ALLEN & MIKE'S REALLY COOL BACKPACKIN' BOOK
A Falcon Guide by Allen O'Bannon and Mike Clelland!

Owner Review by Richard Lyon
December 26, 2006

Reviewer's Backpacking Background

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).  I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.  Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose a bit of extra weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect. 

Product Details

Author: Allen O'Bannon
Illustrator: Mike Clelland! [He uses the exclamation point as part of his name.] [Note: In this review I occasionally refer to "the authors," plural.  While Mike! (yes, he uses the exclamation point after his first name when it is used alone) is never quoted, Allen often sets out his collaborator's point of view on a particular topic, and the illustrations are usually discursive and always helpful in getting a point across.  I think he's earned co-author status.]
Publisher: The Globe Pequot Press (http://www.globepequot.com)
Year purchased: 2006
First published: 2001 by Falcon Press. Now in its fifth printing.
Size: 6 x 9 inches (15 by 23 cm) (listed and measured)
Weight: 8¼ oz (235 g) (measured)
MSRP: $14.95 US
Paperback, 162 pages.  Heavily and hilariously illustrated with cartoon drawings by Mr. Clelland!.

Review

I bought this book because I so much enjoyed – and learned from – the authors' earlier Falcon Guide, Allen & Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips.  With its homey style, explanations in everyday English, and funny yet instructive illustrations this earlier book provided more information and led to more improvement than a dozen lessons.  It wasn't merely useful, it was fun to read the book and try out the tips.  So when I saw their Backpackin' Book at an airport bookstore I thought it might teach me some things about hiking and camping.  At the least it would be good airplane fare and good for a laugh.

Good for a laugh, many laughs, it definitely is.  This book delivers much more than humor, though.  It's now at the top of my list of books that I recommend to anyone who expresses an interest in backpacking, or anyone who requests a book about backpacking basics.  Why? For one thing, the authors touch upon all of the basics that a novice should consider in preparing for the backcountry.  Unlike Telemark Tips, the Backpackin' Book is not anecdotal; it contains organized and informative discussions of both principles and specifics.  For example, the first chapter, "Dressing and Packing for the Outdoors," begins with a discussion of why and how to employ layering in clothes and then addresses the pluses and minuses of different fabrics, upper body layers, lower body layers, head layers, feet and hand layers, wind layers, bug protection, and rain layers appropriate for different climates.  None of these sections is more than a page or two (usually including at least one cartoon drawing), but each suffices to get the reader thinking about what he or she needs.  That's not to say the book is incomplete or superficial.  From techniques for loading one's backpack to a very thorough list of other resources for the beginning backpacker, there's enough here to get anyone well started in three-season camping. (Winter camping is the subject of another Falcon Guide, Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Skiing Book.)   

Allen's writing is direct and lucid and Mike!'s drawings are funny and informative.  The authors intend to stimulate thought, not lay down fixed and fast rules.  The reader won't find checklists for anything (though an appendix includes a useful set of categories that any backpacker should consider).  While the authors do sometimes note their own choices and make suggestions about gear and techniques, with an emphasis on minimalist packing and inexpensive gear, neither is rigid or judgmental.  To the contrary, both encourage the reader to develop a personal style and kit that suits his or her preferences and the chosen terrain and climate, and they poke gentle fun at ideologues of any stripe.  The cartoon preceding the Introduction in my copy, focusing upon scientific measurement of the weight of a hat tassel, is at once the funniest and most insightful indictment I've ever seen of ounce-counting excess.  All done in good part, though, as the text on what gear to carry stresses the benefits of going light and includes many practical tips on how to save weight. 

They don't lecture about gear, but Allen and Mike! are strict when it comes to respecting the backcountry and its permanent inhabitants, and the book includes a succinct appendix on Leave No Trace camping.

Will an experienced backpacker learn anything from this book? I certainly did, and I've been hiking for more than four decades.  I didn't adopt a new philosophy, try a new technique, or buy new gear, as this book is pitched toward the beginner, but I did pick up a few new tips or refinements that I will incorporate into my backcountry wardrobe and gear closet. 

Reading this book gave me much more than that, however.  The authors' enthusiasm and obvious love of the backcountry reminded me why I hike and camp.  What Allen and Mike! value the most and try to teach through this book is something they call backcountry style, with that word used in its broadest sense.  To quote from Allen's Introduction, "Good style helps define a set of ethics for us as outdoor users."  Another quote from the Introduction:

"Some of the practices I talk about are more about courtesy to others than anything else.  Some are just techniques designed to make you a better camper.  Other practices help to minimize the effect you have on the land, whether you recognize it or not.  Take the time to consider and accept those techniques and practices that ring true to you.  If you are unsure of something, don’t blow it off as the opinion of some crazy zealot – give it a try, ask opinions of others, and do some research.  Only through education and experience can you learn more about the true nature of things.  This is how you develop your skills and knowledge and protect the places you love."

A great way to develop one's own style, I'd say.  Every page of this book is infected with this sense of style.  The authors let their readers know of nature's wonders and constantly point out that backpacking, after all, should be fun.  The attitude and enjoyment of the greenest novice to the most experienced backpacker should benefit from that approach.