The Complete Walker IV (Paperback)

by Colin Fletcher (Author), Chip Rawlins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
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..
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
For the first time since 1984, we have a new edition of the classic book that Field & Stream called “the Hiker’s Bible.” For this version, the celebrated writer and hiker Colin Fletcher has taken on a coauthor, Chip Rawlins, himself an avid outdoorsman and a poet from Wyoming. Together, they have made this fourth edition of The Complete Walker the most informative, entertaining, and thorough version yet.

The eighteen years since the publication of The Complete Walker III have seen revolutionary changes in hiking and camping equipment: developments in waterproofing technology, smaller and more durable stoves, lighter boots, more manageable tents, and a wider array of food options. The equipment recommendations are therefore not merely revised and tweaked, but completely revamped. During these two decades we have also seen a deepening of environmental consciousness. Not only has backpacking become more popular, but a whole ethic of responsible outdoorsmanship has emerged. In this book the authors confidently lead us through these technological, ethical, and spiritual changes.

Fletcher and Rawlins’s thorough appraisal and recommendation of equipment begins with a “Ground Plan,” a discussion of general hiking preparedness. How much to bring? What are the ideal clothes, food, boots, and tents for your trip? They evaluate each of these variables in detail—including open, honest critiques and endorsements of brand-name equipment. Their equipment searches are exhaustive; they talk in detail about everything from socks to freeze-dried trail curries.

They end as they began, with a philosophical and literary disquisition on the reasons to walk, capped off with a delightful collection of quotes about walking and the outdoor life. After a thoughtful and painstaking analysis of hiking gear from hats to boots, from longjohns to tent flaps, they remind us that ultimately hiking is about the experience of being outdoors and seeing the green world anew.

Like its predecessors, The Complete Walker IV is an essential purchase for anyone captivated by the outdoor life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 864 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Revised edition (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375703233
• ISBN-13: 978-0375703232
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,944 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth twice its weight in gold, September 10, 2002

By	C. Clemens "random lunatic" (a big pile of dirt, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like sitting around the fire listening to stories, June 1, 2002

By	K. Luangkesorn (PA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still splendid after all these years!, May 30, 2002

By	Steve Brandon (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Walker IV (Hardcover)

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).