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Backpacking and Hiking (EYEWITNESS COMPANION GUIDES)
 
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
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List Price: $20.00
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Product Description
Backpacking and Hiking is an illustrated, practical guide to hiking at all levels, including organizing a hike or camping trip, hiking equipment and techniques, safety, and first aid.
These lavishly illustrated handbooks cover everything you need to know on subjects ranging from classical music and hiking to learning how to golf or play the guitar.

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Customer Reviews
Helpful Guide for Adventurous Exploration
 
Review Date: May 26, 2006
Reviewer: Rebecca Johnson, Washington State
Hiking helps you escape from a fast-paced, complex, and often stressful world. Some hikers enjoy a slow, relaxed walk, taking in the scenery, while others like to take on nature and push themselves to the limit. However you choose to hike, it should be a safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable experience. ~Karen Berger

Karen Berger has enjoyed walking over 17,000 miles through a wide variety of landscapes on six continents. Her outdoor expertise is especially evident in the Eyewitness Companions Backpacking & Hiking guide. The chapters include:

Choosing a Destination
Clothing and Equipment
Organizing a Hike
On the Trail
Camping
Overcoming Challenges
First Aid

The global hikes featured range from the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Washington to the Inca Trail in The Andes, Peru. Distance, Average Time to Complete, Accessibility and Resources are included along with Karen Berger's observations about the areas to explore.

"The trail passes through lowland temperate rainforest and climbs an exposed alpine pass, then descends to sea level." ~ pg. 27

While the beginning of the book explores a more global hiking lifestyle, the rest of the book is still practical for general hiking information that can be used when you are hiking closer to home or on a vacation. There is a wealth of information on surviving temperature changes and layering and fabrics are discussed in detail. The section on footwear will help you select the right socks and shoes for a variety of weather conditions. The "Packing Your Backpack" section shows exactly how to arrange items so you avoid discomfort.

What to take with you? There are many chapters on essential equipment. Everything from water bottles to specialist equipment like insulating socks or traction devices for shoes. GPS systems are analyzed and there are a number of checklists to make sure nothing is forgotten, including how much food to take. A variety of foods are discussed and may I say the Clif Bars are a tasty idea. Navigation and map reading is discussed in detail and interesting details like observing plants and the stars to find your way makes the experience even more natural and challenging.

Predicting weather is a section that helps you stay safe and additional safety advice (common ailments and medical emergencies) explains when you should turn around and go back due to extreme conditions or how to deal with medical problems. Overall, this is one of the most helpful guides to hiking you may ever find. It is detailed, thoughtful and the pictures are inspirational.

~The Rebecca Review
great starter book
 
Review Date: June 19, 2009
Reviewer: w causey,
this is a great starter book if your thinking I what to get into backpacking or hiking then this sould be the first book you get . remindber the guy at the hiking store is there to sell you as much as he can not just what you need this book can help you form spending to much when your just starting out
Not up to DK standards...who is this book for?
 
Review Date: May 23, 2007
Reviewer: Surface to Air Missle, USA
I am a big fan of DK Eyewitness Books, mainly for the organization of their content and their great visual references. I recently purchased this book used for 2 dollars but this book falls into a similar category that many outdoors books suffer from: lack of identity.

This book is great for looking at pictures of equipment and brief descriptions of general outdoor principles. The problem with it though is that it doesn't go into enough detail about any one subject, and tries to cover to many bases. It's limited by it's size and it suffers in its brevity. Many other books go into much more detail and have more opinionated content which is important when discussing gear. Is this supposed to be taken with you on a camping trip? It's survival section is very sparse and isn't adequate enough to adequately cover the subject.

Not compact of specific to be a field guide, not large enough to be a real backpacking/hiking guide, this book falls into a useless category.

Bottom Line: I would recommend the Backpackers Handbook by Chris Townsend for a more in depth general guide, and area specific guides for actual camping.
Horribly UNorganized: A difficult read.
 
Review Date: December 3, 2008
Reviewer: Bryan Schuman, Federal Way, WA United States
While everything in this book is more or less technically true, and it does contain a few advanced technique tips, it's just not worth it.

The book has small print, that is hard to read. Topics are covered briefly, in no detail or real discussion. Topics are sometimes repeated. Diagrams and photos can be nice, but clutter up the space on the pages, making for a layout that is chaotic and difficult to follow. The book manages to miss some of the most important topics for newbies; namely topics like pooping in the woods, and similar considerations for women. The offerings here are no more than what one can find on any number of sites on the internet for free. Generally though, it's useless fluff, even for a beginner. I would recommend Day Hiker's Handbook STRONGLY over this useless waste of trees.

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