It's a good idea, older tec and the solar charger/hand crank should keep you going for quite sometime. I wouldn't take this route myself as I am worried about losing my data, I like to store all my data in the form of hard copies and laminating them to prevent any damage due to moisture. But having everything in hard copies takes up space that can be best used in other ways. So I give your idea alot of merit and creativity. It's a personnel choice and if it works for you, do it! Ne prep is better then no prep and it is dependent upon what your preparing for and how long you believe things will be bad for.

I would recommend that you save as much info on your local edible and medical plant life and how to use them. try to save nething you might need that you don't want to forget, how to build certain things or things to make for survival and or food. Don't forget the basic's boiling pine needles in water is a great way of staying alive and what time of year to pick certain plants. How to find out approx the time of day and month using the sun and such. save maps but don't go to over board it's hard to say what on a map will be useful but having a few of your area you plan to be in/or around and then miles out side of can become very useful and allow you to plan defensive lines if needed and where possible attacks could come from. Maps and tactics go hand and hand. If you want to label things, use numbers and letters and then in a hard copy list them in a legend. keep them stored separately so they can not be stolen together.

Whatever you choose to do, don't pinpoint on a map ne thing about your cashe sites, your shelters, home, or ne thing about where you will and could be found. In case it's lost or stolen. On a gps never activate your one touch home button, if your car is stolen and your keys to the house are on the same ring as your cars, you could be in for a nasty surprise. Try to avoid centering, you don't want a cashe site or your house or stuff like that in the middle of a map.

Very interesting idea! I don't know about apps but hope I was able to help a little, and i'm sure you'll get lots of idea's from others as well.

Threestorms you have a good idea and yes it will work. I have all my data, PDF's, electronic books etc. and main apps copied onto large thumb drives that are kept in a faraday cage. There is no reason why you could not use an old smart phone. Your apps probably need to be compatible with the operating system on your old smart phone. Do you intend to use everything on the old smart phone after TSHTF?

I have an old laptop with extra batteries and copies of everything on an external USB hard drive in a separate cage in a different location. Notice I said copies not backups. Copies are a more secure way of archiving data. It takes more space but it is worth it because if there is a failure you only loose a file or two not the whole backup.

As far as apps go, I have several different operating systems, word processor, spreadsheet, database, mapping software for N. America, photo applications, a large number of utilities and even some games. On another external USB hard drive I have a large selection of movies.

I don't want to downplay the usefulness of hard copies of data but a smart phone or thumb drive is very easy to pack and does not take up much room in your BOB if you have to bug out.

Hope that helps a little.

People also need to buy a cheap laser printer. Have seen prices as low as $45, yup.. lost leaders at Staples, keep onto the flyers and in store promotions.
Printing out some info, versus reading all the time on the tiny smart phone. There are tablets that will do the same thing, I picked one up last Xmas for only $89. will communicate with a printer as well.
Pop that into the Faraday cage as well, here I am thinking large metal garbage can you can get at Home Hardware for about $35 and up.
metal tape around the can and lid, keeping insides away from the metal.

Radio Shack/The Source has 16gb thumb drives on right now for only $9.99
I am picking up a couple of them!

Some great points thank you for the feedback.. for sure I am ziplock bagging many of my books and things i need in hard copy. but all extras go on pdfs. I like the process power of the smartphone so woul use tools like caclulators, engineering tools etc... in addition to gps ..if it would work/

cheers

Just a thought, has anyone ever looked at picking up a Lithograph machine, some of you remember those things from grade school. Back in the stone age, before photocopiers. I was just thinking (dangerous I Know), a sustainable community may want to have one if the lights went out for a few years.;)

If I find a community/group to be with in time, the U-haul that I would need to transport my technical library and tools and other stuff needed to help rebuilding a life wood be sizable. If not than a lot of useful tool/information would be lost. If anyone sees a Engineers bible, cheap pick one up. I may be big, bulky and weigh a ton but it has sooo much information in it. :geek:

Just a thought, has anyone ever looked at picking up a Lithograph machine, some of you remember those things from grade school. Back in the stone age, before photocopiers. I was just thinking (dangerous I Know), a sustainable community may want to have one if the lights went out for a few years.;)

Rnager do you mean a Ditto Machine (Gestetner)? Hand crank it and away it goes. I have one of those in my garage somewhere.

Yup, that be the one.

I do have the pdf for Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (11th Edition) if anyone would like it...around 45mb 2400 pages

I do have the pdf for Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (11th Edition) if anyone would like it...around 45mb 2400 pages

I would love to get a copy of the PDF as long as it is not breaking any copyright.

I would like the link as well please and thanks in advance.

not sure about copyright

The book that I am looking for has all schools of engineering in it. I saw it when I went to college in 94. Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Hydraulic. All in the same book, it was about 5-6 inches thick and 10x12. A heavy mutha. And that is why it was called the Engineers Bible. :ugeek: