Harvey Manning (1925–2006)

Almost fifty years later, this is still an excellent introduction to backpacking. It has weathered the decades because mostly talks about skills and attitude.

Obviously, some of the gear sections are out of date—boots and stoves have changed beyond recognition since 1972 (the MSR expedition stove was introduced in 1973).

But other sections are quite useful. Tarps and tents have become much lighter, but balancing condensation and weatherproofing is still a challenge. For food, we still target 1.5 to 2 pounds per person per day. The emphasis on finding supermarket food suitable for backpacking is welcome. Modern books could learn from that.

The last chapter, on the new wilderness ethic, is still entirely relevant. It is one of the best short descriptions I've ever read. Read that first, then go back and work through the book.

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