Connect to nature and live to tell the tale with this guide to time-honored, practical knowledge from a time before ultralight backpacking gadgets, synthetic rainwear, and cell phones. The emphasis is on preparation and survival, starting with how to plan your trip, pick your companions, how to get to your campsite, and what gear, food, and clothes to bring along. You'll learn to choose a good campsite and set up your tarp or build a lean-to, and navigate on your backcountry trek. There's an extensive section on wilderness first aid, plus guides to backwoods housekeeping and cooking, blazing a trail, starting a fire without a match, and sending smoke signals.
In the words of the author, "Camping calls for old clothes, lack of luxuries and conveniences, primitive life, and unfailing good temper and cheerfulness under all conditions, as well as plenty of hard work and a willingness to do one's share of anything and everything without being asked." If roughing it is more your style than glamping, this guide will spark your imagination and help you plan your next trip.
SUBJECT: Travel / Microcosm / Nature / Survival / Great Outdoors / Father's Day
PUBLICATION: Apr 7, 2026
PRICE: $11.99
ISBN: 9781648417436
FORMAT: 160 pp, 4.25x7", paperback
WHOLESALE: Standard
CARTON QTY: 46
ART: b&w illustrations
Marketing Notes
- Public interest in wilderness survival skills has skyrocketed since 2020, reflected in an increase in reality TV shows and a big jump in numbers of first-time campers.
- The related "prepper" industry contiues to grow, with 1 in 16 US Americans identifying as preppers and 4 out of 5 practicing basic disaster readiness.
- Preppers are increasingly young, progressive, and from diverse backgrounds.
Elly Blue is a co-owner and the vice president of Microcosm Publishing, and the co-host of the People's Guide to Publishing podcast. Her books include Everyday Bicycling and Bikenomics, and she is the editor of the annual Bikes in Space anthology of feminist bicycle science fiction. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner, their dog, and a small fleet of cargo bicycles.
A small, innovative publishing house, Microcosm Publishing specializes in work designed to make the reader feel good about being alive, take an active role in bettering their life, and impact the world around them. Microcosm has developed a reputation for teaching self-empowerment, showing hidden histories, and fostering creativity through challenging conventional publishing wisdom with books and zines about DIY skills, food, politics, and art. Our books are printed in the USA.
Microcosm Publishing
Microcosm Publishing | 2752 N Williams Ave. | Portland, OR 97227
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