trying to decide which guidebook or maps to use for a thru hike…although ive camped in the sequoia area and ive been online researching for a month,im not real familiar with the PCT…my main concern is the resupply factor, i dont mind getting lost as long as i can get food/water before dying of thirst or starvation…any advice really appreciated, thanx
barbecue
i mean, good grief…how many guidebooks does one need to take on a trail? i just want one guidebook, which would indicate possible resupply points and any areas where the trail would be in question…
barbecue
I did well enough with the main one called “PCT Guidebook”. It has what you’re asking for. So does the “PCT Atlas”. Bigger maps, no text.
You also might do well by googling “Halfmile’s PCT maps”, printing them out, and then using “craig’s pct planner” and trailjournals info to mark in possible resupply options. I think to do over again, i might try that way.
markv
barbecue, Yogi’s book has what you need. The PCT Atlas is overpriced and is reported to have many mistakes. A good combination is Yogi’s book and Half Mile’s maps.
Christopher
just print off the water report for the first 700 miles and annotate it with your own notes that you can get from other hikers. After that the Data Book is all you need. The PCT is hard to get lost on. Usually just the shear volume of tracks on the PCT and all the hiking pole drags will lead you the correct way at intersections.
Erick the Blacks guidebooks are kind of out of favor with hikers since they offer misleading info. He hiked in 07 and lists water caches that were there in 07 as a source when they actually don’t exist today. Plus he tells you to camp in illegal spots next to small streams in the desert, and other irresponsible things that should never be in print.
Halfmiles maps are awesome and free. They are just costly to print though. You might want these for the Sierras though if you want to navigate through snow covered trail.
The wilderness press guidebooks are great sources of all kinds of info, but they are heavy. I have used these and have learned to appreciate the maps, when once I thought they were inadequate. The excessive info on all the natural history and stuff does add weight, but is good reading.
Yogis is a great book, Though expensive. Yogis guide will actually make a new hiker feel confident about starting. I read and re read her guide before my PCT 07 hike. She also has a data book included in her guide. There is great entertainment value in some of her water source descriptions. “Gross Disgusting water” was usually a pretty decent source after seeing the nasty ones the desert offered.
Guino
I like Eriks guides. They are handy and concise. Yes, there are some errors but the trail is an ever-changing entity and few guidebooks are error free. Even the water report will be out of date within a couple of weeks of printing it out.
I hiked with the water report and Eriks guides and had no problems. They are expensive though.
I also had notes from Yogis guide as well but didnt really need to consult them. They’re good for general tips and resupply/town info.
jalan
I’m going to do the PCT for the first time. Being from the east I don’t now whatto expect, but yogi’s guide help releive a lot of anxiety about that. I’m going with her town guide and Halfmile’s maps.
Dale
I hiked the PCT in Washington last year. I was going southbound and found Eric the Black’s guide the best. I had Halfmile’s maps and the official guide as well. If I could only bring one it would be Eric’s because it has all the info needed; maps of the trail, water sources, camping locations, town resupply info, and a large area map which is indispensible. If you tried to put all these together with other sources, I think it would cost a lot more than Eric’s guides. Are they perfect? No. But nothing is.
Finally, if you are hiking the PCT southbound in Washington, you will find that all the trail markers and signs are oriented for the northbound hiker. Hiking south it is very easy to miss the signs and markers. So when anyone says it is difficult to get lost, I say that may be true if you are hiking northboun. But hiking southbound it is easy to go off trail, at least in Washington.
Rodney