SAS Survival Handbook - The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere - 3rd Edition (2014).pdf

In an increasingly uncertain world, the focus of this new edition
is to prepare you for any survival situation you may encounter.
Within these pages I look to identify every danger
imaginable and show you how to deal with it The advice
given here will prepare you both physically and mentally, and
make you aware of all the hazards you may face. Being fully
prepared will give you the confidence to survive against the
odds—and allow you to adapt when things go wrong.
For 26 years, as a professional soldier, I had the privilege of
serving with the Special Air Service (SAS). This elite unit of
the British Army is trained to carry out arduous operations in
all parts of the world, often isolated and far from conventional
forces. Working in small groups, often in enemy territory,
SAS soldiers have to become their own doctor, dentist, navigator
and cook. Frequently, the operational situation makes resupply
impossible and they have to live off the land. They have
to handle every kind of situation and problem, whether manmade
or an act of nature, and get back to safety, and must develop
skills which enable them to survive anywhere.
After serving throughout the world, I became the survival
instructor to the SAS and it was my responsibility to ensure
that each and every member of the Regiment could apply
these skills in the field. Tested in training and operations, they
form the basis of this new edition.
The need for survival training has never been greater.
Cheaper air travel has opened up the world, and there is virtually
no place left on the face of the planet that we cannot and
have not visited. This, added to factors such as increased leisure
time, wealth, and the knowledge provided by television
programmes, means that we are becoming more adventurous
and informed about the world around us.
But we must also take into account the fact that over
the last 12 years the world has become a more unstable
place. The Berlin wall came down in 1999, followed by the
Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. These events,
however, were overshadowed by the catastrophic and tragic
events of 11th September 2001, the resultant ‘war on terror’
and, of course, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These global
conflicts have affected everyone and one things is for
sure—our lives will never be the same again.
The instinct to survive will never change, neither will the
human body’s amazing ability to endure. Yet we should also
bear in mind that, as we become more civilized, survival
skills are being forgotten. It is doubly important, therefore,
to practise our survival skills, and be prepared for anything.
Survival training is the best insurance policy you can take out
in an unstable world. If we are all grounded in the basic techniques
of survival, and know what to do in an emergency, the
world immediately becomes a safer place.
You could be isolated anywhere in the world—from the
arctic ice to a desert, from tropical rainforest to the open
ocean, and the problems of survival are the same for both
soldier and civilian. The difference lies in the circumstances;
soldiers may need to hide their presence, whereas civilians
will want to attract attention to effect their rescue. In areas
of instability, where the risk of kidnap is high, it may be best
to remain inconspicuous. Each environment calls for special
survival techniques. Mountains, jungles, open plains and
swamps can seem hazardous to the survivor, but each offers
some form of support and can be exploited for food, fuel, water
and shelter—if you know how. The effect of climate is
crucial. Intense cold and searing heat challenge the survivor
in different ways. You must know how to cope with both.
You also need a sense of how your body works and how
it will react in different environments and situations. Assess
yourself before you travel: for instance, test your basic survival
skills by sleeping outside, making sure that you can
light a fire, and even going without sleep or food for a period
of time. This will show you how you react in a limited simulated
scenario.
Survival depends upon applying basic principles and adapting
them to the circumstances. These basic principles
form an essential pyramid of learning for the survivor.