BackpackGearTest.org - SAS Survival Guide Owner Review by Ian Porteus

Backpacking Experience:
I began hiking after moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in
1994. Most of my experience is in the Coast and Cascade mountain
ranges of southern British Columbia, with some experience in semi-
arid regions and Carolinian forests. For the last 2 years I have
been hiking in Central Ontario. The weather experienced on my
travels is everything from "Damn, I must have made a wrong turn
and wound up at the North Pole" cold to "I think I'm melting" heat and humidity.

SAS Survival Guide by John Wiseman
Published by Collins Gem (trademark of HarperCollins Publishers)
Published: 1993
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/
MSRP: £ 4.99 (2004 edition)

This is a very comprehensive book, with information I have not found
in any of the other books I have read e.g. a person can get water by
sucking on animals' eyeballs-a tidbit of info I haven't seen in any
other book, anywhere. It also explains other methods of obtaining
water (distilling urine etc.). I could live in the wilds indefinitely
using the information available in this book.

The many illustrations are very detailed and well placed, so I can
refer to them as I'm reading, usually without having to flip back and
forth between pages. I could learn to tie knots simply by looking
at the illustrations without reading the text at all. The
illustrations used in the sections on identifying plants and animals
are in colour to aid identification.

Important points are highlighted with a dark pink (dusty rose?)
coloured background to stand out e.g. the suggestion to light a candle whenever
a match is struck to save matches. All warnings, like the warning to look for
submerged branches before wading across a river, are highlighted with the
same colour and a large skull & crossbones symbol.

The layout of the book is very good. It is divided into 10 sections,
each subdivided into chapters. The whole book is well thought out
and logically sequenced. The typeface is easy to read.

The pages can be written on with both pencil and ink, but the ink
needs a moment to dry, or it can be slightly smeared. The coating
does make the pages stronger, and less likely to tear. The binding
is still solid, with no signs of breaking down.

It starts with an "Essentials" section, which includes chapters on
trip preparation, what equipment is needed (e.g. backpack,
sleeping bag, what to include in a survival kit, medical kit) and
how to choose it. This section also explains how to sharpen knives,
obtain water and salt, this last is often overlooked in other books.

The next section is "Climate & Terrain" which gives descriptions of
the different climactic regions (polar, tropical etc.) and types of
terrain (mountains, seashores etc.). Information on how to move
(e.g. mountain section describes using ropes to ascend and descend),
what foods are available, shelter requirementsand how to cope
with the particular dangers of each area are included.

Following this is the "Food" section, divided into chapters on plants
and animals. The plants chapters explain which plants are edible and
which are poisonous, with colour illustrations. These are restricted
to a few widely distributed and common plants, divided by climactic
regions and terrain. The chapters on animals include how to find and
identify various types of animals and what types of traps and baits
to use on them, followed by how to construct traps and weapons,
preparing and cooking the animals. The final chapters are about
fishing, where to do it, making hooks and fish traps, preparing and
cooking fish.

Next up is "Camp Craft", detailing making and finding shelter,
building fires and cooking, preserving food and organising a camp.
Chapters also include making stone and bone tools, repairing and
proper use of axes, rope use and making, preparing and using animal
skins for tools and clothing. Also included is the best section on
tying knots I have seen. A very comprehensive and easy to follow set
of instructions. I wish all step-by step instructions were as well
written and easy to follow as those given here.

The fifth section is "Reading the Signs". This includes map and
compass use, improvising a compass, direction finding without a map
or compass, and reading weather signs.

"On the Move" is next, encompassing how to decide if and when to
move, moving in various types of terrain, and improvising rafts,
sleds and packs.

Section seven is: "Survival at Sea". This includes how to dress when
abandoning ship, how to use clothing to make a floatation device,
and how to get clear of the sinking ship. It also explains how to
board a dinghy from the water, and assisting others aboard. Protecting
oneself from the salt water and weather, how to get water, fishing,
signalling and locating land are all included as well.

The "Rescue" section covers signalling, including Morse code, ground
to air body signals and other signalling techniques. It also includes
an explanation of how searches are conducted, and helicopter rescue.

"Health" is the longest section, which is the most thorough treatment
of first aid I have seen. It includes the usual first aid advice,
plus dealing with various diseases and environmental hazards (divided
again by climactic regions and terrain), stretcher loading and
carrying, and plant remedies. It even has instructions for assisting
with childbirth. At the end of this section is a chapter on
identifying dangerous snakes, lizards and sea creatures.

The last section is "Disaster Strategies": how to prepare for and
cope with disasters such as drought, fire, earthquake and other
disasters.

The weather resistant coating works fine in a light rain, I have
gotten some pages wet in a light rain, and the ink didn't smear, or the
pages disintegrate. When it dried, it looked fine, not the usual wrinkled
mess books usually are after getting wet. The pages didn't stick
together after drying, either. I think it would survive a real
dunking better than a conventional paperback, but I keep it wrapped
in a plastic bag in my pack, just in case.

Includes the infamous "Taste Test" for determining if plants you are
unfamiliar with are edible. A stupid idea. Although this test is
more cautious than most, it still ignores the fact that some toxins
are slow acting, and five hours (the length of time the author uses
to determine if something you ate is toxic) may not be enough for
them to act, and that others must reach a certain level in the blood
before the adverse effects are noticeable. It is best to know what
plants are safe, and don't eat anything else.

The author is very knowledgeable, and presents the information
clearly (did I say that already?) in a simple, easy to follow, logical
sequence. I have found the sections on knot tying, weather
forecasting, identifying animal tracks and edible plants and fire
building to be useful. I also used the information on locating
fishing spots and choosing and sharpening knives.

This is the best survival book I have read, and I have read
at least 15 or 20 different survival books, including the Canadian
Armed Forces and US Army survival manuals. It goes in my
pack on every hike I take.

Reviews > Books > General > SAS Survival Guide > Owner Review by Ian Porteus

Reviews > Books > General > SAS Survival Guide > Owner Review by Ian Porteus