Prepper’s Free PDF Library

Prepper Library

“Knowledge is the key to survival. The real beauty of that is that it doesn’t weigh anything.” – Ray Mears.

Knowledge is one of the essential tools in the prepper’s inventory.  Having the latest and greatest equipment and gear won’t save you if you lack the proper knowledge of using them.  In this post, we will feature FREE PDF books and guides available for you to read in their entirety online.  I’ll add to it periodically because there’s so much information out there that can be incredibly useful to our community.  I suggest that you use a small thumb drive or even a micro SD card and download these sources and others you come across to build an electronic prepping library that you can access offline.  

I also added a whole section at the bottom of this page with massive amounts of PDFs I found on other websites.  The more I have researched this topic, the more I have realized there are, well, nearly an infinite amount of free survival PDFs you can find online.  What you’ll find here is a starting point to a lot of resources and some you can download now.

Prefer to have physical books on hand instead?  If so, start here.

Table of contents


Emergency Preparedness – Quick Guides & Checklists

Emergency Preparedness & Survival Manuals

Traditional Ways

Hunting & Trapping

Knots

If a single invention has raised humanity out of the wild, it has to be the knot.  The first tied knot was probably an accident, but the second tied knot was intentional.  Even through all my years of scouting, I only learned a handful of the thousands of knots out there, but you have to have at least a dozen knots you can tie in your mental prepping inventory.  From fishing to making clothes or climbing sheer rock faces, every knot has a function, and each that you learn increases your odds of survival just a little bit more.

  • Pioneer Knots & Lashings – Troop 24 – Kennett Square Pennsylvania. A lashing is an arrangement of rope, wire, or webbing with a linking device used to secure and fasten two or more items together in a somewhat rigid manner. Lashings are most commonly applied to timber poles and are widely associated with cargo and structures.  If you try and make a structure with a granny knot, it’s going to collapse in on you.  These knots and rope techniques are particular to building sturdy structures that will hold up for long periods.  Lookout stands, bridges, shelters, and more can all be made with these techniques.
  • Sea Scout Knots – Once again, the scouts come through with another guide on knots.  Were it not for the knot, sailors would have never existed.  From tying down cargo to connecting logs for a raft, sails to a ship, or rescuing someone from the inevitable death of drowning, knots are critical.  The same knots are applicable off the ship, as well.  They aren’t dependent upon water to function.  I used this same manual when teaching young Cub Scouts, so it’s easy to use.  Set a goal of learning one knot per month.
  • Knots for the Farm
  • Knots for Mountaineering, Camping, Climbing, Utility, Rescue, Etc.
  • Knots: An illustrated and practical guide to the essential knot types and their uses – Andre Adamides. This is probably one of the best-looking knot books I have ever come across.  It has clear illustrations and step-by-step instructions.  I also like that it has a little history and explanation of practical uses for each knot.  This is a good one to print out the main knots you want to learn and practice daily.  It gives you the feeling you are continuing a time-honored tradition.
  • Practical Knots & Lashings
  • Knots, Splices, Attachments, and Ladders
  • Knots, Splices, and Rope Work by A. Hyatt Verrill
  • Essential Fishing KnotsTakeMeFishing.org
  • Handbook of Knots & Splices by Charles E. Gibson
  • Encyclopedia of Knots (including surgical)

Medicine

Food Production & Recipes

Foraging

Old & New Recipes

Food Preservation

Nuclear Threats

Water

Shelters

Additional Resources

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Rehan
Rehan
3 years ago

Best thing you put all valuable books together at one place. It will help us lot of.
Love from India bro 😎

Beverley Lynne Harris
Beverley Lynne Harris
3 years ago

Thank you for doing this! And you have included some of my favourite (🇨🇦 spelling) resources!

Luis
Luis
3 years ago

Thank you for a great work

Sort
Sort
3 years ago

Great work! Can I suggest a communications section? Morse code learning, radios and antennas.

mark king
mark king
3 years ago

Thanks for all the work you do… it is very much appreciated.

slr
slr
3 years ago

Thanks for a great resource

Dexter S.
Dexter S.
3 years ago

Thank you for sharing. Do you have any books/PDFs on unarmed self defense as well?

Lissette Swensen
Lissette Swensen
3 years ago

Thank you so much for the information, just so you are aware in the section where the gardening encyclopedia should be there is a medical information pdf, just thought you should know, thanks again for this great resources.

john killen
john killen
3 years ago

the 7 gig does not auto down load……….appears the link was left out. Thanks for all you efforts.

Vicky
Vicky
3 years ago

You should had a french/english dictionnairy to help translate for both language and a board of each blood transfusion (who can transfer to who and how to do it with minimal equipment). Maybe its already there but I didn’t have the time yet to check all the information. Its very appreciated all this hard work !!Thank you so much!

Michigan Jim
Michigan Jim
3 years ago

Hey Chris. As usual, great information. I truly appreciate the time you put into helping the community grow. I haven’t looked through the complete list yet; but alternative energy is a worthwhile topic. FEMA used to have the pdf plans for a gasifier system on their site. I looked about a month ago and the site has changed drastically, and many of the plans (pdf) are no longer available. Fortunately I have the pdf, happy to share it.

Cheryl
Cheryl
3 years ago
Reply to  Michigan Jim

Hi, Cheryl in Florida. Hurricanes. I, too, appreciate all you do. I’m not totally computer-internet ignorant, but I’m thinking I’m going to struggle with this. I am obsessed with my books and after Sally I keep them off the floor, wrapped in plastic and now in tubs. I hope to be able to find the PDF link on my computer and figure out a way to save it and then print it.
Thank you again so much.

Vicky
Vicky
3 years ago

Oh! You should also had a medication book that describe each medication (name, utilities, etc.)

Dwight
Dwight
11 months ago
Reply to  Vicky

It’s called the Physicians Desk Reference. It’s downloadable in pdf

Tim
Tim
3 years ago

This is an huge amount of data. This is a great job. I’ve started doing this a while back but nowhere near the data in the 7GB of data. I’ve also have begun to download youtube videos – including some of yours – to add to my library.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago

This is so Cool!

Scott Conerly
Scott Conerly
3 years ago

Kris–I tried downloading the 7 gb file but it is sending me to a site called Godlike Productions?

Greyhart
Greyhart
3 years ago

Anyone else unable to download the 7Gig file?

Leo
Leo
3 years ago
Reply to  Greyhart

me too

Kris
Kris
3 years ago
Reply to  Greyhart

The owner of the site just mentioned my link to his site took down his server. He’s going to move the zip file to an AWS link so it will load. It should be back up shortly.

PAUL ROEHM
PAUL ROEHM
3 years ago

There is a lot of similar stuff at http://ps-survival.com

wolf_from_wv
wolf_from_wv
3 years ago
Reply to  PAUL ROEHM
She Walks Alone
She Walks Alone
3 years ago

This is awesome, thanx for all your work to help us!

Michael Lightheart
Michael Lightheart
3 years ago

Thank you so much for this everyone! Carry this important knowledge down the line for future generations.
.

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

b-ok.cc

find any PFD or E-pub dook you will ever need.

Cyril
Cyril
3 years ago

A fantastic idea and will be well supported and read frequently

Cogito Aprendo
Cogito Aprendo
3 years ago

I just wrote about this today on my little site, then saw your video after work and was like wow, what timing. I am downloading files now. I will have to send you a link to a post with a lot of PDF files via your email.

Scott Hadfield
Scott Hadfield
3 years ago

FYI: Personal Wilderness Medical Kit, Wilderness med course and Gardening Encyclopedia all link to the same page

DrD
DrD
3 years ago

Awesome information, thanks so much!

Harold Ray Phillips
Harold Ray Phillips
3 years ago

I`ve been thinking about something like this for a long time, thank you for doing this.

JustSayingFanks
JustSayingFanks
3 years ago

Fanks

Ali
Ali
3 years ago

How do I download it

Guy
Guy
3 years ago
Reply to  Ali

Good question… I can’t see how to either

Caterpilarius
Caterpilarius
3 years ago
Reply to  Ali

First Link under “Additional Resources

Kat
Kat
3 years ago

Guns are illegal in UK. Can you suggest some other forms of defense that we can use please that are non lethal, or maybe lethal but that we can use!! 🙂

Rory
Rory
3 years ago
Reply to  Kat

Bows and crossbows are legal to own in the UK.
Many large towns have archery clubs. So you can build your skill. It’s a great sport in its own right, but certainly a good way to tick the ‘defence box’ for when SHTF.

KURP78
KURP78
3 years ago
Reply to  Kat

GUNS IS LEGAL IN UK, JESUS PEOPLE CHECK FIRST THEN WRIGHT.

David Brownburg
David Brownburg
3 years ago
Reply to  Kat

Go to the sling shot channel

Sean
Sean
3 years ago

Thank you for the wonderful information. This was most helpful.
Not sure if it was just me, but there were a lot of links that lead to the same article. It was as if you had copied the same URL to different links. For instance, the link to “Gardening Encyclopedia: Growing, Freezing, Canning, Drying, Storing” leads to “Personal Wilderness Medical Kit”. There were several others. Just thought I would let you know!
Keep up the great work!

Bill Moore
Bill Moore
3 years ago

Your Orange link tags are pretty hard to read on white. I would change color of your tag links.

Evelyn
Evelyn
3 years ago

Much appreciated…thanks for all you do to help humanity

BinskiBoy
BinskiBoy
3 years ago

Thank you so much! I was working on my own digital library for some time. Now I will use the time to develop skills instead!

AuntJane
AuntJane
3 years ago

I loved these Foxfire books. I used to check them out at the local library. There was one other book I checked out, it was called Garden Sass. I don’t remember who it was by. It was in the same category.

Last edited 3 years ago by AuntJane
Ken Fannin
Ken Fannin
3 years ago

This is excellent; thanks!

Charley Dunn
Charley Dunn
3 years ago

FYI, the link for Gardening Encyclopedia: Growing, Freezing, Canning, Drying, Storing opens the Personal Wilderness Medical Kit document.

Laura Redmane
Laura Redmane
3 years ago

This is fantastic!! Thank you so much for compiling this and offering it free!! God bless!

Fat_Beard
Fat_Beard
3 years ago

So here is a website I really love. It is for manuals for multiple type of things, especially vehicles…big thing to have for your vehicle(s).
https://www.manualslib.com/

Dave Anonymous
Dave Anonymous
3 years ago
Jess
Jess
3 years ago

Hi from Australia, Thanks so much for compiling all this it will save me looking around searching for it all, it is such good info.Thanks!

Charley Dunn
Charley Dunn
3 years ago

Here is another link that some will find interesting: https://archive.org/details/folkscanomy_prepper?&sort=-week&page=2

Joseph Blough
Joseph Blough
3 years ago

City Prepping, thanks so much for this valuable resource. It is a treasure trove of information!

Seth
Seth
3 years ago

Is anyone else having an issue downloading the 7gb zip file? I have tried it on 2 256gb flash drives that are completely empty and I keep getting “disk full”. Thanks in advance!

Dead Sector
Dead Sector
3 years ago
Reply to  Seth

Individual files on a FAT32 drive can’t be over 4 GB in size . format your flash drive using ntfs instead.


Larry
Larry
3 years ago

Thank you so much for consolidating all of those files in one place and then making them available to the prepping community. Sending a virtual slap-on-the-back.

Jade
Jade
3 years ago

Thank you so much for all this information and for sharing it freely for others. I greatly appreciate this and all your very informative videos. Thank you and God Bless.

Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson
3 years ago

I really like watching your video, there seems to be stuff for everyone ability. Wish someone would do something like this for the uk but I don’t think we have the same problems over here ,we’ll not yet.
Keep up the good work.

Jan Rogers
Jan Rogers
3 years ago

Great resource!!!

David Hume
David Hume
3 years ago

Wilderness Medicine Course (USMC) – your link is wrong; same as one above.
Should be: https://www.militarynewbie.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2002-US-Marine-Corps-MWTC-Wilderness-Medicine-Course-375p.pdf

David Hume
David Hume
3 years ago
Robert Ram
Robert Ram
3 years ago

Thank you

roger
roger
3 years ago

check your garding section links need work

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