Thirst by Heather “Anish” Anderson is a wonderfully written memoir, rich in autobiographical detail, about her record-setting fastest known thru-hike (FKT) of the Pacific Crest Trail. The audible version (6 hrs) is also very well narrated and a real treat to listen to, even if you’re not a thru-hiker or …
Read More »Product Reviews
Ambient Weather WM-2 Handheld Windspeed Meter Review
The Ambient Weather WM-2 is a handheld wind and weather meter that measures wind speed, temperature, wind chill, wind gust, and something called the Beaufort Scale, which is a way to estimate wind speed based on observable phenomena. A wind meter can be a handy weather forecasting and safety tool for …
Read More »Book Review: The Hidden Tracks by Cam Honan
I’ve never met Cam Honan in person, but I think we’d hit it off if our paths ever do cross. He’s an exceptionally well-travelled backpacker who’s walked across 56 countries and 6 continents, he can write well, and he visits a lot of off the beaten track places, which is probably …
Read More »Death in the Presidential Range: The Kate Matrosova Incident
Mountain climbers from around the world come to Mt Washington and the White Mountain’s Presidential Range to train for major expeditions to the great mountain ranges of the world. The steep terrain, cold temperatures, high winds, and abundant snowfall provide climbers with a perfect environment to test their skills. Climbing …
Read More »The Maine Mountain Guide
The Maine Mountain Guide is the hiker’s bible for the mountains and hiking trails of Maine. It provides detailed descriptions of more than 625 trails, on 300 mountains, totaling close to 1500 trail miles in length, ranging from easy woodland strolls to strenuous mountain traverses. Now in its 11 edition, …
Read More »The Orvis Guide to Small Stream Fly Fishing – Book Review
Small stream fly fishing is not a glamorous sport and it’s difficult to brag about the bite-size 6″ trout that you catch at the company picnic. But the satisfaction that comes from fishing an undiscovered virgin trout stream that’s never been fished before is hard to describe. The Orvis Guide to …
Read More »Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Hammocks* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Backpacking hammocks are a great alternative to camping in a tent in the right conditions but there’s a steep learning curve to gearing up and learning how to be comfortable across a wide range of temperatures. While you can educate yourself about all the different types of hammocks, top quilts, …
Read More »White Mountain Guide 30th Edition Review
The Appalachian Mountain Club’s White Mountain Guide is the hiker’s bible for planning day hikes and backpacking trips in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. People come from all around the world to hike, backpack, climb and train for mountaineering expeditions in “The Whites” which are known for their rugged …
Read More »Mountain Weather: Backcountry Forecasting for Hikers and Backpackers
“Mountains make their own weather.” I’ll never forget hearing that from the friend who introduced me to trip planning and accident analysis. It’s a sobering and important lesson for anyone who climbs above timberline across exposed terrain on backpacking and mountaineering trips. Written by Jeff Renner, Mountain Weather explains how …
Read More »Backcountry Exploration with Delorme Gazetteers
I keep several map books in my car for the different states that I hike and backpack in, called Gazetteers. They’re published by a company called Delorme (recently acquired by Garmin) and contain detailed maps of each state including all of the paved and unpaved roads, seasonal roads, gated fire roads, …
Read More »Simple Fly Fishing? Anything But
Simple Fly Fishing: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod and Reel is a beautiful coffee table book full of gorgeous trout photos, exotic fly fishing locations and anecdotal stories about fly fishing with the world’s greatest fishing guides. The authors, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia Inc, Craig Mathews, Mauro Mazzo, and …
Read More »The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide, 2nd Ed. by Andrew Skurka
Contrary to its title, Andrew Skurka’s backpacking book, The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide is not really a book about gear per se, as much as it is about the skills and knowledge that very experienced backpackers develop for planning trips and deciding what gear is appropriate and safe enough to …
Read More »Best Hiking and Backpacking Skills Books
Becoming a skilled and confident hiker or backpacker is a lifelong endeavor that requires continuous learning and practice. While reading hiking books can’t give you the hands-on experience that only comes by getting your clothes dirty and boots wet, they are a useful guide to expand your horizons and help …
Read More »Recipes for Adventure: The Backpacking Chef’s Dehydrated Food Bible
The Backpacking Chef’s backpacking and camping cookbook called Recipes for Adventure is chock full of healthy, hearty, and homemade backpacking recipes. I know this first-hand because I’ve made many of them, like this Ratatoille. But while the meals and snack recipes in Recipes for Adventure are excellent, the real value of …
Read More »