Camping and Woodcraft: A Handbook for Vacation Campers and for Travelers in the Wilderness (2 Volumes in 1)

Thanks are due to Jim Casada and to University of Tennessee Press for keeping this book before the public. Horace Kephart was a great writer on woodland themes and he lived what he wrote about for months or even years at a time. All of the equipment he analyzes and all of the techniques he explains have been 'field tested' during long periods of daily living. Jim Casada provides an extended essay on Kephart's life and achievements to introduce this facsimilie edition of the double book: 'Camping' and 'Woodcraft.' Kephart was well-educated and well-traveled before he took up writing for sporting magazines like 'Outing', 'Forest and Stream' and 'Sports Afield.' In this regard, he followed in the footsteps of George Washington Sears ('Nessmuk'). In middle age, Kephart left his family for the 'love of his life', the great outdoors and the Smokey Mountains and its people. He was a major mover in the creation of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Many of his magazine articles found their way into the contents of this book. For fifty years(!) it was the leading seller in Macmillan's outdoor books category of publication. Much of its contents is timeless. Outfitters still use cotton duck tents and outfitter stoves and ranges still look and work the same way today. Any aspect of camping 'how to do' is addressed in this book from selecting sites for various needs to building shelters to building fires for specific purposes to cooking a surprisingly wide ranged of outdoor dishes. Reading and rereading this book is almost as good as going camping! I have highlighted and annotated my copy and review it to 'remember' lessons and techniques. I have purchased copies for my son and grandson. This book deserves to be a part of any outdoor-loving family's 'Traditions.'

I have loved this book since I first picked up, in the 60s, a reprint of the 1912 edition. Horace Kephart was a skilled and entertaining writer who wrote for "Field and Stream" magazine. His wilderness was the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. He was interested in going off in the wilderness to hunt, fish and camp and learned from the remaining Indians and other "back-woods" folks. Before fleece and Gortex, and even sleeping bags, what did one do? Much of the information is out of date (how to choose a tent) but entertaining. Much else is still relevant. Need to skin a deer and make buckskin? Make a fire so it will keep your lean-to warm all night in November? Relevant still is the need for people to experience the freedom and beauty of nature with just what you can carry on your back.

This is probably the most exhaustive and authoritative book on outdoor craft that I have read. Very dry and detail oriented so you have to be interested in the science for it to work. It is not extreme lke the 60/70's survivalist dogma but presented matter of fact and unpretentiously by someone who lived it. With this book you could eke out a living off the land just about anywhere. There are many books that are a better casual read. But it will be hard to beat this book for its pure reference capacity. A classic that makes a great gift to anyone who is outdoors person, wants to know more, about how and why or just curious.

You have to realize that this book was written 115 years ago. As far as the equipment goes, I'm sure Horace Kephart would rejoice at the quality and lightness of the equipment around today. It does give very good ideas as far as setting up tents and other equipment, making fires and the best way to set up your camp site.

The first half of the book describes camping out of a wagon which could be used to camp from an auto. The second half is about camping light which is the part I was interested in. Although some of the materials used in the early 1900's have been replaced with lighter items the general knowledge is very sound and helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to camp and spend time outdoors.

Splendid book with a lot of information that is useful today. Gives one a look at camping in the early 1900's.The biggest complaint is that when this book was scanned, no effort was made to correct the numerous typos. Even a brief run through by whomever published the Kindle version would have gone a long way. Tables and illustrations are unreadable or missing. It is a shame.

I found this book to be full of valuable skills and knowledge that are mostly lost to modern outdoor travelers. The writing style and language proved challenging at times but the book is worth the effort. If you are serious about learning the skills that our grandparents did every day, this book is for you. Want an easy read, look elsewhere.

this is the ultimate book for campers and cooks, some of the info is of course outdated, this was written in the 1920's,but much of it can be used in today's camping, and Mr. Kephart has a wonderful writing style that is both colorful and,right to the point. His other volume, "our southern Highlanders" is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to know about the history of our mountaineers, and about North Western North Carolina, Tennessee, and "Mountain Dew"

Information packed publication, lots of good advice and tips for living in the wild, albeit very dated. This is the classic Bushcraft publication and should be in everyone's library.

excellent

A terrible version of a good book.Numerous missing pictures and photosMissing text and typo'sBuy a different version.

I guess the only downside is the length, and detail this goes into.I'm saying this facetiously, as reading is becoming something of a lost art these days. But everything you need to know about surviving in the woods these days...whether for a weekend getaway or an extended stay is in this book.Definitely not for the 'camper' whose idea of roughing it is to only have one TV in the RV.

... any serious student of the outdoors will reference this volume for the rest of their lives. Truly a life's work on the part of the author in compiling this into a single book. As relevant now as when it was written.