When S.H.T.F.

by Somber Studios, Jessica Vill

Upon shopping for a "tell all" handbook on survival to add to the ultimate bug-out bag, results fell surprisingly short. Many books just cover one skill, some come in the format of an extensive series, many only come with general information for short-term displacement, and even the more detailed guides were still lacking a lot of necessary information. While they are still very helpful, they may not be the most suitable for long term displacement and a series of highly-detailed books would be impossible to carry around by foot.That is when Somber Studios took the initiative and created "When S.H.T.F.". It tells all while sticking 'to the point'. Despite the attractive retro aesthetic, there are no excessive frills or long paragraphs and, most importantly, tackles all the nitty gritty details to stay alive. It's specifically formatted to be easy to thumb through and read at a glance during emergencies."When S. H. T. F." stands as your indispensable companion, guiding you through the dark times brought upon by war or natural disasters with a wealth of knowledge. As power grids fail, search engines will become unavailable. How will you know what to do? Well, this comprehensive handbook offers insights from pre-event preparation to years into the aftermath, ensuring you're not just prepared for 72 hours but can thrive in the long run.

Key

1. Mental Discover the insights into mindset shifts that empower you to conquer potential trauma, premeditate the tough decisions, and get through crisis before it occurs.

2. Practical The handbook includes detailed checklists for bug out bags, pantry storage, clothing do's and don'ts, pet safety plans, and recommended survival gear.

3. Navigation and Learn recommended routes, vehicle choices, location insights, behavior do's and don'ts, and crowd navigation to make informed decisions.

4. Shelter and Camp Master the art of setting up camp, finding shelter, dealing with animals, foraging, water purification, and addressing every essential survival need when resources run out.

5. Multifaceted There are many included detailed guides such as a full prepper's cookbook, knot-tying instructions, translated phrases and charts in English, Spanish and ASL, a break down of the bartering system, and keep children content with the included coloring pages in the back.

6. Comprehensive Safety Equip yourself with knowledge on firearm handling, crafting weaponry, basic medical procedures, mitigating radiation exposure, and steps to aiding your mental health when morale is low.

7. Discover how to build your community, how to navigate uncomfortable circumstances with strangers, and personal behaviors to reconsider to ensure your productivity and safety around other people.

Whether you're a seasoned prepper or a newcomer wanting to learn, this book is the #1 go-to resource for mastering survival in a multitude of circumstances. With the ease of pulling it out from your bag or back pocket, if you come to a time where you are unsure what to do, this handbook covers it. Don't wait until it's too late – empower yourself with the knowledge needed to navigate the potential uncertain roads ahead.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'll be happy if this guide becomes one of those books in your book that gathers dust for years to come...It means that the scenarios it prepares you for never come to pass and the world remains stable and secure. In essence, the untouched state of this book is a symbol of a peaceful existence where it's wisdom is stored away, waiting for a future that, hopefully, never demands it's information."

This is a survival guide. It covers all of your basics for surviving times of disaster when the bare necessities of survival are your primary focus. It covers mental perspective, weapon handling and construction, foraging, covert communication, and other methods to keep oneself and their group alive. Really really love the way things are worded and how straightforward the instructions are.

[Alexis Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First timers

This was a great entry level book. I feel like the author really went over important things that people would absolutely forget about in a panic. I read this on Kindle and I can tell this is meant to be lightweight book to bring with you. I definitely felt like this was a crash course and people could make it a lot further surviving with this. It was easy to read and instructions were simple to follow. The picture diagrams on how to tie knots, Morse code, ASL. Spanish was awesome. I actually got excited when I saw it. Communication is so important and it was a great addition. It's something that is often not mentioned. A couple of things I felt like should have been mentioned but they were rather small. An example: songs to sing during CPR to keep beat. If you have a family with small children I recommend doing some research on what to do and putting notes in the book. This was left out but the point of the book seems to be based on individuals without children. Just something to consider. She does go over pets which is nice. I felt like she hit a lot of good points with that topic.
Overall I felt like this is great for anyone just getting their feet wet. I hope this will sit on everyone's bookshelves untouched because they don't need it. However it's a great book to have on hand when S.H.T.F.

Also side note I absolutely loved the artwork.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was straight to the point. It may have a lot of basic information in it but I can tell you that even after researching disaster preparedness on my own, I still learned so much from this book. Plus she organizes it for you. I think it's a really good first book to read and to keep. The basics are the most important. 🩷 She discuses pets, which means a lot to me. She's definitely writing it from a survival stance. Overall a good book.

[Jeremy Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably written by AI

And if not, the writer spent too much time on it. Not even effective as an introduction to emergency preparedness. Just a collection of obvious advice that one could find in any number of sources.

[Katie Haughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overall introductory to those first few hours after war is declared. Though it can be uncomfortable to think about these scary situations, this book breaks it down step by step.

[Kirsten Slichter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

[Tazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

good for basic beginner survival stuff

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this book because it (1) is a helpful guide for myself; but also (2) will hopefully remind people of the importance of being prepared for all different kinds of situations that could potentially arise in this world. This is a great guide for beginners wanting to learn how to best prepare for different scenarios. I appreciate that the book addresses various considerations like communication, food, security, etc. With that being said, it is geared more towards beginners and is not the best detailed preparation book you can find. I do think more experienced individuals can still benefit from this however because it may raise an issue you had not previously considered. I would recommend this to anyone: it’s easy to follow, interesting, and covers a lot of bases. I’m glad to see books like this being published. While I have heard criticism of the author for not being an “expert”, I do not think you need to be an expert to write a book like this. I would argue that this makes the book accessible for many different individuals out there seeking more knowledge on how to fend for themselves in emergency situations. Overall, I highly recommend this book and encourage you to use this to supplement your reading on bushcraft and survival techniques.

[Genesis Calderon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful with things that I haven't seen in other survival books

Like the title says, this included some things that are usually omitted from these types of books.

Yes, they all talk about how to bug out and what clothes to wear, but this book includes basic phrases in ASL, Morse Code, and English-to-Spanish.