The Essential Backpacker: A Complete Guide for the Foot Traveler

I have many books on backpacking, this one is the shortest and the most useful. This book gets right to the point and is chock full of information, while it seems other books say a lot of things such as "find out what poison ivy looks like" or "learn how to use a compass" this book actually gives you the information. It also has great (b & w) pictures which are relevant and helpful. Whether you are planning a dayhike or something much longer this book will be a valuable resource, I think it's the best of them all!