Trial Guides - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Beginning to plan an AT trip in 07. What are the pros and cons in regard to the purchase of the $200+ worth of trail guides? Are they worth it or will the data book do it?

All advice welcome.

jdcool

#2

don’t bother buying them. they’re useless, expensive and out of date. I carried the first 2 on my thru hike, and really couldn’t find any pros whatsoever (anyone who’s hiked the A.T will tell you how much you need topo maps to navigate on it:lol )
If I were you, I’d invest $16.95 (or however much it is now) in wingfoot’s book, and call it good. better than the data book or the guide books (thru hikers handbook www.trailplace.com) just don’t believe everything he says about the “rules” :lol

Remy

#3

I wouldn’t buy them. On my '03 sobo, I saw plenty of hikers with them, but all they were good for was looking at the topo profiles and fretting and worrying about the ups and downs, but the entire AT is nothing but ups and downs, so what’s the difference? You don’t need the trail guides to tell you that. I found the AT Data Book to work perfectly well, along with the Thru-hikers Companion. You can tear out and mail the pages you need for each section. The most important thing, I think, is knowing where the water sources are and what you can find in the trail towns.

John Galt

#4

DITTO to what Mr.Galt said!!!

southpaw

#5

There is some benifit to having the maps, (not the guidebooks though) Wingnuts book does not give you all of the elivations. ie. he will tell you point A is at x elivation and point B is at y elivation, but it doesnt’ say that you have to climb 2000 feet in between the 2 points. Its nice to see the elivations on the map and know what sort of climbs you will be making

HeartFire

#6

I carried the maps. And everytime I took them out near other hikers that didn’t have them, they were on me like a duck on a june bug!! They would sit and study the maps for a long time in the shelters. And if they knew I had them when on the trail at breaks they would ask to see my maps.

Could I hike the AT without them, sure. But would I, no. I just enjoy looking at them. They also give me some idea of what relationship I am to access roads and communities. They came in handy twice when we had to bushwack to get someone off the trail for medical reasons. One section (first hike) hiker was in bad shape in VA and had only hiked 14 miles in two days and had to hike 23 the next day of the roughest trail to get to his pickup ride. We were able to bushwack him only 2 miles to the road and he hitched to his pickup point. The data books can’t do that.

The AT is not a difficult trail from the stand point of getting lost. There is a considerable amount of hiker traffic and well marked trail for the most part. But there are some sections in the south, New Hampshire and Maine they I wouldn’t want to get off of the trail and try to find my way back to civilization.

One serious problem is not the maps but people lacking orienteering skills (the use of a compass). They couldn’t use the map effectively if they had one.

To carry or not to carry…that is the question! Whether tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune …

You’ll make it either way.

Have a great hike!

Papa Smurf

#7

I agree with Papa Smurf. I carried the maps and the data book. I founf the maps a great asset to my enjoyment of the trail but not a necessity. Wingfoot’s book is misleading many times and misses lots of things that you would see from the maps such as possible water sources and minor road crossings. Wingfoot’s book and/or the companion are needed to help with finding your way around towns for resupply. The guide books themselves are not worth a lot on the trail but I like to read them from the comfort of my couch for planning purposes and general enjoyment.

Big B

#8

I use the guidebooks to get the overall flavor of where I’m going, and I’ve, occasionally, taken them with me for camp reading and to help find water when things are real dry. The best use of the maps I’ve had is trying to predict where I’ll have to camp, when, without having to trek through the dark to reach a shelter or tent site. A lot of my hiking was done years ago (60’s) when maps and guides were not too detailed; I’m a map freak anyway.

Silver Fox

#9

If only all the map sets were like the new MATC ones, I’d say get them! But, they’re not… For planning, get the Databook, check out the resupply information on WhiteBlaze.net, and look at (for free) the ATC’s ALDHA Thruhikers’ Companion at www.aldha.org. If you find the Companion useful, please consider joining ALDHA and/or buying a hard copy from the ATC’s website at www.appalachiantrail.org. Plan at home, take the Databook pages you need with you on the hike.

TJ aka Teej

#10

I was just wondering, in general are mileages more accurate in the Databook or the Companion.

I’m planning a section hike from Harper’s Ferry to 501 Shelter in a couple of weeks. There are several mileage dicrepencies. Usually just a few tenths of a mile, but one or two were of over a mile.

It’s no big deal, but just wondering if one was condsidered more accurate?

Lyle

#11

I thought wingnut’s book was great considering the trail is ever changing. His book is all you really need. But when you get past H Ferry (going north) his book is less acurate.
I was relying on his book so much I was peed off one time for a simple error. But did I notify him -No, I am too lazy and it was not significant.

1/4 of the way

#12

I love maps!! But man they are heavy. I will take them on short hikes, when I can handle the map weight. Long journey’s I would have to say data book. I also like to rip out the pages of the hikers companion along with the data book. I guess it is what you like… if you like maps and you don’t mind the weight carry them. I like to look at all kinds of maps. WEll have a fun trip. Peace OZ

bktoOz

#13

I was e-mailing the ATC a question about maps, and Laurie Potteiger responded. She was most helpful, but she also told me that the editor of their Thru-Hiker Companion (Cindy) is on the trail this year, doing her 3rd thru-hike, in order to personally update/verify the accuracy of the info in the Companion. These changes will be made in the 2007 edition. Just thought I’d pass that info onto everyone.

Michele