Chris Townsend

Winner of the Outdoor Writers Guild award for excellence, this inspired guide from one of the world's best-traveled adventurers offers essential, up-to-the-minute information and advice on all aspects of backcountry trekking for hikers and backpackers of every stripe. From planning and techniques to gear, it's all covered in succinct, highly readable fashion in an expanded, visually arresting update of a proven bestseller. The Backpacker's Handbook is the only major guide to deliver an in-depth look at all backpacking styles, from ultralight to long-distance hiking. New material on trekking in challenging environments such as deserts and mountains will appeal to hikers who love to push the envelope. Chris Townsend's anecdotal style makes for a book that invites reading from cover to cover, yet is designed to let readers find specific topics quickly. The Backpacker's Handbook teaches us how to make traveling through the wild truly enjoyable and fulfilling while protecting its natural beauty.From the Back Cover" . . . the joy of walking through the ever-changing, ever-constant natural world, the magic of waking to sunlight glinting on a mist-wreathed lake, the excitement of striding through a mountain storm. . . . " These, wrote Chris Townsend in the universally praised first edition of The Backpacker's Handbook, are but some of the reasons to backpack. Here is all you need to do so safely and comfortably. In this thoroughly revised and updated Second Edition, Townsend uses his gently encouraging tone and his own experiences to show what can go wrong. He is slave to neither tradition nor to technology: He recommends pile and Gore-Tex, and has long since abandoned his tarp for a tent, but he still prefers wool socks. And because he believes that "wilderness needs defending from those who love it," Townsend's emphasis throughout is on low-impact camping. The First Edition's success was due to its enormous practicality for backpackers of all skill levels, with everything from essential techniques for every backpacking trip--such as map and compass work--to the skills needed for more remote wilderness journeys--such as how to ford rivers safely and how to choose a route in untracked terrain. To this now add such topics as hiking in deserts, ultralight backpacking, and adventure trekking in distant corners of the globe. The Backpacker's Handbook teaches us how to make traveling through the wild truly enjoyable and fulfilling while protecting its natural beauty. Townsend's advice is always sensible, rarely doctrinaire, never condescending. "Every imaginable topic, from choosing and using equipment, to wilderness nutrition and cooking, to backcountry skills and hazards, is covered thoroughly and engagingly."--Backpacker"The novice as well as the experienced hiker should benefit from this book."--Travel Books Worldwide"Townsend has written a clear and comprehensive primer on backpacking gear. His knowledge in this area is immense."--Sierra"For those thinking of taking a backpack journey, The Backpacker's Handbook is required reading."--Daily Local News (West Chester, Pennsylvania) "The most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to equipment and technique available anywhere. Highly recommended."--Backpack (UK) About the AuthorOne of the world's best-known and most experienced rough-terrain hikers, Chris Townsend has been backpacking for more than 25 years. His most notable adventures include a 1988 trek spanning the 1,600-mile length of the Canadian Rockies, a 1,000-mile walk through the Yukon, and a monumental 3,000-mile expedition from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide Trail. Townsend is the author of Wilderness Skiing and Winter Camping and Walking the Yukon, also by Ragged Mountain Press, and of High Summer, Adventure Treks: Western North America, and The Great Backpacking Adventure. When not on the trail, Townsend lives in Scotland.