Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Preface: Meditations on Glues, Screws, and Goos Part 1. Soft Goods 1. Essential Techniques Sewing Basics; Fabric Patching; Zippers: The Full Disclosure; Fasteners; Cordage; Seams and Seamsealing 2. Fabrics and Insulations Unraveling Fabric Mysteries; Insulations; Cleaning Methods; Patching; Seamsealing; Coating or Recoating Synthetics 3. Specialty Garments Wetsuits and Neoprene Care; Drysuits; Shelled Gloves; Gaiters 4. Shelter Tents; Poles; Sleeping Bags; Sleeping Pads 5. Packs A Cautionary Tale, or Quasimodo's Revenge; The Five-Point Pack Check; Pack Rats; Patching; External-Frame Packs; The Tumpline Part 2. Footwear 6. Weatherproofing Boots Keeping Water Out; Boot Linings; Drying Boots 7. Custom Fitting Boot-Fitting; Lacing Tips and Tricks 8. Boot Repairs Typical Repairs; Ski Touring and Telemark Boots; Plastic Mountain Boots; Rock Shoes; Rubber Boots Part 3. Hardware 9. Stoves and Cookware The Crankiest Item in Your Pack; Stove Types; Pressurized Liquid-Fuel Stoves, Simplified; General Stove Maintenance; Fuel Conservation; Cold-Weather and High-Altitude Operation; Small-Space Safety; Get the Most from Your Cookware; Cast-Iron Cookware 10. Water Filters Filter Field Care; Ye Olde Bleach Flush; Didn't Clean Your Filter before Storage? 11. Knives and Multitools Cleaning; Storage; Gaining an Edge 12. Optics and Electronics Binoculars; Still Cameras and Video Cameras; Goggles and Glasses; Compasses; A Bit about Batteries; Headlamps and Flashlights 13. Climbing Gear Carabiners; SLCDs, Friends, and Assorted Springy-Thingys; Ropes; Slings and Kevlar and Spectra Cord; Harnesses; Ice Tools; Crampons; Ice Protection; Helmets 14. Winter Gear Touring Skis; Bindings; Poles; Skins; Snowshoes; Collapsible Avalanche Shovels; Sleds and Pulks Part 4. Paddling 15. Boats 16. Rules of the Resin Warnings about the Warnings; The First Resins; Thermoset Resins; Resin Types; Safe Sets 17. Hull Materials Of Canoes and Geologic Time; ABS or Royalex; Aluminum; Skin-over-Frame, a.k.a. Folding Boats; Fiberglass and Kevlar; Gelcoat; Polyethylene; Inflatables; Wood-and-Canvas 18. Canoe Inspection Gunwales; Furniture: Seats and Thwarts 19. Kayak Inspection Bulkheads; Rudder Assembly; Hatches; Cockpit Coaming; Hanging Seats; Footbraces; Sprayskirts; Hardware; Seams; Deck Rigging; Storage Tips 20. Paddles and PFDs Wood Paddles; Composite Paddles; PFDs 21 Dry Storage and Flotation Patching; Dry Bag Tips; Flotation Bag Tips; Dry Boxes Appendices A. Adhesives B. Low-Tox Cleaning Solutions C. Kit Suggestions D. Tools and Supplies for the Trail and Shop E. Useful Knots F. Directory of Repair Services G. Materials Resources H. Recommended Reading Index

About the Author

Annie and David Getchell has been using, selling, and writing about outdoor gear for more than 35 collective gears. This year they finished a four-year run as on-air co-host and producer, respectively, of the PBS series "Anyplace Wild." Annie is an experienced cross-country and downhill ski racer, canoeist, sea kayaker, rock climber, cyclist, and mountaineering instructor. She has for the past eight years been the outdoor gear columnist for AMC Outdoors magazine and is a frequent contributor to Backpacker magazine. Prior to producing "Anyplace Wild" David Getchell Jr. was the longtime equipment editor for Backpacker. Annie and David Getchell has been using, selling, and writing about outdoor gear for more than 35 collective gears. This year they finished a four-year run as on-air co-host and producer, respectively, of the PBS series "Anyplace Wild." Annie is an experienced cross-country and downhill ski racer, canoeist, sea kayaker, rock climber, cyclist, and mountaineering instructor. She has for the past eight years been the outdoor gear columnist for AMC Outdoors magazine and is a frequent contributor to Backpacker magazine. Prior to producing "Anyplace Wild" David Getchell Jr. was the longtime equipment editor for Backpacker.