Anyone have Dave Canterburys book?

I’m not really for or against Dave.

On another forum I read they went into detail about this stuff. I did see evidence where Dave had stated (on his website) that he was a former Ranger, which he was not.

Dave issued an apology in the same thread for any misleading statements he made and agreed it was not the right thing to do. He stated that he worked closely with the Rangers when he served in the Army and always considered himself to be one of them.

I learned quite a bit from his earlier videos and all that information was free. I’m grateful for that.
 
JMAN86 said:
He stated that he worked closely with the Rangers when he served in the Army and always considered himself to be one of them..
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:jerkit: Served with the Rangers is what he should have said then, just as Bare Gyrll now says he "served with" SAS (reserves nonetheless). The similarities are notable.
 
DC seems passionate about what he does and has tried to share the knowledge with others. I have enjoyed the work he has done on U Tube. It takes extra effort to do that. Learn what you can from everyone you meet. Pass it on to others with the same interests. Maybe someday the information we have learned will be put to the test. The more popular you become, the more others will want to bring you down. It's hard to take back something you have said, true or not. I learned along time ago it's hard to remember lies. I'm sure if he could change the past he would. I appreciate his work. As far as showing skills and modifications, we all have learned them somewhere from someone. We just gather the information and pass it on. We become experts by study everyday.
 
Bought the book directly from him at a show. When put in the context of the title "...for the common man", and its' noted purpose(s) and intention(s) in his forward ("....most simple and comon sense approach....."), it's good. He also makes it clear it isn't a "survival guide", just general knowledge about common outdoor skills and tools upon which he suggests one perform further independent research and excercises. As others have stated the editing is less than stellar (seems quickly put together for release). So far it is a decent read (read about half) for "the common man" without any practical outdoor survival knowledge or skills.

Didn't know he ever skirted the truth about his Military service. Shouldn't do that no doubt. However, he had his son with him whom as I recall had just returned from Service in the Middle East, and both clearly Served so credit is certainly due. His wife and parents were also present and seemed like very good, honest people.

His information is definitley not the "be all / end all" on the subject, which again he makes clear in the forward and the title, but good for the uninformed.

As everyone who frequents this forum knows these skills are LOST on the general public today. So in response to the OP, yes I would recommend it (personally, as a gift) for three reasons:

So far no "bad" information in it.
If family and friends whom I care about, who don't normally care about the subject would "actually read it" simply because he's the "dude from TV", then I would give it as a gift along with the SAS Guide, emphasizing to "read the forward" of DC's.
The guy Served in the United States Military and the book isn't TRASH. There are more and less deserving authors.

BTW: I have no affiliation with DC, nor is he a personal friend.

Hope this helps.
 
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haters gonna hate

I use to know a fisherman who could really out fish anyone else on the lake, would go on about notorious fishing stories, now maybe not all true but this individual was definitely skilled.

Same goes for Dave, I've been watching him since the start, The man is skilled.

You claim he took ideas from elsewhere and represented them the best he could on his videos... well take a look around youtube its pretty much a library of already thought out ideas. The content we see lately, has been done over and over. however dave tinkers around with ideas and tries pros/cons and we all get to see if it works or not. Take it with a grain of salt.

I'd take him to the woods with me anytime.
 
I think Loosearrow summed it up best.

I don't care whose book you read, there is very little original input, it's mostly just rehashed information.

And like Bryan B., I would read it. I really don't care where any information comes from, if it's good and it works, I'll take it. :thumbup:

Doc
 
nemoaz said:
:jerkit: Served with the Rangers is what he should have said then, just as Bare Gyrll now says he "served with" SAS (reserves nonetheless). The similarities are notable.
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I'm just telling you what I read. I agree, that's what he should have said.

So :jerkit:
 
JMAN86 said:
I'm just telling you what I read. I agree, that's what he should have said.

So :jerkit:
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Right not aimed at you. At the story.

Of course, I've heard that the producers and types often change things, spruce them up, but I don't think Dave had a producer or publicist then. I think he was just doing the youtube thing. Maybe I'm wrong.
 
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nemoaz said:
Right not aimed at you. At the story.

Of course, I've heard that the producers and types often change things, spruce them up, but I don't think Dave had a producer or publicist then. I think he was just doing the youtube thing. Maybe I'm wrong.
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Gotcha, thanks for the reply
 
guys thank you so very much for the responses!

well is there a book you guys would recommend? Rock6 or any of you seasoned guys? I have bushcraft and it's god_ but I'm looking for a bit more detailed I suppose, feel bushcraft is too brief on things.

thank you all again for the help and insight, I love this forum!
 
I have Dave's book and even took one of his advanced survival courses. This was before I even knew who he was. I just saw the course was in my region (Pacific NW) and a reasonable price. I didn't know he was a big TV/YouTube star when I signed up. So I have no biases.

So after having taken the course and reading the book I will say this:

1) The book is fine and full of good simple advice. Yes, it needs an editor to really flush out his ideas more clearly. But the book contains a lot of good information on dealing realistically with a survival situation. It is not full of fluff.

2) Dave seemed like a really stand-up guy that knew what he was talking about. The course was four days long and he suffered with all the students on food deprivation, etc. He wasn't making anyone do anything he wasn't willing to do himself. He even had his wife Iris with him and she was a trooper as well and ate the same things everyone else ate. They were both very nice people.

3) He's a good teacher. Very detailed focus and no non-sense. He doesn't teach anything he hasn't personally used himself. All of his concepts are very simple and work even with minimal skills. He did not set off my BS detector even once.

4) Dave does not like the word "expert" being applied to him. He knows that many "experts" aren't and he states over and over that he is constantly learning along with his students.

5) Don't believe everything you see on TV. Dave is very upfront about the production of the show. You see 45 minutes of TV of him and Cody doing stuff, but that's cut down from perhaps dozens or hundreds of hours of footage. Sometimes they may edit things together to create more drama/tension and that isn't Dave's fault. The show would be boring if you saw him and Cody Lundin agreeing on 99% of just about everything (which is probably more likely the case). Sometimes the producers edited things out of context with what Dave would have wanted (for instance he never advocates traveling at night in a survival situation). Just remember that it's TV and he has little control over the final episode that comes out. The skills he is showing are legit even if they are in the context of TV entertainment.

My three favorite "survival" type books are actually Lundin's 98.6 Degrees, Les Stroud's and Dave's. They all are three books where the authors have clearly spent time enough outdoors to know how to keep things simple and workable. The thing is that the basic ideas in all those books are essentially the same: Keep sheltered and out of the elements (to stay warm/dry or cool/hydrated), know how to find water, know how to start a fire and know how to get found. If you can do those things then getting lost in the woods is not going to be a big deal.

I've found errors in the SAS guide that will literally kill you if followed. So while some of these books contain good information, just be aware that it's obvious not all of it is being tested and you need the dirt time to separate the fact from the fiction. I think Dave's book has lots of fact and no fiction. Same with Lundin's and Stroud's.

EDIT: For bushcraft books, I recommend Ray Mears, Mors Kochanski and Horace Kephart's (Camping and Woodcraft) books.
 
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Taking 'artistic license' with one's past seems a requirement these days, rather than an exception. My vast military experience - and training in survival, including feeding and offering med attention for one's self, being a case in point. Okay, okay... I was a sailor - and quickly learned where the mess decks and sick bay were located. Tough crowd.

I got Cody Lundin's book, '98.6' for Christmas - it joined Stroud's book. I've already found one error - going barefooted. In this AM's wee hours, as I left the sleeping area of our camp, I found - barefooted - a hair ball - ice cold! Yep, the feline that left it was no doubt dangerous... and I was unarmed. Of course, I screamed like a banshee/girley-man, waking my wife - and her little orange tabby, he who planted the landmine.

I'd buy DC's book... but then I have a pre-publication reserve order for Bear Grylls' 'Guide to Satelite Phones, Helicopter Services, and Lodges'. I still enjoy most of the Grylls, 'Dual Survivor', 'Man, Women, Wild', and anything with Les Stroud - as entertainment - with info. Stroud is my favorite.

Stainz
 
Tin.Man said:
guys thank you so very much for the responses!

well is there a book you guys would recommend? Rock6 or any of you seasoned guys? I have bushcraft and it's god_ but I'm looking for a bit more detailed I suppose, feel bushcraft is too brief on things.

thank you all again for the help and insight, I love this forum!
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USAF 64-4 The Airforce Search and Rescue handbook is the most comprehensive survival manual out there. I have read a ton of manuals and books, and it is the best.. Ive heard Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger is very good too.

Most if not all of the stuff found in one Survival book is in all of them. Some go into more detail on some things, some on other things. What I do when I read something that I want more detail on is to go to the forums and search for a thread, or look to see if I can find a book just dealing with said skill. There are a few threads right here in WSS that are full of great books. Just do a search. :thumbup:

If I could only have one book it would be the USAF 64-4.
 
BearKinder said:
I learned a lot from this book:
Six Ways In and Twelve Ways Out
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Along with Jake's recommendation...of all the military manuals, the USAF 64-6 is by far the best.

I've found the USRSOG "Six Ways In and Twelve Ways Out" one of my favorites. This is usually what I pack as my "field" manual.

Other favorites:

SAS Survival Manual (another favorite
Ray Mears - Essential Bushcraft
Mors Kochanski - Bushcraft
Christopher Nyerges - How to Survive Anywhere
Cody Lundin - 98.6 Degrees and When all Hell Break Loose
Richard Graves - Bushcraft, A Serious Guide to Survival and Camping

Most of the above are more "bushcraft", but all apply to "survival" if you actually get out and practice them. There are several good manuals and you'll get some great recommenations here on WSS...

ROCK6
 
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I particularly value Cody Lundin's two books and Laurence Gonzales's Deep Survival. Doug Ritter's Equipped To Survive site recommends 98.6 and Deep Survival, I learned a great deal from both, particularly Deep Survival.

wpid-41YDg4jy8gL.jpg
 
I really like Larry Dean Olsen's Outdoor Survival Skills. If you liked Kochansky's bushcraft, then this one will resonate. Little bit old style, but good stuff and can probably be found at the used book store for 50 cents.
 
I bought the book from dave personally at a gun show for my daughter. what I can tell you is he is a very nice guy and will go above and beyond for children. now about the book? well it's $30 I won't get back. I found it to be very vague with no in depth material, specifically when it came to the pictures section(about 2/3 of the book) they are pretty pictures for sure but none elaborate too much on what it is a pic of nor in the least how to construct it. IMO he is making a buck off his name and good on him for that it's the american way, but I would have liked to see more substance in the book. I won't comment on what I haven't seen so I won't talk about his military career but first impressions... and mine was walking into the gun show in the morning to set up for the day and seeing him out on the curb smoking a cig, that has pretty much turned me off to him in general. not that I won't watch his show or anything but I won't be buying anymore gear of his besides his blind horse knife.
 
KuRUpTD said:
(+1) The man has blatantly ripped off ideas and then passes them off as if they were his own :barf: (give credit where credit is due)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVHeKNbRXgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQhwbR2a2X4
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Dude, how many "original" survival ideas are there out there?

Your assertion that DC ripped off pict is a joke. The only thing common in those machete vids is the brand of machete. I love Colhane and giutoniolo, and if anyone ripped them off, I'd be p-ssed, but you are making things up here.
 
joejooee said:
I bought the book from dave personally at a gun show for my daughter. what I can tell you is he is a very nice guy and will go above and beyond for children. now about the book? well it's $30 I won't get back. I found it to be very vague with no in depth material, specifically when it came to the pictures section(about 2/3 of the book) they are pretty pictures for sure but none elaborate too much on what it is a pic of nor in the least how to construct it. IMO he is making a buck off his name and good on him for that it's the american way, but I would have liked to see more substance in the book. I won't comment on what I haven't seen so I won't talk about his military career but first impressions... and mine was walking into the gun show in the morning to set up for the day and seeing him out on the curb smoking a cig, that has pretty much turned me off to him in general. not that I won't watch his show or anything but I won't be buying anymore gear of his besides his blind horse knife.
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What does this has to do with anything ?
 
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