Your favorite outdoor books

[Backpacker534]

While going through my bookshelf the other day I realized quite a bit of my collection is comprised of outdoors-type books. I was wondering what books other forum members have read that they would suggest to someone. Here are a few of mine:

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Kra ... 0385486804

Romancing The Trail by Dane Cramer http://www.amazon.com/Romancing-Trail-D ... 1432714147

A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Redisc ... 0767902521

Shattered Air by Bob Madgic http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Air-Acc ... 1580801420

The Last Season by Eric Blehm http://www.amazon.com/Last-Season-Eric- ... 0060583002

Between A Rock And A Hard Palce by Aron Ralston http://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-Hard ... 0743492811

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Per ... 0385492081

North Manitou Island Between Sunrise And Sunset by Rita Hadra Rusco http://www.amazon.com/North-Manitou-Isl ... B0006D7TGE

Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer http://www.amazon.com/Eiger-Dreams-Vent ... 0385488181

Porcupine Wilderness Journals by Christopher Julian Fralish http://www.amazon.ca/Porcupine-Wilderne ... 189127628X

Death, Daring & Disaster: Search And Rescue In The National Parks by Charles Farabee Jr. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Daring-Disa ... 1589791827

The Place Names Of Isle Royale by Smitty Parratt & Doug Welker http://www.amazon.com/Place-Names-Isle- ... =1-2-spell

[Midwest Ed]

My favorite has always been Colin Fletcher’s “The Complete Walker”. My second edition is woefully out of date technically but the advise is still sage. It’s been updated two times since then to keep up with technical advancements.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walker-I ... 370&sr=1-1


Fletcher wrote “The Man Who Walked Through Time” about his 1000 mile trek along the LENGTH of The Grand Canyon. He was the first modern person to make the journey staying inside the rim.

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Walked-Th ... 648&sr=1-1


Calvin Rutrum’s “Paradise Below Zero” got me interested in winter camping. I have an autographed copy I purchased in Grand Portage, MN.

http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Below-Ze ... 796&sr=1-1

Rutstrum’s written several north woods living books on canoeing, survival and building cabins.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... 375&fsc=-1


For those that like to read “trip reports”, here is a 2000 page, two volume set of stories from 46 people that have hiked the Appalachian Trail:

http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Appalachia ... 69&sr=1-13

~Ed

[Vandy]

I enjoyed "A Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... _132&fsc=7

and "The Walk West: A Walk Across America Part 2"

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-West-Across- ... 135&sr=1-3

[Keweenaw]

At Home in the Woods by Brad and Vena Angier

[Pioneer Spirit]

Ditto on Colin Fletcher. He was considered the go to source back in the early-mid 70's. I modeled my early hikes using his techniques and dedicated one o fmy hike sto his memory a couple years ago. He walked thousands upon thousands of miles carrying probably 80 pounds of the 'latest' gear of the era. He was finally done in by a careless driver as he was walking along the road.

http://thebeginnersguidetoletterboxing. ... tcher.html

Also ditto to Dane Cramer, I used his book as a guide when I walked the Laurel Highlands trail last year.

http://www.shol.com/featheredprop/lhht_info_right.htm

[johnhens]

Interesting mix of books mentioned, quite a few I have enjoyed.

Some of my favorites:

Hawks Rest by Gary Fergusson about a ranger's experiences in Yellowstone

Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. I was inspired to hike the AT from this book.

Indian Creek Chronicles by Peter Fromm, kind a coming of age tale of a student from WI attending school in MT decides to spend winter at a campsite along Indian Creek in Idaho working for the USFS keeping a stretch of a creek ice free to allow salmon smolts to survive winter.

A Season in the Wilderness by Michael Furtman. A couple spends the summer as volunteer rangers in the BWCA.

Any of the books from Sig Oslen and Cal Rutstoom.

One Mans Wilderness by Dick Proeneke; a man builds a cabin on waht is now Lake Clark NP in Alakska and lives there year round. Cool that he built the cabin by hand with hand tools.

We took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich a telling of life in the 30's in the Maine woods.

Flight of Passage by Rinker Buck a story of 2 brothers in their teens who fly across the US in a Piper Cub

From a Wooden Canoe by Jerry Dennis

A Season on the Rim by Stephan Pyne. A

Most of the books by Rick Bass

John McPhees Coming into the Country, Survival of the Bark Canoe and others.

I too enjoyed North Manitou Island Between Sunrise and Sunset by Rita Hadro Rusco

Undaunted Courage by Stpehan Ambrose

[PatrickBDunlap]

I listened to the audio version of "A walk in the Woods", it was quite funny.

Surprised no one mentioned "How to Sh** in the Woods" by Kathleen Meyer. Yeah, there really is a book telling you how to do that.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-Ka ... 0898153190

Although its fluff for sure, I like the DK Eyewitness Companion - "Backpacking & Hiking" by Karen Berger mostly to lend to non backpackers to kind of show them my hobby and for the beginner hiker. Its a good kids book also.
http://www.amazon.com/Backpacking-Hikin ... 0756609461

[Ingo]

Surprised no one mentioned "How to Sh** in the Woods" by Kathleen Meyer. Yeah, there really is a book telling you how to do that.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-Ka ... 0898153190

LOVE IT! So funny and even educational. It's been a few years, so I think you just inspired me re-read it. Or maybe I'll save for a trip this year, if it pans out.