Recommended: Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere Alive

book cover to Survive! by Les StroudSurvive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere Alive

Most of you know that I’m a huge fan of Les Stroud, creator of the Discovery Channel TV series Surviorman. Many of you don’t know that Les has passionately pursued the art and science of survival for years. When he and his wife were first married, they lived off the land in a primitive bush shelter for a year. Recently they built up a small compound in Ontario where all electricity is generated on site (he documented that experience in Off the Grid, worth the 1.5 hour watch). And now, Les has written THE quintessential guide to survival.

Les covers survival topics on survival kits and being prepared, setting priorities, finding water and food, starting firing, building shelters, signaling, navigation, and home bound survival and does so with simple, common sense suggestions. For example:

  1. You sweat, you die
  2. Eat snow if you’re out moving around and creating lots of body heat. It’ll help hydrate you and lower your core temperature.
  3. If its between drinking contaminated water and nothing at all, drink the contaminated water. Parasites may take weeks to affect you, but dehydration can kill you in as little as 3 days.

Best of all, Les has DONE it for years. I consider myself blessed to study at the feet of this real survivor, even if through video and books. If I’m ever lost and in survival mode, I hope to remember the lessons I’ve learned from reading Survive! and watching Surviorman. Or at least have a few pages of Survive! with me. Thanks again Les!