You’re eight miles into a hike. The phone battery is gone, the trail is unfamiliar, and a storm is coming with only a few hours of daylight left. What you know in that moment is what matters most.
The knowledge you carry in your mind never runs out of battery or breaks. The books on this list come from people who learned in real wilderness situations; some through military training, others from years of experience. Outdoor experts return to these books for reliable information, not just entertainment.
We compiled this list because being prepared depends on having the proper knowledge and reliable tools. Both belong in your pack. Here are 10 books worth adding to your collection.
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
Dave Canterbury’s method emphasizes the five Cs of Survivability, including cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordage. These serve as a practical checklist for trips into the wild.
Canterbury has over 20 years of experience in both military and civilian survival. He joined the U.S. Army at 17 and later became a Special Reaction Team instructor and sniper. Today, he runs the Pathfinder School, which USA TODAY named one of the top 12 survival schools in the country.
The book covers firemaking, toolmaking, foraging, and trapping. Canterbury’s writing is straightforward, just like his teaching. Each chapter focuses on a skill and explains it clearly so you can practice it.
He prioritizes cutting tools, which aligns with our advice. A good knife remains one of the most valuable tools you can carry.
The SAS Survival Handbook
John Wiseman, also known as Lofty, spent 26 years in the British Special Air Service. The SAS Survival Handbook is based on the training from that elite group. Outside magazine described it as “a classic outdoor manual” that covers almost any disaster you can imagine.
The updated edition includes guidance on urban survival and emergency response. Wiseman organizes the book by preparation, camp setup, food, and emergency medicine. The medical section receives extra focus, offering details often missing from other guides.
Deep Survival and Why Some Live While Others Die
Laurence Gonzales does things differently. Rather than listing survival techniques, he looks at real stories and explores the psychology behind who survives and who doesn’t. He set out to find what makes the difference.
Before writing this book, he won two National Magazine Awards and, in 2018, received the Montaigne Medal from the Eric Hoffer Society for Deep Survival. Mindset and decision-making under pressure receive as much attention as practical skills. The book addresses managing fear, assessing risks, and building resilience.
If you already know how to build a shelter but wonder why some people freeze rather than act, this book will help you understand.
The Survival Handbook by Colin Towell
Colin Towell was the Chief Survival Instructor for the Royal Navy and later for the U.S. Navy SERE school. Although his background is military, his book uses many photos and drawings, making it easy for beginners and younger readers to follow.
The book covers preparation, environment, gear, navigation, fire, basic skills, shelter, water, fishing, trapping, food prep, signaling, and first aid. The visual approach supports learning and makes the content easy to review before a trip.
Survival Hacks by Creek Stewart
Creek Stewart is known for being resourceful. Survival Hacks shares hundreds of ways to use everyday items in emergencies. The book is divided into chapters on shelter, water, fire, food, health, gear, and movement.
This book is different because it focuses on improvising. While most survival books expect you to have a complete kit, Stewart prepares you for times when you don’t. He teaches you to look at objects for what they can do, not just what they are called. This approach is essential when you have limited resources.
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide
Joe Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, ARNP, focus on how to stabilize someone when help is far away.
The book covers both wilderness and urban emergencies, including wound care, infection control, medication, and triage. If you’ve spent time outside, you’ve probably wondered what to do about a cut, burn, or sprain.
This guide combines medical expertise with practical advice for situations when hospital care isn’t available.
Advanced Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury
Canterbury’s next book, after Bushcraft 101, assumes you already know the basics. Advanced Bushcraft teaches tracking, plant medicine, and navigation without a map or compass. The five Cs are still important, but these skills help you get by with even less gear.
If you’re planning a long trip into the backcountry, this book builds on what you learned in Bushcraft 101. Canterbury explains how to get by with less gear and improve your skills through practice.
THRIVE: Long-Term Wilderness Survival Guide
Juan Pablo Quiñonez wrote THRIVE for those spending several days outdoors. The book blends modern survival tips with traditional bushcraft and features over 400 illustrations. Quiñonez’s Canadian wilderness background informs each chapter.
The book addresses preparation, packing, shelter building, food, self-sufficiency, winter survival, and health. Winter survival receives special attention, with clear explanations throughout.
How to Eat in the Woods by Bradford Angier
Bradford Angier spent many years learning about wilderness survival. How to Eat in the Woods focuses on food, including edible plants, tracking, trapping, fire, water, and cooking without utensils.
The book is accessible and a helpful resource on wilderness food. Local plant guides are still recommended for your specific region.
Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Tom Brown Jr. founded the well-respected Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival School. His guide keeps old skills alive in a format you can use in the field today.
Brown’s method focuses on connecting with nature and understanding how ecosystems work. The skills in his book are based on traditional techniques used long before GPS or modern gear. This makes it a valuable guide for anyone seeking to become truly skilled outdoors.
Building Your Survival Library
Gather books that cover every aspect of preparation. Canterbury teaches bushcraft; Wiseman and Towell cover survival training; Gonzales examines mindset; the Altons focus on emergencies; Stewart teaches improvisation; Angier covers food; and Brown and Quiñonez delve into traditional and long-term skills.
Reading is the starting point, but practice is essential. Skills are retained through repeated application, and fire-making techniques become reliable only through hands-on effort.
We combine knowledge and tools because both are essential. Canterbury put cutting tools first in his five Cs for good reason. A reliable knife has many uses in the wild. Build your book collection, carry quality gear, and make time to practice. This approach prepares you for what you may encounter outdoors.
These books are easy to keep on your shelf or take with you. They give you practical, trustworthy advice.