US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76
by Department of Defense
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Book Reviews of US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76
Book Review: Excellent Information and Presentation BUT Needs To Be Updated!
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is very interesting. I started out planning to give it a quick look and ended up reading it almost cover to cover. It contains a lot of very useful information; however, it has a 1970's copyright date and some of the information seems to be outdated. For instance, with respect to snake bites, it still recommends cutting the bite to suck out the venom and applying a tourniquet. Most authorities now indicate that these practices are not only no longer recommended but are actually now considered to be the cause of most of the serious injuries (at least from the venomous snakes in my area).
With a simple update to insure that all information reflects current knowledge, I would feel comfortable giving this book 5 stars and recommending it to everyone. That said, it is still chock full of valuable and potentially life saving information and at the price, it is still a good investment.
Book Review: Old, presented as New!
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not sure why the publish date is listed as Jan. 1, 1992. The cover clearly shows the publish date as October, 1970.
I lost an old copy of this FM 21-76 manual which had a slightly different title, mentioning evasion techniques and hiding and survival in enemy territory. I think it would be useful to obtain that one, unless this is it with a different cover.
Without knowing whether this has the 'evasion' material, I'll give it a 4 star; otherwise, I'd give 5 stars, since I found the information quite authoritative and useful. I particularly liked the Ojibwa Indian bird catching techniques and the desert water still design.
I must also say that it seemed imperative to me that you have at least a knife to actually realize some of these survival techinques, unless you have materials and skills to manufacture one on the spot!
Book Review: If Your GPS Broke, Would You Be Able To Find Your Way?
Summary: 5 Stars
This manual is very extensive. Its range of topics include survival medicine, to creating emergency shelter in the field, to foretelling weather and how to find direction. It includes full color images of poisonous snakes and edible as well as poisonous plants to avoid.
While I haven't been in situations that tested virtually most of these methods, as many are geared toward survival in extreme circumstances, I always take this with me when I hike. I have, however, needed the info on tying knots, have used the pictures to identify snakes, and I often peruse the descriptions of first aid to keep familiar with it.
---*** THE BOTTOM LINE ***---
If you are someone who regularly spends time outdoors, even if it's just a dayhike or camping close to other people, you should really have this book that could help in many situations.
Book Review: Good except for Jungle/Desert Survival
Summary: 4 Stars
The U.S. Army field manual on Survival is a good basic guide, standard reading for our troops, and unlike some survival manuals, it is fairly well written and organized. I have yet to find a survival enthusiast who didn't have this book or Greg Davenport's Wilderness Survival in their personal library, and that tells you something. One of the bigger drawbacks to the book is its sketchy coverage of jungle and desert survival - for these areas you'll definitely want additional reading on these topics, as there's a lot more information to be had! If you're interested in those environments, Jeff Randall's Adventure Travel in the Third World book is excellent for jungle survival, while Mark Johnson's The Ultimate Desert Handbook is definitely the best desert survival book out there.Book Review: Most important for Survival
Summary: 5 Stars
As you can tell from the reviews, this book is a must for anyone who never have thought of what it takes to survive away from societal businesses.
How do you get water when water sources are polluted?
How long will you survive without water?
Prepare for accidents, because they will happen, more often than not.
And, more importantly, you may never know when you'll need to have this highly important manual to rely on.
Buy it, and read it, don't let it sit there without first becoming familiar to it's content. Don't wait until its absolutely necessary to use it first. It just may be a situation that you don't have time or much energy left to absorb the knowledge it contains.