The Wilderness Paddler's Handbook

Book excerpt: The Wilderness Paddler’s Handbook offers paddlers of any stripe Alan Kesselheim’s personal, engaging writing and his unsurpassed experience. Helpful sidebars, interspersed throughout the book, provide step-by-step instructions on all critical technical considerations. Everything a new or experienced paddler can expect to encounter is included, from trip planning, choosing the right gear, and packing, to camping, cooking, modifying your boat, and dealing with conditions on every kind of water. Whether it’s how to pick the right partner, negotiate a tricky rapid, go solo, or bring the entire family, it’s all here in this entertaining, inspiring, and informative guide. Alan Kesselheim has paddled thousands of wilderness miles – alone, with his wife, Marypat, and with his young children strapped into the canoe like babies in car seats. He’s paddled fast-moving rivers, windswept lakes, and quiet ponds. (One trip took him on a 13-month, 2000-mile journey from Grande Cache, Alberta, to Baker Lake in the Northwest Territories.) He’s also one of North America’s preeminent canoeing writers, and his hard-won opinions are highly respected.