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KILLAFORNIA

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As I was browsing an internet book retailer for Bushcraft books, I was finally going to buy one of the Bushcraft books by Mors Kochanski,(even though I live no where near the Boreal Forest) I know he advocated the Mora and was a knife guy, anyways, as I was looking over the reviews someone listed a bunch of authors I've never heard of and wanted to get some input from all of you. I have browsed wilderness and survival books before and have seen a lot aimed towards people who have seemed to have never walked on dirt in their lives before :confused: I've got the old and new U.S. Army Survival Field Manual FM 21-20 or something, and Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, and half a brain in my head, figured I'd do alright in a survival situation...
o.k. to get back on track: Anyone heard of these guys?: John McPherson, Jim Riggs, Larry Dean Olsen, Tom Brown, Richard Jamison I would value some of my fellow forumites opinions...
 
KILLAFORNIA said:
As I was browsing an internet book retailer for Bushcraft books, I was finally going to buy one of the Bushcraft books by Mors Kochanski,(even though I live no where near the Boreal Forest) I know he advocated the Mora and was a knife guy, anyways, as I was looking over the reviews someone listed a bunch of authors I've never heard of and wanted to get some input from all of you. I have browsed wilderness and survival books before and have seen a lot aimed towards people who have seemed to have never walked on dirt in their lives before :confused: I've got the old and new U.S. Army Survival Field Manual FM 21-20 or something, and Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, and half a brain in my head, figured I'd do alright in a survival situation...
o.k. to get back on track: Anyone heard of these guys?: John McPherson, Jim Riggs, Larry Dean Olsen, Tom Brown, Richard Jamison I would value some of my fellow forumites opinions...
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Wow, it's hard to know where to start. John McPherson, Jim Riggs, Larry Dean Olsen and Richard Jamison are the bright stars in the primitive-skills-sky. Many would include Tom Brown Jr. - I didn't because I didn't want to start yet another "I can piss further than you" contest. Suffice it to say that Tom Brown Jr. may be responsible for starting more people along the primitive skills/wilderness survival road than any other current person. I'm among those who had been positively influenced by him.

John McPherson is one of the best primitive skills instructors around, as far as he lives what he speaks. His books are highly recommended as are his videos, however his monotone has a tendency to put you to sleep. :o

Jim Riggs is another long-time, well respected primitive skills technologist, however, to the best of my knowledge, still only has one book published - Blue Mountain Buckskin. Larry Dean Olsen was one of the first contemporary primitive skills people published. I believe he founded the survival program at Brigham Young University.. Richard Jamison is more of the same. One of his books, Woodsmoke, has just been republished, see here. While you're at it check out the customer's reviews and all his :rolleyes: reviews - Larry Dean Olsen and John McPherson are covered. (I forgot that I had did them). An excellent book.

While I have all of Tom Brown Jr.'s books, I would recommend the others, first. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Doc
 
If you are talking Bushcraft, John and Geri McPherson's Naked into the Wilderness is excellent!!! Larry Dean Olsen's book is a classic, same with Mors' book. Ray Mears would be another to look at. Sorry, but I am over Tom Brown.

My personal opinion is you can't go wrong with any of the fore mentioned. A personal observation I experienced with some of these books - for example, the first time I read Olsen's book, I didn't care for it - primarily because I didn't get it. As I learned more (in the field) I began to appreciate the book. This is also true of most of the books - you have to go back and re-read a lot.
 
You didn't mention him, but I am currently reading "98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive" by Cody Lundin and I am enjoying it. It is not a primitive living book (and he even makes a point to mention that in one of the early chapters), it is a straightforward no-nonsense survival manual. Not the type of survival stuff you read in Field and Stream about how to wrestle an alligator or do some other absurd survival stunt. I also like that in the picture section of the book where he is showing his survival kits, the knives he has are a red-handled Mora #1 and a carbon steel Clipper.
 
AustinTXShooter said:
You didn't mention him, but I am currently reading "98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive" by Cody Lundin and I am enjoying it. It is not a primitive living book (and he even makes a point to mention that in one of the early chapters), it is a straightforward no-nonsense survival manual. Not the type of survival stuff you read in Field and Stream about how to wrestle an alligator or do some other absurd survival stunt. I also like that in the picture section of the book where he is showing his survival kits, the knives he has are a red-handled Mora #1 and a carbon steel Clipper.
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Great survival book from a guy that really does it like the McPhersons. He has a new book coming out soon too.
 
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