Book excerpt: "U.S. Army Survival Handbook" covers all survival skills and techniques that a person can use in order to sustain life in any type of natural environment. The techniques are meant to provide basic necessities like water, food and shelter... Nevertheless, it takes much more than the knowledge to build a shelter, get food and make fire in order to survive successfully. A key ingredient in any survival situation is the mental attitude. It will help you develop your survival skills, as well as the will to survive. It will prepare you for any type of situation, either physical or psychological ordeal. Contents: Psychology of Survival Survival Planning and Survival Kits Basic Survival Medicine Shelters Water Procurement Firecraft Food Procurement Field-Expedient Weapons, Tools, and Equipment Desert Survival Tropical Survival Cold Weather Survival Sea Survival Expedient Water Crossings Field-Expedient Direction Finding Signaling Techniques Survival Movement in Hostile Areas Camouflage Contact With People Survival in Man-Made Hazards