Book: Help Yourself
The best defense, as the old adage goes, is a good offense. In the backcountry, that means preparing for emergencies before they happen—and there’s no faster path to preparedness than Rod Alne’s new guide, Help Yourself: A Backcountry Survival Guide (The Peak, $14). Like the title implies, your best asset in a survival situation is yourself—and this concise, easy-to-read book covers all the skills you need to stay alive, from mindset and gear to first aid and navigation. Want to know how to safely cross a raging stream? It’s in there. Construct an emergency shelter? Yep. Fire-starting, bear safety, mountain weather—check, check, and check. You’ll be amazed at how much Alne—a Butte resident, survival expert, and former spec-ops soldier—has packed into this pocket-sized volume. It’s also waterproof and tear-resistant, so you can stash it in your pack or pocket, flip through it at camp, or take it hunting—whatever, just get this guide, keep it close, and remember yet another adage: God helps those who help themselves.
