Survival guides are among the most useful books you will ever read. They could even save your life. These ultimate self-help manuals cover the basics of staying alive, like finding water, building a shelter, and managing bear attacks. They also make for great torchlight reads when you’re camping to accumulate knowledge that could be vital one day.
There are hundreds of guides that outline every possible situation you might need to survive. Here are four classics that we have found essential reading for anyone who likes an outdoor adventure or wants to keep their family safe, whatever happens.
SAS Survival Handbook
The classic best-selling guide
Written by elite British Special Air Service veteran Jon “Lofty” Wiseman, this is a classic outdoor survival manual. It covers every area you would expect, offering invaluable advice regarding food, first aid, self-defense, security, making camp, and a new section on urban survival.
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
Be at one with the wilderness
Why just survive when you could thrive in the wilderness? Thanks to respected bushcraft instructor Dave Canterbury, it is possible. This text covers all the outdoor skills you need, including kit selection, making tools, collecting food, and finding shelter, all while reconnecting with nature by embracing the art of survival.
Tiny Survival Guide
Small but packed full of information
So small you can carry it with you at all times, this guide is compact enough for your wallet. It's also made of tear and water-resistant material. Unfold the map-like guide to access the 175 expert tips, 67 lifesaving skills, and 101 illustrations that cover emergency response as well as wilderness survival. It's great for when you don’t have power, but there are also links to interactive content when you do.
100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition
Survive today’s disasters
Former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson distills down his 100 most important skills for survival, whether in the wild or any disaster. This hands-on guide uses survival hacks learned on the battlefield and covers prep, shelter, fire, food, and navigation, as well as handling a hostage situation or terrorist threat. The skills are accompanied by detailed illustrations that show as well as tell.
Bottom line
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A little knowledge goes a long way, and the best survival guides are packed with the wisdom of some of the world’s foremost experts. You owe it to yourself and your family to get informed. As well as being life-savingly useful, the skills you learn will be relevant for any outdoor experience, even if it’s a leisurely camping trip. We think the best guide, the one by which all the others should be judged, is the SAS Survival Handbook. This text features survival knowledge built up by an elite special forces unit over 80 years. But it’s very down-to-earth and aimed at civilians who want to get the facts for handling any situation.
For a more holistic view of survival, we would also recommend Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival. It focuses on bushcraft skills and how to work with nature to thrive in the wilderness.
