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How important are At maps? Are they necessary if you have a guide book?
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 16:28
Yes. That is about as straight forward as it gets.
Lone Wolf
09-25-2007, 16:28
How important are At maps? Are they necessary if you have a guide book?
do a search. this question has been asked a lot. but yes, maps are important. NEVER go in the backcountry without one. only a fool would
Appalachian Tater
09-25-2007, 16:32
What they said. Maps are crucial. They could save your life.
The Solemates
09-25-2007, 17:35
do a search. this question has been asked a lot. but yes, maps are important. NEVER go in the backcountry without one. only a fool would
i agree completely. but you yourself has said that the AT is not backcountry, and I also agree with that statement of yours.
but to answer the original question, take the maps if it gives you a sense of security. if you are a beginner hiker, thats even more reason to take the maps. otherwise, follow the white blazes.
shelterbuilder
09-25-2007, 19:02
The maps are important. But if the maps and the actual trail differ, trust the trail and give the maps a rest. The maps can give you a visual on the day's walk, and can get you "unlost" if you're good with map and compass, but don't check the maps every 1/2 hour or the miles will seem to drag on and on.:(
Jack Tarlin
09-25-2007, 19:16
Maps give a lot more than a sense of security.
They can save your life, or help you save someone else's.
I've been on any number of searches on the A.T. for lost hikers, or hikers who got lost helping other hikers, or hikers who got lost looking for a dog, etc. It happens more often that you'd think.
And that while these episodes were different, they all had one thing in common:
None of the lost people had a map on them.
To say that only beginning hikers need maps is simply not true.
In fact, it's usually only beginners or relatively inexperienced people that go without them.....more experienced, wiser people know better.
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 19:23
The less straight forward answer:
You can join the ATC (and you really should) and get the entire set for about $165. Now if you start from the proposition that you are going to take about 5.5 months to hike the AT, that means it really costs about $1 a day. The money goes to help support the trail organization that promotes and protects the trail. AND at the same time it gives you a tool to plan for your travel, identifiy surrounding terrain and features you are seeing, and it gives you an aid to navigation when you need a bail plan for safety or whatever. Sure a guide can tell you how far something is and what the mileage to certain points are, but when you are standing on a hill and can't find the trail a map can show you how the trail runs in relation to the lay of the land.
Blissful
09-25-2007, 19:36
Yes, yes yes to maps! We also liked having the elevation profiles as well to let us know what was coming. I liked having mine too when the AT took a turn and the blazing was poor. It happens more times than you think.
Tennessee Viking
09-25-2007, 22:15
Use the maps...they are helpful in giving you a good idea where the next trailhead is, elevation change, and nearest towns/hostels.
They are especially important in case of emergencies. I have heard a few stories where hikers didn't have a map and made it even tougher.
Heard of a hiker getting hurt at Overmountain Shelter, and needing to be carried out. A couple hikers helped injured back up to Carvers Gap. But if they looked at the maps, they could have hiked the road down to Roaring Creek, NC or down Overmountain Victory to Shell Creek, TN.
sweatoid
09-25-2007, 22:21
Another benefit of taking an AT map is because they show most of the side trails connecting to the AT. I've found that if you're not in hurry that it's worthwhile to explore them. With an AT map you see where the side trails go and if they run back into the AT or not.
atraildreamer
09-25-2007, 23:20
do a search. this question has been asked a lot. but yes, maps are important. NEVER go in the backcountry without one. only a fool would
Get a reliable compass, maybe a spare, also, even if it just one of those little button compasses on a keychain thing. Learn how to use it. A map is no good if you don't know which direction to go! Don't depend on a GPS unit. They can get broken, batteries die, etc.
BigwaveDave
10-13-2007, 16:04
I love my ATC maps, I try not to look at the elevation changes as some of them give me nightmares.
Yes to maps, nothing like knowing where you are when you want or need to know. And a compass works real well with a map, they go hand in hand, one in one hand , one in the other hand.
modiyooch
10-13-2007, 17:58
The only place that I have had an AT map is in the Whites and that was to show me how to get off the ridge if necessary. I do have 680 more miles to go and maybe that will change, but so far I have just carried the summary AT data book, and at times I will copy the road atlas for the section so that I know how to get back to my car. I didn't have the road map the first 200 mile stretch that I did. I don't consider this foolish. Basically, I am hiking a trail going south to north, or north to south and following white blazes.
take-a-knee
10-13-2007, 18:41
You don't need no stinkin' maps man, all you need is one of them thar new fangled GPS's, the guys on the Whiteblaze GPS thread assured me of that. I don't need to worry about the batteries running down either 'cause they hardly ever do that.
Spare tires, spare parachutes, and extra ammo are also overrated.:D
I have to go now, I have to write a check for my life insurance.
Is there a way to get the maps a bit cheaper than 165$?
Jack Tarlin
10-13-2007, 20:04
Try E-Bay.
Or post an ad here. Quite a few people sell off entire sets every year, often at a great discount.
Painted Turtle
10-13-2007, 20:10
I love my maps. I would never sell them off. There are notes, dates and times all over them. In fact they are going with me when I go.
Appalachian Tater
10-13-2007, 20:26
If you want cheap maps, hike southbound. A lot of people abandon them in shelters but they always seemed to be the section I just covered!
Get the maps for all the very good reasons other people have said.
And I'll give another reason that has been mentioned in the past:
The people who don't buy the maps often ask to look at and borrow the maps of people who *DID* buy the maps. :-?
modiyooch
10-15-2007, 09:28
I don't buy the maps and I don't ask to look at the maps. Come on, how hard is it to follow white blazes? and when you get to a road crossing for a town and the data book tells you there is a town 2 miles East, how hard is that? I read so many complaints about too may blazes, trail signs, and how it is not true wilderness experience. Well, I do rely on the blazes, and the trail signs are a convenience; but I don't think the maps are necessary. Now, if you are blue blazing alot, and taking far too many shortcuts or side trips for beer, ... I can see why you carry the extra weight. I also don't carry the detailed guide book. Personally, I don't want to know what is around the next corner. I want to experience it. my 2 cents.
What they said. Maps are crucial. They could save your life.
Plus maps help make the trail more interesting. They tell you about the country you are walking. names of mountains, where roads lead, and where you are in relation to shelters, towns, view points, the surrounding landscape ....
Many of the complaints about the "long green tunnel" are from hikers who don't take an interest in their surroundings. With knowledge of wild things all of the trail is interesting. Maps are an important cog in supplying that knowledge.
Weary
I don't buy the maps and I don't ask to look at the maps..
As I said, MOST not ALL. I guess you get the gold star. :)
.
Now, if you are blue blazing alot, and taking far too many shortcuts or side trips for beer, ... I
Sigh. If you think that is the main reason for carrying maps you need to do more than just the Appalachian Trail.
As others have pointed out, there is a good chance you may not need the maps. But I do not think any experienced outdoors person will tell you that you absolutely should not carry them. Futhermore, as has been pointed out, even if you do not need them there is a good chance you may WANT them.
Personally, I don't want to know what is around the next corner. I want to experience it..
A movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/) just came out about a guy who said something similar... ;)
(Yes...I know Alaska and the AT are completely different. OTOH, this guy died only 5 miles from a road! )
Blissful
10-15-2007, 10:50
There are plenty of places where there are no white blazes to follow. Or in PA there are white blazes that mark land boundaries. Road crossings also can be tricky. Paul Bunyan was lost for five miles in ME thinking he was following white markings on a tree down a gravel road. I had the map, he had the guide book.
I don't know but I have not seen a thread complaining about too many blazes and road signs.
To me, the weight of map does not justify leaving it at home.
Appalachian Tater
10-15-2007, 10:54
T
To me, the weight of map does not justify leaving it at home.
To a lot of thru-hikers, it's probably the expense ($165), not the weight, that they're concerned about.
To me, there is one bad thing about maps: the profiles exaggerate the vertical dimension for legibility and can be terrifying. I prefer just to take the ups and downs as they come and not be worried about that "really steep one" that I'm going to have to climb at the end of the day.
_terrapin_
10-15-2007, 10:59
To me, there is one bad thing about maps: the profiles exaggerate the vertical dimension for legibility and can be terrifying. I prefer just to take the ups and downs as they come and not be worried about that "really steep one" that I'm going to have to climb at the end of the day.
The profiles lie. :D Sometimes they make gnarly chunks of trail look dead flat. I thought I was in for a couple of easy days heading south from Cloverdale... heh. Use the profiles "for what they're worth" but there's no point getting upset if the reality of the trail doesn't match the profile. In the end, the trail is always right, and the maps are only a representation.
earlyriser26
10-15-2007, 11:00
98% of the time you don't need a map on the A.T. The other 2% of the time a map is the only thing you need. After a few times when I got on the wrongy side trail a map has come in very handy. Even when I wasn't lost, such as the time I went the wrong way at the Ossgood tent site in the Presidentials, it allowed me to find another way to connect back to the trail without climbing back uphill for 2 miles. They are also helpful when you have to unexpectedly leave the trail.
Blissful
10-15-2007, 11:02
To a lot of thru-hikers, it's probably the expense ($165), not the weight, that they're concerned about.
.
For sure, the expense can be a lot. We took a year or more to gather our maps. It's good to budget for it. And like others have said, you can sell them later.
Modiyooch mentioned the weight of maps in his post, which is why I said it.
modiyooch
10-15-2007, 11:03
yes, alaska and the AT are by far two different hikes. I didn't say, don't ever carry maps when hiking. I said that I didn't think they were needed to compliment the AT data book and the white blazes. The summary data book tells me elevations, roads, distances, shelters, viewpoints. I have been misdirected on the AT before when I first started, but I used my wits to get back. I don't feel a compass is necessary either. I'm on a trail that is headed from Ga to Maine. The sun comes up in the east and settles in the west. I am following a well marked trail. I am more of a hiker than a history buff. And yet, I do get the history somehow. I can also experience a flower without knowing it's scientific name. Everyone has their own hike. It was just my 2 cents.
modiyooch
10-15-2007, 11:20
But I do not think any experienced outdoors person will tell you that you absolutely should not carry them. Futhermore, as has been pointed out, even if you do not need them there is a good chance you may WANT them.
I am an experienced outdoors person and I don't think they are necessary, as well as a lot of other things people tend to carry, but I would never advise anyone on what they should or should not carry. The weight and contents of one's pack is their own business. Where is my gold star??
I am an experienced outdoors person and I don't think they are necessary, as well as a lot of other things people tend to carry, but I would never advise anyone on what they should or should not carry. The weight and contents of one's pack is their own business. Where is my gold star??
:D
Here you go. (http://readhead.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/gold-star.jpg)
You'll have to print it out and post on your fridge I'm afraid.
Judge for yourself if you need the maps or not. Just pay attention to the person who is advocating not to bring maps vs the people who say to bring maps ... ;)
Appalachian Tater
10-15-2007, 11:56
I am an experienced outdoors person and I don't think they are necessary, as well as a lot of other things people tend to carry, but I would never advise anyone on what they should or should not carry. The weight and contents of one's pack is their own business. Where is my gold star??
There are certain things you carry that you hope you do not have to use, but you carry them anyway because of the possible consequences if you need them and don't have them.
For instance, someone who is allergic to bees might carry an epinephrine syringe but be grateful they never actually have to use it. You may never need a map because you stick to the well-blazed A.T. but if you need it, you might really need it.
This summer, I was hiking a less well-blazed trail and if it had not been for a map and compass, there were two times when I would have been completely lost. It would have taken me a couple of hours to get to another human to find out were I was and get re-oriented.
modiyooch
10-15-2007, 12:18
Agreed. If I was allergic to bees; I certainly would carry a syringe. I carry migraine medications and hope that I don't need it. But, that is basically the extent of my first aid kit.
I did carry the map through the Presidentials for emergency purposes. Didn't need it, but I had it.
I don't carry poles, but that is whole other debate. If you want to carry poles; that's fine with me, but I'm not foolish because I choose not to. It is educated decisions on my part based on my experiences.
Now, I am almost positive that I carry things that one may not. Water for one, especailly in areas that have been extremely dry. An external pack, for another, simply because I like the compartments. I carry a tent, because I CANNOT STAND THOSE PESKY MICE.
We each have our own hikes. I have made it roughly 1500 miles without the maps, I've been lost twice but figured it out, and I think that my game plan works for me.
modiyooch
10-15-2007, 12:24
A movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/) just came out about a guy who said something similar... ;)
(Yes...I know Alaska and the AT are completely different. OTOH, this guy died only 5 miles from a road! ) Mags, give me some credit. It's not like I attempt MT Hood in Nov/Dec. I don't even encourage thru hikers to be in NC/TN in the winter. Actually, I don't understand Jan/Feb hiking in the Smokies. It sounds more risky to me than not having the map.
Cosmic Crusader
10-16-2007, 06:44
Mags, give me some credit. It's not like I attempt MT Hood in Nov/Dec. I don't even encourage thru hikers to be in NC/TN in the winter. Actually, I don't understand Jan/Feb hiking in the Smokies. It sounds more risky to me than not having the map.
Risky yes, but for some of us that enjoy winter hiking climbing or camping you generally get a more private and quiet experience, but do carry maps so you can find your way when there are no trails. You kinda need to make some calls like this based on your own level of experience. I dont generally carry maps in the summer if I hike, but always in the winter, same with going light with pack - lighter pack may be nice in june, but try it in jan and you might not be the one carrying it out.
shelterbuilder
10-16-2007, 07:20
I posted this idea to another thread, but it bears repeating here. A good map can give you an idea of where water may be found in drought years like this one. Personally, if the usual springs are dry, and the map shows a possible water source 500 - 800 feet down from the ridgetop, and I need water, I'm going down. I may not like going down, but I DO like a little drink from time to time. Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own well-being - having a good map and knowing how to read it just seems to be part of taking that responsibility seriously.
What to take with you, (http://www.hikesafe.com/index.php/planning_your_hike/gear_list/full_gear_list) including the 10 essentials list ie. map+compass
"Hike Safe, it's your responsibility"
This article is from one of the most hiker rescue prone areas in the country, NH and the Presidentials
Rockman1
11-11-2007, 21:17
I agree that maps are important to have for emergencies, but other than that, I don't think they are needed. I referenced my maps a couple times a day on my thru-hike, but it was invariably out of interest rather than need. I never experienced an occasion when I desperately needed a map. Mainly I liked my maps just to more fully enjoy the territory I was hiking through.
- Rockman
I believe that maps are on most lists of the "ten essentials." I often hike sections without my guide books, but never, ever without the accompanying map (and compass, of course).