Book: Pathfinder Survival Guides

Come fall, a hunter’s relationship with the natural world changes. Gone are the carefree days of summer—unpredictable weather, off-trail exploration, and hungry hibernators introduce a whole new set of hazards. Which is where the Pathfinder Outdoor Survival Guides (Waterford Press, $7 ea.) come in. These waterproof, pocket-sized guides span the spectrum of outdoor skills, from animal tracking to navigation to wilderness first aid. Each one includes a wealth of well-organized information, color-coded and illustrated for increased readability. I particularly enjoyed the “Shelter, Fire, Water” and “Building a Survival Kit” guides, which helped me pare down my backcountry pack to the bare essentials—lighter weight means increased maneuverability and thus more effective hunting. Other survival-oriented guides are just plain cool: “Improvised Hunting Weapons” and “Improvised Trapping” make you want to spend a week in the woods, learning to live off the land. Throw in emergency safety (“Signaling for Rescue”) and the Pathfinder series has all your outdoor eventualities covered. The only problem is finding the time to read (and practice) every one.