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Editorial Review Product Description
In these last wildlands of North America, the nomadic, indigenous people have perfected ways of living and traveling in winter using elegant and sophisticated snowshoes, toboggans, and sleds that make it possible for trekkers to carry heavy weights-wood stoves, wall tents, and real food-with far less effort than with the ultralight backpacking equipment more often associated with the winter camper. This important book brings the skills and philosophy of the snow walkers of the north woods to a new generation of outdoorspeople, and shows today's wilderness traveler how to adopt these Native American techniques and enjoy winter in a comfort nothing short of extraordinary. ... Read more Customer Reviews (6) 
Excellent book on winter travel
I bought this book when it was called the The Winter Wilderness Companion: Traditional and Native American Skills for the Undiscovered Season this original edition has been revised as the new Snow Walker's Companion: Winter Camping Skills for the North, with new plans for a traditional wooden toboggan and more trail-craft tips.
I've used the plans to make my own mukluks and mittens with great success and can throughly recommend this book for both beginners and experienced outdoors folks alike.
For those who are really serious about learning winter skills, it would be worth checking out the Conover's website at [...]
Although the book is evocatively written with phrases like "...frosted hair makes long haired women look like fairy-tale damsels and bearded men like hoary old walruses..." there is no lack of attention to detail, with meticulous research and dirt-time experience. The Conovers are arguably some of the most experienced winter travel guides around, and this book is testament to that.
New Book Coming!
The newest edition of the book previously published as "A Snow Walker's Companion" and "The Winter Wilderness Companion" is hot off the presses and made it's sales debut at the 6th Annual Traditional Winter Camping Symposium near Eau Claire, WI this past weekend.
"Snow Walker's Companion" by Garrett and Alexandra Conover, published by Stone Ridge Press, will be available on Amazon and other outlets in time for Christmas/Chanukah shopping. The book now includes a color photo section and updated information on equipment sources as well as titanium stoves, GPS and sat-phone use and other improvements since the 2001 edition.
A confused blend of information, insight and polemic
Garrett and Alexendra Conovers' "A Snow Walker's Companion" is an interesting compilation of information about living in far northern climates. It works best as a historical record of the traditions,techniques, and lore of Inuit and Cree peoples that enable them to livesimply and comfortably in harsh climes.To that end, it is a reverent andimportant book.The book's weakness is the implicit message that thecold-dwelling hand crafters of wooden snowshoes are morally superior to thepoor urban dweller trying to live a balanced life by juggling work andchildren with occasional forays into the woods or up the mountains, onaluminum Sherpas, clothed in fleece and Gortex.The Conovers, who live ina walled tent in Maine and are respected wilderness guides, seem not tounderstand that their chosen lifestyle is possible only because most choosenot to live it.For readers who are truly considering a move to orextended travel in far northern territories, "A Snowwalker'sCompanion" is unique and indispensible.Most winter adventurers,though,must satisfy their love of the outdoors with day mountain hikes orbackpacks of several days duration.For them, a book such as"Winterwise, A Backpacker's Guide," by John M. Dunn, or any coldweather book by the Appalachian Mountain Club, New Hampshire, is apt to bemore useful and far less grating.
A superb book on winter travel in the bush
This book is first-class!It has the attention to detail that only the Conovers, both Maine Guides, could bring to it. It covers snowshoes, bindings, moccasins, boots, toboggans, tents, stoves, food, clothes, andtravel by snowmobile.There is even an excellent discussion on thepsychology of winter camping. The emphasis is on winter traveling the wayNative Americans have done and are still doing it -- in a safe andcomfortable way. The sources of equipment and further information at theend of each chapter are very valuable. I highly recommend this book foranyone interested in winter wilderness travel and camping or in thematerial culture of the Native Americans of the Sub-Arctic borealareas. Rich Howe
One of the Greatest Outdoor books of our generation.
I cannot snowshoe very often in Tennessee (hah ha) but this book makes me wish I could. I had read Garrett's Beyond the Paddle and loved it so I got this book and was blown away. I would reccomend it to anyone who likes tocamp-out in woodland areas in the winter. Every view in this book isperceptive, inciteful and entertaining. Do not pass this one up. It ranksup there with the works of Bill Mason, Cache Lake Country and works byCalvin Rustrum.
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