Product Description

Northern Wilderness is a stunning celebration of one of earth's great wildernesses. Ray Mears journeys on foot, by canoe and by snowshoe through mountains, forests, tundra and ice in a land where roads are still scarce.

He explores the vast Boreal Forest and its rich animal life from beavers to bears. He travels across the Hudson Bay by canoe, and tells the story of the fur trade and trappers who traded with the hat manufacturers of England. Ray follows the paths of the great early northern explorers, Samuel Hearne and David Thompson, who survived through their knowledge of what we now call bushcraft, as they trekked across the tundra and the Rocky Mountains. He explores the frozen north and learns the ways of the Inuit, who teach him how to combat snow blindness and build shelter.

This book is rich in bushcraft, as Ray explains the unique survival techniques of the Native Canadians and the Inuit, as well as how the prospectors in the gold rush used bushcraft skills to survive in this inhospitable but awesome landscape.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #191 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 220 pages

Review
'Amazing scenery, fascinating history and oodles of good old-fashioned scouting skills' (Daily Telegraph )

'Fans of Ray Mears - the thinking man's Bear Grylls - will rejoice that their man is back, doing what he's best at, and what he clearly loves doing...He begins in the vast Boreal forest that covers a third of Canada, which Mears illuminates in his wonderfully quiet, relaxed and understated way.' (Daily Mail )

'His clear message to go out and enjoy exploring nature calmly and safely is relevant everywhere. Eschewing wide-eyed adventurism, this survivalist is equally a naturalist and anthropologist for peoples who live at one with their environment' (Mail on Sunday )

'Inspiring fare' (Observer )

About the Author
Born in 1964, Ray Mears has travelled the world studying and teaching the art of survival. He has appeared extensively on TV programmes such as Bushcraft Survival and Ray Mears Goes Walkabout. In 2003 the Royal Geographical Society honoured him with the Ness Award for the popularisation of geography.

Customer Reviews

Northern Wilderness
This is a very different sort of book from Ray Mears. Up till now most of his books have been in the 'how to do it'category. This one is much more of an in -depth exploration of the first explorers of Canada and how those who succeeded were those who respected and followed the ways of the indigenous people. Ray allows the reader an insight into how Canada was explored and its wildlife exploited and how things like its rivers and the canoe were essential elements in this. A great read and well worth adding to the Ray Mears collection

Great Read
If your not narrow minded like the reviewer above and enjoy reading about history and the hardships of life and how bushcraft came to be then you will love this book.

Ray delves deep into the fascinating history of canada, the norther wilderness and expresses his passion so immensley with a book about his other passion aside from bushcraft, history.

This book is a true testament to the canadians which used to rely so much on the skills ray now teaches and i believe this book to be a definite buy for all who enjoy knowing where the current bushcraft skills came from.

A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT
If you are expecting another Ray Mears book about bushcraft, think again. This is all about the history of one region of Canada. Yes, he writes about the hardships encountered by early travellers and traders, but it's been written about many times before, and much better.

Ray Mears should stick to what he is good at; Bushcraft, and leave history to the historians.

A waste of money.