A survival guide from the Special Air Service offers a complete course on how to be prepared for any type of emergency--
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English Pages 580 Year 2004
The Original Million-Copy Worldwide Bestseller
Survivals
Handbook How to
Survive
in
the Wild,
in
Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
JOHN "LOFTY" WISEMAN
Poison
Sumac
Treacherous I
Mine Shaft
.
.
Dangerous Animal .......
.
Cliff
A.
Leeches
ir
Bed
of
Quicksand
^^ cS7):
Wild
Strawberries
small, scrambling plan 'ruits
nail cultivaft
You 1
48
ma
'ook
-
under the
berries.
FRUIT to find the sweet, delicious fruit.
kinds occur high
in
eaten
The
C and
best
Vitamin
fruits are rich in
Some
mountains.
fresh.
6 Hawthorns (Crataegus) are spiny
shrubs or small trees found in scrub and waste places, with deeply lobed
of white
clusters
leaves,
pink
or
autumn, reddish Their flesh is creamy and raw. Young spring shoots are and,
flowers fruits.
edible
in
edible, too.
7
Apples
Crab
(Malus)
are
short,
rather spiny trees of scrubland
woods,
with
downy
leaves,
oval,
usually reddish-brown
twigs
and
Fruit,
often very
white, pink or red flowers.
looks
bitter,
cultivated apples. dried
and
often
toothed,
for storage.
like
the
can be sliced and
It
many
Too
of the
red), (sometimes will produce apples
yellowish-green pectin -rich
diarrhoea and are best cooked with other
fruits.
Wild Cherries (Prunus) occur woodland in most areas, growing
8
24m
(80ft) with small, pale
in
to
green to
reddish leaves, usually shiny reddish-
brown
bark,
flowers.
and white or pinkish
The fruits are red or black
depending on the kind; some kinds taste sour.
9
Blackthorn
spinosa)
4m
is
(13ft)
or
Sloe
(Prunus
a large bush, growing to with
dark brown
twigs,
long thorns, oval leaves and white flowers, in
Eurasia.
woodland and scrub over
The small blue-black fruits
are very acid
and
better cooked
down
to a jelly.
Fruits supply essential
food values,
and C. They are the staple diet of many animals and birds — so, where you find fruit, you will find animals too. particularly vitamins A, B2
149
FOOD 1 and 2 Bilberries, Cranberries, Cowberries and Huckleberries (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia) are abundant on northern moors, bogs tundra, and sometimes in woods. Variable in size, but all are woody and shrubby with smallish oval leaves and
small globe-shaped
from white
flowers
varying
to pink or greenish.
The
cranberry prefers marshy ground, the related, ground-hugging Cowberry (or Mountain Cranberry, 2) grows on moors. The spherical berries
closely
may
be black
(Bilberry,
1),
dark blue
(Huckleberry), mottled red (Cranberry)
or red
useful
for
storage
woody stems make
The
raisins.
like
They are edible
(Cowberry).
cooked or dried
fresh,
fuel.
Chokeberries (Pyrus) are North American shrubs growing up to 2.4m 3
but
(8ft)
usually
much
with
less,
spear-shaped, finely toothed leaves
and
five-petalled,
pinkish or white
woody
flowers; in wet or dry
swampy
on
or
ground.
areas,
The
red,
purplish or black spherical berries,
which grow
in clusters,
raw, dried or jellied.
with
are excellent
Do not confuse
poisonous
the
Buckthorns
(RhamnusJ.
4 European Elder (Sambucus nigra) occurs in scrub and woods, growing to
7m
(23ft) with
and
leaves
spear-shaped toothed
bunches
The
flowers.
of tiny whitish
clusters
of
small
purplish-black berries are best cooked
down
to
a syrup.
There are similar
edible elders in other parts, but avoid
the smaller ones as their red berries
may
be
toxic.
Juniper (Juniperus communis) occurs in mountainous and northern 5
a a
woody shrub 5m
small prostrate bush
(15ft) tall or
with
green, needle-like leaves. Avoid
young
green berries; the ripe blue-black ones St (i
cooked with other food.
Rowans
or
Mountain
Timon >\\\
50
\:
in
to
Ashes
.
15m
(50ft)
FRUIT with
smooth
toothed elusters
greyish
and
flowers
of small orange
These
berries.
raw and
are edible but sharp-tasting
can be cooked down
small
bark,
white
leaflets,
to a jelly.
7 Wild Mulberries (Morus) average
6 -20m (18-60 ft), with oval leaves, sometimes deeply lobed, flowers on catkins, like
the red or black fruits look
large blackberries,
long.
5-7 cm
(2 -3 in)
They are edible raw. Found
woody areas
in
many temperate
in
parts.
8
Wild
Grapes
shaped
are straggly,
(Vitis)
with
high-climbing,
coarsely
heart-
large,
toothed
leaves,
greenish flovsers and bunches of amber to purplish grapes. Very
widespread
in
warmer parts of the world. As well as the fruit, young leaves are excellent the
boiled.
PRESERVING FRUIT Fresh fruits soon go off, but they
can be kept by making them into jellies. Most kinds contain an ingredient
called
pectin,
which
reacts with the acid in the fruit to
help
it
settle
into
a
jelly
after
boiling.
TO MAKE JELLY the fruit and then simmer mushy. Some fruits have less pectin than others. These can be supplemented by adding another fruit rich in pectin, such as Crab Apple. The boiling action kills off any bacteria that would turn the fruit. Allow to cool and keep in First boil
until
a
clean,
possible
if
airtight,
container.
Some
fruits
can
be
dried
for
storage, although this will take a
week
to ten
days.
Lay them
in
a
single layer on a sheet, not in direct
sunlight,
moisture
and protect them from any - both rain and dew.
151
NUTS Nuts supply proteins and Pines
1
are
(Pinus)
fat.
the
familiar
cone-bearing trees with clusters of evergreen
slim
needles;
most
in
temperate and northerly areas. Heat
mature cones to release the seeds. They are tasty raw but delicious roasted. Roasted nuts can be ground for flour and can be stored. Young catkin-like cones are just about edible boiled. Needles and bark are also edible.
grow to 30m composed of many toothed, narrow leaflets and furrowed bark. The blackish brown nuts are at
2
Walnuts
first
(Juglans)
with leaves
(90ft),
enclosed
a thick green husk. In
in
most temperate areas. One tree can yield up to 58kg (1401b) of nuts.
18%
Walnuts contain
and provide 6600
fat
60%
protein,
calories per kilo
(3000 per pound)! Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is another North American relative,
3
with
smaller,
more greyish bark and
oblong, sticky fruit husks.
4 Pecan (Carya
36m
(120ft),
illinoinensis) reaches
with dark ridged bark
and many small pairs,
leaflets in opposite
moist
in
places
in
North
America. The oval, thin-husked nuts are
richer
in
fat
than any other
vegetable product.
5 Hazels (Corylus) are
tall
shrubs of
and
waste ground, toothed, oval to heart-shaped leaves thickets
and
brownish-yellow
highly nutritious nuts leafy, bristl)
catkins.
come
The
in ovoid,
or hair) husks
6 Sweet Chestnuts (Costarica) range
5-30m
from
(i5-90ft), spreading
toothed hairless leaves and bearing catkins,
in
wooded
areas. Nuts,
"c forms 2-3 together, are borne in
gle
boil
152
I
thick
pricl
Smash open husks, peel and mash. Do not confuse
husks
nuts,
with
NUTS Horse Chestnut which has large palmate leaves, like the fingers on a hand, and poisonous nuts. 7
Beeches (Fagus) are very tall and with smooth lightish bark
spreading,
and
wavy-margined
thick-veined,
broad-leaved woodland. Nuts small, triangular, 2-4
sharp oval leaves; in
in
each hairy husk depending on the Protein-rich;
species.
roasted or crushed for
8
Oaks
wooded
lobed
deeply
occur
(Quercus)
variety in
raw,
edible
oil.
but
leaves
great
in
Many have
areas.
bear
all
unmistakable acorns. Shell them and
changing the water
boil several times,
to
ease their bitterness, or steep
in
cold water for 3-4 days. Alternatively,
bury them
and
ash
with
from
watering
time
roast; roasted acorns
charcoal,
Then
time.
to
make good
flour
or coffee substitute.
9
grow
Pistachios (Pistacia)
warmer parts from east
Afghanistan;
to
elsewhere. Trees, to
many
wild in
the Mediterranean
introduced
10m
(30ft),
with
small oval leaflets and clusters
of nuts
with
a green
kernel
raw or parch on
reddish skin. Eat
and fire
embers.
10 Almonds (Prunus) grow wild in warm, arid parts of Europe and Asia, widely introduced elsewhere. Resemble large peach trees, with sprays of blossom, small spear-shaped leaves and clusters of nuts in green leathery husks. Avoid bitter ones, which contain prussic acid.
Extract
oil
from
rich
nuts such as
beech. Crack open, separate meat
from shells. Boil gently skimming off the oil as
in
water, rises to
it
the surface or allow to cool separate. Store dry,
preferably
container.
A
in
yield of
of nutritious
450g
somewhere
oils
cool
and and
an
airtight
270ml
(3fl oz)
can come from
(11b) of nuts.
153
POISONOUS PLANTS Compared
to the
many
edible ones,
there are few poisonous plants
temperate areas. ones shown.
Learn
well
in
the
CONTACT POISONS Contact with Poison Sumac, Poison Ivy and Poison Oak produces severe
and rashes. Wash effected immediately (see Poisons in
irritation
parts
Health).
1
Sumac 2-6m
Poison
vernix) reaches
many
with
clusters
2
18ft), hairless,
oval leaflets
opposite
in
dark-spotted smooth bark and
pairs,
in
(Toxicodendron (6-
of white
berries; in
swamplands
south-eastern North America.
Oak
Poison
(Toxicodendron
quercifolium) resembles Poison Ivy but is
smaller,
always upright, and with leaflets and white wooded parts of North
oakleaf-shaped berries,
in
America. 3 Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is
smaller, 0.6-2.
1m (2-7 ft],
trailing or
upright, with three-part very variable
flowers
always
but
leaves,
and white
greenish
with
berries; in
wooded
areas of North America.
4 Jewelweed near Poison
(Impatiens), often Ivy,
found
with pale yellow or
orange spotted flowers and seed pods provides
that pop, irritation
a juice
to
ease
from contact with these and
other plants.
POISONS BY INGESTION 5 Death Carnas (Zigadenus venosus) reaches
30-60cm
(1-2ft),
with long,
strap-like leaves arising from thi
and loose
clusters of greenish-white,
si\-part flowers; in North America, in
grassy,
rocky
and
lightly
wooded
DEADLY: do not confuse with Wild Onions or Lilies. 6 Thorn-apple or Crimson Weed S
(Datw
154
90cm
POISONOUS PLANTS (3ft),
with jagged-toothed oval leaves
and
large
white
solitary
flowers
widespread
and
in
trumpet-shaped
and spiny fruits; most temperate areas
also in the tropics. Sickly smelling.
All parts
DEADLY poisonous. grow
7 Foxgloves (Digitalis)
1.5m
to
with a rosette of basal leaves
(5ft),
topped by a
leafy spike of purple,
tall,
pink or yellow tube-shaped flowers; in waste and disturbed ALL parts are highly toxic,
widespread places.
affecting the heart.
8
Monk's-hood (Aconitum) reaches
1.5m
with palm-shaped,
leafy,
(5ft),
deeply segmented leaves and hairy
yellow
or
hood-like
purplish-blue
flowers; in
damp woods and shady most common kinds have
places. The
VERY poisonous. macu latum) may much branched, with
purplish-blue flowers.
9 Hemlock (Conium reach
2m
(6ft),
hollow purple-spotted stems, coarsely toothed leaves,
lighter
white roots;
in
dense
below,
of tiny white
clusters
flowers
and
grassy waste places.
Bad-smelling. Very poisonous.
10 Water Hemlocks or Cowbanes average 0.6- 1.3m (2- 4ft),
(Cicuta)
branching, with purple-streaked stems,
a hollow-chambered rootstock, small
2-3
lobed, toothed leaflets
and
clusters
of tiny white flowers, always found by Smells
water.
MOUTHFUL CAN 11
Baneberries
60cm
ONE
unpleasant. KILL.
(Actaea) reach
(1-2ft), with leaves
30-
made up of
several toothed leaflets, small, usually
white flowers clustered at the end of a stem,
and white or black
mostly
in
dizziness,
berries;
woods. ALL parts cause
Vomiting and severe internal
irritation.
12 Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) may reach 1m (6ft), well branched,
with
bell-shaped,
oval leaves,
purplish
or
solitary,
greenish
and shiny black berries, in woodland and scrub in Eurasia. ALL
flowers
parts,
especially
berries,
are
VERY
poisonous.
155
FOOD Some poisonous
plants are easy to
60cm-2.6m
swampy places, some
Do not take risks. Hemlock and Water Hemlock are the two most important poisonous plants to learn, found in both Eurasia and the Americas in a wide Both are of country. range umbellifers, of which there are many kinds, and with many tiny flowers in dense clusters, like an umbrella inside-out and difficult to
lily-of-the-valley's,
apart.
tell
The
edible plants, but
some
include
umbellifers
NEVER
collect
any
ones.
grow
(2-8ft),
mistake for food plants if you are not careful in your identification.
wet,
in
species in grassy
Oval ribbed leaves resemble a
drooping clusters
of whitish or greenish-yellow flowers.
Can be
lethal.
Henbane (Hyoscyamus to large,
niger)
medium
growing on bare ground, often
near sea (Europe). Sticky oval leaves
creamy
hairs,
(upper ones
toothed
unstalked),
streaked
flowers
purple.
Unpleasant smell. Deadly poisonous.
POISONOUS BERRIES Canadian Moonseed (Menispermum canadense) North American vine-like
unless certain they are neither of
climber, clusters
these two, which can be lethal
Could be mistaken for Wild Grape but
in
very small amounts.
common
poisonous
plants
in
addition to those illustrated.
berries.
and has only a
lacks tendrils
Learn to recognize the following
of soft black
single
crescent- 1 ike seed in each berry.
(Solanum) medium
Nightshades large,
bushy plants
untidy,
to
liking
scrubby places, leaves usually long-
Buttercups
(Ranunculus) occur
in
great variety, from a few centimetres
from green
north and
white.
south, including far into the Arctic. All
edible
to
over a metre
have
waxy
glossy,
flowers
with
lapping petals.
in
tall,
five
bright or
AVOID
yellow
more over-
all,
they cause
severe inflammation of the intestinal tract.
Lupins (Lupinus), 30-90cm (1-3ft)
tall,
spear-shaped.
stalked,
to
Berries
black,
Plants producing berries
compact
and
similar
woody,
the
berries
smaller and more numerous.
any doubt assume and AVOID. Virginia Creeper
but
more
usually
are
ripen
yellow or
red,
If
in
be poisonous
to
(Parthenocissus
guinquefolia) vine-like North American
garden kind, growing in and grassy places. Often with small leaflets in a palm shape or
stalked,
radiating like the spokes of a wheel,
blue berries, smaller than wild grapes.
and
No plant
the
like
clearings
spikes of 'pea-flowers': blue, violet,
occasionally pink white or yellow.
Any
part can cause fatal inflammation of
Stomach and
intestines.
Locoweeds (Astalagus and
Vetches
"
ng
ni
(6-1 Sin)
tall,
grassland and mountain
palm-shaped leaves, toothed tendril and clusters of small
leaflets,
with edible blue berries
is
and with tendrils. shrubs Buckthorns (Rhamnus), ng in sometimes small trees scrubby and woods places, sometimes damp. Leaves oval, finely toothed; berries black and bitter tasting, vine-like
clustered a
i
iflets in
climber (introduced to Europe). Long-
./enf/y
opposite pairs '.oiled 'pea-
pink
to
rhere
are
many
field
guides
available which will help you extend
your False
156
Helleborines
.
ratrum)
knowledge
plants, detailing
of
many
temperate local forms.
TREES provide other nourishing foods, as well as fruit and nuts,
Trees
which can be invaluable to the
where there
other plant
is little
life
survivor,
particularly in areas
available.
The following refers to the trees of temperate and northern regions. Tropical trees, such as palms, are included in the section on tropical plants.
Bark is
both edible and
when sap has
started to flow.
The thin inner bark (cambium) of certain trees nutritious, but best in the spring,
Choose bark from near the bottom of the tree or from exposed roots. Peel
it
back with
a knife to reveal the inner layer. This
-
sweet and can be eaten raw long boiling, which
will
but can be
reduce
it
made more
is
mildly
digestible by
to a gelatinous mass.
It
can then
be roasted and ground for use as flour.
Outer bark has too much tannin to be edible, but some kinds
have medicinal uses.
Trees with best inner bark Slippery
Elm
northern
America,
maximum 18m and rough,
(Ulmus
to
a
occur
in
Maples
many
northern areas.
(Acer)
grow widely and
are
Twigs arc hairy
recognized by their distinctive lobed
toothed leaves are
and by the twowinged fruits. Spruces (Picea) are evergreen trees of cold climates. They are shaped like steeples, bear cones and have stiff,
(60ft).
oval,
of
rubra),
grows
hairy below.
Bass wood (Tilia americana), a North American lime with large, heart-shaped
and dark, grooved bark which becomes smooth grey on upper parts. Birches (Betula), which are often abundant in colder areas. They can be leaves
leaves in three parts
four-sided
needles
that
grow
around the twigs. Willows (Salix) are broad-leaved
all
trees
identified by their long delicate twigs
or shrubs with toothed leaves, lighter
and shiny
on the underside, and
flaky
bark
that
often
is
broken up into plates.
Aspens
(Populus
medium
trees resembling poplars.
tremula),
have rounded leaves on
very,
small
to
They
very long
Pines
(Pinus)
evergreen
stalks that quiver in the wind.
clusters
bark
(Larix laricina), is
(80ft) with
It
found in cold
grows
to
24m
a pointed shape, bears cones
and has needles
in tufts
along the twigs.
(Populus) have triangular and prominent catkins. They
many
kinds,
including ground-hugging arctic ones.
Tamarack
parts of North America.
distinctive yellow
or green catkins. There are
is
trees
are
widely
found
bearing cones and
of long needles.
Their inner
rich in vitamin C.
Hemlocks
(Tsuga)
resembling spruces, foliage, flat
are
with
evergreens,
sprays
of
needles and short, oblong
They bear no relation to the
Poplars
cones.
leaves
poisonous plant of the same name.
157
FOOD NOTE:
addition to the inner bark, the buds and shoots of
In
cooked
trees can be eaten raw or
- EXCEPT
for those of
all
these
Tamarack
and Hemlock, which are POISONOUS.
Other uses for inner bark The inner bark of some trees torn
into
strips
example,
for
made
is
been steamed
It
The bark of the mohoe
is
easily
tree,
for
into 'grass' skirts by Pacific islanders, having first
in a
hangi (see Fire
Birch bark can be
and forms an
very strong but pliable.
is
lashings.
Camp
in
Croft).
removed from the
tree
large sheets
in
ideal material for roofing shelters or for
making
small containers. The North American Indians clad their canoes
with
it.
SPRUCE TEA Steep spruce needles
in
hot water to make a tea. Collect only
green needles and
fresh,
vitamin
C.
boil.
The
liquid
produced
is
rich
in
The vitamin can be obtained more directly by chewing
tender young needles, whose starchy green tips are particularly pleasant
in
spring. Spruces occur far into the
an important source of nourishment is
north and are
other plant
life
resins
With some trees, when hardens into a lump. If a
little
available.
Gums and
not,
when
a
is
it
useful
resin.
survival
cut,
this
sap seeping out on to the bark is
soluble
in
water
Both are very nutritious, food.
rich
it
in
is
a
gum;
if
sugars and
A few have medicinal properties and make excellent material for
others are highly inflammable and lighting fires.
Birch and maple syrup rap birch or maple in
in
the
same way
as a rubber tree. Cut a V-shape
the bark to collect the sugary sap that runs out.
,i
hole
,i
container. Colle