Disaster Preparations and Survival Gear For Making Your Home Self-Reliant

this is a good book on the subject of disaster preparedness but I would also read Arthur Bradleys book on disaster preparedness (neither book is about wilderness survival) they are more geared to hunkering down in a home situation and the needs you will have and how to fill those needs without all the modern conveniences we enjoy today.

Tony Nester's writing is straight forward. It's a quick read, prioritizing survival skills to simplify the thinking. He's got loads of experience, it's a definite must have for your survival prep, good to add to your pack for reference.

Tony covers a rock solid list of items that, taken on the whole, opens your mind to a cascade of ideas for the person looking to survive. For instance, while reading the book it dawned on me that I haven't considered how to do one very important thing once the poop hits the fan blades- how will I mow the lawn? think about the implications of that the next time you head to the gas station for a gallon of gas for the usual weekend grass cutting. Tony touches base many times in this short read with a comprehensive outline to help you start or continue setting up your own plan for survival and defense. Excellent. Read this immediately.

This is not a "book," it's a 75-page booklet with very basic info. I'm surprised so many give this five stars. If you've never read or thought about the topic, ever, this book may be for you, but it's still rather over-priced at just under 12 dollars. I must remember to start checking the number of pages. I'm laughing at how basic this is and what a fool I am to have spent anything on it.

This is a well thought out and highly sensible guide to being prepared for emergencies, whether natural disasters or whatever. There are certain things we must have to live as human beings, and Tony Nester addresses these and their applications, whether one lives in an urban setting or in the country. He is a refreshing and authoritative author and guide, who has the personal experience and knowledge to share, and does so with reasonableness and credibility.

Nester avoids the hype and paranoid skewing of the subject so prevalent today, and provides sensible and grounded advice and knowledge. Get this brief and concise book, for yourself and for those you love and care about...

Being a retired disaster drill planner and having spent a third of my life on an island 13 miles long and 3 miles wide in the Caribbean surviving Cat 1 to Cat 5 Hurricanes. The author did a good job explaining how to prepare for man made and natural disasters.

I started reading this book to get ideas on how to be prepared in a natural disaster. I live in the northeast and still remember when the grid did go down for several days.
This book has a lot of good information to get started on your preparation.

There is not a be all end all book or checklist out there. This book provides solid information in an easy to read and follow format. Each chapter provides a checklist at the end to summarize.

Yes some of this is common sense to those who might be slightly prepared, but I thought it was a solid read and I have incorporated the checklists.

It is not a gear review or a mall ninja book if that is what you are looking for.

I recommend

The main and most important topics are covered by someone who takes an experienced and realistic view of preparing for a disaster. Each specific topic could be a whole book itself or several but it is important to understand where to start on important issues. I highly recommend this book for folks looking to get a non-overwhelming start to prep. A book for all!!!!

Obvious Stuff. I guess it would be good for people who NEVER think about this stuff...and I know you are out there. But if anyone has done any kind of emergency prep for themselves and/or family, it's kind of redundant.

Is a useful book. Recent local weather issues have convinced us to be better prepared. This book has not very many pages, but the content is easy to understand and concise, and his tested suggestions appear sound and thought-out. This is a book without filler & fluff in it -- just has needed basic info.

Fact-based, real world advice. A great resource for those looking to take simple, cost-effective steps to prepare for a lack of electricity. Nice concise writing style with no hyperbole. Very helpful links to other resources throughout. The author appears to be genuinely interested in helping people as opposed to promulgating an agenda.

This book is less than 100 pages and has large photos that take up space :( yes it is simple but I was really looking for more substance, a comprehensive manual would be better. Also, nobody needs to know the author was featured in Maxim magazine, inappropriate for young audiences purchasing this book.

Bought as a gift for my husband. He stays the book has useful, but basic, information. Nothing mentioned about how to communicate if the grid goes down...maybe that will be included in a an updated edition in the future.

I purchased this book for my boyfriend who is a prepper. He said that it was a good book and informative. He did say that he didn't learn anything new from it but he does a lot of reading on the subject.

I only give it 3 stars because I wanted more out of it. This is an intro to preparedness, and if you are not a thoroughly paranoid, obsessive "prepper" it serves its purposes. Unfortunately, although I am not a thoroughly paranoid, obsessive "prepper", much of the material is pretty simple and common knowledge or common sense for a guy who grew up in the country, farming and building things and camping, etc.. The author does tell you correctly what you do need, in general terms, in the case of a crisis, but doesn't make too many specific suggestions for folks who may not have much experience with the concepts. I will probably gift it to one of my NY / NJ suburban friends in the path of the increasingly common tropical storms and hurricanes.

This is the most useful compilation of wisdom, common sense, product info. and obvious real life experiance I have seen as applied to the subject of "now what do I do?" when everything "goes to pot". Tony gives you everything you need without a lot of "fluff" by breaking things down into seven important subjects and giving you all you need on each. I thoroughly enjoyed Tony's writing style (very easy read) and the way he relates many hard- learned and sometimes humorous lessons. Tony does well at pointing out solutions that are down to earth using commonly available items vs. having to buy the latest "fadsy" gear. His product and material lists at the end of each segment are a treasure that I am using as a shopping guide to bolster my own preparations.

Way too much fear mongering. Wish I'd known before buying this book that the author is "an advocate of firearms and combatives training...having a 9mm in your bedroom" and believes that a disaster inevitably will "peel back the veneer of civilization." He further goes on to recommend having "...the baseline three: pistol, shotgun, and .22 rifle. ...(as) a place to start...and a dozen or more magazines" WOW.

He clearly has never visited Mr. Rogers neighborhood who's loving words are more and more relevant in our troubled world:
Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”

Of course this book is about self-reliance, and may be perfect for someone wanting to be off-the-grid and isolated from others. Too bad.

Tony Nester has done it again! This book is a must have for anyone striving to live a more self-reliant lifestyle. Nester's approach to home disaster preparedness is a refreshing change to the all too common zombie apocalypse genre. Rather than fill page after page with cartoon sketches and present an overdramatic view of an event; Tony draws from his exhaustive research and real world experience to present time tested skills/equipment in a practical/concise format. No stone is left unturned: survival psychology, heating and cooking, water, food storage, medical kits, personal security and home defense, lighting, shelter, hygiene, and more. In today's world of natural disasters, societal turmoil, and heavy-handed government you need to be prepared! This book should be your first step!

As with Tony's other books, "When The Grid Goes Down" is a breath of fresh air in a sea of confusion regarding an often divisive subject. In the "doom-and-gloom" world of post-apocalyptic survival information, where it seems prerequisite to have stockpiles of weapons, ammo, a bunker, and all the latest gadgetry, Tony's low-tech, simple, and field tested approach to this hotly debated subject offers the rest of us the knowledge and confidence to prepare according to our individual resources and needs. Forget the phone book sized manuals that comb through every detail of how to survive a societal collapse, as if even the hobbyist "prepper" is going to read and digest all of that information. This small but information packed book will tell you exactly what works because the techniques have been tested and used in real-world scenarios.

While the information given is simple and basic even the seasoned survivalist will come away from this book with new ideas and information not found elsewhere. I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore prepper but I have an extensive amount of common knowledge on the subject of SHTF survival; some new ideas I came away with and never heard elsewhere are as follows.

Hygiene - While I know hygiene is important and have heard it elsewhere I didn't realize how important it really is. This is a subject that I think is often overlooked by a lot of other information sources. Thankfully it is a subject that is covered in depth in this book. Tony expounds on the importance of hygiene and how to take care of such necessities as latrines, bathing, laundry, dish-washing, and trash among others.

Personal Protection and Security - Contrary to my previously held thought process, personal protection and security is more than just having firearms and knowing how to use them (though the importance of that is stressed), it includes other ways to protect your home that Tony reviews.

Water Procurement- Some ideas for finding water that I've never heard elsewhere, such as creating a "water map".

Mental Health - Tony outlines some good tactics for maintaining mental health, another often overlooked aspect of post-collapse survival when one's daily picture and circumstances change so drastically.

One thing I came away from this book with is the idea that I don't have to have all of the "gimmicky stuff" in order to make it through a scenario okay. Some basic, well-thought out and comparatively inexpensive measures will greatly increase the chances of surviving and even thriving in a societal collapse scenario. Yes it would be nice to have a 2 year supply of food, a bunch of guns with a million rounds for each, a super fancy generator, a couple hundred gallons of spare fuel , running stream or well, farm animals, and on and on; but if I don't have the ability to obtain those things I can still do something that will ensure my family and I will be able to make it through okay while I work towards those more expensive investments.
With anecdotal stories and a bit of humor mixed in, this book makes for an entertaining and informational read that is easy to digest. Get it! You won't be disappointed.

This book serves as a practical and easy to implement guide on how to be prepared for realistic disaster scenerios. Not over-the-top, but very practical and easy to read. A must-have these days, whether you are a rural homesteader or urban beginner.

Nice little book for someone with the self-reliant kind of mindset ! hits all the high points with very knowledgeable information ! Never hurts to not only be a little prepared, but also get a little smarter on the subject .......... worth the money in my opinion !!!!

While the author is an expert in his field and the book contains some useful information, on some of the topics discussed, it could have been more thorough. It is a well written, enjoyable, easy to read book. The author has a very dry sense of humor, which often made me chuckle. The book discusses everything from a self reliant home, to water storage, to food recommendations and storage, to your first aid kit and home security. I would recommend it.

When The Grid Goes Down......Author Tony Nester presents facts and ideas,things you can do to prepare you and your family for a Grid Down Scenario at home and what to expect.......with common sense and humor. Ideas and Lists of Needed Items that I had not considered for Long Term situations that the NorthEast States have recently experienced......Mr Nester's DVD on Tips and Tricks for Desert Survival prepared me for a recent backpacking trip in Central Nevada so I knew I would learn from Grid Down....A fun and easy detailed read regarding Food and Water needs,Health & Safety,Security and other subjects regarding short and long term self-reliance...... A Five Star / Two Thumbs Up on this one!

This is a very basic guide to prepping. Anyone who knows anything about prepping knows everything in this book. The author clearly knows his stuff but didn't give me any new ideas or knowledge. The book is very short, I read it in 30 mins. Not worth the $12 i spent....at all.