The Lost Ways is created by a veteran prepper, and a survivalist, Claude Davis (also the owner of the website, ASKAPrepper), The Lost Ways is an excellent internet-based survival book.
I called it ‘excellent’ because it is a wide-ranging compilation of variant survival art and methods, specific chapters of which are contributed by thirteen different veteran authors.
The pieces of information it provides are ample, comprehensive, and practical.
Life in modern times has become much easy and complacent with the accessibility, comforts, and benefits the scientific advancement provides.
Human beings have become too reliant on the boon of modern science and technology that it seems impossible to live on our own if we are detached from them.
But the irony is, our ancestors have, for civilizations and ages survived prosperously and self-sufficiently without them.
Claude Davis has efficiently detailed various essential survival means our progenitors employed to sustain themselves, depending on nature and their own skills and creativity alone.
What if these modern luxuries and benefits we have today should be deprived of us all of a sudden out of unavoidable circumstances?
We live in a world where alarming planetary conditions, human-made perils and catastrophes, and unpredictable natural calamities are the ever-looming threats. So having the art of ‘know-how’ to survive or knowledge of survival methods in any circumstances of life is crucial for every human being.
These Self- help methods of survival are important not only during apocalyptic days but anytime for any person.
Keeping oneself equipped with these survival arts always has additional benefits. People, especially those dwelling in urban areas, trekkers, mountaineers, adventurers, can extract maximum benefits from this guidebook.
What Is The Lost Ways All About?
This program is quite a lengthy online self-help guide of about 400 pages. However, the language is simple and uncomplicated.
The titles of each chapter are compact, specific, and informative, and it becomes easy for the readers to pick the chapters of their choice as the titles are suggestive of the basic idea of what a particular chapter is all about.
The guidebook reveals the art of wide-ranging survival tips; on how to self-create necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, homemade medication, domestic appliances, and equipment to teaching the art of self-aid and hygienic living and system of social law enforcement and local governance.
Since the chapters of the Lost Ways book are quite a lot, as a review, it is difficult to cover all the chapters.
So I have selectively chosen some chapters in random order and presented a gist of what the book is all about.
The first three initial chapters are authored by James Walton.
The first book chapter is titled; “How the Early Pioneers Built the Self-feeding Fire” which gives the precise information of the required supplies and materials, and detailed methods to make fire.
“The Survival Food of the U.S civil War-How to make Hardtack Biscuits” provides details about the recipe and ratio of making hardtack biscuits, the required ingredients, and the step-by-step procedure to bake it.
“Lost Pioneer recipes from the 18th century” gives the recipes and process of preparation of an extensive range of stable food, snacks, and other food preparations.
Making Traditional and Survival Bark Bread
Similarly, another akin chapter, “Making Traditional and survival Bark bread” by Shannon Azores, presents the secret ingredients and baking process of bark bread in apparent detail.
- The proceeding chapter is authored by Lex Rooker, Titled, “How North American Indians and early Pioneers made Pemmican” provides comprehensive directions and procedures on how to make pemmican.
- Contributed by Ruff Simons “How the sheriffs from the frontiers defended their village and towns” equips you with the ways on how to organize the people, enforce laws, tackle the crimes, and take to equipment and forces during the chaotic and civil meltdown situation.
- Contributed by Susan Morrow “Making your Own Beverages: Beer to Stronger Stuff” provides the guidelines for Making homemade liquors like beer and various strong Still drinks. “How our Ancestors made Herbal Poultice heal their Wounds” by the same contributor provides the methods to the home remedy of ailments and wounds and their recipe and preparation.
- Authored by Jimmy Neil “Spycraft military correspondence during the the1700s to 1900s” gives a gist of the manners of how people corresponded in the American Revolutionary War in the 1700s. It goes on to unravel various handmade means and methods on how to communicate and dispatch important confidential messages when the situation demands.
- Mike Searson wild west guns for SHTF and a guide to rolling your own Ammo, This chapter gives extensive information on gun cartridges, ammunition, and self-defense weapons: their storage, usage, and components.
- “How our ancestors were foraging for or how to Wildcraft your table” by Theresa Anne DeMario provides information on various herbs and plants for their medicinal value and healing properties.
- “Learning from our Ancestors how to Preserve Water” by S. Walter provides step-by-step guidelines on how to store clean and usable water for the long run. “How and why I prefer to make soap with Modern Ingredients” by the same author teaches the method to make homemade soap.
- “Temporarily installing a wood-burning stove during emergencies” by M.Richard unravels the techniques of preparations, storage, and usage of a wood-burning stove
What I like About The Lost Ways
- The survival methods provided in this guidebook are basic and important. The equipment and supplies required are not sophistically an expensive affair that you have to spend a lot of money on acquiring them. It is all about learning to make the maximum benefits with what you possess and with what nature could provide.
- The guidebook is rich in literary-cultural information that provides immense historical information about the way of life of the past, therefore it is a very informative program as a book.
- In almost all of the chapters, each survival tip is explained and instructed with a step-by-step pictorial diagram or representation. Therefore, the learning process becomes much easy and reliable.
- The program is certainly a good guide for people who want to try their hands on entrepreneurship. It teaches you a lot many things on daily domestic commodities: from food and drinks to tools and appliances, etc
- The book overall is a learning and exploring adventure for all, the benefits of it will be of immense advantage to our day to day living/
- The product is available with the refund policy that if you are not satisfied with the product and seek a refund, you may return this book within the guaranteed time period for a full refund.
What I don’t Like I About The Lost Ways
- I personally feel that the chapter structure should have been arranged more systematically than is seemingly random. For instance, chapters on a similar topic could be structured together to keep the flow and connectivity.
- The food and beverage preparations in this guidebook are based on the way of the past and some products described in this book do not comply with FDA, USDA, or FSIS regulations or local health codes. The disclaimer of the book also makes it clear that this should serve only as a general guide and not the ultimate source of subject information.
- The instructions provided in the guide have not been reviewed, tested, or approved by any official scientific testing body or agency.
Final Verdict
Although The Lost Ways were primarily designed for “the catastrophic days” or “during emergencies”, generally, the guide proves beneficial for many people in days of today’s survival.
Even if the program does not turn out to be to your liking eventually, With the assurance that the product comes with a cash refund policy, it is pretty safe to take the test drive without having to lose anything on your part except for a couple of hours you used reading it, perhaps.
But having read the whole book, seen the pros and cons of the program, I personally feel that the book is totally worth taking a trial test. The decision is for you to make after all.