Filled with pictures and diagrams, the book describes how to construct shelters, snares and fishnets. It details how to light a campfire, cook wild flora and fauna and recognize harmful plants and animals. This book is a must for hunters, campers, hikers or anyone contemplating a trip into or through the wilderness, whether it be a forest, desert or southern bayou. Author Ted Meyers has created an easy-to-read guide that spells out to readers how to avoid trouble in the woods and what to do if they find themselves in such a dilemma. Don't leave home without it!
This book is not intended for the experienced hikers or woodsmen who know what they are doing in the bush. Neither is it intended for serious plant gatherers, as they are well acquainted with the plants they seek. They have already studied the excellent books which have been written on the subject, books which teach the serious student of woodlore and herb gathering, not only how to identify thousands of plants but also how to use them as food and medicine. This book has a totally different purpose. It is sort of Wilderness 101, if you will, and is intended for those who do not realize the bush is a good place to avoid unless you know a thing or two about it. Still, while it can be hostile, dangerous and inhospitable, there is no reason to think of the wilderness as being so fearsome that it cannot be tamed.
Most people who become lost in the bush find themselves in trouble because they go in oblivious to the dangers, sometimes on purpose but more often by accident. Most of these people find themselves in deep trouble because they fail to take a few simple precautions. This book will help you avoid, or at least alleviate, much of the danger you will encounter. Every year in Canada and the United States, hundreds of hikers, hunters and just plain folk get lost in the woods. Most of these people are rescued, some relatively quickly. Some, however, are never found or are found dead or close to it. Some of the deaths are from starvation because the lost ones do not know they are surrounded by edible plants which they could not identify in any case. This little book will show anyone who can read (or listen while someone else reads aloud) and remember a few basic tips about ways to survive in any situation in any area of North America - including the Arctic. Because survival is not an exact science, techniques are not cut and dried. Therefore, specific chapters deal with specific situations. Each will cover the circumstances a lost person is most likely to encounter in the hostile and unfamiliar environment into which he or she is thrust. Therefore, if you or someone you know might be venturing into the bush anytime in the future, flying over rugged country or trail riding without a qualified guide (guides have been known to get lost as well) through unfamiliar terrain, check out this book first.
Make it part of your basic kit or give it to your friends as part of their kits. It could prove to be your salvation, perhaps your only friend, for a greater number of days than you care to think about.
A graduate of RCAF Survival School, Ted Meyers has assisted on RCAF Search and Rescue teams in Labrador. He also spent many days in Saskatchewan under the watchful ad critical eye of his grandfather Fred Henderson, a well-known woodsman, and master of woodlore.
