Annotated Bibliography: "How-To" Backpack Books

"Wilderness.

Leave it as it is.

You cannot improve it.

The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.

What you can do is keep it for your children,

your children's children,

and for all who come after you."

-- President Theodore Roosevelt--

Advanced Backpacking: A Trailside Guide by Karen Berger; W. W. Norton & Company; New York; 1998; 224 pages.An updated re-issue of the 1995 book listed below (Hiking and Backpacking: A Complete Guide: A Trailside Series Guide by Karen Berger: W. W. Norton Company, New York; 1995; 224 pages.)

The Backpacker's Field Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills by Rick Curtis, Director of Princeton University Outdoor Action; Three Rivers Press, New York;1998; 374 pages.The title says it all! It IS comprehensive, besides being well written, well-organized, and packed with more information and tips than anyone could remember in one reading, meaning you must carry it in the car with you as you drive to your backpacking destination and review it often to absorb all the contents.Chapter titles include trip planning, equipment, cooking and nutrition, hygiene and water purification, Leave No Trace, wilderness travel, weather and nature, safety and emergency procedures, and first aid. Drawings/diagrams are numerous and helpful, checklists abound, and the bibliography is impressive.

The Backpacker's Handbook by Chris Townsend: Ragged Mountain Press; Camden, Maine; 1993; 372 pages.The author, a resident of Scotland, has completed 3 hikes of over 1000 miles, including the 3000 mile Continental Divide Trail. Sensible, encouraging advice permeates every page, and his own experience (even his admitted errors) tempers all he says in chapters which include equipment, footwear, clothing, cooking, and hiking skills and hazards. Throughout all, espousing of minimum impact techniques prevails. This is one of the newer publications and is pretty up-to-date.

The Backpacker's Handbook by Hugh McManners: Dorling Kindersley; London; 1995; 160 pages.The author was a major who ran the British Army's jungle warfare training school in Belize. His book contains nearly as much graphics as text and is chock full of tips on getting started, equipment, techniques, emergencies, camp skills, navigating, etc. Everything is accompanied by photos or diagrams making it impossible to not understand what is being taught. Great book for a beginner and good review for the most seasoned backpacker.

Backpacking: One Step at a Time by Harvey Manning: Vintage Books/Random House; New York; 1986; 478 pages.The author has been backpacking since the 1930s (introduced by his parents) and writing of it for many years. Though this edition (4th) is dated, I'm sure later editions are available, but this book was invaluable in getting me safely started in backpacking. Chapters include How to Walk, Sleeping, Eating, Danger, Boots, Clothing, Packs, Sleeping Bags, Food, Routefinding, and more. A detailed nine page index is particularly helpful.

Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Orienteering Handbook by Bjorn Kjellstrom: Charles Scribner's Sons; New York; 1976; 213 pages.This is the bible for orienteering, written in clear, concise terms, and designed for the beginner to successfully understand the concepts. Numerous illustrations and a sample map aid in comprehending the concepts. The author has over 50 years experience in the sport and in teaching these concepts for map and compass.

The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher: Alfred Knopf; New York; 1984; 670 pages.Written by the spiritual guru of backpacking (see my "Philosophical Books" page), this book has been called the "Hiker's Bible". This 3rd edition may be dated in terms of equipment, but the techniques and philosophy are forever, and his not-so-subtle message is to not get too caught up in technique, for the prime objective is to experience and learn of the green world.

The Essential Wilderness Navigator by David Seidman: Ragged Mountain Press; Camden, Maine; 1995; 160 pages.  This easy-to-understand guide turns a novice into an adept route finder. Well-written and liberally-illustrated, it has chapters on sense of direction, maps, compasses, using maps and compasses together, practical navigation and the use of nature for navigational clues, and navigating in extreme environments. The author is a world traveler, a sailor, and a professional author.

Hiking and Backpacking: A Complete Guide: A Trailside Series Guide by Karen Berger: W. W. Norton Company, New York; 1995; 224 pages.One of the more recent books, this has been written by a woman who has hiked the entire Continental Divide Trail (see my True Experience Books list) and it is generously laced with color photos and sidebars providing tips and quotes. Its Sources and Resources at the end provides lists of books, clubs, distributors, and Internet sites. Highly recommended!

Hiking and Backpacking: An Outdoors Pursuits Series by Eric Seaborg and Ellen Dudley: Human Kinetics Publishers Incorporated, Champaign, IL; 1994; 146 pages.

">The authors are the experts chosen to scout out the route for the ocean-to-ocean, 4800 mile long American Discovery Trail. Chapters include equipment you'll need, how to backpack correctly and safely, the best places to backpack, and sections on long distance trails, peak bagging, mountaineering, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, off-trail travel, orienteering, endurance hiking, and trail running. The chapters also contain a multitude of tips on travel and safety and numerous color photos and illustrations. Though this is an exceptional resource for those new to backpacking, it is a good, easy-to-read refresher for experienced backpackers also.

How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Branford Angier:Collier Books/Macmillan Publishing Company; New York; 1956; 285 pages.These 26 chapters are divided into sections entitled Sustenance, Warmth, Orientation, and Safety. This is a life-saving tool full of secrets which can save time, energy, and lives. (For example, how to spark a fire by using a drop of water as a lens.) The author contends that it is possible to keep alive in the wilderness indefinitely knowing these basic skills.

Medicine for Mountaineering edited by James Wilkerson, M.D.: The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA; 1985; 438 pages.This book, compiled by climber-physicians, starts where first aid manuals end, telling you what to do since you know the paramedics or doctor won't be imminently arriving. Its four sections are entitled General Principles (Basic Medical Care, Evacuation, Psychological Responses, Preventative Measures), Traumatic Injuries (Soft Tissue, Fractures, Burns, Head/Neck, Chest, Abdominal), Environmental Injuries (Altitude, Cold, Heat, Bites/Stings), and Non-traumatic Diseases (Respiratory, Heart/Vessels, Gastrointestinal, Nervous System, Infections, Allergies). It concludes with a lengthy appendix dealing with Medications, Therapeutic Procedures, Medical Supplies, and Glossary.

The Modern Backpacker's Handbook: An Environmental Guide by Glenn Randall: Lyons and Burford; New York; 1994; 192 pages.More up-to-date than some of the previous books, this has all the important chapters for beginner or experienced backpackers, along with ecological awareness and sensible advice. Sidebars provide tips. An excellent resource.

The National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide by Peter Simer and John Sullivan: Simon and Schuster; New York; 1985; 345 pages.
NOLS also has a website.  This is the manual of three-season backcountry living techniques as taught by one of the premier outdoor skills organizations. Minimum impact techniques are the watchword, as is safety in all phases of backpacking. These are the people who teach the guides and teachers. A glossary, a bibliography, and color photos also are included.

The Supermarket Backpacker by Harriet Barker: Contemporary Books, Chicago; 1977; 194 pages.This innovative cookbook lists delicious, nutritious recipes hikers can whip up using ingredients available on supermarket shelves, including how to repackage and revitalize them at home and execute the meal in camp. The author, who also wrote One-Burner Gourmet, is an avid-outdoorswoman and a trained home ecomonist.

Trailside's Trail Food by John Viehman; Rodale Press; Emmaus, PA; 1993; 124 pages.A companion book to the wonderful public television series, "Trailside," and written by the show's host giving his favorite and most dependable recipes. Topics include explanations of why food is important to the backpacker, which foods to eat when you are cold, hot, or high up, freeze-dried foods, heating food, spicing up meals, and recipes for every meal and to make water taste better. A must book!

The Two Ounce Backpacker: A Problem Solving Manual for Use in the Wilds by Robert Wood; Ten Speed Press; Berkeley, CA; 1982; 128 pages.This book is itty-bitty in size but packs a wealth of practical information, tips which will help you get the most from the food and gear you carry on your back. It includes tips on how to make quick repairs to packs, boots, tents, and stoves, how to deal with the exigencies of weather, how to treat blisters, sunburn, hypothermia and elevation sickness, plus tips on firebuilding, cooking, water treatment, and much more. Very interesting and informative reading.

Walking Softly in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking by John Hart: Sierra Club Books; San Francisco, CA; 1984; 500 pages.This is the second of the basic texts that got me started in backpacking in the 1980s, and remains an excellent resource for basic skills and knowledge acquisition. It is for both novice and veteran backpackers and emphasizes safety and gentleness in the backcountry. It includes an extensive index, a list of distributors, and a chapter on "Problems in Wilderness Management."

Wilderness First Aid: When You Can't Call 911 by Gilbert Preston, M.D.; Falcon Press, Helena, MT; 1997; 202 pages.This handy guide, pocket-size for easy packing on a trip, covers all the likely (and unlikely) emergencies you might encounter, from bites to bleeding, altitude sickness to allergic reactions, heat illness to choking, head injury to water purification, as well as blisters, burns, frostbite, spinal injury, hypothermia, lightning injury, and much more, all written in clear, concise language and well-organized.

Wilderness Medicine by William Forgey, M.D.; ICS Books, Merrillville, IN; 1987; 151 pages. Also designed to be used in the wilderness, this book is smaller (and lighter) than Medicine for Mountaineering listed above and is the book I actually carry on the trail. It lacks a table of contents but has a detailed index, making it easy to use in the field and covers everything that could go wrong (I think.)