Practical Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills [Paperback]

Tony Nester (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2001

Practical Survival is designed to provide easy-to-use, field-expedient survival skills for those who may be lost in the wilderness. It is filled with photos and practical techniques for being mentally prepared for a survival situation, how to survive a cold night without a sleeping bag, create fire in wet weather, locate water in the desert, signal for help using items in your pockets or vehicle, and design a basice surival-kit from household items. This book is light on theory and heavy on field-tested skills.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tony Nester is a teacher of outdoor survival and primitive technology who resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. Through his company Ancient Pathways, he has taught programs for the Travel Channel, Sierra Club, Ojibwa Indian Tribe, and the National Park Service.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Diamond Creek Press (AZ); 1 edition (December 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971381100
• ISBN-13: 978-0971381100
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,973,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally a decent survival book!, December 28, 2001

By 

brett blake (Cooperstown, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills (Paperback)

Nice to see a book that tackles just the basics and covers workable skills that the average outdoorsman can use. Having read a good deal of survival books over the years, it was particularly refreshing to see actual photos of skills like the coal-bed, and not the usual copied line-drawings perpetuated in countless survival manuals. I have enjoyed several in-depth survival courses with Mr. Nester and was pleased to see he finally put his excellent teaching skills and thoughts down on paper. I think this book is sure to fill a much needed void in the realm of short-term survival skills and I'd rank it in my top 5 books on the subject. Would like to see more photos with the section on the "Survival Uses of the Garbage Bag and Bandanna" but got the point with how these tools can be used.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nester nails the basics, December 16, 2001

By 

Jack Barlow (Stevens Pass, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills (Paperback)

So many books jumping on the survival bandwagon, trying to tell me how to spear a kangaroo, or live off the land for life. I don't want to be an Alaskan bush pilot, all I have been looking for is a book that gives me the bare bones basics on how to keep myself alive when my car breaks down, or I get lost on a dayhike, written by someone who has more background than watching the shows on tv. This guy is the real deal - he writes in an understandable, quick manner. No stories about the time he ate gila monster. No meditations to "hear" if a plant is poisonous or edible. Just simple ideas, explained in a few steps, with photos when necessary. I put together a little car kit based on his lists, and it doesn't take up much more room than the book! I never thought a garbage bag could be so useful!At 40 or so pages, it fits in my car console, or in my daypack. I absolutely suggest this book to anyone looking for a well-written, just-the-facts reference that could keep you alive for one night, and get you rescued before the second.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nature Bats Last, December 26, 2001

By 

Leroy Payne (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills (Paperback)

Practical Survival by Tony Nester follows through with his teachings: keep it lightweight, portable and filled with enough information to get you through to the next day. His experience from different regions of the country can appeal to everyone looking for a very quick reference for getting them out of a fix.
My one tongue-in-cheek beef is that Nester believes it necessary to be prepared ahead of time, before you're stuck. Gee, and here I thought everything would come to me. With his tips on survival kits, you could be ready in five minutes with things found around the house. And he gives plenty of ideas with clear photos to show you the skills to practice. I applaud his insistence on practicing the skills "before you actually need them", and his reasoning behind selecting certain items or choosing behaviors to keep you going. My kit is now packed and I'm ready to head to the backyard for a few trial runs, before I get on the highway.