/lit/ - Literature

I'm writing a post-apocalyptic story, and I've been trying to find the right balance between characters/plot and technical, survival-related sperging.
Currently, there are entire chapters dedicated to the main character's attempts to build a working water filtration system, them dealing with hygiene issues, setting up solar power, etc.
Thing is, I've seen many books get panned on Goodreads, Amazon, /lit/, Reddit, and IRL for focusing too much on technical details, be that the working principles of some sci-fi spaceship, tech à la Crichton/Clancy, or stuff like the cetology chapter in Moby Dick.
I'm aware that the target audience for survival lit is probably more receptive towards this kind of writing, but I don't want to risk alienating a bunch of potential readers.
What's the right balance to strike?