Build a printed reference library
When the internet is gone, the answers must be on paper or on a battery device. Build the library while you still can download and print.
How
- Make a manuals binder: one sleeve per appliance and machine, with model and serial number, manual, settings and parts list. Start from the house file (legal-22).
- Print the core how-to guides for each skill area: the USDA canning guide, your first aid manual, a medical reference, gardening and seed saving guides, small engine guides and this platform's key steps.
- Medical reference example: Hesperian publishes village health handbooks such as Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist, and the New Where There Is No Doctor series is readable free online (print the chapters you need).
- Add an offline digital library: Kiwix Reader opens offline copies of Wikipedia and other sites on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. The entertainment module covers the e-reader library and storage (entertainment-2, entertainment-13).
- Keep maps and radio manuals with the comms kit (comms-7).
- Store paper in a dry place in sealed bags, and keep a second copy off site or in the safe room (secure-18).
Do these first
Sources
- About the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2015 revision. National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia), accessed 2026-11
- New Where There Is No Doctor (HealthWiki). Hesperian Health Guides, accessed 2026-11
- Hesperian store: books and free resources. Hesperian Health Guides, accessed 2026-11
- Kiwix Reader. Kiwix, accessed 2026-11