Create An Offline Internet Library With Instapaper

The internet is huge. Like, enormously, massively big. You can probably find anything you're looking for at least four times. Inevitably we all create systems for remembering some of our favorite sites, pages and sources of information.

I generally keep 3-4 browser tabs open with my favorite sites a click away. I have bookmark folders with links to sites and pages for various topics (recipes, music, work stuff, etc.). I also use Feedly to subscribe to real-time updates on news sites and blogs.

But all these tools have one thing in common. They function only with an active internet connection. That's increasingly available in most places, but there are times when it's not. My family lives out in the country and the connection can be slow or non-existent at times. You can now keep most electronics on when you're flying, but onboard wi-fi is still sparse and rarely free.

Fear not. Instapaper has your back! It can help you snatch your favorite parts of the internet and store them for offline use, across all your devices. This handy app installs on your browser and has some great features:

1. It's Easy: Instapaper can add a button to your toolbar. If you're on a page you'd like to reference later, just click the button and it shoots the page to your Instapaper dashboard.
2. It's Connected: You can install Instapaper on your computer, phone, tablet, etc. I have it on all my devices. I do a lot of browsing on my computer and save content to read later on my Kindle. 
3. It's Organizable: You can quickly create folders to organize your information.
4. It's Forever (I think): Instead of a bookmark to a blog or site with constantly changing information you'll have the exact post/article you wanted to preserve for eternity. 
5. It's Free
6. UPDATE - YOU CAN FORWARD EMAILS TO INSTAPAPER FOR REFERENCE

Here are a few things to keep in mind about Instapaper:

1. It does require periodic internet connection: In order for your links to be accessible on each of your devices you'll have to launch Instapaper while connected to the internet, so the pages can be downloaded to each device (If I launch Instapaper on my Kindle it downloads all my new pages to that device, but they only get to my phone if I launch Instapaper on my phone while connected). 
2. It's trickier to save links on your mobile devices: I haven't found a one-click solution for saving on my phone/Kindle. On those devices you have to copy the URL of the page, then launch Instapaper. From there it's easy though, as Instapaper detects that you have copied a URL and prompts you for a one-click import.
3. It is static: You have to actively save every page, post or article to Instapaper. There's no subscribing and having all the new information piped in automatically. That works for me though. My philosophy is that Instapaper is for the best of the best from all my favorite sources. I use Feedly (an RSS reader) to browse my sources then send the key things I want to read later or keep forever to Instapaper.
4. It's primarily text-only: When the content gets copied to Instapaper all the beautiful design/formatting from the original source gets stripped out. If that is essential to how you experience the information you want to save, this isn't your solution. Photos generally come through, videos do not. 

Are there some non-connected places you frequent? Are there times you'd like to access some of your web content in those locations? If so, give Instapaper a try.