Les Stroud: Survive!

The early 2010s were graced with the wonders of survival TV shows on Discovery Channel.

Bear Grylls was launched into stardom by going to the extremes and showing everyone what you might have to do if you are stranded, with no way out. He eventually came under fire, though, on several occasions for bringing a camera crew with him and — what eventually leaked out — staying in five star hotels at night after filming was done.

Meanwhile there was another survivalist who was in the spotlight, who went out alone, filming all of his own survival exploits, isolated and alone for a week straight, challenging himself with limited supplies and staging incidents that you might actually run into as an average Joe — Canadian survival expert Les Stroud Survivorman.

Les Stroud survivorman is a legendary survivalist and musician, with a cult following of survival and prepper enthusiasts taking in his gospel as the fact and truth that it is: when you are lost, you are alone and no one is coming for you — at first.

Les wrote a book called Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere — Alive, and a copy should be in your possession if you enjoy the outdoors, not only for the knowledge but for the entertainment value, as well. A master storyteller, Les takes us on his adventures and applies practical knowledge to a slew of scenarios and goes over topics like:

• How to make survival shelter, and why a lean-to is largely a waste of time.
• Why survival kits are important, and why you should make your own.
• Where to find water and why drinking contaminated water is sometimes warranted.
• How to locate and trap small animals and why the notion of tracking and hunting large game is a pipe dream.

Whether you are a seasoned outdoorsman, just getting into it or looking for some entertainment value, this book is a one stop shop for a ton of wonderful information and stories.

Buy it here on Amazon, starting at $8.32 for paperback.