Synopses & Reviews
Your one-stop guide to surviving and enjoying the Great OutdoorsWant to know how to stay alive in extreme situations? This practical, accurate guide gives you all the expert, field-tested tools and techniques you need to survive. Whether you find yourself lost in the woods, adrift on a life raft, bitten by a snake, or needing shelter in cold weather, this hands-on resource teaches you how to stay safe (and sane), find rescue, and live to tell the tale!
- Know the basics of survival — perform life-saving first aid, make fire and shelter, and find water and food
Manage your emotions — cope with panic and anger, get the "survivor's attitude," and foster cooperation and hope with others
Increase your chances of rescue — signal for help and navigate using a compass or the sky
Practice expert survival methods — tie essential knots, craft your own weapons and tools, and make natural remedies
Gain wisdom for water emergencies — stay afloat when your ship or boat sinks, avoid dehydration and starvation, and make it to shore
Open the book and find:
- Common survival scenarios you may encounter
Tried-and-tested advice for individuals or groups
The items you need to stay alive
Basic orientation skills
Ways to keep warm or cool
The best methods for building a fire in any environment
What you can (and can't) eat and drink in the wild
True stories of survival
Synopsis
The essential companion for a rugged outdoor excursion
Whether planning an adventure vacation or just interested in survival techniques, readers will find practical and accurate information on surviving in the wild in Wilderness Survival For Dummies. From building a fire to signaling help to identifying edible plants and insects, this one-stop guide provides tested tips for surviving and thriving in the great outdoors. Readers will discover how to navigate using both a compass and the sky, how to turn saltwater in to freshwater, and how to use what you have to get what you need in deserts, forests, arctic mountains, or at sea. This book provides outdoor adventurers with the information they need to survive in extreme climates and situations.
Cameron M. Smith, PhD (Portland, OR), has traveled the world's wildernesses in some of the most unreasonable ways imaginable, including dragging a sled in the arctic. He is an archaeologist at Portland State University and the author of Anthropology For Dummies (978-0-470-27966-3). John F. Haslett (Topanga, CA) is a veteran expedition leader and adventure writer. He's spent decades putting to practice the tenets of this book, and his writings have been featured in National Geographic Explorer. Smith and Haslett are both members of The Explorers Club.
Synopsis
Learn to:
- Use survival techniques to stay alive on land or at sea
- Understand basic navigation
- Find enough water and food
- Signal for help and get rescued
Your one-stop guide to surviving and enjoying the Great Outdoors
Want to know how to stay alive in extreme situations? This practical, accurate guide gives you all the expert, field-tested tools and techniques you need to survive. Whether you find yourself lost in the woods, adrift on a life raft, bitten by a snake, or needing shelter in cold weather, this hands-on resource teaches you how to stay safe (and sane), find rescue, and live to tell the tale
- Know the basics of survival -- perform life-saving first aid, make fire and shelter, and find water and food
- Manage your emotions -- cope with panic and anger, get the "survivor's attitude," and foster cooperation and hope with others
- Increase your chances of rescue -- signal for help and navigate using a compass or the sky
- Practice expert survival methods -- tie essential knots, craft your own weapons and tools, and make natural remedies
- Gain wisdom for water emergencies -- stay afloat when your ship or boat sinks, avoid dehydration and starvation, and make it to shore
Open the book and find:
- Common survival scenarios you may encounter
- Tried-and-tested advice for individuals or groups
- The items you need to stay alive
- Basic orientation skills
- Ways to keep warm or cool
- The best methods for building a fire in any environment
- What you can (and can't) eat and drink in the wild
- True stories of survival
About the Author
John Haslett is a veteran expedition leader and adventure writer whose articles have been featured in
National Geographic Adventure.
Cameron M. Smith is an archaeologist at Portland State University. He has traveled the world's wildernesses in some of the most unreasonable ways imaginable.
Table of Contents
Introduction.Part I: Stayin’ Alive: Basic Wilderness Survival Principles.
Chapter 1: Surviving the Wilderness.
Chapter 2: Preparing Yourself for a Survival Situation.
Chapter 3: The Psychology of Survival: Gaining the Upper Hand.
Chapter 4: Survival Style: Keeping Warm or Cool.
Chapter 5: Making Fire in the Wilderness.
Chapter 6: Home, Sweet Hut: Survival Shelters.
Chapter 7: Liquid Capital: Finding Drinking Water.
Chapter 8: Gathering and Hunting to Stay Alive in the Wilderness.
Part II: Eyeing Advanced Survival Techniques.
Chapter 9: Finding Your Way with Tools: Basic Wilderness Navigation.
Chapter 10: Looking Up to the Skies: Celestial Navigation.
Chapter 11: Trekking over Land.
Chapter 12: Signaling for Rescue.
Chapter 13: Administering First Aid.
Chapter 14: Survive or Thrive? Advanced Methods and Tools.
Part III: Surviving in Extreme Land Environments.
Chapter 15: Special Considerations for Forests and Jungles.
Chapter 16: The Big Chill: Enduring in Snowy Places.
Chapter 17: Staying Alive under the Sun.
Part IV: Surviving on the Seas, Oceans, and Great Lakes.
Chapter 18: Staying Afloat and Warm.
Chapter 19: The Great Drift: Aboard Life Rafts and Disabled Vessels.
Chapter 20: Food and Drink at Sea.
Chapter 21: Emergency Travel and Navigation at Sea.
Chapter 22: First Aid on the Water.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Practice Wilderness Survival Skills.
Chapter 24: Ten Quick Escapes.
Index.