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Download Checklist — Do It NOW, While the Internet Still Works!

This list is the most important "guide" of all: everything here only works if you got it BEFORE the outage.

1. Offline knowledge with `DATEN-LADEN.bat` (top priority)

The package itself is small. Everything large (Wikipedia, repair guides, medicine, official guides, postal codes) is fetched by DATEN-LADEN.bat in the main folder — matched to your region and language from the setup (run EINRICHTEN.bat first).

How it works:

Double-click DATEN-LADEN.bat
Choose a profile (see table below)
Before downloading, the program lists every file with its size and the total size — check that you have enough disk space, then confirm
The download runs. Interrupted (network gone, PC off)? Just start it again — parts already downloaded are resumed, not downloaded again
Every finished file is verified with a checksum. Damaged files are reported and downloaded again on the next run

Profile	Roughly what is included	Suitable for
Minimal	Kiwix (reader and server program), Wikipedia (top articles, no images), Wikipedia Medicine, postal codes, official guides for your region (PDF), small English specialist packages (water, knots, emergency medicine)	little disk space, laptop/USB stick
Standard	like Minimal, but the complete Wikipedia without images, plus iFixit (repair guides), Wikivoyage, recipes (depending on language), more English packages (WikEM emergency medicine, home canning, plants, post-disaster)	most households
Complete	like Standard, but Wikipedia with images (important for plants/mushrooms/medicinal plants with photos), Wiktionary, Wikibooks and many English specialist archives (technology, energy, gardening, veterinary medicine, DIY, radio); if your language is German, also public-domain German handbooks	lots of disk space (often 100 GB or more)
Extra (very large)	very large special archives (e.g. Survivor Library, English, approx. 210 GB)	only with a large hard drive

The sizes shown by the program are the ones that count — they change with every new edition.

Where the files go:

What	Folder
Kiwix programs	`kiwix\`
Knowledge archives (`.zim`)	`downloads\zim\`
Official guides (PDF)	`wissen\anleitungen\`
Handbooks (PDF, German only)	`wissen\buecher\`
Postal codes	`daten\plz\`

Test afterwards (important!): disconnect Wi-Fi/network cable → start KIWIX-START.bat → search for an article. Only when this works without internet is it really available offline (details: guide 15).

[ ] DATEN-LADEN.bat run, profile: ……
[ ] Offline test with KIWIX-START.bat passed
[ ] Additionally put a first-aid manual as PDF (e.g. from your country's Red Cross) into wissen\anleitungen\

2. Offline maps & navigation (by hand, on your phone)

[ ] Install Organic Maps or OsmAnd (free apps, OpenStreetMap) → download your region + surrounding area (if you have evacuation plans, also the destination regions and neighbouring countries)
[ ] Alternatively/additionally Google Maps: save an offline area of your home region (offline maps expire after a while — renew them regularly!)
[ ] Paper map/city map of the region (independent of any battery)
[ ] GPS also works without a mobile network — only the map has to be on the device beforehand

3. Local AI

[ ] Models available locally and tested WITHOUT internet (see guide 07)
[ ] Large (advice) + small (battery-saving) — both there?
[ ] Web UI (e.g. Open WebUI) installed, if you plan to share it on the local network

4. Back up software installers offline (USB stick "Software")

[ ] Browser installer (e.g. Firefox)
[ ] VLC (plays almost anything)
[ ] 7-Zip (unpack archives)
[ ] PDF reader (Firefox opens PDFs — optional)
[ ] Copy the Kiwix folder (kiwix\) too — it is portable and needs no installation
[ ] Drivers: printer, Wi-Fi adapter, graphics card
[ ] Windows: create installation media (Media Creation Tool → USB), just in case

5. Personal data

[ ] Cloud files (OneDrive/Google Drive): set important ones to "always available offline"
[ ] Password manager: database backed up locally
[ ] Photos/documents: backup on an external hard drive (a must anyway)
[ ] Music/films/audiobooks/e-books stored locally (morale is a resource!)
[ ] Operating manuals (heating, backup power, car, router) as PDF in wissen\anleitungen\

6. Copy to USB stick and phone

[ ] Copy this whole folder (including the downloaded data) to a USB stick or external hard drive — Kiwix also runs directly from the stick
[ ] Copy START-HIER.html (the knowledge portal in a single file; English version START-HIER.en.html) to your phone — it opens offline in any browser
[ ] A second copy in another place (workplace, relatives)
[ ] Note: the config\ folder contains your personal setup — leave it out when passing the package on to others

7. Hardware shopping list (one-off)

Basics (~€100–200 or equivalent): - [ ] Wind-up/battery radio (FM, ideally with USB charging) - [ ] LED head torches (1 per person) + camping lantern - [ ] AA/AAA batteries (lithium, 10-year shelf life) + power banks (2× 20,000 mAh) - [ ] Camping stove + gas cartridges - [ ] Water containers (2× 10–20 L, food-grade) - [ ] CO detector + smoke alarm + fire blanket - [ ] PMR446 walkie-talkies (set)

Upgrades (depending on budget): - [ ] Portable power station (≥ 500 Wh) + solar panel - [ ] Outdoor water filter + water purification tablets - [ ] Sleeping bags (comfort rating 0 °C), emergency blankets

8. Update regularly (every 6 months — put it in your calendar!)

[ ] Recharge power banks/power station
[ ] Renew offline maps on your phone
[ ] Run DATEN-LADEN.bat again (newer editions of Wikipedia & co.)
[ ] Rotate food, check medication
[ ] Check your cash reserve
[ ] Refresh the copies on USB stick/phone