Book, The Complete Walker?

Razor

Razor

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Has anyone read this book by, Colin Fletcher? I was thinking about ordering it from Amazon.
 
I bought the original version 40 years ago. He was a remarkable guy and dealt with some pretty heavy gear. I learned a LOT from this guy and it was *the* bible for all of us who were early fans of backpacking.

Over the years he revised the book a few times updating it and the gear he used. Sadly, he died a couple years ago after being hit by a car (IIRC).

But everyone should read the original book and learn from him. Old school, Brit, wonderful sense of humor.
 
AWESOME book! :thumbup: I have the third edition, so it is slightly dated (equipment prices will make you weep). He is a learned backpacker with a wonderful writing style, who combines his love of the outdoors with his love of gear and gadgetry. He would fit in well around here. SOme of the neatest things in the book are his menu and recipe suggestions, as well as his "sample days in the field" where he describes each piece of kit in action, so to speak.

He is quite old now, and I guess he got hit by a car a number of years ago while walking and never fully recovered from some severe injuries (including ones to his head). The latest edition of his book was co-written by someone because he needed the help.
 
BTW, he also wrote another must read, "The Man Who Walked Through Time" about his trek through the length of the Grand Canyon back in 1963. He also walked the length of California in the 50's and wrote a book about that too. I think it was called "The Thousand Mile Summer".

Foilist, he died in 2007.
 
Get it!

It's a great book with lots of wonderful information. I was surprised to find in reading it that Fletcher enjoyed walking naked when possible! I guess that's one thing I had never considered doing... :-)

Check out the Wikipedia entry on Fletcher. If you don't get the book after reading that page, there's something wrong with you. ;)

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
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CSG said:
BTW, he also wrote another must read, "The Man Who Walked Through Time" about his trek through the length of the Grand Canyon back in 1963. He also walked the length of California in the 50's and wrote a book about that too. I think it was called "The Thousand Mile Summer".

Foilist, he died in 2007.
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Oh, that's sad. I guess he never fully bounced back from the car strike. RIP.:(

Another book in a similar vein is Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire. It's his memoires of exploring the Utah Canyonlands. He was sort of a right-wing, un-PC, environmentalist, if you can imagine such a creature.
 
It's a worthwhile read, good information based on real world testing in all conditions. Sorry to hear he died though, I enjoyed his writing style.

To the OP, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you order it...but I'm judging it from an earlier issue and don't know how well the updates were done.
 
I have the first three editions. I bought the 4th and returned it. In my opinion, it was a scam -- very little changed from third. I think you would be just as happy with a used copy of the Third Ed.
 
Thomas Linton said:
I have the first three editions. I bought the 4th and returned it. In my opinion, it was a scam -- very little changed from third. I think you would be just as happy with a used copy of the Third Ed.
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Interesting... there was enough new material in the later editions (except for the fourth, apparently) that you bought each one?

I only have one copy... I bought the third edition when it was released. I'll refrain from upgrading, thanks to your tip.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Amaxon has 121 new and used from 1 cent ( plus shipping of course) in the 3rd edition.
 
Cool gadget book but far too much reliance on toys than skills. Can't say I didn't browse the pages though as a kid and put some of the pictures in my fantasy gear dreams.
 
I had the first or second edition and really liked it. I think subsequent editions were co-authored by another writer. A solid book about planning backpacking trips, even if, as Kevin notes, it's a bit gear focused.
 
Finished the latest version not too long ago. I thought it was a great book and Colin has a style of wrting that makes a pretty dry topic funny and interesting. I would say it is worth the read if you are in no hurry, over 800 pages, but never really gets boring.

The equipment & the like are outdated with as fast as tech is moving in the outdoors arena, but the basics of gool walking (backpacking) are all in there. Colin has walked alot and knows his stuff. Chip, the younger guy he brought in to help write and provide perspective from a younger vision, knows his stuff as well. Spent something like a decade studying rivers in Montanna in the winter...by himself...on foot. Knows his stuff.

Overall, a very good read as long as you are not looking for the best, up to date info on equipment.
 
I bought the latest version and I keep it as a reference, but I just don't think of it as a "great" book. The equipment listed is outdated already. Perhaps useful for someone getting into hiking/camping/outdoors relatively late in life, but if you have spent time in the outdoors, grew up in the scouts, etc. you won't learn anything 'new'.

Maybe useful if you are planning a walkthru of the Apalachian Trail.
 
I found his books immensely entertaining and informative when I first started hiking and camping. Even though the equipment in the books are outdated, the fundamentals are still the same.
 
I had an order to Amazon waiting to finalize in my Amazon account.
Today "poof" all my amazon wishlist and shopping cart items are gone!
Grumble grumble.....
Time to reconstruct/rebuild.
I had the "Complete Walker" book in there plus others.
I need to add a few....
Anybody here have links to the "survival/bushcraft" book threads that have been posted here?
:)
 
Good read, or at least it was in the '70's and people were rediscovering backpacking. Very heavy reliance on equipment, the book is even organized by his "house on your back" approach to backpacking. Definitely not an ultralight guy. This is the book that started me walking. For the type of stuff we discuss here, you may do better with Nessmuk's book.
 
Like some of the other posters, I read this book back in the late 70's when I first started backpacking and wilderness camping. It was good stuff in its day, although I can't say how well the newer additions addressed the updates in ultralight gear and minimal impact camping.
 
It's worthy for his philosophy, not the gear talk. Any of you old enough to have done backpacking in the 60's will know how different things were then anyway. At the time he wrote TCW most people had no idea what backpacking was. It was a new thing for city and suburban college kids and they were his big audience. It was part of a get back to nature movement that started in the 60's.
 
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