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1001 Walking Tips
1001 Walking Tips by Paul Besley is a light-hearted and informative guide to all kinds of walking.
This is no standard instruction manual – it is much more useful than that. This is a huge collection of small tips to make a real difference to your walking, whether you’re on a leisurely stroll in your local urban area, exploring a national park, planning a long-distance trail or hiking in the mountains in winter – this book will help you to make the most of every walk.
The vast range of topics covered includes navigation, essential kit and clothing, safety, fitness, food, walking with dogs, how to cope with various weather conditions and what to do if you get lost. Whether you’re a walking novice or an experienced trekker, Paul’s wealth of knowledge and practical advice will inspire you and help to enrich your time outdoors.
This is no standard instruction manual – it is much more useful than that. This is a huge collection of small tips to make a real difference to your walking, whether you’re on a leisurely stroll in your local urban area, exploring a national park, planning a long-distance trail or hiking in the mountains in winter – this book will help you to make the most of every walk.
The vast range of topics covered includes navigation, essential kit and clothing, safety, fitness, food, walking with dogs, how to cope with various weather conditions and what to do if you get lost. Whether you’re a walking novice or an experienced trekker, Paul’s wealth of knowledge and practical advice will inspire you and help to enrich your time outdoors.
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 10, 2022
This is the second of the Vertebrate Publishing "1001 Tips" series that I have read, and like Robbie Britton's superb running tips book, this is one I know I will be dipping back into regularly.
I was initially quite surprised at how much of the book was relevant to the long distance trail or hill runner. In fact many hundreds of Paul's tips are snippets of advice for the runner that I haven't come across in any running book. I have encountered lots of adopters of trail running, sometimes out in the wilderness of Dartmoor, who have little to none of the knowledge necessary to spend a few hours in the hills safely. Walking and running are not different worlds, but just different ways of making forward progress, and even the elites of the trail running world are as adept at the walking part as the running part. I have always felt that many of us middle of the pack trail runners don't train the walking part enough. It can be a different mind set, and I'm pretty sure that Paul's book will inspire many a runner to take a few slow days that will ultimately improve their race performances, as well as developing skills that they may otherwise neglect.
Certain sections of the book were particularly good: the whole of the 220+ tips on walking (read running if you like) environments; 100 odd tips on gear; 100+ on long distance and multi day trips; and perhaps most of all the essentials of navigation.
The book is, like Robbie's, absolutely full of nuggets of advice that can only come with years of experience. Gear is expensive and Paul will save you lots of money by offering advice untainted by brand sponsorship. And all of it done with a degree of humour that keeps the reader engaged.
No real spoilers here as you should definitely buy a copy if you are "outdoorsy", but just a couple to tease maybe:
"When trying on clothing, leave optimism and self image at home."
"If you aren't carrying some form of chocolate, this book was wasted on you."
"The best walking companion is a dog."
Hear, hear!
I was initially quite surprised at how much of the book was relevant to the long distance trail or hill runner. In fact many hundreds of Paul's tips are snippets of advice for the runner that I haven't come across in any running book. I have encountered lots of adopters of trail running, sometimes out in the wilderness of Dartmoor, who have little to none of the knowledge necessary to spend a few hours in the hills safely. Walking and running are not different worlds, but just different ways of making forward progress, and even the elites of the trail running world are as adept at the walking part as the running part. I have always felt that many of us middle of the pack trail runners don't train the walking part enough. It can be a different mind set, and I'm pretty sure that Paul's book will inspire many a runner to take a few slow days that will ultimately improve their race performances, as well as developing skills that they may otherwise neglect.
Certain sections of the book were particularly good: the whole of the 220+ tips on walking (read running if you like) environments; 100 odd tips on gear; 100+ on long distance and multi day trips; and perhaps most of all the essentials of navigation.
The book is, like Robbie's, absolutely full of nuggets of advice that can only come with years of experience. Gear is expensive and Paul will save you lots of money by offering advice untainted by brand sponsorship. And all of it done with a degree of humour that keeps the reader engaged.
No real spoilers here as you should definitely buy a copy if you are "outdoorsy", but just a couple to tease maybe:
"When trying on clothing, leave optimism and self image at home."
"If you aren't carrying some form of chocolate, this book was wasted on you."
"The best walking companion is a dog."
Hear, hear!
February 15, 2022
I found this book an interesting read - I have been walking and mountaineering for many years, so almost none of the tips were new to me, but many were met with a wry smile of acknowledgement or a note to self to double-check the depths of my rucksack. For those getting into walking it is a comprehensive and helpful guide for getting started.
The book is helpfully broken down into themed sections so it is easy to find tips relating to a specific topic - basics, navigation, safety, gear, etc. Each of these topics is actually broken down further, as indicated in the table of contents. So well organised is it that an index feels unnecessary and this is doubtless why one was not included. At the back of the book is a list of further reading, which gives some good suggestions for more detailed learning and enjoyment.
The tips themselves vary in length from a single line to almost a whole page column. Some are highlighted in green - I am not sure if this is intended to indicate that they are particularly important or merely to break up the page layout - it certainly succeeds in doing so.
The tips were concisely and well explained. At times the author's sense of humour made a sneaky appearance too, which was most enjoyable; indeed, occasionally it felt as if the bullet point "tip" format was a little constraining and that a more long-form style would permit the author to fully do justice to a story or his expertise!
The only real omission that occurred to me was the topic of clothing and the environment - the effect that microfleece and proofing substances can have on the environment, as well as opportunities for reuse and recycling. Otherwise, I think Paul has done a phenomenal job off covering every detail in convenient bitesize chunks!
The book is helpfully broken down into themed sections so it is easy to find tips relating to a specific topic - basics, navigation, safety, gear, etc. Each of these topics is actually broken down further, as indicated in the table of contents. So well organised is it that an index feels unnecessary and this is doubtless why one was not included. At the back of the book is a list of further reading, which gives some good suggestions for more detailed learning and enjoyment.
The tips themselves vary in length from a single line to almost a whole page column. Some are highlighted in green - I am not sure if this is intended to indicate that they are particularly important or merely to break up the page layout - it certainly succeeds in doing so.
The tips were concisely and well explained. At times the author's sense of humour made a sneaky appearance too, which was most enjoyable; indeed, occasionally it felt as if the bullet point "tip" format was a little constraining and that a more long-form style would permit the author to fully do justice to a story or his expertise!
The only real omission that occurred to me was the topic of clothing and the environment - the effect that microfleece and proofing substances can have on the environment, as well as opportunities for reuse and recycling. Otherwise, I think Paul has done a phenomenal job off covering every detail in convenient bitesize chunks!
March 3, 2022
For anyone new to an activity, knowing where to start with finding information can be hard. Getting into hiking is no different. There’s a myriad of information to absorb, skills to learn and gear to buy. Here’s where Paul Besley’s 1001 Walking Tips fills a much needed gap for newcomers to hiking.
This is a fabulous collection of tips to get the most of being outdoors in all weathers.
The book covers topics including: the basics, navigation, staying safe, walking long distances, walking environments, winter walking, gear, clothing, and a whole load of other top tips – there is bound to be a nugget of gold in here for everyone.
While on the face of it, it looks like a list of short tips, it actually contains detailed instructions in simple steps, such as, map reading, using a gps device accurately and using winter walking gear.
What I love most about this book is the celebration of the local and the small, such as urban adventures being of of as much value as huge treks, and how to get the most out of time outdoors when you can’t get far away.
This a great book for anyone starting out in their outdoor adventures and a great present for any would be adventurer.
This is a fabulous collection of tips to get the most of being outdoors in all weathers.
The book covers topics including: the basics, navigation, staying safe, walking long distances, walking environments, winter walking, gear, clothing, and a whole load of other top tips – there is bound to be a nugget of gold in here for everyone.
While on the face of it, it looks like a list of short tips, it actually contains detailed instructions in simple steps, such as, map reading, using a gps device accurately and using winter walking gear.
What I love most about this book is the celebration of the local and the small, such as urban adventures being of of as much value as huge treks, and how to get the most out of time outdoors when you can’t get far away.
This a great book for anyone starting out in their outdoor adventures and a great present for any would be adventurer.
February 11, 2022
What a great book! It's a simple idea very well executed. Paul Besley has assembled 1001 tips on walking in an easy to dip in into book with plenty of lovely pictures. There are sections to interest everybody from a beginner new to the joys of walking to those much more experienced looking for a bit of inspiration. He has sprinkled a nice bit of humour along the way too. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anybody who already does- or is just thinking about- pulling on a pair of boots and heading out.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews