Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I've read MANY books on survival. Enough that I rarely find fresh ideas in a new one I read. But yours is full of things that I haven't read in many other books. Thanks not only for the fresh ideas, but also for the fresh format. The narrative is wonderfully inspirational. I almost feel like I'm out in the field with you. I don't know if we'll ever meet (I hope we do), but if not I feel like I know you through your writings." -- David W. Attala, AL

Product Description

Discover nature by using it! Learn to meet your needs for shelter, fire, water, and food. Tom's guide gives you a direct, hands-on experience of the world around you. With this book you will discover the thrill of staying warm and comfortable without even a blanket! Experience the magic of starting a fire by friction. Learn about the edible plants of the Rocky Mountain region and the techniques to process them, plus "primitive gourmet" cooking skills.

Braintan the hides from your fall hunting trip and manufacture them into durable clothing. Also covered are: sinews, hide glue, backpacking, felting with wool, fishing by hand, stone knives, wooden containers, willow baskets, twig deer, cordage, stalking skills, trapping, and tire shoes.

Participating in Nature includes dozens of innovative skills and nearly 200 illustrations, plus an encompassing philosophy. Tom does extensive experiential research. He places an emphasis on publishing new information that is not found in any other source.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 151 pages
• Publisher: HOPS Press; 4th edition (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892784041
• ISBN-13: 978-1892784049
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,898,954 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Island Park News - Rocky Mountain Expressions, January 7, 2002

By	Elizabeth Laden "calderawriter" (Island Park, ID USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ever wonder how to start a fire with a bowdrill, weave a basket, build a stone oven, blow a coal-burned cup, or make reliable and comfortable shoes? Which plants are edible or medicinal, and what material makes the best bows and arrows? I've thought about these things and others, never really dwelling on them for long. None of these were on my list of things to learn to do for 2001Ñbut they should have been. I moved to the country to be closer to nature and to be more a part of it, and it's about time. So where do we start?
Take a beautiful quiet morning, before sunrise. Sit on a peaceful overlook with a view that you know will be breathtaking once the morning light touches it. Watch the stars shine until they fade into the half-light. Feel the dew on the grass and in the air. Listen to the day birds begin their chorus. Notice the smells that waft by on a soft breeze. Watch the animals begin or end their regular rituals as the morning breaks. Write a book.
This is how Pony, Montana resident Thomas J. Elpel wrote Participating in Nature. It begins before daybreak, and is written so that as you grow in understanding of many things natural, a day unfolds and runs its course. By evening, near the end of the book, you have learned how to do several things, and why.
This is not a survival book written for guerillas, though they might find it very useful. It is a book written for the average worker who wants to get away from it all or the family that wants to do something special together. It's those who want to learn something new, a new way of doing something old, or enrich their relationship with nature. It's a must-read for anyone who is interested in doing something on a personal level to help maintain and restore Earth.
Even if you don't consider yourself an environmentalist, you probably don't mind saving money, stimulating your brain, or learning a new stress-relieving habit. Learning skills such as those found in Participating in Nature could also help answer questions like "what do you want to do this summer?" or even the ever-annoying "are we there yet?"
Throughout the pages of this "Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills," you'll find pictures of the author's work with other medium also. Some of the photography is his, and most of the artwork, making it a book that is not only useful but attractive as well. Now that you understand the utilitarian and aesthetic qualities of the book, I'll move on to the style. In this, I've saved the best for last. He may describe it as a field guide, but don't let the name fool you. This is no dry instruction manual filled with only technical descriptions and directions for use. Oh, the step-by-step is there so you'll know you're getting it right, but there is so much more than that within these pages.
As I mentioned before, he wrote this as a day that progresses, and his details take you to the very spot where he sits wrapped in a blanket, leaning agaist a fir tree as the morning gradually pushes the night westward. By sunset, he has explored and explained Mind, Shelter, Fire, Water, Cooking, Plants, Animals, and Clothing. These are the chapters of the day that is the book. Of course, he adds a bibliography and a fairly comprehensive index.
"My tea is hot. I put away my journal and my pen... Then I sit back and think about what it is that I am seeking....
"I have always been drawn towards the idea of being able to move lightly, freely, almost invisibly through the ecosystem, to be like the breeze, being present, but invisible.... and I am referring to the Indian scouts from another era, is symbolic of that desire.
"...it is something I seek distinctly for myself. It is my dream to be able to move and live as the scout, to travel unhindered, hopping, skipping, and gliding through the wilderness."
Of course there are "trade-offs" that the author recognizes: "For me taking less gear means I can travel farther and faster, but it also means I have to spend more of my time providing for my sustenance....
"Thus I seek to balance what I take and what I bring so that I can have both the lightest load and the most free time."
Thomas Elpel writes from his experience with nature. "Primitive living is a metaphor we participate in. We journey into the Stone-Age and quest to meet our basic needs. We learn to observe, to think, to reach inside ourselves for new resources to deal with challenging and unfamiliar situations."
Aren't those the skills we need for everyday living even in the Space-Age?
-Deb Anne Flynt

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peer review, May 4, 2000

By	David Alloway (Presidio, Texas) - See all my reviews

As a survival instructor and naturalist for one of the largest state parks in the US (420 square miles) I was very impressed by PARTICIPATING IN NATURE. Elpel has some wonderful insights not only into primitive technologies, but also on people's roles in ecosystems, the human race's responsibility for our environment, and applications of primitive technologies in current times. This is more than an anthropological review or a crafts book. Elpel shares personal insights that inspire others to live with nature.

The title says it all. Elpel encourages the reader to participate in nature, to be at home in natural surroundings and to take an active and responsible role. While most of my courses are taught in deserts in the US, Mexico, and Australia, the philosophy of this book, using the Northern Rockies as a large part of its setting, is the same. As a published author on wilderness survival, I highly recommend this book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Combination of Skills, Attitude and Philosophy, March 2, 2000

By	JBlend (Montana) - See all my reviews

There are many great books on Primitive Outdoor Living Skills or what some call Wilderness Survival Skills. Elpel's book is no exception. It is wonderfully original not only because it contains unique skills not found in other books, but it also includes insights on our role as humans in the greater ecology of the planet.

Along with fire making and shelter building techniques, among others, the reader is given some insight into minimizing their impact on the land and blending in with the immediate landscape. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is the emphasis on being flexible with one's specific environment. For example, some types of primitive shelters are clearly better suited for wetland environments than up high in Alpine meadows. This book, rather than simply give instructions for different skills, gives the reader a systematic way to think about how to get what they need in a diverse set of circumstances. It also emphasizes ways to minimize the work involved for various tasks, so that one can spend more time enjoying and exploring their surroundings (e.g. identifying plants, writing, napping).

On a final note, I would recommend using this book in conjunction with other Primitive Outdoor Skills books for a unique look at this growing interest among outdoor lovers.