Stumbled on a 1960s wilderness guide that changed how I pack for hikes

I picked up this beat-up copy of "The Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher at a library sale in Des Moines for 50 cents. Everyone online keeps going on about ultralight gear lists and fancy titanium cookware, but this book from 1968 says to focus on your boots and your attitude first. I tested his method on a 12-mile trail last weekend and my pack weighed half what it used to, without buying any new stuff. Has anyone else found an old outdoor book that actually beats modern advice?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan2651mo ago

Man, that book is a GEM, glad you found it.

ray6481mo ago

I heard someone say it was better than the movie version, that really got me curious.