My Favorite Outdoor Books

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Here are a few of my top recent picks for books that speak to my nature and hiking loving soul. This is far from an exhaustive list, but they are some that I’ve recently read that I can recommend to my readers.

Two Winters in a Tipi by Mark Warren

This book was written by a dear friend of mine. He spent two winters living in a tipi that he built. Mark is a master of primitive survival skills, with strong influences in his teachings from the Cherokee nation. He is a wonderful story teller and I absolutely love this book, and I’d say that even if I didn’t love the author behind it!

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery

Whenever I’m hiking in bad conditions or my body really aches, all I have to do is think of Grandma Gatewood hiking the A.T. in Ked shoes and it fixes my attitude right up. This is the inspiring story of one of the toughest hikers you’ll ever meet. She was the first woman to complete the A.T., at the young age of 67. Prepare to be inspired and in love with her, if you read it.

Wanderlust: A Hiker’s Companion by Cam Honen

This book was written by one of my favorite blogs to read, The Hiking Life. The author of this blog, Cam Honen, provides some of the best trail planning and gear advice out there, in my opinion. And this guy has HIKED, y’all–more than 60,000 miles in 56 countries! This book would make a great addition to any hiker’s coffee table and give one plenty of trails to add to their bucket list.

He also has a second book that he recently published that looks just as amazing as this one: The Hidden Tracks

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales

I wish every hiker would read this book. It proves the point on preparedness in an engaging and easy-to-read format. I love that it really drives home the power of a positive mental attitude when faced with a survival situation, as much as the gear (but please, have the appropriate gear along with your PMA!). It’s a great read!

Backcountry Foodie: Ultralight Recipes for Outdoor Explorers by Aaron Owens Mayhew

I own this book and used it almost exclusively for my Wonderland Trail hike this past September, since I didn’t have much time to dehydrate food for the trip. I am not kidding when I say this was some of the best stuff I’ve EVER eaten on a trail, and it was well worth the investment! The ease of putting the recipes together with ready made ingredients is insanely beneficial.

The book calls for a lot of freeze-dried foods, but you can substitute dehydrated ingredients instead (it’s usually cheaper to buy them dehydrated vs. freeze dried). The benefit to freeze dried is that they often rehydrate quicker and sometimes more like their natural state, but I subbed dehydrated for quite a few things and it worked fine.

The author of this book has a fabulous website with tons of information (she’s a dietician by trade and nutrition on the trail is very important to her) and she’s just an all around great person (I emailed back and forth with her some, after I bought the book and had some questions).

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkle

I listened to this book on audio with my kids, and we were riveted by it. It’s a true story, but it’s a controversial read, as many lives were impacted by this man’s decision to live as a hermit in the woods of Maine, just outside a residential area. Despite that, it’s absolutely fascinating and a great conversation piece, especially if you’re in a book club and on the lookout for good books to discuss. We still talk about this one, nearly a year after listening to it.

Devotions by Mary Oliver

If I was stranded on a deserted island and had to choose one book to keep with me, this would be it. Mary Oliver speaks to my heart like no other poet. Her poems about nature are some of her best, in my opinion. I have this book on my nightstand and read one poem from it each day. I imagine I’ll keep doing that until the day I die, reading it over and over. It’s that special. It would make a great gift for a friend but it’s also a great gift to give yourself too.

Adobe Moon by Mark Warren

Yes, another book by my dear friend. I haven’t read this one yet, because it’s fairly new. But rest assured I will read anything and everything Mark writes. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and the wild west, this book about Wyatt Earp (it’s the first in a trilogy), is sure to please. Mark and my father were heavily influenced by Earp in their young adulthood, and it surprised no one when he published this series of books.

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