When I was a kid in the early-50s (yeah, I'm old) the Nabisco Shredded Wheat "biscuits" were packaged with thin cardboard separators that had camping tips printed on them. Those got me started.

My interest really piqued in the mid-50s when my dad, who was a lifer (said with respect and admiration) Air Force pilot, attended the Air Force Survival School at Stead AFB, Nevada. Coolest thing I'd ever heard of!

Coincidentally, that same year, received Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island as Xmas gift. Five "POWs" during the Civil War escape in a hot air balloon, drift to – and land on – a deserted island. The story details their survival. To this day, that book enjoys a special spot in my bookcase.

Dan