Winter Hiking and Camping

If you have been thinking about taking up year round hiking/backpacking (and if you haven't you are missing out!) this is a good resource to read. The book covers the important parts giving the reader a good idea what to expect in winter - covering gear and clothing as well.

Cold weather is no longer a reason not to enjoy the great outdoors. Beginning winter hikers will find many great tips to prepare them for a cold jaunt in the wilderness.

For the beginner as well as the sage, this book opens for hikers and backpackers the door to camping in winter. The first half deals with all the basic information a hiker needs to prepare for a dayhike in winter. The second half of the book builds on that information to provide a comprehensive primer for multi-day treks in the backcountry during winter. I found the book useful for most the audience and easy to read. The author makes an effort to take the fear of the 'rugged wilderness' from the novice winter trekker without understating the importance of safety. This book is an excellent addition to one's backcountry library. You will go back to it many, many times...

This book is, as the previous reviewer said, an good book for just beginning winter hiking and camping. The writing is clear, concise, and full of plenty of good advice. It is not a long book and covers a vast topic, so it primarily overviews everything related to basic winter hiking and camping without going into much detail. With this book, the reader will feel quite confident in their ability to day-hike in the winter and to use snowshoes, but will probably want to pursue further reading for skiing and gain experience in the backcountry in the winter before camping (a point the author suggests as well). The book is focused on stressing the importance of proper winter clothing, safety and nutrition, and includes helpful short sections on various types of clothing and layering systems for mild and hard outdoor exertion. Its section on backcountry safety is well done and would be very helpful for the beginner. It is true that the author dismisses traditional wood-framed snowshoes, but that is probably because most beginners to winter hiking would be better served opting for easier-to-use modern snowshoes anyway.