| General Backpacking | |
|---|---|
| "The Backpacker's Field Manual: A Comprehensive Guide To Mastering Backcountry Skills", Rick Curtis, 1998 This was the first book we got to kind of "learn the ropes" of backcountry hiking. It served as a good reference for buying equipment and preparing us for what to expect. |  |
| "Hiking and Backpacking a Complete Guide", Karen Berger, 1995. A great reference for everything from how to pick the right equipment, to crossing rivers, to first aide, all packaged in a tough plastic cover w/ tough plastic-like pages (you can also get a basic paperback version). I've taken this on all of our hikes as a "just in case" reference if we run into a situation where we might need to consult a reference. Weighing in at an even pound, it might be the first thing to go when I'm trying to trim pack weight though. |  |
| Alaska | |
| "The Milepost: Trip Planner for Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta, and Northwest Territories", Morris Communications Corporation, 2000 This is a great mile-by-mile reference for all of those areas listed in the subtitle. It's probably 50% advertisements from local merchants, but sometimes that information is more valuable than that supplied by the text itself as far as what services are offered in specific towns. 768 pages. |  |
| "Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer",DeLorme, 2000 Anybody who's familiar with the DeLorme line of Atlas and Gazetteers knows what this is about. This is 145 pages of Alaska topographic maps with roads, and is so detailed that it seems driveways are sometimes included. If you don't have one of these for the state you travel in most, get one. 156 pages. |  |
| "Adventure Guide To The Alaska Highway", Ed and Lynn Readicker-Henderson, 1992 Picked this up for a buck-fifty, but it ended up being a fairly good resource on the the trip through Canada and much of Alaska. It gives a "Things to See/Do", "Accomodation", "Camping", "Food" breakdown of places along the way. It's probably a little out of date (esp prices), having been published nearly a decade ago. 207 pages. |  |
| "Alaska, Adventures in Nature", Paul Otteson, 1998 We got this as a gift for Christmas. I've only leafed through it for an hour or so so far. It looks like a good reference for a lot of towns in Alaska as far as the sights to see, where to stay and where to eat. 392 pages. |  |
| "Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping: Explore Alaska And The Yukon With RV Or Tent", Mike and Terri Church, 1998 This book focuses on what facilities are available where for those people going through Alaska in an RV or camping in a tent. It is packed with campground facilities information and directions on how to get to each campground (including GPS coordinates!). 412 pages. |  |
| Washington/Oregon | |
| "100 Classic Hikes in Washington", Ira Spring and Harvey Manning, 1998. This is a great book to look at. It is filled with colorful maps and beatiful scenic pictures that draw you in to keep reading. The content is equally impressive. Great hike overviews and descriptions. 256 pages. |  |
| "Hiking Olympic National Park", Erik Molvar, 1999 Great detailed information on some of the more popular and longer hikes in Olympic. A must have if your going to spend some time hiking in the park. |  |
| "Pacific Northwest Hiking: The Complete Guide to 1,000 of the Best Hikes in Washington and Oregon", Ron C. Judd and Dan A. Nelson, 1997. This is a great quick reference for just about every trail you'll come across in WA or OR. I wouldn't want to decide on an extended hike only by this book because it provides about a 2 hike per page summary, but it does pack a ton of info on each page along with a rating of scenery and difficulty per hike. It was useful for us to do a quick screening of our hikes, and will probably be valuable to us during our trip as we decide on quick 1/2 day trips. 640 pages. |  |
| "Hiking The Great Northwest: The 55 Greatest Trails in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, British Columbia, Canadian Rockies, And Northern California", Ira Spring, Harvey Manning, and Vicky Spring, 1991. If you looking for a brief overview of only the best hikes, this one is pretty good. I wish the pictures inside were color though - there are tons of pictures, but all B&W. 206 pages. |  |
| Etc. | |
| "Accidents in North American Mountaineering 1998", The American Alpine Club, 1998. This is a yearly publication that is a great "learn from other people's mistakes" opportunity. It is geared mostly for climbers, but some of the accidents occur to hikers or to climbers as they are hiking to to/from their climbs. 92 pages. |  |
| "Accidents in North American Mountaineering 1999", The American Alpine Club, 1998. As above, this is a yearly publication that is a great "learn from other people's mistakes" opportunity. It is geared mostly for climbers, but some of the accidents occur to hikers or to climbers as they are hiking to to/from their climbs. 92 pages. |  |