A famous anecdote involves a visitor to a company with the owner. He noticed a rather unremarkable man at a desk doing apparently very little. He pointed him out to the owner.
The owner replied "That man once came up with an idea that saved the company thousands of dollars."

Survival books and instructors are much like that man. One book may hold one or two overlooked facts not found in others. The 2 oz. backpacker discussion on button compass accuracy is a classic.

All books have the potential of repeating 'fossilised' popular myth and error. The proliferation of solar still illustrations tells me a great many 'experts' have no true experience with the things.This is a danger, if, after reading 5 survival books promoting solar stills you accept them as truth.

And here the 'one good idea' becomes valuable if an otherwise standard guide says the solar still has no water and the emporers of such nonsense no goretex/buckskin/wool clothes.

Years ago a friend went on my advise to Reevis Mountain School.He was going to attend ASU for his graduate work and I suggested a survival class for his future field seasons.
My friend returned, and I heard a long complaint about the vegetarian fare, campfire talks of reincarnation and 'NEW AGE' atmosphere.
He then proceeded to show me, greatly excited his new mastery of friction fire starting, a skill I gave up showing him.
It seems, and subsequent students seem to confirm this, that Peter has a gift for teaching friction firemaking.

My friend is sitting there, catterwalling about reincarnation and he now possessed one of the most ancient and basic of survival skills.

Most of the literature and instructors are like an $8 Mora. They may not be the best, or highly regarded. But they are often enough adequate to get you back home.

Great post.

You get out of schools and books what you put into them.
I am a graduate of the "Wilderness Learning Center" survival basic school. I learned a few things, and found out a few things I was taught weren't for me. But, overall, it gave me ideas for me to expand on.

I'll second the thoughts in both posts

In other words use your best survival tool, your brain. Don't just take what is being said/read as a fact but try it out, so when it comes down to it you will know what works for you.

Chris
you wrote:
'the emporers of such nonsense no goretex/buckskin/wool clothes'

You lost me on this. Are you recommending these or condemning them?
The Sock


'Reincarnation is alright but if I had my time over again I wouldn't bother with it' - Terry Pratchett

I think he was modernizing "the emperor has no clothes".

Ah a bit subtle for me. So Chris is condemning goretex buckskin and wool?
Interested because in one of his programs, Ray Mears says the Northern Canadian indians answer to a lot of their winter clothing problems was buckskin. But then never goes on to say what they used it for.
The Sock

No, Chris was condemning the various personaes in the survival community that donn images along with misinformation like solar stills and print up brochures as the noble savage, grizzled combat vet or hi tech mountaineer who wears glacier glasses 24/7.

When I establish the Ritternaugh School of Outdoor AND indoor survival ( we found an untapped niche market), corner table of the breakfast cafe in Showlow Arizona ( the one closest to the Men's room and with a panaoramic view of the main road and approaching state troopers) My distinctive outfit wil be Harris tweed Plus Fours.

"...hi tech mountaineer who wears glacier glasses 24/7..."

In the old days, I wrote a lot of tickets to those guys...

Side view obstruction?

Made partly in jest.........
Never trust a young survival instructor. Look for a really old one.