Synopses & Reviews
"I could have used this book when I snapped my kayak in half descending the Niger River. I could have used this book when I busted my water filter bicycling across Siberia. I could have used this book on Mt. Everest when all ten of our stoves were either in flames or had already exploded. Save yourself crocodile attacks, dysentry, and singed eyebrows--read this book!"--Mark Jenkins, columnist,
Outside, and author of
Off the Map,
To Timbuktu, and
The Burma Road (forthcoming)
Considering the cost of outdoor equipment these days, it only makes sense to repair, rather than replace, your carefully chosen gear. Regular maintenance is the key to maximizing the performance of your investment.
Veteran outdoorsfolk Annie and Dave Getchell have bought, used, abused, worn out, and repaired tentfuls of outdoor equipment. This second edition of The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual combines their 35 years of experience to help you choose the right gear, use it wisely, and repair it in the field or home workshop. During countless adventures, Dave and Annie have accumulated an encyclopedic collection of cutting-edge care and repair tips from manufacturers, innovators, and outdoor gurus. The new edition adds time-tested guidance on how to choose exactly the right gear for your outdoor needs.
The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual is an abundantly illustrated, multisport reference that offers clear, concise suggestions to help you care for everything from tents, cross-country skis, and hiking boots to kayaks, canoes, climbing equipment, backpacks, stoves, and more. To handle those inevitable repair jobs, you'll learn--among other things--how to patch a canoe, clean a sputtering campstove, fix a busted zipper, sharpen ice-axe teeth, and mend a leaky rain jacket. Annie and Dave have packed The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual with advice on adhesives, environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, repair kits, specialized tools, and useful knots. An extensive appendix of repair services and resources will guide you to the nearest expert should your own repair skills come up short.
Synopsis
Annie and David Getchell of PBS's "Anyplace Wild" series, share their intense love of the outdoors in this personal yet highly practical guide. The book stresses the benefits of maintaining and repairing, rather than replacing, expensive gear. 275 illustrations.
Synopsis
Here's what reviewers said about the first edition of
The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual
"The trouble with outdoor equipment is that everyone has an opinion--one usually based on advertising hype, personal bias, or hearsay. Finally, here's a book that gives you all the information necessary to make objective buying decisions. This book, with its sound advice, will save you money and make you a better backcountry traveler."--Nancy Prichard, outdoor adventure journalist
"Think about something that we all need, yet we'd all hate to have to write a book about. After mouthwash, we'd probably settle on gear repair and maintenance. Thank goodness Annie Getchell came along with her artist's sensitivity for detail, a flair for language, and best of all, her wit. From repairing zippers to selecting 'green' adhesives, she nails it and keeps us smiling the entire distance."--John Viehman, Publisher of Backpacker and Executive Producer and Series Host of Anyplace Wild
"The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual has set a new standard for books about gear."--Backcountry
"All of us should be grateful to Annie Getchell for creating what is the best book I have ever seen on caring for and repairing your outdoor gear. If you want to know how to make your gear last longer, you need this book. . . . This is the complete word on care and repair."--Adventure West
"The big challenge with this sort of book is to make what is essentially an instruction manual into something that's pleasant to read, functional, and authoritative. Annie Getchell pulls it off."--Alan Kesselheim, writer and noted long-distance paddler
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface: Meditations on Glues, Screws, and Goos
Part 1. Soft Goods
1. Essential Techniques
Sewing Basics; Fabric Patching; Zippers: The Full Disclosure; Fasteners; Cordage; Seams and Seamsealing
2. Fabrics and Insulations
Unraveling Fabric Mysteries; Insulations; Cleaning Methods; Patching; Seamsealing; Coating or Recoating Synthetics
3. Specialty Garments
Wetsuits and Neoprene Care; Drysuits; Shelled Gloves; Gaiters
4. Shelter
Tents; Poles; Sleeping Bags; Sleeping Pads
5. Packs
A Cautionary Tale, or Quasimodo's Revenge; The Five-Point Pack Check; Pack Rats; Patching; External-Frame Packs; The Tumpline
Part 2. Footwear
6. Weatherproofing Boots
Keeping Water Out; Boot Linings; Drying Boots
7. Custom Fitting
Boot-Fitting; Lacing Tips and Tricks
8. Boot Repairs
Typical Repairs; Ski Touring and Telemark Boots; Plastic Mountain Boots; Rock Shoes; Rubber Boots
Part 3. Hardware
9. Stoves and Cookware
(and more...)