What is the Best Survival Reference?

NorthStarXO

NorthStarXO

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Nov 29, 2001
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If you could take only one reference manual/book with you in a survival situation what would it be? And what makes it so better than the rest?

I chose FM 21-76 - The US Army Survival Manual because is covers almost every survival situation and it's small enough to carry.

If I can throw another one in my pack it would be ST 31-91B - US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook.

Between the two I think you'd be able to survive as long as you didn't need immediate medical attention. And they're big enough to give you some reading to stave off boredom.
 
My vote goes to the SAS survival handbook , the miniature version. The full size version weighs about ten pounds. Second choice is an oldie but a goodie; How to Stay Alive In the Woods by Bradford Angier,being a Canuck I appreciate the emphasis on cold weather info.
 
It would have to be the SAS one for me.Good plant pictures and would be of use in most parts of the world.
 
I have the Collins Gem SAS Survival book. It's like the size of a pack of cigs. I was afraid it wasn't comprehensive enough.
 
I agree with yobbos1 and Nick. I don't think that you can beat Lofty's book.

Orm
 
Thing is guy's most of basic stuff is covered but you still have to ID plants, fungi and Tree's. I take 2-3 books (normally field guides) when a take the dogs out and try to identify things at random.I have even started carrying a star atlas when I go out at night to aid navigation.But all the same Lofty you're the man.
 
I like fm21-76 and Wisemans SAS, but I carry fm21-76-1. Its a condensed and water proof mult-service manual. Measures about 7x4. Other decent "survival" manuals are fm17-98-1 and SH21-76.
 
I like Greg Davenport's 2 books. They have a lot of info and are laid out in an easy to understand manner. For me they are the best out there. I especially like how the importance of prioritising is addressed.
 
So it's all about size with you Suzanne? I knew it all along!
 
Let's see ...

if I am at the point of hitting the survival trail for real, and I need a book to give me pointers ... looks like trouble.
I think my one book would be the Bible.

If I'm wrong ... and there is nothing after this ... I don't lose.

If I'm right ... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.:)


Mike
 
ROFL! Rob, kiss my a$$ Don't you know it's got nothing to do with the size of the survival manual but how you use it! ;)

Mike - there's no right or wrong. Whatever gets you through is what's right. In Rob's case it would be all the PlayGIRL mags he can hump! ;)
 
Boy, that's good to know. All this time I've been comparing my manual to the other guys in the shower. Now I might have a chance!
 
Robert & Suzanne,
The gutter is not a good place to survive.:barf:

Mike,
I like your take and have to ultimately agree. However, for immediate and physical survival I stand by Larry Dean Olsen's "Outdoor Survival Skills." The one improvement I want to see in his book is more info on the plants.

The military survival manuals seem too scattered for me. If I had to survive by roaming nomadically between tropics, deserts, S. Pacific islands and the arctic then it would be the book to have. But I stay mostly in the Western half of the contiguous 48 states, so I prefer something that applies more to my specific region.
 
Good point on the FM's - they do cover a whole lot of ground without being specific. I'd like to see a good comprehensive edible plants manual instead of all the regional ones so that I wouldn't have to carry so many.

Of course you could always just kill the neighbors and take their canned goods but that's not very friendly. :D
 
There's nothing wrong with that! He who has the most guns eats the best when the hard time comes. If you don't, you'll be the food. I'm all about the SAS manuals. Most of the info is good general stuff, and that's what can be learned and teached, then improved upon based on location and situation. But make no mistake, the first thing you have to worry about is other two-legged predators that want YOUR stuff. So you better break out the USMC marksmanship book first.
 
If I could have but one survival manual, it would be Petersens Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants.:)
 
Brothers & Sisters of the Great Outdoors,

The Peterson's Field Guides are excellent. Only thing better to do is to seek out an arboretum, as we have in Dallas, and attend classes regarding flora recognition.

http://www.petersononline.com/store/field/

Mushrooms can be a blessing or a nightmare. Tubers along nearly any soggy spot or waterway are superb sources of fiber. Kalrabi! Make sure to pack plenty of salt. Roots, bulbs and so forth can be picked up along the trail and assembled later for meals.
Note. When the weight of your natural food-stuffs starts to weigh you down, it's time to either stop and eat...Or NOT LOOK SO HARD!

www.equipped.com is one of many good resources for assessing good reading matter. Your local library is another. Hoodoo's resource is exceptional as well.

Nick jarvis. A Star Atlas. Excellent addition to any outing!
Remember too that the monocular or binoculars you carry are irreplaceable assets. Evening campfires are good discussion periods for navigational orientation methods and concepts. A few minute spent with chart and compass are wonderful ways to teach your youngsters, or anyone else, how to look beyond the trail and envision the route!

Hoodoo, I can't agree with you more. The trail is plentiful with its gifts. Learning the do's-n-don't's of your environment are the difference between comfort and catastrophy. All too often the neophyte wanders a bit too far for the skills, or lack thereof, to support an enjoyable experience in favor of the re-told "adventure".

Once you find a "favorite" you might consider using the blank pages to insert additional notes you've found helpful from other sources. Create a manual of your own if need-be! "May the weight of your knowledge exceed the weight of your books"!

Regards,
Lance Gothic
Shibumi
 
'Camping and wilderness survival
The ultimate outdoors book.'
By Paul Tawrell

This one is big, dictionary size, but worth it. I have lots of survival books to include the military versions and Tom Brown books. This one covers the whole thing, City to woods to desert... snow caves to lean to's... plant and animal Id... Modern tools to ancient ways.

But I agree with the post above if you have to take it with you into the woods it may be too late. Practice, Practice, Practice or is that Prepare?
 
I am very happy with Outdoor Survival Handbook by Ray Mears.

I saw him on The Travel Channel then bought his book.
 
Originally posted by Bill Siegle
I like Greg Davenport's 2 books. They have a lot of info and are laid out in an easy to understand manner. For me they are the best out there. I especially like how the importance of prioritising is addressed.
Click to expand...

Hi Bill,

Passing through... glad to hear you enjoyed the second book. My third book on cold weather survival (something you can relate to) will be out in January ... and the fourth ... on open water and coastal survival ... next July.

I hope all is well with you and your knife making venture. Keep up the good work.

Best,

Greg
 
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