I am not usually a fan of the “Dummy’s Guide to….” or “101 Easy Steps To…” kind of books. This excellent little handbook by Bernie Carr (The Apartment Prepper) is a rare exception to my rule.

Prepper’s Pocket Guide is well written and broken down into logical subject headings, it is a great checklist for the seasoned prepper to see if their preps are as complete as they think. Have you really checked to see if you have everything needed to cook that food you stored? Really? Going through the food section will help double check what you have.

For the beginner who is overwhelmed by the idea that they have to go out and get a year’s supply of food at $1300 per person this little book is the answer. Simply put, don’t waste your money. The guide leads through easy stages to find what you need, where to get it, and how to store it. No huge outlays – you can successfully prep on $5 a week and the Prepper’s Pocket Guide will show you how.

In each major area, the book takes you through the essentials and shows you what you need and how to get it. There is no attempt to sell you on this gizmo or that food supplier. It is a simple straightforward look at those things that one needs should the support structure that we have grown accustom to disappear.

Now, for the draw back. One of the reasons I am not a fan of most guides is that they don’t contain enough detail. While this guide is better than most, no pocket guide can contain the background information that will help you understand the ‘why’ of something. It can tell you to use unscented chlorine bleach to make your water safe to drink but doesn’t go into detail as what is wrong with the lemon scented stuff in the laundry room. It is a minor point and I would hope all readers would get interested and seek more information in every area. While I found the book accurate and often offering alternatives to critical needs, my bias says that being informed of the “why” of a thing better equips you for survival.

With that caveat, this little guide is very helpful for both old and new preppers alike. The Prepper’s Pocket Guide is small enough to be carried (do you remember EXACTLY how much bleach to use per gallon of water? It’s in the book) so it should always be available. It is a great refresher for things you already know and a really solid checklist to see if there are any gaping holes in your preps.

The price is very reasonable and you can have a hard copy and a copy on your Kindle for under $10. I highly recommend it as an easy read with a great deal of information that just might keep you or a loved one alive.

Reprinted with permission from Survival Cache.