How much planning is actually necessary, other than buying equipment? Do i REALLY need to do any maildrops? Is it ESSENTIAL that i get equipment of a certain quality? Will I be okay with no plan, and just showing up at the trail with somewhat decent equipment, and having no packages waiting for me anywhere? Just trying to get an idea of how much work one actually needs to put in before showing at Springer. (Ok…or Katahdin, before anyone gets worked up)
C-Giddy
Well, there is a lot of debate about how much planning, if any, is appropriate.
Do you need maildrops? No, there are always alternate ways to resupply. But, some places make it very tough to resupply. Now, the way to figure that out is to make a plan for resupply every 3 to 7 days. For example, how are you going to get through New Hampshire. Sure, stock up in Hanover. But, where is the next place to stock up? Read the Companion or Wingfoot and figure it out.
Another thing. What about maps? Are you going to carry 2000 miles worth of maps with you, or pick them up along the way. Assuming that you pick them up periodically, then you will need maildrops.
Do you need quality equipment? No, truefully. You see all different types of equipment out there. You see some with the high end stuff, others with Walmart, others with army surplus, and still others with antiques. The fact is that you need to get equipment that works for you.
Will you be OK with no plan? Well, I certainly suggest that you have a plan for where you are going to resupply next. After all, I doubt that you are going to show up with 5 months worth of food in your pack. Plus, your family and friends should have some idea of where you are, and where you expect to be when.
So, my advice is to make a baseline plan that includes all your resupply places, and how many days you plan to resupply for.
Peaks
I thought i had heard somewhere that the maps are just extra weight and that you don’t really need them. What’s the real deal on this?
C-Giddy
you dont need a map to follow the A.T., but they come in handy to find things that are off the trail. Have to remember that the A.T. itself is just a narrow trail, with a map, you will find all the stuff off on the sides that you might want to check out
mdjeeper
Just a quick note. U.S topograpic maps are really bad. They are nice to look at if you like maps (which I do) but they are inaccurate, show no features and poorly scaled. The best map i saw was the Natioanal Park map for the Smokies and even then…
I’m pretty sure seasoned thru’s carry the data book and not much else. Or even copying milages from books onto bits of paper you throw away in the next town. We copied milages of the way markers. We also learned to never trust the maps.
Ross
c-Giddy
I put your name instead of mine. Bearing in mind that moment of stupidity, ignore everything i said. I am an unreliable source of information.
Ross 
Ross
I hiked the AT and never needed a topo map the entire trip. However, I did use the data book and Wingfoot’s guide book. If you really want to be “hardcore”, you can actually hike the AT with no maps and no books. Just follow the white blazes and you will eventually complete the AT.
Mapless
are the US topographic maps the ones that the ATC puts on with their holiday special? how are those maps?
C-Giddy
Sure you can hike without maps but it’s pretty irresponsible to do so for safety reasons alone. If you or someone else is injured how are you gonna know the quickest rote off the mountain to get help? Seasoned hikers like myself and Baltimore Jack, 32,000 trail miles between us, carry maps at all times. Carry them. They weigh nothing. More useful than a f##king cell phone.
wolf
i used my data book almost exclusively; sent the maps home. data book was useful; maps extra weight
Big Boy
beware of a tirade I may go on…grrr.simma 
Wolf is right on. Sure hundreds have hiked the trail without maps. They were lucky. Its totally irresponsible to go out without maps. Sure any joe can follow the blazes but are you gonna know how to find the quickest trail/route/road to get to help if you need it. Maybe some other hiker may injure themselves and you’ll be of little help if you can’t get them to civilization. I’ve read a couple recent journals where hikers talked of descending/exiting the mahoosucs due to bad weather on the Sucess Pong Trail or Carlo Col Trail. Without the maps there would be know way you’d know these trail exist or where they lead. The fact is with a good map and some decent reading and a thumb to hitch you can be from the mahoosucs (middle of nowhere to Gorham NH in less than an hour). Maps are hardly gonna seem like extra weight when you NEED them. And if you don’t bring them chances are you’ll be hanging over someones shoulder every day checkin out the profiles and climbs. From someone who did carry maps that can be annoying constantly giving urs to others who didnt feel like spendin the loot or carrying them. The ATC has a great holiday sale where they are half off. Try buying them from alumnni hikers. I got mine used for 50 bucks.
And yes, do as much planning as possible. The best way to plan in my opinion is to read the journals on this site. That is how I knew what to expect day in and day out as opposed to so many others who had no concept of the AT when they hit springer (hard to believe right?). You sure can go with no drops, but just be prepared, flexible and have a plan if things go wrong. Having money for emergencies and support at home are invaluable incase something goes wrong. Chances are over six months, something will.
Good luck and sorry to rant on. This is an important topic.
A-Train
These posts have been very helpful, and i didnt’ think it was a “rant” at all. I’m just thankful that there are people out there willing to take the time to write a post long enough to give me the information i need. So thank you thank you thank you. All of you.
C-Giddy
…were both helpful and a pain. The profiles are often unrealistic, and I didn’t often use the topo part. HOWEVER…on the day that my hiking partner and I got stranded on top of Mt. Madison, the map was a lifesaver. We were able to figure out another route off the mountain and safely made it to a road. It does add a bit of extra weight, but I felt it was well worth it.
Woods Dragon
What he said about maps.
As for planning, there’s 2 schools of thought on this. Some people plan their whole itinerary beforehand with 20+ maildrops. God bless 'em. Others, like me, planned out how to get to Neels Gap and packed a bounce box. IMHO, it’s easier to plan from resupply to resupply on the trail, looking ahead one resupply in case you need to send some food ahead. I know that when I was home preparing, I’d look at the data book and maps and realize that it’s all a big guess anyway - I had no idea whether I’d be hiking 12 or 20 miles per day by the time I hit Virginia and I’d rather let my body decide that once I was out there rather than be influenced by a guess and under/over do it.
I also liked the freedom it gave me to pop into a town I hadn’t planned on going to and skipping the one I had planned on or to hike as fast/slow as I felt like. The least enjoyable parts of my hike were when I had to plan a few weeks ahead to meet someone. I always felt like I was hiking on the clock - if I want to get to Y by next week, I have to get at least to X today.
I was glad I PREPARED (tested my gear, marked up the data book to make it easier to read, put a lot of thought into my bounce box) rather than planned. But I’m sure most planners were glad they did. I think it’s whatever makes you feel good mentally.
Wedding Singer
Well, I for one, planned everything ahead of time. My boxes were all lined up on a table in the basement. But they were left open, and not closed up. Every box had a ship date.
Now, as I hiked along, I would phone home and adjust the contents and ship date accordingly. Typically, each box had some maps in it, several pages of Wingfoot, film, and food.
I never felt like I was hiking on the clock. Hey, the box will still be there.
Freedom to pop into towns? As long as I had food in my pack, I would carry through. After all, one of my goals was to hike the trail, not spend time in small town America.
Bounce box? I didn’t need one and didn’t use one.
Peaks
My wife would always send my maps and guidebook pages for the next section or State to a PO that I was going to go right by anyway so I was never weighed down by them and it was never an inconvenience to pick them up. Same plan for a bounce box or gear replacement sent from home. Reading hiker journals was the biggest help for me in planning.
Chief
Thanks to all for this post. Information just when I need it. I am debating on whether to buy the whole trail map set while it is still on sale. I understand that the guide books are heavy, plan to ditch them. I love maps, wouldn’t have as much fun or feel safe without one. What I don’t understand is the difference between the Data Book and the Companion. Do I need both? Are they different? One better than the other? Not familiar with Wingfoot book. Please advise.
Quilter
Maps have an extra use if you’re not a shelter-dweller. You can observe things like, “That’s a narrow ridge-- no camping there. But there’s a saddle I could probably settle into…”
Eric