Build a Survival Library: A Digital Bug

Relying on a bug to survive in the wild is not easy. Keeping track of what you need and making sure it doesn’t get eaten or fall off your person can be challenging. We’ve gathered some helpful tips for keeping bugs alive so that they can keep you alive too

The “survival library pdf” is a book that teaches you how to survive in the wild. It includes information about plants, animals, and more.

Creek Stewart, Senior Instructor of the Willow Haven Outdoor School for Survival, Preparedness, and Bushcraft, contributed this guest article.

The expression “bug out situation” refers to a survival scenario in which remaining at home is more risky than leaving. Natural and man-made disasters strike ordinary people on a daily basis, forcing them to flee their homes in search of a safer haven. Evacuees are often forced to rely on their wits and the survival gear they can carry on their backs to live. You may have seen my post How to Make a Bug Out Bag or my book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag, which was inspired by that article. If that’s the case, you’ve already started putting together your own 72-hour disaster pack to assist you and your family survive a bug-out evacuation. This post is prepared with the same commitment – to help you prepare for the unfathomable when it comes knocking at your door.

The good news is that survival knowledge is worthless.

This is especially true for people who regularly practice and study survival and preparation skills. Access to such survival information, on the other hand, just needs to weigh roughly 1 pound – the weight of an Amazon Kindle – for those who don’t. I’m not claiming that ebooks should or should replace the practice and study of survival skills. An whole survival library at your fingertips, on the other hand, may be the one survival gear in your Bug Out Bag that saves your life.

Carrying millions of pages of survival material in your Bug Out Bag was not only impractical, but impossible until recently. Digital readers like the Amazon Kindle have revolutionized the way we purchase, save, organize, and read books. When it comes to bringing devices in my Bug Out Bag, I’ve always been anti-digital. Their brittleness and limited battery life have always fallen short of the rigorous needs of a bug-out emergency. Because of the recent introduction of lightweight portable power and waterproof/shock-resistant casings (both of which will be detailed later), this bug out survival resource is now incredibly durable and useful, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you.

Putting Together Your Survival Library

No digital reader will ever be able to replicate the pleasure of sitting in my favorite chair and leafing through the torn pages of my very first Boy Scout Handbook, which I bought for fifteen cents at a flea market when I was a youngster. I’ve been dissecting the handbook for over 30 years, and it never ceases to amaze me. When I bug out, I’ll be sad to leave it, as well as several of my other favorite hard copy books, behind. But, just in case, I have the majority of them on my Kindle.

I certainly have some suggestions for loading your Kindle or tablet with survival-related knowledge. This isn’t an entire list, but it’s a nice place to start for anybody interested in learning how to use a Bug Out Kindle. Survival Techniques, Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, First Aid, and Documents are the six primary categories I’ve grouped these recommendations into.

Survival Skills

These books provide a wide range of well-rounded survival abilities. Many of these are comprehensive survival guides that cover all six of the areas listed above.

Bradford Angier’s How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter, and Self-Preservation Anywhere

Written in the 1950s, this is a classic wilderness survival guide. It’s jam-packed with outdoor survival skills centered on shelter, water, fire, and food. Bradford has written a number of additional outdoor skills books that are worth reading.

Gregory J. Davenport’s Wilderness Survival

Greg is a SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) expert in the Air Force, and this is one of the greatest books on the topic ever published. His explanations and pictures of defense, sustenance, signaling, travel, and health are excellent.

FM 21-76, US Army Survival Manual

This is a simple and to-the-point survival guidebook with field-tested survival strategies purchased using hard-earned US tax funds. This book is jam-packed with useful survival advice and should be in every survivalist’s collection.

Abigail Gehring’s Back to Basics

Growing food, canning, raising poultry, producing electricity, and herbal medicine are just a few of the practical pioneer-style homesteading techniques covered in this book. Anyone interested in the guts and bolts of living as our ancestors did at the beginning of the century would like this book.

Mors Kochanski’s Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Handbook

One of the greatest books on survival in the Canadian north woods. Mors is one of the smartest and most eloquent survival writers I’ve ever read. He has a number of smaller ebooks available (some of which will be discussed later) that are terrific readings at a low price. I have almost all of them. Basic Wilderness Survival in Cold Weather Without Snow, Fire Skills of the Northern Forest, The Lean-To and Its Variants, A Survival Kit Shelter, and Top Seven Knots are a few of my faves.

Larry Dean Olsen’s Outdoor Survival Skills

Larry is an icon in the realm of primitive survival skills and a true master of the primitive arts. His ability to work with natural materials like leather, bone, rock, and wood is unrivaled. This man teaches a wide range of basic skills, from constructing a bow and arrow to tanning skins.

Pocket Survival Manual of the United States Air Force

My favorite of the government survival guides is this one. I enjoy the pictures, and it seems to have a wider range of talents. A large part on the psychological implications of survival and evasion is also included. These are areas where most survival guidelines fall short.

By Yours Truly, Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit – Creek Stewart

This book is a wonderful place to start if you haven’t already started creating a Bug Out Bag. It’s more of a how-to manual than a survival skills book, although I do include a ton of survival tips and methods for getting the most bang for your buck while putting together a Bug Out Bag.

Shelter

Many of the books in the Survival Skills category above mention shelter in some manner, but the books below focus nearly entirely on it.

Mors Kochanski’s The Lean-To and Its Variants Used in Survival and Bush Bough Beds

One of the greatest cold-weather reading options available. Mors’ rational attitude to survival and shelter construction is admirable.

Mors Kochanski’s The Super Shelter

Mors is credited with inventing the “super shelter,” which combines plastic sheeting and mylar blankets to make an incredible cold-weather survival shelter.

D.C. Beard’s Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties

Mountain man shelter concepts abound in this book, from lean-tos to log homes. This one will make you want to go out into the woods, construct a fort, and sleep there.

Water

The majority of the books in this category are about discovering, collecting, filtering, and purifying natural water.

Nicholas Hyde’s H2O Harvesting

This is a great conversation about collecting, treating, and storing water when living off the grid.

Will Jameson’s Water Purification

Water purification, storage, and acquisition are all discussed in great detail.

Paul Andrulis’s Water 4 Survival

Another good article on where to locate water, how to tell whether it’s safe to drink, and how to make it safe to drink.

Fire

Because many of the works in the Survival Skills category describe fire in great length and are excellent fire resources, I’ve only placed one book in this area.

David Aman’s Fire Skills: 50 Ways to Start a Fire Without Matches

This is an excellent introduction to a variety of fire-making techniques. It includes 50 various ways to ignite a fire, some of them are highly creative and entertaining. This book will not turn you become a fire master; only practice will achieve it; but, you may use it to obtain new ideas for challenging your talents and broadening your knowledge base.

Food

These books are all about food, whether it’s foraging for wild edibles or storing your own.

Mors Kochanski’s 21 Native Wild Edible Plants

Simply to read Mors’ explanation on the plants featured, this affordable booklet is worth the money. The line drawings aren’t very useful as a reference, so you’ll need a better picture guide for that, but the words in this book are crucial. I enjoy that this little guide only includes a few species since it adheres to my own 80/20 wild edible plants guideline, which says that “FOCUS on the 20% of wild edible plants you observe 80% of the time.” “Ignore the rest!”

Sergei Boutenko’s Wild Edibles

Sergei is a passionate author who enjoys foraging for edible plants in the woods. His approach to wild foods is one of my favorites. His photographs are among the greatest I’ve seen, and his remarks are straightforward and simple to follow. In this book, he discusses 60 different plants.

Dale Martin’s The Trapper’s Bible

This is an older book that focuses only on traps and snares. This is an excellent resource for learning about various trap triggers and designs. This one is one of my personal favorites since I appreciate the study of traps.

Stephen Coote’s Wild Meat Harvesting

This book on ancient trap designs by a New Zealand author is a lot of fun to read. His own experiences are quite beneficial. I like leafing through this book and seeing the many trap ideas.

Angela Paskett’s Food Storage for Self-Sufficiency and Survival

Angela is a close friend of mine who follows her own advice. This is, in my opinion, the ultimate guide to learning and comprehending optimal techniques for long-term food storage. She goes through everything from container kinds to technique. This article is for you if you want to store your survival pantry.

Ellen Zachos’ Backyard Foraging

This is a fantastic wild edible plant book that includes 65 plants you probably didn’t realize you could eat. Although there is some overlap with other publications recommended, this book is an excellent stand-alone resource for eating in your own garden!

Philip Hasheider’s The Hunter’s Guide to Butchering, Smoking, and Curing Wild Game and Fish

This novel lives up to its name. It teaches you precisely what it promises to teach you. The narrative and photographs are fantastic, and they correspond to what I’ve been taught and acquired over the years on my own.

Phyllis Hobson’s Phyllis Hobson’s Phyllis Hobson’s Phyllis Hobson’s

This is the book I bought to help me build an underground root cellar, which has been on my to-do list for many years. It’s a fantastic small book. This product is part of the Storey Country Wisdom Bulletins series of extremely useful ebooks. You may want to do a search on Amazon for this, since there are a lot of other titles that could spark your interest.

Stacy Harris’ Sustainable Living Recipes and Tips

It might be difficult to prepare wild edibles. With this collection of recipes and advice, Stacy shortens the learning curve for you. There’s no reason why your survival dinners can’t be great when you have this book. Just looking at the photographs will make you want to take your old 12-gauge and go out into the woods.

David Craft’s Urban Foraging

All of you city residents may be interested in this title. The urban element of looking for wild foods in the city appealed to me. Food may be found at every turn!

Mel Bartholomew’s All-New Square Foot Gardening

This author’s approach to gardening is fantastic. He believes in growing more in less area, which makes sense. To say the least, his systematic approach to planting in a square-foot design is astounding. My own experiences with the techniques presented in this book have been a huge success, and I strongly suggest this method of gardening to any gardening lover.

First Aid

During disasters and survival situations, the demand for first aid equipment and services skyrockets. These services are also the first to become overburdened and unavailable. It’s vital to be able to offer basic first aid for yourself and your loved ones. These books will assist you.

David Werner’s Where There Is No Doctor

You won’t be able to finish it in one sitting — it’s that long! It contains medical advice on anything from toothaches to delivery survival. This guidebook, in my opinion, is a must-have for every survivalist’s collection. The book’s concept is that medical knowledge should not be kept a closely guarded secret by a select few, but should be openly shared by everybody, and that ordinary people can prevent and cure most common health issues in their own homes if they are given plain, basic information.

Jeffrey Isaac’s Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook

This book appeals to me because of its focus on the outdoors. If anything can happen outside, it’s most likely addressed in this book. This is a no-nonsense guide on dealing with first-aid difficulties in the bush, from altitude sickness to constipation. Outward Bound is a well-known organization, and their guidebook has become a go-to reference for travelers throughout the globe.

Joseph and Amy Alton’s Survival Medicine Handbook

This book appeals to me since it was written by readiness enthusiasts for preparedness enthusiasts. They write as though they are wondering, “What if contemporary medical facilities are no longer available?” They don’t say, “Go to the hospital,” at the conclusion of each scenario or phrase. That appeals to me. This is an A-Z medical reference prepared in simple English for genuine survival circumstances.

Documents

One of the coolest features of the kindle (at least the latest versions) is the ability to upload PDFs to an accessible docs section for convenient reference. When it comes to this choice, the sky is the limit. This puts practically any sort of information you want at your fingers in the midst of a bug out situation, from maps and GPS coordinates to addresses and phone numbers. I’ve stuffed this folder with medical information like antibiotic dosages and measures. Chemical water purification ratios are also included, as well as PDF instructions for several of my devices, such as my portable HAM radio.

This function, which some e-readers lack, allows you to add personal papers for convenient reference, such as insurance documentation, pet shot records, marriage licenses, bank information, and so on. My personal papers are stored on a safe, password-protected flash drive, but the Kindle is an excellent alternative for less sensitive data.

Games are another subcategory worth considering under this subject. I know it seems ridiculous, but a few games may be a tremendous help when you’re stuck with little children. Anything that might divert their attention away from the madness is a good thing. A wandering mind travels down perilous pathways. Many easy games are available for free download.

Protection and Strength

Both protecting and fueling your Bug Out Kindle are essential. A Kindle would not be included in my bug out bag if none of these choices were available. When it comes to both, there are plenty of options.

Military-grade cases and coverings that are shock-resistant and waterproof are easily accessible on the internet — two crucial bug-out needs. At the very least, a waterproof sleeve or map case will suffice.

Solar energy and a hand crank USB chargers are also easily accessible. Most hand-crank emergency radios now have a USB charger, which may be used to charge the Kindle. There are also stand-alone Pocket Sockets available. For recharging, I prefer hand crank power, although I have numerous acquaintances who swear on solar. In the end, it’s a personal decision.

Conclusion

In your Bug Out Bag, include a comprehensive survival library as well as hand-picked PDFs that contain a wealth of information and references. A Bug Out Kindle is a highly practicable and practical survival gadget that can endure the worst of catastrophes because to its affordable portable power and protective enclosures. Important information may also be captured using the built-in camera and video functions for future reference.

“Information is not knowledge,” Albert Einstein famously stated. This is correct. Access to information on a topic about which you are unfamiliar, on the other hand, may be a major survival benefit. I’ll take every competitive edge I can obtain in order to survive, even a Bug Out Kindle.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN that matters.

Creek

For more more, listen to my audio conversation with Creek:

Creek Stewart teaches at Willow Haven Outdoor School for Survival, Preparedness, and Bushcraft as a Senior Instructor. Creek’s life’s work is to educate, share, and preserve outdoor survival and living skills. Creek’s book Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit is also available. Visit Willow Haven Outdoor for additional information.

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The “bug in preparedness” is an important part of the process. You can’t prepare for every situation, but you should be ready to face a bug when it happens.