A Hiker's Companion: 12,000 Miles of Trail-Tested Wisdom

Most guides to backpacking seem to written by young long-distance hikers with an obsession for gear. In contrast, most real-world backpackers get out on weekends, and one or two weeks in the summer. This book is really aimed at this audience. The authors teach backpacking courses, so they provide beginning-level information, but they also take more extensive trips and can discuss the issues there. For example, the chapter "Hiking the Trail" talks about finding your pace, hiking with a partner, hiking with a group, solo hiking, and enjoying the journey rather than just packing on the miles. Sure, those are "beginner" issues but more advanced backpackers benefit from seeing them again. Moreover, this approach is refreshingly different from the currently-popular ultralight crowd, which talks about putting on the miles. Another chapter is called, "Reentry: Coping with Coming Home." The issues here are pretty much the same as what the study abroad community calls "reverse culture shock" - - getting readjusted to your "own" culture and family, and wanting to talk about an experience that other people have trouble understanding. This is only relevant for long-distance hikers, but again, it's a refreshing change of approach from the more typical macho thru-hiker pose. The book also spends a lot of time talking about taking kids along on your backpacking trips. This includes a lot of practical advice about dealing with diapers, breastfeeding, satisfying kids' interests, and how kids change the backpacking experience. The doesn't have tips for more advanced backpackers - - backcountry navigation, for example. Many of these skills probably don't come from a book anyway, but if you'd like a reference for such things you'll need to go elsewhere. Finally, gearheads won't like the book. You won't find recommendations for particular gear here - - the only brand names mentioned are Nalgene, Band-aids, M & Ms, and NutraSweet. That collection alone makes the audience pretty clear.

I'm neither a newbie nor a veteran with thousands of miles on my boots, but I've found tons of useful information in this book. The friendly, straight-forward approch makes the information much easier to digest. The anecdotes are also useful for driving a point home.

Cindy and Todd's book gives excellent information on the technical aspects of camping: everything from the type of gear you do and do not need, how to pack that backpack, how to stay warm on the trail, how to keep from getting blisters, how to bring your kids along safely and comfortably. Their style of writing is warm and conversational. It feels like you're bringing along an old and knowledgeable friend as you take your first long hike. Excellent!