Rating: 
Summary: A very Good Book
Review: I also believe that the reviewers are being a bit too critical of the book; it is a guide to outdoor survival. It is not a textbook on magnetism nor the science of burning wood. What this book offers is sound advice that covers a broad and diverse range of topics. Using illustrations rather than vast amounts of text, I believe the author has provided more information than I need. This is, I believe, I positive attribute in comparison to most texts of the "survival" genre.I do agree, though, that the editing is the poorest aspect of this book. It seems, at times, that the book was edited too hastely. Verb tenses are often in disagreement and the text seems just end mid-sentence. Although I find this is often the case in these types of books, it is nonetheless bothersome.I would, however, reccomend this book for both individuals who are recently interested in camping and wilderness activities and those who are more experienced in camping. It is, I believe, one of the best in the area of survival and cmping.
Rating:
Summary: A very Good Book
Review: I also believe that the reviewers are being a bit too critical of the book; it is a guide to outdoor survival. It is not a textbook on magnetism nor the science of burning wood. What this book offers is sound advice that covers a broad and diverse range of topics. Using illustrations rather than vast amounts of text, I believe the author has provided more information than I need. This is, I believe, I positive attribute in comparison to most texts of the "survival" genre.I do agree, though, that the editing is the poorest aspect of this book. It seems, at times, that the book was edited too hastely. Verb tenses are often in disagreement and the text seems just end mid-sentence. Although I find this is often the case in these types of books, it is nonetheless bothersome. I would, however, reccomend this book for both individuals who are recently interested in camping and wilderness activities and those who are more experienced in camping. It is, I believe, one of the best in the area of survival and cmping.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointing book
Review: I found "Camping & Wilderness Survival" rather less useful than other outdoor guides I have seen. The author includes so much material, much of it unnecessary, that the reader is overwhelmed with detail. Furthermore, some of the information is just wrong, or completely useless. For example, the author claims that a needle can be magnetized by stroking it in one direction with a piece of silk; this notion confuses electrostatic effects with magnetic effects. Under the heading "Starting fire without matches", we are told to "place a lit candle below a teepee of kindling" to start a fire. Then the candle is to be removed and extinguished for future use! (How did the candle get lit in the first place?) To find the height of a tree, the reader is told to bend over, facing away from the tree, look at the tree through his legs, and move away until the top of the tree can be seen ; then the height of the tree is equal to the horizontal distance between the observer and the tree, because "the angle when looking through your legs is 45 degrees." The book could have used better editing and proof- reading; on every page the reader will find spelling and grammatical errors. In fact, I found this feature to be more irritating after a while than the occasional factual errors. The book would be an interesting addition to one's library, for reference purposes, but it is far too lengthy (350 pages) and heavy for routine use in the outdoors.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointing book
Review: I found "Camping & Wilderness Survival" rather less useful than other outdoor guides I have seen. The author includes so much material, much of it unnecessary, that the reader is overwhelmed with detail. Furthermore, some of the information is just wrong, or completely useless. For example, the author claims that a needle can be magnetized by stroking it in one direction with a piece of silk; this notion confuses electrostatic effects with magnetic effects. Under the heading "Starting fire without matches", we are told to "place a lit candle below a teepee of kindling" to start a fire. Then the candle is to be removed and extinguished for future use! (How did the candle get lit in the first place?) To find the height of a tree, the reader is told to bend over, facing away from the tree, look at the tree through his legs, and move away until the top of the tree can be seen ; then the height of the tree is equal to the horizontal distance between the observer and the tree, because "the angle when looking through your legs is 45 degrees." The book could have used better editing and proof- reading; on every page the reader will find spelling and grammatical errors. In fact, I found this feature to be more irritating after a while than the occasional factual errors. The book would be an interesting addition to one's library, for reference purposes, but it is far too lengthy (350 pages) and heavy for routine use in the outdoors.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book! Just wish it came in a spiral version!
Review: I have used and used this book. I live in Alaska and this is the handiest darned book I think I have ever bought. I just wish it came in a spiral version with laminated pages. It is a MUST for anyone who likes to be outdoors...even in your backyard. It has emergency information on survival shelters, how to build fires and cook, and how to keep your head in case of an emergency. This book doesn't just cover the skills or info needed in the Northwest, it has information on how to survive in tropical areas, desert areas, and even on the open seas. It has some historical info about Native American habitats, and information about game animals that could be used for food. It has lots of great tidbits to digest whenever you have a few minutes to pick up the book. I recommend getting two copies...one for the back of the toilet and one for your nightstand!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book! Just wish it came in a spiral version!
Review: I have used and used this book. I live in Alaska and this is the handiest darned book I think I have ever bought. I just wish it came in a spiral version with laminated pages. It is a MUST for anyone who likes to be outdoors...even in your backyard. It has emergency information on survival shelters, how to build fires and cook, and how to keep your head in case of an emergency. This book doesn't just cover the skills or info needed in the Northwest, it has information on how to survive in tropical areas, desert areas, and even on the open seas. It has some historical info about Native American habitats, and information about game animals that could be used for food. It has lots of great tidbits to digest whenever you have a few minutes to pick up the book. I recommend getting two copies...one for the back of the toilet and one for your nightstand!
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better
Review: I saw this book at a booth during a Cub Scout powwow. After thumbing through it briefly, I bought it. After bringing it home and actually sitting down with it, I found there was way too many spelling errors. Like the previous review, I found this to be extremely irritating. According to my copy, this is the 8th printing. They should have fixed all of this by now!! (BTW - they definitely need to remove the candle trick from the "how to start a fire without matches section"). As for the information, I found alot of it to be useful and interesting. If you have other books, you'll find a repeat in information. I think it could have been alittle more in detail, but even I learned a new trick or two. I bought this book to help teach my scouts simple survival skills that they can use in the wild. I think that this books fits that role. The illistrations really make this book great and easy to follow. It really not a bad book, and three stars may be alittle hard, but I think that the spelling errors are just too obvious to be ignored.
Rating:
Summary: Spelling Schmelling
Review: I think some of the other reviewers have been way to critical of this book. I'm glad it does not go into too much detail, because by being broad it is able to cover many different areas. It is easy to look up what you need quickly. The illustrations help to clarify what is written about. I am not a wilderness expert, but if the information in this book is accurate, it is a very useful reference tool for your average family outdoor outing. I would think that some of the survival techniques could be translated into great projects for kids who sometimes get bored on camping vacations. Yes they should fix the spelling, but I don't spell well enough myself to notice
Rating:
Summary: Spelling Schmelling
Review: I think some of the other reviewers have been way to critical of this book. I'm glad it does not go into too much detail, because by being broad it is able to cover many different areas. It is easy to look up what you need quickly. The illustrations help to clarify what is written about. I am not a wilderness expert, but if the information in this book is accurate, it is a very useful reference tool for your average family outdoor outing. I would think that some of the survival techniques could be translated into great projects for kids who sometimes get bored on camping vacations. Yes they should fix the spelling, but I don't spell well enough myself to notice
Rating: 
Summary: Great, but not good
Review: I titled the book "great, but not good" for a reason. It was not a grammer mistake. There is no book that covers the vast topics that this one does. Probably every topic I can think of is covered in this book. However the problem is that with so many topics, only so much information can be printed in 350 pages. This book lacks a lot of "how to" information. If you are one of those people who can see the end result and figure out the way to get to it all by yourself, then this book is for you. If you need detailed instructions, this book may not be for you. There are great sections on animals & birds. I love this book because it teaches a lot of creative things. It may not be the best beginner book, but it is certainly good quality.
| 
