We live in a chaotic world, a world filled with fear and trepidation. Since the beginning of time, it has always been a fight or flight mentality. All you have to do is look at history, better yet, current events: The threat of COVID, Global Climate Change, Population Growth, and of course the so-called Dooms Day Clock are just a few events that keep humanity on edge. The “End Of The World” scenario has also plagued humanity since the beginning as well, I mean you have always had someone predicting our demise in one form or another. Then on top of that, you have all these books and movies showing how truly screwed that humanity is.
Is it any wonder that people might be a little……Paranoid? With all this going on, is it really so hard to understand why more and more people in the world are becoming self-reliant and joining the “prepper” movement, also known as Survivalism?
My family and I have read many books and watched a lot of survival shows over the years, and as my wife said, “Since we live in uncertain times, I believe now more than ever it’s best to have a survival strategy in place, it is better to have one and not need it vs not having one and needing it”
Below are a few top selections of books that will cover almost anything pertaining to survival!
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere
“A classic outdoor manual [that] addresses every conceivable disaster scenario. Don’t leave home without it”–Outside magazine
The ultimate guide to surviving anywhere, now updated with more than 100 pages of additional material, including a new chapter on urban survival
Revised to reflect the latest in survival knowledge and technology, and covering new topics such as urban survival and terrorism, the multimillion-copy worldwide bestseller SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman is the definitive resource for all campers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers. From basic camp craft and navigation to fear management and strategies for coping with any type of disaster, this complete course includes:
Being prepared: Understanding basic survival skills, like reading the weather, and preparation essentials, such as a pocket survival kit.
Making camp: Finding the best location, constructing the appropriate shelter, organizing camp, staying warm, and creating tools.
Food: What to eat, what to avoid, where to find it, and how to prepare it.
First aid: A comprehensive course in emergency/wilderness medicine, including how to maximize survival in any climate or when injured.
Disaster survival: How to react in the face of natural disasters and hostile situations—and how to survive if all services and supplies are cut off.
Self-defense: Arming yourself with basic hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Security: Protecting your family and property from intrusion, break-ins, and theft.
Climate & terrain: Overcoming any location, from the tropics to the poles, from the desert to the mountains and sea.
BUSHCRAFT 101–A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
$18.99 USD
The ultimate resource for experiencing the backcountry!
Written by survivalist expert Dave Canterbury, Bushcraft 101 gets you ready for your next backcountry trip with advice on making the most of your time outdoors. Based on the 5Cs of Survivability–cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages–this valuable guide offers only the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings and truly experience the beauty and thrill of the wilderness. Inside, you’ll also discover detailed information on:
-Choosing the right items for your kit.
-Manufacturing needed tools and supplies.
-Collecting and cooking food.
-Protecting yourself from the elements.
With Canterbury’s guidance, you’ll not only prepare yourself for any climate and situation, but you’ll also learn how to use the art of bushcraft to reconnect with nature in ways you’ve never imagined.
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
There are some survival books that go well past the practical skills that you need to survive and this book does exactly that, by looking at the whole survival aspect from a different angle. The biggest focus of the book isn’t on survival techniques, but more importantly, it takes a look at the mentality needed for surviving.
The way you react to a survival situation will determine your chances of surviving greatly. If you want to look at the psychology of surviving just as much as you want to know practical skills, this is a must-have for your survival book list.
“Deep Survival is by far the best book on the many insights into epic survival stories I have ever read.”
― Daryl Miller, former chief mountaineering ranger, Denali National Park & Preserve
98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive!
A destined underground classic, 98.6: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive is a nonstop thrill ride, jam-packed with commonsense modern survival skills for the backcountry, the backyard, or the highway. Author Cody Lundin, founder, and director of the nationally recognized Aboriginal Living Skills School shares his own brand of wilderness wisdom based on the unique principle of keeping the body’s core temperature at a lively 98.6 degrees.
In his no-nonsense and informative style-paired with outrageously hip visuals-Cody stresses that a human can live without food for weeks, and without water for several days. But if the body’s core temperature dips much below or above the 98.6-degree mark, a person can literally die within hours. It is a concept that many don’t take seriously or even consider, but knowing what to do to maintain a safe core temperature when visiting the great outdoors could save your life.
Delivered with wit, rebellious humor, and plenty of backcountry expertise, 98.6: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive is destined to not only entertain but to empower the reader with practical advice, information, and detailed instructions on how to create an effective modern-day survival kit using simple, easy-to-find items.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere
The first is “Sustenance.” In this section, you’ll learn how to identify, collect, and prepare foods in the wild. This includes how to kill game without a gun and how to find edible plants. There are full-color illustrations for simplicity.
The next section, “Warmth,” teaches you how to build an effective shelter and stay safe from the elements outside. Learn how to use natural resources to stay out of the cold!
The two final sections are “Orientation,” and “Safety.” The former section provides essential information every survivalist needs. It can teach you how to get your bearings and make your way to safety. Meanwhile, the last section will provide you with information on how to stay safe during your endeavors.
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for Any Disaster
No one knows what the next disaster will be: earthquake, Coronavirus, flu epidemic, flood, terrorist attack. But everyone should know how to survive a medical emergency if a medical professional isn’t available. From Dr. Joe Alton and Amy Alton ARNP comes an updated edition of their bestseller The Survival Medicine Handbook. This unique medical book is meant to enable the average person to handle injuries and illness in situations in which modern medical facilities and professionals aren’t available due to a disaster. This book is written by America’s top medical preparedness experts: Joe Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, ARNP. Their mission: to put a medically prepared person in every family for when medical help is not on the way. Using decades of medical experience, they address, in plain language, dozens of medical issues associated with surviving disasters and epidemics. The Altons also discuss the medical supplies needed to become a medical asset to your family and community as well as alternative and natural strategies for when pharmaceuticals aren’t available. Topics include:
- Appendicitis and Conditions that Mimic It
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
- Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis
- Head Injuries
- Animal Bites
- Snake Bites
- Head injuries
- Kidney Stones
- Dislocations and Fractures
- Nosebleeds
- Pain Medications
- Natural Pain Relief
- And much much more!
Most medical books will send you to the doctor or hospital when an emergency happens. The Altons assume that the worst might actually happen–that the average person could be left without medical help in a disaster. With their book, you can keep your family healthy in times of trouble.
Rather than being another passive read to set on the shelf beside your edible plant references and the seven other survival books, this interactive book will help you to actively prepare your food, water, and supplies, and it will teach you the value of the human spirit amidst the most terrifying and deadly circumstances.
Here is just a fraction of what you’ll learn from The Prepper’s Survival Handbook:
- 10 foods to store and how best to keep them
- How to secure clean drinking water
- What to keep in your first-aid kit and how to deliver life-saving techniques even in harsh conditions
- How to maintain a healthy and functional household during duress
- 5 ways to support your children through all that will come up for them
- How to support yourself or others with disabilities or illnesses
- 8 tips to master your mind and maintain your mental health
- A step by step plan to develop and deliver an Emergency Plan both in your household and your community
And it doesn’t stop there! Don’t be another hoarder, holed up in the pandemic of fear. Become a hero for yourself and your loved ones.
Your efforts and your vision will contribute to a world of properly prepared people who can teach, lead, and prosper regardless of what Mother Nature and mankind can throw at you!
Order this book now and find out what it takes to become a truly prepped survivalist before it’s too late.
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills
“When they said complete, they meant it. This book includes everything from how to choose a suitable piece of property for a homestead, to cutting down trees to make your own log cabin, to gardening and preserving the harvest.”
“I was looking for a good reference book on how to do things we’ve forgotten in this digital look-it-up age. This is perfect. It has everything in it! From installing solar panels to how to skin a rabbit. It doesn’t matter what page you flip to, there’s something interesting to read/learn. Highly recommend.”
“This book is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a book with a wide range of information that a pioneer person would find very useful. This book is loaded with pictures and diagrams. It is better and more complete than I anticipated.”
“I am on overload with all the information contained in this book. It’s a wonderful reference guide for everything from building a house to making crafts and planning and growing a garden.”
“Amazing book for any homesteader or anyone who’s just interested in learning new skills!”
“This is the classic book on traditional skills, crafts, and homesteading. An hour with this book will have you making plans to find your own country plot to build your farm.”
Survival Hacks: Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival
Written by an established survival expert, this book includes unique survival techniques you have never even thought of! When you’re surviving in the wilderness and have limited supplies, learning how to make gear is paramount. This outdoor survival book shows you how to do just that.
This isn’t a book that focuses on how to use existing equipment. Instead, it shows you how to fashion gear out of random objects you might have on hand or resources you can find in the wild. For example, you can learn how to make the most out of trash bags or empty soup cans!
The hacks vary quite a bit, but all of the techniques you learn are adaptable. Start small by learning how to make pocket-sized tools out of sticks and some rope. Then, work your way up to more pressing equipment, like a water purification tool made from nothing but a plastic bottle!
“Most of us need never fashion a gas mask from a soup can…. Should the need arise, you’ll be glad for a copy of Survival Hacks. Survival trainer Creek Stewart, who hosted Fat Guys in the Woods for The Weather Channel, offers tips ranging from making a cookstove from a packet of alcohol-soaked ramen to cutting a fishing lure from the shiny bits of your Visa card.”
—The Seattle Times
From national bestselling author and retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson comes the essential guide for surviving today’s emergencies—from navigating in the wild to staying alive in any disaster.
These 100 skills, adapted for civilians from actual field experiences of special forces operations, offer a complete hands-on and practical guide to help you survive in the wild no matter the climate or terrain; be prepared for any crisis; and have the critical life-saving knowledge for staying safe in any hostile environment or disaster.
Yesterday’s survival guide is no longer relevant. 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition is what you need for today’s world, combining survival hacks developed on the battlefield with the low-tech tools you have on hand. This book is your essential prep manual, from securing shelter, building fire, finding food, and navigating back to civilization no matter the environment to thinking more like a special force soldier so that you can survive a hostage situation, an active shooter, a suicide bomber, or a terrorist threat on the subway, and even apply for trauma medicine as a first responder.
This is not only a fabulous cookbook that has helped thousands of families establish a climate of joy and concern for others at mealtime, it can help you improve your nutrition and save money, too. It outlines three ways to eat more-with-less and invites us to consider the global implications of our dietary choices. There are sidebars with stories, pictures, prayers, and verses, making this truly a distinctively Christian cookbook, solid with great recipes, and wholesome, faithful ideas scattered through-out. We have some friends that have literally worn out several of these, as they are truly that useful—with simple, helpful stuff about complimentary proteins and ways to create meals that respect what is now called sustainable agriculture.
As it says on the back, these recipes are kind to your wallet, your waistline, and the larger world.
Three cheers for the Mennonite Central Committee and their good work bringing global concerns to the table in such a refreshing, pleasant way. 500 recipes!—Booknotes Blog, Hearts & Minds Books
On a final note: It is safe to say that most preppers/survivalists are trained to live and survive if or when there is an economical crash. In most scenarios, such as electricity cuts, (What no Internet or TV!? Better have books handy) water repairs, natural catastrophes, you will find that most preppers/survivalists, despite the mocking and name-calling that it brings, wouldn’t mind helping out their fellow neighbours.
Let’s face reality for a moment, when the going gets tough and shit really does hit the fan you can bet your ass that it will be everyone for themselves, and your neighbour is now your biggest threat. For preppers/survivalists this is common sense 101, because the majority of people in this world are seen as under-prepared, or not prepared at all for whatever disaster may come our way.
As Always, Thanks For Reading
Rick