How to Stay Alive: The Ultimate Survival Guide for Any Situation

469 Pages·2018·8.49 MB·English

by  Bear Grylls

Dedication
Thank you to the BG team of survival and safety experts I have worked with on
so many adventures, especially to Scott, Stani, Meg and Dave for all your input
to the practical, resourceful and innovative details that have helped me compile
this book. I dedicate it to this team, who have lived and breathed all this stuff
alongside me for so many years and in so many hellholes!
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Survival Skills — The Basics
How to . . .
Assemble a Life-Saving Backpack
Put Together the Perfect Survival Kit
Collect Water and Make It Safe
Make Fire
Extinguish a Fire
Make a Survival Shelter
Conserve Energy
Use a Knife
Tie Essential Knots
Become a Navigation Ninja
Judge Distance and Time on Land and Sea
Communicate in a Survival Situation
Identify Poisonous Plants
Catch a Fish
Track, and Trap, Animals for Food
Preserve Food
Handle Yourself in a Fight
Handle Firearms Safely
Great Escapes
How to . . .
Survive Getting Lost
Hitchhike Safely and Effectively
Carry Out Basic Motor Maintenance
Drive Off Road
Use an Abandoned Vehicle
Survive Tyre Blow-Outs and Brake Failure
Build a Raft
Survive in a Life Raft
Climb in a Survival Situation
Abseil in a Survival Situation
Land a Helicopter in an Emergency
Fly a Plane in an Emergency
Parachute in an Emergency
Terrain Survival
How to . . .
Survive in the Desert
Survive in the Snow
Move Across Snow
Drive in Snow and Ice
Survive in the Jungle
Cross a River
Survive Underground: Caves, Tunnels and Sewers
Life-or-Death Situations
How to . . .
Survive an Earthquake
Survive a Volcanic Eruption
Survive an Avalanche
Survive Flash Floods and Tsunamis
Survive Hurricanes, Tornadoes and Lightning
Survive a Sandstorm
Escape from Quicksand
Escape a Forest Fire
Escape a Burning Building
Survive a CBRN Attack
Survive a Kidnapping
Survive a Bear Attack
Survive a Croc Attack
Survive a Dog Attack
Survive a Shark Attack
Survive a Snake Attack
Medical Emergencies
How to . . .
Avoid Blisters
Triage in an Emergency
Deal with a Catastrophic Bleed
Perform Life-Saving CPR
Stitch a Wound
Treat a Burn
Field-Dress a Broken Bone
Treat Hyperthermia, Hypothermia and Frostbite
Index
About the Author
Also by Bear Grylls
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
I have spent much of my life travelling to some of the most inhospitable places
on the planet. I’ve summitted Everest, traversed the treacherous Northwest
Passage in a small inflatable boat, and survived some of the most remote and
wild deserts, jungles and swamps on earth.
Along the way, I’ve found myself in some pretty hairy situations, moments
when my own life, and those of my fellow travellers, hung in the balance. How
to Stay Alive is the distillation of the survival wisdom I have accumulated over
the years. During my time in the British Special Forces, I applied many of these
survival principles firsthand.
I begin How to Stay Alive with the basics, the rudiments of any adventurer’s
education: what you need to carry in your survival kit, how to make fire and
purify water, and how to tie the three most important knots that will help you get
out of a jam. Then we get into more exotic territory. You may have never found
yourself in a sandstorm, but I can tell you that you’ll want to be prepared.
Likewise apocalyptic snowstorms, flash floods and tornadoes.
There are other books out there about survival, but these pages hold the
tactics and techniques that go far beyond bush-craft. We cover it all, from
kidnappings to car brake failures, from shark attacks to how to fly a plane in an
emergency. So dig in—and the next time you find yourself lost, cornered or in a
spot of trouble, you’ll be properly prepared.
Survival Skills
The Basics