# Designing A Pocket Survival Manual



## SAR-1L (Mar 13, 2013)

I am looking into how to create a small pocket size manual with survival notes, regional information, and categorized facts specifically designed for the area I live. I am doing this as a crutch until I can practice these things regularly enough to remember as otherwise I don't trust my memory.

- light weight, and small enough to fit in a cargo pants pocket.
- I want something that can be easily added to, with new printed pages.
( my hand writing is a terrible to read, space consumer compared to font. )
- mold resistant, and weather proof, even against temporary submersion.
- durable enough to withstand being in a pocket during running, climbing and even short swims.

How could I do this, I thought about laminated pages, but I worry about the cover it would be in, and its bindings. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

I already intend to add Rite in the Rain pages in case I do later need to write down notes by hand for emergency situations.

cheers,

Alex


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Sorta like this?

SAS Survival Guide 2E (Collins Gem): For any climate, for any situation: John 'Lofty' Wiseman: 9780061992865: Amazon.com: Books


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## SAR-1L (Mar 13, 2013)

Yes, and No. The sizing yes, the content sorta. It would be more specific to my area. The major difference though, and the reason this is almost in the opposite direction of what I want to do is the following reasons.

- It is standards paper back, can mold, soak and ruin.
- The binding probably wouldn't hold up as well as what I have in mind, pages would fall out and be lost.
- It doesn't contain the specific knowledge I personally wish to add based off my skill sets and abilities.

I am looking to custom make my own book/mini binder full of information I choose, while being weather proofed.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

SAR-1L said:


> Yes, and No. The sizing yes, the content sorta. It would be more specific to my area. The major difference though, and the reason this is almost in the opposite direction of what I want to do is the following reasons.
> 
> - It is standards paper back, can mold, soak and ruin.
> - The binding probably wouldn't hold up as well as what I have in mind, pages would fall out and be lost.
> ...


I have one that I purchased in an outdoor store that is made out of plastic, spiral bound, and is specific to the region (I.E desert, forest, ect.)

Amazon.com: Pocket Guide to Outdoor Survival (9781931676083): Ron Cordes, Stan Bradshaw: Books


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

If you can find an "Outdoor Survival Guide" for your area they are about the right size and they are water proof but it may be hard to find for you specific needs. You can get the same thing by setting up a page on your computer with six "text boxes" in landscape format. Set it up with three across and two down and you can enter your data and then print it out. Then seal it in plastic and put it in a small binder made from 1/16" Lexan made of three pieces. the back binder section with holes that bolt through with machine screws to clamp the pages in place. (don't penetrate the pages - just clamp them at the top or side where you have a border. then the last part is hinged to the smaller clamping piece so you can view the pages. As you need you can add pages and even put in reference tabs made from old bleach or milk cartons to separate the sections for different foods and herbs or whatever you want to add.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

PaulS said:


> If you can find an "Outdoor Survival Guide" for your area they are about the right size and they are water proof but it may be hard to find for you specific needs. You can get the same thing by setting up a page on your computer with six "text boxes" in landscape format. Set it up with three across and two down and you can enter your data and then print it out. Then seal it in plastic and put it in a small binder made from 1/16" Lexan made of three pieces. the back binder section with holes that bolt through with machine screws to clamp the pages in place. (don't penetrate the pages - just clamp them at the top or side where you have a border. then the last part is hinged to the smaller clamping piece so you can view the pages. As you need you can add pages and even put in reference tabs made from old bleach or milk cartons to separate the sections for different foods and herbs or whatever you want to add.


That's a good idea,, These are the kind of ideas that may make the difference of weather you survive or not


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## SAR-1L (Mar 13, 2013)

Yeah I am really.. and can't stress enough it seems... wanting to make my own, so this whole thread was about methods of how to make your own, catered specifically to what the maker wants, not prefab versions. Thank you Paul for the info, it is at least a good start in the right direction though the advice you suggested is already something I have thought, hoping to seek ideas I haven't figured out which might be better, or more even durable. Thank you again Paul.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

I would suggest getting a "dry case" made for an iPod and store all your pages in that. The realavent page could be displayed in the front see through window when working wet.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Maybe this is so simple it is dopey, but why not just get a spiral bound book, whatever size you want and put it in a good quality zip lock bag with a #2 pencil? If you wanted to go "uptown", you could even get one of those quarter sheet sized 6 ring binders that salesmen used to use and keep it in a zip lock bag. I do not like the idea of laminating pages because they are far too thick thus limiting the number of pages you can carry, and they do not allow you to annotate your notes as you learn new things.

Just an opinion.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

Meangreen said:


> Sorta like this?
> 
> SAS Survival Guide 2E (Collins Gem): For any climate, for any situation: John 'Lofty' Wiseman: 9780061992865: Amazon.com: Books


SAS in a nutshell. Make copies of pages you need and laminate. Still I'd carry the book. just my $.02

punch


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## That Prepper Guy (May 7, 2013)

It will be best for you to look at book binding services so you will have some control over your product.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Avery makes 3x5 file cards that will go through your printer (Avery 5388). If you were to laminate these (after printing, of course) with 1" borders to ensure a good seal, they would be 5"x7" and probably fit into a cargo pocket. I would punch a few holes along one side with a paper punch, then tie them together with loops of paracord that were loose enough to let the pages open. Not fancy, but that's what I would do.


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