Customer Reviews

The Complete Walker IV

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i dragged my feet before buying this book. i thought "i've already read plenty of books about backpacking." i wasn't exactly satisfied with any of them, but i learned a little from each different title. i finally bought this book 5 days ago from the Lodgepole Ranger Station bookstore in Sequoia NP, on a crazy impulse.

OH MY GOSH. 800+ pages of the most useful, precise information i've ever read anywhere (and i've read a lot). these two guys know their stuff, and are eloquent, realistic, CLEAR, and mildly humourous when they talk about it. this is so far above & beyond the quality of other books on the subject - i'm blown away. i've been reading it nonstop for 5 days. it covers everything: shoes (from full-scale boots to trail runners to hiking sandals & tons in-between), socks, packs, tents, clothing, weather, food, cooking, stoves, lights, hats, animals... the authors have EXTENSIVE experience and it really shines through. there is an extensive listing of additional reading material on every subject they discuss, plus gear lists from various trips of their own. this is a treasure trove.

as a HUGE plus, the book is fun to read. witty, wry humour and their very honest accounts of their own dumb mistakes help readers not to feel like we're begging at the table for crumbs of their vast banquet of knowledge.

if you feel like you could stand to learn a little more about ANY aspect of backpacking, this book will totally exceed your expectations. it's THE MOST useful book i've read in a long, long time.

If you are looking for a gearhead book or a 'just the facts' piece, this is not it. It is two people (Fletcher is the old tried and true guy, Rowling is the relatively young and uses the new stuff guy. The style is having a conversation talking about the things you should know. Not just a list of 101 things you need and 1001 line comparative gear guide, but stories that illustrate what is important and why, both in terms of gear but also about how to use the gear, and sometimes in not obvious ways. Having two authors with different experiences also allows them to discuss various schools of thought on hiking and the pros and cons of such things as ultralight, gourmet cooking and how these choices balance with things like deciding just why is it you are out there. Their gear reviews are also different than other places. It is not just about the piece in question but it also give good ideas about what to look for and the pros and cons of some basic choices that have to be made. This emphasis on teaching than on individual pieces of equipment (although it does at least mention many product names) is probably what made version III of this useful for almost 20 years. I can see the same for this one.

It seems that Colin Fletcher has relinquished too much in this edition to his coauthor. Understandably he is no longer a gearhead and lets Chip Rawlins review equipment. Rawlins has at least as much text in these pages as Fletcher so be prepared for a different read.

I found it strange to read Rawlins writing about his ex-wife over and over again in these pages.

Regarding equipment reviews I don't see much point in reviewing specific gear choices as so many products in the outdoor industry are replaced every couple of years now. This is a static snapshot at best and it would be better to cover design generalities rather than specific tents and packs that will be out of production by the time you read this book.

I'd also prefer to see more discussion about technique than equipment.

This book - in all of its previous editions - was always a delightful companion for the outdoors enthusiast, full of wit, cheekiness, and wry observational humor. It's also the single best source of information about camping & hiking gear (philosophically and materially). The text's new, "conversational" dialogue between Fletcher and Rawlins takes some getting used to, but the different perspectives of the two authors have really increased the book's usefulness and value - Rawlins seems perfectly suited to serve as Fletcher's authorial mate and foil. Again, the practical info. is priceless, but the real star of the book continues to be the writing. I don't know how many times I have (once again) found myself laughing aloud while reading passages from this book. This is the camping & hiking book against which all others are measured (and I've certainly read more than my share of them).

If there were 6 stars, that is what I would give this book. I read the other reviews after I had written mine and oddly (or perhaps not oddly) they seemed similar. Oh well.

I was very interested in how this book would be revised to cover this quickly growing and changing subject. How do you take the overwhelming explosion of products and ideas about backpacking that have developed over the last decades and try to write about them? Well, Fletcher and Rawlins start by discussing that very subject. How do you keep 845 pages on gear and technique from being a long pedestrian trudge? I'm not sure, but somehow they combined personal experiences, wry humor and charming illustrations to do so. The book abounds with illustrations that are as beautiful as they are functional. Mostly though, they used their own unique writing styles to accomplish the task and completed a remarkable compilation of facts about backpacking gear and technique that reads like a novel. The two authors take turns writing about each subject, sometimes each idea. They seem to have similar philosophies (e.g., get out and do it, and gear is only a means to that end) yet the juxtaposing of ideas gives the book a fresh, and I think, healthy flavor. With many fine (and some not-fine) books available on the subject they still managed to write a remarkable, complete, and interesting book that is not just a rehash of what has already been said. Some of (the late) Vanna Price's familiar illustrations from the original edition again bring the subject to life. There is also some of the original text where appropriate. Hannah Hinchman's illustrations do a nice job of taking up where Vanna Price left off. More than just a "how to" book, the authors have managed to embrace "why to" appreciate the wilderness on foot. Reviewers often say things like "nothing comparable" or "Without a doubt a classic". This time it might be true.

I balked when I first heard about a book on 'walking' when I was 17 and the first edition came out. I have climbed and hiked Colorado and its fourteeners since I was fifteen, and couldnt imagine a book on how to walk.

Some years back I picked up a copy for fun and on sale. Now at 47 and still an avid camper and climber, I just ditched Walker III for Walker IV. Why? While similar in many aspects, it is indeed worth the $20 in additional information. After sifting through many titles on the camping and climbing [topics] this is one of the BEST single volume versions covering many topics, giving practical as well as theoretical advice. What distinguishes it from other excellent books is its plain language and examples. You need not be a techy to digest this book. It is a good read on its own if you have even a modest interst in the topics of hiking and camping.

I might add that while there is more thorough coverage of topics such as Mountaineering and first aid, for the neophyte, the impatient, frugal, or generalist, this is the place to start. Jack of all and master of some trades.

I personally feel that gear is a large part of the practice, by interest and by necessity. Thus the reviews are worthwhile, and while disclaimed to be what the authors found to fit thier needs, it is safe to assume they have the breadth of experience most of us lack. It is somewhat clear to me that the reviews are impartial and not the focus in least of the book.

The sections on tents, clothing, food, lights, survival, and many old and new anecdotes give life and readability to this tome.

Checklists are great and thorough. If you know a lot or nothing there are tips and suggestions that will help. As an example I was interested in improving my food on trips, as I stick to a regimen established in the early 70's. While I am an avid and competant cook at home, I prefer simple, clean, and quick on the trail. After perusing gourment trail guides and the like, and finding some to be more intricate and involved than I feel practicable, Walker IV has great ideas which are easily implemented without multiple pots, dehydrating, etc., and using supplies from the grocery store as well as mountain shops. When looking to lighten my load, the information is there as well, and less evangelistic than the pamphlet that I examined on extreme light camping.

This book is a great way to have a reference akin to an experienced friend /outdoorsman to talk with on a subject whenever you like. After thirty years of gear and hiking, I find the advice to be solid and verifed in my own experience. It gives a perspective to, as well as outside of, high tech, high fashion, and other recent marketing trends which are changing the gear available.

I bought this book based on its overwhelmingly positive reviews. Having read the book, I can understand the effusive praise: there are certainly many parts that are deserving. In the best parts of the book, the writers definitely draw the reader into the "romance" of hiking/backpacking. There can be no question that their writing draws from authentic and tested (many times) experience, and they convey their thoughts in a manner that is very engaging, even infectious. In fact, I defy any reader to read this book and not be inspired to "get out there." For this reason alone I can highly recommend this book.

But there is another respect in which I found this book wanting. To call it "complete" is beyond overstatement. Really, this book is two books: a timeless one that romantically talks about "walking" with practical considerations and some tips and techniques conveyed as appropriate within the context of the broader "story," and one that is a painstaking, excruciating inventory of gear that was probably already fairly outdated at the time it was published and quite outdated now. Even more frustrating was how often something would be mentioned briefly, acknowledged as important, and then skipped (e.g., useful knots)! This from an 800+ page "Complete" tome! I can understand that a certain franchise has been built on the "Complete Walker" moniker, but at the very least it's misleading.

For future editions, my suggestions would be to 1) retain all the sections relating examples and "true story" types of experiences (there are many in the book and virtually all are excellent), 2) ruthlessly and dramatically condense the product/gear reviews (any such reviews will rapidly become dated but shelf life can be extended by focusing more on principles and only briefly noting specific exemplars extant), and 3) either increase the scope to include those subjects the writers themselves deem as important or drop the word "complete" in the title. With these changes, I would rate the revised edition five stars without reservation.

As it is, the current edition is a combination "walking" (albeit incomplete) manual and inspiration guide that handily rates five stars and a gear review that at best rates 3 stars. Hence, my four star rating.

This is the fourth edition of a book which first came out in 1968, which I read probably around 1970, and which as the name implies is all about walking. Or more accurately about hiking, backpacking and camping in all sorts of environments and situations.

The author is a colorful character named Colin Fletcher, although for this edition (which came out in 2002) he has a co-author named Chip Rawlins. He needs the co-author since he was just short of 80 in 2002, so wasn't getting out on the trails as frequently as he used to. And there's a lot of new gear out there.

Over the years Fletcher has written a number of books about his long hikes, including a six month walk through the Grand Canyon.

The Complete Walker IV contains a huge amount of information, much of it irrelevant to me, since I wont be snowshoeing through mountains or crossing the Colorado river on my air mattress. But it also contains great information if, like me, you are planning on doing some brief campouts in the spring and summer, including two and three night backpacking expeditions with young sons.

This is why I decided to re-read the book in it's new edition. After all, there's plenty of stuff that didn't even exist in 1970, like fleece clothes and self-inflating sleeping pads, as well as huge improvement in things like tents and backpacking stoves. So figured it was worth re-visiting the book.

And I wasn't disappointed. The Complete Walker IV is still a breeze to read (skimming or skipping the irrelevant sections), written with elegant humor and vigorous prose and loaded with advice on equipment and technique. It is very comprehensive, and also offers many suggestions for additional reading. For example, based on their recommendations I looked at a number of books on first aid and mountaineering medicine and have purchased two through Amazon.

So highly recommended if you have any interest at all in the subject - still "the hiker's Bible" as it was first labelled by Field and Stream in 1968.

I still have the first edition of "The Complete Walker" that my Dad bought me for my 12th birthday in 1969 - it's in horrible shape and the margins are full of notes that my Dad and I made as we read and re-read the book for years after: Fletcher was my genuine and personal inspiration and literally set a course for what became my lifetime sport.

Because I became so engrossed in backcountry trekking I never bought any of the subsequent editions - I've kept up with the evolution of gear over the years and just figured that I didn't need more information on gear and technique as I was living it. But a friend gave me "Walker IV" for my birthday this year and I have to say that I found it to be every bit as informative and inspirational as it was 35 years ago. Even though gear, and thus technique, have changed somewhat even since IV was published, I found both Fletcher and Rawlins offering some terrific observations and have led to even more fine-tuning or outright changes in the little things (and some of the big things, too) that I do when trekking. My 'new' edition is now marked with margin notes and although I don't think a single book is a substitute for experience (and I certainly have some disagreements with both Fletcher and Rawlins - but then they disagree with one another at times as well!) THIS single book can make life for both the beginning and expert trekker much, much simpler and serves, too, as a fulfilling and inspirational tome just as much today as it did 35 years ago.

To reiterate what might be a cautionary note: even though Walker IV is only 2 years old (as I write this) some of the specific gear - and companies - have changed or are no longer viable but new gear and new companies have filled the void so I wouldn't worry too much about IV being out-of-date. Keeping such a volume up-to-date would be a Herculean task and require a full-time staff, I think. Fletcher and Rawlins point you (for the most part) in the right direction and then you can work out your preferences (and prejudices!) from there. The Internet makes a great companion to the book - specs are simpler to find than in the days when you had to pour over catalogs, for instance, but, in the end, you're going to have to do your own research about, for instance, which sleeping bag is best for you, what winter skivvies keep you warm, etc. But The Complete Walker IV is a terrific starting point and an exceptional reference.

The Complete Walker is a very readable and comprehensive guide to backpacking. The authors' love of walking comes through, making this an enjoyable read. It covers everything from trends in lightweight backpacking to traditional pack mule living. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. It has a great index for tracking down specific topics. Also, you can read it in bits and bites without losing anything. The authors extensively cross reference any concept covered earlier in the book, so if you pick up and decide to start reading about sleeping bags, references to sleeping pad issues include a page-specific cross reference to that subject. Really well done. This book is thought of as the best for a reason. One WARNING though is that if you are looking for a review of the most recent gear, you won't find it here because this book was published in 2002. The concepts remain mostly the same, but manufacturers come out with new models over time, so the names and features change. This issue does not detract from the book though, I loved it; well worth the money.