BACKPACKER: DAY HIKER'S HANDBOOK, by Michael Lanza, the Mountaineers Books, 176 pages, $16.95.
If you can walk, then you can hike — but a little specialized knowledge will help. That's the philosophy of "Day Hiker's Handbook," the latest (No. 8) in the "Backpacker" series.
Most of us are really good at walking. "So what keeps us from walking up a mountain or off into the woods? It's not our feet — it's our heads," Lanza writes. "Day hiking isn't laser-eye surgery. All it takes is a fundamental knowledge of where to go, just what to bring, and how to get there and back comfortably and safely. Beyond that, it's just walking — and you're already pretty good at that."
His reasons for people to hit the trail include: fun, studying geology, keeping a journal, fishing, becoming a nature photographer or enjoying flowers.
Safety, especially in stormy weather, is clearly outlined in the book, with advice on when to turn back. The "leave no trace" philosophy is also outlined.
There's plenty of fundamentals in the book, but there are also some tips that are not commonly found in other hiking books. For example, this book offers a hiking-time formula — 2 mph, plus another hour for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. "Most important is to know your limitations," Lanza, who lives in Boise, writes.
Acclimation and gear are also addressed. A chart of shoe varieties and uses is enlightening, as is a section on "General Tips for Hiking with Children" and "Kids vs. Bugs and Animals."
Advice on water, food, packing tips, lighting and nature photography are also contained inside. Even an unorthodox but necessary chapter — "When Nature Calls" — on going to the bathroom in the outdoors, is included. A first-aid section and two appendices conclude the book.
Probably the most controversial section is "Hiking Alone," in which Lanza writes that hiking alone isn't always bad. "Isn't hiking alone unsafe? Well, yes and no. There's an old hiking maxim that says you should never hike alone. Without question, it is good advice for novice hikers. However, hiking solo is not inherently unsafe or unwise — it is simply less safe than hiking with companions. That's an important distinction," he writes.
Lanza is not suggesting you hike alone. "If you do hike alone, bear this in mind. Your margin for error is greatly reduced when you hike alone, so you should respond to that by significantly lowering the level of risk you consider acceptable," Lanza writes.
Veteran hikers will find the book useful, and beginners will find it to be about as good a handbook as can be found.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com