The Survival Handbook: A Practical Guide to Woodcraft and Woodlore

by Ray Mears

This book is dedicated to the memory of Kingsley Royce Hopkins, my guide and mentor for nearly sixteen years, who passed away during the production of the manuscript. It will be difficult to follow his example. Acknowledgements I would like to thank all those people who have encouraged and supported me during the writing of this book, and the fellow outdoor enthusiasts with whom I have shared campfires and trails. In particular, I would like to mention the following in no particular my patient and long-suffering parents, Nick Crane, the instigator, Philip Wells and Sally Collings, James and Brenda Locke, Roger Hopkins for some twentieth-century magic, Vivien Drake, Roy Belanger, Charles "Badger" Taylor, Richard Kluckhohn, Scott Kuipers, Mike Clinchy, Robert Craigie, Kurt Folsom, Richard and Ruth Bennett and the 7th Purley Scout Group.

Introduction "My son, you know that no one will help you in this world... You must run to that mountain and come back. That will make you strong. My son, you know that no one is your friend, not even your sister, your father, your mother. Your legs are your friends; your brain is your friend; your hands are your friends; you must do something with them. (Words of an Apache Father, An Apache Life by Morris Opler.) Do you love clean air, fresh water, and the wonders of the natural world? If so, then read on because this book is written for you. The skills contained in this book are not new, experts have been writing about them for almost a hundred years, lumping them together under the appropriate heading of "woodworking." In more recent years, they have somehow acquired a macho image and have been rebranded as survival skills. There is no real harm in this, except for the fact that in the process, many of the techniques have been described incorrectly. For those of us who grew up with the original woodworking skills and still do not know how to use them, we have to learn to use them in a more practical way. We use them, these mistakes are alarming, if sometimes amusing. But more importantly, they represent the dilution and gradual disappearance of knowledge and experience that was once passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. If these skills were to disappear completely, it would be a tragedy, because they are our birthright, a living link to our Paleolithic ancestors, allowing us to see nature with native eyes and understanding. Today, these skills are harder to acquire; many of the old masters are gone, and without the reality of living and having to survive in the wild, few have the time to fulfill the long apprenticeship in the wild. However, if you are in no hurry to master them, the techniques that follow can be learned and gradually perfected. They are the skills of the natives that, once learned, can allow you to be totally self-sufficient in a natural environment. By studying them, you will undoubtedly learn a lot about yourself. But this is not the only value of the skills, for even in our age of space exploration, the awareness, understanding and attunement to nature that is a natural by-product of studying it will boost your confidence, improve your appreciation of the fragile world we inhabit and enable you to enjoy your outdoor activities more fully. As if a blindfold were suddenly removed from your eyes, your vision will be dazzled; the plants and animals around you will become more familiar, useful and meaningful. All of the skills discussed in the following pages are described from my practical experience. In choosing which skills to include, I have described those techniques that can be taught to oneself most easily and, wherever possible, I have included alternatives. While this inevitably means that I have described the techniques I use most, I must stress that these are not the only ways of doing things; I hope that you will gradually develop your own techniques.

207 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1990