For those who could get their hands on it, the self-published edition of 'Blue Mountain Buckskin' inspired generations of home tanners. This underground classic

First edition published under title, Deerskins into buckskins: how to tan with natural materials; a field guide for hunters and gatherers, c1997.

For the westerner trouble came with the territory. Long grass valleys, merciless deserts, sheer rock cliffs, icy streams, hidden trails, dusty towns. These were