Bushcraft Books
A collection of literature I have found to be useful over the years for learning Bushcraft and the outdoors skills. Most of the comments on this page are not my personal reviews of the books, they are mostly retailers blurbs and customer reviews, however I have checked the text and only published it here if I believe it to be true. Please enjoy my recommendations...
Ray Mears Outdoor Survival Handbook
First published in 1992, this became my first Bushcraft book and was a great seclude for me as a kid travelling on the school bus. It captivated my mind, gave me new skills that I could get out and try and taught me more about the natural-world. Its a great starter for any Bushcrafter.
Here's Woodlore's blurb: "It was the first comprehensive guide on bushcraft and survival tips, and provides the reader with numerous skills and in-depth knowledge of fire-making, useful plants and shelter techniques." - it should say and more!.. it gives recommendations on kit, links and contact details to relevant organisations, game preperation and wild food and much more!
ISBN-10: 0091878861 | ISBN-13: 978-0091878863
Wildlife of Britain (Hardcover) (DK Reference)
Synopsis
Take a spectacular photographic look at Britain's flora and fauna. From golden eagles in the Scottish Highlands to Portuguese Man 'o' War jellyfish off the coast of Cornwall, Britain boasts an astonishing array of wildlife and habitat. Explore its extraordinary beauty, diversity and wonder from the comfort of your front room. British wildlife is revealed habit by habitat: trees, flowers and plants, fungi, insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, invertebrates, fish and birds are all profiled; changes through the seasons are uncovered; and key information on when and where to experience first hand such plants and animals is provided. It provides outstanding reference for all the family; a visual testimony to the extraordinary scope and depth of Britain's wildlife.
My Review - Ashley Cawley from NaturalBushcraft
Firstly as I opened this book I was astounded with some of the most beautiful photography of nature I have ever seen, numerous once in a life time shots showing nature in all its beauty. This huge 500 page book is a superb reference guide to all wildlife in Britain, but its so much more than that, its so enjoyable to sit and browse through learning new species, animal behaviours and more. From Lichen to Butterflies, Toads to great ancient trees, birds, lizards and fish, mamals, bugs and wild-flowers its all in here! One of the best books on my shelf.
| Review By | G. I. Forbes (edinburgh) |
Bushcraft - An Inspirational Guide to Surviving the Wilderness (Hardcover)
Ray Mears has lived off the land in the world's most inhospitable places, and Bushcraft is a coffee table-style encapsulation of that hard-won knowledge and experience. Aspiring travellers will find hundreds of life-saving tips here, and even if you plan to stick pretty closely to the beaten track (say, your garden), the specialist information contained in chapters on survival essentials like finding and purifying water, establishing fires and shelter, cordage (the joys of making your own string), and living off the land (grubs and the like), is fascinating in itself--in the tradition of TV's finest "natural history" output.
Elsewhere, Mears establishes some basic principles about equipment--with brief guides to the right sort of knives, axes, rucksacks etc--and runs through his own kit for the various climates of the world. But be warned, it's doubtful whether this information will do more than arm you with the ability to make semi-informed choices in the shop. Will this book prepare you for the world's wildernesses? Yes and no. It is an entertaining, informative introduction to the survival mindset which will have even the sofa-bound thirsting for adventure, but aside from the solid core knowledge--which regular wanderers will find pitched at roughly intermediate level--the region-specific practical information looks sketchy.
Mushrooms
Collins Gem
Synopsis
This handy, practical guide offers a quick way for beginners to identify mushrooms and toadstools Collins Gem Mushrooms describes almost 240 species of mushrooms and toadstools to be commonly found in Britain. Portable and clear, it is the ideal guide for those out foraging for fungi! Each mushroom or toadstool entry includes: * A photograph, illustration and clear description of its appearance * Details of size, habitat and when it can be found * Whether it is edible or poisonous * The names of similar species with which the mushrooms or toadstools could be confused, and details of the differences between them.
This book is available on the right.
Bushcraft Survival
This great book is more about the stories, journeys and indigenous peoples that Ray has encountered on his travels. Its not so much a guide or an in-depth look at skill sets but a look at different cultures, environments and techniques, featuring beautiful photography and people from all over the world.
By M. D Roberts (Gwent, United Kingdom)
I wish I was 21 again .....Revealing an enormous depth of knowledge, Ray Mears shows how to construct shelters from the elements suitable for virtually any time of the year amid a variety of locations and environments.
He approaches such elementary tasks such as how to light a good fire in all types of weathers, using the materials readily available in the wild, together with many other essential everyday skills needed to survive in the great outdoors. Skills which Ray ably shows can be used almost anywhere in the world.
Applying essential Bushcraft skills, Ray demonstrates their application throughout a variety of differing situations and locations. Providing a somewhat different approach to Ray's earlier works, the expertise and experience of a number of others are also brought into the context of this excellent study providing an added interest during Ray's travels. Ray continues to live the dream of so many in an excellent book which is replete with excellent photographs and tips throughout. I wish I was 21 again ......
Food for Free
Collins Gem
Synopsis
Fans of Food for Free will be delighted at this new format -- ideal for carrying in a rucksack. Over 100 edible plants are featured together with recipes and other interesting culinary information. With details on how to pick, when to pick and regulations on picking. This new format of a best-selling title provides a portable guide for all those who enjoy what the countryside has to offer. Over 100 plants are listed, fully illustrated and described, together with recipes and other fascinating information about their use throughout the ages. The recipes are listed so that you can plan your foray with a feast in mind. This is the ideal book for both nature-lovers and cooks. Particularly with today's emphasis on the freshest and most natural of foods. There is also practical advice on how to pick plus the countryside laws and regulations on picking wild plants.
This book is available on the right.
Animal Tracks and Signs (Pocket Nature Guide) (Hardcover)
People view nature in many different ways. Some enjoy the big picture - the shapes, the colours, the sounds and wide-open spaces. Others gain particular pleasure from spotting and identifying a certain bird or plant. Animal Tracks and Signs makes it possible to identify mammals and birds that have passed by from the traces they leave behind them - whether footprints, feeding marks, homes, hiding places, pellets or droppings.
With over 240 colour photographs and hundreds of drawings this book brings everything you see on country walks to life!
| Review By | "joker591" Comprehensive... |
Ray Mears - Essential Bushcraft
This paperback book was published in June 2003 due to huge public demand for a condensed version of Ray's best-selling hardback book Bushcraft. At only 200mm x 143mm it will easily fit into your rucksack.
| Review By | "ed-orama" An Invaluble Guide! |
It has the following chapters:
OUTFIT
CUTTING TOOLS
WATER
FIRE
SHELTER
CORDAGE
HITTING THE TRAIL
LIVING FROM THE LAND.
As you can see, everything you need to get out there and stay alive! There are loads of 'survival' and 'bushcraft' books, and this book will not tell you how to deliver a baby or give an emergency cesarean like the SAS survival book, however this isn't its aim. Ray Mears has succeeded in delivering a well-thought out and VERY informative book on how to live in the wild whilst causing as little disturbance to the natural habitat as possible. Invaluable reading!
Trees of Britain and Europe (Hamlyn Guide)
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Hamlyn (1 Jan 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0753709570
- ISBN-13: 978-0753709573
SAS Survival Guide
Collins Gem
What would you do if you were in the middle of a tropical rain forest and one of your party was bitten by a bug or a snake? Do you know how to choose a knife or how and when to abandon ship? The Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide has the answer to these--and many, many other--essential survival questions for anybody wanting to trade the supermarket for the scrub and get back to nature.
The pocket-size guide covers everything from the essential survival kit and pouch to disaster strategies for those who find themselves facing natural disasters such as hurricanes, avalanches, floods, tornadoes, active volcanoes, floods, lightening and earthquakes. And just in case nature proves too much for such precautions, there is an extremely comprehensive section on health and first aid.
Illustrated throughout with numerous black-and-white line drawings and colour photographs for identifying wild plants and animals, this is a well-produced, compact and comprehensive guide for all would-be explorers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Synopsis
Whether lost on a mountain, trapped in your car by a blizzard or stranded in a desert, this book is designed as the ideal guide to survival. Written by one of the SAS' leading survival experts, this book includes life-saving strategies and information on subjects such as camp craft, what to eat and how to obtain it, first aid and keeping healthy, moving through different terrain and signalling for rescue and surviving specific scenarios.
This book is available on the right.
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