Product Description

Popular survival expert Ray Mears presents a richly illustrated compendium of practical skills and wisdom, relevant not only to wilderness survival, but also urban life. The book contains step-by-step guides to a wide range of survival techniques, as well as accounts of Ray's own experiences and his bushcraft philosophy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34449 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

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?"

From the Publisher
This book has been almost two years to the day in the making, with Ray having to fit the writing into his hectic schedule making the six one hour programmes for his latest BBC TV series 'Extreme Survival'. Ray had a very clear vision for the book. It had to be in a user friendly format and he wanted to make it unique among such books in having step-by-step picture sequences - not drawings. Ray was very concerned that readers should be given authentic, accurate information - whether in words, drawings or photographs. If Ray wasn't a superb photographer this book would not have been possible: every technique described and photographed has been tested by Ray. We were also fortunate that Ray was able to introduce Ben McNutt to the project. Ben had done many of Ray's courses and taught them as well, so he was able to provide accurate drawings. Fitting together the text, 200+ photos and 100+ drawings was an epic job undertaken with immense skill and good humour by designer Ned Hoste. Working on the book has been a journey in itself and we're all very proud that, at last,the book is published. We hope you enjoy it.

Customer Reviews

Motivation in ink
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.....

*compulsive reading*
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!!!

Lots of useful information
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.....