Backpacker Book Recognized by 2012 National Outdoor Book Award

BACKPACKER is proud to announce that Backpacker Magazine’s Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair by Kristin Hostetter has won a 2012 National Outdoor Book Award for the instructional category.

Backpacker Magazine’s Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair by Kristin Hostetter covers all manners of outdoor gear, from boots and packs to tents, jackets and kitchenware. This guidebook offers up the best tips and tricks to keep outdoor gear finely tuned, properly stored, and operating at its best. Learn how to fix any conceivable problem yourself, saving serious time and money. Step by step instructions and real-world color photos walk you through all the repairs. When some things are beyond fixing, even for the most skilled DIY-ers, Kristin tells you when it’s time to seek professional intervention and what to consider when it’s time to shop for new gear.

Kristin Hostetter has been Backpacker magazine’s gear editor since 1994. During that time, she has put thousands of camping and hiking products through Backpacker’s rigorous gear testing program. Her travels have taken her all over the world–from Alaska to Iceland, from Wales to Wyoming– in search of the best testing conditions, which often means the worst weather! Kristin has authored three books: Don’t Forget the Duct Tape, Adventure Journal, and Tent and Car Camper’s Handbook, all published by The Mountaineers. She is also known as the “Gear Pro” on backpacker.com, where she answers questions from readers about all sorts of outdoor skills and gear. Kristin has appeared as a gear expert on NBC’s Today, CBS’s The Early Show, and The Martha Stewart Show, among others. She lives in Milton, Massachusetts with her husband and two sons, all of whom love to join Kristin on her adventures whenever possible.

The National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) is the outdoor world’s largest and most prestigious book award program. It is a non-profit, educational program, sponsored by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, and Idaho State University. The purpose of the awards is to recognize and encourage outstanding outdoor writing and publishing. Each fall in early November, the NOBA Foundation announces the winners of the ten categories making up the program, including History, Literature, Children, Nature, Natural History, Instructional, Adventure Guidebook, Nature Guidebook, Design, and Outdoor Classic. The winners are chosen by a panel of judges consisting of educators, academics, book reviewers, authors, editors, and outdoor columnists from throughout the country.

For the complete list of 2012 National Outdoor Book Awards winners, please visit: noba-web.org/books12