I've spent weeks figuring out ways to take weight out of my backpack and
still have everything I need for a four-day flyfishing
trip in October (two hiking days and two fishing days from basecamp). To
celebrate shedding those pounds I'd like to add a paperback book: I'm in the
habit of reading at night, and could need to hole up in the tent if my zeal
for fishing in a constant rain wears thin. I found Colin Fletcher's "The
Thousand Mile Summer" on my bookshelf and realized I'd never read it, so
it's on my list at less than 5 ounces. Also found two unread Harry
Middleton books ("The Earth is Enough" and "The Bright Country") but frankly
was not that fond of "On the Spine of Time." Favorites from the past
include "Coming Into the Country" by John McPhee and "A Fly Fisherman's Blue
Ridge" by Christopher Camuto, and over twenty-five years ago I remember
staying up late one night on a backpacking trip reading one Robert Service
poem after another.

I'd like an engaging outdoors tale, at least plausibly non-fiction and
including hook-and-bullet press if well written, with a carefully measured
infusion of philosophy that may challenge my own. Anthologies are good.
Nothing scary: when I'm camping alone I hear enough going bump in the night
without any encouragement. Of course, it needs to be available in a
lightweight paperback. Any suggestions?

Buddy