My all time favorite primitive technology books

 I have a sizeable library. Physical books- probably around 500. Digital books and other type documents- probably around 100,000.  I have been interested in nature since I was old enough to walk. So, a vast majority of my books are on nature subjects-  rocks, plants, animals, etc. I have a lot of survival books. I have a lot of gardening and self reliance books. My favorite though, are my primitive technology books. My collection of physical PT books are:

Primitive Technology vol 1 & 2 edited by Wescott

Practicing Primitive by Watts

all 3 Woodsmoke books by the Jameson's

Both volumes of Primitive Wilderness Living by the McPherson's

Survival Arts of the Primitive Paiutes by Wheat

Wilderness Survival Handbook by Pewtherer

Can you Survive by Pressley

And the one that started it all......Outdoor Survival Skills by Olsen

In 1976 I picked up a copy of Olsen's book at the ARMY PX bookstore when I was stationed in West Berlin, Germany. I thought  "this is it!  When will there be more work on this subject?" It had just come out in paperback. By the way I still have this book. All I did was put a clear plastic jacket on it. It looks to be in pretty good shape for all the field work it saw. I made a carry case out of hard, thick rawhide to protect it on my ventures. West Berlin was around 100 miles behind the "Iron Curtain" in East Germany, the Communist German Democratic Republic, a Soviet ally at the time. What a lot of folks don't know is there are large areas of forested land in Berlin. The one I roamed was the Grunewald which translates to "green forest". There were some pretty secluded areas and the only threat was the huge European wild pigs. Those things looked like small rhinos when you saw them running through the woods! And they could be downright mean! There were red deer too. And of course rabbits and squirrels. Fires were a no-no but if you were smart and built a small smokeless fire all was good. I had many a good time on my days off out in the 'wald.

Notice that some of these books have "survival" in the title. I would say that they are more geared towards primitive skills than modern. The book by Pewtherer covers some modern necessities such as first aid kits (I always carry a small modern geared kit when I go woods running) and some other modern tools like a compass and survival kit. The rest is surviving from a primitive technology view point. Ben Pressleys book is almost all primitive except he shows how to use a fire steel and there are a few photos of him in a 18th century long hunters outfit. This is all just fine with me. I live in both worlds but I prefer primitive tech and skills. Its more a hobby thing. I use modern tools like saws, axe's, steel knives and such for my primitive projects if it requires serious stock removal. I've done many purist stone, bone  antler & wood bow building and other projects but my joints are showing the damage done to them over many years of this type work let alone all the years doing most of my building construction by hand. It gets to ya quick so if there's an easier way I'll go that route. There are days when I can hardly bend my fingers and my wrists pulse with pain but I keep plugging along. Life is too much fun to give in to pain and discomfort. I just cut a little slower now.

I'm always looking for more stuff to write about and if there is something you would like me to research please let me know. I'm in need of resources such as bone, antler, hides and rock so if you have any extra I would be pleased. I have a few things to trade. Until next time, take care and enjoy life. Make as much of it as you can!

More Thomas Elpel links and Information

 Here are some links to Thomas Elpel videos and his wildflower photos. He is the author of several great books on primitive skills, survival, foraging and plants.

You Tube videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22zjQTlx5lzIo-50WJFeHA

Wildflower Photos: http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Plant_Families_Index.html

 Enjoy! 

Plant Books

 I've noticed over the years that plant books can be great or they can be mediocre. One of the things that makes a great plant book is the illustrations. I find that drawings are best. Granted, its nice to have color photographs, but sometimes the plant details just don't show that well. Therefore my take on drawings. A good drawing can show the minute details of the plant in question. Things such as the flowers, leaf scars, outline and shape of the leafs, etc. Have you ever noticed how the Peterson guides are all drawings? They use photos in some of the newest ones, but, the older editions have drawings and a few have a nice little section of photos which I consider eye candy. I have quite a digital collection of 19th century botany and herb books and the only color in them is hand painted plates and almost all the illustrations are drawings in black and white. I recall a book put out in 1905 about wildflowers and it had some of the first photos of flowers used for every plant described. The photos were in black and white and some few were hand colorized. They were not very useful. The saving grace for this book; there were drawings of the plants.

As you become more familiar with botany you develop a natural quickness in going right to the section of the books when you can distinguish certain botanical traits. Things such as number of flower petals, lanceolate versus heart shaped leaves, paired, opposite, smooth edges versus toothed, etc. These things can only be learned from drawings in my opinion.

This is a small list of some of my books on plants and the information contained whether drawings or photographs.

Peterson Field Guides:

1 Edible Wild Plants-Eastern US = drawings and a small section of photographs

2 Medicinal Plants-Eastern US = drawings and a small section of photographs

3 Trees & Shrubs-Eastern US = drawings only both 1958 and 1986 editions

4 Ferns = drawings only

Wild Edible Plants of the Western US by Kirk  = drawings and a small section of photographs

Edible Wild Plants Eastern US  Fernald & Kinsey = drawings only

The Illustrated Book of Wildflowers & Shrubs Grimm = drawings only

Botany in a Day Elpel = drawings only

The above list shows the importance of clarity in a plant description. I haven't seen too many photo's that can show such clarity in details unless they are high quality closeups.

Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel book heads up

 There's a really good deal on this book on eBay right now. $18 each, free shipping, for returned or slightly damaged (bent corners, etc.) copies of this most excellent book. This is the most current edition. Here's the link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Botany-in-a-Day-The-Patterns-Method-of-Plant-Identificat-6-1-Paperbk-or-Softb/164320624968?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908103841%26meid%3Db5ae2c121eb94844b6647b68ec18727d%26pid%3D100227%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D13%26sd%3D164320624968%26itm%3D164320624968%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2053904&_trksid=p2053904.c100227.m3827

Condor Village Parang, Using the Fire Tube, and Wild Edible Plants

 The Condor Village Parang is a hit! I've been working along the fenceline for last few days and it has done a sterling job. I will have to work on the handle to make it a hair smaller-a 4-in-hand file will do the trick and a finish up with sandpaper. My only complaint about the blade is it is convex grind and I will have to remedy that. It still cuts great but I love a flat grind. I've made knives so I have the confidence that I won't wreck this fine tool. I have no complaints about the sheath. It looks like Condor has fixed the problems they had years ago. I see online where some folks have a problem with it being a slow draw blade. Well, this is a tool and not anything near a self defense knife. If you're worried about that then you sure as hell better be packing. My choice is my .357 magnum with 4 inch barrel and target sights. In my opinion you can't beat a revolver.

I've had a few questions about the fire tube. Here's how it works. You get a nice red glowing tip on the cotton with a spark from your ferro rod/sparker/flint and steel. Blow on the glowing ember and put the whole deal into your already prepared birdsnest of tinder. Blow on the nest and when you see thick smoke you should be close to combustion. Keep blowing gently until you see fire. All done. Now pull the rope/wick back into the tube and leave an empty space at least 1/4 inch. Put your finger over the end of the tube and in seconds the ember dies. Let it cool of for a bit and wrap everything backup and put it away. I am careful not to damage the charred end too much so that I can get a good light the next time I put steel to it.

I notice everything going on here at the farm and be it birds, critters or plants I have an idea of whats happening. This week I found several edible wild plants that are coming up. Its been a not so typical north Florida winter so far. We've had more than the usual freezing nights and frost. We've also had a lot of rain. The days are getting longer and it can get up to 70 during the day. This is bringing a lot of stuff to the surface. Here's what I've spotted so far:

shepherds purse  Capsella bursa-pastoris

cleavers Galium sp.

chickweed Stellaria media

henbit Lamium amplexicaule

Florida betony Stachys Floridana

 These two photos show shepherds purse. It gets its name from the shape of the heart shaped seed pods. Note long narrow leaves and tiny white flowers. The whole plant is edible. The lower photo also shows henbit, cranesbill geranium and chickweed.

 These two photos show cleavers. It has a square stem and gets its name from the tiny hooks all along the stem which make the plant stick or cleave to your clothing. Entire plant is edible but its best when young and tender. Older plants can be boiled.

 

 These two photos shoe chickweed. The first photo has chickweed and henbit and the second two species of chickweed. The whole plant can be eaten.

 

 

These two photos show henbit. In the first it is associated with chickweed and cranesbill geranium. The henbit has the tall square stems. The second photo has a good example of how easy it is to confuse plants. The cranesbill geranium has deep grooves in the leaves and small stems whereas the henbit has rounded scalloped leaves and bigger square stems. Henbit is edible raw when young and the older plants need to be boiled and rinsed.

 

 These three photos show Florida betony. It has square stems and is in the mint family. The first two photos show the plant structure and the leaves while the third photo shows immature roots and tubers. Its also called rattlesnake radish for obvious reasons. In the mid to late summer these tubers get up to five inch's long and its easy to gather a latge quantity. The roots and tubers are eaten raw and have a unique taste, some say like celery. The only problem with this plant is the fact that it is one of the most fast spreading and invasive plants in Florida. It ranks right up there with wandering jew, mexican poinsetta, and Bidens alba or spanish needles. I've batted them all. They're winning.

 

Standard cautionary notice!!! Never eat a plant you find in the wild without 100% positive identification. The wrong plant can kill you. Period. There are a ton of books out there these days that will lead you in the right direction. Here are the ones I use:

Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel-super good book to teach you plants identification!

Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America by Fernald and Kinsey-excellent book with drawings and uses.

Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Eastern/Central North America by Peterson-one of the best with excellent illustrations and photos as well as uses.

Wild Edible Plants of Western North America by Kirk. I depended on this book when I lived and traveled in the western US. It has great drawings and descriptions as well as habitat and uses. Most of the plants are also found nation wide.

Of course there are a number of great books that I haven't mentioned but you can check them out on Amazon and see if its something you think you can use. Just do a search for "edible wild plants, foraging, wildcrafting".

SAS Urban Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman

I just received a copy of this book to review. Its name is "SAS Urban Survival Handbook" By John "Lofty" Wiseman who also wrote the immensely popular SAS Survival Handbook. My edition is the 2013 copy. It states on the cover "how to protect yourself against terrorism, natural disasters, fires, home invasions, and everyday health and safety hazards". So, its not just a "doomsday" type of book but one geared towards everyday, real world possibilities. It is written by a European, namely Great Britain, and it has some things that pertain to Europe but not the USA (in most cases-but, if you live in some anti-gun states you are SOL). The book is a paperback, 627 pages, and measures  8 1/4" by 5 1/4". Just right for tossing into the glove compartment or BOB. Amazon has it (there's even a Kindle edition): SAS Urban Survival Handbook

Here's a breakdown of the contents:
1. Essentials - Be a Survivor, Body Matters, Stress & City Survival kit.

Lots of good stuff here. The city survival kit is very simple to put together and is a must have in my opinion if you live in the city., especially a sizable one.

2. Safety First - Safe as Houses?, Electricity, Gas, Liquid Fuel, Solid Fuel, Water, Common Accidents, Room Check, Leaving the House, & Pets

This covers all the basic precautions associated with the above topics. Some is geared towards European houses but its easy enough to substitute American design such as electricity and plugs. When I lived in Berlin, Germany everything was 220 volt and the tongues on the plugs were round instead of spade shaped like their American counterparts. Also, if you wanted to run American made appliances you had to buy and use a step down transformer (220 volt to 120 volt)with the spade shaped socket holes. Most of us just bought German and didn't bother with the transformers. Lots of good stuff in this chapter and its geared for everyday life, not just SHTF situations.

3. DIY/Craft Hazards - Using Tools, Basic Tools, Power Tools, Hire Tools (rentals), Paint, Crafts, Ladders, Protective Clothing

This is something I haven't seen presented in any survival book. It covers the importance of safety around hand and power tools. Each year so many folks go to the emergency room because they didn't take the normal precautions with tools. There is a lot of info on how to properly use tools as well. Good material here, "Lofty"!

4. Poisons - Chemical Hazards, Alcohol, Types of Hazard, Safe Storage, Acute Poisoning, Chronic Poisoning, Kitchen/Living Areas, Bathroom, The Medicine Cupboard, Prescribed Medicines, Garage/Shed, Pesticides

Here's a lot of very good information on a topic that most folks simply fail to realize the risks of using and having in their homes. There is a very nice colored section on poisonous plants and mushrooms. Most of the plants are not wild species but ones a person may have planted for ornamental purposes. Its amazing how dangerous some garden plants can be due to their seeds, leaves, etc. that aren't used for food.

5. Fire - Fire Facts, Equipment, Drills, Fire!, Escape!

This little chapter has a lot of really important info. As it states at the beginning, fire isn't the main killer. Smoke and poisonous fumes are what do you in. Great advice on planning for, fighting and living through a fire disaster at home or away.

6. Security - Safe & Secure, Home Security, Security at Work, Vehicles

This is a topic that is, sadly, so timely. With all these crazy people shooting up schools, workplaces, etc. and criminals given just about free reign due to asinine laws (read GUN CONTROL!) and insane litigation this is an important chapter. In Europe and elsewhere, you are not allowed firearms so must resort to other means. Fortunately, for now and for most of us, we have the freedom to own guns. Buy and carry a good handgun. Just my opinion.

7. Work & Play - The Workplace, Leisure, Sport

This chapter deals with the risks involved in such activities. Its surprising how many things are a danger that I never thought of. Sports, of course, is one of the most injury prone activity there is. Good stuff!

8. In Transit - On the Move, Public Transport, Lifts (elevators)/Escalators, Travelling Abroad

There's a load of good common sense info in this chapter. Some surprising ideas are presented, especially the section on overseas travel.

9. Self-Defence (spelled defense in USA) - The Law, Being a Witness, Under Attack, High-Risk Groups, Self-Defence, Into Action, Animal Attack

A lot of this chapter pertains to Europe as far as the law is concerned. But, still, the information is food for thought and you should be familiar with the laws concerning self-defense where you live.
There is a good section on self-defense and another on dangerous animals such as poisonous snakes and other animals and insects. Vectors are included in this chapter. The section on signs is interesting. The meaning is pretty much the same as the signs in this country so I would imagine there is a worldwide standard.

10. Terrorism - Terrorist Threat, Bombs, Hijack/Kidnap, Under Fire, Risk Limitation, Bullet/Blastproofing

This is a timely topic. There is a lot of very good information in this chapter.

11. Disasters - Natural Disasters, Earthquake, Volcano, Hurricane, Tornado, Flood, Lightning, Drought, The Big Freeze

This is pretty much self explanatory. Important information for recognizing and dealing with these threats.

12. Health - Take Control, Childhood Diseases, Serious Diseases/Disorders, Genetic Disorders, Respiratory Problems, Eating Disorder, Food Hygiene,  Tropical Diseases, STD's, Parasites, Pets & Your Health, Bites/Stings, Substance Abuse, Emergencies, Save a Life!

This is a very good chapter on health and dealing with sickness or injury. On most diseases/disorders it has symptoms and action to take. It  gives a brief but thorough description of the maladies.

The book doesn't have an index but the way the chapters are arranged makes it easy to find whatever subject you are looking for. I am impressed with this book and I can tell a lot of work went into it. I give it a 10. Good job, John.

Gorilla warfare or what the USPS does to packages.

I just got home and the mail man left a book I ordered from Paperback Swap. I was stunned. This isn't the first time its happened and its been a lot more than books. I had a box arrive empty with the side missing. They marked it confirmed delivery and left it at my door step. That was a hard one to work out with the company that sent me the product. Other packages have arrived looking like they went through a 5 year Euro soccer fest. Come on, guys, aint we paying you enough? I know a lot of fellow vets who work for the USPS and tell horror stories about the crappy conditions and rotten supervision at some places, but these are things people spent good money and time on. Be careful, huh?

What happened?

Anger management, maybe?

"slight damage to the packageing. everythings ok, carry on......."

Might be a little rough to read.

This happened before. At least this is only a quarter way through the book.

A Good Library

 A good library is important if you seek knowledge about primitive skills, survival, and preparedness. This is part of my library. This doesn't show the two cases of downloaded e-books and files on DVD's. Also missing are all my Bible & related books and books on primitive skills, some tree and plant books and a bunch of military manuals.

Primitive/Survival skills thoughts, news, and some new books

The saddest news first. I'm sure you have read that Ron Hood passed away in his sleep. He left his wife Karen and son Jesse and I want everyone to pray for them. What a loss. I have a few things in common with Ron and only meet him once back in the early 80's at a rendezvous type of deal called Rabbit Stick. We got to chat a little and we both found out we are veterans of the same military unit. I served later than Ron and never met him in service. We were a very closed mouth organization and Ron has written a little about it on his website. Hey Ron! ASA all the way, brother and we will surely miss you! Rest in eternal peace.

I have finally settled in and am dealing/dealt with a few bumps in the road as far as my health. Its been a very busy spring and summer. Summer here in the valley is not very pleasant. 110 in the shade sucks no matter if its dry or humid. But, I can always go up to the mountains and cool off. We got a record breaking snowfall this year and it isn't going to melt off before the next snow season begins. From 11,000 to 14,000 feet there is still a lot of snow and the waterfalls and creeks will run all year. The local river just 10 minutes bike ride north of me is running fast and freezing. Already several people have died from being careless in the rivers coming down from the Sierra's. That water is very fast, very deep and freezing cold. Even in 102 degree heat I could only stand in the water ankle deep for a few minutes until it was down right painful cold. The farmers sure need this water and as long as the idiots in government stop fooling around with "allotments" the crops and farms should be very good this year.

I've noticed the big Himalayan  black berries are doing just fine and I've seen some berries at least an inch long and half an inch across. Tasty! Too bad they are an invader. They do push out the native plants and are extremely painful plants to deal with. They have many sharp thorns and cutting them out with a machete or such is no fun even with the best of heavy leather gloves and riding chaps to protect your legs. The difference between them and the native black berry is this: Native has a three leaf cluster, soft thorns, and a round stem. The berries aren't as big as the Himalayan but just as good tasting. The Himalayan has a 5 sided stem, leaves in clusters of 5 and hard, painful, backward pointing thorns that remind me very much of my cat, Nutcat.

There were some new books (at least new to me) at Borders. I picked up a copy of: "Native American Hunting, Fighting, and Survival Tools by Monte Burch ISBN 978-1-59921-093-3, Bug Out by Scott Williams ISBN 978-1-56975-781-9, Wilderness Survival Handbook by Michael Pewtherer ISBN 978-0-07-148467-1, and the DK Survival Handbook by Colin Towell ISBN 978-0-7566-7011-5. The book by Burch is a good guide to constructing various tools and weapons and does a thorough job explaining most of them. It leaves a few things out but that's why there are other books on the subject. I give Monte an A+.
Bug Out by Williams is an interesting book and I was surprised to see that he and I agree on some common ground such as: stay the hell away from National Parks in a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenario and the national forests are a fine place to seek cover. He goes into detail about the areas of the country which he has broken down into 8 regions. I like his thinking on survival and "bugging out". He gets an A+ from the Ronmeister.
Wilderness Survival Handbook:Primitive Skills for Short-Term Survival and Long-Term Comfort. The title says it all. I love practicing primitive skills and this book explains a lot of them that I'm very comfortable with and a lot of new twists. It has a good selection of modern survival/camping topics as well. Another A+.
 I was very pleasantly surprised when I picked up a copy of the DK Survival Handbook at my local Costco. Just reading it for 10 minutes told me that the writer was not a poser like some out there. He knew his beans and how to cook them. It covers a lot of ground and as with all DK publications its heavily illustrated and the pictures and drawings are first class. And to top it off, its a licensed product of the Boy Scouts of America. I like these kinds of survival books because they relate to camping and hiking as well as extreme survival. Another A+. I think the reason I have been into survival and preparedness all these years is the primitive skills aspect I love so much. Survival skills have a lot in common with primitive skills. I do enjoy using and relying on modern tools and technology, but knowing how to do some of it the "old fashioned way" is a kicker. What a thrill to pick up a tree limb and a rock and make something both useful and beautiful. And the fact that nameless thousands have been doing the same thing for thousands of years boggles the imagination. To them it wasn't survival. It was thriving.

Also a warning: there is an author out there who writes some really dangerous crap posing as survival information. Things such as "all poke weed is edible" which is a deadly misconception. The very first growth not exceeding 2-3 inches and showing absolutely NO purple on the stem is safe. I don't even mess with it even tho its common just about everywhere. Some people love collecting and eating it. More power to them. My choice:why risk it? He's written some other eyebrow raising things like cannibalism in a survival situation. That's just plain wrong. Period. I'll eat a damn raw rat before I even think of dinning on my fellow man. Any way I don't need a law suite but I have written about this character before on this blog. He even has a cute little knife with his moniker and its about as useless as his books.Posers..........
 

Survival-Primitive Skills-Preparedness at Scribd

If you don't know already, there is a great site where you can download tons of information on survival/preparedness. Its called Scribd and I would suggest becoming a member. Here's a link: http://www.scribd.com/
Some of my favorite uploaders are TNT CrazyLady link: http://www.scribd.com/TNTCrazyLady Buckonbeach link: http://www.scribd.com/buckonbeach and haraoi_conal link: http://www.scribd.com/haraoi_conal  and last but not least-RonLayton link: http://www.scribd.com/ronlayton
These folks post lots of good stuff on subjects we're interested in. If you put keywords into the search box you can spend hours looking over the results. Enjoy!

A new magazine! The New Pioneer-The Complete Guide to Self Reliant Living

I heard about this magazine a while back at Bushcraft USA or Survival Podcast forum. Its called The New Pioneer and is put out by Country Almanac. It cost all of $9.95 and this is the premier issue. There are 130 pages. Heres whats inside: articles on self reliance, seed saving, living off the land, meat raising and butchering, farming/gardening in general, knives, survival kits, tools, blacksmithing and a lot more. It has a section called "Internet Guide" that covers a good selection of different sites related to preparedness. I recommend picking up a copy. I'm certainly glad I did. Its full of useful information and who knows, you may get someone else interested in our lifestyle if they see you reading it and ask you a few questions.

Book review: "How to Survive Anywhere" by Christopher Nyerges

I bought a copy of this book at Borders and I'm very pleased with it. Instead of the usual litter shelters, stick compass's and other common survival topics, this book goes quite beyond the norm. It does cover these items but it covers things you wouldn't find in most survival guides. It has a good balance of primitive skills and modern techniques. It has a lot of how to projects such as a capote, solar box cooker, water filter and water storage techniques. There are also bark containers, cooking tips, hygiene, a pack made from plans and other useful items.

One thing I like is at the end of each chapter he makes a chart showing different items discussed in the chapter with pro's, con's and comments on each one.

Christopher Nyerges is the editor of Wilderness Way magazine, runs the School of Self Reliance and has written many other books and articles.

Heres a breakdown of the contents:

Water
Fire, Lighting, Energy
Health and Hygiene
Clothing and Shelter
The World is Tied Together with Fiber
Food
Tools and Weapons
First Aid
Navigation
What is Survival?

On the down side, some may view the book as an area exclusive one due to the many plants discussed such as agave, yucca, soaproot, etc. Granted these are western plants, but, the information and techniques discussed in the book can be used anywhere in the world.

I give this book an A+ rating and highly suggest you buy a copy.

Paper Back Swap

You may have noticed the little button at the bottom of the page called "Paper Back Swap". This is an online book club I belong to. Here's how it works. You register an account for free and list all the books you want to offer. Here's the good news. You can list paper backs, hard cover's and audio tapes or disk's. When someone wants one of the books you have you respond to the request and mail it off. All you pay for is the postage. You can download the shipping label and print it out. When the person receives your book you get a credit so that you can request a book. So far I have received "Survival Skills of the North American Indians" by Goodchild and "Basketry Today with Materials from Nature" by Meilach & Menagh. I have seen listed "Outdoor Survival Skills" by Olsen and several others of interest to the readers of this blog. You can set up a daily digest by category and it will arrive in your email. At present there are more than 2.5 million books listed covering just about everything. If you decide to join please refer my name and email address so I can get the credit if you would. I hope you consider this club. I think its very worthwhile.

Survival books

There are a lot of survival and primitive skills books on the market today. I've managed to take a look at most of them. Some are pretty good and some are just plain boring. Its my opinion that a book that goes into detail about a particular skill - and is well illustrated - is much more valuable than one that merely describes it. I realize that space is limited in most books. Some go into decent detail about certain subjects but there are no photos or illustrations. This is of no help to someone who is just starting to learn skills. However, there are a few books that I wouldn't be without.

My all time favorite books are the two written by John and Geri McPherson. They are "Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness" and "Primitive Wilderness Skills, Applied & Advanced". These are actually the compilation of a series of booklets John put out in the 80's. I first saw these booklets at a Native American store in Denver, Colorado in 1988. I was hooked! When the two books mentioned above came out I was even more thrilled. The great thing about these books is the detail of description and the illustrations. And, as John mentioned, he tried all these methods and what he wrote about works. He went through a lot of trial and error because there wasn't a lot available at that time. Most of the material available was untried, "I heard it from so and so", or very vague. These books are worth owning. Even if you have a working knowledge of the skills presented, I think you may pick up some additional tricks from these two.

On Amazon, I recently found the book "Ultimate Guide to Wilderness Living: Surviving with Nothing But Your Bare Hands and What You Find in the Woods" by John and Geri. I haven't had a chance to review it but I think its an abridged version of the above two books. I'm ordering it and will do a write up in the future.

The third book is "Bushcraft" by Mors Kochanski. Like the McPherson books, it to is well illustrated and the written description is excellent. I picked up my first copy several years ago and its another I won't part with. It compliments the McPherson books by covering modern tools.

Another nice thing about these three books is that they are the same size (8 1/2 X 5 1/2) and fit nicely into a backpack or BOB.

Books like FM 21-76, U.S. Army survival manual and similar works are still good to read but they just don't go into enough detail. The material we have available today is a far cry from when I first caught the bug. I had available such works as "Outdoorsmans Handbook" by Clyde Ormund 1963 and "Complete Book of Camping" by Leonard Miracle and Maurice Decker 1961. These books are where I first learned about such mysteries as bow drills for fire and snares.

Here are some links to these books at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Outdoorsmans-Handbook-Clyde-Ormond/dp/B000UE4H46/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220684153&sr=1-10

http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220684796&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Primitive-Wilderness-Living-Survival-Skills/dp/0967877776/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1CCE6TYPG88J6&colid=65M7S4TMQ0YQ

http://www.amazon.com/Primitive-Wilderness-Skills-Applied-Advanced/dp/0967877784/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1PZ5EUYH79U4J&colid=65M7S4TMQ0YQ

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Wilderness-Living-Surviving/dp/1569756503/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3VM3Q0FTGJHWH&colid=65M7S4TMQ0YQ

http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Life-Complete-Book-Camping/dp/B0017ZM1IG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220685208&sr=8-7

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