An inspiring, aspirational and practical guide to building fires both indoors and out. 'A cracking book' Sainsbury's Magazine 'Follow these tips and your inner caveman will be proud' Sunday Times 'A brilliantly informative guide with stylish illustrations' Yorkshire Post 'Celebrates the heart-warming properties of the hearth' Simple Things Nothing beats the companionable crackle of an open fire. Fires invite us to sit and share stories or watch in contemplative silence. We feel drawn to the flickering flames, the gentle curls of aromatic smoke and reassuring radiant heat. Snuggled under a blanket, toasting crumpets and listening to the pleasing pops of burning wood - what better way to spend a winter's evening? Or, come the summer, few pleasures are richer than cooking food, perched around a campfire, waiting for the stars to come out. But for all this talk, how many of us know how to build a fire? Would we know which kinds of trees burn best? Could we make our own firelighters or build the perfect fire stack? The Little Book of Building Fires is a richly illustrated pocket guide to sourcing, seasoning and storing firewood, choosing kindling and tinder, and how to build and light the perfect fire. From campfires to woodburners, bonfires to open hearths, this book blends practicality with personal experience and will get you back in touch with your ancient firemaking instincts.

How to plan and prepare for a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail Includes information on trail nutrition, culture, first aid, gear, weather conditions, and more Expert advice from an experienced long-distance hiker along with useful information for any long-distance trek

Other Appalachian Trail guidebooks tell you about notable scenery, trail history, or changes in terrain. This one tells you exactly what you need to know to prepare for and complete a long-distance hike on the A.T. From determining a budget, preparing an itinerary, and packing gear to resupplying, using bounce boxes, and staying on schedule, this book will help any hiker make certain their long-distance trek is a success.

You can hear an interview with Michelle Ray on how to prepare for your thru-hike if you click here.

Discover the story of the land of Myakka. This book takes you into shady hammocks of twisted oaks and up into aerial gardens, down the wild and scenic river, and across a variegated canvas of prairies, piney woods, and wetlandsall located in Myakka River State Park, the largest state park in Florida. Each adventure tells the story of a unique facet of this wilderness area and takes you into secret places it would take years to discover on your own.

Whether you're visiting the park for the first time or have frequented the area since childhood, the adventures described here are sure to awaken your primitive instincts to explore the unknown. If you return to the same places at different times of the year, you'll find enough adventures to last a lifetime. You'll never be one of those people who ask "What's there to do in the park today?"

• The complete reference to recommended trails in the state
• The best of each region from Keystone Trails Association members
• Descriptions of hundreds of trails plus a chapter on state's nine long-distance trails

Produced in association with the Keystone Trails Association, this is a guide to the best of Pennsylvania's hiking trails. Descriptions of each trail provide location, directions to the trailhead, suggested times to hike, terrain, special features, recreational activities, and suggestions for planning a trip. Maps and a selection of full-color photographs from the trails are included.

Road Biking Northern New England: A Guide to the Greatest Bike Rides in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (Falcon)Sandy Duling This new release includes 40 of the best rides in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Carefully selected for a wide range of cycling opportunities, this guide helps beginners choose shorter routes while serious cyclists will find details for longer rides--and all the rides are geared for maximum scenery. Written by an experienced cyclist who knows the terrain intimately, this book describes historical anecdotes and features 41 maps plus black and white photographs throughout. Road Biking Northern New England is a valuable new resource for local cyclists as well as those planning an extended bicycle vacation. Sandra Duling is an avid cyclist who has written about cycling for several books and magazines. A librarian at Castleton State College, she lives in East Poultney, Vermont.

The U.S. Army's official guide to map reading, determining location, and navigating. For a soldier, knowing where you are is a matter of life and death, and so it comes as no surprise that the Army has produced the most complete, clear, and thorough guide to map reading and navigation available. The book starts with a comprehensive explanation of the meaning and uses of maps, whether photographic, planimetric (standard-style), or topographic, then proceeds to the use of those maps, discussing compass techniques, celestial navigation, and determination of distance. There is a detailed section on interpreting topographic maps, with notes on tactical considerations for differing terrain, as well as determining the ease of movement through an area. The book's crucial, well-illustrated chapters have invaluable information on: Training Strategy * Maps * Marginal Information and Symbols Grids * Scale and Distance * Direction * Overlays Aerial Photographs * Navigation Equipment and Methods Elevation Relief * Terrain Association * Mounted Land Navigation Navigation in Different Types of Terrain * Unit Sustainment There is also information on field sketching, the tricky art of map folding, units of measure and conversion factors, map symbols, orienteering, and the global positioning system (GPS).

Road Biking(TM) Wisconsin features forty-one carefully designed rides throughout the state, from the picturesque shores of Lake Superior in the north to the
renowned and challenging kettle country in the south and everywhere in between. Local cyclist Russ Lowthian provides a sampling of the state's diverse offerings, including rides along the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, amid rolling farmlands and lush forests, around crystal-clear lakes, and along scenic bluffs above Lake Michigan. For more than twenty-five years, FalconGuides(R) have set the standard for outdoor guidebooks. Written by top experts, each guide invites you to experience the adventure and beauty of the outdoors. Look inside to find:
- Easy-to-follow maps
- Rides for every fitness level and ability--from an easy 28-mile ramble to a challenging 104-mile classic
- Detailed information about each ride, including directions, length, terrain, traffic conditions, and road hazards
- Vivid descriptions of points of interest
- Options that allow riders to create longer or shorter ride

Beginning in 1849, Henry David Thoreau made four walking tours of Cape Cod. Along the way he recorded his observations on the natural world as well as on the nature of the people he met. His resulting book has generally been considered his sunniest and lightest, filled with jokes, puns, and tall tales. Now photographer Dan Tobyne captures the essence of the Cape Cod Thoreau discovered. The combination of short excerpts and stunning imagery carries Thoreau's work to a new level, presenting it in both glowing words and pictures.

Forget hurrying. Forget putting your foot down and racing through sweeping bends. Forget the understeer (whatever that is). Forget the blur of a life lived too fast. This is a look at taking life slowly. It's about taking the time to enjoy journeys and places for their own sake. It's about stopping and putting the kettle on. Stopping to take a picture. Stopping to enjoy stopping. How are you going to do it? In a camper van or a motorhome, of course. In this book we define the best driving routes around France for camper vans and motorhomes. We show you the coolest places to stay, what to see, what to do and explain why it's special. We meander around France on the most breathtaking roads, chugging up mountain passes and pootling along the coast. We show you stuff that's fun, often free. We include the best drives for different kinds of drivers; for walkers, wine-quaffers, climbers and skiers. We include the steepest, the bendiest, the most picturesque and most interesting. And you don't even have to own a camper van or motorhome - we'll tell you the many places you can rent one to take you on the journey. All of this is interspersed with beautiful photos, handy maps and quirky travel writing from the king of camper vans and motorhomes, Martin Dorey. So if all you want to do is flick through it on a cold day and plan your next outing, you'll be transported (albeit slowly) to vineyards, beaches, mountains and highways that make you want to turn the key and go, go, go!

Meal planning for short outdoor trips (5 days or less) and small groups (1-4 people) 32 recipes including breakfasts, dinners, beverages, desserts, and snacks Cut down on expense of freeze-dried plus eat better nutritionally

"NOLS Backcountry Cooking" provides sample menus and packing tips for tasty meals, snacks, and beverages to prepare during short wilderness excursions. Recipes include Tabouli Salad, Vegetarian Meatballs, Cowboy Coffee, and No-Bake Eskimo Cookies.

A Rich and Compelling History of Mountaineering ...At Your Fingertips. High Summits is the result of over 30 years of research into the fascinating world of international mountaineering. An essential guide to mountaineering history, this year-by-year account spans all seven continents and dates from 450 B.C. through 2011. In it you'll find everything from the monumental to the hard-to-find-trivia including: * The most significant 370 Peak First Ascents as well as over 600 other types of first ascents on mountain faces and ridges. * 345 detailed listings of major advancements in mountaineering gear, clothing, and climbing equipment. * 171 references to the development of various climbing techniques on snow, rock, and ice. * 58 hand-drawn maps and 57 carefully chosen photographs to accompany over 2,800 climbing events around the world. * Appendices that include 17 unique mountain summit collections and the author's ten most significant events in mountaineering history. Taken from expedition accounts, biographies and autobiographies, climbing journals and diaries, mountaineering museums, magazines and newspapers, films, documentaries, newsletters, and interviews, High Summits is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind. A must-have reference book for anyone interested in mountaineering, from the aficionado and weekend climber, to anyone who just likes to read about the majesty and allure of climbing the most significant peaks in the world. "Wolfe's meticulous compilation of this much mountaineering history and lore into one volume is simply a stunning achievement that makes for an invaluable reference as well as an entertaining read." Walter R. Borneman. Historian and co-author of 100 Years Up High: Colorado Mountains and Mountaineers Fred Wolfe's exhaustive research teases out the details of mountaineering's entire, worldwide history. High Summits is a reference I will always keep handy." Phil Powers, Executive Director, American Alpine Club

Day 88 - 1,130 trail miles north,
Ward Peak, Northern California
"Boy that was a long way up " exclaims the day-hiker, a mile or two from the road. "Where are you coming from?"
"Oh, Mexico," I say coolly, and saunter on by.
Faced with the prospect of a nine-to-five job, Natasha Carver instead decided to walk from Mexico to Canada. She followed the Pacific Crest Trail - 2,658 miles through the wildernesses of California, Oregon and Washington - encountering rattlesnakes and bears, and learning to survive with her own company. Based on her journals, "Walking Down a Dream" is a humorous account of despair, excitement and resolve. The book describes a geographical and personal journey through desert, snow, blisters and rehydrated pasta, and introduces several eccentric characters, including Staggering Willy, Wonderwoman and the Wolfpack.

Ian and Krysia Brodie's carefully chosen walks are intended for all ages and abilities, guiding walkers through some of the most beautiful landscape in Lancashire. Straightforward instructions are accompanied by helpful maps, local information, historical background and attractive photographs, making this book a real joy to use.

"Coopers Rock Bouldering Guide" leads the way to more than 400 bouldering problems at Coopers Rock State Forest in north-central West Virginia. The forest's 15- to 30-foot "gritstone" boulders contain scores of high-quality lines, delicate slabs, and powerful roofs, some coupled with sloping of the. This guidebook provides in-depth information and precise detail about finding and ascending the best lines and classics on the most developed and most convenient areas, including Tilted Tree, Roadside Rocks, Upper Rock City, and Picnic Table. Also included is information on the best time of year to visit as well as where to camp, find food, and purchase gear. For more than twenty-five years, "FalconGuides"(R) have set the standard for outdoor guidebooks. Written by top experts, each guide invites you to experience the adventure and beauty ofthe outdoors. Look inside to find: - Written description and grades - Detailed topos and overview maps- Easy-to-follow driving and approach directions- Routes by grade and alphabetical indexes- Tips on safety, climbing ethics, and more

The mountains provide the spiritual nourishment so essential to a truer understanding of the hills and, ultimately, ourselves. Munro bagging is a headily addictive pursuit, with the holy-grail of 'compleation' the ultimate aim, currently achieved by around 7,000 Munroists. It all began in 1891 when Sir Hugh Munro's Tables of 3,000-foot Scottish mountains appeared in The Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal. Since then, this innocent compilation of hills has become a hallowed hit-list. Andrew Dempster traces the meandering course of this cult activity, which has gone from trickle to torrent in the space of a century. From early map-makers to current record-breakers, from the why and the wry to wildness and well-being, The Munros: A History explores the compulsions and philosophies underpinning the Munro phenomenon.

With breathtaking scenery, some 600km of well-maintained, waymarked paths and a selection of characterful resorts, the Tatras mountains have all the elements of a perfect walking holiday. Straddling the border between Slovakia and Poland, the region boasts stunning mountain landscapes: rocky pinnacles, craggy peaks, jagged ridges and towering cliffs, mirror-surfaced tarns and dancing waterfalls. Covering the Western, High and White Tatras, and both sides of the Polish-Slovakian border, it presents 180 walks and scrambles routes of between 1km and 30km (both circular and linear and from easy to strenuous) linking the main resorts with peaks, lakes and mountain chalets. In Poland, there is just one base - delightful Zakopane - whereas in Slovakia, you can walk from several villages strung out along the foot of the range and linked by a tramway. The guide also includes a wealth of information about local services, facilities and attractions and extensive practical advice covering travel and insurance, accommodation and facilities, mountain guides, languages and safety in the mountains. The Tatras have been designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in recognition of their rich biodiversity and the guide presents a summary of the region's plants and wildlife, as well as its fascinating history. Other highlights include an ascent of Krivan, the national symbol of Slovakia, glorious ridge walks in the Western Tatras and gentler strolls taking in caves and waterfalls. Blending information with inspiration, this book is a must for anyone wishing to visit the High Tatras.

The Allegheny National Forest in north-western Pennsylvania covers 500,000 acres and is nationally known for it's many established hiking trails. This guide covers 50 day-hikes and 5 backpacking trails in and around the region. Information for each hike includes what to pack, time to allow, detailed directions to trailheads, maps of each trail, and major vistas and points of interest along the way.

The first ascent of the Matterhorn in July 1865 is one of the key events in the history of mountaineering. It was the climax of five years' struggle by the English mountaineer Edward Whymper in competition with Jean Antonie-Carrel, the Italian mountain guide who had grown up in the mountain's shadow. It also produced perhaps the most famous mountaineering accidents of the 19th century, bringing to an end the 'Golden Age of Alpine climbing'. This is the story of the events leading up to this remarkable ascent and its terrible aftermath. This is a gripping classic.