Nathan I.

Poor and Outdated Advice

Revisado: 03-09-21

I didn't make it far into this book as the amount of bad or outdated advice made it not worth continuing. I'm a fairly experienced camper and outdoorsman with about 30 years of experience and have spent time performing Search and Rescue, been in ROTC, CAP, and the scouts as a kid. I believe there is something worth learning from other bushcrafters and picked up this book as something to casually listen to while in the car. As much as I wanted to keep listening so that I could make a full list of what I disagree with, I just don't have the free time. Here's my short list:

1. Author recommended cotton clothing. My take: there is no scenario where I'd recommend cotton clothing. In every case there is a better option wether we are talking about extreme cold or extreme heat. I've been in numerous situations where cotton not only failed to provide any benefit, but actively made my situation worse. Cotton can essentially never get wet or it will chafe and put you in a position where it will be better to be naked than wearing cotton. As many other outdoorsmen say: cotton kills.

2. Author referenced a military pack, or military style pack. My take: Most military gear stopped being useful for bushcrafters and outdoorsmen sometime in the 90s (give or take). Military gear has different requirements and purposes that are often at odds with bushcrafting. Compared to what you can buy at any outfitters today military gear is heavier, less efficient, and less useful than an equivalent modern pack.

3. Author recommended 3-4 MREs in a bug out bag. My take: As with note number 2 above, military gear is often a poor choice compared to civilian market offerings today. 3-4 MREs take up substantial space and weight in a pack. Also, I've run into numerous issues with expired, or partially expired, MREs and MRE heaters not working for unknown reasons. For packable emergency food I'd go with freeze dried offerings (home made or commercial) which are light and only need boiling water to become edible again (or cold water if you're just that desperate). Add a Firebox stove to your kit and you can easily boil your water too; plus the stove is reusable where MRE heaters are not. The commercial food is also easy to heat in it's pouch and reseal if needed, and as an easy way to leave no trace. MRE pouches don't reseal and can be both messy and bulky to pack back out.

At this point I stopped listening as I wasn't getting anything positive out of the book and I value my time. If you read this book I would highly recommend taking its advice with caution and reading other bushcraft books before depending on the knowledge in this one. In the 70s or 80s this book, at least what I've read of it, would have been useful (even with some issues); but not today. The fact this advice is being given in a book published in 2020 is deeply concerning.

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