Product Description

The Special Air Service operates worldwide, often in remote and hostile locations where nature poses as much of a hazard as any enemy. In order to stay alive and complete their missions, SAS personnel are rigorously trained in the art of survival. This book is based on SAS training and techniques. As well as a section on basic survival techniques relevant to any hostile environment, this book contains specific details pertinent to survival in arctic and mountain areas, including information on shelter, food, equipment and fire making specific to the arctic, any mountain area or conditions of extreme cold. Drawing on practical, first-hand knowledge, the entries are arranged in order of survival priority, with photographs, cutaway drawings and diagrams. Specially designed to fit in a rucksack or pocket, this book offers a potentially life-saving companion for any hiking or skiing trip.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #661371 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From the Publisher
The SAS Essential Survival Guides are a hardworking series of practical survival handbooks based on SAS training and techniques. They cover every aspect of survival in the world’s most inhospitable places, and have the authority of being written by a top ex-SAS training instructor. Adapted from the comprehensive SAS Encyclopedia of Survival, this general survival guide contains detailed information on basic survival in any situation, including techniques of shelter construction, sourcing water, first aid, fire making, food hunting, signalling, navigation and equipment. Drawing on practical, first hand-knowledge, the entries are arranged in order of survival priority, with photos, cutaway drawings and diagrams.

About the Author
Barry Davies served with the SAS for eighteen years, during which he was awarded the British Empire Medal. The SAS sent him to the International Long Range Patrol School in Germany, where as Senior Survival Instructor he taught survival skills to servicemen from a variety of nations. He is the author of a number of books, including The Complete Encyclopedia of the SAS, and is currently a consultant on a survival-themed TV show in production with the BBC.

Customer Reviews

Less than impressive
SAS Desert Survival. The title has a definite attraction, but after reading it, I have to say that I was less than impressed. Water collection is one of the most essential concerns of any desert survivor, yet there isn't much here on how to locate water sources and plan for water consumption in desert conditions. What there was included the usual over-optimistic advice on things like solar stills and transpiration bags, with certain curious 'tips' such as getting drinkable water from the sap of birch trees (in the desert?). The section on map navigation isn't detailed enough to be of any real use to anyone (nor does it contain much on using compass or GPS in desert terrain). There is little or nothing on common desert dangers such as sandstorms, snakes, heat illness, hyponatremia, etc. What there is includes a lot of regurgitated advice from other SAS books on animal traps and fishing, not very applicable to arid desert. I can't recommend this book for anyone attempting an education in desert survival skills.

OK, but not the best desert book
I bought this book a few years ago along with others in the SAS survival series. As a desert survival book it's merely OK; there are a lot better books on desert survival out there. The SAS book has little or no first aid information, and the sections on navigation and desert hazards like sandstorms, snakes, etc. aren't detailed enough to be of much use. A much better book on this subject would be something like The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson which is much more comprehensive and detailed, with more useful illustrations.

Great for beginnners and the quite advanced too
Although this book is occasionally an ad for BCB in Cardiff (with photos lifted directly from their site), the vast majority is unbiased and of excellent quality, with sections on: Basic Equipment, Medical Priorities, Survival Medicine, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Survival Travel and Rescue.

This is a book that can take even an near total novice to a useful level of awareness and even competence in a short period of time, whilst remaining useful to the more advanced user as well (it's nice to know we are doing the 'right' things) :o)

Of particular interest (for me) was the inclusion of hunting / tracking / snaring / skinning techniques; a factor that goes beyond the "buy it in packs" attitude that some have to survival, and allows for those of us who desire a little more 'hands-on' knowledge when local expert opinion is hard to find.

Additionally, the inclusion of Medicinal plants is of use - and english ones too!! And a real bonus for absolute beginners is the "survival kit in a tin", which are almost totemic badges identifying your fellow 'preparedness oriented' folk these days :o)

What it lacks (if anything) is a list of useful suppliers (other than BCB) and possible sources for the real bug-bear of the long term 'survival oriented', Antibiotics.

This is largely nit-picking however, as anyone capable of finding this book on Amazon is capable of finding sources of useful supplies; although a few suggestions to beginners may be nice...

All-in-all, I'd say 'buy it' - for the low price and high info ratio it supplies your [money] will be money will spent.