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Bushcraft: An Inspirational Guide to Surviving the Wilderness

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Bushcraft: An Inspirational Guide to Surviving the Wilderness (Paperback)

by Raymond Mears (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (21 Feb 2002)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0340792582
ISBN-13: 978-0340792582
Product Dimensions: 26.4 x 24.1 x 2.4 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 192,286 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#49 in Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Fishing, Birdwatching & Other Outdoor Pursuits > Active Pursuits > Outdoor Survival Skills

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

TV's extreme survival expert Ray Mears has lived off the land in the world's most inhospitable places, and Bushcraft is a coffee table-style encapsulation of that hard-won knowledge and experience. Aspiring travellers will find hundreds of life-saving tips here, and even if you plan to stick pretty closely to the beaten track (say, your garden), the specialist information contained in chapters on survival essentials like finding and purifying water, establishing fires and shelter, cordage (the joys of making your own string), and living off the land (grubs and the like), is fascinating in itself--in the tradition of TV's finest "natural history" output.

Elsewhere, Mears establishes some basic principles about equipment--with brief guides to the right sort of knives, axes, rucksacks etc--and runs through his own kit for the various climates of the world. But be warned, it's doubtful whether this information will do more than arm you with the ability to make semi-informed choices in the shop. Will this book prepare you for the world's wildernesses? Yes and no. It is an entertaining, informative introduction to the survival mindset which will have even the sofa-bound thirsting for adventure, but aside from the solid core knowledge--which regular wanderers will find pitched at roughly intermediate level--the region-specific practical information looks sketchy.

"Knowledge is invisible and weighs not at all", Mears suggests. This large-format glossy hardback book, however, packed with illustrations and colour photographs, is not designed to be a field guide. Travellers looking to pack knowledge in their rucksacks would be better served by either the Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide or Mears' own paperback Outdoor Survival Handbook, which contains much of the same basic information. These shortcomings aside, it's undeniable that something magical happens when you tap into a survival expert's ways of thinking about food, water, shelter and healthcare (feet first)--and Bushcraft is an intriguing blend of life-over-death practicality and pared-down philosophy that will shine a new light on most readers' urbanised, consumption-driven lifestyles. --Alex Hankin

Review

"If Ray Mears isn't a Great Living Englishman, then goodness me, who is?"

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motivation in ink, 6 Jun 2002

By	Mr. K. Thomas "luneau182" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having seen many of the Survival TV programs by Mears, I had high expectations of this book and I was not disappointed. Instead of it being a formulaic 'how to survive like the army' style book, it is a guide on how to overcome our dependance on modern equipment to do anything more complicated than a walk in the park. Whats more, it doesnt feel like a list of facts, you feel as though he is actually talking to you face to face which makes it more interesting and memorable.
Definitely worth it, if only to find out how to get a glass of water using only some polythene and a few rocks.....

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars *compulsive reading*, 26 Mar 2002

By	"misr69" - See all my reviews

This is a gripping read if you are into the whole outdoors/survival thing.
It's full of practical tips on a wide range of subjects from food and shelter to clothing and equipment.
Good photographs and diagrams let you get to grips with things that come over a little complex in the text.
My one gripe about it is that it is'nt that different from Ray Mears' 'The Survival Handbook' (1994)
Having said that, i'm thoroughly pleased that i did get 'Bushcraft'...
Well worth a click on the purchase button!!!

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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of useful information, 15 Mar 2002

By A Customer

I've always been impressed with Ray Mears' TV programs; he always appears very relaxed and at home in the outdoors. I like the fact he dresses in such a way that he blends in to the natural world, unlike the average dayglo orange hillwalker.
This isn't a survival manual as such, and all the better for that. It is more about reducing one's dependency on modern technology when outdoors, and becoming part of the natural world instead of battling against it.
I suspect many people will read it more for interest than for its practical value, but there is nothing wrong with that. Many of the techniques may be more relevant to Canada/Alaska/Northern Scandinavia than the UK, although there is information on techniques for every type of climate.
I'm no expert on bushcraft, but I can confirm that the information on medical matters and water purification is broadly accurate, and the firebow method of firelighting will certainly work here in Scotland....with practice.....

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Bleeding deadly buzz
I found this book rather useful as I have been doing basic survival stuff for some years now. I found his book to be very informative and built up my skill set for such... Read more

Published on 7 Jun 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining, but not really very usefull.
This book works really well as a companion to Ray Mear's many TV series. It is full of great info on survivial techniques from making fire to building a shelter. Read more

Published on 10 Feb 2004 by C. Verspeak

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent reference book.
I found virtually all of the essential information included here in Ray Mears' more recent release "Essential Bushcraft"�which has to be my favourite of all his "survival" books... Read more

Published on 30 Dec 2003 by M. D Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
This book accompanies Mears' television series spectacullarly well, as it's just so interesting! It's certainly given me lots of new ideas, and useful advice on equipment. Read more

Published on 24 April 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read
Having done a couple of Ray's courses' the book comes across in the same informantive manner of his personal instruction, along with his sense of humour. Read more

Published on 2 April 2003 by rogdodge

5.0 out of 5 stars Exellent
I found this book exellent, complementing his "Outdoor Survival Handbook". I especially liked the way he mentions brand names, so that you can see what actual kit he uses, instead... Read more

Published on 23 Mar 2003 by malibusurffm

4.0 out of 5 stars Sound philosophical and practical intro to the subject
This is not a book to pack in the day bag. It is definitely a coffee table tome, its square shape making it sit very uncomfortably in the bookcase! Read more

Published on 17 Mar 2003 by amadou

2.0 out of 5 stars Same Info Written Before!
I was dissappointed to find that the information and illustrations in this book has already been written/drawn before in other Survival related books previously(mainly American... Read more

Published on 23 Feb 2003 by alison4050

5.0 out of 5 stars Do more than just survive...
Bushcraft is a first rate guide to how it is possible to survive in the wilderness - and enjoy doing so! Read more

Published on 5 Oct 2002 by bay666

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tao of Survival
In this book Ray shows not only only an unparalleled expertise in his field but also a great sympathy with his environment whether that be the people or the land around him. Read more

Published on 4 Aug 2002 by george_braddock

› See all 19 customer reviews...

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