How important are maps to you while hiking the AT?

We used the entire AT map set (sold by the ATC) for our thru-hike, and found them extremely helpful, not only for the elevation profile (which I have to concede, often seemed incorrect when you were actually HIKING it), but we also used it when we wanted to step off the trail and explore other areas around us, to find water sources that weren't always in Wingfoot (especially helpful for New York), and to get an overall sense of what every day would be bringing us.

We encountered quite a few thru-hikers who didn't invest in the maps, and consequently were ALWAYS peering over our shoulder or asking if they could "take a peek when we were done with that" to see elevation profile, etc. It got to be irritating pretty quickly...(especially when we were packed up and ready to go, and just waiting for the return of our map) but in trying to preserve trail harmony we never made a fuss about it. Just something to think about for those who are not considering them....(also, I have the complete set numbered and in order from South to North, if anyone would be interested in purchsing it at a discount from the ATC price)...

I carried maps on my thru hike, using a bump box, to recieve the next set. You really do not need them, but they made my hike alot more fun. I am a map person. I like maps. Plus, it gave me someting to look at and read on those lonely evenings.

AT users should be extremely appreciative that the AT is clearly (?)marked with white blazes, divergent trails marked in blue and its even marked where the intersection of a divergent trail is approaching and that you have the luxury of discussing whether to even use maps or not.

Its not the case on the CDT where map & compass is as needed as raingear. In some parts there is no trail at all, seldom is there any explanation for divergent trails-which may or usually may NOT be on the map- and the few CDT signs may-like other backpackers you'll see- be days apart.

I cant wait to try it. But I'll still take map & compass. Thats a habit I doubt I'll break!

Hey Jumpstart!

How Much?

Hi Sgt Rock,

The ATC web site sells them for $189 for non-members (the price we paid) and $150 for memebers...we'd let the whole set go for like $100 bucks, including the book for Maine..email me privately if you're interested and we can set it up...

Jumpstart

Maps are imoportsant. Not to mention great fun to have. HH

I didn't use maps until VT, and from there on I used them. I usually bought them for the elevation profile...but now I have a better reason.
Me and my partner were hiking along N of Gorham, in fact we were almost to Gentian Pond Lean To, when she got stung by a bee or a hornet (we're not sure which). Normally, this isn't a big deal, sure it hurts but that's it right? Wrong, my girlfriend happens to be allergic. So we keep hiking until the shelter, going slowly for obvious reasons. When we get there her hand is swollen to twice its size, the swelling is moving up her wrist, she has broken out in hives everywhere, and she is itchy all over, also, her eyes were getting puffy. So we throw some Benadryl down her throat and just in case, I go to get her Epi pen out of her pack. Guess what? That's right, somehow, somewhere, the Epi pen has gone MIA (missing in action). Oh sh.. not good. It is now obvious (even though its only been 10 minutes since we sat down) that we need to get off trail and to a hospital. So I pull out my MAPS!!! And find out the blue blaze right next to the shelter leads to a road, and its 3 miles....a lot shorter than backtracking on the AT. So off we go, the blue blaze runs into a forest service road, we find some people picking blueberries (after only a mile, thankfully) and they give us a ride to the emergency room. Full recovery, living happily everafter and all that jazz.
So I know this is really long, but THAT is the reason you need maps.
The books are fine, but when you need detail on roads, terrain etc..nothing beats a map. I will not do a long distance hike again w/out a map....
Yeti

Great example Yeti. Glad she is OK. I agree that emergency "replans" are probably the most important reason for maps on the AT (at least in the south, my only AT experience).

I might add though that maps are very helpful (if not essential) non-emergency replans. Numerous times I have used a map to change my trip plans (maybe I should have planned better, like SGT Rocks military attack plans). This June our maps allowed us to add some miles and interest to our trip on the move and helped us find a camping spot not in the guide book.

I also enjoy just messing with the map and compass to try to figure things out from overlooks. For me it adds to the experience.

Weeknd

Even with the exhaustive planning that goes into military actions, the unexpected is to be expected. Having up-to-date maps available is instrumental to having soldiers adjust plans on-the-fly and act with some level of reasonable independence.

I made good use of my trail map last Fall. I had just left Sam Moore Shelter heading north to Snickers Gap when I encountered a teenage girl with a tiny bookbag-type daypack hiking south. I asked her where she was heading and she said her folks house in Bluemont. She had been dropped off in Snickers Gap by a friend and was just enjoying an afternoon walk. Fortunately, I recalled seeing Bluemont on my map just northeast of Snickers Gap, and I also knew that the next road crossing to the south was about 15 miles. I convinced her that she was walking the wrong way. In retrospect, she could have died of hypothermia that evening if she hadn't found shelter and warmth.

Of course, as a computer science & geography major, I just love maps. But they can be useful even on the relatively narrow ridges of the central AT where civilization is never really very far away.

Nobody with any sense goes into the backcountry for 6 hours, let alone 6 months, without the best current map of the area they'll be visiting, and, needless to say the ability to read and use the map they're carring.

Whether it's to know, or to keep track of where you are; for use in an emergency (for your own use or to assist others); to pinpoint the location of lost, injured or otherwise at risk hikers; to assist search, rescue, or law enforcement personnel; for use when you need to get outtta the woods and back to a road or civilization as soon as possible, for whatever reason; to locate additional water sources than the ones immediately adjacent to the Trail; to plan your daily itinerary and hiking schedule; to help plan your food needs for each section depending on the terrain involved; to figure out where it'd be wise to have friends from home join you on your hike, and where they shouldn't; to help pick out where you want to end the day, pitch your tent, see a sunset; to help you plan your day so you get the worst part of the day's hiking over early on, while you're fresh and it's not too hot yet; to help plan your day so you don't end your day with a monster uphill; and on and on. There are all sorts of things Trail maps are good for. However, there's one main reason to carry them: Only a fool goes out into the backcountry without one.

Map buffs should check out the Historic USGS Maps at the UNH DIMOND LIBRARY. They have a collection of awesome "antique" topo maps. Get to the Monson maps via the following link:

http://docs.unh.edu/towns/MonsonMaineMapList.htm

Omar,
"You're young 'til you die"

Maps of the AT help somewhat. I mainly carry them in case of an emergency, to find roads, towns, trails, etc.

the maps are good for reference..

BUT, the A.T. is marked so well & so well defined (let alone the numbers of people out there for six-plus months)...it's almost impossible the get off the the trail (unless on purpose). :D






p.s. (i take the Data Book!) :D

I love maps. like to read em, mess with em, etc.

that said, i didnt carry a single map the whole length of the AT. just not needed. a weight trade off.

I always carried the map for the section I was hiking. For all the reasons Jack mentioned.

If hiking in a place I know intimately, like Shenandoah or Grayson, I don't often carry maps. But anyplace else, definitely.

For weight consideration, I did not carry any guidebooks, Data Book, Wingfoot, or Companion. Instead, I photocopied the relevant parts from each plus the elevation profile from the map, cut-and-pasted (the old fashioned way, with scissors and glue) to a single sheet for what I figured would be a day's distance. Then made a photocopy of THAT on more durable paper. So for say, five days, I only carried five sheets of paper--with the one I needed that day in my pocket in a ziploc for ease of referral. The other sheets stayed in my pack in the same ziploc as my other paperwork until needed. Sometimes the text for a day's hike would spill over to the other side of the sheet, sometimes not. If I didn't stick to the exact estimate of what a day's hike would be (happened a lot!)--not a big deal--just get out the next sheet mid-day.

It's a lot of pre-hike prep work, but better to save weight this way than to do without the maps IMO.

Like a lot of things, it depends on your comfort level. There are lots of things you can carry that you may never need - map, compass, first aid kit, knife, fire starter, whistle, etc., etc. For 99 out of 100 hikes on the AT, you aren't going to need them. But, if the right thing goes wrong ...

I'm the type who can pore over a map for hours. Sure, on the AT your route is largely predetermined. But I still enjoying soaking in a map's details and exploring its possibilities. A good map can also serve as either a window into the future or a review of the past. Surely I'm not the only one who's relived a favorite trip by pulling out a map some winter evening and retracing the route I followed way back when. But then again, competing in orienteering meets twice a month or so may slightly bias my opinion towards maps :)

I'm the type who can pore over a map for hours. Sure, on the AT your route is largely predetermined. But I still enjoying soaking in a map's details and exploring its possibilities. A good map can also serve as either a window into the future or a review of the past. Surely I'm not the only one who's relived a favorite trip by pulling out a map some winter evening and retracing the route I followed way back when. But then again, competing in orienteering meets twice a month or so may slightly bias my opinion towards maps :)I'm with you Saint. I don't remember all the details of my trips, but when I pull out the maps, a lot more comes to mind: miles covered, campsites, break rests, views, etc.

I think maps can be a great help on the AT, or any other trail, for that matter.

They usually can aid you in finding your pace on the trail, and are a great help if you ever get yourself into an emergency situation that involves getting off the trail.

I usually don't use them, but would probably look into getting some kind of area maps on my next trip.

You can usually buy detailed state maps for 5-6 bucks each. Combine that with a good data book and you won't need to spend $150+ on a set of AT maps....for those who are thrifty.

Maps are not really needed on the AT but they are vital to your journey. It is good to know position on the trail for all sort of reasons. I might add do not put much faith in the profiles because they can mess up your mind.
Life is good........Swamp Dawg

Maps are not really needed on the AT but they are vital to your journey. It is good to know position on the trail for all sort of reasons. I might add do not put much faith in the profiles because they can mess up your mind.
Life is good........Swamp Dawg

Well, for a few miles anyway. Most of us quickly figure out that the contour interval hides all those PUDS. And that the height of mountains is exaggerated so it doesn't all look like a gentle wavy line. Of course if you carry your own maps rather than looking over someone's shoulder, you could read the map legends and directions before starting to hike, thus the learning curve would be reduced.

Weary

I once saw a hiker seemingly studying his profile map in the shelter the night before hitting Roan Mt. In the morning, he got to the next road crossing and quit the trail and headed home. The profile map (elevation) scared the hike out of him.

I would rather be surprised with my days unfolding than always knowing where i will be and what's coming up. Of course, having already done the AT, i only carry the data book.
I did get lost pretty bad in the Smokies once when i was carrying a map because i was in a different ravine (started out looking for water) than i thought and ended up spending a day lost. I think if i wouldn't have made the mistake (there is no way for traingulation in some of the steep ravines in the foggy smokies usually), if i wouldn't have felt the confidence because i had a map along.
I think perhaps the Delorme Gazeteer maps would be better than the ATC maps because they show a much bigger range and the AT corrider is well marked with the white blazes of course. (of course you'd have to buy 13 of them to have the whole trail) ( i don't think you'd need WV) anyway, that's my 2 cents on AT maps.
Of course western USA hiking is a lot different as you are often away from trails, or marked trails anyway. Good map reading skills are really needed there. Perhaps you can hone these skills on the AT first. but Tringulation is a lot easier when you are in a more Alpine environment compared to the "Green Tunnel" of the AT.
I do think a small compass is a good idea on the AT, just because i often forget which way i came into the shelter the night before and have found myself going the wrong way already.
to each his own

The AT is the only trail that I didn't use maps on. My primary guide was the data book. My pace is so constant that I know what time I'll be getting to the resupply road or the water source. The AT is so well blazed and marked with signs that it's easy to follow and know where you are on it. When we got to Maine Tex found that he needed to go home. He gave me his maps which told me that he wasn't coming back. I looked at the maps a couple times but realized it was a waste of my time and information I didn't need. Then I was hiking down a mountain and there was Tex coming up. He'd done a flip flop when he came back to the trail. He'd bought replacement maps of Maine. To me using maps on the AT is like wearing both a belt and suspenders.

Nobody with any sense goes into the backcountry for 6 hours, let alone 6 months, without the best current map of the area they'll be visiting, and, needless to say the ability to read and use the map they're carring.
Or you can take the Onstar for the trail... aka Baltimore Jack :) (I hear they are making a smaller model?)

How important are maps to you while hiking the AT?
Maps are like air bags in an automobile. They are only rarely "needed" but most find air bags pretty critical on those admittedly rare occasions.

Maps have a secondary value, of course, for those of us with a bit of curiosity about the country we are walking through. I like to know the names of adjacent hills, where roads lead to, the names of lakes, and other features.

Weary

I can get lost in my own backyard, so yes, I find maps to be very helpfull.

I didn't use maps and I didn't anticipate needing them on the AT. As I suspected, they were not that helpful. That being said, I would have a quick look at other people's if they had them. The elevation profiles could be handy to know what kind of day you were in for, but often I'd rather just hike and take it as it came.

A thru-hiker, if nothing else, should be self-sufficient. Depending on other people,or taking for granted that you'll always have the opportunity to take advantage of other folks and what they're equipped with, is generally a bad mindset. One wouldn't depend on other hikers for food, shelter, clothing, and so on....assuming that when you want to look at a map, there ll always be someone around to lend you theirs....well, this is not only wrong, and not only the wrong attitude to adopt regarding self-sufficiency (never mind respect for your fellow hikers) but it can be dangerous as well. In an emergency situation, such as an injury, bad weather, unexpected reason to leave the Trail in a hurry, etc.------in an emergency situation, time is often critical. If you're sitting on your ass for two hours waiting for someone to come along whose forsight and preparedness you can conveniently mooch off of, well this seems careless to say the least. A map is only any good if you have it on your person and are perpared to use it. Assuming you can always use somebody else's is not a good philosophy. One wouldn't do this with any other piece of gear or equipment; maps are no different.

You don't really need maps on most well-maintained trails. I just carry them because I like 'em so much.

One good reason to carry maps is that children love them. I don't know about other people's kids, but mine definitely want and need to know what's ahead of us on a particular day. And a casual "we'll take it as it comes" doesn't seem to do it for them! It may be just a hiking version of "are we there yet?" but my kids really like to see what elevation changes and landmarks are ahead of us on any given day; taking it more free-form seems to result in (even) more whining, somehow.

Jane in CT

I love maps! In our house I am the Queen of the Map! Or the Master Navigator as I call myself.

Maps do more then just point the way - a good map will show you things you would miss otherwise. I love finding surprises here and there when hiking.

And thanks to Sgt. Rocks wonderful site with its compass lesson I am finally learning the proper way to use a compass and map together.:banana

I love maps! In our house I am the Queen of the Map! Or the Master Navigator as I call myself.

Maps do more then just point the way - a good map will show you things you would miss otherwise. I love finding surprises here and there when hiking.

And thanks to Sgt. Rocks wonderful site with its compass lesson I am finally learning the proper way to use a compass and map together.:bananaJust don't buy a Tate brand compass.

One thing a lot of hikers could use is a beginner's class on the use of a map and compass. It really could mean the difference between getting out of a jam or not. I'd like to see the ALDHA do some sort of seminar on it at a Gathering soon.

One thing a lot of hikers could use is a beginner's class on the use of a map and compass. It really could mean the difference between getting out of a jam or not. I'd like to see the ALDHA do some sort of seminar on it at a Gathering soon.

Here's one.

http://www.gpsnuts.com/myGPS/GPS/Tutorials/Maps/maps.htm :D

That's a good one.

I also think this one still has some legs:

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/mapcompass.shtml

I intended to detail several reasons I haven't read yet why I don’t feel the need to use the ATC map on the AT unless I think I might detour using side trails.

Then I read the authoritative, “Nobody with any sense goes into the backcountry ... without the best current map ...” and “... Only a fool goes out into the backcountry without one.” (Post #11)

I won’t bother elaborating upon my initial idea. Why would one waste valuable time reading the writings of someone identified as a fool, with no sense?

There apparently is no need to read more, so, no need to write further on this topic.

I think this guy only used "Road Maps" and not the entire hike ?
Didn't he mostly just talk to other hikers from the various hiking clubs
about the trail ahead ?

Is it against some self-sufficient rule to ask another hiker or local for
directions and insight about the trail, etc., as one meets them ?
Sheese I am looking forward to this part of my hike a lot !!

I love maps with a passion, but the weight and expense seem to
much for my taste. Besides I like a little 'adventure' when I play outside.

:banana

sorry bout that ........:o

I intended to detail several reasons I haven't read yet why I don’t feel the need to use the ATC map on the AT unless I think I might detour using side trails.

Then I read the authoritative, “Nobody with any sense goes into the backcountry ... without the best current map ...” and “... Only a fool goes out into the backcountry without one.” (Post #11)

I won’t bother elaborating upon my initial idea. Why would one waste valuable time reading the writings of someone identified as a fool, with no sense?

There apparently is no need to read more, so, no need to write further on this topic.

If you don't agree with post #11 then explain why. Last time I checked there was a free exchange of ideas going on here. I have certain areas that I hike/backpack in where I do not feel the need to have a map with me. To imply that you have useful input, but are withholding it because of another's post is not in the spirit of an open forum. Why comment at all?

I intended to detail several reasons I haven't read yet why I don’t feel the need to use the ATC map on the AT unless I think I might detour using side trails.

Then I read the authoritative, “Nobody with any sense goes into the backcountry ... without the best current map ...” and “... Only a fool goes out into the backcountry without one.” (Post #11)

I won’t bother elaborating upon my initial idea. Why would one waste valuable time reading the writings of someone identified as a fool, with no sense?

There apparently is no need to read more, so, no need to write further on this topic.
Jack is a bit hyperbolic at times, but he's essentially right. Maps have many interesting uses on the trail. But among the most important is safety. Sure, it's fun to live dangerously. And it's true. Situations of real danger are rare. But when they happen most find it nice to have a map close at hand, and at least rudimentary knowledge about how to use same.

Part of the fun of a thru hike -- and all long distance backpacking, for that matter -- is the sense of self sufficiency that comes from carrying all you need to explore wild areas without seeking help.

Weary