Camping Books

This is a wonderfully photographed and produced book, and every time I pick it up off of the coffee table (where it proudly lives) for a quick perusal, I just want to get up and go kayaking. It's also the perfect book to share with someone who's never gone before, as both the photography and writing tend to win people over easily.

No, it's not an encyclopedia, and yes, you can get the same type of written information from the Florida State Parks service, but you'll not end up with an attractive, inspiring tome if you do.

I rated it as a four since some of the maps are just a little lacking in detail.

while the information is well presented there is little detail; futhermore, the florida state park service produces more info and it's free-

My husband and I just started kayaking and this is the greatest book for finding places to go. The pictures are excellent and there are descriptions of the different rivers as well as maps of where to put in and things to look for. I think that if you canoe or kayak in Florida, this book is a MUST HAVE!!!! In fact, we have several rivers mapped out to go on as soon as we can!!

Winston Williams has created yet another fabulous book about Florida. This kayak and canoe guide is not only informative, it's gorgeous. Divided into regions, the maps provide paddlers with state-sponsored trails, landing sites, and driving directions. This book is a definite "must have" for the Floridian paddler.

Michael Kelsey is notorious for inaccurate information. He'll review hikes he's never done, list canyon entry and exit points he's never attempted. He's all about speed. He races through areas in order to spew out his next book without actually taking the time to experience the canyons through which he's rushing. He covers a lot of ground, but sees little. I do like the pictures of him in tube socks and cut-offs, though. If you're lucky, there may even be a picture of him in beefeaters.

This is an excellent - and inexpensive - reference for Canyonlands and the Green River. We used it for referencing information about the area we trekked by canoe from Mineral Bottom on the Green to Spanish Bottom on the Colorado.

The history is very interesting and adds a lot of neat insights into the places you visit and the things you see along the way. Tamarisk has overgrown a few of the referenced campsites, but the river is an ever changing place - don't expect anything in print to be 100% accurate for long.

Overall - an outstanding book for the price! Definitely order it if you're hiking or boating the Canyonlands.

Having just returned from a 9 day canoe trip through the Stillwater Canyon on the Green River, I can honestly say that this book added a great deal of enjoyment to the trip. Every float day began with a reading from the book to explain the history of each bottom as we passed by. The hiking descriptions were what one expects from Kelsey: great if you are experienced and use it as a guide, lacking if you need your hand held the whole way. Get this book if you are canoeing the flat waters of Canyonlands. (In general I find the Belknap guide book easier to use for actual river navigation.)

This book is great, especially if you're a hiker, but whitewater rafters wont find info in here on Cataract.

By: Ricky Pena
Timothy Marin is a youg 13 year old boy who reads everyday and is noy the most active boy. His dad and older brother are all out doors men. So one day Timothy's dad and Timothy decide to go camping. So Timothy decides to start reading about the outdoors. So while they were out there Timothy wonders off...... and get's LOST!!! They send rescue parties to search for him but they were unseccesful. So now Timothy has to survive off the land and off what he knows. While he was out there he learns how to build a fire and boil water and even how to build a shelter. So will Timothy Martin survive

By: Ricky Pena
Wild Timothy is a pretty good book. Timothy Martin a 13 year old boy, who loves to read and is not the most active boy. His older brother and dad are big time outdoor's men and just love going camping. One day Timothy's dad and Timothy decide to go camping. So Timothy reads about the outdoors and learns a good amount of information. While they were out there Timothy wonders off and gets lost!!! With only his axe he has to live off the land and off what he knows. So he learns how boil water, make a fire, and even make a good shelter that he can live off of for a while. He even encounters a huge grizzly bear!!

By: Ricky Pena
Timothy Martin a young teenage city boy goes camping with his dad. While he is there he learns a little about the outdoors. He also reads a lot of books to help him. While he and his dad were out there Timothy wonders off and gets lost! Now he has to live off what he knows about the outdoors. It's a good thing he read a lot about the woods! While he is out there he learns to boil water, start a fire, and learns what is good food to eat also he learns how to make a very well made shelter that he can live in while he is out there

Wild Timothy is a great book and I'll tell you why in the next two paragraphs. Timothy is thirteen year old boy who doesn't like to be out doors. He would rather read books than do anything out side. His Dad and brother are out doors men. They like to camp, fish, and do most things out doors. His dad makes Timothy go camping and fishing even though he doesn't want to.
One day while camping with his dad Timothy gets lost out in the woods at night. He has to survive with only an ax and a copy of "Lord of the Flies." He doesn't know anything about the wilderness, but he remembers from different books he has read, tips on how to survive in the wilderness. He finds that he can make it on his own in the wild and eventually finds his way home.

This book has inspired some of our best camping trips. It's not about back-country camping. It's about sites that are relatively easy to access but that are well suited to tent camping-- natural surroundings instead of a parking lot, lots of space inbetween each site, and water/toilets within walking distance. The campgrounds are rated according to scenary and privacy, two important factors when we go camping. For some of the campgrounds the authors go into even finer detail, recommending or warning against specific sites.

We always use secondary resources when we plan a trip-- you don't want to rely on one book to get you where you're going! Get a map of the region so you can do a "sanity check" on the directions, and to find nearby features that'll be interesting to explore.

Many of the campgrounds in this book are, in fact easily accessable to RVs and 2 wheel drive vehicles. I expected it to cover more out of the way, difficult to get to campgrounds, where campers have peace and quiet. I was disappointed to not find any undiscovered, little known campgrounds. It does give fairly good information about things to do in the areas where the campgrounds are located. But if you're looking for some ideas on places to tent camp, might as well just buy "Colorado Campgrounds, the 100 best". It has great pictures so you can really get an idea of what the campgrounds are like and most of the campgrounds mentioned in "The best tent camping" are also found in "The 100 best".

Now in its third edition, The Best In Tent Camping: Colorado a companion guide especially for people who relish the outdoors, free from electronics, RV's, and other compromises to enjoying natural splendor. Guiding the reading among profiled Colorado campgrounds rated for beauty, security, management, noise, spaciousness, and cleanliness, The Best In Tent Camping: Colorado includes practical tips, descriptions, detailed maps, a listing of available facilities and contact information for each camp, and much more. A superb guide and a "must-have" for anyone determined to experience the wilds of Colorado for themselves.

Bicycle Stunt Riding by Jason Glaser is a book about BMX stunt riding. The book lets you know how BMX started, the many cmpetitions for BMX, what equipment you need, and saftey. The book covers all the styles of BMX like ramp riding and flatlanding. I recommend anyone to read this book if they want to BMX.

This book discusses stunt riding from the standpoint of its historical development, and as a "career." It may be interesting for children in this regard, but it does not teach how to do the stunts.

This book is the greatest. It didn't fully teach me tricks, but it told me how and I worked up from there. If you are a beginer, or an advaced rider this book is for you.

This book has a wealth of information for campers with all levels of experience. It will be a valued reference for us from now on when we plan to go camping whether it's for a weekend or longer. I will be interested in any other camping books written by this author.

I have quite a few cookbooks, and even more camping books. I would rate this as one of the better books I have read about cooking in the woods. The instructions are easy to follow and the recipes are delicious. There are about 200 tasty recipes total, and he uses camp stoves, dutch ovens, reflector ovens, and the fire itself. The book has advice on pans and what to pack. He shows you how to cook the meals for big groups and small alike. And there are plenty of fun recipes for kids and scouts in here as well. He shows you how to cook in foil to cut down on dishes and pans, and other timesavers.

He also shows you differnet methods to build fires, and how to make a few home-made grills and stoves economically.
If you only buy one camp cook book, this would be a good choice.

If you buy this title buy the one with the 2nd edition marker on it, it is much improved.

The information in this book is accurate and presented clearly, but the techniques and recipes are extremely basic and boring. I won't need to refer to it for reference and thus won't be keeping my copy. Incidentally, no guidelines or plans are given for anything like the stone stove shown in the cover photo. Since that's such an attractive set-up, I think it's misleading to not include info on it in the book.

First off, the title should read "Rving with dogs" the book gives no advice for people who camp in tents or even a pop-up camper. (what I consider true camping) It is written for people with RV's or hitch campers. That said, most of the advice is impracticle for anyone who camps with a tent. For example, it's advice for leaving your dog alone is to make sure the air is on and a window is open. There is no advice about dealing with a dog around a campfire or an out-door stove. How to handle other pets at the campground or wild animals.

Secondly, the the book is 310 pages, but only 70 pages of the book deal with caring for a dog while camping. The last 240 pages are a list of "pet friendly campgrounds" by state. Which seems a waste since most campgrounds allow pets. ( actually I have never been to a campground that didn't allow pets, though I am sure they exist)

Next, the chapters on first aid and safety seem limited. There are much better books for this.

Finaly, If you are an RVer who pulls into a camp site and turns on the air and puts a casserole in the oven, this book might be for you. If you are looking for advice about how to care for your dog while camping and enjoying the great outdoors, I would look elsewhere.

I have two large dogs and I camp alot. I have been turned away from a bunch of campgrounds because I have big dogs. Finally, I got sick of being turned away and I bought this book. It has a very large listing of campgrounds around the country that welcome dogs. I use it every time I head out for a week-end trip. Highly recommended!

Great book!! Camping and RVing with Dogs is a timely addition to my "must-have" collection of travel guides. Since I take my dog, Lucy, with me whenever I am RVing, I found the information and tips in this book to be invaluable. In addition, the directory of pet-friendly campgrounds finally takes the guesswork out of finding a campground. Chapter 7, "Coping with Diverse Environments" gave great information about places I might want to go, but knew nothing about.

I bought this book and it had just about everything I need. It has lots of tips to make your trip easy and pleasurable. It has many different camp grounds. I have an older edition, but I have not found any place in this book, that was not as described. I am sure that the newer editions have more and newer sites. I will keep this one for a couple more years and then buy a new one.

I was VERY impressed with the details of so many campgrounds in Arizona. I did not expect the book to be so detailed.

Although a good listing of public campgrounds in Arizona, I found it lacking in many important details. I recently stayed in a campground listed and although showing the correct hookups, it did not mention the site did not have showers-a very important detail to campers.

Library Journal April 2008
What better way to see Europe than by staying where most traveling Europeans do, i.e.,not four-star hotels but at campgrounds scattered from Ankara to Zempinska! Mickelsen provides detailed information on each campground: how to get there, what amenities are offered, and what local sights should not be missed. The author has spent over 30 years "car camping" in Europe (that is, driving to a campground and using it as a base for adventures), and her enthusiasm for the "relaxed and unpretentious" Europeans she has encountered comes through. This book takes readers beyond the ordinary and opens up vistas that will enhance their visit. Her advice: bring a bike, look for out-of-the-way adventures, and rub elbows with Europeans "who enjoy laughing and talking
with you at the common cooking and washing up areas. You will share with them the experience of pouring over maps together [and] exchanging funny travel stories." Sounds like a truly memorable experience. Essential

An inexpensive and unique way to see Europe, Car Camping may just be the way to see Europe for many readers. "Camping Europe: Includes Scandinavia, Central, and Eastern Europe" promotes Car Camping as the ideal way to see all the sights of Europe. Unbound by the beaten path of most travelers, one can use car camping to see all the beautiful natural sights of the continent, share experiences with the countryside locals and not just the big city tourist areas, and the ability to bring your bikes from home, saving money in the process. "Camping Europe" is a complete and total guide to the continent, leaving no region out unlike many books about Europe which only cover the western half. Highly recommended to travelers seeking a unique experience and to community library travel shelves alike.

This isn't a very useful book. The book starts out with several how-to guides like: "Setup and takedown campsite routine" and "hints for harmony." These guides provide a small modicum of useful information but they just generally take up space and are of no use to anyone who has ever camped before or knows how to use the internet. The book does provide several advantageous websites, but I knew of them all before I even purchased the book. The country guides have some useful information though they are too minimalistic for my taste. The book does not give adequate directions to most campsites, though it does provide phone numbers (which may be out of date). The amount of detail provided for each campsite is woefully inadequate. Further, I am left wondering if there are other campsites in each region that the book simply leaves out (this is probably the case). The book even sometimes notes camping sites on its vague maps and does provide a written description for them in the book. In fact, actually, it doesn't provide real written descriptions of any of the campsites. It simply notes that they are there, provides a phone number, and may provide an estimate of how costly it is. This is not an adequate camping guide by any means.

I found that the book was directed more toward complete novices. The book was overly detailed for a person with even limited experience. The book also addressed specific types and brand names of equipment that the author used, while only brielfy touching on other options available. A novice wishing to follow the equipment recommendations to the letter should be aware that his choices were also very expensive, particularly for people who may only make one trip a summer. I much preferred Cliff Jacobson's "Boundary Waters, Canoe Camping with Style". Jacobson offers route recommendations, excellent illustrations, recipes and a miriad of equipment choices. He also provides a list of manufacturers in the appendix.

Furtman has vast experience in the canoe country of northern Minnesota and southern Canada. Through his writing he empowers the reader to make wise choices with regards to trip planing, packing, camping, canoeing and cooking. The book is well worth reading for anyone contemplating a trip to Canoe Country in the future. It even makes great reading for those of us who have experienced this great adventure. I found myself saying, "why didn't I think of that", time and time again.

Having read lots of other books on this subject, I have to say that this title is the only one that meshes with my experience. His recommendations are absolutely on the money due to a paring away of hype surrounding the gear you should use when canoe camping. A great book for the novice canoe-camper and one with opinions which happen to be borne out by the experience of others.