"You may take to the woods to dodge the sheriff or hunt buried treasure, for all I care; my interest is in your preparation for the excursion," declares Homer Halsted, author of this compact guide to camping. With Halsted as your advisor, you'll have everything you need for a successful expedition, whether it's an overnight hike or an extended outing that involves travel by canoe or even dog sled. Halsted outlines all the essentials, from preparing the right type of clothing and equipment to organising shelter and bedding to assembling first aid and repair kits. Timeless suggestions include how to find drinking water and safely build and extinguish campfires as well as camp kitchen recipes and tips on the preparation of fish and game. Halsted's encouraging, supportive, and humorous tone inspires confidence in readers of all experience levels, assuring you that you'll emerge from the woods happier than when you went in. AUTHOR: Homer Halsted was a Midwestern railroad man whose camping hobby led to countless expeditions throughout the United States. He stated his simple and practical purpose as "to get my reader in and out of the woods as painlessly as possible."