Whether you live in a van, apartment, house, or anywhere else, a good book has the ability to take you on the most amazing of adventures, without ever leaving your home.
Books are a way to explore the world, serve as a conversation starter with those around you, and inspire you to learn more about this beautiful place we call home. The books that we enjoy vary from historical pieces about the land we love adventuring to community-focused story-telling, to inspiring pages filled with beautiful photography. Check out our must-read books for your extra time at home. We promise you won’t regret it…
Complete Guide to National Parks – by
How much do you know about the American National Parks? I thought I’ve seen quite a few, in fact, I’ve been to only 21 out of the 62 parks! Going through a book like this can’t be boring, especially when you’re on lockdown! You’ll learn something new at every page. You’ll also create your next itinerary in your mind as you flip through the pages. Which park do you think has the most visitors per year? What about the first to be created? Which state has the biggest park? I find these details really important to know, not only as an outdoor enthusiast but as a human being too.
Each park was protected by different presidents throughout the last century, hence another reason why it’s so important to keep these pieces of history in mind when you enter each park. The book is huge, most suitable for a coffee table if you own a house or if you have that kind of room in your rig. Most photos are also beautiful but I was surprised to see some photos that did look sharp. I’d say every nature lover out there should have a book like this to dream about his next adventure!
At Glacier’s End – Matt McDonald & Chris Burkard
Karolina and I were walking in Ventura, CA when we decided to take a sharp right in this surf shop on Main Street. One staff member greets us and invites us to continue on the patio behind the store because Chris Burkard is launching his new book. WHAT? As a photographer and adventure content producers, to finally be able to meet Chris was an opportunity of a lifetime. The book is actually really beautiful and the popular photographer teamed up with Matt McDonald (@63mph) who wrote beautiful chapters to go with the photos. Chris went to Iceland several times and became obsessed with the landscape over there, especially once shot from the sky. Looking at the photos you’ll quickly understand how the colors, shapes, and texture can appear as paintings you could see in a museum!
The duo took this project to another level as they’re sending a strong environmental message; what you see from the sky is not only made by mother nature. Many rivers have been dammed to provide power to the aluminum plants. Chris decided to use his talent to raise a voice about this and at the same time to every similar situation around the globe where big industries are having a huge impact on the environment. I’d really recommend having this coffee table book in your home. One day you can simply turn the pages and be astonished by Chris aerial photography. Another day you can read Matt’s beautiful words about his own Icelandic adventures.
Vanlife Diaries: Finding Freedom on the Open Road – Kathleen, Jonny, & Jared
This book is so important for the community. It’s the result of our wonderful friends on the Vanlife Diaries team, Kathleen, Jonny, and Jared. As you read through this photography-focused book, you may even recognize a few faces of your favorite vanlifers! Over 200 tiny homes are shown throughout the book, many that are paired with interviews and stories from the open road. One of the most important things when considering diving headfirst into this lifestyle is reading the story of others who have lived similarly. The VLD team has provided a place for all that wonderful and honest advice to live and it’s just waiting for you to discover it. We’ve even seen van lifers carry this book around with them in their rigs so they can have the featured van owners sign their copy when they meet in person! Think autograph book, but van lifestyle.
Backwoods Survival Guide – Jim Cobb
Even after years of living full-time on the road, there is still so much to learn. Having your home on wheels means that you learn to become comfortable. Comfortable chopping wood, building campfires, digging bathroom holes, and more. While some of this is really best learned with plain old experience out in the world, there is still a lot you can learn by reading about the experience of others. Backwoods Survival Guide is perfect for you if you’re interested in any sort of tiny home, not just van life. This is an all-inclusive guide to living off the land, with so much how-to information.
Curious about how to harvest rainwater? Want to learn how to road and brew coffee off-grid? Interested in learning how to identify which wild plants have medicinal uses? These are skills that could come in use at any point in life. Many are even applicable to the current shelter-in-place orders! Jim put together the perfect piece of literature for the outdoors. It even includes reviews about which kind of clothing is best for the outdoors! This book will serve you in multiple ways, especially if you ever found yourself in an outdoor emergency. The more you know, the more prepared you can be!
We hope these books inspire you as much as they inspired us. The best part? These books have beautiful covers and double wonderfully as home decor for your coffee table or bookshelf! What would you suggest adding to the list of must-read books?