(Part 2) Best safety & first aid books according to redditors
We found 540 Reddit comments discussing the best safety & first aid books. We ranked the 153 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Or this one, The SAS Survival Handbook, it’s a great little book to have. It shows you how to skin animals, build a shelter, make tools, which plants and fungi are safe to eat etc.
There’s even a section for a nuclear attack that tells you how to best avoid radioactive contamination and steps to take to stay alive. I highly recommend it.
If you move the decimal over. This is about 1,000 in books...
(If I had to pick a few for 100 bucks: encyclopedia of country living, survival medicine, wilderness medicine, ball preservation, art of fermentation, a few mushroom and foraging books.)
Medical:
Where there is no doctor
Where there is no dentist
Emergency War Surgery
The survival medicine handbook
Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine
Special Operations Medical Handbook
Food Production
Mini Farming
encyclopedia of country living
square foot gardening
Seed Saving
Storey’s Raising Rabbits
Meat Rabbits
Aquaponics Gardening: Step By Step
Storey’s Chicken Book
Storey Dairy Goat
Storey Meat Goat
Storey Ducks
Storey’s Bees
Beekeepers Bible
bio-integrated farm
soil and water engineering
Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation
Food Preservation and Cooking
Steve Rinella’s Large Game Processing
Steve Rinella’s Small Game
Ball Home Preservation
Charcuterie
Root Cellaring
Art of Natural Cheesemaking
Mastering Artesian Cheese Making
American Farmstead Cheesemaking
Joe Beef: Surviving Apocalypse
Wild Fermentation
Art of Fermentation
Nose to Tail
Artisan Sourdough
Designing Great Beers
The Joy of Home Distilling
Foraging
Southeast Foraging
Boletes
Mushrooms of Carolinas
Mushrooms of Southeastern United States
Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast
Tech
farm and workshop Welding
ultimate guide: plumbing
ultimate guide: wiring
ultimate guide: home repair
off grid solar
Woodworking
Timberframe Construction
Basic Lathework
How to Run A Lathe
Backyard Foundry
Sand Casting
Practical Casting
The Complete Metalsmith
Gears and Cutting Gears
Hardening Tempering and Heat Treatment
Machinery’s Handbook
How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic
Electronics For Inventors
Basic Science
Chemistry
Organic Chem
Understanding Basic Chemistry Through Problem Solving
Ham Radio
AARL Antenna Book
General Class Manual
Tech Class Manual
MISC
Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft
Contact!
Nuclear War Survival Skills
The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a cataclysm
I work as an EMT and in SAR. I have a background in ski patrol and a lot of time outside so I'll chime in.
It depends to where, what, and when you're going to me. Depending on those I will build my first aid kit on injury patterns of what to expect. The first aid kit I carry for a day hike in the summer is different than the one I'll carry on a day of ice climbing in the winter. The best thing about wilderness medicine is the improvisation of gear and skills. There is a lot of medical gear that is completely useless in the back country and a lot of wasted weight. I'll list the basics I build my kit off of and talk about some of bulky gear that could be left at home. Again this list will depend on the day.
Always have-
Bandaids, steri strips, alcohol swabs, gloves, gorilla tap, high quality medical tape, cling (a roll of gauze), triangle bandage, medium sized tensor bandage, tweezers, space blanket, soap, clean ziplock bag, empty irrigation 10ml syringe, water purification tablets, Ibuprofen (advil), acetaminophen (tylenol), Epinephrine, Diphenhydramine (benadryl), Dimenhydrinate (gravol), potassium, and unpasteurized honey (in my cooking kit, for tea and low blood sugar). I also always have my Spot Beacon if I need help.
Sometimes have -
Tourniquet/compression bandage (for shooting/hunting), extra tensor bandages/triangles (biking), or stronger pain control (long backpacking trips).
Not to be rude to the other commenters- but I think SAM splits, trauma shears, excessive bleeding control, and CPR masks are a waste of space. Splits can be improved with branches, bags, and clothing. Shears are replaced by knives, clothing can be used for bleeding control, and CPR in the back country unfortunately doesn't have a great outcome. EDIT - CPR should still be attempted in the backcountry. If you don't have a mask or barrier device, then compression only CPR is still effective. CPR doesn't save lives, defibrillators do. 2nd EDIT - CPR may save you, your partner, or a strangers life. If you need to give CPR chances are that its a member in your party and mouth to mouth is a viable option; if not than you can use a glove with a hole as a basic barrier device.
The biggest thing is that you research and take a course on some sort of first aid. For books I highly recommend these two-
https://www.amazon.ca/Wilderness-Medicine-Beyond-First-Aid/dp/0762780703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458836008&sr=1-1&keywords=9780762780709
https://www.amazon.ca/Medicine-Mountaineering-Other-Wilderness-Activities-ebook/dp/B004GNGCWC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458836014&sr=1-1&keywords=9781594853937
There's a lot you should know while out there. But the big things I would recommend that you know are know to assess someone, treat basic wounds, split, head injury recognition, what the drugs you are carrying do, and when you know you need help.
The mental martial art you need is deescalation. E.g. if someone says "hey, what are you looking at" the answer is "oh, sorry man, I was spacing out." If instead you "stand up for yourself" then you end up in a dominance competition which could well become a fight. Prison guard Rory Miller writes about this in his books, e.g. Facing Violence.
If deescalation doesn't work, you might need physical martial arts. Jujitsu is probably the most practical for teaching kids. It's relatively fast to learn useful basics, skilled people can defeat less-skilled larger opponents, and you can generally subdue the person without serious injury.
100 Deadly Skills
"Where There Is No Doctor" has some useful information in it, but keep in mind that it was written to introduce very basic information about health and hygiene to people who were clueless about the subjects. For this reason do not buy this book and call it a day for your medical library. Also add a much more thorough book like Medicine For The Outdoors by Paul S. Aurbach M.D., Wilderness Medicine by Wm. Forgey, M.D., or Wilderness & Travel Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide by Eric A. Weiss, M.D.
Whereas most medical and first aid books for laypersons are written with a "do your best to stabilize and then get the patient to a real doctor" perspective, these books are intended for people isolated in the wilderness, and therefore the instructions are much more likely to be of service in a true survival situation.
Is there a more recent edition of this book edited by Dr. James A. Wilkerson? ... wanted to confirm that this is the same book.
... Amazon link
I took a few and they where so basic I learned more asking questions on the different sections right here on Reddit. If you want to learn wilderness survival read this book
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Survival-Skills-Larry-Olsen/dp/1556523238/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
For first Aid:
https://www.amazon.com/Outward-Bound-Wilderness-First-Aid-Handbook/dp/1558211063/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497471617&sr=1-1
For food:
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Edible-Wild-Plants/dp/039592622X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497471471&sr=1-1For shelter etc
Etc..
https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-101-Field-Wilderness-Survival-ebook/dp/B00MIMHPII/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
Take these out in the woods and practice what they show. Before you know it you will be able to build a shelter and start a fire in no time.
Here's the American Amazon.com link.
For the "yes" side:
Chernobyl: The End of the Nuclear Dream
The Legacy of Chernobyl
The Truth About Chernobyl
Ablaze: The Story of the Heroes and Victims of Chernobyl
Chernobyl: The Forbidden Truth
Voices from Chernobyl
Chernobyl Record: The Definitive History of the Chernobyl Catastrophe
Chernobyl: Confessions of a Reporter
Producing Power: The Pre-Chernobyl History of the Soviet Nuclear Industry
Chernobyl 01:23:40
I'd be interested in any reputable publications for "the other side".
This is a pretty good one for edible wild plants in North America. This is a good one for general survival that includes trapping and fishing, and this is also a good one for general survival, but knowing Dave, I'm sure there's very detailed instructions for traps. If you want some video of traps and trap making, or just general survival, go to his youtube page. The Ray Mears book has instructions for processing animals, and I'm sure Daves book will too.
Check out Storm Tactics.
See also Lin and Larry Pardey Storm Tactics
Looks like you've got a good set up.
A few suggestions:
-At least one quick clot bandage (you never know when someone might get stabbed or shot. Unless you're doing the stabbing and shooting...)
-Hatchets are awesome, but it's a bitch to have to use only that to cut up wood all the time. A small loper/folding saw is a lot quicker and a takes a lot less energy to use (especially after hiking all day). Those little 'emergency' wire saws break pretty quickly and are best left as a last resort.
-http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Travel-Medicine-Eric-Weiss/dp/1594856583/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370008971&sr=1-1&keywords=wilderness+and+travel+medicine Awesome little pocket sized first aid book, if you aren't super familiar with forest-first aid (and even if you are).
-A map (not sure how familiar you guys are with where you are going, so this may or may not be relevant).
Good luck, and don't die :)
Get her this book The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry
Written by a great female instructor and from the point of view of a woman talking to women.
This. You might purchase a decent off-the-shelf kit and then augment it with more/better items such as pain relievers, anti diarrheal, benadryl or similar. Pads and rolled gauze (these things are VERY useful in a kit).
You might consider a good first aid book and even things like scalpels, hemostats and sutures. Quick Clot and even a tourniquet to stop blood loss.
I keep a bottle of water in my kits as well, you will likely need some water to clean wounds, etc.
Of all the things in my kit I tend to use band aids, ACE bandages, cold compresses and meds the most.
I have a book on traditional training and equipment Hojo Undo or something along those lines. Ill try and find it
Edit..
Sorry Couldnt find it. Here the amazon link for it. Maybe you could find a pdf or order it. A good read.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Hojo-Undo-Traditional/dp/159439136X
Amazon UK
For the record, just doing a search for the authors name on the Amazon site for your country is usually enough to find the book
Assimil got me to the place it gets most people: A pretty decent A2, or enough to carry on a conversation with pantomime, or to read an easy native book with plenty of guessing. I've seen a few people mix Assimil with native media, and some of them have made it closer to B1 by the end of the course. But as somebody who used Assimil NFWE and later passed a DELF B2 exam, I can say with confidence that NFWE won't get you anywhere near a solid B2 on its own.
As for Spanish, I've been "studying" it for well under 10 hours. :-) I saw nice results using subs2srs with Y Tu Mamá También, and I'm now having a total blast with the Latin American dub of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Subs2srs seems to allow me stretch about 3 or 4 CEFR levels above my "natural" listening abilities before it gets frustrating.
I've also picked up copies of Matando Cabos and Pan's Labyrith (both of which have accurate subs), and I've ordered a copy of the graphic novel Blacksad, which is basically my favorite film noir parody ever. Happily, thanks to my prior experience with French and Anki, it looks like I can just skip the courses entirely and dive straight into native materials. My only grammar reference so far is a laminated 4-page cheat sheet, and that seems to be enough. It definitely feels a little weird to be make it up as I go along, though!
I agree, limiting yourself to an IFAK is definitely not a good idea. Having them as part of a more comprehensive "family kit" would be best. Some of the wounds described can be obtained from more scenarios than just combat. For medical care when there is no trauma center/ER to go to, this book has a lot of great info.
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Survival-Skills-Larry-Olsen/dp/1556523238
The book is from 1967. Covers Utah to a tee.
I'm not sure if it's worth tracking down a later edition. Mine is the 4th edition (1973) but reading the amazon ToC it looks like several pages of content may have been added.
Camping and Wilderness Survival by Paul Tawrell is exactly what youre looking for! Not focused entirely on edible plants but there is a section on that and wilderness first aid!
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Wilderness-Survival-Paul-Tawrell/dp/1896713009
If anyone is interested in a fairly detailed account of the disaster, read "Ablaze" by Piers Paul Read. First third is about the accident, second third is about the cleanup and the final third is about the political fallout.
http://www.amazon.com/Ablaze-Story-Heroes-Victims-Chernobyl/dp/0679408193
Michael Clarke Sensei's book on hojo undo is the best material I know of: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Hojo-Undo-Traditional/dp/159439136X
You may want to check this out:
The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cornered-Cat-Womans-Concealed/dp/0982248792
You should check out:
Cody Lundin 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
Dave Canterbury Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Surviva
Mors kochanski Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
Lofty Wiseman SAS Survival Handbook: The Definitive Survival Guide
George Washington Sears Woodcraft
Horace Kephart The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those who Travel in the Wilderness
Warren H. Miller The Sportsman's Workshop
I also compelled a list of youtube channels that are worth checking out for another thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bushcraft/comments/40e53a/field_dressing_game_rabbit_for_meat_fur/cytpjd5
And lastly the common sense answer go out and enjoy the wilderness.
I tried to find mine, but settled for searching for the title. I was surprised such a generic title as "Camping & Survival Guide" could bring it up. It was this one. I see he came out with another book, but the one we had had the cover you see at the Amazon link.
Should be around 30 cents per round for range and caching/stacking/bulk uses. 77gr open tip match rounds are in the 60-80 range. Premium home defense rounds like Hornady TAP or Fusion MSR, 80-120. Anything above that is unjustified in my opinion. Personally I would have 6 pmags of the premium ammo loaded and ready for home defense needs (after shooting a mag or two to make sure it cycles in your gun) and then as much bulk ammo as I can afford.
Avoid reloaded / remanufactured ammunition if possible. Risk of too little or too much powder or the wrong kind of powder, causing squibs (round stuck in barrel, which causes explosion if another round is fired through that) and other potential issues.
Steel case, some ARs like it better than others. Lacquer coated steel will cause buildup in your chamber and that can lead to stuck cases. Will require more frequent cleaning, every 250-500 rounds max. Polymer coated may perform better. There's nickel coated steel too but then price starts approaching brass case.
Wolf Gold is the cheapest that is military/shtf/defense reliable. Out of a 16" barrel it chronos around 3040 feet per second. Honestly you can't beat it for the price. PMC Bronze comes in second, but chronos at 2780 fps, which is good in the sense of causing less pitting on steel range targets, but I'd prefer Wolf Gold for backup defense bulk ammo.
Final tips: for weapons lube I found Slip 2000 EWL to be the best all around. Zero odor, doesn't evaporate or boil off, doesn't gum up in storage, and claims to be non-toxic. Also if you fire your rifle at an indoor range, definitely double up with plugs + muffs. And if you ever get into more serious prepping or defense, check out the book Contact! A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival as it's really eye opening.
SAS Survival Guide
https://smile.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/
ACEP First Aid Manual
https://smile.amazon.com/ACEP-First-Aid-Manual-5th/dp/1465419500/
Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide, because super cheap digitally
https://smile.amazon.com/Preppers-Long-Term-Survival-Guide-Grid-ebook/dp/B00I2G2X9K/
https://www.amazon.com/Ablaze-Story-Heroes-Victims-Chernobyl/dp/0679408193/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=ablaze+piers+paul+read&qid=1558679054&s=gateway&sprefix=ablaze+pie&sr=8-1
This is "Ablaze" by Piers Paul Read. I'm not much of a reader, and this has a lot of political background surrounding the accident. But the series seems to be following this account pretty well so far.
Jeff Cooper really had a good chapter on this.
https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Personal-Defense-Jeff-Cooper/dp/1581604955/ref=sr_1_7?crid=SI4HDDW3FPNL&keywords=principles+of+self+defense&qid=1558507695&s=gateway&sprefix=principles+of+self%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-7
Nice intro for the annual "all martial artists and absolutely all YUDANSHA have to read this book" post. There is stuff on the web but this text is the standard.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182WEMGA/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I ask because...
> The point I'm making is that people exerting their right to defend yourself often just makes the situation worse for everyone involved.
Whether enlisted or commissioned (I’ve been both), the occasional AF qualification range has never been enough to prepare anyone to actually use those firearms. I was wondering if you’d taken any actual defensive or CCW training. You didn’t seem to understand that using a firearm to defend yourself, no matter what flavor of CCW or defensive firearm course (or even military branch) you’re coming from, is always considered a last resort means of defense against threat of imminent death or great bodily harm. Things don’t get much worse than that. If you prefer death over exerting the right to defend yourself because you wouldn’t want to “make the situation worse for everyone involved”, then that really sums up our disagreement. In the context of this video, my comments were contingent on the scenario of the driver posturing in a way that would suggest he’s preparing for a second and potentially deadly charge at the rider after he’d already been hit once - a scenario which unmistakably presents potential for imminent death or great bodily harm.
So no, I still don’t believe that you do understand me, and I certainly don’t understand why you’ve come to the conclusions that you did. But that’s okay.
Perhaps consider this standard book about self defense mentality. It’s very short, inexpensive, and valuable perspective on this topic.
If it's as bad as you describe consider not wearing headphones and being more situation-ally aware. Have you read about the OODA Loop? (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) It's different in the US, where I live, since it's often less thuggary than you describe and I often carry a concealed firearm. Regardless if armed or not, the OODA and being situationally aware is important to de-escalating and even avoiding the conflict you describe. This is one of the first books i got years ago about Condition states and being aware of my surroundings: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581604955 even without a firearm, it's solid base wisdom.
You are correct to note that many of these cretins have less to lose than you do, so they will have less compunction to escalating, this furthers your need for diligence.
Do consider, if it goes to blows, unless you are a very proficient boxer, don't square off and box as all it takes is one punch to ruin your day/life from a more skilled or lucky opponent. I'm not going to couch rambo and tell you what to do, there's plenty online on that, just don't do the movie-thing, that's all I'll suggest.
You might want to check it out anyway. It is about urban survival rather than wilderness survival. It covers stuff like dealing with violence in the city, natural disasters, terrorism, defensive driving, medical emergencies etc.
Edit
It's this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAS-Personal-Survival-Handbook/dp/0006532381
(Not this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Definitive-Guide/dp/0007595867 )
Looks like there's a more up to date version too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAS-Urban-Survival-Handbook-survival/dp/0002558033
Alternatively, this website:
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/ebooks/
There's this book for you, and this book for me!
At least, I think you'd like it. If not, sorry Momma, it was my best guess off of my wishlists :(
Those look like nice books. I got the Bushcraft book by Kochanski but the others I haven't seen. Thanks.
Here are some from my shelf, mostly geared towards Europe and the UK:
Practical bunkai is pretty much not taught by the Japanese instructors who came from the JKA. I was with the ISKF for over 20 years. Bunkai was only ever used for demonstrations at tournaments, and then it was only the pre-arranged multiple attackers doing karate techniques thing.
That's not to say that practical bunkai oyo is entirely absent from their group. I'm sure there are some high-level critical thinkers among their ranks. The author JD Swanson is a member of the ISKF.
Not necessarily a dedicated resource for trapping but a useful resource all the way around: Outdoor Survival Skills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556523238/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CGhYzbFCJBZ7W
homesteadingtoday.com
https://www.motherearthnews.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Contact-Tactical-Manual-Collapse-Survival/dp/1478106697/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19WU937FSLSJS&keywords=contact+max+velocity&qid=1574462589&sprefix=contact+max+vel%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1
Learn primitive skills too.
If you can survive 4 months, as in the winter months, without a garden you're going to outlive 95% of society. The rest will starve to death or eat each other.
btw.. 4 of these will get you through those months:
https://www.amazon.com/Augason-Farms-5-20091-Emergency-Servings/dp/B071KPGLBK/ref=asc_df_B071KPGLBK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198081946947&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6776785580796186465&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023777&hvtargid=pla-349913103528&psc=1
I think front stance should be 1 wide and 1.5 deep, both knees bent, with the legs pressuring into the floor, the pelvis slightly forward and up, and the abs and shoulders pressuring down. That way, you are rooted, and have the freedom to rotate your hips to generate power in your hand techniques. A book that help describe this is Karate Science: Dynamic Movement.
I think kata is a collection of techniques that can be used in fighting. Look at this technique in bassai dai. I think that is raising your opponent's arms against a punch or grab and executing a double leg takedown. Any motion in a karate can be analyzed to find some interpretation. No guarantees on effectiveness.
One issue I have with kata is why the techniques are hidden instead of simply being taught as techniques. For example, the bassai dai takedown above isn't immediately apparent. Kata may be a method to transmit techniques before video, maybe its a relic from an older time. Why should we practice kata if I can improve more from practicing fighting with another person?
Another issue I have with kata is when aesthetic is prioritized over application. When you change things, like making the stances super deep to look nice, you lose application, like rotating your hips for power. If we're practicing fighting, I'd rather focus on effectiveness rather than looking pretty.
I get comments about this one.
I've got it, it's dense but good ... but it's a whole book. I want a quick-study guide, like this.
Recommended reading
Sodium hypochlorite...?
"Sodium Hypochlorite (eg. Dakin's Solution) - is cytotoxic to healthy tissue and "should never be used in a clean wound". It is only of use as a chemical debriding agent and should be stopped as soon as the necrotic tissue is removed."
http://www.lhsc.on.ca/Health_Professionals/Wound_Care/discuss/infect.htm
Weiss still advises 10ml of 10% iodine to 500ml of water for purifying water for irrigation (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1594856583/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb).
Is there a definitive study on this question?
I dunno, read this book maybe?
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Survival-Medicine-Handbook-guide-ebook/dp/B00HQNCGM4
I've carried his book in my bag[s] for years now. A great thing to kill a couple of minutes here or there flicking through, and you know it's my favourite book to travel with.