The Gentle Art of Tramping


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(5 stars; 2 reviews)

Stephen Graham tramped extensively around pre-revolutionary Russia, and with immigrants as they landed on the East coast of America and spread West. This book, published in 1926, is his practical guide to this mode of touring/travel. It is also a philosophical account of our desire to connect with nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson style. A prolific writer, Graham describes his love of nature, and his dislike of industrialization. Encouraging people to take up 'tramping' for pleasure (as opposed to vagabonding or homelessness), Graham offers practical tips and insights into travelling safely, with as much ease as possible, that are still applicable today. He hoped that his simple but beautifully written guide would ignite a love for nature and seeing the world, even on a shoestring budget; entertain readers with his often humorous observations and tales; and encourage other tramps to keep journals and share their adventures. (Summary by Michele Fry) (5 hr 30 min)

Chapters

I. We Set Out 6:40 Read by Larry Wilson
II. Boots 8:48 Read by George Banfield
III. The Knapsack 9:24 Read by Gila Labinger Freeberg
IV. Clothes 15:14 Read by jkilly
V. Carrying Money 7:03 Read by Rita Boutros
VI. The Companion 11:03 Read by ShrimpPhish
VII. Whither Away? 40:34 Read by Rita Boutros
VIII. The Art of Idleness 13:31 Read by Owlivia
IX. Emblems of Tramping 11:16 Read by valroth
X. The Fire 8:06 Read by John
XI. The Bed 10:27 Read by tshoes76
XII. The Dip 8:04 Read by Gila Labinger Freeberg
XIII. Drying After Rain 8:19 Read by valroth
XIV. Marching Songs 8:23 Read by Gila Labinger Freeberg
XV. Scrounging 7:40 Read by Michele Fry
XVI. Seeking Shelter 11:41 Read by Michele Fry
XVII. The Open 7:33 Read by tshoes76
XVIII. The Tramp as Cook 16:33 Read by Rita Boutros
XIX. Tobacco 8:23 Read by John
XX. Books 12:19 Read by ShrimpPhish
XXI. Long Halts 7:50 Read by John
XXII. Foreigners 12:04 Read by tshoes76
XXIII. The Artist's Notebook 33:45 Read by Owlivia
XXIV. Maps 8:47 Read by jkilly
XXV. Trespassers' Walk 12:06 Read by valroth
XXVI. A Zigzag Walk 25:22 Read by KevinS

Reviews

On the Road meets Travels with Charley


(5 stars)

with a hefty dose of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I'm not sure what that means but that's what my brain came up with to describe this wonderful book. this is definitely the product of a gentler age. Unfortunately, following the rather dated advice in this book in the modern age you would end up in detention in less than a day if you didn't get shot first, or robbed and hacked with machetes and dragged behind a Janjaweee technical on Tik-Tok.