10 Must Have Survival Books
Every prepper should have a complete knowledge-base in their home library and these are books you can’t leave out of that library. Check out some of the best survival and self sufficiency books that we’ve found. These are books you need!
1. Making the Best of Basics
2. The Ultimate Guide to US Army Survival Skills, Tactics & Techniques
3.Camping & Wilderness Survival
4. US Army Survival Guide
5. Country Wisdom & Know-how
6. Tom Browns Guide to Edible & Medicinal Plants
7. Gardening When It Counts
8.Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
9. Earth Abides
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10. Patriots
This post has 15 comments
January 20th, 2009
The US Army Survival Field Manual is available online for free at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21753/US-Army-Survival-Field-Manual
Because it’s a declassified government document, there are no restrictions on distributing it (copyright or otherwise).
April 30th, 2009
Thanks a mill for the info.. Now I just have have to scam the nearly 500 page printoff of the e- book on someone else's printer..
January 21st, 2009
I’d add (or substitute) a couple including:
Camping and Woodcraft (Kephart),
Bushcraft, Scouting, and Woodlore Notes (by Dr. RW Oelslager),
The Sportsman’s Workshop (by Warren H. Miller),
Woodsmanship (by Bernard Mason),
Camp Craft (Warren H. Miller),
The Way of the Woods (by Edward Breck),
Survival Handbook (by Raymond Mears),
Woodcraft and Camping (by George “Nessmuk” Sears),
and
The SAS Survival Handbook.
All can be found either in ebook format, reprints, used, or new in the case of the SAS and Mears books.
PMZ
January 21st, 2009
Thanks for your comment Robert, I also have the pdf available for free to download in the downloads section of this websites.
US Army Survival Manual
The link is for people who don’t have access to print that many pages (or make a nifty booklet out of it).
Also thank you Beserker I think I will make another post with your suggestions.
March 24th, 2009
You forgot this one, great book:
Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills
http://bit.ly/f55SE
May 1st, 2009
BTW, the US Army Field Manual is available for download here at http://www.survival-spot.com/survival-blog/downlo...
May 1st, 2009
Operation SERF currently free and online: http://www.oftwominds.com/opSERF/OP-serf.html Takes place in the not too distant future. Written by an OIF veteran.
June 4th, 2009
This is a good collection of books. I would add a cookbook with recipes using ingredients typically found in long-term storage pantries. I've seen a few but don't have a favorite. Is there one that you recommend?
June 4th, 2009
#4 "Making the best of basics" if filled with great recipes that can be made from food storage. I highly recommend it. There are a few other more obscure books like the Amazing Wheat Book (filled with wheat based recipes) that are good too.
August 2nd, 2009
In the UK, I'd add "Food for Free" by Richard Mabey.
August 5th, 2009
Two others:
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery
and
Boston's Gun Bible, by Boston T. Party
A survival library isn't complete without those two. In fact, I'd rank them above everything else listed (especially the first one). J.W. Rawles, the author of the last book on your list, concurs.
October 15th, 2009
Great list of books. Some of my must-have survival books include “Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank, “Passport to Survival” by Esther Dickey and “How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It” by James Wesley, Rawles, among others. My whole list here: http://bit.ly/4aDKRt
January 11th, 2010
I agree with 99.9% of the books as listed by the site, and other contributors…
1 drawback, stay away from those "fictional" types…
EG: "patriots".
Why?
It's like watching Bear Grylls in "man-vs-wild" Les Stroud, in "Survivorman" on tv.
It can get you killed!
Go with realistic subject material that is tested and true, NOT someone's idea, or maybe's……
Stay alert, stay alive!
January 26th, 2010
Buy, read, study, and above all else, Practice!
Medical books of all kinds, and anything else that can assist you in an emergency scenario!
Besides, a lot of paperback books are not just informative, and educational…some are actually entertaining!
February 4th, 2010
Good site. Good information for someone new to this survival concept. Currently also looking at http://www.urbansurvivalskills.com
I guess you would define me as starting to get prepared but hoping to never have to bug out.