Customer Reviews

The Backpacker's Field Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been backcountry camping and backpacking for 37 years, and Rick Curtis' Backpacking Field Manual is the best text I have ever found for teaching backpacking skills to group leaders and those new to the sport.

It is very evident that Curtis approached this manual with the mindset of a teacher, deciding which skills the student needs to learn, and building the necessary knowledge incrementally so the student understands completely. I found that because Curtis assumes that the reader has no knowledge of such simple things as how a camp stove works, that I learned things that I never knew about my own campstove, that were not even covered in the manual.

Another thing that makes this book especially good for all levels of backpackers is Curtis' coverage of Leave No Trace techniques. Curtis does a very good job of explaining the LNT guidelines and giving practical examples and suggestions for making the minimum impact on the ecosystems while we are backpacking and camping. The manual offers some food for thought by pointing out how many backpackers do simple things that have very significant impact on plant and animal life (e.g. Going swimming in streams and ponds without first washing off toxic chemicals like insect repellant and sun screen).

I think this book would be especially useful for leaders who are looking for an organized way to teach backpacking skills to students.

After I read this book, I felt the wilderness could never be fun again. I was completely wrong, but that's the tone this book has. The entire book tells you what not to do and what could go wrong. That's very important to know, but what is almost as important (and a lot more interesting) are things to do: suggestions about how to make things easier, how to have fun, how to bring the love of the outdoors to other members of your group.

The good: There were a couple good ideas in among the mind-numbing numbers of admonitions (damp socks in sleeping bag: genius). Also, the packing lists at the end of the book can be good reminders.

As far as I can tell, it's good for a very small class of people: complete beginners who will find all the rules to be new, but are so excited about backpacking that they won't be turned off by the boring, pessimistic book. Personally, I learned just as much from the much shorter section of tips in the beginning of Backpacking California, even though I had not backpacked a whole bunch before reading either.

If you are new to backpacking and the backcountry, then this is probably the book for you as it has a little information on just about every backpacking subject imaginable. If you have moderate to extensive experience backpacking then you will probably find the information in this book very basic. I have moderate experience and I plowed through about half the book before I permanently set it down out of boredom.

I really liked the thorough coverage of this book, but some of the environmental talk is a bit overdone. Talking of the environmental impact of swimming in a stream is silly. The real environmental problems that I've seen in the forests are the result of people who have no respect for nature's beauty.

This book covers everything that a general backpacker needs to know about hiking and camping. The few things the author doesn't cover (great detail about hiking specific specialized terrain, for example), he lists additional resources for. This book is well-written and clearly organized, and includes wilderness first aid, cooking and menu-planning, navigation, how to pack a backpack comfortably, how to select gear, and where to go for more information. There is much more included in the book, including stories from the author's own experience, and some information about ultralight backpacking. Especially valuable is the detailed information about leading a group into the wilderness, how to send out a search party, how to signal for help in all environments, and how to ensure that everyone in a group is comfortable.

I've seen many other similar books, and none provide the excellent level of detail that this book provides. I recommend it most highly.

This is absolutely the most thought out, realistic, pertinent, and easiest to read book reagrding wilderness adventure I have seen yet. The book not only covers things like what food to bring, but increases in nutritional needs for the rigors of backpacking, and how to maintain optimal health. The order which material is presented is cohesive and sound, with tips and strategies to help your every need. I could not reccomend this book enough. It offers a wealth of pictures and diagrams, from the basic types of packs, diagrams of stoves and their parts, to weather systems, and examples for tying food up in trees or making survival shelters. If you need a lot of visual guidance and don't want to read a boring manual about something you are trying to maintain excitment about then this book is it! It will inspire you to be out there and will enable you to "leave no trace" of having ever been!

This book is a wonderful combination of practical and useful information. It covers everything you need to know to hike or backpack safely and with basic equipment. I particularly enjoyed the information and about maintaining your equipment (I'm a klutz). I also liked the fact that it went into detail as to how to keep clean on the trail and how to maintain cleanliness and leave no impact on the campsite/environment. Unfortunately I left my first copy under my blankets in my tent cabin in Yosemite and now have to buy another copy.

I was amazed at the breadth of material in this book. Some things seem a little out of place, like several pages of instructions on specific brands of camp stoves or water filters, but 99% of everything you need to know to prepare for the backcountry is there, with little space wasted.

If your looking for a truely well written backpackers reference, then this is it. This book covers all the topics, has valuable tips, and superb illistrations. A true field manual worth carrying.

Great book that was eazy to read and had a great deal on information. I take it with me everytime I go backpacking or hiking. A must own for anyone that likes hiking or backpacking.