Song of the Paddle: An Illustrated Guide to Wilderness Camping

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Summary: Bill Mason helps you to hear "the song"
Review: A few years ago, I stumbled upon this book. At the time, I had some river canoeing experience, and they left me wanting to do more, but I was hesitant because I honestly didn't feel I knew enough about canoeing, I didn't know anyone else who knew any more than I did, and I didn't have the spare dollars to hire someone who did. This book solved my problem. Mason covers just about everything related to caoeing, and he does it with humor and wit, and an easy to read style. There are times when he gets ahead of himself, and you have to stop and reread, and do some thinking. But this is for the better anyway as good canoeing requires some use of the noggin'. You'll find preparation lists, hints and strategies all through the book for everything from day trips to full blown wilderness excursions lasting weeks. There is an excellent section on canoe safety and the basic paddling strokes (which was the section that got me back on the water with the confidence to learn and improve). Mason covers portaging, use of a compass and maps for navigation, rescue techniques, includes a few recipies (that work quite well) and even gets into the trickier maneuvers a skilled paddler can attempt. Besides all that, Mason includes plenty of stories (including a couple of hair-raising ones) that will make you laugh, think, and-most likely-help you hear the song too! My copy is getting all worn out from constantly rereading, and you'll likely do the same to yours.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on "Living in the Outdoors"
Review: Bill Mason was one of the best writers on canoeing period. He uses humor throughout the book and gives canoeists and campers of all kinds practical tips on the outdoors, canoeing and life in general. I highly recommend this book as an addition to anyone's library. Especially those of us who enjoy canoeing and understanding others' thoughts on the outdoors.

Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favourite books!
Review: Bill's love for Canada and his passion for camping in the wild come through gloriously in this loving look at outdoor tripping and living. It's chock full of tips and stories and quite honestly is my favourite camping and canoeing book by far.