Here’s another book I found while browsing the stacks at Oblong: The Art of Rough Travel from Mountaineer Books was originally published in a much larger version way back in 1855. It soon became “a bible of self-sufficiency for a host of now famous explorers.” Written by Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist, inventor, statistician and geographer (among other things), Galton’s journal now provides modern travelers a historical look at the culture of outdoor recreation over 150 years ago.
Subtitled “From the Peculiar to the Practical, Advice from a 19th Century Explorer“, this 2006 condensed edition recounts Galton’s adventures as one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of southwestern Africa. As one reviewer claimed, this delightfully dated book will teach you a bit about how things used to be, but probably leave you feeling forever thankful that we live in a more advanced travel age.