A Reference Guide to Surviving Nature: Outdoor Preparation and Remedies

Brought this because I love nature and the outdoors. Looked appealing and helpful but is woefully inadequate. Simple with so - so color pictures; they are not at all appropriate for species identification. There are chapters on plants, animals, insects, weather, but chapters are short and incomplete. For example, the chapter on ticks doesn't have one mention or picture of a deer tick which is so prevalent in the U.S. How can you not include this? The chapter on medicinal plants only mentions 6 plants! The poisonous plants chapter didn't have one picture of poison ivy. After flipping through and realized this information was missing, I realized that the other chapters were probably insufficient as well. Got back on Amazon to return right away.

This book was more like a long advertisement for the authors other works. Its information was incredibly basic. Out of all the pages, I found maybe 2 or 3 pages actually had useful information. On the cover it says "must have in your pack" I wouldnt take this out hiking or camping except for use as toilet paper or fire starter. A survival book? It had NO information about using a compass in case you get lost, how to prevent getting lost if you have to leave the trail. No knot tying or making a shelter, or a fire without a lighter. No info on proper waste disposal. No info on how to make water safe to drink. Most of the "tips" gave a link to find the needed info. What good is that out in the woods? Mentions dangers of river crossing and riptides in oceans but offers no tips on how to cross or escape them safely. The photos of the plants were subpar and not good for identification. Some photos showed only flowers and not the LEAVES. Instructions for poison ivy were wash with water, but doesnt mention you should use COLD water! Not worth the money at all.

Yay! Our copy of Dr. Nicole Apelian’s and Shawn Clay’s book is finally here!!! Immediately, I was thrilled about its paperback format and convenient size (easy to pack and take anywhere!). The synopsis on the back of the book is so very accurate: this book is sure to become a friend! :) It is more than a book: it’s a practical guide and workbook to be referenced many times in preparations for outdoor activities and also while being out in nature, time and time again. Written in a very easy-to-follow (and remember) language, with illustrations, the book familiarizes readers with outdoor preparation and survival basics, and also provides A TON of reference materials at the end (books, articles, websites recommendations) - all carefully organized for us in one place - priceless! There is also a “field checklist” and notes section for the reader’s convenience. Overall, a wonderful and very useful book - I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring and experiencing nature safely.

Lots of great information here and will get you on your way to becoming confident and competent in the outdoors! Get one for your pack and one for home library!

Such a good reference for anyone interested in survival, preparedness, or simply getting more familiar with the world around you. I've read a lot of books in the genre, and this is one of the best. In fact, you should buy two (like I did). It's the perfect gift!

This is an excellent reference guide to common issues you can experience in the woods. The pictures arereally good and explanations of bites/stings/alergic reactions and their treatment are very valuable.It is small enough to pack with you yet packed full of important information. I highly recommend thisfor anyone that hikes and camps in the outdoors.

This book doesn’t provide any information that anybody with any real life experience or a touch of commons sense and google couldn’t figure out. I am a rural middle aged woman that likes having useful reference survival books around for the just in case. This book might provide some new knowledge to somebody that has never left the concrete jungle, but is woefully lacking of substance for anybody that has ANY outdoor experience. I will be returning. Definitely not worth the price.

I had high hopes for this little book; it is advertised as "A must-have for your pack"...... although I am not sure why. It has zero information about survival, for example, the short paragraph on "fire starting" merely says it's important to start a fire, and lists the four main fire-starting tools. It does NOT tell you how to start a fire. Same for shelter, water, etc. Just some animal and plant identification, and a lot of fluff at the end to fill the space, including twenty one blank pages (!) I expected more from these authors. Very disappointing.

It's written in a way that keeps you reading. Everything is in simple terms as well.