Awol Guide book

[skinnbones]

Is there a lot of "New" information added each year to the A.T. Guide from AWOL? I'm planning my NOBO for spring of 2017, but thought about buying the 2016 edition to study and get familiar with the contents. Should I wait to purchase this book next year because of all the new data changes? Thanks.

[AtWokman]

I'm using the previous year's version...if I notice anything crazy different I'll post it

[MuddyWaters]

Trail itself changes very little
Might get a 2 mile reroute, youll never notice it.

Shuttles, hostels, places for mail drops etc come and go every year. This is more important

[Grandscale]

I use my 2013 version. If I were to thru hike I would get the latest one. Not really necessary for day trips and multi day trips.

[rafe]

+1 to Muddy's post. Major trail reroutes are rare. I still make do with a 2006 ALDHA guide, but I understand that many smaller businesses along the trail come and go. As do shelters, from time to time. The main thing is to know the names of the useful towns, their relative size, how far from the trail, etc.

Folks have published condensed resupply lists as well. I've done long sections where I just used the condensed list rather than a guide book. See, eg.

https://appalachiantrailclarity.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/major-resupply-points-on-the-at.pdf

[illabelle]

I use my 2013 version. If I were to thru hike I would get the latest one. Not really necessary for day trips and multi day trips.

2013 for us also. Works just fine for our purposes.

[displacedbeatnik]

Purchasing the prior year's guidebook for day hikes is not going to be an issue at all. About the only thing that changes in the mileage and the chances of it being more than a few tenths of a mile is minimal. If you wait a couple more months, the 2015 guidebook will be dirt cheap.

[atraildreamer]

Trail itself changes very little
Might get a 2 mile reroute, youll never notice it.

Shuttles, hostels, places for mail drops etc come and go every year. This is more important

Some of the mileages have changed up to 3+ miles due to reroutes. the mountains are still in the same place, however. :rolleyes:

[colorado_rob]

2013 for us also. Works just fine for our purposes.ditto, 2013. Still using it for section hiking, and if I rely on a hostel for, say, a resupply box or a much needed night in town, I'll just call/check to make sure they are still around.

[JohnThe Snail]

The web site that sells the book has a list of the updates from the previous yeas edition. Can always check the list for whatever is relevant

[Water Rat]

+10 on what everyone else has said. I had a 2013 Guide that I finally ended up having to replace this season. It seems I wore it out a bit (it's fun to read and plan) and misplaced 2 random pages somewhere along the way. Gave me an excuse to finally upgrade and get the book & PDF package. Sweeeeet!

You might want to grab an older copy for loose planning and then grab a new one next year. That way your contact list is as current as possible. It's a good read and worth having a spare copy in case you ever want to have spare pages around.

[Last Call]

Just follow the White Blazes....after all, Earl Shaffer didn't use one....

Oh, and be sure to do The Approach Trail.....you'll thank me later :)

[fiddlehead]

It depends if you want to stay where everyone else is staying in town.
And where they are eating.
You can ask someone where the post office and laundry is.
These guides tend to group most all thru-hikers at the same places.

If you want to follow the flock, get the guidebook.
If you want to experience the towns more naturally, forget the book.
Talking things over with locals tends to give you a much more real cultural experience.

Data book is all you really need.

When I travel, I like to take an old Lonely Planet guide with me.
Gives me history, language, and a map of the towns I'm visiting, but the places to stay and eat are obsolete as I don't want to stay where all the "backpackers" are staying.

But hey! Up to you!