When I spent 6 months foraging in the wilderness I brought an iPad mini with a waterproof case full of wilderness survival ebooks.

This article is about the best survival ebooks that I’ve read or used for reference.

The Ultimate Wilderness Survival Ebooks Collection:

General Wilderness Survival eBooks

 

SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman

Hands down the best wilderness survival ebook.

 

 

THRIVE: Long-Term Wilderness Survival Guide; Skills, Tips, and Gear for Living on the Land by Juan Pablo Quiñonez

The best wilderness survival book for long-term (over 72-hrs) survival. Lots of bushcraft and general survival info.

 

Survival Wisdom & Know-How by Stackpole Books

A compilation of lots and lots of useful wilderness living info in this ebook.

 

98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin

One of the best wilderness survival ebooks; focused on addressing the greatest risks.

 

When All Hell Brakes Loose by Cody Lundin

Not really a wilderness survival ebook but about preparing for emergencies; I love the mindset advice in it.

 

Wilderness Survival Handbook by Michael Pewtherer

Follows the same format of most wilderness survival ebooks, but it’s a good resource nonetheless.

 

How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier

It gives an old school perspective into outdoor survival.

 

Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual by Mykel Hawke

It’s is an average survival book, but it’s straight to the point.

 

 

Bushcraft and Campcraft eBooks

 

Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart

The classic camp craft book from 1923.

 

Bushcraft by Richard Graves

A wilderness survival and bushcraft book.

 

Woodcraft & Indian Lore by Ernest Thompson Seton

A classic 1912 book from the founder of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

Camp-lore and Woodcraft by Daniel Beard

Another classic with lots of bushcraft and campcraft info.

 

Woodcraft & Camping by George Sears

Old school bushcraft and camping.

 

Old-Time Camp Stoves and Fireplaces by A. D. Taylor

 

 

 

Tracking and Trapping eBooks

 

Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States by Janine M. Benyus

Where to find which animals, and behaviour info.

 

Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping and Trap Making by William H. Gibson

 

 

Deadfalls, Traps & Snares by Arthur Robert Harding

 

 

Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species by Mark Elbroch

 

 

Scats and Tracks of North America: A Field Guide to the Signs of Nearly 150 Wildlife Species by James Halfpenny

 

 

First Aid and Medicine eBooks

 

Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine by Paul S. Auerbach

The best and most complete wilderness medicine ebook, period.

 

NOLS Wilderness Medicine by Tod Schimelpfenig

The book used for 80 hours wilderness first aid courses.

 

Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies by Hugh Coffee

Not for the faint of heart.

 

Where There Is No Doctor by David Werner

Self explanatory.

 

Emergency War Surgery: Nato Handbook by Department Of Defense

 

 

 

Foraging eBooks

 

Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada by Charles F. Saunders

 

 

The Deerholme Foraging Book: Wild Foods and Recipes from the Pacific Northwest by Bill Jones

 

 

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate by John Kallas

 

 

Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America by Christopher Nyerges

 

 

The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants by Department of the Army

 

 

North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi by Dr. Orson K. Miller Jr.

 

 

General Outdoors eBooks

 

Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery

Excellent book about all things country living; great info on growing food, baking, etc

 

Everything Knots Book: Step-By-Step Instructions for Tying Any Knot by Randy Penn

 

 

Hunting and Fishing eBooks

 

Hunting with the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope

The bow hunting lessons learned from Ishi, the last Yahi

 

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game by Steven Rinella

 

 

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl by Steven Rinella

 

Fishing for Dummies by Peter Kaminsky and Greg Schwipps

 

 

 

Navigation and Weather eBooks

 

Emergency Navigation: Improvised and No-Instrument Methods by David Burch

 

 

Be Expert with Map & Compass by Bjorn and Carina Kjellstrom

 

 

Weather For Dummies by John D. Cox

 

 

 

Primitive Technology and Skills eBooks

 

Primitive Skills and Crafts: An Outdoorsman’s Guide to Shelters, Tools, Weapons, Tracking by Richard and Linda Jamison

 

The Book of Indian Crafts and Indian Lore: The Perfect Guide to Creating Your Own Indian-Style Artifacts by Julian Salomon

 

Ultimate Guide to Wilderness Living: Surviving with Nothing But Your Bare Hands and What You Find in the Woods by John and Geri McPherson

 

 

Leather and Basketry eBooks

 

Practical Basketry by Anna A. Gill

 

 

The Complete Book of Tanning Skins & Furs by James Churchill

 

 

 

Shelters eBooks

 

Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties: The Classic Guide to Building Wilderness Shelters  by D.C. Beard

 

 

Survival Stories eBooks

 

Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read

Excellent book about the rugby team that crashed in the Andes.

 

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

The classic mountain survival and adventure story.

 

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan

 

 

 

Escape and Evasion eBooks

 

Wilderness Evasion: A Guide To Hiding Out and Eluding Pursuit in Remote Areas by Michael Chesbro

 

 

Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Handbook by U.S. Marine Corps

 

 

Paperback-Only Wilderness Survival Books

 

Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the Northwest Coast by Hilary Stewart

 

 

Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills by David Wescott

 

 

Primitive Technology II: Ancestral Skill by David Wescott

 

 

Stalking The Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons

 

 

The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thaye

 

 

Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods  by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman

 

Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski

 

 

The Outdoor Survival Handbook by Raymond Mears