Chirs Townsend's book.

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Got a copy just before Christmas, nearly finished it. It's very good, very
US-centric but still a worthwhile read. Need to get out more!

Very US centric? Why? ITWSBT!

--
All the best to everyone in 2005
- Fran

Following up to Fran

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Got a copy just before Christmas, nearly finished it. It's very good, very
US-centric but still a worthwhile read. Need to get out more!

Very US centric? Why? ITWSBT!

I assume this isn't the Munros round?
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to W. D. Grey

Quoted message said:

ITWSBT!

Quoted message said:

WDYLWIC ?

WTF IATA?
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

In article <[email hidden]>, The Reids
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Following up to W. D. Grey

Quoted message said:

ITWSBT!

Quoted message said:

WDYLWIC ?

WTF IATA?

Watch this space :-)
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

Michael Farthing <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I

Oh!! It's the answer. I thought you were asking for an explanation at
first, not giving one.

Which book?
(Getting back on topic).
--
Gordon Harris

"Gordon Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Michael Farthing <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I

Oh!! It's the answer. I thought you were asking for an explanation at
first, not giving one.

Which book?
(Getting back on topic).

Probably his latest! at a guess.
The Backpackers' Handbook.
Third Edition. 2004. Ragged Mountain Press

--
Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://www.craven-birds.co.uk/
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by the Norton auto-updated
anti-virus system.

John Doe <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Gordon Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Michael Farthing <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I

Oh!! It's the answer. I thought you were asking for an explanation at
first, not giving one.

Which book?
(Getting back on topic).

Probably his latest! at a guess.
The Backpackers' Handbook.
Third Edition. 2004. Ragged Mountain Press

Thanks. I don't pack backs, but I'm sure it's a useful read!
--
Gordon Harris

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Following up to W. D. Grey

Quoted message said:

ITWSBT!

Quoted message said:

WDYLWIC ?

WTF IATA?

DYK?
--
All the best to everyone in 2005
- Fran

The Reids said:

Following up to W. D. Grey

Quoted message said:

ITWSBT!

Quoted message said:

WDYLWIC ?

WTF IATA?

For some reason I u/stood that one immediately...

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 21:12:19 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Oh, and I really enjoyed the book as well! Highly recommended, even to
those who (like me) already have the 2nd edition.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Peewiglet said:

Quoted message said:

WTF IATA?

For some reason I u/stood that one immediately...

Wombats trouble ferrets. In Africa Termites also?

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Peewiglet said:

Quoted message said:

WTF IATA?

For some reason I u/stood that one immediately...

Wombats trouble ferrets. In Africa Termites also?

Exactly. And how true those words are for us here in this
place today :-)
--
All the best to everyone in 2005
- Fran

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

It's geared up to walking in the States mostly and mentions food stuffs,
equipment and gear companies that you don't find in the UK in non-specialist
supliers. Great if you are planning a North Ameican trip though.

OK, I see now. Thanks for explaining.
--
All the best to everyone in 2005
- Fran

Fran said:

Quoted message said:

It's geared up to walking in the States mostly and mentions food

stuffs,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

equipment and gear companies that you don't find in the UK in

non-specialist

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supliers. Great if you are planning a North Ameican trip though.

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent £11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.
This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.
If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.
Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????
R. E. C.

"REC" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1104694814.179317.78340
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent œ11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.
This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.
If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.
Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????
R. E. C.

So why did you buy it?

Which is most reprehensible - publishing a book which, by virtue of its
format, is open to inspection by anyone considering buying it to judge its
suitability before they part with their money, or attacking a well-respected
and appreciated member of this forum with what appears (from Google) to be
your first post?

Stuart
(email address un-monitored)

"REC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Fran said:

Quoted message said:

It's geared up to walking in the States mostly and mentions food

stuffs,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

equipment and gear companies that you don't find in the UK in

non-specialist

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supliers. Great if you are planning a North Ameican trip though.

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent £11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.
This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.
If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.
Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????

I'll start by stating that I haven't read this book, though I've read
previous incarnations and can sympathise to some extent with your views.
However, it's a fact that many of the trends / fashions / technologies are
being developed in the US and Canada and that much of what is included will
work it's way over here in due course. I recall on my trip to BC this summer
that I saw lots of backpacking foodstuff etc. which we just couldn't get
(there are limits to even Internet shopping).

I think it's a bit unfair to suggest that Chris is being "corrupted" by
offers from suppliers. The fact is that we NEED good objective reviews of
unusual gear so that we (a) know whats coming and (b) can consider buying
from abroad where our local suppliers have a "too limited" variation.

Having said all of that, I can also see that bringing attention to the
Transatlantic nature of the book would be beneficial.

druidh

REC said:

Fran wrote:

No she didn't. You've deleted what Fran wrote; she was responding to
someone else.

[...]

Quoted message said:

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent £11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.

I understand that opinions about this sort of thing differ, but I
bought and have read the book, and I don't understand how you can say
that, unless you were simply looking for a list of recommended
vendors, in which case you bought the wrong book.

It seems to me that this book's main purpose is to tell people how to
make their backpacking trips enjoyable, safe and successful: it's a
"how to" book, not a kit review. Naturally vendors are mentioned from
time to time, and I agree that the emphasis there might be said to lie
in the American market, but many of those products are now available
in walking shops here, and/or via the internet.

Quoted message said:

This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.

Well I don't, but each to their own, etc.

Quoted message said:

If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.

I'm pretty sure it's of significant interest to anyone who wants to
learn about backpacking. People who want advice on which brand of kit
to buy may find it in the book, but I think they're more likely to
find it locally i.e. magazines, newsgroups, personal inspection of the
kit actually available in local shops etc.

Quoted message said:

Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????
R. E. C.

It's easy to take potshots anonymously on the internet. Chris
Townsend's reputation as a knowlegeable, intelligent and objective
assessor of walking gear is long established, though, and speaks for
itself, so when you make that sort of allegation here it will do him
no harm at all. It does show you up as rather cheap and nasty, though.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

In message <[email hidden]>, REC
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Fran said:

Quoted message said:

It's geared up to walking in the States mostly and mentions food

stuffs,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

equipment and gear companies that you don't find in the UK in

non-specialist

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supliers. Great if you are planning a North Ameican trip though.

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent £11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.
This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.
If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.
Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????
R. E. C.

I'm sorry you don't like my books but I cannot let your defamatory
remarks go unchallenged. The answer to your last question is nothing.
The implication that I take money to promote the goods of any company is
untrue and damaging to my reputation.

If you found 99.9% of the contents useless then I can only presume that
you didn't buy the book to learn anything about backpacking as most of
the contents are relevant to backpacking in this country. Most of the
gear described in it is available here too. Many of the photos were
taken in Scotland, where I live, and most of the gear was used here.

You can't provide any evidence that my TGO equipment reviews are US
biased as there isn't any. (Perhaps you think Hilleberg and Brasher are
US companies).

Also, writers don't "allow" publishers to decide where to sell books.
Publishers make those decisions. The book has been available in the UK
since 1991, when the first edition came out, without anyone complaining.

In message <[email hidden]>, Stuart
Mann <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"REC" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1104694814.179317.78340
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I have to agree. Having waited 5 months after the alledged publication
date and spent Å“11.99 I was most disapointed that I found 99.9% of the
contents useless.
This coming from a writer who is supposed to be a native of these
shores I personally find reprehensible.
If the man was going to allow his publishers to sell the book in the UK
then he should at least have had the common decency to either make sure
it had more than a passing interest to UK backpackers or again had the
decency to air his views (as he frequently does I note) on UKW about
the unsuitability of most information contained therein to UK sources.
Maybe I'm just a cynic but he would undoubtedly have lost some pennies
if a few less copies had been sold. I have also noticed that his so
called equipment reviews in TGO are just as US biased. One wonders how
much he gets from these American companies to promote their wares????
R. E. C.

So why did you buy it?

Which is most reprehensible - publishing a book which, by virtue of its
format, is open to inspection by anyone considering buying it to judge its
suitability before they part with their money, or attacking a well-respected
and appreciated member of this forum with what appears (from Google) to be
your first post?

Thank you Stuart.