The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

by Bernie Carr

BE PREPARED
BE SAFE

From California earthquakes and Rocky Mountain wildfires to Midwest floods and Atlantic hurricanes, you can’t escape that inevitable day when catastrophe strikes your home town — but you can be prepared! Offering a simple DIY approach, this book breaks down the vital steps you should take into 101 quick, smart and inexpensive projects:

#6 Make a Master List of Passwords

#16 Calculate How Much Water You Need

#33 Start a Food Storage Plan for $5 a Week

#60 Make a Safe from a Hollowed-out Book

#77 Assemble an Inexpensive First Aid kit

#89 Learn to Cook Without Electricity

#94 Pack a Bug-out Bag

Genres: Survival, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, Self Reliance

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

Reviews

[Nathanael Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this book suffered from similar problems to When Duct Tape Just Isn't Enough in terms of being a poor reference. For something marketed as a pocket guide I expect to be able to pick this up and find what I'm looking for, but this seems to be more a random collection of tips in rough categories that aren't particularly useful or findable. I wouldn't be surprised if the author decided to list 101 items before having the 101 items to include. That said, there are some good tips in there and some new things I hadn't thought of but it certainly isn't the introduction to prepping or the quick-reference guide for existing preppers that I hoped. Solar still? Survivalists debate whether solar stills are even useful in a wilderness survival situation, let alone an urban prepping introductory guide. And factual errors on antibiotics - the body does not build up an immunity to antibiotics, the bacteria do! There are some checklists but I would have liked to see them used more extensively and with conditions such as "If you live in a cold climate, also include". I hoped to use this book to check the readiness of my preparations but it was not suitable for this purpose. I did want to rate this book 2 stars but decided that was a little harsh and if I hadn't had such specific expectations of the book I wouldn't have been so disappointed, so I rated it 3 stars.

[Joshua Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cheap, cargo pocket-sized introduction to preparing for a disaster. With 101 easy tips, Bernie Carr takes the reader through dozens of simple ways you can start preparing today.

This guide covers a variety of disaster scenarios, and one of its benefits is that the author does not assume an end-of-the-world scenario. Carr offer suggestions for hurricanes, earth quakes, and power outages alongside tips on how to prepare a bug-out bag and a long-term survival plan. The book will help you now matter how big a disaster you want to prepare for.

I give this only four stars because of the book's brevity and generality. This is a great introduction to the topic, but it is not sufficient for all your prepping needs. Once you read this book, you'll be eager to start learning more. This will only whet your appetite.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good way to get prepared for a disaster. I read only about 30 pages into it, then skimmed the rest. I made me feel sufficiently guilty for being a lazy lame-o, and forced me to confront the myriad ways I will not be able to survive a disaster with my family. The end result was that I renewed my Costco membership and vowed to spend all my savings on canned goods... Just as soon as I am done digging that bomb shelter in my back yard.

No really, it's a good book for stocking the basement, but has more ideas than most people will have time to do.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good refresher on strategies or a great place to begin. I'm going to start with making my important documents binder and putting together an emergency car kit. I was pleased to see the different strategies on filtering water as well as all the unexpected uses for baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flooding in the Denver area in September 2013 gave me pause. How prepared would I be if I lost electricity for several days? What if I were cut off from the rest of civilization? Would I have enough food and water to survive?

I started with some internet research, but preppers are a blogging bunch and the amount of information overwhelmed me. I decided to find a simpler resource through my local library and this book hit the mark. I appreciated the organization the most. Sections on "Getting Started," "Water Needs," "Food Supplies," and "When the Power is Out" are about half of the topics contained in this 200 page overview. Very easy to go through this book section by section, and list off what I thought I could manage in terms of prepping my small home. The sections kept me focused on what was feasible. If I want to get more involved, then there are additional resources listed at the back of the book. Internet resources and books.

[Guillermo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never thought I´d be reading a book about prepping, the tendency to get ready in case of disasters, as I always figured it was a thing to do if you were a bit paranoid and/or on the crazy side of life, dressed in camo, saving in canned goods and zombie apocalypse proofing the basement. However, this book came to my hands thanks to folks at Ulysses Press and I started reading it with every bit of a smirk in my face.
Fortunately, this is a book targeted to the regular people, who can have all kinds of different emergencies, in different levels of importance, but with a lot more occurrence ratio than crocodile droids: hurricanes, floodings, earthquakes, power outages and even car trouble and getting lost while camping.
Full Review

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really useful and educational book. If you are a beginner prepper or are just interested in learning more about self sufficiency, then this is a great starter book. It is a smaller sized paperback and can fit nicely on any bookshelf as a self help manual.

There are sections on financial affairs, water needs, food stocks, home defence, health, power outages and when you should consider bugging out for a safer location. Each section goes into detailed instructions on a variety of topics. You don't need to be a prepper to get advice on clean water sources, paying off debt, fire safety, fitness, alternate cooking options and basic navigation. There are a lot of ideas that help you to save money and do simple DIY around your property.

I found the book educational and entertaining.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and practical little book on preparing for any of life's little unexpected moments. Not an end-of-world-guide (though it also works for that), but a general preparedness guide. And not a "buy a bunker and order a year's supply of freeze-dried food", but practical: when you have coupons for something you use regularly, use the savings to buy one extra and stash it as part of your emergency supply.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is packed with useful information for the beginning prepper. It provides a foundation to begin preparations for your family, and also takes you step by step on how to use the preparations in the event of an emergency. It is an easy read and packed with useful information.

[Maybaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are on a budget and want a book that will help you make it through an ice storm/earthquake/solar flare/flood/tornado etc...this is an excellent basic book to start with.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little book with plenty of practical advice and without the political rhetoric and paranoia that plagues many in this niche genre.

[Oliver Eike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of what this book offers in ways of information is what people already know or easily should be able to conclude on their own.

However there are a few "Aha!" moments in the book worth studying. Especially in terms of water supplies that should be pretty obvious, but provided the most "Aha!" moments for me.

This is a book that if studied enough it should help drastically cut down on your response time when distaster hits, because most of us are not wired to think that way, most of us are used to the power being on, wifi being up and having the means to just google whatever we are curious about. A great book to have in the home as well.

If you are curious about the Prepper society too, it does give a few peeks inside. And honestly that was mostly why i picked up this book.

[Joseph VanBuren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful and informative. It's not completely comprehensive for every kind of disaster or SHTF scenario, but it is a great overview of preparedness basics. The author has lots of tips to do things in resourceful, inexpensive ways and to plan ahead before something happens. I will keep this book handy for later reference.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a book to have on hand. I thought this was very easy to follow and have decided to have it for my Personal Library. With 8 chapters covering things like Financial Readiness, Water Needs, Food Supplies, Readying Your Home, Personal Health & Safety, Power Issues, and when you have to get out.

[Shenrx48 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, mostly basic knowledge. Liked the beginning chapter on mindset. While some of the information may not completely help you for your region there is enough, quick references to spark ideas based on you and your family's needs.

A good place to start.

[Lewis Housley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good starter stuff. Turns out my wife is just naturally wired this way. As we were reading along, I realized that she had already done like 90% if the things in the book. Still good place to start for anyone interested.

[Betty Loven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking for more projects to do for prepping, most of this is information you could find fairly by reading other free resources. Good starting point if you are new to the subject and want to expand outward.

[Alfie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: [B-]

Pretty random mix of survival skills and general preparedness information. Some of the claims are a bit questionable but overall it was a short, interesting read that got me thinking about a lot of different aspects of prepping.

[Ashleigh Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that I read this probably puts me in a new category of weird but it really did have some helpful tips and tricks. A lot of it wasn’t new knowledge for me but it was a helpful comprehensive list of what to do to be prepared for disaster.

[Marty Mixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward and useful

Easy read, well organized
Good basic information primarily for a new prepper.
I found it helpful, and will keep in my library.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the one book you should have for SHTF and or TEOTWAWKI

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Mostly full of common sense tips (keep a first aid kit in your home, have flashlights handy, etc.) that are easy to overlook or forget until you need them.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

While some of these items will save your life in a disaster, they're also potentially life threatening. Emergency, no-other-option use only.

[Scott Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much with US feel, in the UK there are things we can take form this little interesting book. Don't think I'm going to make it a plan for myself going forward.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this free from work. It’s been very helpful and full of great information to get started on my ‘prepped’ journey. Very worth reading.

[Mikko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A basic introduction to prepping with a down to earth attitude. Carr does not attempt to convince the reader to stock up on MREs and weapons to be ready for the doomsday scenario that will certainly unravel within the next 15 minutes. Instead the book encourages a sensible evaluation of potential risks and making appropriate, incremental preparations without excessive financial or time burden.

Unfortunately the 101 Things-format does not suite the book. Some of the things cover fairly large issues and the treatment is shallow, while some small tips get an undue amount of attention. Also, finding an individual item is not a fast nor an easy task.

[Maddy Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to give this book three stars. In my opinion, it appears to be useful if you are new to survival prepping. I found that this book is not as useful if you have been prepping for a awhile or a long time. If you are new to survival prepping I recommend this book. If you are not new to survival prepping I do not recommend it. In my opinion, the author should of said that these tips are more for people that are new to survival prepping.

[Emily Yager · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little guide that has a lot of preppy tips. It covers a wide variety of topics in such a short space.

Although some of the advice is helpful, some of it is a bit impractical. As everyone's prepping plan will vary depending on where they are at and their situation.

For anyone who wants to tip their toe in the water of prepping for the first time, this is a good sample book that showcases all the things one has to think about and tips on how to get started painlessly.

[Mary Brodd]

A good list of useful things to do even if you're not waiting for the end of the world as we know it. If I could spend the summer doing these things we'd have less clutter, good emergency kits, trusted backups of the important paper and electronic documents, and so on. This is definitely a project to consider...