98.6 degrees

So what will be the biggest killers in the forthcoming zombie apocalypse?
1- Zombies (obviously)
2- Accidental shootings (if you live in one of those places that hands out shotguns when you open a bank account)
3- Exposure (hypothermia or hyperthermia)

Exposure is the number one killer of people caught in a wilderness survival situation. When the apocalypse comes and we no longer have central heating and/or air conditioning, death by exposure will be a major risk.

Luckily Cody Lundin has the answers in his witty book 98.6 degrees: the art of keeping your ass alive. 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees in Celsius) is your body's core temperature. If it goes up or down by a few degrees your body cells kind of liquify and you don't have to worry about zombies anymore.This can happen quicker than you think, it only takes a few hours.

As the title states, this book is all about keeping yourself alive in cold or hot environments. The first part of the book deals with hypothermia and hyperthermia and how to avoid it. There is a lot of technical stuff here with terms like "gluconeogenesis", "vasodilation" and "piloerection"  But Cody summaries it well (piloerection means goosebumps ok, nothing naughty). Turns out good clothing and lots of water are your main survival assets. So you have an excuse to go clothes shopping.

The rest of the book is all about putting a basic survival kit together. Not just a list of items but a overview of each item and what you use it for. There is also a The amazing "The drawings and photos are really cool but I'm too lazy to read this book" Cliff Notes section which summaries everything.

If you are not familiar with Cody, just do what I have and binge watch a couple of seasons of Dual Survival. Cody is politically incorrect, straight to the point and a bit of a hippy to boot. It is the same with his book which makes it more entertaining to read than most survival books. It also features rad illustrations by Russ Miller.

Overall this is an excellent book for beginners as it covers the main threat you could face in a real survival situation. It is entertaining, detailed and full of practical advice like having a "Party on!" attitude.


Drink more than your stomach can hold.

Mr Rimsky