Spring is here, which means it's time to get outside! Absorb the experiences of some famous outdoor adventurers, while collecting the inspiration you need to venture out on your next backcountry trip.
1. Roughing It by Mark Twain
This 1872 semi-autobiographical novel details Twain’s time navigating through the ‘Wild West’ shortly following the start of the Civil War. It’s a unique read that will teach you a good history lesson, give you a chuckle, and clue you in on some must-try, old-school survival techniques.
2. American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella
In 2005, Steven Rinella won a lottery permit to hunt for a wild buffalo in the Alaskan wilderness. This story is not only about that hunt, but simultaneously a history lesson about one of America's most culturally and historically significant animals. Filled with humor and adventure, this book is a thrilling ride through the history of the North American buffalo and an equally amazing account of one of the hardest wilderness hunts in America.
3. Deborah: A Wilderness Narrative by David Roberts
Roberts is a pioneer on the peaks, and in the world of literature. This 1965 mountaineering account may inject some fear into anyone who longs to tackle bigger and more difficult challenges. It's a must-read for any mountaineer who has their sights set on conquering one of the most ominous mountains in the Last Frontier.
4. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
Go back in time to 20th-century Kenya, where Isaac Denison traveled from Denmark. Her memoir explores the 17 years she spent on a coffee plantation in the hills near Nairobi. John Updike once called Denison, "one of the most picturesque and flamboyant literary personalities of the century."
5. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir
Who better to guide you through a distant adventure than world-famous naturalist, John Muir? The book details his first time visiting the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a young sheepherder in 1869 -- a passionate account that is often credited as being the general public’s first intimate introduction to the beloved Yosemite National Park.
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