Best survival books according to redditors
We found 124 Reddit comments discussing the best survival books. We ranked the 43 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 124 Reddit comments discussing the best survival books. We ranked the 43 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Hopefully he's not camping at a campground and you're freaking out about it.
If he's actually going into the wilderness, here you go: https://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Alive-Woods-Self-Preservation-ebook/dp/B007N4WLE4
It sounds like you did everything right.
The only other suggestion would be to block the door, but that would be really difficult in a bathroom. Not much movable furniture.
Chris Bird's book Surviving an Active Killer Rampage makes the distinction between protectors and hunters in the context of school shootings. He suggests (along with the pros that are actually training teachers to carry in the classroom) that most teachers act as protectors, that is, armed members bunkering down in the classroom. Hunters would be those who don't have a responsibility to a set class of students. They would be the RO's or the maintenance guy. They're the ones that are supposed to move towards the sound of gunfire.
I think most people should be the protectors if they are ever in this situation.
I'm really glad you are ok.
Hey guys! My name is Wes and I just wrote the Kaiju Survival Guide, your one stop reference for what to do in the event of a Kaiju attack. I have always loved anything related to giant monsters and this project was a labor of love in a lot of ways. Feel free to ask me any questions here, follow me on Twitter at MechaWes, and I hope you guys enjoy the book.
-Wes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07CZC97BT/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_b07czc97bt
The Kaiju Survival Guide is your only option when it comes to preparing for a giant monster attack. Developed by members of the Kaiju Research and Survival Department (KRSD), this illustrated guide is the number one Kaiju resource in the world. Inside you will find all there is to know about these behemoths, including:
• Origins, biology, abilities, and most importantly weaknesses
• The classification system used by scientists to identify the most dangerous Kaiju
• Military support; such as firepower, vehicles, and even giant robots
• Proven survivalist tactics to use when they attack
• Living off the land, how to survive in a Kaiju filled world when all else fails
This text also features first-hand accounts from survivors of almost every recorded attack since the 1930s. Hear their stories and learn from their experiences, so that you and your loved ones survive the Kaiju menace!
pick up this book.https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Blueprint-Step-Step-Disaster/dp/1496092589
As far as edible plants goes, I've enjoyed this one. It covers all of North America, which I find to be a plus.
This one is a general survival handbook that I've enjoyed quite a bit, although it is physically a much larger book than the military field guides are. What it lacks in portability it more than makes up for in scope. The illustrations are VERY well done, and it is streamlined to be easily absorbed in case you need to use the information.
Any particular reason you want to avoid equities and bonds over a "very long investment timeline", unless you think society is going to irreversibly collapse between now and retirement?
Avoiding those two assets means you want to essentially avoid capitalism - as they are the bedrock of capital allocation (and how it gets around the world).
If you believe that to be the case, I would recommend:
Or perhaps I have misinterpreted your post and you feel equities and bonds are not risky enough for your taste, and you want uncorrelated returns to broader developed equity and credit markets.
In which case:
If, in reality, it is between those two extremes, then I would simply recommend you read Tim Hale's Smarter Investing, as well as some other sidebar reading material.
*Tl;Dr. BUY CHEAP AT FIRST!! Any Morakniv and the Gator Combo hatchet/saw will get you started with shelter building, firewood processing, and campcraft projects. Total is about $50 USD. I hate pruning saws in general, but if you must have one then the Corona is slightly cheaper than the Bahco, performs the same or better, and has more size options. If budget isn't an issue silky makes professional grade saws, but consider just getting a buck saw blade and making a frame yourself.**
 
I've collected an assortment of knives/axes/saws for trips into the woods and since there is usually 3 or 4 post per week asking about knife purchases, I thought I would share some of my experiences I have with budget/mid range cutting tools for Bushcraft.
 
Pictured:
 
Thoughts:
Tools are a personal thing and I expect to hear about it in the comments on where others are coming from. r/bushcraft is largely an echo chamber for mora knives and for good reason. They are inexpensive, high quality, and well designed for the jobs you are likely wanting to do with a knife. Mors Kochanski goes in depth on this subject in his book Bushcraft; it's a must read for anyone starting out.
It doesn't deal with the question of corporal punishment but this is a really interesting book about how the brain works and it is written in very easy to understand terms and language.
http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Rules-Updated-Expanded-Principles/dp/098326337X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants an ELI15 (yes 15, not 5) version of how the brain works and how this can help you as a student, businessman, or just as a person.
Fierce_Fox is right. FM manuals such as FM-217-76 Survival.....may be somewhat outdated but the information is reliable.
As a Medic/EMT my prepping focuses on my skill set with everything else falling close in line. I have a lot of information in digital format; both on USB and a small external drive. I have a small tablet that is in my BoB for reading documents and such.
At a minimum, here are my suggestions:
FM 21-76 Survival - Department of the Army
https://archive.org/details/military-manuals
SAS Survival Guide - https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496552&sr=8-1&keywords=sas+survival+guide
The Pocket Prepper's Guide - Bernie Car
https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Pocket-Guide-Things-Disaster/dp/1569759294/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496827&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Pocket+Prepper%27s+Guide+-+Bernie+Car
The Complete Disaster Home Preparation Guide - Robert Roskind
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Disaster-Home-Preparation-Guide/dp/0130859001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496881&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Complete+Disaster+Home+Preparation+Guide+-+Robert+Roskind
How To Survive the End of the World As We Know It-James Wesley,Rawles
https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-End-World-Know/dp/0452295831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496952&sr=8-1&keywords=How+To+Survive+the+End+of+the+World+As+We+Know+It-James+Wesley%2CRawles
Bug Out - Scott B. Williams
https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Out-Complete-Escaping-Catastrophic/dp/156975781X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496991&sr=8-1&keywords=Bug+Out+-+Scott+B.+Williams
When There Is No Doctor - Gerard S. Doyle, MD -
https://www.amazon.com/When-There-Doctor-Challenging-Self-reliance/dp/1934170119/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497054&sr=8-2&keywords=When+There+Is+No+Doctor
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide - Joseph Alton, MD & Amy Alton, ARNP - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Medicine-Guide-Preparedness/dp/1629147702/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497109&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Ultimate+Survival+Medicine+Guide+-+Joseph+Alton%2C+MD+%26+Amy+Alton%2C+ARNP
Last, but not least, The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497158&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Zombie+Survival+Guide+-+Max+Brooks
The last one is more humor but it does have many great points and ideas.
A library that covered everything would be very heavy and take up a bit of space. For the minimum, at least 1-2 books on everything one will need to survive will still be a lot. These books should be read, reread, and read again. We can't memorize everything, but having this to go back on when needed is a great addition. There's tons of information online and downloadable for free.
Depending on one's skill set, then they may not need as much. Teach others in a group is a must. Can't have one person be the ONLY one who can do 'this' skill. IMO, research should always be the first step. So much information out there and it's free.
Here's a few of mine that I really like. I have way more than these, but I'm not sure I'd recommend all of them, per se. Anyhow, should give you some ideas.
Security - Talks about small unit tactics with small arms and so forth.
Butchering and cooking wild game - If you hope to hunt for food, you gotta know what to do with it after shooting it.
SAS Survival Guide - Really tiny dimensions that make this easy to toss in my BOB.
Composting - If you plan to garden, you're gonna need to compost. I also have various gardening books such as container gardening, organic gardening, gardening according to the Mormons, etc. The Mormons have a lot of great homesteading-oriented books. Here's one called The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers
Bushcraft - Never hurts to learn some knots and be able to make simple things out of natural materials.
Organization and Planning - I'm reading this one now. Touches on a lot of areas of things to think about that you gotta plan for. A good amount of stuff I hadn't really thought about before.
I agree with the comments about fire. Here are a few other thoughts.
Don’t go crazy getting expensive kit. When starting out, a $20 dollar Mora teaches you just as much as a more expensive blade. Same for your pack, axe, and pot.
Buy a few good books. I like Bush Craft by Mors but there are a lot of good ones out there. Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival https://www.amazon.com/dp/1772130079/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g0RKDb263G68Z
Experience is the best teacher. Once you’ve read a chapter, pick a skill and head bush to practice.
Learn about plants. In my view it’s 80% of bushcraft. An aboriginal in a new environment would want to know about edible and medicinal plants. Mammals, fish, insects, and reptiles are ubiquitous.
After a bit, you’ll see the more you know the sorter your knife is and you don’t carry as much in your pack. 😊
To add to what Ryan said, there are also a bunch of good books on the subject, most of which can be found for free.
John 'Lofty' Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook is extremely comprehensive (around 600 pages) and very information-dense.
The US Army Survival Manual is also pretty good, but it's not as comprehensive or detailed as Wiseman's book.
Although it's more of a bushcraft book, Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft is extremely well done. His descriptions are easy to read, but fairly comprehensive, and are paired with detailed sketches and pictures.
Mainly, just go out and practice. You're already a capable outdoorsman, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. If you wanna take courses, just search around for courses near where you are, or maybe look at something like NOLS. Hope that's helpful.
Read the SAS survival guide:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0002727749/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8
Also read everything ever written by Tom Brown. Start here:
https://www.amazon.com/Browns-Field-Guide-Wilderness-Survival/dp/0425105725?keywords=Tom+Brown&qid=1537046599&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1
Practice all the skills therein.
Then determine what equipment and tools you need after reading the books and practicing the skills.
A lot of the answers to your questions are going to depend largely on the laws in Germany, as to how you apply your training. People in the US dont know much about Germany, and might give you poor advice.
Obviously, I dont recommend you get caught with a zip gun. Or any unregistered gun in Germany... but lets be honest, procuring a gun surrepticiously in Europe isnt that difficult. Just don't tell anyone on reddit if you drive to Bulgaria and buy whatever you want. J/s
The comments are split into two camps: the "get out and do it" bunch, and those actually listing books. While of course there's no replacement for practice and experience, it isn't always possible to get outdoors the practice, and reading is a good way to correct your perceptions, learn new tricks, or find new ideas and inspirations.
The internet is a great place to start. There are a ton of excellent websites and forums in a variety of topics, and of course the inevitable YouTube channels, although I'm not so much a fan of videos. Be careful about online advice though; try and check reputations first, and validate things they are saying against your own experience (and, often, against common sense). That's the bad side of a place where anybody can say anything - lots of bad advice, and conflicting opinions.
Here's my book list though:
I also have a bunch of guidebooks on recognising trees, wild flowers, insects, birds, and so on, which are always useful skills to have. As with Gatty's book, watching the world around you and understanding the patterns of weather, animals, birds, and insects will give you lots of valuable clues about what's happening and how to predict changes in the environment. Trust the birds and the insects; they've been doing it a lot longer than you have!
>-Are there any areas in Wisconsin I could do this? Or would I have to ask someone owning private land?
No idea.
>
-I have a hatchet, folding saw, 4 inch fixed blade, lighter, and I'm going to get a pot/pan, a small tarp, some twine, and a billy can before I do anything. Is there anything else essential I should get?
Those are the essentials. Actually, those are more than the essentials. What you really need right now is experience.
>-Would it be beneficial to take a buddy as well as telling others that I'm going to be gone?
Bushcrafting is always more enjoyable with a friend. But always tell someone back at home where you're going and what your exit plan is.
>-Should I go out and build the shelter/camp bit by bit before attempting overnighters, or just go at it all at once?
This is really the question I wanted to answer for you, so strap in. It could be a bumpy ride.
You're diving in too hard, I think. You sound a bit inexperienced with outdoorsman activities. Not a problem! But it becomes one when you start getting too ambitious. Running out into the woods to build a shelter and camp/bushcraft without properly preparing yourself is a recipe for spending a cold, miserable night alone in the woods in the absolute best-worst case.
Start small, day hikes maybe. Once you have a billy can you will have all the gear you need to hike out for lunch, and hike back for the night. No worries about setting up for the night. No worries about too much/little gear. No worries about shelter, enough firewood, building, blah blah blah. Keep it simple. You need to acclimate yourself to both your abilities and your surroundings. Learn what you are capable of, how you think, and what you need to learn about your environment. You can watch all the youtube videos you want, read as many books as possible, and own the world's best field guide... But none of that matters until you start logging dirt time. Youtubers find ideal situations and do multiple takes to get it right for their demos, books have a way of simplifying scenarios, and flora never quite looks like it does in the books. Learn what resources you can and can't identify. Learn what resources are abundant, and those that are not once you know waht they are.
Get a tarp or a tent, and go do an overnight. There are tons of ways to go about doing this. Sleeping bag? Blankets? Pack extra clothes? Worry not about bulk, miles logged, or even wonderful scenery. Any of these things would be a bonus, but not the goal of the trip. You need to spend your first night in your woodlands of choice with some extra preparations, because you don't know what you're up against. You see some youtubers going out into unknown woods spending nights, weekends, even weeks alone out there. They are far beyond where you are right now. They have the experience of countless dirt time in other forests, some similar and some not. They are comfortable with their skills and are confident they can respond to whatever situation is thrown at them. Can you say the same? Until you can, you shouldn't be running out into the bush planning to spend a weekend, or even just a night.
Now, you're ready for a real bushcraft weekend. To build ahead of time, or to not? This is up to you. But since I am advising you to go out into your chosen forest several times before sleeping in a crafted shelter, I would suggest you spend some of your days during these precursor trips practicing some of those crafting skills you want to to utilize. Build, at least, most of your shelter ahead of time. Youtubers have a way of making it look like it takes no time at all to build a decent shelter. You don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere when reality hits you that it isn't as easy as you saw. The secret to success in bushcrafting, like so many other life skills, is preparation. Then preparing some more. And then preparing even more.
You'll know when it's time to challenge yourself and to have a go at building/sleeping in your shelter all at once. You'll start itching for it. You'll want to prove to yourself that you can do it.
>-Are there any other things I should be aware of?
There are so many things. So, so many other things. In fact, there are so many other things for you to be aware of, I could write a book on it. But I won't! People already have! Because I'm partial to the Bushcraft Godfather himself, I'll recommend this one. But there are many, many more.
>E.G. Making sure the fire pit isn't in an area where it will ignite roots or start a first fire.
Yes. That. Also, whenever you're not sure, line your fire pit with rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. On the ground, around your fire pit. Then around you. Build up a giant pit of rocks surrounding you, so that you are unable to climb out and start a fire. That's the best way to avoid starting forest fires.
^^^^Not ^^^^actual ^^^^advice
Here's some more ideas:
There's a lot more but that's all I can think of atm.
Take a look at these books. Ive been working on them and find them very informational.
Book 1
Book 2
The Tom Brown books are amazing.
Bushcraft, by Mors Kochanski
https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1772130079
SAS Survival Guide, by John 'Lofty' Wiseman
https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/ref
The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First Aid https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507206690/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CBBDCb82VCVX7
> The Game - Neil Straus
Not sure if you know this but Neil Straus did another AMA a few months back in wake of his new book. And you can search the internet for more recent interviews with him. The guy has changed a lot and even said he was kinda embarrassed about that part of his life (but in a good way because it showed he was growing)
Anyway, my current recommendation is One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. It’s about taking small, consistent actions towards life changes you want to make.
I’m currently reading Brain Rules which explains current research findings on the brain and how we can use these findings for our benefit. It is a very easy read.
(In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m currently on a brain & neuroscience binge)
One book I always seem to go back to is Be Excellent at Anything. OK, the title may sound click-baity but the essential argument is that instead of managing time we need to be managing our energy. The book introduces a model of 4 categories of energy (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) and pulls from scientific research to discuss ways to improve our energy in each category. Having more energy equates to better performance (i.e. “becoming excellent”).
Honourable mention: The Power of Habit. I only read the first one-third of the book because that’s the part that explains the science behind habit formation. The rest of the book is dedicated to showing how it happens in an organization and society. In fact, if all you want is that first third then go to the resources on the book’s official website and go through everything there (especially the flowchart PDFs).
Hey Friend! So glad you're joining the ranks of the millions of natural space users. As a professional in the outdoor industry, my first recommendation is to check out NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) line of books. They have all kinds of fantastic information to answer any questions you may have.
I'd highly recommend the "National Outdoor Leaderships School Wilderness Guide" book. While incredibly informative, factual and vast in size of information, it covers all the basics and is a fantastic tool for all outdoorsmen regardless of level of expertise! I will include the link below for you for amazon, but you can find it at Walmart as well.
If you ever need any advice or looking to chat, holler and I'd be happy to help!
Remember leave no trace and happy trails! Best of luck!
Wilderness Guide: https://www.amazon.com/National-Outdoor-Leadership-Schools-Wilderness/dp/0684859092
A variety of NOLS books that may interest you: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s/134-6116410-0434038?k=nols+books
He's a bit of a hippy, but I like Tom Brown's field guides. Similar to other recommendations, foraging is a topic not covered well in general knowledge books. You need something specific to your given area or at least region.
You're very welcome, I'm certainly not as far along my own continuum as I would like to be but I found it to be the best way for me to make sure my efforts were realistic, risk-based, and incremental.
If you're comfortable with "today" and plan on hunkering in, I would suggest ensuring you cover the must-haves at home (e.g. food, water, shelter, communications, etc.) for at least 72 hours and means to reliably get there. I would accomplish this by maintaining your vehicles and ensuring they have Get Home Bags - GHBs can be something kept in vehicles for each person to compliment your normal EDC.
For my area these are normally 24 hours of gear and pretty light because there are very few reasons (environmentally) we would have to abandon our homes. Your area may be different and the risk is higher, requiring you to immediately leave the area and require something larger like a 72 hour bag because of hurricanes, frequent flooding, forest fires, etc.
EDIT Creek Stewart actually put out a very rational, well thought out book on designing various disaster bags that are right for you. I would recommend it. He summarized the GHB concept in a guest post on Art of Manliness.
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Manual-3-05-70-Survival-Guide/dp/1537069969
I have hundreds of books, all on an overly expensive device I bought to have when I am on the motorcycle and camping. I wanted a waterproof one that would be fine if it got damp. Kindle Oasis (9th Generation) 32GB Wifi w/ Cellular - much better overall for reading than my phone or iPad. Overspent on a simple device, but it has been wonderful.
There are two books I keep reading over and over.
I have also a bunch of Survival and Bushcrafting books and reference material. A lot I pulled from the Pathfinder School's FB page in their files list. If you are looking for something to cover a lot of topics, this one is a great collection: The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First Aid, Dave Canterbury & Jason A Hunt
And while I have listed the 2 books above, I have a ton of one of my favorite genres right now (it's a phase, I know) but I love reading Zombie stories in the woods!
As for keeping the Kindle charged up, that is easy. I pretty much leave it on Airplane mode unless I am getting a book pushed to it. It uses very little power if the screen backlighting is turned off. If it's low, I have a small solar charger I can use to charge it. I got the charger for my portable battery pack - 26000 mAH, charges in about 6 hours from 0 from the solar. OR, I take a few hours ride on the bike (go ahead, twist my arm) and recharge it from the charging USB plug on it. Same with phone.
These aren't under $5, but definitely worth getting and HAVING. I've been increasingly interested in surivalism (as a result of hanging out with my paranoid dad), so definitely get these books:
http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Revised-Situation/dp/0061733199/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363171748&sr=1-1&keywords=wilderness+survival
http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-Keeping-Your-Alive/dp/1586852345/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363172088&sr=1-1&keywords=98.6+degrees+the+art+of+keeping+your+as+-+cody+lundin
http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Alive-John-D-McCann/dp/1440218307/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363172163&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=stayalive
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Perfect-Bug-Out-Bag/dp/1440318743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363172312&sr=1-1&keywords=bug+out+bag
http://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Instruction-Manual-Disaster-ebook/dp/B008OXF0BY/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
http://www.amazon.com/31-Days-Survival-Emergency-Preparedness/dp/161004648X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363172535&sr=1-1&keywords=31+days+to+survival
http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Doomsday-Guide-Disaster-ebook/dp/B00B020FKC/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765356864/ref=la_B000APZ9N8_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363173072&sr=1-1
Ten years old? Don't need to dumb it down for him. This stuff isn't complicated, it just takes practice.
Start here.
When he's in his 20's I want to hear he cut his bushcraft teeth on Kochanski.
First off, don't believe anyone who tells you that non-fiction books are the only worthwhile books. That is blasphemy. Non-fiction might make you more knowledgeable about certain things, but fiction allows you to entertain an entirely different perspective of the world for the duration of the book. I would argue that the latter is more beneficial to your development as a critical thinker and a human being.
Secondly, it sounds like you haven't really found your genre yet. You couldn't get through all of Harry Potter, maybe fantasy isn't your thing. Try historical fiction. What kind of movies and TV shows do you enjoy? Try finding books along the same vein. Just like anything else, you're going to have to sift through a lot of stuff you don't like to find the ones you do.
I like to have at least two books going at the same time, because sometimes reading just one book gets boring. At any given time, I'll be reading one book for pleasure (I really like fantasy - so something like Malazan Book of the Fallen), and one book for merit (anything from philosophy to psychology to a travel memoir).
Lastly, try getting your reading time in right before you go to sleep. It's less stimulating than watching TV or being on the computer. You can get a few pages in when you're taking a shit, too.
I would guess that they have the same type of content, but I read the NOLS book. I would agree with a lot of others who have responded here. I would keep the training overnighters to 1-2 miles. Also, make sure you are comfortable with car camping. Setting up and tearing down the tent. Also, try using a backpacking stove for your meals. Also, not sure if it has been noted here, but hiking is much harder with a full pack. Make sure your fitness is up to make that transition as well. I would suggest starting to bring more and more weight on your day hikes building up to your full pack weight
Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft
Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
Haha, I don't know why but your comment made me think of this Simpsons episode. "They say he carved it himself from a bigger spoon."
But seriously, I recommend Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury and Tom Brown's Field Guide for Wilderness Survival
For Youtube channels, I recommend Wilderness Outfitters - (associated with the Pathfinders School) and Ray Mears
If you have the means, I recommend real training like a Pathfinder School
Try these to start:
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062378074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_lVYxDbJKCTABD
The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First Aid https://www.amazon.com/dp/1507206690/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_OWYxDbAH7R41H
I had some similar issues (felt tired and sleepy through the day and I'm a light sleeper). And then I just started to do trainings in the morning (even if I felt asleep), after a month my body adjusted so I didn't feel exhausted anymore.
Keep in mind that to start with it's not necessary to do any hardcore training or heavy lifting, even just casual activity (or any fitness class) is great for your brain and body, just to keep you tone. I mean you could add some short 20m sessions daily and be fine with that. You could start even from doing just good warm up sessions to pump you blood a bit and make your heart work.
Wake up half an hour earlier and do some quick workout it will actually help you to fill less tired eventually (after your body will adjust), because your body temperature will be higher and it provides awakening effect (I was very sleepy through my day too and after I've started doing workout in the morning I feel way more charged through the day). If you gonna do some heavy training don't forget to eat something before, even a protein bar would be good. You don't have to push your self to eat a lot right before training but at least something, And you could fill your self later, otherwise it would be hard to train on heavy stomach.
As I sad I'm also light sleeper and I use melatonin time to time to get better sleep and soft ear plugs and eye mask. But keep in mind that for melatonin effective dose is around 300 mcg to 1 mg (according to MIT http://news.mit.edu/2005/melatonin ). I found through different tries that ~500 mcg works best for me. But pharmacy usually sells way too high dosage like 5mg etc keep that in mind and it could give your negative effect in a long run (not even negative, but I would say, it won't just work. In case of melatonin more doesn't mean better. You just need to find right dosage that would be enough for you and that won't make you too much sleepy next day).
Basically, when you have boring routine and you have very sedentary work you gonna feel very tired anyway, just because of the lifestyle. You have to increase energy spending to get a new fresh fill up, and don't forget to eat more if you going to do workouts. Also, highly suggest you to read a book Brain Rules by John Medina about how exercising affects your brain and feelings ( https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Rules-Updated-Expanded-Principles/dp/098326337X/ )
Don't go crazy and smoothly build new habits and in a couple months or so you would start noticing a difference. Also, with short workouts you could do it even during the breaks on the work (right in the office). I've seen people doing that. And some training that requires body movements is also a must when you getting older, because we start loosing the mobility once we got older.
Good luck
P.S. And get enough sleep. If you have to wake up so early, well, go to bed early too.
That sounds like a really lovely and interesting book! I will put it on my "to read" list.
At the moment I have on the list:
The Happiness Trap - haven't started this yet though
Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child - started this but just pissed me off because it made me realise my husband is a permissive parent and I wish he weren't.
Brain Rules - haven't started this but has a lot of science backing it up.
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life - this book was used by my counsellor, it has some great activities on ACT/Mindfulness.
I am spending way too much time binge watching shows in my uni holidays - I ought to get reading!
How about Tom Brown Jr's books? Particularly Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival and Tom Brown's Guide to City and Suburban Survival.
This is no secret.
Even the mainstream media admits that civil unrest is possible after this election is over. [http://www.thedailysheeple.com/nyt-trump-supporters-are-threatening-a-violent-revolution-if-hillary-wins_102016]
In a time when such utter, blatant lawlessness is sweeping the land, the US government can’t possibly think an openly rigged election, wherein our own president goes on interviews and tells illegal aliens they can vote without any legal repercussions, is going to go over without anyone getting angry. [http://www.thedailysheeple.com/unbelievable-obama-just-went-on-tv-and-told-illegal-aliens-it-is-okay-to-vote_112016]
This is exactly why a hush hush military “drill” is being conducted right now on urban warfare in American streets, a drill that could and will easily go live at any time. [http://www.thedailysheeple.com/sht-just-got-real-source-leaks-surprise-election-military-drill-dhs-prepping-for-no-rule-of-law-after-election-day_102016]
They know people are going to be pissed en masse, and there are a lot more angry citizens out there than government minions.
In fact, how our own military members can stand by and protect such a corrupt, lawless government after they swore to uphold the Constitution is kind of mind-blowing in and of itself.
Here is what is being discussed if the system hands Hillary the election.
Either way, there has never been a better time to be prepared. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496092589/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1496092589&linkCode=as2&tag=orig05-20&linkId=BQDN7KGMJ2BL5IMA]
Via Super Station 95:
There is an awful lot of speculation about the coming Presidential Election being “stolen” by voter fraud, illegal aliens being allowed to vote and through electronic voting machines programmed to steal the election.
Maybe all that is true, I don’t know.
What I do know is that if Donald J. Trump does not win, then the election is illegitimate.
Just look at the facts:
Clinton/Kaine have fewer than 500 people at almost ALL of their campaign events.
They have empty campaign offices, no volunteers, few (if any) signs of support as you drive through most any town or city.
Trump/Pence on the other hand, have literally THOUSANDS of cheering supporters at absolutely every campaign event.
They have so many people trying to attend their rallies, thousands have to be turned away because the venues are filled to overflowing! Trump/Pence campaign offices are teaming with volunteers.
Trump/Pence signs are literally all over the place.
In every city and town, on every road, nationwide!
Of course, the mass-media “polls’ say the race is already won by Hillary.
But Wikileaks revelations show that the polls have been deliberately “over-sampled” to make certain they achieve a pro-Clinton result.
Put simply, most of the polls are deliberate frauds.
Then too, of course, we have the Project Veritas undercover videos showing Democrat Party workers bragging about hiring, training and PAYING people to incite violence at Trump rallies, organizing with each other to bus hundreds of voters from polling place to polling place to cast fraudulent votes, and admitting on tape to having done this “for fifty years.”
Let’s not forget the Wikileaks email from Hillary Campaign Chair John Podesta who casually mentioned how illegal aliens can vote, simply by showing their Driver License and attesting to being a US Citizen!
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the latest disastrous leaked email, from Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff, to Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Manager which said “Foreign Govt Donors: all the money is in.”
WOW! They’re taking money from foreign governments!
So putting things bluntly, if Hillary Clinton somehow “wins” this election, then the election is ILLEGITIMATE.
What to do then?
Some folks are talking about rising up in insurrection and overthrowing the federal government by force.
That certainly is their right as the sole source of sovereign power in this nation.
They certainly have the ability to do that very swiftly and the feds know it.
The military is so concerned about this that more than one active duty General has produced videos for the troops asking them not to take sides with any such effort!
But since the overwhelming majority of military is supporting Trump, it’s easy to see where their loyalties would be in any insurrection: with The People!
Others are saying they’ll up and move out of the country.
Blah Blah Blah.
Few have spoken about the plans already well-underway, to pull all the money out of the banks and out of the stock market to collapse the financial system and break the government’s back financially.
What’s that you say, you haven’t HEARD about that plan?
Well, you have now!
I think it is important at this point to make clear that I am not advocating this or soliciting this activity.
I am merely REPORTING IT.
That’s what we in the media are actually supposed to do; we report things.
That’s what I’m doing here.
So be clear that this is not my idea – I’m just reporting, and commenting on it.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many people in how many civic groups, social clubs and trade organizations have been talking this up for months!
It is a very clever plan they’ve hatched because it strikes “the beast” right in its heart – the money.
Think about what it would do if all the “little people” pulled all their cash out of the banks starting Wednesday, November 9.
It would wreak havoc.
The banks would be forced to shut down by Friday, November 11.
And as soon as banks began shutting down, it would cause panic, causing the problem to spread. . . Which helps the Pro-Trump people anyway!
Because panic leads to civil unrest.
Worse, if they start hauling their money out, AND YOU DON’T, when the banks go under YOU’RE the one left with no money!
Think about what would happen if all the “little people” called their brokers on Wednesday, November 9 and said, “liquidate my IRA and 401-K.”
It would utterly destroy the stock and bond markets in one day!
ONE DAY would bring all the snobbish, rich muckity-mucks right to their knees.
Some of them would be jumping out of windows!
But more than that, what if all the pro-Trump people just . . . . stopped.
No more work.
No more production.
No more deliveries.
What if they all just stopped.
For a week.
Two weeks.
Two months?
You can’t afford to do that you say?
In the Civic and social group meetings, such a remark is responded to with
“Maybe you can’t afford NOT TO!”
They go on to say:
But just for argument’s sake, what if you decided – just once in your life – to say “Ahhh fuck it — I’m not working and I’m not paying.
Within two days, factories all over the country would grind to a halt from lack of parts and lack of raw material.
Tens of thousands would be side-lined out of jobs each day such an effort continued.
For while massive corporations have a lot of money, what they don’t have is a lot of spare parts or spare raw materials!
They use a “just-in-time” inventory system . . . and when the first couple shipments of parts or raw materials fail to show up, the factory MUST shut down.
Imagine half or more of the over-the-road truckers just pulling over, detaching their tractors from their trailers, and heading home.
The economy of the entire country would grind to a halt within days.
Literally, days!
No gasoline deliveries, no fuel.
No food deliveries, no food.
No retail store deliveries, no products to sell.
No raw materials deliveries, nothing to manufacture with.
Everything just . . .stops.
That’s when the trouble starts.
Imagine if the food delivery truck drivers just didn’t come to work.
Imagine if 75-85% of them just said to themselves,
“My vote was fucking stolen and I’m not taking this shit anymore.”
Supermarkets in this nation have only three days supply of food.
In large metropolitan areas, supermarkets have to receive deliveries every single day to keep shelves from running empty.
If the truckers stop, those markets start emptying out in ONE DAY.
By day two, you’d see food riots beginning.
How about if all the Trump people just stop paying their bills too?
What will anybody be able to do about it in time to halt a financial Armageddon?
Sue?
Good luck.
The pathetic little courts would be instantly overwhelmed.
But wait, the banks will Foreclose on homes you say?
Yea.
Good luck with that too.
It takes a minimum of ONE YEAR for a foreclosure proceeding to be processed through the courts.
If thirty or forty million people intentionally went into foreclosure, the courts would be unable to even function, never mind provide “Due Process” before depriving anyone of their home.
People would be living mortgage free for one, two, three YEARS before the courts could act.
The banks would collapse long before that ever happened.
Apartment dwellers might face eviction. . . but it takes a couple months right now to even get a court date for an eviction proceeding.
Imagine if several million apartment dwellers in each state deliberately forced their landlords to eviction?
The courts would be fucked.
Unable to function.
No court order=no eviction!
Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a few lines to talk about how things could mushroom out of control if all the Pro-Trump people who make this country function, just stopped.
Let’s get back to the Truckers and deliveries...
MORE: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/radio-host-if-they-steal-the-election-on-tuesday-the-american-people-can-cripple-this-country-in-days-and-collapse-it-within-weeks-in-retaliation_112016
Tess Pennington - preppers blueprint
survival blog - list of lists
Here. Try this. There are tons of books out there, but this one is my all time favorite.
Hawke's book is no-nonsense. Highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Hawkes-Green-Beret-Survival-Manual/dp/0762448180/
I'm not sure that it's still classified by the fact that it's all over the web and in print from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Manual-3-05-70-Survival-Guide/dp/1537069969
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=FM+3-05.70&ia=web
That might make your question moot. But stealing classified information is still illegal. However if you're a "legitimate" news service you can, "in theory" publish even stolen classified information that you are given. It might be a good idea to have a lot of money to pay lawyers, though.
I'm not willing to go into politics on this sub, especially current politics, but the historical example was the "pentagon papers" and !w has a decent overview if you're unfamiliar with the case.
Take a survival book and build the stuff listed. It will prepare him/her for future adventures. I suggest Myke Hawk's Green Beret Survival Guide. Traps, shelters, finding water, etc... It will keep you busy and build worthwhile skills.
[This is what you are looking for](http://www.amazon.com/Browns-Field-Guide-Wilderness-Survival/dp/0425105725 "Seriously")
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.co.uk
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amazon.co.jp
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
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Sorta reminds me of the premise of this book.
It's most certainly geared towards building a survival colony of sorts. Or rather, planning one.
Assuming you are a US citizen, as the book is focused on US areas, Bug Out is an excellent, no-nonsense book. He is a highly experienced outdoorsman. He gets you thinking in terms of what you primarily need (water, food, shelter, clothing) in a sudden social emergency, and perhaps what you may need to consider for a longer period than the first 72 hours of a disaster. While it is focused on "bugging out", much of the thought process helps you work out what to have on-hand if you stay in a short-term situation.
For "hunkering down", I haven't found any single good source. Some sites are total nut-jobs, but the ones usually relating to hurricane survival seem the most sensible. Of the nutty ones, the ones with the most signal to noise seem to be the ones which focus on what folks did during historical calamities, such as the great depression or the aftermath of the world wars.
Haha well I could do that. However, I'm 30 and reasonably intelligent (maybe a bit ADHD) and even I have trouble understanding Kochanski sometimes. There is a lot of advanced stuff in there that might be difficult for an absolute beginner. And the layout of the book is frustrating- illustrations that fit the text 2-3 pages before or after it, so it looks out of context, or different names/words from the paragraph used to describe the illustration, so only through careful reading of the paragraph a page or two ahead or behind, can you decipher what matches together.
I'd prefer something that has nice color illustrations that would catch the eye and make it a little more exciting. I also have this book: https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Handbook-Essential-Outdoor-Adventure/dp/0756690382/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523485548&sr=1-3&keywords=essential+survival+manual
...which has awesome illustrations, and some bushcraft type stuff, but isn't specifically geared to bushcraft. It's also very big and heavy, so I wondered what other books people could recommend.
Deep survival
Bushcraft
These are the two that come to mind. Deep survival focuses on frame of mind, and bushcraft focuses on skills. It's a good balance.
Edit: the art of the rifle if this doesn't motivate you to learn about shooting, nothing will.
Read Brain Rules by John Medina. You'll learn how your brain works, and you'll be able to hack studying and a lot of other things. For example, your brain likes novelty which means you'll remember the details of a helicopter crash better than you'll remember a typical hand you had in a game of poker. Perhaps you can use novelty to remember what you're studying better. That's just one of twelve "rules" your brain follows. It's a great book that has benefited me a lot.
Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski
https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1772130079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466300426&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3AMors+Kochanski
How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere
Car Emergency Kit:
Read this instead.
Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440318743/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_80b3wb63STNGA