View Full Version : Digital Knowlege on Laptop post SHTF
I have been playing with the idea of picking up a second "net book" with a 9cell lithium battery (8-12hr) for use of storing the loads of data if have collected over the years (i.e.: FM's, TM's, Maps, Training Manuals, Survival Guides, Medical Guides, etc) for use in the event the SHTF. There just isn't any way you could remember everything and carrying a library of books just isn't feasible. But having the knowledge at your finger tips can make a big difference.
Of course proper steps will need to be taken to ensure all is well when you need it. Items to be purchased are:
1. Laptop (net book) running XP. Vista is a power hog!
2. External HD or Jump Drive for back up. Rubberized would be ideal.
2. A folding solar panel with AC/DC converter for recharging. And could be used for other items.
3. Pelican box to keep it safe and dry. Foam would be custom cut for each items to ensure organization and maximize protection.
Some of the information that I would want to have available to me:
1. Field Manuals (FMs) and Technical Manuals (TMs)
2. Local, State and National Emergency Response Plans, Instructions and Guidance
3. Survival and Wilderness Literature
4. First Aid and Medical Treatment Books
5. Maps (Satellite Images, Topo Maps, Street Maps, GPS Data, etc)
6. Automotive Repair Manuals for POV and other common vehicles
7. Agricultural literature
8. Local, State and Federal Laws (?)
9. Local, State and Federal Frequencies to load radio (?)
10. Solitary and Porn (Gotta keep morale up, right?)
The Pro's of having this available are pretty obvious. Knowledge is power.
Only Con's that I can think of are:
1. Additional weight. But it would be the equivalent to carrying two or three hard bound books.
2. Reliability. Books don't need batteries. No likely, but EMP would fry it.
3. Too much information. If there is such a thing. Got to keep it organized and easy to find.
4. Might spend to much time watching porn and kill the battery. :o
With that said...
Input, holes, suggestions?
I like it. I already carry a set of flash drives with duplicates of personal information (encrypted) and identification in case of loss/theft of my wallet, PDA/phone, or PC. With netbooks being so cheap right now it certainly seems feasible. I would probably add in software such as Rosetta Stone with a bunch of language packs - you never know when speaking XYZ language will come in handy, and it would certainly help pass the time. Something you should take into consideration is that some knowledge, such as medical training, etc., isn't really the type of thing that will wait until you finish searching a dozen PDF files. You would do well to commit much of the critical knowledge to memory, while retaining the digital form as a reference.
An EMP would render the netbook into a paperweight. If it is truly for SHTF situations, make sure you protect it. Building a Faraday cage for such a small item is easy and not expensive. A thorough search should give you instructions from a reputable academic source to build one.
Why not something like an iPhone? The revision coming this fall will most likely feature 64GB of solid state storage, so no hard drive to worry about crashing. The iPhone already comes with a compass app, along with a still/video camera and a built in microphone. With available apps, you can have all those books, plus PDFs of anything you can't get in ebook form. In addition, there are great apps for USGS topo maps, external ballistics, medical how-tos, plant identification, language translation, and on and on.
If you put the iPhone in an otterbox-like case, you can throw it around and submerge it with no ill effects. And if you get the KAC mounting kit, you can use your iPhone even when you have your rifle mounted.
Why not something like an iPhone? The revision coming this fall will most likely feature 64GB of solid state storage, so no hard drive to worry about crashing.
Good idea. I had the iMate JasJar which was pretty cool and tried using it for a reference of reg's, maps and reports loaded on SD cards for my work. It was like an iPhone with a key board. It ran MS Mobile, had WiFi, etc. The problem I had was with the size of the screen and trying to read PDF, MS word, Excel, etc.
Also, I have noticed that the iPod products haven't been all the dependable though. Between the wife and I we have had 6 iPods, all eventually crapped out in a year or two. I have had my netbook for two years with no problems. However, I just got back from shopping and the wife bought the iPod Touch (32GB). I'm interested in seeing how it works. So, how 'bout that for a contridiction!
With the possible exception of games and porn :D that stuff can be run on a pretty old, slow computer --- you could always shop for a used Panasonic Toughbook? Anything to add some extra durability in the field would be nice.
I keep electronic copies of the following on a micro-SD card in my smart phone, on a thumb drive in my bag, and a thumb drive in my safe.
US Army Survival Manual
UN HCR Emergency Handbook
UN HCR Stoves
CERT training manual
Simple First Aid Guide
I'm still looking for a good first aid manual. If you have any links to some good manuals, etc. please share.
The thumb drive is a good idea, so it the netbook. But I would still seriously consider printing everything, putting it in binders and stashing the documents some where as a back up plan.
You want CD3WD for sure, http://www.cd3wd.com/
ColdDeadHands
09-03-09, 12:03
A netbook is a good idea, just don't rely solely on the internet cause Obama tries to get something passed where he can shut down all internet to civilians in case of an "emergency". That guy is so scared of joe puplic...I wonder how he sleeps at night...
My sisters fiance is an engineer and he got really excited about this project a few years back. As far as I know these things are a reality. They are crank powered laptops, the projected cost was $100 dollars. It may be an option for long term data storage. http://laptop.org/en/laptop/index.shtml
I remember those. I think they cost about $200 or so. The problem again is do you keep it stored in a Faraday cage to protect it?
i would also recommend having a backup set of CD's... optical storage is a lot more reliable, and if your stuff does get hit by an EMP, im sure you can find a computer/laptop with a CD-Rom drive somewhere...
the idea of an old toughbook was pretty good, i would go with an itronix personally, but either way
Waggneer,
Great suggestion on CD3WD, what an in-depth rsource.
I have been playing with the idea of picking up a second "net book" with a 9cell lithium battery (8-12hr) for use of storing the loads of data if have collected over the years (i.e.: FM's, TM's, Maps, Training Manuals, Survival Guides, Medical Guides, etc) for use in the event the SHTF. There just isn't any way you could remember everything and carrying a library of books just isn't feasible. But having the knowledge at your finger tips can make a big difference.
Of course proper steps will need to be taken to ensure all is well when you need it. Items to be purchased are:
1. Laptop (net book) running XP. Vista is a power hog!
... suggestions?
As someone who has supported windows since the beginning, I would have to say that it would be better to run Ubuntu in this scenario. Much less risk of virus/malware infections, and you can boot it from a Live CD in a pinch
As someone who has supported windows since the beginning, I would have to say that it would be better to run Ubuntu in this scenario. Much less risk of virus/malware infections, and you can boot it from a Live CD in a pinch
I havent' had any experience with Ubuntu, but will check it out. Originally, I wasn't to worried about malware/virus/spyware, as the idea was to have a stand alone system in a SHTF scenario. A tool to reference useful data and morale. But over the last several weeks I began planting my feet into reality. This setup would most likely be used post disaster/emergency as a potential primary means of communication to friends, family, insurance companies, etc. With that said, additional maintenance will be needed to keep the protection software and other updates current.
I would love to get my hands on the Toughbooks again, but... I got one through my company few years back and it didn't hold up like I thought. They are also ungodly expensive. I just figured that a netbook in a pelican box would do just as well for a quarter of the cost.
Shortly after I got out of the military, I had more damned TMs, FMs, ARs and other literature then I could ever use. Since then I have relocated about 5 times. The collection slowly faded down to a few, out dated FMs. I have since updated everything electronically and my once monstrous library is now on my laptop. Making hardcopy backups of keep literature maybe a good idea though.
I'm heading back home in the next few weeks and will try to make time to get some pictures of my set up.
Thank you everyone for your input and please keep the suggestions coming.
I havent' had any experience with Ubuntu, but will check it out. ...
I would love to get my hands on the Toughbooks again, but... I got one through my company few years back and it didn't hold up like I thought. They are also ungodly expensive. I just figured that a netbook in a pelican box would do just as well for a quarter of the cost.
..
Thank you everyone for your input and please keep the suggestions coming.
Ubuntu is actually pretty straight forward and easy to install and use, but should do a little model specific research to make sure of potential driver issues. Dell makes a semi-ruggedized E6400 ATG Latitude. Competitive price and a decent size screen. They will stand up better to rough treatment, are more water resistant. They also make a fully ruggedized version (E6400 XFR). Best thumbdrive on the market btw is the IronKey. It meets military standards for waterproofing and encryption, has the best security of any device on the market. https://www.ironkey.com/personal-solutions
I recently purchased a Netbook, the Asus Eee PC 1005HA. Has a removable battery and stays alive for 10 hours or so. First thing I did was got rid of Windows XP, GetEasyPeasy.com. Its a Ubuntu Linux version designed for Netbooks. the only issue i had was getting the wireless card to re-engage, but a simple download fixed that. In the SHTF Scenario we probably wont be worried about wireless too much... I wanted a Netbook because of how fast they charged, in the next 2 weeks I will be picking up a solar charger just to see how long it takes to charge. I will be going home to Download that 3rd World information. the 1005ha has a 120 Gig HD, so its portable, wieghts very little, Oh, and the netbooks dont have a CD Drive, but will load Linux from a Thumbdrive, thats how I loaded mine.
We had 2 Toughbooks while I was overseas in Afghan, they ran slow, ate a lot of power, and were just too bulky to want to carry around. My Eee Seashell PC is fast, simple, and easy to transport. I vote Netbook, with all the PDFs, I will attempt to find my SF Medic FMs on PDF if anyone is interested just PM me.
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