Best Hiking & Camping Instructional Guides of 2026

Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars is an activity book that encourages children to explore the natural world. It offers exciting outdoor projects, skills, and adventures that build lifelong knowledge about the environment. Written by Steven Rinella, a passionate advocate for conservation, the book includes fun activities such as building an outdoor exploration kit, identifying constellations, tracking animals, and making survival shelters. It's a must-have guide for budding naturalists, scientists, gardeners, anglers, foragers, and hunters. Overall, Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars is a fantastic book that inspires wonder and excitement about the natural world.

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury is the ultimate resource for anyone looking to experience the backcountry. Canterbury's expertise in survivalism is evident as he covers everything from building your kit to manufacturing tools and supplies, food collection, cooking, and protection from the elements. The book is based on the 5Cs of Survivability, offering the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings. The author pairs straightforward writing with helpful instruction, making it easy to follow and apply to a range of scenarios. Overall, this book is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to reconnect with nature in ways they never imagined.

Outdoor Kids in an Inside World by Steven Rinella is a New York Times bestseller that offers practical advice to parents who want to get their children off screens and into nature. Rinella shares his parenting wisdom as a father who has lived in both big cities and wild corners of America. The book includes bonding activities such as camping, fishing, and hunting, which help children develop an appreciation for the natural ecosystem. This book is an imperative call to action for families struggling to get their kids outside and make them curious, competent, and tough.

How To Survive A Freakin’ Bear Attack: And 127 Other Survival Hacks You'll Hopefully Never Need is a comprehensive survival guide that covers various real-life scenarios. From snake bites to natural disasters and being stranded on a desert island, this book provides step-by-step guides to 128 extraordinary survival skills. It includes chapters on first aid, climbing trees, building rope bridges, and lighting a campfire using only your phone. While some of the skills may seem unnecessary, the book is a fun and fascinating read that bursts with real-world knowledge, tips, and advice. Overall, it's an informative and entertaining book that may come in handy one day.

The SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition by John "Lofty" Wiseman is a comprehensive guide that covers everything from basic campcraft and navigation to fear management and strategies for coping with any type of disaster. This updated version includes additional material, such as a new chapter on urban survival, and covers new topics like terrorism. Written by a former survival instructor for Britain's elite Special Air Service, the book addresses every conceivable disaster scenario. It is a must-have resource for all campers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers. Overall, this step-by-step survival bible is an essential resource that prepares readers for anything, making it a unique and valuable addition to any safety and first aid book collection.

The Bushcraft Boxed Set is a comprehensive guide to wilderness survival that includes four titles from Dave Canterbury, a renowned wilderness expert and New York Times bestselling author. The set covers everything from basic survival skills to advanced self-reliance techniques, as well as first aid tips for emergencies. The Bushcraft Guide to Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking in the Wild is particularly useful for anyone looking to prepare food while hiking or camping. Overall, this boxed set is an excellent resource for anyone interested in outdoor adventures and survival skills.

Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios is a highly practical guide for building resilience and preparedness in the face of unforeseen disasters. The author, Mike Glover, draws on his extensive experience in the US Army, Special Forces, and as a government contractor for the CIA to provide foundational skills of preparedness that go beyond the typical survivalist approach. Glover's emphasis on mental habits and situational awareness is refreshing and highly valuable in today's uncertain world. Overall, Prepared is a must-read for anyone looking to build resilience in their daily lives.

The Birds of Florida Field Guide by Stan Tekiela is an informative and easy-to-use guide for identifying birds in Florida. The book features 146 species of Florida birds organized by color, making it simple to find the bird you are looking for. The guide also includes naturalist tidbits and facts, professional photos, and a compare feature to help distinguish between look-alikes. This new edition includes updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and more of Stan’s expert insights. Overall, this is a must-have for any bird-watching enthusiast in Florida.

The Dangerous Book for Boys is a best-selling book that covers essential boyhood skills such as building treehouses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age-old question of what the big deal with girls is. This book is perfect for fathers and sons to bond over, recapturing Sunday afternoons and stimulating curiosity. The skills covered in this book range from building go-carts and electromagnets to identifying insects and spiders. The book also includes famous battles, spies, codes, and ciphers. Overall, it is a great book that makes being young or young at heart fun and is perfect for nature crafts enthusiasts.

The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley is a comprehensive guide to understanding and interpreting the natural world around us. With over 850 tips gathered from his decades of experience, Gooley teaches readers how to forecast weather, track animals, locate water, and more by reading outdoor clues. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to enhance their outdoor experience and learn forgotten skills. The book has won the Outdoor Book of the Year award and was an Honorable Mention for Adventure Recreation. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their natural navigation skills.