The Pragmatic Backpacker: Sensible Strategies for Savvy Backpacking

Backpacking is complicated enough as it is. Convert chaos to clarity!

Use this no-nonsense guidebook to stand on the proven practices and careful considerations of someone who has made the mistakes for you. Dispatch amateur-hour blunders, shorten your learning curve, and lengthen your days in the wild. Shed pack pounds as you encounter the outdoors simply and sensibly, based on real-world practices. Make the most of each precious day off when walking away from your routine with everything you need-and less of what you don't-strategically strapped to your back. Stripped away from misconceptions and consumer clutter, your goal of the steep summit, the distant lake, or the pink sunrise will become more realistic and achievable. Savvy section topics include: gram counters, mileage monsters, diminishing returns, resilience lost, counting "calories", less is more, blisters be-gone, footprints for suckers, hip holes, upside-down rain, morning chores, hiking on empty, sleep systems, pad pondering, stretching seams, going rogue, contour craze, first-day follies, sweet lollipop routes, off-the-hook off-trail time, river rage, ford footwear, summer snows, thunder bumpers, spring sucking, the water conundrum, cairn confessions, fire frustrations, toilet time, solo safety, squat baths, essential apparel, nutrition, and much more! "Reading it is a little like going out for a week with a seasoned, well-spoken mountain guide." Steve G. "David has distilled years of passion and experience into a practical and common-sense guide that flows with personal anecdotes and stories." Randy L. "This thoughtful book maps a trail for the weekend backpacker attempting to navigate the sport's many intricacies. In relatable and easy-to-understand prose, The Pragmatic Backpacker turns years of backpacking experience into useful principles and tips for enjoying the backcountry. Detailed discussions about topics such as going light, packing a pack, planning a route, selecting gear, and staying safe give the reader the benefits of Kunz's experience without having to endure the pains of trial and error for themselves." Quinn Grover, Author of Wilderness of Hope: Fly Fishing and Public Lands in the American West