Mark Harvey
Since 1965, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has been teaching its students how to climb, kayak, and navigate; how to camp without leaving a trace; how to stay warm and dry in the wilderness; how to cope with a backcountry emergency; and how to effectively lead others through such experiences. There are many reasons for spending time in the remote outdoors. Awe-inspiring scenery, peacefulness, wildlife viewing, and exercise are all good reasons. Another is that such experiences build character: "The wildlands teach us to be smart, practical, resourceful, and observant. To hike ten hours through scabrous terrain, cross a brawny river, stay warm in a snowstorm, and navigate your way out of tangled woods tests and builds your best faculties." While no single book can prepare one for spending time in the wilderness--much less impart all the skills necessary to survive in the elements--the
NOLS Guide is an eminently useful place to start. Chapters include primers on equipment (fitting boots and packs, choosing a tent, the "Five Commandments for Equipment Care"); appropriate dress for a variety of climates; and ways of traveling in the backcountry, from crossing scree fields to fording rivers. It's not a substitute for in-depth instruction in, say, snow camping, or reading a map and compass. But with a solid grounding in the basics, one can take that first boot-step into what Joseph Wood Krutch called "the great reservoir of energy, of confidence, of endless hope."
1 Good for this kind of camping
This book isn't for someone who wants to learn to be attuned to nature, or be able to flow with nature. I recommend Tom Brown Jr.'s books.
2 Excellent!!
A very good coverage of a large variety of topics. Learned a lot.
3 The best book for serious outdoor adventure
I read the book in preparation for a mountaineering course - it's great - informative, well written, a good balance of solid content and easy readability. He would be a great person to go up a mountain with - but the book is a little easier to fit in the backpack!
An absolute must for anyone who camps in the non-RV sense of the word.
4 If you Can't Take Mark Harvey Camping, Take His Book
As a carefree college student,I camped quite often, but today, as a thirty year old business owner, I prefer to enjoy the outdoors by day, and to sleep in my warm, safe, familiar home by night. Harvey's Wilderness Guide has not only helped me to more thoroughly enjoy my day hikes, but it has also served as a catalyst to reignite my enthusiasm in camping for more than a Sunday afternoon. Harvey delivers intelligent, informative information in an easy to understand and enthusiastic style. The Wilderness Guide is packed with information, but it is far from bland reading, for Harvey is not only intelligent and well written, but he has a sense of humor as well. I live in Aspen and have spent time with Mark Harvey on numerous occasions. Possibly I will be able to camp with him one day. If not, I always have The National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide.
5 Oh what fun It is to Hike...
Harvey's way of covering all the bases, display's a deep knowlege and passion for his subject. And, his subject is something that too few people ever experience. The author's informal style coupled with real-life examples and antecdotes, makes for some fun reading, (about something that can be very serious).
I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. In fact I can think of who that friend might be. And, giving it to this person would be a great bonding experience.
6 excellent
Overall, Harvey has created an outstanding example of what outdoor books should be all about. The Wilderness Guide mixes age-old, tried and true practices, along with modern examples. Harvey combines the 1960's and `70s ethics of Leave No Trace, with modern practical examples of why you should visit the wilderness in the first place and what you might learn out there.
