Anytime two or more people take a trip in the outdoors there is bound to be a leader. They may be the one who has done it before, knows the way, or just has that inherent ability to be that person who other folks rely on. It could also be a hired guide. Regardless, with that leadership role comes responsibility, and Gil Gilpatrick’s new book, Master Guide Handbook – Outdoor Adventure Trips, is intended to help outdoor leaders learn the skills they need to ensure safe, successful trips.
Outdoor Adventure Trips is a revised and expanded version of Gil Gilpatrick’s The Outdoor Leader’s Handbook, which was published in 2002. Gilpatrick is one of the most popular and successful guides in the northeastern United States. He’s been in the game for over 40 years and is well known for his guided canoe trips on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway as well as his skills as an outdoor craftsman.
Early in this book, Gilpatrick points out an excellent observation about the changing role of the Maine guide and how it relates to the need for a more specialized skill set. He notes that the old-time guide was more of a hired hand than a leader. He carried the gear, paddled the boat, and showed folks where to go. Today, a guide must also be a teacher, and therefore an expert in the type of guiding or leadership offered.
Throughout its 200-plus pages, Outdoor Adventure Trips covers most every facet of an outdoor trip and how to best prepare your group for safety and success. It starts out with the basics: what to pack for gear, food to bring and how to cook it (including some recipes) and different camping options. With Gil’s decades of trips on the Allagash comes great familiarity with canoes, and he provides an entire section on the vessels and how to safely and properly use them.
Gilpatrick expands on his own knowledge by providing input from other professional guides in their areas of expertise. Randy McEwen, a navigation expert, helps with map, compass and GPS advice. Retired game warden Carter Smith advises on how to find a lost person. Greg Sarnacki helps deal with outdoor medicine/first aid issues. Dick Mosher lends his experience guiding hunters and anglers. Bryan Courtois writes a hiking and backpacking chapter, and Polly Mahoney and Kevin Slater provide an interesting section on winter camping trips.
Throughout the book, Gilpatrick helps deliver clear and competent information needed to be a successful outdoor guide or leader. For those wishing to become a professional guide, the information provided throughout its pages is critical. For others just wishing to hone their skills as an outdoor leader, I’d also highly recommend it.
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