Favorite outdoors books

[shortridge]

In looking over my Scouting/outdoors library, I'm struck by how often I've gone back to the same old reliables for camping and outdoors skills information.

 

I'm wondering what camping books y'all count as your favorites, as a youth or today, and why.

 

I'll begin...

 

- American Boy's Handy Book, Dan Beard - inspiring and nostalgic, even if you didn't live in that era

 

- The Complete Walker, Colin Fletcher - intimidating at first, but incredibly insightful and entertaining

 

- Any of Tom Brown's "field guide" series - good stories and wonderfully practical details, though the illustrations could use some work

 

- Ashley's Book of Knots - wonderful resource, though it'd take years to plumb the depths

 

- Camp Cookery for Small Groups - good for the basics, and recipes can easily be expanded

 

- Kid Camping from Aaaaiii! to Zip, Patrick McManus - an entertaining but practical look at the reality of outdoor adventures

[John-in-KC]

The First Edition of the Compleat Walker by Colin Fletcher.

 

Starr's Guide to the John Muir Trail.

[AnniePoo]

A Fork in the Trail - backpacking recipes

 

Scouter's Outdoor Cookbook

[bucabaker]

Expedition Canoeing, A Guide to Canoeing Wild Rivers in North America Cliff Jacobson

[DeanRx]

I can't believe you put in "Ashley's book on Knots" - thats like the knot bible ! If its not in there, I don't think it can be done with a rope...

 

I like:

 

"The Dangerous Book for Boys" - everything the G2SS and tree huggers say you can't do and everything a 11 y/o boy wants to do.

 

"Last Child in the Woods" - by Richard Louv - its good to be reminded WHY we are doing the thigns outdoors that we do and be reminded to let the lads wander and discover on their own... sometimes that is the best teacher.

 

"The Offical Boy Scout Handbook" - by William "Bill" Hillcourt - 9th ed., 5th printing, Dec 1981 -

 

Not really anything else I need. All the really good pages are already dog-eared and there are notes in the margins of important tips recited by Scoutmasters of "long ago". Funny, the handwritten notes are in vaguely familiar penmanship.... Hmmmm.... I always seem to think of things left undone when I look at the Life Scout requirements on page 535 and see the only thing missing was a scoutmaster's conference. Its even sadder to turn the page and see only 3 missing MB's and an Eagle Scout project unplanned. It gives me a purpose to push the boys in my charge just a little more than they think they can achieve - b/c its at this threashold of comfort that true personal growth takes place..... Wish I would have known and appreciated that fact back in 1986.(This message has been edited by DeanRx)

[shortridge]

I came across Ashley's when I was 16 or 17, working at summer camp and teaching pioneering. My boss had a dog-eared, battered copy he'd gotten as a loaner. We spent the summer teaching ourselves all the neat stuff that was in there. It really is incredible. Not very backpackable, though.

[Eagle1982]

Good selections:

 

For fun I'd add in, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - it's hilarious.

 

Also:

Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle

 

 

[SSScout]

Scout Field Book, c1948, 1959 printing.

 

Any book by Ernest Thompson Seton. Seek them out.

[perdidochas]

I agree totally with the Complete Walker. It's an awesome book.

 

A more specialized book, for fishermen, I would advocate "Hook, Line and Sinker" by Gary A. Soucie. It has a great section on fishing knots, as well as general (and specific) advice on terminal tackle.

[CRK7376]

I've always liked Harvey Manning's Backpacking One Step at a Time, and Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills 6th edition, Don Graydon, although I've read all since the 3rd edition. The cartoon drawing in both are great. I just started reading Backpacking 1Step again as we head out to Philmont in less than 2 months and it brings back lots of fond memories from when I first read it and applied some of the lessons.

[desertrat77]

- Colin Fletcher is tops!

 

- Scout Fieldbook, circa 1973. My parents gave me this for my 10th birthday...I read it cover to cover many times. Still enjoy reading it.

 

- 9th edition of the scout handbook, first printing was about 1979/80...it was a welcome relief from the previous "New Scouting" edition.

 

DeanRx: thank you for sharing your memories from your handbook...very well said, your words are definitely food for thought.

 

[Twocubdad]

Not really outdoor books per se, but I still love browsing my original set of Foxfire Book. I bought the first one at an 8th grade book fair when my English teacher suggested it. I spent years trying to build a log cabin, a still, running around eating poke sallet and trying to convince someone else to try a few drops of warm urine to cure an earache.

 

I really like The Nature Company Star Guide because it's sky charts are easy to use and it includes both the scientific information and the mythology behind the constellations.

 

I have a stack of tree, plant and wildflower identification books. Probably my favorite is from the NC Forest Service because it only includes trees found in the southeast. I hate spending 20 minutes slogging through one of the massive Audubon Society guides only to realize tree or bird I've settled on is found only in the southwest Ural Mountains.

 

I'm not familar with the Ashley book. I'll have to look it up. I have several sailing-related knot books, the best one is the Riggers Apprentice by Brian Toss. Lots of cool splices and fancy work.

 

 

[shortridge]

and trying to convince someone else to try a few drops of warm urine to cure an earache.

 

Yeah, finding willing victims for that one might be a bit difficult.