Backpacking Books

This was the best read in a long time. I compare it to the writtings of Jon Krakauer. Truly an amazing story! So much detail to the little things and no sugar coating when times got rough. I felt miserable when David got rained on, but was cheering him on as he met each goal. Truly an incedible read. Thanks David!!!
Rick

I read less than one book a year and usually at a very, very slow pace. This book was so enthralling I was done with it in less than a week. My only caveat is the book is not what I would label as funny. There are moments of enjoyable humor, but those are far less frequent than I expected having read the product description.

This book has taken my mild interest in thru-hiking the AT and transformed it into a passion. I think not having kids will be my #1 regret in life. Having read this book, not thru-hiking the AT - or at least not making a sincere attempt - could be #1a. I feel indebted to the author for showing me how taking a break from the norm is not only acceptable but should be encouraged. Thank you, David.

The author did what many of us hikers, adventurers do not dare to do.
Tired of his 8-5 job he decided to hike the whole lenght of Appalachian Trail. At that time he had well paid job wife and children. Was his trip a form of middle age crisis? Possibly. But the trip beats getting a sports car, boat or a hair transplant.

The book is well written. It reflects the atmosphere of famous AT very well. It provides vivid description of people, small towns, small hostels with dedicated people running them. It also provides reader with honest facts about glory and guts of long distance hiking.

Read it. You will enjoy it.

I have read multiple books about thru hiking the Appalachian Trail and this one is the best so far. While some good tips are shared, this is not a how to hike the AT book. This book was about the thru hike itself and the writer's associations with other hikers, trials on the trail, and memorable moments on the trail. While reading I got the feeling that the author was being brutally honest about the entire experience and what he was feeling thru the entire hike. An excellent read for anyone who has or is considering a thru hike on the AT.

I picked this book up both for entertainment and because I was interested in learning more about the experience of thru-hiking the AT. Satisfaction was delivered on both fronts. The author provides just enough detail that you're there with him on the trail, while not boring you with constant day to day information which could get tedious. This is not a book for planning a hike, however is still a useful read for anyone who may be toying with the idea.

I won't pretend to know what it's like to be on the trail for 6 months and 2173 miles, but at the end of the book I felt a sense of not wanting it to end. When AWOL speaks of his longing and loss in the months following his hike the reader feels a similar nostalgia. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to spark their sense of adventure.

i love this book, and i have read many books on the AT-- this is by far the best account.

'A Walk For Sunshine: a 2,160 mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail' tells the story of Jeff Alt who walked the entire 2,160 Appalachian Trail to help raise $100,000 for his disabled brother. Embarking on an adventure few people would ever think to take on, you will be inspired by his adventures and learn about the simple way of life that might be better than the hectic stress-full ones that we deal with every day. If you are a hiker or just want to be inspired to do great things, this is a wonderful read!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt is the story of his 2,160 mile trek-through on the Appalachian Trail, from the southern end in Georgia to the Northern end in Maine. This is the oldest trail in the United States, started in 1921. Jeff's dream since childhood was to walk it without interruption, but it was not until the end of his college degrees in marketing that he was able to do so and to accomplish the feat with an extended purpose. He has a mentally retarded, cerebral palsey brother who is in a care center, Sunshine, in Toledo, and Jeff decided to promote his walk and gather sponsor's money for equipment for Sunshine. With lectures, slide shows, newsletters, emails, and magazine and newspaper articles he gathered more than his goal of $10,000. He perservered through six months of blistered feet, rain, sleet, snow, heat, varmits, doubts, fears, and lonliness to go all the way to Maine. His book, a portion of which goes to Sunshine, is the fascinating detailing of the dream trek, which thousands wish to do and only several hundres accomplish. Jeff now sponsors annual fundraisers and leads short Appalachian hikes to continue to raise funds for Sunshine. He has raised now over $100,000. A really gripping and inspiring book!

Jeff Alt's AT book is a "must read" for any armchair hiker. It will get you off the couch and onto the trail. Whether you hike for charity or for yourself, this book will motivate you!

Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (2/08)

"A Walk for Sunshine" is a non-fiction account of Jeff Alt's thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in Spring 1998. The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, is a 2,160-mile trail through forests, meadows, mountains, and streams from Georgia to Maine. Hiking from one end to the other straight through takes 3-6 months. Jeff Alt did his walk in 147 days. He did this hike not only for himself, but also as a fundraiser for Sunshine, Inc., a group home for people with disabilities, where his brother lives.

The purpose of this book was for Jeff to tell the story of his hike and how he organized it as a fundraiser. Jeff kept journals throughout the trip and mailed them back home. He did an amazing job of compiling these journals into this book. It was written in an easy-to-read style with short chapters. I felt like I was walking the trail with Jeff. In 3-4 pages we had walked 15-20 miles. His fun storytelling and friendly, easy style made me think. Maybe I could really do this too.

Jeff stresses the importance of family and friends as the inspiration and motivation throughout his journey. Jeff did his hike for Sunshine, Inc., a group home where his brother lives with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Sunshine organized a short accessible day hike to correspond with Jeff's hike. They sent cards and letters to him on a regular basis. His family arranged to meet him at various points on the hike. Jeff made it clear that he could not have finished this hike without them.

The unwritten motto on the trail is "Hike your own hike." Jeff takes that motto one step further in this book. He extends it beyond the trail. Anyone can reach their goals by taking it one step at a time and doing it their own way and from their own inspiration. A Post Script in the book talks about how to organize a charity fundraiser and life lessons Jeff learned from the trail.

This book really inspired me. As someone who has always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, I was so excited to read each page and really soak in what the reality of a three-month hike would take. Jeff makes the point that people need to take the time now to reach our goals--not to wait for retirement or when we have more time. Take the time to make our lives what we want. I recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" to anyone interested in reading an inspiring book about reaching goals.

Outdoor Navigation With GPS: Hiking, Geocaching, Canoeing, Kayaking, Fishing, Outdoor Photography, Backpacking, Mountain Biking Hinch's Outdoor Navigation with GPS is simply written and clear. It makes up for the dreadful documentation that comes with most, if not all, GPS units. I particularly liked his coverage of the use of the regular compass and adjusting for the deviation between true and magnetic North. This led me to purchase an inexpensive regular compass to use in conjunction with my GPS unit. Bottom line, I highly recommend Mr. Hinch's book.

Excellent book for me. I bought my first GPS for hiking and canoeing and this really helped me prepare for using my GPS in combination with maps. Lots of great bits of advice and quick and dirty instruction on GPS units, maps, compass navigation etc. Most importantly I learned that one uses a GPS in combination with maps. It does not replace them and you must teach yourself solid map reading skills and good old fashioned compass navigation. This book gives you a great overview as well as just enough detail to encourage you to learn as much as you can.

This is a great resource book for any outdoor enthusiast using a handheld GPSr. The book covers all the basics from how GPSs work, to understanding waypoints and bearings, and what to do and how to recover from a navigation disaster. After reading this book you will be better prepared for any outdoor experience using a GPS to its maximum potential. Learn primitive navigation techniques, trail mapping and even highway navigation using your GPSr. This book integrates an important chapter on fusing map and compass skills to compliment your GPS. Finally, if than wasn't enough, the author Stephen Hinch manages to squeeze in a chapter on Geocaching, naviagtions games and orienteering relay races. A great addition to your library on GPS and Navigation.

As a newhbie to GPs, I found this book, Outdoor Navigation With GPS: Hiking, Geocaching,etc. easy to read and understand.
All aspects of GPS useage are covered fully and concisely.

Now in an updated second edition, Outdoor Navigation with GPS is a no-nonsense guide to basic GPS navigation skills, useful for all kinds of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, mountain biking, and fishing to geocaching, outdoor photography, canoeing/kayaking, and any other activity involving the negotiation of wild terrain. Written in a jargon-free style accessible to readers of all backgrounds, chapters cover how to program waypoint coordinates and reach them, prepare for and recover from disaster, read topographic maps, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and diagrams illustrate this "must-have" for outdoorsmen in the modern age.

If you want a book about hiking / backpacking / camping, this is the ultimate bible.
It will review all the equipment and some knowledge you need to have. With that it's an extremely easy read. I recommend it.
Some of the advices are a little bit dated so I would recommend reading in addition to it a good book about ultralight backpacking (like the Lightweight Backpacking and Camping: A Field Guide to Wilderness Equipment, Technique, and Style (Backpacking Light)
). The combination of both will give you the main background and a good overview to select the good gears and hit the trails.

This was an very useful book after I got hooked on backpacking. Specifically, the sections on gear let me make informed purchases when replacing my discount store equipment with higher end items from backpacking specialty retailers. The only nitpick I have is the need for some more details on types of clothing needed for certain environments, especially in the Rockies. My copy was well worn with use but still used for reference.

This is well-written and thorough guide to backpacking. It provides helpful ideas for backpackers at all levels, not just beginners.

Like any book, it has its biases. Townsend is a long-distance solo backpacker with most of his experience in western North America, Britain, and Scandinavia. He often hikes on snow, and spends a significant amount of time on skis. He is a vegetarian with a minimalist approach to backcountry cuisine.

What does this mean? First, the weekend backpacker will find a lot of material that goes well beyond his needs. This stems from the book's efforts to be useful to people at many different levels. At the other extreme, a highly experienced backpacker will find much of the book too basic, though as a long-distance hiker Townsend will provide various nuggets of advice even for her.

Second, Townsend almost completely ignores fishing. This is a popular part of the backpacking experience for many people and should be included. (I suppose a little advice for backpacking hunters would probably also be helpful.) Since Townsend doesn't hunt or fish, he may want to take on a coauthor in future editions who can help him a little in these areas.

Third, Townsend has nothing to say about experiencing the wildnerness by canoe. This objection may be unfair, since canoeing isn't exactly "backpacking." However, many people combine canoeing with backpacking and portaging in a way that probably belongs in an exhaustive guide to backpacking. Certainly, Townsend's extensive discussions of cross-country skiing is as much a niche interest as is canoeing.

Finally, this is not the book for backcountry recipes or cooking ideas. However, it is painfully thorough in discussing cooking gear.

Townsend reflects the Rockies-and-Sierras bias of most backpacking literature, though (like others) he acknowledges Appalachian Trial hikers. It's easy to forget that the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, and the most widely visited in the entire country, is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Some experience with North Country backpacking would serve Townsend and other writers well.

These criticisms aside, this is the best book of its kind that I have found. I hope that it continues to evolve in its third edition.

This book is all about experience. It takes you on an amazing ride through a concise drilldown of everything one needs to take their first walk. The author does a good job of giving not only his own perspective, but the perspective of other experienced backpackers that see things differently. This gives you more lessons than a single person could ever provide. Whenever you come to a junction point in the book where you might want more information about something he specificly states he's not going into (like power hiking vs. slackwalking, or gourmet trail cooking vs. survivial eating) he always gives references to other great books that give the extra details on those other subjects. Great must-read!

I bought a few books online without paying too much attention to reviews and I was often disappointed. This time I paid a great deal of attention to the reviews while trying to sellect the book that would best fulfil my expectations and I must admit that all the good reviews about The Backpacker's Handbook, 2nd Edition, are well founded! This book is excellent and everyone interested in reading about backpacking should at least acquire this one. Thank you Mr. Townsend for sharing your experience and passion with us in such a good book! and thank you, reviewers, for guiding buyers like me toward what truly is worth ordering.

You'd realy be surprised to find out what San Diego has to offer in the way of hiking and trails. This book is your guide for those trails. From a 90 foot Waterfall (Cedar Creek Falls) to many other wonderful hikes. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about hiking in San Diego.

This book is the best hiking book I have come across, and I have many. Not only is it well planned out, with attached maps, and hikes separated by areas, but it also grades the level of difficulty very accurately. As for the comment on this book being old and vague on location... well, it's not designed to be an all encompassing guide, and you will have to dust off your map or Map Quest the locations.

We just recently moved to San Diego, and it's been a great source in discovering all the area has to offer, I feel that without it we would have missed out on so much.

My co-worker was telling me about all the wonderful waterfalls and boulders that he saw when he was hiking, and he told me that he learned about the trails from this book. I immediately ordered it, and so far, it has been handy to have.

Each trail is labeled with its difficulty, length, and even the best times to go. The descriptions are very useful and are pretty accurate.

There is an art to describing hikes in a succinct yet useful manner. Like with movie reviews, you don't want to give everything away, but you want to give the reader enough information to decide if the subject matter interests him enough into going to experience it for himself. Jerry Schad is THE master. It is simply amazing how much information he can pack into so few words. Once you do a few of his hikes, and reread his descriptions, you can quickly learn what exactly he means by certain turns of phrase and the like. This is because while English (or any language) is a poor tool for communicating this type of information, it's all we've got when reading a book. But what Schad does is describe practically every worthy hike in San Diego County in a consistent fashion, so you can apply what you learn he means by a certain description for one hike that he uses for another hike.

San Diego County is an amazingly diverse area of natural wonder. To discover it without Jerry's help would be very difficult. I strongly recommend his book for anyone interested in such a discovery.

However, I do recommend that you take several 1-star hikes before going on to a 2-star, and several 2-stars, before a 3-star, etc., primarily to learn how to read and use the book most effectively. Picking up the book and planning a 5-star hike before going through the rest of the process is NOT recommended.

Have fun!

Exhaustively researched, comprehensive, with good descriptions of why you'd want to pick a certain hike, so you'll know what you've got to look forward to.

This may be the only book you'll ever need on the subject, but it's not the only thing to take on a hike: you'll need that most uncommon of things, common sense" -- and that means you'll also need to bring a MAP and water, and the rest of the "Ten Essentials."

Remember, it doesn't replace a USGS or topographic map, let alone good hiking sense. It's "just" a trail guide, albeit the best one the county has had for about 20 years. And frequently and responsibly revised, too. No guidebook, or map, is of much use unless you know how to use it: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, right?

Don't expect too much. With San Diego's exploding population, your enjoyment of trails can alter seasonally with use, let alone by weather. Schad makes every effort to anticipate your tastes when he describes a trail, when it's best to go, what you'll get most out of a hike. You'll learn how to make your hikes match your tastes the more you use this excellent book. And you'll learn to appreciate, up close and personal, the scenery of the climate you moved here for.

San Diego county has great places to explore, and a wide range of habitats: from coastal to montane, to high & low desert. Most of it makes great scenery, but up close it can be intimidating. Schad's book won't let that stop you.

Most trails, even those in state or county parks, are not well marked except at trail heads (about what you should expect when park budgets are so meager these days).

This book and a topographic map are just the things to reawaken a sense of purpose, and to give our desires a sense of direction. And these, in turn, unlock our sense of beauty and wonder.

San Diego deserves nothing less from its inhabitants, and they and it deserve nothing less than such a resourceful book as this.

The only reason I bought this book was that the money went to a Louis and Clark outpost along the L & C trail. Where along the trail, I can't say. All I remember was the lady there was nice and said this was an interesting book. A book written by a doctor--from a medical point of view--who was a Lewis and Clark fan. In this day and time, if you find someone who takes an interest in their job and customers, be nice to them. They are a rare breed indeed. All I'm going to say about the book is that it was a real find; it'll make a welcome addition to any library.

Physician Peck writes a well-written lively account, in an almost conversational method wrought with humor, of the adventures of the Corps of Discovery and the medical obstacles they encountered along with the medical practices utilized by the good captains. Peck provides a background of medical practices that were practiced in that day as well as a brief summation of how medicine was practiced from the ages up through the early 1800s, that latter being in an appendix. As Peck states quite clearly, Lewis is armed with limited medical knowledge from a two-week crash-training course from the eminent physician at that time, Dr. Rush. As Peck points out, limited knowledge may have been the best since such familiar practices of bleed and purging the stomach were thought as primary cures at that time. Peck provides an excellent detailed history of the adventure while analyzing in friendly to the reader detail, the symptoms of the members and Native American injuries and illnesses that Lewis and Clark treated along their journey. Everything from stomach illnesses caused by under cooked game to bacteria and protozoa that may inhabit the water they drank from. What is truly amazing, with exposure to mosquitoes and possible yellow fever, frostbite, hypothermia, snake bites, back ailments, eye injuries and ghastly wounds including Lewis' shot in the buttocks by their near sighted fiddler, they all survive. They suffer only one casualty and that is in the early goings, Sergeant Floyd who appears to have died from an appendicitis that may have been connected to complications caused by parasites. With the use of opiates for pain, the Captains may have provided comfort while treating patients who fortunately survive treatments that may actually have made them worse. However, a lot of the Captains commons sense treatments were successful, particularly among the Indians where Captain Clark's reputation as a man of great medicine helped the corps survive as they received rations that helped them exist while on their return journey. Peck's humor is evident as he describes an illness that pursues the corps along their journey as an unwelcomed guest and while using the term of that period for the illness, it takes one a few paragraphs to catch on. In addition, young Shannon seems to be always getting lost or losing something and Peck notes that he may have been a good candidate for riddlin. Peck also offers a chapter that discusses what became of the members after their return with an excellent analysis of the arguments surrounding Lewis' death. Many argue that it was syphilis related or depression, Peck offers the latter noting that physicians that treat themselves make gross errors. Peck also includes an anatomy diagram of Lewis' possible wounds and a glossary of 1800 medical terms and treatments. I would have liked a little more detail on Lewis' state of mind as he performed at high levels but during periods of stress seemed to possess a mercurial temperament that could explode at times. As Peck notes, one Indian that was teasing the corps about their dog preference eating habits picked the wrong guy to throw a puppy at almost resulting in his death. All the explanation of medical ailments and treatments are compared to today's standards in layman's terms. After reading this book, I will always order my meat well done and even more fervently wash my hands after handling anything.

"Or Perish in the Attempt: Wilderness Medicine in the Lewis and Clark Expedition" brings the journey of exploration through the Louisiana purchase vibrantly alive. Dr. Peck's writing is easy-to-read, yet technically thorough, examining the 1803-1805 expedition through his perspective as a medical doctor.

He begins by assessing the state of medical knowledge of the time, and explains the initial provisioning for the mission in Philadelphia. It was fascinating to learn which treatments were beneficial (Peruvian bark, opium and laudanum, for example), and which ones are now known to be harmful (blood-letting, immersion in cold water for frostbite). As he explains incidents requiring medical intervention, we are treated to wistful musings of how much value a modern technique or product would have been, such as a simple bottle of antisceptic eye drops for snow blindness or corneal irritation. The descriptions of how the men must have reacted to the proposed treatments for venereal diseases are hilarious.

The social aspects of the book are also well-detailed. No one's contribution is left out, from the "black white man", York, to Sacajawea, the Shoshone wife of the Frenchman Toussaint Charbonneau who acted as guide, food finder and interpreter. The beautifully written chapters make it clear that it took the strength and talents of every member of the team to cross mountain ranges, fight bears and hostile tribes, obtain food and shelter, document species, peoples and geography. And return safely, with only one exception, harboring vivid memories of having made it through rain, snow, hail, water swimming with gut-busting bacteria, malaria, injuries, spoiled meat, and the original "Low Carbohydrate Diet of the Plains." The fact that they brought the mission off successfully was due to luck, as the author points out. But also important were their abilities to adapt, endure hardships together, and devise on-the-spot medical solutions (which the men managed somehow to survive!) This new American classic makes a fascinating read - an excellent gift that you will want to read yourself, too.

To say that Dr. Peck has given light to another side of the journey of the Corp isn't enough; this is more than a fresh perspective. Or Perish in the Attempt earns its place among the great books about this journey of the Corp of Discovery. While reading this book the reader will feel the dust on the trail, the sweat from a day in the canoe, the fear of facing down a grizzly, and the curiosity as Lewis and Clark disperse liberal doses of "Thunderclappers." Dr. Peck has given us a well researched account of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and taught us crucial lessons in wilderness medicine at the beginning of the 19th century. I can't wait to go back to these dog-eared pages and retrace the steps again. Thank you for the well written book, thank you for the medical insights with the explanation that I can understand, and thank you for bringing these stories to light.

To say that Dr. Peck has given light to another side of the journey of the Corp isn't enough; this is more than a fresh perspective. Or Perish in the Attempt earns its place among the great books about this journey of the Corp of Discovery. While reading this book the reader will feel the dust on the trail, the sweat from a day in the canoe, the fear of facing down a grizzly, and the curiosity as Lewis and Clark disperse liberal doses of "Thunderclappers." Dr. Peck has given us a well researched account of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and taught us crucial lessons in wilderness medicine at the beginning of the 19th century. I can't wait to go back to these dog-eared pages and retrace the steps again. Thank you for the well written book, thank you for the medical insights with the explanation that I can understand, and thank you for bringing these stories to light.

I teach a beginning backpacking class for adults and have used several books over the past 15 years. This is the 2nd year that I have used the Allen & Mike's book and it is a much easier read. Students and instructors both like the illustrations as it makes it faster to get through the information. Much more enjoyable than standard textbooks, but with a lot of valuable information.

Thought this book was really good. Lots of little tidbits of knowledge that you may have heard or didn't ever think about. Presented for all ages and all skill levels.

A friend suggested I read this book before my first backpacking trip. It is a very fast and fun read with tons of useful information. My friend, who is a very experienced backpacker and NOLS alumni, was amazed at the amount of knowledge I acquired just from the book and has since purchased his own copy for reference. I highly recommend this book to any beginner or expert who needs a refresher!

The author shares his substantial experience with the reader in a uniquely entertaining manner, and the illustrator complements the light-hearted style of the author with [occasionally] hilarious visuals. The character of this book will attract everyone in the household; even those without camping or backpacking experience will find it easy-to-read and interesting. For those already bitten by the 'outdoor bug', new insights presented by the author force us to reconsider our position on a variety of subjects.

Unlike so many of its kind, this book is comprehensive without being obscure; no lessons on building water bucket baskets or how to skin and dry moose meat for the winter. This handbook addresses the basics of backpacking with enthusiasm, and it proves contagious for the reader.

Reading this book reminds me that it's possible to learn from all types of backpackers. The book is well written and illustrated. The illustrations have ideas that are not always in the text.

Allen O'Bannon clearly is not in the lightweight backpacking camp, which I am. O'Bannon writes about heavy pack loads (how to properly put on a heavy pack) and leather hiking boots. The book is loaded with ideas that will be interesting to all backpackers. I wouldn't recommend the book to someone just starting out with backpacking. For those readers I would give it just two stars. However, I would recommend it for a current backpacker that wants some fresh ideas or a fairly new backpacker that has read a couple books on lightweight backpacking first. The book isn't loaded with a lot of fluff that can be found everywhere. It is also easy to read and not nearly as boring as many backpacking books.

This seems to be the only guide for IRNP. It will be great for my trip next summer.

This was a very useful guidebook to read before arriving on Isle Royale. It helped me decide what parts of the island I wanted to visit in my limited time there, and it gave me a good sense of what to expect at campgrounds, etc. I strongly recommend also purchasing the National Geographic map of the park, available from the ferry companies and at the camp store at Rock Harbor. The maps in the book tend to be a little small and not very detailed.

A must have for everyone going to Isle Royale. Of course, it is the best book until I write one.

I am planning a trip to Isle Royale and couldn't find much information searching the web. My friend and I are debating whether to make the trip a hiking trip, a canoe trip, or a packraft trip. Whatever we choose, this book provides enough information to make any of these trips will be successful. One thing is for sure, the book inspires you to plan multiple trips.

This book helped me prepare for my first backpacking experience at Isle Royale. I was able to plan my routes and camping areas and knew what to expect as far as climate conditions, wildlife, and overall options of the park. It gave me realistic expectations and advice that definitely helped me to enjoy my Isle Royale experience.

As a boyscout leader, we like to outdo the scouts on our creative cooking to inspire their creativity. It is a great book, to show how to make creative meals without the weight of heavy food items. This has been great!! Thanks C>

Fmergency preparadness is my focus. I found recipes and food preparation to be excellent. Summer gardening with the bounty of our efforts dehydrated, prepared in delicious and easy meals for both home and traveling is a gratifying experience. Great book.

Trail Food by Alan S. Kesselheim is a spectacular little read for anyone interested in adventuring in the outdoors, self reliance, preperation, or even just making healthy snacks at home for a fraction of the price of storebought. Encouraging, practical, and written by an obviously experienced author, Trail Food helped enhance my outdoor experience. If you're still buying those freeze dried meals or even worse living off of ramen noodles when you're out in the wilds, I really suggest you consider dehydrating your own food, and this book is a great place to start. In addition to dehydration the author seasons the book with a bunch of other tidbits. There's little blurbs about the pros and cons of cooking over fires and various stoves, advice on setting up the camp kitchen, and at the beginning of every chapter there's a little blurb of a story about canoeing, backpacking, dogsledding, or just cabin living, that helped get me in that outdoorsy frame of mind. My two dehydrators are going to be working overtime!

good and informative book for the price. I tried a few of the recipes and was able to improvise from there.

This is a decent book which encourages experimentation with dehydrating your food and creating recipes- something often left out of both dehydrating and backpacking food books. However, for what everything it does have or encourage, it lacks detail and I felt like there could have been so much more. As it is, it is worth the purchase in conjuction with at least one more, far substantial book.

First off, this is a great book. If anyone thinks this is just a glorified first-aid book, think again. Dr. Forgey's is quick to point out that some medical emergencies are best treated at a hospital by professionals, having said that he plays a "what if" game where evac is not possible and then provides detailed treatment strategies based on your level of skills and supplies on hand. It's a clever approach where plan A is better than plan B which is better than plan C which is better than plan D. Although, he'll point out that plan D is better than doing nothing. His sense of humor is not lost in this book which makes for a compelling read. It's a must have for laymen or practicing pro new to wilderness medicine. I couldn't recommend this book enough. My only complaint, if it qualifies as a complaint is that there isn't a 6th Edition with the latest in medical technology represented. Having said that, if a technique worked in 1999 it should still work in 2009 or 2019!

Favorite excerp from the book: "Red-hot branding irons and pouring gun powder into a wound and lighting it, while effective in killing germs and among Rambo's favorite techniques, also destroy good tissue." (Chapter 3 p.93 paragraph 2)

This one is a keeper, and at the current price, you should buy one for anyone that travels a lot...anywhere!


J.D.

I found this book to be of outstanding usefulness. The book is designed for a person with advanced medical skill. It is not a first aid book. It is what the title says "Beyond First Aid". The writer displays his knowledge of care from his own experience as an outdoors man and lays out and describes in detail what is needed under various adverese circumstances.
Mingmei Jiang [BVocEd&Train(C.Sturt)]

The book was a bit too basic for my taste. I understand that the layperson doesn't have access to many things that a doctor does. But to me, the book was more about band-aids than it is about stitches. I think it could have been a little meatier.
Due to the limited availability of many medicines to the average Joe (or Jane), I suppose the writer couldn't put in a lot of information on how to treat as a doctor would. But I was actually hoping for more of that kind of information.

It's no surprise that every reviewer has given this excellent and comprehensive book five stars.

Written by William Forgey, MD, former president of the Wilderness Medicine Society it goes beyond first aid, dealing with situations where you cannot merely administer initial care and then count on a rapid evacuation. Forgey writes with a light hand; he avoids jargon and has a dry sense of humor. For example (p. 157): "How do you calm a person who's just been bitten by a snake? Not surprisingly, just telling him to remain calm won't work."

There are seven chapters, beginning with assessment and stabilization, and going through body system disease symptoms, injuries, bites and stings, infectious diseases, and environmental injuries. There is an excellent appendix for putting together wilderness first aid/medical kits, both with prescription, and non-prescription meds, and with a bandaging module.

You don't have to be physician, nurse, or EMT to benefit from the book. All the information, is practical and hands-on; of value to the layperson who is interested in first aid and emergency medical situations. After an initial reading, Wilderness Medicine is a fine reference work.


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Living out in the wild, in the wilderness, is a contest with Nature. Most of the time, man wins the contest, but sometimes ... stuff happens.

Chapter One is about Assessment and starts with that key question: scene safe? Then Dr Forgey takes his reader through the ABCD's, vital signs, levels of consciousness, head to toe examination, shock, respiration rates, heart rates, and CPR. (The numbers for chest compressions and breaths has been changed by the AHA since Dr Forgey updated this book, but that is a minor issue.)

Chapter Two is about body system management. The focus of this chapter is on the systems in the head but the abdomen and reproductive system are given sections as well. There is also a very good, short section on poisoning from food poisoning to shellfish poisoning.

Chapter Three covers soft tissue wounds and treatments ... and suturing and stapling.

Chapter Four covers orthopedic injuries from head to foot.

Chapter Five covers bites and stings and anaphylactic shock. Interest-ingly Dr Forgey finds that rubber suction cups are as worthless as mouth suction. His lone endorsement is the Sawyer Extractor (which is available from Amazon.com).

Chapter Six is on infectious disease. Dr Forgey lists the most signif-icant *wilderness* diseases for North America and the world should one be contesting Nature abroad.

Chapter Seven's environmental injuries include hypothermia, heat stress, high altitude related illnesses, and ... being struck by lightning. Step current is caused when lightning hass struck and the current spreads out like a wave across the ground and the victim's feet are different distances from the strike point. Since the body has less resistance than the ground, a circuit is completed.

There are two useful appendices at the end of the book.

I am EMS certified and as a BLS instructor. I had a few quibbles with Dr Forgey such as his choice of prescription medications to list in one of the appendices. However I had no major disagreements and found the book to be more easily readable than any EMS book I have read. Lots of nuts and bolts and no fluff.

Also as I write this review, I am preparing a first aid segment for a TCLEOSE course on mantracking. Dr Forgey's book provided me with a lot of detail and anecdotes to include. However just as the title says this book is about wilderness medicine *beyond* first aid.