Outdoors Books

I have alot of books on the topic but this has to be one of my favorites. The author really knows what he's talking about and lies it down what works in the real world of Northern outdoor survival/camping without all the fancy story telling aproach. It is well written, step by step along with very informative drawings which are the best I've seen. It contains tons of useful info from clothing materials to traps and shelter making methods. Really beefy stuff and all clearly explained. There's a reason this book has gone out of print, find out why.

I venture into the boreal wilderness twice a year, so this book is a natural fit (the book's setting is mainly boreal/sub-boreal). What is best about the book is it's practicality. Though there is enough information on bare-bones survival, Alan Fry assumes that, if you've headed into the wilderness whether by foot, watercraft, or bush plane, you've had enough sense about you to bring some essentials (and attached to your person!). This is a needed contrast to all the wilderness survival books out there that teach survival techniques assuming you are veritably buck naked. Why would that ever happen to you? Exactly how did you wind up in such a situation? There can only be one reason: poor planning and sheer stupidity. Thus, this book generally assumes that you've got at least some basic items strapped on to you (e.g., knife, matches, rations, compass, fishing accouterments, saw, medical kit, snare wire, and RIFLE!). AS to the latter, many survival books don't address the use of firearms at all and, the fact is, if you've got one, your chances of survival just increased 10-fold. Plus, Fry doesn't inundate the reader with pet religious philosophies (ala Tom Brown!) that have nothing to do with why you purchased the book.

Now, if you're a survivalist who enjoys bare-bones stuff, you cannot go without Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. But, if you're simply a wilderness enthusiast that needs to know how to take care of yourself if you ever become stranded on one of your wilderness trips, this is the book for you, hands-down.

I have alot of books on the topic but this has to be one of my favorites. The author really lies it down what works in the real world of Northern outdoor survival and long term camping. It is really well written, step by step along with very informative drawings which are the best I've seen. It contains tons of traps and shelter making methods. There's a reason it has gone out of print, find out why.

Alan Fry is a Canadian woodsman with years of experience in the art of wilderness survival. His book is a concise and readable guide for the preparation and execution of a survival plan, especially in the extreme environment of the boreal north. Although its emphasis is on emergency situations in a particular ecosystem, many of his ideas can be readily adapted to any temperate region or contingency by the intelligent reader. Please note that this is not primarily a book for the recreational backpacker. Rather, it's a hard-core guide to survival under extreme circumstances in a particular environment. That having been said, it's still recommended reading for anyone who ventures into the outdoors. Useful, light-weight, and perfect for the field.

An excellent review of how to race sailboats. Focused on smaller boats and dingies.

When I meet someone who has shown a strong interest in sailing in the International Dragon class and is looking for some way to impove their understanding of all aspects of what makes one of these boats go quickly this is the one that I recommend. It is covers tactics, rules, boat and crew preparation, sail and rig setup. The one aspect that is not included is team and match racing. A great book for the advanced to intermediate competior.

Whether you just started racing in your local club's sunset series, or you compete seriously in a One Design fleet, this is a book you should get your hands on. It answers all those annoying little questions you always seem to forget about on race day, or feel too sheepish to ask for fear of coming off as unexperienced as you might be. Perry answers most of them quite clearly and simply. He offers a lot of advice to bring your skill along. For the beginning racer it's an awful lot to take in and much of it will be confusing, until you start racing more and see the situations arise. For anyone who is looking to make racing a part of (or a bigger part of) their life, this is a book they should have on the shelf and be ready to go back to over and over again.

This is a great book and I recommend it to everybody that isinterested in racing sailboats. Dave Perry has competed at the highest levels of the sport, and this collection of anecdotes underscores his experiences. Compared to Stuart Walker's muddled and confusing writing, Dave Perry's examples and experiences are valuable and clear, and I am also encouraged by the fact that all of the situations are in one design sailboats...

This has become my camping "bible". (In point of fact, it was a contested item in dividing marital property following my divorce.) Informative, easy-to-use, fun to read, excellent descriptions, and the only way to plan a camping trip. My partner and I tent it, and this book has proven to be extremely useful in finding a site well away from the electrified gulag. The overviews of each park's campsites allow one to make an informed choice regarding a site. The detailed description of each park's history and special features make this book an ideal way to find exactly what you're looking for in the way of year-round outdoor recreation at any of Wisconsin's state parks, natural areas and forests. A very minor criticism is that the photos used in the book are very much in need of up-dating.

This book is a must-have if you plan on camping in any of the Wisconsin State Parks.

Not only does it contain the usual maps and information for each park, but it also has descriptions of the campsites by campsite number! In my opinion, the campsite descriptions alone make the book worth buying.

I frequently make reservations at a campground before I visit a particular park for the first time. In the past I was assigned the next available campsite number and I had no idea what it is like until I arrived at the park. Several times I arrived at the park only to find that my site was quite sloped or too small to put my tent on!

Now, before calling in the reservations I read the book and pick out a few campsites that are level, grassy, and partly shaded (my preference!) and ask for them by number. It makes the entire camping trip so much more enjoyable.

This book is very complete and informative. I was only familiar with Gov Dodge SP. After buying this book we planned 2 more camping trips to places we were unfamiliar with!! The details are great. Down to which campsites are shaded, gravel, good for RVs, etc.

Highly recommended!!

Living in WI and doing a lot of camping in state parks, I had been looking for a book like this for years. I actually started collecting all the Park Newspapers and creating my own scrapbook of parks, campsites etc. Then 3 years ago I found this book. WOW is saved me alot of time it has all the info for all the parks inclding campsite descriptions, hunting, hiking, fishing and concessions stand info.

As invaluable to someone recreating in WI as the Wisconsin Gazateer Map!!!

When I need games to play with 1 person or 100 people, this is the best book there is! From traditional games like Kick the Can to awesome newer games like Wolves in the Woods, this book delivers! It features games for kids from 5 years old to adults and includes a chart to see what games are best to play.

When I need games to play with 1 person or 100 people, this is the best book there is! From traditional games like Kick the Can to awesome newer games like Wolves in the Woods, this book delivers! It features games for kids from 5 years old to adults and includes a chart to see what games are best to play.

When I need games to play with 1 person or 100 people, this is the best book there is! From traditional games like Kick the Can to awesome newer games like Wolves in the Woods, this book delivers! It features games for kids from 5 years old to adults and includes a chart to see what games are best to play.

Do the words "Ringelevio," "Skully," and "Johnny on the Pony" conjure up wonderful images for you? Want to nix Nintendo? You'll love this book! Take a stroll down Memory Lane, teach the kids a thing or two, and get some exercise -- thanks to this book's easy, how-to-play rules for over 80 street sports.

The Delorme atlases/gazetteers are valuable references especially if you are traveling the back roads. Compared to a regular road map, there is much more detail to find your way just about anywhere in the atlas coverage area. If you need a lot of detail, you can then purchase topographic maps. Special features are also noted. Get one of these for any state where you plan to explore off the beaten trail. I already have atlases for five states, and the collection will surely grow in coming years.

DeLorme has done it again! Stellar mapping and attention to detail make this a grand publication. Two thumbs up!

This was very well made, for an atlas. The format and legend was easy to understand, and it certainly helped my not so great navigational skills.

This atlas is a great book to have on hand while driving through Wyoming, especially via the backroads. It's a must-have for any traveler and resident.

Have only read the first half and flipped through the second, but Marcelo does a great job showing his X-guard. If you liked the Eddie Bravo books you will really like this.

This is a must have for anyone willing to think outside the box when it comes to BJJ. The introduction itself is worth its purchase. Marcelo defines what it means to sacrifice for any goal or passion we all have inside. The detailed pictures and explaination leave no room for error. Get this ASAP.

It's no secret that I really enjoy Victory Belt's books. I think they've nailed the format for describing individuals' games and their specialities. They are definitely the market leader in the arena of working with a fighter to extract the information they need and put it into print.

It shouldn't surprise any readers, then, that I really liked the X-Guard by Marcelo Garcia.

The book has all the hallmarks of Victory Belt's previous works. The large format and detailed colour photography don't disappoint and actually go one better with this edition.

Not resting on their laurels, the guys at VB have introduced detailed inset photos where warranted. This is not a completely original concept by any means, but it is done as well here as with any other publisher.

One of the problems I thought I might have with the book is that I wouldn't be able to identify with Marcelo and the X-Guard. This was an issue with Eddie Bravo's books on the Rubber Guard. I don't really use the Rubber Guard and am not built well for it. I pretty much have had the same problem with the X-Guard.

That was until I read through this book. You see, my butterfly guard is a little...... agricultural. And that, it seems , is my problem with the X-Guard. Not my long legs and extraordinary height - my previous excuses.

The book is split into two sections. The first is on the butterfly guard and the second on the X-Guard, itself. Both are split into three subsections each. The butterfly guard section is the most detailed treatment I've seen of the topic in a book. The three subsections are titled "Basic Positioning & Grip Defense", "Sweeps & Transitions" and "Submissions".

Now, Marcelo Garcia can work his butterfly guard in a way I find amazing. It's something I'd never been able to do terribly well. I could work it well enough against white belts, but always had to let it go against people nearer my own skill level. This book, though, gives solutions to most of the problems I'd encountered in the past.

I had the same problem with the X-Guard. There was just no way known I was ever going to get my giant legs in position. It shouldn't surprise you to find I was doing it wrong, though. The details shown for the X-Guard helped me a great deal, but I believe it's my better understanding of the butterfly guard that has ealed the deal for me.

The X-Guard section is is split up in a similar way to the butterfly guard section with subsections called "Establishing the X-Guard", "Sweeps" and "Submissions".

All-in-all, I'd say this is one of those rare $24 books that have made a heck of a lot more than $24 worth of effect on my game.

It just keeps getting better, too. Erich Krauss and Glen Cordoza have been getting steadily better at writing, too. In the past, I've criticised their spelling and grammar in the introduction sections. Is it better in this book? The truth is, I don't know. I got so engrossed in Marcelo's story, I never bothered to check.

That's got to be a big tick in the box.

After a review like this, I like to put a little disclaimer to it......

I am no Marcelo Garcia fanboy. I've not watched his DVDs all the way through and I've seen maybe three of his matches. I have also been known to give Victory Belt some very pedestrian reviews, but they do impress me with their ability to improve with each publication. This book is the second of their catalogue to go in the Best of the Best category, but probably not the last if the quality continues this way.

I was excited to get this book and it completely lived up to my expectations. Like the other Krauss-Cordoza collaborations from Victory Belt publishing this is a very well put together book printed on high grade glossy paper, with detailed high quality multiple-angle shots of the techniques and very good explanation including the physical mechanics of the movement and advice on strategy of when to use it, how to get there, mistakes to avoid, and what your opponent is likely to do. Marcelo Garcia is probably the best grappler in the world and his system is unique and effective and works for all body types, and unlike Eddie Bravo's very good system doesn't require crazy flexibility. The book provides info on gi and no gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's comparable to Eddie Bravo's Rubber guard book in terms of quality and production value. It has a color coded easy to use system that makes it very easy to quickly find sections and whether the technique is appropriate for gi and no gi competition.
The introduction includes a short biography that shows you the determination and dedication that has made him the champion he is. From 3 hour commutes to training, to cleaning the mats so he could afford to train 4 times a day. The first section on technique is 78 pages dedicated to the butterfly guard including basic stance and grip work, sweeps and transitions, and submissions all with detailed advice on how to establish and properly adjust the technique so you can make it work in high level competition ( e.g. 7 pages just on the guillotine choke, most books give it only 2). He constantly emphasizes drilling the technique to really get it down and learning the fundamentals of the butterfly guard before moving to the X guard. This sort of guard requires very good timing and sense of balance that can only be developed through many hours on the mat. The X guard is detailed in the final 149 pages of the book (264 pages all together). 63 pages on establishing the X guard from standing, sitting, elbow control, underhooks, full guard, half guard, omoplata, mount and headlocks. Then a section with 18 sweeps from X guard from different kids of control (e.g. from hands, sleeve, or collar). Then 15 pages detailing 7 submissions for X guard including omoplata, triangle, gi and no gi inverted arm bar, knee bar, foot lock, and heel hook. Again filled with tips on when to use it, positions to transitions from, your opponents likely reactions, and common mistakes. If you perfect even just a few of the techniques in this book your game will improve dramatically. This book is more for intermediate to advanced students of BJJ, though the section on butterfly guard is fairly accessible and very useful to beginners. Those starting out (and intermediates too) should check out Kid Peligro's book "the Essential Guard" or the Joe Moreira /Ed Beneville 3 part series on the Guard, these focus are more on the fundamentals. If you're looking to improve your guard and your overall game, I highly recommend this book, it's a steal at this price, I would have paid more for it. I look forward to his next book on arm drags and mastering the back.

This book was originally a private printing produced by Meinecke for his friends. It was published in 1945 to offer returning soldiers from WW 2 an opportunity to find peace in the simple life of living in the woods in your own home-built log cabin. But it is so much more!! It is a romantic book of the mind as well. There is a spirit in this book based on Meinecke's wisdom and personal experiences as a young man living in the woods with "necktie Jim" an Indian companion. It may be the greatest combination of building plans and a living philosophy ever written. Even if you never intend to have a cabin save for an imaginary one in your mind, this is the book to buy. Meinecke gets into your heart and soul as he speaks about nature, like Whitman in "Leaves of Grass" and you will never be the same ever again!

This book is by far and away my favorite all-time book. I have read and re-read it so many times...it is truly wonderful. It is really more of a spiritual guide to building in the woods, although the simple plans are chock full of great ideas. There isn't anyone who loves the "great out-of-doors" that won't love this book.

This simply written and quaintly archaic book written in the 40's is a must-read for the dreamer who needs to "go to his cabin in the woods" from time to time to stay sane. He rambles around topic-wise, touching on cooking, water systems, etc. His best advice: take a long time to build. Ten years is about right- He recommends visiting and studying the site for at least a year! From a practical standpoint, his cabins are the northwoods type with round logs and simple notches.

When the going gets tough in day-to-day living, Your Cabin in the Woods is my favorite escape literature.

In very general terms, Conrad Meinecke can show you how to build your own cabin in the woods, but maybe the most important thing about the book is its buoyant optimism and can-do spirit. A saw, a hammer, a few nails and some canvas and you'll be well on your way independent living in a natural setting.

The book's frequent illustrations are filled with smiling guys with pipes in long-sleeved plaid shirts and ties. The shirtsleeves are rolled and the guy is building a fire in his newly constructed fireplace while an Irish Setter romps in the background and the wife and kids prepare food. This book has it all!

The breezy effortlessness and style with which Meinecke accomplishes all of this in words and pictures makes H.D. Thoreau look like a preachy, solitary drudge.

If you sometimes think of chucking it all and moving back to nature, this is the book for you. I've had this book for years and I keep it handy at all times. Heck, who knows? I might even build a cabin some day.

this book has more football drills for line play than any book I have ever bought and I have them all.

I have both read the book and seen Coach Snyder on the practice field, and what he tells you about in print, he uses with his own players. In a position where technique can make the player, this book is a must.

this book has more football drills for line play than any book I have ever bought and I have them all.

You could live in London all of your life, and never see Buckingham Palace. You could live in Washington D.C., and never see the White House. You could live in Alaska, and never see the beautiful wilderness that surrounds you - and that's what happened to author Sherry Simpson. "The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska" is her tale of accidentally discovering the vast natural wonder surrounding her during an epic solo hike across it all, despite not being much of a seasoned hiker. Written with humility versus the nature that she is simply a simple city girl facing vast odds, "The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska" is highly recommended for any true adventure collection and for anyone who wants to read a tale of explorer about someone who is not so much unlike them.

The more I read her work, the more convinced I become that Sherry Simpson is not only Alaska's most accomplished essayist, but that she ranks among the best in the nation. The latest proof is The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska. At one level, this collection of 10 personal essays recounts memorable trips into Alaska's wild places (most, but not all, emphasizing her own travels), written by a person who thinks hard about things, is willing to take risks, and has a wonderful talent for self-deprecating humor and story telling. The remote areas she writes about range from Glacier Bay to Denali National Park, the vast flatlands of the Yukon River basin, and an imposingly wild stretch of the Alaska coast that remains unnamed. But the specific places aren't as important as her experiences, lessons learned, questions raised, and the ideas that Simpson mulls in that restless, roving, worrisome mind of hers. Early on she admits to being a fretter. The reader gains as much, if not more, from her fretful and inquisitive mind as from the adventures themselves.

As with the best of essays, these are multi-layered gems. Besides sharing her sometimes funny, other times sad or disconcerting, occasionally frightening, and always humbling passages through Alaska's wilds, Simpson writes movingly and unflinchingly about home and family. One of the strongest essays, I think, is "Fidelity," which in large part reflects upon about a troubled time in her marriage and the importance of what endures. In fact home and wilderness - and various notions of each - are juxtaposed against each other throughout the book and that juxtaposition creates one of the book's delicious tensions. Simpson is also fascinated by both the Euro-American explorers (many of them military men) who made the earliest Westernized maps of Alaska, and Alaska's Original Peoples, who created their own internal maps of the landscape while building a far more substantial and lasting relationship with the places they have come to know over the millennia. Both "The Mapmaker" (which focuses on mapper-and-explorer-turned-homesteader Bill Yanert) and "Hypothetical Geographies" take the reader to unexpected terrain as they consider the various ways we humans "map out" new territories and homelands. There's lots more here: the importance of stories, the dangers of not paying sufficient attention to advice, instincts, or the landscape itself (death and the specter of death are frequent elements of the stories, including a wonderfully provocative piece on Chris McCandless, of Into the Wild fame - or notoriety - in "A Man Made Cold by the Universe"); and the internal tensions carried by a writer who wonders "how could I ever reconcile this constant restlessness with the desire to know and love one place?" The essays superbly blend Simpson's personal idiosyncrasies with larger questions about discovery, longing, imagination, and how it is that each of us finds - or seeks to find - his or her own place in the world.

A final thought: I'd previously read (and in one case, heard) versions of five of the essays included in this collection; and I found each to be powerful and illuminating this time around. In short, these are essays you can return to again and again, and take away some new insight or delight. That's essay writing at its best.

Sherry Simpson's earlier essay collection, The Way Winter Comes, was topnotch. The Accidental Explorer is even better. Her voice has mellowed some since her last book, and this seasoning imparts a difficult wisdom--the price of living an examined life. Two of the essays, "Impedimenta" and "Fidelity," are more than worth the price of the book. Excellent.

I recently rode my motorcycle up the Alaska Highway and space was pretty limited. I photocopied pages out of various other books, but brought this one along intact.

It stayed in my tankbag every day, was brought out at every meal, and was pored over in hotel rooms at night. I'm also a writer, and my Adventure Guide to the Alaska Highway became my de facto notebook on the trip -- post-it notes of every color peek out from its pages; notes line the margins.

There are a finite number of places to stop along the Alaska Highway; most guidebooks will give you pretty much all of them. What makes this one different is its tone. The authors obvious enjoy both the road and writing about it. Personal anecdotes are lightly sprinkled into the text, giving the impression that yes, the authors know what they're talking about. I learned little bits of history about the areas I rode through; not so much that it weighed down the book, but just enough to pique my interest and send me scampering to the library once I got back.

Also, the book is laid out very well. The font is easy on the eyes; bold section headers made it easy to find what I was looking for, even while balancing the book on my tankbag after pulling to the side of some gravelly road in the middle of nowhere.

While the Milepost will give you every pullout and scenic view on the highway, this book is great reading about what to do, and what to see on your way. The information is very accurate and intresting. In this book, when you look up a certain place you end up reading on and on.

I took this book with the AAA guidebook on my trip to Alaska, read the AAA intro on the plane there and read only this book for the rest of the trip. We traveled more than 2,000 miles on the Alaska Highway. This book has been a great companion and guide book wherever we go. I even did some more reading on the plane back home because the writing was interesting. It may be partly because Alaska is such an interesting subject; but the book is definitely fun to read.