Reading material on the trail

[DSettahr]

I did a quick search for previous threads on this topic but couldn't find anything relevant.

I am someone that likes to read a lot while backpacking, for example while eating lunch or while hanging out in camp in the evening. I am trying to figure out how best to incorporate this aspect into a through hike. I'm curious to hear the perspectives of others- specifically, how do you read while hiking the entire AT? Do people carry physical books (I imagine that this is often cumbersome, and it is difficult to plan when and how to get new books)? Has anyone carried a Kindle or Nook (or something similar), and if so, was it worth it? Or do most people find that they are simply too tired at the end of the day to devote much time to reading?

And lastly, are there any good book series that might take up the entire trail, or significant chunks of it? I recently read Master and Commander (the first of the Aubrey-Maturin series) and really liked it. As there are ~20 books in that series, I was considering saving the rest for a through hike. Does anyone have any other suggestions for lengthy book series worth of a through-hike?

Thanks!

[rickb]

And lastly, are there any good book series that might take up the entire trail, or significant chunks of it? I recently read Master and Commander (the first of the Aubrey-Maturin series) and really liked it. As there are ~20 books in that series, I was considering saving the rest for a through hike. Does anyone have any other suggestions for lengthy book series worth of a through-hike?

Thanks!

They cannot match Patrick OBrian, but Alexander Kent and Dudley Popes' age of sail series are fun too.

If you have not found it already, check out the archives for fans of the Aubrey-Maturin series here:

http://hmssurprise.org

It is simply amazing how accurate the author was with his details, and just how much those details are appreciated by those on the list. It boggles the mind.

[garlic08]

The Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell are pretty good, and are contemporary to the O'Brien work. And don't miss the Horatio Hornblower series.

I'm an avid reader off-trail, but don't read on thru-hikes. I can't carry the weight--200 pages a day is pretty normal. (And due to misguided principles, I carry no electronics (other than an LED headlamp), batteries, or chargers while hiking.) I switch to puzzles on the trail. I can print four extreme Sudoku puzzles on one piece of paper and that can keep me busy for three or four days. I can carry two Saturday NYT crossword puzzles on one page, and sometimes I can't even finish those after days of trying. I can work those in my head while hiking, too.

[wannahike]

I have books on my iphone. If I run out I can download a new one from my library or Amazon. I thought I would hate reading on the phone but I have no problem and I don't need a flashlight to read and I like that a lot.
My first time on the AT I thought I would be too busy/tired to read so I didn't have a book and no iphone then, when I got to Neel Gap I found a book by the laundry. It was the worst book ever but I was happy to have it to read.

[Old Grouse]

+1 on the Iphone. I also thought the small screen would be a problem but it isn't at all. It's also a great help when my wife drags me to Nordstroms, etc. I just plod along behind her but because I'm reading I don't feel my time was wasted. Oh, and Emmy - if you're reading this, no time with you is ever wasted!

[CoolBobby]

Nook Glowlight...Weighs 6 oz, holds thousands of books, last for around 8 weeks per charge. I have not through hiked the AT yet, but I have hiked alot of the Florida Trail and elsewhere. There is nothing like reading in my hammock after a long hard day. I keep my books, along with reference books, and newspapers on my Glowlight. And when you get to a wifi signal, you can get current newspapers for news (if you are into that).

[Pedaling Fool]

This is a lot like asking which vibrator to bring on a hike:eek::D;)

[rafe]

I haven't done so but it seems to me that something like a Kindle "paper-white" device makes sense for folks who like to read.

Seems to me a lot of thru hikers and long-distance hikers are carrying smart phones these days, often with auxiliary power packs good for a few recharge cycles. Most of these have sufficient display resolution to double as readers. Not to mention -- they can store maps, guides, and other useful info as well.

[The Solemates]

im a huge reader. always have a book with me, regardless of where I am. I take a book to work even and read during lunch and breaks sometimes. i always have a hardcopy book on the trail. i read at night mostly, but sometimes while taking a break as well, especially if its a nice sunny overlook where I have stopped for a rest and water. I read only non-fiction and always have several books going at once. i average upwards of 50 books read a year.

[Starchild]

I listened to audiobooks at times on my iPhone, I didn't care to spend time reading.

[Slo-go'en]

I migrated to a small smart phone I got for $19.95 and use like a tablet. Down load the Kindle app and your choice of 1000's of free books.

[Spirit Walker]

I always carry a book when backpacking. In my early days on the AT, I spent more time talking with other hikers than reading, but as time went on and the days got longer, I enjoyed reading for a bit late in the day. Finding books in towns was always hit or miss. Some hostels had books to trade, some groceries carry the latest best sellers. Sometimes another hiker will finish a book and leave it in a shelter. Mostly they seemed to leave half a book :-( I put books in resupply boxes or drift boxes sometimes.

Lord of the Rings was a good trail series. I usually don't like to read anything too heavy on the trail. Books are purely escapism for me and a break from the guidebooks I usually carry. You need something dense enough to last a week or so, but not so dense you won't read it.

[Slo-go'en]

Since many have switched over to ebooks, finding a good paperback in a shelter to read while waiting out a rainy day is becoming scarce. I really got into one book I found, only to discover the last 2 chapters missing. No point in reading any farther. So please, if your going to use a book for starting fires or TP, use the first chapter or two. Those we can do without, but we really need to know how the story ends!

[booney_1]

Stephen King Dark Tower series...8 books...4250 pages...it's also about a group "hiking"...perhaps you will find you own ka-tet

Long Days and Pleasant Nights

[CarlZ993]

I didn't carry my Kindle on my thru-hike but often wished I did. It is lighter than a paperback book & holds gobs of books. Being frugal, I almost never 'buy' a Kindle book. I have a library card from the local library. I can download up to 3 e-books from my library to my Kindle at a time. I'd download them & then immediately put the Kindle back in airplane mode. Those three books would stay in the Kindle well beyond the normal 21-day check-out cycle. When I finish those books, I log onto my city's library website & check out 3 more. I turn off the airplane mode. The old books 'disappear' & the new ones are downloaded. I turn the airplane mode again. Repeat as needed. Easy peasy.

[GDM]

If you read sci-fi, the Honor Harrington series by David Weber has more than 15 books, and has some elements of Master and Commander - sea/space voyages, shipboard life, geopolitics.

If you like fantasy, there are all sorts of choices.. The Wheel of Time series might fit the bill.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[Hikes in Rain]

Also along the Honor Harrington line, but a few decades earlier, is A. Bertram Chandler's John Grimes series. Chandler was a Merchant Marine ship caaptain, and wrote the stories during long voyages and watches. It's very obvious from his writing that he knows ships.

[Dogwood]

I seek reading/learning material that connects me with the history and Nature of the trail I'm thru-hiking...wild flower, plant/tree identification small traveling books w/ glossy pics, geology, weather patterns, cultures of the people in the area(learning Native American ways appeals to me), reptiles, dangerous creatures, birds, cloud identification, mines, peaks, etc. If I'm in the southwest I'll read Edward Abbey. On the AT A Walk in the Woods. Through GSMNP a book on amphibians and another on the history of the park and problems facing the trees. I've brushed up on my Spanish an German on audiobooks. I'll occasionally take few of the hardest sudokus, word jumbles or NYT/LAT Sunday crosswords.





What breaks it all up is that I'm daily studying maps, trail description guidebooks, practicing compass/map navigation, side hikes, alternates, off trail/other on/near trail attractions, etc.





What I'm reading and IF I'm reading also depends on the trail. For something like an AT thru-hike where I can turn my mind off and just focus on walking following the hiker superhighway beaten down obvious well maintained path with 1000's of regularly spaced white blazes and umpteen signage I might read more.





IMO, books and finding something adequate to read doesn't have to be difficult or cumbersome. An Ipod or 5 oz tablet is all it takes. Some common sense is all it takes in opting for physical books that are compact and lighter wt w/ perhaps larger print is easily possible especially on the AT.

[vamelungeon]

I used to carry books, but now carry a Kindle. Put it in airplane mode and the battery will last a long time. You can carry a virtual library in one.

[Rolex]

I too am a voracious reader. The kindle paper white has been one to f the best things I've ever invested in.
Watch for perrymk's here. he posts free books regularly as he finds them. I follow a free kindle book site and download more than I can stay up with.
I do keep a cheap paperback just in case in my pack but the kindle has satisfied my addiction 100%.

[RangerZ]

I bring cheap paperbacks that I get at church yard sales and such – something that I wouldn’t mind burning if I had to, rather than say, my clothes. :banana
I prefer science fiction or high tech shoot ‘em ups.

[Bronk]

This may have changed in the modern era with iphones and kindles, but when I hiked in 2002 I found quite a few books in shelters. I'd carry them while I read them and then leave them in the next shelter I passed when I was finished.

[North Star]

I carried a Kobo on the Long Trail. Advantages were that it holds way more books than I could ever read on any trail, and I also scanned the trail guides into PDF so that lightened my load a bit. With the "Glo" feature, I could turn the light down so low that reading in the dark was very comfortable, and much less intrusive to other hikers in the shelter than reading with a red light would ever be. In a pinch, it could also work as a backup light source if I turned it up.
The downside was that half way through my hike I fell and it destroyed my Kobo. Fortunately I still carried my paper map of the trail.
When I attempt a thru-hike of the AT, I wouldn't hesitate to bring an ereader. But this time I'd keep it in a place where it isn't going to get broken when I fall.

[shelb]

...are there any good book series that might take up the entire trail, or significant chunks of it? ....
Thanks!

If you like police procedural type mysteries, you might try Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series. There are about 50 of them... The best is Big Bad City, which is something my 12th graders claim is one of the best books they ever read during high school...

[d3ef]

I carried real books. I found that books would be left in shelters, and some of them were worth reading. I left some books in shelters when I was done with them.
I would recommend going to book sales at libraries and such, because you can get cheap paperbacks.

Books are multi-use items - paper is a great fire starter :)

[Pringles]

I used to carry books, then I got an MP3 player. I can download audio books from my local library, and just listen to someone read the books to me. I used to live near Lake Superior. I'd hike to my camp area and set up, then go to the shore, sit, and with only one earpiece in, I could listen to the waves, watch whatever was going on, and listen to a book. The MP3 player could hold lots of books, and was lighter than a book (or a Kindle), and I didn't need any light to use it. So when I go to bed, I can "read" for a while without keeping anyone awake, or if I wake and can't sleep, I can listen then, too. With a phone, you really don't need the MP3 player either. (I know you asked about books, I just thought I'd mention this. I'm a librarian, so I'm not anti-book. :-). )

Pringles

[Puddlefish]

As far as longer series. I'm a fantasy/science fiction geek, so most of my recommendations reflect this.

"The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Erikson is an epic 10 book set. The first third of the first book does start off a bit a bit messy violent and confusing, but it runs the range of human activity and emotion after that. Simply astounding if you enjoy epic fantasy. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry.

R Scott Baker "The Prince of Nothing" is quite good, it's not as long, it's a bit dark.

Robin Hobb has a group of intersecting Trilogies "Live Ship Traders" (Good) "Farseer" (excellent) "Tawny Man" (Excellent) and "Rain Wild Chronicles (haven't read yet, I was waiting for the third book to be written)

Brust "The Khaavren Romances" a five book series, that's really fun. A fantasy spin in the style of Dumas. Brust also has a bunch of "Taltos" books, which while generally amusing, don't reach the same level of writing.

Rawn "Dragon Prince Trilogy" "Dragon Star Trilogy" Dragons, costumes, drama, colors, and really quite good.

Jordan "The Wheel of Time" Starts great, I can't recommend it because it bogs down horribly and dies a slow agonizing death. Maybe I'll get around to finishing the last book someday. Maybe.

Williams "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" Only a trilogy, but a fairly long one. Quite good.

Just for a change of pace, some mystery series:

Evanovitch The numbers books. Brainless and fun.

Penny "Chief Inspector Armand Gamache" Small town, focus on interpersonal relationships murder mysteries.

and lastly

Child "Jack Reacher" series. Manly noble independent action hero.

[colorado_rob]

...
Child "Jack Reacher" series. Manly noble independent action hero.I got totally hooked on the Jack Reached series, read all 15 books on the trail, listened to a few of them because the Amazon kindle store runs audio-book add-on specials, like only an extra 4 bucks for the audio version when you buy the $8 kindle book.

As said below, audio books are sometimes fantastic on some tough, long, lonely stretches of the trail. tons of free audio books out there, like Jack London books, other classics. Here's a link to librivox's Jack London library:

https://librivox.org/author/143?primary_key=143&search_category=author&search_page=1&search_form=get_results

One downer, is that the books come with one separate mp3 file for each chapter, so after each chapter you have to click the next chapter to continue listening. there has to be an easy fix for this, but I've never pursued it.

I just use my phone as my audio-book device, I can listen all day for 2-3 days on one battery charge.

I also read each night with my phone's Kindle app, which dimmed down to white font on black background seems to take very little battery power.