Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival

Everything you wish the Scouts had taught you...Reminds you of 1950’s red flannel, grey wool stockings, fragrant woodsmoke, spiced brandy in a flask, & a favorite pipe. Buy it for technical specifics with detailed, original line drawn illustrations and let it transport you back to the golden era of camping.

This book is an excellent survival manual, although it is specifically focused on survival in the north woods of canada, ie. Boreal forest, or Taiga (In fact, the previous edition was titled Northern Bushcraft). The line-drawing illustrations are very good at conveying the concepts. Knife and axe-craft are a large part of this book because knowing how to work wood in these cold northern forests is key to both long and short-term survival there. But, there is also much more that makes the book a comprehensive survival guide. Many survival manuals go over the generalities of wilderness survival in many different climates, and many others are focused on 'primitive skills' type of wilderness survival. This book is rather unique in its specific focus on the Boreal forest environment and woodcraft, but it is definitely a classic survival manual, and highly recommended.

i think this is a great book for someone who already knows a good bit about wilderness survival...kochanski does a great job of digging deeper into firecraft, shelter, axe and knifecraft...more detail than you'll find in most places and good stuff for the diehard fans of outdoor skills...but as far as a wilderness survival manual, i wouldn't rely on it...not at all comprehensive and doesn't cover many important basics...don't get me wrong! i really like the book a lot and consider it one of the best in the outdoor skills genre...but it's more for folks who already have a good basis in wilderness survival skills...as far as the "outdoor skills" part, it's definitely 5 stars...mr. kochanski says straight off that space limitations didn't allow him to cover other areas...i would REALLY like to see a "bushcraft 2" which covers other topics, and perhaps more than moose and hares!

If you live in the northern climes you are a fool not to get this book. If you live anywhere else it will still be invaluable! Really good thorough and easy to follow instructions on axemanship, knifecraft, fire-making, shelter building, cordage & rope, bark containers, working with birch, conifers, willows, moose and snow! A bestseller in Canada, with a cult following in the US.

The first reviewer has really said it all. I have also found that EVERYTHING in this book works. I have found myself in a few unexpected circumsatnces that have required the knowledge that this book taught me and I am here to write about it.I hear the author of this book is writing another comprehensive and exhaustive book on the same subject. I will be first on line to pick it up if his first book is any indication of his knowledge, and I know it is.

After years of being an outdoor enthusiast, I have finally found a book that gives practical, well thought out, easy to follow explanations of techniques of survival and practical outdoor skills. All too often I have found that survival skills authors seem to simply lift a technique from a book written by someone else 20 years before. It doesn't seem to matter if it works or not, or whether the conditions have to be exactly right for it to work, they just paste it into their books. It has become obvious that most of the authors have never even tried many of the tecniques since the techniques they write about don't work or need such specific conditions to work that you never find the exact right conditions in which to use the techniques. This book is different.Every single skill presented is detailed and clear. They have all worked for me in REAL conditions. It is obvious that the author has not only written about the skills, but has spent long hours LIVING the skills and perfecting them. There is advice and observations that I have found nowhere else, another good indication that the author has written from experience rather than from reading what other people have already written and regurgitating outdated or worthless knowledge (and knowledge that doesn't work becomes dangerous in the bush). His attention to detail (he even drew all the drawings in the book himself)and his great concern for safety in performance of the skills goes unmatched. I would hardily recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel a little safer when they may be faced with an unexpected emergency, whether you are a backpacker, mountaineer, camper, outdoor enthusiast, or simply driving in your vehicle in a snow storm. This book could save your life one day, when you least expect it.