Collins Complete Hiking and Camping Manual: The essential guide to comfortable walking, cooking and sleeping

Any backpacker knows that space in your rucksack is limited, but on your next trip pack the only guide that you will need. Use it for:

• before you start your trip – for deciding on an itinerary, selecting equipment and figuring out what food, clothing and other supplies to pack, depending on whether you are going some where tropical or temperate
• once you’re out in the wilderness – for choosing a campsite, setting up camp, navigating with map and compass, identifying trees and plants and preparing meals
• if something unexpected happens – for finding a lost person, seeking shelter in bad weather (like thunderstorms) and first aid for common injuries

Scattered throughout are Tricks of the Trail – additional tips for successful wilderness camping.

CONTENTS
Trip Planning, Equipment, Cooking, Nutrition, First Aid, Navigation, Wilderness Travel, Safety, Weather

Sample Tricks of the Trail
Cotton What’s the worst thing to bring on a backpacking trip? Blue jeans. In most climates and environments, you should minimize your use of cotton clothing. Although cotton is comfortable to wear, cotton fibers absorb and retain water. Once wet, cotton loses heat 25 times faster than dry clothing. Wet cotton clothing can be a significant factor in hypothermia (see Hypothermia, page 293).