Books & Videos

River guide books, older vhs river videos, river stories, paddle technique and rescue/safety texts, sea kayaking and canoeing books can all be found below. If you cannot find a book under "River Guides", try looking in the "Canoe and Sea Kayaking Guides", or vice-versa.

Please note: There are a couple sections of our new website that remain "static" as they were on our original site, which means they are not connected to our shopping cart. They are not on the cart because these sections - the books, videos, and used & closeout section - contain items we have only in very small quantities. We do not have the time to create separate pages for low cost, onesy-twosey items, so for this merchandise you will still have to use the phone to place your order. And we are delighted to take any order on the phone regardless of what's it is for, so please understand that for us this is still our prefered way of selling. For one thing, it decrease the likelyhood of you ordering the wrong items, and for another you can double check our stock on the spot. If yu prefer to email to check stock on books, or anything else, that's fine too.

This page was partially updated this Spring and reflects what we have left in stock. This page now includes a large number of used and / or old, out of date books that were added last Fall. These may be of historic interest to some of you paddlers & hikers. Or, in a few cases, these books, old or not, still happen to be the lone guide for certain areas and may have gone out of print 15, 20, or even 25+ years ago.

Most of the used and old-but-still-new books are bargain priced. A few are not due to one of two reasons: either they are flat out rare and sometimes autographed by the authors, or they are one of a small number that we aren't all that jazzed about selling. These are books from our own collection, and that of one friend who isn't doing much paddling anymore, but who was fanatical about collecting every river book he could get his hands on from about 1984 through the mid- 90's. Keep in mind that old or not, quite a few books below, and a number that we have sold in the pst year, are collector texts. That means some of them appear for very, very, very steep prices on Amozon and other venues. We've sold many books for $10 to $20 that we later found listed among Amazon's secondary sellers for $99 to $200.

There was a time when we sold a lot of books (like when we used to publish a printed catalog called "Inflatable Kayak Specialties") and VHS videos, but with the advent of amazon.com & other large scale on-line outlets, book sales plummeted to about 10% of our original volume. As this page is a low priority for us compared to other parts of our site, we won't be updating it often but we will try to delete what gets sold. Invariably there will be a few books below that we have sold out though. We no longer re-order books except for two California guides, and maybe the occasional hot off the press foreign paddling book. There are typos in some descriptions because our eyes go fuzzy after about the 50th book addition.

Don't get too excited if you see a "new" book you never heard of, since it is more likely a very old book instead. We post publish dates for most of them.

Note on mailing books: Although we ship UPS every weekday, we do not go to the Post Office much more than once a month. The cheapest way to send books is via postal "media" or book-rate, and often the second cheapest way is to use Priority mail. However, please don't ask us to drop what we are doing to drive to the Post Office to mail books that we may be making little or no money on. We might be going the next day, but we may not be going for a week or three, so unless you want to pay for UPS delivery we will send them on our next trip. Also keep in mind that we do have a $25 minimum for anything being shipped.

Instructional and Safety

Advanced River Rafting (Kuhne): if memory serves, this was Cecil's second of several books. It has a 1980 copyright date and was probably the earliest attempt at a how-to book. The author is an attorney so he didn't really need the book's earnings per se, it was just a labor of love. Chapters cover buying gear (advice that will in many cases be far out of date), river safety, cooking, river use & preservation, and boat care. No photos, 200 pages, $4

Basic Essentials of Canoeing (Jacobsen): The main emphasis in this little book is on safety, and most of the content applies to inflatable kayaks too. Jacobsen has written several more expansive texts but here everything is condensed into just what beginners need to know. $6.95

Basic Essentials of Rafting (Ellison): River skills, safety, rafts, and trip planning for beginners. $5.99

Best of the River Safety Task Force Newsletter (ed. Walbridge): As with the AMC River Safety Report books, this text has breif summarys of fatal and non-fatal near miss river accidents, and details future prevention and what went haywire for the victims. The font here is small, and the ink is brown, not black, so bring your reading glasses. Published way back in the early 80's but still good info, 90 pages, $5. We had an autographed one too, but this isn't it and the other seems to have walked away.

Canoeing and Kayaking Instruction Manual (Gullion): training guide from American Canoe Association's program, including teaching skills. Large format. $15.95

Canoeing Wild Rivers (Jacobson): Expedition planning & packing, now in it's third printing. 352 pages, 24.95 list, now $18

Class V Briefing (McGinnis): One copy left - this usd to be a standard book on every western river store's shelves. A handy summary & check-list text in pocket book format, 29 pages, nothing but the meat. $3

The Complete Book of Inflatable Boats (Hubbard): Okay, don't know why we even have this, but it's for sportboats (Zodiac-style transom inflatables), not rafts or duckies. Even so plenty of the advice is helpful, though it reads more like a Car & driver buyer's guide than anything else. 29 years old, out of date, 256 pages, cheap if you're interested - $3

Complete Wilderness Paddler (Rugge): An older but still relevant book on map & water reading, camping, winds & currents, and multiday trip planning. 272 pages, 12.95, now $10

The Guide's Guide (McGinnis): One of Bill's other two books along with the little Class V Briefing above, a classic. Fun stuff included advice on sneaking off downwind for those late night pot-fests so the clients didn't smell the smoke - cross-hatched out in red ink in later editions. Still pretty much all relevant today. Bill is the owner of Northern Ca based Whitewater Voyages. Autographed on the 2nd form the back page by the man himself, 128 pages, $8, used copy

Guide to Inflatable Canoes & Kayaks (Sanders): Yet another ancient artifact that is so far out of date (30 years) as to be almost useless. Sanders did write some other decent books in his time though, and it's only $3. 216 pages, used copy

How To Rock Climb (Long): Why a climbing book? Many of the skills needed for anchor systems and knot tying also apply to river rescue and canyon portages, and How To Rock Climb conveys the basics better than any other text we've come across. 12.95 list, now $10

The Paddler's Planner (Bell): We used to sell a few of these and found this new copy buried in a box unopened since our move two years ago. Just as the title implies, a planner & checklist format for meals, pre-trip planning, boating & camp gear, with blank trip logs. 190 pages, spiral bound, $8

River Rafting (Kuhne): The first book written before "Advanced River rafting" (see above), this is still pretty darn useful for begining rafters, especialy those who've never been to guide school. 153 pages, $3, used copy.

River Safety and Rescue (Hammersley): A small handbook from New Mexico's Adobe Whitewater Club, this one has the main rope & swiftwater rescue info you'll need, much like the flash card sets do, but there is more as well. Telfer lowers, Z-Drags, boat recovery, Tag line rescue, hypothermia treatment, and advice & checklists are all included. Even though it dates to 1985 it's current for the most part. One copy only, $7

Running the Rivers of North America (Wood): another antiquity, from 1978, that is still of some use to beginnning rafters, canoe paddlers, and kayakers. The first half is instructional, and the second is a broad, text intensive river guide to just over 50 rivers in the lower 48, and seven more in Canada. Consider a lot of the detail to not be trustworthy since it is three decades old, but taken for what it is, it may be handy for those who travel around the country a lot. Hardbound, and surprisingly it's a "new" copy with one small red pen mark and the bottom. 296 pages, $7.

Sea Kayaking (Dowd): Droll title but one of the best reads for planning extended trips. 240 pages, not to be confused with the Nigel Foster book of the same name. 18.95 list, now $15

Whitewater Boatman - The Making of a River Guide (Wood): We could sum this up with comments about working long hours in hot sun for well under minimum wage and dealing with fussy peeps who think the river will somehow end back where it started.... but that wouldn't be nice. This book should really be with the narratives below, but there is enough good infomation in Mr. Wood's story that it will be helpful to prospective river slaves... er, guides, even if it is 25 years old. From his start in the Sierras, to Wood's big adventures on the Colorado, 206 pages, $4 used, exc. condition

A true antique, first edition (though 5th printing) of John T. Urban's AMC White Water Handbook. This is vintage 1965, with a cover price of $1.50. Yes, one dollar and fifty cents. Let's call it a buck. For historical interest only, a slightly newer and much expanded version below- 76 pages.

White Water Handbook, 1981 vintage (also Urban): It seems like later versions of this were done by Mr. Lessels, but maybe we have the tital mixed up. Anyway, obviously out of date but still plenty of good safety and rescue info, along with kayaking technique and river reading, which never really changes. 195 pages, many photos, $3, used copy but perfect.

Whitewater Kayaking (Adventure Sports Pub./Rowe): Complete instruction for beginners and intermediates. Equipment selection, paddle techniques, exercises, rescue, and lots of photos. 15.95 list, now $12

The Whitewater River Book (Watters): subtitled "A guide to techniques, equipment, camping, and safety. A fairly general purpose instructional book for all sorts of river sports - rafting, hardshellers, canoes, but nto all the much in the safety department in terms of actual rescue. Certainly no substitute for the classic Bechdel/Ray and Walbridge books, but then those don't cover the scope of this one either. This is actually a very good investment for rookies and intermediates, though we are down to our last copy, slightly dog-eared at that. Large format, b&w pics, over 200 pages. $10.95 This one may be sold out, but your data entry person doesn't have the time to check right now!

Wildwater - The Sierra Club Guide to Kayaking and Whitewater Boating (Tejada-Flores): Information for both kayakers and rafters, with about 15 pages of rough info for regional rivers and lists of guidebooks that pertain. This is an ancient book so a lot of the gear info is way out of date. 320 pages, closeout, $6

Wildwater Touring (Arighi): 35 years old, hardbound, 330 pages, decent condition used copy with ink blob the the first two (preface) pages. Half planning & preparing book, half Oregon river guide, quite a lot of it is far enough out of date to not be very useful though. Cheap! $3

Narrative & Reference Books

Note: there are so many, many narratives about the Grand Canyon & other parts of the CO River that we sub-grouped those all just below, with the other books following. Each of the two gropus are alphabetized.

Colorado River books

Any Time, Any Place, Any River - The Nevilles of Mexican Hat (Nelson): 83 pages, used copy but perfect, $3

Canons Grande - Visions of the Grand Staircase (Wilson/Nichols): A photo booklet with pretty four-season photography from the Colorado River & surrounding area. Closeout $10

Colorado River Briefs for a trip through the Grand Canyon (Lindemann): An older rafter's reference book, this still mentons Crystal in it's earlier form, and some of the camp sand bars have changed, but there is enough siteseeing, topography, and landmark info here to still make it worthwhile for the bargian price of $3, used copy. Spiral bound, 147 pages, the cover is waterproof but nt the rest of it.

A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon (Whitney, 1982): A very big, inclusive book that covers hiking & trails, early human history, plants and critters, weather, geology & fossils, and safety considerations for anyone venturing off the normal tourist areas. Old but perfectly current, tons of good info, though not a river guide. 314 pages with a lot of color and black & whte illustrations, a great book for birders too! $12

The Grand Canyon (Time Life Books): 184 pages, hardbound, a used copy, cheap! Lots of great photography but some absorbing writing too under the "Climb Down" chapter. $2

Grand Canyon Treks (Butchart): used copy, published in '76 so consider it unreliable. 69 pages, perfect condition. $2

Grand Canyon Treks II, for the upper Canyon area, used $1

Grand Canyon photo book, small format, 44 pages, all color. $2

Grand Canyon Visual (Hoffman): Flora, fauna, geology, and history, but more killer pictures than anything else, 8-1/2 X 11 format, 80 pages, new. $8

A Guide to Hiking the Inner Canyon (Thybony; sic?): 44 pages, a nice little book with photos but not very detailed maps, written back in 1980 but unused. $3

A River Runner's Guide to the History of the Grand Canyon (Crumbo): used copy in perfect condition written back in '81. The back portion has full river map pages that correspond to the text on the front section. Good to take down the river but not waterproof. $2

River Runners of the Grand Canyon (Lavender): A classic on early exploration of the Colorado, with a large section of mostly historical black & white photos in the middle. Large format, 147 pages, used copy, exc. condition - $6

All other narrative and reference books-

Art On The Rocks (Sierra Press): 7 pictograph postcards, 2 missing. Free with any other two books.

Canyon Country Paddles (Huser): Verne's old pocket guide from 1978 has the Green, CO, and San Juan rivers, which no one should buy this for, but it also includes The Dolores, Escalante, and the awesome Muddy creek & Dirty Devil canyons, for which little info can be had even now. Then again we haven't kept up with books much these days. 96 pages, one new copy at $2 and one used for a mere dollar.

Class V Chronicles (Bennett): Jeff Bennett edited this collection of humorous and hairball river misadventures. In addition to the fun stories, this is also a combination river guide with 29 runs detailed to varying degrees. 256 pages, $13.95

The Complete Guide to California Whitewater Rafting Tours, 1986 edition (Margulis): this is one of those books where you really wonder why anyone would bother, since it would clearly be out of date in very short order. Many of the larger outfitters mentioned are still in business, but plenty of others aren't or have moved, and the pricing info is useless since this one is 23 years old. Slightly tattered, general info on different types of trips available can still be informative to folks wanting to use an outfitter. $1 or free with any two other books.

Filmography - A List of Canoe, Kayak, Raft, and River Conservation Films (Stafford): This is from way back in 1983 so most of what's listed within (with brief summaries) probably is not even available anymore. Maybe someone wants it for a buck? Or, if you get any two other books, it's free. Used copy.

Geology of the Canyons of the San Juan River; A River Runner's Guide (Four Corners Geo. Society, 1973): 94 pages, the geology part is still good but the river guide part should be taken with caution since this is so dated. A used copy in perfect condition. $3; May be sold out

How to Die in the Outdoors - 100 Interesting ways (Tilton): This is one of our personal faves, and it is a new autographed copy. We can almost guarantee that once you pick this morbid little gem up, you'll finish it before your next task. Tilton's dry writing hides a dark humor, and the right television team could do a whole series on these one--page "stories". It's even in alphabetical order ("A" is for Alligator Attack and so on) in case junior wants a bedtime story. Minor mark on the back cover, 112 pages. A great companion piece to the "No Shit" books below. $9.95

If We Had a Boat (Webb): The story and history of Green River explorers, dam builders, and settlers from 1825 to the present. 194 pages, 14.95 list, now $12

John Day River Drift and Historical Guide (Campbell): "For raft, driftboat, canoa, and kayak use". 90 pages, 8-1/2 X 11, lots of black and white pics of varying quality. We are not experts on the John Day in Oregon so it's ard to say how out of date this book is, but the publish date is 1980 so don't buy it as a prmary guide! $4 used but perfect

The Lost River (Richard Bangs): Subtitled "A memoir of life, death, and transformation on wild water", this new non-fiction novel by Sobek co-founder Bangs is about the early days of river exploration, the drowning of Bang's first partner, and the return 23 years later to "close" the circle by running a river in Africa left undone due to the horrific circumstances of that earlier trip. Riveting stuff. If you enjoy the adventure articles in Outside Magazine, you'll love this. 266 pages with a few good b&w pics, hardbound $25.00

Marsyandi - The Illusive River of Annapurna (Barber): A British book (not easy to get stateside BTW) that chronicles a Brit team of kayakers on their exploratory first descent run of this often hairy run. Lots of hardcore hikers make the trek through this part of the world but few do more than dip a toe in the actual river. Nice color photos, 125 pages, used copy in nice shape. $7

National Whitewater Inventory (ed. Barrow): The American Whitewater Affiliation's summary of all runs & ratings for the lower 48 and Alaska, hard to find, good general reference but no details on any given river, maps between "list" pages. 8 X 10", spiral bound, closeout, $12

National Wild & Scenic Rivers System map, January 2000 (U.S. Forest Service): These are not published every year but this one is not quite up to date either. As far as we know there are no W&S designated rivers in Hawaii, but this huge 28" X 42" map does cover Alaska and the lower 48. New copy, $5

Never Turn Back - The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar (Watters): A great book that follows Walt on adventures ranging from his solo journey down the Alsek's Turnback Canyon to his final clash with the rapids in Idaho that claimed his life. 320 pages, 14.95 list, now $12

No Shit! There I Was Again (ed. Hodgson): Tall river tales are among the various disaster stories in this 190 page collection. There are now four books in this series but this is still our fave. Closeout $8, used copy for $6

Paddle to the Amazon (Starkell): The story of the longest journey ever made by canoe, up & down rivers and across open seas, from Winnepeg to South America - all done by the author and his son. Quite a read! 314 pages, hardbound. $19.95

Paddle Washington (LeRoux): a very old guide for canoes & kayaks from the 80's that is probably of little use now, and it wasn't much of a book even in it's day. A mix of fairly solid whitewater sections and lots of class I as well, 163 pages. It may have the dubious distinction though of being the first guide for WA state. Seems to be a new copy, not sure. $3

Reading the River (Hildebrand): 241 pages, a non-fiction book about the author's journey down the Yukon, closeout, $9

Riding the Dragon's Back (Bangs & Kalen): "The Race to Raft the Upper Yangtze". Running through the Tiger's Leap gorge, site of the infamous Chiese dam project, the Sobek crew was the first to navigate (with some portages of course) the whole thing without fatalities, though many had tried with less success before their expedition. This is the first hand account, all 260 pages, with some good quality color photos. Read once, half off the list (29.95) price- $15

River Days - Travels on Western Rivers (ed. Rennicke): A collection of essays by Brian Clark, Larry Rice, Bill Stewart, Paul Hoobyar, Verne Huser, David Bolling, and Jeff Rennicke, hardbound, 174 pages, 17.95 list price, now $10, slightly tattered outer paper cover.

River of No Return (Carrey & Conley): Part riverguide but more a mile by mile early exploration history of the Salmon, with the two intertwined and written in a story format. Not usable as a conventional guidebook, but handy & fun to have along for the trip anyway. Closeout, $10

River Runner's Guide to Canyonlands National Park and Vicinity With Emphasis on Geologic Features. Not sure of the publish date of this little 98 page book, but it used to be one we stocked all the time. The photos are few and neither they nor the little maps, charts, & tables are very easy to read, but still there is quite a bit of useful info jammed in here. New copy with some minor marking. $4

The Rivers Amazon (Shoumatoff): The author explors the legends, people, plant, and animal life on an eight month journey through the South American jungle and remote outposts. First published in the 70's this was reprinted in 1986. Used copy, perfect condition, $3

Rocks and Rapids of the Tuolumne River (Wright): Great for geologists, and this guide to human and natural history does include a section on the major rapids as well in the river log chapter. Old, but not really a bad little book at all. Used copy, good condition - $3

Row Away from the Rocks, autographed copy (Henry): George Henry was an early raft guide for Bus Hatch Expeditions, starting way back in 1956 before most people ever heard of "whitewater rafting". This large format book (9 X 12") is his autobiographical account of many years spent in the Grand Canyon, and other parts of Utah, Arizona, and the Northwest. This first edition text is loaded with a mix of color and black & white photos, on glossy paper and all of very good quality. A rarity and a steal at $25

Tatshenshini - Wilderness Quest (Madsen, 1991): 160 pages, b&w photos, a preservationist's guide. Used copy, good but not great condition. $2

The San Juan: Four Corners River (K. Wilde; published by the Museum of Northern Arizona): 8-1/2 X 11. A narrative on the human history, wildlife, and geology of the entire San Juan drainage. $3 new

Snake River of Hells Canyon (Carrey, Conley, Barton): used copy in new condtion (pages 82 & 83 have some wierdness at the outer edge because of the original bindery), a story of the human and geologic history of the lower Snake, 398 pages, a bargain at only $6, which is half what this original printing ran.

The Snake River - Window to the West (Palmer): 318 pages of discussion about water policy, water quality & issues, geology, the people along the river now and in ancient times, and the current politics behind the overused river. $12

The Trinity Alps (Linkhart): We stock this hiking guide for our local customers not just because it's one of the better ones for these mountains, but also because of it's focus on watersheds. If you want to explore the steep creeks and obscure rivers of this part of Calif, you should pack this book right next to your other (river) guides. There is a superb full-size four color map included that's worth the price by itself. 192 pages, $15.95

Whitewater Edventure - Running America's Great Scenic Rivers by Richard Bangs: Huge (12" X 13"), high quality hardbound book, all color. Bangs spins stories about his early days through the late 80's (it was published in 1900 and came out in early '91), mostly about trips in the lower 48 and Alaska, though he is more known as an international river explorer, co-founding Sobek. The rivers covered in his personal accounts are well known, but that doesn't make the writing here any less interesting. 142 pages, tons of huge color plates, likely out of print now, $40 retail, get it for just $30.

Whitewater Sourcebook (Penny): Richard's huge 400 page apendix-style reference book includes information on most major watersheds in the lower 48 states. Some of this info has become a little dated but there is still nothing quite like it. Includes dates & phone numbers for annual paddling events, club addresses, fairly complete lists of guide books for each area, and a full compliment of agency telephones and addresses for permits. Please understand that this book in itself is not intended to be a "guidebook". Large format, $18

Wild Rivers of North America (Jenkinson): Some detail on rivers, including a flat swamp float in the southeast, but not a river guide by any means and very old - an update from 1981 but originally published in 1973. Over 400 pages, black & white pics, maps & diagrams, covers the main & middle Salmon, Canyonlands & the Colorado, the Rio Urique in Mexico (probably the best reason to buy it), the Suwannee, the Rio Grand, the Yukon, Rogue, Buffalo, and others. $7 used

Wilderness Waterways - The Whole Water Reference for Paddlers (Ziegler): This book seemed to be pretty far out of date the first time we saw a copy - which was about a week after it was printed! The thing is, it takes so long to accumulate all the info needed for this type of reference compendium that the material you started with may date back three years. This is the second printing but stil ten years old now, a closeout, with info for 520 separate guidebooks, 500 map sources, 118 videos, 87 club listings, and 250 government agency contacts scattered accross every state including hawaii, through 176 pages. $13

Yosemite - The Cycle of the Seasons (Wilson/Nichols): Coffee table picture/gift book. Great photography, $5

River Guides:

Alpes - Dauphine' (Roux/Fine/Guerry): This .....uh, .... "guidebook" for Italy's Grenoble and Briancon Alps region is so bizarre I don't even know how to begin. Essentially, it covers 97 hardcore runs from class IV+ to class VI portage fests without any conventional text. Instead, it uses an insane log of nomenclature and small un-detailed maps to describe (well, sort of) each steep creek section in an international way instead of using French or Italian as you might expect. Without having a scan of a page out of this book, it's really impossible to describe "Alpes" on paper. Only for hardcore kayakers headed to that part of the world. $22.95

AMC River Guide - New Hampshire/Vermont: One of the better books for this lovely part of our country, 326 page pocketbook. $11.95

Appalachian Whitewater, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 - closeout - $11 each or $30 for all three. We only have one copy of each. These have been replaced by two volumes (North and South regions) which we are no longer carrying.

California Whitewater (Cassady/Calhoun): An awful lot of books have imitated the format of this one, Cassady's first. Layed out with each written river log following a map, with excellent descriptions highlighting the hardest rapids on any given run. Still our best seller, 365 pages, 47 main runs, and 20 other non-detailed rivers. $19.95

A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to the Streams of Kentucky (Sehlinger): Too much whitewater in this book to put it in with the flatwater books in the section below. 320 pages with super-thorough descriptions for every river. Quite an excellent book actually but another that seems, at least for now, out of print. Mr. Sehlinger has authored a number of books so maybe this will be revised someday if the poor guy isn't too burned out on writing. Closeout, $12

Canyonlands River Guide (Belknap): Westwater, Lake Powell, Canyonlands Nat'l Park, very old from 1984 and not the waterproof edition. Use dcopy, 64 pages, $2

The Canyons of Dinosaur (Gernant Memorial Edition): Waterproof, a new copy from 1992, which as far as we know was the last printing. Not much has changed since this was done97 pages with tons of detail about not only the river, but flora, fauna, and geology too. The best of the Dino Canyon books. $14

Desolation River Guide (Evans/Belknap): Water resistant flip map for the section between Split Mountain and Green River, Utah including Gray's Canyon. $17.95

Dinosuar River Guide - Flaming Gorge & Dinosaur Nat'l Monument (Belknap): An elderly edition from 1973, third printing 1980. Used copy, cheap for anyone that wants it for a back-up or to see what's changed over the years. $2, not waterproof

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Down the Wild Rivers (Harris): "A Guide to the Streams of California". This ancient text was useless even when it came out in 1972, with river sections that seemingly never existed and stunningly bad information throughout. Part alleged preparation guide, and half river guide for some central and northern CA runs, this is for laughs or historical interest, providing accuracy isn't high on your list. 205 pages, used, so-so condition (remember, it's 37 years old). $2, or free with any two other books.

Driftboater's Guide to the Upper McKenzie (Crawford): although this one was published in 1986 and is mainly aimed at dories, the "Mac" does not change all that much or flood often due to the way it's volcanic drainage and spring-fed watershed work. Some access is off main highways so little of that will have changed either. So, we won't push the usual warning with this oldie, which, by the way, is a new copy that we should probably keep. $8

Floating Alaskan Rivers (Carter, 1982): book aimed toward anglers and rafters, but very old and dated, with maps & illustrations but no real photos. Brief info for about 48 rivers and 10 lakes & inlets, not for hardcore whtiewater paddlers by any means, no info for any specific rapids or hazards. Green ink, a new copy despite it's age, 112 pages, $4

Grand Canyon River Guide, 1969! (Belknap): Mr. Belknap's first edition & printing, but still used by friends who took trips in the late 1980's. Not the waterproof versions. Used copies, one good at $3 and one not as clean at $2.

A Guide to the Best Whitewater in the State of California (Stanley/Holbeck): These two crazed hair boaters never stop exploring. The newly expanded 3rd edition has over 180 runs. A good companion for California Whitewater or the California Creekin' cd. If you are a novice or lower intermediate however, you won't find much of interest here as the bulk of these rivers are class IV, V, and V+. Many hilarious stories and some good rivers that Cassady should have had in his book. $19.95 (also one used copy for $8) If you are an intermediate and want to add this book to your collection, the older version has exactly the same number of class II, III, and IV runs. We still have a few on the shelf at $12 new, $5 used

Guide to the Chattooga River (Clay): This little 64 page booklet is not just a boating guide, but as far as we know it is the only thing specifically for the Chattooga. Closeout $9

Guide to New Mexico's popular Rivers and Lakes (Maurer, 1983): 53 pages, maybe too ancient to be usefull, unused copy.$2

A Guide to Texas Rivers and Streams (Kirkley): Not a great book by any means but there isn't that much else out there for the whole state. 83 river sections, none covered with much detail. $12.95

Guidebook to the Colorado River, parts 1, 2, and 3 (Rigby, Hamblin, et al): These three are being sold as a set and are new copies, though part 1 is a tad faded from being on our shelf so long, and there is one tiny stain on it. 300 pages total, these are older books originally from the 70's but reprinted in the 1980's and still used by many Canyon floaters. $18/set

Guidebook to the Colorado River, part 1, see above. Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch. $2 used

Guidebook to the Colorado River, part 2, see above. Phantom to Lake Mead. $3 used

Handbook to the Deschutes River Canyon (Quinn, 1979): We're not going to go into a lot of detail, since the title explains the intent - as with the other Quinn books that follow - but those familiar with them already know what they are getting. Most of these were somewhat dated even by the early 80's, but basic info like shuttle access, camp spots along the river, and major rapids and site-seeing is mostly still valid. Quinn's books were noteworthy for being hilariously over-detailed with regard to rapids. Specifically, noting where every little pebble was located and where every stroke of the oar should land, all laughable since flows change your routes and methods anyway, never mind that rocks get re-arranged in the river bed. Most of these with the exception noted are around 142 to 178 pages and all are 8-1/2" X 11" format. $5 used, very good condtion.

Handbook to the Rogue's Hog Creek Float (Walker, date unknown but probably late 80's or early 90's): It is questionable whether anyone even needs a guidebook for this easy section, but families with young kids might for safety's sake. Lot of color photos, still 99% current, 127 pages, large format, new but on the shelf for a long time. $12

Idaho River Tours (Garren, first edition from 1987): Pretty dated, use at your own risk! In new condition, 125 pages for the Selway, Snake, and Main & Middle Salmon, $4

Idaho Whitewater (Moore/McClaran, 1989): Not sure if this classic book by McClaran is still in print in a revised edition, but our guess is it's not. We don't have time to research every book that we are posting on this Feb. '09 update; if we did we'll never get done with this page. This book is still plenty useful, though access to some runs like the lower Deadwood changed since this was printed. Take it with a grain of salt, but 98% is still current. No bargain price on this one, sorry. It was our personal copy and is in new/perfect conditon. $20

Kayak Through Peru Whitewater Guide (CanoAndes): 70 pages in English & 70 in Spanish, used copy. To say this one is "short on detail" would be a serious understatement. No specifics on rapids and almost nothing on the shuttle directions with a few exceptions, and only hafl a dozen drainages are covered Consider this one armchair reading only, about 30 years old now. $3

1980 Lee's Ferry Map, color, slightly used copy, 22" X 28", one only $2

Missouri Ozark Waterways (1968 !): Yes, it's 42 years old. Maybe a tad dated? 114 pages. Use as a reference only, likely very rare, make an offer!

New Zealand Canoeing Handbook (N.Z.C.A.): Despite the name, a) there are some class IV and V runs mentioned in here, and b) "mentioned" is about all any river gets here because this is more a vague general guide to riversports that trys to encompass too many things (river descriptions, canoe & kayak clubs, safety & rescue, etc) in far too few pages. Pretty lame, xerox quality, closeout, $5

Oregon River Tours (Garren, first edition, 1973/1979): this very thrashed copy of the original garren book might do for some, but take everything within with a big grain of salt. The Rogue, Clackamas, Deschutes, Grande Ronde, John Day, Owyhee, Sandy, Santiam, McKenzie, portions of the Snake, and Umpqua are included. 184 pages, $2

Oregon River Tours (Garren, second updated edition, 1991): with 23 new runs not included in the first one, 86 extra pages, and a slightly larger format. Used copy, decent condition but some corner staining with a little waviness along the top from moisture. Overall though perfectly usable. $6

Ozark Whitewater (Kennon): Thar's whitewater in them thar hills! This book looks kind of old (it's not) but canoeists, kayakers, and inflatable kayakers should find plenty to amuse themselves with in this books' 150 pages. $12

A Paddlers Guide to the Olympic Peninsula (Korb): This book was clearly written with kayakers (or inflatable kayakers) more in mind than rafters. Many of the small creeks detailed here would not be suitable for big rafts. The run descriptions are plenty detailed with maps and a few low quality photos. Shuttles, access, and seasonal flows on over 75 runs from class I+ to class V are covered. 242 pages, 3rd revision in '97. $16.95

Paddling the Frontier - a Guide to Pakistan's Whitewater (Walker): Wick Walker is a well known kayaker of high skill level, though it's doubtful he would want to be doing the research for this book today. This is not actually a used copy, but it is water damaged at the bottom- center of the book. It was in a box on the floor of our old building's basement on one of those occasions when torrential rain turned that area into an indoor pool. Usable but a number of the pages stuck together, and a few still are. For now anyone with a modicum of sense would only use this as an armchair book (Hey, you talee-ban guys want a ride in my raft? Are those things loaded?) anyway, but it is quite the curiousity and will no doubt be the onyl Pakistan guidebook published in our lifetime. Not huge at 72 pages, but considering how arid much of the country is maybe there just aren't that many rivers there. We're certainly no experts on the subject. $5, very rare now.

1980 Phantom Ranch Map, color, slightly used copy, 22" X 28", one only $2

Rafting in British Columbia (VanDine / Fandrich): This just covers the Thompson drainage so the title should be taken with a grain of salt. There are newer, larger texts for this area and this one dates to 1984, so flooding will have changed much of the rapids. Only a small book with 70 pages but it seems to be new, not used. Something we've had for ages. $4

River Guide to the Cache La Poudre River (Maddox): A bit dated but probably worth the small price if you're headed that way. Not sure if this is still in print. 74 pages, the actual river guide section is a bit too brief and somewhat short on detail. $8, new copy

River Guide to desolation and Gray Canyons on the Green River (Rampton): Mr Rampton has a lot of output for the southwestern part of the U.S., and there is likely a newer edition of this 1992 book. This is, however, a new and autographed copy. 68 pages, detailed maps with clear black & white photos. $8

River Runners' Guide to the Canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers (Simmons & Gaskill): subtitled "with emphasis on geologic features" & "Marble Gorge and Grand canyon". A used copy of a very old book from the 70's and something that should not be considered a real river guide at all. If geology is your interest, the fact this is very dated shouldn't matter much. B&W pics and 132 pages, $2

River Runner's Guide to Dinosaur National Monument and Vicinity (Simmons & Hayes): see the book above; this is also from the 70's and is more of a geology guide for the canyons of Dinosaur than a river guide. Slightly used but perfect conditon. $3

The Rivers of Chile (Holbek, pub. AWA in 1992): This little book is more like a pamphlet with only 24 pages and just a few (b&w) pics. It covers 22 runs in central Chile, but with only brief 2-paragraph descritions and no specifica at all. Mostly advanced & expert level stuff. New copy, $4

Rivers of Costa Rica (Mayfield/Gallo): If you are planning a trip to Central America and are looking strictly for river info, it's worth getting this book. If you want something with road directions to put-ins & takes, Gallo's book is pretty useless since he seems to be using it as a way to get kayakers to take his raft support trips. (Gallo is an outfitter in C.R.) There are not very many runs here either and we really wish someone else would do an enlarged update. There are other books we can order with some degree of maps in them, and more CR stuff is being published all the time. Let us know if we can help you find something. $12.95

Rivers of the Yukon (Madsen & Wilson): Brief "specs" for each river, which run the gamut from class I to V, but very good and often entertaining verbal write-ups. 192 pages, revised in 1990, a bit dated but still an excellent resource, out of print we think, closeout $11.95

The Salmon (main) Wild and Scenic Forest Service map & guide from rapids and campsites, 1989, color map pages, new copy, water "resistant" paper, not waterproof. $5

Salmon Middle Fork Forest Service Map, used, late 80's vintage, not in great condition, color map pages - $2

Sierra Whitewater (authorized photocopy form Western Mountaineering, formerly of San Jose): for Some reason W.M. didn't copy the forward or table of contents in these copies, but this ultra-rare book includes some river sections that were never in CA White-water,Chuck Stanley's book, or the companion book that came out at the same time as Sierra Whitewater, West Coast River Touring. With 170 pages (85 double pages), the photos are very poor quality due to the copying. Some of this is certainly outdated; rapids have changed, access has been denied here and there, but it breaks down rivers like the Truckee, Pit, Consumnes, Yuba, Bear, and Mokelumne better into shorter runs than anything else. Plenty of it is still useful, and this, our old personal (& well used with some loose pages) copy is the only one. $8

Snake River Guide-Grand Teton Nat'l Park (Huser/Belknap): old edition from 1972, a veritable antique! Not the waterproof one, only for the upper part by the park. $3

Soggy Sneakers Guide to Oregon Rivers, first edition from way back in 1980. The Soggy books were never long on detail nor did the subsequent editions ever have photos, but they do describe more rivers than the other Oregon books. Used copy, 49 rivers, 116 pages, $4

South American River Trips (Jordan): Well, we suppose that a real guide for So. America would be about the size of an encyclopedia set. At 104 pages this ain't. Brief summaries of a few rivers and logistics for different parts of the continent - mostly Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname. Not worth $14.95, so the last copy goes at $11, one slightly used copy also for $7

Steep Creeks of New England (Hanlon's): Kayaker's guide to 29 hair runs, with not-so-great topo maps. No specs so you have to read each description for hazard and optimal flow info. $14.95

Users Guide to the Wild & Scenic Cache La Poudre River (Maddox): We haven't even seen this one yet but the river it covers is certainly in a nice part of Colorado. 80 pages with maps, shuttle info, camping, and outfitter contacts for commercial trips. $12.95

Vancouver Paddler (Stedham): Mostly easy class I and II rivers for all types of boats. Good road & shuttle directions and text for each run, so-so detail. Very up to date, 25 maps, 238 pages. $19.95

Washington Whitewater, part 1 (North): This now out-of-print second edition has complete river logs and information for 17 runs, including: the Cowlitz, Naches, Upper Sauk, Skagit, Wenatchee, Skykomish, Green River Gorge, Suiattle, Methow, Chewuch, and 7 others. We have no stock on part 2; closeout $7

Washington Whitewater (North): The current version combines the former two separate volumes with "the 34 best rivers". Great maps and John Garren-style time logs; very helpful for finding campspots and side creeks. 300pp $18.95

West Coast River Touring, one copy only (Schwind): One of the bucko early Sierra Club (Loma Prieta paddling chapter that is) paddlers who used to explore and do first descents in glass kayaks before lifevests were in general use for the sport. This book has 1700 miles of runs from the CA/OR border to down south of Monterey and is EXTREMELY RARE, so though this copy is well used and old it will not be going out the door for a bargain rate. Dick is one of our customers and was kind enough to sign another copy, but that one is not for sale and since it has been un-bound for photocopying, you wouldn't want it anyway. The cover of the one were selling looks worse with considerable wear, but the backbone and pages are still perfect. We'll dispense with long descriptions since those who want this already know what it includes (coast mountain runs). Suffice to say the old timers did some great streams that have been long forgotten, many still valid today, and you won't find them in any other book but this one. A few of course will have access issues or may have had diversion projects. And Battle Creek for some reason was left out. 223pages. $25 FIRM - consider yourwelf lucky to get this for under $100 because the occasional copy on Amazon will be at least that.

White Water - Running the Wild Rivers of North America (Jackson, 1979). This oldie is full nice color and black & white photos, and covers quite a few rivers across the lower 48. Though 30 years out of date if you wanted one cheap book with basic (and some detailed) info to keep on the dashboard, for $4 it's hard to go wrong.

Whitewater Nepal (Knowles/Allardice): One of the few foriegn guides we can get excited about, and it looks like putting it together was a major undertaking. 22 rivers with seasonal flow info, access, and ratings. Whitewater Nepal is for both expedition boaters or those who would rather run with an outfitter. The first third of the 280 pages is a travel guide, and the rivers range from moderate class III runs to some nearly unrunnable stuff. Great and very rare now! $18.95

Whitewater Primer (with Selway and Illinois River logs, and info on the Middle Fork Salmon): older book, publish date unkown, 86 pages, one new copy at $5 and one slightly used at $3

Whitewater Rafting in Eastern North America - see below, closeout, $10

Whitewater Rafting in North America (Armstead): A newer book than the one above. It doesn't completely combine the other two volumes (East & West), rather it adds some new trips and updated information, 200 in all. More on Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica too. 300 pages, $16.95

Whitewater Trips on Vancouver Island Pratt-(Johnson): This is probably in need of an update and the pics aren't very good, but Vancouver Island is a beautiful area for western boaters. Betty's book has 22 runs, about 2/3 of which are class II to easy IV, and the other third are more novice runs. With a slightly unusual format that includes a "why go?" paragraph for each river. Still a classic and a good deal at only $8.95

Wild and Scenic Snake River, Hell's Canyon Nat'l Recreation Area (Forest service booklet): 9 X 12 format, date unknown but bought in the early 90's, 22 pages, $2 used

Wild Waters - Canoeing North America's Wilderness Rivers (ed. Raffan): This is mostly a coffee table book and we should probably put it with the narratives. Lots of beautiful photos and essays with a forward by Bill Mason. 152 pages, closeout $18

Wildwater West Virginia (Davidson, Elster): This new update was compiled by Charlie Walbridge with input from more than 100 rafters and kayakers. A full 336 pages and as complete a guide for WV as you could hope for. All maps and descriptions have been revised as of '98. $14.95

World Whitewater (Cassady/Dunlap): Unlike California Whitewater and Western Whitewater, this book needed input from a huge number of people from many countries since it was physically impossible for Jim & Dan to fly all over the world themselves. Even so, this took enough effort that Cassady's more or less sworn off writing any more books. Some parts of the globe are covered a lot more thoroughly than others - for example, there are lots of classic New Zealand and Australian rivers (D.D. spent some extended time there), but Eastern Europe was largely bypassed and sadly Slovenia's world-class gorges are barely mentioned. It is not a hand-holding book, giving basic information on most better known runs in the countries covered, but not detailing them with maps or mile-by-mile rapid guides like California Whitewater. If you were planning a trip to one of the countries included, the rivers that are listed will give you a good feel for the character of the local whitewater, and the text descriptions are excellent. Definitely recommended, and this will be one of the very few books that we continue to stock. Black & white photos only, 334 pages, $22.95 ($65 on Amazon!).

1993 BLM Bruneau / Jarbidge River Guide: large format, stapled at the left edge, no photos, 15 pages with topography, new copy. $3

Canoe and Sea Kayaking Guides

Boundary Waters Canoe Area - old dual region book (Beymer): 25 Ely, Sawbill, & Gunflint area access points, with day-by-day routing thru the lakes and a map. Portage and camping information included. Closeout, $12

Canoe and Kayak Routes of Northwest Oregon (Jones): 70 outings on northern OR and southern Washington on lakes and easy rivers. Good maps and lots of details for each paddle, 200 pages. $14.95

Canoe Camping Vermont & New Hampshire Rivers (Schweiker): This book gets into a lot of things like hiking, camping, historic sites, and picnic spots, so it is not as good a river guide as the AMC pocketbook for VT/NH. 128 pages, overpriced and too little detail. Closeout, $13

Canoeing Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut (Weber): Unlike the AMC booklet up above, this one is mostly for flatwater and easy rivers only. 160 pages, a few maps and photos, not a great book. Closeout, $9

Canoeing the Jersey Pine Barrens (Parnes): Thought we were out of this old classic but we found a couple new copies last week. Published 1990, 266 pages, 4-1/2" X 6" compact size. Indispensable for paddlers in southern Jersey, or anyone traveling there. $11.95

Canoeing Waters of California (Dwyer): NOT the actual book, but an authorized photocopy from the now defunct Western Mountaineering in San Jose. Just stapled at one corner, original edition, still mostly current. 88 double pages, $3

Colorado River Recreation (RS Publishing): More of a camping, reservoir, and map-guide for flat water kayakers and power boaters with some info near the beginning on rafting - but not really anything you could call a rafter's guide. 176 pages, large format, spiral bound, $11

Guide to Sea Kayaking Lakes Huron, Erie, & Ontario (Ohmann): Not a big mover so we're closing this out, 234 pages, complete descriptions with somewhat non-detailed maps. B & w pics only, $13

Island Paddling (Snowden): The title refers to the Canadian Gulf Islands. There is some necessary camping info, but otherwise all 176 pages are devoted to various trips in the area. Closeout, $13

Paddle Routes of Western Washington (Huser): Good written info, so-so maps, and low quality black and whites for 50 flatwater trips, 240 pages, closeout, $9

Paddling the California Coast (Coale): Covers the coast from Humboldt to the Central area, 53 destinations, 159 photos, and with 54 small maps. River mouths, laggons, marshes, tide chart's made easy, and tidal estuaries. Both this and the book below include good details on campsite availability too. Recommended. $19.95

Paddling the California Highlands (Coale): Newer edition formerly known as "Canoeing the CA Highlands". A nice book mainly for lake paddling in the high Sierras, with a bit of flat river paddling and northern mountains thrown in. More than 120 destinations with lots of B&W photos. A much needed guide for family paddling. $19.95

Paddling Hawaii (Sutherland): Another classic that we found two copies of recently, not sure if this has been revised since 1988? 239 pages, $12.95

Sea Kayaking Canada's West Coast (Ince/Kottner): We used to carry this one all the time but for some reason misplaced the last few copies until recently. Covers conditions and sightseeing for most of the south and central shores, and the Gulf Islands area too. 240 pages, lots of B&W photos, brief tidbits about kite sailing, safety, and rigging. 15.00

Water Trails of Washington (Furrer): mainly for hysterical interest only, 30 years old, with easy paddles, lakes, or rivers with the occasional big rapid that can be portaged. Lots of maps, illustrations, and small black & whites but only 96 pages. $4.

VIDEOS:

Like books, videos seem to be something most folks are chasing down through Amazon these days. The other disappointment is that there continues to be a serious dearth of videos for inflatable kayakers, and very few even for rafters who want something instructional. Even if we were selling more videos than we are, the trend is toward hard shell kayak films and that's not our niche. Please note that everything below is in VHS format, not DVD. This portion of the site has not been updated for over a year, so we may be out of a couple tapes below. As always, call or email us to check stock if you would like.

Guide Videos:

Adventure Kayaking - Around Hawaii's Friendly Island: very comprehensive tape even if it's only 40 minutes, and a good companion to Audrey Sutherland's Paddling Hawaii book. Covers trips, preparation, packing, meal planning, diving, boat surfing, and some non-boating things like hiking & sightseeing. Only $14.95 VHS

Southwestern Whitewater / Northeastern WW : these two tapes from Camera One are 14.95 each, reduced from 19.95, and run 55 to 60 minutes. Their quality is very good, but they only cover a few rivers each. We don't know if they should be under "guide tapes" or the entertainment section because they are sort of a blend of each. Only the big-name rivers from each geographical area are shown. VHS

West Virginia Whitewater: From the same folks at Camera One as the above four films, this is a good one if you are planning a vacation in this beautiful state. 60 minutes, mostly big water from the Gauley and some less rowdy footage on the New, $19.95 VHS

Assorted used Videos:

California Whitewater: This is a classic Camera One video that we used to sell large numbers of, and it is our last copy left. It covers many of the hair runs in our state, and includes the obscure Deer Creek out of the Lassen drainage, with naration on that part of the tape be Beyond Limit's Mike Doyle. 60 minutes. $14.95 (list was $25 and these sell for big money on Amazon when you can even find a copy). VHS

Cataract Canyon: Another Camera One production, but this one is only about 12 minutes. Gives a few of the highlights but it and the one below could certainly have been a lot longer. Oh well.... $9 VHS

Green River - Desolation Wilderness: A brief 15 minute overview of one of Utah's most popular floats, more scenic than action, but then that pretty well describes the river section this covers too. $9. VHS

Hell's Corner Gorge - the Upper Klamath. Sort of half informational / half blooper, but the exact length escapes us. It's a Gayle Wilson Productions film, and many of hers were only 30 minutes but it seems like this one was longer. In any case, if you haven't run this boat-shredding section of the otherwise mild "K", it's worth checking out. Almost all the action on Hell's Corner is in the middle six or so miles, where a lava flow came down a side creek (or gulley?) in ancient times, leaving behind some interesting bedrock rapids and plenty of weird boulder sieves (which mostly occur at tough-to-scout island splits). The catch is that the bubbly basalt broke off in ways that left many a knife edge to tear your raft. Not a recommended run for inflatable kayaks or old timers in fiberglass kayaks, but if you are running this without anyone that has been down before you should buy this video. $12 VHS

Nepal Discovery: 29 minutes, from Wilderness Travel. Not much rafting, but a little. More cultural than anything, includes trekking and safari footage from the jungles of Chitwan Nat'l Park. $9 VHS

Whitewater Bloopers 2: This one is also from Gayle Wilson, vintage 1990. Features footage from CA and Oregon rivers including the "Cal Salmon", the Illinois, the Rogue, and the Smith & Upper Klamath which are both on the CA/OR border. About 30 minutes, these used to sell for about $22, yours for $10. VHS

Please note that we do have a $25 minimum for anything shipped.

Just Fun Stuff:

Adventures of Johny Utah: a crazy, unique video featuring not only runs but interviews as well with some southeastern class five hair boaters. A very interesting documentary-style film, 66 minutes, $22.95 reduced from 29.95. Two paddles up! VHS

The River of Lost Souls: footage from the Upper Animas in Colorado, approx. 45 minutes, we haven't seen this in so long we've forgotten what it was about. Mostly action as I recall, but if you have questions please email and we'll watch it again! $20 (reduced from $27) VHS

Riverpeople: there is an amusing story behind this one. The poor fellow who produced it actually believed he could pay the rent in a San Francisco office and make a living marketing just this one video. Well, we thought it was pretty funny. Anyway, this is a classic video with lots of trendy music and a very short concentration span. Just when it gets interesting, the friggin' scene changes. Again and again. Sort of like attention deficit disorder on video. It is high-quality though, and if you have an outdoor sports shop like we do it's perfect for running continuously in a VCR. All others should pass. 32 minutes, reduced from 19.95 to $14.95. One open copy also available for $10. VHS