Bushcraft, Survival, and Disaster Preparation
JetBoil PCS Review Air Rifle Safety The Good Life - A Prepper Garden
Brand New Magazine Issue 1
Survival Cook Book
Page 3 - Forword Page 4 - The 7P’s Page 6 - JetBoil PCS Review Page 8 - Featured Prepper Page 9 - Are We All Preppers? Page 10 - Air Rifle Maintenance and Safety Page 12 - Survival CookBook Page 13 Readers Gear Page 14 - The Good Life
Published by ChrisHallOnline.net and Survivalistprepping.net
Forword Hello Fellow Preppers and survival enthusiasts, First of all I would like to thank you for checking out this new magazine. I hope to be able to provide you with some useful information over the coming months. First of all a little about me (the self promotion bit). My outdoor career started in the Cadet forces and continued when I was in he TA and university. I studied outdoor adventure and have been hugely involved in the outdoors and taught my skills to Cadets and school children. Like many of you I am an avid prepper and believe that sharing knowledge is the best way to make sure that we are all prepared not only for the worst but for anything that might happen. This magazine will have articles on Techniques and Tools needed to survive as well as events that are happening around the world. I will post reviews and videos of different products and advertise various events happening around the UK and further afield. With the recent bad weather in the UK a lot of people have realised the importance of prepping for any eventuality. Many people have been left homeless and without Power. This shows that disaster can strike at any time no matter how good an infras-
To contact us for advertising and article submissions please do so via the following means. Email - Preppingsurvivalist@ gmail.com Facebook - Facebook.com/ ukpreppermag Twitter - surviveprepping ructure a country has. I would just like to thank Chris Meyer and Jon Nichols for submitting articles to the magazine. If you would like to feature in future please contact Preppingsurvivalist@gmail.com or message us on Facebook
The Seven P’s Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance As Preppers, planning for disaster is part of our everyday lives whether it is planning for natural disasters, food shortages or even the end of the world. These preparations may seem strange to some but may end up saving our lives should the worst happen. The seven p’s is an old British Army adage used today in project planning as well as in our case preparing for life and death situations. Preparing in everyday life may mean being ready for a job interview, or that important presentation or even making sure you revise for your exams and I’m sure most of you know what happens if you don’t prepare. With the recent bad weather and flooding around the UK we have seen that without preparations such as adequate flood defences and back up plans the amount of chaos that can occur.. The unexpected nature of the floods and the seeming acceleration of natural disasters preparation is going to be all the more important. But what do we mean by being prepared? Some prepare for the end of the world, hoarding mountains of food ready for whatever may come and setting up communications networks in their local area, some
prepare for more immediate problems like potential power cuts by keeping candles and torches. Any preparations we make now will give us an edge in the future, making our lives easier and more comfortable should anything happen. Even the smallest preparations, such as packing a Bug Out Bag ready to go at a moments notice can take some of the stress out of having to leave your home. The important thing we should always remember as preppers is that any small amount of planning is good and will be important should anything happen. After all if you fail to plan you plan to fail.
“Zombie Survival Weekender is a unique mix of survival training weekend and live-action non-combat horror experience... Zombie Survival Weekender has been going since 2011, set in a series of beautiful locations in South Wales. We focus on skill sharing, team building, confidence development, learning, teaching, fun and games, survival and scares. All this for only £55 per person including camping for the standard events. Have a look at the website:www.zombiesw.co.uk and see if you really have what it takes to survive.” Zombie Survival Weekender in Stages: 1- Arrival and welcome, safety briefing and going over the rules... 2-Survival Kits and Survival Skills share. Inter-team challenges and games. 3-BBQ, Party, and Night live-action horror roleplay. 4-Games, Debate, Bragging, and Planning for the apocalypse.
Website: www.zombiesw.co.uk Facebook: Zombie Survival Weekender Twitter: @zombiesw Email: info@zombiesw.co.uk Telephone: 07958588053
Kit Review - JetBoil PCS
JetBoil Personal Cooking System What you Get - 1.0 Liter FluxRing® cooking cup with insulating Cargo Cozy - Adjustable burner with push-button igniter - Insulating drink-through lid - Insulating measuring cup bottom
When Packed away it is around 18cm tall and 10cm wide so packing it in your Go Bag or even a day sack will be no problem. Keeping fuel for the stove is no problem either as two 100g gas canisters fit snuggly inside. Jetboil sell their own canisters but I have found that most canisters will work just fine. Easy Breezy Windy Conditions are no problem for the PCS as the burner section includes a wind break making lighting and keeping it lit a breeze (pardon the When considering which stove to take with you pun). in your Bug Out Bag there are many things to consider. The fuel type and its availability as well as its size and weight. Being powered by gas canisters this stove may suffer in the long run if you cannot find fuel but in a situation where you need a stove for your immediate future, such as the first 72 hours this stove is a fantastic addition to your kit. Lightweight and compact it can fit easily inside your bag or even a side pouch. What Jetboil say “Our ultracompact 1 liter unit is ideal for dehydrated meals, coffee or tea on the go, remote worksites, and emergency kits. Travel light and prep easy. The Personal Cooking System (PCS) is a complete food and beverage multi-tool you can hold in your hand and weighs about a pound. Lights with the click of a button, and within two minutes you’ve got two cups of boiling water ready for coffee or a quick meal. Pack components, fuel and accessories into the Nalgene-sized cup for convenient transport.”
Kit Review - JetBoil PCS
JetBoil Personal Cooking System Boiling Taking just under three minutes to boil a litre of water makes getting a brew on when you need to quick and easy and is actually quicker to boil than my kettle at home! This is mainly due to the heat exchanger at the bottom of the cup which ensures as much heat as possible is transfered to the cup as well as the snug fitting lid stopping heat escaping.
Conlusion The Jetboil PCS is perfect for the solo survivalist or prepper to putin their Bug Out Bag. It is lightweight, compact and boils water quickly. For those hoping to take a group it is possible with the addition of the 1.5 litre pot and pot support kit but these are easily available and once again you can pack everything down into one small package.
All In One The PCS is an all in one cooking system perfect for lightweight backpacking and preppers alike. Having everything in one package means that there is no need to pack extra pots pans and mugs. If you require a larger pan you can buy this separately so the Jetboil can be used as a stove for the whole family.
Pro - Small and lightweight package - Great Value - Boils water quickly - Good in windy conditions - No need for extra pots and pans
The only disadvantage I can think of is that it only Lighting uses gas as a fuel. This means in a longer survival Lighting the PCS is usually done by the push but- situaion where you may not have access to gas it will ton igniter which is very reliable and hasn’t failed not be as useful. on me yet. Even so I would recommend carrying Pros and Cons matches or a lighter just incase.
The one litre cup included easily fits a boil in the bag meal so you can heat that up and then use the water afterwards for a coffee or other hot drink. Price At around ÂŁ90 for the whole kit it is great value as you will not have to buy any pots or pans to suppliment your cooking needs.
Con - Only one fuel type - Difficult to use in a group unless you buy extras
Featured Prepper - John Bland This months featured prepper is John Bland. He tells us why and how he got started in Prepping. Make sure you check out the UK Preparedeness Network Facebook Group for informaton about their upcoming event where you will have a chance to meet up with up with fellow preppers and learn new skills.
WHY I PREP
By John Bland (aka camoprepper) Hi all my name is John Bland on most sites people know me by Camoprepper. I have been a prepper full time for 5 years but my understanding and knowledge goes back as far as 9/11 attacks on the twin towers. Where after these attacks I went to New York a year later and I saw the devastation of what happened and you could feel the hurt and pain of what was caused. At this time I thought nothing could ever happen to the uk as we are secure but I started to open up to the possibility of the uk being attack or worse and started to do some research and started to study about survival and bushcraft. A few years later it was proven when the attacks of 7/7 in London happened, I knew where I was when it happened and where my brother was too literally only a couple of roads away from the bus bomb I couldn’t get hold of him as communication was down, But what made my mind up about prepping was in in 2009 I gained the responsibility of 5 step daughters and a wife and having that responsibility change my mindset that prepping was the important thing I could do to protect my family in any given situation. So I begin to prep with more vengeance gaining more knowledge and for the first buying supplies, equipment and anything needed to survive a shtf scenario so that my family would benefit from it and we would have all the necessary things to life a decent time whilst an event is occurring whether its short term or long term. I prepare like people prepare through home insurance and car insurance it’s there if I need it but wouldn’t want it to use it. Over the past year my ethos of prepping has changed a bit thanks to Royston Upson of ukpn he believes in helping everyone he can to prepare before shtf so that everyone can be able to have the knowledge and skills in a natural disaster in return for this my family would be secure as there will be less one family trying to knock down my door. So my efforts are now in helping the community and the public as much as I can. This is why me and Royston have created a Preparedness awareness event on the 20th sept in Farnham Surrey so we can give new people to prepping and experienced the tools to survive and more. So I prep because I feel it is the right thing to do to protect your family, loved ones and community in any natural disaster or worse. Written by John Bland
Are We All Preppers? Throughout our lives we go through many things, exams at school, job interviews or even saving for retirement. These are all forms of preparation but are not thought of as prepping. Even doing your weekly or monthly shop or filling your car up with enough fuel for the week is a form of prepping, ensuring you have enough for your family’s needs. Sure some people buy their lunches on the day but a majority of people do a shop in advance. Calling yourself a prepper has certain connotations for some people, maybe it is just having a bag ready to go, or living in the woods waiting for the fall of mankind. Many may call us crazy, nuts or even paranoid but being a prepper is simply a way of ensuring a safe and secure future for our friends and families as we all should want to. When fuel shortages are announced by the media we see thousands of people in the streets rushing out to buy gallons and gallons of petrol whilst those who have prepared in advance sit around and laugh at the panic, safe in the knowledge that they have enough fuel to last them until the panic is over (usually when the paper says so). This kind of mentality important in everyday life as well as when deciding to become a ‘prepper’. I feel that prepping comes into everybody’s life at some point whether it is preparing for exams in early life or preparing financially for later life an retirement. The prepper mentality is within all of us and just because we might be preparing for something more extreme than most doesn’t mean that we are any different than those who don’t call themselves a prepper. So next time somebody says why are you a prepper, tell them we all prepare some something and you would rather be prepared than be left hanging in an emergency.
Air Rifle Maintenance and Safety His birth certificate claims he is one Jack Pinkney born sometime in the last century, a long-time advocate for air gunners in the local Wiltshire community, the Southwest and beyond. His preps are focused on bugging in but I try to keep as fluid a plan as possible in the event specialising in being ready for a zombie apocalypse doesn’t translate well for a civil unrest situation. This month Jack Dispels some myths about air rifle shooting. How to make a good first impression for the fledgling issue of UK Prepper Magazine? This is the question I have been asking myself, before writing the first of hopefully many informative articles, for the last few days. I found the answer today whilst reading the many pages of a popular social networking website that caters to groups of airgun, firearm and shotgun owners and enthusiasts. The answer being that I should be focused more on making sure my readers understand the importance of how critical safety is when using any of the above, and not to win popularity straight off the bat! I have read truly disturbing boasts that often fall into the illegal and at times the downright stupid, so before we get to the juicy material on building your own gallery, erecting a shelter to shoot from or my wife’s recipe for rabbit curry or squirrel and bacon BBQ kebabs let’s get down to the nitty gritty, point out some of the biggest safety concerns facing someone using an air rifle, and dispel a few of those myths out there. I’d also like to make it clear that we will be exclusively covering air rifles. The three shooting disciplines (air, firearm and shotgun) have many subtle and equally glaring differences that focusing on the most common and easily available to the average prepper of the three will make things much easier to follow at home. “But Jack you need a licence for air rifles” or “Air rifles are illegal” You do not need a licence for an air rifle that propels a pellet less than twelve foot pounds of force. The rifle does require to be licenced if it produces twelve foot pounds of force and over with any weight or design of pellet, if it does and you are unlicensed for that weapon then and only then are you breaking the law regarding power. “You can shoot on common land” No, don’t ever believe it! Being on any land without the express permission of the land owner is armed trespass, an offence that can see you behind bars.
As mentioned above you need the express permission of a land owner, preferably in written form, before shooting. You are allowed to shoot in your back garden for the meantime so long as the pellets you fire stay within your garden, you are more than 50 feet (15 meters) away from the centre of any road, and you’re not causing distress to your neighbours. “an air rifle is a toy” An air rifle is not in any way a toy, in the right hands it should be defined as a tool, in the wrong hands it becomes a weapon… but never a toy. “one calibre is better than another” much debate started over what calibre was best after the first batch of .22 and .177 pellets hit the local firearm dealers shelves… it continues to this day but with less merit behind each argument. The long and short of it is that the one calibre is not better than any other, more that the person firing them is more suited to one or other. There’s much material for you to read online regarding the most common of calibre choices that I will let you enjoy pouring over but just remember to look at each objectively before making a choice. So you now have an air rifle of your choice, you are either shooting it at your local rifle range taking tuition from a fellow member, at a farm you have permission to be on or in a suitable back garden. You have read all the information made readily available to you by organisations such as the BASC or the Countryside Alliance regarding safety, insurance and etiquette. You are now John Rambo, an armed Bear Grylls that will head off into the woods point your weapon at an animal and ‘poof ’ there’s a meal on the table! You may have detected just a little sarcasm there as well as my use of the word “weapon” instead of my preferred “tool” and with good reason, the mind-set of a hunter takes time to acquire, skills to hone into usable attributes that the newly initiated simply lack. Until that is, they have spent 8 hours sitting in a cold muddy field, waiting for one of the few rabbits he or she has seen all day to present a safe humane shot which never materialises, so he or she packs up and heads home empty handed. There are many examples I could have given but the true life anecdote you just read is a common occurrence for most hunters including yours truly, if you develop a superhuman level of patience then safety as well as other important skills will naturally grow as you go along. As we come to the end of our first encounter I am sure that you all are a little disappointed with such the emphasis I put on safety that has dominated this article and thus I have failed my original intention of making the best first impression possible. With that said, those of you that have stuck with me, took all of this basic information on board and plan to educate yourselves a little more by digesting as much reliable information as possible available from organisations I have already mentioned, will be pleased to know that in the next issue we will be discussing much more prepper orientated subjects involving: air rifles the practicalities of the different models available, simplified zeroing and what it all means to the shooter, and maybe just maybe the best damn recipe for rabbit curry you’ve ever tasted to get your better half ’s on board.
Survival Cookbook
Every Month Katie Rose-Hopkins will be giving you a recipe that can be made from ingredients found in the natural environment. Just a little bit of foraging is all you need to make these delicious recipes! Cut these out and have your own survival cook book!
Jews Ear Pasta No matter what time of year it is, there is almost always something edible in the wild. Yet finding it and identifying it safely is another matter isn’t always straight forward. Spring is in the air and with the promise of new life, bringing with it an array of wild edibles. This month I chose Auricularia auricula-judae, known as the Jew’s ear, wood ear, or jelly ear. Common all year round but more prolific in damp conditions, Jew’s ear can be found upon the wood of deciduous trees and shrubs, favouring elder. They’re easy to identify, as, unsurprisingly, they resemble the outer ear, and have a rubbery skin like texture to touch. These mushrooms dry very well and can be restored to their original shape and texture when reconstituted in water. As with all plants and fungi, never strip a patch. Take only what you need and do try to preserve as much as you can so as not to waste any. Recipe for Jew’s ear pasta 100g Jews ear 1 Clove garlic, chopped 1 handful Fresh herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, chives) 1 Chilli Olive oil (though rapeseed or sunflower will suffice) 300g dried pasta Cook the pasta, meanwhile tear or chop the Jew’s ear, chop the chilli and garlic. Stir fry in olive oil for three or four minutes. Drain the pasta and then add it to the Jew’s ear, garlic and chilli. Stir it to coat with the juices, garnish with herbs and serve.
Readers Gear Leatherman OHT Does what is says on the box. A “One Handed Multitool” which really is a one handed tool ... 420 HC blades which hold its sharpness more than stainless steel with a black oxide based metal coating to reduce glare if in the field. Parts on this tool you might never use,but with the option to use if needed. with parts that are replaceable such as (wire cutters) ... An ideal tool for a survivalist who wants a nice tough rugged piece of kit thats dependable. Mark Morley - Ex British Army
Bear Grills Fire Starter The beautiful thing about this device is that it’s compact, sturdy, watertight and most of all keeps your hands safe and comfortable when trying to get a fire going. Everything else--from the printed SOS/Air rescue instructions printed on the outside to the tight little space for tinder in the cap and the added whistle is just icing on the cake.
All items are made from 550lb paracord and to your specifications. I will keep updating photos and list as I make things if you would like something specific please just ask and I'll do my best to help. Survival Paracord Bracelets start from £4.50 Cobra = £4.50 Queen cobra = £5.95 King cobra = £5.95 Shark tooth = £4.95 Solomon's daughter. = £4.95 Caged Solomon. = £5.50 More to.come Key fobs start from £2.50 Personalised fobs start from £2.50 plus 20p per letter. Dragons egg = £8
Paracord Paraphernalia Hand made 550lb paracord accessories. Like his facebook Page and ask for a quote
The Good Life - A Preppers Garden Chris Meyer recently moved into his idilic home away from the hustle and bustle of the city where he has been able to start his journey to food self sufficiency. Each month he will be giving you the tools you need to get your prepper garden started as well as advanced techniques and things you may not have thought of! Let’s put imminent disaster to one side, for now. It may sneak up on us, but it might not, yet… I will be taking you through your first year creating your own ‘Preppers Garden’; in bite size pieces (do you see what I did there?). Not only will this be invaluable to you, but there is nothing nicer than growing and eating your own food, but this is not an overnight solution. We are Preppers so we must prep. Before you can pick and eat your own fruit and veg, you need to plan, plan and plan. What space have you got? What tools do you need? What soil type have you got? What can you actually grow successfully? Let’s start with the tools you’ll need. This is a basic list, not a definitive one, the more tools you’ve got for different jobs the better. In my opinion you’re not going to get far without a spade, a fork, a level-head rake, a trowel, a dibber, a measuring tape and a hammer and nails. That which would also be useful is a wheel barrow, at least one compost bin, and at least one water butt. These don’t have to be expensive, but your spade must be sturdy and up for the job! Ok and onto space. If you’re old enough like me to remember ‘The Good Life’, I wouldn’t start as Tom did and plough his garden completely. Concentrate on areas that have most sunlight, we probably remember some basic stuff from our school science lessons; plants need water, warmth food and sunlight. So mark out the areas of your garden that can accommodate what your crops will need, ensuring you still have access to all your crops. A big square patch will be no good to you if you can’t get to your veg in the middle, because your cauliflowers are in the way! So let’s keep it simple, we will work in rows that are about 1m wide and about 2 – 2.5m long and ideally running north to south. We will now be able
The Good Life - A Preppers Garden to reach everything; we can sow, weed and harvest with relative ease. Have you planned where your rows will go? Good. Now how does your garden lie? This is important as some crops may need better drainage than others, but we’ll file that thought for now. Let’s assume we don’t have machines to do the work! This would be my approach for 2 reasons; firstly not everyone can afford the outlay for mechanical ploughs or tillers and secondly if the SHTF we may not be able to gain access to fuel to run these machines. We’re doing it by hand my Prepper friends, doing it by hand! I bring this up now as we may still have time on our hands to get ahead in this project, and do things without the rush of a SHTF scenario. So, that being said we move on to the best way to utilise the space we’ve put aside for our Preppers Garden. If we plough our furrows at ground level we will have a constant battle against grasses and weeds growing through our garden, so my advice here is clear; Raised Beds!! This doesn’t have to be expensive but we will be grateful later on. Untreated timber is probably the cheapest material to use, you don’t have to go to a timber merchant or DIY store to get it, most areas now have a wood reclamation yard, search the web or phone your council, find your nearest and become friends with them they are an invaluable resource to you. We’re going to use timber that’s about 2.5cm x 12-15cm, nail your timber together creating rectangles 1m x 2 – 2.5m as stated earlier. The hard work starts now. Place the rectangles on the lawn running north to south and with your spade go around the outside and dig to the depth of your spade, 1 spit, until you’re all the way round and back where you started, remove the rectangle and start digging. At this point I have to say with experience there is no easy way to do this. Digging is hard work! Followed by more hard work; and remember you only have one back so use it properly and wisely. The turf you are about to remove from your lawn is not to be wasted. Using your spade, dig to a depth of 1 spit in a square the width of your spade, remove the clod and place it upside down (grass down roots up) and continue until the rectangle has been dug, all the while stacking the clods upside down. The clods removed will make great compost at a much later date, but we don’t waste any resource, we just don’t know how long we’re going to need to be self-sufficient! The top-soil has now been removed and you are left with the sub-soil this soil is next to useless it has little nutritional value for your crops. However it probably needs turning over, or at least for you to put your fork through it, this process will encourage drainage. You now have a void to fill where your turf once was. Fresh top soil is needed, along with compost and or well-rotted manure. Some stables leave it bagged by the side of the road, not telling you where I get mine from! So rectangles back in place and filled with top soil and you’re almost ready to go. One last bit of valuable information you need to glean from your soil is its ph level, you can pick up a kit for testing acidity levels for a few pounds. Follow the instructions on the kit and record the ph level. Optimum levels for most vegetables we’ll be growing is between 6.0 – 6.8, we can adjust the levels another day, but for now put your feet up and have a cup of tea, because you have worked hard my Prepper friends! Namaste
Bushcraft, Survival, and Disaster Preparation
UK Prepper Magazine is constantly looking for exciting new articles to include in our magazine! If you think you have something to include please email preppingsurvivalist@gmail.com. We want to pupulate our readers gear section with the gear you know and love as well as being able to provide our readers with the skills and information that will keep them safe should the worst happen!