Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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144 of 150 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, but, September 30, 2003
Jardine expertly conveys a wealth of information on how to lose pounds from your pack, keep food from bears and generally enjoy your time in the backcountry. I'd go so far as to say, I likely would not have completed my PCT throughhike without this book.Though most of the book is condensed wisdom, some of Jardine's suggestions struck me as dubious. For example: 1) Suggesting people will get used to giardia is irresponsible. Some may, some may not. Sitting on a porcelain throne is no way to spend your hike. 2) Quilts are cold and drafty. The bottoms of sleeping bags, where the insulation is compressed, do provide a function: they keep the cold air out. 3) Taking your own silverware to a restaurant is dubious. There are many ways to get digestive tract illness, dirty silverware at a restaurant is just one and not the most likely. 4) People taking help from trail angels are not parasites. (Though people expecting help from trail angels may be.) 5) Many people need to eat for comfort as well as nutrition. I don't recommend Ray's trail menu unless you are not fond of eating. 6) Recommending stealth camping as a tactic to avoid bears was also irresponsible. Many people do not take bear canisters, get nervous when bears stalk their camp and then try hanging their food, which the bears happily eat. This is driving the Rangers nuts as bears increasingly become habituated to people food, making the bears potentially dangerous. 7) Do not count on vibrational harmony keeping mosquitoes away. Odds are, most bugs haven't read Jardine's book and don't know you are in vibrational harmony with them. Use DEET. Still anyone hiking should benefit from this book. Just don't let Mr. Jardine do all the thinking for you.
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122 of 128 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is not beyond backpacking: it is about backpacking, July 13, 2000
Most beginning backpackers buy what looks like the best equipment using ads in magazines, recommendations of store personnel, and suggestions from friends who occasionally hike. I did the same, and found myself overloaded with goods, out a lot of money, and struggling on the trail. I couldn't help think that there must be a better way. I looked through several books on backpacking before going out and overlooked this one because of the title. I thought the title, Beyond Backpacking, suggested a text for experienced backpackers - not me. After an initial arduous struggle, I read and bought the book. Beyond Backpacking is the answer to easy and economical backpacking - and it is more relevant to beginners. Ray's book covers the basics of backpacking without any hype and dispels many of its myths. Important items, such as footwear, clothing, backpacks, food, cooking utensils and tents, are covered in unexpected detail and clarity. For example, I thought the best shoes for backpacking were the sturdiest, thickest full-grained leather with gore-tex liners. Ray jokingly mocks the boot advertisements and explains why a lightweight pair of trail sneakers works better. Another good example, with clothing, is the selection of socks. He uses and recommends thin nylon socks because they are durable, inexpensive, somewhat breathable, and easy to hand wash and dry. I think I unknowingly wasted about $15 bucks on each pair of smartwool socks. Ray's writing is clear and easy to follow. Each subject is covered very thoroughly. Beginners, like myself, may want to skim through some sections to gain some basic knowledge and understanding. More advanced backpackers may want to read sections more thoroughly and compare their knowledge and experience with his. Mr. Jardine provides his C.V.; listing some of his hikes, trail experience, and manufacturing experience. He qualifies as an expert and, in the text, usually points out where others' views differ. As a person, I am very critical. Under most circumstances I would not give a book a five star rating. This one gets it because it is well written, covers the subject thoroughly, and, if I would have been smart enough to read this book before shopping for gear, I would have saved several times its cost, been more comfortable on the trail, and traveled farther and easier. My only criticism of the book is the misleading title. What is "Beyond backpacking"? Kayaking? Bicycle touring? Astral projection? Virtual camping? I overlooked this book when starting out because of the title. This book is a worthwhile investment for the beginning backpacker and may also appeal to the experienced backpacker unfamiliar with the lighter less expensive approach to enjoying the outdoors.
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52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required reading for hikers and backpackers, September 9, 2003
By A Customer
Jardine is a VERY experienced hiker, backpacker, and climber; he's done it all, many times. In this book he basically says, "here's how I do it, you may want to do that too."A word of caution before you approach this book: it is not for novices or people approaching hiking/ backpacking with initial enthusiasm and expecting an uplifting and nicely illustrated book. Jardine's tone is often critical of established hiking practices. Some of his own suggestions will seem extreme or absurd to a novice. You need to have gone to a few overnight hikes before you can start to understand, let alone agree with, Jardine. Pros:
Tried and true strategies from an experienced expert. As an experienced hiker, I agree with Jardine in most of the book, even if I do not practice similarly. The most useful advice is on ruthlessly cutting down the weight of your pack and gear. Also very useful are his insights on "stealth" camping, water purification, trail food, footwear, dealing with bears and bugs, etc. He even covers the use of ice axes! The book is a relatively large compendium of thought provoking ideas. Cons:
You must know where Jardine's coming from in this book: 100-day long continuous hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and other mega-hikes. This type of outdoor activity does not appeal to me, and I bet most of us won't be doing it either (got time to take a 100-day vacation? wanna spend it all in the woods?). Here are a couple of examples of how the mega-hike mentality skews the usefulness of the advice in this book. Jardine pushes for cutting down on pack weight. However, he mentions how he lugs along many gallons of watter on long and dry trail stretches, and as we all know, water is about the heaviest bulk in your pack. Also, he says, don't stuff your down bag in the sack, it will lose its loft. Of course it will, if you hike 100 days non-stop!!! But if I go for a weekend overnight, I certainly want the lightest and smallest package, which means a tightly stuffed down bag. Jardine also lashes out against the supposedly low nutritional value of dehydrated bag-meals, which may also contain additives like MSG. If I hiked 100 days non-stop, I would also care about this. However, on the occasional overnight hike, I want a tasty, no-hassle warm meal, that is also light to carry, and dehydrated does it for me. In addition, the consistent insistence on making your own gear is a tad bit extreme; there are plenty of lightweight options in outdoor shops nowadays. Overall: read this book. My cons section is longer than the pro's since I did not list all the good ideas Jardine has :) He is very passionate about hiking and very experienced; his writing is biased, yet his ideas are useful and interesting.
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