Really good and practical. Buy a physical and seriously durable hard copy and take it on the road with you.

This is a book that truly covers it all. If your outside and want to know what to do, how to do it, and what to do it with, here's you resource manual. A true outdoor bible in an appropriate orange rubber cover.

This book was so great and I read it in one sitting! First of all the cover is super cool and is made of a sort of flexible silicone or something- great to carry with you when you're outside without ruining the book. The book covered information on being outside, staying alive, mountain activities, water activities, camping, and snow activities. There were a lot of lists in it which I also loved such as reading lists and packing lists for hiking, etc. This is a super great book and incredibly helpful for newbies!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. A Kindle download would have been easier to access the book. Loved the premise and the execution was nearly perfect. Very cool book and great to give as a gift for your outdoor fanatic friends and family.

Nonfiction
13-Adult
This is the perfect introduction to all things outdoorsy for that person on your list (or yourself) who wants to “get out more” but has no clue how to go about doing it. Think of this sizable tome (300+ pages) like a benevolent uncle sharing wisdom to make sure you will not only survive in the wild but will have a great time out there. The book is organized into six sections, and each one includes discussion of basic safety, techniques, gear, and some helpful tips on everything from how to drive in the snow to having sex in a tent. Not being a Canadian, of course he doesn’t touch the topic of making love in a canoe. Some things are better left to the experts. In Chapter 1, Man Versus Wild, Leonard introduces readers to the kinds of activities to consider, from hiking to sea kayaking to sledding; where these activities can be enjoyed, from city parks to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) spaces; and the gear that is required, optional, or superfluous. Chapter 2 is called Staying Alive, where I learned lots of interesting stuff, such as how to remove cactus spines and what to do if you are swarmed by bees. Next comes what was for me the most interesting and useful chapter, In the Mountains, the longest chapter along with In the Backcountry. Here Leonard provides basic info on reading topo maps, hiking etiquette, acclimating to high elevation hiking, food while hiking, and where to pee on the trail. In the Water focuses largely on canoeing and kayaking, with a bit of space for white-water rafting and swimming. One note – in explaining how to steer a boat with a motor, Leonard fails to observe the need for a licence to drive a motorized boat in some jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, or the risks of giving the tiller to a child. But extra kudos for emphasizing more than once the importance of life jackets. Chapter 5 is called In the Backcountry, but it’s still not too hard-core for novices, covering basics of camping and backpacking before advancing to drinking water and cooking on the trail. He wraps it up with a chapter encouraging readers to consider winter activities. On Snow covers the basics of sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. Hand-drawn illustrations by Seth Neilson are peppered throughout the book, but they don’t always offer the best instruction. For instance, photos of poison oak and poison ivy would have been an improvement over the illustration provided. I also found it a bit disorganized. Why insert the tenting instructions between how to start a campfire and how to collect firewood and split wood? When I land in a camp the first step is setting up the tent, not starting a fire. One thing missing from this book is a list of resources, such as websites and suppliers. Perhaps in a future edition Leonard could reorganize the many lists into an appendix. Finally, the table of contents lists an index but it wasn’t yet available in the advance copy I reviewed. Overall a very good selection for the novice, and worthwhile for those with an intermediate skillset. Easily accessible and of interest to teen readers as well as adults. My thanks to publisher Artisan Books for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30754051

THE GREAT OUTDOORS is a funny, easy-to-read introduction to the major outdoor activities. The first part of the book explains WHY one should ever want to go outdoors. Most obviously, "Time Outdoors is Good for your Physical Health." After the first 2 "Intro to the Outdoors" chapters, the succeeding chapters are categorized by "venue."

3. Mountain
4. Water
5. Backcountry
6. Snow

There are lots of Q&A about getting started in the outdoors. Brendan explains what kind of gear to buy, and what stuff you should have in your backpack. The points made are substantial. For example, you might think that the type of socks to wear when hiking is a trivial point. Not so! explains Brandan. Cotton socks hold water, and can lead to blisters. (I already knew that point, but many beginner hikers do not.)

The first few chapters have several "Best of" lists. Such as, the best adventure books, or best hikes of all time. Here's one that really helped me: "Top 5 Smartphone Apps for Adventure." I confess I didn't know about ANY of them!

Chapter 2 is called "Staying Alive." It discusses survival skills and things like how long you can go without food or water. Perhaps the funnest read is, "How do I Protect Myself against a Swarm of Bees." It turns out that you should NOT run in a zigzag fashion. Instead, run in a straight line to the nearest car or building. And don't jump in a lake; it runs out the bees are pretty clever; they know you'll have to come up for air, so they deviously wait for you to come up.

Here's another excellent section: "What Should I Carry in a Survival Kit." Brendan suggests some items that just weight 6 oz total, and cost $11. Excellent!

All in all, I found this to be a funny, useful book. Although written in a witty, funny style, there are tons of excellent points. I admit I was surprised; prior to reading THE GREAT OUTDOORS, I honestly thought it unlikely a book like this would bet of 5-Star quality, but I confess it really is that good. The illustrations are really cute and funny.

Nicely organized by the type of outdoor activity you intend on participating in, Brendan Leonard presents a carefully structured look at what preparation you'll need and precautions to each activity. The scope ranges from camping, hiking, kayaking, and climbing to snow activities such as snow boarding and skiing. While it reads like a survival guide, it also prepares you so that you can have fun rather than have a misadventure due to the lack of knowledge of what you can come across. and prevents mishaps that could be avoided. Highly recommended for those adventuring in the great outdoors.

What a fantastic guide for the outdoors. As someone who frequently goes climbing, canoeing, backpacking, hiking, and skiing, this seems like a great resource to give to my friends who are just getting started. Very well broken down to the basics for people just starting out. 5/5 stars.

This is a great book for someone with a little outdoor experience who wants to deepen and broaden his or her recreational activities in the great wild open. I was hoping for something for those shy of exploring past the parking lot in the local state park, which is not this book. This will get you past the campground and into the deeper wild, but I think someone timid of the wild at all would be intimidated. However, for me, I loved it, and would love to meet the author.