What’s a good, basic beginner bushcraft/wilderness survival book? You may want to take a look at this field guide by Dave Canterbury.
by Leon Pantenburg
Dave Canterbury
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The proliferation of survival “reality” shows has lead to lots and lots of survival books. Some of them aren’t worth reading and others can provide some practical, useful information. Check out the author, then his/her credentials before you trust what you read.
Dave Canterbury, author of Bushcraft 101, is a former star of “Dual Survival,” where he teamed up with Cody Lundin to survive in wildly diverse, extreme situations. Canterbury was the nuts-and-bolts practical counterpart to the long-haired, hippie-type Lundin. Both appear to be experts in their respective environments, though I have to wonder about Lundin’s habit of going barefoot in the backcountry!
Canterbury recently published his latest guide: Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival. He is the supervising instructor of the Pathfinder school in Ohio, which was named by USA Today as one of the top 12 survival schools in the United States. His YouTube channel has more than 250,000 subscribers and more than 40 million views.
The book is based on Canterbury’s Five Cs of Survivability – cutting tools, covering elements, combustion devices, containers and cordages. There is also detailed information about choosing kits, making tools and supplies, collecting and cooking food and sheltering yourself from the elements.
I don’t claim to be a survival expert, but here’s some thoughts, based on personal experience, about Canterbury’s book and his Five Cs:
Choosing kits: If nothing else, this section makes the book worth buying. Canterbury’s lists show thought and experience. The kits are long on practical tools and short on gadgets.
Cutting tools: Canterbury recommends some very useful, practical tools. His knife recommendations are apparently right on target, since they align closely with my preferences! For bushcraft, Canterbury recommends a high carbon steel, rigid blade knife, with a blade length of between four to six inches. I’ve carried variations of this basic knife pattern for years, and they have always served me well
We differ somewhat in blade steel choices, though. Canterbury recommends high carbon steel, one reason being the potential to use the back of the blade in flint-and-steel firemaking.
I regularly use several high carbon steel blades. But personally, I have not been able to get a knife blade to spark well enough to be useful. Also, I like some of the tool steels, such as A2 or CPM 3V, for a survival knife. These steels don’t spark, but they hold an edge really well, and sharpening them is not nearly the challenge some people would lead you to believe.
Canterbury also recommends carrying a hatchet or a small axe. Again, personal preference here – I think in UNTRAINED hands, a hatchet is dangerous, and that a newcomer’s best choice for processing firewood might be a small folding saw. An axe or hatchet relies on velocity to cut, and a person with no skills in handling tools could end up severely hurting himself. That said, I love carrying my pipe tomahawk along when hunting with my flintlock rifle. As always, a cutting tool is as safe as the person handling it.
Based on the Horace Kephart classic design, this L.T. Wright Genesis is a solid example of a good bushcraft knife.
Making tools and supplies: At the heart of every true prepper/survivalist is a deep-seated propensity of do-it-yourselfism. There is something about saving a few bucks, while creating a useful item, that is very satisfying to most of us. Canterbury shows several homemade tools and wilderness gadgets that could prove to be extremely useful. This section is a natural for combining lashings, knots and primitive woodworking.
Combustion devices: Canterbury and I both carry three BIC lighters as our first choice for firestarting, in addition to other, different firemaking methods. Canterbury also recommends taking a ferrocerrium rod and a magnifying glass as alternate firestarting tools.
In addition to the BICs, I carry a traditional flint and steel kit, a ferrocerrium rod with cotton balls and Vaseline and a Zippo lighter. We both carry natural fiber rope for cordage and fire tinder. We are both advocates of carrying charcloth and a tin for charring organic materials, regardless of the ignition methods available.
Canterbury shows how to make and use a firebow, but his emphasis is on being prepared so you don’t have to resort to the aboriginal skills.
Containers and cordage: I don’t make containers, because I can generally find them in trash cans or pick them up off the ground. I always carry a tin cup for boiling water or eating and include about 150 feet of paracord and 10 feet of jute or hemp rope in my gear.
But I can appreciate the need for containers to carry water, store berries or keep tinder dry, so I carry several sizes of Ziploc bags. They are incredibly useful for everything.
I have experimented with making cord from natural fibers enough to know that I don’t want to be investing time in that activity during a survival situation. But it is a useful skill and you can learn how from Canterbury’s book.
So do you need this book?
You can’t know too much, but no book can replace actual hands-on experience. This guide can get you started on the right path, with sound advice and recommendations for skills and techniques. It can also serve as a reference.
The book is well-written and provides a lot of info. It would be a good choice as a gift to a beginner, or more experienced survival-types who want to learn additional skills. This book would be a good choice for a survival library.
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