The Winter Wilderness Companion: Traditional and Native American Skills for the Undiscovered Season

Book Description

The Winter Wilderness Companion is a unique and inspirational guide to outdoor skills from authors named to Outside magazine's exclusive list of 12 Twentieth Century Heroes for a New Millennium. This revised edition unlocks the winter wilderness in all its invigorating beauty. It includes step-by-step instructions for making and using snowshoes, toboggans, tents, and clothing.

Customer Reviews:

Winter living...in the great outdoors.......2002-12-30

After living and camping for 10 years North of the treeline I have recently moved to the forest country of Canada's NWT. I have been on a steep learning curve made much shorter by this wonderful book. I have retrofitted a couple of kids toboggans and my wife and I have been out nearly every day practicing the techniques and equipment found in the book. All I can say is good, solid advice from people who know what they are talking about. My favourite writer since Rustrum!

Great view of modern DIY traditionalism.......2002-01-19

One reviewer says he didn't like this book's subhead. To me, it's the part of the title that really describes the book. The subhead tells you it's not a typical winter book, but a unique one that shows how wilderness travel is really done up in the northwoods...using methods that have been passed down thru generations. However, their materials adapt to the times whenever that seems best. Thus they're happy to use roll-up plastic sleds, in a "traditional" way. Note that the subhead doesn't say "re-enactment" or "historic" travel. Traditional travel in their sense means how local northwoods people camp today. That seems to be their drift, anyway. As a result, I appreciate the coverage of both snowmobiles and snowshoes. They go together. Now, canvas tents might not be right for everyone, but I appreciate them for long, cold, group outings. I think that for such use, they're best. Trust these folks and their local, ethnic sources. I liked the realistic, inclusive style of this book. This is not pricey vacation resort travel. This is do-it-yourself make-do homebrew travel. I notice that there wasn't much emphasis on the fancy new snowshoes, but instead on the wide variety of traditional models that are still available if you know where to look (not in the yuppy shops that you find far from the boonies). In deep offtrail open area snow, if you plan to travel, you need some nice long, narrow Alaskans. I find the modern shoes to be suitable for crust, gullies, trails...conditions I don't shoe in. Or hardly anyone I know. The recent takeover by hightech shoes is silly. I also appreciate seeing the lady author with her string of gunshot grouse...not a common image in today's backpacking books. But a common one in traditional northwoods living. This is a one of a kind book. No other contemporary book is as practical or personable. This book has character...ever rarer in publishing.

Misleading title.......2002-01-15

While the title The Winter Wilderness Companion is accurate, the sub heading of Traditional and Native American Skills for the Undiscovered Season is the part I found misleading(after I purchased the book of course).
I had expected the book to be more along the line of The Indian Tipi or American Indian Archery written by Reginald and Gladys Laubin(both five star books in my view). Not even close. Info on EPIRBS and contact info for LL Bean and Steger Mukluks wasn't what I wanted in a book with this title.
Although there is useful winter camping information it falls into the elementary catagory and group travel sounds like the old British Himalayan expedition style. If you read any Bonnington pulp you'll know what I mean.
Anyway this is just one New England winter travelers opinion.Its your plastic, but I'd spend my $14 elsewhere.

Great things come in small packages........2002-01-01

When I first looked at the Conover's book, I admit I put it back on the store shelf and went on to other things. My wife had just given me my third pair of backcountry skis, and I wasn't too hot on plodding around on snowshoes. A few minutes later, I picked the book up again, and flipped through it some more. I sat down in a chair by the fireplace (reallly nice store!) and started reading snippets, and knew I had to buy it. I ski and I camp in the winter. Not the way the Conovers describe, but now I am looking forward to trying their "traditional" methods. My circa 1981 snowshoes have seen much more use since reading this book. My wife and I have invested in mukluks, because, as the book states, they really do keep your feet warm in really cold weather! This little book is just crammed with useful information for anyone who ventures out in the winter cold and snow, whether it's for a hike or for the night.

Snowshoes are enjoying a resurgence in popularity right now, and "The Winter Wilderness Companion" can help new snowshoers get more out of their gear. But the book's true worth lies in the possibilities it opens for getting beyond the local park and forest, and using traditional (some may say "old-fashioned") gear and skills to stay warm and survive with style in the winter backcountry. Imagine hiking through a -40 degree forest, setting up camp, and having a +60 degree tent to retreat into for the night!

"The Winter Wilderness Companion" can open your eyes, and open your mind to a whole new way of enjoying a whole new season of outdoor fun in a grand, old way. It's compact size makes it convenient to carry with you, too! In 30 years as a ranger, ski patroller and search and rescue volunteer, I feel it is one of the very best books on winter travel and camping I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Winter Camping Can Be Fun and Comfortable.......2000-12-05

Snow camping can be at once beautiful, uplifting and unforgiving. As a Scoutmaster in the northwest, I've enjoyed passing on skills to both youngsters and their parents. The Conovers do an excellent job in this book on several counts. They pass on their appreciation for the wilderness, particularly when it's mantled with snow. At times their writing is lyrical in describing the beauty of the winter wilderness, and their satisfaction in living a simple life in such a setting. In an era when success is defined by how many possessions one has accumulated and how far they've separated themselves from the natural world, the Conovers offer a compelling vision.

But this work also offers excellent strategies for not only surviving an outing in the snow-covered wilderness, but making it thoroughly enjoyable-even for the novice. Step by step, they offer excellent tips and strategies for handling everything from food selection and cooking, campsite and clothing selection to travel methods. They explore the advantages of adapting native techniques, and provide readers with contacts and practical directions.

It is important to recognize at the outset that this work is based on winter travel in the northeast. Winter campers based in more mountainous regions will find only parts of the book applicable to their environment; the Conovers are straight-forward in pointing that out. Using toboggans and carrying large tents simply isn't practical in areas of larger elevation changes; it could be inviting a hernia! There isn't any discussion of snow cave or igloo construction, important to mountaineers. Good references for these areas would include the Scout handbook entitled Okpik. But overall, a worthwhile book with much to offer; readers may be left wanting to join the Conovers on one of their guided trips!

Captain Doctor Dave's Wilderness Veterinary Companion for Cruisers and Other Outbackers
Average customer rating:
Captain Doctor Dave's Wilderness Veterinary Companion for Cruisers and Other Outbackers
B.S., D.V.M. David W. LaVigne
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1411669754

Product Description

Contains information for cruisers and other wilderness travelers traveling with pets for use in identifying and treating diseases and conditions when professional veterinary treatment and diagnosis is unavailable. Includes drug dosage suggestions in a formulary format, along with recommended drugs and supplies to have on hand.

The Trinity Alps Companion: Hiking Trails and Fishing Tales in the California Wilderness

Average customer rating:

pretty good info, but printing errors
Captures the Spirit of the Alps
Real insider info
A Great Guidebook for the Beautiful Trinity Alps
Without a doubt: the definitive guide to the Trinity Alps

The Trinity Alps Companion: Hiking Trails and Fishing Tales in the California Wilderness
Wayne F. Moss
Manufacturer: Ecopress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Hiking California's Trinity Alps
The Trinity Alps: A Hiking and Backpacking Guide
Best Hikes of the Marble: Mountain and Russian Wilderness Areas, California
75 Hikes in California's Lassen And Mount Shasta Regions (100 Hikes in Series)
Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness: A Guide to Backpacking and Day Hiking in the Golden Trout and South Sierra Wildernesses

ASIN: 0963970534

Book Description

Discover the Trinity Alps! Whether you seek mountaintops, solitude, or golden trout, the Trinity Alps have it all! Wayne Moss' forty years of experience in the Alps covers every mountain, lake, creek, and trail in this magnificent wilderness. State-of-the-art cartography will help you visualize and navigate the landscape. Trails, peaks, lakes, and many other features are identified. This book will help you enjoy all that this spectacular wilderness has to offer with special chapters on camping, fishing, and wilderness running.

Customer Reviews:

pretty good info, but printing errors.......2002-10-03

I got this book after I went to the trinity alps, and the information is definitely good, however there was a whole section that was just missing from the book; I suppose it was a printing error or something.

Captures the Spirit of the Alps.......2000-09-18

Excellent, packed with practical, detailed, descriptive information--- but above and beyond this --- the book captures the "spirit" -- the essense of that special place beyond the edge of time --- the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

And by the way, I've backpacked the Alps heavily for more than a decade --- but if anyone knows the Alps better than the author, Wayne Moss, I've yet to meet that person.

I rarely endorse products, but give this book five stars!

Real insider info.......2000-07-10

This book is like having a good friend tell you where the best places are to have the experience you're looking for. Some of the accounts are laugh-out-loud funny.

He doesn't hold your hand, though, so make sure you check current trail conditions and get updated maps from the forest service.

A Great Guidebook for the Beautiful Trinity Alps.......2000-06-01

This is an incredible book by a person who has spent 40+ years traveling in the Alps. This isn't like other guidebooks that tell you where to hike, how long to spend at each destination, etc. As someone else said, this book is set up like an encyclopedia, divided into 7 sections of the Alps. Wayne tells you about each section. The sections contain information on each lake, trailhead, and mountain in that section. For example, in the Southeast Section, under Swift Creek Trailhead, you will find the way to get to the trailhead, the trails on the trailhead, the destinations (lakes, mountains, meadows, etc.), Elevation, Difficulty, and Summary. There are 15 or so destinations to pick from if you go to the Swift Creek Trailhead. In the same section, each lake, mountain, and meadow is described in detail.

I have used Wayne's book for three years. It has taken my family and me to some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It is also a very good read. I have read it cover to cover, and sometimes I read it in January or February as I'm dreaming of spending a weekend in the Alps. I just got it out last week and we have planned our first trip of the new year.

I have the added pleasure of knowing Wayne personally. He is the president of the board of directors of the non-profit public service organization I work for. He a great guy with great stories about the beautiful Trinity Alps.

Without a doubt: the definitive guide to the Trinity Alps.......1999-12-04

There are two guidebooks to the Trinity Alps, and this one is by far the better one. (Yes, I have both!)

The books exhaustively covers every last peak and lake and trailhead in the Alps. I had fun trying to find lakes that WEREN'T in the book. It's literally an encyclopedia, and has a format that I wish more guidebooks would use. Instead of listing trails by ease (or difficulty, if you prefer) and number of nights and so on, it rather lists features in the landscape (mountains, rivers, etc.) and cross-references them with the proper trailhead so that you can plan you own trip much more easily than by adapting someone else's itinerary to your own needs. Sure, he discusses the popular routes, but the book is laid out in more of an index format.

These features and organization alone make for a great guide, but this book is so much more than that. This is the first guide that I actually read cover to cover just because it was so INTERESTING. His sense of humor and wonder with world really come through in his writing -- he strikes me as a really enlightened individual and has done a wonderful job of blending the "hard facts" with his own perspectives, anecdotes, and history in the Trinity Alps. If only more people would write guidebooks like this one...

The Camper's Pocket Handbook (rev): A BAckcountry Travelers Companion (Wisdom in the Wilderness)
Average customer rating:
The Camper's Pocket Handbook (rev): A BAckcountry Travelers Companion (Wisdom in the Wilderness)
John Goll
Manufacturer: Globe Pequot
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Camping | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Parks & Campgrounds | Food & Lodging | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0762704233

Book Description

Chock-full of information to help you stay safe, healthy, and comfortable in the great outdoors.

Readings on the Call of the Wild (Literary Companion Series)

Average customer rating:

Readings on the Call of the Wild (Literary Companion Series)
Jack London
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Literary Criticism & Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Battle of the wilderness (Companion book series)

Average customer rating:

Battle of the wilderness (Companion book series)
Konrad Kellen
Manufacturer: Walker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Canadian Canoeing Companion: An Illustrated Guide to Paddling Canada's Wilderness

Average customer rating:

The Canadian Canoeing Companion: An Illustrated Guide to Paddling Canada's Wilderness
Alex Narvey
Manufacturer: Thunder Enlightening Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Boating | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 092195901X

Denali: A Living Tapestry (A Wilderness Tour Companion)

Average customer rating:

Denali: A Living Tapestry (A Wilderness Tour Companion)
Andromeda Romano-Lax
Manufacturer: Alaska Natural History Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 0930931416

Northern Manitoba from Forest to Tundra : A Canoeing Guide and Wilderness Companion

Average customer rating:

Best book about Canada

Northern Manitoba from Forest to Tundra : A Canoeing Guide and Wilderness Companion
Paul M. Gahlinger
Manufacturer: G.B. Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Canada | Travel | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Northern Manitoba is a primeval wilderness of spectacular rivers and forests. Yet it is virtually unknown to all but a small number of adventurous canoeists. Most people wrongly believe that traveling there requires months of planning and great expense. This is the only book devoted to wilderness travel in Northern Manitoba, with 29 detailed routes and an enthralling description of the environment and history. This book shows how remarkably accessible this beautiful country can be.

Customer Reviews:

Best book about Canada.......2000-03-31

I always dreamed of going to Canada, especially to do a canoeing trip. But most of the canoeing books I found were too boring or just gave the routes, while the nature books didn't have the travel information. This book is awesome! I loved reading the descriptions and the vignettes, and the sketches are delightful. It provides the cultural and historical information that really brought the trip to life.

I highly recommend it. Perfect as a 'wilderness companion'.

The outdoor companion
Average customer rating:
The outdoor companion
Rob Hunter
Manufacturer: Constable
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Survival Skills | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0094625204

Book Description

This richly illustrated book provides comprehensive data on the geographical distribution, vegetative and floral morphology, anatomy, embryology, chromosome number, chemical features and important genera and economic importance of 334 families of the dicots and the monocots. Evolutionary and phylogenetic tendencies are discussed, especially for the taxa of disputed taxonomic assignment. Special features like endemism and threatened species are pointed out for selected taxa. The book will be useful for scientists and advanced students of the plant sciences specializing in plant taxonomy and phylogeny. It can also serve as supplementary reading for researchers and students in the agricultural sciences.

On the significance of the morphology of germination for phylogenetic taxonomy of flowering plants: Preliminary communication

Average customer rating:

On the significance of the morphology of germination for phylogenetic taxonomy of flowering plants: Preliminary communication
I. T Vasil'chenko
Manufacturer: s.n
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The phylogenetic taxonomy of flowering plants

Average customer rating:

The phylogenetic taxonomy of flowering plants
Charles E Bessey
Manufacturer: Missouri Botanical Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008BYDY0

Book Description

The Let's Go Map Guides: A Guide Wrapped in a Map

The Maps Feature:
· Eleven sturdy four-color panels of easy-to-read maps detailing downtown area, vicinity, and transportation routes
· Complete street index
· Symbols locating points of interest

The Guides Feature:
· Twenty-four to 40 pages of essential information on affordable restaurants, hotels, entertainment, sights, and museums, including descriptions, addresses, phone numbers, and prices
· Practical information on everything from renting bicycles to tipping to emergency phone numbers

Conveniently sized for a pocket, briefcase, or backpack, the Let's Go Map Guides are an essential tool for tourists and residents alike.

Pocket Adventures Ireland: Pocket Adventure Guide (Adventure Guide to Ireland (Pocket)) (Pocket Adventures)

Average customer rating:

Pocket Adventures Ireland: Pocket Adventure Guide (Adventure Guide to Ireland (Pocket)) (Pocket Adventures)
Tina Neylon
Manufacturer: Hunter Publishing (NJ)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Adventure Guides | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1588435830

Book Description

Tells you everything about the food, from bacon & cabbage to Irish stew and black pudding, and the best places to get it. All about the thousands of historical sites to explore - prehistoric stone circles, ruined castles, Ogham stones. Explores all the towns, from Killarnee to Glengarriff. Details all the outdoor activities, such as hill walking, golf, deep sea angling. Plus the best places to stay for all budgets, based on personal visits. All color throughout, with hundreds of photos and maps. Like other Adventure Guides, this shows you how to experience the country more intensely and directly than most travelers know how to do - getting out of the tour bus, the taxi or the rental car and seeing the place close-up, through walks, bike rides, horseback excursions, culinary adventures, interacting with the people.

Other guides to Ireland lack our level of detail, our outdoor adventure perspective and our emphasis on direct experience of the country. Our native Irish resident author offers an insider's perspective that the other guides lack.

This Pocket edition is small enough to be easily portable. The book fits into your pocket while you travel and, by making the introductory sections more streamlined, their size is reduced considerably. It still contains all the practical travel information needed - places to stay and eat, tourist information resources, travel advice and more - but the author has been more selective, offering only the best. Based on our successful Adventure Guide series, Pocket Adventures offer the same unique quality that allows the reader to see the place close-up through activities both physical and cultural. Adventures include hiking and biking, beachcombing, visiting ancient ruins and medieval castles, diving, fishing, snorkeling, jungle trekking, cooking classes, language schools, dance lessons, festivals, cultural events, historic attractions and more.

Book Description

Into the Deep

"I will see my father avenged," Matt replied, "or die in the attempt."

Ever since his parents' untimely deaths at the hands of a vicious enemy, Matt Hunter has risked his own life -- and that of his friends -- over and over again. But his team's motivation has changed. As they have grown closer to Creighdor's evil empire, a greater purpose has been revealed: The fate of humankind lies in their hands.

Hunter's League is gearing up for its final confrontation. First, though, they must learn their foe's true nature. It's a discovery with extraordinary implications. And it means one last outrageous journey to the most unlikely of places -- a trip to the bottom of the ocean.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books