Wilderness Survival: Living Off the Land with the Clothes on Your Back and the Knife on Your Belt [Paperback]

Mark Elbroch (Author), Michael Pewtherer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2006

Do you have what it takes?
You're alone in the wilderness with nothing but a knife and the clothes on your back. Will you survive? Do you have the skills to feed, clothe, and protect yourself? Mark Elbroch, a master tracker, and Mike Pewtherer, a wilderness survival instructor, put those questions to the test when they embarked on a 46-day, unprovisioned, unequipped journey into the fields and forests of the northeastern United States.
Wilderness Survival is their highly practical and uniquely observant introduction to survival in the deep woods. Mark and Mike tested generally accepted truths, questioned conventional solutions, and distilled the best techniques for making fire, obtaining shelter, finding water, and hunting with primitive weapons. They give you:

* A life-saving handbook of survival skills that explores man's place in the natural world
* The secret to surviving in the wilderness as part of nature--not its adversary
* Explanations of more than 30 wilderness survival skills, including hunting and gathering food, fashioning tools, and preserving and storing food

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Elbroch’s numerous books include the National Outdoor Award-winning Mammal Tracks and Sign. Mike Pewtherer has contributed to Wilderness Way magazine and has practiced and taught wilderness survival for many years through his company, Woodland Ways.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (April 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071453318
• ISBN-13: 978-0071453318
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Wilderness Survival or Shame? November 18, 2007

By Sam N. Smith

Format:Paperback

The title is what made me order this book. I wanted to hone my own survival skills that I'd gathered over the years, and the context of a story rather than a guide was quit appealing. Unfortunately what I found was of little value. I must say the whole context of the book is a little hokey. While other true survivalists have been known to fly into remote areas like Alaska with just the basics, these guys simply wander off a few hiking trails in the vicinity of an urban area. One gets lonely quite quick and leaves whenever he wants. 7 days into the journey they all hit the local restaurant for pizza, then the very next day have the gall to club a baby fawn to death in the name of "survival". Later Mexican food is brought in by a girlfriend.

This is not "survival" to me, just three guys choosing to live in the woods next to a highway. There was no danger from predators, disease or hypothermia. This self-serving exercise took place in the peak of summer in a hand-picked abundant forest, with emergency services and civilization only a walk away. Yet with all the clubbing, spearing and snaring they did, there was always the usual justification for there actions in controlling excess populations of animals.

There are certainly better books on the skills to exist in the woods, better written and richer in knowledge. True survival stories are also far more rich in adventure and authentic in nature. Pass this one unless found in a clearance bin and you need fuel for a campfire.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide June 27, 2006

By J. Powell

Format:Paperback

This book offers a terrific blend of the standard, "how-to" information of wilderness survival and a first-hand account of actually living it. I personally tend to absorb information much better when it's offered with personal experience. Nearly all wilderness survival guides on the market offer tons of information, but no personal experience. This book presents both in a very easy to read and enjoyable style. Five stars all the way.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars "Wilderness" Experience but not Survival June 11, 2009

By John Harman

Format:Paperback

First let me say that I liked the book. For entertainment value I would give it 5 stars. I read it very quickly - it was easy to read and the story kept me interested. Also the layout was nice, with little vignettes about survival or pioneering skills interspersed with the underlying story.

As you will know by now, it is the journal of a young man who intentionally attempts to "survive" in the wilderness for a long period of time. He and 2 friends are trained in wilderness survival skills and want to "put them to the test." The main theme of the book is to recount that experience, with a secondary purpose being to pass along some of their tried and tested woodsman skills.

My biggest objection is the misleading title. It is neither a story about wilderness nor a story about survival. They are so close to civilization that they have almost daily encounters with the people from the surrounding area. Assistance in the case of a real emergency was only a shout away.

As for survival, well, as the other critics have pointed out, they picked the time and place for their experience so that natural resources would be most abundant and the environment would be most hospitable. They "cheated" - some more than others - with trips back to civilization for food, shelter, and "comfort." Much of their time was spent observing nature and doing "crafts" that are useful for pioneering, but not essential for survival. They did harvest lots of game and fish for sustenance, and these stories are illustrative to a point.

They share their ideas, experiences, philosophies and thoughts. All of this is very entertaining. I think some of the ethical discussions are the most powerful parts of the story. I applaud them for doing something that many outdoor-oriented people have considered at one time or another. I am reminded of a childhood favorite: "My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)" by Jean Craighead George.

Unfortunately, with the title, it is possible that some prospective buyers will take this as a guide for how to survive in the wilderness; or that the writers had had an actual wilderness survival experience. That buyer would be sadly disappointed on both counts. Rename it Woodland Experience or Pioneering Experience, and you will get my 5 stars.