"Best" bushcraft book...?

[Dozza]

Hi all,

Recently I read Mr Mears' Essential Bushcraft and Outdoor Survival Handbook but I neither of them made me think I would keep them with me as a handy reference.

I am thinking of getting the Mors Kochanski Bushcraft book, which has generally favourable Amazon reviews (my usual guide) although one of them says it is not very practical and recommends John McPherson, Jim Riggs, Larry Dean Olsen, Tom Brown and Richard Jamison as authors of alternative books. We are looking at books 10-20 years old with all of these and they don't have many recent write-ups on Amazon so I was wondering what the opinions are here for the "best" book for taking out as a handy reference?

 

[phill_ue]

You should try and get a hold of his Survival Handbook, try your library. It is by far his best which must be the reason why he asked for it to be taken out of print.

 

[DavidJT]

Mors book is great, but you're meant to carry the skills not the book.

 

[Dozza]

Yes, very nice - but with few skills to start with a field guide would be handy.

 

[phill_ue]

Yes, very nice - but with few skills to start with a field guide would be handy.

Don't even bother taking a complete book to try a few skills from, it ain't worth the weight! Do a bit here and a bit there, before you know it you'll be a seasoned outdoorsman.

 

[Tengu]

My fave would be Kepharts Woodcraft and camping. (2 books in one)

Nessmuk or Mors would be a tie for second.

SAS survival guide the third.

Raymundo I find to be uninspired.

 

[ixion]

For books to take out with you, you want something as small and light as possible - Collins Gem are perfect.

The CG printing of the SAS Survival Handbook is the classic one, but they also do "Trees", "Mushrooms" and "Food for Free" - all very handy reference guides

 

[hurplegrappers]

For books to take out with you, you want something as small and light as possible - Collins Gem are perfect.

For an all round read covering many aspects of bushcraft & survival I couldn't recommend the new and updated ultimate SAS survival book by John 'Lofty' Wiseman any more...... Epic.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SAS-Surviva...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269206255&sr=1-1

"Product Description
A new and fully updated edition of the original, bestselling survival handbook. Written by ex-SAS survival expert John 'Lofty' Wiseman, this book provides the most reliable, authoritative and respected survival information on the market. The original survival handbook -- the choice of both survival expert and novice, this book is the international bestseller which in the 20 years since it was first published has been often imitated but never bettered. John 'Lofty' Wiseman served in the SAS for 26 years: his knowledge, experience and skills are unrivalled in survival circles. He is the first and best expert on survival instruction -- in any situation. In this fully updated edition, Lofty imparts his much sought-after survival experience, knowledge and timeless techniques -- preparing you for anything, anywhere in the world.Updated contents include: Be prepared -- The latest, most resilient, resourceful and eco-friendly must-have kit On the move -- Up-to-date navigation technologies such as GPS are discussed and explained Health -- The current understanding relating to the body's coping mechanisms in extreme circumstances is expertly applied to survival Disasters -- Increasingly-changing environmental conditions are addressed: what to do in the face of flash flooding or fast-spreading fire Fear Management -- How to react, keep calm, and manage hostile environments and survival situation Also featuring new case studies and survival scenarios, designed to offer fascinating insight into other people's survival experiences and to force you to think about what you would do in their position.

About the Author
John 'Lofty' Wiseman served for 26 years with the Special Air Service and was their Chief Survival Instructor. He remains the foremost authority on SAS training techniques for civilians."



EDIT: It's not a 'carry with you' book but as as DavidJT said earlier,

you're meant to carry the skills not the book

 

[BushEd]

Most useful are the Collins Gem books.

Learning to identify trees, mushrooms, and other wild oddities takes years, and these fit handily in a pocket, are cheap, and very helpful.

After that, i'd say Mors Kochanski's "Northern Bushcraft." Excellent writing and drawings from an extremely knowledgable man.

Ray's tend to be a bit thin on the interesting stuff for me...

 

[brancho]

Mors Kochanksi Buscraft (previously Northern bushcraft) is the best I have read as it offers better infromation than Ray's book and much better the SAS book.

Ray tries to sell his knife and other stuff from his shop and then leaves you needing more info so you should go an a course I think

The SAS book lots of ideas not enough detail

 

[TeeDee]

You should try and get a hold of his Survival Handbook, try your library. It is by far his best which must be the reason why he asked for it to be taken out of print.

Is that right? I always wondered why it was so hard to get hold of? Glad I've got my slightly damaged copy now.

 

[hermitical]

My fave would be Kepharts Woodcraft and camping. (2 books in one)

you can now read this online

http://www.scribd.com/doc/27285794/Camping-and-Woodcraft-Volumes-1-2-by-Horace-Kephart

 

[Nat]

I've managed to pick up a copy of The Survival Handbook by Mears for under £30 from ebay and compared to his later books i find it better. It's more raw and detailed and written with more passion than his later books.
I've got a fair few of the CG guides and find them invaluable when out and about.

 

[Wilderbeast]

got to be the survival handbook by raymond mears.........which I picked up in excellent condition for a cool £6.50.........that's right £6.50!

 

[chuckle]

I have to say Kochanski's bushcraft is top,but i do like Ray's outdoor book cos its split into seasons and imho its before he was all commercially wen he was still using hawks.

As for loftys book i dont really rate it,yes i devoured it as a kid but then thats all there was tho i did like staying alive with Eddie Mcgee the 1st book i ever bought in 1980 i feel old now lol.

Jason

 

[chuckle]

I've managed to pick up a copy of The Survival Handbook by Mears for under £30 from ebay and compared to his later books i find it better. It's more raw and detailed and written with more passion than his later books.
I've got a fair few of the CG guides and find them invaluable when out and about.

I got mine from amazon they sell it for bout 8 quid.

 

[Paullyfuzz]

Ive got a few books on the subject, mainly Mears and Mors, but really wish there was a reference book out there that deals soley with the UK. Its nice to read what is done in foreign climates, but i aint never gonna visit them to practise the skills.

A book based solely around general UK woodland bushcraft skills would be great.

Paul

 

[Bravo4]

A book based solely around general UK woodland bushcraft skills would be great.

Paul

That's a really good idea.

I don't think Gem does something like this,
http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-Southwestern-States/dp/067944680X
Unless I have something else very specific in mind, this is the type of field guide I might normally carry.

Regional guidebooks with relevant bushie applications would be extremely cool. Maybe the "best" bushcraft book has yet to be written. This book would be a collaboration, not just one author. Possibly in cartoon form.

For the amount of info in just one book, Kephart's Camping and Woodcraft is hard to beat. I thought there was an e-version on this site at one time. Anyway, this is one that's great to have on paper but still (for me) just a reference before and after I'm out.

 

[hermitical]

I posted a link to an electronic version earlier

 

[Bravo4]

I posted a link to an electronic version earlier

You absolutely did.
That was my subtle way of asking, where'd all that good stuff go? the BCUK articles and such, will it ever be back?