Since we’re all spending a little more time at home these days, now is the perfect time to pick up a few bushcraft books to read for survival. Here are seven we highly recommend.
Start Digging Into These Bushcraft Books
If you’re new to Prepping or are ready to move to the next lines of education past storing food and water and First Aid supplies, you’ll want to do some reading and research. If you are so lucky to survive a worldwide pandemic, EMP attack, or nuclear war, you will find yourself very much on your own.
In these cases, knowledge is power, and the more survival skills you have mastered, the better off you will be. Beyond just surviving, you’ll want to learn how to thrive in the wilderness.
Of course, reading is just one way to gain knowledge on subjects like building shelters, first aid, creating tools, and hunting and foraging. Watching videos and then practicing these skills for yourself will hammer home the concepts and turn you into a master.
Here are our top picks for already-popular and easily acquired survival/bushcraft books that you should buy, read, and keep on hand for reference. Remember, there may be no “Googling” in the future.
1. Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury
View this post on InstagramBetter late than never to start learning #Bushcraft #Wilderness #Survival #BushCraft101 #WildernessSurvival #Outdoorsman #ModernOutdoorsman #AlwaysPrepared #AlwaysReady #AlwaysLearning #AlwaysImproving #Author #Novelist #Novel #Thriller #Veteran
The highest selling bushcraft book of all time, Dave Canterbury is a very well known survivalist and author.
In Bushcraft 101, you’ll find the 5 C’s of Survivability: Cutting tools, Coverings, Combustion, Containers, and Cordage. After all, what more do you need?
2. 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin
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An incredibly engaging book full of useful illustrations, Lundin is able to keep the content interesting instead of dry. 98.6 is a great tool for those who want to learn but tend to get bored reading textbooks.
3. Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury
Sale
Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
- Advanced Bushcraft An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
- Canterbury, Dave (Author)
Once you’ve read Bushcraft 101 and mastered the basics, pick up Canterbury’s follow-up, Advanced Bushcraft. After you’ve lived out in the wild for some time, you’ll need to know how to get by without equipment and how to use the wilderness to your benefit.
4. Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski
Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
- Bushcraft Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
- Kochanski, Mors (Author)
Another book that covers the basics: fire building, wood chopping, tree felling, shelter creation, knife and axe safety, finding animals and plants that will help you survive, outdoor cooking techniques, tool, rope, and basket making, and the list goes on.
5. Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties: The Classic Guide to Building Wilderness Shelters by D.C. Beard
View this post on InstagramGot the tools, and current reading material definitely provides inspiration. Now to find some affordable property to bring it all in to practice. #sheltersshacksandshanties #rockywoodlandforge #tomahawk #songofthepaddle #pathofthepaddle #bushcraft #wearestillwild #thegreatoutdoors #canoecamping #camping #discoverbushcraft #campfire #backtonature #campvibes #woodensheepleather #coastalbushcraft #rewildbefree
D.C. Beard was one of the founders of Boy Scouts of America, and his field guide to shelter building stands the test of time.
6. Woodcraft and Camping by George W. Sears
Woodcraft and Camping
- Nessmuk, George W. Sears (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Sears published this book in 1884, but it is still very relevant today. The skills and techniques used over a century ago still apply and should be learned.
7. Survival Hacks: Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival by Creek Stewart
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Survival Hacks: Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival
- Survival Hacks Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival
- Stewart, Creek (Author)
Adaptability is key in bushcraft, and Stewart offers hundreds of ways to repurpose everyday items. Although the format is not the same as other bushcraft books on the list, this one is likely to prove valuable in practice.
There are dozens of other field guides that may be better suited to how you learn or specific skills you are trying to master, but consider this list a starting point. Your education in bushcraft is a valuable investment in your future, so start learning today.
Have you been reading up on bushcrafting? What’s your fave bushcraft book so far? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
Up Next:
- How To Build An Overnight Bushcraft Camp
- 25 Obscure Bushcraft Skills For Survival
- Bulletproof Bushcraft On a Budget
