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Survival Library: Chapter 9, Jack-Knife Cookery

Roll back to the start of this century, and you would have found me practising cookery in a mountain hut in the middle of Iceland.
I had found myself part of an impromptu group hiking over the mountains.
While most of my companions tucked into their freeze‑dried rations, I busied myself cooking my dinner in my Kephart‑inspired cook kit.
I do not remember exactly what I was cooking, but it was based around some rice. Among the foodstuffs I carried was included rice, flour and “Alpen” (a brand of muesli).
Cooking a meal from base ingredients was considered to be somewhat eccentric by my fellow hikers. It was, however, admitted that my meal looked far more appetising than theirs! I was probably carrying less weight of food too.
The following day, a beautiful German girl scrutinized by every move with great interest as I improvised an Alpen bannock, cooked in my home‑made folding handled frying pan.
Cover of Jack-Knife Cookery
Carrying flour and knowing how to make use of it on the trail I can attribute directly to my acquisition of “Jack‑Knife Cookery” by James Austin Wilder.
Not to be confused with an inferior book of similar title by the “Woodsman’s Thong” (!)
The real Jack‑Knife Cookery book was first published in 1929, but has undergone several reprints. My copy dates from the twelfth printing from 1965.
Written for boy scouts, this book begins by proposing a scenario where you have only flour, raw meat and a jack-knife. How would you go about feeding yourself?
The reader is then introduced on how to cook “twister” and “kabobs”, both of which may be cooked on green sticks over a “plug‑hat hole” fire.
Twister bread cooked on a stick
From here, Wilder introduces the reader to cooking dampers and other foods, cooking on or in coals, “Imu” cooking, how to cook vegetables without a pot, mixing without a bowl, how to cook in a billy, making stews and many other useful subjects.
All of this is illustrated with Wilder’s own drawings and anecdotes/“yarns”, so is clear and highly readable.
Having fed the inner (young) man and grabbed the attention of the reader, Wilder moves on to discuss camping and related topics.
This is 1920s’ style, of course, so of interest to anyone who understands that they may have to survive outdoors without Goretex, GPS and freeze‑dried rations.
The third part of the book logically drifts into survival and emergency advice, peppering it with additional recipes and cooking techniques, including fun stuff such as boiling water in a glass bottle.
One oddity is Wilder’s alternative to Morse Code.
The section on friction methods for starting fires is entertaining, if not as technical as that in “Northern Bushcraft”. This section includes a story about using a fire‑plow/fire‑plough, a technique many survival manuals do not bother to include. There is also a “sawing” friction method using sections of bamboo which I do not recall often seeing in other works.
This book has been a great influence on many young outdoorsmen, myself included.
To this day, I may sometimes be found in the kitchen mixing flour and sultanas together when I feel peckish.
Jack‑Knife Cookery is a great book. I treasure my copy, which sits in pride of place on my shelves next to “Camping and Woodcraft”. I thoroughly recommend adding a copy to your survival library.
Now the bad news. I have been unable to locate an on‑line or Kindle copy of this book. The only search engine hits I get are dodgy sites with bad English that want your credit card details first, so steer well clear of those.
Printed copies may be found, although on‑line prices tend to be high. I have seen copies offered for as little as $30, so shop around before you part with hard‑earned cash.
If ever a book should be preserved on Internet Archive, it should be this one! If anyone reading can make that happen, make it so.
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Survival Library: Chapter 7, The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide

Today’s review is for “The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide” by J.Wayne Fears.
I had not planned for this to be the next review. I got looking at a copy and burned right through it.
One of the merits of this book is that it is highly digestible. I read through it in a single (admittedly extended) lunch break.
This book is written specifically for outdoorsmen who might become lost in the woods. The premise is that such individuals are most likely to be found within 72 hours of the search being initiated.

Preparation

The first few chapters, logically enough, deal with preparations before your trip to ensure that a search is conducted should you not return by an expected time.
Give an itinerary to a responsible individual [or better still, several!].
A similar account of your intentions might be placed in a plastic bag and left under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle you used to reach the woods. Give it a label such as “For Attention after 24th April…”
A list of useful advice to include is given, including giving the make and sole pattern of the footwear you are wearing, which will be useful to trackers.
Although not suggested in the book, this idea might be extended by including a photograph of your actual boot soles. (Putting a worn sock in for the tracker dogs may be going too far, however!)
There is a brief summary of how a search and rescue may be conducted. I found the version of this in “Desert Survival” better.
Later in the book, how to deal with a member of your group going missing is covered, which is a subject many books do not cover.

Survival Kit

The section on survival kit does show some originality and fresh thought. He advises that one prepares for three unexpected extra days to any trip.
Fears’ personal, “two pound” kit is given as:
◦ (Coghlan’s) Tube tent
◦ Strike-anywhere kitchen matches in waterproof match safe
◦ Flashlight
◦ Fire starters [hexamine fuel blocks?]
◦ Signal mirror [Star Flash]
◦ Police whistle [actually a Fox 40 is suggested in the text]
◦ MPI Emergency Space bag
◦ Parachute cord – 50'
◦ Aluminum foil – 36" x 36"
◦ Insect repellent [sachet]
◦ Water purification tablets
◦ Pocket Survival Guide [Fears’ book]
◦ First Aid Kit
◦ Gallon Ziplock bag.
These items are in addition to a belt knife, map and compass, GPS, water canteen, personal medication and cell phone/two-way radio.
How this kit is carried is not made clear, other than it is packed inside the gallon zip-lock bag, which may also be used as a water carrier. [I suggest you reinforce the seams with duct tape]
The bulk of the kit would suggest that it is in some form of daypack. Some emergency items are best carried on one’s person should the daypack and survivor part company. A lot of my basic kit is in my trouser pockets or on my trouser belt.
Coghlans Tube Tent emergency shelter
The somewhat misnamed “tube tent” is an item not often included in survival kit lists. It seems to be a reasonably priced and useful item.
There are variants that have silver Mylar lining, and/or doors at the end. The silver-lined versions should probably be turned silver-side out in desert conditions.
Since the plastic is impermeable, condensation in these tube tents may be an issue if there is not a flow of air. However, one would want to partially block the ends to reduce draughts on the sleeper(s).
Leaves or similar could be piled underneath for more padding and insulation when sleeping.
Drip-wicks added to the suspension cord are recommended.
Fears echoes my own view that an emergency is no time to rely on gadgets or primitive skills to provide you with fire.
Fears suggests replacing the matches often since they “have a short shelf life”. This is not a concern that I have seen in other books.
My kitchen drawer has matches that must be more than fifteen years old and that still light. Perhaps out in the damp woods it is different, but a match safe that is genuinely waterproof should have some influence.
As regular readers know, I prefer a butane lighter or two and some candles for no-nonsense fire lighting.
While the Star Flash mirror is recommended in the book, other items will serve just as well without the high price tag.
Water purification tablets and insect repellent are sound additions, although oddly he only packs a single sachet of insect repellent alongside a whole bottle of purification tablets.
A small bottle of insect repellent would last several nights, and be very welcome should your stay be extended. Some insect repellents may be used for fire-lighting, remember.
The space bag is like a Mylar space blanket, but a closed bag. These used to be fairly common, but nowadays it is hard to find anything except the foil blanket.
A space blanket or two is a good substitution, and a blanket is somewhat easier to vent.
Heavier foil lined bags with a green or orange outer are on sale. These resemble an All-Weather blanket I have carried one of the latter in my daysack for decades. The blanket configuration is probably more versatile. It can be made into a cloak against the rain, for example.
Fears’ suggestions for a personal pocket first aid kit are much more practical than those in some other publications. I would suggest adding some aspirin and alcohol wipes. Aspirin may be used to reduce inflammation, reduce a fever and reduce the symptoms of colds or flu. Used alcohol wipes may be used for tinder.
In accordance with the book’s basic premise, there is no attempt to teach the reader navigation.
Wandering around can greatly hinder the efforts of a search party.
Fears notes that topics such as navigation and first aid are better learnt on a course or by deeper study than can be provided by a book such as this.

STOP

STOP, as in “Sit, Think, Observe and Plan” is advocated for readers who become lost or encounter a similar emergency.
While other books have different translations of this acronym, it remains sound advice.
As I was once told, “Don’t just do something, sit there!”
This section works well with the later section on dealing with fear and panic.
There is also some lip-service paid to “will to live” and “positive attitude”, but no real practical advice on this topic.

Signalling

The section on signalling has some good advice, such as avoid noisy areas such as waterfalls if you intend to use your whistle. If static, I would see what objects around the camp may be used as improvised drums.
Instructions on how to use the signal mirror reproduce those on the back of the Star Flash (which neglects to mention that you should move your forward hand as you move the mirror to aim it in a new direction!)
There is also an illustration of someone lying on their back and using a mirror, with no explanation of why this is being done. See here and here for information on the use of heliographs. Using a Heligraph
Fears notes that a CD/DVD may be used as a reflector and already has a sighting hole. I am sceptical as to whether a sighting hole is really needed in a heliograph.
Most of us have some CDs or DVDs that have stopped working or that we do not want (remember AOL?). These can be cut to a pocket-size and shape by placing them in a freezer or warm water for ten minutes before cutting. Cover the back with some duct tape, since they may be fragile.
Glue a pair of CDs label to label for a more robust item that is mirrored on both sides.
The book also claims the “X” is the universal ground to air signal for help. Most other sources give the meaning of this symbol as “unable to proceed”, “unable to move” or “require medical assistance”.
“V” is more commonly used for “require assistance”, and easier to construct on the ground than “SOS”.

Too Brief in Places

While the book is easily digestible, some of the sections could have been greatly improved by one or two more lines.
For example, there is a section on removing ticks, but no mention of saving them in a plastic bag for later identification and testing to assist in prevention of any long term consequences of bites.
A photo caption describes using “your knife to get into the dry wood found in the center of a damp log”, but there is no explanation that what is being shown is a stick being used to baton the blade into the log.
The section “When There Is No Repellent” could have used some mention of materials such as pine oil that may be used as improvised insect repellents.
Similarly, the sections on fire, sleeping and shelter could have used some additional passages.
While a rock overhang can provide shelter, heating from fires underneath have been known to cause rockfalls.
The section on snow shelters could have used some mention of some of the improvised digging devices a survivor might use: vehicle hubcaps, plank of wood split from a log, digging stick, snowshoes, frying pan, billies etc.

Water

The chapter on water I had the most issue with.
Carrying plenty of water purification tablets is sound advice, although it is odd the same kit that packs a whole bottle of tablets has only a sachet of insect repellent to last the whole unplanned stay!
We have the flawed advice about boiling water for ten minutes, complete with the old chestnut complaining that boiled water has a flat taste. That is not going to be one of my major concerns if stuck in the woods for a couple of days!
Halazone and iodine are no longer recommended for water purification in the field since they do not affect certain organisms.
It is also claimed that water filtration devices make water safe to drink. They don’t! Viruses are too small for these devices to filter out, so chemical or thermal treatment of the water is still needed.
It would also have been appropriate to describe the Indian/Seepage well in this section.

Food — Not a Necessity

The book does not attempt to teach trapping, fishing or identifying edible plants, since Fears points out a few days without food is not likely to be fatal.
The plant edibility test is reproduced, but lacks the stipulation that this should only be used on plants that are abundant in this area.
It is worth bearing in mind that “most people found within 72 hours” requires the outdoorsman to be overdue or authorities to receive some other notification before a search is launched. If your plan was to be in the woods a week or more, you could be roughing it for some time before anyone starts looking for you. Some of the stories in the book used for illustration have the survivor being in the woods for much longer than 72 hours before being found.
Tending a trot-line and building some traps may be a good way to occupy yourself while you are waiting. Animals often shy away from human activity and recent disruptions to their environment, so it may be some time before your traps get anything. Better to make them before you get hungry!
And if you are stuck in the woods, it is worth learning which trees have edible inner bark or can be harvested for sap.
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide is a quick read, and has some useful content.
Its chief strength is that it makes a survivor aware of their obligations in a rescue operation. These may be summarized as “Stay Put”, “Make Yourself Comfortable” and “Make Yourself Visible”.
It is, however, overly brief in certain sections, and in some places out of date.
You will need a lot of the knowledge in the books previously reviewed for this series to make best use of the content within.
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Survival Library: Chapter 6, Northern Bushcraft

The taiga or boreal forest is the Earth’s largest land biome.
Many of my readers probably live in this area, so some recommendations for survival in these regions is warranted.
With this in mind, the next book reviewed for the Survival Library is “Northern Bushcraft” by Mors L. Kochanski.
Note that this book may also be encountered simply entitled “Bushcraft”.
Some copies include a section of colour photographs at the end of the volume.
Northern Bushcraft Cover
I was actually surprised to reach the end of the book and discover Kochanski was a Canadian. The early chapters seemed to have a Scandinavian vibe.
In my previous review I commented that many survival manuals are “much of a muchness”. Many seem to be clones of FM 21-76 with a few embellishments by the author.
Northern Bushcraft is another book that takes a different approach. It does not cover as many topics as a typical survival manual, but those it does cover, it covers in greater depth than is usual.
Logically enough, the book begins with firecraft.
Most survival manuals mention the friction fire drill. Some even suggest that you cannot be a “proper” survivalist unless you can light a fire with this device.
Kochanski goes into much greater detail regarding this device. He discusses how different components require different properties and which woods are most suitable for their construction. There are numerous other useful tips and advice on this subject.
If you have struggled with friction firelighting, or just want to get better, this chapter is well worth a read.
Various other fire-related topics are covered. Particular emphasis is given to ensuring a fire is really extinguished and will not ignite long after you have left the area.
“Stone Rimmed Fire Places. A common, though unnecessary practice, is to ring open fires with stones. This practice is based on the claim that the stones confine a fire and make it safer, yet many forest fires are in fact traced to such fireplaces. There are, however, justifiable uses of stones in a fire: to store warmth in a closed shelter: to support pots when no other means arc available: and to produce steam for a steam bath or a steam cooking pit. Rocks used without good reason arc needlessly defaced and, unless they are scattered after use. leave a permanent marker of the campfire. A stone fireplace also requires more effort to cool, and the stones that are not moved aside can harbour hot spots that may start a forest fire.” 
An interesting tip on cutting fish along the backbone rather than the belly for grilling.
The following chapters are on Axecraft, Knifecraft and Sawcraft, and each treats its subject in considerable depth.
Bearing in mind he also packed a full-sized axe or a hatchet, Kochanski recommends a small fixed blade knife. “One of the best methods in preventing the loss of a knife while carrying it is to use a deep sheath and wear it around the neck to be constantly aware of the knife’s presence. When the knife is not in use the sheath is tucked in the shirt.” Kochanski was to become a fan of Moras.
The chapter on “Bindcraft” mainly deals with constructing cordage from natural materials.
The Sheltercraft chapter returns to some of the ideas introduced in the first chapter.
Sleeping outside at minus 40 (Centigrade or Fahrenheit, minus 40 is where the two meet!) requires an understanding of both fire and shelter construction!
As a change of pace, the next chapters discuss the various uses that many of the common trees and shrubs in the northern forests may be put to.
The final two chapters discuss the moose and the varying (aka snowshoe) hare. The trap designed to prevent the hare biting through snare lines is not one I have seen in most other books. It has the merits of being both simple and ingenious.
The colour section is nice enough, although I have some reservations about the text where it mentions medical uses by indigenous populations. These things are often romanticised. If tinder fungus really is a remedy for cancer, I think we might have heard more about it!
In my previous review, I noted that “Desert Survival” contained many ideas that were useful even if you were not prone to venture into dry sandy places.
“Northern Bushcraft” is similar, in that it includes many skills and topics of information that have more general applications.
“Northern Bushcraft” is a recommended addition to your survival library.
Several copies of the older edition of the book are available on Internet Archive.
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Survival Library: Chapter 5, Desert Survival (Lehman)

“Desert Survival” by Charles A. Lehman was one of the first books I thought of including when I began the “Survival Library” series of blog posts.
Not surprisingly, this book concentrates on survival in a desert environment!
There is, however, plenty of sound advice relevant to other environments, so you can only be commended if you are flicking through a copy sitting in a hut near one of the poles.
Desert Survival Lehman Cover

Two Priorities

Lehman gives the survivor two priorities:
The first is “looking after your body”.
Secondary to this is “getting rescued”.
The primary threats to your body in the desert are identified as hyperthermia, dehydration and hypothermia. Some of these are, of course, concerns in other environments.
Chapters on shelter, clothing, fire-lighting and medical emergencies, among others, all relate to looking after your body.
Advice on getting rescued includes a useful account of how a search and rescue (SAR) operation will conduct a search, and steps a survivor may take to help (or unintentionally hinder) an effort.
This is information not included in most survival manuals, so the book is worth reading for this section alone.

Survival Kits

Another very good section is the advice given on putting together your own survival kit.
His advice is similar to what I have been repeating on this blog for decades: Avoid gimmicks and gizmos, don’t put all your eggs in the same basket, and have some vital items on your person, not in a pack or jacket you might put down “just for a moment”.
The survival kit/outfit suggestions are more practical than many I have encountered. I would recommend the addition of some space blankets and a compass to the personal items. To the suggested vehicle kit I would also include some duct tape, since it is more effective for certain tasks than electrical tape.
To my mind, the section on shelter was a little brief, and I feel some mention of double canopy shelters would have been appropriate for a book about surviving deserts.
Sun, wind and rain can kill you quicker than thirst.
Like many authors, he recommends the use of woollen clothing, with little consideration given to just how high a price tag often comes with such an outfit these days. Some discussion of alternatives might have been given.
While I no longer have enough hair to really justify carrying a comb, apparently I can use one to remove cholla cactus!

Pilot Outfitting

Advice given for pilots includes:
“Diversity of environmental problems complicates the "What to Wear" problem for pilots and passengers in light aircraft. Fortunately, there are some ways to cope with it. One of the easiest answers is to wear a flying suit like military pilots do. The utter utility of multi-pocketed coveralls is hard to beat.
With a good quality flight suit as an outer layer, even a business suit becomes an acceptable survival garment for moderate temperatures. If you fly over really cold areas, carry a set of the quilted type of insulated underwear. They weigh very little and offer super protection.
In really hot weather the suit will protect you from the sun and scorching rocks or sand. Try to find one that has side zippers, as well as the one in front. They allow you to ventilate the suit better.
With a flying suit, insulated underwear, and a good hat, you are nearly prepared for a survival situation, but you will need boots. This is the only clothing item that's really a weight problem. If pounds are critical in your aircraft, I would recommend wearing boots instead of shoes when you fly. That way the additional weight is insignificant. There are sturdy boots available that are dressy enough to wear with a business suit.”
To echo another desert survival manual (Air Ministry Pamphlet 225): “always fly in the boots in which you intend walking home.”
The medical section is clear and simple, grouping likely problems under eleven headings, distinguished by means of treatment. This would be a good section to photocopy and carry with a first aid kit.
A minor criticism is that the illustration of pressure points (aka “digital pressure”) seems to omit many of the points on the limbs. Add a copy of a better diagram, such as in “SAS Survival Handbook” or FM 4-25.11/FM 21-11.
Some of these medical sections are very brief, so the would-be survivor should have done some background reading about each topic.
The chapter on playing “What If?” nicely rounds off the book.
This book would not be my sole read for survival, even if my particular priority was desert survival. It is never wise to trust a single source on any subject.
The book is very much orientated towards North America, so some additional background reading would be advised if heading to sandy places elsewhere in the world.
I would recommend adding this book to your survival library, since it nicely supplements the titles suggested in Chapter One.
Many survival manuals can be “much of a muchness”, which makes them rather a chore to review, if nothing else.
Desert Survival is highly readable, and the different approach of this manual is refreshing, which probably helps you retain more of the information.
A very nice feature of this book is that it crams in a lot of useful information into just 81 pages. That is very welcome, given so many manuals run to hundreds of pages and can be heavy going.
This book is available to borrow at Internet Archive. Please support Internet Archive!
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Survival Library: Chapter 2, Bushcraft 101

Continuing my suggestions for a survival library.
Today I will look at a title that is relatively new to me. Some other reviewers consider it a “must have”.
The book is “Bushcraft 101” by Dave Canterbury.
Cover of Bushcraft 101
I quite liked this book.
The early section on safe and effective ways to use your knife and other tools is particularly good, and possibly worth the price alone.
It is a good book for rending topics down to a simply grasped form.
An interesting aide memoire Canterbury uses is “the Five Cs”: Cutting, Cover, Combustion, Containers and Cordage. Personally, I would advise adding “Consumables” and “Compass” to that list.
Another useful aide memoire is the “Four Ws”, used for selecting a good campsite: Wood, Water, Wind and Widowmakers.
To the advice given in the book, I will remind the reader that water sources often come with biting insects, so a camp should not be too near. Under the same category, one should consider watercourses. If you camp in a dried river bed or runoff, a storm miles away may result in your camp literally being washed away.
A third handy memory aid is “LURD”, used to determine the direction viewed by star movement. I recommend memorizing it as “LURD:NESW”. If a star is moving upward, you are looking east, and so on.
Determine direction of facking by star movement
The section on maps and compass is much more straight forward than in some publications:
“The most important reason to carry a compass is so that we can walk a straight line over distance.”
• Here I will insert a useful tip not given in this book. To walk in a straight line, align three objects. Tree trunks in a forest are ideal.
As you reach the first object, align the next two objects with a fourth, and keep repeating this process as necessary.
While applying a calculation to compensated for difference between magnetic and grid north is mentioned in Bushcraft 101, the actual method (LARS) is not detailed.
Perhaps it was felt that in a survival situation the difference is not significant, only a general orientation of the map being adequate. A similar approach is taken in the SAS Survival Handbook.
In some parts of the world, or for more general navigation, magnetic declination may be significant.
I would recommend regarding the navigation section of Bushcraft 101 as a useful primer and follow it with some more detailed reading on the topic.
The above brings me to one of the shortcomings of Bushcraft 101.
The book is very much written for a North American audience, and mainly geared for travel or emergencies in woodland.
If you frequent the prairies or deserts, you may wish the book had mentioned some tent poles to rig the suggested tarp. Similarly, some of the advice given may not be so valid for other parts of the world.
That said, my impressions of this book are very positive.
Once you have the suggested titles by Kephart, Greenbank and Wiseman (and my own books, of course!), Bushcraft 101 is worth considering as a useful addition. 

 

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Build Your Survival Library: Chapter One

My girlfriend was telling me how her sister in Brazil had managed to acquire a piece of land. Living on her own land is something that my girlfriend has often said that she would like to do.
“You will have to teach me survival”, she added.
I admit I was a little surprised by that request. She is an incredibly practical person.
When she was a little girl, she would escape her toxic home environment and live on the beach, catching fish. I suspect there is quite a bit she could teach me.
However, she is a very wise lady, and part of wisdom is knowing what you do not know!
What should I put on her reading list, I pondered?

Camping and Woodcraft (Kephart)

My first thought was “Camping and Woodcraft” by Horace Kephart. Photo of Hoeace Kephart
Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to know this is one of my favourite books. I prize my old 1927 reprint of the 1921 edition. Around 884 pages, yet fits in an M65 jacket pocket.
This book is definitely something I will save, come the apocalypse.
It is rightly called a classic and a title that every outdoorsman should read.
The book is out of copyright, so I have a number of alternate editions in PDF, found for free on-line.
Camping and Woodcraft may have been written over a century ago (1906/1916), but is still a wealth of useful knowledge. It is no bad thing to know how things may be done without Gore-tex and GPS.
Kephart often mentions Nessmuk. Nessmuk's book “Woodcraft and Camping” is worth a read.

The Survival Handbook (Greenbank)

Cover of The Survival Handbook, Greenbank
The first book I actually sent my girlfriend was “The Survival Handbook” by Anthony Greenbank. This may also be encountered with the alternate title of “The Book of Survival”.
Greenbank's book seldom appears in recommendations for survival libraries. It seems to be relatively unknown.
It is an excellent book and is a must-have in my opinion.
The Survival Handbook is a great book since it includes many possible emergency situations that other manuals neglect.
Packed with useful information and easy to read and navigate. Even readers “not into survival” will find something of worth within its pages.
This book was first published back in 1967, long before the “survival craze” when many manuals were produced. Consequently, there are a few minor points that need updating.
For example: current advice is to remove ticks by gently pulling them with tweezers, rather than the older approaches in this and many other books. Fisherman's Knot
I would also stress that you should not join different ropes with a reef knot, even with a couple of half-hitches added. Always use the fisherman's knot, as is later recommended by Greenbank. A fisherman's knot is a pair of overhands, so is probably easier to learn and remember than a reinforced reef.
Scorpion claws are not poisonous. Claw size is generally inversely proportional to potency of sting.
I am also dubious as to whether any coat worthy of the name would make a good signalling kite. It seems more prudent to keep your coat on and use your shirt for a use where a garment may be potentially lost.
Of course, no book is perfect and remains perpetuatlly up to date. This is why we should read more than one book on any topic. The more angles you look at something from, the better you will know it.
These very minor points aside, I would wholeheartedly recommend a copy of Greenbanks's Survival Handbook for any survival library.
Usefully, the Survival Handbook is a standard sized paperback, so there is no reason that one could not put it in a ziploc bag and carry it with you in a rucksack pocket.

The SAS Survival Handbook (Wiseman)

Cover of The SAS Survival Handbook, Wiseman
For a more “conventional” bushcraft/survival manual, Greenbank's book is nicely complimented by “The SAS Survival Handbook” by John “Lofty” Wiseman. Also available with the alternate title of “The SAS Survival Guide” or “SAS Survival Guide”.
A revised edition was published in 2009.
Probably the only thing wrong with this book is the title. Even way back in 1986 when this book was published, it was already a cliché that nearly every other survival-orientated item was claimed to be either SAS, Special Forces or Green Beret. I will stress that John Wiseman is a verified genuine former member of the SAS, however.
The SAS Survival Handbook is an excellent choice for any survival library. It is easy to read, yet very detailed. Copies may be found at very reasonable prices.
The original book was nearly a foot square (228 x 238 x 22mm). I remember looking at my copy and wishing for an edited-down smaller version more suited to carrying in the field. Someone else obviously felt the same, because a few years later a Collins Gem edition was released. Amazingly, this was pocket-sized yet preserved all of the original content!Collins Gem edition of SA Survival Guide, Wiseman
My Gem edition has spent several decades in a ziploc bag in a side pocket of my rucksack. It has travelled from Hong Kong to Brazil and up to Iceland. If nothing else, it has served as an educational way to spend my time while waiting for a bus.
Both sizes of SAS Survival Guide include a coloured section illustrating various edible plants. Other Collins Gem titles may also be of interest, such as “Food for Free”.
The SAS Survival Guide/Handbook is another “must-have” for any survival library. In fact, get the large version for your bookshelf and the Gem for your pack.
Between Kephart, Greenbank and Wiseman you now have a pretty sound foundation for your survival library. It does not hurt that your survival library happens to be relatively compact and lightweight.
If you brought the Gem edition of the SAS Guide, all three books should fit in your bug-out bag.
If you buy the titles recommended above, you have acquired a lot of useful information for a relatively modest outlay.
I suggest that at least some of your library is hardcopy, for when the power is out.
How about some free books to supplement these?

US Field Manuals

Many readers will be familiar with “FM 21-76”, the US military survival manual.Cover of FM 21-76
On-line copies are freely available from a number of sites, there being no copyright on US field manuals. Many on-line copies lack the appendixes, such as the extensive illustrated appendix of edible plants, for example.
FM 21-76-1 was a related publication about SERE.
The current version of FM 21-76 has been redesignated FM 3-05.70.
Many of the sites you can download FM21-76/FM 3-05.70 from will have other field manuals on topics of interests such as navigation, hygiene and first aid.
If you want a printed copy of a field manual, these are available from a number of publishers. Price, cover and sometimes title will vary.
While these survival manuals are now described as “all services”, they were originally written as advice for downed aircrews, and this should be remembered when reading certain sections.
US field manuals tend to be clearly written but are not necessarily concise: FM 3-05.70 is 676 pages long.
There is also sometimes a tendency in field manuals for information to become institutionalized. New content may get in, but older, possibly no longer accurate content is slow to be removed.
I cannot do better than the advice Robert DePugh gives: FM 21-76 should be carefully read at home, and then left behind with other items not worth taking along.Air Force Handbook 10-644
Also worth a look are the Air Force manuals AFM 64-3, AFR 64-4 or AFM 64-5. Latest version is AFH 10-644 (also found here). These are a little harder to locate on-line.
The military manuals are not as “easily digestible” as Kephart, Greenbanks or Wiseman. They are, however, “information dense” and provide excellent background and context for the other books, at a price that cannot be beat, free!
The exception to the above statement is AFM 64-5 (1952). This is a compact and very readable work. It has several gems of information that are not often seen in many other works.
If I have one quibble about 64-5, it is that many of the illustrations are remote from the relevant text. Better and additional illustrations of some of the plants described would have been welcome.
As for any older text, some of the advice or information given may be out-of-date. For example, in the section that recommends any part of a seal, including the liver, may be used, no mention is made that the liver of the bearded seal (like that of the polar bear) is toxic.
If any publisher wishes for a new survival title, an updated version of 64-5 would be worth considering.
I would highly recommend that AFM 64-5 is the first military survival manual you consider reading.
The above recommendations will have given you a pretty comprehensive survival/bushcraft library.
In later blogs, I will review other titles, including those that are more specialized in their field.
You will also need some books on self-defence. For these, scroll down and follow the links.
I am very short of money at the moment, so you custom or donations will be very much appreciated!
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Phillosoph

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Out Now!

I am pleased to announce that the Fourth (and final!) Edition of Crash Combat has now become available.

This version has been extensively expanded, being about 50% longer than the first edition.
More content, extra illustrations, more techniques, new techniques and generally much more book for your money.
In addition, much of the book has been rewritten and restructured so information is more easily assimilated and learnt.
While Crash Combat was originally written for a military context, it remains relevant to any individual wishing to learn to protect themselves in this dangerous and uncertain world.

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Epub
Crash Combat Fourth Edition Paperback
Visit the Author Spotlight for my other books.
May be purchased direct from Lulu.com in either print or epub format.
It will take a few more days or more for this version to appear with other retailers.
Buying from Lulu costs you less and more of the money goes to the author.
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Phillosoph

Under a Waning Star

Recently I came across some information that the star rating on Amazon was based on sales, and how recent they were.
How does that benefit the customer? It certainly does not benefit an author!
Most people seeing a low rating will assume it means the book is no good, and move on.
So I have a low star rating because I have made few sales, and I am unlikely to make more sales because I have a low star rating?
How could anyone think that was a good system for a business?
I am at a loss on a solution.
What is the point of me writing? Sometimes it seems the only way to win is not to play.
It seems unlikely my novella will ever see many readers.
If you are interested, click on the link below and judge for yourself.
The ebook version costs less than a good beer.
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Phillosoph

Slash and Thrust by John Sanchez

When I first started this blog, I expected that I would be writing more book reviews than I have done. The problem is, many martial arts books are somewhat lacking in content.
The reason I wrote my first book was to address many of the points that I did not feel were adequately covered. Hence it is very hard to review a book such as “Slash and Thrust” without making the point that my own work does a better job at covering the techniques of defensive knife use or throwing objects in self-defence.

Back in the days when I was a regular on a knife throwing forum, John Sanchez’s book “Slash and Thrust” would sometimes be mentioned.
These mentions were usually due to the short section on throwing weapons in the book, and in particular a weapon Sanchez called the “Irish Dart”.
Years ago, I flipped through a friend’s copy of the book, but I admit we were mainly interested in the throwing section at the end.
Recently another friend commented that he intended to brush up on his knife techniques by rereading his copy of Slash and Thrust.
I decided to finally treat myself to a cheap second hand copy.
According to the blurb: “Until Slash and Thrust, no book ever presented a complete, practical knife fighter’s training program. This classic covers choosing the martial knife, quick-kill strikes, footwork, deceptive movements and using such exotic weapons as the shuriken, shaken, Irish dart, chakram and Chinese cloth dart.”
Quite a big claim for a small book of only 68-72 pages!
Having now read the book properly, my impression is of an inflatable structure that tries to look substantial but has very little content.
For example, Sanchez notes that there are a number of different footwork techniques used in various martial arts and then states he favours “natural footwork”. That sounds very logical, wise and sensible, but once you examine the statement, you realize it has very little actual meaning or content.
The footwork he goes on to describe involves moving with the knees bent. While this is a good technique, it is not what I would describe as natural.
The book has a number of statements or references that seem to be placed there mainly for the effect of making it seem more learned or insightful than it actually is.
In its handful of pages Sanchez uses the phrase “common sense” at least four times. Readers will be aware that this is a fiction, and any time someone uses this phrase instead of providing detail or justification, any information should be treated with skepticism and suspicion.
Sanchez also describes thrusting with a kukri as “at best, awkward”, which makes me seriously doubt that he has ever handled one.
There is a section on carrying techniques where Sanchez advocates carrying a belt knife inclined with the edge up.
He makes an argument that because the hand is inverted and turned palm out to draw from, this position it is better defended.
In fact, this would expose the more vulnerable area of the inner forearm with its nerves, blood vessels and tendons.
It also ignores that if the enemy is within attacking range you should be defending rather than attempting to draw a weapon.
The book does have some points of interest, but it was easy to overlook these among the padding.
You may pick up a tip or two, and one or two good points are made, but there is no way that this should be used as your main source of instruction. It gives little glimpses rather than a comprehensive view.
Occasionally he refers back to some ideas “already described” but these were in fact detailed very briefly.
Areas such as the guard posture could have been described better and would have benefited from an illustration.
There is an illustration of useful target areas, but important information such as that there is a high probability that attacking through the ribs can cause a blade to jam or be lost is not mentioned.
Sanchez suggests a number of books to consult for further study.
“Paradoxes of Defence” by George Silver is mentioned a number of times. I have mentioned Silver’s works on these pages, and in my books too.
Silver is worth a read but his comments on knife fighting techniques are only a few paragraphs long.
Also, Sanchez fails to mention that Silver’s discussion of actual techniques are in his related work “Brief Instructions upon my Paradoxes of Defence”.
Musashi’s “Book of Five Rings” is also suggested for reading. Referencing this book was quite common in the 80s. The Book of Five Rings contains some techniques for sword use. I don’t recall any knife relevant stuff in the book, but it has been a while since I read it, so will give Sanchez the benefit of the doubt there.
“Cold Steel” by John Styers is another suggestion. This is an interesting book providing you understand it was built on the ideas of Drexel-Biddle, whose knife fighting ideas were heavily influenced by sword-fighting techniques.
The last suggestion was Cassidy’s “Complete Book of Knife Fighting” See here for my review on that book. It is an interesting read, but I would be very cautious on trying its techniques in a real encounter!
As I have mentioned, there is a brief section on a variety of throwing weapons.
Sanchez admits that there may be situations when there is no other option but to throw a weapon, and briefly describes a number of historical examples of hand thrown weapons.
His explanation of how to throw knives and shuriken is reasonable if a little inaccurate on a few points.
Contrary to the claims of some reviews, the section on throwing weapons does not take up a third of the book. It is just a handful of pages.
For alternate information on self-defence, see my books.