As preppers, knowledge can be the biggest asset in a grid-down situation. It can allow you to ‘loan’ skills and ascertain quicker results than if we attempted to try things ourselves without any prior knowledge. One of these biggest hubs of knowledge right now is the video streaming website YouTube. I’m sure most of you visit daily and learn from some of the greats including Southern Prepper 1, Sensible Prepper, The Provident Prepper, City Prepping and Canadian Prepper.
However these essential resources aren’t much use if the internet goes down. We need a way to store this information for use in a grid-down situation when we need it most. Below I will dive into how you can download videos to create an ‘Offline Prepper Video Archive’.
I’m going to go ahead and predict that preparedness content won’t be readily available for too much longer due to a range of storms heading our way, including:
● The internet won’t last long in any major conflict, and we seem to be on the verge of a world war.
● Hacking and ransomware has become much more common which could easily take out the internet in an entire country.
● Big Tech companies are actively silencing those who don’t agree with their agenda, and that includes Preppers.
● YouTube is taking steps to block third party downloaders like those mentioned below.
● Prepping is anti-mainstream and Governments certainly don’t want their populations to be self-reliant as this means less income for them.
● Infrastructure is aging worldwide and isn’t being maintained to the standards it should be, this includes electrical grids and internet networks.
● World Governments are actively censoring information and filtering it for their advantage – such as what currently occurs in China, Iran, North Korea and more.
Whatever the reason you want to download preparedness videos, there are a couple ways to achieve it. This list is by no means conclusive, as there are probably hundreds of different programs and websites that can download YouTube videos.
Download Videos on a Phone Using an App (NewPipe) (Single Videos Only, Easy to Use)
An easy way to download single videos is by using NewPipe. Just download and install the app and then search for a video you want to download and hit that download button. Then you just have to choose your settings like the quality of the video and whether you want the whole video or you just want to extract the audio from it.
Download Videos Using 4K Video Downloader (Paid) (Bulk Downloads, Easy to Use)
This is by far the simplest way to download a huge amount of videos at once and it doesn’t require lots of setting up like JDownloader or Stacher below. All you have to do is paste anything from links to playlists by using the “Paste Link” button at the top and it will download each video in a playlist, one at a time – or even multiple at a time based on your settings. (Just don’t download them too quickly or YouTube will block your IP address and then you won’t be able to download or watch any videos!)
If you close the window 4K will resume where you left off which is an extremely handy feature so you don’t lose track of where you’re up to and what’s been downloaded so far. The only issue I’ve found is that the video can sometimes fail to download correctly and ends up being unplayable. If this happens all I have to do is delete the unfinished file and copy and paste the link again. The title “4K Video Downloader” is a bit of a misnomer, since you can select any resolution you want to download in and not just 4K.
Download Videos Using JDownloader (Free) (Bulk Downloads, Precise Download Control, Complex)
JDownloader requires FFMPEG to be installed, but it can do this automatically with a connection to the internet.
To get started with JDownloader (called JD from here on), firstly install the software and then proceed with the FFMPEG installation which will pop up automatically if it’s not already installed. Make sure JD is running and then head over to YouTube and copy the link to any video you want to download. Swap back to JD and you should see that it has automatically parsed the link you copied and populated the “LinkGrabber” tab up the top with a bunch of different files if you click the “+” to the left. You don’t need most of these, so before we go further we’re going to change some settings.
Head to ‘Settings’ and you should see the ‘Plugins’ section up the top. Click in the “Please choose a plugin” area and remove whatever’s there, and start to type “YouTube” – clicking it when it shows up. When selected you will see a LOT of different options available to you which may seem daunting, but to keep it simple I will let you know my settings and you can work from there.
Under “Allowed Media Types”:
(Just un-tick all the other options until only the below options remain)
● Type: Audio, Video
● Filetype: MP4
● 3D/360: 2D
● Image/Video Resolution: 480p (Or whatever your quality preference is)
● Fps: 60, 50, 30, 24
Go to “Settings” > “Settings” > “General” and at the very top you can set the folder where the downloads will be saved. It’s best to create a new folder called “JDownloader” in a drive which has a good amount of space. (at least 10+ Gigabytes)
Once you’ve done that, head back to the “LinkGrabber” tab and delete the top row that has the box icon to the left of it by right-clicking it and going ‘Delete’. Then re-copy the YouTube link you copied before and let it parse it. (If you’ve disabled the automatic link parsing, you can manually scan links with the “Add New Links” button in the bottom left. You should hopefully now only see one file available to download if the link you copied wasn’t a playlist. If you’re happy with the selection scheduled for download, you can press the blue download button on the far top left side under “File”. Then just sit back and let the files download.
Once it reaches 100% it’s downloaded and you can right click the video file and choose “Open Download Directory” to open the folder where you saved it. If you want you can also double click the file to play it from JD.
If you encounter any issues with the download, you should try updating to the latest JD version as YouTube often patches their website which breaks the download capabilities of most downloaders. If you still have issues you could search for the issue you are having in a search engine.
Download Videos Using Stacher (Free) (Bulk Downloads, Imprecise Control)
Stacher is a free program used to download YouTube videos and playlists. It requires FFMPEG like JDownloader above but unfortunately you have to install it manually this time. Just head to the link above and download the executable for your operating system. To install it, follow the process here or the steps below.
Windows
Download the latest binaries from the yt-dlp maintained repo.
Once downloaded, in Stacher click the ‘Tools’ menu and select the Import ffmpeg *.zip option.
A dialog will appear where you can select your downloaded zip file. Once selected, wait for Stacher to extract the zip and install the files to the stacher home directory.
When complete, you will get a message indicating ffmpeg has been set up.
If you would like to install it manually:
Download, then extract the zip file.
Copy ffmpeg.exe, ffprobe.exe, and ffplay.exe to your ~/.stacher directory. This is in “C:\Users\{YOUR_USERNAME}\.stacher” or, alternatively, %userprofile%\.stacher
Be sure to replace {YOUR_USERNAME} with your Windows user name.
That’s it, you should be good to go.
Once installed and the FFMPEG files have been copied then you can start downloading after a few settings tweaks! First, click the little download icon in the top right corner to choose your video settings. You don’t have much control over the quality, but at least it’s easy use. I recommend just choosing “MP4” if you’re a beginner. You should also set the download folder. To do so, click the “Stacher” button at the top and then choose “Settings”. From there you can set the download folder where the videos will be saved – I recommend a folder called “Stacher” so it’s obvious.
A little further down you will see the “Output Filename” option. If you want exactly the same filename as the video you are downloading, then click on the unlock icon, delete whatever text is in the field and click the “title” button below it. (Note: The button doesn’t work unless you click the actual text of the button). Exit the settings menu using the pink button at the bottom and finally head to YouTube and copy the link to a video or playlist you want to download, then swap back to Stacher and paste it in the field at the top and press enter.
Stacher will parse the link and either begin the download if the link is for a single video or it will give you options to download any of the videos in the playlist link. In this case you just have to un-tick any videos you don’t want to download and click the “Download Selected” button.
That’s about it for Stacher. If you have questions or issues, have a look at the Stacher Getting Started page.
Video Quality
There are usually a range of resolution choices when downloading videos which can be quite confusing if you aren’t familiar with them. Below I’ll quickly go over the most common ones so you have an idea of what type you want to go with to have the best medium between quality and low file size.
● MP3 – You don’t have to download the entire video if you only need the audio. This is the most condensed way to convey information besides text and is recommended if you don’t need to see what’s happening. For example, some of Canadian Prepper’s videos have the camera aimed at a book or the wall while he discusses various preparedness topics, this is one of the examples where downloading the video in MP3 would be ideal. Another would be video podcasts, where having the video isn’t necessary as anything visual is generally explained in detail.
● 144p – The lowest video quality YouTube deals in. Extremely hard to make out detail on-screen. Not recommended to download videos in.
● 240p – It’s watchable, but still quite useless if you need to see fine details such as a video on tying knots.
● 360p – This is the lowest quality I will download videos in. It’s not bad if you are watching some wide-angle instructional videos.
● 480p – A decent quality to be able to see what you need, but also comes in a fairly small file size. I use this quality by default unless it’s a video with fine details.
● 720p – HD Quality – This is probably the upper limit you would want to download the bulk of your videos in as they take up quite a bit of space. This quality is perfect for videos showing programming code, knitting tutorials or any videos where a whiteboard is drawn on.
● 1080p – Full HD Quality – Similar quality to what you get streamed to your TV at home. I would only download 1080p if you need to see ultra fine details such as soldering circuit boards.
● 4K – Ultra HD Quality – An insane quality and a waste of space for downloading prepping videos. Very few YouTubers upload videos in 4K too.
In general I try to match the type of content with the appropriate quality type. So I use 480p by default for 85% of everything I download and then bump it up to 720p for detailed tutorials and download in audio/MP3 for a couple which I don’t need to see anything on. It may be worth considering using 360p as your default quality since having the video and trying to make out what is on-screen would be better than not having that video at all due to space issues. Just something to think about.
Video Frames Per Second (FPS)
Some videos give you the option to choose between 30 FPS and 60 FPS. This is the count of how many images are displayed on-screen within one second – hence ‘Frames Per Second’. It makes the video appear smoother and more life-like. There’s not really any need to download videos in 60 FPS, unless there’s a lot of fast movements happening which you need to see in detail.
What to Download
When it comes choosing what you want to download you can pretty much download whatever takes your fancy, but in the interest of preparedness related topics, there’s a few categories you definitely need to address, such as:
● Preparedness Topics – Gear, Water, Bugging In/Out, Shelter, Planning, SHTF
● Survival – Bushcraft, Foraging, Living off the land.
● Medical – First Aid, Trauma, iFAKs, Herbalism
● Homesteading – Animal Husbandry, Breeding, Land Management
● Gardening – Farming, Permaculture, Harvesting, Seeds
● Food – Cooking, Recipes, Preserving
● Tactical – Stealth, Combat, Tactics, Home Defence, Situational Awareness
● Weapons – Guns, Bows, Swords, Conceal Carry
● DIY – Carpentry, Welding, Plumbing, Electrical
● Education – Math, Physics, Science, Biology
● Entertainment – Cat Videos, Gaming Videos, (Whatever you enjoy watching on YouTube outside of prepping)
● Kids – Videos or TV shows for kids to keep them entertained.
● Faith – Religious Sermons, Bible Reading, Commentaries
● Truth – Always the first casualty in war, question everything for the sake of your personal health and look into both sides of any argument for any topic you support. Be your own expert and don’t simply trust those who claim to be those experts
You will want to avoid downloading videos with limited SHTF use, such as current news updates. Focus more on the “How Do I” videos and tutorials rather than the here and now.
Recommended YouTubers
These are the YouTubers I recommend downloading videos from as they provide quality content which can be used in a SHTF situation. They aren’t really in any order besides the first 8 which I actively watch day to day, however I have watched them all at one point or another. Remember that you are downloading videos which will be helpful in a SHTF scenario – Downloading news and current event videos won’t do you much good post-collapse.
★ TOP PICKS ★
★ SouthernPrepper1 (Preparedness)
A wealth of preparedness knowledge, just leave out any videos about news or the economy.
★ The Provident Prepper (Preparedness)
Well researched videos about preparedness with very little which won’t be useful during a disaster.
★ City Prepping (Preparedness)
One of the top preparedness channels with a ton of information about preparedness, specifically targeting people who live in a city. There are a few videos based on current news which can be left out.
★ ThePatriotNurse (Medical, Preparedness & News)
A useful channel based around medicine and herbal medicine.
★ SensiblePrepper (Preparedness)
Another one of the most popular preparedness channels out there with little that needs to be excluded.
★ Survival Lilly (Survival)
A channel dedicated to more of the survival side of preparedness, but focuses on prepping none the less. She occasionally does news updates which can be excluded from your downloads.
★ Canadian Prepper (Preparedness)
Extensive preparedness videos with a particular focus on the prepper mindset and “After the Collapse”. Just avoid the news videos as they won’t be much use later on.
★ PREPAREDNESS ★
● AlaskaGranny (Preparedness)
● DropForgedSurvival (Preparedness & Survival)
● Full Spectrum Survival (Preparedness, News)
● FunkyPrepper (Preparedness & Camping)
● Jack Spirko (Preparedness & Survival)
● Robert Braxman (Technology Prepping)
● Step One Survival (Preparedness)
● Survival Dispatch (Preparedness & Survival)
● On Point Preparedness (Preparedness)
● The Prepared Mind (Preparedness)
● VikingPreparedness (Preparedness)
● TheUrbanPrepper (Preparedness)
● The FieldCraft Survival Channel (Preparedness & Tactical)
★ SURVIVAL ★
● David Canterbury (Survival)
● Karamat Wilderness Ways (Survival)
● Survival Know How (Survival)
● Survival on Purpose (Survival)
● The Grey Bearded Green Beret (Survival)
● TheOutdoorGearReview (Survival, Hiking, Camping & Gear Review)
● The MCQBushcraft Archive (Survival)
★ MEDICAL ★
● Dr Matt & Dr Mike (Medical)
● DrBones NurseAmy (Medical)
● PrepMedic (Medical)
● Registered Nurse (Medical)
● Skinny Medic (Medical)
● St John Ambulance (Medical)
● Dr John Campbell (Medical & News)
● Living Springs Retreat (Natural & Herbal Medicine)
★ HOMESTEADING ★
● Appalachia’s Homestead (Homesteading & News)
● Guildbrook Farm (Homesteading)
● Health And Homestead (Homesteading, Health)
● Homesteadonomics (Homesteading)
● Gridlessness (Homesteading)
● Martin Johnson – Off Grid Living (Homesteading)
★ GARDENING ★
● MIGardener (Gardening)
● Self Sufficient Me (Gardening)
● DIY Urban Gardening (Gardening)
● Danu’s Irish Herb Garden (Gardening & Herbalism)
● Next Level Gardening (Gardening)
● The Ripe Tomato Farms (Gardening)
★ FOOD ★
● Living On A Dime To Grow Rich (Preparedness & Cooking)
● Mary’s Nest (Cooking & Recipes)
★ TACTICAL ★
● Active Self Protection (Tactical & Self Defence)
● BlackScountSurvival (Preparedness & Tactical)
● ITS Tactical (Tactical)
● Mask Tactical (Tactical)
● S2 Underground (Tactical)
● The Survival Outpost (Tactical & Survival)
★ WEAPONS ★
● Sootch00 (Guns)
● Bear Independent (Weapons & Preparedness)
★ DIY & REPAIRS ★
● Ana White (DIY & Construction)
● Gary the Water Guy (Water Filtration)
● Training Hands Academy (DIY)
● HumbleMechanic (Vehicle Repair)
● How To Home (DIY & Home Repairs)
● HAXMAN (DIY)
● ChrisFix (Car Repair)
● DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse (Solar)
● Ratchets And Wrenches (Car Repair)
● Got2Learn (Home DIY)
★ EDUCATION ★
● Wendover (Educational)
● Math and Science (NOTE: These are only partial videos of the lessons)
● Khan Academy (Tutorials)
● The New Boston (Tutorials for every situation)
★ ENTERTAINMENT ★
● Games Done Quick (Video Games)
● Kittisaurus (Cat Videos)
● Julian Smith (Comedy)
● The Kiffness (Cat Videos & Music Videos)
● Many A True Nerd (Comedy – Video Game Playthroughs)
● Practical Engineering (Entertainment & Useful)
● Steve Wallis (Entertainment & Camping)
★ KIDS ★
● VeggieTales Official (Cartoon)
(See if their favourite shows are listed online)
★ NEWS ★
● Neil McCoy Ward (News & Economy)
● The Poplar Report (Preparedness & News)
● Tim Pool (News & Truth)
● Lena Petrova (News)
★ FAITH ★
● Koinonia House (Bible Studies)
● Real Life with Jack Hibbs (Sermons & Bible Studies)
● Impact Video Ministries (Sermons for Kids)
★ TRUTH ★
● Jordan Peterson (Truth)
● Russell Brand (Truth & News)
● Tucker Carlson (Truth & News)
● Valuetainment (Truth & News)
● AwakenWithJP (Truth & Comedy)
Storage Options
So, you’ve now downloaded a ton of prepper videos. How do you store all of this data? This becomes the primary issue after you’ve begun downloading entire channels every other week. I know I’ve filled an entire hard drive with YouTube videos, even downloading at just 480p. To answer this question I had to look at how I was planning on watching the videos. After some thought I figured I would be watching them on either my phone or tablet since there probably won’t be AC power to run my desktop or laptop for any decent length of time. These devices both have USB-C connectors, so I knew I wanted a hard drive that could be plugged directly into them without the need for an external power brick like some hard drives have.
After some searching I found the one I was looking for, a Samsung 1TB T7 SSD. This hard drive is USB-C and can be plugged straight into my phone or tablet without the need for external power, and lets me watch any of the content on it directly. Sure, it drains my device’s battery a little quicker, but I also have the option to copy some of the videos to my device’s storage to watch later when I need it.
I managed to fit 15,388 videos onto my 1TB YouTube SSD with an average quality of 480p. So that means on average, each video is about 60mb. To utilize this data, I can either search for specific YouTube channels manually or search for a specific term like “water filter” to find what exactly I’m looking for in my archive. Overall it’s the perfect solution for the problem I was looking to solve and now I feel much more prepared knowing that I have all of this knowledge readily accessible. Remember that this data is meant to be watched now so you have this knowledge BEFORE a disaster, don’t just let it sit there collecting dust.
