View Full Version : The SURVIVAL HANDBOOK
THE SURVIVAL HANDBOOK by Raymond Mears.
The hard backed green version, the first he wrote (and still his best IMO) is for sale on a out of print books site for the princely sum of £240 :yikes: I have two, mmmmmm I might sell one!! :super:
Wow £240...that's quite expensive really isn't it :shock: think I'd rather have a pair of boots...no offense Mr Mears...
SELL THEM GARY...or one...the other could be like...a nest egg! Wouldn't it fetch more if he'd signed them...what's your handwriting like :wink:
Actually I have copies of all his other books personalised and signed by him (one perk of having had him as your boss - I even have a hand written programme from a course we started designing together) - but the green book thats the only one I dont have signed!
Apperently the white covered version of his second book is worth a few bob too ......... and guess what .........
Everyone...DRINKS ON GARY...! :uu:
:biggthump
Who needs stocks and shares...I'm off to Waterstones :o):
Im big enough! But wait til I fall off the three legged stool and stop moving!!
I never implied a thing!!!
:o):
i bought my nephews signed copies of the Outdoor Survival Handbook for xmas each as they love the woods etc and i got their dad essential bushcraft so they can all go out together and bond and be boys :), always a good excuse for uncle al to visit too
My mother grumbled disapprovingly when she had to buy me a Ray Mears book last Christmas...not the sort of thing I should be doing apparently...!
:o):
Did you ask her for graffiti and glue sniffing by sid snot this year then?
How did you know that??
:shock:
Does anybody know how many books Ray has actually written?
A complete collection, especially if it was signed would go for a nice packet methinks.
Thus far - without re-issues in new covers designed to catch the unwary I believe there are - 4.
The survival handbook.
Outdoor survival handbook
Essential bushcraft
And one aimed at families or kids. I saw it once in a shop but unfortunately didnt get it so i cant be more specific.
Also and this is relying on my dodge memory but I also saw a collection of poetry (not by him) but compiled by him (or some one with the same name) - again I unwisely though better of getting it or investigating further.
if you want to sell one Gary let me know.. seeing as you jus beat me to it on ebay :nono: :o):
Guys bearing in mind the cost (£240), you would probably be better off buying a number of books from other authors and cross referencing them, Rays books are good, but they are not worth that much.
There are other authors of well known titles which sell for a lot less and in the end the broader spectrum of knowledge that you gain is worth a lot more, that is only my opinion :wink:
Great Pebble
24-12-2004, 02:17
I have "The Complete Outdoor Handbook" also, Rider Books, 1992, ISBN 0-7126-4859-3.
http://img.kelkoo.com/pdb/34001/large/00/91/87/88/0091878861.jpg http://www.landroverbookshop.com/asps/uploads/thumb/63-1.jpg http://i.walmart.com/i/p/09/78/03/12/09/0978031209359_60X60.gif
are the three books pictured above all the same book? ive been trying to work this out for ages!
Yep and theirs a fourth in the line tomtom - I have a first edition with a white cover!!
Wonder how many people OWN them all?
Guys bearing in mind the cost (£240), you would probably be better off buying a number of books from other authors and cross referencing them, Rays books are good, but they are not worth that much.
There are other authors of well known titles which sell for a lot less and in the end the broader spectrum of knowledge that you gain is worth a lot more, that is only my opinion :wink:
I agree Leon - get Mors Kohanski and Richard Graves and you have it all! I have a Lars Falt book which appears to pre-date Rays and this has it all in there too - but its in Swedish!!
Tomtom was that you? You should have said I'd have let you have it I was only bidding because I saw how much they are selling for. A book that fetches £99 - £240 IS WORTH IT especially as I only bought it to sell it - I already have 2!! Although if I buy them all up I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD!! :rolmao:
Capitalism from the Bear :yikes: , western politics and business ethics finally got yer mate :wink:
Have a good one
My mother grumbled disapprovingly when she had to buy me a Ray Mears book last Christmas...not the sort of thing I should be doing apparently...!
:o):
Hmm, could that be because she remember what 'good girls' used to get up to in the woods?:naughty:
Of course I mean makign daisy chains, picking flowers...:0:
Capitalism from the Bear :yikes: , western politics and business ethics finally got yer mate :wink:
Have a good one
Ha ha my plan is revealed!!
Today all the survival handbooks - tomorrow the world!!
BIG-TARGET
24-12-2004, 11:32
http://img.kelkoo.com/pdb/34001/large/00/91/87/88/0091878861.jpg http://www.landroverbookshop.com/asps/uploads/thumb/63-1.jpg http://i.walmart.com/i/p/09/78/03/12/09/0978031209359_60X60.gif
are the three books pictured above all the same book? ive been trying to work this out for ages!
Don't forget Larry Dean Olsen survival book is in its 6th edtion and each edition had a different cover :wink:
Also, if you are into the "Flashman" series . There is a cover for the british editions and a different cover for the american editions
Don't forget Larry Dean Olsen survival book is in its 6th edtion and each edition had a different cover :wink:
As Henry T Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute..."
I have LDO's 1st and 6th edition. There's quite a bit of difference between the two books. If we think of bushcraft as being a practice of traditional skills, then LDO's book comes closer than any mentioned so far. And for in-depth coverage of traditional skills, it's hard to beat John and Geri McPherson's books and videos and Wescott's Primitive Technology series.
I have LDO's 1st and 6th edition. There's quite a bit of difference between the two books. If we think of bushcraft as being a practice of traditional skills, then LDO's book comes closer than any mentioned so far. And for in-depth coverage of traditional skills, it's hard to beat John and Geri McPherson's books and videos and Wescott's Primitive Technology series.
Any ISBNs Hoodoo? Save us trawling through 40,000 google results...
Do any of those sell for £240 though?
Do you think if I put the Survival handbook up for sale in members classifieds I'd sell it! :rolmao: :wink:
No problemo!
Outdoor Survival Skills - Larry Dean Olsen ISBN 1-55652-323-8
Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills - John and Geri McPherson ISBN 0-89745-997-0
Primitive Technology, A Book of Earth Skills ed. David Wescott ISBN 0-87905-911-7 and Vol. II: ISBN 1-58685-098-9
Do any of those sell for £240 though?
Do you think if I put the Survival handbook up for sale in members classifieds I'd sell it! :rolmao: :wink:
I guess it's the law of supply and demand. I looked for a couple years and could not find a copy. I guess sargey felt sorry for me and sent me one. I agree with most people that it's Mear's best although I still enjoy the rest of his books. He writes with a lot of enthusiasm.
There's no way I would pay £240 for a copy though. :yikes: It's too bad the publisher won't do another printing. Maybe we should take up a petition and send it to the publisher for a little motivation. :naughty: Of course Gary, that means the value of your copy would fall... :lol:
Cheers Hoodoo.
Time to Amazon...
Ill sign your petition Hoodoo - I am giving one as a gift and keeping the third as a ........ spare!
Hi Everybody,
Just returned to the shelter! I joined up earlier this year but worked dragged me away. Have readdressed this by changing jobs.
Anyway, there is another to add to your list of Mears books. I picked up a copy of 'The Survival Handbook' (the first book) on Ebay last week. This is a reprint from 1994 by the 'Promotional Reprint Company'.
I think this must be one of those book club things.
Good to be back, things have really taken off,
Rob.
:pack:
Don't forget Larry Dean Olsen survival book is in its 6th edtion and each edition had a different cover :wink:
Also, if you are into the "Flashman" series . There is a cover for the british editions and a different cover for the american editions
is that a yes?
BIG-TARGET
26-12-2004, 03:44
is that a yes?
YES!!! :wink:
:o): I've got the three Ray Mears books (paid "big" bucks for the Survival handbook,, but not £240 :yikes:) - two of them signed.
I also got Mors Kohanski's Northern Bushcraft, two books by Lars Fält :nana: :o): (and photostats of a third :roll: + I'm going to buy a "new" one from his co author Stefan Källman next week :o): ). I also got the Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen, Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills by John and Geri McPherson + several other books on bushcraft / survival.
I haven't bothered buying the Primitive Technology and Earth Skills books by David Wescott, as they essentially only are reprints of old articles (although some of them are edited slightly for the book edition) from the Bulletin of Primitive Technology printed by the Society of Primitive Technology, which I became a member of in 1995 or 1996.
Me mates tell me that I have a personal sub-branch of the local public library, although I never lend anything out :nono:
Last time I counted there were more than 1100 books :shock:
rapidboy
26-12-2004, 22:19
I got a copy of the Raymond Mears book for £5.00 from bargain books.
Went back a week later and got my dad one and they had hundreds left.
This was before i knew who Ray Mears was but back then they could hardly give them away.
I really liked the book ,it was the first time i heard the term bushcraft and it just made so much more sense to describe this sort of activity as "bushcraft" than "survival".
It was great to see photographs instead of the Lofty Wiseman Survival Handbook drawings.
I recently got the Mors Kochanski Bushcraft book but while the text is good it's let down by the line drawings instead of photographs.
rb
Which raymond mears book?
rapidboy
26-12-2004, 22:59
THE SURVIVAL HANDBOOK by Raymond Mears
The green one.
rapidboy
26-12-2004, 23:12
Bout 3 years ago ,as soon as i saw what they went for on evil bay i went back and checked but they where all gone.
They even checked at head office but no luck.
It's a great book but i can' believe what they sell for.
bambodoggy
14-01-2005, 00:19
Guys, is this the expensive one you're all talking about?
http://www.bushcraftuk.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=709
bambodoggy
14-01-2005, 00:20
Oh....my link didn't work.....again!!!! I'm a PC muppet!!!! lol
I've put the pic in my gallery now....
bambodoggy
14-01-2005, 00:25
:-P just sneaked in at the last 12 seconds with my bid....hope the other bidder isn't a member here....I'd be so ashamed!!!
Price was a little steep but not the £240 mentioned on here...now, how do I go about selling it again....!!!! lol
and there was me thinking they were begining to go down is price now!
bambodoggy
14-01-2005, 00:59
and there was me thinking they were begining to go down in price now!
:yikes: ahhh, don't say that!!!!!
Lol...just kidding, I'm keeping this one for me.... :rolmao:
bambodoggy
14-01-2005, 01:05
totally thanks :nana:
Ranger Bob
14-01-2005, 14:17
Maybe a stupid question but, whats so special about this book (aside from the fact, its quite rare). I mean, does it contain "secret" bushcraft knowledge not availible anywhere else or what?
i wouldnt have thought so.. and im sure you can find it all if you compile a good bushcraft libary you will have all the knolage and more that is printed there.. it is however considered rays best book!
bothyman
14-01-2005, 19:23
I got a copy of that for Christmas, says 1990 inside???.
My Partners Brother found it in a little Bookshop near Aberdeen, knowing the Person who gave me it I can't imagine he paid silly money for it.
I better not tell him he will never live it down. :yikes:
Yes, Folks I now have a Raymond Mears book and Yes, I am wondering what all the fuss is about. :?:
The question is am I now doomed to become a New Age Bushcrafter??.
Says me looking up at the copy of Horace Kepharts "Camping and Woodcraft" which I saved my Paper round money for, I remember it cost me 42 shillings.(£2-10p). plus the price is still inside. :wave:
some one out bid me one one of them on ebay last week.. you will be pleased to know its now worth £22.00