outdoor recreation

I thoroughly enjoyed and gleaned new insights after reading this book. It is by far the most in-depth book I have read on water needs and dehydration concerns as well as covering an often overlooked malady of hyponatremia or sodium deficiency. The author, when not speaking from his own vast experience, draws upon prominent researchers in heat-related studies, toxicology of venomous creatures, and search and rescue personnel. I especially liked the section on Desert Survival Myths which debunks useless methods like the solar still and explains what really works in a survival situation which other books over the years have failed to cover.

Desert Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills is a very short, 80-page booklet containing tips on staying safe in the North American desert. In that respect, is very similar to Charles Lehman's book on desert survival and Bruce Grubb's book on Desert Hiking and Driving Tips. Intended for North American deserts only, they mostly treat all desert regions as the same in terms of survival response, though deserts vary widely even in North America in terms of temperature, hazards, weather, water availability, etc. Because they are so short, they tend to feature short pieces of advice, such as "learn to use a map and compass", "carry enough water", "watch out for venomous snakes". But, how do you learn to navigate the desert? How much water is 'enough'? How do you recognize the habits of venomous reptiles so you don't step on one, and employ the proper first aid response if you do? And, perhaps most important, how can you plan your desert vacation or backpacking trip so that you don't end up having to 'survive' in the first place? This takes a lot more information than most of these books can really provide.

As a brief guide to survival in a North American desert, this book is as good as Lehman's or Grubb's books. But there is no way the material in this book is adequate for someone interested in a long desert hiking or backpacking trip, mountain bike ride, or travel by four-wheel-drive, especially if you are going to remote deserts or deserts outside the United States. For example, there is not much here on snake and reptile hazards, water purification and collection (including the problems with so-called 'solutions' like solar stills), desert clothing and sun protection equipment, proper footwear, body conditioning, vehicle preparation, repair, and driving techiques(important in remote desert areas) and little or no information on learning to navigate using map, compass, the stars, or GPS equipment to stay out of trouble (vital in the desert).

My choice for best desert survival book would be either Desert Survival Skills by David Alloway (especially for the deserts of Texas and New Mexico), or The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson (covers both North American and world deserts. These are much larger and more complete books that go far beyond the booklet size publications in covering the subject of desert survival. They contain enough information so that a person can begin to actually understand and coexist in a desert environment. This includes planning and preparing to travel the desert safely, so that your risk of having to 'survive' is minimized.

I was really pleased with this book. Very well-written and researched and the author really gets to the heart of the matter without a lot of chatter. Nester has done his homework and clearly delved into the latest research on snakebites, solar stills, water needs, and heat-related injuries while doing so in a way that doesn't insult the reader. Next to Alloway's book on the subject, I'd have to say that this is the best book on desert survival written in years. The section on how to adapt to heat-stress was worth the price alone for this old desert wanderer.