The Camping Life: Inspiration and Ideas for Endless Adventures

by Brendan Leonard, Forest Woodward

Overview

Packed with expert information and inspiring photography, The Camping Life is the perfect invitation to leave the noise and screens behind—if only for a single night—and reconnect with nature. From backpacking to bikepacking, camping while white-water rafting to big wall climbing, outdoor adventurers Brendan Leonard and Forest Woodward cover it all: how to pack a backpack, how to set up a tent in the snow, how to camp with your dog, how to build a campfire, how to judge a river’s difficulty. And, critically, how to leave no trace, while returning refreshed, recharged, and alive with new experience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781579658434
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	273,851
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Brendan Leonard is an adventure writer whose work has appeared in Outside, Men’s Journal, Backpacker, Climbing, Alpinist, National Geographic Adventure, and dozens of other publications. He is the author of Surviving the Great Outdoors. He lives in Denver, Colorado. Find him on Instagram @semi_rad.
 
Forest Woodward is a climber, surfer, and adventure photographer whose work has appeared in Esquire, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Climbing, Alpinist, Men’s Health, Surfer magazine, and many other publications. His clients include Filson, J. Crew, and Patagonia, to name a few. Find him on Instagram @forestwoodward.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Packing List: All-Purpose Camping Gear 12

01 Backpacking 17

How-To: Pack a Backpack 27

How-To: Pick Out a Backcountry Campsite 31

Am I Doing This Right? 32

02 Snow Camping 35

How-To: Make a Deadman Anchor 47

A Brief History of Recreational Camping in the United States 49

03 Whitewater Rafting 53

How-To: Pack a Dry Bag 65

A Slight Reality Check 68

04 Car Camping 71

How-To: Set Up a Tent 80

Cooking While Camping 88

05 Van Camping 91

How-To: Build a Basic Bed Platform 98

How to Spend a Month Camping without Quitting Your Job 102

06 Big Wall Climbing 105

How-To: Haul a Pig/Haul Bag up a Big Wall 116

07 Kayak Touring 119

How-To: Pack a Touring Kayak 127

A Brief List of Feelings You Can Experience Camping That You (Nearly) Can't Get Anywhere Else 130

08 Bikepacking 133

How-To: Change a Bike Tire 142

09 Hut Camping 147

Adventure Is Better Than Instagram 158

10 Glamping 161

How-To: Build a Campfire 169

School-Night Camping Feels Like Getting Away with Something 172

11 Ultralight Backpacking 175

How-To: Clean Out Your Tent 183

Camping Solo 190

12 Treehouse Stays 193

How-To: Stay Warm in a Sleeping Bag 203

13 Camping without a Tent 205

How-To: Set Up a Tarp 212

Epilogue: Leaving It Better Than You Found It 217

Resources 218

Acknowledgments 219

Index 220

Editorial Reviews

This beautifully photographed tome—shot in/on deserts, woods, and mountains around the country—is an ode to backwoods camping and the solitude, extra stars, and immersion in nature it affords. Acknowledging that there’s nothing easy about the task of hiking in with everything you’ll need for an extended stay in the wilderness, the authors offer detailed advice on what to pack for camping in the snow, camping with your dog, bikepacking, and more.”
—Sierra, the National Magazine of the Sierra Club
 

From the Publisher