desert - The Phillosoph Blog

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.

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.

“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.

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!