Well, I'm wearing my weird old LearVision glasses as this was shot almost two years ago (completion was delayed due to unfortunate and unrelated issues), but for those who for some unknown reason want to see and hear me on screen, <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> here's your chance. I am one of four "experts" ( I deny I was ever a "pert" <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) featured in the introduction section of the DVD (NOTE: I had little to do with the rest of the DVD, most of which was shot before I was involved, except some of the equipment section. However, they garnered a lot of information from the ETS site...which is a good thing...and I was able to have some input on the final edit which caught a few odds and ends...also a good thing. These were good people to work with.).

This would make an excellent holiday present for your friends who are rank novices or have shown only minimal interest in wilderness survival, or if you're new to the whole Wilderness Survival thing. Anyone here with any experience outdoors or who has read a few survival books/manuals or viewed other basic survival videos will find little or nothing new on this DVD, though you may find it entertaining. The Publisher is offering ETS visitors a special deal, $5 off the regular price and free ground shipping is included. Plus, a portion of each sale goes to support ETS.



Prepared To Survive - Essential Information for Every Outdoor Enthusiast
Produced 2005, 2 Disks, 174 minutes, Widescreen, LifeView Outdoors, $35

Disclaimer: Doug Ritter, editor of this Web site and reviewer of this DVD, received a modest honorarium to appear on this DVD, but receives no income from the sale of the DVD. The Equipped To Survive Foundation receives a donation from each sale direct from the publisher (link below).

For the novice with little or no wilderness survival knowledge or actual field experience, this is a very good DVD (video). Host Gretchen Cordy, a former Air Force survival instructor and participant in the original "Survivor" TV show (try not to hold that against her), gets the basics of wilderness survival across in an effective manner. The production quality is first rate and heads above most other survival videos. With nearly three hours of video, there's a lot of useful information, but it is a shallow treatment of the subject, not deep, and occasionally the presentation drags a bit. Anyone with a modicum of experience in this field is unlikely to find anything new or any unique tips here.

The introduction, which features Cordy, Doug Ritter, editor of this Web site, respected wilderness medicine doc Buck Tilton and Rich Johnson, a survival instructor, is a pretty extensive review of the fundamental concerns that a person faces in a survival situation. It drives home the important points from various perspectives, the advantage of having multiple experts involved.

From there it goes into practical survival techniques, such as shelter building and fire making, as well as a discussion of survival kits and equipment, mostly presented by Cordy. Nothing fancy here, this is just the most basic skills and information for the most part. The setting is a temperate forest and little or no time is spent on any other environment, but the basics are essentially the same, no matter where you are. The instructional portions are clear and easy to follow. Being a DVD, you can skip to exactly the parts you are interested in and easily review material, which is an advantage over straight video.

Even though there are things in this video that I might approach differently, there's nothing in here that will kill you, unlike some survival videos. The skills illustrated and the advice provided will work just fine for the novice at whom this video is aimed. Anyone who views this DVD and abides by the lessons and advice is going to be well prepared for most temperate climate survival situations, which is the whole point.

Special Offer for Equipped To Survive? visitors
Order direct from the publisher and SAVE: www.lifeviewoutdoors.com
Only $29.95 including free ground shipping
On Payment page insert promotional code: ETSdiscount
A portion of the sale supports Equipped To Survive?