ReadersMagnet Review recommends these five amazing books for the holiday season as gifts for outdoor and nature lovers.
Into the Wild by Mike Honeycutt
Into the Wild and The World of Hunting and Fishing by Mike Honeycutt are perfect Christmas gifts for outdoorsmen, campers, hunters, survivalists, and nature lovers. Packed with amazing adventures and first-hand accounts by Mike Honeycutt, these books will truly endear those who love the great outdoors. Mike Honeycutt is not only a game hunter and fisherman; he is a traveler and a passionate explorer. He has too many places on all seven continents. Honeycutt has been to the savannas of northern Cameroon to the jungles of southern Cameroon and the mountains of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. He has traveled to the Himalayas and the mountains of New Zealand. The World of Hunting and Fishing also documents his bird hunting adventures in Argentina, turkey hunting in Old Mexico, and his search for the Gobi Argali Sheep in Mongolia. Mike Honeycutt’s adventures books are indeed the ultimate deal this holiday season.
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
Dave Canterbury’s 2014 New York Times bestseller is the perfect gift for seasoned Bushcrafters and those who want to learn the skill and practice of surviving and thriving in the natural environment. Canterbury, a survivalist expert and former reality television host shares the basic and essential skills you need to know when spending time outdoors. The book highlights the 5Cs of Survivability (cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages) and other essential survival skills (preparing the right items for your kit, collecting and cooking food, protecting yourself from elements, manufacturing necessary tools and supplies, etc.) to make your experience in the wilderness safe and enjoyable. Friends and loved ones into outdoor adventures will surely love this Christmas present.
Braving It by James Campbell
The most memorable adventures are the ones shared with family. Braving It is an adventure memoir about a father’s journey with her teenage daughter to the far edges of the Alaskan wilderness. James Campbell responded to an invitation by his cousin Heimo Korth to spend a summer building a cabin in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He is joined by his fifteen-year-old daughter, Aidan, who surprisingly embraced the wild. Aidan learned to work with trap lines, hunting caribous and moose. Adapting to the Eskimo culture, they would return to the camp two more times, and each journey would make their bond stronger. Braving It is not only the story of a family but also a tribute to the majestic wonders of America’s disappearing wilderness.
The Good Life by Dorian Amos
The Good Life: Up the Yukon Without a Paddle by Dorian Amos is a truly inspiring journey of a young couple who abandoned their relatively comfortable life in England in exchange for an opportunity to begin anew in the wilderness of the Yukon. Dorian Amos, a painter from Cornwall, shares how he and his wife traveled to Yukon territory in search of adventure and freedom from mundane existence. The couple bought a couple of land in the forest outside Dawson City and since then never looked back. Over time, they learned how to adapt to the environment (crossing frozen rivers just to buy food, hunting caribou, coming face to face with bears, and building their own log cabin) while constantly in awe of the beauty that only the Yukon can offer.
Kings of Yukon by Adam Weymouth
It’s hard not to include another Yukon book on our list. Adam Weymouth’s 2019 travel memoir Kings of the Yukon: An Alaskan River Journey simply is captivating. Kings of Yukon documents Adam’s epic exploration of the magnificent Yukon River by canoe. The famous and wild river is almost 2,000 miles long, and its beauty is only matched by its ruggedness. Adam embarked on a four-month odyssey, absorbing the harsh weather conditions, meeting the inhabitants of the Yukon, and meeting the kings of the Yukon, the king salmon. Each year migrate the entire river to reach their spawning grounds. The Kings of Yukon by Adam Weymouth is part adventure, part documentary, and part cry for help, not only for the dwindling numbers of king salmon but also for an environment that will soon disappear if not taken care of.