If you have ever dreamt about going on a hiking vacation, or you already enjoy this sport, it's important to stay on top of the latest news and to learn valuable new techniques that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. There aren't many books that come out that deal with this subject, so we were very excited to come across the Backpacker's Start Up: A Beginner's Guide to Hiking and Backpacking. This is actually a part of the Start Up Sports Series and it offered a refreshing read about a subject we are very interested in.

The book is organized very simply and each chapter covers a very important topic on hiking. You'll be starting out with the absolute basics, and the author broke everything up into two main categories here - day hiking and overnighting. We recommend reading each one since they both have some great tips.

This first chapter helps newcomers start off on the right foot so to speak, and then you're moved into picking the right gear for your trip. This is a veritable shopping list and contains some very useful advice on picking the right footwear and clothing as well as how to pick the right kind of bag for your trip. We found this section very helpful and actually did end up learning quite a bit.

Chapter six, the art of packing, should be read a few times. You'll be learning how to get everything you need into your pack, without weighting it down. Several different techniques are discussed and even a complete novice should be able to get everything stowed away properly after reading this chapter.

The chapters on water treatment and cooking are required reading and could help you avoid getting sick on the trail. Numerous different ways to purify water are covered, as well as why it is so absolutely important to take these steps to protect yourself. We also enjoyed the chapter on outdoor safety - please read this one at least twice.

Other basic tips are covered in this book as well, including how to handle the necessity of going to the bathroom when you're hiking as well as dealing with some of the dangers you may run into when you're alone on the trail. Overall, this is the single best guide on hiking for beginners that we have ever read.

We really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone that is considering going hiking or getting more serious about it. It offers some vital and valuable lessons and you may even want to consider making some room for a copy in your pack when you head out. This is ideal for beginners, but pros may still be able to learn a few things. Overall, it's aimed at novices though and for this group, it's certainly the definitive guide to backpacking, no matter where you plan to hike. Get a few copies and share them with your friends - it's really that good.

Every single boating magazine and reviewer that picked up this book had the same comment - it's impossible to put down. We decided to put that to the test and see just how useful Vigor's book is. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the hype was well justified. It actually was a book that we didn't want to stop reading, and that's not an easy accomplishment when it comes to writing a virtual dictionary about boating.

Unlike many books in this genre, this one is not divided up into chapters. Rather, it's very much a dictionary, covering everything from abandoning ship to sacrificial zinc. Yep - even sacrificial zinc is covered. You really can't ask for a book that goes into more minute detail than this one and many of the tips are life saving ones that you should remember for the rest of your life. We liked the book the book was laid out, since sometimes, you don't want to have to read through an entire chapter just to get to the one thing you needed to know. For those on a time limit, this is the perfect resource. For those that need a true reference book on what to expect with their boat, this is a resource that cannot be used enough.

As if all of that wasn't more than enough, the author added a section in the back that contains useful formulas and tables to make everything even easier. If you've ever tried to calculate a formula on ship and couldn't remember what you needed, this book makes it incredibly easy for even a novice to tackle.

Our favorite section was the one on perception and navigating the water by sight. This is something that not many books cover, but it is a skill that is very important to develop. You can't always rely on your instruments, and the eye does not always tell the truth with what you think you see. Read this section often and test your skills to see how you do. For this one tip alone we would have purchased the book, but this is just the tip of the literary iceberg. Everything you could ever want to know about boating is contained right here.

Bottom line, if you are thinking about buying your own boat, or you are a seasoned captain in your own right, there is definitely something in this book for you. Buy two copies - one for the boat and one for your nightstand. You'll definitely want to keep revisiting it for a refresher course. On the boat, it is like having your own personal manual that can get you through some sticky situations. Well worth the cover price and we highly recommend it to boaters of all skill levels, and especially for those that are just getting into the world of boating. It's vital to do things the right way, and this book will give you a jump start on doing just that.

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