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US_002-003_Title.indd 2 22/10/19 11:23 AM SURVIVAL THE HANDBOOK ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE COLIN TOWELL US_002-003_Title.indd 3 22/10/19 11:23 AM FOURTH EDITION DK London Designer Daksheeta Pattni Project Editor Rose Blackard-Ord US Editor Jennette ElNaggar US Executive Editor Lori Cates Hand CONTENTS Managing Editor Gareth Jones Senior Managing Art Editor Lee Griffiths Producer, Pre-Production Robert Dunn Senior Producer Rachel Ng Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia MTT Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler Art Director Karen Self Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf DK Delhi Senior Editor Shatarupa Chaudhuri 8 Introduction Senior Art Editor Vikas Chauhan Assistant Editor Sai Prasanna Managing Editor Kingshuk Ghoshal Managing Art Editor Govind Mittal DTP Designer Bimlesh Tiwary Jacket Designer Tanya Mehrotra BEFORE YOU GO THIRD EDITION Senior Editors NDiKck Lyo Mndunorno, Richard Gilbert 16 Introduction: Prepare Yourself Senior Art Editors Michael Duffy, Gillian Andrews 18 Getting into Shape Editors Kate Taylor, Bob Bridle, Chris Hawkes, Philip Morgan, Gill Pitts, Clare Weber 20 Mental Preparation Art Editors Renata Latipova, Sarah-Anne Arnold, Katie Eke, Phil Gamble, Sharon Spencer 22 Planning Your Journey Lead Illustrator Mike Garland 24 Emergency Plan of Action Assisting Illustrators Darren Awuah, Phil Gamble, Peter Liddiard, Tim Loughead, Mark Walker 26 Introduction: Know Your Environment DK Delhi 28 Temperate Environments Editor Nishtha Kapil Assistant Art Editor Sonakshi Singh 30 Tropical Environments Pre-Production Producer Bimlesh Tiwary 32 Mountain Environments Managing Editor Rohan Sinha Deputy Managing Art Editor Anjana Nair 34 Desert Environments Pre-Production Manager Balwant Singh Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa 36 Cold Environments MSeanniaogr iDnTgP J aDcekseigtsn eErd iHtoarr i sSha lAogngi aSriwngahl 38 Marine Environments This American Edition, 2020 40 Introduction: Get the Right Gear First American Edition, 2009 42 Choosing Your Gear Published in the United States by DK Publishing 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 44 Choosing a Backpack Copyright © 2009, 2012, 2016, 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited 46 Dressing for the Outdoors DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC 20 21 22 23 24 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 50 Extreme Survival—In the Wilderness 001–318462–Mar/2020 52 Sleeping Systems All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no 56 Eating on the Trail part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means 58 Camping Stoves (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without 60 Your Survival Kit the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book IMPORTANT NOTICE is available from the Library of Congress. Some of the techniques described in this book should be ISBN 978-0-7440-2181-3 used only in dire emergencies, when the survival of DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in individuals depends upon them. The publisher cannot be bulk for saFloers d pertoamilso, tcioonnst,a pcrte: mDKiu Pmusb, lfisuhnidn-gr aSipsiencgia, lo Mr eadrkuectast,i o nal use. hpinrefolodsr emcruaettsiipooonnn ss iirbnel seu tlhtfioinsr g bafnoroyom k. i ntjhDueor i eussn,e o tdo arm pmraagicsetu,i sceel o ostsfh , ethsoeer 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 techniques on private land without the owner’s [email protected] permission, and obey all laws relating to the protection of Printed and bound in China land, property, plants, and animals. A WORLD OF IDEAS: SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW www.dk.com US_004-007_Contents.indd 4 22/10/19 11:23 AM CONTENTS ON THE TRAIL CAMP CRAFT 64 Introduction: Find Your Way 112 Introduction: Camp Essentials 66 Maps and Map Reading 114 Organizing Your Site 68 Get Your Bearings 116 Staying Clean 72 Route Finding 118 Making Fire 74 Navigating without a Compass 120 The Elements of Fire 76 Natural Navigation 122 Char Cloth and Fire Can 78 How Weather Works 124 Types of Fires 80 Weather Phenomena 126 Making Sparks and Flames 82 Understanding Local Weather 128 Extreme Survival—In the Desert 84 Introduction: Make a Move 130 Fire by Friction 86 Traveling on Foot 134 Introduction: Manual Skills 88 Crossing Rivers 136 Man-Made Cordage 90 Scrambling and Climbing 138 Natural Cordage 92 Extreme Survival—In the Mountains 142 Tying Knots 94 Moving over Snow 146 Using Cutting Tools 98 Using Pack Animals 100 Four-Wheel Driving 104 Kayaking and Canoeing 106 Building a Raft 108 Swimming US_004-007_Contents.indd 5 22/10/19 11:23 AM TAKING SHELTER WATER AND FOOD 154 Introduction: Taking Shelter 184 Introduction: Find and Treat Water 156 Hollows and Caves 186 The Importance of Water 158 Use-Anywhere Shelters 188 Finding Water: Temperate Climates 162 Forest Shelters 192 Finding Water: Hot Climates 166 Tropical Shelters 194 Finding Water: Cold Climates 172 Extreme Survival—In the Jungle 196 Finding Water: At Sea 174 Desert Shelters 198 Carrying and Storing Water 176 Shoreline Shelters 200 Treating Water 178 Snow Shelters 202 Introduction: Find and Prepare Food 204 Wild Cooking 206 Edible Plants 208 Catching Fish 212 Preparing Fish 214 Extreme Survival—Adrift at Sea 216 Trapping Animals 220 Preparing Small Mammals 222 Preparing Large Mammals 224 Preparing Other Animals 226 Catching Birds 228 Preparing Birds US_004-007_Contents.indd 6 22/10/19 11:23 AM IN AN EMERGENCY APPENDIX 232 Introduction: In an Emergency Wild Food 234 Assessing Your Situation 280 Temperate Plants 236 Attracting Rescuers 282 Desert Plants 242 Wild Animals 284 Tropical Plants 244 Extreme Survival—In Cold Conditions 286 Plants in Cold Climates 246 Environmental Hazards 288 Coastal Plants 250 Surviving at Sea 290 Mammals 292 Birds 294 Amphibians and Reptiles 296 Fish FIRST AID 298 Invertebrates Natural Dangers 258 Introduction: First Aid 300 Wild Animals 260 First-Aid Essentials 302 Insects and Arachnids 262 Flesh Wounds 304 Poisonous Plants 266 Bites and Stings 268 Poisonous Plants and Intestinal Parasites 270 Bones, Joints, and Muscles 306 Resources 272 Treating Exposure 308 Glossary 274 Treating Shock 312 Index 275 Breathing Difficulties 319 About the Author 276 Unresponsive Casualty 319 Acknowledgments 278 Moving a Casualty US_004-007_Contents.indd 7 22/10/19 11:23 AM 8 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION HAVING TAUGHT SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR MANY YEARS, I have learned that four elements must be in place for a survival situation to have the chance of a positive outcome: knowledge, ability, the will to survive, and luck. While knowledge and ability can be learned, the will to survive is hardwired into our survival mechanism and we may not know we possess it until we’re put to the test. For example, people who were fully trained and well equipped have given up hope in survivable conditions, while others, who were less well-prepared and ill-equipped, have survived against all odds because they refused to give up. Always apply the principle of the least amount of energy expended for the maximum amount of gain. Anyone venturing into the wilderness—whether for an overnight camping trip or a lengthy expedition—should understand the basic principles of survival. Knowing how to survive in a particular situation will allow you to carry out the correct advance preparation, choose the right equipment (and learn how to use it), and practice the necessary skills. While you may be able to start a fire using a lighter, for example, what would you do if it stopped working? Equally, anyone can spend a comfortable night inside a one-man bivy shelter, but what would you do if you lost your pack? The knowledge gained through learning the skills of survival will enable you to assess your situation, prioritize your needs, and improvise any items of gear that you don’t have with you. US_008-013_General_Intro.indd 8 23/10/19 2:17 PM INTRODUCTION 9 Treat the wilderness with respect: carry in only what you can carry out; leave only footprints, take only pictures. Survival knowledge and skills must be learned—and practiced—under realistic conditions. Starting a fire with dry materials on a sunny day, for example, will teach you very little. The real survival skill is in understanding why a fire won’t start and figuring out a solution. The more you practice, the more you learn (I have yet to teach a course where I didn’t learn something new from one of my students). Finding solutions and overcoming problems continually adds to your knowledge and, in most cases, will help you deal with problems should they occur again. There are differences between teaching survival courses to civilians and teaching them to military personnel. Civilians have enrolled on (and paid for) a course to increase their knowledge and skills, not because their life may depend on it (although, should they find themselves in a life- threatening situation, it very well might), but because they are interested in survival techniques in their own right. In contrast, the majority of military personnel who undergo survival training may very well need to put it into practice, but they invariably complete the training simply because they are required to do so. While no one in the military forces would underestimate the importance of survival training, it is a fact that, if you want to fly a Harrier, or become a US Marine Mountain Leader, survival training is just one of the many courses you must undertake. US_008-013_General_Intro.indd 9 23/10/19 2:17 PM 10 INTRODUCTION In the military, we categorize the four basic principles of survival as protection, location, water, and food. Protection focuses on your ability to prevent further injury and defend yourself against nature and the elements. Location refers to the importance of helping others rescue you by letting them know where you are. The principle of water focuses on making sure that, even in the short term, your body has the water it needs to enable you to accomplish the first two principles. Food, while not a priority in the short term, becomes more important the longer your situation lasts. We teach the principles in this order, but their priority can change depending on the environment, the condition of the survivor, and the situation in which the survivor finds him- or herself. Understanding your environment will allow you to select the best equipment, adopt the best techniques, and learn the correct skills. We also teach advanced survival techniques to selected personnel who may become isolated from their own forces, such as when operating behind enemy lines. The four principles of survival remain the same, but we substitute “location” with “evasion.” The military definition of evasion is recognized as: “being able to live off the land while remaining undetected by the enemy.” This involves learning how to build a shelter that cannot be seen, how to maintain a fire that doesn’t give away your position, and how to let your own forces know where you are but remain undetected by the enemy. US_008-013_General_Intro.indd 10 23/10/19 2:17 PM