Greetings fellow survivalists, as someone who has been interested in and honed a few skills in wilderness survival over the last 2 and a half years, I would definitally recomend the book SURVIVE! by Les Stroud, the former host of the show on Discovery channel called Survivorman. It is hands down the most “realist” look at the subject and the most well organized. I first thought it was some kind of gimmic or money making excuse, but it is definitely worth reading if you take this subject seriously or just like to be informed.
I would also like to recommend the book “6 ways in, 12 ways out” organized and published by the U.S Rescue and Special Operations Group. Rock solid group of gentlemen of the highest order, and the book is a no-frills goldmine of the absolute essentials. http://usrsog.org/
I just finished reading Survive by Less Stroud, trully a great read !!! Has lots of tips and keeps you well interested throughout the whole book, well put together. I would highly recommend this book be added to a collection. Got mine through Amazon Books for a mear $12.99
I read it back when the book came out. I thought it was a great book, lots of ideas, and humor to keep you going. This reminds me I need to go back and skim over it again. Thanks!!
I noticed that too, one time i think he had a pump action rifle, almost like an older Winchester. I could be wrong though, its the episode where him and his friend are out there and he lets his GPS die and has to give off signal shots.
There’s at least three episodes where he has a gun. One with a friend in the Canadien wilderness I believe he had a shotgun and his friend had some type of carbine - I thought it might have been a pump. When he’s in the ice covered arctic he had a nice bolt gun for protection against polar bears. And in another arctic episode that was in the summer he had a shotgun. Looked like some kind of mossberg camo 12 gauge. I am definitely going to get this book. I am a huge Les Stroud fan and I’m ashamed I’d never heard of it.
There’s the book “Patriots” by James Wesley Rawles. It’s a fictional story about surviving an economic collapse (rioting, looters, long term survival, making stuff from nothing, guns & ammo, etc…). It’s pretty informative & entertaining. There is an index referencing pages in the book to find water filters, AR-15, etc… LOL.
About the best basic book I have ever found on the subject is the USAF Survival Handbook. Cost about $14 at Barnes & Noble.
Survivalism and Survivalist mean different things to different people. I read Rawles’ online Triple-Ought which was the Patriots predecessor; was not impressed with any of his conjecture. I was critical of the guy back in the mid-90s when he was selling rifles with the only purpose being thwarting ATF registration. Anyone who bought his high-priced crap with 120yr old technology and metallurgy, just to avoid filling out BATF paperwork, deserves what they paid for. Anyone who thinks a car-load of survivalist buddies is going to blast out of Chicago inside of 45mins of the balloon going up is a simpleton. Finally, I guess everybody needs specially altered CB or FRF radios and a Barrett 50 semi-auto to be a “prepared survivalist”… Yeah, right.
Yet, there is Big Money to be made pandering to those who cannot see the writing on the walls, and are willing to pay for what others say they ought to have.
Mel Tappan’s writings, especially Survival Guns is still applicable. His concept or working guns and defensive weapons still makes lots of sense. Kurt Saxon’s books detail more than any other source (besides early Mother Earth News) the Self-Sufficient will power and capability any survivalist needs. No one has ever written a better Survival primer than Bruce Clayton’s Life After Doomsday. The ultimate “survival” book though, has to be Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearny who was in the employ of Oakridge National Laboratory when the book was written and this explains why it is in Public Domain and can be downloaded free on the net (ki4u.com etc).
I see more and more Rambo mentalities among “survivalists” these days. In my book, survivalism is about relocating away from the line of fire, into an area with potential for self-sufficient living. These days though, many people think they’re going to “survive” beaucoup firefights and that Ramboing along with an AK, body armor, and 500rds of ammunition with a few pounds of other gear in a backpack is going to deliver them. An interesting premise, but no less a fantasy than Rawles’ book.
It all comes down to staying Warm, Dry, Hydrated, Fed, and capable of self-defense; pretty much in that order. Those who think they will make a last minute Bug-Out, and that guns are more important than food and water filters, are living in some other reality.
Good and informed post, Ed Hogan. I do think there’s some validity in preparing for both short-term disasters (in which a “bug-out” kit including firearms) could be useful, and long-term survival situations, which takes a different kind of mindset and involves areas you don’t even have to think about for the short-term cases (such as growing food). But on your larger point, I couldn’t agree more: a lot of folks seem to think that building up a cache of weapons and ammo constitutes “planning ahead”, when in reality, self-defense is likely to be the least of your concerns in a longer term situation.
Call me old fashioned or un-cool, but I just have a shelf full of “liberated” FM’s and TM’s. And in my BOB I have a copy of ST31-180 and FM 4-25.
Infact some of these I need to throw away. Why in the hell do I have “the M-60 in the automatic rifle role” ? Why did I keep some of this shit?
Wow! I’m glad I checked this thread. Great suggestions from everyone. I also watch Les Stroud whenever Survivorman is on. Will be getting his book and the others mentioned by Ed.
I’m doing research for a book about survival after a doomsday scenerio, and up until now, I’ve been scrounging around for odd bits of info.
Don’t want to hijack, but I’m looking for any tested urban survival techniques and general detection avoidance in rural and city neighborhoods. Any additional info is well appreciated from anyone.
The go to guy for many of the younger outdoor, survival, bushcraft experts is a fellow called Mors Kochanski. He has been at the business end of living outdoors on purpose rather than by accident for many years.
Mors lives up in Canada where he runs two or three courses a year. For those of you who read survival and outdoor living books he has written some excellent books and pamphlets on the subject. I can only recomend them as a must have for the serious students bookshelf.
