The Modern Military Survival Manuals By John Steele

There are numerous, cheap Kindle books which deal with wilderness and collapse survival, largely re-writing the US Army’s FM 21-76 Survival Manual. These cheap knock-offs are not worth purchasing. However, in recent years there have been many good survival books published by ex-SAS and military dudes, who talk the talk and have walked the walk. Here are some for your interest, those of us nervous enough to entertain the possibility of social collapse, or at least widespread chaos.

The classic in this genre is by John “Lofty” Wiseman, SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere, (Collins, 2009). The general orientation of this book is wilderness survival, preparing people to survive who may be lost and/or stranded in the bush, or in some far from urban environment such as at sea in boating accidents, which still happened with regularity. Wiseman served for 26 years with the British SAS, no mean feat, and a rich learning environment for this sort of activity. Thus, he can write with confidence about most of the situations depicted, because he has had some experience with these issues.

Covered are strategic issues, such as the triangle of survival which is comprised of the will to live, knowledge, and kit, items that one has on hand when TSHTF. The will to live is an inner strength, and probably cannot be taught, being more instinctive, or if you like spiritual. But, knowledge can, which is the very point of these type of books. Kit is a matter of identifying items acquiring them, and having them available. Kit includes all items from suitable clothing, to a sleeping system. This is not irrelevant to Australians who might be going on outback trips, since while the dry regions can be blistering hot during the day, night time temperatures can fall to dangerous hypothermia levels if one is not prepared. The outback traveller today should have a G.P.S system, and not just a mobile phone, but also a radio that can contact emergency services if a vehicle breakdown occurs. The survival kit described by Wiseman is much like those the books I have reviewed in this genre, based upon primitive survival qualities, such as flints and matches to start a fire, fishhooks and line, a compass, flexible saw, snare wire, and a medical kit. Many of these items would be fine for an outback through-trip in the American wilderness, but less so for most Australians, going through the interior of the country, where the mobile phone and radio would be more important, and copious amounts of water. For most people there is probably no need to forage for food, since enough snacks to last weeks could be stored very easily.

Nevertheless, it is still worthwhile to know basic backwoods survival skills, involving obtaining water and bushfoods, if necessary. How to construct improvised shelters from scrap wood, is important as well, but making them out of ice and snow is less relevant to Australian conditions. The book has good material on first aid which would be relevant to all countries.

Apart from his wilderness survival book, John Wiseman also published, the SAS Urban Survival Handbook, (HarperCollins, 1991). This might be available at second handbook shops and is relevant for Australians. While having chapters discussing terrorism, a bit dated, and disasters, most of the chapters deal with threats that could arise around the home. These include fire in the home, general security, safety in the house such as with electricity, fuels, various poisons and chemicals, and hazards using tools such as chainsaws. Most of this material is pretty much common sense in my opinion, but today, a lot of people struggle to even change a light bulb, so this material will be relevant to young people who have had the sheltered lives supplied by the temporary illusion of the consumer society.

Along the same lines as the Wiseman book are more recent contributions, including, Chris McNab, SAS and Elite Forces Guide to Preparing to Survive, (Amber Books, 2012); Chris McNab, SAS and Elite Forces Guide: Wilderness Survival, (Amber Books,2011); N. Munro and R. Gilbert, Survival Handbook in Association with the Royal Marines Commandos, (Dorling Kindersley, 2012), and Cade Courtly, SEAL Survival Guide, (Gallery, 2012). These books all cover much the same material as Wiseman, and any one of them could be adopted as a textbook, only the hard-core would be reading them all. The general theme is coping with wilderness survival situations, primarily one based in North America, or maybe Canada. Finding water, foraging and trapping for food, primitive navigation, self-protection from wild animals are the standard topics, with good outlines of first aid, of course. While much of this may not be directly relevant to Australians, it still develops a survival critical problem-solving ability, to think about scenarios, and how one would handle them. This in turn will lead one to be cooler in a SHTF situation, for the important survival component of knowledge will be satisfied.

Although not strictly military, there are a few other books that are well worth a look, for those interested. John McCann, Stay Alive: Survival Skills You Need, (Krause, 2011), and his Build the Perfect Survival Kit, (Krause, 2005), and Mark Puhaly and Joel Stevens, Everyday Survival Kits, (Living Ready Books, not dated), give comprehensive outlines of survival kits and bug out bags for all situations, including bush trips and outback camping, far from the normie routes.

One particularly comprehensive book is from the Editors of Stackpole Books, Survival Wisdom and Knowledge, (2007), which is a large format book, with three column printing. While geared to the North American audience, there is something here for everybody who ventures into the outback, discussing food, water, shelter, cooking, fire, safe travelling, weather, navigation and first aid. There is even material on rock climbing, not that many of us would want to do that, but still interesting. At least one of these books, all available on inter-library loans in Australia or bought from a bookshop rather than making the guy with the wonky eye, but billions, richer, should be consulted for those venturing out into the great outdoors, especially in unforgiving Australia.