[pocomoonskyeyes]

Oh I don't know. It's sometimes good for old themes to be revived... You could've gotten a new one that you liked better than one you had listed before. New people come along and don't research the old threads,and are curious. Wonder just how many "Best survival knife" threads there are? Too many to read in just one night I'm sure.
My favorite is and has been Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen. Still haven't checked them all out though. But I think for "pure wilderness survival" it is one of the best. Covers all you really need to know assuming that you have absolutely nothing but your clothes. More of mountain Man or Native American style survival skills. (My idols, and probably why it is my Fav)
Still like CW said, stop in at POG and post it there too.

[SwampRat1]

one of my favorite's is the us army special forces survival manual for just pure survival. Get's right to the point. But the numerous books on plants and their uses, while not usually classified as survival manuels, are also indispensable, along with a number of other books that are not generally considered. "survival books"

[crazydave]

its sometimes good to cycle a subject as if you make it a sticky like on some sites you end up wading through 60 pages.

[elpidi0526]

I have to say -- and I'm positive that crazydave will undoubtedly agree with me on this -- the greatest of all survival manuals are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

For self-preservation-geared survival?...hmm...that's a tough one.

I'd say it's a toss up between one of the following:

1.) SAS Survival Handbook
2.) U.S. Armed Forces Survival Handbook
3.) Bushcraft (Mors Kochanski)

...and 4.) Ulysses by James Joyce -- because if one can survive through reading the entire book, one can survive through anything.

Hey dave, which group would you consider the elite of elites: The Navy Seals or that ragtag confluence of wannabe-soldiers that you guys call the SAS?

I've always loved these vids -- watched all 7 episodes.

(The following is just Part 1 or 6 of Episode #1)

[crazydave]

next time I read the 'american colonies bumper guide to tax dodging and introduction to pre-communist insurgency' I'll try to find the edible plant guide - is it at the back? I thought it was a pullout from the first mad magazine!

the SAS guide stuff is pretty funny to watch, even more so if you find and watch the SAS are you tough enough series. I met a couple of the now presenters a long time back and you wouldnt mess with them. even now I'd not hesitate to run away. I've met seals as well even swapped a knife off one. the good thing about the SAS is that they just dont look like the movie ideal of special forces people like eddie stone and john macaliesh have changed little since their days with 'them'. any one who's served will tell you of the little fat sargeant who could run them into the ground after drinking them under the table the night before.

Done some SAS training and its tough but land based untill you join a sub unit and specialise, seen and read about the SEAL regime and I dont think I would have liked all those sand baths and I've never been one for all those 'who yas' or however they are called out. Closer is our SBS which is more secretive, naval orientated and is made up of serving royal marine commandos who can only do 3 years at a time. passed the commando course 20 years ago and that was tough enough. the SAS is disproportionately paratroopers now as the ds staff are a bit bias. the 6 month training rotation means you shoud allways have guys up to speed on specific area skills but the antiterror stuff has diluted it down so the reserve/national guard units are better suited for stay behind/lrrp/cops duties which is what I used to do as part of an artillery unit once I'd passed the selection. my course was run by the paras and sas till they where able to go in house. wiengarten was fun though. SEAL training seems very shouty compared to the SAS version where you are left to meet the challenge under your own efforts. the SAS improvise fromt he start though like the rest of the army which is one thing I think makes the US forces on the whole a bit weaker. I'm allways reminded of the story of the colonel who was apparently sacked when an exaspered westmorland asked him how they could win the war - the reply being to stick everyone from general down into tents for the duration and keep them there till it was over.

the thing I dont like about special forces is the way they've been hyped up by the press and have started to believe it themselves. I've met a lot of soldier specialists who were much better but just couldnt run as far. the last army who ran into battle were the Zulu's and they lost. 5 miles was allways my limit but I could cycle or walk with ruck all day and still be able to stand stag all night which a lot of the runners couldnt do.

by contrast the two set of green berets US and UK are a much more proffessional body I reckon and if a straight fight was in order I'd be happy with a set of either. If I had to go for SF again then I'd have liked to try the PJ role but we dont have those.

They reckoned the SAS was 600 bodies short so created the SRR to meet the need for the CTR/COP/LRRP demands the idea being they call in the 'killers' when required. the SRR is probably the closest to what I did in 4/73.

for pure soldier though you'ld be hard pushed to match the legionaires who are I reckon closer to the 5th SOG standard than anyone else.

oddly we never managed to produce as funny a film as navy seals or the straight to video sequels but if you get chance then check out ultimate force or ultimate farce as its known here :) the film industry is very poetic but remember that the camera never lies and one pensionable ex 1960's vintage SAS guy survived longer than the seals or recon marines in 'the rock'!

[elpidi0526]

Originally Posted by crazydave

next time I read the 'american colonies bumper guide to tax dodging and introduction to pre-communist insurgency' I'll try to find the edible plant guide - is it at the back?

Yeah, I think so. I think it's the section entitled "Plucking the Queen's Flower"...a how-to guide, or sorts, in ascertaining the edibles within the royal gardens.

Originally Posted by crazydave

the SAS guide stuff is pretty funny to watch, even more so if you find and watch the SAS are you tough enough series. I met a couple of the now presenters a long time back and you wouldnt mess with them. even now I'd not hesitate to run away.

I did watch that Tough Enough series with Eddie. At least only the first season...did they make more than one? I remember the black guy getting out of the pool training session and saying he quit because "I got bored." Yeah, right.

Yeah, they're the real deal, all right. Run away? Yeah, I'd have to agree. Not that I lack courage so much as having a profound sense of realism. And we are into survival, aren't we? :)

[kevin]

Originally Posted by elpidi0526

I'd say it's a toss up between one of the following:

1.) SAS Survival Handbook
2.) U.S. Armed Forces Survival Handbook
3.) Bushcraft (Mors Kochanski)

never read #2; but #1 and #3 are my top two in reverse order.

[crazydave]

its in the public domain with a gazillion download sites with it on, they recently updated it and added a picture section.

I have a 1956 SAC manual thats got some fascinating stuff listed you can do with bits of plane, buckles etc..

one of the most interesting being the making of socks/booties by skinning and animal and keeping the knee sections of the skin complete, all you need to do is sew up the toe section. the idea being the knee bit acts as the heel.

[Foxfire]

Swamprat I know your not talking about the FM 21 -76 manual. Guess I will have to see about procuring a copy of that one.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Originally Posted by SwampRat1

one of my favorite's is the us army special forces survival manual for just pure survival. Get's right to the point. But the numerous books on plants and their uses, while not usually classified as survival manuels, are also indispensable, along with a number of other books that are not generally considered. "survival books"

You know SR1 you brought up a very valid point. Once I learned enough bushcraft and survival shelter,traps,fire making,etc The thing that I really started concerning myself with was Edible Plants. I am ALWAYS looking for new additions in this area. I don't look so much for"survival books" per se, unless they can teach something I don't already know or come at it from an unique angle. But Edible Plant guides I ALWAYS pick up and look at really hard. Same thing with Bush medicine and medicinal plants. As Dave Canterbury, said it becomes not so much a matter of "Survival" as wilderness self reliance. I would like to become REALLY self reliant in the Wilderness.