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The Prepper's Complete Book of Disaster Readiness Life-Saving Skills, Supplies, Tactics and Plans
PREPARE. SURVIVE. THRIVE.
Is your survival plan complete from A to Z? Are you truly 100 percent prepared? Because if you overlook one vital area, fail to stock one critical supply or underestimate one potential danger, your whole plan could come crashing down. The Prepper’s Complete Book of Disaster Readiness guarantees you won’t miss a thing as you prepare for the most important moment in your life. This bible of prepping shows each and every life-saving step necessary to keep your family alive and well when the world around you is in chaos, including how
Efficiently store water and acquire additional fresh water after a collapse
Build a shelf-stable food stock and supplement it by harvesting edible wild plants
Strengthen the security of your home as well as have a back-up bug-out plan
Treat illness and stay healthy when there are no doctors or hospitals
Build a safe and secure survival retreat that allows for long-term off-the-grid living
Is your survival plan complete from A to Z? Are you truly 100 percent prepared? Because if you overlook one vital area, fail to stock one critical supply or underestimate one potential danger, your whole plan could come crashing down. The Prepper’s Complete Book of Disaster Readiness guarantees you won’t miss a thing as you prepare for the most important moment in your life. This bible of prepping shows each and every life-saving step necessary to keep your family alive and well when the world around you is in chaos, including how
Efficiently store water and acquire additional fresh water after a collapse
Build a shelf-stable food stock and supplement it by harvesting edible wild plants
Strengthen the security of your home as well as have a back-up bug-out plan
Treat illness and stay healthy when there are no doctors or hospitals
Build a safe and secure survival retreat that allows for long-term off-the-grid living
271 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2013
27 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Jim Cobb
11 books67 followersJim Cobb has been a prepper since long before that term ever came into use. He's been studying, practicing, and now teaching survival and preparedness for about 30 years. Jim has written several books on the subject, including Prepper's Home Defense, Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide, and Prepper's Financial Guide. He also regularly contributes to magazines such as American Survival Guide, Survivor's Edge, and OFFGRID.
You can find Jim at his website - Survival Weekly. He also has a consulting business found here - Disaster Prep Consultants.
Jim is also very active on Facebook .
You can find Jim at his website - Survival Weekly. He also has a consulting business found here - Disaster Prep Consultants.
Jim is also very active on Facebook .
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 27, 2014
This book breaks down, in simple terms, the why and how to begin prepping. It also provides excellent information for the more advanced prepper. This information includes details, such as, suggested brand of food and equipment. Some of which I had not considered until reading this book. Jim also provides information about other resources that can provide more detailed explainations of what is presented in this book. This additional information is not a teaser to promote more of his work, instead it is additional and more technical reference material, such as medical care. Jim gives enough information to give anyone direction, but nobody can know everything and i was impress by the information provided as well as his knowledge of his own limitation. The format is very easy to follow as each chapter focus' on a specific aspect of preparation making it easy to find when using the book as a reference. The title is accurate as wellas he "complete" includes checklist, library reference, etc. The only negative aspect, if i had to point one out, is the chapter on prepping in pop culture. It discusses many science fiction works and although I like some of the entertainment mentioned, it was the only chapter that was not necassary. That being stated, even tbat chapter provided information abkut entertainment that I had not heard of before. Excellent resource.
February 5, 2014
Another excellent book by Jim Cobb. Expands on the finer points of prepping and chock full of timely methods, techniques, and strategies. Another winner!
October 8, 2017
Not a bad little intro into disaster prep. Good to keep after finishing, and re-read later on.
September 20, 2013
I say it's another no-brainer purchase because what Jim Cobb writes, I read. Period. Full stop. His style of no nonsense, common sense bits of info on a super wide ranging plane of survival topics is just what I think everyone needs. Who wants an incredibly detailed and exotic plan for survival and/or prepping? The simpler you can keep your plan, the less things can go screwy. As I read thru this book, I kept saying to myself "Oh yeah, I didn't think about that." So, once I tallied up all those "Oh yeah's", I came away with learning a lot more than I had thought possible. This book will also serve as a reference tool and placed in my ever expanding BOB, right next to titles like SAS Survival Handbook,For Any Climate, in Any Situation and The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way. Jim is moving up the ranks and forging ahead for himself, his family, me and my family and YOU too. Get a copy of the book and keep it close at hand just in case the SHTF. (Hey, that last one rhymed. I'm a poet and didn't know it!)
May 13, 2017
This is an excellent manual to prepare the average person for how to plan and survive in a wide range of disaster situations. It starts with a discussion on which come under limited term(blizzards and tornado), medium term(unemployment and hurricanes) and long term emergencies(solar flares and terrorism).
There is information on bug out bags, survival mindset, the choice of bugging out or staying at home, food stores, foraging, gardening, health, security and communications. It is a lot of sensible and useful information to help you get through immediate problems and plan for the future.
There is information on bug out bags, survival mindset, the choice of bugging out or staying at home, food stores, foraging, gardening, health, security and communications. It is a lot of sensible and useful information to help you get through immediate problems and plan for the future.
January 4, 2021
Clearly distinguishes between being a survivalist and a prepper. For example, being prepared doesn’t necessarily mean that you love guns. Also the author talks of the difference between preparing to get home after being in the wilderness or stranded versus being at home for a long time after a natural disaster or etc. The author has lots of great ideas. The chapter on foraging for food is enough to get by, but a more complete color guide to supplement this would be best to have too. The hunting and trapping section is short, but the author explains that his opinion is to not rely on it too much.
I recommend this book the most of any that I’ve read in this area. I wouldn’t say it is complete without more on foods such as plants and trapping.
I recommend this book the most of any that I’ve read in this area. I wouldn’t say it is complete without more on foods such as plants and trapping.
August 29, 2017
I have no real desire to ""Prep"" seriously for any disaster, but I was loaned this book and it was pretty interesting. From having a small kit packed in the trunk of your car to having a complete bugout location stocked and supplied for total apocalypse. Very interesting!
August 24, 2025
Some good tips and it actually emphasizes survival first instead of just jumping to firearms. There were so many grammatical errors that it desperately needs a revised, edited version to improve readability. I don’t mind the occasional hiccup here and there since I read for the substance.
June 12, 2014
I recently received a copy of The Prepper's Complete Book of Disaster Readiness by Jim Cobb. This book was provided to me by the publisher for my consideration, objective thoughts and opinions.
This is the third book that I've read by the author and have to say that I really enjoy his down to Earth writing style as well as the wealth of information that he freely shares. In reading this book, there are a few chapters that jump out at me.
The book opens with the practical question of, "Why should we prepare?" as it discusses That question is asked in Chapter 1 as it discusses short, medium and long-term emergencies. In thinking about emergencies, being able to do your part is essential so that you don't have to rely on others, which in turn frees up resources to help other people. It also, and for me more importantly, makes sure that you and your family are properly taken care of. Remember, you are your best advocate!
The book gives us insight and practical advice as to what it takes to develop the survival mindset as well as covers the similarities and differences between survivalists and preppers. This is perhaps the most important "thing" to have.. the mindset and will to survive.
There is also some great information on bugging out vs sheltering in place including very good information on properly caching supplies as well as having backup plans and backups to your backups. Also discussed is the almost always overlooked topic of a planning and packing for a delayed bug out when you have a bit of advanced notice ahead of your departure time. There are also several realistic scenarios provided to help you think through your plans. What I really liked about this chapter was the well-thought out caching information. I also liked the scenarios, which were all realistic, in that there were no brain-eating zombies running around. They were simply some of the most probable likely scenarios to occur.
Chapter Five talks about pantry organization and storage. There's lots of good, solid advice here to both get started and to take your food storage to the next level. Information such as what to store and what not to store abounds as does information on the preparation of food in general. My favorite unexpected take-away of the chapter was the cool use of the oft-overlooked plastic food storage bag.
When I first saw the title of Chapter Six, Foraging, I was very interested as that is something that I am getting more and more involved in. This chapter covers foraging, in my definition of wild edibles, but also included in this chapter are also discussions on gardening and a straight-forward clarification of the difference between scavenging and looting. While it's impossible to fully provide one with an education on wild edibles as that would take a book on it's own, Mr. Cobb hits the highlights on several widely available plants that the reader can research. The chapter also touches on some areas that I wouldn't normally think of when I think about foraging. The item that I really liked the most about this chapter is how the author stresses that planning to do something or even reading about doing something is not enough and is not the same thing as getting out there and doing it.
Security is talked about very well in another chapter. As one who has read some of Mr.Cobb's other works on the subject, I feel that he has his finger on the pulse of prepper security with this chapter. It covers topics such as cognitive dissonance, situational awareness and operations security (OPSEC). Not only are these topics covered, but areas such as secured storage and practical defense are mentioned as well.
While the common topics of security, food storage and water are covered as would be expected in this book, there is also information on the care of children, pets and the elderly and the very different needs that they have. If you have any of these in your family, you need to read his information and advice.
Aside from the items listed above, one of the things that I liked most about this book is the down to Earth way of looking at prepping topics from different angles. The solid, practical advice offered and the encouragement to practice your prepping will help make you a more prepared person.
From mindset to the essentials, Mr. Cobb is a very knowledgeable and thoughtful writer who covers prepping topics that are most often not considered by others. He will take you from making the plan to implementing the plan in a wide variety of prepping areas that will make the reader a better prepper.
This is the third book that I've read by the author and have to say that I really enjoy his down to Earth writing style as well as the wealth of information that he freely shares. In reading this book, there are a few chapters that jump out at me.
The book opens with the practical question of, "Why should we prepare?" as it discusses That question is asked in Chapter 1 as it discusses short, medium and long-term emergencies. In thinking about emergencies, being able to do your part is essential so that you don't have to rely on others, which in turn frees up resources to help other people. It also, and for me more importantly, makes sure that you and your family are properly taken care of. Remember, you are your best advocate!
The book gives us insight and practical advice as to what it takes to develop the survival mindset as well as covers the similarities and differences between survivalists and preppers. This is perhaps the most important "thing" to have.. the mindset and will to survive.
There is also some great information on bugging out vs sheltering in place including very good information on properly caching supplies as well as having backup plans and backups to your backups. Also discussed is the almost always overlooked topic of a planning and packing for a delayed bug out when you have a bit of advanced notice ahead of your departure time. There are also several realistic scenarios provided to help you think through your plans. What I really liked about this chapter was the well-thought out caching information. I also liked the scenarios, which were all realistic, in that there were no brain-eating zombies running around. They were simply some of the most probable likely scenarios to occur.
Chapter Five talks about pantry organization and storage. There's lots of good, solid advice here to both get started and to take your food storage to the next level. Information such as what to store and what not to store abounds as does information on the preparation of food in general. My favorite unexpected take-away of the chapter was the cool use of the oft-overlooked plastic food storage bag.
When I first saw the title of Chapter Six, Foraging, I was very interested as that is something that I am getting more and more involved in. This chapter covers foraging, in my definition of wild edibles, but also included in this chapter are also discussions on gardening and a straight-forward clarification of the difference between scavenging and looting. While it's impossible to fully provide one with an education on wild edibles as that would take a book on it's own, Mr. Cobb hits the highlights on several widely available plants that the reader can research. The chapter also touches on some areas that I wouldn't normally think of when I think about foraging. The item that I really liked the most about this chapter is how the author stresses that planning to do something or even reading about doing something is not enough and is not the same thing as getting out there and doing it.
Security is talked about very well in another chapter. As one who has read some of Mr.Cobb's other works on the subject, I feel that he has his finger on the pulse of prepper security with this chapter. It covers topics such as cognitive dissonance, situational awareness and operations security (OPSEC). Not only are these topics covered, but areas such as secured storage and practical defense are mentioned as well.
While the common topics of security, food storage and water are covered as would be expected in this book, there is also information on the care of children, pets and the elderly and the very different needs that they have. If you have any of these in your family, you need to read his information and advice.
Aside from the items listed above, one of the things that I liked most about this book is the down to Earth way of looking at prepping topics from different angles. The solid, practical advice offered and the encouragement to practice your prepping will help make you a more prepared person.
From mindset to the essentials, Mr. Cobb is a very knowledgeable and thoughtful writer who covers prepping topics that are most often not considered by others. He will take you from making the plan to implementing the plan in a wide variety of prepping areas that will make the reader a better prepper.
May 2, 2014
"The Prepper's Complete Book of Disaster Readiness" by Jim Cobb really lives up to its name! This book can teach you how to prepare, survive and actually thrive during and after disasters and crisis events. He begins the book giving examples of short-term, medium-term, and long-term emergencies and what you can expect to occur during each of these. The book motivates you to be responsible for your own health and safety during a disaster, rather than relying on help from government agencies or strangers. Mr. Cobb covers everything from the different types of survival kits to how to link up with other people who are interested in preparedness, and everything in between. Some of the topics include having a survival mindset, avoiding "Lone wolf syndrome", wild edibles, gardening, livestock, hunting/trapping, important medical supplies to have, medicinal plants, emergency gear that you might not have thought of, site security, wilderness survival skills, buying land for a retreat, bartering, and he even gives a helpful list of books, movies and TV shows that might be of interest to people with a preparedness mindset. I really enjoyed the short action plans, such as how to make a "buddy burner". As a former PI, I thought that his information on doing your own background checks on potential retreat group members was also very useful. Also included are several checklists for different types of kits that can help you assess your own level of preparedness. This book will definitely get you thinking and motivate you to get prepared comprehensively.
March 1, 2014
The Prepper's Complete Book of Disaster Readiness is a must have for every household. It covers the how and whys of making sure your family is prepared for pretty much any emergency that may require you to bug out, or to stay safe in your home. Whether you are dealing with a job loss, a short term, storm related power outage, or the apocalypse, Jim Cobb gives you the tools you need to make sure you aren't trying to tackle it "with nothing more than a hair dryer in one hand and a camera with dead batteries in the other." (p. 15)
This book breaks down being prepared into beginners baby steps, however, it doesn't stop there. It also gives you the tools you need to personalize each recommendation, and gives many other great resources to learn from. Whether you are single, have small children, have a passel of pets, or are caring for elderly family members, you can tailor your personal level of readiness to your unique situation. Jim Cobb writes as though he is sitting at the table with you, sharing a cup of coffee and his wisdom. You will enjoy what he has to share, and your family will thank you for it.
This book breaks down being prepared into beginners baby steps, however, it doesn't stop there. It also gives you the tools you need to personalize each recommendation, and gives many other great resources to learn from. Whether you are single, have small children, have a passel of pets, or are caring for elderly family members, you can tailor your personal level of readiness to your unique situation. Jim Cobb writes as though he is sitting at the table with you, sharing a cup of coffee and his wisdom. You will enjoy what he has to share, and your family will thank you for it.
March 24, 2014
I really liked this book! The chapters were well laid out, easy to read and reference to, there are notes of humour dotted throughout the book to alleviate the doom and gloom found in similar books of this genre. I would recommend this book to EVERYONE, whether you want to be a full blown 'prepper' or just be prepared for an emergency in your home this is a great resource.
May 10, 2015
This didn't go into a lot of detail, but was really more of a general idea guide, which is great for somebody just beginning to think of prepping. He has it broken down very nicely and cleanly, and he doesn't speak over the reader's head or act condescendingly. There is some really good information in here. It's worth a read, and it doesn't take very long to get through it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews