How to Survive in the Wild

by Sam Martin, Christian Casucci

Who hasn’t dreamt of leaving city life and escaping to the woods? This book will tempt and help you to experience the excitement and simplicity of wilderness life, whether it’s building a campfire, making shelter in a forest clearing, or navigating using the stars. Whether your heart longs for a weekend of wild escape or a life-changing relocation, this handbook details all the skills and information you need to live in the woods. Each topic – such as water, shelter and fire – is covered in increasing detail to suit the length of your outdoor sojourn, from basic tasks through to long-term survival tips. For anyone who hears that gentle whispering through the pines, How to Live in the Woods is an inspirational handbook to getting back to basics.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2016

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some, the dream is to drop out of regular life and go and live half way up a mountain somewhere. But you can't just go off grid without any knowledge at all as you will either be back fairly shortly or have something happen to you. To minimise the nasty stuff happening though you would this handy pocket-sized guide.

The essentials of living outdoors are food, water, fire and shelter. This guide has got lots of practical advice for making campfires, making shelters including how to build a log cabin, finding safe water sources, hunting and fishing, map skills and a suggested kit list.

It was an interesting book with reasonable detail for the various subjects covered and is full of useful survival tactics for those wishing to head for the hills. If you are thinking of doing this I'd recommend reading this and several other books on the subject before turning your phone off and walking into the woods.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was written for someone like me. Someone who has recently read Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" and Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" and thinks, well if those guys can do it then so can I, right?

Then you get a book like this and it brings you back down to reality. And you realize that you don't actually want to do any of that stuff.

This book has some parts for seasoned hikers/campers and other basic skills for those interested in getting started, though I hope digging a well isn't something you actually have to do. It covers the things you would expect to find, like starting a fire and using a compass, and some advice you might not have thought you needed like how to make your own bow and arrow and transport your kill to the brick oven you have built yourself. Oh my.

This book would be great if you were stranded on a deserted island or decided to be the next Christopher McCandless minus the dying part. But it seems a bit much if you were just going to hike one of the well worn national park trails.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for either the weekend person or someone who has gone out to the wilderness and needs just a refresher on things. People always think they know what they will do if something should happen to them, or nothing will happen, but that is not always the case. Most people don’t take a compass with them and this book gives you the way to find N-S-E-W-, something you would know if you were in the military or raised by a military person or an outdoors man. You are also given instructions on how to build shelter if you need to. There are many, guides to follow in this book and are easy to follow. Good for the people going camping for the first time. Overall a good and clear concise read. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book with some interesting flaws. The big one (to me) is where to practice all the truly excellent suggestions, methods, practices, and crafts it contains. You wouldn't want to carry a book with you into the wild, and if you did you'd spend your first day there building a shelter and fire (both described).
I picked it up for research purposes and it's a gem in that regard. Lots of useful information...which is best practiced and perfected long before one gets out from under city lights.

[Sarah]

book writing research. interesting and informative.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you are going on an outdoor vacation, auditioning to be a contestant on the next Survivor, or wanting to build your own log cabin, this book is for you! If you have the correct tools, the author shows you how to use them with instructions and illustrations. Learn how to make your own rope from tree bark! Build a fire! Fish! Safety measures are included. There is just one catch...practice before you go! Thanks to Netgalley, Printers Row Publishing Group and Thunder Bay Press for this advanced reader.