View Full Version : Praise for "The Complete Walker", original version.
I was in a used book store and found a copy, written by Colin Fletcher in 1968. He's updated it several times since, but I recommend reading the original if you can. Why? For the same reason we read any history: to put things in perspective and give context. With forums and message boards we are inundated with information about the latest gear and news and it quickly becomes complicated and overwhelming. The internet also makes it seem like hiking was invented yesterday. The best thing to do is stop reading and go hiking. But another option is to read a classic book like TCW. You'll learn that some things have changed but the basics remain the same. Hikers have always tried to cut weight, they've always been using tarps as tents, REI has been around for 75 years, and wool is still the best. What's changed? Lighter materials, which allow for lighter footwear, lighter loads, and more comfortable hiking. Cook stoves were just starting to be used. The five day forecast was not something you could readily access. If you wanted to know how many calories were in something you had to go to the library and find "The Agricultural Handbook No. 8: Composition of Foods" printed by the US Department of Agriculture. After painstakingly looking up all his food, Fletcher concludes that his calculations must be wrong and trial and error is the best way to come up with a menu. At the end of the day that's true about most things related to hiking. You can google gear reviews til the cows come home and look up the hourly forecast and your pack can weigh 4 pounds but until you get out there and start walking you won't learn much.
Fletcher is informative and very, very funny in a British way. I'm learning some basics that I take for granted but never really examine and that don't get discussed on the internet very often. Some of the advice is of course out of date, but it helps to know history not only so we don't repeat it but also because it explains how we got here and why we now do things the way we do. It explains why some new gear is very exciting and some is just repackaging of stuff that's been around forever. The book is very subjective, which I like. Fletcher tells you in great detail how he hikes instead of offering broad generalizations about how one should hike. I prefer this specificity and find it more helpful. I'm not going to drink a hot cup of tea four times a day but I love reading about it.
Anyway, I'm really enjoying reading a classic. Anyone else consult the "hiker's bible" lately?
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gsingjane
05-29-2014, 07:03
I have the Third Edition and also recently read bits & pieces when I was "chomping at the bit" to get out there but couldn't. He is such a charming writer! I could read 17 pages on socks with rapt interest. There are lots of books about hiking and the trail but comparatively few that make for such compelling reading.
Jane
I agree that this is the best how-to on backpacking. I always encourage folks who are interested to read this, with the caveate that equipment has changed and much lighter options are available, even for low cost.
The daily routines and the "whys" of hiking are timeless. If you enjoy this also pick up his other books. The Man Who Walked Through Time at least.
Colin Fletcher inspired me to love backpacking in general, Peter Jenkins inspired me to backpack across the country. Two very influential writers in my life.
Welcome to the club. I cut my teeth on the second edition. I listed it recently in the Backpacking 101 thread here at WhiteBlaze.
Wayne
WingedMonkey
05-29-2014, 08:01
I was in a used book store and found a copy, written by Colin Fletcher in 1968. He's updated it several times since, but I recommend reading the original if you can. Why? For the same reason we read any history: to put things in perspective and give context. With forums and message boards we are inundated with information about the latest gear and news and it quickly becomes complicated and overwhelming. The internet also makes it seem like hiking was invented yesterday. The best thing to do is stop reading and go hiking. But another option is to read a classic book like TCW. You'll learn that some things have changed but the basics remain the same. Hikers have always tried to cut weight, they've always been using tarps as tents, REI has been around for 75 years, and wool is still the best. What's changed? Lighter materials, which allow for lighter footwear, lighter loads, and more comfortable hiking. Cook stoves were just starting to be used. The five day forecast was not something you could readily access. If you wanted to know how many calories were in something you had to go to the library and find "The Agricultural Handbook No. 8: Composition of Foods" printed by the US Department of Agriculture. After painstakingly looking up all his food, Fletcher concludes that his calculations must be wrong and trial and error is the best way to come up with a menu. At the end of the day that's true about most things related to hiking. You can google gear reviews til the cows come home and look up the hourly forecast and your pack can weigh 4 pounds but until you get out there and start walking you won't learn much.
Fletcher is informative and very, very funny in a British way. I'm learning some basics that I take for granted but never really examine and that don't get discussed on the internet very often. Some of the advice is of course out of date, but it helps to know history not only so we don't repeat it but also because it explains how we got here and why we now do things the way we do. It explains why some new gear is very exciting and some is just repackaging of stuff that's been around forever. The book is very subjective, which I like. Fletcher tells you in great detail how he hikes instead of offering broad generalizations about how one should hike. I prefer this specificity and find it more helpful. I'm not going to drink a hot cup of tea four times a day but I love reading about it.
Anyway, I'm really enjoying reading a classic. Anyone else consult the "hiker's bible" lately?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
And you typed all that on an iphone?
:banana
Leanthree
05-29-2014, 08:44
Third Edition reader here. Great book. The "why walk" portion is one of my favorite parts of any book I have ever read.
I'd recommend someone read this and Skurka's book(for discussion of newer gear) if they wanted to complete picture.
Lone Wolf
05-29-2014, 08:49
it really is just walkin'
And you typed all that on an iphone?
:banana
It took a long time and a lot of cursing at autocorrect.
I'd recommend someone read this and Skurka's book(for discussion of newer gear) if they wanted to complete picture.
You're right; those two books would pretty much cover everything.
bigcranky
05-29-2014, 09:16
The Third Edition was my backpacking bible starting out in this hobby twenty years ago. I loved the way he wrote, and bought the 4th edition as soon as it came out. Then a few years ago I found a 1st edition at a used book store, and it's one of my favorite reads -- I just finished re-reading it a couple of days ago. The best part of Fletcher's writing is the "why to" rather than the "how to," though the "how to" still works well almost fifty years later, with some revisions for modern gear.
I do marvel at the difference modern gear makes -- I was looking at Fletcher's camp kitchen at 2 pounds 12 ounces and thinking, "hey, that's not so bad" then I realized that it didn't include his stove, which was another 2 pounds 10 ounces or so. Same thing with most of the items in his pack. But the basic technique and the basic reasons for doing this are still completely valid.
Highly recommended.
I've got III and IV. It's good reading, if you're into that sort of thing. IV is interesting in the dialogs and conversations, ie. not just one man's opinion. Colin's books cover a lot of ground, so to speak. Not much for specific conclusions or recommendations -- but "why" we hike as well as "how" in glorious depth and detail (and a good sense of humor.)
forrest!
05-29-2014, 10:18
Some of his other books are interesting reading to - the one about his hike in the Grand Canyon, the 1000 Mile Summer, and the Man from the Cave.
Anther interesting old writer is Horace Kephart - his Camping and Woodcraft is excellent reading. And "Our Southern Highlanders".
Feral Bill
05-29-2014, 10:32
I own both the original and IV, and read from both often. The explanations of the thinking behind the gear and technique are priceless.
There's a nice bio of Colin Fletcher, who passed away in 2007, in Wikipedia if anyone's interested. It's here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Fletcher).
Kerosene
05-29-2014, 11:10
I read the original from cover-to-cover, but only after a few AT section hikes with Ed Garvey's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Garvey)The Appalachian Hiker as my first backpacking bible. I ran across Garvey's book as I was moving a few weeks ago, but I don't think I still have Fletcher's. That was the way you learned -- along with birds-of-a-feather groups -- before the Worldwide Web came along!
Tuckahoe
05-29-2014, 12:48
Thanks guys for the discussion. I've located several 1st editions for under $4 plus shipping. :)
I don't get no respect.
I start a thread two days ago. I list The Complete Walker as a good read for novices. 268 views. Zero replies.
This thread gets 15 replies today.
Wayne
rocketsocks
05-29-2014, 16:07
I agree that this is the best how-to on backpacking. I always encourage folks who are interested to read this, with the caveate that equipment has changed and much lighter options are available, even for low cost.
The daily routines and the "whys" of hiking are timeless. If you enjoy this also pick up his other books. The Man Who Walked Through Time at least.
Colin Fletcher inspired me to love backpacking in general, Peter Jenkins inspired me to backpack across the country. Two very influential writers in my life.No point in me writing, duplicating what you just said...so I'll just add...well said. I still read and refer to this book today, even after all these years.
rocketsocks
05-29-2014, 16:08
I don't get no respect.
I start a thread two days ago. I list The Complete Walker as a good read for novices. 268 views. Zero replies.
This thread gets 15 replies today.
Wayne
never saw it.....tons of respect comin your way:)
WingedMonkey
05-29-2014, 16:22
Got the first edition while still in high school. I had already been to Philmont the first of three times.
Just pulled it off the shelf here to copy cover, Price was $6.95 for a hardbound book.
:sun
I still find myself using the "House on your back" terms for packing list arrangement I learned from this book, even on thru hikes.
Foundation
Walls
Kitchen
Bedroom
Clothes Closet
Furniture and Appliances
Housekeeping and other matters
27192
rocketsocks
05-29-2014, 16:34
Got the first edition while still in high school. I had already been to Philmont the first of three times.
Just pulled it off the shelf here to copy cover, Price was $6.95 for a hardbound book.
:sun
I still find myself using the "House on your back" terms for packing list arrangement I learned from this book, even on thru hikes.
Foundation
Walls
Kitchen
Bedroom
Clothes Closet
Furniture and Appliances
Housekeeping and other matters
27192Cool!
I will add somethin, that the section on Walking really resonated with me early on in exploring this whole back packing thing, as did Peter Jenkins book "a Walk across America", he really broke it down to it's lowest common demonstrator. The book over the years has also taught me what not to do or bring, and much of that can be seen on the front covers of his subsequent editions. I thought early on I needed all that stuff, and started collecting much of it here and there. Now I only bring what is necessary for any particular trip. no need to bring a life vest if I don't have plans on fording raging rivers. I guess more than anything it caused me to Think for myself, question everything, and take a educated chance. But most of all...just have fun out there.
I don't get no respect.
I start a thread two days ago. I list The Complete Walker as a good read for novices. 268 views. Zero replies.
This thread gets 15 replies today.
Wayne
Sorry I missed your thread. It's all about timing.
vamelungeon
05-29-2014, 17:22
I had to go check- I have the 1st edition and #4. I have "The Man from the Cave" and "The Man Who Walked Through Time" (might have the titles a little wrong), all great reads.
On what not to bring:
One of the earliest items that I bought for backpacking was a folding candle lantern and 6 candles. I still have the lantern and most of the candles. The candle lantern has never been used in a tent. Thank goodness. Not at all sure what I was thinking.
One of my recent purchases (late last year) was a headlamp. What a revelation! Why I carried a handheld flashlight all these years is beyond me.
But most of all...just have fun out there. rocketsocks
Right on!
Wayne
Another Kevin
05-29-2014, 21:49
Great book. The piece of advice from it that has come back to me many times:
Many experienced outdoormen—and all reasonable hiking organizations—contend that one of the greatest dangers in wilderness travel is a practice that permeates this book: walking alone.
They may have something, too. But once you have discovered solitude—the gigantic, enveloping, including, renewing solitude of wild and silent places—and have learned to put it to creative use, you are likely to accept without a second thought such small additional dangers as the solitude imposes. Naturally, you are careful. You make darned sure that someone always knows where you are, and when you will be “out.” You leave broad margins of safety in everything you do: hurrying (or not hurrying) over rough country to make up time; crossing (or not crossing) the creek on that narrow log; inching past (or not inching past) that perilously perched boulder. And when it comes to the all-important matter of luck you keep firmly in mind the Persian proverb that I have already quoted “Fortune is infatuated with the efficient.”
But if you judge safety to be the paramount consideration in life you should never, under any circumstances, go on long hikes alone. Don’t take short hikes either—or, for that matter, go anywhere alone. And avoid at all costs such foolhardy activities as driving, falling in love or inhaling air that is almost certainly riddled with deadly germs. Wear wool next to the skin. Insure every good and chattel you possess against every conceivable contingency the future might bring, even if the premiums half-cripple the present. Never cross an intersection against a red light, even when you can see that all roads are clear for miles. And never, of course, explore the guts of an idea that seems as if it might threaten one of your more cherished beliefs. In your wisdom you will probably live to a ripe old age. But you may discover, just before you die, that you have been dead for a long, long time.
For me the best thing in the Complete Walker is the line (3rd Edition?) where he says he's become a tolerably knowledgeable old fuddy-duddy. We should all be so humble and witty!
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rocketsocks
05-31-2014, 18:14
For me the best thing in the Complete Walker is the line (3rd Edition?) where he says he's become a tolerably knowledgeable old fuddy-duddy. We should all be so humble and witty!
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His anecdotes as foot notes are perhaps some of the best reading/writing...good stuff, always liked this style of writing an would incorporate it myself if ever I was to pen something so worthy.
Ricky&Jack
05-31-2014, 18:18
i need to find out more info and research this book. Never heard of it til this thread.
You may be too young to be exposed to Fletcher
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i need to find out more info and research this book. Never heard of it til this thread.
Just read it. Any, or all, of the 4 editions. Try your local library. If they don't have a copy, ask them to get a copy through inter-library loan.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Ricky&Jack
05-31-2014, 22:58
actually RocketSocks messaged me earlier and offered me a copy of his. So im pretty excited about that.
B.j. Clark
05-31-2014, 23:00
Our oldest is named for him. His books are an enjoyable read in the order they were written. You can see his growth as a writer. His advice in that first Complete Walker stood me in good stead as I got to backpack as a job for the DEC in NY for a couple of summers nearly 40 years ago.
actually RocketSocks messaged me earlier and offered me a copy of his. So im pretty excited about that.
There you go. Enjoy.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Great book. It was the first (of many) that I read about backpacking. I remember readng and thinking "I'm going to need a bigger backpack!"
At that time (80s?) I read _everything_ about Backpacking I could lay my hands on. Fletcher was somewhat rigid but eminently entertaining. Others were no more than PR releases bound up for sale.
Fletchers comments on gear still ring true today. For instance I still recall him being spot on pointing out that pockets in a pack if they are internal to the main bag _subtract_ from the volume irregardless of PR claims.
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Ricky&Jack
06-11-2014, 20:22
I received the 3rd edition from RocketSocks today. After I read it, I'll give it away to a forum member who hasn't read it... and they can give it to another member when finished.
bamboo bob
06-11-2014, 20:29
Colin Fletchers best book is A Walk Through Time about his walking trip up the Grand Canyon
Tipi Walter
06-11-2014, 20:45
Check out this "current" article written in 1960 when he wasn't a legend---
http://www.colinfletcher.com/Colin_Fletcher/Memorabilia_files/FieldStream_Mar60.pdf
And who can forget---
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/JournalSubjects/Tipi-Walter/i-3wF9PLL/0/L/Hiking%20Book%20003-L.jpg
This 2 volume set and Fletcher's original sort of go together.
bamboo bob
06-11-2014, 20:51
i've got both of these. Really a different trail back then. And easier too.
Tipi Walter
06-11-2014, 21:04
i've got both of these. Really a different trail back then. And easier too.
Easier in what way?? I'm thinking of many parts of the trail in the Southeast which have dispensed with the mindless up-and-down puds in favor of hillside contouring---
i've got both of these. Really a different trail back then. And easier too.
Not entirely. I mean it cuts both ways. There were a lot more roadwalks then, for sure. The trail was "officially" some 20 or 30 miles shorter than it is now. But -- from what I hear, a lot of places have switchbacks now that didn't back then. There are a lot more hostels and trail-side amenities now and a lot more organized trail-angel activity. The canoe shuttle across the Kennebec didn't start 'till the mid '80s (after a hiker died while trying to ford it.) The Hundred Mile Wilderness route hadn't changed a whole lot between 1990 and 2010 but it did feel a lot less wild in 2010. The ridge over Whitecap was nicely graded in the interim. Something had changed on the Chairback ridge -- I don't know if the trail had been rerouted, or if the surrounding woods had grown in. It felt much more open the first time through.
Main thing though is that hikers were, as a rule, carrying a lot more weight on their backs back then.
bamboo bob
06-11-2014, 21:23
Easier in what way?? I'm thinking of many parts of the trail in the Southeast which have dispensed with the mindless up-and-down puds in favor of hillside contouring---
The old AT had a lot of miles on pleasant rural dirt roads. Earl Schaefer when doing his 50th anniversary hike said "they ruined the trail" It was a rural walk rather than keeping it in woods I love it now but it was more hiker friendly. Went in and out of towns instead of hitches. For example the Mariah Trail into Gorham and Mahossuc trail out. Now requires hitch hiking to town on rt 2. Along the Housatonic river near Kent is another example. The Stratton Trail instead of up Stratton Mountain. many, Many more.
The old AT had a lot of miles on pleasant rural dirt roads. Earl Schaefer when doing his 50th anniversary hike said "they ruined the trail" It was a rural walk rather than keeping it in woods I love it now but it was more hiker friendly. Went in and out of towns instead of hitches. For example the Mariah Trail into Gorham and Mahossuc trail out. Now requires hitch hiking to town on rt 2. Along the Housatonic river near Kent is another example. The Stratton Trail instead of up Stratton Mountain. many, Many more.
Agree there. I can't understand the logic of relocating the trail west of Monson. No thru-hiker skips Monson. Similarly the old AT used to take you straight to the Inn at the Long Trail, and now passes about a mile west of it. These are mostly inconveniences though.
If I got my history right, Pond Mountain wasn't part of the AT route until 1990. Bear Mtn. (in Vermont) was another relatively recent addition.
rocketsocks
06-11-2014, 21:42
Oh man, thanks for postin that Walter, look forward to reading that when I'm at my computer so I can have a better look...that just made my day!
it wasn't but a couple yars ago that I was able to track down a copy of his other books "the man who walked through time" like Bamboo Bob mentioned about him hiking the 400 miles through the Grand Canyon, but my other favorite is " the thousand mile summer" then I came across a copy of a bo
it's the little things in life that mater most!
rocketsocks
06-11-2014, 21:45
Shoot, sausage fingers...
A book Called "Colin's secret places" or the secret places of Colin fletcher, Ed something like that...all good reads.
SouthMark
06-11-2014, 21:57
I have the original and each subsequent release up through IV with Chip Rawlings. I read Fletcher's "The Thousand Mile Summer" first and that got me interested in hiking. I then got The Complete Walker and I was hooked. He had a way of making me feel like I was there on his trips. My first backpack was a Trailwise and my sleeping bag also a Trailwise Slimline. I eventually read his "The Man Who Walked Through Time" and "River".
Funny - the Field & Stream article says he choose "Civetta" boots but has an add next to it for "Pivetta" boots from Trail Wise!
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rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 07:59
Funny - the Field & Stream article says he choose "Civetta" boots but has an add next to it for "Pivetta" boots from Trail Wise!
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typo perhaps?
I the last part of the article he mentions killing a snake and in his books he talks about doin so, and that he didn't feel good about his chioce, and never killed another snake. :)
funny, those adds are pretty cool, but I'm noticing that half the homes in my neighborhood look like the Aladin precut homes...they don't cost 3-10 thousand dollars to buy anymore. :eek: my house was built in 57'
Probably a typo in The CW and 1kSummer Fletcher used Pivetta.
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For example the Mariah Trail into Gorham and Mahossuc trail out.
If I did the AT again, I'd follow that trail. :)
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 09:17
Probably a typo in The CW and 1kSummer Fletcher used Pivetta.
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ah, got cha!
Third Edition reader here. Great book. The "why walk" portion is one of my favorite parts of any book I have ever read.
I'd recommend someone read this and Skurka's book(for discussion of newer gear) if they wanted to complete picture.
Here Here.
Along with Fletcher's "why walk" portion one might further enjoy reading: Henry David Thoreau's essay "Walking", Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature", John Muir's writings, and Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" and "The Nature Principle." I also found greater insight by reading "Contemplative Hiking" by Margaret Emerson. SOLVITUR AMBULANDO - latin for "it is solved by walking."
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 10:07
Along with Fletcher's "why walk" portion one might further enjoy reading: Henry David Thoreau's essay "Walking", Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature", John Muir's writings, and Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" and "The Nature Principle." I also found greater insight by reading "Contemplative Hiking" by Margaret Emerson. SOLVITUR AMBULANDO - latin for "it is solved by walking."
is the later written in Latin? and Contemplated hiking Margaret Emerson returned no results for me. :-?
Must insert plug for: Jan Leitschuh's book, "The Ordinary Adventurer" about her LT thru hike with Clyde. Nice writing. Jan's been on WB before but haven't seen her around for a while. Jan did an AT thru-hike the following year.
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 10:23
if anyone's interested
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0394519620/ref=sr_1_19_up_1_har_olp?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402582517&sr=1-19&condition=used
can't beat the price...well in this day and age you probably could, though a great book at any price.
What exactly are the differences between "The Complete Walker" versions I, II, III and IV?
bamboo bob
06-12-2014, 11:06
If I did the AT again, I'd follow that trail. :) Yeah, me too. I would like to put together an "old AT" route. Map it out anyway if not actually hike it. Start at Mt. Ogelthorpe amid the Chicken Farms.
I'll bet a lot of thru and section hikers have wandered onto the "old" AT by accident. And afterwards, they went, "Hey, that was pretty nice." :) Sometimes you can see the painted-over blazes.
It never occurred to me not to take the blue blaze into Monson. That's where I was headed, and there was a trail that way. D'oh.
Same thing happened to me at Falls Village, but that was more of an accident.
You could argue that walking Skyline Drive in SNP is more to Benton MacKaye's dream than the actual AT in that section. MacKaye felt strongly that the AT got the short end of that deal, while Skyline Drive got the best views. He was enraged over that, and pretty much washed his hands of the AT project over that very matter.
Here's the book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9467219-contemplative-hiking That's just a Latin phrase that makes sense to me that I write in all my trail journals - Solvitur ambulando
Yeah, me too. I would like to put together an "old AT" route. Map it out anyway if not actually hike it. Start at Mt. Ogelthorpe amid the Chicken Farms.
More like housing developments with a rustic flair now.
http://www.summitpost.org/mount-oglethorpe/620888
http://www.bigcanoe.com/
Like the idea of following the old AT when possible for any future endeavors.
Of course, there are so many trails to do out there, not sure if I would do it again!!! :)
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 11:53
Here's the book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9467219-contemplative-hiking That's just a Latin phrase that makes sense to me that I write in all my trail journals - Solvitur ambulando
ah, thanks.
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 11:58
What exactly are the differences between "The Complete Walker" versions I, II, III and IV?
Essentially the same book, though as gear changed over the years, there were those updates. To be honest Perrito, I never really sat down and went through the subsequent editions side by side looking for the changes. but certainly the biggest difference would be noticed if looking at say an earlier edition and then the latest and co authored by Chip Rawlins, if not only in thickness alone.
CW1 was the first, 2 & 3 just updates (I got the impression CF _didn't_ want to do 3). And 4, if memory serves, was edited and revised by another writer.
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Essentially the same book, though as gear changed over the years, there were those updates. To be honest Perrito, I never really sat down and went through the subsequent editions side by side looking for the changes. but certainly the biggest difference would be noticed if looking at say an earlier edition and then the latest and co authored by Chip Rawlins, if not only in thickness alone.
CW1 was the first, 2 & 3 just updates (I got the impression CF _didn't_ want to do 3). And 4, if memory serves, was edited and revised by another writer.
Thanx for the replies.
I think I have the first one, which sounds like the one I'd choose anyway.
I really liked "The Man Who Walked Through Time", his book on the Grand Canyon. And I have "The Thousand-Mile Summer" sitting on my shelf. I'm going to move that one forward in my reading queue.
The only one that disappointed me was "The Winds of Mara". To me it seemed like a long and pointless muse on nothing of substance. Maybe today I'd get it, didn't then.
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rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 14:32
:-?
Thanx for the replies.
I think I have the first one, which sounds like the one I'd choose anyway.
I really liked "The Man Who Walked Through Time", his book on the Grand Canyon. And I have "The Thousand-Mile Summer" sitting on my shelf. I'm going to move that one forward in my reading queue.
Both of those books are small in size (what I would call dime store novel size) enough so that "The thousand mile summer" just made the cut in my pack on my next trip somewhere...been a while since I read it.
I'm recalling now that "The man who walked through time" I bought maybe 15 years ago in the book stores, and may still be available, but "The Thousand mile summer" I tracked down on the internet after many years looking in used book stores as it was out of print. Online these days you can get almost anything if you bide your time.
In one of his books I remember a part where he talks about traveling to a distant point that he can see, but that it would take him a week or more to get there, er somethin like that. It reminded me of the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" where he see's a bird flying and the bird is headed for the Clam bone, er something :-? (a particular area)...he pauses for a few moments, then say's "Hell, he's already there" You can sense the distances one has to cover in mountain travel to get somewhere, pretty powerful scene...great book, great movie.
rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 14:33
The only one that disappointed me was "The Winds of Mara". To me it seemed like a long and pointless muse on nothing of substance. Maybe today I'd get it, didn't then.
Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.Haven't read that one yet.
Feral Bill
06-12-2014, 14:34
. And 4, if memory serves, was edited and revised by another writer.
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4 was more of a dialog between CF and Chip Rawlings. All are better written than other how to books I have read, though for information Chris Townsend's The Advanced Backpacker is very good.
Pity these aren't "Kindled" possibly a royalty thing.
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futureatwalker
06-12-2014, 16:10
My favorite photo from Fletcher's "The Thousand Mile Summer" - tarping near the Colorado River:
27387
Had a thought this A M. Fletcher called himself a moderately informed old fuddy-duddy.
Maybe those of us who find ourselves falling into that category are Gray-blazing?
:-?
Both of those books are small in size (what I would call dime store novel size) enough so that "The thousand mile summer" just made the cut in my pack on my next trip somewhere...been a while since I read it.
I'm recalling now that "The man who walked through time" I bought maybe 15 years ago in the book stores, and may still be available, but "The Thousand mile summer" I tracked down on the internet after many years looking in used book stores as it was out of print. Online these days you can get almost anything if you bide your time.
In one of his books I remember a part where he talks about traveling to a distant point that he can see, but that it would take him a week or more to get there, er somethin like that. It reminded me of the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" where he see's a bird flying and the bird is headed for the Clam bone, er something :-? (a particular area)...he pauses for a few moments, then say's "Hell, he's already there" You can sense the distances one has to cover in mountain travel to get somewhere, pretty powerful scene...great book, great movie.
High on my Top 10 Movie list. Alongside The Wild Bunch.
Jeremiah Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/?ref_=tt_trv_qu): [Jeremiah and Caleb see a bird flying across the sky] Hawk. Goin' for the Musselshell. Take me a week's ridin', and he'll be there in... hell, he's there already.
Wayne
Here is my copy from 1976. It was my sister's. I was given to her for Chrisrtmas, 1977, from her dear friend Connie, who worked at Hills and Trails, in Clark, NJ.
rocketsocks
09-03-2015, 23:57
Cool, enjoyed reading this thread again.
Some hiker journal I read had the hiker composing a ditty in his head about Colin Fletcher. Anyone recall anything like that?
Good thread.
mankind117
09-04-2015, 10:23
I found a copy of the 4th Edition of the complete walker on sale at REI earlier in the year. I've read Thousand Mile Summer, The Man Who Walked Thru Time, and am reading River so I thought I would pick up a copy out of curiosity. While the information about specific gear is somewhat dated at this point Fletcher's writing and musings makes for entertaining reading. The first chapter on why backpack in the first place is the best essay about the joy of backpacking I have read.
capehiker
09-05-2015, 11:09
Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I added a few books to my reading list.
gregpphoto
09-06-2015, 20:03
As history, I love reading old camping and hiking books. But often they are just that. I once found myself, for the first and only time, writing in a library book because the book said "make sure to bury all of your garbage, including cans, deep enough that animals won't dig them up." (in the margin I wrote "incorrect: pack it in, pack it out!")
rocketsocks
09-06-2015, 20:41
I found a copy of the 4th Edition of the complete walker on sale at REI earlier in the year. I've read Thousand Mile Summer, The Man Who Walked Thru Time, and am reading River so I thought I would pick up a copy out of curiosity. While the information about specific gear is somewhat dated at this point Fletcher's writing and musings makes for entertaining reading. The first chapter on why backpack in the first place is the best essay about the joy of backpacking I have read.My favorite part.
rocketsocks
09-06-2015, 20:43
High on my Top 10 Movie list. Alongside The Wild Bunch.
Jeremiah Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/?ref_=tt_trv_qu): [Jeremiah and Caleb see a bird flying across the sky] Hawk. Goin' for the Musselshell. Take me a week's ridin', and he'll be there in... hell, he's there already.
Wayne
Wayne
That's the one, thanks Wayne, great Movie.
That's the one, thanks Wayne, great Movie.
Aye!
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
shelterbuilder
09-06-2015, 21:45
There are a LOT of us "moderately informed old fuddy-duddy"s who got into this pastime/hobby/lifestyle BECAUSE of reading Fletcher (and some of the other writers who were churning out this type of material in that time-period). And thank God for them all, or MY life might have been so much poorer without them.
Had a thought this A M. Fletcher called himself a moderately informed old fuddy-duddy.
Maybe those of us who find ourselves falling into that category are Gray-blazing?
There are a LOT of us "moderately informed old fuddy-duddy"s who got into this pastime/hobby/lifestyle BECAUSE of reading Fletcher (and some of the other writers who were churning out this type of material in that time-period). And thank God for them all, or MY life might have been so much poorer without them.
and carried a lot of crud on his advice
Traveler
09-07-2015, 08:23
and carried a lot of crud on his advice
I found Fletcher to be pretty good in what kind of "crud" he wrote about taking along on his walks, providing several different examples of what was available at the time and alternatives. These items changed with each edition as the backpacking industry expanded (it can be argued Fletcher was instrumental in this expansion). Its fun to look back to see what state of the art looked like in 1968 as compared to today.
Reading his words from the late 60s into the 80s gives one a perspective in how far we have come in terms of backpacking, with a lot of what he wrote remains true to this day about this activity. More specifically, he didn't advise what you should take, he sited gear he carried and spent a lot of time discussing gear he thought was good at the time of each publication and listed out what he thought was a good "kit". It was up to the reader to decide what worked for them.
At the time, he was (an possibly remains) one of the finest authorities in long distance walking in the US.
Casey & Gina
09-07-2015, 08:45
I just ordered a 1st edition from half.com for 75 cents plus 4 dollars shipping... Looking forward to it!
rocketsocks
09-07-2015, 12:16
I just ordered a 1st edition from half.com for 75 cents plus 4 dollars shipping... Looking forward to it!
Best 75 cents you'll ever spend...the four bucks, well, lets face it, shipping cost are a lot these days.
shelterbuilder
09-07-2015, 22:27
When I read Fletcher, I would make mental notes about what he was carrying, and, realizing that he was hiking in a different part of the country than me (I'm from Pa.), I knew that MY conditions would be different. But I was able to use HIS experience as a jumping-off-point for my own search for equipment and techniques. Back then, a LOT of my beginning equipment came from Army and Navy / military surplus stores because it was what I could afford as a freshman college student with not a lot of cash. And back then, you could see a LOT of surplus gear still on the trails. Boy, we HAVE come a long way - I remember when Gore-Tex first hit the market! Expensive as heck, but those of us who had it thought that we'd died and gone to rainwear-heaven!
I found Fletcher to be pretty good in what kind of "crud" he wrote about taking along on his walks, providing several different examples of what was available at the time and alternatives. These items changed with each edition as the backpacking industry expanded (it can be argued Fletcher was instrumental in this expansion). Its fun to look back to see what state of the art looked like in 1968 as compared to today.
Reading his words from the late 60s into the 80s gives one a perspective in how far we have come in terms of backpacking, with a lot of what he wrote remains true to this day about this activity. More specifically, he didn't advise what you should take, he sited gear he carried and spent a lot of time discussing gear he thought was good at the time of each publication and listed out what he thought was a good "kit". It was up to the reader to decide what worked for them.
At the time, he was (an possibly remains) one of the finest authorities in long distance walking in the US.
"Consider the source" (with no disrespect!) applies here.
I must have read Complete Walker 20x and I'm on the east coast not the west. The only thing I really disagreed with was the sugar bars. The name escapes me now - ugh! But then again my dentist would have loved them😀
And I agree Fletcher made it abundantly clear that what he did worked for him but would not apply to everybody.
Some of the commentaries I read after the fact made for interesting reading. And there's a Web site from the guy who has Fletcher's complete notes (the complete Complete Walker?😃) that I hope is still up when I get back to throwing $ at it.
Fletcher's background - England, WW2, South Africa and Canada, if memory serves says a lot about where he was coming from. And he had dammned good editor!
Tuckahoe
09-08-2015, 08:15
"Consider the source" (with no disrespect!) applies here.
I must have read Complete Walker 20x and I'm on the east coast not the west. The only thing I really disagreed with was the sugar bars. The name escapes me now - ugh! But then again my dentist would have loved them😀
And I agree Fletcher made it abundantly clear that what he did worked for him but would not apply to everybody.
Some of the commentaries I read after the fact made for interesting reading. And there's a Web site from the guy who has Fletcher's complete notes (the complete Complete Walker?😃) that I hope is still up when I get back to throwing $ at it.
Have not yet read the books, but I suspect that the sugar bars are Kendal Mint Cakes --
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendal_Mint_Cake
Yes, set my teeth aching just thinking about them!
Maybe he was a closet Alpinest?
Tuckahoe
09-08-2015, 09:18
I've had them cause of my interest in the Great War -- they're not bad, just reminded me of a big York Peppermint Patty. But they were all the rage because of the athletism movement and military use in the first half of the 20th century.
And just as a compari, per 100g --
Kendal Mint Cakes -- 379 cal, 97g carbs
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/george-romneys-kendal-mint-cake-230427553
Snickers -- 467 cal, 63g carbs
https://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/snickers-bar?portionid=56142&portionamount=100.000
Off topic - WW1? My g'father was a POW in "Russia". I have the name of the Camp and some pixs. Have never been able to pinpoint it, supposedly Siberia (!). Do you know of any sources?