Backpacking Books

If you're new or inexperienced in backpacking and wildlerness travel, it is often difficult to know what types of gear to get and what is "all involved" backpacking into the wilderness. While nothing takes the place of experience (and I've had a few memorable and forgettable experiences), a book or two can always come in handy to help you select the right gear and provide some hints that will make wilderness travel more fun and enjoyable.

By and large, when it comes down to books about backpacking (and other topics for that matter), here's one way to look at it if you're hesitant about parting with your money :

If you come away with a few skills you didn't have before, you remember them, and you use them while backpacking, the book was worth the price.

All of these books on this page are available through Amazon.

Books about Hiking & Backpacking

Backpacking Basics for a Summer in Europe!: The How-To Guide : Veteran adventurer and wine importer Robert W. Scruggs II shows you how to backpack across the world’s most exciting continent, making the most of both your time and your money.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Europe on a Shoestring : Your European Adventure starts here with the most detailed guide available, featuring more than 40 countries, 200 maps and insider tips to help you to go further, stay longer and pay less for the ultimate European grand tour.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Joy of Backpacking: Your Complete Guide to Attaining Pure Happiness in the Outdoors : The Joy of Backpacking, a comprehensive guide covering every aspect of how to backpack--from planning a first trip to advanced wilderness travel--is perfect for amateur backpackers and veterans alike. For those new to the activity, longtime backpacker and author Brian Beffort covers the fundamentals, with sections on trip planning, gear, backcountry nutrition and cooking, navigation and other essential wilderness skills, what to expect on the trail and in camp, and how to stay safe with first aid, weather preparedness, and more.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking : Short, to the point, and humorously illustrated by famed outdoor illustrator Mike Clelland, this book presents everything hikers and backpackers need to be safe, comfortable, and well-fed while carrying a very small and lightweight pack.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Lightweight Backpacking and Camping: A Field Guide to Wilderness Equipment, Technique, and Style : Lightweight backpacking (often, with a pack weight of less than 20 pounds) is the fastest growing trend in backpacking. Going light makes backcountry hiking more accessible to families, Boy Scouts, and aging baby boomers – groups normally excluded from enjoying the backcountry because of their inability to carry absurdly heavy backpacks.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Backpacker's Handbook : A top-selling recipient of the "Outdoor Writers Guild Award for Excellence," The Backpacker's Handbook owes its success to its enormous practicality for backpackers of all skill levels, covering everything from essential techniques for every backpacking trip--such as map and compass work--to the skills needed for more remote wilderness journeys--such as how to ford rivers safely and how to choose a route through untracked terrain.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Boomer's Guide to Lightweight Backpacking: New Gear for Old People : This book will bring you up to speed on all the new products and load-lightening techniques needed to make your next trail experience a great one. With detailed recommendations and a lively visual format, this book will help you re-create your wilderness system one piece at a time making it lighter, safer, and more comfortable.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Complete Walker IV : This is the fourth update of Fletcher's 1968 original. This manual is considered the backpacker's bible and has sold more than 400,000 copies in its previous incarnations. In addition to information on hiking, this also includes tips on wildlife, tents and paraphernalia, outdoor cooking, clothing, etc.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon : The Man Who Walked Through Time is a remarkable account of a journey both physical and spiritual. It is also a record of the Grand Canyon as it was before the massive influx of tourism. Fletcher's descriptions of the spectacular geography, the wildlife, and the remnants of much older cultures serve to remind us that the Grand Canyon has been around longer than humankind and may well outlast us.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Trailside Guide: Hiking and Backpacking, New Edition : Smart, instructive, and beautifully designed, every book in the Trailside Guide series contains the essential information readers need to master outdoor activities and have fun in the process. Norton proudly reissues these best-selling guides with fully revised "Sources & Resources" sections (including where to find the Web sites, gear, services, books, clubs, and organizations that make for foolproof outings); updates to reflect the latest in gear technology, wilderness medicine, and first aid; and advances in techniques.    Buy at Amazon.Com

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