Product Description

Do you have what it takes?

You’re alone in the wilderness with nothing but a knife and the clothes on your back. Will you survive? Do you have the skills to feed, clothe, and protect yourself? Mark Elbroch, a master tracker, and Mike Pewtherer, a woodland skills educator, put those questions to the test when they embarked on a 46-day, unprovisioned, unequipped journey into the dense wilderness of the northeastern United States.

Wilderness Survival is their highly practical and uniquely observant introduction to survival in the deep woods. Mark and Mike tested generally accepted truths, questioned conventional solutions, and distilled the best techniques for making fire, obtaining shelter, finding water, and hunting with primitive weapons. They give you:

• A life-saving handbook of survival skills that explores man's place in the natural world

• The secret to surviving in the wilderness as part of nature—not its adversary

• Explanations of more than 30 wilderness survival skills, including hunting and gathering food, fashioning tools, and preserving and storing food

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #219392 in Books
• Brand: Liberty Mountain
• Published on: 2006-04-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author

Mark Elbroch’s numerous books include the National Outdoor Award-winning Mammal Tracks and Sign. Mike Pewtherer has contributed to Wilderness Way magazine and has practiced and taught wilderness survival for many years through his company, Woodland Ways.

Customer Reviews

Another book description
The book description above is misleading (sounds like an advertisement for some X-treme sport)...so here's the truth of the matter. Mike and I were clothed, and brought minor provisions. For example I brought a piece of leather, and we started the first few days with a small metal bowl. We were not in dense wilderness either, but rather in a mosaic of woodland, meadow and farmlands. This is a story of countless mistakes and learning, NOT a story of mastery. And for this reason, we hope is is more inspirational.

Wilderness Survival or Shame?
The title is what made me order this book. I wanted to hone my own survival skills that I'd gathered over the years, and the context of a story rather than a guide was quit appealing. Unfortunately what I found was of little value. I must say the whole context of the book is a little hokey. While other true survivalists have been known to fly into remote areas like Alaska with just the basics, these guys simply wander off a few hiking trails in the vicinity of an urban area. One gets lonely quite quick and leaves whenever he wants. 7 days into the journey they all hit the local restaurant for pizza, then the very next day have the gall to club a baby fawn to death in the name of "survival". Later Mexican food is brought in by a girlfriend.

This is not "survival" to me, just three guys choosing to live in the woods next to a highway. There was no danger from predators, disease or hypothermia. This self-serving exercise took place in the peak of summer in a hand-picked abundant forest, with emergency services and civilization only a walk away. Yet with all the clubbing, spearing and snaring they did, there was always the usual justification for there actions in controlling excess populations of animals.

There are certainly better books on the skills to exist in the woods, better written and richer in knowledge. True survival stories are also far more rich in adventure and authentic in nature. Pass this one unless found in a clearance bin and you need fuel for a campfire.

Excellent guide
This book offers a terrific blend of the standard, "how-to" information of wilderness survival and a first-hand account of actually living it. I personally tend to absorb information much better when it's offered with personal experience. Nearly all wilderness survival guides on the market offer tons of information, but no personal experience. This book presents both in a very easy to read and enjoyable style. Five stars all the way.