Although a bit heavy this book is a must for any serious outdoorsman. Whether you like mountaineering, ice or rock climbing, hiking, biking, canoeing, snowboarding, piloting or just simply travelling this book is suffused with helpful tips on staying alive.

The book is replete with diagrams and hand drawn pictures illustrating important points.

The most helpful aspect of the book is the section which shows you how to make a survival kit with minimal weight and volume that you will NEED to survive.

This book is full of Information that anyone can use, especially if they are an outdoors person, or travel alot. You can not go wrong buying this book. Way to go Reid.

A friend from Metlakata Alaska!

I certainly hope I don't have to use such fascinating information!

I find it incredible that one author can know so much about survival in rare and difficult conditions. Note: this is not a survival guide for the average outdoorsman; it's a guide for the average person who finds him- or herself in extraordinary situations.

It's a great addition to the sort of coffee-table books one lays out to entertain friends!

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What do you do when your car dies in the desert, or the small plane in which you are a passenger crashes into the water a long way from land, or someone on your hiking trip suffers a major injury miles from the nearest help? That's what this book is all about.

It covers a surprising number of subjects, all having to do with survival when help is a long way away. It doesn't tell you how to prevent an accident from happening, but concentrates on what to do now that it has happened. It's biggest recommendation: Don't Panic. Among the subjects covered are; How to build a shelter, starting a fire, finding and purifying water, edible and inedible plants and animals, waiting for rescue and navigation with and without a compass. There is also a large section on survival medicine, covering everything from CPR to spinal injuries to frostbite to infection to insect bites to seasickness. The author hasn't forgotten psychological first aid, too. After a disaster has happened, psychological injuries can be worse than physical injuries.

This is the sort of book to get familiar with before you go on your trip. You don't want to be reading it for the first time as the disaster is in progress.

Those who do a lot of traveling in remote areas need this book. Those whose traveling is limited to hiking trips in a national park or state forest also need this book. It presents things in a very clear, step-by-step way, with lots of illustrations. Even those of us whose traveling is limited to watching TV travel shows could really use this book. One day, it will come in very handy.