Information and survival

[Blasfemo]

Ok much of my knowledge is theory, no doubt about it but with a good literature and 1\2 a brain you can go a long way in sorting some problems that would cost you a lot if you learned it first hand.

So do you guys have like backups of PDF and other stuff you can store in a smaller PEN usb or other protocol that you can power up easy, its obvious you can carry some books in emergency but with smaller amounts of weight you can carru entire librarys in a small pocket pc or store it until you move or whatever to a position you can grab a little energy and power up something to read and use some of that info.

Now im wondering if i made any sense... im asking because im used to horde all the info i can and not in a bookmark in a html or pdf that i can access with no internet and was wondering if some of you thought about this in depth.

[crashdive123]

I do have quite a few pdf files saved on my computer. I also have hard copy print outs of information that I believe will be useful in the future. I print it and put it in one of several three ring binders.

[NightShade]

I have libraries of old fashioned hard copies. I also have a bunch of files stored on my harddrive at home. And a few manuals saved on my smartphone, that I can access most anytime, anywhere.

[Rick]

Yes to all of the above. A thumb drive is an amazing device.

[rwc1969]

I have lots of info on thumb drives, etc. but I'm not sure how useful it would be in a survival situation.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

No I don't. I figure when I need the info it had best be stored in "The old gray matter" or in hard copy. In a Natural disaster it could take too long to have power or such to matter, or I could be "Lost" in the woods where none of it will be accessible. Without Power AND a computer it is worthless.

[Rick]

When they toss you up on the table in the ER and you're unconscious that's pretty much a SHTF and/or a disaster situation in my book. That thumb drive will tell them everything they need to know even though I can't.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

When they toss you up on the table in the ER and you're unconscious that's pretty much a SHTF and/or a disaster situation in my book. That thumb drive will tell them everything they need to know even though I can't.

That's a bit different than what the OP was implying. Or at least what I understood them to mean. I was referring to stuff like Manuals and books. Still I think a hard copy in the case your talking about would be better. When SAR gets to you if that info (I.E. Blood type, medical conditions, allergies, etc...) is in "Hard Copy" it would be beneficial to know ASAP for any first responders. Suppose you are allergic to bee stings and that is what has happened? Suppose you are allergic to sulfur drugs and that is their first option to use? Thumb drives may be neat little gadgets, but personally I don't want my life dependent on a gadget that may, or may not be of use.

[Rick]

Sorry, I didn't read it that way. I have my complete medical records (yes, I keep them myself) including blood work and scans that would be fully available to an ER team along with ICE contact information. Most folks don't go into the ER with anything so the ER Team is pretty much in the dark unless the patient is conscious. If it's anything from a car accident to a SAR rescue they will have the information. And yes, I carry an abbreviated form in my wallet for meds I'm allergic to.

[bobzilla]

Here some good sites for general survival libraries,

http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/cd3wd/index.htm
http://www.ar15.com/content/manuals/...ivalManual.pdf

Thanks,Bob

[BENESSE]

My most important drive is my brain drive. Which I use more than anything else.
All other things (hard copies, books, memory sticks, etc.) are just a distant second and mere back-ups.

[Blasfemo]

ok despite the obvious "in the brain method" there are a lot of **** subjects that can be usefull later on, post disaster situation, simple thing done for years like plant breeding can be art lost in one or two generations, its obvious the more you know the better, out of the question, but, you might come to a spot were you have to leave home and just CANT get those 100's books with you and maybe not had a chance to memorize them all... this was what i was aiming.

[whitis]

I have thought about this for a number of different scenarios. I have many docs collected. Information can be a very scarce resource in disaster/survival situations - both on general survival knowledge and the specifics of a particular disaster.

Skip the thumb drive and use an SD card with USB adapter. Many portable devices don't take USB drives. Palm sized devices may require more fragile microSD cards.

Small devices can have lots of issues displaying random PDF files. PDF files are formatted for a particular paper size, not small screens. Adobe has added some tags that allow reflow of text, but most generator software and many viewers don't support this and it doesn't apply to scanned books.
Most of the relevent files won't be new enough to have reflow information, even when it is possible. A screen with 800 pixels on the long dimension should be usable, maybe 640 in a pinch. If it is a small but high resolution screen, can you focus close enough to take advantage of it?

Palm sized devices have screen size and resolution limitations. Many ebook readers have limited greyscale, no color (useful for things like plant/bird identification), no video and are severely limited in what else they can do. Netbooks and laptops are more power hungry. A 128GB flash drive can cost as much as an entire netbook with 160GB hard drive.

If you are hiking during the day, you are limited to about a square foot of solar panel on the top flap of your backpack for recharging which would be about 10W max, much less in the forest. By car or shelter in place you can afford more power, size, and weight.

Electronics can easily be destroyed in harsh environments. In the event of social collapse, there are no new electronics to replace it. Modern electronics requires a very complex infrastructure to manufacture. MicroSD cards can easily be broken and flash memory devices do fail. Backups are advisable for both media and viewer device. Paper can last much longer but there are cost, space, and portability limitations. Microfiche or microfilm can be read using more primitive technology; life span is about 20 years for one type while another can last up to 500 years but will be degraded quickly by mold if exposed to humidity. Microfiche is currently harder to obtain.

Disaster shelters and communications sites/mobiles can be pre-seeded with a library. I have followed a number of disasters closely and have given thought to disaster communications nets including ham, wifi, satellite, data over broadcast TV, and sneaker net (portable drives).

Wikipedia offers database dumps for offline use. Some viewer applications are available. About 6.7GB compressed, 30GB uncompressed for the english language version. Has medical info, botany info, animal info, geography info, some basic manufacturing info,toxicology, knots, a rather limited survival skills page with links, info on past disasters, radio codes, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...abase_download
Printed, this would fill up a room of bookshelves.

village earth has a $500 appropriate technology library with scanned versions of a thousand books (costing $30,000 on paper) that has been available for decades.
http://villageearth.org/products-pag...cd-rom-edition
Also available on microfiche for $1300.
http://y2kchaos.entrewave.com/view/y2kchaos/s35p326.htm

There are many technical books available that can be relevant to rebuilding efforts.

CD3WD has been mentioned. There was a recent link to the journey to forever sustainable agriculture library. A number of medical books have been linked here before.

There is a variety of map and GIS (Geographic Information System) data available.

In the long term, survival is about more than a beating heart. Project Gutenberg has a variety of books, mostly for recreational reading. Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Island of Doctor Moreau, Coral Island, Survival tactics, Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties, Species Plantarum. Audiobooks at librevox. Music, photo, and and video collections (copy protection issues) can be archived on a portable hard drive with your personal files. Things which might be comforting if you lost everything else.

USB digital TV/FM radio receivers are available for receiving broadcasts. GPS recievers are included in or available for some devices.

Like Rick, I do have most of my medical records scanned.

[Rick]

On the radio sets, a crystal radio or foxhole radio is easily built and doesn't require power of any kind to receive radio transmissions. You can even purchase kits if you don't understand windings etc.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...radio+receiver

[hunter63]

All the storage in the world isn't gonna help you unless you have a good idea how things work.
I save permanent info on a flash drive as well, have collected books on many subjects over the years, tried real hard to at least try out or have a good idea what the methods and skills are.

Simply collecting info can't replace the brain.

[Sourdough]

I don't need no electronic information caches........What I want is 30 REAL caches for of real food and supplies, cached in valleys that are untrodden by humans in over 110 years.

[Rick]

The sad part is you can't know everything. You can have an awful lot documented, however, in one format or another. Whitis is right, survival is a lot more than just a beating heart. If you (or I) had to start over today with just that which we have stored in our head it would be a pretty sorry state of affairs.

[hunter63]

I do agree with that.....But a lot of people just "collect" info, with out using it, with the false sense of "I have it saved, so I'm cool".

My last go around at tech school......HVAC-R.......We took notes, had the books, lot's of hand outs, phone who ever you wanted.......Like being on a job.

The tests were such that we could use anything we wanted as an aid,even work together....Problem with that was.... you had better have a good idea what's going on....There was not time to look everything up.

Point is, saved info good, even very good.......But not a substitute for knowledge...Don't be a collector.

[bobzilla]

I have saved information from this forum,manuals for my tractor,Bronco,Joyner if I left everything to memory,critical information may be lost.

[Blasfemo]

The sad part is you can't know everything. You can have an awful lot documented, however, in one format or another. Whitis is right, survival is a lot more than just a beating heart. If you (or I) had to start over today with just that which we have stored in our head it would be a pretty sorry state of affairs.

I have saved information from this forum,manuals for my tractor,Bronco,Joyner if I left everything to memory,critical information may be lost.

all good points, most of us never been in 110 old unwalked by human valleys hunter but good point also and i get what you mean, but bare with me and think, for example try to memorize the specific methods for doing something related with plant or animal selections with no mistakes in only your brain, or solution to replace chemicals or make gunpowder, can you afford to forget? and even forgetting having the chance to go and find some fuel\info to power your media and make sure would be nice and usefull imo. of course nothing can replace hands on experience i agree.

Great post Whitis that was what i was hinting at loads of info can be useful when everything else is lost...