There’s no shortage of survival guides available to the modern outdoorsman. From the old US Army Field Manual FM: 21-76 to the Zombie Survival Guide, there are resources to handle any type of situation you can imagine. A good survival guide will provide you with the knowledge needed to survive and thrive despite severe circumstances. It should be comprehensive, written in a way that’s easily understood, and provide a certain level of reassurance to the reader. Among the many options available, I have found none better than National Geographics’s Complete Survival Manual.
National Geographic’s Complete Survival Manual is written to serve as an all-in-one resource for emergencies both in the wild and at home. Not only does it instruct the reader on the basics of survival (such as water, food, fire, shelter, etc.), but also dedicates a significant portion of itself to explaining the psychology of survival, supplementary skills, real-world accounts of other’s survival experiences, and tips from renowned organizations such as the US Army, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and Girl Scouts of America.
Chapters are broken down by first focusing on physical and mental wellness, the readers environment, and how to apply the particular survival skills needed for it. Lastly are the chapters focused around survival at home during a disaster. The chapters are as follows:
Chapter One: Survival Basics: Mind and Body
Chapter Two: Survival Basics: The Environment
Chapter Three: Survival In The Temperate Forests
Chapter Four: Survival In Swamps and Rainforests
Chapter Five: Survival In The High Mountains
Chapter Six: Survival In The Desert
Chapter Seven: Survival At The Poles and Subpolar Regions
Chapter Eight: Survival In The Water
Chapter Nine: Survival In The Home
Chapter Ten: Surviving Storms and Disasters
Appendix
By doing this National Geographic has put together a survival manual that is easily referenced and allows the reader to focus on the exact skills that are needed depending upon their circumstances. The appendix includes resources such as an index, global maps showing common weather events by region, packing lists by climate, an edible plant guide, techniques for first aid and signalling, as well as other things. When speed may be of the essence and the reader’s mind is clouded by fear, having an easy to use guide that still provides as much detail as possible is essential.
Each chapter is further broken down by sections, including preparation, food, water, fire, shelter, navigation, signaling, hazards, and first aid. For each chapter the information presented in these sections is tailored to be the most effective in the given environment. With this basic information comes tips and tricks that cover everything from the obvious to the advanced; lists and how-to sections are common. Some notable examples include are how make snowshoes from natural materials, sun-drying meats, and escaping from quicksand.
While a survival guide may not be an uncommon item in the pack of an outdoorsman, I feel that the inclusion of the Survival In The Home and Surviving Storms and Disasters chapters is an especially useful addition. Year after year we see natural disasters, yet the public is always stricken with the same irrational panic. The average person is woefully unprepared and lacks the common knowledge needed to even survive in their own homes without basic utilities.
A personal anecdote of mine: I went to the grocery store as a hurricane approached and saw they were sold out of milk and eggs; people fail to realize they won’t be able to refrigerate their precious milk and eggs when the power goes out. I once even asked a family member how they plan on opening the canned goods they stocked up on when the power goes out. They pointed to their electric can opener…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has published a list of items for a family emergency kit that is recommended to be kept in the house at all times. By simply adding the National Geographic Complete Survival Manual a family can be aware of the threats such situations pose and prepare ahead of time. If faced with a catastrophic disaster, particularly one that prevents access to the internet and delays government aid, the information they need to sustain themselves remains close at hand. Not only do the Survival In The Home and Surviving Storms and Disasters chapters provide invaluable information for those given situations, but the chapters that cover surviving in outdoor environments gives one the resources to survive if they need to evacuate and travel through primitive environments afterwards.
As the old adage goes, “knowledge is power”. A person is not born with the knowledge needed to survive and even the most skilled outdoorsman may overlook a simple improvised option. The National Geographic Complete Survival Manual is a small book that can make a big difference. By studying it’s content or simply throwing it in your pack you can stack the odds in your favor should you find yourself in a bad spot. For only $29.95 on National Geographic’s website, the National Geographic Complete Survival Manual is a book you can’t afford to be without.
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