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.

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.

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

Thanks for reading my blog.