Reddit reviews A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Read "A Walk in The Woods" By Bill Bryson

And...Do it.

EDIT: This...http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266197998&sr=8-1

Bill Bryson made the point, in his very enjoyable 1998 book "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail", that the Forest Service builds and maintains more miles of roads than any other part of the federal government.

If you're looking for a fun, but enriching read, I highly recommend Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything". It's tough to put down and you're guaranteed to learn some amazing things.

Similarly, Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" comes to mind, although I haven't read it in some time. Seems fitting for the gaybros since it's about hiking the Appalachian Trail - a dream of mine some day.

If he's into the outdoors, I'd recommend A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson or The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert

A walk in the woods - Bill Bryson. Read this book and randomly met the author on the virginia creeper a few months afterwards. Super nice guy.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a hilarious account of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, interspersed with really interesting information/stories about the creation of the trail and other US National Parks.

If you like reading, here are a few other great books:

• A Walk in the Woods
  
• How Bad do you Want it
  
• Once a Runner
  
• Born to Run

Sweet! I live right outside of New Haven, CT and knew nothing about it. I've been reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and been getting the itch to do something cool like the AT, but this may be more in my realm.

Awesome post!

If y'all want to read some more of Bryson's thoughts on this, many of his travel books delve very deeply into it. My two favorites are A Walk in the Woods and The Lost Continent.

• Primary thing you need to do is make sure that when you go camping, you inform someone what your plans are and when you'll be back, so that if anything at all happens, that person can alert the proper authorities, fly in helicopters, release the hounds etc.
  
  
• I'll refer you to REI, but a lot of that is kind of advertising their own products, encouraging you to purchase the latest gadget and so on, but it has some good nuggets of wisdom, like the checklist. You can also rent tents from them instead of going full-hog and buying one (if there's one in your vicinity). Don't get sucked into acquiring all the awesome things though. Going camping is about what you can leave behind.
  
  
• ESSENTIALS I hate to say it cause the gays and Boy Scouts of America don't mix too well, but their 10 essentials list is actually awesome. And for that matter, their handbook on camping could be useful.
  
  
• COMFORT Tent: depending on how cozy you want to get with this friend, a 2-4 person tent should do, and if packing it up into a small space and lugging it around isn't an issue, don't worry too much about weight. Stove: Coleman's the classic, and it will last forever, just make sure you can get it lit. (practice!). Sleeping bags/sleeping pads/cots/air mattress: all different options for sleeping comfort.
  
  
• FOOD You should probably plan on 2 big meals a day, like breakfast and dinner. Pre-made pancake batter, frozen pre-made omelet mix, pre-cooked sausages, and bacon are good starters for breakfast. My favorite thing for dinner is hobo packs: heavy duty aluminum foil "boats" that you fill with peppers, potatoes, cubed steak, onions, seasoning, that you throw in the fire pit, after sealing them up nice and tight. They'll cook up in like 20-30 minutes.
  
  Wear layers, bring way more water than you need/have access to fresh clean water. Pack sufficient food. One of the best things, if you're not too keen on lugging everything around with you is car camping. Have a look at your state's park services, they usually have spots that you can rent for super cheap for the weekend, drive your car up, pitch the tent, and get started on the fire.
  
  Also, heres a great book, kind of on camping.
  
  Anything else that I can think: wet-wipes in a ziploc bag. Ziploc bags. Bug repellent. Lighter fluid. Propane for stove. Lighter. Pocket knife. Hatchet - seriously helpful. ICE. Cooking always takes way longer than you think it will, with set-up, assembly, clean-up. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Man, now I want to go camping.
  
  Have a good time with your "buddy".

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. It's not long, but I think it would be perfect for your adventure.

There's a player on the game called [Player[Bill Bryson]], he wrote a funny user guide about the Appalachian Trail mission. It's more of a blog, really, but you may find it very helpful. I liked it.

Not many people that undertake the mission do it all in one go. But doing it as sectional quests is still great for [INT]. This is a good place to start.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods perhaps?

[A Walk in the Woods] (http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347030356&sr=8-1&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods) by Bill Bryson. I'm telling you, it's hilarious and a really good read. Most of his other books are quite funny as well, but this is my favorite.

Mandatory reading: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Hiking socks, you can never have enough cozy socks. For a gag gift, you can get her a Go Girl. There is loads of books on hiking experiences. Here is one my mom seemed to like. Maybe books about going off the grid? Hope i was able to help.

This guy has some good info

Kristen Gates has great info on ultralight gear and has tons of experience.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a good read.

Youtube also has anything you could ever want to learn.

Also since you will be packing around trees. Many long distance hikers have sworn by hammocks, they are good alternative to tents when attempting to save weight.

I'm sure your friend has access to all the recovery literature he can handle, and more. I wouldn't even go there, if you are considering it.

I might go for some light entertainment.

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is about hiking the Appalachian Trail, it's an easy read and it's hilariously funny.

Cheryl Strayed's Wild is about hiking the PCT and is also a fun read.

For novels, I have to recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and Middlesex by Jeffery Eugendes. They are both big huge sprawling books that are also super enjoyable and easy to read. (So they are not a new Moby Dick.) I've never read them, but I hear the Lord of the Rings books are completely absorbing too. They would take up a huge chunk of his time.

You might also send some comfort clothes. Some warm socks or slippers or sweatpants or a hoodie, something like that. (I'm a huge fan of LL Bean's sweats, they are super comfy and well made.) Also maybe an iTunes gift card if he's got an iphone or ipod.

Out of curiosity, what's the scifi book you're sending? I'm a big scifi fan too.

I'm really bad at reading through just one book at a time, so I'm in the middle of a few at the moment.

-A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

-Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (admittedly, it's been a while since I've picked this one up)

-Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

I just finished a great book called The Other Wes Moore, also. It was super interesting.

I'm a big fan of non-fiction books, in case that wasn't immediately apparent by the list.

Snickers Bars apparently attract them like mad.

Or so Bill Bryson says.

A Walk in the Woods is about my home hiking trail: the Appalachian Trail. This trail was basically in our backyard and I would hike there often before I went off to school in Idaho. We're now settled in Texas so to go hiking we'll need to trek a bit further.

A great book I read recently was Hawaii and it was marvelous. Its no wonder Michener was awarded the Pulitzer for his work.

For kids, I would recommend The Eleventh Hour. Its a mystery about a birthday party and a delicious meal. Very fun. Young kids will really like the pictures and the older kids will like trying to solve the mystery.

• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, who wrote A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's about hiking the Appalachian Trail, but as you might guess given the author, it's about a lot more than that.
  
  
• I have not read the book, but I saw the documentary version of American Nomads by Richard Grant. It's a collection of vignette pieces about different people or groups of people living nomadic lifestyles.

> ... and totally not known even remotely enough in general.

I think this is one of the reasons I'm so open about recommending his work. He seems to have the ability to take topics that most people may not be exposed to and make them comprehensible. It's similar to the way I feel about Mary Roach in books like Stiff, Bonk, and Gulp.

Along with that, Bryson has some purely entertaining works like A Walk in the Woods, Notes From a Small Island, and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir that are just a joy to read. I guess I'll stop now because I'm starting to feel like shill.

Edit: spelling is hard.

Bill Bryson? lol If you havent read the book I'm sorry
http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

Give this book a read

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

It might bring you some happiness, and maybe some motivation to go hike the Appalachian trail. Focus on your dog as much as you can, he's one of the most unconditional loves you'll ever get.

Hope everything goes well for you

I see you're interested in through-hiking the trail. Have you read Bryson's book "A Walk in the Woods"? I nearly peed myself reading it. http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464

I recommend reading this before you go. One of the funniest books I've ever read.

This isn't exactly what you're looking for, but if you end up finding something for $92 or less, throw in a copy of A Walk in the Woods.

My favorite book in a long time which I'm currently reading is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It doesn't have much to do with anything but it keeps me entertained. Definitely check it out.

Second favorite is A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Both are rather obscure of meaning but have a fun precedence (this possibly more comical than the other)

If you are looking for a semi-serious book I recommend The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. It does have to do with an ex-military doctor but it is hardly the focus of the book. It follows the creation of the Oxford American Dictionary, but it isn't quite what you'd expect. I don't believe I could give you in depth analysis for any of these nor if you'd like them. They are my favorite books (minus Calvin and Hobbs) and are worth a read.

I was so happy to see this on Reddit today! Until I read Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods about his experience with the Appalachian Trail (a really enjoyable read, and funny), I had no idea that our forests in this area of the country once looked much, much different.

We were all 18 once...


Specifically, the problem with "go out to eat or go to a convenience store" is that both of those are going to basically nullify the benefit you have to backwoodsing it. Nearly anywhere in the US you can get a room to rent for something like $250/mo if you're willing to drive a bit. This doesn't apply to big places like New York or San Francisco... but if you're able to camp there, you can probably find a place to live for cheap. But if you're buying prepared food, I don't see that being less than $20 a day.


But look at dry goods like rice and beans. You can actually eat a 1:1 ratio of rice and beans and get a complete protein for a few dollars a day. A fridge (see above about renting a room) is going to be able to stretch your food dollars much further than if you have no refrigeration.


Regardless, you should use this summer as an opportunity to test-run some of this. Go find some dispersed camping sites, try camping for a week.


Also, I want to highly recommend you read Into the Wild: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0385486804 -- maybe A Walk In the Woods, too: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2165P9GZRK25U&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods+bill+bryson&qid=1562608312

I second the Horwitz nomination and add Richard Grant, author of "God's Middle Finger" and "Crazy River."
Both of those demonstrate a spirit for and enjoyment of adventure that was the core energy in Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" and "A Walk in the Woods".

mountains and hiking are fantastic for putting things in perspective. Im in the middle of listening to a walk in the woods and id be happy to send it to you once im done with it. give you some interesting factoids and tidbits to ponder while you're hiking.

• The song of the dodo (if I were to recommend a single book that nobody else would recommend you, it would be this one)
  
• Collapse
  
• Guns, germs and steel
  
• Too big to fail
  
• Freakonomics
  
• Surely you're joking, mr. Feynman
  
• Gödel, Escher, Bach - an eternal golden braid
  
• A walk in the woods
  
• A brief history of time
  
  You will notice the absence of A short history of nearly everything, which is a good book, but frankly it didn't speak very much to me. Bryson is almost only interested in geography.

Just popped in to say, I'm sure you've read A Walk in the Woods, right? If not, READ IT!! It's an awesome and humorous account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Favorite song: I'm a cloud by Boy hits car

Favorite book: A walk in the woods by bill bryson

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Favorite game: Phase10

I enjoyed this one. The same author did one for his PCT thru-hike, but I think it wasn't as good.

I'll also second dec92010's recommendation for A Walk in the Woods.

Have some reading: http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462998508&sr=1-1&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods