Field & Stream Outdoor Survival Guide: Survival Skills You Need

by T. Edward Nickens

95 Essential Survival Skills
Survive almost anything nature throws at you with this collection of tested wilderness skills.
-Prevail against ice, cold, and hypothermia
-Scramble out of raging whitewater
-Stare down the angriest predators

With practical advice for survival situations from the relatively likely (such as needing to build a fire in the rain) to the extreme (skin and cook a snake) to the just plain awesome (make a blowgun), this book could save your life, as well as providing a fascinating armchair read. Geared to the hunter or fisherman, but with something for almost everyone who loves the great outdoors, this is the book you want to be sure you throw in your backpack before heading out into any potentially sketchy situation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Survival, Outdoors

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2012

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Now you've gone and done it. Gone too far or gone overboard. Lost your way, left your flashlight at camp, let darkness catch you in the woods without a single match. At the moment, it doesn't matter how you got here. What matters is that it's all up to you, bud. Live or die."

Just about anything that could possibly wrong out in the wild, this guide has a solution to. Everything from starting a fire in any situation and location and building an effective shelter to treating snake bites and dislocated shoulders, and finding edible resources or even drinking your own urine. It's all in here, in an easy step-by-step process that's easy for anybody with any experience level to understand and follow—and with pictures!

"Go through the ice, over the bow, or into a blizzard and you'll need a fire—fast and before your fleece and fingers freeze. Let's assume you're not a complete moron. You have a workable lighter. Here's how to spark an inferno no matter how much snow is on the ground."

I haven't actually tested these tips in a life-or-death situation myself, but I'd definitely feel safer carrying this guide in my hiking backpack. It's lightweight and crucial in a situation where you might need it. And if we're being honest, I just like reading it. I've learned a bunch of new skills that I'd be eager to try out someday, and there are also two short survival stories that are captivating.

Definitely check out this guide if you're thinking about headed out in the wild, even for a short hike. You'll never know when you might need it.

"You may never need this stuff—until suddenly, critically, you do. Until you wander too far into the woods. Lose your way. Break down, fall down, or go down the wrong trail. Until you have to survive, for an hour or a long, cold night, or longer. Then you'll be happy you know how to survive. Lucky is the man who can spark flame and sleep soundly on a fire bed, a smile on his face, ready for the long hike home in the morning."

[J. T. K. Tobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of 95 skills/tips represented, there were only two or three that I thought were pretty good. Most of this is common sense. The art was great. The presentation of the book is great. It's very interesting to look at. But most of the skills represented also require hands on experience or at least a video demonstration to properly comprehend.

For a coffee table book, it's okay. For a practical survival book, not really.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far from comprehensive, but containing lots of intriguing tidbits on a wide variety of survival scenarios.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda fun. Sometimes repetitive, but overall some useful tips in case you have to stare down a bear build a fire in the rain. Two things I'll probably never do.