Walking Softly in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking, Completely Revised and Updated Edition

John Hart's book is a pleasure to read. It is clear, easy to understand, and beautifully written. In addition, it is an alluring invitation to join the fraternity of wilderness backpackers. I am a novice in this area and Hart details step by step what the novice needs to do to be prepared to have the adventure of hiking and at the same time to feel safe in an unknown environment. He makes me feel that the wilderness is available for everyone, and lets me know what I need to do to enjoy it. The book is chock-full of information about places to explore, equipment needed, how to pack and plan, conditioning for hiking, medical emergencies, hiking with children, and making a camp. How to enjoy the wilderness without damaging it for others is paramount throughout. Every backpacker should have this useful reference book.

I have been hiking and camping for more decades than I care to admit. I have recently started replacing gear that disintegrated through time. Rather than repace gear haphazardly or based on ads, I began to read John Hart's book. I found it useful and charming. If I am specifically searching for information on tents, for example, I can find that section easily. If I want a list of handy items to pack away, I can find it. The joy is the backdrop of "walking softly" advice. This would be great for a beginner as well.

I've been backpacking for 51 years now and thought I knew it all. Not true. I have been lazy and certainly have not kept up with equipment changes, regulations, how to crap in the woods, etc. John Hart's book is truly a bible of wilderness hiking. Yes, it gets a little tedious and pedantic at times, but this book is not meant to be a bedside pageturner. It's a reference book and a damned good one. If some chapters seem too detailed for highly experienced hikers, then people should simply skim them. But a beginning backpacker will savor a fantastic wealth of information. And, yes, the book is "politically correct" often, but why shouldn't it be? The wilderness is a sacred place, and we should not take its potential devastation casually. The more we take Hart's advice about preservation, the better off the wilderness will be. If some think the tone is too much about Sierra Club do-goodism, then I suggest that readers think about what other alternatives they can bring to the table. I should also add that Hart is a wonderful writer--clear, eloquent, and committed to the "forever wild" concept.

Hart's book is well rounded. Gear is not its prime focus. There is more emphasis on describing gear features, advantages, and rationale, reminiscent of Colin Fletcher, and less emphasis on comparisons of brands and models as in Chris Townsend's The Backpacker's Handbook. Hart gives a nice description of how to hang counter-balanced bear bags using a pull down rope. This technique has been around for years, but Hart is the first to give a proper description in print. The index entry for Jasper National Park leads to a nice description of places to go and things to see in the Canadian Rockies and other places. In Townsend, by contrast, the index entry for Jasper National Park takes you to a discussion of raingear! Hart has good coverage of most skills, e.g., how to set up tarps. Yet the book is reflective, offering wisdom beyond gear, unlike Townsend, which is more procedural - what to do and how to do it. The chapter on land navigation is very interesting. Hart does not present map and compass skills with the detail of Townsend, rather, the book seems to say that every place is a good place to be, so don't fret about how to get from point A to B. That is a linear objective. Maybe if you wander about, exploring without agenda like John Muir, having "skootchers," this is good enough advice. The concept of wilderness ethics runs through this book.From a pedagogical point of view, Townsend's book may be a better book from which beginners can learn "basic" backpacking. However, after the student gets past equipment considerations, Hart's book will teach you to love to backpack.

"Walking Softly In The Wilderness" is an excellent, if not a little outdated, overview of all the considerations, choices, and deliberations to be reviewed in the world of backpacking. John Hart does not tell you what gear to buy and where to backpack. Instead, he very clearly explains the advantages and disadvantages of all types of gear, from boots to packs. He sets up a clear method for the reader to decide what is best for him/her in the circumstances that person wants to face and may face. Mr. Hart also describes a variety of techniques, like how to read a map and compass, how to build an igloo, and even how to administer basic first aid. Included is a brief description of the different wildlife areas across the nation and what they are like in different seasons. But to me, the most important aspect of the book are the discussions on low-impact techniques and choices. Low-impact backpacking is not only a good idea, it is a necessity. With today's shrinking wilderness and growing use, we need to help protect it. Mr. Hart has done an excellent job of showing us the pros and cons of low-impact backpacking and has left the choice up to us. If this were a newer addition, I certainly would have given it 5 stars, but I feel it is deffinately worth four. This book is an excellent source for both the novice and the experienced backpacker. Everyone who is interested in backpacking should read this book.