Paperback Survival

Whenever I have a look at the Amazon.com bestsellers list for camping (not that I'm obsessively checking my ranking or anything - OK, maybe a little) without fail the #1 book is the SAS Survival Guide.

Presumably, this means that a ton of you outdoorsy folks out there own a copy. You've invested in its detailed instructions on how to survive in the most extreme and remote conditions you could possibly encounter. You've studied how to desalinate water if you're lost at sea, how to trap your own food in the woods, and how to make a fire when all of your matches get wet and your lighter falls down a cliff.

What I want to know is - have any of you actually done any of this stuff? Have you set up a snare to catch dinner? Have you succeeded in starting a fire without a flint or matches? Have you found yourself so utterly lost that your normal camping skills just won't cut it?

I find it interesting that so many people feel that they need to learn these techniques. Sure, they could come in handy when all else fails. What I can't quite be sure of, however, is that I'd remember what I learned at the crucial moment. Odds are I won't have the manual with me (OK, I don't actually own a copy, but G does) so it would be a matter of not just reading this stuff, but retaining it. It's a lot to expect of someone who can't remember a new person's name 30 seconds after being introduced! What are the odds I'd remember how to desalinate water?

I guess it would be a matter of "practice makes perfect". So, have any of you practiced your survival skills? Leave me a comment and let me know!