checks along lhe Lebanese border(Pholo- Al J. Venter)

[ASGMAG.COM]

AME.RICANSURVIVALGUIDE

17

--

lncreaSlngly dangen:ius, particularly Mindanao and Solu. due to Increased tenor actions by global J1hadi groups. So. too. it warned, wefe conditions In some 1ourist areas of TuniSla. whkh has seen a serious slump In vsttcrs following the murdef of 30 British vacationers In the summef of 2015 at Port El Kantaoui, just north of the city of Sousse. as well as some West Afrkan cities such as Bamako (Mall), OJagadougou (Burkina Faso) and several In

.

northefn Nigeria.

"

"THE WORST IS YET TO COME"

Taken In Isolation. such wa,nings might not have much Impact. But one has to examine some of the more,ecent cautions that have emanated from lslaeli sources. Quite a few of which have implications for Westerners_ and ••

•

•

Amerkans In partlculai.

As the former head of Israel's Counter-TeflOl­ lsm Bureau, Brigadier General Nurlel declared that the lslamlc State might vertwell be in ns •

••

death throes. but "the worst Is yet to come.' He

-

wained that the terror group could CarJYOUt a

> An

chemlcal attack In the Middle East

Israeli soldle,

and similar bodies In the West. For a start, many of the technologies developed by Israel have

checks an Arab

"Western society must get used to the teer that tenorlsmls part of OU1 Ufe." Nurlel sakl,

vehicle ln theap proaches to Gau

speaking to Israel's Ar!Trf Radio.

been put to use in the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security hired Israeli defense firm Elblt to build su,velUance towers for the Arlzona-Mexko border that are eQulpped with radar and cameras that detect human movement.

·we must get used to this. not In the sense of Sining a,ound [and) waiting for the

Similarly, In bomb detection, which resulted In pioressors Ehl.Id Kelnan of the Techoon and Phl!ip

nelt

Dawson of the ScrlPPS Research Institute In (alifornla Inventing a \25 explosJve testing device that

attack. and not In the sense of stopping (going)

can detect miniscule traces of bomb-related substances by performing a qukk, oo-ue-scot chemi·

abroad or to uoc living, but In the sense of

cal test. ThiSCOrTIPIICt, totally Innocuous terrortsm-flghtlng tOOI (It

seeing

who can iT1>rove the actions or processes

looks

hke a pen) can be applied to

a wide variety of fields. such as airport security and police activities.

The !fend goes further. Veont. an Amerk:an company with extensive operations In ISfael. has

that may help push back the next attack and make It an attack that will not claim large

developed a video surveillance security system that Is being used at LaGuardla. JFK and Newar!(

numbers ol casualties."

airports and the port of Beaum::int in Texas. The technology has been certified as an antl-te,rorism technology by the Department of Homeland Security.

rnere is no Question that the cercenreae of israeus kHled by terrorism Is higher than In

Addltk>nally, Ameriean obsefvers from FEMA and the National Guard often 11avel. to ISfael to

any other democracy. Terrorism. In effect. has had a decisive effect on Israeli elections and national security decisions, but not on the ecooomy. The reality Is that while

rsaeu

countener­

rorlsm has often been conducted without a cohesive overall policy and has conflicted with broader objectives, It has also greatly undermined Israel's International standing.

Conver5ely, it hasmabled Israel to liven relative seru,ty and thrM! and has l)«:Mded its leaders

with tte laotl.O? topn.ievarb.Js polk:ies i'd.J:q l)&YJ'. show!

they wish to do so.

THE BUSINESS OF PREVENTING

>

Part ol the IOF's

TERROR ATTACKS border control

Obviously. other countries have taken notice and. as a cooseouence. today, there are st1ong

strategy includes the

electronic Jenee at the

links between Israeli security establishments

•

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE [JANUARY2019)

right (Photo Al J Venter)

•

ALLTHESEEVENTSSUGGESIAN INCREASED LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION, EXPENSE AND TRAINING ON TliE PARI OF HOST/

ISLAMICGROUPS.

attacks are exceptional events.

In democracies

that have suffered domestk: terrorism for decades (such

as Ffance and Britain and. to some exteu Spain). the evolution of terrorism saliency ooes not only depend on the frequency or Intensity of terrorist attacks.

Criado also maintains that the tactics carried out by terrorist sroups (partk:ular1y the type of W:· tim) and the dynamics of political competition (espedally the ideolosyof the incumbent) are also factors that explain the evolution of terrorism saliency.

Many of her concltJSlons have a direct bearing on the spread of terrorism

In

the United States and

are likely to be studied accordingly. Always Imaginative and on the front foot. several Israeli organizations-well aware of the burgeon­

ing thteat of terror-have offered young Americans the opl'.)Of1unity to take a series of "close-up"

looks at terror and lhenatureof that threat In today's WOl'ld.

Birthright Israel Study Abroad, for Instance.offers a unlQue 12- to Iii-day journey, combining the fun of a classic Birthright trip with outdoor classes worth three course credits. These trips. In pa1tnershlp

with theWCN"ld·1enowned International lnSlitute for Counter·TenOfiSm (ICT). provide a behind· the-scenes look at the world of declslon·makers, as well as

some of the people

on the ground who

combat terror on a daily basis. Students are taken "be·,-ond the classroom" launched In the U.S.

ccst-secrerreeu

In

bids to understand the scope of terrofist attacks

attacks, the growing threat of the

use of

unconventional

weapons.as well as the spread of radical·lslamk: terrorism. Those Involved are taught how all these

� have 11anslormed the once-localized threat of tenorlsm into an International problem and how policy makers are facing the challenge of balancing freedom and security. UG

< ApalrolUN.

partlelpate

in

Israeli homeland security drills..

armored personnel In

January 2010. Isr ael conducted a large·scale

carriers was used to move the author about In South

bc-teewem drill sirn..ilatinB a !.mallpox out· break caused by a tenorlst attack.

Lebanon. Since then. FEMA and the Israeli National Emergency Authority ha...e signed a formal agreement to conduct mor e jOlnt tralninB drills and exercises.

ACADEMIC APPROACH TO COUNTERTERRORISM An interesting sidelight ccres from Henar

Criado. an associate prole5sor of politleal science at the Univer51ty(omplutense (Madrid, Spain). Her main ,esearch Interests are In the analvslsof terrorism and polltlcal behavior. She has published much about these subjects in Comparati'o'e Pol1tlca/ Studies, the Joumdl o f

Conflict Resolullon. Political Studies. the Journal of Peace R'Esea:rh and the European Joumdl o f

Political Resea!Ch. among other jocrnels. In one o f them. she ana1yze5 the determinants of terrorism saliency in public opinion.

As she maintains. It Is usually assumed that after a terrorist attack. terrorism bec omes

automatically salient. However. this assumption iS only tne in those coootrieS

In which terroriSt

-

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n the preparedness community, we

smve to avoid. 01 at least minimize. o u ,

reliance

o n

things

w e

cerrt

Much of our gear recuires

conuol.

only the mind. eye and hand of the cceretcr lo use and maintain-as It should

be

But some of our gear depends on

something

In short supply when an

often

emeraeocv arises: electricity. Mlssloo·critlcal eQulpment. such as flash­ • lights.

-

-

-

•

•

Illuminated or holographle

weecco

sights. night vision devices and communlca· tlOns gear, requires electrklty In the form of

• • a-

-

batteries. Compounding mattes: tnerejs no

-

-

one-sne-ms-en solution, so

i t's

llkely

that

each device reQulres a different kind of than the others, making Impossible.

T o

are fo«:ed to of

-

-

batteries

ma ke

teries.

with

f or

several dlfferimt kinds

e very

through a prolonged

i t

hom e

has a d r a wer

by siz e

arranged

oldest

on es I n

t h e

use , while t he freshest

back. (Okay:

More

ardly

spill

ma y be

often

than

tossed

o ut

o f

I n

their

atteries being

ally

depleted

ith yet

w

I n

spersed

allowed

resultlng

l n

n e w

es

tim

eeded

n

com

ead

d

t o

contend

ower outage. they find

p

mselves sorting through mixed i

t o

ld. par­

s

the

o f

t he

o

e

t h e

a t

ere haphaz­

e nearly

shlight

turn

I t a bit.)

th

fla

another

their

g

lls. When

bat­

Ofganlzed

amon

ce

crisis.

ranks, re.ady

and

packaging,

di

t h e

full o f

pushing

dra we r

or someone to ,eplace es

front

batteries

f

batteri

a nd

wait

ttars

not,

t h e

b

ti

we

t he se gadgets.

and hope we have enough of each

neatly

the

Interchangeability

use o f

stockpile

In reserve to make Almost

battery

erent capacities 01

d ff

batterie

erent chemistries

diff

from multiple menuractwers. The life

o f

even the best battery

severely shortened

a

Internal resistance

o f

Incompatible

s

nearly exhausted

ompanion.

c

ttle power plants

li

re

a

ey

bleed out

ca n

evice. ,endering

d

n

I

nd

me

i

a m

make

ght

li

y o u

o n

with

ging

mana

the

side cur

In

eol

on

e

th

that

ea

money In

ie

d

two),

basics

nic

electro

at

th

verflowing

ssibly

ill

w

ba

o

po

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w

tteries

o f

information

sier-and

drawer

. when neglected.

and

seless.

s attkte (part

so

isunder­

m

u

thi

shed a

...

I t

hese marvelous.

equently

a nd

r

o

T

fr

stood andorten abused: t h

be

lights against the

I t

a

l

cou d

ill

w

ttery

ba

ave you some

s

cess.

pro

HOW DO BATTERIES WORK? I n

t he

slmplest

electrical

ica l

energy

reactions

positive

ter ms,

a nd

a s

that

a p1oduct o f

take

rK! g a tive

[ASGMAG.COM]

a battery

pta c e

produces

electrochem­

Inside

electrodes

It

a t

t he

through

a

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

JI

--

> R/lllt. K�plng batteries In their oril· lnal packaslr11 ensures new batteries don't

get mixed with used. par!lally dl$tharged cells

-etec •

conductive chemical solution called a n

trolvte."

When a Circuit IS attached to the exte­

rior terminals. the metalllc eiecncoes undergo

a rectox (1eductlon·oxldatioo) reaction In which

one electrode

Is reduced (ga!ns an electron):

simultaneously. the ether Is oxidized (gives up

an

electron)

t o and through the elect,olyte In

the fOfm of Ions.

The metals

(Of

metallic compounds) that

form the electrodes

determine

the specific

voltage of the cell.

Fo, example. If one electrode Is zinc and

the other Is manganese dioxide. the mea­

sured terminal voltage ol

cell

a fully charged

is a bit over 1.5 volts (open circuit

voltage). This zinc-manganese dioxide

electrode combination Is commonly

In the disposable batteries we use

found

to

power

Nickel-Metal Hyo1lde

many of our portable devices.

non-recha,geable

< In another

example, II

and the other

one

elect/ode

IS cadmium (Of

other

Is

nickel

batteries

cells. They

are rechargeable

of the same Sile

and

to,m

batteries

(such a s the

that can

be substituted

for

AA-or"doubte A" -batteries

Btlow' F or the: sake of simplicity and

effldency keep your

metal

(N1MH)

so commoo are

In small

used togethe, In

electronic devices).

If

mme ene1gy

5efies: tten lnd1vidual voltages

(higher

voltage) Is requked,

add together to

give

a

greater

multiple cells

difference In

batteries In their alloy),

volts

the cell voltage would be

(open

about

1.2

ortatna• packaalna 1n

circuit). These combinations are

one locaUon so they're

elec!llcal

potential

from one end

ol the chain to the othe1.

While there ere several electrode

electrolyte combinations.

and

as

well

as

many dif­

e asy 1 0 nod and move

known

as nickel-cadmium (NiCd Of

NICad)

Of

wl.e., the: need arises.

ferent battery sizes, shapes and voltage prlma,y

o,

ratings. atl

batteries

fall

Into one

of two types:

secondary.

PRIMARY (NON-RECHARGEABLE) BATTERIES

Primary

batteries

are single-use and are not rechargeable power sources. Immediately

thel1 construction. they

IS used.

the electrode

Intended ments.

a nd

batteries.

Choosing device

ol an

are stored

and

electrolyte

a loog

properly.

seems

time.

Many

can

before

For

ooeete

Those same batteries might

only

benenes

specified voltage. As

cannot be recharged

they are used I n devices for

devices have minimal

years

for a

can

on a

single

few hours In

more

or

a set

ol

than double Of

triple

battery

easily

for raise.

which

cunent

small.

a hlgh·ootput

the

not

Instance. wrist watches. television

for

last

with a different chemistry

changing

they

electronic

small

their

undergo chemical changes that are

p1ovided

to last forever.

garage dOOI openers

a battery

power output al

external current. meaning

can last

a nd the bauery

controls and

capable of full

materials

reversed by applicatioo Slngle-use batteries

ere

upon

they

are

1eciul1e­

,emote inexpensive

flashUght.

the run time of the

is necessary.

SECONDARY (RECHARGEABLE) BATTERIES

Secondary batteries are rechar§edble

a nd can

process IS complex. and the materials are However,

because they

rable

l)llmary

after

(and

battery.

can

sometimes, during)

based on the

and

chemistry

--

an extended

vastly

Intended

example. a lead·acld starting

current to start the engine

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE [JANUARY2019)

10

eve.

those I n

The manufactu,lng

most primary batteries.

reqclre

time

charging

placed

!n use or

In storage.

different lifespans

u se of the

eetcre being

battery;

01

the

number of cha1ge/d1scharge cycles

environment

du,Jng

use

a nd storage:

the charge/discharge conditions.

For

D

batteries often

can have

and

cost11e,. compared

times

be reused, they are usually much more economical than a compa­

Secondary

Rechargeable batteries

be reused many

an

and then be Qulckty

Although the

battery

IS capable of

can

battery

in

d1aln the

bane1y In

automobile Is

recharged

thlS high output

a relatively short

time.

fOf

designed t o p1ovide a brier high

by the alternator

brier

cencos.

Short-distance

as

the engine runs.

leaving the headlights on

driving. when the engine

is shut

MUCH OF OUR GEAR REQUIRES ONLY THE MIND, EYE AND HAND OF THE OPERATOR USE AND MAINTAIN-AS IT SHOULD BE. BUT SOME OF OUR GEAR DEPENDS ON SOME· THINGOFIENINSHORI SUPPLY WHEN AN II-

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< All these AA·sltebanenes wUI lit Into the same device. but mlxln,dlllerent baoery chemis· tries or tell capaelUes can result In early battery death

off and 1estaned frequently, can often prevent the batte1y from being fully charged. In both Instances (deep discharge or incomplete recharging). the lifespan of the battery could be drasll­ cally shoftenecl. A common tralt in many rechargeable tenenes ls self-discharge. Some can lose a considerable amount ol powei- In stceae: and. if they are allowed to go low enough. they m1sht not take a charge again.

PERFORMANCE ISSUES

Batteries "like" operating teml)efatures In about the same range as we humans do. with terroeretures In the 70s (Fl being the sweet spot. Just as

we sleep

better when the room is a bit

cooler. most batteries store best at lowet temoereunes, somewhere in the mid-40s (F). Both types of batteries perform best during use and store tongest In a cool, dry environment. Excessive heat can sho1ten the life of the battery due to acceteeted chemical reactions Inside.

<

A 9 volt batterv gelS its power from six AAAA ceus ccntamed within.

[ASGMAG.COM] AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

D

--

rerceetcres too

> RJiht Ulhium batteries are made lor

sluggish w hen

devices demandlnc

will

drop

low

power

accOfdlngly

cause

!he

ballefY

t o

be

IS demanded, and output

(but

the

battery

will

high current return t o normal

>

cold

can cause

Below There are

lour t.s-ven cells

can cause

once

the

internal

I t warms up).

etectrolyte

cell

Extreme

t o freeze.

damage

Of

which

rupture

o f

connected ln series the

Inside this 6·volt lantern battery From lelt

battery

housing o r case.

T he freezing

point o f t he electJolyte

IS

10 right. th ls dependent

upon a coople

o f

lac tots,

but

croup ol AA batteries Includes a ·ceneral

fully

charged

batteries can

withstand

much

purpose· utne-cer­ colder

bon). a •super heavy du1y· Cz1nc·chlondel

temperatures

than

partially o r

fully

deep·cycle

lead·acld

those that

dlscha1ged.

Fol

are

Instance,

a

and the longer·l.utln,. higher output alkaline version.

us ed i n

recreational

battery.

vehicles

such a s t hose

a nd

boats,

can

RAY(l)VAC

< This zinc>earbon drY cell ccnststs o l

Ml ) £ ! (

a zinc outer shell. powdered manaa·

6V

nese dioxide and

BATTERY l;INC-(:O

an Inert carbon

I

Qf !)40

rod. There Is just enough ammonium chloride electrolyte to moisten lhelns1de •

M

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

ol theceu .

<

F'arltfl Automotive

stanln, and RVfma· rtne deep·cycle batter· ies

last lon,!St when

they are fully charged. Storing lead acid balterles lore ..tended perlodsol llme In a parUaJtycharged Slate can shorten their Ille span considerably

>

Near left

Potas

stum carbonate. formed b y the hydroxide sotuuen

-

leaking from an alka line banery (Photo by Tll.reuo. WLklme­ dla Commons)

\ � wlthsland temperatures as low as -90 degrees (F) without fea, of the sulfuric acid electrolyte

fleezlng

ii

the battery Is at a 100 ceceru state

of charge (SoC). That same battery with 40

percent SoC iS safe to about -16 degrees (F). but at 20 percent So(, It Is StJb]ect to fleezlng

at +19 degrees (F). During the winter months. I t

Is very Important to

keep

lead-acid

batteries

that are In storage fully cha1ged to reduce the risk of freeze damage.

OPTIMAL STORAGE

>

Storage of dry-cell batteries Is best done

R/zhl

battery terminals

can

In their 01lginal packaging. This will ensure their te,mlnals will not come In contact with

E..pased

po1e a

tt.azard

when uslna con duclive metal tools nearby In storage.

one anothe1 and that when taking them out

of storage to use.

all batteries will be at

the

covert h e topol the battery to protect It against obJec;ts

same charge level. Keep them cool and dry

to achieve the longest life. Storing thern at

that mi,:ht come In contact with the terminals

room temperature Is fine. but many people prefer to keep them Inside their refrigera­

or thick plas!IC-ITlOle out of habit than anything else.

tors. They also keep the batteries In their packaging while they warm up to reduce the Ukel!hood of causing condensation Issues

SHOCK

HAZARDS

Always keep In mind that batteries. even at a low state of charge. can be hazardous If anything

Inside the device they are to be placed. Do

conductive short-circuits thel1 terminals. Large, lead-acid batteries can turn a crescent wrerch

not store them In the freezer!

red-hot In a matter of secoods If It falls across the positive and negative termlnats. The wrench

Largei batteries. such as automotive or

can even become welded to the teiminals immediately as sparks fly upon contact. making it dtf­

deep-cycle RV batteries. should be stored In

licult ot impossible to remove. Even small benees can l){OYide scrcuses {a good f1lend swapped

a cool environment, taking cere to protect

out a lithium battery and put the weak cell In his pants pocket. The balle,y terminals became

the terminals or posts against contact with

shorted by loose change in his pocket. and he received a rather nasty burn from the Incident!).

conductive matenars. (O\lerlng with a piece of plastic sheeting or a cardboard box Is usually

DANGERS

Batteries contain caustic or ccncsive substances that can pose health 1lsks or damage

sure not to set any heavy objects on top of

materials they come In contact with If they leak out of the cell. Batteries can rupture and teak for severer reasons. Including mixing ballerles of different chemistry or capacity In the

stoeo batteiv.

rnee used to be a concern about stOfing an automotive or RV batterydlrectly on a concrete floor. but Improvements In battery

construction and case matenats have reduced the possibility of the cells discharging through

--

BATTERY

suffKlent to protect the battery. but make

the

-

OTHER

same device. attempting to cha,ge a non-,echargeable batters. imp,oper sto,age. disposal. overheating or freezing.

A hst of warnings Is printed on the battery or Its packaging. Heed these warnings. and your batteiv should safely Uve up to Its specifications. In the second Installment of our two-part battery guide. wewlll take a ceece look at batteries

the bottom of the battery. That said. I still

corrvnonly used WI our eveiyday gear and some of OU1 roore-speclalized devices •.. and we'tl

place any stcee batte,y on a piece of plywood

"bunny" up against thecoppe, WI a reat-worid test to see which one actually lasts the longest. A5G

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

put

that

GIVEN THE CHOICE TO BE

WHICH

PREPARED OR UNPREPARED,

WOULD

YOU

CHOOSE?

0

••

0

•

•

• 0

0

0

(

)

0 0

'

•

• •

• '

-

AIISUC.ANSURVIVALGUIDI!

[JANUARY2019)

••

LEADING THE MODERN BUSHCRAFT MOVEMENT WITH UPDATED TRADITIONAL GEAR BY REUBEN 90UEU

••

berleben" -German: to survive

and the company. Aftel' that, the quaLity rrere­

or 10 ootlast.

rials and manufacturing spoke for themselves.

Established in March 2016,

OUt of the

box,

the products were handsomely

Oberleben Is a retatlvely new

packaged with reusable plastic bags that teanxe

company with strong roots In

a stuMing fon!st photo printed on them

the outdoors. Since I first notk:ed this company on the scene, I got the lmpr�n of 1obost

and reliable gear that can endure the harshest

I first saw Oberleben up close and cescnet a fellow writer

I n my neck

The Kuksa Cup was not packaged In the same plastic. It featured a leather thong, a ca,abiner

conditions-and deliver!

when

THE PRODUCTS

o f

the

woods

and was made of a type of oak.1athe1 than the

tladltlonal Scandinavian birch. In addition,

i t

showed me his Oberteben ferrocerium rod and

was machined. rather than hand carved. The

stove. When I uled oot the rerro rod, I became

oak grain was very attractive and wi1l acQulre

even more curious.

a nice patina. I would think there would be

I

contacted Oberleben co-founder nm Garcia

and got a brief background about the pnx:luc:ts

less cracking or swelling with me hardwood oak than with birch. but

i t

depends on ycur

[ASGMAG.COM] AMIAICAN SURVIVAL GUIDI.

<

Far k(L The lerro rod striker Is a

mulU lunctlonal Item that Is one al the besi strlkets.

n can also open bottled beverages with e ase.

-

<

Ltfl Theeanvas pouch that comes with

lhe stove Isa ,ood Under pouch

It

can also

be treated to be more water repellant.

environment and the treatment applied to the wood. This being said, by machining these

-

cups, Oberleben achieves consistency ac,oss the boa,d. The five-panel. steel-construction stove was weighty, but solid. There wee no sharp edges to

-9c--

be ccrcenec with. and It came with a canvas POUCh that will help keep the lnSlde of YoUf backpack clean when soot starts accumulating on stoves and cook pots.

\

The fenocerlum rods feature S�nft-kon. which Is the company·s p,op(etary tenc form� blend that It also designed. Manufacturing ls split between the United Sta�s and Asia(} I set out to my personal camp to use these three products, which do work well together as a bushcraft kitchen setup. The stove, reno rco and kuksa all worked In unlsoo fDf a coni

e

"

table.

cozy woods experience-which IS what I always want when going Into the woods!

Z0NDEN FIRE STARTER

ave, the past 20 yea,s. I have used Just about �ery type of ferrocerlum rod (fl1e steel)

on

the

planet. In my opinion. It comes down to "Simple IS better." The lewei the moving parts on a� piece or outdoors gear, the better off it will be. In spite of the myriad tube gadgets, spring-loaded, made-to-fall strikers, multl-sc1ew-on bit and the other glmmkky varieties on the ma1ke1. Oberleben went back to the basics. Its slmple feuo too IS encased In a sizeable piece of wood fOf a good grip-not a two-finger, pinch type tha seems to be all too coovnon. The ZOnden rerc 1od has a larger-than-usual wood handle that Is easily modified to fit in the fire steel loop of a sheath

Of

possibles pouch: not to mention, It could

be stained and rinished to match you, other gear. whether axe or kn Ire handles Of a knife sheath. The heart of the ferro rod Is the thick, 318-lflch rod, whkh Is plenty thick IOI' tong-tem use. The stliker Is billed as a six-function multi-tool. It features measurements In mltllmeters. has a cap lifter fOf bottled d1lnks (which also doubles as some sot of HEX key), a rounded. serrated rod and tinder scraper bit. a map scale and a sharp spine scraper. Bottom line: It opens bottles and scrapes both tinder from fatwood or soft popla.1 In addition to striking a ferro rod. I will go on record here and say that the Obe,leben striker Is the best ferro rod strike, I have come across to date I ever, use it on my othe1 ferro rods fOf the consistency I've come to expect

<

Once lanlted. the SIOker Flatpack

Stoveslove can be loaded from the top to help establish heat end coats tor cooking

a.nd bolllng water Once the sticks bum down. the pot can be rested on lhe support

pteces.

N

AMIRtcANSUAVIVALGUlot:

[JANUARY2019J

PIECEOFM
MJI A TWO­

FINCER,PINCHTYPETHATSEEMSTOBEALL COMMON.

li)I)

e{

eO

I t

ju st

tenc

throws

r od s

other.

I n

a better

that

cheal)l'I

the

river

A

teec

subpa,

M y

With

with

feno

Eastern

ba r k a n d

light

excel

Fire

technlQue

QAI(}

wi t h

r od

r od s

th1ow

react

lu st

f er r o 1 od

rerc

the

striker. This

b i g

It.

c u t

a so ft

the

I

I

have

see n

o f

decent

that

t o

less-than-Ideal

bec a use

I t

ma d e

m y

I s

high during

T he

t he

trying t o

ZOnclen

summer.

g e t

teec

a f i r e

r od

I s

Natural

started

tinder.

than

somewhl'fe

I n

suc h

late

between

a s

fall

popla1

a nd

a ha 1 d

winter.

Swedish

rod.

could

I used

A

yea,s,

a prime example

thumb-on-thumb

found

ZOnden.

i s

the

sparks.

differently w hen

a n d

I

time. Ov e r

humidity

won't

r od .

renc roes.

with

a g ood

woodlands.

birch.

a solte,

harder

shower-every

I t

both

o n

showl!I

natural

ULLB

technlqce sparks

tinder.

a s

I s

no t

a nd

possible

execute

mentioned.

I n

the

a nd

the

same

w a y

a s

thumb-on-thumb

�mple

w ood

shavings

I UID

WITHA CARABINERAND/ F4THERLANYAR010 ATTACHTOVOURl'ltlCKORTOCARR TRADmONAU.YONA BF/T.

<

The packa,tna

from Oberleben

IS second to none Products are Ind! vklually sealed Ln

II reusablefstora,e

:dplock b.1g.

< Two th1eknef.SN ot ferro rods from Oberleben are seen here-the ProJ.'8 Inch and lhe 10..,.,r � lnch·dlame1er

version called the Fatty

T he

compa

ny ts proud of Its 5.'lnft kOn which ts 1 15 proprietary lerro

rormula bh·nd that 11 also destaned

SINCEIF/llSI NOIICEII [0F<ERI EBFIVJONTHE SCENE,1001 THE/� PRESSIONOf,ROBUSI

TIONS-ANDOO IVERi

•

;

>

The 01>er1e1>en

StOkf'!' Flatpack

known as "fuzz stkks." Soft wood has a

emulate the wood·burnlfl8 portable stoves that were available at the time. catted ·1wi3"

very low ignition temperature compared to

stoves,

I

Of

"bio"

made mine from a large coffee can and used minimal tools.

Stove and oak Durst..n kuksacup

�c!::;'

After using this stove. I started to understand the concept a little better. Less fuel focused In a

hardwood. The amount of heat put out by the

ZOnden Is said to be 5.500 degrees (F), which l s

rful

powe

nough to Ignite

e

tter wood soch

se

smaller area means more-efficient time and fuet management. I also understood how much of

the natural resources I was saving. because these stove

use twigs and branches as

as yucca, pine, poplar, willow, spruce, hemlock

their main fuel. Compare that 10 the larger amount of wood needed with an open fire to burn

and cedar. This task seemed to be no problem

down to coals-before even attempting to start cooking. Alie, a few of my own self-devised blo

fm the ZOnden, whkh is aptly teamed up with

stoves. I decided to try an actual manulartured bio stove from Obertebefl.

the strike, for some fierce sparks.

The Stoker Flat pack Stove Is not light. At 14.S ounces (including its canvas storage pouch). II

STOKER FLATPACK STOVE Artl!f

des of

deca

wherever y e a rs

see

o

ag

what

ble, I

possi

a nd

ll

a

king ove

coo

n open

a

fi r e

lly caved In about two

fina

made

mysel f

a hobo stove to

he craze was about.

t

T ry i n g , t

AfT&!tJC.ANSURVIVALGUIDm

[JANUARY2019)

Is

made

i i

outdoors for a

dUflng

ith

w

the

H O

4 stainless steel.

30

hich

w

th straight without

mon

t humid,

mos

inv time of the

1a

Is

strona.

l

llex ble

r bringing It

e v e

r In the

vea

and

co,roslon resistant. I used

very

ck from

ba

s1e1n

Ea

i

rmanent camp

my sem -pe

nds.

woodla

The five-panel design slips and locks Into place without too much fuss. It loads fuel from the front

a a

v i

targe.

o_ _,-c • od = k o 1 d n l l g

0

D

types often

00

round port. In a

i i

l fire-making

trad t ona

and fuel on top, this

seems

the obvious

style.

ith the tinder

w

hoice. due to the

c

ase

e

a l

the

f Igniting

o

om

bott

he

t

<

tinder Howeve,, It could also be used with the fuel (larger pieces) at ue bottom and kindling

BeloW' The O!Je.rleben StOket' F'blpaek Stove

has ftve panels that slide logelhl!r and donl

above. with the tinder at the very top. This Is commonly known as an ·upside-down fire:

have any sharp comers 10 be womed abool The canvas ba,: doubles as a hre preparation

Smallish blo stoves seern better suit@d for a mete t1adltlonal 111@-making technlQUl' due to

plaUorm and Undel"bag.

their enclosed designs. using the hot rising air. because fire natu1aUy will use up whenever given the avenue to do so.

Once the stove Is lit. It can be stuffed with long!!!' sticks and wood splits that extend up be',ffld the top of the stove to buln down and start to establish hot coats, This only takes a matter of minutes, and the stove will soon be ready to place a pot on top. I was using the stove In conjunction with a Burtonsvlll@ cooking rig, having the kettle hanging

over

the stwe. with a high@! flarTll' flom tne

sticks protruding out from It. It made for a higher. hotter flame, which was perfect for my setup, because I could adJvst the height of the kettle over the stove. A simple pot supporter for smaller-diameter cook cans/pots Is provided with the stove. It Is Just a couple of steel strtos In the shape of an "X" that seat well Into the stove. These strtos supp()!! smaller cooking containe,s Of balance a la1ge1-diameter frying pan. Howeve,.

t

only

used It once and dl'Clded to enher hang my cookln!l ltems over the flame Of place them dlrl'Ctly on top of the stove. I emulated tne photos I saw on the

Obertebl'rl

website and used a flat rock to cook on top of. I got

the stove nice and hot with coals and continued heating the flat ,ock slowly to avoid uacklng It. I placed a few drops of olive oil on the rock to

see if it would be balanced

and stable. I then cooked an

••

•

I E

A /ISIICB4GS1HAT

>

Far rt,hl Mlmlcldna; what the author

saw on the company); website. he

cooked using a l\al rock as a frying pen to milke some Ush and vegles.

• •

•

•

1'·

< The Oberleben Stoker flatpack Stove can

be lak1 back and Ill with a ferro r od and then stood

uprtght to add klndllnsand then luel. Tileauthor used this method with wood shavlnpas

klndllna, which was loaded Into the stove wtth the p0plar bark.

egg right on too of

I t

It made all the expected Sizzling sounds!

Throughout the month, 1 llled fish and vegetables on the flat 1ock over the stove. I also made a mush,oom, onion and cheese omelet In a small cook POI. The stove bolled gallons of water for coffee, stews and soups with a fraction of the fuel I would have used lo, an open fire. The hidden gem ol the stove Is Its !lat canvas pouch. It Is not treated with oil or wax bot could be If you needed It. I did not. How�r. I did use It as SOOf1 as I got t o camp. I grabbed the

pouch and filled It with poplar/bi,ch ba1k and kept It stuffed with wood shavings for the next lire I would make. While handling hot stuff. It makes to, a Quick oven

rritt

01 a hand PfOtector

when It's time to empty the hot coals. It really rounds ou1 the product and makes

more than

f t

multl·functlonal in any camp.

<

Far left Tinder and

klndlln, are ready to be loaded Into the stove The u.nvas pouch makes 11000 surlace lo catch shavings and small kb1dUn,..

> Nearleft While wing • more con·

venUonat

cook

in&

container. !he author made an omelet with mushrooms. 1reen onions. cheese and three e&P And when a Ure Is down to coals.

i i

makes a

aood place to stm· mer and keep pots warm.

-1FRIEDFISIIANDlrEGEl:4BtESONTHERAT1cOCKOVERTHESTOVE.IA/ SO MADIEAMtlSIIROOM,ONiONANDCH, THEsrotfEBOI/EDG4//tlWSOFWA1ERfORCOffEf;SteWSANDSOUPS WITHAi IIA( IIONOFTH

RJELIWOULDHAVEUSEDfORANOPENFIRE.

< A musl have tno· DURSTEN KUKSA CUP

whkh kuksa cups were carried right on a bell via some sort of cotd. They we,e kept handy for

stove. rerrocetlum tod ;,ind kuksa cup lrom

Having spent the last three summers In

dunking Into communal pots ol soups or coffee. At 5 ounces. it Isn't light, but knowing that you Oberleben

Scandinavia. I am a kuksa fan. My first kuksa

won't btKn your Ups while sipping a hot cup of brew

Of

soup definitely outweighs the weight.

was handmade and from a marketplace In Finland. It was beautifully crafted of birch wood, but

i t

was small It held about 5 to 6

ounces-not quite enough for a cup of coffee 01 mlso soup. The Oberteben Dursten Kuksa

0SERLEBEN QUALITY This company's stellar packaging and quality manufacturing help set Its products

ecen:

In

addition. they put a modern spin on lime-tested bushcraft gear. Oberleben also makes a kettle with a hardwood lid-grab and a fold-down, hanger-style

(made from oak) holds a tun B fluid oonces.

handle wrapped In 550 paracord. I can Imagine many different ways to use lhts kettle over a

It comes with a carablner and leather lanya1d

stove and open flame.

to attach to your pack or to carry tradltlonatly

on a belt. I have seen oldei diagrams and photos In

Tim Garcia Is not stopping there-Oberleben has more products In the works. This company has a b1lght future. I am eage11y looking fo1wa1d to Its new products to see what else Tim comes up with. ASG

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDI

CHRISTOPHER NVERGES: MORE THAN 40VEARSOF LEADERSHIP IN SELF-RELIANCE EDUCATION TEXT BY CANA BENNER

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOl'I IER NYElif>ES

hen

one thinks of the

top survlval/seU-,ell­

ance experts out there. Christopher Nyefges

has got to be at the top

of the list. I

first became

acQualnted with

back when he was the

editOf

Christophe(

of Amerl
SUrvival Guide (see thesideba1 on page 40). Until then. I was only awa,e of him through his writings, 'Nhk:h appeared then-and stitl do-in many different pubtie.ations. Afte, that.

Chflstopher became my friend and mentOf, and

1 found that this man IS muc:h more In tune with the wortd around us and deeper, es a pef50fl, than many people I have met along my path.

For Christopher. "survival" is a state of mind. something that dea1ly come5 out in

his writings. He not onty talks the talk. but he also walks the walk. When It comes to plant

Identification. both edible and medicinal. I have met nobody who knows as rooch, and he Is eager to share that knowledge with his students and reeoee. When did all of this start. and what drew him into this world of self-reliance? Christophe, answered these and many other Questions: and, as you read our exclusive «neview with him. you will find Ihat his

answers are Quite p1ofound.

A TRADITION

OF

SHARING

Christophe,'s Interest In this way of life began VI

the early 1970s-long before survival,

see-re­

hance or even recycling became fashionable. There were no cell phones or GPS units, and writing lo, books and magazines was done on a typewriter. It was people such asCtvistopher who paved the way for all of us as they faced and overcame many roadblocks. both f1riancla! and cultlll'al. along the way. (You can read

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

17

--

about ttiose early days In ChristoPhef's book.

rel="nofollow">

Students of all

a,es are$hown that

Squatrer In Los Angeles: LMng on the Edge.) In 1974.

wild edibles are all

around us.

Christopher and his late wife. bcces,

steneo the School of Self·Rellance In the Los Angeles area of Southefn California. Since then, rTlOfe than 30.000 people. rrom young children through Older adults. have taken at least one of his nuffiefous classes or have participated In the outings offefed by the school. As If that weren't enough. Christopher has

authOfed more than 20 books. There are two rTlOfe In the works at the time of this wrltins (see the Sidebar on page 42). He has written

thousands of articles. has been featured on local television broadcasts and Is cu11ently a consultant for the television prog,am. Ndked and Afraid. With such a busy schedule. ered

I t

I

consid­

an honor that he was able to take the

The followins ls taken from the mission staten-.ent of the School of Self-Reliance: 1 believe It says a

time to answer my Questions.

great deal about Christopher:

·we. have found that most people are more in touch with their true irlnef strength when they actually SIMPLICITY

IS

!earn practical sic.Ills that enhance their day-to-day life."

KEY

Communicating with ChrtstQPhef. even via e·mail, ls almost a Zen·Uke experience. His

In other words. being sell-reliant and lea,nlng survival sic.Ills ISn't Just about having the bigsest

>

Chrl.st0pher.an

knife. It Is about the common slc.llls we all need to re-learn. and It Is these skills that Christopher has

expert on wild

responses to QuestlOns are well thought out and often geneiate more Questions than they

edible plants, shows

students how to

committed his life to teaching. Building on that statement, my first Question toClvistopherwas. "In this world of the 1atest and

remove the spLnes

answei-. Christopher makes you think-the ma,k

cectus.

ol a great teachel'.

N

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

trom a prickly pear

[JANUARY2019)

the greatest.' how do you stay focused on the aceu vou have set !Of yoorsell?" His response was. "My goal has less to do with sur.1vvlg a catastrophe and more to do with SUfVMng

<

Le / I

Teaching a student the

proper way o l weavJna a tlsh trap. Thts skill t s also useful for making clothing. baskets and a host o l dlllerent userul Items.

TFOCUSON STUFF. FOCUS ON LEARNING THE SKILLS. DON'T GET YOUR SURVIVAL AND PREPPING EDUCATION FROM TVSHOWS. MOST TVSHOWS ARE ENTERTAINMENT FIRSI AND EDUCATION SECOND.'' >

Near n,}lr

morally, ethically, stilrltually. physlc:a!ly and

Nyeraes

5hQws just

some

ol the wlld edible

financially in an era when I believe we are wit­

plan ts

nessing the slow decline of at least thiS ascect

that

found In

can be

the

area.

ol Western cMllzatlon. My goal Is to make dally choices that allow me to lr.-e a meaningful life each day, without a locus on fear or worry." By lMng such a life. ChriStopher IS always

cecereo

for any su,vival situation that might

arlSe. Hedoesn"t live lor the "what-Ifs" and the fears that accompany them. If you think about It. thii Is a great way togo th1ough life. Chrlstopher"s interest In

seu-reueoce. the >

environment and our place In It has been a llfelong pu1suit. He spent the early 1970s living

Far rizhl

Nyeraes

with poison hem·

lock. It ts Just as ln1portant lo learn

close to the land, lea,nlng from those a1ound him. teaching classes about the outdoors and

what ca n hurt y ou a s I t l s t o learn what you can eat

writing newspaper a1tlc:les. He SQuatted In an abandoned home in the �Us of Southern CaHfornia and worked ockl jobs to make ends

meet. He recycled and repurl)()Sed everything long before It became "the thing to do." He started his writing career the same way most of us did-by writing columns for local

newspapers about the subjects he felt passion­ ate about. often for little or no money. Ft.lMy; these are the same things he writes about today: living Ille, Living simply and sharing the knowledge he has amassed.

SUBSTANCE OVER STUFF

I asked ChriStopher whal he thought the main

> Righi

Chnstopher

shares some or his voluminous

Issue was ,egardlng "SUMving." "Most people with the latest gadget and the

knowledge and experience with a class held 1 n South·

biggest knife and the thing you must have to

ern California.

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

N

--

) Right. Oll1S·

survive ere lust trying to make a bock; ChrlS-

topher shares topher said. "Don't focus on stuff. Focus on

=•"""" In a near clMC

a stream.

learning the skills. Don't get your survtval and

Aside

prepping education fTom TV shows. Most TV from explaining

how to hollow

out

st1oM are entetelrurent first and education

a piece ol wood. he teaches the

class that where

secood" He went on to say. "Everyone should constantly stay alert to the 'big picture· and

there Is water. there Is lood ol some kind.

make 1hei1 own plans based on local and per· sorat needs. live frugally and Include othels in your plans. Make your circle bigger. Gtow food

I

and be sell-reliant." I prodded Christophel' a little m
"""· This was his reseoose: "The biggest issue facIng everyone

Is that

we seem to

be In denial of

certain fundamental Issues that are getting us all in deeper.

>

Below- Chris

topher

a\l the others

that

and pits people against

Instructs

students o n

what

matenals to look !or

drives

Overpopulation is one. and

and

ho w

to

make-Wild"soap.

people. In many

as iS the

h1&h

areas,

cost of

water

is a

5el'ious Issue,

housing. So-called

ces' need to face reality

and llve

'cec-

their lives

·-SURVIVALISNOTABOUTTH

AMOU

T

OF STUFF YOU HAVE. IT IS ABOUT HOW YOU USE YOUR SKILLS TO INTERACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND YOU, INCLUDING ANY HUMANS YOU MIGHTENCOU

40

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

TER.

as an example wherever they live, city or

<

Ltfl some o l

thebookswrltten ,ural

Teach your neighbors how to be pan

by Christopher

Nyerges CPholo

of the solution:

Dana Benner) Whether you are a writer or a teecner.

there are many skills we often take 101 granted. I asked Ch1lstopher what concept he has found that students seem to have the most dirficulty grasping.

"Assume nott.ng. There are no 'simple tasks." Christopher explained. ·11 Is simple

i f

you know

how to do it: complicated when you do not. Modern technology Is being relied upon too much. People are dOlng less. thinking less and assuming more. When teaching or writing. always begin flam step one and go from there·

CHRISTOPHER'S GO·TO GEAR

Knowing Chllstopher Is not a "stutt" kind of guy, I asked him to list five to 10 items that people should have.

''EVERYONESH

LDCONSTANTLYSTAYALERTT'

THE BIGPICTURE

AND MAKE THEIR OWN PLANS BASED ON LOCAL AND PERSONAL NEEDS. LIVE FRUGALLY AND INCLUDE OTHERS IN YOUR PLANS. MAKE YOUR CIRCLE BIGGER GROW FOOD AND BE SELF-RELIANT.''

<

Le/I Some or

the Hems Chris·

topher recom mends everyone should have with them CPhotO' Dana Benner)

[ASGMAG.COM]

AME.RICANSURVIVALGUIDE

41

--

According to Chrlstophef, "The gear that each Individual carries ls a ve,y pe,sonal serecuen based on the person's needs. skills and the circumstances. but here are some thlnas that

rou

will al wan reeo.' I.

humans you might encounter. We need to stop thinking about ·me· and

wate conta!ne, and cup (prefe,ably stainless steel)

start thinking about ·we: because we are not alone In this "boat": and. clespiteou1 plans. we

2. Wate, purifier 3. A few knives (one should be a Swiss Army knife I+. Fire

the environment around you, lndudlng any

Of

a rrultl·tool}

could be the ones who need help someday. ASG

starters (butane llghte,s and a magnesium fire starte,)

5. Kefchief (multiple uses) 6. Toilet paper

7. First aid kit a.Cordage

9. A linle money 10

Small flashUght

In the case of

a natural disaster or 01he1 emergency (for him that would be mainly earth­

Quakes and forest fires), he suggests having at least two weeks of lood and water on hand (morels better).

BUSY PURSUING HIS GOALS

As previously mentioned, Christophe, Is a Vf!fY busy person. Besides teaching a variety ol courses at the School of Sell-Reliance. he iS WOl'king on books about fire-starting and navigation. He consults for National Geosraphk and lo, the television program. Ndkedand AfrakJ. In addition, he Is conllnually writing artlc.les fo, a variety of publications-Including Amerfcan Survival Guide-about different aspects ol st.lfvival. Christopher also donates time to nonprofits, doing such things as re-planting native ptantsand gMng talks on self-reliant lMng rn an urban environment. Christopher is an llte,esting man. to say the least and Is someone I am proud to consider my friend.

He willingly shares hiS deep wealth ot knowledge, obtained from years of living a Ute that 1nJy focuses on self-reliance. This honesty and authenticity are e\ident In the artkles he contributes to American Sumval C,, ..ride and othef outlels. One vital concept I have learned from my association with Ch1lstophe1 Is that survival is

not about the amount of stuff you have. It ls about how you use vour skills to Interact with

<

Sludents who

butn bows during one of Chrislo pher's classes have them lnspe.:::te
G

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

? •

MEDICAL KITS by DOOM AND BLOOM

will keep you and your fa

· y safer

in ANY disaster I I

••• • " IJJJ '<•

, ,. .....

\\ INNElf

l)oon1 and Bloon1 i\ledieal an,1 Allon Fi1'Sl Ai,1 a,-e owned an,I operale1l l1y A111y Allon, a Nu1'SC

Praclilioner and Joe Allon, a i\ledical Doelor.

llr!.ignetl and lland Pat'l..ed

•

..

•

•

-

,.

uliO

Toruno I s Intimately

Involved

with

knlvts every

day.

But he's not a survival­

< AOOve·

Krul e sharp­

LIFETIME CONNECTION TO

ener Julio Toruno ist.

a knife

collecto,

or a cuuers dea!e1. He

and he's never heard of all

the

doesn't

live In a remote compound,

TV survival show ectors. He has no interest In

can ol'ten be found workina 11toutcloor

KNIVES

His

Intellectual

lineage comes not from

markets In the Los

Alone. Naked and Afraid or SurvlVOt. Toruno Is a Quiet man who's found his peace

AngE"lesarea

through the ancient art of knife-sharpening.

the "big knife" enthusiasts such as "Rambo."

but

He's a peripatetic knife sharpener: "have stone. wlll sharpen" seems to be his motto. He regu­

<

BefowTorunols

from the culina1y world. where a sharp

knife

Is a mlnute-bv-rnmute

necessity.

busy a t wor1i: rest ortn,: larty

sets up shop

from the

back

o f his truck

at

fa,mers markets and other

SoYthern California

Most of

the

methods Toruno

utilizes

come

theedaeonacustom·

veoues and sharpens scissors, knives and any edged tools his customers and

followers

brlng.

er'sknlle

from

the

long

knife-making

Japanese

and

tradition

of

sharpening.

Toruno worked a s a cook I n a private school

and also a s a prep c ook l n a restaurant.

Because o f his wo1k I n the culinary field. h e

k new a sharp knife was a necessity in getting

the Job done.

Additionally, his father had a wood shop

In Nlca,agua.

H e made chairs.

anything wood that

Toruno saw that

lu1nltu1e and

the customer

his father had

wanted.

to have

sne.c knives and toots t o convert

rough

wood Into finished products.

For

the

last

four

years,

various locations whe,e

sets

u p

IT'S

shop

ALL

Toruno has driven t o

people mingle.

and piac t Ices his

IN

THE

H e

eeoe.

DETAILS

When I 1ecently approached him (while h e

was sharpening a large kitchen knife), I could

·-

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

se e h e was very focused.

I didn't know at

the

<

l.e/L The Tormek

weter-oooled sharpenlna: system. Toruno used this ma chin.ea lot when he

bepn his business and still uses ii today

•

• •••

.. ....

,

<

Bel ow- Julio T oruno

Is shown Wllh a COid S I eel Bushman he )Wt

llnlshed sharpening.

JULIO TORUNO IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH KNIVES EVERY DAY. BUT HE'S NOT A SURVIVALIST, A KNIFE COLLEC IOROR A UTLERY DEALER.

time that he was counting his strokes. His concentration was completely on each stroke of the

knife on his whetstone. I watched him evenly stroke the knife back and forth and occasionally p(.11

some watet onto the stone. His strokes were consistent and @ven, like a metronome. I

waited until he finished-after he wiped the knife clean and set It to the side-before I began to ask questions. Toruno showed me his Tormek machine. a water-cooled sharpening system he uses mostly

for scissOl's. "That's the best on the menet," he told me. "and when I began

mv business.

I

used It a lot." He still uses it for sharpening scisso,s, but most of the lime when sha,pening knives these days, he uses flat Japanese water stones. His usual l)(OCedure is to take each knife

through a similar precess using five different grits of stone. Toruno custom-built a mount for his stones. It Is a vice that lits Into a rectangular stainless steel pan and stays there via friction. With a Quick-release spring. he can change out each stone as necessary when he does the sharpening. The pan is filled with water, because the water he continually adds to the stones drips right Into the pan. making this a very neat and portable system. I gave Toruno one of my carbon-steel sheath knives so I could watch the process from start to finish. He mounted the coarsest whetstone (It had a grit ol 120. The smaller the number, the coarser the gilt of the stone) onto his vice. He explalned that he would first examine my knife to see how many strokes It needed and to see If there were any particularly bad spots on the edge. He decided to take my little Russell skinning knife through his five stages of sharpening. He placed the knife onto the stone. matching the angle of the coning edge to the stone. He then gave It about 70 even strokes.

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47

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"The number of strokes changes as I move from stone to stone and depending on the knife." tonne explained. "The lurthei along In the precess. the less strokes I use: bot on average, It's about 160 sliokes total per side. from the coarse to the fine stone. I apply cressure In the lo,ward and backward motion,

lust like Japanese knife snarcenes do." He used to apply pressure In only one direction but found that the Japanese way Is more efficient. When he was done with the 120-gril stone. he moved to stones of finer grit. He proceeded to

stroke my knife with a 220-grlt stone. then 320 and 1.000. Finally, the finest work was done on an 8.000-grlt stone. He doesn't concern himself with the degree

of angle of the knife. pe, se: he simply matches

MOST OF THE METHODS TORUNO UTILIZES COME F-ROM THE LONG JAPANESE TRADITION OF KNIFE-MAKING AND

•

SHARPENING.

> Far; r11hr One o! the Jteys to Toru no's effectiveness 1$ that

he ceecen­

trales Intently on

-

hbwork.

•

--

>

Rflht

8elore he

beslrui hi$ work. Toruno examines II

kitchen knlle to

decide how lo bring tis edge

...

--

back.

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

I *********** PVS-30 r,tmtted Supply

Like New, Factory RelurbiBbed J Year Wa.,aofy

60"

the coet of a new one

''I APPLY PRESSURE IN THE FORWARD AND BACKWARD MOTION,JUSTLIKE

--

JAPANESE KNIFE SHARPENERS DO''

the knife to the stone and does his work. I n

knife-sharpening

uteeture. one o ft en reads

about the "cxrect" angle for sharpening knives. I

a�ed

T oru no

a bout

ho w

he determines

the

cceecr angle when sharpening. He smiled broadly, and I f@lt as If I'd asked

a stupid Question. "I look al the knife. and I sharpen

It

based

o n h ow It

was made.

I

slmply lay the cutting edge onto my stone and sharpen

It

based on however It was

manufactured in the first place." H e

pointed

out

that

In

so me

circumstances,

he might make some variation to this rule If the knife edge Is damaged or If a slightly different angte would lmp,ove the knife. ·1 have to evaluate each knife individually." Toruno looked at my knlfe"s edge carefully •

< Toruno discusses

lhebenel11Sand ellk\ency ol his

< Julio Toruno uses this machine most euen lor sharpen­ tnasctssors

Tormek sharpen!na system

and sliced through a piece of glossy paper to show how sharp he"d made it. He explained that du1lng his 70 or so

strokes

per stone, he works the blade sectlOn

by section, and he makes a point to be cer­

tem to sharpen the uppe, part of the knife, because that can sometimes be missed.

HONING HINTS

For a beginner just getting started In knife sharpening. he suggests going to any woodworking store and buying a stone with

-

a different grit on each side. such as a 500and 1.000-grit stone. I

asked Toruno about

ether

systems of

knife sharpeners, such as Eze-Lap diamond knlfe·sharpenlng rcos. ce,amlc rods and even electric wheels (see the sldeba1 on the facing page). ·1 don"t know about the other systems that

othei people use." T oruno sakl. "'1 Just know

how to get a sharp knife using this method. rm 'old school.' and perhaps I'm overly complicated by talmg each knife through five stages of

sharpening. Yes. sometimes. you can get away with three stages. but perhaps rm a P21h:!t1icnst, sot usually p,era all IM!stageS."

LET'S TALK KNIVES

< The sequence

of stones Toruno uses lor almost every

held untn their owners return for them

knife h t! sharpens

N

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

< A view of some lreshly sharpened knives that are

[JANUARY2019)

Because there Is such a vast va1lety of beina:

available knives. Toruno ccesn't have any

Lightweight.

Compact.

Durable.

>

R/lhl. A knU1!"s size

doesn'I matter to Julio Toruno. Shown

here Isa small custom knlle he /usl llnl5hed sharpen!�

S O U R C I S

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, HE MIGHT MAKE SOME VARIATION 70 [THE] RULE IFTHE KNIFE EDGE IS DAMAGED OR /FA SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE WOULD I M P RO ..,.. V 'E THE KNIFE.

'I HAVE 70 EVALUATE EACH KNIFE INDIVIDUALLY.''

partkula1 recommendatlom. He sharpens

that could typka11y hold up to seve1e use. 0

whatevef voo bring him. But he does point out

Howevef." Toruno explained. "it's a misconception that a knife with a thlnnef spine lsol

that you can often find an excellent functional

Iesser Quality, It all depends how you plan to use that knife In the culinary world. a knife with a

knife at a yard sale or thfilt store.

thinner spine Is definitely prefe11ed."

Sure, you can spend hundreds of dollars on a single knife. and If yoo're happy with that

I-le added that you should not use your knife as an axe .•. If you need an axe, you should

buy one.

knife, fine! But all too olten, when conectoe

On the othe1 hand, Toruno said that one of the most veeeue cutting tools Is the machete.

spend hundreds on a knife. they tend not to

"In Nicaragua. I've seen guys who use the machete foreverythlns. Of course. that comes with

use It. Why? Precisely because they spent hundreds of dollars on It. and they don't want to mess It up. "I know lots of chefs who go to yard sales and find excellent knives," Toruno pointed out.

practice. I sugsest yoo buy and use the knife yoo are most comfortable with for yoor needs." Toruno saw the versatility of the machete when he lived In Nicaragua to, a short while (from 1992 to 1999), trying to make a livina as an organic farmer. But It didn't work out for various reasons. so he came back to the United States. In terms of a stainless versus a carbon-steel knife (a rerton-steet knife Is often thought of as 0

"If you know what to look for. you can often

"old fashlooed

pick up a great knife that the homeowner no

blade definitely holds and keeps Its edge better than a stainless knife." But he Qukkly adds that

longer wants 01 needs."

he's mostly dealing with stainless steel knives. which dominate the culinary world.

We talked about thkk. heavy knives that are popular in the so-called ·survival" world: knives

D

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

and made with metal that can corrode easily). Toruno says that ·a carbon-steel

A full tang is best of course. The tang Is the section of the knife that goes Into the handle. and so the best knives have metal the full length and width of the handle. ASG

THE

ONLY

EASY

DAY

WAS

YES

TESTING THE NEWABE&MOE SERIES OF KNIVES MADE BY GEISSELE AUTOMATICS BY SEAN CURTIS

rs not uncommon to see knives at gun shows. After all. many people conSidei­ a firearm a multi-faceted tool capable

of solving various Issues. This wonderful Quality ls also found In knives: hence, the

ettrecucn

What I s

uncommon Is having a firearms company

enter the world of cutlery-and knocking

i t

out of the park on the first try. aoweve. when

you learn of the company backing Abe & Moe Knives. all the pieces begin to fall Into place. BIH Gelssele (pronovnced "Guys-lee") IS an

entrepreneurial soot who attacks problems and cooquers them with quality solutions. When he entered the competition shooting

arena years ago. he could not find a t1igger that

met his needs. so he designed one. That

solution soon became an smpse named Gelssele AutOO'latics. a company that makes tqh-QuaUty g 1.111 parts, tools and other eccesso­

rles. (It you don't know anything about Gelssele. it

is kflO'Nll for O'lef·engineering its products-and

i t

enjoys a sterling reputation.)

More recently, Bilrs son, Abraham, approached him and asked him to make a knife. True to character, he built the knife and then created a company called Abraham & Moses. named alter his sons. White the Goodman Knife (Special Fo,ces/ combat) debuted at SHOT Show 2017. three

more knives oriented to outdoor uses filled

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

•

--

,

___

When "" """"'

anived, thebfJdM

werewatedwtth

a. .,..,.......,,_ thick

W;lJI to

dental cutting.

>

Far rJghl The

wa)[ Is ea51ly scr.iped and pulled off.and the

•

bla<1e Is quickly

•

wlpedtlean

•

•

out the line In 2018: the AM-1, AM-2 and AM-3.

peelln11 oil the wax, I was able to adml1e the tbee different approaches. (Every time I see three similar things of small. medium and large size. I am reminded of the tale of the "Bllty Goats Gruff" and the beating given to the mean, old t10U who lived under the b1idge )

UNBOXING

These three knives all arrived with a

The AM-1 � a beast. Marveling at Its shape. I see camp use. busher aft and hunting written Into

cardboard sheath around the blade. Taking

Its ONA. The GIO scales are cuNed In the middle with a bit of a belly to the bottom of the grip

these off. I found a deep-green wax had

that adds exua fit in

been used to cove, each blade nearly to

Ing In at 11.9 ounces, the balance Is nice, although grip-oriented. The blade Is 4.6 Inches long and

the hilt. A warning comes with the knives

.188 Inch thick. with an overall length of 9.5 Inches. You don't get a R.imbo sense from the knife.

that tells you they are razor-sharp, which

but when you pick It up, you understand It Is a hard-use tool.

explains an the extra protection. I took each out and set it on the bench. After

mv hand.

The blade deSlgn iS a

The handte iS ve1y ergonomic and designed for hard use. Weigh-

eoc paint

with a nice belly. The full-tang knife (not skeletonlzed) has a

built-In forward Qulllon on the bottom, preventing the hand from slipping onto the cutting edge.

> The optional leather sheaths that accoml)ilnled the

test knives were top quahly and built

tor security and lonaevltv

• •

,- / •

•

f

J

•

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY 2019]

•

•

< This

1$ a

wonder

lul exampleol why you might consider

a brlght-<:olored handle. Contrasted wllh the 1reen surroundln,p, !he

oranae GIO pOpS and 1rabs !he eye.

<

Below The AM I ls

a stout blade that Is manlpulated with a handle th.al has 1rea1 ergonomics.

< Middle. TheAM·2's deslln has a more lac· Heal approach, with

a deeper

quillon and

jlmping on thesplne.

< Bo/tom.

In smaller

hands, the AM·J is \deal. but ll can be used comlortably

wilh larser milts too.

IFYOUOON'TKN

WA

YTHI

AB

UT

GEISSELE, /TIS KNOWN FOROVER­ ENGINEERING ITSPRODUC IS-AND IT E

'JOY.

ASl*'RLINGREPUTATION.

The scetes come with a light. grippy texture. and there Is a tanya,d hole towa,d the pommel end. The AM·2 ls the militant mlclslzed "brother"-smaller, Quicker, but still very capable. This knife tells me

I t

wants to be mounted to a tactical vest for those "just In case· moments. The blade Is

a drop point also. but leaner and with no belly. The style strikes me as a relaxed tan to. The grips are thinner and flat and not swollen anywhere to fill the hand as does the AM-I. Because of its blade length ol 3.6 Inches •. 156 Inch thickness and an overall length ol 8.5 Inches. you can see the knife is still very capable. The weight comes in al 7.3 ounces-much lighte, but still up for hard use. Also full tang. this is the only knife of the three that has limping on the spine of the blade. The forward quillon Is very pronounced and is supported fully by the scales. which are designed to cover It. This Implies the knife was meant fo1 thrusting and retrieval, a more tactical approach. Last. bot not least. I picked up the AM·l The fl�t thing I noticed about this knife. despite being the smallest. ls the clip-point blade-a diminutive Bowie, II you will. This Is a go-anywhere. lacx-ct-eu-eeces

type of knife. With a blade length of 2.75 Inches. a thickness of .125 Inch and

an overall tength of 6.5 inches, the AM·3 won't hight en anyone. but It will cut anything you need-and will do It well. Even though It Is the smallest. at 4.1 ounces, the GlO scales still Ill In my hand, although ba1etv. This little knife can do lust about anything: skin small game. process plants and even some wood If needed. It would be at home In a tackle box, backpack, bug-out bag or even as an evefyday-cauy knife.

COMMON THREADS

All three knives have several genetic blessings from Gelssele. They are made from 02 steel and a,e sharpened (flat grind) to 20 degrees. Right out of the box. they each push-cut paper and shaved hair. In addition, the blades are commercially differentially teet-ueeteo. This means then spines are softer than the cutting surface. making them flexible. as opposed to fragile. The blades I received were covered with something called Nanoweapon coating. This Is a gift from the firearms side. As you might Imagine. Gelssele has some experience with metal under a lot of friction. This company Is great about customization. so the nano-coating ls an option. I can tell you it Is tough .• and very black. The substance covers the blade. even the tang undei

[ASGMAG.COM]

AME.RICANSURVIVALGUIDE

U

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<

Far�� Batonina the thick spine on lhe

AM·! w as a bl eeze and allowed the author to make short work 0, some hard woods.

<

Neat �fl seen tu?re In action, the AM·! drove

through soil wood. like nothbi,

THE BLADE DESIGN ISA DROP POINT WITH A NICE BELLY. THE FULL-TANG KNIFE (NOT SKELEI ONIZED} HASA BUILT-IN FORWARD QUILLONON THE BOI I OM, PREVENTING THE HAND FROM SLIPPING ONTO THE CUTTING EDGE. the scales; eve,ywhere but the Vl!fY cutting edge. The blades all have a forward qullton to

one

degree or another. preventing forward

slippage of the hand. All three have GlO scales. which can be ordered from the Abe & Moe website in a coarse or fine texture. I found the fine texture offered enough grip without wearing blisters during repeated testing. The teether sheaths that accompany the test knives are absolutely quality rigs. although Y1JU can ooer the knives without them. These are the same sheaths that are made fof Randall Knives-hand crafted, heavily stitched and fashioned from oil-tanned saddle leather. I have dropped some coin on quality knives before and have lost them reter, because themal<er lnc:lt.ded a poor1ymadeshealh. YouwiU not have ttvsproblemwith Abe& Moe. The sheaths all have a bu1lt­ ln belt loop and a strap that closes over the qulllon with a classy. silver snap embossed with the Abe & Moe logo. The AM-1 has an added bonus of a paracord handle retaine, and leg tie for extra retention.

I WENT

INTO THE

WOODS

-

I looked forward to testing these knives-with pretty high expectations. Mr. Gelssele Is not the type to let anything subpar out the door with his name on It. With a weekend trip Into the mountains set. I leveled several different tests against the Abe & Moe trio to test their mettle and metal. After setting up camp, I quickly found some wood to process fo, tinder and kindling. I used all three knives for chopping and baton Ing to see how they would fare. With ueady effort. each knife whacked through whateve1 I put It up against, first chopping through some wood to cut It to length.

>

Al>o\le-The D·2 steel continued t o

I next split some larger wood. also with batonlng. (The Nanoweapon finish appeared to be

hold up f or a pretty se nous round o l

marred from the force of being driven through the wood-unUI I wiped It. The mark disappeared testing.

undei the cloth.) Each knife split wood capable of Its size.

N

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY 2019]

<

THE AM-2 IS THE MILITANT MIDS/ZED

Below With a deeper qulllon and this

ellecllve )lmpu,a. the AM·2'sblade was

made to pierce aod orter a tood IJlp t or

''BROTHER''-SMALLER, QUICKER, BUT

retrieval

STILL VERY CAPABLE. THIS KNIFE TELLS ME IT WAMS TOBE MOUNTED TOA TACTICAL VEST FOR THOSE''JUSTINC4SE'' MOMENTS.

THE AM-1

I

used

the

AM-I

woods and soft

bit

continued

woods

harde,

Finally.

busher a

a s an axe.

than

ftIng

a n

T he scales

not

e

th

go

In

the

day.

nderful. Even

he

all

t

se,

u

ago.

because I That

ticed

the

the

y slid

nderstood

from

erently

e rod. Besides, were

th

was,

rry

I ca

(Note

that

n

a

m y

llp flom

s

long

y

ife

a kn

had

a

survival situation

tlns was

e benefits

th

o f

offe1

he

t

uck

I str

he

Its

Many

t o p ry

a

shape.

various

knives

t o carve

no t

evelop

would

out several

y hot spots Of

d

so

al

e

lik

a n

point

t o

s ·safety

a

mouflage

a ca

o f

out

that

range:

t

o

een

cant

I

I dd

e,

onc

southwest Colo,ado. Losing

ove

pr

t l.)

fa a

i

I dd

k

e

lac

o f th

e asalnst

knif

ve

not

ha

a

y

abilit

ove

I l

e absolute

th

t o

i g edge

the cutt n

was not

a ·raw: 01

a

l

boot

e blade

th

t o

gainst

a

e rod several times. and

problem with

o

strtke It

th

n

and

I n

e

th

th

is whatsoever.

th

ano-coating far ootweighed the

t

ves

kni

e

coa

esperate, I would use

oes

resumed

trying

through

ption.

I d

d

when

It

o

the Nanoweapon

that

oold

c

driving

lighter

again.

I would

el's errent shot. (I

severer

wood-culling

iS often oesocec

i t

I t

time

and was able

I did

hunt

In

repeatedly,

hard

Of hal1

.

crccessee

t o hol d an edge.

while

hand

It

hand o ne

fairly

paper

m

llmlts.

heat-treat,

he ,epeated tasks,

ched strike, with each rod

e & Moe

a

Its

its spine

t

atta

Ab

I n

capability

no t cut

o

Inh

o n

bllch-a

tasted

ff without spark Ina. Nevertheless.

simpl

u

D2's

purpose. While

o n

I be a t

test

diffe..ential

o n some

a fe1rocelium rod. USing Its 90-degree spine. I t

hal,.

to

thins is still lylns somewhere in the mountains

e o,ange scales

I no

k

wood

blade flex

coold

all

ed some

th

One thins

i t

fear

bad enough, but losing

visibility of

the

T he AM-1

nife

th

e-colored scales

y yea,s

with

with

e

nor did

felt

I worked

I was Impressed

earlier

shaving

thanks t o

we,e wo

this route

I s

But

orang

man

water

have.

"unfriendly" w ood befOfe

bltstets horn chose

of

I actually

day o f testing,

notches

have falte1ed much

notches I n

tasks.

I shootd

after a full

be capable

t o

for various

lopping and chopping

t o

ck

la

strike

of

I

strike f,om ks. As It

spar

sacrlfke my sharpened edge.

hed, version

unfinis

a s

well.)

THEAM-2

he

T

M-2 sot a severe

A

down

> Near

od

a g o

deal o f

se

do

hes

branc

l

o

esting.

wood-t

and

a1ger sticks.

l

rfghl The AM Z Wi1$ used to dig out a, tew

salslly or oySler root pl<1nts and Ihen Pfoce«

them IOI' dinner.

)h r rf&hl SUbtle badging on lhe blade ldenllflC$ this knife as a product o l Abraham & M1Jscs

espite

d

ug

I d

Its

eccerent

actical pedigree.

t

ew salsify

up a f

er

Aft

yster root plants

o r o

eaking

br

nd

a

<

THE POINT, BELLY AND SIZE OF THE

sharpens a hardwood stick to a line po1nt.

SMALLER BLADE MADE ME THINK OF PROCESSING SMALL GAME. I COULD IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO EASILY DRESS OUT JUSTABOUTANYTHINGSHORI OFAMOOSE lTH THIS BLAD

•

processed the edible portions. Stabbing and digging In the ground Is a rough task best left to shovels. but a survivalist ITHJst rely on what they have. The AM-2 served well. still remaining sharp until the end of the day. While the shape of the handle was not as comfortable as that of the AM-l"s handle, the weight did not requlre

I ran this knife all day with no issoes. had good grip and was never

it.

In fear ol my hand slipping forwa1d on the blade, despite the slippery nature ol some of the tasks I used It for.

THEAM-3

Interestingly, the AM-3 did Just as well as the others. While tacking the mass of the larger knives. it cut smaller wood adeptly. and its smaller areas I n

the

smaller

easily dress All

tbree

the best 02

get

notches,

blade

made

especially

me

the triangular

think of

knife

of

a moose

performed ,emarltably

sharpener, I

gave

It

a

whir\

with

well.

the

was difficult to re-hone. but thlS was not the them cutting

profesSional

paper

knife

In

a very short

sha,pene,

lashing

point was amazing notch. The

processing small game.

out just about anything sho1t

of the knives

m01e-defined

I could Imagine

while I

am

have fought long and ha1d-lea1nlng

are

many

the

fl�t

I was able to touch

time. (When

many

and

ou t

size

being able

to admll

Gatco sha1penlng ssstem I

of

to

good knife

up

rm

not

had read that

the knives and

I reached out to Abe

was recommended for handling the

I was st1uck with the notion that there

point. belly

d1gg1ng

with this blade.

And

case.

amount ol

I OI

&

Moe. a

sharpening.)

companies out there that

lessons along the way-to

eam

the reouteucn

they now enjoy. By applying Its prll'IClples of adhering to quality mate,lals and ove,-englnee,lng. Geissele has

smoothly sailed from one demanding Industry into another. It will what dlrectlen the company goes from here. ASG

> Near

,i,,ir Evetl on harder wood.. the author

was able to use the AM 3 to leather II stkk. They were long. beautiful curls. and they served lo ultimately l!ght the stick on lire.

)h r rf&hl lbe AM ) Is a wonderful smaller blade wllh a clip point.

N

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY 2019)

be

&low Puttln& In .,,.or1c, the AM 3 qulcluy

very Interesting to see

I

HE515-CM C-SERIES

CREATED WITH CUTIING-EDGE FEATURES L I K E SOLAR FAIL-SAFE™,

ALLOWING THE OPTIC TO WORK WITH

Y O U R

N E X T

O P T I C A M B I E N T LIGHT OR BATIERY POWER

• •

•

-

• •

-

• •

• •

-

-·

,··

'

*\' I

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

-

'•

-

••• •

•

,l

'I

I

•

.• •

LIFE-SAVING CREEK TURNS "MACGYVERING" INTO AN EASY-TO-USE FIELD GU/OE. C1eek Stewart Is not only an accompl1shedSUfV1val Wl5tAJCtor,

television host and all-around talented guy, he is also a multi-book author with many titles that off� life-saving outdoor and urban

skills Oneof his books that takes this to the next level and beyond is SUmval Hdcks. I n this COITIOl'ehensive

guide,

Creek offers mor e than 200

tips

a nd

tncks to use everyday items In ways p,obably never before Imagined. From USll11 sticks and a rope to create a table. making simple putties using plastk: bottle caps, or creallrl8 a single person's makesh1rt shelter from a c ommon trash

bag. Creek

has a hack f or nearly a ny

situation orSUMVal need Creek believes lnnovatlOn IS the most that t1alt

ls

r., ,oo,tant

survtval skill, and

ctearly demonstrated within the pages of this book. He

has noticed that resources ere everywhere. From the streets of the city to

the

deep backwoods to the shores of the Alaskan coastline.

a perwn can find. reeeeose and use their newtv created SUMVal hacks to get them out of all types or trouble.

Suffltfll Hach: Onr ZOO 11\ip to UM

fn, 1d1r ltfms to, Mldt11Nss Sun1wll Adams Media (April 1. 2016) Paperback: 256 pages

IISRP: Sl6.99

•

•

•

'

I'll '

• '

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From Creek's lnforrMtlve televiSlon shows. detailed survival courses to his rM1l-10-the-home survival goods, be SUfe to follow him ecossen his sooal media platforms: • ""6slh : www.C1"111l:St11Nrt.com

, I meft: ,,.•l(IC1111I Steaatt.com • lnst.t,ut:(ktNbC1Rtt

• Faobri: �Utli\itlbart

SlldeBelts Survival Belt 2.0 Class. style and functlonallty combine

, etess-nuec

to form the ultimate survtval belt

• AUS·B st11.lntess steel knife

Equipped with an extra-durable buckle

• Integrated LED lli!lshllght l!nd

with Integrated survival gear. this belt is at home at the classiest party or In

the

nylon-base buckle

fire starter • Soap complies with U.S. FDA

skln-senslt1V1lY reccuerrerus

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opener. LED flashlight. fire starter and reliable CRKT folding-blade knife

,,so

are ready t o assist when times get tough. while the belt

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It

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Mother Nature's

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Desert Tan. Ohve Orab and Classic

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Grim Workshop Custom EDC

Micro Tool Bundle Options ere great. and Grim Work­

shop olfers oozeos of tools for you to assemble Into your own

wearable

tool kit

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Featuring Items

for nearly every type of adventure­

hom l1shlng and

hunting to

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meorcet and even hostage escape­ lhese compact

tools will

be helpful

in whatever srteenon you might yourself.

• Custom-create your own

three-tool bundle · Integrated tool 1etenllon svstem holds l!'ll'efYlhlng In place ·Durable

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• Perfect for backpacks. key­ cha,ns and necklaces

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An Included sleeve will keep

S14.85 your tools organized and handy when needed.

Its solid consuuction allows

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GUIDE

UST Brands Emergency Poncho This poncho Is so small and simple

• Size

and yet so vitally Important when you

. we,ght: 1.3 ounces

are -out

• wetercrcot polyethylene

In the lleld"I

It can protect

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50x40 Inches

material

• Sides are sealed. except

for

arm holes

can cause all sorts of problems while under sorvivat conditions.

Sl.49 Prevent

both with

this pocket-sized

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Item

When not

folds

up

your pix:ket vital

part

o l

and

or

www.us.tBrands.com

In use. this handy

easlly

pack

stores

It should

within

be

o

every outdoor kit

Wdzoo Survival Gear cache Cap

A

cap

that keeps the sun out

of Your

eyes, offers a comfortable flt ... and

· 100%

cotton material can be

waxed for water receueoce

has six hidden comp.artments for

• Velcro adJustment strap

:s.rrn:iU survival gear

, Charcoal gray color

How can you go

wroog? Yes. this Cache Cap features

·One slze lits most

six total peckets-three open-top pouches. ooe main ccceet with

vetoc S20

closure and two narrow slots on both sides of the bt,m. Use these "secret" areas for paper money. Important keys, flash dnves w,th personal lnformat,oo. fishing gear. first aid Items or anything small you want to keep away from prying eyes. When yc,ur h
WWWWII.ZOOS! ,[email protected]

Wazoo Bandana Tracklnt Field Kit This bandana's value Is twofold use

I t

for basic

First.

survival needs, such

· 100%

• Size

cotton

22x22 inches

a s protection from the sun. basic

•2 0 tracks Illustrated o n fabric

water filtering, first i!lld and more

• Siiicon ruler wraps around

Then. because It features printed-to­

wrist when not I n use

scale tracks of a variety of com­ monly encountered animals found

,,,

across North America. yo u can track

common wlldllfe. The Wazoo team consulted the experts to accurately depict

tracks from mountain

wwwwazooSuoovalGear.com

lions.

bobcats. coyotes. skunks. opossums.

,accoons ano many more. And. to wa1d off predators that altack flam the

back. evespots are lngenl01.Jsly

included on the bandana when folded and worn on the head

The kit

etsc

includes a roll-up ruler.

CRKT Get Away Driver

The Ideal belt·cllpped

tool tor nearly

any urban environment, the Get

Away

• Length

3 75 Inches

, Weight: 1 9 ounces

Driver allows you to maintain your

· Quality 2CR13 steel blade

knives. sm51t electronic casings o r

• Includes Uth,um CR927 3 V

even your ch,ldren's l oYS w.th ease.

battery

The selection of bits ls substantial.

• SoUd. durable construction

with au

, Carablner

sizes Integrated

easy-g11p handle

Into the

cue keeps

l t handy

Choose from the

hex o r Torx bit models. Th e

oowerlul

S19.99 LED Ughl

shmes brightly on your task

at hand. whl!e the ent,re unit stores easily In your

your

belt

pocket or hangs from

www.CBKT.com

or backpack loop.

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDI!

GUIDE

5.0.L Pocket survival Pak PWS A pocket full ol gear? Y ou bet! This

- Size: Sx5x4

compact unit holds a mult11ude o f

• Weight

much-needed survrval Items. keeping

• Includes CRKT uxeo-eteoe

them handywtien !he unexpected strikes. From an extre-snere kn lie to a fire starter.

fishing gear and signaling devices. !his kit

really

assist

does ha ve It

With the

all

It is designed to

·core four" of survival-fl1e,

5 Inches

7.3 ounces

knife · Contains 39

pieces ol

survival gear • Includes waterproof survival

instructions

water. shelter and food-so you'll have a d,st,nct head start when things

go bad

SBO around you. A durable. resealable. water­ proof otesrc POUCh keeps au your gear

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secure and safe

,om

CRKT Eat'N Tool-Titanium

You

until

never

miss

the

they're gone,

utensils.

Now.

little

things

Including eating

with the Eat'N Tool.

• Durable titanium const1uct1on ·Length

4 039 Inches

·Weight: 1.5 ounces

you'll h.,ve a SPOOn and fork at your

·Over a hall-dozen accessones

Ilngertrps to make You, time cotoccrs

·Carabine, belt clip

a little more civilized. In addition to these mealtime eccessones. S19.99 enjoy the convenience of o bottle ocener. flat screwdr,ver and three hex wrenches-all In one. compact. Integrated unit

Its titanium coosuuc­

tlon w!ll hold up lor years In the field and the Included cerebmer clips to virtually any bag 01 bell loop

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S.O.L Phoenix Multl·Purpose Tool This compact

survival

kit clips easily

to your belt or pocket and provides

• Multl·lool knife with bottle

opener and striker

essential gear for nearly any outdoor

· Watertight tinder compartment

venture. Use the built-In striker to

• Integrated, extri!l·brlght LED

shower sparks onto your tinder. wh,le the multl-purPOse

knife

can

be

used

tight

· Retractable

flint

for cutting, prying. striking and much

more. The

Phoenix's design ersc

S25 incorporates a high-pitched signal

whistle. when

which

lost

Is extremely useful

outdoors.

Expect

the unex-

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mg�r,cpm

peeled: and. with the Phoenix. you'll have a step In the right direction.

Superesse Straps Urban carry Strap-EDC Bracelet There are

"fa,d"

survNa! tsecetets. and

there's this bad boy-!lie lull upgrade

model

This Impressive EOC bracelet

doesn't tust

l ook

good, It cen also save

your skin when blld things go clown It Is equipped with quick-access Items such as a titanium pry ear. handcuff key . 1ange1 blinds. Kevlar saw. fire starter r od

and more

It also leatures built-In

emergency socones. such as duct

• Authentic 550 para cord wrapping • Too-quality, h,ghty durable components ·Unique.easy-access outer

tools • Four sizes available to lit most

..

wrists • Over a dozen paracord color choices

tape straps and ZIP ties. When trouble comes knocking In urban env,rorvnents.

5164 you'll have the gear al

arm's

reach and

,eady to use when needed All bracelets are handmade In 1he U.S.A.

www.Superessestraos.com

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AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDI;

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SwlssCanl Uta Nearly everyone carries a wallet.

· Fits easily Inside most wallets

The

• 13 Integrated fun.cttons

Sw1ssCard

easily Inside

Lite

It. This

multi·tool

credit

fits

card-sized

• We,ght: 0.9 ounce

cotlecuoo lnch..ldes Items such as an

• Durable ptasttc eetenor shell

emergency blade. scissors. magnifying

• Available

I n

r ed .

blue

o r

gray

glass. multiple screwdtlvers. tweezers. a p,n. bllllPOlnt pe n and-last but not

S38 least-a

bright

LED

mlnl-llashllght.

This 11wa1d-wlnn1na design I s backed

by Swiss Army's reootatloo f or Innova­ tion. Quality. style and reliablhly forget you have I t

. • until

yw

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You'll

n eed Ill

Leatherman Tread Don't

worry about

tools your

on

forgetting your

they will be strapped around

wrist

The

Tread

all your Journeys.

goes

alt

with

you

the while

· 17·4

stainless steel

, 2 9 integrated tools · Adjustable

u p t o

a 56

ceccmre.eoce

I s

lnches

sporting a stylish and eruque design

· zs-veer gua,antee

Incorporated within

·Available I n black o r stainless

bracelet are

this brawny

screwcuve-s.

he x dnvers,

wrenches a nd much more-an

101

steel finish

useful

repairs o r Quick takedown of

S17495 metenets

durable

This bracelet Is highly

and able to withstand hard·

core dalty use without

damage or

breakage. Increase your

capabilities

while on the go with 1hls Innovative piece of emergency gear.

www l eathermansom

'

•

•

•

-·

.

GUIDE

CRKT Pryma Multi-Tool In this case, one piece o f metal eaoets

, Length. 3 235 Inches

a multitude of !unctions. The Prymti

• we,ght: O 9 ounce

clips to gear

bags

o r be1t loops and

· Solid. one-p,ece construction

offers a palm-sized tool I OI' PfY!ns.

.cereouc stass breaker

scraping or opening nei!11ly 5ny bc x or

• Black Stonewash finish

container. U se i t a s a multi-wrench

!Of an assortment ol bolt sizes or POP

S9.99 open a bottle Vi a Its Integrated bottle

opener. This i s a small tool

with

bi g

features when and where I t counts.

www.CRKJ.com

Surf City Paracord BUI Out Frag Sub-Compact EDC Z.E.R.T. Amazingly. this compact

12

basic emergency

kit contains

•U p t o 2 0

tools that allow

feet o l

USA-made

Type Ill para.cord

yo u t o survive when things around yo u

• Includes 1 2 survival toots

go from bad to worse

, Ultra-compact, lightweight

StaJt fires for

warmth. cooklns o r protection. pu11fy water

t o stay hydrated. catch

sustenance: and u se

fish for

the co1dase for

hundreds o f camp·cent,lc applica­ tions

deslsn ·

Extematw rod

• Handmade In the USA

The lntesrated pull pin (wilt not

deplcy when

pulled) can attach

t o

S4499 your belt.

bag or even you, keycha,n

Th,s palm·fr!endly mmt-ku offe,s bis

support In any crisis

IIOM'Sandfemxen..m

•

...

First Aid Rollup Kit

Mini First Aid Rollup Kit

Ultra Lite Mini Flrst Aid Kit

TS42002fl

42 '"'"""" Piece Kit

72 Piece Kit

90'""""" Piece Kit

ad things happen au the time. Some of these Incl· deots ere man·mad@. but most of the time. they are the result of natural events. Mother Naturl' has a habit of throwing us a CUM' ball @vt>ry now and again lust to keep us on our toes. As evldeoceo In th@ huirlcanes In Florida and Puerto Rico, the wlldflrl'S In the North Amerkan W@st or the volcanoes In Hawaii. you lust neve, know when them wind will blow you, way or how bad It will be when It does come. Will you bl' r@ady? Many artcies are writtl'fl, min@ Included. Ihat oeet with the gear and

succues

'fOU

should teve oo hand to enabl@ you to ser­ vlv@. AU the lnformatloo that these enkres provide Is good, but what many fall to accomplish

oece of

iS

to

point out

ability to think.

tne

world will do your tears

to

remembe1

How

of

All

the fancy

you no good

In

check.

slow down

many limes have

Pl'OPI@

dying.

n@edlng to bl'

eescne

In

If

vtiu

you don't

heard stories

rescued 01 even

·experl@ncecr

most cases.

In was their Inability to

rears.

Th@Y panicked. It Is v@ry

what dld

conool their

hard to

critically and solve a p1obtem

you ere

in

a

state of

counterintuitive. but moment and

before you

rou

In

and think.

them

If

gear

It's Important to

them being

outdoorSJ)l'Opl@?

think

the greatest

•gear· you hav@ iS your brain and

the

keep

that

panic.

you

It might

when seem

should take

a

think about the situation

do anything

feel Inclined to condemn

who has pankked,

Just

anyooe

think how

you

would react If it were almost dark and you found yourSt>lf atone on the side of a mountain.

T o

make maners worse. you've

aonen turned around and aren't sure whe,e you a,e. In the process of trying to find tte trail, you twisted your ankle. It ls verv hard to stay calm in a situation like this. but you have todo it. So before you Judge. remember that you lust never know how you will react until something happens.

IT'S

NATURAL

All of us have fears: it's natural. It's a defense mode In

our

bfaIns that dates

back to a time when we had to regularly worry about things wanting to eat us. ThiS defense mode

Is what

has kept our species

alive for thousands of years. It iS exactly because fear is so deeply ingrained in us

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

A

> Right. Grief. leilr ilnd anger are ilmong the Urst reacUons to ii situation hke this. Whlle

that ls natural. whether yo u regain composure and overcome the challenge Is up to you

that It Is very hard to control. But you rdn cootrol it. It takes a great deal of hard wDfk and discipline to dolt, but It can be done.

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR FEAR Without a doobt. keeping calm In an emer­ gency Is a very herd thing to do. The best way to stay calm and use the energy generated by teer for p1oduttive work is through training. Mililary. law enforcement and firef1ghte,s are trained to face snueuoos that "normal" people would avoid. These people are trained to run toward danger Instead of away from It. Are they afraid? You're damned right they are! Anyone who says they are not af,ald in emer­ gency Situations iS either a fool Of a liar.

So, how do they keep their heads and accom­ plish their jobs? They train. They t1aln so ha1d

A LOT OF THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, AND YOU CANNOT ANTICIPATEORCONIROLALL OF THEM. STAY CALM, SET PRIORITIES AND FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND. CONIROL YOUR FEARS; DON'T PANIC. TAKE THE TIME TO S I OP AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN OVERCOME THE CHALLENGE<;

•

•

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

•- •

that they Just reect to a sltuatiOn. As a result of their intense tralnln&, thel1 actlOns are 1ns11nc­ tlve. r el yin& upon muscle memorv. Above all. the tralnln& builds confidence-confidence In their ability to handle iust about anything that comes their way. They think things through and adapt to changing situations on the fly. It Is Impossible to plan for everything that could go wrong; but with that said, with prope1 training and the confidence that goes with It. you have the tools to handle what comes you1 way. This Is a classic example of "mind over matte,: Just because you aren't a law

entoce­

ment officer. a fl1eflghter or warrior doesn't mean you can't train. build your knowledge and boost your confidence.

TRAIN AND BE PREPARED How many people have all the-stuff" but have never really used It? More than you might think! All the gea, In the world will do you no good If you don't have the skills and the confidence t o use 11 effectively. You owe it to you,self and to those who l ook to you for protection to t1ain.11ain. train­ and train some more-with the gea, you have. Become an expert and build the confidence needed to help you control your fears. Make your ability to suNive sec ond nature. That Is what will see you through most difficult challenges.

Go out into the-witdelness· and build a shelter. Spend a few nights out under thestarssur.ivlng on what you can carry, forage, hunt or fish for. While out there, practice starting fires and filtemi water. Y es. 11 will be scary and stressful. but with each success. your confidence. knowledge and experience will build. As that grows, ','OUf fear will recede. It really Is nind

ewer matter,

especially

after you ha ve faith In your abllltleS.

FIREARMS All t oo often. I f rid people with a bunch of guns, but they have ne11e1 taken the !me to l)foper{y team how t o use them. In a situation duling which they might need to use those fireanns to either def end themselves. their fainly Of to put food on the table, they will be rrore dangerous to themselves than to air/ threat or any POtential f ood source.

If you don't know how to l)foperly use a firearm or don't have conlldenc.e In your ability to use one, there are two things you can do: Learn how to prope,ly use a firearm, or leave the use of firearms to others. It is better t o ha ve only one or two firearms and know how to use them properly than to

have 20 and not be l)fOfleient with any of them. If you choose to own and carry a firea1m.at least take a t1alnlng course. Many gun ranges offer courses that go all the way from basic ownership to advanced peoonal defense. Few exa�le.

Manchester Firing Line ( Manchester. New Hampshl!e ). where I shoot. offers an excellent choice of classes {see the sidebar on page 86). I'm sure you can find some good options wherevei you live.

Once you've taken the courses. get on the 1ange and shoot. The mo,e you shoot. the better you

will get and the mo,e confidence you will have. More confidence equals less fear and panic. when the time comes to use those skills.

SURVIVAL SKILLS

OK: you've got all the-s1u11·: you have read all the books and magazine articles. and you have watched all the survival shows on televi­

sion. You are now reactv to be dropped Into the

middle of nowhere

< l'lrst

Of

face some SOit of natural

disa5ter andexoect tosu,vlve, right? Wrons! responders

are able to react to

situations as horti·

Many knowledgeable preppers and surviv­ alists agree that a s much as 90 percent of

ble as this without

panicking because ol their tralnln&,

survival ts a mental game. The skiUs we discuss In artkles are appllcable In a Wide range of

experience and con tldent mlndsel.

Situations. but each Situation in which you find

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

N

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arms class is belna

eY@fVthlng needed to prevail In evtf'J eme,­

tauahl at Manches·

gency situation. Start slowly, ta1getlng the

ter Firing Une In New Hampshire

highest-priority skills you want to learn, and

Many reputable

practice those before you move on to the next

gunshopsand ranges oller a varl ety of classes that

topic. Build your knowledge base with small­ but meaningful-victories.

can Improve your handhn&. satety

and accuracy with

STOP AND THINK

Urearms.

When I was a kid, I spent a great deal of time hiking. exploring and hunting the woods

neer my home. One of the first lessons I learned was that when things go wrong. stop and think. If you get lost, or think vou are lost, your reflex ls to panic. The wonderful thing about panic Is that you can feel it coming on. When you do. stop what you are doing. sit down If you can spare a few moments, and try to relax, Once you are back In cont1ol, think about what your ne xt moves

will be. Ale you truly lost or juSt turned around?

ITISBEI I

R TO

HAVE ONLY ONE OR

TWO FIREARMS AND KNOWHOW TO USE ( lk/ OW The

author lakes some

THEM PROPERLY

ranaetime at his louJ shooting

THAN TO HAVE

range. He reeis that

1151111 a handgun

OANDNOTBE

15 one ot his weak

areas. so he Spends

PROFICIENT WITH

quality lime t,vlni to master this slull

yourself Is going to be unique.

I

The way I approach a problem in the forests or the Nonheast cOtJld be different than how Christopher Nyerges (co-founder of The School of Self-ReUance. Instructor. author. survival expert and Amerkan Survival Guide contributor. See the sidebar on page 85)

handles similar challenges WI Southern Callforii. Experience breeds confidence In yOtJr ability to use your gear effectively and allows you to use critical thinking to overcome your fears and solve most problems. Much the same as with firearms training. you can learn critical survival skllls that can be practiced and applied to a host of different situations. With a QUick Internet search, you can find some ued1ble and effective survival schools and Instructors around the cOt111try. For example, Nyerges has been an Instructor since 1974, and more than 34,000 students have attended his school. Bear In mind that you can't leam everything at once. and no single school can teach you

N

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AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

ANY OF THEM.

With a relaxed and clearer mind, you can IOOk

BECOME AN EXPERI AND BUILD THE

<

Below- Bein, carm,

supportive and

for familiar landmarks or even your original t1aJl. If you are truly lost. stay pot. Don't wan­ der a1ound and make things worse. Someone will find you laster if you Limit your wanderings

CONFIDENCE NEEDED TO HELP YOU C O N .,. I RO "'"' L YOUR FEARS. MAKE YOUR ABILITY

TO SURVIVE SECOND NATURE. THAT IS WHAT

away rrom ','OJI' planned route.

WILL SEE YOU THROUGH MOST DIFFICULT DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT

CHALLENG

conlldenl around children during emergencies can help them cope. JM! them conl,dence and make them leH dlstiacUn, asyourespondtothe suuauon.

c;.

MIGHT HAPPEN

In an emergency or survival situation. It Is all about the-here and now.-There iS no time lo, worrying about what might happen. Doing this will take ycu, focus off what really needs to be done. You need to focus on the task at hand. Worrying about what might happen Is Just wasted time and energy-two valuable commodities that are best used for othe,. more productive things. Handle situations as they happen. and lea,n to adapt to changing situations. The ability to adapt comes from years of exceuerce. faith In your abilities to cope and controlling yoor fears. Remember to pei-lodlcalty stop. think and stay focused. Fear and uncertainty ere natural reactions to eme,gencles and stressful situations. You need to learn how to control these reecnons. The way to do that iS not with "stuff- but with practke and training. Be confident with your skills and abilities. Be awa,e of.and hon­ est about. your shortcomings, and be willing to do what It takes to Improve on them. A tot of things will be happening all at once in an emeigenc:y situation. and Y1JU cannot anticipate or control all of them. Stay calm. set priorities and focus on the task at hand. Control your fears; don't panic. Take the time to stop and think about how you can overcome the challenges. Remember that Y1JUI brain Is a powe1ful tool: use It! ur.

<

Fi>rlefl

A stude11t

surveys the emer· gency shelter he just bull!

(Photo· Chris·

topher Nyerges)

<

Near left. Students

learn basic weaving Iech nlq ues-sk ll ls

that have many appllcatlons ln survlval s11ua· lions-at The School ol Sell·ReUance. (Photo- Christopher Nyerges)

[ASGMAG.COM]

AME.RICANSURVIVALGUIDE

S7

--

SURVIVAL ARCHERY SYSTEMS' NEW, PACKABLE ATMOS TAKEDOWN BOW BY LARIN SCHWAIITT

covple of years ago. I did

a

and recurse shooters could have an oPtion tor

,eview of the leading survival

a compact. backpackabte bow !hat fell mo,e

bows on the market. One of

famltlar to them than the folding bows he

m

the

s the Recon flom

already

A1chery

but

wa

Survival

Systems

,ed. It

offe

also

l oo k

ould

w

Slmllar.

y feel

iliar

not onl

With

those

q ua I I

fam

lies

(SAS). It was a well-thought-out design. and

Integrated. he felt he had something that

it shot wen. So. when American survival Guide

would ga1ne1 tre ioterest of many enners.

Editor Mike Mc(ou,t asked me If I were Interested in doing a review of a

new takedown

bow from the same company. I quickly agreed.

DESIGN

T o achieve these goals. SAS defined the following design criteria fOf Its new bow:

That bow Is the new Atmos Compact

Modern Longbow.

· Made In

he U.S.A.

t

· ]I-Inch maximum oaw SOME BACKGROUND Doug

Shadwell, the director a nd

Survival

and

Archery

bowhunter

for years.

t he success of

bow,

h e b

rs to add

sked

make

him

Recon

t o

is wayi't

Th

ypes

t

ake

m

of

e

th

survival

equests from custom­

enow rests. Others

bows cente-snct to and

easible flom

f

side the box: ser

1i

2015,

r

his

t o tune

out

ew

late

folding

aim

em.

th

ral

a structu

perspective. so Shadwell decided

a n

I n

archer

es for sights, bowflshfng lTIOIJnts

easier

I t

Starting

an

o f

hol

different

a

his

egan getting

e

ownei

Systems. has bee n

after

and

· Must

for a

In

new bow.

gei archery

la1

7. he settled It

l

wou d

o n

ilding

bu

ate,

c

to

arket so that compaund

m

Into

· Feel

stack

a standard

famllla,

· Weigh

t o all

between

22-inch

b e durable

· Must

be corrosion

backpack

archers

2.4

· Must

and

2.8

resi<stant

pounds

a nd

weetne­

proof

· Accept

any

type

· Able t o

be shot

· Can

shot

b e

whisker

t o think

201

· Flt

no t

shoot

t o

with

off

the

fingers

shelf

o r a release

o r

via

a rest/

f!nal

quietly

l oo k

This table

the

accesso1y

biscuit

· Has to

· Needs

of

g ood

and

summarizes

have great

styling

t he characteristics

o f

design:

•

•

• •

•

•

•

<

When r,:,ur AtfflOII arrtV"'5. Ihe box wllti;onta,n the Almo, r!M,r, h m ltmbs In the wel&ht you ord<e1ed.

the bowstrln1 with a brass nock Mel and two sets ol tlmb bolts and washers. {Photo Larry Schwarti)

[ASGMAG.COM]

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

..

--

WHENIPUTTHEATMOSIOGETHERFOR THE FIRSI TIME, I W AS IMPRESSED BY THE EASE OF ASSEMBLY AND THE FITOF THE COMPONENT PIECES. IT FELT GOOD IN MY HAND, HADA NARROW GRIP LIKE THAT FOUNDONMOS/ COMPOUNDBOWSAND W AS · Country

'ELL BALANCED.

o f

origin:

U.S.A.

· IBO length: 60 Inches · Disassembled

length:

2 2

Inches

· Mass weight: 2.6 pounds · Draw weights: 30. 35. 40. 45. 50 and 55 pounds · Maximum

d1aw:

3 1

Inches

· Brace height/Fistmele 7.5-8.5 inches

· Cut past center: 0.53 Inch · Handedness:

· Materials:

Right

etse:

o r

6061

left

T 6

aluminum:

Umb5:

High-tech

composite

fiber.

hardware:

31655,

MIL­

SPEC and HTS steel: takedown arrows: 7075 aluminum: string: 850 Dacron: rlse1 colors: camo. Cerakote

Cobalt,

· Inc l uded i n

· MSRP.

Cerakote,

Burnt

Bronze,

B l ue

Cerakote,

package. Atmos Corrll,lct Modem L.oogbcm ,

r ed

S tring.

a n d

blue

nod set. Allen wreoch. 6 takedown �

S669.95

STRAIGHTFORWARD ASSEMBLY

like most modern takedown bows. the Atmos is easy to assemble. It 15 composed of the following parts: · Machined

1lse1

· Two solid-fiberglass longbow limbs · Two sets of Umb bolts and washers. both In plastic bag · Sl�·slded Allen w,enth to tighten the limb bolts · Bow;trlng with a nock set. both In plastic bag T o assemble the bow. you simply need to-

<

�r lf,f/ The Atmo, comes in

a,

vairtety of colors. so you can show

ofl whl!n you ar e a t the ranae or blend In when

Y'OU

••e hunllna ln

the backcountry (Ph�O' SurvlYill Archery Systems!

< �"' k it

This sluw:le of blue 15

one of the many liser color opllons 11v.1Uable lor the Alm<>$ how

<

Top,1nd bot/om lftft The SAS Recon FoldLna Sur·

YiYill 6ow 15 lhe "arandlalher" o f lhe A\ffl0$. They

•

bolh use the s;,,me composite limbs Uhese ciln be lnterchan,ed U you want heaYyWl!!Aht limbs lot

bl1·1ame hunnna) and • set of IJ&hlwdl,hl limbs for p11Kl1ce ilnd small pme (Photo- Sumval

Archery Systems!

) Far r,.i,t l op- Be sure lo put Ute bowstn111 on

so Ihat

1 1 comes of t the limb

on the side

Ihat

laces you and p0lnts stral&),t down loward the other Hmb Up. (Photo t...rry Schwiutz>

>

Nev ri,llt

Place you1 nock sel

lhe

tune brus ring thal comes with the bowstr\111-on the s1r1111 •bout 11 <1 Inch higher lhan the arrow rest. CPholc,. Larry Schwarlzl

) Fa, rlf}lt botrom The TRUGLO

pendulum staht on the right hand side ol lhe n ser 11 a aood ,exampleol tht! kind ol rlel that ere 11v11llable. It cvi be 11d1usted lor dlst11nce l!ke II hJted sight. and, 11 you are ihOOlllll r,om an elevated poJltlon. you

can

release the pendulum. which

will adjust tor the

•lllle.

(Photo

I.wry Schw11rti:l

1. Remove the parts from the packaging or your pack. 2. Put each limb bolt In Its washer. with the wide pa,1 of the washe, against the limb. 3. Place a limb In the pocket at the end of the riser. Make sure the limb Is positioned so that the gray st1lng groove that is cut Into the limb is facing toward the target. This will allow the st,ing to lay naturally in the string groove. Make sure the limb fits !tush with the limb pocket and Isn't resting on the side of the limb pocket. 4. Thread the limb bolt and washer through the hole In the Limb and Into the limb with your fingers. Then use the hex wrench to tighten It. Do not overt!ghten the limbs. Do not apply more pressure when you feel the hex wrench stop moving. because you might crack the composite limb material. You will be able to tighten it mo1e-but don't do

it.

5. Put the bowstring over both limbs. placing ooe end In the bottom st1lng groove. Then use a bow string{'! to bend the limbs and move the upper end of the string Into the other string groove. 6. Once you have your arrow rest in place. you can use a bow square to position the nock set to ensure you consistently place the a1row In the correct position on the string.

50#

ADD YOUR ACCESSORIES

When it comes to accessories fo, you, Atmos. the first thing you need to decide is If you will be aimln11 It instinctively or with sights. Shooting lnstinctiYely takes time to build your skills and practice to keep your skills sharp. So. unless you really enjoy shooting a bow and will put In the work to be accurate out to 20 or more ya1ds, you should probably go with sights. If you are going to shoot instinctively. all you need to do Is apply a stick-on arrow res! (such as a Bear Weather Rest) that will hold your arrow In place while you draw and shoot. You can also use strips of hook-and-loop material or thick felt to build up an anow plate and arrow rest to shoot off of. Usin11 a stick-on arrow rest will be easier and more effective for the

less-experienced shooter. If you want t o use sights. first select an arrow rest from the dozens on the market. They all have then advantages and disadvantages. so try out a few on the compound bows at your local archery

pro shop to see which style you p1efer. With the Industry standard holes machined Into the Atmos' rlsei. most. ff not all. of them wrll flt.

The next accessory will be your sight. As with the affow rest. thet'e are dozens of these available, so pick the one that fits your preferences and budget. They ,ange from simple pin sights with one

>

Ab<we When you pu1 thellmb bolts

make

5U�

in.

the wider 5'dl! ol the w;;isher Is

on the llmb (Pholc,. Larry Schw;artz)

01 more pins to sights with fiber optics to Illuminate the pins In low-light conditions to scopes that magnify the target IOI yau and simplify aiming.

[ASGMAG.COM]

AME.RICANSURVIVALGUIDE

II

--

The sight, arrow rest, stabilizer and Qutve,

) nip rl/lll Bl.lte

helillt Is the ctl5tance

I chose to use with the Atmos all came from

............ ...,

TRUGLO and worked fine with the new riser.

to uie bowl,11 h ,c. tt should be bel"ween 7 5 and&Slnches. (Photo,

PERFORMANCE

When I put the Atmos together for the first

--

time, I was lmpr�sed by the ease of assembly and the fit of the component ceces.n felt good In my hand, had a narrow g1lp like that found on most compound bows and was well balanced. The riSer and the limbs are all the same length-around 21.5 to 22.0 inches-and

>

Below- A 5el of

""""'""�

lslheperlect comple·

the location of the arrow rest Is halfway ment to• takedown

between !he two llmt:r tips (which is something

bow �need lo have 30,Lnch arrows

that other bowmake,s don"t always set right). In addition to the flt and feel. the Atmos Is also

stlddng out of your paek when ycur

22 Inch bow Is hldln,

very obviously designed to be durable. While spinning II around In my hand to evaluate Its

IF YOUAREGOINGTOSHOOTINSTINC 1/VELY,

Inside. (Photo I.any

""""'�

ALL YOUNEEDTODOISAPPLYASIICK-ON ARROWRESI (SUCHASABE4RWEATHER RESI} THAT WILL HOLD YOUR ARROW IN PLACE WHILE YOU DRAWANDSHOOT.

> A� By using the appropriate potnl on your arrows. you can use your

bow lor a wide varle!y

or purposes. From lelt to rt,.h t are a field potnl tor practice. a two-blade broadhead for hunt!n, bl&gan1e: a JUDO/sprln, les head lor huntln, small game: and a blunt lorstump shootln,or hunun, small game. (Photo

8

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

Larry Schwanz)

THE BADGERS

HI l

1

r

e

1

r

m

s

E n j o y L o n g w a l k s I n The W o o d s Hunting Small Game .

•

The Chlappa Firearm's Little Badger Folding R10e and oouble Badger Folding Shotgun/Rifle a recreational shooting

The little Badger Is available In

is available in 20GA/.22LR.

22LR.

nerre t

22WMR or 17HMR and comes with

410/.22LR or .410/.22WMR and features wunams- Fiber Optic G

ree backpack

survival or flip The oouble Badger

ost Ring and front sight

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

•

•

•

A40il,VEtt 'I

• •

• MORRELL'S

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

•

•

• •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

-

•• •

,

• .

•

•

•

•

• •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

••

•

• •

•

• •

•

•

•

,-; •

•

•

•

•

••

'.

•

•

• •

••

• •

,·

•

•

•• •

• •

•

• .

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•••

• •

•

• •

• ••

•

'

•

•

•

• • •

•

•

(The Almos Is • stable ,hooler and c;in sive you &'Olll)S wch ;111 ttus (PholO' L;orry Schw;utV

balance,

I t

reminded me of my martial arts days and wort.Ing with a bow staff. The llmbs are stiff

enough so that when they ee attached to the riSer. YoU have a defensive tool to bloc.k and thrvs1

with when It Is not strung. (I think Little Jam and Robin Hood would have been verycomfortabte with the Atmos!)

I was also ve1y pleased by the performance of the Atmos on the range. Using the SO·pound

limbs It came with and shooting a 665-g,aln takedown arrow, It sent the arrow downrange at 135 feet per second and produced what I always look for in an arrow-a very satisfying thunk when It hit the 1a1get.

Yoo can debate alt you want about arrow speed and kinetic energy, but I want my rig to shoo!

a relatively heavy arrow that will absorb the energy the bow can deliver and hold onto It all the

( U yoo are ,oln,a 10

use a takedown

bow that will Ill In your bilckp.ick. you should consider

buying or making yow own t.akedown illTOWI. These I �

heavy-h11ten Ind 1

workarea1 0'holo Larry Schwartz)

M

--

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

SURVIVAL STAFF"

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"

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A rnetel-cuumq warrior

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<

WITH THE HEAVIER LIMBS 545 OFFERS, YOU CAN USE THIS

U you decide to ao a

slmplflr TQUte and aim lnstlnch�ly

BOW FOR ANY GAME ANIMAL IN NORTH AMERICA. IT ISA

you w HJ

need \Oildd I stick�

arrow rest to the riser

DURABLE AND WELL-CRAFTED PIECE OF TACKLE ••• AND, LIKE

Place n ov er the hole

In the tlser where

ALL BOWS, IT IS FUN TO SHOOT

you would sc,_ on a more·modern rest. CPholo. !Arry Schw&rt:t)

way to the target. That Is how yoo get good

WHY A TAKEOOWN BOW IS A GOOD IDEA

momentum for deep penet,atlon. The reccm­ mendatlon for an effective hunting arrow with

addition to the ranks of takedown bows. ters

take a lool< at why having a takedown bow Is a sood Idea for a prepper or backcounuy hunter: are fun to shoot and pecuce with.

pound of d1awweigh1 {gpp). This combination

• T hey

are Quiet. so you 'oVOO't be hea,d when you are usins them.

had 13 3 gpp.

• They areversattle; you can use them !Of sport, defense or huntlns

is at

least 9 to 10 grains per

Iamrot aCQ'llll!titM!aid e: nE!'.'eltheless I was aje to�

2- to 3

Ii d1

i,oopsv.tth ttveeo,ows

· They

are simple to

• T hey

welsh much less than a sun.

use

and maintain.

at 20yards U5i'Vaslght They all flewoff the�

• You can use the same ammunition over and over again.

rest 5mXltltian:l tit the� at ri(tlt �with

• T hey

are not regulated as firearms are.

no cssofei'IE!lr, rue to badiWlON flight

• T hey

are not as expensive as

The Atmos fit well In my hand, and I was pleased to see that shoc k

1 1 did

not produce any hand

or Vibrations. This might be due

I n

part

meerms,

· With different heads/points, your anows are easily adaptable for d1ffeient purposes. • Archery and bowhunting are useful skitlsas an 1nd1vidual or as a member of a sulVival s,oup.

t o

the heavy arrow. but It was a pleasure to shoot.

--

eooo

· T hey

t1aditional tackle

N

Now that we have seen why the Atmos Is a

With Its fast assembly. especially If You are shooting Instinctively, this Is a good addition for any-

It wasatsoverv Quiet at the shot. so I doo't think

ooe who wants to add a bow and arrow to their bug-out bag or backpacking gea,. The 50-pound

anyone who hunts with one at close rangew111

limbs I evaluated are suitable for hunting anythlns from small same up towhltetall

have to worry about noise. And this was without

the heavle1 limbs SAS offers. you can use this bow for any game animal In North America. It ls a

any string sdenceison the bowstring.

durable and well-crafted piece of tackle ... and. like all bows. It is fun to shoot! HG

AMERICANSURVIVALGUIDE

[JANUARY2019)

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