Looking for a GOOD Survival/Prep Manual

Yes, I've seen and read the SAS Survival Manual, but what I'm looking for is a GOOD book on general preps, not just in-the-field preps. Something that will address picking a bug-out location, making your house a bug-in location, canning techniques, yada, yada, yada.

Is this one any good?

How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It



The reviews on AMazon seem to be pretty good, but you know how that goes.

I haven't read it, but it "should" be Patriots without the novelization.

I picked this one up: http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Complete-Traditional-Skills/dp/1602392331/ a while back. It doesn't get real into detail with things, but it has a good overview of damn near everything you would need to know to get by, and anything that's not spelled out, you can figure out. It's nice and straightforward, no agendas or far out perspectives. It seems like most SHTF books come from one extreme or the other. (Global Warming is gonna kill us all if we don't live in mud huts, or The UN/NWO is going to invade us and put our children in gulags.)

A book I am interested in picking up for its different perspective is the book Ferfal308 wrote. http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Survival-Manual-Surviving-Economic/dp/9870563457/ It's based on his experience in economic collapse SHTF, and I think a very realistic/possible scenario for us. As much as we might want to be prepared to bug out and head for the hills and live like pioneers, the fact is that life will go on. Society will go on, and we need to be prepared for that scenario. Life will essentially be the same, except it will suck more (if that makes any sense). If it was on Kindle, I would have it already and be reading it right now, but I hope to get around to ordering it one of these days, or maybe ask for it for Father's Day.

I listened to "patriots"...very religious based....but gets you thinking about supplies and security in ways you may not have thought of.....good book.

Now I'm listening to "one second after"....so far so good.

both of these are fictionalized stories of SHTF.....but put a lot of things into light through the eyes of the charaters.

Rawles survival bolg is a good site for info too.

This site has some very knowlegeable folks....and a couple idiots thrown in for good measure....I tend to sit on the fence between both....cause I can be a bit of an idiot at times.

The SAS Survival manual is one of the best out there.....if you can score one.....get the pocket sized weather proof one.....however...they are out of print by all my inquiries. The full sized ones aren't all over the place either....but more readily out there.

My brother and I have been going "full steam ahead" on preping.....in fact....just picked up a gas range/oven today....for free.....and a 1/2 full 100#er

this will go nicely with the big tank....five 100#ers and the countless 30#ers.

When he comes in at the end of the month.....we are building the "shelves" / "bunkbeds" in the garage of the ralley point.

A bit extreme...maybe....but they are functional shelves...and the stove was a freebie (giver switching to eletric).

When preping....use your head and keep your eyes open at yardsales.....no one preps for hardtimes anymore....and they practially give the stuff away.

Become one with the ant.....beware the grasshoppers.....good luck.

PS....pick up a copy of "Backwoods Home Magazine".....nice off grid stuff.....all about the homestead.

You and I, both.

Oh, I know about the SF. Been here for years in spits and spurts. What I'm trying to find is a good, well-reasoned and researched basis book that I can establish a better base of knowledge on.

I'm reading "Patriots" now and finished "One Second After" a few weeks ago. Read "The Road" and saw the movie recently. Opened my already-open eyes further.

yeah....got one of my buddies on board with "patriots".

The survival blog is an excellent resource....

There are so many resources out there that have good list and guides....that it's over whelming.

We just took the "beans, bullets, bandaids" ideology to heart....while expanding that....we are getting into the radios, smokeless cooking, more indepth medical supplies, dentistery equipment and supplies, ...etc.

We have kids....so they present a whole new set of obsticals for long term SHTF senerios.....clothes, shoes, textbooks, etc.

I'm going this weekend yardsaleing looking for wood working handtools.....saws, drills, handplanes, etc.....I have a small metal fab shop....so I have a lot of metalworking handtools.

Can't stop living your life....but preping can prolong it...

I really enjoyed FerFal's book. Have already ordered a couple of copies as gifts to friends that might be put off by the tone and approach of some of the more "hard-core" type works.

In general, what did he do?

Patriots was actually more detailed than the 'guide'. I've been a reader of his blog, selectively, for years and I was utterly disappointed. I even pre-ordered two and gave one to a friend who was also under whelmed. Oh well.

Roger that. I'll keep looking.

Thanks.

Really just became much more observant about surroundings. Also some basic information about water/food procurement. His point of view and experience is in a large city area during a financial meltdown. I found it to be a much more useful set of tips and advice. Much more down to earth, common sense (that is not so common) and immediately useful.

I didn't get FerFal's book, but I've read his stuff online, and it is good, if primarily a condensation of common sense advice. I might buy it though, as I love to read this stuff, even when it's a rehash of other people's work (which I realize is not always intentional, but rather a foregone result of the chosen subject matter).

OP, a good question. I don't know if there is any one particular book that will give you all the answers. It'd probably be best to look at several different references and take the best each has to offer according to your circumstances.

Most everything after 1990 seems to be a re hash of late 70's mid 80's advice, with nothing more than a slight twist in favor of the authors experiances or skill sets. Least that is what i have found from the newer " survive xyz..." books that have flooded the market since 9/11- katrina era.

As to FF's book. i'd say 80% of it seems to come/has that feel that it came from postings or his past blog entries( just by the style of writing) the other 20% is either stuff he has learned /seen over the last few years or put in there as filler on topics that he doesnt normally post about in his blog or online postings. It is a decent read for newbs/preppers or folks on the fence , i didnt get much out of it to be honest, but thats just me.ymmv

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