Backpacking: A Woman's Guide [Paperback]

At long last, a detailed and good-humored backpacking guide by and for women! If you've been relying on standard hiking guides that assume a man's physique, the lack of a monthly cycle, and a bare-bones approach to packing and cooking, you're in for a treat. Having trekked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail (2,000-plus miles), Hall is a veritable guru in the areas of pretrip conditioning (step-by-step instructions/photos provided), gear essentials, food packing and preparation, as well as novice conundrums (how, exactly, do you sh-t in the woods?!). In addition to lending her own expertise, she also includes comments, stories, and advice from veteran backpacking women of all ages. Readers are encouraged to start small, take care of their feet, and never wait until they are thirsty or hungry to drink or eat. And leave your deodorant, makeup, and hair products home! Though the author stops short of being an eco-fascist, she is strictly zero tolerance when it comes to high-impact practices such as burying leftovers and washing with soap. A chapter on backpacking with children is chock full of excellent ideas for keeping kids entertained and healthy. So if you're a woman looking for the lowdown on how to be a well-prepared, properly geared, safety-conscious, and low-impact backpacker, this is a good place to start. --Martha Silano

This new series is designed to teach outdoor skills to women in the way they learn. Each book includes detailed instructions about each activity and questions specific to women. The topics discussed include locating a backpack designed for a woman's body, getting a sea kayak on and off a car roof, and safety for women while backpacking. In an additional, attractive feature, women of all ages describe how they overcame obstacles, what they enjoyed the most, or just how they felt about undertaking a new activity. Both authors are published experts in their fields; Johnson is a registered Maine Guide, a certified coastal kayak instructor, and the sea kayaking editor for Canoe and Kayak Magazine, and Hall has hiked in the Rocky Mountains, Virginia Blue Ridge, and Europe, as well as the Appalachian Trail, which she described in a newspaper series. Both books are extremely well done and appealing, although Backpacking is more accessible to armchair travelers. Buy for public libraries and watch for more in this series.?Alison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A complete introduction to backpacking for women. How can a woman get started in backpacking? What kind of gear does she need? What are the physical requirements? This book answers the questions women have about backpacking. Written in a unique woman-to-woman perspective, this book gives readers the confidence to try a new sport.

"What a breath of fresh air! The Woman's Guides seek to provide a comfortable, friendly place in which women can challenge themselves and learn new skills.". --Dagny Scott, Contributing Editor for Women's Sports, SHAPE magazine.

Ragged Mountain Press Woman's Guides--the first book series designed for the growing number of women who are active outdoors. These comprehensive guides provide everything you need to get started and keep going. Throughout each book you'll find tips, advice, and words of wisdom from women who've done what you're about to do--learn a new sport. At last: books for women who love the outdoors, written in a woman's voice with a woman's approach to learning..

"Enlightening and encouraging . . . with the right emphasis on the things women will wonder and worry about when they start backpacking.". --Ellen Dudley, adventure traveler and coauthor of American Discoveries: Scouting the First Coast-to-Coast Recreational Trail.

In Backpacking: A Woman's Guide you'll find the knowledge and skills you need to become a self-sufficient backpacker. Yes, you can light a camp stove . . . set up a tent by yourself . . . take your kids with you--and keep them entertained . . . survive (and even learn to love) a week in the woods without hot showers! Adrienne Hall's fresh perspective and up-to-date presentation of techniques and equipment provide all the tools you need to become a confident, comfortable, capable backpacker!.

"This book is better than a backpacking best friend! It gives advice without the know-it-all attitude; it answered my questions without making me feel dumb.". --Lucy Kaske, new backpacker.

Avid hiker Adrienne Hall began backpacking at age 11 on a 33-day family excursion. Her love of the sport culminated in her 2,150-mile Appalachian Trail through-hike in 1996, which she chronicled in a 26-part newspaper series. She has hiked in the Rocky Mountains, the Virginia Blue Ridge, and Europe.