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gdwelker
11-03-2014, 08:43
What are people recommending for a 2015 guide/data book, and does anyone know when the AWOL 2015 version will come out and how to get it?

Don H
11-03-2014, 09:36
AWOL's AT Guide comes out in January. I'll be buying my 3rd copy, I buy a new one every 2 or 3 years.
More info here: http://www.theatguide.com

RED-DOG
11-03-2014, 10:38
I have always used the AT Compannion on both my NOBO's and the Data Book on my 96 flip-flop the AT Compannion has never failed me, I order a Compannion every year, i got a collection of them.
I would suggest any body that does any kind of Hiking on the AT to use the AT Compannion.

jred321
11-03-2014, 10:53
I think I'm going with the PDF version of AWOL's guide loaded onto my phone

shelb
11-05-2014, 00:36
I have gotten both, and I prefer the AT Guide. It has more of the specific hiking location/map information that I like to see.

Firefighter503
11-05-2014, 00:48
Another vote for the AT Guide by AWOL. There are tons of useful guides out there, but in my experience the AT Guide has been the go to on the trail for its ease of use/plentiful information. I haven't tried using the .pdf version, as I like to mark up the guide as I go.

Lone Wolf
11-05-2014, 06:52
Awol's guide is smaller and lighter than the Companion. and a better guide

Old Hiker
11-05-2014, 08:49
AWOL's guide + official ATC maps for me. Just seemed to really nail locations: springs, shelters, roads, etc. The maps helped to visualize bail points, if needed. I didn't/don't mind those few ounces.

I'm getting 3 for 2016 - one for me, one for the wife and one for my dad to follow along. I cut mine into about 3-4 sections and my wife mails the sections and state maps as needed.

T-Rx
11-05-2014, 10:48
Another +1 for the AWOL guide. IMO more info and a better format than the companion.

Lyle
11-05-2014, 11:41
AWOL gets my vote.

jjozgrunt
11-05-2014, 18:16
I have the 2014 Awol Guide which I used for the very limited planning I've made but for the walk. But since I don't have the luxury of having family handy to post things to me, I would have to either carry it or use a bounce box, so I'm using the AT App from Guthook on my Samsung phone.

http://www.guthookhikes.com/apps .

It's gotten pretty good reviews and the demo looks good.

double d
11-05-2014, 18:27
AWOL is the standard for guides and a very good one. I always liked Wingfoot's as well, back in the day.

dudeijuststarted
11-06-2014, 13:55
AWOL is an excellent guidebook, primarily in terms of services. There were a few spots along trail where I felt the ATC guide would have provided more solid data on specifying where I was at any given moment. For instance, there was a slice of PA where AWOL denotes "crosses forest service road several times." I swear I crossed that service road a dozen times over the course of an hour, eventually questioning whether I was in purgatory.

AWOL combined with vigilance in not getting yourself turned around are an excellent combination to navigate a thru-hike

MikeN
11-06-2014, 16:41
I'd like to go against the tide and, along with RED-DOG, recommend the ATC's Thru-Hiker Companion. I have recent copies of both AWOL's guide (2013) and the Thru-Hiker Companion (2014) and I have found the later to be FAR more informative. One major difference is that AWOL's guide uses icons to denote things along the trail, whereas the Thru-Hiker Companion uses [admittedly less-intuitive] letter abbreviations to do so, but in well-organized tables at the beginning of each trail section.

Once you get used to the abbreviations, however, you find that there is an enormous amount of information compressed into the guide, including a lot of historical info and more info about the hostels and services than AWOL's guide has.

Also, because the Thru-hiker Companion is still the only such guide written by [more that 3 dozen thru-hiker] volunteers each year, for which all the proceeds are returned to the Trail by the two nonprofits that produce the guide (The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association), you are supporting these non-profits by purchasing their guide. And, in case you haven't checked out the latest edition, the Thru-hiker Companion has much better elevation profiles than AWOL's guide.

raphaelmatto
11-12-2014, 01:51
I've put both on my Kindle and will decide which I like more on the trail :) ... Also can't hurt to have a second opinion in tricky spots.

Sly
11-19-2014, 13:40
I have always used the AT Compannion on both my NOBO's and the Data Book on my 96 flip-flop the AT Compannion has never failed me, I order a Compannion every year, i got a collection of them.
I would suggest any body that does any kind of Hiking on the AT to use the AT Compannion.

Thanks Red Dog.

It seems many don't realize the Thru-Hikers' Companion now has elevation profiles (which were professionally drafted at great expense) which for the past few years, has been, the number one reason hikers have said the used the AT Guide.

Other than that, the 2015 Companion will have completely restyled tables with more data points and added features (however, we won't list every seasonal water source that's bound to be dry when you arrive). It will also have new town maps, and more of them, for towns hikers are likely to resupply.

True, it is a bit bigger and heavier than the AT Guide, however, it will also be constructed so each major section (south, Virginia, mid-Atlantic and New England) will be a book within itself, so carrying each will only be a matter of 50 pages. There's also a way each that each booklet stays intact and can be rebound. (more on that later)

AT hikers should keep in mind that all proceeds of the Thru-Hikers' Companion goes to the ATC, and with government funding the way it is, they need all the cash they can get.

Added: I see MikeN has covered many of the bases I just mentioned. Thank you!

BTW, the ATC is accepting pre-orders for the 2015 Thru-Hikers' Companion of 20% off until they become available in mid-December.

https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=791&compid=1

overthinker
11-19-2014, 23:25
Is there a ebook version of the Companion?

Sly
11-20-2014, 17:59
Is there a ebook version of the Companion?

There's a PDF available. ALDHA members ($10) get it for free. So if you join now (membership good through 2015) you can get the 2014 edition, and the 2015 PDF when it becomes available late December or early January. Non-member price is $8 but you'll get 2014 now and have to pay again for the 2015 edition.

See the link in my sig.

Frank_the_cat
11-28-2014, 15:55
So I bought a NOBO version of AWOL's but now I've decided to go SOBO and was wondering if I should bother buying a SOBO version is worth it or do I just start in the back of the book?

jimmyjam
11-28-2014, 16:16
So I bought a NOBO version of AWOL's but now I've decided to go SOBO and was wondering if I should bother buying a SOBO version is worth it or do I just start in the back of the book?

I section hike the trail in both directions and have no problem when I need to read the guide "backwards". You just start at the bottom of the pages and read to the top. I found it didn't take long at all to get used to it.

Frank_the_cat
12-01-2014, 11:23
I section hike the trail in both directions and have no problem when I need to read the guide "backwards". You just start at the bottom of the pages and read to the top. I found it didn't take long at all to get used to it.

Thanks, that's what I figured, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't some secret or trick to it.

msumax1985
12-21-2014, 13:40
Thanks Red Dog.

It seems many don't realize the Thru-Hikers' Companion now has elevation profiles (which were professionally drafted at great expense) which for the past few years, has been, the number one reason hikers have said the used the AT Guide.

Other than that, the 2015 Companion will have completely restyled tables with more data points and added features (however, we won't list every seasonal water source that's bound to be dry when you arrive). It will also have new town maps, and more of them, for towns hikers are likely to resupply.

True, it is a bit bigger and heavier than the AT Guide, however, it will also be constructed so each major section (south, Virginia, mid-Atlantic and New England) will be a book within itself, so carrying each will only be a matter of 50 pages. There's also a way each that each booklet stays intact and can be rebound. (more on that later)

AT hikers should keep in mind that all proceeds of the Thru-Hikers' Companion goes to the ATC, and with government funding the way it is, they need all the cash they can get.

Added: I see MikeN has covered many of the bases I just mentioned. Thank you!

BTW, the ATC is accepting pre-orders for the 2015 Thru-Hikers' Companion of 20% off until they become available in mid-December.

https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=791&compid=1


I'd really like to use the ATC items and support the cause. But I just visited the site and it's very confusing. There is a Databook, then a Companion, then a Guide. Then there's a Guidebook Special. What is each for? Why are there different items? I can't find any examples anywhere. Why is the 466 miles of Springer to Damascus in one Guide, but then there are 3-4 different Guides for the 500 miles of Virginia? To do my 250 mile section this spring I'd need to buy $63 worth of guides? How is that different from the Databook? Or the Companion?

I've used AWOL from Springer to Marion, VA and save weight by using the loose leaf version. Loose leaf is also much easier to use day by day. AWOL has worked great, but I sometimes wish it had better maps of the area. I'd like to know what town or mountains I'm looking at.

What did you mean by your (more on that later) comment? Is there a more detailed explanation of the ATC items somewhere? Maybe they need to do a Youtube video to explain all their different products.

Sly
12-21-2014, 21:34
I'd really like to use the ATC items and support the cause. But I just visited the site and it's very confusing. There is a Databook, then a Companion, then a Guide. Then there's a Guidebook Special. What is each for? Why are there different items? I can't find any examples anywhere. Why is the 466 miles of Springer to Damascus in one Guide, but then there are 3-4 different Guides for the 500 miles of Virginia? To do my 250 mile section this spring I'd need to buy $63 worth of guides? How is that different from the Databook? Or the Companion?

What did you mean by your (more on that later) comment? Is there a more detailed explanation of the ATC items somewhere? Maybe they need to do a Youtube video to explain all their different products.

The Data Book only has mileage with no descriptions or town info. The state guidebooks are actual trail guides to help navigate the trail with turn by turn directions. The Guidebook Special usually includes maps.

The Thru-Hikers' Companion includes data book mileage (the 2015 edition actually has more points of interest than the Data Book), elevation profiles and town maps as well as descriptions for services, shelters, current regulations and some historical information. It also goes over the basics of LNT, Lyme disease, bears, permits, hiking with dogs, hitch-hiking, etc.

This year, it's also constructed so most sections of trail can be removed from the book and used independently (leaving intact sections) as well as which ATC maps are needed in each section should you carry them, and names the local trails in the White Mountain NF that shared the AT.

msumax1985
12-22-2014, 15:04
Thanks, Sly.

So, compared to AWOL:
1) The Databook has less, more basic info,
2) The Thru Hiker Companion is the most similar,
3) and the state Guidebooks have much additional info. In addition, there are seperate detailed maps.

Hope I have it about right. I do 250 mile sections, so think I will try out the ALDHA Companion this year. If I join ALDHA I get a free PDF download. Then I will supplement that with the AT Hiker App listed on the ALDHA site.

Sly
12-22-2014, 17:35
Hope I have it about right. I do 250 mile sections, so think I will try out the ALDHA Companion this year. If I join ALDHA I get a free PDF download. Then I will supplement that with the AT Hiker App listed on the ALDHA site.

The PDF works well for section hiking because you can print out the pages you need (just be aware the actual page numbers and pdf page numbers don't correspond). You also don't have to carrying the front matter and appendices but can use them for planning. If you're hiking the entire trail it makes more economical sense just to buy the book in print. You can also have the complete PDF on file on your smartphone or device

If you experiment a little and have good eyes you can put 2-4 pages on each sheet of paper. Here's the link to join ALDHA and get the download at the same time.



http://www.aldha.org/images/button_comp_with_membership.jpg (https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&i=2013N&cl=164407&ejc=2)

Sly
12-22-2014, 20:08
msumax, I forgot to mention, if you use ATC maps, the redesigned tables are "synced" to the maps, so you'll know which ones to take with you or use next.

Treetoptommy
12-25-2014, 08:45
awol i just bought the book and the pdf file. highly recommended!

2015 Lady Thru-Hiker
12-29-2014, 00:29
Using the AWOL. Bought 1 for me and 1 for each of my kids so they can follow me in the book. Wait until you see the color-coding!! Yes, i'm one of those!!

She
12-29-2014, 08:57
I've picked up several older used versions of the various types on the cheap (2-3 bucks with free shipping from various used bookstores online) to determine which format works best for me. I really don't want to know the elevations in advance (call me chicken), although I know it will help determine how long the point to point might take. I plan to give the older versions to my kids to track me if they want to so they'll pull double-duty in the end. So far I like the Data Book the best, but I've yet to have the AWOL SB in my hands to compare. Just a different thought so you can try out different things

comanche8f
01-11-2015, 12:11
What are people recommending for a 2015 guide/data book, and does anyone know when the AWOL 2015 version will come out and how to get it?

I just got AWOL's 2015 guide book in the mail. Great, great book. There is a tremendous amount of detail. It has great elevation graphs, and pretty much any trail and town information that you will need. Highly recommend.

Cotton Terry
01-11-2015, 15:40
I agree that AWOL's The AT Guide is great. I also have the AT Hiker app for my iphone and it's very good, too. It has a nice map with excellent elevations and a databook for for details. It also has pictures of various features. It also has an option for people to post latest trail/water source conditions. I encourage you to check it out. It will be a great addition to AWOL's Guide.

Deacon
01-11-2015, 18:17
For all those who care, it appears that the 2015 version uses heavier/thicker paper. The overall weight jumped from 8 ounces to over 11 ounces!

Busky2
01-11-2015, 18:49
AWOL's in the pocket ATC's in the phone and on the desk for preplanning!

comanche8f
01-11-2015, 20:09
For all those who care, it appears that the 2015 version uses heavier/thicker paper. The overall weight jumped from 8 ounces to over 11 ounces!

I noticed that as well, it appears it is more water resistant though, and can hold up to more abuse