OK, here's the deal. If you've ever read through one of the exhaustive, "Military-FM-Type" survival manuals (some of which are really great, by the way - Lofty Wiseman's classic comes to mind), you know that they often detail a half-dozen ways to improvise and use fishing gear, maybe a dozen different snares and deadfalls, and several dozen or more species of wild edibles. Absolutely none of which are included in Cody Lundin's book.
And they darn well shouldn't be. Simple as that.
Because even a cursory glance at survival/rescue statistics will support Cody's assertion that the vast majority of wilderness survival scenarios, barring getting lost in the Amazon or something (if that's a possibility for you, by all means check out Wiseman, but AFTER you've read this -- what's here still applies), occur over a 72 hour period or less. This book is about making it through that three day period. That means that, given an average amount of body fat, you could have not eaten for a couple of WEEKS before you got lost and probably still come out okay. Food's just not an issue for short term survival, folks.
But hypothermia and hyperthermia? Now THOSE are issues, as another casual glance at the statistics will confirm. What's the number one killer? Not a failure to eat. Not a failure to navigate by the stars. Not even a failure to adequately execute a figure-four deadfall. Nope. The number one killer is a failure to adequately regulate core body temperature.
The problem is, everybody else glosses over this particular subject on their way to the really cool improvised fishing tackle and blowguns. I mean EVERYBODY. I love the books by Lofty Wiseman, Greg Davenport, Bradford Angier, and Ray Mears, just to name a few. I really do, and I think they're all worthwhile reads. But maintaining temperature is given barely a mention in these works; maybe a paragraph each for arctic and desert extremes, maybe a page or two in the first aid section. And it's the NUMBER ONE KILLER!
What the reading of Cody Lundin's book does is hammer this realization into your brain by way of repetition, mnemonics, humor, and cartoons. These things aren't filler, as has been suggested; they're part of a bona fide teaching methodology. And it's a methodology that works. The book actually affects your behavior on (or off) the trail. You'll find yourself constantly monitoring your body, your clothing, your fluid intake. If you go out with loved ones, you'll find yourself far less cavalier concerning their environmental safety. And if something does happen, to you or to someone else, you'll by God know what to do about it. All of which are Really Good Things.
So, yes, there are certainly more complete technical manuals on the market, and I urge anyone even remotely interested to check them out. But the fact is that hypo/hyperthermia isn't something that should be relegated to a blurb, like treating a snakebite or building an igloo. It's SERIOUS and, whoever you are, if you play outside you're LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ONE OR BOTH at some point. So start here. Enjoy Cody's style, or not. Laugh at the cartoons, or not. But read it, because if you do I guarantee that the information that's here will stick with you, and might just save your life.
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About the author
The absolute first, and possibly only, book on wilderness survival you need to read.
First off, in a genre overran with "experts", Cody Lundin is one of the few that have the history in the field to back up what he teaches. His advice is solid and his teaching style is excellent. This book is about what/how to prepare for that camping trip/hunt/hike that goes wrong and how to handle that average 72 hours to "keep your ass alive" until your found. It's important to keep that in mind, and that this is NOT a wilderness living skills book. There is some overlap in the two fields, but they are fundamentally not the same. If you want to be the next "Jeremiah Johnson", this may not be the book for you, although you should still read it, but if you want to know how to go into the wilderness with good advice on how/what to carry for that "bad day", then this is the perfect book for you.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2009
- Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
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Pascal MReviewed in France on March 23, 2018
L'art de sauver ses fesses (traduction libre !)
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Enrique MATEO SANCHOReviewed in Spain on August 29, 2014
Con el traductor (vía WIFI) del KINDLE PAPERWHITE se lee rapidísimo.
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Utente amazonReviewed in Italy on March 10, 2015
98,6 degres: the art... (37 gradi centigradi)
