The Circle Approach to surviving

[Irving]

I don't know where to put this, but it seems like lock picking would be a simple, yet useful skill to learn. I've got some stuff about it at home, but just don't have the time to get into it right now.

[Hoosier]

Alright, I'm horrible with the TL;DR stuff...

What I want is a reference of everything you'd need for survival that fits on an iphone. I know you're thinking, that's a horrible idea. But really, the iphone at that point would just be an ipod touch, a simple rugged handheld reference device that can store a ton of information. This same data should start as a wiki and be portable to whatever your particular devices are... even if it's just paper. A blackberry, a Kindle, these devices can easily be powered off small cheap 12vdc solar panels.

TL;DR version: Survival Wiki, does it exist? Is there an App for that?

[jerrymrc]

Alright, I'm horrible with the TL;DR stuff...

What I want is a reference of everything you'd need for survival that fits on an iphone. I know you're thinking, that's a horrible idea. But really, the iphone at that point would just be an ipod touch, a simple rugged handheld reference device that can store a ton of information. This same data should start as a wiki and be portable to whatever your particular devices are... even if it's just paper. A blackberry, a Kindle, these devices can easily be powered off small cheap 12vdc solar panels.

TL;DR version: Survival Wiki, does it exist? Is there an App for that?

You might want to think a little beyond that. First up is books. There are a few out there that I like allot. A binder. Everything that I have found interesting on the internet I save. Critical things have printed out and keep in a 3 ring binder.

Electronic. I promised no Tinfoil but lets say plain and simple that there is a large EMP strike.
Your phone just became a paperweight. 90% of the electronics that were not shielded just became paperweights. In my case I keep 2 laptops. One is an older Dell D400 that I keep updated and shielded. I may never need it but it's only function is to be there when everything else is not.

As New info and data get put on a 500G hard drive that is shielded as well. In addition I keep back ups of everything on CD's. Lots of other stuff I have put away. I also have a newer laptop that I do not store much info on but is there as a backup.

Just some thoughts.

[Irving]

I hear that the threat of EMP isn't nearly as serious as people make it out to be.

[jerrymrc]

I hear that the threat of EMP isn't nearly as serious as people make it out to be.

Yes and no. My take is that in many of the tests that have been done it is not as bad as it seems. There are some history lessons that tell me it might be an issue.

Now that said for me at least it was cheap to guard against the latter. The extra electronics that are kept for leaving are all housed in one large container that is grounded. All items were already consigned to the "bug out" plan.

Just some thoughts.

[Irving]

Yeah, I don't mean to say that your precautions shouldn't be taken; not at all. I don't know much about EMP at all, but hear over and over that it is kind of like predicting the weather, where some stuff can be totally destroyed, while others are largely unscathed.

[Hoosier]

Ok, I didn't mean to get distracted on the method that the data is being kept in. Ideally I think having a handy digital copy for if it survives, and paper in binder is a great solution.

The trick is, the data. I think a Wiki is the ideal solution, since then the data can constantly be added too. I'd like to be able to drill down in a category as I need more detail.

For example, say there's a section on cars, it will have a section on preparation before a problem, a section for dealing with cars in various disasters, etc. For example, if the EMP knocks out new cars systems, will that old Chevy the neighbor down the street has still run? How do you get gas from one gas tank to another? How can you tell if a batter in a car works with no tools and nothing no keys?

Oh, I'm sure a lot of this is covered in a great many books; I just don't have the time to really hunker down and read a bunch of books to find the best tips. I think a collective effort could (eventually) produce a good open/free work.

[Mtn.man]

Don't know if it has been psoted, but anyone watch "Life afte People" I think on Nat Geo or one of them. It's a series that shows how the populace dies off after the big whatever. Interesting...