Nov242011
Action Step: Ladies, start your printers!
Print 
PDF
image by toastiest
Every once in a while I come across an article online that I want to bookmark, but what with my computer restarting itself for updates and my kids coming along and closing windows, I invariably lose and forget about the link.
If you’ve ever experienced a computer virus that shuts down your computer or some other malfunction, you know the frustration of not having access to online resources. If those resources include vital information related to preparedness and survival, start printing! It just so happens that this four-day weekend would make a terrific time to track down valuable articles and begin printing them out.
You’ll need an extra ream of paper, maybe two, an extra ink cartridge, a 3-ring binder, a 3-hole punch, and a set or two of notebook dividers. Some helpful categories for organizing your information are:
- evacuations
- finances
- food preservation
- food storage
- fuel and energy
- health and fitness
- security
- skills
- water
Websites that have helpful articles, worthy of printing out, are:
Also, check out my downloads and various survival manuals, my blogroll and our Survival Mom-Blog Ring.
If articles contain photos or other graphics, I usually copy and paste the entire thing into a Word document and then delete photos and anything else I don’t want printed out.
Bookmarking sites just isn’t enough in a crisis. You want a hard copy of the most important information and you’re going to need it in a well-organized binder, otherwise known as the Survival Mom Binder! This project should keep you busy until next week’s Action Step!
© 2011, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(16) Readers Comments
Leave a Reply
A Review of the Diva Cup: Not for the faint of heart. (Men, avert your eyes.)
I did the same thing! LOL
A Review of the Diva Cup: Not for the faint of heart. (Men, avert your eyes.)
Here, Here! Made the switch a few months ago and never looking back.
Advice for new Survival Moms from those who have been around a while
RE: TP storing enough toilet paper for a short term emergency makes s
dixiebelle
I've been meaning to do this for SO long! Thank you…
PurpleKJ
I do this but a word of warning, you will need more than one folder.
I have labelled mine: Gardening, Food Storage and Recipes, Sustainable Living, Manuals, Health, Sewing knitting and Crochet etc, SHTF and Preparedness. I think more categories are on the way as the information piles up but it is easy to find now, also I have a contents page in the front of each folder with the titles of all articles to make it easier to find the info.
Connie
I’m always asking myself how did the pioneers do things.Like last year when I had no income for two months.I was okay on soap and shampoo,but ran out of toothpaste and toilet paper.My internet had been paid up before I lost my income,but if it hadn’t I would have went to the library.I found out how to make tooth powder out of salt and baking soda.I had some worn out flannel shirts and towels,along with some waterproof material.So I made toilet clothes and reusable sanitary pads.Later while canning I wondered about how to make vinegar and pectin.The Pioneer women couldn’t just go to the store and buy it.Now I want to learn how to make cheese,but the modern recipes have all these starters you have to buy.So I looked up old cheese recipes.I found answered to all of these questions on the internet,and printed them up.The biggest money saver was when I found plans to make my own cheese press.
Guest
You can make cheese with cider vinegar or lemon juice. It's true some cheeses require other things but Queso Blanco doesn't.
LizLong
I'm pretty sure you can also save a copy of your bookmark file to a thumb drive, although I haven't done that myself yet.
Stealth Spaniel
Yep-I have my survival portfolio so full, that I am moving up to the next size!! To keep the pages nice, i use those plastic sleeves. That way, I have no torn, dirty, or mangled pages in the middle of an article. I also have them labeled: if the SHTF and 9 hours later, I have time to review a needed next step…..I know that my brain will have a little extra help in finding what I want.
Tina
I agree – make it a BIG 3-ring binder:) I've been doing this, and had to expand to a larger one. There is lots of great info out there. I like the plastic sleeve idea too…
Bonnie
Also buy a copy a copy of the Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. It will save you a lot of research and printing, as it covers everything about living off the land.
thesunergizer
We are blessed to be in an age where information is at our finger tips. AND we all have print shops at home.
Something I have often wondered is. Did the homesteaders have any books? Did they have the farmers almanac? Or did they just pass information verbally as they grew up. Of course, some of the city folk that headed West were not so well verses in farming and raising animals.
We have time folks to buy or print libraries to cover pretty much anything that can crop up should we have a societal collapse.
Just do it!
TheSurvivalMom
Agreed! In an interview I was once asked what I thought was the most important survival tool. I think the host was shocked when I said, \”the internet.\” There\’s nothing I can think of that you can\’t learn about on the internet, but I also don\’t think our current internet access will always be there, so I want to take advantage of it while I can.
Tami
I have started to print pages to put into a binder I purchased. I haven't been quite as diligent with printing though. I keep thinking I only want to print the best information. So put it off in case something better comes along. LOL I need to get on that though. I did buy a new ream of paper though so I am moving forward.
paul
when printing info for your survival binder (2) utility programs I find essential are fineprint (www.fineprint.com) and pdfactory . Fineprint allows printing 1, 2, 4 0r 8 pages on a single sheet of paper while pdf factory is handy in that you can print from multiple sources into a single common document that you then save as a pdf
Allan Pratt
Regarding printing for the survival binder, some printers, including my HP 1320n, have multiple page per sheet built in. I can print 2,4,8,or 16 pages of text per sheet, though if using 12 point type anything beyond 6 per sheet would be pretty hard to read.
Kat
Ok, does it mean that I’m crazy for buying a case of paper for printing this info off? ;0) I’ve bought a laser printer, so I’m not eating up ink jet cartridges like crazy.
And I’m surprised no one mentioned binding your own books. That what I’ve got in mind for my info books once they’re “full”. Bookbinding is becoming a lost art.
Reggie
I am glad I found this article. I wanted to share something I thought was VERY important. I am an information hoarder..I love anything that tells me something I knew or didn’t know.. I have tons of books that I have downloaded from the internet and was going to print one off for my mother when she mentioned something that did not occur to me. I can buy the book, usually cheaper than printing it on my printer with paper and ink cost taken into account. This doesn’t apply to articles on the web or just tidbits of info..but if you are planning to print out an Army Field Manual, medical guide or anything that has more than a few pages you are probably going to be able to find it cheaper in hardcopy.
Kim
Reggie, that’s an excellent point. I find books I’m interested in VERY cheap on Amazon or half.com (an ebay-owned site for used books) all the time. If you factor in your time printing, collating, hole-punching, filing, etc., it may be worth even a little extra money to have that information delivered to your doorstep ready-to-go.
Thanks to whoever mentioned Carla Emery. I had read of that book but forgotten the name and author… now I’ve got the new edition (Oct 30, 2012) headed my way when it’s released via Amazon.