SAS Survival Handbook: The Definitive Survival Guide

This is a good purchase for those who need a handy, accessible guide to survival. The British SAS is THE authority on survival in harsh environments, and the author gives us the advantage of their skills without having to sign up! I never thought to pay attention to dimension sizes when buying books, so I didn't really think the book would have such small dimensions (it's a little bit bigger than a pack of cigarettes), but I am glad it does, it makes it really handy to toss in to a backpack. The low price makes it a good idea to buy several, one for the car, one for the house and one for the backpack. This guide covers it all, from how to properly hunt, process, cook and store all sorts of game animals and edible plants, but helps you identify the stuff that will kill you or make you sick! It also covers the making of shelters and rafts, weapons for hunting, medical aid techniques, weather prediction...the list is just too big to fit in this review. This book is an essential guide for those who do serious backpacking / hiking / camping, or travel overseas to remote regions of the world.

This book handles a variety of topics very well. Trapping, tracking, foraging, hunting, etc., it's all covered. They are only covered in a basic sense though, so don't expect to know the "in's and out's" of tracking or identifying edible plants, but you will know enough to fare well in a survival situation. The information in the book seems to be sensible, and I've heard some of the same tips from other sources - so I wouldn't hesitate to trust it in most situations. Grammatically speaking, the writer is obviously influenced by British English so some words are a bit different. Thankfully, I know a bit of that background so it's not too unfamiliar. The author does misspell things quite frequently and uses improper punctuation at times, but that makes me believe what I'm reading a bit more. Since it tries to prepare you for a lot, it's a rather long book, but it is definitely worth the time to read it. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a comprehensive and understandable "how-to" survival manual.

I like the book, even if it is a little limited in the area of explanation. The author makes no effort to assure the reader of the techniques suggested or outlined. For much of the writing the author simply makes statements with no supporting text. This is a good "first" book on survival and primitive skills. You should go into it knowing that each idea presented by the author can be better understood through further readings of the work of other authors (ie-his extremely limited and incomplete section on Braintan Buckskin..same on flint knapping). This book is the epitome of a "general" hand book with very few specifics. My favorite section has been the "camp craft" projects. Very cool and useful knowledge, though I suspect that as with other areas of the book I will learn a lot more with another book covering only this topic. All that said, if you had one book to bring with you........you know the rest.

Overall this is a great book. Not just for survival but for an appreciation of the small details of the outdoors. How do birds fly heading to and returning from water, where is water likely to be found, what are the requirements for survival? As others have noted this is the ultimate survival manual written in an easy to read format. Beyond that it contains a world of general knowledge about the outdoors, living outdoors, what's good, what's bad and how to tell the difference. Even if you never plan to be out of range of a 5 star restaurant the book is a fun read. If things go bad you are better prepared and if this is in you kit you are well prepared with the information needed to survive. Great gift for inquisitive kids who might in future years be on a safari in Africa, trek in Tibet or bike race across Australia. Highly recommended

There are two main reaons to get this book: 1. If you do any serious outdoor activity which places you far from civilization (hiking, cycling, kayaking, etc.) then from a saftey standpoint this is a must. It comprehensively covers navigation, first aid, how to find food and water, shelter building, and much more. Also, it covers other situations which might strand you in the middle of nowhere like if your car runs out of gas or you are in a plane crash. 2. The second reason is that if you like being out in the wilderness, it is a very pleasurable read. this book tells you how to do so much cool stuff that I still find myself reading over the interesting parts again (I now know how to make smoked rabbit jerky in the middle of the woods). All in all a well written and informative book.

Excellent book for wilderness survival

I recently moved back to Oregon after being away for 20 years or so and am now very passionate about hiking and nature.While I am not by any means a risk taking hiker I wanted to feel more secure in my surroundings. This is a great LITTLE book that is easily carried in a backpack and it is packed with all sorts of useful information on outdoor survival.When you read about people that die because they got stuck in the snow it's a wake up call that you should know what to "just in case". May I also reccomend that parents should buy their children WILLY WHITEFEATHER'S OUTDOOR SURVIVAL BOOK and THE RIVER BOOK they are both excellent books for teaching children outdoor survival skills. The outdoors shouldn't be a scary place and there is no reason for people to die because they are lost or stranded after all the wilderness was our ancestors home!

This book was excellent at highlighting the need for good preparation and being forearmed with knowledge. Its a great collection of knowledge and experience that applies across most situations and locations. The format makes for easy reading and reference and the diagrams are easy to follow. It covers all the essentials of navigation, food and water (even sources of salt), game trapping and hunting (inclusive of simple weapons). The author's approach of stressing the importance of good preparation and the manitainance of a "will to live" set the perfect tone for getting into the basics of survival. Overall, a great buy. Scope for improvement: Make this into a smaller, hardcover or leatherbound, waterproof edition that will easily fit into any camper's bag or outdoor excursion package for quick and easy reference.

It's very useful

Excelente! Já conhecia a obra no formato impresso, agora com o e-book tenho o livro sempre em mãos. O melhor que já li sobre técnicas de sobrevivência.

Perfect just what I needed

Lo sto ancora leggendo, quindi non posso parlare per il libro nella sua interezza ma posso dire che per ora è ottimo. L'inglese usato è assolutamente comprensibile (usando poi l'app kindle ci sono molti suggerimenti sulle parole, possibilità di tradurle, di avere esempi di frasi per comprendere meglio il senso della parola, etc...) Le info che da sono quelle che cercavo, spiega tutto in modo schematico e dettagliando il necessario senza perdersi in parole inutili. Parla sia dell'aspetto logistico che mentale indicando tutte le cose da fare nelle varie situazioni. Consiglio l'acquisto.

Amazing! Had coloured pictures for edible plants and so many coloured and detailed pages to help understand everything from tying knots to which fish are safe to eat and which are not. Easy to follow and I have bought a lot of survival books and this is the BEST and EASIEST to follow and learn from. Great! Would buy again!