Best maps, guides, handbooks to carry on a thruhike?
Best maps, guides, handbooks to carry on a thruhike????
I liked the Wilderness Press Guidebooks but they may not be being published anymore. Rather than the PCTA databook you may want to use Yogi's guide which has addition town and water info.
You can also download and print Halfmile's maps
http://www.pctmap.net/
Last edited by Sly; 01-22-2012 at 12:45.
For town info, nothing beats Yogi's guide---worth every penny. I'd say buy that one first and see what recent PCT thruhikers recommend. For map/databook combo, I liked Erik the Black's Guidebooks, though they are rather pricey.
Handlebar
GA-ME 06; PCT 08; CDT 10, 11, 12; ALT 11, MSPA 12
Postholer has an increasing amount of stuff on his site now too, including his own data book equivalent (for free) and maps. I have no experience with his maps, though overall there's a lot of good reference stuff there (postholer.com).
I think the generally considered choice for maps are halfmile's maps. He walked the trail with his GPS on, I always found these to be very accurate. http://www.pctmap.net/
You can make do with the color maps in the Wilderness Press guidebooks. If you're not too price sensitive, Erik the Black's stuff is certainly good too, a more terse/efficient telling than the WP books.
For a pretty complete list, see http://postholer.com/faq.php#Maps
Gadget
PCT: 2008 NOBO, AT: 2010 NOBO, CDT: 2011 SOBO
Persaonlly I hated the maps inside the Wilderness Press (WP) Guides. That said, most thru hikers have used them sucessfully to hike the trail over the years. They are the cheapest options and the most complete. The WP databook isn't very useful by itself unlike an AT databook. The location points aren't very discriptive, a jeep road, a dip, etc so if you don't have the regular WP guide books with the databook, you won't have a good idea where you are. And you do need some sort of maps with you so just getting the databook isn't a good idea.
Yogi's PCT Handbook has very good trail notes and an yearly updated town guide. It also has a planning guide for those new to the PCT or long distance hiking. However, you can't hike the trail with just her book; its just supplemental material that is nice to have. Its based on previous hikers feedback, so feel free to send some feedback after you are done.
You choices of other guidebooks are Eric the Blacks' PCT Atlas, Postholer.com new map books, or Halfmiles' Free PCT maps. I used Eric the Blacks PCT Atlas, the WP Guides, and Yogi's handbook in 2009.
Erik the Black's PCT Atlas and Yogi's guide ended up being the guides I used the most and I eventually stopped using the WP guides and databook. The PCT Atlas was more then sufficient to hike with. The PCT Atlas' elevation profile misses some significant climbs, the mileage isn't very consistant with itself (some miles seem longer then others though they average out fine) nor does it match the mileage from Yogis or the Wilderness Press guides as its based on a GPS track. But it was easy to glance at a page and know which way to go and is more then sufficient to hike the trail. It is very pricey though. I believe he has updated it since I hiked to address some of the problems but I can't comment on any newer editions.
Postholer's guidebooks are the new one out there. They look nice and are cheaper then Eric the Blacks, and likely are good enough, but I don't know of anyone who has used them yet. I think they likely will be more then enough to hike the trail with. But I'd still get Yogi's PCT Handbook.
Halfmiles maps are free, but the maps themselves are based on older maps so some information on them may not be accurate. However, the PCT track overlaid on it is new and is based on recent GPS data so you won't get lost and many hikers have found them good enough to hike the trail with. Some map pages are in meters and others are in feet so there is some inconsistancy to them. But they are free until you try to print hundreds of pages in color which does add up.
The only maps/guidebooks were Halfmiles maps. I made notes on town info that I pulled off the internet. If I were doing it again I may used Postholers or Halfmiles maps. I had no issue with the "age" of the Halfmile data so the choice would probably depend on whether I was printing them myself.
For a stark, in your face example, compare Postholer and Halfmile maps.Originally Posted by gg-man
It doesn't make sense to print out Halfmile's 30-50 year old scanned USGS maps for $75+ with no data book and elevation profiles that are an afterthought.
Postholer maps are a 3 volume set available from amazon.com for $95. You can also download the free PDF data book with 2,000+ locations. The elevation charts at the bottom of each page are far beyond what anyone else is doing, see for yourself.
Postholer maps are what the big boys will be creating 10 years from now. They *are not* scanned maps. They are created from the ground up embodying data that is mostly less than 5 years old.
Preview trail sections A & B.
-postholer
In 2008 I used the Wilderness Press maps + Tom Harrison for the Sierra. In 2011 I used Halfmile Maps. Both worked.
I hardly used maps at all in '08, because the snow was so low. I basically did all of my navigating with the databook. In the areas that were under a lot of snow, the Halfmile maps worked well. I especially liked that I could use a track-line on my GPS, also from Halfmile, based on the exact same data. That made it very easy to turn the GPS on for a second when I was confused, compare the lines on the screen and on the paper map, and then go back to navigating by map. If you have access to a color printer and ziplock bags it will cost significant less then any of the other options as well.
I only briefly used the Eric the Black maps (the black and white version in 08), but ran into a lot of hikers this year who were not satisfied with them, claiming the maps did not show enough topographical data to navigate from.
Understanding just how extensively hikers rely on a databook, the postholer databook is free and has information not found elsewhere. Halfmile doesn't have a databook.
Printing out Halfmile's maps carries a significant cost, whether you take them to the printer or spend money on ink cartridges. Home ink-jet printers print out the already low quality Halfmile maps poorly. Professionally printing isn't much better. Either way, you pay.If you have access to a color printer and ziplock bags it will cost significant less then any of the other options as well.
Compare to postholer maps.
...and at $200 a set they will be your last choice.I only briefly used the Eric the Black maps (the black and white version in 08), but ran into a lot of hikers this year who were not satisfied with them, claiming the maps did not show enough topographical data to navigate from.
-postholer
My maps are the most accurate and up to date PCT maps available because they are based on very accurate GPS data that I have collected along the trail over the past few years.
One bit of good advice Postholer does offers is to compare for yourself. You can download my maps here:
http://www.pctmap.net/download/p/mapdl.html
And compare to Postholer CA Section A & B here:
http://postholer.com/mapbooks/preview.php
I will be publishing my own version of a Data book called "Halfmile's Trail Notes" in the next few weeks for those who like to use them.
Don't Panic is right, matching data on your maps and GPS (or smartphone) can be a very useful for navigation.
Hikers should also note that my mileage estimates more closely match the Wilderness Press data used by the Water Report, Yogi, Pocket PCT, etc. Postholer mileage estimates differ by as much as 14 miles at the CA/OR border. This will make using other information difficult and discussing trail landmarks with other hikers confusing.
-Halfmile
I used Erick the black because I thought they were very good and helpful with a minimum of extra info that i don't need. As far as the cost goes. Really so what it's about a buck or 1.20 a day. I don't feel like I have to take a vow of poverty to go on a backpacking trip.
I know it's blasphemy but does Yogi's book ever get updated? I have her CDT book from 2011 and the info seemed to be all for 2004 so it's gathering dust.
Everything is in Walking Distance
[QUOTE=
I only briefly used the Eric the Black maps (the black and white version in 08), but ran into a lot of hikers this year who were not satisfied with them, claiming the maps did not show enough topographical data to navigate from.[/QUOTE]
They must have been holding the maps upside down. I never heard anything like that. The maps were great. Maybe the high snow of 2011 changed things.
Everything is in Walking Distance
Yogi just did a major update of her PCT book back in November. I don't know about her other books.
That's good to know. All the guidebooks need constant updating. We can't just moan and groan about guidebook errors. We have to tell the author what's wrong so they can update. The CDT has so few hikers it is probably a loser for Yogi to print let alone update. Although I doubt she's getting rich publishing any guidebooks.
Everything is in Walking Distance
Yogi relased a major update for the PCT back in late summer of 2011. About a month or so ago, she released a major update for her CDT guidebook. However, her books are only as good and accurate as feedback she receives. If you use one of her guides, please send some feedback of things that you felt were wrong or that had changed so that future hikers will be better informed.
Right. The hikers I talked to said that the Eric the Black maps were fine to figure trail turns, but when the trail was snow-covered for miles at a time (which was not uncommon last year) the maps were very difficult to use.
I'm sorry, but none of the guides show enough of the surrounding terrain to navigate crosscounty in a high snow year in the High Sierra. It only took me a glance of them to realize this fact. Which is why many people always recommend carrying the Tom harrison JMT Map pack if you anticipate an early entry or its a high snow year. I know that is talked about in Yogi's guide and at the snow talk at the ADZPCTKO.
After my thru-hike, I was of the opinion that Yogi's book was overrated, but I think I've changed my mind in retrospect. While I disagreed with most of the opinions of the contributors in the book, it is really invaluable as a town guide and general information source for the PCT. If I ever make it to the CDT, I'll probably grab a copy of her CDT book, too. Just as long as hikers remember that no source of information is 100% complete or always up-to-date, it's good to have along.
Guthook Hikes! – Blog and iPhone Apps
Yes, definitely compare the two.You may want to ask Halfmile why his 20-50 year old base map contours are in 'meters' and 'feet', many times on the same map. Very confusing!
The vast majority of PCT hikers rely on a data book far more than they rely on maps. Not until 2 weeks ago was there any mention of a data book from Halfmile. Hmmm, I wonder why he would ignore such a wildly useful tool for so long? The postholer data book has been downloaded 617 times since Jan 1st. (That's just this year!)I will be publishing my own version of a Data book called "Halfmile's Trail Notes" in the next few weeks for those who like to use them.
There it is, straight from the source. Halfmile maps matches the old, outdated trail data. That raises a serious queston. If Halfmile's data is so accurate why does it match a 10 old data set? Is Halfmile using the same trace as the WP guidebooks? He must be if it matches the old data book mileages. Very interesting...Hikers should also note that my mileage estimates more closely match the Wilderness Press data used by the Water Report, Yogi, Pocket PCT, etc.
...and coincidentally matches the old data exactly in others. Postholer data isn't contrived nor does it try to match any established data set or appease other products that use the outdated data like Halfmile attempts. Postholer maps and data book are the new standard.Postholer mileage estimates differ by as much as 14 miles at the CA/OR border.
Note, humans don't discuss landmarks in terms of mileages, they discuss them by name, ie, "Thielsen creek is at mile 1877.6" regardless of the data source.
Hey Lon, you had your chance to ride my coattails, too late now buddy.
-postholer
And some good news...
$78.89 for the complete set.
As the sales volume increases at Amazon, the price reduces.
The finest quality PCT maps are now available for what it costs to print out Halfmile's 20-50 year old scanned topo maps.
Kinda cool, eh?
Maps: http://postholer.com/mapbooks
Free data book: http://postholer.com/PCTDatabook
-postholer
Posting Permissions
Pacific Crest Trail
Reply With Quote
