O 1956 bV Btdford Angb All rishts reserved. No part of this book may be r"proi,rced or transmitted in any form or by any mearrs, electronic or mechanical, grcl"dTg phbtocopyrng, recording or by -qly information stotage &ia rEt ievd system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. M aanillan Publishine C omPanY ffi Third Aomue,N-eutYork, N-Y- lffin C ollier M aLnnilkn C arcdn, ilrc. Library of Congress Cataloging-ftFlhblicadon Data Angier, Bradford. Fow to stay alive in the woods- Oridnatly publisbed as: Livin g off the country. l. dutdooi tife. 2. Wilderness survival. I- Title. GV19I.6.A6295 1962 613.6',9 84m690 ISBN 042J28050-5 How to Stay Alive in tbe Woods gngircllu gp-peqred utder the tttlc Uvin8 Off the Country: How to Stay Alive in the Woods This Collier Boa}c edition is publLshed bV anangement u)ith the Stackpolc ConPang Macmillan books are available at special dirco,ltts for bulk purchases for ;rI* pfiotions, premiums, fund-iaising, or educational use. For details, contach Speci"l Sales Director Macmilhn Publishing ComPanY 866 Tttird Avenue New York, New York 10022 Firsf Collier Boolcs Edition 1962 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 5t 52 53 54 55 56 57 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATESO F AMERTCA How to Stay Alive in the Woods BRADFORD ANGIER originallyp ublisheda s Living Off the Country Illustrated by Yena Angier COLLIER BOOKS MacmillanP ublishingC ompany NEW YORK COLLIER MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LONDON To my friend COLONEL TOWNSEND WHELEN who early began making marginal notes on the book of nature, some of whose most valuable chapters he is still writing. Conlents Chapter PART ONE-ASUSTENANCE 1. Every Necessity Is Free 11 2. Living Of The CountrY 13 3. Science Of Staying Alive 23 4. Food In The Farther Places 31 5. Yours For The Eating 4T 6. Go And Get It 51 7. Always A IVay 67 8. No Dishes To Wash 79 g. Thirst 89 PART TWO_IVAITMTIT 10" Facts Of Ughting Fires IO7 11. Speaking Of Warmth lr7 12. Shelter For The Makirg I27 13. Wilderness Homes 135 14. Choice Of Clothing r45 15. Keeping Covered 1s5 PARTMRIENTATION 167 16. Staying Found 17. Ifuowing TVhereY ou Are 177 18. Afoot In Big CountrY 191 19. Camping And Sigpaling 195 20. Getting Out By Yourself 209 7 I I Contents PART FOUR-SAFETY 21. Keeping Out Of Trouble 221 22. Getting Out Of Trouble 233 2,3. EmergencyA id 245 24. BackwoodsM edicine 253 25. Survival Kit 265 26. Being Ready 273 PART ONE SUSTENA[SCE "A party living off the country must know how to get full value from everything available especi- ally in the way of f66d."-ft oyal CanadianM ounted Police ChopterI Every Necessify ls Free AlwoNB AT ANy rrMB can suddenly find himself dependento n his own resourcesf or survival. It costsv ery little time, money, and eftort to be ready for such an emergency.I f you are not ready, it may cost your life. You may becomel ost or strandedi n the woods. Thouaands among North America's more than 30 miltion annually li- censedf shermen and hunters do each y€tr, many fatally. Yet almost invariably where such individuals suffer and all too often succumb so needlessly,w ild food is free for the picking meat for the taking, fire for the lighting, clothes for the making, and shelter for the satisfaction of building. You may be in an automobile that is stalled by mishap or storm in an unsettled area, a not uncommon occurrence that frequently results in unnecessaryh ardship and tragedy. Per- haps you'll be a passengeri n an aircraft that has to make a forced landing. Perhaps you'Il be shipwrecked. It may even happen that you and yours will be compelled to seek sanctuary in the wildernessb ecauseo f those ever in- creasing threats to civilization itself-an atom bomb catas' trophe or the even more terrible microscopic foes of germ warfare, l1 12 | How to Siay Alive in the Woods "Man'$ capacitiesh ave never been measured;n or are we to iudge what \ile can do by any precedents,s o little has been tried," pointed Thoreau. "Slhat people say you can not do, you try and find you can." No hard and fast nrles can be laid down for survival any- where, particularly in the farther places. Conditions vary. So do localities. Especialtyd o individuals. Initiative on the other hand may be guided by a eonsideration of general principles such as tbose we can here absorb. Many of the pitfalls, too, may be so recognizeda nd evaded that otherwise might have to be learned by unnecessarilyh ard and often dangerousp ersonal experience.I t will be far more satisfactory to deal with natural difficulties by adaptation and avoidance than by attempting to overcome them by force. Using the ways of living oft the country discussedh erein as a foundation for ingenuity and common sense' anybody who suddenly finds himself dependent upon his own f€' sources will have a better chanse both to keep living and to walk away from any hardships smiling. The wilderness is too big to fight. Yet for those of us who'll take advantage of what it freely offers, nattre will furnish every necessity.T hese necesstuiesa re foo4 warmth, shelter, fltd clothing.