The Wilderness Survival Handbook [Paperback]

Alan Fry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1982

Outdoor enthusiasts can easily be caught unaware by accidental injury, equipment failure, climate changes such as rain or snow, and other unexpected situations. In a clear, concise style Alan Fry covers what people need to know before starting out, including:

-Choosing the appropriate clothing and footwear
--Starting and managing fire
-Building emergency shelter
-Administering first aid
-Obtaining water and food
-Signaling for help
-Staying calm until help arrives

This revised edition of Wilderness Survival Handbook reflects the best of both modern information and native lore from Fry's decades of living and travelling in the outdoors.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Add "in the boreal wilderness" to the subtitle and this book's contents are described perfectly. Outdoor pursuits such as hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and canoeing have grown wildly popular of late. But what does one do if injured or caught in a storm, far from home or human contact? Fry, who lives in a tepee in the Yukon Territory, offers much advice, detailing the techniques and equipment required to survive emergencies in the wilderness. Notably, Fry's counsel is adaptable to similar situations in less demanding wilderness areas of North America, which should give his book wide appeal. A desirable purchase for most public libraries, in part because similar books are now 15 to 25 years old.?Paula M. Strain, Rockville, Md.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This detailed, amply illustrated guide...[is] a very worthwhile, practical volume for all outdoor enthusiasts." --Publishers Weekly

"A concise, all-seasons summary of what you need to know before you get in trouble." --Popular Mechanics

"Full of common sense and clever, clearly illustrated ideas for coping in sudden and potentially dangerous situations." --Terry Burns, CBC Radio

"This book awakens us to the realization that some extra knowledge can go a long way to ensure survival with safety, comfort, and, well, frankly-style." --Canadian Geographic

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (December 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312879520
• ISBN-13: 978-0312879525
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,500,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wilderness Survival Handbook, May 9, 2000

By 

Scott Vines (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wilderness Survival Handbook (Paperback)

Alan Fry is a Canadian woodsman with years of experience in the art of wilderness survival. His book is a concise and readable guide for the preparation and execution of a survival plan, especially in the extreme environment of the boreal north. Although its emphasis is on emergency situations in a particular ecosystem, many of his ideas can be readily adapted to any temperate region or contingency by the intelligent reader. Please note that this is not primarily a book for the recreational backpacker. Rather, it's a hard-core guide to survival under extreme circumstances in a particular environment. That having been said, it's still recommended reading for anyone who ventures into the outdoors. Useful, light-weight, and perfect for the field.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, and PRACTICAL, August 31, 2006

By 

Gannon Murphy (Edina, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wilderness Survival Handbook: A Practical, All-Season Guide To Short-Trip Preparation And Survival Techniques For Hikers, Skiers, Backpackers, ... Aircraft-And Anyone Stranded In The Outdoors (Paperback)

I venture into the boreal wilderness twice a year, so this book is a natural fit (the book's setting is mainly boreal/sub-boreal). What is best about the book is it's practicality. Though there is enough information on bare-bones survival, Alan Fry assumes that, if you've headed into the wilderness whether by foot, watercraft, or bush plane, you've had enough sense about you to bring some essentials (and attached to your person!). This is a needed contrast to all the wilderness survival books out there that teach survival techniques assuming you are veritably buck naked. Why would that ever happen to you? Exactly how did you wind up in such a situation? There can only be one reason: poor planning and sheer stupidity. Thus, this book generally assumes that you've got at least some basic items strapped on to you (e.g., knife, matches, rations, compass, fishing accouterments, saw, medical kit, snare wire, and RIFLE!). AS to the latter, many survival books don't address the use of firearms at all and, the fact is, if you've got one, your chances of survival just increased 10-fold. Plus, Fry doesn't inundate the reader with pet religious philosophies (ala Tom Brown!) that have nothing to do with why you purchased the book.

Now, if you're a survivalist who enjoys bare-bones stuff, you cannot go without Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. But, if you're simply a wilderness enthusiast that needs to know how to take care of yourself if you ever become stranded on one of your wilderness trips, this is the book for you, hands-down.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very informative, October 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wilderness Survival Handbook (Paperback)

I have alot of books on the topic but this has to be one of my favorites. The author really lies it down what works in the real world of Northern outdoor survival and long term camping. It is really well written, step by step along with very informative drawings which are the best I've seen. It contains tons of traps and shelter making methods. There's a reason it has gone out of print, find out why.