Looking for survival books? We've gathered 19 free survival books and guides in PDF, covering wilderness skills, shelter building, navigation, fire-making, and emergency preparedness.
These are practical guides written by military experts, park rangers, and survival instructors. Whether you need to find water in the wild or prepare your family for a disaster, these books cover it.
Browse by topic or download them all. Every guide is free to read online or download as PDF.
General Survival Books
These survival books cover a wide range of topics, from basic wilderness skills to full military survival training. The FM 21-76 Army Survival Manual alone is one of the most referenced survival resources ever published.
Comprehensive wilderness survival manual covering survival kits, clothing, weather, map and compass navigation, fire building, shelters, and signaling. Updated to its 11th edition (2020) by Maine search and rescue experts.
The definitive military survival manual covering psychology of survival, planning, medicine, shelters, water procurement, fire craft, food procurement, edible and poisonous plants, weapons and tools, plus survival in desert, tropical, cold, and sea environments.
A-Z guide to emergency preparedness and survival covering basics, self-defense, planning, and community coordination. Well-cited with references to FEMA and the American Red Cross.
Wilderness survival guides teach you how to stay alive in nature. These cover fire-making, water purification, shelter building, first aid, and navigation in remote areas.
From Australian outback techniques to winter backcountry safety, this is the largest section of our survival library.
Covers the essentials of wilderness survival: building fire, finding shelter, purifying water, identifying edible plants, basic navigation, and treating common outdoor injuries.
Educational survival curriculum focusing on survival preparedness, conditions affecting survival, psychological aspects, and the will to survive. Uses the S-U-R-V-I-V-A-L acronym framework.
Government aviation survival guide covering mental preparedness, survival kit contents, the Rule of Threes, New Zealand terrain survival, communication and distress signaling, and hypothermia treatment.
Quick-reference survival guide from BACKPACKER magazine covering panic management, edible plants, backcountry shelters, essential knots, and getting found when lost.
Australian outback survival guide by a professional survival instructor covering the Rule of Threes, five life-saving items, water procurement, fire-making, and shelter construction in hot environments.
Free survival school ebook covering essential tools, shelter building, water procurement, fire-making techniques, food foraging, and primitive trapping. Published by SIGMA 3 Survival School.
Official BSA wilderness survival merit badge pamphlet covering first aid for backcountry injuries, survival priorities, shelter building in all climates, fire craft, signaling, water treatment, and proper outdoor clothing.
Practical medical guide for wilderness emergencies covering food and water procurement, shelter safety, wildfire danger, and first aid for heat exhaustion, frostbite, hypothermia, animal bites, and wound care.
Official 16-hour wilderness first aid curriculum covering patient assessment, chest injuries, shock, head and spine injuries, bone and joint injuries, wounds, allergies, hypothermia, heat problems, lightning, and altitude illnesses.
Knowing how to build a shelter and find your way can save your life. These guides cover lean-tos, debris huts, A-frames, and compass navigation from basics to advanced triangulation.
Detailed technical guide to shelter construction covering tools, materials, site selection, and step-by-step building methods for lean-tos, debris huts, A-frames, and open-face shelters with fire reflectors.
Overview of shelter designs for scouts including natural shelters (caves and overhangs), lean-tos, tarp configurations, and double-skin tent shelters. Includes safety notes for each design.
Comprehensive compass and navigation tutorial progressing from basic direction-finding to advanced techniques including map reading, declination adjustment, triangulation, and position fixing by resection.
Survival is not just about the wilderness. These emergency preparedness guides from FEMA help you plan for disasters, power outages, and emergencies at home.
Official FEMA guide teaching preparedness strategies common to all disasters: identifying hazards, developing emergency plans, assembling disaster supply kits, learning shelter locations, and understanding community warning systems.
