THE SURVIVAL HANDBOOK : ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE / COLIN TOWELL.

Includes index.

1. Before You Go -- Introduction: Prepare Yourself -- Getting into Shape -- Mental Preparation -- Planning Your Journey -- Emergency Plan of Action -- Introduction: Know Your Environment -- Temperate Environments -- Tropical Environments -- Mountain Environments -- Desert Environments -- Cold Environments -- Marine Environment -- Introduction: Get the Right Gear -- Choosing Your Kit -- Choosing a Backpack -- Dressing for the Outdoors -- Extreme Survival-In the Wilderness -- Sleeping Systems -- Eating on the Trail -- Camping Stoves -- Your Survival Kit.
2. On the Trail -- Introduction: Find Your Way -- Maps and Map-Reading -- Get your Bearings -- Route Finding -- Navigating Without a Compass -- Natural Navigation -- How Weather Works -- Weather Phenomena -- Understanding Local Weather -- Introduction: Make a Move -- Traveling on Foot -- Crossing Rivers -- Scrambling and Climbing -- Extreme Survival-In the Mountains -- Moving Over Snow -- Using Pack Animals -- Four-Wheel Driving -- Kayaking and Canoeing -- Building a Raft -- Swimming.
3. Camp Craft -- Introduction: Camp Essentials -- Organizing Your Site -- Staying Clean -- Making Fire -- The Elements of Fire -- Char Cloth and Fire Can -- Types of Fire -- Making Sparks and Flames -- Extreme Survival-In the Desert -- Fire by Friction -- Introduction: Manual Skills -- Man-Made Cordage -- Natural Cordage -- Tying Knots -- Using Cutting Tools.
4. Taking Shelter -- Introduction: Taking Shelter -- Hollows and Caves -- Use-Anywhere Shelters -- Forest Shelters -- Tropical Shelters -- Extreme Survival-In the Jungle -- Desert Shelters -- Shoreline Shelters -- Snow Shelters.
5. Water and Food -- Introduction: Find and Treat Water -- The Importance of Water -- Finding Water: Temperate Climates -- Finding Water: Hot Climates -- Finding Water: Cold Climates -- Finding Water: At Sea -- Carrying and Storing Water -- Treating Water -- Introduction: Find and Prepare Food -- Wild Cooking -- Edible Plants -- Catching Fish -- Preparing Fish -- Extreme Survival-Adrift at Sea -- Trapping Animals -- Preparing Small Mammals -- Preparing Large Mammals -- Preparing Other Animals -- Catching Birds -- Preparing Birds.
6. In an Emergency -- Introduction: In an Emergency -- Assessing Your Situation -- Attracting Rescuers -- Wild Animals -- Extreme Survival-In Cold Conditions -- Environmental Hazards -- Surviving at Sea.
7. First Aid -- Introduction: First Aid -- First Aid Essentials -- Flesh Wounds -- Bites and Stings -- Poisonous Plants and Intestinal Parasites -- Bones, Joints, and Muscles -- Treating Exposure -- Treating Shock -- Breathing Difficulties -- Unconsciousness -- Moving a Casualty.
Appendix -- Wild Food: Temperate Plants -- Desert Plants -- Tropical Plants -- Plants in Cold Climates -- Coastal Plants -- Mammals -- Birds -- Amphibians and Reptiles -- Fish -- Invertebrates -- Natural Danger: Wild Animals -- Insects and Arachnids -- Poisonous Plants.

"Crammed full of preparation tips, manual skills, navigation techniques, and helpful visuals, this is your essential guide for surviving the great outdoors. Written by Colin Towell, a former SAS Combat Survival Instructor, The Survival Handbook contains all you need to get fit, gear up, and go. From survival basics such as finding water, keeping warm, and catching fish, to extreme situations including being adrift at sea, lost in the desert, or badly injured, this book will see you through the toughest times in the world's most dangerous environments. You'll discover how to read a map, navigate with or without a compass, light a fire, and make a raft or sledge. You'll learn how to build a shelter, read the weather, cross challenging terrain, treat insect and animal bites, recognise edible and poisonous plants, and cook freshly caught meat. You'll also hear inspirational real-life survival stories from fellow adventurers. What's more, you can even cook your dinner in the book's mess tin! Survival is in your hands, so don't go anywhere without this handy guide."