• The West Coast Trail is one of the best-known hiking trails in Canada and is considered by many to be one of the top backpacking trails in the world.
• Newly updated tenth edition of this bestselling, practical guidebook.
• More than 65,000 copies have been sold since the first edition in 1989.
• Reservations for the WCT open in April annually.

David Foster spent much of his trekking time checking out the flora and impressing others with his skill in building campsites and driftwood furniture (when not chasing mice out of his backpack). He was a retired school teacher-librarian, a master gardener, and an ardent nanny when in his award-winning Japanese shade garden. He passed away in 2019.

Wayne Aitken is frequently seen with his face in campfire smoke, tearfully preparing his culinary delights. He shamelessly followed in Dave’s footprints, particularly on soft, sandy beaches. Between treks, he may be seen trying to keep is kayak upright and his mountain bike in some else’s slip stream. Wayne continues to strive to keep Blisters and Bliss topical and current.

Nelson Dewey is an acclaimed cartoonist and illustrator. His work has appeared in numerous national magazines, comic books and movie story-boards. He has illustrated over 50 how-to books, but none as good as Blisters and Bliss. For more information, visit nelsondewey.com.

Media + Publicity Plans

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  Press release to print, online, and broadcast media, including CBC British Columbia, Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, BC BookWorld, BC Outdoors, BC Magazine, Global BC, NatureWild Magazine, Outdoor Canada magazine, Canadian Outdoorsman, Canadian Geographic, CHEK TV, Victoria Times Colonist, BCnature, Backcountry Travel, Outdoors Unlimited, Outpost Magazine, Outside Mag, The Tyee, Vancouver Is Awesome, Well-read Naturalist, West Coast Traveller, Cascadia Magazine, CFAX 1070, CITY-TV, CKNW 980, CTV BC, Daily Hive Vancouver, Field and Stream magazine,  Victoria Naturalist, Discovery magazine, etc.

• Included in social media campaigns and influencer outreach.
• Outreach to nature, travel and tourism organizations in coastal BC and Vancouver Island.
• Electronic ARCs.

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS: 
“Blisters and Bliss . . . was like the Bible, only with fewer locusts and better maps. Seriously, hiking the West Coast Trail without Blisters and Bliss would be like chucking the owners’ manual out of the rocket ship before blasting into space.”
—Jack Knox, Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour nominee, author of Fortune Knox Once


“No Fuddy-duddies, authors Foster and Aitken provide solid information to hiking the West Coast Trail. Spiced with humorous anecdotes that only years of trail slogging could produce. The illustrations by Nelson Dewey are a delight.”
—Backpacker Magazine


“At 145 pages, the book is thin enough to not be intimidating, but packs enough valuable information to be well worth the investment. There are route descriptions for every segment of the trail, and campsite recommendations for different treks lasting 5, 6, and 7 nights (north-to-south and vice-versa). And maybe best of all, the entire book is hilariously illustrated. Blisters and Bliss has been a WCT preparation favourite for over 30 years.”
—Outdoor Vancouver