Table of Contents
Introduction from Outdoor Life
A Note from Rich
Essentials
001 Assemble an At-Home Survival Kit
002 Stock an Office BOB
003 Gear Up with a To-Go BOB
004 Pack for Surviving in the Wild
005 Make a Kit in a Can
006 Build a First-Aid Kit
007 Stop Bleeding
008 Disinfect a Wound
009 Bandage a Wound
010 Assess and Respond: Deal with Blood Loss
011 Immobilize an Arm Injury
012 Fake a Sling
013 Set a Bone
014 Make a Splint
015 Save with CPR
016 Perform the Heimlich Maneuver
017 Identify and Treat Burns
018 Treat for Shock
019 Handle Hypothermia
020 Treat Frostbite
021 Survive Heat Illnesses
022 Defeat Dehydration
Wilderness
023 Avoid Getting Lost
024 Assess Your Situation
025 Measure Remaining Daylight
026 Find Yourself on a Map
027 Scout for Shelter
028 Build a Shelter from Branches and Leaves
029 Hole Up in a Tree Well
030 Make a Bed in a Pinch
031 Hunt for Water
032 Purify Water in the Wild
033 Filter Water with Your Pants
034 Learn Fire-Making Basics
035 Make a Fire Four Ways
036 Upgrade Your Shelter
037 Predict the Weather with Plants
038 Get Noticed by Rescuers
039 Light Up a Signal Fire
This Happened To Me! When Grizzlies Attack
040 Know Your Bears
041 Live Through a Grizzly Encounter
042 Assess and Respond: Handle Animal Attacks
043 Stand Your Ground Against a Lion
044 Beware Africa's Deadliest Beasts
045 Live Through a Stampede
046 Navigate Tall Grass
047 Outrun a Croc on Land
048 Avoid Being Gator Bait
049 Chow Down on Gator Tail
050 Dress a Snake
051 Wade Through a Swamp
052 Build a Swamp Shelter
053 Keep Bugs Out of Your Pants
054 Tie a Square Lashing
055 Avoid Dreaded Trench Foot
056 Set a Snare for Small Animals
057 Make a Jaw Spear
058 Dig a Hole Trap
059 Fish with Your Shirt
060 Improvise a Skewer Hook
061 Test Plants for Edibility
062 Gobble Up Bugs
063 Rid Big Game of Harmful Bacteria
064 Spit Roast That Bunny
065 Butcher a Deer Leg
066 Drag a Deer
067 Put Your Kill to Use
068 Trap a Goose
069 Steer Clear of Poisonous Plants
070 Remove a Tick
071 Put Your Pee to Work
072 Treat a Snake Bite
073 Swing a Mean Machete
074 Assess and Respond: Understand Poison Types
075 Heal with Bugs
076 Remove a Leech
077 Keep Mosquitoes at Bay
078 Banish a Botfly
079 Avoid Scorpions
080 Treat a Scorpion Sting
081 Fight Dehydration in the Desert
082 Navigate the Desert's Shifting Sands
083 Make a Solar Still
084 Scout for Water in the Desert
This Happened to Me! Trapped in a Canyon
085 Seek Water in a Canyon
086 Maximize Heat from a Campfire
087 Scale a Canyon
088 Equip Yourself for the Mountains
089 Be a Modern Caveman
090 Stay Safe in a Cave
091 Find Food Above the Tree Line
092 Conquer Altitude Sickness in the Mountains
093 Bed Down on a Cliff
094 Case Study: Snowed In Avoid Getting Stranded in the Mountains
095 Trek Across a Glacier
096 Tie a Double Figure-Eight Knot
097 Rappel on the Fly
098 Descend a Scree Slope
099 Start a Fire in the Snow
100 Turn Snow into Water
101 Build a Snow Cave
102 Traverse an Ice Floe
103 Rig an Ice-Fishing Trap
104 Improvise Snow Goggles
105 Make Emergency Snowshoes
106 Cross an Icy Pond
107 Get Out of Broken Ice
108 Save Someone from a Chilly Demise
109 Swim Across a Raging River
110 Wade Across a River
111 Ford a River with Friends
112 Tie a Fisherman's Knot
113 Orient Yourself by the Stars
114 Signal a Boat
115 Improvise a Float
116 Beat Hypothermia in the Water
117 Find Drinking Water at Sea
118 Catch Fish in Open Waters
119 Case Study: Adrift in the Gulf Stay Alive at Sea
120 Right a Capsized Boat
121 Put Out a Boat Fire
122 Start a Flooded Motor
123 Plug a Leak
124 Avoid Shark Bites
125 Make Peace with a Man-of-War
126 Deal with Sea Caves
127 Escape Kelp Entanglement
128 Keep Track of Time at the Equator
129 Find Lunch in a Tide Pool
130 Swim Against a Riptide
131 Make the Most of a Coconut
132 Assess a Deserted Island
133 Make Rope with an Improvised Vise
134 Craft a Raft
135 Know When Your Raffs Close to Land
Disaster
136 Be Ready for Disaster
137 Spot Tornado Warning Signs
138 Judge Where a Tornado Is Heading
139 Assess and Respond: Stay Safe in a Tornado
140 Reinforce Garage Doors in a Windstorm
141 Deal with a Downed Power Line in a Car
142 Tree-Proof Your Home
143 Buck a Downed Tree
144 Prepare Your House for a Hurricane
145 Build a Dike
146 Make DIY Flood Protection
147 Case Study: Wind Gone Wild Survive a Heck of a Hurricane
148 Make a Life Raft from Household Items
149 Turn Your Attic into an Ark
150 Make Waterproof Matches
151 Paddle Through Floodwaters
152 Drive Safely on Flooded Roads
153 Dig Your Truck Out of the Mud
154 Live Through a Flash Flood
155 Rescue Someone Caught in a Flood
156 Return Home Safely After a Flood
157 Live Through Lightning
158 Install Lightning Rods on Your Roof
159 Help Someone Struck by Lightning
160 Survive a Wildfire
161 Prevent a Forest Fire
162 Protect Your Home from Wildfires
163 Case Study: When Things Get Hot Withstand a Firestorm
164 Survive a Volcanic Eruption
165 Cope with Ash
166 Assess a Lava Field
167 Retrofit Your House
168 Keep Household Items Steady in a Quake
169 Know Earthquake Hot Spots
170 Understand Fault Activity
171 Ride Out a Quake in a Car
172 Weather an Earthquake
173 Survive Being Trapped Under Debris
174 Take Action After an Earthquake
This Happened to Me! Tsunami Race
175 Know Tsunami Warning Signs
176 Brace for a Big Wave
177 Survive Being Swept Away in a Tsunami
178 Deal with a Tsunami at Sea
179 Know When Mud Might Flow
180 Make It Through a Mudslide
181 Save Your Home from Mudslides
182 Know You're in Avalanche Country
183 Assess Incline
184 Recognize Avalanche Types
185 Ride Out an Avalanche
186 Get Rescued from an Avalanche
187 Know Which Way Is Up
188 Strap On an Avalanche Beacon
189 Walk in a Whiteout
190 Drive in a Blizzard
191 Deal with Being Snowbound in a Car
192 Ride Out a Blizzard at Home
193 Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
194 Store Food During a Blizzard
195 Clear a Heavy Snow
196 Protect Your Face in a Sandstorm
197 Drive in a Sandstorm
198 Pick a Safe Seat on a Train
199 Stop a Train
200 Get Your Car Off the Tracks
201 Jump from a Moving Train
202 Use Your Cell for an Airborne SOS
203 Contact Air Traffic Control
204 Jump Out of an Airplane
This Happened to Me! Panic in the Air
205 Salvage a Crash Site
206 Make It to the Lifeboat
207 Abandon Ship Safely
208 Swim Through Burning Oil
209 Deal with a Hazmat Situation
210 Decontaminate Yourself
211 Seal Your Home During a Chemical Spill
212 Get Clear of a Hazardous Spill
213 Don a Gas Mask
214 Prevent the Spread of Airborne Illnesses
215 Dispose of a Body
216 Improvise Shelter During Nuclear Fallout
217 Bunk Up in a Bunker
218 Assess and Respond: Understand Radiation
219 Anticipate Radiation's Lasting Effects
220 Make it Through a Power Outage
221 Survive a Heat Wave
222 Eat Right in a Blackout
223 Start Your Car with a Screwdriver
224 Siphon Fuel
225 Charge Your Phone with a Flashlight
226 Harness a Car Battery's Power
227 Harvest Aspirin from Tree Bark
228 Catch a Squirrel for Dinner
229 Eat Roadkill
230 Render Animal Fat
231 Stash Valuables for Dark Times
232 Scavenge Effectively
233 Fend Off Looters
234 Run Bartertown
235 Build a Compound
236 Rig a Hobo Stove
237 Improvise Tools
Urban
238 Sense Your Surroundings
239 Foil a Pickpocket
240 Carry Survival Gear on a Keychain
241 Drop a Decoy Wallet
242 Hit Where It Counts
243 Defend Yourself with Pepper Spray
244 Find Substitutes for Pepper Spray
245 Master Basic Fighting Technique
246 Make a Serious Fist
247 Clutch a Roll of Quarters
248 Defend Yourself with Your Keys
249 Figure Out If Someone Is Armed
250 Conceal a Weapon
251 Disarm an Attacker
This Happened to Me! Home Invasion
252 Secure Your Home
253 Handle an Intruder
254 Wield a Tactical Flashlight
255 Improvise a Weapon
256 Make a DIY Alarm
257 Stash Valuables in a Book
258 Build an Outlet Safe
259 Avoid Identity Theft
260 Pick a Lock
261 Figure Out If Your Home Is Bugged
262 Lose a Tail
263 Beware Common Poisons
264 Save a Poisoning Victim
265 Soak Up Poison with Activated Charcoal
266 Install Smoke Detectors
267 Prevent Electrical Fires in the Home
268 Make Your Home Fire-Safe
269 Assess and Respond: Fight a Fire
270 Stock Fire Safety Gear
271 Smother a Fire
272 Use a Fire Extinguisher
273 Escape a Burning House
274 Steer with Blown Tires
275 Deal with Brake Failure
276 Get Out of a Skid
277 Drive on Black Ice
278 Stop Hydroplaning
279 Live Through a Cliff-Hanger
280 Survive Crashing into the Water
281 Put Out a Car Fire
282 Pack a Lifesaver in Your Car
283 Avoid a Carjacking
284 Play It Safe in a Parking Garage
285 Signal from a Car Trunk
286 Escape from a Car Trunk
287 Outsmart Your Kidnappers
288 Deduce Where You're Being Held
289 Avoid Stockholm Syndrome
290 Free Yourself from Ropes
291 Case Study: Nabbed by the Cartel Survive an Abduction
292 Live Through a Hostage-Taking
293 Assess and Respond: Take a Blow
294 Know Basic Maritime Laws
295 Safeguard Against Pirates
296 Call for Help During a Pirate Attack
297 Repel Boarders from Your Boat
This Happened to Me! One Mean Machete
298 Get to Know the Customs
299 Avoid Counterfeit Cops
300 Be a Smart Traveler
301 Blend In for Safety
302 Hide Money in Your Clothes
303 Use the Buddy System
304 Exit a Tunnel Safely
305 Stay Safe on Mass Transit
306 Survive a Human Stampede
307 Be Alert to the Risk of Terrorism
308 Prevail in a Riot
309 Know the Weapons of a Raging Mob
310 Deal with Tear Gas
311 Evade IEDs
312 Escape a Dirty Bomb
313 Avoid Sniper Fire
314 Slip Past Enemy Forces
315 Case Study: Gone Postal Live Through a Workplace Shooting
316 Stock Your Gun Safe
317 Clean a Firearm
318 Lock Up Your Weapons
319 Clear a Jam
320 Shoot with the Proper Stance
321 Treat a Powder Burn
322 Deal with a Gunshot Wound
323 Help Someone Who Has Been Impaled
324 Silence Your Gun
325 Modify Your Shotgun
326 Make the Most of a Shotgun Shell
327 Shoot a Crossbow
328 Sharpen a Knife
329 Pick Your Blade
330 Throw a Knife
331 Build a Better Bola
332 Make a Shank
333 Make a Bow and Some Arrows
Index
Acknowledgments