Book suggestions?

[Queen]

Don't know if New Mexico is in your travel plans, but if so, there's a wonderful book of short non fiction stories about travel around the state.  It's The Lightening Field

 

[Yogidog]

This is really helpful, thank u all!

 

[Cheli]

Love all the suggestions......thank you everyone.

 

[waldenbound]

"To Kill a Mockingbird". Omg, omg, omg, what a book! It has a very important life lesson, and it's something besides racism being bad.

 

[Cheli]

"To Kill a Mockingbird". Omg, omg, omg, what a book! It has a very important life lesson, and it's something besides racism being bad.

Funny.....I'm actually reading that now, about halfway through.  Fantastic book.

 

[Gunny]

Oh I'll have to check her out and see if anything interest me.  I am not a religious person at all, more spiritual and follow many Buddhist principles even though I am not Buddhist.  Although I do have a Buddhist mantra tattooed on my inner forearm.  hahaha

I'm not much of a fiction reader to begin with so recommendations, lesbian or not, wouldn't be of much interest.....but thanks anyway.  

I am not religious myself but if I were to join an organized religion it would be Buddhism. I have seen first hand the dedication of the Monks Bob doesn't like religion brought up so I'll leave it there. 

It may be of no interest to you, but there are many very good survival books written by and for the military. Some of the techniques used may not apply to your way of camping but many would. Books that not only talk the talk but walk the walk.

 

[WriterMs]

It may be of no interest to you, but there are many very good survival books written by and for the military. Some of the techniques used may not apply to your way of camping but many would. Books that not only talk the talk but walk the walk.

I had not thought of mentioning that genre, Gunny, but you are right. Anyone who boondocks should know basic survival skills and more.

I keep the miniature version of the SAS handbook in my small pack. And I have the free escape and evade manual on my iPad (you can download for free most of those manuals... cannot remember the actual title). Read several when writing my novels.

Are there specific ones you would most recommend?

 

[Gunny]

I like the Air Force Pilots survival handbook, pilots are not heavily armed and are often injured during ejection. Some of the evading and concealment won't really apply to us but they are an interesting read. The Department of Defense actually offers some survival guides, either free or at minimal costs.

Seals, Green Beret and other Special Forces seem to be on a book writing binge lately. While they are excellent in what they do I have not read any of their survival books.

I believe every male, female and all in between should know CPR, how to apply a tourniquet and when to apply it. Easy reading but bloody and messy in practice. Some of these books will help you prepare.

Travel Safe and I hope you never need to use these guides.

 

[cognitive dissonance]

It seems that people in our little community are often a long way from help, and any first aid knowledge is a good thing. However, I think wilderness medicine is more pertinent than conventional emergency medicine because it is predicated on the idea that help is a long way away. What I'm recommending goes double for boondockers/solo campers.

1) "Wlderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid" by Forgey. A classic, one of the main texts for the wilderness first responder course I took. If you can only afford one book on the subject, here you are. (Doctrine changes. Don't buy used - get the most recent edition.)

2) Michael Moore's (the herbalist, not the grandstanding Hollywood jackass) books on medicinal plants, if they apply. He has editions for the Rocky Mountains and the Desert Southwest. Otherwise, get a general text. 

3) speaking of mountains, hypoxia and altitude sickness are no fun. If you get high, as it were, get "Going Higher" by Houston

3) books on edible wild plants for the area you're in

4) Kummerfeldt's "Survivng a Wilderness Emergency"

Tips:

- If you like military medical texts, they are generally quite good with the caveat that recent military doctrine neglects the potential for neck/spinal injury to an alarming degree. Obviously, they're often concerned with dragging an injured man out of the line of fire. Don't rely on military texts for primary training.

- You should carry a tourniquet. I recommend the "CAT" - the Combat Application Tourniquet, which can be applied one handed to ones self. There are youtube videos on various application techniques.  Recent tourniquet doctrine has changed, as well - another reason to always buy the latest editions of first aid books...

- Build your own fist aid kit. It's much cheaper this way, with the added benefit of having looked at and thought about all that stuff before you might actually need it!

 

[Cheli]

I am not super paranoid about society crashing and everything going to hell but I believe in being prepared and learning survival techniques so I will definitely check out some of those books. I have read several survival books over the last year and have done things like build a BOB (bug out bag) and made my own first aid kit, because you never know. So I have some basic survival skills already and think it's relevant to solo van dwelling as well.

 

[akrvbob]

Let's stay on the topic of books. Survival and first aid is a great topic but needs it's it's own thread.
Bob

 

[Gunny]

I just ordered this one, I don't do much fiction and the excerpt in Esquire was intriguing.

http://www.amazon.com/Left-Boom-Officer-Penetrated-Al-Qaeda/dp/125008136X

 

[Raven+Squid]

Great books for living comfortably outside is "Wildwood Wisdom" by Ellsworth Jaeger and the "Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emery.

You can download Wildwood Wisdom as a free pdf file.

 

[masterplumber]

Where there's no doctor, and Where there's no dentist are good reference books to have on hand.

I also like Encyclopedia of Country Living, but I think it's more for the homestead than while on the road - good info though.

 

[muddy]

Walden.

Public domain, plenty of free copies online: http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden00.html