Resources

Backpacking

ASSOCIATIONS

• American Camping Association - promotes camping, campgrounds, links
• American Hiking Society - National organization dedicated to serving hikers and protecting national trails
• Appalachian Trail Conference - Appalachian trail management organization, maps, guidebooks, advice, AT clubs, etc.
• Continental Divide Trail Alliance
• Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP) - a little bit of everything for the outdoors. Hiking, biking, fishing, paddling and more. Technical articles, know how information, gear reviews and buying information, etc.
• Pacific Crest Trail Association - Information on the Washington to California hiking trail, books, maps, events, information
• River To River Trail Society
• Wilderness Camping How To

OUTDOOR AREAS

• American Discovery Trail
• Appalachian Trail Home Page - Information on the Main to Georgia hiking trail, books, maps, events, discussion groups, etc
• National Forests - Camping/Hiking information, reservations, fees, etc
• National Parks - Camping/hiking information, reservations, fees, etc
• State Parks and Recreation Areas - index of state parks, forests, recreation areas by state
• Hiking Trails Around the South - historic and other hiking trails in the southeastern region of the U.S.
• Historic Hiking Trails - Over 850 historic trails throughout the U.S., information, patches, etc.
• Peak to Peak Trail and Wilderness Links - links to backpacking trails, hiking information throughout the U.S. , indexed by region of the country.

WEB SITES

• Backpacker Magazine's Hiking Database
• Hiker Central
• Hiking And Backpacking
• Slackpacker.com
• The Backpacker
• Trail Dog
• Trailmonkey
• Trails.com

CAMPING/BACKPACKING MANUFACTURERS & STORES

• Apocalypse Design
• Arc'Teryx
• Bass Pro Shops
• Bibler
• Cabela's
• Camelbak
• Campmor - outfitter of camping, hiking, hunting, fishing supplies
• Camp Trails
• Cascade Designs - manufacturer of high tech pads, water filters, packs, etc
• Coleman
• Columbia
• Dana Design
• Deuter USA
• Dr. Bronners
• Duofold
• Eastern Mountain Sports:
• Eureka:
• Ex Officio
• Ferrino
• Galyans
• Gerber
• Go Lite
• Gore-Tex
• Granite Gear
• Great Outdoors
• Gregory
• GSI Outdoors:
• Jack Wolfskin
• Jansport
• Johnson Outdoors
• Kelty
• Lands End
• Leatherman
• L.L. Bean
• Lowe Alpine
• Mag Lite
• Marmot
• Merrell
• Montrail
• Lightweight Gear Shop - specializes in lightweight backpacking gear, good information on various manufactures, catalog, equipment reviews, publications
• L.L. Bean - Manufacturer mail order distributor of outdoor equipment, con line catalog, outdoor technical tips
• Mountain Hardware
• Mountain Safety Research - manufacturer of lightweight stoves, cooking gear, water filters, and climbing gear, product catalog, dealer list, technical information
• Mountainsmith
• Nalgene
• Nikwax
• Outdoor Research
• Patagonia
• Petzl
• Primus
• Princeton Tec
• Railriders
• Recreation Equipment Inc (REI) - Manufacturer, Coop stores, mail order, outdoor equipment and supplies, catalog, technical information, store listing,
• Sierra Designs
• Sierra Trading Post
• Slumberjack
• Smartwool
• Stearns
• Swiss Army
• Teva
• The North Face
• Thorlo
• Timberland
• Vasque
• Wickers

PUBLICATIONS

• "Backpacker Magazine" - magazine dedicated to backpacking
• "The Backpacker's Field Manual", Rick Curtis, Three Rivers Press 1998, ISBN 0-517-88783-5, An excellent comprehensive guide to mastering backcountry skills
• "Backpacking a Complete Guide", McDowell, Jack, Sports Illustrated
• "Backpacking in the 90's, Techniques and Secrets", Logue, Victoria, Menasha Ridge Press, 1994
• "Backpacking Merit Badge Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No. 33232A
• "Backpacking, One Step at a Time", Manning, Harvey, Random House, 1986
• "Backpacking Techniques", Ruth Dyar Mendenhall, La Siesta Press, 1967 Basic tips to backpacking
• "Boy Scout Hiking Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No. 34179
• "Boy Scout Woods Wisdom", Boy Scouts of America, No. 34308
• "Camping Merit Badge Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No 33246
• "The Complete Walker III", Fletcher, Colin, Random House, 1984
• "Fieldbook, Boy Scouts of America", Boy Scouts of America, 1984, ISBN 0-8395-3200-8 General outdoor skills handbook
• "Hiking Merit Badge Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No 33407A
• "How to Shit in the Woods", Kathleen Meyer, Ten Speed Press, 1994, ISBN 0-89815-627-0, A serious look into human scatology in the outdoors.
• "National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide", Peter Simer and John Sullivan, Simon and Schuster, 1983, ISBN 0-671-24997-5 pbk A-Z reference guide to backpacking techniques.
• "Okpik - Cold Weather Camping Book", Boy Scouts of America, No. 34040
• "Outdoor Skills Instruction Backpacking", Boy Scouts of America, No 33035, 1991, ISBN 0-8395-3035-8, Seminar on backpacking skills, equipment and techniques
• "Outdoor Skills Instruction Camping", Boy Scouts of America, No 33003, 1991, Seminar on low impact camping skills and techniques
• "Passport to High Adventure". Boy Scouts of America, No 4310
• "Pocket Guide to Hiking/Backpacking", Cordes, Ron, Greycliff Publishing Co., 1993
• "Secrets of Warmth for Comfort or Survival", Hal Weiss, The Mountaineers, 1999, ISBN 0-89886-643-X An excellent book on staying warm on wilderness activities.
• "The 2 OZ. Backpacker", Robert S Wood, Ten Speed Press, 1982, ISBN 0-89815-070-1 A problem Solving Manual for use in the wilds.
• "Venture Backpacking Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No. 33484
• "Venture Snow Camping Pamphlet", Boy Scouts of America, No. 33440

VIDEO TAPES

• Trailside: all-Terrain Hiking Guide - VHS 180 min - 1996
• Escape: Fool Proof Guide to Camping - VHS 30 min - 1997 This video is a must see for campers who are learning the ropes.. The field guide that comes with the video is an excellent resource.