Books possess a unique power: they can transport us to distant lands, ignite our sense of adventure, and inspire us to venture beyond our comfort zones. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with four UK thru-hikers to uncover their favourite reads that capture the essence of outdoor exploration. If you’re searching for literary companionship on your next trail, these recommendations might be just what you didn’t realise you were looking for.
‘Swallows and Amazons’ - Arthur Ransome
For Mark (mullionvagrant), it would be ‘Swallows and Amazons,’ a 1930s children's adventure series by English author Arthur Ransome, which he’s read repeatedly for about four years. In brief, four children (the Swallows) are on holiday in the Lake District, sail to an island, and start a war with rival children (the Amazons). Literary critic Peter Hunt believes it "changed British literature, affected a whole generation's view of holidays, and helped to create the national image of the English Lake District.” For Mark, it created a sense of longing to explore and go on adventures.
Mark also references J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit,' stating, "How can names like 'Misty Mountain' not evoke a thousand images and a deep desire to explore such places?"
‘Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration’ - David Roberts
Ash (ashrouten) was gifted a book in 2015 as he stared down the barrel of his 30s. ‘Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration’ told the story of Douglas Mawson, an Australian geologist who had improbably survived a harrowing Antarctic sledding journey during the heroic age of polar exploration in the early 20th century. At one point, Mawson and his companion were forced to kill and eat their sled dogs after another member of their party disappeared into a yawning crevasse with most of their supplies. Mawson was to survive the journey but returned to safety without the two men he’d set off with. Though it sounds rather bleak, the author, exalted adventure writer David Roberts, had managed to craft a story so enthralling that something in Mawson’s epic struggle for life lit the fire inside Ash.
Looking back, Ash can’t put his finger on exactly why Mawson’s story affected him, but he knew after putting the book down that he absolutely needed to start living more adventurously. And he did, undertaking 7 arctic adventures over the next decade.
A couple of years later, David Roberts, the author of Alone on the Ice, who was by then battling cancer, lamented on Facebook “the fear that death is too near and that nothing I have done or written matters.” Ash felt the urge to let Roberts know that his words mattered to him and so, he wrote to him. A few days later, the legendary American mountaineer and writer buoyantly replied.
“Your message was too kind, but it certainly bolstered my spirits to know that my book had such an effect on you. It’s really Mawson, of course – one of those rare, almost wholly admirable characters in the history of exploration.”
Roberts passed away the following year having just completed ‘Into the Great Emptiness’, his final masterpiece on another unsung but inspiring figure of polar exploration, Gino Watkins.”
‘Into the Wild’ - Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer's ‘Into the Wild’ ignited Becky's (girloutdoors.becky) love for the outdoors and a simple life. The book follows a young man named Chris McCandless who ventures into the Alaskan wilderness in search of solitude, exploring themes of adventure, self-discovery, and the power of nature.
The 1996 non-fiction book is an expansion of an article by Krakauer on McCandless titled ‘Death of an Innocent’, which appeared in the January 1993 issue of Outside. The book was also adapted to a film of the same name in 2007.
Krakauer's ‘Eiger Dreams’ stands out as another favourite of Becky’s who loves Krakauer's style of writing in general. 
‘Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found’ - Cheryl Strayed
The book that sparked Nicola’s (nicola.navigates) love for long-distance hiking was ‘Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found’, by Cheryl Strayed. It tells Cheryl’s gripping tale of managing grief and addiction by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, spanning 1,100 miles on the West Coast of America — and she would do it alone.
It’s an emotive, raw book, unfolding against the backdrop of America’s breathtaking scenery, and it inspired Nicola’s love for thru-hiking and her dream of hiking the PCT.
‘Epic Expeditions’ by Ed Stafford
Personally, I really enjoyed ‘Epic Expeditions’ by Ed Stafford. It provides a succinct overview of history's most remarkable expeditions from 1864 to 2018, with feats like circumnavigating the globe, summiting Everest, traversing the Australian desert by camel, and kayaking the North Atlantic. The paperback edition features black-and-white photographs of each explorer alongside illustrations of their kit. I love reading about the more unique or luxury items that were packed. For example, during Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s race to the South Pole aboard the Terra Nova, he carried Fry’s Chocolate and Heinz baked beans, while Percy Fawcett brought along an accordion on his quest into the Amazon rainforest in search of the lost city of ‘Z’!
Stafford's focus on gear rather than narrative may not suit every reader, but for someone like me who enjoys accessible reads, learns visually, and loves geeking out on kit, this book is a true delight.
Whether you're captivated by childhood adventures, survival stories, philosophical musings on living in the wilderness, or explorer kit lists, these thru-hikers can confirm that the spirit of adventure knows no bounds—whether on the page or in the great outdoors.