Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Long-Term Events: Learning from History to Prevent Future Déjà Vu 4
Pandemics 5
Famine 6
Economic Collapse 7
Freak Occurrences 9
Chapter 2 Water: Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink 17
Water Storage 18
Filtration and Disinfection 26
Chapter 3 Food: How to Avoid a Starvation Diet 32
Food Storage 33
Growing and Raising Food 36
Foraging Wild Edibles 56
Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping 57
Food Preservation 60
Cooking Methods 65
Chapter 4 Medicine: There's a Doctor in All of Us 78
Medical Training 79
Medical Texts 80
Medical Supplies 82
Medications 87
Chapter 5 Hygiene: Staying Clean in a Dirty World 98
Off-Grid Toilet Facilities 99
Laundry 100
Bathing 102
Tooth Care 103
Feminine hygiene 104
Waste Disposal 104
Chapter 6 Staying Warm and Keeping Cool: Gimme Shelter 108
Clothing 109
Home Is Where the Shelter Is 115
Chapter 7 Security: You Can Never Have Enough Defense 120
OPSEC and Being the Gray Man 121
Defensive Weapons 123
Structure Hardening 130
Perimeter Defense 131
Situational Awareness 133
Consequences 134
Chapter 8 Tools: He Who Survives with the Most Toys Wins 137
General Repairs 138
Demolition Tools 140
Cleaning Tools 141
Garden Tools 142
Firewood Tools 142
Lighting 144
Protective Gear 145
Power Generation 146
Communication Tools 148
Chapter 9 Surviving Boredom: Adding Entertainment to Survival 151
Books 152
Board Games 153
Cards and Dice 155
Music 156
Arts and Crafts 156
Education 158
Chapter 10 Barter and Trade: Not Just for Baseball Cards 160
Barter Goods Aren't a Priority 161
Stockpiling Barter Goods 163
Potential Barter Items 164
Making a Living 167
Three Rules for Bartering 169
Chapter 11 Community Survival Planning: It Takes a Village 171
What Is a Community? 172
Benefits and Challenges of Community-Based Survival 172
Roles within the Community 175
Community Asset Assessment 178
Community Organization and Leadership 183
Making and Enforcing Community Laws 184
Refugees 187
Quarantining Potential New Members 189
Chapter 12 Finders Keepers: Scavenging the Wasteland 191
Water 192
Food and Dry Goods 193
Self-Storage Facilities 194
Vehicles 195
Medical Facilities 196
Factories 198
Motels 198
Specialty Shops 199
Reconnaissance 199
Scavenging Equipment 200
Returning Home 202
Appendix 203
Checklists 208
Recommended Books 214
Index 221
Acknowledgments 228
About the Author 230
