Wilderness Survival Storybook Recommendations

[illabelle]

I'm looking for a book with stories about wilderness survival. Not looking for a "how to" book, although it's fine for that information to be there. More interested in true stories for personal enjoyment and that can be shared with others (mostly kids) to help teach them how to avoid getting in trouble in the first place. Prefer stories of survival rather than depressing tragic endings. I'm interested in how to overcome the panic and mental confusion that engulfs people when they get lost. I'm interested in stories with a careful and honest analysis of mistakes that were made. Don't really want to read stuff written by silly people who think there's a bear behind every tree.

Suggestions?

[blw2]

unfortunately not something to share with young kids
and I'm not sure if lost at sea during the war counts as wilderness survival in your context.....
but the autobiography by louis zamperini, Devil at my Heels comes to mind.....or equally the same story written as a biography, Unbroken.

[Venchka]

Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica aboard the Endurance. Look for “South With Endurance” and Frank Hurley’s photography.
An amazing story.
Into Thin Air. The Everest disaster. Beck Weathers’s story is particularly interesting. Left for Dead is his story.
In The Heart of the Sea. The story of the sinking of the whale ship Essex. Moby Dick was based on the Essex. It was also made into a movie.
Good luck with the project.
Wayne

[scudder]

Take a look at Tom Brown's book "The Tracker". It's autobiographical, about how he developed survival skills, starting during his childhood.

[illabelle]

Wow, good suggestions! And none of them popped up when I did a little google-searching.
Thank you. :)

[iAmKrzys]

Check out: Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods - two stories in one book.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Wild-Danger-Survival-North/dp/0873515897

[daddytwosticks]

Gary Paulsen "Hatchet" series. Pure fiction but my kids were captivated by his books when they were young. My deceased wife used to have her fifth grade class read them. Kids at that age couldn't get enough of them. Good luck. :)

[devoidapop]

If you like a scary book, The Winter People by Jennifer MacMahon is pretty good. It's not pure horror, but it takes place mainly in the appalachian woods so it's great for camp reading.

[Billy Goat]

Gary Paulsen "Hatchet" series. Pure fiction but my kids were captivated by his books when they were young. My deceased wife used to have her fifth grade class read them. Kids at that age couldn't get enough of them. Good luck. :)I second this one. Read it in 5th or 6th grade and it's not TOO heavy for yougnins. Fantastic read. It definitely is fiction, but from what I remember of it it all seemed pretty plausible.

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[illabelle]

My daughter has at least two of the Hatchet series. I agree, it's a good story even if fiction.

[illabelle]

Check out: Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods - two stories in one book.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Wild-Danger-Survival-North/dp/0873515897

I read a little of this book with the Amazon preview. It looks really good.

[illabelle]

If you like a scary book, The Winter People by Jennifer MacMahon is pretty good. It's not pure horror, but it takes place mainly in the appalachian woods so it's great for camp reading.

Not sure about this one. Adventure scary is okay, ghost/monster scary, not so good. I need to research this one a bit.
Thank you for the suggestion. :)

[FishyOne]

Touching the Void (published 1988), book turned into a documentary of the same name.

[rocketsocks]

Not without peril

https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-Peril-Misadventure-Presidential/dp/1934028320

[nsherry61]

When I was a young teenager, and frankly didn't do a lot of recreational reading, my mom gave me a book titled "Trask" that I thought was a wonderful read about living, traveling and surviving in the wild in what was probably early pioneer times, but this guy was more of a young trapper type if I remember.

[peakbagger]

My mind is blank for the name, there was book about a city kid who ran away from home and moved into the woods and became self sufficient. He lived in a hollowed out tree. It was a high school staple for years

[Feral Bill]

My mind is blank for the name, there was book about a city kid who ran away from home and moved into the woods and became self sufficient. He lived in a hollowed out tree. It was a high school staple for years
​My Side of The Mountain

[illabelle]

Uh oh, now I have so many good options that it will be tough to choose just two or three!
Thanks so much!

[ratamahattayou]

Deep Survival.

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152

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[Luna Anderson]

Natural Born Heroes would be a great option

[illabelle]

Great suggestions, Luna and ratamahattayou. Thank you!

[rickb]

Duplicate Post

[rickb]

Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica aboard the Endurance. Look for “South With Endurance” and Frank Hurley’s photography.
An amazing story.


Yes!

Not only one of the most amazing stories, there have been so many books written on the topic they exist at many different reading levels. Alfred Lansing’s is the classic one — no pictures but relatively short. There have even been one’s written around the ship’s cat, I think.

Added plus — happy ending for the men involved.

If you want to include a short story, consider Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”. I don’t think it ended up so well for the man, but his dog did better (as I recall).

Both of those may well stay with their readers for a lifetime.

[FishyOne]

Link to Touching the Void... https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void-Story-Miraculous-Survival/dp/0060730552

First person account by Joe Simpson

[Leo L.]

Interesting enough, nobody mentions one of the countless books about the Lewis&Clark expedition, esp. the ones that are more focused on Sacajawea.
This is a story nobody knows here in Europe, and it was a fascinating reading for me. Some would fit perfectly for kids, I think.
While some other books mentioned above still send shivers over my back (and I'd hesistant exposing my kids to), like Joe Simpsons Story, or the novel from Jack London.

[TwoSpirits]

​My Side of The MountainLOVED that book! Probably read that at least 5 times when I was a kid.

That story not only helped influence my love of the outdoors and adventures of all kinds, but really illustrated and inspired the concept of self-sufficiency. For a ten year-old girl back then, that was kind of a big deal.

(I also loved and learned from "Dove", the story of Robin Graham, who set off as a teenager on a solo trip to sail around the world.)

[peakbagger]

LOVED that book! Probably read that at least 5 times when I was a kid.

That story not only helped influence my love of the outdoors and adventures of all kinds, but really illustrated and inspired the concept of self-sufficiency. For a ten year-old girl back then, that was kind of a big deal.

(I also loved and learned from "Dove", the story of Robin Graham, who set off as a teenager on a solo trip to sail around the world.)

It was a great book (now that someone remembered the name).

"Lost in a Mountain in Maine" is another one that was required reading for Maine school kids.

[Emerson Bigills]

Try "Forever on the Mountain". A fine true story of the worst mountaineering tragedy on Denali. Not like an Everest or K-2 climbing story, but has lots of simple lessons about how conditions change and how safety and communication are key.

[iAmKrzys]

While some other books mentioned above still send shivers over my back (and I'd hesistant exposing my kids to), like Joe Simpsons Story, or the novel from Jack London.
Some other books listed here might not be suitable for kids and some clearly focus more on death rather than survival. Having said this, I refused to let my son do a Presidential Traverse with his friends until he read a chapter out of "Not Without Peril" that I selected for him.

[Feral Bill]

(I also loved and learned from "Dove", the story of Robin Graham, who set off as a teenager on a solo trip to sail around the world.)

Another great book, though not on this topic.

[Venchka]

Interesting enough, nobody mentions one of the countless books about the Lewis&Clark expedition, esp. the ones that are more focused on Sacajawea.
This is a story nobody knows here in Europe, and it was a fascinating reading for me. Some would fit perfectly for kids, I think.
While some other books mentioned above still send shivers over my back (and I'd hesistant exposing my kids to), like Joe Simpsons Story, or the novel from Jack London.
Thanks Leo! I’m sitting here within sight of Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage and didn’t think to include it.
Wayne

[rickb]

Before he popped that cork on Katahdin, Aaron Ralston wrote a book on how he survived his ordeal.

I just watched the movie, but I can think most kids could handle the story.

Hell, my parents took my brother and I to see Deliverance when I was eleven or twelve and look how I turned out.

I can still recall my mother saying “that” had to be as bad for a man as for a woman as we left, without fully understanding her maternal misgivings for this fun family night out however. With other people’s kids, I would not recommend that one, though.

[rocketsocks]

Before he popped that cork on Katahdin, Aaron Ralston wrote a book on how he survived his ordeal.

I just watched the movie, but I can think most kids could handle the story.

Hell, my parents took my brother and I to see Deliverance when I was eleven or twelve and look how I turned out.

I can still recall my mother saying “that” had to be as bad for a man as for a woman as we left, without fully understanding her maternal misgivings for this fun family night out however. With other people’s kids, I would not recommend that one, though.Great story, aside from not letting a responsible person know of your hiking plans and sticking to em, my biggest take away from this story...keep a sharp knife, always!

[cmoulder]

The Crystal Horizon (https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Horizon-Everest-First-Ascent/dp/0898865743), Reinhold Messner

The Last Place on Earth (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Place-Earth-Amundsens-Exploration/dp/0375754741/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513290813&sr=1-1&keywords=huntford+the+last+place+on+earth), Roland Huntford