The Guide

= Format = The Guide should be delivered in some very persistent hard copy format, and there should be multiple copies so that many people can use the guide simultaneously. Except for the Introductory Sheet, the Guide should be in the most commonly known language of the area where the Reload Kit is ultimately placed. It is expected that this would normally be English. The exception is the Introductory Sheet which should be multilingual in order to reduce the risk that confusion or misunderstanding leads to the kit being entirely overlooked or destroyed by strained apocalypse survivors.

Ultimately, if such a catastrophic event takes place that the kit is outside the range of human access for a substantially long amount of time (perhaps 500 years or more), a generalized pictograph translation table should be provided. This will allow for a rudimentary understanding of the basic guide instructions (How to make Fire, How to make a Plough, How to purify Water, How to Reproduce, How to cooperate with Others) until a broader vocabulary can be developed for interpreting the guide.

= Introductory Sheet = There should be an introductory note. This note should be placed such that it is the first thing visible by someone who opens the Reload Kit. The introductory sheet serves just one purpose: to make clear what the Reload Kit is and what it's value is. The note will make it clear that the Reload Kit is potentially the key to restoring civilization itself - it's not just a collection of random items to be looted. Naturally there is no way to completely mitigate the risk that the kit may become a victim of selfishness, but at least the Introductory Sheet will give it a fighting chance.

Introductory Sheet.

= Stages = New advances usually depend on previous advances. For example, to make a metal saw there has to be preexisting knowledge of how to work metal. In order to work metal, in turn, a civilization must be able to make fire. To simplify this web of dependencies the guide will be divided into stages. An example of a set of stages would be:


 * Stage 0: The civilization has access to nothing except manpower and what nature gives.
 * Stage 1: Able to build a fire, basic fresh water supply, stone axe.
 * Stage 5: Mechanical motion from water mill, metal axes, hammers, saws, etc, planks, steel. Magnets.
 * Stage 9: Coal power plants, combustion engine, plastics.
 * Stage 9: Coal power plants, combustion engine, plastics.
 * Stage 9: Coal power plants, combustion engine, plastics.

In addition to simplifying the dependencies, the stage system also lends itself very well to an easy to follow organization of The Guide. Every section in the Stage 0 chapter of the guide is designed to help the civilization reach stage 1. For example it will describe how to build a fire.

The stages also help to differentiate early versions of an advance from a later version. For example, the acquisition of fresh water is possible in stage 0. However, while 'Get Drinking Water - Stage 0' may describe how to collect rain water, 'Get Drinking Water - Stage 9' may describe industry scale water distillation and purification.

= Naming Guidelines = When naming sections,

Do
 * Pick a readable, easy to understand name.
 * Try to reuse names from previous stages for clarity. Add what's new in the section in parenthesis.

Don't
 * Don't include the stage number in the section name. This makes it hard to rearrange resources between different stages.
 * Be overly specific. If you do, and then the nature of the article changes, the article will have to be renamed.

= Guide Chapters =

Stage 0

 * Make a Wind and Rain Shelter
 * Get Drinking Water

Stage 1 - Stone Tools

 * Get Drinking Water (Distillation)
 * Build a Permanent Shelter