Category Archives: Preparedness

All topics about prepping, preparedness and survival.

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 8

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The seventh version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at the link below.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about:
“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise, and to help in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

I’ve been working on this personal preparedness guide almost every day since June 2017 when I started prepping and wanted a collection of information in a single document on my phone. It has grown substantially over time and now contains over 3.45 million words, so I decided to share it with the public. I designed the PDF to easily be put on a mobile device and forgotten until needed and can be searched for any particular needs during disasters.

Version 8 features the conversion of the rest of the guide to the new, larger and easier to read style. A title page was added to make it feel more like a book. There are also major updates to the INJURY, ELECTRICITY and LOCATIONS categories and a smaller update to the Pandemic section in MAN-MADE DISASTERS alongside lots of minor fixes and changes throughout the guide.

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 55mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see the “UPDATES” section in the guide.

Traditional vs Modern Ethics

By | | Christianity, The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE)
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This is a table on topics such as Abortion, Marriage and Homosexuality describing the opposing viewpoints between Modern and Traditional thought processes with bible verses backing up the traditional view.

Today we see our world falling into chaos, one news headline after another as we lose the traditional and Godly values which used to uphold our society.

Why is a person who was a man allowed to compete against women in weightlifting?
Why are so many mothers killing their babies in abortion only to later regret it and contemplate suicide?
Why are men who dress up as women allowed to read stories to children in libraries?
Why are so many people convinced they evolved from chimps and not divinely created?
Why can’t parents discipline their children physically anymore, causing rebellious teens and adults?
These are some of the questions discussed in the PDF.

You can view the table here, (don’t forget to download)
Modern vs Traditional Ethics

This is an extract from my primary guide “The Preparedness Encyclopedia”.

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 7

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The seventh version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at the link below.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about:
“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise, and to help in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

I’ve been working on this guide almost every day since June 2017 and it has substantially grown from 10 categories to 82 and contains 25,700+ rows of valuable information. The PDF file is designed to be put on a mobile device and forgotten until needed and can be searched for your particular needs during disasters – but as preppers we should be practicing our skills on a daily basis to give us the best fighting chance.

Version 7 contains a COLOSSAL visual update to 70% of the guide converting most of the data from the ‘cell format’ to an easier to read ‘Word Document’ format. Sorry it’s taken so long! This should greatly reduce the need to zoom into it as much. Most of this update consists of the new formatting but there is also quite a bit of new content in many of the categories, but particularly in SHELTER and GEOGRAPHY.

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 49mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see the “UPDATES” section in the guide.

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 6

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The sixth version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at the link below.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about:
“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise, and to help in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 43mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see below or the “UPDATES” section in the guide.

Updates:

~
Fixed the broken text sizers
for Robinson Crusoe in
ENTERTAINMENT

~
Fixed multiple things picked
up by reddit users

~
Changed the subcategory
heading spacing

+
Added more Nonograms to
ENTERTAINMENT

+
Added Journaling to
ENTERTAINMENT

+
Added Seed Bank to
GARDENING

~
Updated various sections in
GARDENING

++
Updated Earthquakes in
NATURAL DISASTERS

~
Altered the headings in
NATURAL DISASTERS

+
Added Atmosphere to
WEATHER

~
Altered multiple
subcategories in NATURAL
DISASTERS

+
Updated Wildfires in
NATURAL DISASTERS

+
Updated Meteorite in
NATURAL DISASTERS

+
Added Monsoons to Flood
in NATURAL DISASTERS

+
Updated the layout in
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

+
Added Nutrients to
NUTRITION

+
Added Malnutrition to
NUTRITION

+
Added Eating Disorder to
NUTRITION

+
Added Obesity to
NUTRITION

+
Added Starvation to
NUTRITION

+
Added Global Nutrition
Challenges to NUTRITION

+
Added Intake to Vitamins in
NUTRITION

+
Updated the Minerals
section in NUTRITION

+
Added Famine to MAN-MADE DISASTERS

–
Removed Global Warming
from MAN-MADE DISASTERS

+
Added Discipline to
LEADERSHIP

+
Added Crimes to
LEADERSHIP

+
Added information to
WOODWORKING

+
Added text messages to
the page count generator.

+
Added Circulatory System
to MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Digestive System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Excretory System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Endocrine System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Integumentary
System to MEDICAL –
GENERAL

+
Added Exocrine System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Immune System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Lymphatic System
to MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Muscular System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Nervous System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Urinary System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Reproductive
System to MEDICAL –
GENERAL

+
Added Respiratory System
to MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Skeletal System to
MEDICAL – GENERAL

+
Added Haematopoietic
System to MEDICAL –
GENERAL

+
Added a title to the top of
the sheet

+
Added a lot of information
in the GEAR section.

+++
Recreated the whole GEAR
section for ease of reading.

+
Fixed the automated page
count formula.

+
Changed the Update
Marker text.

+
Added more recipes to
RECIPES

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 5

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The fifth version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at the link below.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about, I developed a one sentence elevator pitch of its purpose:

“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise, and to help in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 40mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see below or the “UPDATES” section in the guide.

Updates

~
Modified various small
things throughout the
document

++
Added words to multiple
categories in DICTIONARY

+
Added My Questions to FAQ

+
Updated The Rapture in
Mass Destruction

+
Added Solar Fire Starters to
FIRE

+
Added Spontaneous
Combustion to FIRE

+
Updated Various Sections
in FIRE

+
Updated Prepping Basics in
PREPAREDNESS

~
Reworked the CREDITS
section

+
Updated SHTF Planning in
PREPAREDNESS

~~
Made the subcategory
headings thicker
Updates

~
Fixed the row height issue
crushing text in the PDF

+
Added Darkness to LIGHT

~
Modified column B-D’s text
size

~
Changed the subcategory
heading text size and
spacing

+
Added Line Strengtheners
to Category Headings

~
Updated Complex
Concepts in ENTERTAINMENT

+
Added Audio to Electronic
Entertainment in
ENTERTAINMENT

+
Added Audio to
ENTERTAINMENT

~
Fixed the overflowing text
in Robin Crusoe

~
Changed the subsubcategory heading text
size and spacing

~
Fixed minor things
throughout the whole
document

~
Updated the Plan
Template in PREPAREDNESS

~
Updated various types of
gear in GEAR

~
Enlarged the update cells
markers in UPDATES

~
Enlarged Every Categories
Initial Text Size to 13

++
Added the Chinese
Character List to LANGUAGE

+
Added Language
Introductions to LANGUAGE

++
Added more Language
Translations to LANGUAGE

+
Added Active Denial
System to WEAPONS

+
Added Panic Level to Local
Disasters

~
Merged the LOCAL
DISASTERS category with
the GLOBAL DISASTERS
category

~
Renamed the GLOBAL
DISASTERS category to
DISASTER TIMELINES
Updates

+
Added and updated skills
in SKILLS

+
Added the Skills Analyser to
SKILLS

+
Added the Skill Training
Field to SKILLS

+
Added various sections to
PREPAREDNESS

++
Added Pandemic to MANMADE DISASTERS

+
Added Protest to MANMADE DISASTERS

+
Added Riot to MAN-MADE
DISASTERS

+
Added Civil War to MANMADE DISASTERS

+
Added Economic Collapse
to MAN-MADE DISASTERS

+
Added Strike to MAN-MADE
DISASTERS

+
Added Edibility Test to
FORAGING

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 4

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The fourth version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at my website via the link below.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about, I developed a one sentence elevator pitch of its purpose:

“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise and to assist in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 38mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see the “UPDATES” section in the guide which is the very last category.

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 3

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The third version of The Preparedness Encyclopedia has been released! You can find it at my website via the link below. Yeah, I forgot to write a post releasing the second version, thus the jump straight to this version.
Download TPE Here

If you’re not sure what it’s all about, I developed a one sentence elevator pitch of its purpose:

“The Preparedness Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and portable collection of crucial information designed exclusively to assist in your survival from any catastrophe that may arise and to assist in the rebuilding of society afterwards.”

The guide is constrained to a size limit of 100mb but it’s currently well below that at about 35mb. It’s also designed to be fast and to be read on your mobile device by any PDF reader while you’re on the go, which will make it easy to use during any disaster (as long as you have power). It can be read on phones, tablets, laptops or desktops and easily be transferred between them based on your needs.

For details on what’s new in this version, see the “UPDATES” section in the guide which is the very last category.

Preparedness Map Icons

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There isn’t much of a good selection of mapping icons on the internet today, particularly preparedness related ones. So lately I’ve been spending a bit of time creating a matching set of my own so I can use them for marking important features on maps.

They are all 512x512px so are great quality and are a simple enough design to be understood even when they are displayed at a tiny size. The most comprehensive set I could find on the internet for free was on “https://mapicons.mapsmarker.com/” which I was using prior to creating my own. The problem with this set is that the full download of icons skips some of the icons that can be found if you download the packs individually. Download the full pack and then the food icons and check one-by-one to see if all the food icons are in the full pack and you’ll see what I mean – unless they fixed this of course. Also you can’t customise the entire set of icons if you download them all at once so you’ll be stuck with whatever colours they give you. They are also far too detailed for displaying on small maps on high PPI devices like my Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Not to hate on the producer because they’re doing great work especially considering they are free, but far fewer detail can convey the same message and make it simpler to understand. Below are a few examples of their icons and the ones I compiled. Take particular notice of the sushi icon, where it’s hard enough to tell what it is even at 100x100px. Not to mention that it would typically be displayed at 30×30 which is the resolution it would generally displayed as on a map. I also say “compiled” earlier because I didn’t draw the icons, I simply added a background, re-scaled them to fit better and sometimes combined two icons to better describe what I was going for such as my “Stealth Camping” icon. I unfortunately can’t upload a RAR of all 2,642 icons due to the usage rights, but I could perhaps email you them all upon request.

IconIconIconIconIconIcon

I’m not a fan of the arrow point at the bottom of the images as well since Alpine Quest centres the icons in the middle and can’t be set at the bottom. Even if I could I’d prefer to have the icon on the spot it’s found at, but I’m sure most people would like the arrow due to being able to see exactly the location it’s at.

Here’s a few more of the icons I created sorted into the categories I like to have which make it easier to find what I want:

Attractions
Anything that provides entertainment from a theatre to camping.
IconIconIcon

Events
Events that can affect a location such as wars and car crashes.
IconIconIcon

Food
Any types of locations you can purchase food or drink.
IconIconIcon

Information
Informational queues about a location or anything that doesn’t come under another category.
IconIconIcon

Nature
Any natural elements such as mountains or animals.
IconIconIcon

Places
Any modern places you can visit such as buildings or parks that don’t come under attractions.
IconIconIcon

Routes
Preparedness planning such as bug out routes and cache locations.
IconIconIcon

Shops
Any modern shops excluding food shops.
IconIconIcon

Sport
All types of sports and sports grounds.
IconIconIcon

Transport
Transportation of all types from aircraft to ferries.
IconIconIcon

Utilities
Utilities that are common in today’s age such as government centres, hospitals or police stations.
IconIconIcon

MOBAC .bsh Map Files

By | | Preparedness Blogs
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Lately I’ve been downloading maps of my region for bug-out planning and redundancies if the internet goes down. It’s been extremely helpful so far especially when camping in areas without internet access as well as marking points of interest on Alpine Quest for future reference.

However it wasn’t easy to find usable maps to download, especially when I have to “code” the .bsh files myself to make the maps downloadable via MOBAC.

I have uploaded some map files usable with any MOBAC version that can read the .bsh files which is typically version 2.0.0 onwards. This lets you view and download any portion of the map. All you have to do is place them in the “mapsource” folder of MOBAC and restart the program (if it’s open already).

Note: Don’t download more than you need or these services may block all connections from MOBAC and then nobody can download any maps. MOBAC has a built in limit of 500,000 tiles as it is and that already seems a bit too large for people’s needs.

The “z__” number in the file name is the maximum zoom level of that map. So Google Terrain only goes down to zoom level 15, where Google Maps goes to z20.

The map files are as follows and have an example image from Sydney showing what that map looks like:

Google Maps
• Max Zoom: Zoom 20
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Detail Map
Download Google Maps Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig1. – Google Maps. (Detail Map)

Google Terrain
• Max Zoom: Zoom 15
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Topographic Map
Download Google Terrain Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig2. – Google Terrain. (Topographic Map)

Google Hybrid
• Max Zoom: Zoom 20
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Hybrid Satellite Map
Download Google Hybrid Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig3. – Google Satellite Hybrid. (Satellite w/Place Names)

Google Satellite
• Max Zoom: Zoom 20
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Satellite Map
Download Google Satellite Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig4. – Google Satellite. (Satellite wo/place names)

Microsoft Hybrid
• Max Zoom: Zoom 19
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Hybrid Satellite Map
Download Microsoft Hybrid Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig5. – Microsoft Hybrid Satellite. (Satellite w/place names)

Microsoft Satellite
• Max Zoom: Zoom 18
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Hybrid Satellite Map
Download Microsoft Satellite Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig6. – Microsoft Satellite. (Satellite wo/place names)

Open Street Map – Transport
• Max Zoom: Zoom 18
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Transport Map
Download Open Street Map – Transport Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig7. – Open Street Map – Transport. (Transport Map)

Open Street Map – Humanitarian
• Max Zoom: Zoom 18
• Map Extent: Worldwide
• Map Type: Specialist Map
Download Open Street Map – Humanitarian Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig8. – Open Street Map – Humanitarian. (Specialist Map)

Queensland Topo
• Max Zoom: Zoom 15
• Map Extent: Australia – Queensland
• Map Type: Topographic Map
Download QTopo Bash File

MOBAC bsh Files
Fig9. – Queensland Topo Map. (Topographic Map)

If you’d like me to make a .bsh of a mapping service found on the internet let me know the site and I’ll give it a go depending on how busy I am.

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 1

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This post is out of date. Check out the latest version of TPE below:
Download TPE Here

As you may already know, we live in an extremely fragile world where reliance on the government, nature, water systems, electricity, internet, sewage, trucks etc, etc, etc, can all be disrupted so easily by events such as natural disasters, wars or simply bad luck. Humanity in general has had life pretty easy since WW2 ended with an explosion in technology and countless inventions to make life just that little bit easier. Unfortunately all this dependence has made us less reliant on ourselves and more on these fragile modern networks which are so delicately balanced. Over the years we’ve seen horrific disasters occur in other parts of the world and think that it will never happen here for various reasons, but eventually every region has their disaster and global disasters in particular are ones that nobody can hide from.

TPE Picture
Fig1. – The PDF version of TPE on a smart phone.

That’s where TPE comes in. Giving you that vital knowledge to help you survive WHEN disaster strikes on basically every field related to preparedness or survivalism. This however is only the first step in being prepared, knowledge is about 10% of the battle and practise being the other 90%. So don’t think this guide will instantly give you all the skills needed to survive WW3 in the future, you have to start now.

TPE Picture
Fig2. – The categories found in the spreadsheet.

The official release of The Preparedness Encyclopedia which I started back in June 2017 is now open to the public. It contains vital information on every conceivable subject related to survival and preparedness which should be of use when the worst does happen whether it’s a local or global event. The guide currently comes in two different formats:

1. The first being the mobile/portable version which is designed to run as fast as possible on handheld devices. It’s a PDF file coming in at about 32mb at the moment.

2. The second type is the file I edit the guide with being the Excel file (.xlsx). It’s much slower than the PDF counterpart and it may lag, or not even open on mobile devices. However this version is editable and has hyperlinks to make it easy to transition between different sections.

(All images can be clicked on for the full size, and then zoomed in to even more)

TPE Picture
Fig3. – The start of the preparedness section.

Getting Started
To get started with TPE all you need is:
(For using the PDF version)
• The guide itself
• A smart phone/tablet/pc
• Any PDF reader app

All of these can be obtained free of charge assuming you have a phone already!
Although donations towards the meticulous crafting of the guide are welcome too, where how to instructions can be found under the contact page on my website.

Downloading
You can find TPE on my website by clicking “Main Website” up the top left of this page, and then using the navigation bar to find “TPE” under the “Resources” menu. From there you can download any of the versions I currently have.

Or Click Here

TPE
Fig4. – Some great preparedness resources can be found listed in the guide in the MEDIA section. Contact me if you’d like your resource to be added.

Categories
There’s 4 primary headings in the guide which can be seen on the far left of any of the images of TPE. Content is divided between these sections to make reading and navigation easier. The first column is the section type such as “MEDIA” in the image above. Then in the same example it goes into “YouTube” > “Other Videos” > Then for this example there’s a blank category because I didn’t need to go any deeper, however other sections make use of all the sections. You can think of these divisions as folders, so inside the “MEDIA” folder are the “YouTube” and “Books” folders, and inside the “YouTube” folder are the “Prepping”, “Survival / Outdoors”, “Gear Reviews” and “Other Videos” folders.

Image Detail
Below is a comparison of screenshots from my phone showing the detail in the map which could come handy in a wide array of opportunities if you don’t have access to internet.

TPETPETPE

Fig5-7. – A side by side comparison of the quality of imagery in TPE zooming in each shot.

Below are more images to help persuade you to give it a try:

TPE
Fig8. – A screenshot of the navigation section.

In the NAVIGATION section you will learn about using compasses, magnetic declination, navigation using the sun, stars and your watch, reading maps and more.

TPE
Fig9. – A screenshot of the entertainment section featuring crosswords and many other puzzles.

Lots of entertainment to help keep your mind occupied and in a sane state. If you’re worrying about everything that’s going on around you all the time you will adopt a very negative state of mind over time and that’s exactly what the entertainment section aims to counter, regardless if you’re bugging out alone or have your family with you – there’s something for every situation.

TPE
Fig10. – Codes and ciphers can be found in the COMMUNICATION section.

It may be of benefit to communicate in code sometimes so the government or others don’t understand your message and that’s where the COMMUNICATION section comes in handy. It can also be used to decipher codes of others if required and contains most of the commonly used codes today.

Are you convinced to download it yet? Follow the link below or keep scrolling until you are!
TPE

TPE
Fig11. – The natural disaster section detailing volcano explosivity indexes.

The Volcano subsection is housed within the NATURAL DISASTERS category of the guide. This section discusses any and all types of natural disasters from earthquakes to a tsunamis and how to prepare for them and what to do if they occur.

TPE
Fig12. – An excerpt from the fire lighting section found under FIRE. Note: “o” indicates that there’s no information in this cell yet.

The FIRE section is obviously about how to start fires with various methods, tools and equipment, how to extinguish fires and finding natural tinders in the environment. There’s also information on fire types, flame colours and their effects and what is required to start a fire.

TPE
Fig13. – Details about landform types and their advantages and disadvantages.

Looking for a location to set up camp or to bug out to may be a challenge when also faced with the overall intensity of a disaster, so this section is aimed at giving pros and cons of each environmental position as well as any hazards you may not realize prior to calling it home.

TPE
Fig14. – Signals for communicating with aircraft if you wish to be rescued.

For those times when you’re lost and you need to communicate with rescuers who are unable to land in your area. Also shown on the picture above is a list of ground signals which hikers and other trail-goers may leave for others to take note of, but these are generally used in situations where you want to be found.

TPE
Fig15. – Details of types of preppers and their scale on the preparedness index.

An interesting little list which can be fun to try and place yourself on as a prepper as well as understanding the other levels of prepared people out there. Higher is not always better!

TPE
Fig16. – There’s an entire fictional novel also included.

The entire novel of Robinson Crusoe is also included as a distraction from the disasters that may be going on around you to try to ease your mind. The entertainment section is arguably one of the most important sections as it can boost your, and your parties morale greatly in those hard times.

Hopefully by now you’ve decided to see what all the fuss is about and download TPE to your device as a “Just In Case” method to help safeguard your existence against end of the world. You will have much greater chance to survive a disaster if you read and hone your skills prior to any disaster happening, so start reading it today! One thing is fact, and that is that you never know when disaster is around the corner…