With thousands of all-weather miles to his credit, from North America, Europe, and Asia, Chris Townsend is the ultimate guide for backpackers of all levels. The Advanced Backpacker is an invaluable fusion of expert information and unlimited inspiration, featuring detailed discussions of everything from finding routes and choosing locations to planning, financing, equipping, and supplying oneself for the long haul. Offering readers unprecedented insight into the extensive preparations required to develop the body and psyche of a long-distance hiker, Townsend addresses the specifics of hiking in all climates, from deserts and mountains to the arctic tundra and the tropics. The Advanced Backpacker offers top-level navigation techniques as well as specific safety and health precautions for extreme heat and cold.
Table of contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Inspiration and Reality 2. Long Trails 3. Further Afield 4. Preparation and Planning 5. Food, Water, and Resupply 6. Feet and Footwear 7. Controlling the Load: Selecting Equipment 8. On the Trail and in Camp 9. Snow Travel 10. Afterword Resources Metric Conversion Table Index About the Author
You already know the basics of backpacking. Now your goal is to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, make a solo trip through Denali, or see the far corners of the globe on your own two feet--you're ready to wander right off the map. No matter where in the world you aim for--the Sierra Nevadas, Scandinavia, or beyond--there's a good chance that Chris Townsend has been there before you. With over 20,000 long- and short-distance hiking miles to his credit, Townsend shares with you the secrets he's learned while backpacking the world's most challenging and rewarding terrains: Nepal, the desert Southwest, the Scottish Highlands, the Yukon, the Pyrenees, and much more. The Advanced Backpacker explains everything there is to know about hiking on terrains from the desert to the arctic and in all kinds of weather. It gives you the tools you need for group or solo hiking on the long trail, the trackless wilderness, or the most remote and exotic corners of the planet. Praise for The Backpacker's Handbook: "Townsend's time-honored recommendations draw extensively from his often intense field experiences. . . . Every imaginable topic is covered thoroughly and engagingly."--Backpacker "An clear and comprehensive primer."--Sierra "Belongs in every bookcase dealing with outdoor topics. . . . Chockablock full of useful, practical, common-sense info. . . . If you tramp the outdoors, get this book."--Maine Sportsman
Chris Townsend is one of the world's best-known and most successful long-distance, rough-terrain hikers, with thousands of miles covered in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is also author of Backpacker's Handbook, Second Edition. The Advanced Backpacker is a comprehensive handbook for the serious backpacker that will provide both inspiration and information, with detailed dicussions on everything from researching and choosing a location to planning, equipping, and supplying oneself en route. Townsend will cover how to prepare both physically and mentally for the challenge as well as considerations for hiking in deserts, mountains, arctic tundra, and other isolated wilderness areas - as well wel hiking, camping and surviving in extreme heat, cold, and wetness. He will discuss cultural considerations for third-world travel, emergency first aid, advanced navigation techniques, solo hiking, safety and health considerations, and how to select the best equipment for the trek you plan. Townsend, whose hikers include a 1,600-mile trek the length of the Canadian Rockies, a 3,000-mile hike from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide Trail, 1,000 miles across the Yukon, the lengths of the Grand Canyon and Pacific Crest Trail, as well as shorter (relatively) adventures in Europe and Asia, will also discuss strategies for reentering society after lengthy trips. The Advanced Backpacker also offers thumbnail descriptions of major world hikes, and a detailed resources section. The book will feature a detailed how-to art program along with evocative photographs the author, an acoomplished photographer, has collected on his adventures.
Table of contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Inspiration and Reality 2. Long Trails 3. Further Afield 4. Preparation and Planning 5. Food, Water, and Resupply 6. Feet and Footwear 7. Controlling the Load: Selecting Equipment 8. On the Trail and in Camp 9. Snow Travel 10. Afterword Resources Metric Conversion Table Index About the Author
You already know the basics of backpacking. Now your goal is to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, make a solo trip through Denali, or see the far corners of the globe on your own two feet--you're ready to wander right off the map. No matter where in the world you aim for--the Sierra Nevadas, Scandinavia, or beyond--there's a good chance that Chris Townsend has been there before you. With over 20,000 long- and short-distance hiking miles to his credit, Townsend shares with you the secrets he's learned while backpacking the world's most challenging and rewarding terrains: Nepal, the desert Southwest, the Scottish Highlands, the Yukon, the Pyrenees, and much more. The Advanced Backpacker explains everything there is to know about hiking on terrains from the desert to the arctic and in all kinds of weather. It gives you the tools you need for group or solo hiking on the long trail, the trackless wilderness, or the most remote and exotic corners of the planet. Praise for The Backpacker's Handbook: "Townsend's time-honored recommendations draw extensively from his often intense field experiences. . . . Every imaginable topic is covered thoroughly and engagingly."--Backpacker "An clear and comprehensive primer."--Sierra "Belongs in every bookcase dealing with outdoor topics. . . . Chockablock full of useful, practical, common-sense info. . . . If you tramp the outdoors, get this book."--Maine Sportsman
Chris Townsend is one of the world's best-known and most successful long-distance, rough-terrain hikers, with thousands of miles covered in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is also author of Backpacker's Handbook, Second Edition. The Advanced Backpacker is a comprehensive handbook for the serious backpacker that will provide both inspiration and information, with detailed dicussions on everything from researching and choosing a location to planning, equipping, and supplying oneself en route. Townsend will cover how to prepare both physically and mentally for the challenge as well as considerations for hiking in deserts, mountains, arctic tundra, and other isolated wilderness areas - as well wel hiking, camping and surviving in extreme heat, cold, and wetness. He will discuss cultural considerations for third-world travel, emergency first aid, advanced navigation techniques, solo hiking, safety and health considerations, and how to select the best equipment for the trek you plan. Townsend, whose hikers include a 1,600-mile trek the length of the Canadian Rockies, a 3,000-mile hike from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide Trail, 1,000 miles across the Yukon, the lengths of the Grand Canyon and Pacific Crest Trail, as well as shorter (relatively) adventures in Europe and Asia, will also discuss strategies for reentering society after lengthy trips. The Advanced Backpacker also offers thumbnail descriptions of major world hikes, and a detailed resources section. The book will feature a detailed how-to art program along with evocative photographs the author, an acoomplished photographer, has collected on his adventures.