Book recommendations

[Dan00001]

Hi,

I'm looking for some book recommendations. I'm looking for a camping adventures style book, not so much educational and definitely not fiction. If it contains stories of camping in Wales, even better.

One book I was considering was something from Alfred Wainwright, has anybody read any of his books? Are they a fun/interesting read?

Thank you.

 

[Pattree]

Wainwright wasn’t much of a comedian. He didn’t like meeting people on his walks and hated recognition. Also none of my books by him mention camping - but I just have those beautifully illustrated volumes on the walks.

Much of my own inspiration came from a book written in 1908 by S E White called “The Forest.” He talks about light weight kit, setting up camp, canoes, fishing and a lot of stuff about Canadian forest at the turn of the century. Surprisingly it is respectful of the First Nation folk that he meets and worked with.
Oh and there is a chapter on flies!

It’s a lovely book. The reader can easily see how modern materials and kit World make life easier. He’s not a primitive. He uses matches to light both his fires and his pipe and a 0.22 target pistol to augment his food supply.

It’s written as a travelogue in the first person. It reads like experience. He is however an author of fiction and I suspect that some of his Outdoor performance has some story tellers license. I strongly suspect that his travelling companion is there so he can establish dialogues to make his points - but then I’m a sceptic!

It’s not any sort of tutorial but I still use his advice when setting up camp, fire lighting and preparing to cook.

 

[hughtrimble]

I'm looking for a camping adventures style book, not so much educational and definitely not fiction. If it contains stories of camping in Wales, even better.

This is quite the challenge as it has to have been an interesting (exciting) enough camping adventure to warrant publishing, and it has to have actually happened in real life, but also isn't aimed at being educational.

I can picture one of those choice triangles where you can have two of the three items:

1. Non-fiction
2. Camping
3. Not designed to be educational

I'm intrigued if you can find something as it would be great if so.

Edit: Pattree may well have managed it!

 

[Dan00001]

Thank you Pattree,

It certainly sounds like a book I would read but unfortunately, it looks pretty rare and expensive. Maybe I will find it online and read.

 

[Pattree]

That’s a surprise! Mine was free on Kindle about eight years ago!

 

[hughtrimble]

Thank you Pattree,

It certainly sounds like a book I would read but unfortunately, it looks pretty rare and expensive. Maybe I will find it online and read.

9781514804858 - The Forest by White, Stewart Edward - AbeBooks

The Forest by Stewart Edward White and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com.

www.abebooks.com

Copies available here from within the UK for £9ish if that helps

 

[Dan00001]

This is quite the challenge as it has to have been an interesting (exciting) enough camping adventure to warrant publishing, and it has to have actually happened in real life, but also isn't aimed at being educational.

I can picture one of those choice triangles where you can have two of the three items:

1. Non-fiction
2. Camping
3. Not designed to be educational

I'm intrigued if you can find something as it would be great if so.

Edit: Pattree may well have managed it!

I mean, I don't mind a bit of creative writing/exaggeration. And it doesn't have to be super exciting, I take a lot of enjoyment out of, and like to hear about the mundane tasks, stories that I can picture myself actually doing one day, not necessarily anything like a 6 month solo expedition in the Antarctic. Something along the lines of a diary of events camping the highest peaks in the UK would more than suffice.

 

[Dan00001]

That’s a surprise! Mine was free on Kindle about eight years ago!

Actually, I found paperback version on Amazon for £7. Yes, kindle version £2.28, Hardback it appears there may be different editions as I found one for £25 and one for £68

 

[hughtrimble]

Actually, I found paperback version on Amazon for £7. Yes, kindle version £2.28, Hardback it appears there may be different editions as I found one for £25 and one for £68

Very good. Just found a 1934 one for not much more so have gone for it. Thank you @Pattree for the recommendation and thank you @Dan00001 for the thread that triggered it.

 

[Dan00001]

No worries, hopefully we will get some more recommendations, too.

 

[TLM]

A lot of books like that written in this obscure Finno-Ugric language. I am afraid none has been translated into the Romano-Germanic creole spoken in the Misty Isles.

 

[Kepis]

Survive the Savage Sea immediately springs to mind, excellent read, not camping as it's a sea survival story, but nevertheless it's very good.

 

[Pattree]

1. Non-fiction
2. Camping
3. Not designed to be educational

Two out of three wouldn’t be bad - would it?

 

[hughtrimble]

Two out of three wouldn’t be bad - would it?

Certainly not from my perspective, it was just the OP's requirements I was attempting to reflect

 

[ijohnson]

You might want to check out Bothy Tales and The Last Hillwalker By John Burns.

The Last Hillwalker

This book takes you on a journey of discovery and is recognised by hillwalkers as a classic of its genre. From his early beginnings, as a school boy in the Lake District, John travelled on to make …

www.johndburns.com

 

[Pattree]

In my childhood I read Two Little Savages by Ernest Thompson Seaton and later on when I was a Scout it was recommended reading.
It’s a children’s adventure book, fiction but informative.
His Animal Tracks and Hunter Signs is worth a read of tracking interests you. The species are American but it’s very adaptable.

 

[Paul_B]

There was a book by a Scottish Journo who left his family at home and tried to live in the Klondike or similar. He got taken in hand by the patriarch of an Athabascan family who taught him to survive. Apparently most city slickers die in their first year as would this journo if it had not been for the first nations old fella teaching him things.

Simple things like ditching the inadequate but hugely expensive outdoor kit from expensive brands that would not have lasted the year. US marine corp rubber duckies I thing replaced his Sorels. (IIRC the duckies are rubber lace up boots that have big volume toes to allow insulation and rubber to keep 100% dry in deep snow as used by Marine corp in arctic locations in the past).

Can't remember the book but IIRC it is Guy Greive. I read it on a scottish wildcamping trip in the down times. In fact it was my first time I realised I could read a book in Scotland in summer at 01:30 in the night without a head torch!! It was after sunset but there was no actual full on light. I thought that was not possible in the UK! A bit of a page turner I thought and I found it a great read for being out there!!