The old saying goes that knowledge is power. This wisdom has been proven correct time and time again. It is even more crucial in times of crisis and danger, meaning in those scenarios that people in the prepping community are concerned about. In any of these scenarios, regardless whether the catastrophe is man-made or naturally occurring, having the right information and know-how can mean the difference between life and death. This is why any serious survivalist has to have a dedicated prepper library.
However, this does not mean having a folder with eBooks or PDF files on a computer or a mobile device. In many potential disaster scenarios, these things will be among the first to become useless. The danger looming over digital technology is widespread and can come from a range of potential vectors. Firstly, there is the possibility of an EMP or an electromagnetic pulse as a result of a thermonuclear detonation or some other energy discharge like a solar flare. An EMP impacts a wide area where it potentially destroys all digital devices by breaking down their memory blocks (which are magnetic in nature). After a strong EMP, everything that has a processor in it will be mostly useless.
Then, there is the potential of the internet breaking down. With more and more people desperately dependent on the internet, it is fast becoming a bigger target for a range of malicious parties. In case the online world goes dark for a prolonged period, any data you might have like survival handbooks could become inaccessible when you need it the most.
Finally, the last and most obvious scenario is probably the most likely one – the power goes out. Without electricity, all digital devices are bound to stop working sooner or later. In that case, as well, any digital source of information would end up being as good as gone.
Thanks to all of these threats, any prepper library should be comprised of physical books and texts that are always accessible. These have to be stored and maintained in a proper manner, but with that, they can last for decades or even centuries. Today, people still possess books that have been printed in the 16th or even 15th century. A prepper library has to follow the overall prepper mindset by being effective and problem-proof. This is important because once it is really needed, it should be there to provide its owners with the best possible information at the right moment. Here is the list of the essential texts every library like this simply must have.
Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook, Revised Edition
Where There Is No Dentist
The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use
Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods
Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game: Beef, Veal, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Rabbit, Venison
The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking in the Wild
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide: Harvest, Treat, and Store Your Most Vital Resource
Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide: Food, Shelter, Security, Off-the-Grid Power and More Life-Saving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere
Nuclear War Survival Skills: Lifesaving Nuclear Facts and Self-Help Instructions
