Most survival skills are environmentally dependent. The way you’d build a shelter in the arctic tundra is quite different from the way you’d perform that same task in a rainforest. But camouflage is perhaps the most environmentally varied survival skill of all. In nature, we see animal species that are uniquely adapted to blend into the exact colors and textures of their surroundings — mottled brown owls, bright green caterpillars, stealthy tan lions, and so on. Many species, such as snowshoe hares, even change their coats seasonally to maintain concealment year-round. Below, we'll take a look ..read more

I often describe our society as “increasingly nonpermissive,” but what does this really mean? For former CIA officer Tony Mendez, the Soviet capitol city of Moscow was the quintessential nonpermissive environment — one in which CIA officers, or other embassy personnel, could assume with a high degree of certainty that they were under surveillance. Given the unrelenting scrutiny of the KGB, activities such as meeting with agents or picking up dead drops were essentially out of the question. The CIA and the officers at Moscow Station were able to develop new tradecraft, including sophisticated d ..read more

Concealing your presence isn’t just a skill needed for military operators or backcountry hunters. Knowing how to defeat observational efforts is a lifesaving skill that can be applied in downtown Manhattan just as easily as the jungles of Panama. Predators, both man and beast, seek out their prey on a daily basis, and being able to disappear as a target has wide-reaching implications. Freddy Osuna, expert tracker and former U.S. Marine Sniper met up with a small group of students interested in the art of hiding in plain sight at a Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute (MDFI) training site in t ..read more

From classics like Survivorman to long-running series like Alone, we've enjoyed many TV shows in the broader survival genre. Whether they lean more towards hardcore realism or entertainment value, there's almost always something valuable we can glean from the comfort of our couch — even if it's just “I'm never going to make the same dumb mistake that person did.” The latest addition to this genre, Netflix's Outlast, incorporates a competitive group dynamic that's reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The series' tagline, “the enemy isn't Mother Nature, it's human nature,” attests to this fact. We ..read more

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended to be a brief overview of the viability of dog food as a worst-case emergency food source, and not a comprehensive guide to food safety or nutrition. Weigh the risks carefully before eating any food not intended for human consumption, and only do so when there is no safer alternative. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic in April 2020, Regina Loicano lived in abject fear, holed up in her Upper East Side, New York, walkup. She was so afraid of getting sick that she didn’t dare leave her small apartment. She was convinced that deadly germs were everywhere ..read more

Miller Bros Blades M-4 NOTES That's not a knife. This is a knife! Miller Bros Blades is what happens when a group of makers listens to their hearts and acts accordingly. Focusing on overbuilt knives and swords, they create a product with jaw-dropping aesthetics that can be put to the test without worrying about damage. The M-4 is a serious chopper with a back sharpened blade designed to cut no matter which way it’s swung. Composed of Z-Wear PM steel, it has a durability and toughness that exceeds many standard stainless steel grades. The sheath is designed to endure whatever beatings it may be ..read more

Bad situations are often the foundation for good ideas. In 2008, Zach, the founder of CANA Provisions, was working alongside Engineers Without Borders in Cameroon. This African country was torn apart by decades of economic crisis, war, and disease. Clean water — a resource most of us take for granted every day — was difficult to obtain in rural areas, and this led to outbreaks of preventable illnesses such as typhoid. Zach's team worked to build and install water collection and treatment systems in the village of Nkuv, but he eventually returned home to America, where such systems didn't seem ..read more

Kidnappings have become a cottage industry in many countries. Some are conducted by disorganized criminals conducting random roadside abductions. Others are far more sophisticated and entail everything from assailants posing as local police officers to surveillance being gathered on potential targets far in advance of an actual abduction. A ransom exchange or revenge killing between gangs is often the motive, but there have also been reports that black-market organ harvesting, sex trafficking, and ritualistic killings are also involved. Even if you’re an upstanding individual with no involveme ..read more

Toward the end of 2022, RECOIL took a major step in a new direction. We’ve always worked tirelessly to give you unflinching insight into a wide array of guns and gear, information and expertise on developing new skillsets, exposure to all aspects of the lifestyle, and a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of the firearms industry and the organizations that exist to safeguard your constitutional rights. But, for us, even that isn’t enough. For years, we’ve been working to create an immersive real-world experience that would allow you to not just read about these things, but to activel ..read more

When it comes to how you can carry a weapon, variety isn’t just the spice of life, it’s a measure of responsible carry. Few things are worse for your credibility than forcing a carry option to apply in a situation where it shouldn’t … or just can’t. In my work, well-done concealed carry is far more prudent and professional than the alternative. As a result, I have firearms and holsters for nearly every occasion and type of dress I’d likely need. That being said, I realized that despite trying to cover as many bases as possible, I was missing an off-body carry (OBC) option. Off-Body Carry: A Co ..read more