Books

Reviews - Books

I like learning new things.  Things that ultimately help me become more self sufficient and independent.  Not that I don't love to push the “man work” on to my husband, but there are things I need to be able to do.  Like start a fire(Check out an article describing my first failure here), change a tire and tie a functional knot.  What if I didn't have my handy-hubby and disaster struck?

Read more: 31 Days to Survival. A Complete Plan for Emergency Preparedness

Reviews - Books

Survival preparedness.  It seems it is everywhere these days.  Maybe I'm just more attuned to it now since I've become a “Monkey”.  Maybe it is more prevalent.  What ever the case may be, it is a good idea to have some idea of what to do in a dire situation.  Mostly you hear about storing, canning, what to put in your “bug out bag”, etc. but what if you are stranded? I most certainly would panic a bit. I mean I am the woman who would have frozen for sure in a lovely cabin off of Lake Erie one New Years weekend if it wasn't for my husband who rescued me (and my brother and his girlfriend at the time). 

Read more: Eating on the Run. Survival Foraging for Plant, Grasses, Nuts and Berries

Reviews - Books

So if you’re reading this, then chances are you have sat around a campfire cooking up a meal. It may have been something as simple as a mountain pie in a press, or as complex as a full 4 course meal for your whole campsite. And if you were in this position, you may have experienced what I refer to as Rule #2. This rule is on my list of life’s rules that I am trying to impart to my girls as truisms, to be remembered for all sorts of occasions. To be specific, Rule #2 states that ‘Hot metal looks like cold metal’.    

Read more: The Book of Blacksmithing

Reviews - Books

The physical book itself: The cover was just enough water resistant to make it dry bag capable for a trip. The cover has a really intriguing picture with all the family members with their shirts off. (From their backs of course) Once you open it up you will find that the cover has a built in book mark extension. The binding was glued very well with no slack. There was no spreading of the hinge or gutter, even while folding back during the reading process.

Read more: Let Them Paddle (Coming of age on the water) by Alan S. Kesselheim

Reviews - Books

I've been reading various outdoor survival books and manuals for a long time now, and it's safe to say that some are better than others. The first decent survival book I read was the constantly reprinted Army Survival Manual (FM 21-76) that has been in circulation for years. That was one of the first things that got me interested in survival and especially self-reliance.

Read more: Stay Alive! Survival Skills You Need Book Review

Reviews - Books

Since I was a little boy I have been infatuated with the outdoors. Regardless if I was chasing after that monster bass in a local pond or exploring the woods in my neighborhood, Field and Stream magazine helped me along my path to be a better outdoorsman. I always looked forward to reading about a cool tip or trick to help me accomplish my goals, the only problem was I had to wait for that issue of magazine to come out and then save the article that most interested me.  Now with “The Total Outdoorsman Manual”, I have all the knowledge of the Field and Stream pros all wrapped in one very well written and entertaining book.

Read more: The Total Outdoorsman Manual

Reviews - Books

If you're like me, you have a small library of books related to outdoor survival, communication, edible plants, land navigation, and all other topics of similar interests.  What is often missing from these libraries is a resource that outlines basic skills for working around the house during the more likely natural disaster and civil unrest events.  In this article, Woods Monkey takes a look at a new book put out by Paladin Press.

Read more: 'Self-Reliance During Natural Disasters and Civil Unrest' by George R. Bradford

Reviews - Books

I have long been an advocate for packing a dental kit in your first aid kit.  You never know when a filling is going to come lose or cavity is finally going to become painful, and oral pain can ruin a hike or vacation.  The Emergency Dentistry Handbook, however, is written like most medical texts and is not intended for someone who has little or no medical training to just page through and be able to treat major dental problems.  In my opinion the author, Met Clark’s intended audience is those who have medical knowledge and are looking to have a dental reference to keep on hand to cover their bases.

Read more: Emergency Dentistry Handbook

Reviews - Books

Today I'm reviewing book 1 in the survival series from J Wayne Fears titled How to Lost Proof Your Child. As a mom few things are more terrifying than losing your child. Two years ago while at a boardwalk arcade in New Jersey, my daughter (then two), walked away from me and her sister while we were all admiring the flashing lights of a coin machine. My attention was elsewhere for no more than 10 seconds and it was probably eight seconds longer than hers. I looked down to ask her if she liked the lights and she wasn't there. Not just two steps away, nowhere that I could see.

Read more: How to Lost Proof Your Child Review

Reviews - Books

Scenario #1
Its 6pm.  Dinner is a soggy mess and your campfire is flooded.  The tarp shelter is holding up OK but no one seems interested in braving the rain one more time to look for or do... anything.

Read more: Survival is a game with the highest stakes: Gaming in the bush to stay sane.