How to Stay Alive

Book excerpt: The ultimate survival guide from Bear Grylls, former Special Forces soldier and #1 world-renowned "King of Survival" (Outside) For more than a decade, Bear Grylls has introduced TV viewers to the most dramatic wilderness survival situations, through his hit shows such as Man Vs. Wild. Now, with How to Stay Alive, Bear reveals to readers his full toolkit of survival tactics, from everyday basics like avoiding blisters to once-in-a-lifetime events like surviving a kidnapping. Opening with the most essential survival skills—assembling your survival kit, making a fire, building a shelter—and then moving on to more specific situations, such as escaping fire, dealing with harsh terrain, and handling medical emergencies, Grylls is a sure guide for any type of disaster situation. Readers will learn how to survive in a life raft, land a helicopter in an emergency, treat hypothermia and frostbite, escape from quicksand, and numerous other lifesaving tips. Richly illustrated with diagrams throughout, How to Stay Alive will be the definitive outdoor survival tome for years to come.