I am passionate about the lost art and science of what is termed “Natural Navigation“, or ‘emergency navigation’ – the skill or reading nature’s clues to find your way without map, compass, gps or signposts.
Moon at dusk can guide navigation when you are lost
To start you off, here are my favourite books on the subject, which you can all find online. My favourite is Harold Gatty’s Finding Your Way – a classic.
You will understand why I call my business Five Senses, and why walking barefoot has great advantages to learning to read the landscape. Based as I am in the north of Scotland, I believe in teaching people to read and understand their local environment, so not all techniques are applicable in your area (sand dunes are not so common here, nor trees but what there is has been well sculpted by the prevailing winds!)
Have a look at the books:-
Gatty, Harold – Finding your way without map or compass
Aveni, Anthony – People and the sky
Burch, David – Emergency Navigation
Wilson, Neil – SAS Tracking and navigation handbook
Grylls, Bear – Born survivor / Man v Wild – survival techniques …
Thomas, Stephen – Last Navigator
Cunliffe, Tom – Celestial Navigation
Aventi
Gatty
Note – I will be reviewing The Natural Navigator, by Tristan Gooley, so it is not yet added here – but it is an excellent book. Details to follow.
It is all about using your senses, being aware and observing – skills that need to be taught and developed – technology has made us lazy. Just like my other passion, making fire. For courses and private info, you can email me.
What are the best books to buy about survival and bushcraft? The best 10 books on the subject from my library, are listed below:
Fire by friction - a helping hand from the survival instructor
Mears, Ray – Outdoor Survival Handbook
Brown, Tom – Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Kochanski, Mors – Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and wilderness survival
Gatty, Harold – Finding your way without map or compass
Akkermans, Anthonio – Bushcraft Skills and how to survive in the wild
Mabey, Richard – Food for Free
Wiseman, John – SAS Survival Handbook
Grylls, Bear – Born Survivor – Survival techniques from the most dangerous …
Montgomery, David – Mountainman Crafts and Skills
Wescott, David – Primitive Technology: A book of earth skills
These books are easily accessible, cheap and well written with clear diagrams and instruction. Not one is perfect and in the end you still have to put the work in and get your hands dirty – but these have been well tested. The authors often have other books but I like these as being down to earth and not of the “coffee table” type. Comments or suggestions are welcome, if you have other books you woud strongly argue for, I’d like to hear.
Follow the links for more info on the books – links to Amazon.co.uk or write to me for advice.
I live in the Orkney Islands in Northern Scotland and specialise in natural navigation, survival in hostile environments, wild foods, shelters without wood and practical problem solving (ie, when it is not written in a book).
