A Woman's Guide To The Wild

Trail Tuesday Gear Review… & lets talk being in the wild. We at @WomenWhoHike are all about ‘know before you go’. And this book, A Woman's Guide To The Wild, by Ruby McConnell has some helpful tips for those of you who are new to the backcountry, camping and backpacking. Sure, a lot of what you learn about these things you will learn by trial and error, but having had this book years ago, perhaps I would’ve experienced less error. The book has chapters such as Setting Up Camp, Building A Fire, First Aid & Safety, Navigation, and other chapters about food, trail manners and lady matters… yes, as in how to camp when you’re in the midst of ‘that time’ of the month.

Many of the details throughout the book may be considered basic to someone who has spent ample time in the outdoors, but for most of our #WomenWhoHike here, we get a lot of questions from ladies who have yet to backpack and this book is great for what to bring, how to pack, and where and where not to set up camp. These are little details that can definitely make or break a trip! In the first aid chapter, Ruby touches on safety equipment that are standbys, such as an emergency whistle and what first aid supply is necessary for day trips and overnight trips. In the navigation chapter, you will learn how to navigate with different types of maps and by using triangulation, cross sections and topography. I know that I, @Im_NicoleMarie prefer paper maps while in the back country and these tools are absolutely necessary when navigating new places. Finally, in the Get Your Grub on chapter, we talk about FOOD… how to keep the bears out, how to keep a ‘camp kitchen’ as well as several easy recipes that can be whipped up on the fly while in the wild. We at @WomenWhoHike really appreciate the knowledge and simplicity set forth in this book by Ruby McConnell and recommend it to you ladies who are headed for camp this summer! Happy Trails!