Pocket books to carry in pack

[Stone14]

Any decent pocket sized books to carry in pack, looking for foraging, trees, and animal trap snaring books, how to and identification. I have the Collins Gem sas survival pocket guide. Looking for others to earn from convenient to carry with me.

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[Stone14]

Other than the collins gems sas suvival guide, what other carry sized books are decent? Im looking for knots, foraging, trees, animal trap snare books etc.

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[knowledge=gain]

call from top of mind there is the

collins food for free

foraging pocket guide by wild food uk www.wildfooduk.com

 

[FerlasDave]

British book of birds lives in my gas mask bag. I tick them all off with the date and place as I see them.

 

[Woody girl]

Collins gem mushroom book.

 

[Wander]

Collins gem mushroom book.

I'd take it out of your bag if I were you, and put it in the bin.
There are some serious errors in the Collins Gem mushroom book that may lead you astray.
I'll be honest and say I can't recall what they are - I'm not a mushroom expert myself. But I recall some time ago that one of the mushroom experts on this very forum posted about this book with the errors it contained.
With any luck someone may be able to direct you to those errors, or the thread on this forum.
So I threw mine out. Better safe than sorry.

To be honest, for any simple ID guide book, I have equivalent apps loaded on my phone.

 

[Broch]

Mmm... I'm going to go against the grain here; you just can't carry everything - birds, fungi, plants, insects, trees, knots, trapping, cooking, foraging. On top of that, IMO, the pocket books are rarely good enough to identify some species (especially fungi) with any reasonable degree of certainty. I have difficulty with identification when I have access to my full library in many cases.

Instead, plan your trips to learn about specific things. Take a good book or books with you just on that subject. So in autumn, after a damp spell, go out specifically looking at fungi (ideally with an expert) and a few times of the year (spring, summer, autumn) go out looking at plants etc.

I haven't seen an intro post from you so I don't know how much experience you have, but I think you'll get a lot more out of your trips when they are focussed.

I've just seen Wander's post and I agree - some of those mini books are dreadful; even Food for Free has mistakes.

 

[nigelp]

Just to add to what @Broch said: I have found it more useful to take a camera/sketch pad, magnifying glass and make observation and notes about things and then check the reference books at home. I then make a note of the date, location, habitat, weather etc and the context I have found it in and go back if I need to. The process of being able to observations about the plant, tree or whatever and the habitat is very useful and a great skills for the amateur naturalist to have.

I also have some reference guides on my phone and the ‘Seek’ app if I want to know what a plant is there and then.

 

[Mesquite]

The pocket version of Food for Free is handy.

 

[nigelp]

Is this not a duplicate thread? Thread 'Pocket books to carry in pack'

 

[Broch]

Yep, I hope a mod. combines them

 

[FerlasDave]

Oh yes. The notebook is definitely something that comes in very handy. I personally am terrible at taking notes, particularly if someone is teaching something but for a quick scribble down of some info they’re great. Especially in the event of an emergency when grid references etc need to be recorded… Sorry, I digress.

 

[Robson Valley]

I have knowingly been stuck, killing time, on a number of occasions. I made up a kit of several 1-2 meter lengths of different diameter ropes and Des Pawson's KNOTS: The Complete Visual Guide.
Originally, I bought the book to relearn some fish-boat rope splicing knots. Then I found many others which were interesting to make. Whiling away the time brings on some on-lookers, too. I have the luxury of forgetting everything I did so the activity never wears thin.

A sketch book, pencils with lots of lead and wood carving projects needing some thought (easy to carry). Done that with greats success on long haul international flights. Add paints for outdoors.

 

[Swampy99]

Oxford handbook of expedition and wilderness medicine.

 

[ghostc]

Collins Gem sas survival pocket guide

I have that book and the SAS urban survival book too

 

[Stone14]

Is this not a duplicate thread? Thread 'Pocket books to carry in pack'

Yes I didnt think the first had posted

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[C_Claycomb]

Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making by Gibson​

Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making

other formats of ebook available.

Collins little gem series has tree and flower versions, not just Food for Free

Collins Gem Guides | NHBS Field Guides & Natural History

Excellent series of mini-pocket guides, ideal as introductions for children. Western European orientation.

www.nhbs.com

 

[Wayne]

Generally I don’t carry books into the woods. I’m a bit precious with my books. I have literally 100s of bushcraft and related tomes.
like Chris the most common books I’m likely to have in my pack will be activity specific.

id books are very commonly carried if I’m foraging or tracking.
the other books I’m likely to have with me will be carving books I’m always looking for inspiration and trying to learn new techniques.

My other passion is cooking which is why I’m fatter than ever. So it’s quite possible I’ll have half a dozen recipes books in the van. I photograph the pages I need for a particular dish.

Not in anyway a pocket book but certainly worth a mention is

Shaving Horses, Lap Shaves and Other Woodland Vices: A Book of Plans and Techniques for the Green Woodworker by Sean Hellman.

a really useful book.

I have several books on my kindle app on my phone. Although I forget I have them most of the time.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Agree with Wayne, I don't carry books most of the time. Do carry identification books when I am intending to actively learn about trees or plants, but don't usually have one with me just on the off-chance. If I want to go out and play at making traps, I am as likely to take some photo-copied sheets showing what I want to try making. Or I draw them myself in a note book, based on the books, which are then left safe at home

Carrying books as reference for real use doesn't sit well with me, I see them as something to carry for learning before you need the knowledge. The exception is PDFs that go on GoodReader on my phone, since I tend to have that anyway, and they take up no weight.

 

[Broch]

Can't you combine these two thread Chris? - the same stuff is being discussed twice but there are relevant variations in opinion.