A Snow Walker's Companion: Winter Trail Skills from the Far North

Rating:
Summary: A confused blend of information, insight and polemic
Review: Garrett and Alexendra Conovers' "A Snow Walker's Companion" is an interesting compilation of information about living in far northern climates. It works best as a historical record of the traditions, techniques, and lore of Inuit and Cree peoples that enable them to live simply and comfortably in harsh climes. To that end, it is a reverent and important book. The book's weakness is the implicit message that the cold-dwelling hand crafters of wooden snowshoes are morally superior to the poor urban dweller trying to live a balanced life by juggling work and children with occasional forays into the woods or up the mountains, on aluminum Sherpas, clothed in fleece and Gortex. The Conovers, who live in a walled tent in Maine and are respected wilderness guides, seem not to understand that their chosen lifestyle is possible only because most choose not to live it. For readers who are truly considering a move to or extended travel in far northern territories, "A Snowwalker's Companion" is unique and indispensible. Most winter adventurers, though, must satisfy their love of the outdoors with day mountain hikes or backpacks of several days duration. For them, a book such as "Winterwise, A Backpacker's Guide," by John M. Dunn, or any cold weather book by the Appalachian Mountain Club, New Hampshire, is apt to be more useful and far less grating.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Outdoor books of our generation.
Review: I cannot snowshoe very often in Tennessee (hah ha) but this book makes me wish I could. I had read Garrett's Beyond the Paddle and loved it so I got this book and was blown away. I would reccomend it to anyone who likes to camp-out in woodland areas in the winter. Every view in this book is perceptive, inciteful and entertaining. Do not pass this one up. It ranks up there with the works of Bill Mason, Cache Lake Country and works by Calvin Rustrum.

Rating:
Summary: A confused blend of information, insight and polemic
Review: Others have rightly focused on the contents of this gem. In addition, this book is a great "read." On top of that, there are photos that will show you such stunning things as the sheer beauty of Native American designs woven into the babitch "fillings" of snowshoes. To top it off, you get patterns for making your own cotton anorak shell! Just a great book, up there with Cache Lake Country [out of print] and True North [out of print]. Get this one before this masterpiece too goes "out of print" in a country whose publishers allow such tragedies to happen.

Rating:
Summary: A superb book on winter travel in the bush
Review: This book is first-class! It has the attention to detail that only the Conovers, both Maine Guides, could bring to it.

It covers snowshoes, bindings, moccasins, boots, toboggans, tents, stoves, food, clothes, and travel by snowmobile. There is even an excellent discussion on the psychology of winter camping.

The emphasis is on winter traveling the way Native Americans have done and are still doing it -- in a safe and comfortable way.

The sources of equipment and further information at the end of each chapter are very valuable.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in winter wilderness travel and camping or in the material culture of the Native Americans of the Sub-Arctic boreal areas.

Rich Howe