Reddit mentions: The best traveler & explorer biographies

Wanderer by Sterling Hayden

Simple Courage

Endurance

The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor

Robinson Crusoe

Treasure Island

--------------------

I've included titles that aren't strictly about ship wrecks, but also pirates, and adventure on the high seas. 'Wanderer' is the best title to start with in terms of TRP. The guy faces divorce rape and decides to take his kids on his schooner and nope the fuck out of the country on an epic sea voyage.

Endurance is perhaps the greatest true story of survival. An amazing tale of a captain that held frame and brought all his men home alive, against amazing odds.

Treasure Island is great fun, and if you have a son, read that to him. Should become his favorite.

If you are lucky enough to meet real sailors, guys who sail their own sloops around the world and live to tell about it, you will never forget the stories they tell you.

Around the World in Wanderer III by Eric Hiscock is fantastic. If you're looking for a more instructional book I'd also advise Cruising Under Sail by the same author.

Hard to have any list about cruising without starting off without mentioning Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World as he was the inspiration for many of the following authors. He fixed a wrecked hulk of a sloop in a field in CT that he was given for free (as a joke) then proceeded to sail alone around the world (as the title would lead you to believe). At the time everyone thought that it would be impossible and likely suicidal to try and sail a boat so small around the globe and he apparently caused quite a stir when he did.

Of course The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier is an absolute classic for sailing literature. His was an account of the Golden Globe non-stop solo circumnavigational race, so there's not really any island hopping or drinks in paradise, but his writing is amazing and really gets to the zen of being at sea. He also named his boat JOSHUA after Cpt. Slocum mentioned above.

Jack London loved to sail and had a ketch (I thought it was a schooner, and Amazon page says schooner, but looking on GIS looks more like a ketch) built and sailed around the South Pacific and wrote about it in The Cruise of the Snark. London has some really funny commentary in there and it's a hell of a good read.

Last, and most expensive, is South Sea Vagabonds by John Wray. This book has been out of print for a little while and apparently is in high demand by looking at the price now. The cheapest I've ever seen it is between $40 and $50. I got my copy from a seller on eBay that lived in New Zealand for about $25 USD but after shipping ended up being about $40 total. That said, it was worth every penny. John Wray got fired from his job for daydreaming about sailing all day and since he had nothing but time on his hands decided to make a boat. Found all his wood on beaches and used his friends sailboat to haul it back to a mill, used a motorcycle and trailer to haul it from the mill to his house, then built a sloop with no prior ship-building experience. He sailed it all around the South Seas on various adventures and, like London, is a great and humorous author. Keep an eye out on ebay and used book sites for this one at a decent price (or find a library to borrow it from) because I guarantee that it's worth the effort and cash.

If you're into tall ships I just finished The Peking Battles Cape Horn by Irving Johnson which was a quick but thoroughly entertaining read. I'm now working my way through Two Years Before the Mast which is an amazing insight into the life of the merchant marine in the early 19th century aboard a square rigger.

That's impressive the low rent, expenses, etc.

Still, at best you're able to fund 2-3 years expenses and that's being optimistic and assuming nothing goes awry. With that low budget you don't have much wiggle room. Even if you cut it down you're gonna need a source of income if it's around $200-300/month even that still would only get you at best 5 years and again that's being super optimistic and assuming you really are able to survive on the low end.

Daniel Suelo has a blog and a book about how he lived without money, but he had a lot of family and friend support and even still barely made it and struggled a bit here and there because of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690

Maybe check out possum living too. https://www.amazon.com/Possum-Living-Without-Almost-Revised/dp/0982053932 they were able to live on only $700/year but it was in the 70s and they had their family helping with work as well as a home.

While again super impressed, it seemed like it probably wasn't worth emulating to me personally. A lot could go wrong, they were lucky it went as well as it did.

Also as a renter with roommates you're susceptible to increases over time, sure you can move and find a new place, but on that low level it'll be a challenge and moving is a hassle even if you don't have much belongings.

Don't get me wrong I'm all for living an unconventional life and checking out early and/or often, but you're really going to need a source of income or drastically cut costs and even still unless you're able to cut it by like 10x I'm pretty sure you're going to need to do some sort of work or earn an income,

I would remove this as a gear question, but it sounds like you really need avalanche and backcountry safety. I have yet to take a course myself, but I have read a couple of great books that I would recommend.

Avalanche Essentials

Allen and Mike's Backcountry

If you have a guide maybe you will get some training, but these books are excellent. As far as backpacks go these are many great one out there. Make sure to get something specific for snowboarding/skiing. It will have a pad or hard plate so if you land hard on it your belongings won't hurt you. If you have the cash you migh also consider an avalanche backpack with floatation. And if you sre going to do a lot of backcountry get the ave level 1 training. That is what I am signing up for this year. And a helmet is even more important in the backcountry. People have been found unburied after a big slide with head trauma.

I know literally nothing about Everest, and have never gone anywhere you can't plug in a hairdryer, but I've read a few books about climbing, and I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near that simple. Mountains aren't perfect triangles. You have to climb up and down and up and down, and sometimes you start climbing down and realize you're facing a crevasse and you have to go back up, or you have to spend days scrambling across a field of rocks.

In this case, the girlfriend fell early on and may have been too injured to walk, and within a pretty short timeframe they both would have been too weak to make it down alive. It probably made more sense to find shelter and wait for rescue.

Edit: Into Thin Air, Dead lucky, and Touching the Void are all really good reads, if you're interested. Lincoln Hall's story was made into a documentary, and the 2015 Everest movie is pretty good.

No particular order:

Blind Descent by James M. Tabor. It is a great book about cave exploration and the race to discover the worlds deepest supercave.

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Are you interested in the universe and how it all happened? This gives some pretty insightful answers.

From Eternity To Here by Sean Carrol. A really interesting view on the nature and concept of time and how it relates to the us and the universe. It can get a bit deep from time to time, but I found it fascinating.

Adventures Among Ants by Mark W. Moffet. It's about ants. Seriously. Ants.

The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. A first hand account of the ill-fated Scott expedition to the south pole in 1911-1912. Even after reading the book I cannot imagine what those men went through.

Bonus book: The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan. Human intelligence and how it evolved. Some really interesting stuff about the brain and how it works. A very enjoyable read.

Not Arsenal related at all, but this is the single best football book I've ever read:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997

Great TRUE story about an American journalist embedded in a lower league Italian club as they miraculously progress up through the divisions against all odds. It follows the ins and outs of players, managers, and owners, and provides a really good picture of what life is like for footballers not playing at the game's highest levels.

Thanks very much, a great suggestion! I'm embarrassed it didn't occur to me.

As you mentioned, the Adventure Travel charts were interesting... seem thru-hiking books are very popular! Especially the Appalachian Trail... I've wasted my life doing un-sellable things! ;)

Are the "best seller" categories accurate? I see a lot of forum-folk talking about how to bump your book up the lists, so I'm a little unclear how "best seller" is really calculated... eg right now "How To Live In A Small Car" (3 reviews) is a #11 Bestseller?! I can't help but feel it's a bump from free copies or shills, and ponder how pervasive this is...

>It helps to be at the top of multiple categories.

Silly question, but how do books get allocated to categories? Does an author have any control? I'm assuming there's a process to stop every author choosing every category in a bid to get a #1 somewhere?

ie I see for The Last Englishman: A Thru-Hiking Adventure

> Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,721 Paid in Kindle Store
Number 1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Specialty Travel > Sports
Number 1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Camping
Number 2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Outdoors & Nature > Nature Writing

Did he choose those?

Does she hike much? If not, definitely do some day hikes with similar mileage and elevation gain to your planned trip so that she can make sure her sock and shoe combo works for her regarding blisters and such.

I feel like getting bad blisters could be a major bummer on a fairly long trip like that. Most other stuff can be conquered by a good attitude and snacks, but blisters on day 1 of 5 would be no fun.

You might find that either you reading a book written for beginners to remind yourself of what beginners need to know, or her reading one (depending on her preference) might help. Something like Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpacking Book or Ultralight Backpackin' Tips or Long Trails by Liz Thomas might be a solid choice.

And of course, ask her if she has any concerns, what she's excited about, etc etc.

Regarding buying gear, don't forget that if you buy something used, and don't damage it, you can probably sell it for pretty much the same price you paid for it. So keep an eye out on /r/ulgeartrade and similar forums.

You are probably already be familiar with it, but in case you're not: check out The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen, a biography of Daniel "Suelo" Shellabarger. He has lived a full and active, if unconventional and frequently challenging, life without money for the last decade or so. While I consider his philosophy extreme and some of his supporting rationale flawed, on the whole he makes for a fascinating, bold case study in money-free living -- on the fringe of the American social fabric but with a tiny footprint. I find him both inspirational and maddening at the same time, and the author does a great job of assembling the guy's life story and showing the evolution in his thinking that led to his finally quitting money. In short, a remarkable book.

> not sure what you mean by 'what-about-ing' (still working on my english) but if you are referring to "it can't hurt" argument

I'm not. I mean, your response to some criticism is "ok but what about...". I didn't mention America or Christianity, nor do I represent them, so why is it relevant :/

> it has nothing to do with you. If I'm going to spend $100 on an amulet knowing that the proceed will go into fixing the temple, feeding the homeless or whatever (as mention in previous comment that proceed often go to some great causes) hoping for some good karma, how does that concerned anyone? same goes for following astrologer. if I follow his/her advice without having to crazy/harmful things, again how does that concerned anyone? This is how most Thais think. They don't follow it blindly as they will say "ฟังหูไว้หู ไม่เชื่อแต่ก็ไม่ลบหลู่"

I'm sorry, but changing a child's name when he's old enough to be confused is not harmless. Politicians running the country based on lucky dates is not harmless. A taxi driver scraping by a living covering his cab with amulets instead of educating his child is not harmless. Monasteries asking for donations so they can build yet-another-massive-orange-and-gold-temple is not harmless. They might not be as bad as "risking your kid getting measles" but they add up.

> I was comparing that they're all important part of the culture and religion. However for those magical abilities you're referring to, I believe in Christianity (or catholic), they are called miracles and I believe they're mentioned regularly in mass media. I see it all the time.

'Miracle' is mostly a metaphor for something really, really unlikely. For example, a low football team beating a good one might be described as a miracle, but it's not meant in a theological sense. Actual miracles are associated with Jesus himself, or with saints (i.e. the Catholic equivalent of 'lesser' Buddhas). The "Jesus appeared in my toast" stuff is pretty fringe, tends to appear in specific sects of Catholicism such as Spanish Catholicism and usually mentioned in a widercontex tas a joke.

>> one special part of the Moon
>well that's a new one. I thought we're just talking? why the mockery?

It was a joke, but there really is a free Bible on the Moon. The Americans left it behind them in case anyone 'needed' it. I'm not sure how you'd think it was mockery, I'm just saying how available it is.

Futebol: The Brazilian way of Life - really good compilation of articles covering the history of Brazilian football and the penetration of football into various aspects of Brazilian life. The brilliance, madness, personalities and passion are all here, accompanied by sound research and reflection. Very good.

Passovotchka- the tale of Dynamo Moscow's trip to play friendly matches in the UK in 1945. Really interesting story and as much about the east west culture clash in post-WWII as the football story. Fascinating and funny with it.

The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro - the story of one of the most unlikely teams to ever grace the upper echelons of Italian football. This is a great story and a good insight into everyday Italian football life, but the author (a somewhat presumptive American) intrudes a bit too much, to its detriment.

I'm not much of an autobiography reader but one of the few I have read is Tony Cascarino's, and that was excellent. Brutally honest, and one of the first football books that let us see how the stars of the game wrestle with their own demons.

As the widely varying answers in this thread suggest, the size of the boat is far from the sole criterion you should be considering; people have traversed the oceans in rowboats. It's not comfortable, but it CAN be done.

Instead, you should ask yourself the question "What do I want to accomplish, and what are the options available to me within my budget?" The Pardeys circumnavigated in a 24-footer that I would find extremely cramped, but they were competent sailors, knew what they enjoyed, and they did a great job of it.

If you're thinking about production boats, this book would be a good place to get you started. In the end, it's a combination of factors having to do with you, the boat, and the way you intend to sail her.

Try Krakauer's other well known book Into Thin Air, and because there's some controversy regarding his version of events, also The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev who was a major player that day.

Krakauer's other book Under the Banner of Heaven is a good "true crime" style story about some Morman murders, but may not be enough like Into the Wild to appeal to you.

Over the Edge of the World is more of a history, covering Magellan's circumnavigation of the earth. It was facinating and definately had intrigue, machinations, and survival elements.

Another book on exploration and survival, Endurance: Shakleton's Incredible Voyage

And another one, Fatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson. I think this is the one I read, but I can't be certain. It doesn't seem to be as well regarded, but i thought it was still interesting.

A book on diving and survival: The Last Dive, Chowdhury

The Hot Zone could be thought of as science survival. Anyway, you'll probably love the opening bits in Africa, although it does slow way down after that.

Far away from survival, but still about travel are the wonderful Bill Bryson's travelogues. Witty and informative. In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods are particularly recommended.

This question wasn't directed at me, but I'd like to recommend The Miracle of Castel di Sangro. It's an unbelievable true story, and an incredibly entertaining read.

"The Avalanche Handbook" is a good, thick reference though drier then Trempers "Staying Alive."

Tremper has a new book that I haven't read.

"Snow Sense" is a classic but short.

I just recommended this book on another thread and it is really great and covers lots of emergency shelter style stuff. Written by two NOLS instructors one of whom happens to be a brilliant cartoonist. They have other books on avalanches and telemark skiing too.

Some good blogs are http://wildsnow.com, http://bedrockandparadox.com/, http://straightchuter.com/, http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com/.

It is one of the best on tactics. If you want to read a really good story about a football team then [The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997) is a great read. An American journalist coincidentally follows the rise and fall (on and off the field) of a tiny Italian football club.

Comments made as I read through:-

1/ Semi-colon required: "Too many bandits; too little food."

2/ Heading to the beach: I now get the impression the court astrologers were a red herring, in which case were they the best thing to have in your first sentence?

3/ So much info-dumping. And this while they meander past corpses to the beach. I would have thought there would be urgency, at least.

4/ I'm beginning to think your story should not have so much flashback. You could begin it on the beach (during the eruption) without any difficulty. Elements such as Yura's advice and death, the fall of the ash etc seem well realised, and lead up naturally to the dismal walk to the beach.

5/ The facts of Gura being a slave once and familiar with battle, should best be saved for immediately before an action sequence.

6/ I hope the boy doesn't get nixed. I'm going to do something I don't usually do and recommend a book because I have a sneaking suspicion you'll like it. It's a novel-like recounting of Shackleton's expedition to the
South Pole. Time and time again you'll be saying to yourself "how did they survive?" It all seems so implausible but was a true story. I always think about this book when I'm writing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing-ebook/dp/B00IC8VF10/ref=la_B000APENOO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487499932&sr=1-1

Summary: your writing and vision are both very good. But the story and your story-telling need to be enlivened. You could do this by starting at the eruption, involving your characters in the brief dramas you've outlined, and then, perhaps as soon as chapter 2 or 3, have them arrive at the beach.

I think you're off to a good start. I would recommend these two if you are just getting started:

Chris Townsend's Backpackers Handbook

Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin Book - it's easy and digestible

The answers to your questions really depend on preference. The distance of your hike will be up to you- start small, make sure you like it and don't bite off more than you should chew.

Of course pitching a tent, follow Leave No Trace principles.

Have fun!!

I'm in a similar boat where I'm beefing up my winter gear. This book has some good resources both for skiing and winter camping. Assuming you'll be on snow there are a few things that stick out regardless of temperature range and whether you'll be above or below treeline.

1. Bring a wind jacket. Hugely helpful in combination with a fleece layer.
   
2. Pair the inflatable with a Z-Rest or similar CCF pad. You'll freeze with just the X-Lite, and survive the night if you get a puncture.
   
3. Evaluate your footwear system. Gaiters, multiple sock layers, vapor barrier socks, neoprene overboots or socks, etc. Start here and experiment with day hikes.
   
4. You'll probably want more insulation for camp. Either a larger down jacket or an additional vest to layer. Insulated pants will probably also be helpful.
   
5. Stove. At a minimum you'll want a remote canister stove that you can run inverted with a big enough pot to melt snow. Multifuel stoves will be best if you're going closer to below 0*F.
   
6. The Sawyer will break if you let it freeze. Either leave it at home if it's cold enough or keep it close to your body at all times if you have access to running water. Bring a scoop so you don't need to dunk your hand in freezing water. Aquamira is also more or less worthless because it can take several hours to be effective in low temperatures.

An awesome book about surviving for several weeks in the jungle, base on a true story:
http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Harrowing-True-Story-Survival/dp/0977171906
I've read it and it's awesome. He describes similar stuff like the worms in that book

About ten years ago or so I stocked up on books because the army sent me to Afghanistan and I needed non electronic stuff to pass time on missions.

I picked up books about real life people who dived. The one that I remember loving the most was about guys who dived the wrecks off of NC. The book was incredible but I can't remember the title. If I can find it I'll edit and post here.

These diving books really helped me pass the time in the turret when were stopped at some place with nothing to do.

Edit: I found the books:

The Last Dive is about a Father and Son diving team. This one actually focuses on the German U Boat off of the NYC coast but I think they talk about NC wrecks too. This one is my favorite.

Fatal Depth is the other book I really enjoyed and taught me about the world of deep wreck diving. It blows my mind at everything a diver must train and know about. I'll never forget lessons that can even be applied to non diving things in your life. This book I think focuses on a wreck off of Nantucket called Andrea Doria. But I think both of these books talk about diving off of NC because of all the awesome wrecks down there.

Soccer:
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro

The Way It Was: Stanley Mathhews

Baseball:
Ball Four

Baseball As I Have Known It: Fred Lieb

Golf:
A Good Walk Spoiled

The Greatest Game Ever Played

Hmmm... fiction? Non-fiction? First-person meaning told through a first-person narrative style, or just generally following a single person fighting for survival?

Fiction-wise, I'm a fan of To The White Sea by James Dickey. I've also always heard universally good things about the young adult novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, but have yet to read it myself.

In the realm of non-fiction, Touching The Void is a pretty incredible story, and was made into a stellar documentary film. Also, anything about the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica is worth checking out, so there you've got Endurance by Alfred Lansing, as well as Shackleton's own account, South: The Endurance Expedition.

Soccer Against The Enemy is kind of a similar idea to How Soccer Explains the World, but it talks about some different stuff.

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - a bizarre, true story about an Italian team that climbs from the basement of Italian soccer to the Serie B. It's about the country and the people as much as it is about soccer, but it was absurd and fascinating and I couldn't put it down.

I would second the Kon-tiki reccommendation.

I would also highly recommend Bernard Moitessier's "The Long Way"

Mainly for his passages about nature, the sea, and his views of humanity. He was a pretty quirky french guy who grew up in Vietnam, but it struck me as some of the best writing in that vein by a sailor.

>"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea."

and

>"You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea. It goes, that's all."

Seem to be very in line with what you're writing about.

This! "Punching" down the hill can really help you remember to keep both hands out in front.

More tips:

1. Try taking your uphill hand and tapping it on your downhill knee. It's an old alpine trick to get your upper body in the correct position.
   
2. Put both poles together and hold them horizontally in front of you. Now try to keep them nice and level.
   
   Also, a necessary heads up for Allen & Mike's telemark book. There are a bunch of suggestions in there for a trailing uphill hand.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Really-Backcountry-Revised-Better/dp/0762745851

Sweet book about one mans adventure along the Pacific Crest Trail,
Free download (this weekend only)

If you dont own a kindle, download the free App!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007EDIAY4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007EDIAY4&linkCode=as2&tag=hikiinfinl-20

I assume it is The Damned United which the movie was based on?

You might also enjoy Walking on Water, Clough The Autobiography and I personally look forward to this, Nobody Ever Says Thank You.

> Any suggestions of other soccer related books is appreciated as well.

Would highly recommend Fever Pitch, Miracle of Castel di Sangro, Inverting the Pyramid, Brilliant Orange and Behind the Curtains.

An Island to Oneself is a great read. Also, Touching the Void is a pretty intense true tale.

I highly recommend this book about his story. It has all the history about this complicated man and his voyage. Fascinating read.

Edit: Here's a preview of the documentary about him. Its great if you can find it online.

My favorite is a pretty old book called "Hey, Mom, Can I Ride My Bike Across America?" http://smile.amazon.com/Hey-Ride-Bike-Across-America/dp/096257077X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416483476&sr=8-1&keywords=can+I+ride+my+bike+across+america

It is written from the point of view of the teacher who inspired and led the trip. Some of the kids could barely ride a bike when they started training.

I extremely recommend reading this book:

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

It is #1 on my favorite books ever read. Following the story of Ernest Shackleton and his crew. Which Henry Worsley was trying to replicate. It's amazing due to the incredible documentation of the journey, from the journals kept and even photographs.

In the crazy survival department, Touching the Void is a personal favorite, and for anyone who appreciates satirical humor, The Ascent of Rum Doodle might be among the the top of the genre as a whole, not just as a climbing book. Definitely give it a read if you haven't already.

Hopefully if they survive some "perfect storms" or Daddy's desire to trek thousands of miles across the ocean which other adventurers [single men and women in this case or crews of grown men and women] have died trying to do in sail boats. Maybe he needs this book sent to him.

https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Last-Voyage-Donald-Crowhurst/dp/0071414290

Sailings a hobby if you can afford it but not something you drag a wife and 4 kids on. He seems to want his own isolated Sea.Org. Say goodbye to friends kids. I feel sorry for them. [the kids have already been taken on some sailing trips but this is like a guy who likes camping moving his kids to the middle of the woods to build a log cabin]

This is a great read on the story of it. Absolutely one of the greatest survival stories I have ever read.

Btw this is the ad for one what would become the Endurance. One of the greatest voyages ever.

book is a great read.

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881/

I've recommended this book to several beginners in the past.

Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book

It's an easy read, lots of informative drawings & pics, and it's full of helpful information.

the book The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a great one about Italian football

http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997

I'm currently reading Adrift, the true story of a man who survived over a month at sea in a rubber raft!

I tend to go for interesting non-fiction books. I like history; last year I read a book about imperial Spain and one of my favorite books ever is The Rape of Nanking, about Japanese atrocities in China during WWII.

If you dont already have great memento of your grandfather you might consider this to be it. If you want to read a really amazing book about a bunch of badasses and one of these in use read Shackleton's Incredible Voyage Amazing book!

you dig a hole in the snow. you also want to try and shoot for a ceiling and a wall that is greater than 2' thick.

also, if you find a snowbank, you can make your entrance lower than your sleeping spot, allowing the more dense, cold air to not settle around you and your sleeping bag. the way OP has his set up, the cold air will come in through the top and will act like a refrigerator!

edit: here is a really, really great book: https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Really-Backcountry-Revised-Better/dp/0762745851

Once you've read Slocum's book, check out The Long Way, By Bernard Moitessier.

Some other books I highly recommend, especially if you're setting out alone

• [One Hand For Yourself, One For The Ship, by Tristan Jones] (http://www.amazon.com/One-Hand-Yourself-Ship-Essentials/dp/0924486031/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345689272&sr=1-1&keywords=one+hand+for+yourself) sexy title!
  
  
• What Shape Is She In Seriously, get this book and take it with you when you start looking at getting a boat.
  
  
• Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen Forget your gps, get a sextant and do it for real.

Love this thread. My favorites are Willie Weir's SpokeSongs and "Hey Mom, Can I Ride My Bike Across America?: Five Kids Meet Their Country by John Seigel Boettner

Link: http://amzn.com/096257077X

I've read a lot of sailing books. Slocum is good, but it can feel a bit archaic at times. In my opinion the book that truly captures the spirit of sailing is http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848 - It's the closest thing to a bible I'll ever own.

I have 2 non-fiction books that you might enjoy: Fatal North - Murder and Survival on the First North Pole Expedition.

The other is, IMHO, the best adventure story ever written, and it's all true. Endurance -Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

the problem is, those huge sailboats(over 30 feet) are crazy goddamn expensive. There is a cutoff around 30 feet where the price just balloons.

Im with the pardeys in that you need a small boat(25-30ft) if you want to go sailing for a long time. Theres less maintenance involved, its way cheaper to get the boat to begin with, and a lot easier to sail. Maybe he can handle a boat of that size, but is he going to want to after 6 months? a year?

i recommend checking out cruising in seraffyn - http://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Seraffyn-25th-Anniversary-Pardey/dp/1929214049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330580677&sr=8-1

that couple has been sailing long distances for something like 30 years now.

[The American West - Dee Brown]
(https://www.amazon.com/American-West-Dee-Brown/dp/0684804417) More so history regarding westward expansion.

[The Art of Seeing Things - Essays by John Burroughs]
(https://www.amazon.com/Art-Seeing-Things-Essays-Burroughs/dp/0815606788)

[Undaunted Courage - Stephen E. Ambrose]
(https://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976)

[Astoria - Peter Starkk]
(https://www.amazon.com/Astoria-Jeffersons-Pacific-Ambition-Survival/dp/0062218298)

[Frozen in Time - Mitchell Zuckoff]
(https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Time-Survival-Modern-Heroes-ebook/dp/B009NG2G54)Survival/military but I enjoyed it.

[Alone on the Ice - Daid Roberts]
(https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Ice-Greatest-Survival-Exploration-ebook/dp/B007Q6XJL8)

[Farthest North - Fridtjog Nansen]
(https://www.amazon.com/Farthest-North-Incredible-Three-Year-Exploration/dp/0375754725/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483043755&sr=1-1&keywords=farthest+north+nansen)

[Steller's Island - Dean Littlepage]
(http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Stellers-Island-P484.aspx)

[The Arctic Year - Freuchen & Salomonsen]
(https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-year-Peter-Freuchen/dp/B0007IZCNK)

[Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing]
(https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881)

Blind Descent link for those who love the feel and fragrance of print. :-)

For those interested in learning about DEEP caves and the people who explore their depths, the book Blind Descent by James M. Tabor is excellent.

Survive the Savage Sea, despite its lurid title, and Adrift are two of the best sea survival stories I've ever read (non-fiction). Jungle is about a guy surviving in the same general area as Juliane Koepcke (although he didn't fall out of a plane...)

Can't find them right now, but Mawson's Will and any good book about Ernest Shackleton will get you going. Then there's Joe Simpson's Touching the Void. Oh, and Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls, a really good anthology.

...wow, I read a lot of survival stories.

> On the afternoon of Friday 14th January 1916 the dog teams of Wild, Marston, Crean and McIlroy were shot, a total at that time of 30 dogs. On the afternoon of the following Sunday 16th January 1916, wild shot Hurley’s team. This left just Macklin’s team and a team look after by Greenstreet.

>Hurley wrote:

>“ The poor creatures have been on scant rations for some time. A casual observer might think the explorer a frozen hearted individual, especially if he noticed the mouths watering when tears ought to be expected. Hunger brings us all to the level of other species and our saying, “ Sledge dogs are born for work, and bred for food”, is but the rationale of experience.”

>On Thursday 30th March 1916 the remaining dogs were shot, and a number skinned and eaten. John Vincent in a press interview in London on 3rd August 1916 is quoted as saying “ I ate two of the dog steaks, they tasted just fine!

From Endurance Obituaries: the Dogs

Read Endurance by Alfred Lansing for the full story. I read it years ago and it's a fantastic account of the expedition.

Allen and Mike's really cool backcountry ski book
or their avalanche book or their telemark book.

These things are seriously great reads.

He's got a very interesting book about his experience, called Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea.

I highly recommend it if you like adventure/survival stories.

Yes. Most of the candidates for the world's deepest cave do. These caves are formed in type of geological formation called Karst (wikilink). Blind Descent is a book about the race between the folks exploring the linked cave and one in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pretty gripping.

Not fiction so apologies but I enjoyed this. http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I was hoping for this http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Miracle-Of-Castel-Sangro/dp/075152753X but there are a few other good reads there

for non-fiction, may i suggest Adrift: 76 days lost at sea. true story written by the man who was adrift. i love it.

This is a good spot to start:

Allen and Mikes Really Cool Backpackin' Book
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

The graphic novels

Set to Sea by drew weing

Baggywrinkles by lucy bellwood

Crogan's Vengeance by Chris Schweizer

Literature

Master and Commander by Patrick O' Brian (based on historical events)

Two years before the Mast by Henrey Dana (Embellished but trueish)

The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex by Owen Chase (True Story)

Endurance by Alfred Lansing (True Story)

The United States Navy Blue Jackets Manual by Thomas J. Cutler (useful for facts and lingo as it's made for teaching seamen the basics)

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly (Historical info on Pirates)

Movies

Master and Commander (acurat for film)

Yellowbeard (comedy)

Cutthroat Island (Actiony)

Captains Courageous (Just a Film Classic)

Captain Blood (Buckle Swashing)

All links are to the Amazon.com Listings, but most of this should be available via resale or library for less.

Hope this helps.

Reminds me of the Miracle of Castel di Sangro, one of the best sports books and most uplifting underdog tales you will ever read.

"Endurance" is one of the best books I've ever read.

There is a really enjoyable book that details the exploration of this and Huatla cave.

I'm reading a book about the Endurance right now! I'm about halfway through and so far it's very exciting. Give it a read if you haven't!

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465062881/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ojl3AbQFEHQVT


This was an excellent read about this voyage

The three books about the first Golden Globe solo round the world race:

• The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier
  
• World of My Own by Robin Knox-Johnston
  
• The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall
  
  The first two are autobiographical. All three are great reads about the first solo round the world race.

I can't recommend Endurance enough. It's all about Ernest Shackleton's attempt to cross Antarctica. Amazing!

I really enjoyed this

Here... I really enjoyed it.

THIS:

>Once you've read Slocum's book, check out The Long Way, By Bernard Moitessier.

He was fascinating.

Touching the Void

Really good book.

How long do you plan to be out (weekend, 5 days?), where are you thinking about going, and what time of year, and how would you rate yourself in a “willing to endure discomfort scale?”

For a person just getting started I recommend the following resources:

Allen and Mike’s Really Cool Backpacking Book

Don Ladigan’s Lighten Up!

Go light, take a couple of shorter trips with stuff you kind of already have (a fork and spoon from fast food place or your kitchen drawer instead of a titanium spork for instance) and can find around the house at first.

Some good reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Cape-Horn-Starboard-John-Kretschmer/dp/1580801625/

http://www.amazon.com/World-My-Own-non-stop-voyage/dp/0713668997/

http://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848/

http://www.amazon.com/Across-Islands-Oceans-Journey-Around/dp/1470004615/

http://www.amazon.com/Voyages-Extraordinary-Times-Larry-Pardey/dp/1929214987/

Just started this: The Man Who Quit Money, looks good and deals with this...

There is also a good book, "The Man Who Quit Money"

http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334352029&sr=8-1 Overall, it has a 5-star rating so far.

Check out The Last Englishman by Kieth Foskett for a good read from a Brit doing the trail.

There are lots of resources available online (perhaps backpackinglight.com would be useful). Also, you can buy some books to help you (here is one).

If you're interested in this, I can't recommend Moitessier's book, La Longue Route, enough.

I read Beyond the Deep and Blind Descent over the summer. Both are about supercave exploration, which it turns out is the most terrifying thing on earth. Both are in the same genre as Into Thin Air, another horribly scary book about things I will never ever do. I'd recommend reading Blind Descent first because it's the more general book, while Into the Deep is about one specific exploration. Both are absolutely mandatory reading if you're planning on seeing that new James Cameron movie that comes out in February.

On the history front, April 1865 by Jay Winik is a superb analysis of the last month of the Civil War. Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk is a great analysis of Lincoln's lifelong battle with depression. And Ecological Imperialism by Alfred Crosby is one of the most interesting history books I've read in a long time. This may be a good follow-up to Guns, Germs, and Steel if you're interested in environmental history.

I don't know how much snow you guys have, but if it's reliably more than 2 meters of snow on the ground you can use dugloos / quinzees. Downsides:

• It's a few hours of crafting.
  
• You can get wet, so I'd do it with a lightweight goretex rain jacket even in the coldest of temperatures with just a single base layer underneath.
  
• You need a proper snow (avalanche) shovel and a proper snow saw.
  
  Upsides:
  
  
• They last for several weeks.
  
• They're much stronger than a tent.
  
• They're nearly invisible and have a low IR signature, much lower than a tent.
  
• It's much quieter inside. Full storm outside and you wouldn't know it.
  
• The interior rarely gets much further than 0c/32f, regardless of the outside temperature. Use a candle lantern and it will get above freezing. The white walls bounce the candle lantern light around really well and provided there's not a lot of cracks in the roof blocks the light doesn't escape to speak of.
  
  You still need a really good insulated pad whether you're in a tent or in a snow shelter but I stopped bringing my 0F down bag on winter trips and instead just use my +12F summer bag. My winter bag was honestly way too warm even on sub zero (F) nights in a show shelter.
  
  We get a ton of snow where I'm at so I usually go build a dugloo around February and then for that month and into March I've got a shelter. I record the coordinates, it's conveniently at the base of a kick ass ~28 degree bowl, and there I am with my backcountry ski "lodge". Next winter I'm going to haul some firewood out there too so I can really have a kick ass time. Great book if you're interested. Goes over snow shelter construction really well.

This is from Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book by Allen O'Bannon

Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a classic, its not so much about history but about the writer following one team for a season http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997

https://www.amazon.com/Adrift-Seventy-six-Days-Lost-Sea/dp/0618257322

Here's a worldcat link, but check the author's name for other versions of the same book if you're looking to borrow a copy from a nearby library

https://www.worldcat.org/title/adrift-76-days-lost-at-sea/oclc/952379350&referer=brief_results

The guy would have never made it without fishing the little ecosystem that developed under his raft as he drifted across the Atlantic. Worth a read.

Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea is also a great one. If you got frustrated watching All is Lost, you'll love reading Adrift.

There's a really good series of cartoon books about lightweight backpacking and mountaineering by a few guys from NOLS which really helped me adjust what I thought was "necessary".

Mountaineering

Ultralight

General Backpacking

I had a really solid mountaineer once tell me that the key to success on the mountains is camping like a champion. If you're poorly rested, poorly fed or angry with your partners because of a crappy camp setup, you're less likely to achieve your goals.

I mostly do ski mountaineering with some summer stuff thrown in for kicks (I'm in the Canadian rockies so "Summer" is relative). Typically I'll have my ski touring day pack 35L+ and my wife carries a 45L+ bag (she tends to carry but not wear more layers) on any trip where I'm based out of a base camp or hut. We'll drag our gear in on a pull sled or we'll both bring our 65 or 85L bags (depending on trip length) to camp, then ditch em.

Gents, do yourself a favor and read the book Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. It's probably my favorite book. That guy is a bad A.

Adrift. A fascinating (and true) story about being lost at sea for over 2 months in an inflatable life boat.

Touching the Void. It is a great book about a mountaineering accident and the will to survive.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060730552/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_IuWAyb23PV3E4

Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Nonfiction. Shackleton's 1915 Antarctic Expedition becomes frozen in the ice a couple hundred miles from shore. The ship is slowly ground to splinters over the course of days. The men get all their stuff safely off board, but now they're stuck on the pack ice. There's no chance of rescue, because it's 1915. There's no point in trying to make it to shore. The edge of the pack ice is hundreds of miles north, over ice that's constantly breaking and reforming.

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea
is my favorite.

I remember reading in Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea that people who are found used an average of 10 flares before they were sighted. So, way more flares.

And definitely a water distiller, or two.

Also: Endurance if you want something that ends a bit less bleakly.

I've got a copy of The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. Highly recommended, a great book and very, very creepy towards the end. His mind fell apart and went to some very strange places. I can picture him on the boat at night, writing away, completely mad.

Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Voyage?

link for the lazy

[While my adult/geek self was equally pleased.] (http://i.imgur.com/nWxICmN.jpg)

I just started reading this book, Adrift, today.

For those interested, check out "Blind Descent":
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Descent-Quest-Discover-Deepest/dp/1400067677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323522109&sr=8-1

[You should read this book]
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Joe-McGinniss/dp/075152753X)

This is my favourite football book - http://www.amazon.com/The-Miracle-Castel-Sangro-Passion/dp/0767905997

The Man Who Quit Money

Check out these books if you haven't seen them yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0762737344/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0762763841&pd_rd_r=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E&pd_rd_w=oEMgW&pd_rd_wg=jbk23&psc=1&refRID=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1560449128&pd_rd_r=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM&pd_rd_w=qJgYG&pd_rd_wg=AQN7T&psc=1&refRID=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM

All very cheap used.

The book “the long way” is a must read for sailors

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848/ref=nodl_

This?

I've heard this is a good one. https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin-ebook/dp/B001OI2YCO

For non-fiction:
Adrift

http://www.amazon.com/Adrift-Seventy-six-Days-Lost-Sea/dp/0618257322

> The Man Who Quit Money, by Mark Sundeen


http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690

While this book is outstanding, I have to point out that it says nothing at all about Shackleton's journey. It's about the almost equally difficult task the other half of that mission had laying supply depots on the other side of the continent. For, it turned out, an expedition which would never arrive.

One of many absolutely shocking details: the ship which they took, the Aurora, had a wireless set which they used to radio for help after a terrible winter of hardship. The expedition didn't fund the set, though. A group of ladies in Australia (where the Aurora was purchased and fitted out) discovered with just weeks to go that the plan was to set sail without one, as the expedition couldn't afford it. They took up a collection and bought a set for the ship.

On the subject of Shackleton's side of the expedition, I highly recommend his own book, "South". The modern retelling, "Endurance" also has stellar reviews.

Not if you are planning to work. Although if you wanna go "Into the Wild" style, I doubt anyone would really care to go after you; although you would be technically free-loading (security provided by police/military, park rangers in case you get lost, etc.)

Here is a book about a dude who lived in a national park for a while: http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690

You can travel plenty with zilch to your name.

The Man Who Quit Money

Hitchhike, wild camp, dumpster dive, work for room and board, work for transport.

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea - not to scare you, rather to prepare you.

This is what bothers me the most. Zero business camping if you can't even handle the basics.

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

[Dove] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)


[Sailing Alone Around The World] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)

[The Long Way] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0924486848/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496093457&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+long+way+sailing&dpPl=1&dpID=51L%2Btgd-fQL&ref=plSrch)

Not a book about prepping per se, but a book about survival in the most brutal of conditions.
Such a fantastic account of persistence and the will to survive.

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881

It's up there on worst ways to go. If you like these kind of things, I strongly suggest:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060932597/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/176-1045339-2524000

Fantastic book, absolutely terrifying stuff.

There's a fantastic book written by a man who spent 76 days at sea. He floated in a raft, purifying water and eating what little fish he could catch.

At night, he couldn't see or hear the sharks. But he knew they were there from the hard bumps they'd give the raft.

No motor. No communication to anyone. Just endless black sea and sky, while sharks kept him up at night.

Yeah, training is probably about a third of it, you gotta have funding.

My tip to the OP, read Krakauer's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785

and another viewpoint:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Climb-Tragic-Ambitions-Everest/dp/0312206372/ref=pd_sim_b_3

not Everest, but an idea of how bad things can go:

http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void-Story-Miraculous-Survival/dp/0060730552/ref=pd_sim_b_2

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. 'Cause sailing's not all rum cocktails and tropical anchorages. Crowhurst's story is a tragedy - a fascinating tragedy.

I'd also recommend A World of My Own by Robin Knox-Johnston. It's his story from the same race that Crowhurst was in. (Which is the same race that Moitessier writes about in The Long Way Home previously referenced here.)

Against The God: the remarkable story of Risk- Outlines the history of probability theory and risk assessment through the centuries

https://www.amazon.com/Against-Gods-Remarkable-Story-Risk/dp/0471295639/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105434&sr=1-1&keywords=against+the+gods

When Genius Failed - A narrative of the spectacular fall of Long Term Capital Management, a hedge fund which had on its board both Myron Scholes AND Robert Merton (you will recall them from MFE)
https://www.amazon.com/When-Genius-Failed-Long-Term-Management/dp/0375758259/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105453&sr=1-1&keywords=when+genius+failed

Black Swan/ Antifragility- A former quant discusses the nature of risk in these controversial and philosophical books. Some parts of this book are actually called out and shamed in McDonald's Derivative Markets, one or the both of them are worth reading

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105478&sr=1-1&keywords=black+swan



Godel, Escher, Bach- Very dense look into recursive patterns in mathematics and the arts. While not actuarial, it's obviously very mathematical, a must read.

https://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105497&sr=1-1&keywords=geb

Endurance- This was recommended to me by a pure mathematics professor. Again, not actuarial, but more about the nature of perseverance though problem solving(sound familiar). It's about Shakleton's famous voyage to the south pole.

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475105520&sr=1-1&keywords=endurance+shackleton%27s+incredible+voyage

This is a very late response, but before.

The ship was originally named the Polaris when t was completed. Shackleton renamed it the Endurance to be in line with his family's motto: "Fortitudine vincimus," or "By endurance we conquer."

Here's a photograph taken by Frank Hurley, their official photographer. This was taken between the crush that forced them to abandon ship and the eventual sinking, a span of a little less than a month. You can see Endurance on the back of the ship.

And an obligatory "you have to read Lansing's Endurance." It was re-released in a 100th anniversary edition last year.