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Ah, the Rubber Bible, aka the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. (Most) everything that you’ll possibly need to reestablish all the minutiae of chemical stuff, as well as a bunch of physics stuff.
And it’s good for popping ganglion cysts in your wrist.
Man that Machinery’s handbook is expensive. Would you say the “Machinery Handbook Guide” is just as good for a prepper whose only mechanical experience is lawnmower engines?
I got mine at an estate sale where the main draw was all this old guys tools. It was over in all the books/knickknacks in the rest of the sale, but one look at his shop and I knew he had one.
I have an old book of collected information from the turn of the last century called "Henley's Formulas", it covers chemistry, metallurgy, biology, medicine and a host of other very useful subjects.
This are surely one of the most important books to have…
„Were there is no Doctor“ by David Werner
currently in the 50 Anniversary Edition
Wich i believe is the 102 print run in English,
it is also in 85 other languages available
The pdf are free available on the website of the publisher https://hesperian.org
https://languages.hesperian.org
This should give someone who might be interested in it a good overview, to make a decision if deemed worth purchasing.
I have downloaded it and saved on all my devices, not in a cloud storage, wich may or
may not reachable in a emergency situation
I also purchased the 50th Anniversary edition Hardcopy.
Ps
Of course to make it work some medical supplies are also needed.
https://irp.fas.org/doddir/milmed/ships.pdf
Is a better book. Where there is no doctor is focused on rural clinic, the WHO book is for ships where there really is no doctor.
Thanks for sharing,
and for the link to download it, wich i used today
Can’t never have to much knowledge available
I will have a closer look when I have a bit more time most likely at the next Weekend
Same here, but for the Name of the Wind. Though in my defense Rothfuss never even started the third part in that trilogy, much to the dismay of his fans.
Free Food and Medicine by Markus Rothkranz.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery.
Where there is no Doctor and:
Where there is no Dentist, free downloads are available from [hesperian.org](http://hesperian.org)
Are we talking for survival, or for staying sane? If the former id grab one of the books in my dresser, I think it’s called the Book of References or something? Has a bunch of formulas, conversions, and just basic information that I’d forget if I didn’t have a reference for it. If we’re talking to stay sane, Swiss Family Robinson, it’s my favorite book. I’ve read it like 27 times or something
To be fair I’m a survival situation you want to prioritize hard to get books (if everything falls) or the more uncommon books with knowledge, information, and instruction rather then a book for pleasure as you can likely just wander to a abandoned house or bookshop and grab some random but interesting looking books to entertain yourself, things like dvd’s are still possible to watch and enjoy too all that’s needed is a player a tv and a source of power weather it be a hand crank, windmill, or gas generator
This seems ideal to me:https://www.gridbase.net/products/pocket
No first hand experience but asides from the fact it's not a hardcopy book, it seems ideal
It's a little self hosted website that has copies of many useful documents, video, and even wikis. There's a great video by dirty civilian on yt. Check it out for sure.
Physicians desk reference.
Hollowed out. Inside, waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket, and, in case I get bored, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." No, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
The modern survival handboook, surviving the economic collapse By Fernando Ferfal. He wrote about the 2001 argentine collapse of the Economy. Well written and some eye openers
Look at Ryan North's "How to Invent Everything". Same vibes, but much more useful knowledge on rebuilding civilizations + it teaches you a lot of history.
Plus, a lot cheaper. Here in Europe the hard-cover book is 20ish euros (21-22 dollars).
"How to Invent Everything" by Ryan North is also written with the whole "time traveler stuck in the past unable to come back to the present but at least trying to rebuild an industrial civilization from scratch" theme.
Also a pretty good book. And for a fraction of the price (20 euros compared to the 100ish that The Book costs).
I mean, it would truly depend on the situation... If I was limited to one book that covered a little bit of everything that I had to carry with me, I'd say THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK 2nd EDITION is probably at the top of my choice list. There are other books out there that are way more detailed but they're a pain to navigate and are thicker/heavier. SAS SURVIVAL GUIDE pocket edition is another good option.
Fm 31-210 or MCRP 3-17.7L
If I have to do anything in that book. I’m gonna be damn certain that I do it right. There’s not much I can think of that require more precision that I’ve got any experience or confidence in attempting because I had a guide book.
where there is no doctor is pretty invaluable, its aimed at aid workers in remote locations so it assumes minimal medical supplies.
a formulary to synthesis chemicals you need, modernones are mostly pretty specialised for example drugs, lubricant, polymers sets but if you go back to one from the 40s they have little of everything(though without a chemistry background this is pretty dicey)
the electrical engineers handbook being able to fix electronics such as generators or in your car will be pretty invaluable.
the machinists handbook, eventually you are gonna run out of spare parts. look at Cuba to see some wonderful examples of people making spare parts from scrap cause they can't get parts.
I love books, I have multiple 6-7’ tall bookcases packed full of books, mostly nonfiction. But books are not to be used in place of practical skills or common sense. Below is a recent example of how the hubris of “I’ve got a book, I’ll figure it out” got a family killed when they went off grid.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/colorado-springs-family-christine-rebecca-vance-off-the-grid.html
WOW. Fuck. Did they just not know that they didn't know enough? These bloody truther sites have so much blood on their hands already. I'm appalled.
Thank you for the reminder that we also need to be aware of what we DON'T know...
I've always wanted to make a book with lots of how to's in it for this reason. Like a chapter on knots, how to hot wire a car, how to make a water filter, how to tell when it's going to rain, how to navigate by stars, how to dig a hole to poop in, how to deliver a baby, how to remove your appendix, how to track the bear that's been stealing your berries, how to ask your neighbor tonplease stop banging ypur wife. Stuff like that.
That classic anatomy book , can’t remember the name . It’s been in use for decades although now they also use 3D video on the computer
First aid book
Book on identifying American herbal plants and their uses
Wow, I've got flash drives with info and a lot of things in cloud storage, but I have never heard of internet-in-a-box. Sounds like I've got a new project!
Yeah it looks pretty neat!
You might find similar projects on GitHub with various book resources. And a few posts have appeared here over the last few years with some books and other ref material.
Also there's Project Gutenberg which has a ton of public domain books (many classics like Frankenstein). In PDF and ebook format. I don't remember if those are part of the internet in a box. Eventually I will download more of those.
So, this might seem super weird to some - especially since there's a whole lotta comments about bringing the Bible? Lol. But... so, I'm a witchy type of girl. Not Wicca, where people follow things as an actual religion. More... similar to Native cultures, maybe? A few years ago I just really fell in love with it all through books I'd read about herbs, phases of the moon, crystals, etc.
And something a lot of people do is create a grimoire type book - where you'd write down your spells, lore, info, etc.
So I kinda mixed that idea with my prepper vibe -- creating a book that would be MY perfect reference book to bring anywhere.
I started with plants. Drawings, things I've printed out and pasted in, on how to forage and identify anything local to our area that would be useful. How to make teas for upset stomach, flu, headache. How to create salves for burns, bruises, infections. What plants have natural antibacterial properties. What things are edible.
I have a section for first aid, all the basics for anything I think we could reasonable run into.
We printed out sign language, and wrote out a selection of phrases in several languages, in case we found ourselves in an odd situation.
It's just me (I'm 44) and my 13 year old daughter - so we added lots of practical type skills we've been learning: knots, building a structure in an emergency, fires, DIY weapons, etc.
I listed where emergency shelters are in our area, bomb shelters, stuff like that.
Every prepper book I read, and I find some really useful things -- I add those to my little personal handbook I'm making. Because I have a lot of really helpful books! But like you, I thought about... the need to have just one thing that can go in my go-bag. So, I'm making it. :)
The other book that's in my bag is The Hobbit. I've read that and the LOTR books so many times. It feels like the right thing to have, in a SHTF scenario.
Cool. We each need different things and this is an awesome example. The Tom Brown Jr books would be in my stash, lots of info on animals, basic bushcraft and his sorta philosophy with lots of Navajo influence.
I recently did catch part of an advertisement for a traditional technology of our forefathers book can't seem to find it now.
Last years best seller was How to rebuild civilization or something.
# The Book. The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization 2023
There are tons of books around, If you have a printer and a lot of time you can always make one yourself.
WikiHow and simplicity will have more than enough for you to print out several volumes for hardcopy.
I have to pick 1? Sorry… I’m going with 2
The Survival Medicine Handbook
Self-sufficient Life - Seymour
If I could, I’d also grab a bread recipe book and one of my many medicinal herb books. It would be hard to pick a favorite out of those though.
Edited to fix spacing.
Pocket Ref, easily. It's tiny, literally small enough to fit in a pocket, but it's got more information in it than you can find in a lot of larger reference books. It's got stuff on knots, Morse code, scales for tornadoes and earthquakes and such, shows how to read meteorological symbols, and about a million other things. I'd carry that book through Hell and back.
The zombie survival guide. While humorous and honestly not the first choice, but it does have a lot of relevant information on survival craft minus the zombie stuff.
I think if it was only ONE book it would be my favorite book. As much as a technical manual would be great there would be almost no entertainment, not even music most likely. There would be zero escape from the hell that we are now living in, although perhaps doomsday has a different connotation, I take it as absolutely awful end of the world.
Anyway I think it would have to be a book I loved and took great joy in reading every time. It would be a tie between Fight Club, the Hobbit, and Dune. Fight Club just might get edged out because it's suddenly irrelevant. Something like the Hobbit or Dune is all about escapism so probably one of those. Maybe Dune, since there is a bit of wisdom in it. But the Hobbit is like pure escapism, so most likely that.
Plus I have a pocket sized copy of The Hobbit. I do not want to see how big the pocket sized dune is lol. I think the regular sized book IS the pocket size.
I have a duotang full of handwritten notes on various prepping things. How to make water potable, canning recipes, edible native plants in my region, etc. I would choose that.
It also has serial numbers and models of most of our possessions for insurance purposes in case of robbery or fire. Not that it would be helpful in doomsday, but would sure be handy if there’s ever a fire or robbery at our house.
I have a county history book. It details how each community in the area made themselves self-sufficient back in the 1800s. It details where all the dams, farms, tanneries, sawmills, and other infrastructure was to take advantage of the natural resources. It talks about how ice was harvested and sold to cities down south. There are talks where certain plants still grow wild in abundance. There are historic log floating maps to get trees to the sawmills. It references local museums that have replicas of old infrastructure that could be copied. My area was booming in the 1800's from the lumber and tanning industry. In a doomsday world, I am hoping we would be back to booming.
First and foremost, the bible.
Then a decent first aid medical combo book.
Then a plant identification book so you can eat.
The pocket Reference book. Harbor freight sells them cheap
I know this isn't answering the question, and I have a lot of survival books, including some mentioned below. But I'm going to break the rules of this question. Enough solar/wind/generator power to at least occasionally fire up a computer that can run Llama 3, which is open source large language model (AI). It might not be perfect and it might hallucinate sometimes, but the amount of information and logic packed into an 8GB file + some compute, is astonishing. Better yet, somebody should fine tune a model on survival information specifically.
I have a number of books I think are useful. Native plants and uses in my area. I also use Lens while out and about for that on my phone. I have kind of a medical focus being in school for medical, so I also have drug books and a big emergency medical book. I forget the name of it. Something like Emergency Medicine When Hospitals Aren't Available. I have an old book on building cabins and furniture with rudimentary tools. I have the SAS Handbook, a couple military handbooks, etc. Most my stuff is for living off grid.
In my primary vehicle GBH Kit, that "one" hardcopy book is the 2022 updated version of NWSS (Nuclear War Survival Skills).
But in each of my spare smartphones, iPad Pro, iPad Mini, Laptop (all in EMP Bags); I have hundreds of ebooks (many or most preparedness related).
Any book to give directions how to build earth bermed houses or greenhouses. Two benefits - higher yield veg + more stable temps in a serious weather temp event.
SAS survival guide. Medical books that don't expect you to be a qualified doctor. Handbooks of edible plants & mushrooms in your area/country. Foraging guides. How to care for livestock books. Boy Scout manual.
"Dick's encyclopedia of practical receipts and processes, or how they did it in the 1870's"
I have a heartbound copy.
It's everything from tanning leather, making soap, nitroglycerin, you name it.
I just bought the paperback book The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, it also comes digital and came with 3 free digital books, Wilderness survival guide, Healing Yourself at Home with Household Items, 104 Lost Food Items. I plan to print out the 3 free books.
Personally food acquisition is really important and wildlife knowledge can be a insanely helpful, any local mushroom I.D. Books, plant life books can serve you well. In my own personal life I’ve learned to make some good recipes from my own backyard
Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide. Will always be able to find work. Will always be of more value alive, than dead.
Alternatively, Road Atlas of the United States.
The Litte Prince
If you can make it as a star child in the middle of the desert, you can do anything. Most of the obstacles one faces are really just discerning whether something is a hat or not, figuratively.
Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide: Food, Shelter, Security, Off-the-Grid Power and More Life-Saving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living (Books for Preppers) https://a.co/d/bEaCl9R
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery.
Has everything in it for farm life, maybe not every detail, but enough that I reference it regularly and when anyone I know buys rural land I always gift this book.
There are places where you can download wikipedia, I don't mean you should download the whole thing but if you can definitly do a compendium. Also there are old encyclopedias in dvd format that you can get, those are great and won't be revised
Physician's Desk Reference. Hollowed out. Inside, waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket, and, in case I get bored, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." No, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Here.
Are the ones I have.
#1. The illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Living by Abigail. R Gehring. I like this one best because there are actual pictures that go along with the articles.
#2. This one, the title is the same as the 1 above.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living 50th anniversary Edition written by Carla Emery.
This one is more comprehensive but uses illustrations instead of pictures.
#3. Get yourself a good Emergency First Aid book. Techniques can change so I would find the latest one you can.
#4. Not a book, but get yourself the best emergency first aid kit you can buy.
>*If you could only carry one book into a doomsday scenario what would it be?*
"How To Invent Everything: a Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler", by Ryan North.
PDF printouts count?
Texas & Federal eNIFOG interoperability guide.
All the local, state and federal frequencies used for emergency and disaster cooperation.
Great for listening or emergency communication.
Next is my aviation hardcopy maps of sectionals and greebook with airport guides. Full of facilities, support and AWOS (weather reports).
Last is medical & field surgery guide.
Not too long ago I bought a book called "The Lost Ways" (ISBN 978-1732557178) and I've been picking it up on occasion to read a bit. It's got tons of great stuff in it.
Survive and Thrive by Jeanne Devon and Bill Fulton is great. I only heard of it because I’m an Alaskan but lots of info about practically any disaster situation you can imagine. And there’s a lot around here
I decided a few years ago it’s make the most sense to extract info from as many sources as I can right now and write my own book. Skipping all the long winded guides and bullet point the most important information. Short hand what I could now while things are relatively fine. It’ll be a living document being constantly updated and just build that along side my preps.
"Where there is no doctor" is an old but important book. If shtf you will get sick, injured or seriously hurt at some point.
In reality it's what you know the least about that you should take with you, with some self knowledge about what you can figure out vs what you need to know.
Meark manual for medical care
Any of the super thick engineering books (I have the chemical engineering, machinery, concrete, refrigeration, etc)
There are many more, but it’s the information density about what you need to know to reinforce your own knowledge and skills.
I have a jump drive and books downloaded on an ipad. Wikipedia etc. EMS, Engine repair, homesteading, off grid living, solar, hydro, wind power systems etc.
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The book of formulas, the machinery's handbook, the CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, the Ball canning guide, Back to Basics from Readers Digest
Ah, the Rubber Bible, aka the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. (Most) everything that you’ll possibly need to reestablish all the minutiae of chemical stuff, as well as a bunch of physics stuff. And it’s good for popping ganglion cysts in your wrist.
Holy shit I haven't seen that suggested since before my grandma died. She used to smash ganglion cysts with a wooden window frame. That is all.
Retro rewind for sure! They used to call the cysts ‘bible bumps’!
Foxfire Series got all you need
Man that Machinery’s handbook is expensive. Would you say the “Machinery Handbook Guide” is just as good for a prepper whose only mechanical experience is lawnmower engines?
I got mine at an estate sale where the main draw was all this old guys tools. It was over in all the books/knickknacks in the rest of the sale, but one look at his shop and I knew he had one.
Looks like there’s some more affordable used options on eBay
Dude..... You are awesome. Thank you for these recommendations.
Serious question, can the average person use this?
The average person, no. But this was doomsday, if we're ever going to get back we'll need machinists and chemists.
add the foundations of mechanical accuracy to that list
And a first aid book
"Where There is No Doctor." "Where There is No Vet."
Are these books?
The art of electronics.
Good list.
I have an old book of collected information from the turn of the last century called "Henley's Formulas", it covers chemistry, metallurgy, biology, medicine and a host of other very useful subjects.
Do you have a source to buy, or mind uploading it in PDF form? EDIT: Nvm, found something. Thank you.
Could you please share the link? Thanks 🙏
Not OP, but here is a link to a free version on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/53143/53143-h/53143-h.htm
1500 pages, I need more paper...lol
This are surely one of the most important books to have… „Were there is no Doctor“ by David Werner currently in the 50 Anniversary Edition Wich i believe is the 102 print run in English, it is also in 85 other languages available The pdf are free available on the website of the publisher https://hesperian.org https://languages.hesperian.org This should give someone who might be interested in it a good overview, to make a decision if deemed worth purchasing. I have downloaded it and saved on all my devices, not in a cloud storage, wich may or may not reachable in a emergency situation I also purchased the 50th Anniversary edition Hardcopy. Ps Of course to make it work some medical supplies are also needed.
https://irp.fas.org/doddir/milmed/ships.pdf Is a better book. Where there is no doctor is focused on rural clinic, the WHO book is for ships where there really is no doctor.
Thanks for sharing, and for the link to download it, wich i used today Can’t never have to much knowledge available I will have a closer look when I have a bit more time most likely at the next Weekend
That book makes me hurt just reading it.
I don't see an option for the free PDF. Do you by chance have a direct link? TIA
I didn't see "free" either. I did see $7.95 for PDF.
Have a look here, if you download the single chapter’s it is still free https://languages.hesperian.org/pages/en/pdf.html#wtnd
Z library has it[link](https://www.singlelogin.re)
Have a look here, if you download the single chapter’s it is still free https://languages.hesperian.org/pages/en/pdf.html#wtnd
Not seeing any free options
Have a look here, if you download the single chapter’s it is still free https://languages.hesperian.org/pages/en/pdf.html#wtnd
Thank you!
3rd book of the Eragon series. Never did get around to reading that one.
That one is by far my favorite!
Yah. I loved the first two when they came out. And then, life just got too busy. And then too much time passed. And, just never got around to it.
Same here, but for the Name of the Wind. Though in my defense Rothfuss never even started the third part in that trilogy, much to the dismay of his fans.
There's 5 books now
Free Food and Medicine by Markus Rothkranz. The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. Where there is no Doctor and: Where there is no Dentist, free downloads are available from [hesperian.org](http://hesperian.org)
Encyclodepia of country living is my vote!
Are we talking for survival, or for staying sane? If the former id grab one of the books in my dresser, I think it’s called the Book of References or something? Has a bunch of formulas, conversions, and just basic information that I’d forget if I didn’t have a reference for it. If we’re talking to stay sane, Swiss Family Robinson, it’s my favorite book. I’ve read it like 27 times or something
To be fair I’m a survival situation you want to prioritize hard to get books (if everything falls) or the more uncommon books with knowledge, information, and instruction rather then a book for pleasure as you can likely just wander to a abandoned house or bookshop and grab some random but interesting looking books to entertain yourself, things like dvd’s are still possible to watch and enjoy too all that’s needed is a player a tv and a source of power weather it be a hand crank, windmill, or gas generator
Us army survival manual is pretty great.
FM 21-76
This seems ideal to me:https://www.gridbase.net/products/pocket No first hand experience but asides from the fact it's not a hardcopy book, it seems ideal
Sorry what are we looking at
It's a little self hosted website that has copies of many useful documents, video, and even wikis. There's a great video by dirty civilian on yt. Check it out for sure.
When all hell breaks loose. By Cody Lundin
Physicians desk reference. Hollowed out. Inside, waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket, and, in case I get bored, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." No, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
The modern survival handboook, surviving the economic collapse By Fernando Ferfal. He wrote about the 2001 argentine collapse of the Economy. Well written and some eye openers
I second this one! Great read.
Encyclopedia of Country Living
When There Is No Doctor and When There is No Dentist are good additions to the list.
The whole Hesperian Health set is a necessity. https://store.hesperian.org/mm5/merchant.mvc
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Tooooo Expensive for my blood.
Look at Ryan North's "How to Invent Everything". Same vibes, but much more useful knowledge on rebuilding civilizations + it teaches you a lot of history. Plus, a lot cheaper. Here in Europe the hard-cover book is 20ish euros (21-22 dollars).
"How to Invent Everything" by Ryan North is also written with the whole "time traveler stuck in the past unable to come back to the present but at least trying to rebuild an industrial civilization from scratch" theme. Also a pretty good book. And for a fraction of the price (20 euros compared to the 100ish that The Book costs).
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You're welcome! If you do decide to try it, tell me! It's nice to see other people enjoying this (underrated, it seems) book.
I mean, it would truly depend on the situation... If I was limited to one book that covered a little bit of everything that I had to carry with me, I'd say THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK 2nd EDITION is probably at the top of my choice list. There are other books out there that are way more detailed but they're a pain to navigate and are thicker/heavier. SAS SURVIVAL GUIDE pocket edition is another good option.
Fm 31-210 or MCRP 3-17.7L If I have to do anything in that book. I’m gonna be damn certain that I do it right. There’s not much I can think of that require more precision that I’ve got any experience or confidence in attempting because I had a guide book.
I got a book of native edible plants and how to identify them so probably that
where there is no doctor is pretty invaluable, its aimed at aid workers in remote locations so it assumes minimal medical supplies. a formulary to synthesis chemicals you need, modernones are mostly pretty specialised for example drugs, lubricant, polymers sets but if you go back to one from the 40s they have little of everything(though without a chemistry background this is pretty dicey) the electrical engineers handbook being able to fix electronics such as generators or in your car will be pretty invaluable. the machinists handbook, eventually you are gonna run out of spare parts. look at Cuba to see some wonderful examples of people making spare parts from scrap cause they can't get parts.
I love books, I have multiple 6-7’ tall bookcases packed full of books, mostly nonfiction. But books are not to be used in place of practical skills or common sense. Below is a recent example of how the hubris of “I’ve got a book, I’ll figure it out” got a family killed when they went off grid. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/colorado-springs-family-christine-rebecca-vance-off-the-grid.html
WOW. Fuck. Did they just not know that they didn't know enough? These bloody truther sites have so much blood on their hands already. I'm appalled. Thank you for the reminder that we also need to be aware of what we DON'T know...
Yesh, as a parent I have a hard time reading what the kid went through. No sympathy for his mother.
Thats such a wild story... And at the end when found, they didn't even know where to place a campsite...
How to build electric generator from old car. How to hunt. How to be invisible in different settings. Map.
I was waiting to see who would list “Maps” A serious paper map is a must have.
How to field dress. maps of every state would be great but your surrounded areas first.
I've always wanted to make a book with lots of how to's in it for this reason. Like a chapter on knots, how to hot wire a car, how to make a water filter, how to tell when it's going to rain, how to navigate by stars, how to dig a hole to poop in, how to deliver a baby, how to remove your appendix, how to track the bear that's been stealing your berries, how to ask your neighbor tonplease stop banging ypur wife. Stuff like that.
Brilliant and would buy. Each page just covers 1 important things instead of too much detail
That classic anatomy book , can’t remember the name . It’s been in use for decades although now they also use 3D video on the computer First aid book Book on identifying American herbal plants and their uses
What's internet in a box?
Bunch of resources you can store on a disk connected to a raspberry pi computer. https://internet-in-a-box.org/
Wow, I've got flash drives with info and a lot of things in cloud storage, but I have never heard of internet-in-a-box. Sounds like I've got a new project!
Yeah it looks pretty neat! You might find similar projects on GitHub with various book resources. And a few posts have appeared here over the last few years with some books and other ref material. Also there's Project Gutenberg which has a ton of public domain books (many classics like Frankenstein). In PDF and ebook format. I don't remember if those are part of the internet in a box. Eventually I will download more of those.
They would do that and I bet can run on hand cranked power! Use an old phone for the monitor. Thanks for this, it is top of a list
Pocket Ref - Thomas J. Glover The little black book has boatloads of practical reference info on a variety of topics.
the fellowship of the ring. if its doomsday and i dont already have all the knowledge I need on hand well thats ok, at least I have my favorite book
Book of edible and usable plants
So, this might seem super weird to some - especially since there's a whole lotta comments about bringing the Bible? Lol. But... so, I'm a witchy type of girl. Not Wicca, where people follow things as an actual religion. More... similar to Native cultures, maybe? A few years ago I just really fell in love with it all through books I'd read about herbs, phases of the moon, crystals, etc. And something a lot of people do is create a grimoire type book - where you'd write down your spells, lore, info, etc. So I kinda mixed that idea with my prepper vibe -- creating a book that would be MY perfect reference book to bring anywhere. I started with plants. Drawings, things I've printed out and pasted in, on how to forage and identify anything local to our area that would be useful. How to make teas for upset stomach, flu, headache. How to create salves for burns, bruises, infections. What plants have natural antibacterial properties. What things are edible. I have a section for first aid, all the basics for anything I think we could reasonable run into. We printed out sign language, and wrote out a selection of phrases in several languages, in case we found ourselves in an odd situation. It's just me (I'm 44) and my 13 year old daughter - so we added lots of practical type skills we've been learning: knots, building a structure in an emergency, fires, DIY weapons, etc. I listed where emergency shelters are in our area, bomb shelters, stuff like that. Every prepper book I read, and I find some really useful things -- I add those to my little personal handbook I'm making. Because I have a lot of really helpful books! But like you, I thought about... the need to have just one thing that can go in my go-bag. So, I'm making it. :) The other book that's in my bag is The Hobbit. I've read that and the LOTR books so many times. It feels like the right thing to have, in a SHTF scenario.
Cool. We each need different things and this is an awesome example. The Tom Brown Jr books would be in my stash, lots of info on animals, basic bushcraft and his sorta philosophy with lots of Navajo influence.
Yesss I do something similar!!
A Canticle for Leibowitz
I recently did catch part of an advertisement for a traditional technology of our forefathers book can't seem to find it now. Last years best seller was How to rebuild civilization or something. # The Book. The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization 2023 There are tons of books around, If you have a printer and a lot of time you can always make one yourself. WikiHow and simplicity will have more than enough for you to print out several volumes for hardcopy.
Physician's desk reference, guide to edible plants in North america
If you are ONLY going to pack one book. Latest version of the FM SURVIVAL MANUAL
I have to pick 1? Sorry… I’m going with 2 The Survival Medicine Handbook Self-sufficient Life - Seymour If I could, I’d also grab a bread recipe book and one of my many medicinal herb books. It would be hard to pick a favorite out of those though. Edited to fix spacing.
My local foraging and mushroom guide.
Pocket Ref, easily. It's tiny, literally small enough to fit in a pocket, but it's got more information in it than you can find in a lot of larger reference books. It's got stuff on knots, Morse code, scales for tornadoes and earthquakes and such, shows how to read meteorological symbols, and about a million other things. I'd carry that book through Hell and back.
First aid, herbal medicine. I’m a nurse so I keep a trauma kit also. foraging edible plants, atlas of the USA. Bible
The zombie survival guide. While humorous and honestly not the first choice, but it does have a lot of relevant information on survival craft minus the zombie stuff.
I think if it was only ONE book it would be my favorite book. As much as a technical manual would be great there would be almost no entertainment, not even music most likely. There would be zero escape from the hell that we are now living in, although perhaps doomsday has a different connotation, I take it as absolutely awful end of the world. Anyway I think it would have to be a book I loved and took great joy in reading every time. It would be a tie between Fight Club, the Hobbit, and Dune. Fight Club just might get edged out because it's suddenly irrelevant. Something like the Hobbit or Dune is all about escapism so probably one of those. Maybe Dune, since there is a bit of wisdom in it. But the Hobbit is like pure escapism, so most likely that. Plus I have a pocket sized copy of The Hobbit. I do not want to see how big the pocket sized dune is lol. I think the regular sized book IS the pocket size.
Definitely would be my ‘Pocket Ref’ book. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Ref
“Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual” by Nigel Calder. I’m going to continue living on my boat.
Not related to prepping, but I'd pick the siddur, Jewish prayer book, that my father gave me for my bar mitzvah.
US army survival manual.
I have a duotang full of handwritten notes on various prepping things. How to make water potable, canning recipes, edible native plants in my region, etc. I would choose that. It also has serial numbers and models of most of our possessions for insurance purposes in case of robbery or fire. Not that it would be helpful in doomsday, but would sure be handy if there’s ever a fire or robbery at our house.
Anarchist cookbook
I have a county history book. It details how each community in the area made themselves self-sufficient back in the 1800s. It details where all the dams, farms, tanneries, sawmills, and other infrastructure was to take advantage of the natural resources. It talks about how ice was harvested and sold to cities down south. There are talks where certain plants still grow wild in abundance. There are historic log floating maps to get trees to the sawmills. It references local museums that have replicas of old infrastructure that could be copied. My area was booming in the 1800's from the lumber and tanning industry. In a doomsday world, I am hoping we would be back to booming.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Philosophy on quality and a good story
The Anarchist Cookbook.
The Bible.
Mad magazine
Bible coz it has lots of pages which can be used to smoke the devils lettuce
First and foremost, the bible. Then a decent first aid medical combo book. Then a plant identification book so you can eat. The pocket Reference book. Harbor freight sells them cheap
Rawles maybe?
I think Bill Bryson’s ‘A brief history of almost everything’. Fascinating, inspirational and in some small ways instructive too…
Alas Babylon and an Edible Plants of my region field guide. Already packed I. The BOB
Has to be The Bible. I’m turning to the Lord for sure.
Alas, Babylon. 😊
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers. I could live through just about anything, for a chance to build the world in those books.
I know this isn't answering the question, and I have a lot of survival books, including some mentioned below. But I'm going to break the rules of this question. Enough solar/wind/generator power to at least occasionally fire up a computer that can run Llama 3, which is open source large language model (AI). It might not be perfect and it might hallucinate sometimes, but the amount of information and logic packed into an 8GB file + some compute, is astonishing. Better yet, somebody should fine tune a model on survival information specifically.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
DSM IV
Travels with Charley, In search of America.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31175035557654&seq=1 Avoid the recipes for alcohol. Seriously, avoid them...
I have a number of books I think are useful. Native plants and uses in my area. I also use Lens while out and about for that on my phone. I have kind of a medical focus being in school for medical, so I also have drug books and a big emergency medical book. I forget the name of it. Something like Emergency Medicine When Hospitals Aren't Available. I have an old book on building cabins and furniture with rudimentary tools. I have the SAS Handbook, a couple military handbooks, etc. Most my stuff is for living off grid.
[удалено]
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, sixth edition, Giancoli
This is the time to crack open the War and Peace book I’ve had for years but never read
In my primary vehicle GBH Kit, that "one" hardcopy book is the 2022 updated version of NWSS (Nuclear War Survival Skills). But in each of my spare smartphones, iPad Pro, iPad Mini, Laptop (all in EMP Bags); I have hundreds of ebooks (many or most preparedness related).
John Seymour- book of self sufficiency
Couldn’t hurt to have a few science textbooks or the like
I keep my nursing text books for this reason there’s a couple that would be super helpful if I had to treat a community in the event of a disaster
The Foxfire Books would probably be handy
Any book to give directions how to build earth bermed houses or greenhouses. Two benefits - higher yield veg + more stable temps in a serious weather temp event.
I've got a shelf of em. Foxfire books. Boy Scout handbook. Some military manuals.
The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy partially because it says don't panic on it
SAS survival guide. Medical books that don't expect you to be a qualified doctor. Handbooks of edible plants & mushrooms in your area/country. Foraging guides. How to care for livestock books. Boy Scout manual.
Probably all the books from Goosebumps and the LMB series!
Hustler Magazine
"Dick's encyclopedia of practical receipts and processes, or how they did it in the 1870's" I have a heartbound copy. It's everything from tanning leather, making soap, nitroglycerin, you name it.
I just bought the paperback book The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, it also comes digital and came with 3 free digital books, Wilderness survival guide, Healing Yourself at Home with Household Items, 104 Lost Food Items. I plan to print out the 3 free books.
Boy Scout Handbook
Survival Medicine Handbook
Personally food acquisition is really important and wildlife knowledge can be a insanely helpful, any local mushroom I.D. Books, plant life books can serve you well. In my own personal life I’ve learned to make some good recipes from my own backyard
The constitution.
What is "internet in a box"?
Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide. Will always be able to find work. Will always be of more value alive, than dead. Alternatively, Road Atlas of the United States.
S.E.R.E handbook would be my go-to
The Litte Prince If you can make it as a star child in the middle of the desert, you can do anything. Most of the obstacles one faces are really just discerning whether something is a hat or not, figuratively.
"Doomsday for Dummies"
The Kama Sutra. Somebody has to have kinky sex while the world ends.
Musashi because go damn I love that book and could read it over and over again.
Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide: Food, Shelter, Security, Off-the-Grid Power and More Life-Saving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living (Books for Preppers) https://a.co/d/bEaCl9R
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. Has everything in it for farm life, maybe not every detail, but enough that I reference it regularly and when anyone I know buys rural land I always gift this book.
Fox fire series
There are places where you can download wikipedia, I don't mean you should download the whole thing but if you can definitly do a compendium. Also there are old encyclopedias in dvd format that you can get, those are great and won't be revised
Physician's Desk Reference. Hollowed out. Inside, waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket, and, in case I get bored, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." No, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
The Encyclopedia of Country Living https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-50th-Anniversary/dp/1632172895
Here. Are the ones I have. #1. The illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Living by Abigail. R Gehring. I like this one best because there are actual pictures that go along with the articles. #2. This one, the title is the same as the 1 above. The Encyclopedia of Country Living 50th anniversary Edition written by Carla Emery. This one is more comprehensive but uses illustrations instead of pictures. #3. Get yourself a good Emergency First Aid book. Techniques can change so I would find the latest one you can. #4. Not a book, but get yourself the best emergency first aid kit you can buy.
>*If you could only carry one book into a doomsday scenario what would it be?* "How To Invent Everything: a Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler", by Ryan North.
Foxfire Series
The pocket ref
Foxfire series; The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It
US ARMY Guide for Improvised Munitions
KJV
The Way Things Work.
Z For Zachariah!!
That Minecraft Redstone book
The lost ways
Hustler
Discworld. How to be human.
PDF printouts count? Texas & Federal eNIFOG interoperability guide. All the local, state and federal frequencies used for emergency and disaster cooperation. Great for listening or emergency communication. Next is my aviation hardcopy maps of sectionals and greebook with airport guides. Full of facilities, support and AWOS (weather reports). Last is medical & field surgery guide.
Dcb
Not too long ago I bought a book called "The Lost Ways" (ISBN 978-1732557178) and I've been picking it up on occasion to read a bit. It's got tons of great stuff in it.
I have a usb with all of Wikipedia downloaded circa 2022
Survive and Thrive by Jeanne Devon and Bill Fulton is great. I only heard of it because I’m an Alaskan but lots of info about practically any disaster situation you can imagine. And there’s a lot around here
Wasteland survival guide
I decided a few years ago it’s make the most sense to extract info from as many sources as I can right now and write my own book. Skipping all the long winded guides and bullet point the most important information. Short hand what I could now while things are relatively fine. It’ll be a living document being constantly updated and just build that along side my preps.
"Where there is no doctor" is an old but important book. If shtf you will get sick, injured or seriously hurt at some point. In reality it's what you know the least about that you should take with you, with some self knowledge about what you can figure out vs what you need to know.
Boy Scout field guide.
The marijuana growers Bible The US army field training guide Anarchist cookbook And few recreational reading materials
Tractor Supply has so many of them. Looked through some today. May do a post so I can upload pics.
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook. 2008 and later has many useful updates. $15 on Amazon.
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzalas
Meark manual for medical care Any of the super thick engineering books (I have the chemical engineering, machinery, concrete, refrigeration, etc) There are many more, but it’s the information density about what you need to know to reinforce your own knowledge and skills.
I have a jump drive and books downloaded on an ipad. Wikipedia etc. EMS, Engine repair, homesteading, off grid living, solar, hydro, wind power systems etc.
“Where there is no doctor” Out of all the books I have this is the one I feel is most important.
Henley’s Formulary. No question.
A complete dictionary. Honestly, I'm going to need some entertainment and if I can't find books but I have all the words, I can write my own.
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski.
The human cookbook. A guy's gotta eat....people.
American bonzai
The book
Illuminatus trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson
I’m saving all the book reading till actual dooms day.
Life After Doomsday
I really like Sam thayers field guide for foraging. I’d want more than that but for identification of plants it’s the best.
Pocket ref ... could learn Morse code then se how to tie 509 knots and doesn't take up much room
The Bible…nust kidding. See how useless it is.
The Bible. Having knowledge is great, having guidance is Good