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The Backpacker's Handbook, 4th Edition Paperback – October 10, 2011
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Chris Townsend (Granton-on-Spey, Scotland), an internationally recognized rough-terrain hiker, is the author of several books, including Wilderness Skiing and Winter Camping and Backpacker’s Handbook, Second Edition.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By
Vic
on March 22, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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I purchased this book after getting interested in hunting. A hunter is also a hiker, and I found plenty of good advice in this book applicable for hunters.
I was particularly interested in the chapters dedicated to fabrics and clothes. No more cotton socks or underwear for me -- unfortunately, I learned that the hard way after hiking 15 miles!
Unfortunately, I cannot verify his advice on tents or other camping gear, not having enough experience, but what he says definitely sounds very reasonable.
One thing this book is missing is a section dedicated to hiking in the South (where I am from) and how to deal with the heat, the humidity, and the bugs. There's plenty information for high altitude hiking though if you are into that.
I was particularly interested in the chapters dedicated to fabrics and clothes. No more cotton socks or underwear for me -- unfortunately, I learned that the hard way after hiking 15 miles!
Unfortunately, I cannot verify his advice on tents or other camping gear, not having enough experience, but what he says definitely sounds very reasonable.
One thing this book is missing is a section dedicated to hiking in the South (where I am from) and how to deal with the heat, the humidity, and the bugs. There's plenty information for high altitude hiking though if you are into that.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By
Details and more details
on December 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
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I used the 3rd edition a lot. And now the 4th edition comes with brand new information on hiking gear and techniques. This book is full of sound practical knowledge, which comes from an experienced backpacker.
Recommend it to anyone who is a beginner or an expert. All of you will find a depth of info on anything related to hiking, backpacking and even winter hiking.
Recommend it to anyone who is a beginner or an expert. All of you will find a depth of info on anything related to hiking, backpacking and even winter hiking.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By
Peter Robinson
on June 3, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
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The book has lots of great tips and information. I bought the kindle version and there are sections that are not properly formatted and so are unreadable, with white text on a white background. Don't buy the kindle version!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
Apex
on December 10, 2011
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Well written, up to date, and covers every aspect of backpacking and hiking...including winter hiking and camping. Very comprehensive, think of it as outdoor exploration exegesis. Get this book...it's money well spent.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By
Michael A. Ray
on January 9, 2013
Format: Paperback
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It's been about 9 months since I read through the book so it's no longer fresh, but I did make some notes as I read it on things that stuck out or that I questioned. Overall, it's well written and the author is quite well-known and experienced. However, his experience is mainly with long trips with a fair bit of off-trail work, which corresponds to maybe 1% of the backpackers out there. Unlike Andrew Skurka, another accomplished long distance, off-trail backpacker, Chris Townsend has unfortunately not fully embraced going lighter so he's carrying more weight than necessary. For example, on his 75-day trip on the Pacific Northwest Trail (runs near the border with Canada) his base pack weight (everything carried in or on the pack including it) was about 20 pounds, which is pretty light compared to 20 years ago. However, Skurka's base weight never reached 20 pounds during his 6-month Yukon-Alaska trek and included almost 7 pounds of packrafting gear in some seasons.
While I did enjoy and appreciate Townsend's anecdotes, he had this annoying habit of saying he preferred various gear items that have long been discontinued. While I understand any "gear" book would quickly become outdated anyway, I didn't find it at all helpful to know about all this great stuff I can never get. He did at least give a fairly comprehensive overview of the various options available and provide some pros and cons. Unfortunately, he passed over or dismissed a few important things. One example is Frogg Toggs (or more commonly the even lighter DriDucks), which are very good rainwear for the average backpacker that won't be doing off-trail bushwhacking. The only disadvantage is they snag easily which is enough for Townsend to essentially dismiss them.Read more ›
While I did enjoy and appreciate Townsend's anecdotes, he had this annoying habit of saying he preferred various gear items that have long been discontinued. While I understand any "gear" book would quickly become outdated anyway, I didn't find it at all helpful to know about all this great stuff I can never get. He did at least give a fairly comprehensive overview of the various options available and provide some pros and cons. Unfortunately, he passed over or dismissed a few important things. One example is Frogg Toggs (or more commonly the even lighter DriDucks), which are very good rainwear for the average backpacker that won't be doing off-trail bushwhacking. The only disadvantage is they snag easily which is enough for Townsend to essentially dismiss them.Read more ›
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By
Thomas DuPont
on August 20, 2013
Format: Paperback
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I liked the book and I respect the author's willingness to share his experience. It was a little confusing at times. Especially when he stated that he never carried any kind of water treatment and then later extolled the virtues of a particular brand.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By
Randy
on September 6, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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Very well written and packed with worthwhile information. Along with the information are small snippets and stories of trips that author has taken. Perfect for igniting a greater desire to go spend some time in the outdoors. I feel like I have gained 10 years of real experience just by reading it. I would recommend this to anyone with even a passive interest in learning more about backpacking.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
BIMMERof1995
on January 20, 2014
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I'm a novice hiker and found this book easy to read and informational, yet still challenging. there is a lot dedicated to 4-seasons hiking info and I skipped most of the winter stuff so I can't speak to that. I've read a few books and found this one to be the best.
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