There has been a thread on Les Stroud's book Survive! some time ago but it deteriorated into another Les vs. Bear slugfest. I thought we could start the discussion again, focusing on the BOOK this time (opinions on Man vs. Wild NOT welcome ).

I've almost finished reading my copy and IMO Les deserves a big thumbs up. Initially, I had major reservations about buying another survival book because over the years, I've read pretty much all the better known titles out there (plus a good number of more obscure texts). With so many survival books published already it's hard to find something fresh and original.

Les has fortunately avoided that pitfall. Reading the chapters on water, shelter, navigation etc. it's evident that he's done his homework and studied all the literature he could find. But his advice always seems to be very much based on his own hands-on experience, which is exactly what makes it all the more valuable.

In particular, I've been pleasantly surprised because a lot of his advice mirrors my own experience. Not that I would attempt to compare myself to a survival expert but it is interesting that a lot of methods I've tried and didn't work for me apparently didn't work for Les either. On the other hand, Les recommends a number of techniques that I've grown fond of in the past, well before I first heard of Survivorman.

All in all, Les seems a very much down to Earth kind of guy. He only teaches techniques he knows will work in a given situation because he's tested them in practice time and again. He also has no problem discarding the stuff that may be well known from the older manuals but does not work too well in practice.

Kudos for a well written book and let's hear some more comments from all the other readers...

I thought it was useful, obviously Les knows a lot more about survival techniques than I do but most of his advice I have seen confirmed in other places.

I like that he also had a section on survival kits because on his show he usually tries some scenario where all he has is a multi-tool.

I wrote before that I thought the knot section was a bit lacking, but then I guess you can buy books specifically concerned with knots and Les had other material to present.

As for Bear VS. Les....I have no idea why anyone gets into arguments about it, waaaay too much time on their hands.

Hi Tom,

I received Les Stroud's book "Survive" for Christmas but did not read it till February. I was reading Cody Lundin's book "When all hell breaks loose" but found it a little dry in the middle, so I started Les's book and read it cover-to-cover, then I finished Cody's.

I agree with you that "Survive" is an excellent, practical book, quite well written also.

I find that I can relate well to Les because many of the examples he uses are in the Great Lakes/St. Lawerence - Boreal Forest regions, this is the same area that I live, work and play in.

Mike

I haven't read it yet, but am curious. Were there any good tips not typically covered in other books?

I am like Meadowlark.
I have read a lot of survival manuals over the years and I would really want to know why I should shell out for another one.
If there is a reason I am fine with it.
If it is just a reprint of whatever was previously in print, then why should I want to waste my time.
(By the way, Cody's 98.6 was a good read, very basic but from an different angle)
I was very disappointing with the last thread and really would like to read a fair review.

Ok, I'd say that while Les Stroud's Survive! is a great stand-alone book it's even better as a complement to the classic survival manuals - like the SAS Handbook by Lofty Wiseman, which is still pretty much the benchmark by which all other survival books are judged.

Most survival manuals follow the same line - a collection of techniques structured into a number of chapters. More often than not, there is very little in-depth discussion on the pros and cons of a particular technique. The reader is usually given a bewildering number of options to address a potential problem (building shelter, fire, finding water etc.). The problem is, the descriptions tend to be too brief. An inexperienced reader has a hard time deciding which technique to pick. And because the instructions are not really detailed enough an inexperienced outdoorsman will have a hard time making the theory work in the bush.

Les takes a different approach. "Less is more" - he basically gives you a few options but lets you know which one is foolproof and which one is more of a last-ditch measure. A lot of survival handbooks make some techniques look easy, for instance catching big game or operating a solar still. Well, Les takes a more critical look and always gives you a rough idea as to what kind of results you should realistically expect from a particular method.

Another case in point: plenty of survival experts write how to make a bow and arrows. Les is pretty direct (and spot on in my experience) how making a decent bow in the bush is a challenging task even for a skilled craftsman, let alone an amateur in a survival situation. Instead of wasting time on hunting big game with improvised weapons (which would be seriously cool to read about but impossible to put into practice for most of us) Les takes a more down to Earth approach and shows you a few simple, reliable ways to procure food. Like a few basic traps - not dozens of different designs that are a pain to build, just a few ones that really work. Plus a brief list of wild edibles commonly found in various climates and so on, you get the idea.

Does Les break any totally new ground with his book? Not really, pretty much all of it has been around for a while. But never in that kind of package. Any way I look at Survive! it's an original work. Definitely no rip-off reprint but the work of one man based on his hard-won experience.

Some of the advice (like it's ok to eat snow as long as you're working) may seem controversial but there's always a good explanation. What really makes the difference is the way Les presents his stuff - always keen to point out what works, what doesn't and where you are most likely to run into a problem. I believe that alone makes the book worth buying even if you have a fair bit of experience already. Whether that's a good enough reason to spend your money on the book is up to you but you should definitely at least take a look at it if you see a copy in the bookstore.

No reason too really in your case Scafool, the book is probably good for those that are new to survival techniques, it will probably just repeat what you already know from other books.

Survival books suck, I think, in general.

Most merely reiterate the same old information; often, it's clear that even the illustrations are derivative of other books. Because fat books sell better than skinny ones, they tend to be full of esoteric and useless information about scenarios you'll never encounter and last resorts you'll never visit. Some of the information is wrong -- the authors, to give them their due, couldn't possibly do it all -- and some of it is impractical (e.g., the solar still).

Personally, I think it's much more useful to read up on real-world cases, to find out what works and what doesn't when the rubber leaves the road. So I don't buy survival books anymore, but since Les Stroud is the local boy who made good, I bought his.

And it's actually pretty good. The first thing that jumps out is that it's not like the show -- he advocates carrying things he never has on TV, emphasizes the need to get found, and so on. And as someone already mentioned, he separates practical methods from last-ditch methods (which, wrt fire starting, are what he usually uses on TV).

He also debunks a couple of myths.

I don't find the thing about eating snow in the least controversial. Every kid in Canada ate snow and icicles growing up, and we didn't all come home hypothermic. It's not an issue if you're physically active.

So overall, I think a good book -- better than I expected.

But if you already know the territory, I don't think any book will contain stunning new insights, so no, Scafool and Meadowlark, don't rush out to buy it.

I'm about half way through and have liked it for the most part.

Having been through many texts regarding keeping one's tail out of the grave, I really enjoyed Les' efforts.

I feel it is just what is needed for those who have gained interest in survival skills via his show. It is also not a bad primer for those who have forgotten to read/practice the wisdom from some of the more dry FM's lately.

Nothing wrong with down to earth, and humble.