While there are many courses and tutorials online, learning from a book is still one of the best ways to greatly improve your skills. Below I have selected top Outdoor Survival books.
1. Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival (2014)
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…
2. Outdoor Survival Skills (1997)
Outdoor Survival Skills has taught three generations of wilderness adventurers how to survive in nature without expensive purchased equipment, instead drawing on knowledge of the land and carefully tested techniques, many of them ancient, for finding or creating shelter, fire, tools, water, and plant and animal foods. In this new edition, anecdotes from the author’s lifetime of experience provide thrilling examples of the skills and attitudes that ensure survival outdoors. #195,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #454 in Hiking & Camping Instructional Guides #75 in Outdoor Survival Skills #214 in Safety & First…
3. The Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual (2017)
What if you were dropped in the woods with little more than a knife, your wits, and the (hopefully warm) shirt on your back? Could you survive? If you’d read this book, the answer is yes! Survival! It’s one of our most primal fears, most basic needs. What do you do when everything is stripped away except your will to prevail? In this book, survival expert Tim MacWelch examines how native peoples around the world and throughout history have made their own shelter, weapons, tools, and more, and well as clever MacGuyver-esque ideas for using anything you might find in your pockets or pack….
4. The Ultimate Survival Manual (Outdoor Life Extreme Edition) (2016)
This updated and extreme edition of the popular, bestselling 2012 title is what you need if you want to protect your family, save yourself, and prevail over any danger. With the most up-to-date tips and the expert advice from the professionals at Outdoor Life magazine, The Ultimate Survival Manual is your comprehensive guide to surviving everything. With high-quality design, intricate detail, and a durable flexicover—this manual is the perfect gift!You're lost in the woods without food or water. Confronted by an armed assailant in the dead of night. Forced to outrun a deadly…
5. The Survival Handbook: Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure (2012)
From planning an expedition, to packing essential kits, to discovering what to do on a trail, The Survival Handbook is an invaluable tool when you’re in the great outdoors. Among a myriad of outdoor skills, it teaches readers how to make shelters, find water, and spot, catch, and cook wild food. And if there’s an emergency, it shows which essential first-aid techniques to use when, how to mount a rescue, and even how to get yourself found. Now in Paperback! #188,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #434 in Hiking & Camping Instructional Guides #72 in Outdoor Survival Skills #297 in Survival & Emergency Preparedness Would…
6. The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First Aid (2017)
The collection includes: : The primer to wilderness survival based on the author’s 5Cs of Survivability (cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages) Takes it to the next level with self-reliance skills that teach you how to survive with little to no equipment Provides everything you need to know about packing, finding, and preparing food while trekking Written with Jason A. Hunt, PhD, it’s the go-to first aid resource for anyone headed into the woods With this boxed set, you’ll be prepped and ready for your next outdoor adventure—wherever it takes you! #7,665 in…
7. SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere (2014)
The ultimate guide to surviving anywhere, now updated with more than 100 pages of additional material, including a new chapter on urban survival “A classic outdoor manual [that] addresses every conceivable disaster scenario. Don’t leave home without it”–Outside magazineRevised 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 campcraft and navigation to fear…
8. The Complete Survival Shelters Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Life-saving Structures for Every Climate and Wilderness Situation (2015)
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUILDING PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERIENCED OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS ALIKEYou can survive a couple of weeks without food and a few days without water, but in some cases, you would be lucky to survive one night without shelter.With structures ideally suited for any weather condition, this book presents emergency shelter designs built from a variety of elements, including 100 percent gathered items, a combination of natural and store-bought supplies and even durable construction materials.The author offers helpful tips and techniques for mastering your…
9. Bushcraft First Aid: A Field Guide to Wilderness Emergency Care (2017)
Out in the woods or on top of a mountain, there’s no calling 9-1-1. Bushcraft First Aid teaches you how to be your own first responder. The authors’ years of experience and training will help hikers and backpackers deal with a variety of emergency situations, from cuts and burns to broken bones and head injuries. You’ll also learn what to pack and how to make bandages, dressings, and slings at a moment’s notice. As bushcraft experts, Canterbury and Hunt explain how to use plants as medicine to treat various conditions. Bushcraft…
10. The Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual: 221 Primitive & Wilderness Survival Skills (2014)
A manual for the modern hunter-gatherer, Outdoor Life 's Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual will teach you everything you need to know about foraging, hunting, and cooking in the wild. From finding wild edible plants to subsistence hunting, you'll learn how to live off the land while hunting like a caveman—and eating like a king. With high-quality design, intricate detail, and a durable flexicover—this manual is the perfect gift! Whether you’re using modern weapons, old-fashioned snares, or your own two hands, this book will show you the amazing…
Best Outdoor Survival Books Worth Your Attention
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Genesis and download some outdoor survival books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
The Ultimate Wilderness Survival Handbook: 172 Ultimate Tips and Tricks
Author(s): The Editors of Outdoor Life
Publisher: Weldon Owen, Year: 2016, Size: 18 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 2336148
Outdoor Life: Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual: 221 Primitive & Wilderness Survival Skills
Author(s):
Publisher: Weldon Owen, Year: 2014, Size: 16 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 2076668
The Survival Handbook: Essential Skills for Outdoor Adventure
Author(s): Colin Towell
Publisher: DK, Year: 2012, Size: 45 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 1321604
Outdoor Safety & Survival
Author(s): Mike Nash
Publisher: Rocky Mountain Books, Year: 2012, Size: 13 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1531114
Outdoor Life: The Ultimate Survival Manual: 333 Skills that Will Get You Out Alive
Author(s): Johnson, Richard
Publisher: Weldon Owen, Year: 2012, Size: 9 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 2073163
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide: The Ultimate Guide for Short-Term Survival
Author(s): J. Wayne Fears
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Year: 2011, Size: 4 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1118242
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide
Author(s): J. Wayne Fears
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Year: 2011, Size: 8 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1339902
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are truly hot items according to Washington Post, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.