Going Back to Paper

[cockpitbob]

Here's the scenario: 
The SHTF, really hard.  The internet is down and is staying down for a very long time.  The GPS satellites are off-line too.  Maybe an EMP took out everything not in a Faraday cage.  Even if your computer works, how useful is it?

*  You need to travel.  You have no GPS or internet maps.  Got PAPER maps?  You're going to need road maps for sure, and topo maps may be valuable.  Got a good old magnetic compas?

*  On your travels some 2M repeaters may be up.  Got a directory on paper?

*  You know a bunch of people in your town must have Ham licenses, but you don't know who.  You should probably network with them for a distributed neighborhood watch.  A paper copy of the FCC's license list (with addresses) for your town would sure be handy.

*  Things are really bad.  You have to find and/or grow your own food, make your own soap, be your own doctor, butcher your own meat.  Do you already know enough about those topics?

*  BTW, I think I'm going to print and save instructions on how to make toilet paper.  That may be as valuable as food and ammo if things get bad.

So, what else needs to go into the paper library?????



 

[KK0G]

I've contemplated this very subject before. While I have a decent library of paper based books on many different subjects, by far the overwhelming majority of all my info is in the hard drive of the computer I'm typing on at this moment. With the vast knowledge available on the internet and my seemingly unquenchable desire to learn a variety of subjects, to print out my documents folder would probably take months, fill up two rooms of my house and bankrupt me from buying paper and ink jet cartridges.

I have printed some things from my documents folder that I think could be essential and i try to remember to do that when I come across new essential info on the internet. It comes down to prioritizing which things are essential info that need to be in hard copy which is harder than I first thought.

Two of the things amateur radio related that I recall printing off include rig service manuals and local repeater list with coverage maps. In addition I have a bunch of books including several ARRL Handbooks from different years (every amateur should have at least one copy of the Handbook!), ARRL Antenna Handbook, ARRL Hint and Kinks, several books on wire antennas, QRP, emergency power, digital modes and others I can't think of I'm sure.

The internet has made available an unprecedented vast wealth of knowledge a mere split second away from typing into a search engine the likes of which mankind has never seen before. Unfortunately it's completely dependent on a fragile infrastructure that won't be available when the SHTF.

[Frosty]

I have a small library of hardcopy reference books and manuals, but the majority of my survival library is on DVD (was sure glad to get rid of floppies!).  Whenever I see something interesting on the internet, I download a copy.  When I get a couple gigs worth, burn it to DVD and start over.   Personal stuff gets encrypted in a zip archive, and don't forget a copy of the applications you frequently use in case you have to build a new computer from backups.   I have archives of whole websites, and more recently been downloading 'how-to' type videos from YouTube. 

The survival laptop lives in a double-nested Faraday cage made of heavy duty aluminum foil, then in a cardboard box that sits on the shelf.  Laptop in plastic bag, layer of foil, then in a paper bag, another layer of foil, then in the cardboard box. 

[KC9TNH]

You're going to need road maps for sure, and topo maps may be valuable.  Got a good old magnetic compas?

Of some importance, can you correlate what you're seeing on a topo map to what your eyes are looking at & vice versa?

[KK0G]

You're going to need road maps for sure, and topo maps may be valuable.  Got a good old magnetic compas?

Of some importance, can you correlate what you're seeing on a topo map to what your eyes are looking at & vice versa?

Yep, and in addition to being a valuable skill, it's a heck of a lot of fun. It's one of those skills that you have to actually do hands on out in the field to learn. Not difficult once you've done it a few times.

[Joe]

Storing paper can become overwhelming. Always keep the basics of survival in mind when doing so. I have a basic selection in my BOB, that include first aid, eatable and poisonious plant guide for my area and projected area of travel, skinning of animals in my area, knot tying guide, and maps. I have more than that but everyones needs will be different based on there knowledge of subjects.

For me topo maps are the way to go, the most important aspect of topo's is elavation. Travel at night will limit your line of sight. Using a topo will show you the easiest path, last thing you want to come across on a hike is a steep hill. The topo will also give you insight into where possible ambush points may be along your travels. I live at the base of the foot hills and am surrounded by orchards and cattle. I know most of the farmers and ranchers but I don't know the lay of there land.

My library at home is more extensive, one thing that I found good to have is a set of encyclopedia. For those that don't know encyclopedia's are a set of books that take up about 3 shelves. They are what we used before the internet when we wanted to know something.

73 Joe