" would it be a good idea to take bushcraft books with me? I am intending to travel as lightly as possible but I was thinking it might be worth the extra weight"
not sure if everyone will agree with me here but my experience, particularly during my trip, was that I the books I brought (which were bushcraft related) were a burden. every knot in there, shelter design and first aid process described in the book should be well known to you anyway, so no need to carry the book.
The only books I can imagine taking are those that have information very specific to your area, in the same way that you take a map because you can't effectively memorise a terrain in advance (well, I cant). my first thought would be a guide to edible plants and fungi of the specific region, sometimes found in local libraries, but i've never been comfortable learning that from a book, I always prefer to have someone show me.
There are plenty of cases of misidentification, so I wouldnt trust a book to tell me whats poisonous and whats edible when I'm all alone and the result of a screw up is a lonely goodbye (sound familiar?).
I guess in short, for THIS type of trip I believe you should thoroughly know the essentials of what you need to get by before you go, so you wouldnt need the books. they'd make good improvised toilet paper, or tinder, should you choose to bring them anyway.
on other trips I go to try new stuff out, so it makes sense to bring bushcraft books, but the purpose and nature of the trip is different.
Its an interesting point, not to change the subject, but I'd be curious to know if folk take books, bushcraft or otherwise, out on long trips?
I never had the urge to read when I'm out, there's always so much around to see, or experience..
