Though we may not always be able to escape to the wild physically, we can surely give our minds the means to escape into an environment separate from our reality. It is our hope that each of these books helps to transport you to a new way of life, an unfamiliar adventure, and thrilling and calming experience like you’ve never lived. By reading another's tales of adventure and overcoming, we too can inspire our minds to accomplish exactly that.
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For the Backpacking Enthusiast
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
It’s safe to say most people in the backpacking community are not strangers to Strayed’s story, retelling her experience hiking a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. If you’re looking forward to, or are simply interested in, the process of thru-hiking any one of the trails composing the triple crown (PCT, AT, or CDT), then this book is the honest and humble perspective you need.
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For the Philosophical Nature Lover
Walking by Henry David Thoreau
Most of us don’t give the simple act of walking a second thought, we simply allow our bodies to take over until we find ourselves having traveled from point A to point B. Some might say this work by Thoreau is similar to his writings in Walden. It ponders the seemingly casual action of walking, but all too intentional meditation of putting one foot in front of the other with a loose sense of direction.
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For the Survivalist
Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man’s Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson
If you’re in search of a story to keep you flipping pages and perched on the edge of your seat, then look no further than Touching the Void. Follow Simpson’s journey as he goes from climbing in South America to nearing death on multiple occasions. This book will have you wondering ‘how in the world?!’ and will definitely make your heart skip a beat.
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For the Wandering Soul
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Another classic, Travels with Charley is the story of Steinbeck’s journey across the backroads of America with his poodle Charley in their camper, Rocinante. Follow this witty and comforting story as Steinbeck wanders from New Jersey to the region of the Pacific Northwest, and through the deep south before finally looping back home. A story of true people, unheard of places, and everything in between, this is a book that will warm your wandering heart.
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For the Perilous Explorer
Beyond the Trees by Adam Shoalts
Told by the world-renowned explorer, Adam Shoalts, comes the story of his solo trek nearly 2,500 miles across the harsh Canadian arctic. For a perspective of the arctic wilderness many of us will never fully experience, this is the perfect book to gain a new perspective and appreciation for the wildly beautiful and terrifying splendor of mother nature. As Mikaela, the author of the popular adventure blog Voyageur Tripper so perfectly says, “I found the book to read kind of like an elaborate love letter to the wilderness”.
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For the Love of Climbing
Annapurna: A Woman’s Place by Arlene Blum
This book is the first ever account of mountaineering from a female perspective. Follow this passionate, twist-turning, and honest story of thirteen women who flee from the bustling city of San Francisco to the Himalayan mountains in Nepal in hopes of being not only the first Americans, but the first females to summit the world’s tenth tallest mountain, Annapurna.
