This story was originally published in the August 2003 issue of Outdoor Life.What is the Bear Matrix? It’s a world of horrific maulings, canine teeth gnawing on scalps, claws ripping into flesh and people being eaten. No, this isn’t a nightmare—it’s a computer database compiling info on more than 500 bear attacks that have occurred in Alaska since the early 1900s.The gatekeeper of this data is U.S. Geological Survey research biologist Tom Smith. Smith is one of the few people who can analyze the patterns contained within the database, and his research shows that bear attacks are anything but random…
Author: Tommy Grant
“Compostable” is one of the most misused words on a store shelf, and it’s costing preppers money and confusion in equal measure. People buy these bags assuming they’ll break down in a backyard compost pile, a buried hole, or just about anywhere organic matter goes, and in most cases that assumption is flat wrong. This guide breaks down what compostable actually means, which certifications are worth trusting, and where these bags genuinely fit into a self-sufficient household. It also covers where they don’t belong, because getting this wrong wastes money and, in a real emergency, wastes time you don’t have…
There’s a corner of my garage I kept meaning to clear out for about six years. Dead appliances, a bin of bicycle parts, and a stack of newspapers my wife has asked me twice to burn. Then one February the power went down for four days. I ended up walking out there with a flashlight at eleven at night, and I came back in with a coffee can and a hacksaw. Stuff already rusting in your garage has one advantage nothing on a shelf can match. You already own it. So nobody will be fighting you for it when the…
We look at the pros and cons of Maztech’s X4-FCS digital aiming system.The history of electronic technology integration into firearms can usually be summed up with a simple phrase: cautiously optimistic. Firearms are wonderfully mechanical devices, operating in a world where igniting gunpowder and high-pressure gases interact with precision machining, optical clarity, and the very laws of physics in such a way that they’re largely independent of batteries, circuit boards, and displays.While some things—like weapon-mounted laser aiming modules, red-dot sights, and even weapon mounted laser rangefinders—have proven themselves to be viable and rugged enough to be accepted by the general…
Iranian strikes damaged multiple American military aircraft this week on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a U.S. official told Reuters. The U.S. military, the highest-funded in the world, suffered material damage even before Iran’s strikes on Tuesday. This includes the destruction of more than two dozen drones, Iran striking fighter jets, and aircraft being lost to accidents. According to a May report from the Congressional Research Service, 42 U.S. military aircraft had already been lost or damaged in the conflict.Since the Iran war started in February, 18 U.S. service members have been killed and over 800 injured. A…
There are few products so universally recognized that they are recommended for almost everything. For keeping things in place, there’s duct tape, and for loosening things up, there’s WD-40. Originally formulated in the early 1950s by the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego as an anti-corrosive treatment for missiles, it became commercially available in 1958. You can find lists online that promote it as a cure-all for every lubrication need imaginable and more, from silencing squeaky hinges to removing stains from the toilet bowl. There are only two problems with WD-40. One: it contains some nasty petrochemicals that you might…
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Navy is planning to install Indiana’s first advanced nuclear micro modular reactor at Naval Weapons Station Crane by September 2028.The reactor’s deployment helps carry out President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order calling for the swift integration of nuclear power within the military, with a goal of having at least one working reactor on a military base by Sept. 30, 2028.“The MMR installation will provide reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions,” a Pentagon release said.The reactor will help create American jobs, bolster…
The Navy may be making some investments in unmanned vessels, but it needs to get a lot more ruthless to bring the fleet into the future, a top leader of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley-based Defense Innovation Unit said Wednesday.Testifying before the National Commission on the Future of the Navy Wednesday, DIU’s principal deputy director and chief commercial officer, Matthew Shortal, said dollars are not following rhetoric when it comes to building out the unmanned fleet.“I’ve seen reports that it’s 96% manned, 4% unmanned,” Shortal said. “My personal view is that it’s not even close, and we need to move quicker.”He…
The Brief: A Phoenix resident successfully deterred an intruder attempting to break through his front door. After retrieving a firearm from a safe, the resident confronted the suspect from a secure position. The intruder fled the scene, and police confirmed the resident acted lawfully in self-defense. Safety instructors advise homeowners to reinforce exterior doors with heavy-duty strike plates and three-inch screws anchored into wall studs to delay forced entries. Using quick-access safes allows residents to retrieve defensive firearms rapidly during night emergencies while keeping them secure from unauthorized users during daily routines. PHOENIX, AZ — A dangerous forced entry attempt…
U.S. President Donald Trump departed Washington, D.C., for Texas on Wednesday aboard the Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar after an emergency slide was accidentally deployed and was removed.Military personnel accidentally triggered the slide, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.The slide was activated shortly before Trump was due to board for a flight to Dallas for the first-ever Republican midterm convention. The issue briefly delayed Trump’s departure.Asked by a journalist whether he was sure that the plane was safe to fly, Trump said: “Yeah, I am, or I wouldn’t be on it.”The emergency slide was seen being…