Customer Reviews

Survival Basics 1 & 2

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This video does an excellent job of providing useful information using clear, easy-to-follow examples. As one reviewer pointed out, it is not a primer on primitive survival, but then it's not advertised as such either. Ron Hood has well over a dozen videos out that cover just about every aspect of survival, including primitive techniques. This particular volume is designed to provide valuable information to the average hiker/hunter/etc. in a format that is easily understood by those with little training or experience. In that, he succeeds admirably. The tools he demonstrates while "synthetic" are real world, easy to find items. Primitive skills are valuable to have, but the average individual either cannot or will not invest the time necessary to acquire them. This video provides everyone with techniques that are quickly understood and mastered. It is well done and while not designed to teach you to survive with nothing, it may give you the knowledge you need to get out of a bad situation while having only a minimum of equipment. I suspect some of those who find this video useful will explore survival skills a bit farther (maybe eventually learning primitive techniques as well). Overall, the video is well done and certainly worth your time and money.

A pretty good overview of outdoor survival tips in a cool weather alpine terrain. A little campsite selection, a little field orienteering, some trapping, a little fire building, etc. Good tips for using small, common, household items for survival; hint, put them in your car.

Put this movie in between those that are geared for people who panic when they are not tracked by satellite in their SUV and your typical special forces vet. It's too remedial to be of use to a Brock Sampson, but if that's who you are, you don't need such a movie. Its a good first step/overview on basic living in the wild for a few days. For people who don't get out into the wilderness very often it is good to see how things work in the field with a video as opposed to just descriptions in a book.

I'd like to see some more movies from the producer on surviving in other climates.

First things first. There is an old saying that if you purchase a book, video, lesson, etc.. And you get even just one thing that you like and use then it is worth the price. If you are talking survival, then one useful thing may indeed save your life and that you can't put a price on.

With that in mind, I think anyone will come away with at least one useful bit of information from this DVD.

On the flip side, in my opinion, calling this video survival basics is misleading. This video is geared more towards synthetic survival skills rather than pure survival skills.

What I mean by that is most of what is covered involves having some item that comes off your local hardware or tackle shops shelf. Fish hooks, steel wool, flashlight, paracord, etc...Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that these principals do not work. Knowing them may indeed save a persons life...literally.

However, if you want to learn the 'real' basics of wilderness survival, I recommend researching other material. One for example would be Tom Brown Jr.'s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival as well as some of his other field guides to expand on what you learn in the first one. The meat and potatos of that book is to teach you to survive with nothing. Not a knife, not a piece of string, not a fish hook, not even the very clothes on your back. That is the true basics of survival.

Even better take one his classes, or anyones for that matter, that can teach you the fundamentals of wilderness survival with only what you find out in the wilderness.

If you are interested in learning as many survival methods as you can, and you should, by all means check out this DVD. But if you are just starting on the path to learning wilderness survival make sure you learn to survive with nothing. If Mr. Murphy has any say so...and he usually does...you may end up stranded in the woods without your survival pack. And then you may be in a world of hurt.

When you can survive with nothing...you will have everything. And if you find yourself in a survival situation and you have any of the items demostrated in this DVD, your task at survival will be all the easier.

The video is a great start for someone thinking about getting into the outdoors. It has a lot of information so one may have to watch it in increments to absorb it all.

The video is a condensed summary of information taken from other video chapters.

If you want to learn some primitive skills combined with modern self reliance techniques then this is the video to start out with. If you want flashy entertainment with bad advice then go to Man vs Wild (or as I call that show- The new "Faces of Death." You can have fun counting how may ways you can kill yourself attempting some of his stunts).

Well, I found the video to be a bite old film copied to disk. the get ups were out there and the packaging was a little misleading. In all the info was good but seem a little like cut short and it was more geared to saying "Here is a teste of what we can give you but you need to buy the real videos or come out and get the real life vesion of what we do." But in all its not bad for a newbie. I am not one but for teaching kids in scouts it peaks there intrest a little..

I first found these videos during a rummage sale, and really did not know what to expect. I was immediately drawn to Ron Hood's presentation of the subject of survival and I can honestly say he rekindled my interest in the subject.

Designed as an introductory package, drawn from his numerous educational videos, Survival Basics I and II is an enjoyable and technically rich overview of proven survival skill sets. Unlike many productions, where the content is given in a severe monotone by stilted participants, these videos are not only valuable but fun and entertaining. I have used these to "break the ice" at the beginning of our survival courses, and many students then ask for a copy. Ron Hood has decades of experience, is known as a master educator, and his full length videos have won awards...and it is easy to see why.

This DVD set provides the viewer with a grounding in the essential skills. It is not designed to enable you to disappear into the wild and rebuild a village, it does not enable you to talk with the spirits, commune with fabulous furry forest friends, or to become one with the universe. It will, however, enable you to survive if disaster befalls you. Each skill set can be expanded upon through viewing Mr. Hood's dedicated DVDs, called the Woodsmaster series. You cannot go wrong with this one, and the value increases with every viewing.

Thanks to Ron Hood's Survival Basics, I returned to a subject I had long let lie dormant. I believe in hypnosis too, so...get the video...get the video...get the video...

Survival Basics is a high quality video set giving the basics of wilderness skills. It is a consentrated dose of bush skills knowhow derived from the Woodsmaster Series of Videos. Both the Woodsmaster Series and Survival Basics are hosted by Ron and Karen Hood, both well known and respected survival instructors.Topics covered include shelter, fire, tools, survival kits and more. In short, the information contained in these volumes will keep you alive, plain and simple.
Shawn A Merritt
http://www.woodlandsurvival.com

Ok, first off this video was not geared to be competing with survivorman or man vs wild to compare it to them is ridiculous. Now that being said, let's take all the little nit picky production complaints and put them aside....good, now to the meat of the video. If I was completely ignorant of survival in the outdoors and wanted a good starter this would be a good choice for the money to choose it corrects some misconceptions and priority issues about survival that people sometimes miss. I would also get it for my child who is just starting in scouting or likes to camp in the woods.This is not a high brow production, it is not glamourous, it is a good introductory video that has value and a place. If you are expecting the host to jump into freezing water off a cliff , run around nude to dry off with snow,or have a whole support team of profesionals behind them then this aint for you. Also who knows maybe you can pick up a new trick or two....

hope this helps.

I have done much wilderness backpacking in Africa, and thought I pretty much had all the bases covered. This presentation just showed how much I didn't know. True survival, in comfort, can only come from what you are taught, and this teaches some of the basics very, very well. A strong recommendation.

I bought this for my daugher and her boyfriend. This is a older style and very good video. It's nicely presented with subtle humor and the information given is timeless. I prefer this to the newer style reality show types that are popular these days.