Half Mile Maps: How many?

[NicNic]

Last year I hiked the Te Araroa and I found a company back at home who were able to print my maps on indestructible paper and i'm hoping to do the same for the PCT maps. I am currently trying to get a quote from the company but am unable to do this until I know roughly how many maps/pages there will be. I'm looking at getting them printed on A4 back to back. Does anyone know how many there were last year? as I know not all the maps are ready for this year yet.

Thanks for any help!

Nic

[Malto]

Read this. It will give you a very good print option for about $70. http://www.pctmap.net/faq/

[Coffee]

I have the first several CA segments printed by Yogis Books and I'm happy with the quality of the maps and paper. When ordering be sure to order only the maps that have been updated for 2015 and wait to order the rest of the maps until Halfmile finishes his updates in March.

[Sasquatch!]

Just use a smartphone. Take a compass for backup.

I use halfmiles waypoints with backcountry navigator. There are loads of options.

[bemental]

Rite in the Rain makes laser printer paper you could buy, do a DIY job:

http://www.riteintherain.com/categor...B98AB1428E2%7D

[bemental]

But I'm with Sasquatch!, smartphone in airplane mode as primary, minimalist paper maps waterproofed as backup.

[10-K]

But I'm with Sasquatch!, smartphone in airplane mode as primary, minimalist paper maps waterproofed as backup.

That would do it. The only place I'd really be concerned having good paper maps is between Kennedy Meadows and Sonora Pass and then I'd want something in case my phone went on the fritz.

[Malto]

Just use a smartphone. Take a compass for backup.

I use halfmiles waypoints with backcountry navigator. There are loads of options.

If the maps on the smartphone works then so would a compass app. If smartphone is dead then how do you navigate with a compass and no maps.

it is also funny how different advice is based on which year people hike. The last three years were low snow years, you could get by with a smartphone. In '10 and '11 there were two types of hikers. Those that had maps (or GPS) and knew how to use them and those that latched onto those hikers. I fear there is going to be a worst case weather event that will have a bunch of smartphone hikers stuck in the snow without a clue where to go because their smart phones died. All based on advice from record low snow year hikers.

[Coffee]

I'm one of the few hikers that I know of this year planning to carry paper maps. It seems like younger hikers in particular trust smartphones enough to not take any paper maps.

[bemental]

Hence my suggestion of minimalist, waterproof ed paper maps in reserve.

I'm off hiking the AT this summer, and haven't done much in the way of research for the PCT yet, so I'm not sure if you need the maps to truely navigate of if there are 'white blazes' as back east, but if you live by the adage of 'two is one, one is none' with your mission critical gear, you'll be better off than most.

In contrast, the maps provided by Awol or similar in the AT guidebooks could be considered a 'strip map', and are a great resource.

[10-K]

If the maps on the smartphone works then so would a compass app. If smartphone is dead then how do you navigate with a compass and no maps.

it is also funny how different advice is based on which year people hike. The last three years were low snow years, you could get by with a smartphone. In '10 and '11 there were two types of hikers. Those that had maps (or GPS) and knew how to use them and those that latched onto those hikers. I fear there is going to be a worst case weather event that will have a bunch of smartphone hikers stuck in the snow without a clue where to go because their smart phones died. All based on advice from record low snow year hikers.

I think maybe the suggestions that encourage smart phone use over paper maps may be *because* it is a low snow year.

I'm pretty sure if there were an epic amount of snow there would be more cautions against relying on electronics. For sure in a low snow year paper maps have much less value. Except in the Sierra (where I guess there is always snow, even in low snow years) paper maps are pretty much extra weight.

[10-K]

I'm one of the few hikers that I know of this year planning to carry paper maps. It seems like younger hikers in particular trust smartphones enough to not take any paper maps.

Just remember I said this because I don't expect to influence you one way or the other:

"From Campo to Kennedy Meadows, 8 ozs of umbrella is a lot more useful than 8 ozs of paper maps."

We'll talk about it again after your hike.

Guthooks app, combined with Halfmile's app is really overkill. The trail is very easy to follow and you'll be seeing hikers more or less constantly.

[Coffee]

10-K I suspect that you will be proven correct. There is probably a 99% probability that maps will be useless in Southern California. It is the 1% probability and the likely severity of not having maps that leads me to want to carry them. I tend to be very risk averse.

[Malto]

I think maybe the suggestions that encourage smart phone use over paper maps may be *because* it is a low snow year.

I'm pretty sure if there were an epic amount of snow there would be more cautions against relying on electronics. For sure in a low snow year paper maps have much less value. Except in the Sierra (where I guess there is always snow, even in low snow years) paper maps are pretty much extra weight.

the problem is it's not just about the Sierra snow pack. A late season snow in the Sierra could obliterate the trail. See picture below. Also, further north hikers get caught up in early fall storms and there have been some interesting adventures. Also, it's been a couple years since a SoCal storm has nailed the PCT hikers.

I did an May adventure race in the Bob Marshall Wilderness two years ago. Took an unexpected face plant in a stream that rose overnight. iPhone dead in spite of being in what I thought was a fully sealed ziplock and pouch. Instantly electronic device is gone. This is another hazard that is quite common on the PCT.

in 99% percent of cases your electronic maps will work just fine and 99% of the time you don't need maps. In the 1% of the time that it doesn't work will also be the same 1% that you also will need real maps. I can hear it now. "My phone always had plenty of charge, until this time." Or "my phone was always waterproof until this time." Or "my phone always worked when I dropped it until this time." Or "my phone always worked in the rain (or cold or snow) until this time." And this time will be when it's really needed and we will have a multi page thread similar to the White Mountains tragedy discussing cascading event and risks.

This same thing can also be said about rain gear on the PCT. I didn't take rain gear until Wa and it worked out fine. But I also realize it was stupid for exactly the same reasons above. "I can get by without rain gear until those conditions when I really need it." But when that occurs it will be too late.

[10-K]

I don't disagree with you - all your points are valid. OTOH, when I was still carrying maps I gave an entire section to a hiker who lost his (trailname Sochi) and he didn't have a smartphone either. Anything can happen.

I will confess to having my Garmin GPS programmed with the entire PCT track and all the waypoints as a backup. That weighed right at 5 oz. I think i turned it on twice, just out of curiosity.

I would never say that anyone who felt like they needed to carry paper maps shouldn't but I will say based on my singular experience that I didn't use them.

[10-K]

I also want to add that I understand erring on the side of caution. I've already hiked the PCT so it's easy for me to say in hindsight.

I'm preparing to start the CDT this year. There's a Guthook app for the CDT but don't think for a minute that I'm going to rely on that. I'm going to carry 2 different sets of maps (Bearcreek and Ley's) as well as my GPS and Nat Geo maps where they're available.

I get it.

[bemental]

I don't disagree with you - all your points are valid. OTOH, when I was still carrying maps I gave an entire section to a hiker who lost his (trailname Sochi) and he didn't have a smartphone either. Anything can happen.

I will confess to having my Garmin GPS programmed with the entire PCT track and all the waypoints as a backup. That weighed right at 5 oz. I think i turned it on twice, just out of curiosity.

I would never say that anyone who felt like they needed to carry paper maps shouldn't but I will say based on my singular experience that I didn't use them.

K, I'm totally with you on 2:1, 1:NONE.

Could be my military training, but even though no plan survives first contact, all the preparations we do are not, for naught.

[Sasquatch!]

I got lost a bunch between KM and Sonora Pass, when I was too lazy to bust out my phone and locate myself with GPS. Its real easy to take the wrong trail in Yosemite.

In a high snow year I'd rely on gps even more, but I'd also have multiple back up resources. Not that I'd hike in a high snow year, or on snow at all, anywhere, ever, if I can avoid it.

[Sasquatch!]

And, btw. Backcountry Navigator with Accuterra maps is the shiz.