The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking
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- ISBN13: 9781592579600
- Condition: New
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Product Description
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Get Ongoing with Day-Hiking
Getting ongoing with shorter hikes that allow you to sleep in your own bed at night.
Chapter 2: Hiking for All Ages and Types
Finding a satisfying trail whether you hike by yourself, with a partner, or in a group.
Chapter 3: Camping Overnight
The perfect guide to a comfortable night’s sleep at parks, campgrounds, and backcountry tent-sites.
Chapter 4: Backpacking Basics
Getting deeper into the woods, mountains, or wherever you want to explore by carrying everything you need on your back.
Chapter 5: Training Your Body for the Trail
Everyday fitness routines to get you in shape for any level of hiking.
Chapter 6: Never Get Lost (Again)
Simple-to-follow map, compass, and GPS tutorials to keep you on the right trail.
Chapter 7: Essentials for Every Trip
The lifesaving gear you should never place home lacking.
Chapter 8: Welcome to Gear World
Practiced advice on how to buy high-quality and long-lasting equipment.
Chapter 9: Footwear Fundamentals
Finding hiking boots or trail shoes guaranteed to keep your feet pleased and blister-free.
Chapter 10: Outdoor Clothing 101
Smart layering advice for weather that’s either honest or foul.
Chapter 11: Carrying Your Gear: Daypacks and Weekend Packs
The surefire guide to finding and loading the ideal backpack.
Chapter 12: Shelter from the Storm
Building the perfect sleep system by combining tents, sleeping bags, and ground pads.
Chapter 13: The Outdoor Kitchen
Cooking advice and recipes to fuel every hike and hiker.
Chapter 14: Liquid Shot in the arm
Where to find water and how to make it safe to drink.
Chapter 15: Hygiene on the Trail
Sensible strategies to keep clean on the trail.
Chapter 16 How to Survive
The no-panic plot on how to respond when distress arises.
Chapter 17: First Aid
The on-trail prescription to fix blisters, bumps, and bruises.
Chapter 18: The Wild Things
Keeping encounters with poisonous plants and wildlife at a safe but exciting distance.
Chapter 19: High-Country Hazards
Hiking and camping tips for more challenging trails and terrain.
Chapter 20: Expanding Your Skills
Where to seek your next fantastic adventure.
Appendixes
A Glossary
B Resources
C Equipment Checklists
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The best thing about this book is it clarity in describing how to do everything from the mundane to the complex. It does a fantastic job of laying out the fundamentals and necessary equipment for hikers.
The book is certainly geared toward the more amateur hiker but I’ve been hiking for awhile now and still find it useful to look through this book and review what I’m doing. A lot of times I find alternative and more effective ways to do something (like lighting a fire with sticks arranged in log cabin form).
There is also a lot of excellent information on where to look for answers to more in depth or point questions, so it’s a fantastic tool for the novice to renovate from and a fantastic reservoir of quick tips for the ancient hand.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Let me be clear – I do a lot of hiking and backpacking and would be offended if a name on the trail called me an “idiot.” I bought this book because last summer I took my fiancé on her first real backpacking adventure – the John Muir Trail. She was a champion, but with hindsight I wish that we were both a small more prepared. It would have been fantastic to have had a copy of Stevenson’s book before lacing up our shoes and arresting the trail!
Maybe I’m more of an idiot, er, novice than I thought, but I haven’t been able to place down the book, especially as I’m preparation for another week in the Sierra Nevada this summer. Just today I consulted it before heading to REI to replace my favorite hiking boots. Thanks to the book, I’ve downgraded from heavyduty to midweight boots – much more appropriate for what I do. I’ve also already learned that I’ve been putting the heavy items in the incorrect part of my pack. The book is full of fantastic text and super- useful pictures and diagrams that help you sort though all the terrific information.
Don’t get me incorrect, the book is fantastic for beginners. The bottom line is that it’s very, very thorough and very, very well-organized, so people at any skill level can benefit from reading it. I’ve read some of the competing beginners guides to backpacking and hiking and they’re not nearly as concise and seem to focus just on backpacking. This book covers both hiking and backpacking – so it’s a real beginner’s guide.
I just hope that Stevenson soon writes The Perfect Idiot’s Guide to Getting More Trip Time. I’d preorder it in a heartbeat.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
A must read book! for all your backpacking, camping and hiking adventures. In detail orientation of basics needs, do’s and don’ts and so. I wish that were more images.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
Finally, a useful hiking book that doesn’t take itself too seriously! This book is simple to read and packed with information so you can keep it as a useful reference (not to mention a excellent size and weight so you can stick in in your pack).
If you are an extreme sports junkie looking to climb K2 this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you are anyone else looking for an enjoyable trip to the wilderness I would highly recommend it.
I was an veteran hiker in my college days, but have been city bound ever since. Now I have a small boy and want to show him the outdoors. This book is a fantastic refresher for me and simple to read. In fact, chapter 2 gives some fantastic suggestions about the types of hikes and how to go about exploring the outdoors with people of all ages.
This guide has lots of excellent recommendations on how to research hikes, plot an appropriate route, and get the supplies you need. In particular I’ve establish the supply check list and overview of the latest gear helpful, from fitting boots and backpacks to alternative the right tent and oven. For trip preparation there’s a particular focus on building sure you don’t get lost which will be reassuring for people new to hiking less well marked trails.
Well researched with lots of fantastic references, from hiking maps and preparation trips to getting the right gear lacking busting your budget, this is a fantastic resource for getting into the fantastic outdoors!
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Although I’m an veteran hiker, I usually pick up the latest how-to books in hopes of learning something new. Sorry to say, most are horribly out-of-date or seem like they were written by a name who’s never really done any serious backpacking. Thankfully, The Perfect Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking is not one of persons books. Simply place, this leader knows his stuff and is obviously an veteran backpacker who practices what he preaches.
The leader packs a lot of significant info into the book, covering everything from how to pick the right hiking boot to advanced survival skills and the latest gps navigation gadgets. While many books give a cursory look at hiking clothes (usually incorrectly suggesting cotton shirts, jeans, etc), Stevenson delves into the most up-to-date polyester blends and anti-microbial, anti-smell shirts that make for a much more enjoyable experience. This current, detailed treatment is applied to all beginner hiking subjects, in an simple-to-digest, chatty style that is a joy to read.
Most hiking how-to books read like research papers, regularly filled with extremely basic, oversimplified info that, reasonably frankly, offends the sensibilities of most seasoned hikers. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it tells you everything you need to know to start backpacking and hiking, while providing much more in-depth knowledge in each chapter for persons that want to take the leisure activity further. The advice is levelheaded, current, tried and right, which makes it a fantastic book for both new and veteran hikers.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5