[pct-l] OT: PCT appropriate? books

[elee at microsoft.com (Eric Lee (GAMES))]

Ralph wrote:
>
1st book is Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales - subtitle Who Live,
Who Dies, and Why. It made me rethink a lot of my hiking experience,
and consider whether I was experienced, or just lucky.
>

I second that recommendation.  Deep Survival is an excellent book that
doesn't focus on the mechanics of wilderness survival (lighting fires,
building shelters, etc.) but rather on the psychological aspects of
survival (why people get themselves into trouble in the first place and
once there, why they thrash around and make things worse and how you can
avoid doing the same thing).  There's lot of stories and case studies
interspersed with scientific discussion of how the brain works and how
our hard-wired instincts are way more powerful than we realize.

In my opinion, it's extremely relevant for PCT thru-hikers because the
challenge of thru-hiking is at least as much psychological as it is
physical.  It's also very relevant for anyone interested in ultralight
hiking since one of the core concepts of that approach is that you make
up for not carrying lots of redundant or just-in-case gear by exercising
good judgment and making the right choices in tricky situations.  This
book can help you understand how to do that.

I agree with Ralph, though; the ultimate conclusion of the book is that
sometimes you can control the situation, and sometimes the situation
controls you.  There's an awful lot of luck involved and skill counts
for less than we might like to think.  The author's conclusion is to
enjoy every moment to the fullest, live like you mean it, and be
thankful for everything you get to experience along the way because
you're never 100% safe.  Sounds like a pretty good philosophy for
hiking, come to think of it.

Eric