Books and Maps

Recent Book / Map Reviews

MyTopo Waterproof Topo Map Tapoco

Lacking details that most other maps have. Low quality printing. I bought this thinking I could get a customized topo printed on a good quality material. When I received it, I was very disappointed. 1. many features shown on other maps were missing. Water bodies, roads, trails, etc. 2. Coloring was not very good for contrast. 3. Print quality was low For the very high price mytopo.com charged ($42) this was unacceptable. Luckily they offer a money back guarantee. So I sent it back (at my expense). Full review

Purple Lizard Maps Rothrock State Forest Trail Map

Not all maps are created equal. This map does everything you need and more. It encourages exploration to a degree that is impressive. I buy this map every time it is updated and would encourage anyone who spends any time in Central Pennsylvania to grab a copy. While no product is ever perfect, Purple Lizard Maps has created a map that is close as you can get. The Rothrock State Forest map is a fabulous bundle of knowledge that includes information related to hiking and biking trails, fishing holes,… Full review

Pacific Adventures Press The Hungry Spork

This is a very practical and useful book focused on long distance hiker meal planning, but is also just as useful to anyone who goes out on multi-day trips. I have never been a real foodie, so when I go out on multi-day trips I generally don't spend much time planning for what food I'll bring which means I end up with tortillas, energy bars, nuts and candy bars, etc.  I also stopped bringing a stove a long time ago to save weight, so I don't have any hot food or drinks during a trip. For the longest… Full review

Random House The Complete Walker IV

THE Classic Compendium of Backpacking. In the 1970s Colin Fletcher inspired a generation to get outside with his books The Thousand Mile Summer and The Man Who Walked Through Time. He then started the "Complete" series and told us the nuts and bolts of doing it.  The newest revision (now only 16 years old but still seems surprisingly current) has a new format where Colin and his co-author Chip Rawlins do a back-and-forth on various topics, which may put off fans of earlier editions. I found… Full review

Garmin Topo US 24K Southwest

Detailed map set of the Southwestern region for Garmin map GPSes, but some well-traveled trails and hiker-relevant waypoints are not included. I've been a somewhat grumpy Garmin customer for many years now. I am on my third Garmin GPS, an eTrex 30c, which is at least hanging in there for a lot longer than the last one did. It took Garmin years to get around to fulfilling promises to supply versions of it software for Macs, and the Basecamp software used for viewing and planning is klunky and non-intuitive,… Full review

DeLorme State Atlas & Gazetteer

The Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer is an indispensable tool for the outdoors person when planning their next excursion. It is chock full of places to go for every type of outdoor activity, from where to camp including amenities at the campgrounds, places of interest for sightseeing, places to hunt and fish, and even includes species of interest, along with many other types of information. If you have not heard of it the Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer is an indispensable tool for the outdoors person when… Full review

Backpacking Food: Recipes, Rations, Stoves and Storage by Andrew Skurka

Recipes, cookware, and tips for the UL-minded, much of which will also prove useful at other comfort levels. Ultra-hiker Andrew Skurka condenses his many thousands of miles worth of trail food wisdom into this little (37 page) book. I am reviewing the "Pre-edition v2" which I purchased as a $5 pdf file in early 2016. As of June 2017 the project still seems to be in the pre-edition phase (you can get the pdf here). The book opens with brief, first-person accounts of some "food-related mistakes" Skurka… Full review

Cicerone Press Walking the West Highland Way

Compact and lightweight, yet it comes with a protective plastic cover and a map booklet reproducing Ordnance Survey mapping for the entire route. Sets the standard for other guidebook publishers. This guidebook is compact at 7 x 4.75 inches The contents of this Cicerone Press guidebook by Terry Marsh are fairly standard. There is a description of the route with 1:100,000 maps, as well as historical and general information about the towns, villages, and other landmarks that are encountered along… Full review

The Mountaineers Books Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

This is an excellent resource for information related to general mountaineering, but also for a broad range of topics from basic backcountry equipment and navigation, to rock and ice climbing, and a number of other associated topics. The most significant aspect of this book that sets it apart from other mountaineering/climbing references is not necessarily the specific material within the book, but how that content comes into being. This book is a great resource for any experienced back country… Full review