The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail [Kindle Edition]

Andrew Skurka (Author)

Book Description

Supreme long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka shares his hard-earned knowledge in this essential guide to backpacking gear and skills. Described by National Geographic as “one of the best traveled and fastest hikers on the planet,” and named “Adventurer of the Year” by Outside and “Person of the Year” by Backpacker, Skurka recounts what he’s learned from more than 30,000 miles of long-distance adventures, most recently a 4,700-mile 6-month loop around Alaska and Canada’s Yukon.

Whether you’re a first-time backpacker, an occasional weekend warrior or a seasoned long-distance trekker, you’ll love this guide. Learn exactly what you need to carry – both on your back and between your ears – for all seasons and circumstances through a show-and-tell of clothing, footwear, backpacks, shelter and sleep systems, and more, as well as through detailed articles on foot care, campsite selection and hiking efficiency. Skurka’s practical and priceless recommendations give you all the tools and techniques you’ll need to hit the trail.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Andrew] Skurka, Outside magazine's 2010 'Adventurer of the Year,' packs his comprehensive guide with practical information about the best clothing, footwear, trekking poles, backpacks, sleeping bags, knives, shelter systems, and cooking gear that will help you plan your next trip."
--Scouting Magazine

About the Author

A graduate of Duke University, ANDREW SKURKA is a sponsored long-distance backpacker, paid speaker, and writer. He has hiked 25,000-plus miles since 2002, most recently on a 4,700-mile loop around Alaska and the Yukon. Named "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic Adventure (describing him as "a Gen Y version of Thoreau") and "Person of the Year" by Backpacker Magazine, he was also featured in Outside and Men's Journal. Skurka has appeared in numerous newspapers and television broadcasts. 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 6679 KB
• Print Length: 224 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (February 21, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0078XD4AA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,723 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Walking
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Excursion Guides
  • #16 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Instructional

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Useful March 28, 2012

By Clarke Green

Format:Paperback

My first backpacking trip was a hike to a trail shelter in Shenandoah National Park in the early seventies. My brother and I carried frame-less canvas backpacks with webbing shoulder straps that my dad padded with upholstery foam. I don't recall the sleeping bags or much else about the gear we used because my brother and I were much more interested in the creek near the shelter.

Dad poured over Colin Fletcher's new book The Complete Walker and so did I. We studied his techniques and emulated them. We wrote away for catalogs and made a few pilgrimages to Vienna Virginia from our home in Fall's Church to a backpacking and camping gear shop (what was the name of that place?) to buy what we could afford and that wasn't much.

Forty years later we are inundated with a torrential stream of gear and advice making the `right' choice of either nearly impossible. Colin Fletcher's simple gospel has fractured into dogmatic schisms, each with their holy book, magazine or website. Now there are backpackers, lightweight backpackers, ultralight backpackers and many flavors in between. I've read many backpacking books, tons of articles and blog posts and have grown tired of their often circular logic, rehashed advice and wondered if advertising dollars skewed their opinions.

Andrew Skurka's new book The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide will change the way how we sling a pack on our backs and hoof it into the wild just as Fletcher's Complete Walker once did. Fletcher's first books recorded his monumental treks (The Thousand Mile Summer and The Man Who Walked Through Time) and these expeditions resulted in The Complete Walker. Skurka's stunning 30,000 miles of trekking over the past decade have resulted in The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide.... His writing is as focused, practical and essential as his twenty pound pack - there's nothing in it you don't need.

Skurka's writing may lack Fletcher's prosaic warmth but it's a great counterpoint to a lot of outdoor how-to books that, in their attempt at warmth, become cloying and unfocused.

The first section of the book asks and answers the questions that many don't think to ask until they are out on the trail with too much and/or too little gear, blistered feet, and soaking wet with no hope of getting dry; why am I doing this? Skurka uses his first real backpacking experience (a through hike of the Appalachian trail!) to explain what you are getting yourself into. He offers direction and advice that, if heeded, will save readers a great deal of discomfort.

An extensive analysis of the construction, function and use of gear follows. Skurka explains why and how things ought to work in a way that makes choosing gear relatively painless. While he does mention of specific models and manufacturers he goes well beyond the model number. The final section of the book offers gear lists for several different environments.

If you don't think this sounds like anything new in one way you are right; there isn't much new information in the guide because you don't really need new information. When the Complete Walker was published forty plus years ago there were only a handful of books on the subject; now the amount of information out there can bring your trip planning and gear research to a standstill of indecision.

In this age of limitless information I value expert advice and observation presented between the covers a book. Those covers ward off distractions and focus our attention on information that really matters.

The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide is my new go-to resource for backpacking gear information: it's truly useful. Read more ›

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Benchmark March 6, 2012

By Anonymous

Format:Paperback

I read, last year on Andrew Skurka's webpage, that he was attempting to write an update to Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker". I was surprised at the audaciousness of his goal, but now I have read his new book and I feel that he has succeeded in setting a new benchmark for the first time since Fletcher. Whether a beginner or an experienced hiker, Skurka's new book should be the next hiking-related purchase that anyone makes. It can save you years of trial-and-error and thousands of dollars in less-than-optimum gear purchase decisions.

"The Ultimate Hiker's Gearguide" succinctly relates the current state-of-the-art in hiking gear and skills. Although he is not bound by it, Skurka is definitely a student of the "ultralight" school of hiking. Started 25-30 years ago by Ray Jardine (who is still active and still sells kits to make his excellent equipment designs; [link deleted by Amazon]), the history and current state of this movement is well documented in a recent series of seven essays by Ron Moak ([link deleted by Amazon-- see the website for Six Moons Designs]). For those who wish to continue the "old school" (I am about half and half, myself), Fletcher and others are still available, and the outdoor industry is still selling heavy boots, double-walled tents, and zippered sleeping bags.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Reads like stereo instructions. February 23, 2012

By Justin

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

First off it is a fantastic book for those just getting into backpacking. It is packed (pun intended) with information. In fact, I now know more about goose down vs synthetic fill than I may have ever wanted to.

Overall, reading this book cover to cover is tedious. Andrew's first hand accounts are few and far between, but when they do occur are like a breath of fresh air. His "Skurka's Picks" are the highlight of the book. Everything else just reads like techno babble for the uninitiated. I was really hoping for more of his insight not indepth fabric specs that most of those with atleast some gear experience are already aware of.

Also, it is very short for an "ultimate" guide, less than 300 pages. If it was more entertaining I would have finished it in a few hours. I purchased the Kindle Fire version and I wonder if the book was even looked at by an editor. There are many errors in the text and the format doesn't seem very professionally done.

For ten bucks I would still make the purchase again, there is a lot to learn here depending on your skill level. My expectations were just too high.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good knowledge of assumptions April 21, 2012

By A. Whitlock

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

No one can question Skurka's bona fides, but it would be easy to ask whether someone with Skurka's approach to hiking/backpacking could offer sound advice to "the rest of us." The answer is, yes. He understands his assumptions and the difference between his context and that of others. He is also honest about how he is constantly evolving and improving his style and gear. As a result, he doesn't preach or pretend to know what is right for everyone. He simply tells you what has worked for him, what he's using now, and what might work for you under various circumstances. The reader is provided plenty to think about, but must still understand his or her own context, skill level, and goals to make good use of the information. If you are someone who constantly "tweaks your kit", this book will keep the creative juices flowing!

The only reasons I don't give 5 stars is that the information on specific products is apt to be outdated quickly and, as I see Skurka becoming the spokesperson for a number of brands, I wonder if his reviews are completely objective.

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