If you are a budding prepper and you don’t know where to start, there are hundreds of books out there to guide you through the basics. While you can find lots of information for free online, it’s always a good idea to have some reference books on hand too. If you’re in the middle of a blackout or dealing with the aftermath of an EMP attack, you won’t be able to consult Google every time you have a question about survival. Those bookmarked websites won’t do you any good if the grid fails. Instead, you will have to rely only on your knowledge and the books you have collected. Here are the nine best books that I recommend to any prepper that is just getting started.
At less than $15, this book is a great read for anyone who is a prepper, camper, or outdoorsman. It has tips and tricks on everything from making camp to basic first aid to how to forage and find food in the wild. It would make a great gift for anyone interested in outdoor survival and it’s a must have for every prepper’s reference library.
This is a small book that you can easily slide into your emergency bag, but it’s full of practical tips. Follow along as popular author John Harvey shares 60 “hacks” for preppers that make life a little easier. Think of this one as the short and sweet version of a big survival encyclopedia. It’s a quick read and a valuable resource, especially for newbies.
If you find yourself needing to search the wild for your next meal, knowing which plants are safe to eat is crucial. This field guide provides both drawings and color photos of all kinds of plants so that you can recognize them in the wild. It is a must have if you spend a lot of time camping or hiking.
Water is essential for survival, and if you have to prep water to make it safe for drinking, you need to make sure you are doing it right. This book helps you know the tips and tricks to make your water safe, and even how to dig a well if the need arises. Written by Daisy Luther, an important voice in the online prepping community, this best seller is a book that every family needs on hand for emergencies.
One of the most important pieces in your emergency kit just might be this book. A survival medicine book could provide you with life saving information and instructions in a disaster. Priced at around $35, this handbook is a smart investment that could be the difference between life and death in a disaster.
This book is part of the Prepper’s Guide series, and gives practical and helpful tips to ready your home for all sorts of scenarios. Some of the topics include cooking without electricity, building a food stockpile, and packing a bug out bag. This is a great resource for any prepper, and would be a great addition to your survival library.
If you are a fan of the Hunger Games, you can channel your inner Tribute with this book. It offers practical tips on building a shelter, identifying which plants are safe to eat, hunting skills, and how to make your own bow and arrow, plus lots more. All this information is packaged with fun throwbacks and references to the best selling Hunger Games series, keeping it light and playful even with a serious subject matter. This would make a great read for teens and adults alike.
This book can provide some great talking points for your family as you are making your emergency plans. It gives tips for survival in all kinds of scenarios from crimes to natural disasters, even survival threats. You can come up with your own action plans after reading the tips in this book, and I think it is a must read for any prepping family.
If you have ever wanted to add home preserved foods to your emergency stockpile, this is a book for you. It provides instructions on how to can and preserve using different methods, and even how to safely preserve water at home too. This would make a great gift for both gardeners and preppers alike.
These are just a few of the great books out there for new preppers. Make it a goal to collect these books along with others that interest you. Having actual reference books on hand could save your life in a real SHTF situation.
