Survival Gear Review: Kindle e-Reader For Your Bug Out Bag

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

By Joel Jefferson •  5 min read

Relying on or using electronic tools in a survival situation is a serious debate among the survivalist and the emergency preparedness crowd. Sometimes the usefulness of a tool might out weight risk of something going wrong with it, which is the case with the Kindle.

The common themes you will hear from those individuals adamantly opposed to any electrical devices for Survival are:
“What if there is EMP or Solar Storm?” (Electro-Magnetic Pulse)
“What if it gets wet?”
“What if there is a dust storm from a Nuclear Fallout?”
“What if you can’t find a source of power?”
“What if you run out of batteries?”
“What if, What if, etc.”

I agree with those “What If” planners,  you have to consider for as many of those contingencies asSurvival Gear Survival Knife Survival Shotgun you possibly can but on the flip side, what if all of those things don’t happen and you are in an urban survival or wilderness survival situation with out a good piece of gear like an eReader.

I believe this falls into the same category as the GPS. They are an excellent tool but you better have a compass and map as a back up. Same goes with the eReader, you need to have a few back up survival books/manuals in case things go wrong. (Two is One and One is None)

The Kindle 3 by Amazon.com can hold up to 3500 books and weighs just 8.7 Ounces. The older Kindle Version 2 weighs a whopping 10.2 Ounces. Compare this to the paper back version of “Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook” by James Talmage Stevens which weighs over 1 pound. 1 Book at 1 pound or 3500 books at 8.7 Ounces, who do you think will be better prepared?

Get Your eReader Charged Up

The Kindle ver. 2 & 3 can hold a charge for almost two weeks. If you combine the Kindle eReader with a product such as the Brunton Solar Roll, you are talking about endless amounts of reading and being able to reference books for different situations such as medical emergencies, edible plant types, tool making, gun smithing, agriculture, etc. (as long as the sun is shining).

I know, I know….what if the sun doesn’t shine for a long time?  Trust me, if the sun doesn’t shine for a long time or we are hit by a Solar Storm, the last thing you will have to worry about is your Kindle not working.

There is also another factor that a lot of people do not think about in survival situations. If you go long periods without some type of stimulation you could become depressed and your drive to survive could become diminished.

A tool such as an eReader, with 3500 books on it, could provide someone with endless stimulation and knowledge to get through a terrible situation. Some survivalist out there might consider the iPad but at 1.5 pounds and a questionable battery life compared to the Kindle 3, I would not recommend it for emergency preparedness situations.

Bright colors with touch screens and animated graphics are nice but they also use lots of extra power with no real added benefit (The only exception to this might be for topo maps).

Keep Your eReader Element Proof

Get your eReader and electronic gear element proofed!!!  Use a product like LOKSAK element aloksak-survival-rifle-survival-knifeproof bags to make sure all of your electronic gear is 100% safe. These bags are resealable, element-proof storage bags featuring a hermetic seal. That means absolutely no water, air, dust or humidity permeates the closure.

They are designed for a wide range of applications and environments. The transparent bags are flexible and puncture resistant and they come in multiple sizes (including ones that hold a full size AR-15 or pistol) and can be sealed over and over again.

The best part about these bags is that you do not even need to take your Kindle out of the bag, you can type and view the screen right through the bag. The unique and patented materials, closure systems and manufacturing techniques used to fabricate the LOKSAK products meet the most rigorous testing standards and the SurvivalCache team has field tested them as well, they work!!!

Still Worried About an EMP Blast or Solar Storm?

Store your Kindle in a Faraday Cage Anti-Static Bag made by 3M.  Will it work?  I am not sure but at least with the combo 3M anti-static bag and a Loksak bag you have covered a lot of bases and improved your Kindle’s survivability.

Pros and Cons of the eReader

Pros

Cons

FAQs

Is the eReader hard to look at in bright light conditions?

A: It has an anti-glare surface which makes it much easer use and see in bright light conditions.

What do I do if I have trouble reading the screen?

A: The brightness of the screen and the size of the text can be adjusted. Changing one or both can enhance your reading experience.

Does the screen auto rotate if I turn the device?

A: No it does not.

Conclusion

With all of the “What If’s” considered and knowing that there are products out there that can recharge your Kindle and keep it safe from the elements as well as a static electric charge, we feel that a product like the Kindle should find a way into your Bug Out Bag.  At 8.7 Ounces, the potential benefits far out weigh all of the “What If’ers” arguments against it.

Photo Credits:
The SurvivalCache Crew
Brunton
Loksak

Joel Jefferson

Joel is one of the original founders of SurvivalCache.com. After college, he joined the USMC where he served as an (0302) Marine Infantry Officer. Joel is an avid outdoorsman and spends much of his free time in the mountains. Joel’s hobby is researching survival gear & weapons as well as prepping. Read his full interview here.