A handbook for self-reliance and survival · PDF
102 pages of precise instructions for the Slovenian household: how to store water and food, heat one room, get power from your roof, treat a wound and organise your neighbours when the shops, the network and the cash machines are down.
Why now
The 2014 ice storm left parts of Slovenia without electricity for days. The floods of August 2023 cut off whole valleys within hours. Being prepared is not about fear. It is about calm, because you know what to do.
The fridge, the heating, the pump and the phone all stop working. Most solar power plants switch themselves off when the grid goes down.
A family of four needs 224 litres for two weeks. Where to get them, and how to store and purify them.
A three-month supply takes up a single cupboard. What to buy, how to pack it for 20 years and how to preserve food without electricity.
Contents
Every chapter gives you the steps in order, quantities, measurements, approximate prices and materials lists. No waffle.
The rule of threes, four phases of a crisis, priorities.
Action cards: blackout, flood, earthquake, Krško, evacuation.
Storage, rainwater, bucket filter, bleach, SODIS.
A 3-month list, Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, rotation.
Home canning, sterilising meat, sauerkraut, drying, smoking.
Solar PV during an outage, off-grid system, V2L, generator.
One warm room, rocket stove, hay box, CO.
Sprouts, a family garden, seeds, chickens and rabbits.
6 traps with plans, reading tracks, a woven fish trap, knots, preparing your catch.
A photo atlas of edible fruits and their poisonous look-alikes, mushrooms, recipes.
First aid, medicine cabinet, ORS, dry toilet.
Radio, PMR, cash, documents, organising your neighbours.
Shelter, fire, navigation, signals, bears, knots.
Sarajevo, Leningrad, partisan hospitals, Ukraine.
Home, backpack, car and a 12-week shopping plan.
Tables, conversions, calories, a glossary.
For owners of solar power plants
A grid-tied inverter switches itself off when the grid fails, even in the middle of a sunny day. This is a mandatory safety feature. The handbook shows how to solve it:
Technical plans
A bucket filter, rocket stove, root cellar, solar dryer, smokehouse, dry toilet, forest shelter and more.
Look inside
A4 format in two columns, with steps, warnings, tips and checkboxes to tick off. Click a page to enlarge it.
Who it is for
Families with childrenA family plan, an evacuation backpack, a warm room.
Homeowners with solar panelsHow your power plant can keep working during a grid outage.
Apartment residentsWater, food, light and cooking without electricity in a flat.
Allotment gardeners and the self-sufficientA family garden, seeds, preserving, chickens.
Hikers and nature loversShelter, fire, navigation, emergency signals.
Villages and neighbourhoodsHow to organise a street or a village in the first three days.
The complete handbook
No sign-up and no email address.
Buy me a coffee?
The handbook is free. If it helps you, you can leave a few euros towards future work.
In your mobile banking app open Flik → Send, enter the number and the amount €5, and write “coffee” in the message.
Flik works with Slovenian banks
FAQ
A PDF file (about 22 MB) that you download straight away, with no sign-up. You can open it on a computer, tablet or phone, or print it on A4. We recommend printing it, because in a crisis even your phone will not always work.
Yes. The download is free, with no email address and no hidden conditions. If it helps you, you can buy me a coffee. Every tip is voluntary and helps with future editions.
It is written for Slovenia: it follows Slovenian regulations (fishing, hunting, mushroom picking), the alert system, the emergency number 112, the Alpine climate and scenarios such as an ice storm, floods or an accident at the Krško nuclear power plant. Most of the practical content (water, food, heat, electricity, first aid, shelter) is just as useful anywhere in Central Europe. The legal details, contacts and prices are Slovenian, so if you live elsewhere, check your local rules. The number 112 works across the EU.
No. Every procedure is described step by step, with quantities and a materials list. For work on electrical or gas installations, the handbook explicitly advises hiring a qualified professional.
The photos are illustrations created with artificial intelligence and do not show real people or events. The technical plans are drawn by hand.
After you start the download, the tip options appear. Flik works with Slovenian banks only; from anywhere else, use the PayPal / card link. Pick any amount you like. Amounts of €2, €5 or €10 are just suggestions.
For personal and family use you can print as many copies as you like. Share it with friends and neighbours. We only ask that you do not resell it.
The PDF is being saved to your Downloads folder. Print at least chapters 2 and 15, because in a crisis even your phone will not always work.
Buy me a coffee?
The handbook is free. If it helps you, you can leave a few euros towards future work.
In your mobile banking app open Flik → Send, enter the number and the amount €5, and write “coffee” in the message.
Flik works with Slovenian banks