Wilderness Survival by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer

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Don’t let the cheesy cover fool you: this book is worth the read. The relentless Mark Elbroch is at it again with his first of two books published in 2006 (the other, Animal Skulls, is more recently published). For this book he is accompanied by co-author Mike Pewtherer. This book is half field guide to primitive survival skills and half diary account of a 46-day survival trip that the two authors experienced with minimal gear.

As a survivalist, I found the story captivating. It is inspiring to know that two people who are well equipped with knowledge of their natural surroundings and survival skills were able to live off the land for a month and a half. It provides a valuable link from the 3-5 day trips that I have experienced, and the epic, seemingly unattainable, yearlong trips that others have written stories about. While the diary account is not comprehensive, it is fascinating to see the shift that Mark goes through from start to finish. While reading you can feel the stress and tension of modern day life melt into a peaceful mindset.

The field guide component of the book is detailed and readable. One can tell that Mike has extensive knowledge of survival skills as well as an ability to pass them on in a clear way. I found several nuggets of wisdom that I had not read about or experienced on subjects such as primitive firemaking, shelter-building, and hand-fishing.

For anyone interested in survival skills this is a must-read. While it is not a page-turner it will not sit on your nightstand for long, either. In his introduction, Mark says that he hopes this book inspires folks to do a survival trip of their own. He and Mike have certainly done that.
-Reviewed by Dan Corcoran, instructor at Wilderness Awareness School