The Wilderness Survival Guide
by Joe O'Leary
The smell of woodsmoke stirs something deep inside most people. It's not all that long ago that this smell was part of every day life. Our 21st century life gives us warmth and light at the flick of a switch, shelter, most of us food whenever we want it, water with the turn of the tap and travel without getting sore feet, yet so many people are drawn back to wild places despite these comforts. It seems that we can't get the wilderness out of our systems!
When we explore these wild places we are only visitors, we carry small lightweight versions of our comfortable lives with us on our backs. Without these knick-knacks life in the wilds would seem harsh, maybe even impossible yet not so long ago our beds, shelter, warmth, food and water came from the wilds itself.
Joe O'Leary's book 'The Wilderness Survival Guide' combines up to date outdoor training with realistic and achievable skills from our past. Joe focusses on tried and tested techniques that can be applied successfully in most environments and describes in straightforward steps how to keep yourself safe and stay comfortable outdoors, how to build a shelter that will really keep you warm, set a trap that will really catch food, forage for plants that will really feed and nourish you and build a fire that will really light in all weathers.
Being prepared for the great outdoors mentally as well as physically is key. In challenging situations, preparedness, having confidence in your own abilities and the adaptable mindset gained from spending time in nature can be just as much of a life-saver as the most expensive equipment.
The Wilderness Survival Guide focusses on the re-learning of wilderness survival techniques as enjoyable, universal 'life skills' rather than being only applicable in an emergency. Written in clear, easy to follow text, this book will enhance any outdoor experience from a short hike in the local countryside to an extended wild camping trip far from home.
Available from various online and high street bookshops and outdoor clothing and equipment retailers.
'A good read, written by someone who loves the woods'
Amazon review, 1st Feb 2013