books everyone should have

[bruce]

even though it is touted as very "tongue in cheek" the Zombie Survival Guide has a lot of good up to date info on what to do and how to choose weapons and gear.
World War Z is another good one, the idea for the "Lobo" is worth the price of the book alone.
BSA Field book; good if you are out in the wilderness trying to survive, has first aid,edible plants, traps, knots etc.
any military issue survival manual will give you basic survival info.

I look forward to knowing what everyone else has used for their preparations

[moneymike2009]

this one i like because covers all regines THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SERVIVAL TECHNIQUES by alexander stilwell
prep and equipment
survival in the desert,sea,polar regions,tropic,mountains, and natural disasters.
first aid
fire making,tools and weapons
trapping,fishing,plantfood
navigation and signalling
rafts and river crossing
ropes and knots

[Admin]

Another good one is the Military manual:

"improvised munitions handbook"

You can find it all over the web, and I've picked them up at local army navy stores for about $5 a piece.

There are several other good old military manuals available for a few bucks a piece.

Some of the info is outdated, but a lot of it is still good. 

They'd be worth the few $ to pick them up and have them handy

[oldnick]

The best all around information resource for surviving the Zombie Apocalypse (that I've read at least) is the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. I know it's already been mentioned here, and it's the most obvious resource.

Another book that has information that people may find useful is "How to Hide Anything" by Michael Connor. It was written in the 80's so the info is kinda dated (like hiding stuff in an old style turntable), but it might come in handy when trying to keep your food/ammo stashes inconspicuous.  It seems that most of the info was written for people trying to hide drugs from cops and jewelry from burglars.  I even found a PDF of this one on google at one point.

[OVERKILL]

 Not to be a party pooper, but some of the info in the 2 Max Brooks books is slightly incorrect, as it is mainly influenced by Hollywood with a little research thrown in (I.E. crossbow as a sniper weapon).

[sventhewarrior]

I'm a big fan of Max Brooks, but I must agree that I don't think that he's right about everything. For example, anyone who's ever used a Shoalin spade will tell you that they're darn hard to use. They're heavy, oddly balanced, and pointy on both ends. It's much easier to slit your own stomach than to decapitate a zombie.

His criticisms of the M16 rifle are another example. True, the original ones sucked, but they've been vastly improved since then. Unless you're going to use an original Vietnam era M16A1 in a jungle, you're probably alright. The M4 is actually quite reliable.

There are other things like that. Mostly the book is right on, but it's not perfect.

[oldnick]

when i read the survival guide, i had to assume that the shaolin spade suggestion was what put the guide in the 'comedy' section of the bookstore. i'm sure it's a great weapon in the hands of someone skilled at using it, but for the rest of us, i'm guessing it would be more of a hinderence.

crossbows are another idea that i'm not a fan of. i understand the premise that you need to be able to kill quietly, but how many crossbow bolts can you really carry around?

now, my next suggestion isn't for everyone. take the information and tuck it away somewhere. if done incorrectly, it could result in SERIOUS INJURY. and if done at all while we still live in a lawful society (up until the point of total anarchy), it could land you in jail.
http://www.gun-shots.net/make-silencer.shtml

[Admin]

Nick, thanks for the link.

Just to warn everyone, making a silencer in the US is a serious offense.

There are legal ways of going about this, but they cost money, and take time. my recommendation would be to take the info, and file it away.

DO NOT buy the parts or start assembly, as simply possession of parts is a federal offense equal to building the silencer itself, or owning an illegal full auto.

We're not talking about a slap on the wrist or jail time, we're talking about huge fines and PRISON time.

Think carefully about these things before you pull out your dremel tool.

[†CrimsonKing†]

I live and breath that Zombie Survival Guide. I love it! Yes, some of the info is faulty but its the only one of its kind that i know of anyway 

[Zombie_Hunter]

Aside from the ones already mentioned, the Anarchist's Cookbook.  I don't own one, nor have any intention to until a zombie apocalypse, but the recipes for various explosive from household items cant hurt ur chances of survival!

[Robin Holmes]

when i read the survival guide, i had to assume that the shaolin spade suggestion was what put the guide in the 'comedy' section of the bookstore. i'm sure it's a great weapon in the hands of someone skilled at using it, but for the rest of us, i'm guessing it would be more of a hinderence.

crossbows are another idea that i'm not a fan of. i understand the premise that you need to be able to kill quietly, but how many crossbow bolts can you really carry around?

I'm gonna mention two things. One, that I took up the Spade after reading that book. Haven't killed myself yet. If you've ever handled a staff, or a long axe, you'll do fine.

As for the feasibility of carrying crossbow bolts, well, without seriously straining my ability to move and fight, I can carry at least 40. Double that if I strap a couple cases to my chest.

[Robin Holmes]

Also. Good pair of books to have if you're planning something illegal and immoral, would be the Forbidden Knowledge series. There's some useful stuff in there.

[OVERKILL]

 I'm not planning anything illegal or immoral, but give some more info on the "Forbidden Knowledge" series. About the Anarchist Cookbook a few posts up, there are a couple different versions under slightly different titles, at least some of which, if not all, I've heard are completly B.S.

[Robin Holmes]

Included are things like "How to Work as a Drug Mule", "How to Kite Cheques", "How to Become a Mercenary", and it's publicly avalible. I bought my version at Chapters.

[zombiekilla123]

I think a book everyone should have or read is us army zombie combat skills. Its great, It covers most all necessary things to survive the Zombie Apocalypse