The Rules of Backpacking

Review by Courtney S. Ries

Ah, if only the book could be as well-written as it is laid out. The Rules of Backpacking has an awesome premise and an excellent table of contents, perfect for the indecisive newbie. In fact, someone who has no travel experience at all may find this to be a wonderful book. However, for those who have been on the road, Marson reveals nothing new. Her story is seemingly no different than that of thousands of other travelers who have taken time off to travel, except she got a book deal, and we didn't.

The book covers everything from "When to backpack" to "Who to go with", "Where to go", "What to wear", "What to pack", "What to eat" and "Where to stay". The only problem is, the author herself only visited Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa (she details a list of places visited at the back of her book)...so she's far from an expert on what's appropriate for the 90% of the world she didn't set down her pack. To be fair, she doesn't make stabs at describing places she hasn't seen, but the result is a fairly lopsided book, with concentrated examples and stories.

The Rules of Backpacking is obviously well-researched and includes numerous footnote citations - an odd and sometimes distracting addition. Marson also could have done with a good editor: do we really need to know the names of the people she went to the beach with?

Ingrid Marson should be congratulated for writing a book and sharing her story. However, I remain puzzled that someone chose to publish it.

• The Rules of Backpacking by Ingrid Marson