10 Books for Bushcrafters, Nature Lovers, and People Who Love the Outdoors (2019)

Terrific photo by NatureOutside reader K. Leal.

It is time for my annual book recommendations. Below are 10 bushcraft books I think you’ll enjoy. They touch upon different areas of bushcraft: outdoor skills, outdoor crafts, and animals and ecology.

This year’s list is special because six of the ten books retail for less than $20. So they will make great stocking-stuffers!

Why can’t I find my favorite book?

If you don’t find your “favorite book” in the list below, check out lists from previous years. Links to previous year’s book recommendations appear at the end of this article.

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend.

Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.

– Groucho Marx

Remember, learning is fundamental to bushcraft. And no matter how much we learn, there is always more to understand. So enjoy the list, and feel free to revisit the older ones at the end of this article.

You can click on the book’s title or picture to see its product page on Amazon.

These are affiliate links. When you click these links, NatureOutside earns a small commission on any purchases you make at Amazon within 24 hours of clicking. It does not change the cost of the items. This revenue supports running the NatureOutside website.

BUSHCRAFT

1. The Book of Camping & Woodcraft, Horace Kephart

This classic by Horace Kephart is my favorite book I read this year. The wide-ranging book covers many topics of outdoor living. Tents and tools, firecraft, camp cooking, and axemanship are some of the subjects covered with enthusiasm by the author.

Note that this book was published in 1906. So many of the techniques Kephart describes have been supplanted by modern technology, or prohibited by modern laws that protect our dwindling wilderness.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun read with a homey writing style. It immerses you in what it must have been like to “go camping” in the early 1900’s. And don’t discount the techniques Kephart describes. Everyone will be able to glean a tidbit of information they can apply to their next outdoor trip.

2. Woodcraft and Camping, Nessmuk

This is another classic book on woodcraft. George W. Sears, known as “Nessmuk,” penned this book in 1920. It’s thinner than Kephart’s classic, and more conversational in tone. He relates stories throughout the book, in which he plays the hero because of his wilderness skills.

The book is not as complete as Kephart’s. But it is a must-have for any serious collector of bushcraft books.

3. How to Build an Iglu and a Qamutiik, Soloman Awa and Andrew Breithaupt

I first encountered this book during a trip to the arctic to observe polar bears. This glossy manual provides step-by-step instructions to construct an iglu (snow house) and qamutiik (sled designed to travel on snow and ice).

I love that it is written in both English and Inuktitut, the Inuit language of eastern Canada. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association published the book as a portable reference guide to teach a younger generation of Inuit the skills of their ancestors.

You can read the book in one sitting. But the real fun is using it to construct your own iglu!

4. Wildwood Wisdom, Ellsworth Jaeger

I enjoy this book so much that I’m recommending it again (it appeared on an earlier list).

The book was first published in 1945. But that does not mean the skills it describes do not apply to you! As we have become more reliant on technology, many of the skills our ancestors used to survive in the outdoors have been forgotten. This book is a wonderful mix of text and cartoon-like drawings that breathe life into these bygone skills. Jaeger covers shelters, firemaking, use of the axe and knife, camp cooking, sanitation, and much more.

CRAFTS AND SKILLS

5. Swedish Carving Techniques, Wille Sundqvist

Here is another book I’m recommending again (it appeared on an earlier list).

Many of us don’t have an older relative to teach us how to use a knife. We are left on our own to flounder. The forehand grip and the chest-leaver grip are easy to learn on your own. But what about techniques where the knife is moving toward your body? This book shows how to safely use woodworking tools including the knife and axe. It covers selection, storage, and maintenance as well as proper use. The book provides simple projects such as coat hooks and buttons for you to practice your skills. Pictures help you master the techniques required for each project. This book was translated into English from the original Swedish.

6. The traveling Nature Photographer, Steven Morello

This visually striking book does not teach photography techniques. Instead, it aims to prepare the traveler to shoot great pictures. The book covers preparation, subject matter, using light, booking the right tour, getting through airports, dealing with weather, and of course – equipment.

It does cover some of the mechanics of photography. But the book does not intend to teach you how to use your camera. And it’s a little dated when it discusses digital photography.

If you want a book to light your fire for travel and nature photography, this is it.

7. Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species, Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland

This is another book I’m recommending again (it appeared on an earlier list).

It is the classic field guide for animal tracking in the United States. And a new edition has been released since my first recommendation.

This book always provides useful information. So if you want to get serious about animal tracking, Elbroch is the go-to guy for information. I heartily recommend all his tracking books.

8. Backcountry First Aid and Extended Care, Buck Tilton

Over the years, I’ve had many portable manuals in my first-aid kits. But Buck Tilton’s classic is the one I stick with. It is clearly written, covers the common treatments, and contains solid information.

Tilton is the founder of the Wilderness Medicine Institute, and an authoritative source for wilderness first-aid information. I keep a copy of this book with each of my first-aid kits.

ANIMALS AND ECOLOGY

9. The World of the Polar Bear, Norbert Rosing

This coffee-table size book is an amazing resource of information about the world’s largest land carnivore. It contains breathtaking photos and fact-filled narration. Rosing follows the Polar Bear’s life cycle through the four seasons.

What I love about this book is that the author writes as if he were a guide leading you through the far north.

10. Behavior of North American Mammals, Mark Elbroch and Kurt Rinehart

Yes, it’s another Elbroch book! And I’m recommending it again (it appeared on an earlier list).

Being able to identify an animal is not the same as understanding it. This terrific book teaches us about the lives and behaviors of mammals in North America. It provides a back-story for the animals we see when we’re in the wild.

Elbroch is a respected name in the field of animal tracking and wildlife observation. This book covers more than 50 species and provides detailed, well researched, information. The photography is very well done.