Favorite Bushcraft & Survival Books?

j williams said:
Most survival manuals have the same stuff in them.

The better ones are the Air Force manual, Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft(a must have book), and Kepharts Camping and Woodcraft. I have a ton of survival manuals, and have read them all, and these are the best IMO.

I recently got ahold of The Air Force Manual 64-4, and it is by far the most comprehensive manual Ive ever seen. At over 600 pages, its no slouch. Trust me, if you get this one, you dont need any of the other "manuals". Blows the SAS book out of the water.

Kepharts book has good info in it, but its not really the most "survival" orientated book. I did enjoy reading it though.

Mors book Bushcraft is a great read. A ton of good info. The Axecraft chapter is a must read. Lots of good Axemenship info. Truely one of my favorites.

If you do a search of the forum, you will see this thread has been done over and over and over....

Wildwood Wisdom is a highly reccomended book. I still need to score a copy of it.
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100% Jake. I have it and it's very good. You also need Book 1 of the MacPherson's - excellent.

tknife said:
I somehow forgot my other favorite, David Alloways Desert Survival. Awesome book and geared toward the areas I usually play outside.
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I don't know if you know or not, but David Alloway died some time back. I don't remember the circumstances.

Another excellent and highly recommended book is Survival Skills of Native California. This applies whether you live in California or not.

Doc
 
Yeah I knew he had passed. I believe it was an accident where he got trampled by a spooked horse. That's why I treasure my signed copy of his book even more.
 
Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" is horribly overlooked. It's full of great, practical, advice.
 
I have Wildwoods Wisdom and Kephart's books, but one not mentioned yet that is quite good is "Outdoor Survival Skills" by Larry Dean Olsen.
 
How about The Essential Wilderness Navigator by David Seidman, and The Backpacker's Field Manual from Princeton University?

I love Colin Fletcher's Complete Walker III and Cody Lundin's 98.6. I have the classic Mears and Kochanski books.

Depending on where you live, you might enjoy Mountaineering, The Freedom of the Hills by The Mountaineers. It's all about climbing, but very interesting and could be a lifesaver if you travel in the mountains.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I have a bunch of survival and camping/backpacking books and I like most of them. It is true that most have in some way, shape, or form the same information. What makes some better books, IMHO, is not just the info but how it is presented and the way the author makes it relevant and memorable. Therefore very few books will be in everyone's list and those that do are truly excellent. Personally, I'm partial to:

98.6, by Cudy Lundin
The SAS Survival Guide, by Lofty Wiseman
U.S. Air Force Search and Rescue Handbook
The Complete Wilderness Training Book, by Hugh McManners
and How to Survive Anything, Anywhere, by Chris McNabb (the chapter on survival psychology alone makes this book worthwhile)

Although technically not a survival or bushcraft book, I also list here:
Build the Perfect Survival Kit, by John D. McCann

IMHO, McCann's book is an introductory level must-read for anyone who is survival minded or is interested in outdoors preparedness.
 
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