Survival Manuals

**Scoobywan** · 04-20-2009, 12:50 PM

I've read the SAS Survival Handbook which was my first survival book, and thumbed through a couple others which seemed to cover basically the same things. I've also got tom browns field guide to wilderness survival, once again covered a bunch of the same stuff, but also had some extra not really survival info but general living in the wilderness. That caught my attention a bit more than the basic water,fire,shelter,food info, so I bought his field guide to living with the earth which stepped further away from survival and more into living in the wilderness indefinitely. I was going to pick up Survive by les stroud, but unfortunately my income kinda stopped and that's been put on hold for a bit.

**DOGMAN** · 04-20-2009, 01:23 PM

Couple of classics you forgot:
"Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival"
and
"At Home in the Wilderness" by Sun Bear
I've basically memorized both of those (got them in my teens) and haven't bothered picking up any newer books on survival since then. I may have to look into a couple of these other ones though. I have heard this Ray Mears guy mentioned a few times recently...might have to get his and Les Strouds.

Also, mandatory reading...A field guide to edible plants, and the Weather Identification handbook....those two books have helped me out alot

**NCO** · 04-20-2009, 01:27 PM

Hmm, none, I really don't learn stuff by reading. Don't know why, I suppose it is genetic. I prefer my dad(or similar) telling me "this is the best way in this situation, NOT LIKE THAT YOU IDIOT!", then trying it out and then getting the hang of it.

**chiye tanka** · 04-20-2009, 05:35 PM

Jason, you beat me to it. IMO, my two faves are 98.6 and Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival.
Tom also has a sieres of field guide books on tracking, plants, and urban survival, among others.

**SARKY** · 04-24-2009, 10:16 PM

Bear grylls actually does have a book out. Although I wouldn't doubt that it is ghost written.

**Gray Wolf** · 04-25-2009, 12:53 AM

"Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies an Why." A good and necessary read. IMHO (The psychology of survival is most inportant)

My second choice would be "Survive" by Les Stroud (as a second step for newcomers) IMHO...

Edit: I really think that "Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies an Why." should be one of the choices.

**Obsidian** · 06-02-2009, 09:38 PM

98.6 is the best I've read or looked at. I've browsed a few at bookstores but don't remember titles.

These two are both excellent, but not my favorite because:

SAS: too much info and really shows a military heritage
Army Field Manual: a little outdated now

I've looked at a PDF version of a really good Australian Army (I think) survival guide that has some fresh stuff other books do not have.

After reading posts, I now must have Les Stroud's book.

I can just picture Bear's book:
Chapter 1: Never Walk Around An Obstacle (Climb and Rappel Your Way to a Short Survival Situation)
Chapter 2: Oh, And Bring a Rope
Chapter 3: Blast! Get Diarreah First
Chapter 4: Hypothermia Tips: Jump Into Freezing Water Naked
Chapter 5: Eat the Nuts (No, Not Those Nuts, Gonads)
Chapter 5: Bring A Crew To Save You From Yourself

**Sarge47** · 06-02-2009, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Obsidian

98.6 is the best I've read or looked at. I've browsed a few at bookstores but don't remember titles.

These two are both excellent, but not my favorite because:

SAS: too much info and really shows a military heritage
Army Field Manual: a little outdated now

I've looked at a PDF version of a really good Australian Army (I think) survival guide that has some fresh stuff other books do not have.

After reading posts, I now must have Les Stroud's book.

I can just picture Bear's book:
Chapter 1: Never Walk Around An Obstacle (Climb and Rappel Your Way to a Short Survival Situation)
Chapter 2: Oh, And Bring a Rope
Chapter 3: Blast! Get Diarreah First
Chapter 4: Hypothermia Tips: Jump Into Freezing Water Naked
Chapter 5: Eat the Nuts (No, Not Those Nuts, Gonads)
Chapter 5: Bring A Crew To Save You From Yourself

You forgot a few:

Chapter 6: The art of squeezing water out of elephant poo.
Chapter 7: Drinking Pee.
Chapter 9: Exercises to do naked in the snow.
Chapter 10: the field guide to the best Inns.
Chapter 11: How to sell a $20 knife for $700.

Did I leave anything out?

**Gray Wolf** · 06-03-2009, 01:57 AM

Yes:
1) have someone tie a rabbit to a post, so you can throw your stick as many times as you need, to hit it!
2) have someone kill a mountain goat and leave it for you, so you don't die in the ice covered mountains.
3) have someone kill a camel and leave it for you, so you don't die in the desert.
I COULD GO ON!

**bulrush** · 06-03-2009, 12:15 PM

The version of the Army survival manual I read (online) was written around 1940. Have they updated it since?

It would say things like "run your water through a coffee filter for safe drinkable water." Ha ha ha ha haha hahahahaha! Bacteria goes through a coffee filter like a golf ball through a barn door.

**Ken** · 06-03-2009, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by bulrush

Bacteria goes through a coffee filter like a golf ball through a barn door.

Not if I'm swinging the club.......

**Rick** · 06-03-2009, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Bulrush

The version of the Army survival manual I read (online) was written around 1940. Have they updated it since?

Yep! There is a May 2002 version for sure.

**crashdive123** · 06-03-2009, 01:11 PM

...and think about the 1940's publication. I'll bet there was a whole lot more drinking out of creeks, rivers and ponds back then. Of course there was probably a whole lot more death from waterborne parasites and bacteria as well.

**bulrush** · 06-03-2009, 01:13 PM

So I was checking out the 1999 "Multiservice Survival Manual" and found one thing I disagree with:
p. VIII-7: Avoid these plants: "(e) Bulbs: ONLY onions smell like onions".

Not true. Wild chives and leeks smell like onions, but those are edible also.

And on same page of plants to avoid, I agree with this:
"(g) Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods"

Not all wild peas are edible I found out.

Also, please note while reading these manuals that "filtered" water is not drinkable, but "purified" water is. Filtered water merely gets rid of the chunky chunks, but does nothing for the bacteria. The purification step is what renders bacteria, virii, or cysts harmless.

**Obsidian** · 06-03-2009, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge47

You forgot a few:

Chapter 6: The art of squeezing water out of elephant poo.
Chapter 7: Drinking Pee.
Chapter 9: Exercises to do naked in the snow.
Chapter 10: the field guide to the best Inns.
Chapter 11: How to sell a $20 knife for $700.

Did I leave anything out?

I wonder how many people will get injured or die copying the idiotic stuff he does. It's really a disservice.

And how come Cody doesn't get a show of his own? I can see such a show being absolutely entertaining and darned informative.

**crashdive123** · 06-03-2009, 06:57 PM

I don't know Cody, but I'll bet he wouldn't put up with all the BS that is involved with producing a tv show.

**samfranklin** · 06-04-2009, 02:18 PM

Have a look at

The Survival Handbook By Collin Towell
Brilliant book i have met collin and he is amazing

**Obsidian** · 06-13-2009, 01:31 AM

I forgot one. It's not classified as a survival book, but there's a lot of info in it on finding water in a desert and how the desert is the story of water. Besides, it a darn good read and one of my favorites:

The Secret Knowledge of Water by Craig Childs.