survival printing press

[spcantwell]

A discussion in anouther tread that turned into one about precious metals vs trade goods made me think of a side question that prob would do better in the surival threads... has anyone ever seen a 'survialist' set up for printing books? Being able to sell books about how to survive might be worth more then a lot of other 'trade goods'. Just thinking about how advanced it could get before you need to start having things like power and special inks/paper/spare parts which would eventualy run out no matter how big the stockpile is...

For someone with zero outdoor skills (most of the city population) a single boy scout handbook would be worth more then a metric ton of gold becuase it could actualy help you to survive and the gold is only good for HOPEFULLY finding someone with the same skills to help you survive....

 

[Admin]

If you're reading a book on surviving a SHTF during a SHTF, the battle is already lost.

 

[Mike-Mike]

If you're reading a book on surviving a SHTF during a SHTF, the battle is already lost.

This! When I am buying X,Y or Z the wife will say "Do you need that now?" I respond "You cant shop for the apocalypse, during the apocalypse."

 

[spcantwell]

If you're reading a book on surviving a SHTF during a SHTF, the battle is already lost.

true, but that doesnt mean that some people arent going to want refernce material to remind them of how to do things they havnt done in years...

 

[jtnf]

Caught with an Infernal Machine of Seditious Distribution? That'll be the death penalty after .gov clamps down post-SHTF.

 

[mclina]

Where would you get the paper? It might make just as much sense to buy a couple hundred copies of your favorite survival handbook and stockpile those.

But I agree, trying to read and learn those skills after the SHTF might not work out too well.

 

[spcantwell]

Where would you get the paper? It might make just as much sense to buy a couple hundred copies of your favorite survival handbook and stockpile those.

But I agree, trying to read and learn those skills after the SHTF might not work out too well.

Making cheap rag paper shouldn't be to far outside the capabilities of a prepper. Wood pulp paper is supposedly a bit harder but far from impossible for artisan level production. Cheap ink shouldn't be beyond the capability either but if the "printer" gets to fancy cheep in probably wouldn't work

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[Flywheel]

I would think that setting up a printing press and making paper and ink to distribute knowledge wouldn't be much of a priority for a good long while after SHTF. Like the diary in "Dances with Wolves", books will be converted into toilet paper to meet immediate critical needs.

 

[Bonesinium]

If you're reading a book on surviving a SHTF during a SHTF, the battle is already lost.

Defeatist attitude.

 

[enbloc]

.

 

[tc556guy]

If you are in a larger community the product wont be survival knowledge per se, but basic information about what's going on around you.
Not everyone will have shortwave , FRS, CB. I would expect that few would actually, and they'll be starved for knowledge of what's going on as long as you are considered a factual source and not rumor-mongering.
A single side broadside of current news that could be posted around the village would fill a need and would be pretty basic to set up and produce
You could perhaps preplan several basic prep type documents of a similar format that you could use to prime the pump and gain you some readership for your other news and info products when you decide to produce them.

 

[bhannig]

 

[FrugalFannie]

I think a "printing press" in the form of a computer and a home printer to create a "community newsletter" if you are in a tight community would be a better use. See the Series "299 Days." Information can become EXTREMELY valuable when the grid goes down. A newsletter/newspaper would allow for dispensing info to a great number of people.

 

[47stages]

Personally, I think that that is a fairly clever idea. It is common to neglect the higher ends of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and providing information (esteem and self-actualization) in a hypothetical low technology world could be very valuable. While survival manuals may not be the most traded, as PennyPincher pointed out, newsletters, bulletins, or even works of fiction could be extraordinarily important. I would generally decide what scenario you are thinking of before making an investment of time, effort, and money though. Most catastrophes do not cause long term loss of technology, so this would likely be a niche gambit. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[tc556guy]

I think a "printing press" in the form of a computer and a home printer to create a "community newsletter" if you are in a tight community would be a better use. See the Series "299 Days." Information can become EXTREMELY valuable when the grid goes down. A newsletter/newspaper would allow for dispensing info to a great number of people.

Which works til you have no juice and your printer runs out of toner
I think the OP was thinking in terms of stuff a little further down the road than the first week or two or three after things crumble
I might be wrong

 

[spcantwell]

Which works til you have no juice and your printer runs out of toner
I think the OP was thinking in terms of stuff a little further down the road than the first week or two or three after things crumble
I might be wrong

Your not wrong. I know it's a VEARY low probability worry. But it was more of a thought experiment in absolute worst case long term...

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[Christian]

Which works til you have no juice and your printer runs out of toner
I think the OP was thinking in terms of stuff a little further down the road than the first week or two or three after things crumble
I might be wrong

Inexpensive enough when you really think about it. For under $300 you can get a monochrome printer, toner, motorcycle battery, solar trickle charger, charge controller, inverter, and paper to last a good amount of time. None of which was on sale so it could go even further if one was to look around say by grabbing a battery out of a car(which equates to another four toner cartridges +/-). Heck I've hardly ever printed anything at home and I've got a few cases of paper from the supermarket for $6 a case during some promotion HP did more than a few years ago.

 

[Archilochus]

Heck, I think it's a fine idea right now. Set up a hand press and crank out some broadsheets like Franklin. Given some time, who knows where that could lead