Bushcraft literature (UK based)

[FungiJus]

Hi All - I am looking for a decent book on bushcraft etc.

I know Ray Mears has a lot of stuff out - I have borrowed a copy of his most recent offering - trouble is that a lot of the info relates to species/techniques that dont have any relevance in the UK (I am yet to see a cheeky yam here in Milton Keynes).

Can anyone recommend a decent book?

BTW, I am not opposed to Mears, provided the stuff is relevant, and I already have Richard Maybe's Food for Free.

Cheers,
J.

[JP]

What skills do you want to know about or is it a fundimental bushcraft skills book you are after? the two you have mentioned are wild food / forraging books (im assuming that the RM one is Wild food) Bushcraft covers a massive array of different skills and avenues, i have many many books that fall under the "Bushcraft and wilderness living" umbrella, flora, fauna, woodcraft, tracking, survival skills, etc, so I recon I can point you in a good direction for what you are after buddy

[FungiJus]

Thanks for this JP. Actually the Mears book was 'Bushcraft' - nice book but way too coffee-table-ish to take outside.

I guess I am at the fundamental stage at present.

I do eat some of the fungi that I collect, although I usually foray for scientific purposes rather than to eat, and I am interested in taking some signal crayfish (EA licence applied for...) so your question is making me think about what it is I am trying to achieve.

On reflection, I realise that I am more interested in the wild food aspect than the survival or tracking (although I recognise that all these disciplines are linked) so this narrows down my preference for a book - fundamentals but with a bias towards edibles.

Cheers.
J.

[excoriate]

Wild Food is the most recent Ray Mears one. Pop into your library for the hardback version until the paperback comes out (if theres one planned?) as the hardback is huuuuge.

Its VERY relevant to the UK but covers food and preparation methods as the title suggests, not all bushcraft (which would make it even heavier).

[JP]

The RM wild food book was an accompanying book to the series with gordon, rumour has it that a more comprehensive guide to wild food in the UK is on its way.
The thing is with ID'ing anything be it flora ,fauna, shrooms, tracks etc one book is never enough, cross checking books is the way forward when learning about say wild medicinal or food plants, as some books have good pictures but bad descriptions but vice versa and cross checking also reinforces the plant etc into your memory banks, when im out on a bimble say in the autumn and im looking for Fungi, ill have a couple of field guides in my pack, and my Digi Cam, then when i get home if theres one im not sure of i have bigger and better ID books and photograph and the internet. Also keep a note book, the note book is a Wildlife watchers friend, mines full of names, sketches and scribbles, grid refs etc, very usefull and a memory jogger.

Ill jot down a list of books that you may find usefull later when i get home from work bud

[FungiJus]

You still at work JP?

[JP]

lol believe it or not yes! well i have been homwe since, im running a course in scotland nexrt week so im upto my eyeballs in it, ill put some up tonight, promice!
heres some to get on with off the top of my head.

Roger Phillips field guides are priceless, there are Fungi, Trees, Mosses grasses and liverworts and Wild flowers they are superb reference guides a bit to big to take out into the field but good for looking up things you have pictures of or coss referencing what you have already found
(the mosses grasses and liverworts one is difficult to get hold of).

[JP]

heres 3 id use if ID'ing on a walk
Field Guide to Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe By the New Holland Publishers
The Wild Flower Key by Frances Rose
Herbs and healing plants or Brit and Euro, collins nature guide, by Dieter Podlech
and a couple of pretty comprihensive Wild food guides which are good for starters in this, Easy wild food guide by Neil Fletcher
Wild Food for Free by Jonathan Hilton
Any thing else ive got lots of different subjects ? Ill put some more up when i have a chance to scratch me bum lol

[FungiJus]

Hi JP
Went for the Easy Wild Food to begin with and knocked up a ramson pesto the other day which even my wife said was pretty good! Not much I know but it's a start.

Cheers for the info again - much appreciated

[good_egg]

Food for free, by Richard Mabey is a good book on edible plants n mushrooms. also you might want to look at some of the River Cottage books by Hugh Fernley Whittingstall.

[ivesy]

i own pretty much all the ray mears books and as far as bushcraft skills go id say the best books are his "outdoor survival handbook" which is quite general but most of it is based on uk plants and animals and the other is called "essential bushcraft" this isnt the one following the tv series but an earlier one which is much more factual and skill based.
i hope this helps

[hammock monkey]

hugh f-w has a mushroom book out, if its anything like his meat and fish books it'll be a fantastic resource.

The riv cott diaries are pretty good for seasonal stuff - in fact its well worth a look at his site for lots of that stuff - theres a 'whats in season now' section somewhere i think.

There are loads of these kind of things in 2nd hand book shops, readers digest made a few that are great, another called 'they cant ration these' is also good.

internet is as good as anything tho

[GazW]

Books on Bushcraft are 10 a penny these days and I have to say the best ones are the older ones .............

The ones I'd recommend -

The survival handbook - raymond Mears (this was his first book printed in the 90's and without a doubt the best general skills book available)

Bushcraft - Mors kochanski (a lot of people knock this one as being to basic but its a great beginners book and is excellent for even experienced folks as a refresher)

Bushcraft - Richard Graves (Oz based book but covers a lot of camp fire and knowledge )

From a skills prespective these three cover all the options your likely to ever need - Im off the Sweden tomorrow for two weeks running a couple of courses but when I get back (and have time) I'll compile a more varied list from my own library if people are interested?