A comprehensive guide covering every aspect of how to backpack--from planning a first trip to advanced wilderness travel. For those new to the activity, longtime backpacker and author Brian Beffort covers the fundamentals, with sections on trip planning, gear, backcountry nutrition and cooking, navigation, and other essential wilderness skills. You will also learn what to expect on the trail and in camp, and how to stay safe with first aid, weather preparedness, and more. For experienced packers, this book is filled with practical tips and inspired ideas on how to update and refine your approach to backpacking based on trends in lightweight gear, high-tech gadgets, changing wilderness rules, and increasing opportunities for wilderness travel around the world.
It took her two tries, but in 1955, sixty-seven-year-old Emma “Grandma” Gatewood became the first woman to solo hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in one thru-hike. Gatewood, who left an abusive marriage after raising eleven children, has become a legend for those who hike the trail, and in her home state of Ohio, where she helped found the Buckeye Trail. In recent years, she has been the subject of a bestselling biography and a documentary film. In When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike, Michelle Houts brings us the first children’s book about her feat, which she accomplished without professional gear or even a tent. Houts chronicles the spirit of a seasoned outdoorswoman and mother of eleven whose grit and determination helped her to hike over two thousand miles. Erica Magnus’s vibrant illustrations capture the wild animals, people from all walks of life, and unexpected challenges that this strong-willed woman encountered on the journey she initially called a “lark.” Children ages 4–10 will delight in this narrative nonfiction work as they accompany Emma Gatewood on the adventure of a lifetime and witness her transformation from grandmother to hiking legend, becoming “Grandma” to all.
Refreshingly approachable guide for aspiring backpackers and casual hikers of all stripes Colorful and humorous illustrations throughout Relatable, rising female voice in outdoor literature Part critique of modern hiking culture and part how-to guide, How to Suffer Outside is for anyone who wants to hit the trail without breaking the bank. Diana Helmuth offers real advice, opinionated but accessible and based on in-the-field experiences. She wins readers’ hearts and trust through a blend of self-deprecating humor and good-natured heckling of both seasoned backpackers and urbanites who romanticize being outdoorsy, plus a helpful dose of the actual advice a novice needs to get started. Featuring illustrations by artist Latasha Dunston, each chapter focuses on a critical topic: gear, food, hygiene, clothing, and more, along with useful checklists and resources. Humorous, philosophical, and practical, How to Suffer Outside teaches casual walkers, hikers, and campers of all stripes how to venture outdoors with confidence.
Carrying only basic camping equipment and a collection of the world's great spiritual writings, Belden C. Lane embarks on solitary spiritual treks through the Ozarks and across the American Southwest. For companions, he has only such teachers as Rumi, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, Dag Hammarskjöld, and Thomas Merton, and as he walks, he engages their writings with the natural wonders he encounters--Bell Mountain Wilderness with Søren Kierkegaard, Moonshine Hollow with Thich Nhat Hanh--demonstrating how being alone in the wild opens a rare view onto one's interior landscape, and how the saints' writings reveal the divine in nature. The discipline of backpacking, Lane shows, is a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Just as the wilderness offered revelations to the early Desert Christians, backpacking hones crucial spiritual skills: paying attention, traveling light, practicing silence, and exercising wonder. Lane engages the practice not only with a wide range of spiritual writings--Celtic, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi Muslim--but with the fascination of other lovers of the backcountry, from John Muir and Ed Abbey to Bill Plotkin and Cheryl Strayed. In this intimate and down-to-earth narrative, backpacking is shown to be a spiritual practice that allows the discovery of God amidst the beauty and unexpected terrors of nature. Adoration, Lane suggests, is the most appropriate human response to what we cannot explain, but have nonetheless learned to love. An enchanting narrative for Christians of all denominations, Backpacking with the Saints is an inspiring exploration of how solitude, simplicity, and mindfulness are illuminated and encouraged by the discipline of backcountry wandering, and of how the wilderness itself becomes a way of knowing-an ecology of the soul.
Few experiences rival a grand outdoor adventure. Hiking into the wilderness, camping under the stars, and exploring the backcountry offer new challenges that awaken a woman’s spirit and test her soul. Woman in the Wild: The Every Woman’s Guide to Hiking, Camping, and Backcountry Travel is the perfect companion for any woman looking to get into the backcountry lifestyle or level up her current active outdoor life. Adventurer and guidebook author Susan Joy Paul provides real instruction for women of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to intermediate hikers and experienced mountaineers. She shares details gleaned from two decades of training and real-world experience, bringing together everything a woman needs to know to be safe, independent, and self-reliant at camp and on the trail. Five sections and twenty-five chapters cover hiking, camping, and backcountry travel from the basics to advanced skills. Backcountry Essentials: Learn what to wear, how to pack, and where to find hiking partners for your outdoor adventures You in the Wilderness: What every woman needs to know about nutrition, first aid, and personal care to stay healthy on the trail Pushing Off: Backcountry knowledge and skills around land navigation, terrain, and weather take your travels to the next level Reaching New Heights: Beyond the basics, understand how training, setting goals, and engaging strategies for success add a new and exciting dimension to your outdoor life Next Steps: Leave the flatlanders and fair-weather hikers behind with an introduction to high altitude mountaineering, winter camping, glacier travel, and more The backcountry beckons, and women want to go. With Woman in the Wild, they can!
From the author of America’s Best Day Hikes, gorgeous photos and essential tips give you reason to enjoy the season! Your daily dose of nature doesn’t have to retreat with the warm weather. The Joy of Winter Hiking is your ultimate guide to getting outdoors in the most underrated season. In fact, author Derek Dellinger believes you should be seeking outdoor adventure in colder months, not just in spite of snow and cloudy days, but because of these factors! From unmatched snow-capped views to the mental and physical health benefits of nature to precious wildlife sightings, the winter holds endless hiking opportunities. Alongside stunning winter photography, Derek prepares readers to venture safely and securely into nature. There’s advice on the gear you need to get going, the wildlife you might expect to find, understanding weather risks, and even the how-tos of cold-weather camping. Made for the winter sportsman, tree hugger, and avid hiker alike, this book is a thorough guide and breathtaking showcase of what’s awaiting you on the trail.
The notion that you need to carry 40 or 50 pounds of gear into the backcountry to be comfortable and safe is absolutely ridiculous. So say the backcountry experts at Backpacking Light magazine in a new book that redefines modern day backpacking as safe, comfortable, and fun?but with a much lighter pack. This is the most comprehensive and rigorous text ever published on lightweight backpacking. In addition to chapters about gear and basic skills, Lightweight Backpacking & Camping covers advanced topics, and has the latest information about the best lightweight gear and apparel, including the manufacturers that make it and the retailers that carry it.
Newlyweds Jeff and Beth Alt could not be more different. Jeff, an avid hiker, prefers long, exhausting thru-hikes and sleeping under a canopy of stars. Beth, on the other hand, prefers hotels, hot showers, and ending the day in a warm, clean bed. But when Beth's brother dies tragically by suicide, Jeff convinces Beth to join him on a 218-mile hike along the John Muir Trail to honor her brother's memory and spread awareness about depression. Their journey is never short of surprises, and they encounter everything from menacing bears, lightning bolts, and mountain lions to food shortages and altitude sickness. But as they pass through three national parks—Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park—including the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney, Beth discovers the joys, trials, and extraordinary beauty of exploring nature with just a backpack to your name. A Hike for Mike, Four Boots One Journey is a heartwarming, humorous tale of one couple's adventurous journey to healing, rediscovering nature, and falling more in love with each other every step of the way.
Now completely updated for a second edition, Backpacking Washington remains the only comprehensive guide to all of the Evergreen State's best extended backpacking trips. Ranging from three days to two weeks, these 28 adventures visit every corner of the state, including the wild beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, the vast interior of the Pasayten Wilderness, Mt. Rainier's famous Wonderland Trail, the volcanic wasteland around Mt. St. Helens, and the little-known Salmo-Priest Wilderness, where hikers may glimpse grizzly bears.
This completely revised and updated 8th edition of Sierra South now covers an expanded region of the Sierra, from the southern boundary of Yosemite National Park to southern Golden Trout Wilderness. With new trips and old favorites, Sierra South is the classic guide to backpacking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, Ansel Adams Wilderness, and Mt. Whitney.
