How to learn primitive skills

One place to start is FM 21-76 US ARMY SURVIVAL MANUAL, which you can find for free in various electronic formats.

Foxfire books. Full stop.

Ahh ha! A downloadable public domain version of Camping & Woodcraft: http://archive.org/details/campingwoodcraft00kephrich

Note: The printed version seemed to also have a second volume printed with it. Not sure if that is in the PD version

A link for other books by the same author in the public domain: http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Kephart%2C+Horace%2C+1862-1931%22

Which also makes me think: Have you covered the Internet Archive as a "cool tool"?

If you're on the West Coast, Trackers (http://trackersnw.com/blog/index.php) are the place to go. There are others, including bigger and better funded operations, but Trackers have an amazing wealth of knowledge, a love of what they do, and a focus on pedagogy and sharing their skills that is outstanding. They cover everything from wilderness survival to crafting, from marine to mycology.

Try Camping & Woodcraft http://www.traditioncreek.com/storefront/camping-amp-woodcraft-p-1833.html

In the Northwest, Wilderness Awareness School near Seattle is probably the best option, whether for a weekend, a year, or through self-study. http://wildernessawareness.org/ Mark Elbroch's tracking books are quite good.

I like the SAS Handbooks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_SAS_Survival_Handbook

Kevin, I have the book and have looked through it but not used the advice. Very practical advice some outdated but some still veryrelevant. How to make an effective bed-roll. How to make a lean-to. etc. Seems like not just lore but a practical handbook. Highly recommended even just for enjoyment reading.

-josh