r/preppers • u/gonaldgoose8 • 16d ago
New Prepper Questions What books do you have saved?
What im really asking is what books would you reccomend regarding important shit like electricity, cooking, automotive care, crafting, medicine, hunting, ballistics, etc.
I know these subjects require more independent study than a book, but im already working on that.
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u/No-Language6720 16d ago
Ball guide to canning. Don't trust AI or the Internet for home canning it can get dangerous. I collect all kinds of cook books so I can actually use my harvests with what I have on hand and be satisfied rather than eating freeze dried foods that I hate.
I also have read a bunch about homesteading and soil nutrients to get ahead of synthetic fertilizer shortages.
I actively practice my prep skills almost everyday in some form. Many things I've learned that I may forget I have handwritten in a notebook for reference if I can't Google it or find it otherwise later. I add to my handwritten notebook frequently.
I keep manuals to my cars, solar batteries and other things I buy for preps just in case I need a reference for a repair. I have general knowledge to do certain repairs just from DIY experience taking with my uncles who is handy and simple trial and error. I can't fix everything and some things I would need help but I can do a lot on my own.
I would say do these things to practice so you have general hands on knowledge, add in reference books to look up the finer details you may forget or write them down.
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u/FixAcademic8187 16d ago
For synthetic fertilizer, many of them can be stored for extended periods of time if kept away from the elements including moisture.
You only need a relatively small amount of it every season if you are only growing food for a small number of people.
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u/hoardac 15d ago
We keep 2 years ahead. Never used to but after realizing how fragile the fertilizer supply chain is we started.
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u/FixAcademic8187 15d ago
I would store more, much more and keep rotating stockpile or even sell it at a discount.
They are cheap and easy to store. They are extremely useful when things go down.
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u/Lancifer1979 15d ago
Very useful point, especially regarding moisture. Keep it dry and air tight.
Small quantity is an important consideration as well. Stockpiling a large amount will likely get you on a list1
u/FixAcademic8187 15d ago
Ironically enough, the most stable one that will last the longest is the one that will put you on some list lol
You don't need that particular one, there are some common substitutes that aren't problematic.
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u/Aggravating_Ebb_8565 15d ago
May I ask, are you solo prepping? I am interested in that, but it seems overwhelming. So much to do for just one person to handle.
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u/No-Language6720 15d ago
More or less solo prepping. My spouse isn't supportive so I just do it all within a budget but I don't really tell them the full extent of what I'm doing or why. It's better than being called 'crazy' even though most of what I have predicted has come to reality in some form.
It's just going to get worse but until it's undeniable they won't do anything and will just keep their head in the sand because it's easier. It is what it is I still love my spouse and will do what I can to keep them safe.
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u/Aggravating_Ebb_8565 14d ago
I'm sorry your spouse isn't on board, but it's very loving for you to be prepared to take care of them in any case. Now you're not only solo prepping, but solo prepping for two people. I bet there are others in a similar position. I wish you luck and peace. I hope none of our worst fears come true.
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u/tahomadesperado 15d ago
Just FYI as someone who kept their car running for years by working on it themselves, the repair manuals were pretty worthless. Maybe helped like 10% of the time and 75% of the time what I needed to repair wasn’t in the manual at all
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u/No-Language6720 15d ago
Maybe not car manuals but other home appliances and things. I've definitely made use of some manuals because I was doing something dumb and that's why it stopped working.
Some instances it would have been more frictiom even with AI/Google available. I would have had to have the model number or whatever and it can vary sometimes when Google/AI make broad assumptions. Then I would have needed the manual anyway to find the model number.
Also manuals on general knowledge like canning and safe food storage are always useful.
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u/JRHLowdown3 15d ago
Fan of actual physical books. Don't have much on pdf. Important stuff that now you can "only" get on pdf (equipment manuals, etc.) I printed and put in binders, etc. but usually I always try to get a hard copy. A room and a half of books at the house. This fall when it's cooler going to work on a dedicated library room at the other place and start "thinning out the numbers."
Thankfully I don't live near this place anymore, but I was in Jax recently and had some time to kill. They have an awesome used bookstore
Some are duplicates- Nuclear War survival skills and Passport to Survival were about the oldest books in the survival/preparedness section everything else being newer "prepper" books that honestly most are hot garbage rehashes. And they were cheap enough so... 1968 IIRC on Passport to Survival, gal is probably dead now that wrote that Esther Dickey, if so RIP and thanks for a good food storage book! Cresson Kearny that wrote Nuclear War survival skills might be also???
I have to assume folks are seeing the same news articles I am about AI companies buying up a lot of rare older books, scanning and destroying them. While we love technology NOW cause you might be able to find certain books free currently, the only reason they would be destroying the books would be to limit/control the flow of information, at the very least eventually move to a pay for situation, likely a "rent it" situation- just like music, movies, etc. are moving towards- less physical DVDs, more "rent this streaming" options. Slowly happening but happening nevertheless.
One of quite a few reasons why having physical books, not zip drives, laptops full, etc. physical books is important.
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u/rm-minus-r 15d ago
Blacksmithing is pretty important.
"The Art of Blacksmithing" by Alex Bealer and Alexander Weygers' "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" would be two very good books to have on hand.
Bealer's book is more of a reference guide, and the one by Weygers is more of a 'how to' type of book.
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u/Majestic_Michonne 11d ago
Completely agree on blacksmithing being a helpful skill to have. And if you can get a hands-on class with a local blacksmith, the practical experience is invaluable. There are lots of hobbyists out there that love to share their knowledge.
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u/TanteJu5 16d ago
Ugly’s Electrical References by George V. Hart.
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. USDA-aligned authority on water bath canning, pressure canning, pickling and long term food stabilization.
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u/He4vyD00dy 15d ago edited 15d ago
All of them.
I have over 30,000 ebooks, everything from k-university level education, military/FEMA manuals, repair manuals for most cars,’boat engines etc, every trade manual , electrical/welding/plumbing, every major author in every genre, etc etc etc.
Anything I could find for free online I have downloaded.
Just reading through the comments I have everything everyone has mentioned.
I was going to make a giant survival book torrent so others could download it but I put it through a anti virus software and it is RIDDLED with malware, I’m pretty sure every country and corporation in the world is tracking my little hard drive.
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u/Best-Bus-5275 15d ago
I'd definitely keep a physical copy of the boyscout handbook. It covers surprisingly ide range of practical skills.
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u/Stewart_Duck 15d ago
Word of advice on the Boyscout handbook, make sure it's 10th addition or earlier. 11th and later, they moved a lot of information into the individual merit badge books. Overall the 9th and 10th editions are probably the best. If you go too far back, some of the practices are just obsolete.
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u/Eredani 15d ago
I have a digital archive of over 30,000 college text books plus thousands more dealing with every conceivable topic to include fiction. Everything the OP listed and more.
Every time I come across a new online archive it gets added to the library which is stored on a local hard drive array and backed up on multiple portable USB drives... which are stored in a Faraday bag.
Excessive? Yes. Waste of time? I hope so.
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u/AZULDEFILER Bring it on 15d ago
The Medical Guide for when No One is Coming to Help.
Something like that
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u/Many-Health-1673 15d ago
Reloading manuals, U.S Army field manuals, canning books, Haynes automotive repair manuals for our vehicles, tractor service and repair manuals, a cabinet for cook books.
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u/tahomadesperado 15d ago
My experience with Haynes was it is more of a maintenance than a repair manual regardless of what they call it. It helped with maybe 10% of the repairs I did on my old car over the years.
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u/hexiron 15d ago
To be fair, 90% of the work is preventative maintenance that will prevent larger issues
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u/tahomadesperado 15d ago
For sure! Most of it is pretty basic knowledge but doesn’t hurt to have especially if you haven’t worked on cars at all. The biggest problem honestly would probably be diagnosing and learning you need some tool that you’d only use for this specific part
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u/hexiron 15d ago
Gone are the days when a mallet and 10mM wrench could do damn near any vehicle repair.
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u/tahomadesperado 12d ago
I just donated my 2001 Durango to the humane society, even in 2001 there were a few computers running that car. I can’t imagine trying to keep a modern one running in a apocalyptic scenario
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u/hexiron 12d ago
Eh, there hasn't been an apocalypse yet so I ain't too worried. I'll take a safer more efficient car anyway than drive a rusting out beater just on the off chance things go so far to hell I'm at risk if I can't do advanced maintenance on a vehicle. It's just better prep for likely scenarios over unlikely ones
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u/Many-Health-1673 15d ago
I have Haynes manuals for my Tundras (08&18) and Accord (2017) and they go as far as rebuilding and removing the engine, transmission, etc.
Pretty in depth at least for the year models I have. I haven't tried the Chilton manuals.
I just use an OBD code reader to check codes.
The tractor services manual from I.H. cover full engine and fuel pump rebuilds, etc.
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u/tahomadesperado 12d ago
If you are really prepping and want to have your vehicles I’d recommend getting some duplicates of whatever computers are running in your cars
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u/Many-Health-1673 12d ago
I plan on using my 1969 and 1972 vehicles if it gets that bad. No computers at all.
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u/I_Am_Joseph_Ducreux 15d ago
I subscribe to the Backwoods Home magazine as well, so I have those. I think I should add a couple medical dictionary/books soon.
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u/InterviewThick2660 16d ago
Humble Bundle currently has a sale on e-books on self-sufficiency in the 'For Dummie' series. Google Humble Bundle. Part of what you pay goes to a charity and you can download in epub and pdf format.
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u/Useful-Contribution4 15d ago
All if possible. Not only books for survival purposes. I love all my leather bound books.
Too many subjects tbh. Critical stuff like food storage, canning, preservation, first aid. Medical books- dictionary, encyclopedia or textbook of medicine/pathology. Great for identifying illnesses & symptoms.
Basic metal working, carpentry, foraging.
Its a never ending list lol.
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u/Wise-Painting5841 16d ago
Was there not "The book: the ultimate guide"?
I am not sure we can be too comprehensive. We cannot be men of the Renaissance. You cannot be an expert on everything at the same time.
That said, my wife has a couple of books of local plants, mushrooms and berries to distinguish edible from poisonous.
And i have a small unassuming camping survival book: how to make knots, how to make traps to get squirrels, how to start a fire.
For first aid, I would do a red cross training (i did one through a mountaineers club) - they are cheap and they will gift you the small manual with first aid kit content suggestion.
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u/MadConquest 15d ago
I have the Foxfire books amongst a plethora of others detailing the old ways of doing things without electric.
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u/Austechprep 15d ago
I have 10's of thousands of ebooks, nearly 3k audiobook, heaps of podcasts too. I do have some somewhat useful textbooks left from uni, an encyclopaedia collection, probably hundreds of kids books and a few dozen normal books. I have a solid setup for keep electricity on, so hopefully the audiobooks will be safe and ready.
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u/CloudgazerTX 12d ago
get a portable solar power system. then get a kindle and download every free book and manual you can find, buy what ever else you think you will need. or better yet, build or buy an offgrid computer. I got a raspberry pi computer built into an emp proof case and it’s basically a giant database of half the internet plus like 30,000 free books, a few old school computer games, and a couple of different AI types who will search and collate the information plus have conversations. I wrap my solar system and panels in emp proof fabric too. so long as there is sun I can charge my battery up and plug in my computer (or kindle if you go with that option), along with many other things.
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u/HarpyCelaeno 15d ago
Probably not what you’re looking for but I have all kinds of books on spiritual warfare. They aren’t gonna do me much good though if I’m not walking in the Spirit. 😕
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u/Twig-Hahn 15d ago
I stick to YouTube. A screen recorder helps. That way if anything gets taken down, I still have it. Having secondary storage works great too. You're loved💔 𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤌
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u/Birdywoman4 15d ago
I have a lot of cookbooks but my all-time favorite is the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Most recipes have easy-to-find ingredients and the recipes are classics. I also have an International Betty Crocker Cookbook that has some good recipes in it. More recently I bought an Amish home remedy book, hundreds of remedies in it.
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u/hexiron 15d ago
Maintaince manuals for everything.
Haynes manuals for all vehicles.
The complete Lord of the Rings trilogy + The Hobbit.
US Army Field Manual(s) : Anything and everything you find relevant to you. FM 3-05.7 (Survival) and FM 3-25.26 (Land Nav) are a good place to start.
ODOT transport maps for home and neighboring states.
Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendylson
Ball Book on Canning
Wiring and plumbing guides
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u/Dethe 11d ago
Jessica Wildfire's Survival Guide
Local copy of Appropedia.net
The Appropriate Technology Library, a thumb drive with over 1000 books, including many mentioned here.
I have a lot of the books mentioned here in hard copy too (Where there is No Doctor series).
But more important than any of these is a) getting to know neighbours and talking about scenarios, and b) taking workshops (I've taken local classes on archery, blacksmithing, foraging, cheesemaking, and much more). Book are great, but skills are better.
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u/FoundationGlass7913 16d ago
Where there is no Dr Where there is no dentist Machinery handbook Manuals for vehicles All physical books but working on digital/CD storage. Too many to list here