By John “Lofty” Wiseman
Let me start by saying – I’ve never been the type to write book reviews. In school, I didn’t enjoy reading, especially when it came to boring mandatory books. 🙄
And now, here I am… reviewing a nearly 600-page survival manual. But this book was different. It was packed with practical, sometimes life-saving knowledge. So here’s my honest take on the SAS Survival Handbook – what it covers and what I learned.
About the author & the book
John “Lofty” Wiseman served 26 years in the Special Air Service (SAS) – one of the world’s most elite military units. This is his most popular book, which describes many of the techniques tested in SAS training.
This book teaches how to survive anywhere, whether you’re:
- Stranded on an island
- Facing extreme heat
- Lost at sea
- Caught in a desert
- Involved in a vehicle accident
- Or experiencing an earthquake
The book is broken into clear sections, including:
- The Essentials
- Stategy
- Climate and Terrain
- Food
- In the Camp
- Reading Signs
- On the Move
- Health
- Surival at Sea
- Rescue
- Accidents
It’s also filled with helpful illustrations – like how to build shelters, tie knots, and identify poisonous vs. edible plants.
Most Interesting & Useful Facts I Learned
As I said, the book is almost 600 pages, so the information is a lot, but here are some of the highlights that stood out to me:
🍲 Food
- Even resting, your body burns about 70 calories per hour.
- Calorie breakdown:
- 1g carbohydrates = 4 calories
- 1g fat = 9 calories
- 1g protein = 4 calories
- Calories help warm your body in cold conditions.
- Carbs are the main energy source, consuming it doesn’t require a lot of water.
- Fat helps retain heat, but it dehydrates you.
- To test out unknown plants, do these steps, waiting a moment between each of them. If at any moment something feels wrong, do not use it.
- 1. Appearance – Make sure the plant is not slimy or worm-eaten.
- 2. Smell – Rub a small piece of the plant. If it smells like almonds or peaches, throw it away.
- 3. Skin irritation – Gently rub the plant or apply the plant juice to a sensitive area (such as the inside of your elbow). If you experience any discomfort or itching, do not use the plant.
- 4. Lips, mouth, tongue – If there is no skin irritation, place the plant on your lips, corners of your mouth, tip of your tongue, under your tongue, and suck.
- 5. Swallowing – Swallow a piece of the plant and wait 5 hours. Do not eat or drink anything during this time.
- 6. Eating – If no unpleasant symptoms occur, you can assume that the plant is edible.
💧 Water
- Alcohol and fat increase thirst – avoid them in survival.
- To melt snow: start with a small bit of snow in the pot. Once it melts, add more – otherwise, it can scorch or damage cookware..
- Never drink seawater or urine-they’ll dehydrate you faster. Instead, distill them.
- You can make coffee from oak acorns! Roast them after burying in ashes and drying.
My Thoughts After Reading It
This was my first real dive into a survival manual-and honestly, I’m glad I stuck with it. It gave me a whole new appreciation for preparation, resourcefulness, and self-reliance.
But I won’t lie – the book is dense. Some chapters repeated information, and the structure wasn’t always ideal. For example, traps were explained early on, but the knots required to make them were only covered much later.
Still, I’m already planning to try out some of what I learned on future hikes, and I’ll be sharing those moments soon.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to hiking, camping, or just want to be better prepared outdoors-this book is worth owning. No, it won’t turn you into a survival expert overnight, but it’s a solid foundation.
Just remember: reading helps, but practice is key. Get out there, try the skills, and learn by doing.
P.S. If you want to see moments from my hikes (and maybe catch me testing some of this survival knowledge), follow me on Instagram and TikTok: @WildRaivo
