Chapter Inactvity and Your UK loadout

[Svothe]

It appears the chapter has been given the official 'Inactive' status and so I was wondering if there were infact any kind of rescue effort attempting to rebuild the chapter. I would most definitely be interested and I am sure we could definetely use the additional english members, tired of feeling sad being the 'Unarmed Peasant' sitting in the corner in comparison to these AK wielding maniacs.

So, now let me pose my question, what kind of loadout do you use while in the uk and what do you advise for others?
(I have posed this question here rather than in the other gear sections to try and provoke a little English conversation and allow us to discuss UK Legal choices)

Heres my Personal Loadout:

On my person:
Combat Trousers
+/- Thermal/Norwegian
Combat 95 Shirt
Combat Jacket
Patrol Boots
Fabarm 12ga
Weihrauch HW93 with 9x32 Scope (.177)
4 Inch Folding Knife
Personal Field Bandage


Webbing:
80 Shotgun Shells (12ga 32g - 6 Clear Pigeons
two tins of 500 Bisley Magnum .177'S for my weihrauch (Tissue in the box to silence the rounds when moving about)
Waterproof DPM Jacket
Patrol Rations
Basha+Kit
Personal Role Radio (PRR)
Medics Pouch and Kit
Emergency Survival Blanket (Them Tinfoil like ones)
Kukri
60 Second Green smoke grenade x1
60 Second Red smoke grenade x1

Camelbak:
3L clean purified Water
Purification Tablet x30
Small 2inch fold up knife


Bergen (Rucksack):
Top Pouch:
2 Packs of Aspirin
1 large pack of salt (Meet Salting/Preservation and Flavoring)

Left Side Pouch:
Large Basha and Kit
Knife Sharpening Stone
Field Bandages x2
Reusable Medical Gloves x20

Right Side Pouch:
3Litre Camelbak Bladder
Varying size Batteries

Main Pouch:(In Order Bottom to Top: My bag opens at both ends)
Sleeping Bag (4 Season Sleeping bag with groundsheet sewn onto the bottom of it.)
Spare T-shirt and Trousers
Microfiber Towel (1mx1m)
6 blocks of Hexamine(Hexy)
Rations or Tinned Foods (Must not need heating/cooking)
Recent OS maps of the surrounding three counties.
Wind up Torch/am.fm radio (Its a two in one)
Duct Tape x3

Shotbag
200 Clear pigeon 32g Rounds
1 Pack of Bisley Magnum's (.177) and 1 Pack of Bisley Magnum's (.22)
(I also have a .22 weapon as do many of the people I normally stay with and carry backup ammo for them, as they do with me. also works in a SHTF if your weapon breaks and a .22 is the only usable one.)

Really Interested in what you guys keep as your general field/Bug out kit?

Thanks,
Svothe

[Ms-oldish-brit]

I don't think anyone's said hello to you yet - hi there!

May I suggest that you pop over to the main site's introduction forum and introduce yourself properly - it's ZSetiquette.

Re inactive, Ad'lan has replied in a different thread.

My 'loadout' is completely different to yours - not sure I understand the term? I plan on bugging in with family and pets, and my worst zombie recently was the 5 day school 'snow days' - we had more than enough to survive, (perhaps not enough tinned/frozen fruit and veg), and could have gone out for supplies in the workhorse 4x4, but only had to use it for really essential trips - mostly exams! - (not supply buying!) I am workig on a BO plan in case of fire, tornado (apparently the UK has one of the highest frequencies of tornado,) flooding etc., but it's not there yet.

When I'm out of the house, I (try to) always carry a small first aid kit, a wind up torch, water, sensible walking gear, hot thermos in winter...and other stuff.

I'm interested in your wind-up torch/radio - how have you tested it, how well does it work, and where did you get it from?! How much winding up do you have to do to get, say 10 minutes radio and light?

I'm just planning for local zombies, some of which I encounter every now and then; YMMV

And - just a polite suggestion - please don't call anyone on this site a maniac. It's just a different viewpoint.

Anyway, welcome! Do have a good read of the site; there's loads of helpful stuff there, whichever aspect of prepping you're coming from.

[Ad'lan]

It appears the chapter has been given the official 'Inactive' status and so I was wondering if there were infact any kind of rescue effort attempting to rebuild the chapter. I would most definitely be interested and I am sure we could definetely use the additional english members, tired of feeling sad being the 'Unarmed Peasant' sitting in the corner in comparison to these AK wielding maniacs.

So, now let me pose my question, what kind of loadout do you use while in the uk and what do you advise for others?
(I have posed this question here rather than in the other gear sections to try and provoke a little English conversation and allow us to discuss UK Legal choices)

Heres my Personal Loadout:

On my person:
Combat Trousers
+/- Thermal/Norwegian
Combat 95 Shirt
Combat Jacket
Patrol Boots
Fabarm 12ga
Weihrauch HW93 with 9x32 Scope (.177)
4 Inch Folding Knife
Personal Field Bandage


Webbing:
80 Shotgun Shells (12ga 32g - 6 Clear Pigeons
two tins of 500 Bisley Magnum .177'S for my weihrauch (Tissue in the box to silence the rounds when moving about)
Waterproof DPM Jacket
Patrol Rations
Basha+Kit
Personal Role Radio (PRR)
Medics Pouch and Kit
Emergency Survival Blanket (Them Tinfoil like ones)
Kukri
60 Second Green smoke grenade x1
60 Second Red smoke grenade x1

Camelbak:
3L clean purified Water
Purification Tablet x30
Small 2inch fold up knife


Bergen (Rucksack):
Top Pouch:
2 Packs of Aspirin
1 large pack of salt (Meet Salting/Preservation and Flavoring)

Left Side Pouch:
Large Basha and Kit
Knife Sharpening Stone
Field Bandages x2
Reusable Medical Gloves x20

Right Side Pouch:
3Litre Camelbak Bladder
Varying size Batteries

Main Pouch:(In Order Bottom to Top: My bag opens at both ends)
Sleeping Bag (4 Season Sleeping bag with groundsheet sewn onto the bottom of it.)
Spare T-shirt and Trousers
Microfiber Towel (1mx1m)
6 blocks of Hexamine(Hexy)
Rations or Tinned Foods (Must not need heating/cooking)
Recent OS maps of the surrounding three counties.
Wind up Torch/am.fm radio (Its a two in one)
Duct Tape x3

Shotbag
200 Clear pigeon 32g Rounds
1 Pack of Bisley Magnum's (.177) and 1 Pack of Bisley Magnum's (.22)
(I also have a .22 weapon as do many of the people I normally stay with and carry backup ammo for them, as they do with me. also works in a SHTF if your weapon breaks and a .22 is the only usable one.)

Really Interested in what you guys keep as your general field/Bug out kit?

Thanks,
Svothe

Your load out looks very much like a soldiers kit (it's very similar to what I'd assemble from my surplus army stuff), with civillian weapons. Very nice, but you will likely run into police issues if you are bugging out in anything other than a total PAW. In a smaller SHTF, you will likely get things confiscated, maybe even arrested.

Also, whats the weight total too, looks bloody heavy to me, and Long Heavy Ruck Tabs are one of the military things I'm passably good at.

[Svothe]

Hey thanks for the quick responses, nice to see were not really inactive.

@Ms-oldish-brit
Hey there, Yeah my stuff is mostly based off of a large SHTF Bug-out, I don't really have a Bug-In kit except a bit of stored food and such so I think Id just double over my bug-out and bug-in.The Torch/Radio works for about double the time you spend winding. If you wind for 5 it'll work for 10, and such although it varies really on how fast you wind and generally how lucky you are. I tend to just wind slowly + quietly while listening to the radio or with the torch just wind it for a minute or so and then use it. Not quite sure where I got it to be honest, I believe it was a gift a few Christmases ago, Ill see if I have the packaging or anything lying around.

@Ad'lan
Heh, yeah it basically is my military field kit, in a small PAW/SHTF I would leave the weapons in the safe unless I was bugging out on my land or land I have access to in which case I would probably just take the weihrauch as it is a much quieter weapon for hunting in the field and wont scare away all life within 100 yards of me unlike my shotgun. On the weight side of things I have no trouble walking 30-40 miles with this kind of weight its just generally what i am used to. Done a mock bug-out with some friends a while back was 12ish miles (I know pretty short) but we were carrying all the ammo and firearms as listed above (Was actually just a circuit on owned farmland) was a bit of a slog at the start but once I got into the SHTF mood I was fine, 'Keep walking, theres zombies behind you' mood.


Much thanks everyone,
Svothe

[TC]

Personally, I totally agree with Ad'lan, your kit is far too military based.

There are tons of threads here about the pros and cons of using and wearing military kit. I lean fairly heavily towards the side of looking as un-military as possible. I don't want anyone to take a second look at me, or think that I might have anything of use to them. All the DPM in the world won't camouflage you as well as looking like any other average Joe in almost any situation you find yourself in.

Think about it. How many people wear the clothing you listed? How many have it at home? How many are going to say to themselves, "Oh dear, there's an emergency, I better change into my combats"? Now I may live in London at the moment, but I'm from a small village in a rural area and even there I don't see people wearing combats.

If you are wearing combats, you draw attention to yourself. People will either be scared by your appearance (why is there a man wearing combats, he must be a psycho), angered by it (if you are in the military, why aren't you helping me?/What are you playing at wearing uniform?), or target you for it (he has gear, I want that gear, I'm going to take that gear). Far better for people to see you and say to themselves "That's a man. I see them all the time. Nothing unusual here, he's just like me."

Now I know you don't plan on walking down the road with your shotgun looking like Rambo, but in an emergency it's far better to avoid any further problems. Your already in an emergency, so things are already bad, the last thing you want to do is make life harder for yourself.

In my experience, it's much better to look totally ordinary, yet actually be totally extraordinary.

[Svothe]

I generally aim towards military clothing as,
1.) I already have it, I know it works and I have used it in the field.
2.) Its very hard wearing, Comfortable and designed to suit its purpose.
3.)It is useful for lets say SHTF If I were going to have to hunt for food, I may as well already be wearing camouflage.
4.) My Military suited clothing is fine for walking down the street, generally where I am the majority of farmers where combats, not webbing but to a normal person just looks like rucksack pouches on my backpack.
5.)Its Cheap, don't like to admit it most the time but I am not a millionaire and half the gear designed to do what military gear does costs double if not triple the price and even then I can't be sure it works properly when I need it without evaluating and using it for a fair while, Ive used my kit for years and years with no problems, and no questions from any passers by no matter where in the world I was, and if people are in need of assistance and it is within my capability I would normally help anyway and with the whole 'I Want His Kit!' idea in a SHTF incident they can feel free to come and try and get it but unless there armed with a long range weapon there going to have some trouble.

Thats about all from me for the time being, although as you said theres advantages and disadvantages for everything.

Thanks,
Svothe

[TC]

I generally aim towards military clothing as,
1.) I already have it, I know it works and I have used it in the field.
2.) Its very hard wearing, Comfortable and designed to suit its purpose.
3.)It is useful for lets say SHTF If I were going to have to hunt for food, I may as well already be wearing camouflage.
4.) My Military suited clothing is fine for walking down the street, generally where I am the majority of farmers where combats, not webbing but to a normal person just looks like rucksack pouches on my backpack.
5.)Its Cheap, don't like to admit it most the time but I am not a millionaire and half the gear designed to do what military gear does costs double if not triple the price and even then I can't be sure it works properly when I need it without evaluating and using it for a fair while, Ive used my kit for years and years with no problems, and no questions from any passers by no matter where in the world I was, and if people are in need of assistance and it is within my capability I would normally help anyway and with the whole 'I Want His Kit!' idea in a SHTF incident they can feel free to come and try and get it but unless there armed with a long range weapon there going to have some trouble.

Thats about all from me for the time being, although as you said theres advantages and disadvantages for everything.

Thanks,
Svothe

Yes, there are some good points to military surplus gear and clothing. I have some myself, both in DPM and in plain colours.

To some of your other points, it is admirable that you are willing to help others in need if you are able to. That's the sort of spirit that helps in emergencies. The point about fighting off those who want your kit is, however, misled in my opinion.

I would hope that you would agree that it would be much more preferable to avoid that conflict in the first place, after all you don't need to win a battle you never have to fight in the first place. Plus, what if there are more of them than you? I'm far from being anti-gun and I'm all for self defence, but like I said before it's much better to disguise how ready you are to meet such violence and retain both the element of surprise and preserve your uninteresting appearance.

Anyway, like you said, they have their good points and bad points. I suppose we just have different approaches.

[Svothe]

Indeed, with everything there will be conflicting views. I personally would prefer to no doubt warn people off by the whole 'That man has a gun, I want it but he'll shoot me if I try' I agree, It would be a much more reasonable option to avoid all conflict all together your going to have better odds of winning a fight if you don't get in the fight in the first place. Always safer to avoid any kind of combat especially when order can still be restored I mean if it isn't a complete SHTF Incident such as 'Zombies' or a invasion of your home country/civil war. but normally I would prefer in these instances to have my weapon insight, and be able to access it quickly rather than hidden away to avoid conflict but not there when I really need it, Normally why my Kukri tucks in the back/side of my webbing and behind my bergen, means I can unsheath it in a hurry if needs be but other than the small black area of the grip it is completely hidden.

[Apache]

Hello!

I live in the countryside and see people in camo all the time. Most of the gamekeepers, beaters and rough shooters wear camo (gamekeepers - not on formal shoot days!). You wouldn't look out of place here, depends where you are. I'm with you that army gear is fit for purpose and makes good sense. I also think 'manic' is a fitting term for some of the guys in the firearms section (keeping a loaded shotgun or handgun in the house - really!).

Not sure about your choice of shotgun. Is it a O/U? I think a folding shotty would be preferable and much more concealable in a backpack. 280 cartridges will weigh you down a fair bit. I wonder if something like a folding .410 would be more appropriate, and the ammo is much lighter to carry. If you are a good shot you can kill well with it.

(inactive is purely an administrative issue, people will continue to post - there was too much paperwork for too few people!)

Just my thoughts! (what have you got in your medical kit?)

[Svothe]

Hey Apache, Same as on the Gamekeepers, beaters side of things.

my shotgun choice is less based on SHTF more on just me shooting in general and yes its Under/Over hate side by side shotguns or singles grr. My next weapon to get on the list is a Mossberg 500 Pump (2+1) which is 12 gauge, but they also have a 20 gauge version which I was thinking about getting instead as it can't be that bad to have lighter ammo and weapon, the only problem is then that I have to store different kinds of ammo, could never bring myself to use a .410 im afraid, all the local women use them I couldn't take the bullying.

First Aid Kit:
15 Plastic Bandages 3/4"x3"
2 Plastic Bandages 2"x4.5"
2 Knuckle Bandages
2 Fingertip Bandages
2 Triangle Bandage/Sling
3 Gauze Pads 3"x3"
1 Emergency Field Dressing
1 Tape 1/2"x2 1/2yds.
6 Antiseptic Wipes
3 Triple Antibiotic Ointments
1 Burn Gel
1 Cold Pack
2 Antimicrobial Hand Wipes
2 Chemical Hand Warmers

[Ms-oldish-brit]

tired of feeling sad being the 'Unarmed Peasant' sitting in the corner in comparison to these AK wielding maniacs./quote]

And - just a polite suggestion - please don't call anyone on this site a maniac. It's just a different viewpoint.

I also think 'manic' is a fitting term for some of the guys in the firearms section (keeping a loaded shotgun or handgun in the house - really!).

I expressed myself badly - I was trying to imply that non-UK people, friends to us, drop by here every now and then. and mightn't like to find themselves being called maniacs 'on the quiet.' I would suggest anything you're not willing to say on other ZS forums shouldn't be said here (except, of course, if it's 'I don't believe in Zombies!')

[Ad'lan]

And - just a polite suggestion - please don't call anyone on this site a maniac. It's just a different viewpoint.

I also think 'manic' is a fitting term for some of the guys in the firearms section (keeping a loaded shotgun or handgun in the house - really!).

I expressed myself badly - I was trying to imply that non-UK people, [/quote]

Not just non UK people. If I could, I would likely be a CCW 'maniac' and a Home Defense Shotgun 'maniac'.

[the_alias]

Not just non UK people. If I could, I would likely be a CCW 'maniac' and a Home Defense Shotgun 'maniac'.

Me too, oh well being called a maniac is something I can live with.

[K9medic]

As for clothing I tend to mix and match military and civilian gear so I don’t look like I want to invade the country. I use an old DPM windproof over civilian fleece and plan coloured craghopper trousers. Or dark down jacket over military lightweights. Boots tend to be black KSB’s and my bergans are plain green with reversible rain covers.

As for weapons I got out of shooting after the last major law change, though I am considering getting back into the local club now I have more free time. I have had the option of carrying a handgun for personal protection in the past, S&W model 10 with a 2 ½ barrel (work related and not in the UK). To be honest most of the time we didn’t bother as it caused more hassle than it was worth, we figured it was easier to talk our way out of trouble if we didn’t have a weapon.

I would like to see a bit more common sense on the drafting of firearms laws in the UK. Fit person with the appropriate level of security for their storage should be enough.

[Ms-oldish-brit]

Er - Ad'lan and others - I'm missing something here.

I did not criticise anyone for being fully tooled up and loaded guns openly in their house - others did that. All I said was, US and other friends visit us here, please don't call them maniacs unless you're wiling to say the same thing on the forums they more usually frequent.

I'm willing to be called a maniac (I had to hand legal guns in after Dunblane, and am quietly furious about the increase in illegal guns since then) but I'd be a little upset if everyone was nice to my face and I suddenly found out they were hiding round the corner and calling me names, without giving me the chance to defend myself.

Just my viewpoint.

YMMV

Mob

[K9medic]

To be honest I kind of think being a maniac is one of the prerequisites of joining this forum

[Ms-oldish-brit]

I'd prefer, just personally, to call it eccentric (I do have the teenagers to think of!)

[K9medic]

Unfortunately I’m too poor to be classified as eccentric, guess until I win the lottery I will have to settle for crazy maniac.

[Ms-oldish-brit]

I'm really not understanding stuff at the moment - since when did we need money to be eccentric?

OK, I'll just settle for being different.

[Svothe]

Indeed, I think I am in the 'Different' category. I agree, I have nowhere near enough money to be eccentric. Think im just classified as weird, or that crazy army man.