View Full Version : The Complete Walker IV
I'm gimpy
07-09-2011, 19:49
Just bought The Complete Walker IV last night at Barnes and noble. This book would be great for anybody interested in long distance hiking. It is also great for the expeirenced hiker as a go to reference guide. Alittle of the info is slightly outdated, but not much. Besides being a useful guide it is also pretty entertaining. Anyone else read this book yet?
I read the second edition back in the 70's. I also have the fourth edition, but unfortunately, lots of the funniest passages were stripped out. Such as when Colin explained the court case that used the first edition of the book to successfully win a an acquittal when tried on a charge involving 35mm film canisters and marijuana, or when he described the time he was a guest on a talk show in California and was accused of using hiking to "escape" reality, or his description of how to prime a Svea.
Still a great book though.
I first read the third edition about 15 years ago. I was already an experienced backpacker, but loved Fletcher's take on travel in the wilderness. My wife bought the 4th ed about 6 years ago when she began to backpack with me.
I always recommend it folks who are new to backpacking. I consider it the definitive primer for new backpackers. There are a lot of ideas that are not as applicable to a long distance hiker (who tends to prioritize lower weight and frequent resupply) but the overall concept is great for someone who is building their knowledge of how to enjoy a backpacking trip and come back alive and intact to tell about it.
WingedMonkey
07-10-2011, 00:58
Damn, now you made me pull mine off the shelf just to check. First addition 1969 hard-copy. That was a year before my first trip to Philmont (when it was still wilderness)
I think even now I use a form of his "House on Your Back"
Ground Plan
Foundations
Walls
Kitchen
Bedroom
Clothes Closet
Furniture and Appliances
Housekeeping
Chubbs4U
07-10-2011, 01:40
Just recently ordered it and havent opened it yet. Will prob be the next read on my list.
SouthMark
07-10-2011, 08:26
I have the first, third and fourth. This was the first book that I ever read on backpacking. I was so impressed with Colin's writing and his humor that I bought three of his other books. It was so sad that he died from a hit and run while he was walking.
restless
07-10-2011, 08:47
Colin Fletcher did not die until 6 years after the accident. As a matter of fact, he resumed walking within one year. His death was contributed to complications from a head injury though that he had sustained during the accident. But the nagain. he wass 85 when he passed away; we can't all live forever!
vamelungeon
07-10-2011, 09:01
I've got the 1st and 4th editions. Great reading for a hiker.
The Man Who Walked Through Time, His narrative of thru-hiking the Grand Canyon, and The 1000-Mile Summer, the account of his 1959(?) walk through the north-south length of California, are both great reads as well.
SouthMark
07-10-2011, 17:21
Colin Fletcher did not die until 6 years after the accident. As a matter of fact, he resumed walking within one year. His death was contributed to complications from a head injury though that he had sustained during the accident. But the nagain. he wass 85 when he passed away; we can't all live forever!
Thanks restless, I had forgotten the details.
Toolshed
07-18-2011, 18:45
The Man Who Walked Through Time, His narrative of thru-hiking the Grand Canyon, and The 1000-Mile Summer, the account of his 1959(?) walk through the north-south length of California, are both great reads as well. yes, I got hooked in the very early 90's to Colin's books and then onto Ed Abbey. I used to fall asleep to those books in hand and always had one of them with me whenever I flew for work.