Thursday, November 20, 2014

Book Review - Safe in the Woods

Roger,
Review of your "Safe in the Woods..." book ran in my column in the Press & Sun-Bulletin (www.pressconnects.com) and the Ithaca Journal (www.IthacaJournal.com) this morning. I have attached a text copy.

thanx,
dave henderson

“SAFE IN THE WOODS” IS A GOOD THING

I’ve had several employment opportunities over the years, but turned them all down, for various reasons. Among those was the personal attachment to the Southern Tier/Finger Lakes area. It is simply a great place to live and raise kids in the outdoors.
In case you hadn’t noticed, hunting, fishing, hiking and camping opportunities abound hereabouts.
Not everyone interested in those pastimes had the good fortune to grow up in them, however. Many residents and visitors are relatively new to the outdoors, and don’t mind a little instruction and reference before they embark.
I ran across a remarkably helpful reference guide recently, “Safe in the Woods: Tips, Techniques and Advice for Safety and Survival,” co-written by Roger Fulton of Cortland and Mike Carpenter of Glens Falls.
This era of self-publishing brings us books in myriad forms, but “Safe in the Woods” is printed in a unique – in my experience – format. It’s essentially a spiral bound 100-page (fully illustrated) notebook. One might call it “pocket-sized” but only for large pockets.
Fulton, a retired New York State Police captain, spends winters in Florida and the rest of the year outdoors in New York and elsewhere. Carpenter, a professor at Adirondack Community College, is a fellow veteran hiker/outdoorsman. Together they have published 26 outdoors guides, all available through www.CommonManBooks.com or www.RogerFulton.com.
Safe in the Woods is their latest and basically outlines and explains virtually everything you need to know and consider before walking away from civilization, and what to watch for, how to handle and enjoy while you are away.
Planning; assessing and heeding your limitations; how to use a compass and GPS are covered. What to carry, how to dress, trail markings and trail etiquette and hazards are outlined in detail. It points out what to do when you lose the trail, are lost, or are Really Lost! There are about 30 full-color photos in the 100 pages and almost 200 tips and anecdotes.
The format, and content make this one an excellent candidate as a Christmas stocking stuffer.

Available through www.RogerFulton.com