MAGAZINES FOR THE PREPPER: A REVIEW

PREPPER MAGAZINES

Here are a few magazines I have found to be chocked full of information any Prepper would love to have.  I am sure there are a lot more on the market, but these are the ones I have found, bought, read and felt suited for a review.  These magazines aren't necessarily just for the Prepper, if you like living off the grid (OTG), like making your own tools, a Survivalist, Back Country Adventurer, there might be something for you.

THE BACKWOODSMAN

This is one of my absolute favorites.  I read it cover to cover almost as soon as I get it.  When I see it in the store, I am like a kid at Christmas.  Want to learn how to make Cattail Pancakes? Flies for Fishing? Tortillas? Need a review on a Ruger Mini-14? or a handmade .54 Cal Pistol?  This magazine has it all.  For the record,  all the examples I just gave came from ONE magazine, and there is a lot more.  This magazine is well rounded, covers a world of topics, and gives directions on how to make almost everything from nothing. 

The magazine is a family affair so to speak.  The Richie Family that is.  The boss-man, Charlie, is like your 'odd' Uncle. Let me explain that one.   Some people have that one uncle who does things differently.  Mom tolerates him cause he is her brother and loves him unconditionally, Dad goes to visit him to see what the heck he is up to now, the kids love to visit because he has the neatest things to see, and a new project going all the time.  Loved by all, listened to by many, his writing has a knack of drawing you in and liking him immediately.  Totally down to earth in his approach to self-reliance, and not condescending.   He also has the ability to draw in like-minded contributors for his magazines. 

 

At the back of each magazine is a classified section for those who want to sell / buy anything from land to primitive weapons. If that is not enough, if you look closely, there will be little snippets of information between some of the articles, where there would normally be a little empty space, but Charlie manages to put a 2"x 2" gem about what to do with jelly jars.

 

If you are unsure?  If you think I exaggerate?  Take my 10 minute test. Grab one at the news stand and read two things,  Notes From Charlie, and Letters from The Readers.  Charlie has a following that is loyal (I'm one, and I never met the man).  They thrive on his information,  which is to the point, and honest.  A subscription is a perfect stocking stuffer or birthday present for the Prepper in your family.  

 

My Likes:   Easy to read, Covers almost every topic, Letters from Readers, Diagrams for us simpletons.

 

My Dislikes:  Now that I have a subscription and don't have to search for it, NONE.

 

 

 

LIVING READY

 

To the point, this is not a magazine for the pacifist, or those looking for info on how to harvest onions.  This one is more (they will hate me for this)  Militant.  PREPARED, SKILLED, AWARE is their battle cry, and they sure want that point expressed to readers. 

 

If you want firearm reviews, they have it.  Want to know about knives, they have it.  The ads speak for themselves.  Lots of knife and firearms vendors, with full page ads for the well prepared Prepper.  I found one article that had one of the best explanations of Mil Dot and Minute of Angle for long range shooting, I have ever seen.  Clear and easy for me to understand.   

 

 Now, for those who may be less inclined to buy this magazine based on that, there are articles on other things.   Think you have Bug out Bags figured out?  After reading several articles in Living Ready, we revamped our BOBs because of the common sense suggestions found in the magazine. Ever wonder what is the best firewood?  No?  Read The Ultimate Firewood Stash if you think you had an understanding.  SURPRISE. Interested in Ham Radios?   Yup, they got it.  Ever get your car stuck in the snow?  ruts?  One article has 10 ways to get yourself unstuck. 

 

Among other tidbits, there are a spattering of articles about survivors tales of terror so to speak.

 

My Likes:  Firearms, Knife, Tomahawk Reviews, Specialized Ads for just about anything, Family Protection Articles.

My Dislikes:  Makes me want to rethink my firearms with every ad and article (which might not be a bad thing). 

THE NEW PIONEER

This magazine is for the self reliant Prepper.  Where to start?  Where to start?  Heating tips, Living off the Grid, Gardening, Solar, Thermal, Selling your products etc etc etc.   If you want to live off the grid, BINGO, you have made it to MECCA.  If you hate advertisements, you might like this magazine.  Oh yes, it does have them, but its everything you would need for OTG living.     

 

In a nutshell, I would say this is a family oriented magazine for those who want to live in a simpler time, without relying on others.  No scare tactics for the apocalypse, found here.  Articles range from Heirloom seeds, Ginseng, Geothermal Heat for the handyman, Solar Wood Dryer, Trouble Shooting Ponds, Processing Ms. Piggy, Fire Pits, Cooking on a fire and even Angling. 

 

This is a GREAT magazine for information on Urban Farmers.  I am sure there are other magazines out there specifically for just that, but this one covers lots of extras.  LOTS.   This is a 130 page magazine chocked full of information that is usable, and varied.  For a magazine this size, I first thought there would be 95% of the space for advertisers. Boy was I wrong.  There is a minimum of advertising in this magazine, however, with that comes a higher price tag.  Some one has to pay for the quality writing and I am OK with it being me.  Normally I love magazines where there are advertisements I can actually use.  After all, you never know what you need until some one tells you.  That is what advertisers do.  I am OK with that.  This magazine gives you tons of information (I know I know I keep saying that), without a ton of ads.  I can live with that.

 

With that said, I want to mention a name, Denis Prisbrey.  When I read an article I visualize some guy sitting at his laptop in some city apartment, regurgitating info from some magazine he read in 1965.  I first read an article by Denis and discovered he is the one in his pictures, actually doing what he is writing about.  Don't get me wrong, there are lots of writers out there who practice what they preach, but this was the FIRST writer I noticed right off.    Maybe its the penetrating eyes, I don't know, but I liked the articles, and found his picture to be memorable.  He contributes to several magazines and I am sure you will find his information, well defined.

 

All in all, I am sure you will like this magazine if you are self-reliant. 

 

My Likes:  Few Ads, wide ranging articles with something for everyone, Do It Yourself Section, Denis Prisbrey articles.

 

My Dislikes:  I could argue the price but I won't.  It is a bit hard to find in Canada for now.

 

 

 

 

 

AMERICAN FRONTIERSMAN - Premier Issue

 

If this is what can be expected for future issues, I will have a subscription shortly.  If you find this on the news shelves READ THE WELCOME FRONTIERSMAN message from the editors.   This is truly an amazing magazine for those who are Survivalists, Of the Grid, Back Country Hunters, Preppers, and any Outdoorsman / woman.  Article after Article of interesting things to do, make, eat.  It has it all.  Like The New Pioneer, this is a huge magazine (130 pages), crammed (and I mean CRAMMED) full of excellent information. 

 

Want to build a Dugout Canoe? Tan some hides? Build some simple camp tools? Build a trapper cabin? Hunt squirrel? Cook a rabbit? Make an Atlatl? Butcher big game? Build a debris hut? Learn about deer heart recipes? Practice distress signals? Find out how a snakebite affected a victim, with no treatment?  OK you get the hint,  It has EVERYTHING, even a few articles from Denis Prisbrey. 

 

There is very little in the way of advertising, which leads to the higher price. Again, I can surely live with the price considering, I have just read this magazine TWICE, AND have taken notes. I have mixed feelings about a lack of advertising, as stated previously, since I do like to see what is out there that will help me in my endeavours.  I guess I can get that info from another magazine.  If I want information on how to do things in the wild, this is a must have magazine.  I hope this is not the first and last issue.   Cheer them on, buy the magazine, and encourage them to keep on writing, this is a keeper.

 

My Likes:  EVERYTHING!  This and Backwoodsman are my favorite magazines, Sorry Charlie.  It appeals to me and what I like to do. I am a slow reader, but I retain almost everything, this one made me read it twice, just in case I missed anything.

 

My Dislikes:  I will REALLY REALLY dislike not having a second issue,  No subscriptions available YET.  Give it time. 

 

If you have any other's to recommend, let me know,  Thanks. Preppersaurus Rex

BUILDING THE MINI ALCOHOL STOVE

THE ALCOHOL STOVE



 

I, like almost every other prepper, first saw these stoves on YouTube.  I decided to make one.  Don't get me wrong, I am not re-inventing the wheel here.  There are great videos on how to make these, I will show the version that I made.  If you have never seen them before, make one.  If my instructions suck, download one of the videos from YouTube and ..... MAKE ONE. 

 

Get the principles down and you won't be caught short, because, you can even make one of these with a knife, and a thumbtack.  If you are the MacGuyver type, you can make it out of a rusty key and a stick.  or was that a rusty stick and a key?   Anyhow, this is the project I worked on.   For the record, I tried various building techniques and variations of hole size, number of holes, location of holes, and can sizes.  Bottom line is they all tend to work well. 

 

The only stumbling block I found was the fuel.  In the USA there is Denatured Alcohol and HEET.  In canada we have Methyl Hydrate, Rubbing Alcohol, and Fondue Fuel.  Those are the choices I had.  Fondue Fuel tended to turn the inside of my stoves blue for some reason.  Methyl Hydrate is the stuff us Canuckians use in our gas tanks to keep them from freezing (NOTE:  They come in handy dandy little bottles that are sealed for the apocalypse, or you can buy the gallon size.)

IF YOU ARE A DUMBASS WITH TOOLS ....  GREAT.... THIS ONE IS FOR YOU.

Parts

1 - Soft drink can (2 or more if you have strong hands, because you will bend the heck out of em, I did)
hmmmmm  I guess that's it for all the parts.  Shouldn't break the bank.

Tools

1 Blade (utility knife type)
1 Utility knife (separate from the blade for convenience)
1 set of needle nose pliers
1 piece of 1 inch something or other (I use wood)
1 piece of 1/2 inch something or other ( I use wood)
1 drill
1 stapler
1 #60 drill bit (if you don't have that go no bigger than 1/16" drill bit)
1 tube of high temp gasket glue (optional)
1 thumb tack or sharpened nail (optional)

Instructions

picture stolen from the internet

 

 

Step one,  Scoring the Opening

 

 

Any pop can will do.  Take your pick, but drink the contents first.  No sense letting the beverage go to waste. 

 

With the utility knife, score the inside of the top of the can.  Don't push hard, just push and turn repeatedly until you slowly find the blade working its way into the can.   Then stop.   Push the inside of the lid down lightly but repeatedly until it works its way completely loose of the can. If you don't like the jagged edge, you can do two things.  1) take a Dremel and grind the edge smooth, or 2) take a stick, or (I used) a piece of 1 inch PVC pipe and rub it against the edge to smooth it out.  Don't rub hard, or you will disfigure the can.  You can also do this at the end of assembly as well.

 

Scoring in the bottom of the groove

Can with top removed



Step 2, Marking the Holes

Mark the jet holes around the edge of the can with a Sharpee marker.  How many holes will depend on you.  I just made mine about 1/4 inch from each other, and on the flat part of the shoulder just above the bend.  Some of my prototypes had anywhere from 12 - 28 holes, and all worked fine.

Holes marked on can for jets

 





Step 3, Drilling the Holes

With a #60 drillbit, (or anything up to 1/16, but make sure its small) drill the holes into the shoulder of the can.  If you are finding your drillbit wandering all over, you might try using a sharpened nail, or thumbtack to start an indent where the bit will follow.  I found if you push too hard with the nail or thumbtack, you will have dents in the shoulder after the holes are drilled. 

Countersinking the holes with a nail for easier drilling.  

Step 4, Cutting The Top and The Bottom

Scoring the Can

 

 

Steelwooling the bottom of the can

 

 

Take a piece of steel wool and lightly dust off the paint on the bottom of the can about 1 inch from the bottom.  This will help prevent crimping once it is removed from the can.  The integrity is better at this stage of the build.

Take your utility blade (not the knife) and clamp it onto your piece of 1 inch wood etc. on a flat table.  I used my table saw.  To cut the top of the can, rub the can against the knife blade, gently, to score it.  When you start to feel the blade is working through the can.  Flip the can over and do the same with the bottom of the can.   You should have two score marks on the can. 

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION HERE.  YOU HAVE SCORED BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM, BUT FOR NOW YOU WILL ONLY REMOVE THE TOP.

On the score line you just made below the top of the can, lightly press in and let the can metal pop back out, over and over until you see a split on the score line,  now press and repeat around the whole can, this will break the top section off.  KEEP THE BOTTOM ON FOR NOW. 

Step 4, The Inside Wall

The inside wall of the stove will create a gap between the outside wall and the inner chamber, where you dump the fuel into.  This gap is where the vaporization happens to make the jets work.  This wall will fit between the top and bottom halves of the stove, in the grooves, upon assembly.  The inside wall must be a bit wider than the top and bottom, so you will need to change the way it is cut with the blade.

I found that 1 1/2 inches worked fine for the cans I had.  So set your blade on the new jig that is 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches high.

The jig should be 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches from the table.  This is flexible

With the bottom of the can on top, score the can 1 1/2 inches from the bottom.

NOTE:  The 1 inch score mark can be seen while scoring the inside wall
 

Again, once you start to find the blade entering the can.  Stop scoring and work the metal back and forth until the pieces break free.  Do Not Force.

NOTE:   Ignore the fact that the bottom of the can has not been steelwooled.  This was to cost me later.  So don't make that mistake too.

Bottom, Inside wall, and Top almost ready for assembly

Step 5, Crimping the Bottom

With your needle nosed pliers, pinch and bend the edge of the bottom piece inward.  Repeat this around the periphery.  This will make for easy assembly. The crimp lines should only be about 1/8 inch from the edge of the can.

Step 6, Sizing the Inner Wall

With your utility knife, cut the inner wall, and remove approximately 5/8 inches of material.  This will make assembly a bit easier. 

Cut the inner wall

 

Remove approximately 5/8 inch

 

Fitting the inner wall inside the bottom

Place the inner wall inside the bottom of the stove and fit it into the grooved slot.  While holding it to size,  take a common paper stapler and put a staple into the side of the ends of the inner wall to secure its size.   Try to keep the staple about 1/8 inch from the edge. NOTE:   I found it works best to have the smooth part of the staple on the inside with the little legs folded over on the outside.  This will prevent them from snagging anything inside the stove.

Note the staple is close to the edge of the wall
 

Step 7, Flaring out the Top

 

In order to make the top easier to place on the bottom, during assembly, I found by rubbing it against another can bottom will allow the edge to stretch and flare out.  This make placing it over the bottom part easier.  Just rub it lightly over and over while on the bottom of another can.  This should flare the edge just enough to let it slide onto the bottom during assembly.

Step 8, Assembly

Take your gasket glue and run a bead around the top crimped edge of the bottom part.

Place the inside wall into the bottom half. Now place the top onto the bottom, making absolute sure it is on straight.  Be sure the crimps are not getting caught on the bottom of the top half.  Slowly, and with even pressure, push the top down onto the bottom while making sure the inner wall doesn't get hooked on the edge of the top opening.   Did you get all that?

Wipe off the excess glasket glue and let sit until dry.  Be sure that the top is on straight.  When the gasket glue is dry,  Take the pvc pipe and rub it inside the opening of the stove to push the rough edge closer to the inner wall.  You can now 1) fire it up, or  2) steelwool the paint off the top and make it pretty, then FIRE IT UP. 

Add some fuel to the inside opening and light the fuel.   It should take about 1 - 2 minutes for the can to heat up enough where vaporization will kick in and the jets will self ignite.  This is the Happy Time, when you first see the jets start to ignite. 

 

Difficult to see in the photo but the jets have just started to ignite.  Once they are all burning.  Place your pot of water / soup etc on the top of the stove and heat it up.

My timing showed it took 5 minutes to get the 3 cups of water to start boiling. 

NOTE:  I have seen 100s of variations of this little dream.  All seem to work fine.  So it is fairly difficult to screw it up totally.  Gasket Glue doesn't need to be used but I did it and it worked.  You can also make a wind screen and even a holder for it...  as I said, it is endless.   ENJOY.