How To Separate AT Guide Book

[Mumbles_2014]

I'm about to leave for my thru-hike and like most people I'm taking along The AT Guide. When hiking I have a tendency to completely destroy maps or books I take along with me, so I plan to divide my guide book in half (right at Harper's Ferry) so the entire thing will not get ruined. I was wondering how you guys did this because it seems once cut the pages would start falling out and I'm not about that.

[bigcranky]

I bought the loose pages. But I think you could cut the binding and just get two sets of loose pages and keep them in a ziploc bag.


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[Don H]

I cut mine into quarters and used packing tape to reinforce the bindings.

[Drybones]

I bought the loose pages. But I think you could cut the binding and just get two sets of loose pages and keep them in a ziploc bag.


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I've tried it both ways, like the loose leaf better, just put the page you're using that day on top and move the used pages to the back or discard, a bit of a hassle if you get them out of order but they do have page numbers, the heavy duty zip lock they come in works great, I just kept it stuck in my back pocket.

[Demeter]

If you already have a book, you can go to Staples and have them remove the binding for a couple bucks...

[Sly]

The AT Guide has a different type of binding that doesn't hold together as well but with the Companion I microwaved the book for a minute until the glue softened up and was able to pull out sections that held together perfectly. Each section was a booklet in itself. Later, I did the reverse and put it back together.

[Drybones]

I've used both the Companion and the AWOL version loose leaf, liked the loose leaf better. With the Companion I cut it in half so north of Harpers Ferry could be mailed later on. The AWOL version fit in my back pocket, with the Companion I'd tear out the page/pages I needed for the day and put in my front pocket for easy use.

[rusty bumper]

I carried the loose leaf version of AWOL's guide. I divided it into 4 separate packs...the first one got me to Damascus, the second to Harpers Ferry, the third to Manchester Center and the fourth to Katahdin. My wife met me in those three cities to deliver the packs...we also spent a few days together! I disposed of the "used" pages as I moved north.

[Old Man Joe]

I separated my bound guidebook into two sections. I carried the first section, which covered up to Harpers Ferry. I left the second part at home. Since I live in MD it was easy to pick up the second section "on my way by". Otherwise, I would have had it mailed to me. Each evening I'd plan my next day's hike and take out the one or two guidebook pages that covered the distance I planned to hike the next day. I'd put those pages into a sandwich size Ziploc, folded in such a way that I could read the page(s) without removing it /them from the Ziploc. I'd carry this Ziploc in the front cargo pocket of my pants so it was easily accessible even while walking. The rest of the guidebook would be stored in my pack until the next evening when I'd pull out the next day's required pages and put the "used" pages at the rear of the remaining guidebook pages.

[FarmerChef]

I guess it comes down to how many days worth of guide you want to carry at a time. Unless you want to preserve the guide for posterity (I don't since I buy a new one every year) you can easily discard or burn the pages along the way. That said, I like Sly's idea of microwaving to get the glue to soften up. And I like Demeter's idea to go to Staples. FWIW, this is why I buy the looseleaf or pdf versions. When I do the companion, I shrink it down to 4 up double sided. That let's me fit 8 pages on one 8.5x11 sheet of paper (run it all the way to the bleeding edge of the margins or you'll need a magnifying glass). I can staple the companion pages together or as another poster suggested you can tape the the looseleaf sheets of the A.T. Guide in whatever combination of pages you want. I'll bet you could squish the section down with a book and put contact cement along the outer edge prior to taping for extra insurance. Otherwise, you could staple along the edge. Or punch holes and use a bit of wire or cord. Many options for rebinding.

[lonehiker]

Are you having problems figuring out how to cut a book in half.....?