The beauty and tranquility of nature can be deceptively dangerous for the unprepared. A change in weather conditions, personal injury, or lost or damaged supplies can turn a scenic hike into a life-threatening ordeal. Those with the knowledge of survival stay calm, stay safe, and stay alive.
Outdoor Survival Guide provides you with the essential survival information to help you overcome the most frequently encountered outdoor hazards. This guide offers practical, step-by-step instruction so you can implement the skills and techniques even under the most stressful circumstances. From extreme cold to the isolated wilderness, you’ll have the tools to survive.
In Outdoor Survival Guide, survival expert Randy Gerke shares the same techniques and strategies he has used with the U.S. military and other government agencies. You will learn these skills and more:
Assess your situation and prioritize your needs.
Use your surroundings for shelter and safety.
Navigate through isolated wilderness.
Survive in extreme heat or cold.
Signal for help.
How to find drinking water in the wild and make sure it’s safe to drink.
Identify edible vegetation to stave off hunger.
Assemble your own custom survival kit.
Preparation is the key to survival, and Outdoor Survival Guide will ensure that you are prepared. Before you venture afield, read this guide, and then stow it in your backpack, in your glove compartment, or with your outdoor supplies. It might save your life.
Survival Skills Quick Reference
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. The Art of Survival
Chapter 2. Shelter
Chapter 3. Fire
Chapter 4. Water
Chapter 5. Food From Plants
Chapter 6. Food From Animals
Chapter 7. Navigation and Finding Help
Chapter 8. Signaling
Chapter 9. Injuries and Illness
Chapter 10. Dangerous Animals and Environments
Chapter 11. Survival Kits
About the Author
Since 1978, Randy Gerke has been teaching survival techniques to the general public and groups from corporations and government agencies. He is a former captain and a member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team in Ouray, Colorado, and a graduate of Brigham Young University. He has been a technical advisor to the television programs Rescue 911 and Worst-Case Scenario. He has been personally involved in many search-and-rescue operations in a variety of terrains and weather conditions during every season of the year.
Gerke is the founder and owner of Enviro-Tech International at www.etisurvival.com, a company devoted to teaching wilderness survival and rescue, wilderness medicine, and aircraft crew survival. Gerke has taught survival and rescue courses from Maine to Washington state. His clients have included the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Air Force, U.S Navy, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Gerke lives in Montrose, Colorado.