Best Camping Books of 2026

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival by Dave Canterbury is the ultimate resource for anyone looking to experience the backcountry. Canterbury's expertise in survivalism is evident as he covers everything from building your kit to manufacturing tools and supplies, food collection, cooking, and protection from the elements. The book is based on the 5Cs of Survivability, offering the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings. The author pairs straightforward writing with helpful instruction, making it easy to follow and apply to a range of scenarios. Overall, this book is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to reconnect with nature in ways they never imagined.

How To Survive A Freakin’ Bear Attack: And 127 Other Survival Hacks You'll Hopefully Never Need is a comprehensive survival guide that covers various real-life scenarios. From snake bites to natural disasters and being stranded on a desert island, this book provides step-by-step guides to 128 extraordinary survival skills. It includes chapters on first aid, climbing trees, building rope bridges, and lighting a campfire using only your phone. While some of the skills may seem unnecessary, the book is a fun and fascinating read that bursts with real-world knowledge, tips, and advice. Overall, it's an informative and entertaining book that may come in handy one day.

The SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition by John "Lofty" Wiseman is a comprehensive guide that covers everything from basic campcraft and navigation to fear management and strategies for coping with any type of disaster. This updated version includes additional material, such as a new chapter on urban survival, and covers new topics like terrorism. Written by a former survival instructor for Britain's elite Special Air Service, the book addresses every conceivable disaster scenario. It is a must-have resource for all campers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers. Overall, this step-by-step survival bible is an essential resource that prepares readers for anything, making it a unique and valuable addition to any safety and first aid book collection.

The Bushcraft Boxed Set is a comprehensive guide to wilderness survival that includes four titles from Dave Canterbury, a renowned wilderness expert and New York Times bestselling author. The set covers everything from basic survival skills to advanced self-reliance techniques, as well as first aid tips for emergencies. The Bushcraft Guide to Trapping, Gathering, and Cooking in the Wild is particularly useful for anyone looking to prepare food while hiking or camping. Overall, this boxed set is an excellent resource for anyone interested in outdoor adventures and survival skills.

The Complete Dehydrator Cookbook is a comprehensive guide to home drying, offering readers a variety of affordable and easy-to-follow recipes for dehydrated fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. With over 125 recipes ranging from stews and curries to bread and cookies, this cookbook provides a wealth of options for those looking to preserve seasonal crops or make protein-packed camping snacks. Additionally, the book includes troubleshooting tips and directions on how to dehydrate over 75 different kinds of food. Overall, this cookbook is a must-have for anyone interested in food preservation and a great addition to any kitchen.

The Moon USA National Parks travel guide is a comprehensive resource for exploring all 63 national parks across the United States. It offers strategic lists and itineraries for visitors, including the best parks for hiking, wildlife, families, and scenic drives. In addition, it provides detailed information on outdoor adventures such as backpacking, biking, climbing, kayaking, and rafting, as well as expert advice on how to avoid crowds and where to stay inside and outside the parks. With full-color photos and a detachable fold-out poster map, this guide is a must-have for any national parks enthusiast.

Where Should We Camp Next? is an essential guidebook for family-friendly RV or camping trips featuring 300+ of the best camping and glamping spots in the USA. Written by family camping and RV experts Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi, this book provides in-depth profiles of more than 300 amazing outdoor accommodation destinations, making it easy for readers to plan the perfect family-friendly, budget-conscious summer road trip. The book also includes regional and state-by-state breakdowns of campgrounds and RV resorts, campsite types, prices, when to book, and how to book. Recommended for RV campers and those with children, this book offers a well-organized resource for outdoor adventure enthusiasts.

The Dangerous Book for Boys is a best-selling book that covers essential boyhood skills such as building treehouses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age-old question of what the big deal with girls is. This book is perfect for fathers and sons to bond over, recapturing Sunday afternoons and stimulating curiosity. The skills covered in this book range from building go-carts and electromagnets to identifying insects and spiders. The book also includes famous battles, spies, codes, and ciphers. Overall, it is a great book that makes being young or young at heart fun and is perfect for nature crafts enthusiasts.

The Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide is a comprehensive and practical survivalist guide for preparing your home and family for life-threatening catastrophes. The author, Jim Cobb, provides step-by-step instructions on techniques, strategies, and DIY projects for self-sufficient living. Unlike other prepping books, this guide teaches you how to survive when nothing returns to normal for weeks, months, or even years. It covers topics such as water collection, food storage, first aid, medical treatment, fortifying and defending your home, and community-building strategies for creating a new society. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for anyone concerned with a long-term disruption in society and offers a practical, common-sense approach to survival planning.

The Camping Logbook (Camping Journal) by PETER PAUPER PRESS is a guided journal book that helps campers record the details of their camping trips. The book includes fill-in pages for location, date, notable amenities and attractions, who shared the trip, events, and things to avoid next time. It also has space for extra notes and photos, and features a sturdy hardcover binding, buffalo check cover design, and an elastic band to keep the logbook closed. The inside back cover pocket holds notes, camp business cards, mementos, and more. This book is a must-have for avid campers who want to cherish and share their camping experiences.