View Full Version : Is it necessary to carry the sections maps of the AT on a thru-hike?
Just wondering how much info is necessary to carry on a thru-hike, my husband will be carrying the Data Book and I will be sending pages of the Companion at his request in mail drops but we weren't sure if the maps were needed also. Any guidance would be appreciated.:)
Lone Wolf
02-07-2007, 23:17
Just wondering how much info is necessary to carry on a thru-hike, my husband will be carrying the Data Book and I will be sending pages of the Companion at his request in mail drops but we weren't sure if the maps were needed also. Any guidance would be appreciated.:)
maps show the quickest way out of the mountains in case of an emergency. maps could save his life or someone else's. some say fording a river is stupid and dangerous. i say not carrying maps is the same.
Good advice. Your right, we were looking at it from a weight perspective but why take a chance when it could potentially save a life. You just never know. Thanks for keeping our wits about us.:)
Blissful
02-08-2007, 00:13
I'd also sure the threads here on WB. Lots of advice on maps. I will be carrying the map I need and sending others in my mail drops.
4eyedbuzzard
02-08-2007, 00:34
Amazingly enough, hikers do actually lose the trail from time to time (this really does--WILL happen) And there is always the possibility of needing to get off the mountain and to the nearest road ASAP. The maps and small reasonable quality compass, even keychain or watchband size, can be very helpful. Inevitably, if you don't have maps, etc, when you need them most the six hikers you were playing tag with all day long who had maps, guidebooks, GPS, compass, etc will be nowhere to be found.
Toolshed
02-08-2007, 08:02
I was surprised over the years at the number of thru-hikers I met that didn't carry maps, relying soley on either a data book or companion. As a section hiker, I'd sit down at a shelter at night to review my map and many thru's wanted to see them and have a chance to look at them. I normally carried at least 2 sections (It isn't that much more weight for a section hiker)
skyhiker2
02-08-2007, 09:09
Maps are a pain in the butt. It's the At. How much easier doe's it get? Just take a compass so you can tell north from south... Oh yeah and don't forget to follow the "White-Blaze's"........... LOL I Understand what wolf is saying but for 99% of people with an emergency "on the AT" it's best for them to stay on the trail... If you try to shortcut you will wind up with bigger problems...
Maps are a pain in the butt. It's the At. How much easier doe's it get? Just take a compass so you can tell north from south... Oh yeah and don't forget to follow the "White-Blaze's"........... LOL I Understand what wolf is saying but for 99% of people with an emergency "on the AT" it's best for them to stay on the trail... If you try to shortcut you will wind up with bigger problems...
It's not that hard to lose the trail. Happens all the time.
Lone Wolf
02-08-2007, 09:13
[QUOTE=skyhiker2;318518 I Understand what wolf is saying but for 99% of people with an emergency "on the AT" it's best for them to stay on the trail... If you try to shortcut you will wind up with bigger problems...[/QUOTE]
so you're hiking along and come upon a hiker who has fallen and busted his head open. neither of you have maps. which way do you go to get help?
Lone Wolf
02-08-2007, 09:15
most hikers that don't carry maps are always wanting to look at the maps of people that do carry them.
most hikers that don't carry maps are always wanting to look at the maps of people that do carry them.
Funny how often that happens. The only non-map-carrying hikers who turn down the opportunity to look at maps are the ones who are too embarrassed for not having carried their own maps.
Maps are just too interesting not to have them. While it's true you can walk along in your little tunnel and probably not get badly lost, maps let you place yourself in a larger world. It's useful for rescue, but it's also useful for figuring out roughly how long it will take you to get through a section (profile map) or where a friend can meet you (road crossings) or whether you can make it to the deli and town and get back out that night and to the next water source... They're just plain fascinating. People who don't carry them sit there and study borrowed ones as if they're gazing at one of the wonders of the universe.
Marta/Five-Leaf
I left Springer without maps. Didn't think I would need them. I soon found out how usefull they were. I began purchising them along the way and used them until the end of my hike. :)
shiningpathb4me
02-08-2007, 10:50
Can you read a topographic map? I realize it sounds like a dumb question, most people assume they can read map even though many can't. The ones who can read one, don't refer to it often enough to have any notion of where they are when a crises occurs. Let me explain:
Terrain association is the 'art' of being able to look around, and recognize the bumps, ridges, and draws ("the lay of the land") and find them on the map. This must be done constantly as you travel, so that you will know where you are at any given time. In the mountains, being off 100 meters (in the right place) can through you off so far that you become lost, trapped in the bottom of a muddy ravine, etc.
Lets say you suddenly, in some emergency, decide the best course of action is to leave the trail and head down a draw that will lead to a road where you can hopefully flag down help. Because you're "stressing", and haven't been following your map, you think you have gone farther down the trail from the last shelter than you really have. The finger like spur that angles away towards the road, is actually the one next to it on your map, that bends around and leads southwest instead of northwest. An hour later, when you still haven't found that bend in the road that you were looking for, you start trying to figure out where you are on your map and can't do it. Nothing looks right to you. Stress just goes up, you start desparately running in the direction you know that road has to be. Do you see what I'm getting at?
Having a map is pointless if you don't know how to use one. Sticking a map in your pack after looking it over to see how many hills you may have to climb isn't going to help you 6 hours later in an emergency unless you are pretty sharp with maps, and keep your cool. Because you have asked this question, I'm making some assumptions about your degree of competence with a map & compass. For all I know, you may be a whiz at orienteering and a master map reader. I've met a lot of people who thought they were, and couldn't do it when confronted with a field excercise requiring precision to succeed.
I don't think you need to enroll in orienteering course before you hike the AT, but it's something that will really help you on other travels, and could save a life on the AT or anywhere else. If you think you can handle a map without specialized training (out in the field on an excercise not a classroom). Then remember to do the following:
1. Study your map. Mentally transpose the countour lines into a 3d elevation and relief image of the trail. Note all prominent terrain features, trails, roads, bridges, streams, power lines, firetowers, water towers, towns, cemetery's, etc. Imagine that someone is going to ask you to draw a sketch map of the area for a test. What would you include? Could you draw a map that someone could use to find something?
2. Keep track of how far you walk. I do this by tying knots in a string that hangs from my pack strap. It will take you a lot more steps to walk 100 meters carrying a pack on a mountain trail than it does to walk down the street you live on. You should pace some known distances, to get an idea how many steps you have to take to walk 100 or 200 meters, with a pack, on a mountian trail. Big verticals throw this off measurably.
3. Periodically (like every rest stop) pull out your map and compare it to what you see around you. Verify that you are really where you think you are.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, you're right, it is. It's why most people don't bother with them. It's possible that you could use a map you haven't looked at in days, and successfully get out of trouble. In classes I've given, about 3/4ths of the people put in the situation I've just described can't do it.
Carrying a map is still a good idea even if you aren't very skilled at using it. It's psychologically comforting to some, but that is a two-edged sword. There may be times when you really don't want to know how steep an upcoming hill is. :eek:
I posted this reply in the hope that maybe a few people who read it, will actually strive to improve their map reading skills, instead of treating it like a highway map on a road-trip. Signs and mile-markers on the AT are few and far between, and having a map and compass is no guarantee that you can find your way out of the woods in an emergency if you don't know how to use one. Believe it or not, some people cannot associate the contour lines on a map to the real world they see around them. About 1 in 20 people I've met had big trouble with it. I've had to build terrain models in the dirt, and sketch contour lines around the piles of dirt to show them how it works. Some of them still didn't get it (IQ perhaps?)
shiningpathb4me
02-08-2007, 11:01
I like the comment someone made about maps being too fascinating to do without. They really are, and give you something to focus your mind on in a positive way. They allow you to take side trips to view falls, lakes, and promontories too. Between maps and studying the footprints of other hikers on the trail I keep pretty busy while hiking, and always know where I am and who's in front of me. :)
shiningpathb4me
02-08-2007, 11:01
Can you read a topographic map? I realize it sounds like a dumb question, most people assume they can read map even though many can't. The ones who can read one, don't refer to it often enough to have any notion of where they are when a crises occurs. Let me explain:
Terrain association is the 'art' of being able to look around, and recognize the bumps, ridges, and draws ("the lay of the land") and find them on the map. This must be done constantly as you travel, so that you will know where you are at any given time. In the mountains, being off 100 meters (in the right place) can through you off so far that you become lost, trapped in the bottom of a muddy ravine, etc.
Lets say you suddenly, in some emergency, decide the best course of action is to leave the trail and head down a draw that will lead to a road where you can hopefully flag down help. Because you're "stressing", and haven't been following your map, you think you have gone farther down the trail from the last shelter than you really have. The finger like spur that angles away towards the road, is actually the one next to it on your map, that bends around and leads southwest instead of northwest. An hour later, when you still haven't found that bend in the road that you were looking for, you start trying to figure out where you are on your map and can't do it. Nothing looks right to you. Stress just goes up, you start desparately running in the direction you know that road has to be. Do you see what I'm getting at?
Having a map is pointless if you don't know how to use one. Sticking a map in your pack after looking it over to see how many hills you may have to climb isn't going to help you 6 hours later in an emergency unless you are pretty sharp with maps, and keep your cool. Because you have asked this question, I'm making some assumptions about your degree of competence with a map & compass. For all I know, you may be a whiz at orienteering and a master map reader. I've met a lot of people who thought they were, and couldn't do it when confronted with a field excercise requiring precision to succeed.
I don't think you need to enroll in orienteering course before you hike the AT, but it's something that will really help you on other travels, and could save a life on the AT or anywhere else. If you think you can handle a map without specialized training (out in the field on an excercise not a classroom). Then remember to do the following:
1. Study your map. Mentally transpose the countour lines into a 3d elevation and relief image of the trail. Note all prominent terrain features, trails, roads, bridges, streams, power lines, firetowers, water towers, towns, cemetery's, etc. Imagine that someone is going to ask you to draw a sketch map of the area for a test. What would you include? Could you draw a map that someone could use to find something?
2. Keep track of how far you walk. I do this by tying knots in a string that hangs from my pack strap. It will take you a lot more steps to walk 100 meters carrying a pack on a mountain trail than it does to walk down the street you live on. You should pace some known distances, to get an idea how many steps you have to take to walk 100 or 200 meters, with a pack, on a mountian trail. Big verticals throw this off measurably.
3. Periodically (like every rest stop) pull out your map and compare it to what you see around you. Verify that you are really where you think you are.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, you're right, it is. It's why most people don't bother with them. It's possible that you could use a map you haven't looked at in days, and successfully get out of trouble. In classes I've given, about 3/4ths of the people put in the situation I've just described can't do it.
Carrying a map is still a good idea even if you aren't very skilled at using it. It's psychologically comforting to some, but that is a two-edged sword. There may be times when you really don't want to know how steep an upcoming hill is. :eek:
I posted this reply in the hope that maybe a few people who read it, will actually strive to improve their map reading skills, instead of treating it like a highway map on a road-trip. Signs and mile-markers on the AT are few and far between, and having a map and compass is no guarantee that you can find your way out of the woods in an emergency if you don't know how to use one. Believe it or not, some people cannot associate the contour lines on a map to the real world they see around them. About 1 in 20 people I've met had big trouble with it. I've had to build terrain models in the dirt, and sketch contour lines around the piles of dirt to show them how it works. Some of them still didn't get it (IQ perhaps?)
swamp dawg
02-08-2007, 11:14
I have noticed that folks who do not carry maps tend to borrow maps once we stop for the night. I can not speak for all hikers but having a map of the section you are about to hike can be a great asset in working out a plan for the day.
The Solemates
02-08-2007, 12:04
some say fording a river is stupid and dangerous. i say not carrying maps is the same.
is that right? so how often do you carry maps LW? :-? :D
Lone Wolf
02-08-2007, 12:32
is that right? so how often do you carry maps LW? :-? :D
i always carry maps. i always ford.
Footslogger
02-08-2007, 12:41
Are they "necessary" ?? ...maybe not. But, if you make a conscious decision NOT to carry maps then don't expect to borrow them from other hikers who do carry them.
'Slogger
The Weasel
02-08-2007, 12:42
Just wondering how much info is necessary to carry on a thru-hike, my husband will be carrying the Data Book and I will be sending pages of the Companion at his request in mail drops but we weren't sure if the maps were needed also. Any guidance would be appreciated.:)
I not only agree with those who say to carry maps, but strongly urger you to obtain one of the map programs such as MapTech that permit large scale (i.e. about 1"=2000') maps to be printed out. Only the stretch between resupplies needs to be carried (about 20 pages at most), and it permits actual navigation along the trail. This can be important in terms of seeing elevation changes, water sources, and shelter distances at a glance, since the scale usually permits you to locate your actual location +/- 100 feet or so. This can be extremely useful in determining how far stopping points or other landmarks are, and it is critical sometimes in determining if you have taken a false trail. The detail map pages were also useful to friends I'd meet at shelters each night, and I would leave pages as I finished them with shelter registers.
The Weasel
backtracker
02-08-2007, 13:07
I was in northern georgia one spring, camped next to a two-track service road. A couple of guys in a jeep pulled up. They were a bit in a panic. Seems they had decided to do a little bit of back road exploring, got lost, and had been driving around for some time trying to figure out how to get back to civilization. To add to the fun, they were almost out of gas. I showed them where they were on my map. Still looking confused, I pointed them in the direction they needed to go and handed them the map. They seem relieved. Wonder if they made it? Probably not a life critical situation, but.......
I don't carry the maps. Sure, the maps could get you to help sooner, so could a cell phone. I've seen hikers borrow cell phones too. It's just nice to share when you can and it doesn't cost you something. I shared printed pages from the web when others had the maps & guide books. Sharing isn't the problem, it's expecting to share something you feel you need. If you feel you need it, bring it.
I stopped carrying the maps because they annoyed me. On the AT, the situation is always the same. To get to the shelter? Keep going. Where's water? Keep going. Will there be lots of elevation change? Keep going. You'll get more hiking done by walking than by reading a map. Why struggle with how "unfair" it is that the current pud isn't shown on the elevation profile? Once I realized I didn't like maps I didn't even look at them when someone had one out and was discussing it. Maps may show elevation, but never indicate difficulty. Knee deep mud on level terrain? Rocks-a-plenty? Jeep road converted into trail? Not indicated on the map.
Others liked them; read them like a book in the shelter in the evening. I would certainly carry them on a less well marked trail. On the AT, with a copy of Wing? I felt fine without. Happier even.
If you're expecting to meet someone with a bust-open-skull, bring a wilderness trained doctor, not a map. If something happens, like when I stress fractured a bone in my foot, you can limp to the next road and get help there. If you're in the nobo hurd, in an emergency, you can just lay down on the trail and pull your sleeping bag and shelter over you and wait. Within a day someone will happen past.
My opinion is that you do everything reasonable to not have an emergency. What we each find to be reasonable will be different. Try carrying the maps for the first few hundred miles, then quit if you don't like them. I did and that worked well for me.
--Pi (Some NOBO, mostly SOBO 2006)
Maps are a pain in the butt. It's the At. How much easier doe's it get? Just take a compass so you can tell north from south... Oh yeah and don't forget to follow the "White-Blaze's"........... LOL I Understand what wolf is saying but for 99% of people with an emergency "on the AT" it's best for them to stay on the trail... If you try to shortcut you will wind up with bigger problems...
Aside from safety issues, simple curiosity makes me carry maps. I like to know where I am, the name of the next mountain, where roads lead to, and frankly almost all of the map information.
I hike to explore the country through which I'm walking. Since most often my hikes on the trail are likely to be a one time experience, I like to take advantage of all the crutches available in my efforts to know the region and its attributes and attractions.
If your aim is only to walk the trail, caring nothing about the details of the trail, than I suppose maps and the half ounce they weigh can be avoided. That strikes me as a terribly boring way to hike. It's my guess that map carriers are far more likely to actually finish a planned hike.
Weary
hammock engineer
02-08-2007, 13:22
I'm a map guy. I like to know what is coming. The names of mountains or features around where I am. I also like to note where I camped for the night on this. Something nice to look after my hike.
A side story on maps. On the LT this fall a sherioff deputy used my maps and help to determine where we were at to call in a search helicopter to look for a missing kid. Both of the GPS units he had were not spitting out a reading.
I stopped carrying the maps because they annoyed me. On the AT, the situation is always the same. To get to the shelter? Keep going. Where's water? Keep going. Will there be lots of elevation change? Keep going. You'll get more hiking done by walking than by reading a map.
I agree they can be counterproductive if over-used. Like a lot of other things in life.
Toolshed
02-08-2007, 13:40
My Office walls are covered with maps. I love to look at them and daydream. 2 Decades ago, I thought I knew topomaps and terrain navigation. After spending a decade bushwacking in the 'Daks, I found out how much I didn't know and learned much more than I ever even thought I knew (does that make sense?).
Also, I swear by map and compass and an altimeter. I carry them outside my pack and stop to check frequently - at least hourly on an easy trail and much closer internvals as the trails/herd paths get tougher or fainter.
As most other long-time hikers, I know my times (both backpacking and dayhiking) for:
open flat trail walking
elevation gain over distance
elevation loss of distance
bushwacking with no trail in dense puckerbrush
bushwacking with no trail in open forests
And I like to keep track of my time/distances.
HYOH, but I always think of M&C as one of the "be prepared" 10 essentials - You just never know when you are going to need them.
And I absolutely agree with Weary (a first) :)
Jack Tarlin
02-08-2007, 15:24
With all due respect to the folks who disagree with Wolf, keep in mind that there probably aren't ten people out there with more A.T. experience than he's got.
Maps should be considered a vital part of your gear whenever you go into the woods and mountains.
In that one generally is only packing a few at a time and picking up new ones every couple of hundred miles, the "weight" factor is neglible. If you're that concerned about saving a few ounces, then leave town with two fewer candy bars. Skipping maps to save weight is crazy, there are far better ways to do this.
When one gets in a jam in the middle of nowhere, or gets lost, or needs to get an injured hiker out of the woods as soon as possible, I guarantee you that the LAST thing on your mind will be how much your maps weigh.
max patch
02-08-2007, 15:30
Aside from safety issues, simple curiosity makes me carry maps. I like to know where I am, the name of the next mountain, where roads lead to, and frankly almost all of the map information.
I hike to explore the country through which I'm walking. Since most often my hikes on the trail are likely to be a one time experience, I like to take advantage of all the crutches available in my efforts to know the region and its attributes and attractions.
If your aim is only to walk the trail, caring nothing about the details of the trail, than I suppose maps and the half ounce they weigh can be avoided. That strikes me as a terribly boring way to hike. It's my guess that map carriers are far more likely to actually finish a planned hike.
Weary
Excellent post, Weary.
I even carry the guidebooks when I hike for the mini history and geography info they provide. I'm interested in knowing why Blood Mtn is called Blood Mountain, what is the history of the old cheese factory, etc etc etc.
hammock engineer
02-08-2007, 16:12
[quote=Jack Tarlin;318758]
.....In that one generally is only packing a few at a time and picking up new ones every couple of hundred miles, the "weight" factor is neglible. If you're that concerned about saving a few ounces, then leave town with two fewer candy bars. Skipping maps to save weight is crazy, there are far better ways to do this......
quote]
Good analogy Jack.
My map for the state of GA weighs in at 2.9oz and the Heressy's bar I have is 1.9 oz.
I could probably cut my long hair and save the weight of my maps! I'm carrying 2 maps at a time, the section I'm on and the next one I'll be on. I'm also carrying torn out parts of the companion and my mom will be mailing me my guidebook sections along w/the next couple of maps. Maps give you a bigger picture of the world you're exploring and walking through as well as additional information. I'd suspect that if someone can't put the maps down, then they're probably the kind of person that can't stop checking their email on their blackberry too! :D
The Weasel
02-08-2007, 18:00
With all due respect to the folks who disagree with Wolf, keep in mind that there probably aren't ten people out there with more A.T. experience than he's got.
Maps should be considered a vital part of your gear whenever you go into the woods and mountains.
In that one generally is only packing a few at a time and picking up new ones every couple of hundred miles, the "weight" factor is neglible. If you're that concerned about saving a few ounces, then leave town with two fewer candy bars. Skipping maps to save weight is crazy, there are far better ways to do this.
When one gets in a jam in the middle of nowhere, or gets lost, or needs to get an injured hiker out of the woods as soon as possible, I guarantee you that the LAST thing on your mind will be how much your maps weigh.
Jack and Wolf are absolutely correct. There is no backpacking occasion, no matter how well known the territory is, where a map is not more essential than anything other than water.
The Weasel
DawnTreader
02-08-2007, 18:06
aliright alright.. whatever.. map conversation again. IF there is an emergency, and you did need your map for evacuation purposes, it could be useless without a compass.. Yes maps are curious (Good post weary), interesting and generally fun to have, (I'm quite addicted to mine, truthfully), but in an emergency situation, your map might not save you without a compass.. live it, learn it, compass orientation......
Jack Tarlin
02-08-2007, 18:17
Treader is incorrect.
While knowing how to use a compass and having one on you is important , having a map without a compass is not "useless." Assuming you know where you are, a map will show you where side trails, lumber tracks, and other Trails lead. The map will tell you if these paths lead to somethwere significant and useful, or if they dead-end or simply make a circle. A map will tell you where alternate water sources are located; they'll also tell you if you're heading uphill or down, assuming you know how to read the contour lines. This can ve very important in exposed areas if the weather is threatening, and you're deciding whether or not it's wise to continue hiking. Lastly, the elevation profiles on the maps are incredibly useful for planning a day's hiking, and letting you know what the day's terrain will be like.
In short, maps contain all sorts of useful information, some of which can be convenient and some of which can be life-saving. And 99% of the time when hikers are using a Trail map on the A.T., it is NOT in conjunction with a compass.
In short, maps contain all sorts of useful information, some of which can be convenient and some of which can be life-saving. And 99% of the time when hikers are using a Trail map on the A.T., it is NOT in conjunction with a compass.
Yep. Plus, a compass needn't weigh more than a fraction of an ounce. I don't go into the backcountry without my little Suunto keychain compass, hooked to my pack. Comes with a tiny thermometer as a bonus. ;)
Just take a compass so you can tell north from south... Hopefully you don't use that method in the Standing Indian Wilderness Area in NC.:D
mweinstone
02-08-2007, 18:33
best to be safe. just strap jack to your pack.as a side he smells. so youll have less flys in front and more in the back. this can be a good thing.
DawnTreader
02-08-2007, 19:15
Jack,
A map can be usefull without a compass, especially on the AT, for all the reasons you stated. I've carried a compass for years, havn't used it once. If you look at my post above I stated that carrying a map without a compass CAN be useless, I did not say that it was useless. In an emergency situation, you may not need a compass to evacuate. However in some situations, more likely not on the AT, but it could happen, A compass could save your life, and carrying it, along with the proper topo map is very important. I was also trying to impress the fact that knowing how to properly use a compass is as important as having it in your backpack. So before you tell me I'm "incorrect," I suggest you reread my post. I'll say it again. IF there is an emergency, and you did need your map for evacuation purposes, it COULD be useless without a compass.. Yes maps are curious (Good post weary), interesting and generally fun to have, (I'm quite addicted to mine, truthfully), but in an emergency situation, your map MIGHT not save you without a compass.. live it, learn it, compass orientation......
__________________
iliketacos
02-08-2007, 19:17
Thanks for the conversation on maps-I was not going to bring one but I guess I will buy them by the section if I can. And if I get hurt I will stay on the trail and have my map and compass handy with directions on how to get me to help.:D
Greetings to all, we appreciate all the good comments on leaving or taking maps. I think it is a personal choice and to each his own. In this case Flint will be carrying maps on his AT thru, he will be willing to share for those who did not feel so inclined to carry maps, he will be willing to help those find the white blazes thru the Smokeys during "white out conditions", he will share all the cool and interesting tid bits you can kind find on maps and he's willing to trade off maps for candy bars.LOL:)
smokymtnsteve
02-08-2007, 21:50
safety is over rated...
Toolshed
02-09-2007, 08:04
safety is over rated...
Nobody does it anymore 'cuz it's so popular.
Well When I do my thru hike this year im doing mail drops with my maps. I like to study them before I hike to find out how many roads I am going to cross, hills I have to climb, and fields I am going to have to cross. Its a good feeling that I kno how to read a map and determane where I am and calculating how far I have gone. I also noticed in the past that alot of thru hikers look at other peoples maps. I think it's kind of rude that people want to look over your shoulder to read your map and to see what they have to climb. Im keeping mine away from everyone on my thru Hike this year....LOL LOL..... I might share, depends on how cute she is....LOL. The point is the maps are great for emergancies.
vipahman
02-09-2007, 12:13
Just wondering how much info is necessary to carry on a thru-hike, my husband will be carrying the Data Book and I will be sending pages of the Companion at his request in mail drops but we weren't sure if the maps were needed also. Any guidance would be appreciated.:)
Gee, looks like you started another map vs/ no map thread. So here's my $0.02. :)
Maps are absolutely unnecessary on the AT but they are great survival tool. Should an emergency arise, they will be able to show you the shortest way to the nearest road/town. Besides I like knowing all the little details about my location at all times. YMMV.
Also the maps have information about nearby trails, loops, distances, etc that may not be specified in the data book.
Every year there's at least one thru-hiker named U-Turn. Because at some point, they put the pack on and doggedly headed the opposite direction right back down the trail just hiked. Speaking from experience, it's an odd feeling. One of two things happens. One, you are "busted" by your trail friends headed in the "correct" direction. Or two you begin to think, as the song says,
"There's something happening here And what it is ain't exactly clear." :confused:
For the most part the trusty old compass won't lie to you. If it says you're headed South when you want to go North, 99% of the time you're headed South. If the sign says welcome to Standing Indian Campground and the map says it's several miles to the mountain called Standing Indian, rest assured you will have several miles "more" to hike this week.
Take the maps and a bring a compass. If for no other reason one or both will likely save you some shoe leather on your way to Katahdin.:sun
UCONNMike
02-09-2007, 13:12
Just wondering how much info is necessary to carry on a thru-hike, my husband will be carrying the Data Book and I will be sending pages of the Companion at his request in mail drops but we weren't sure if the maps were needed also. Any guidance would be appreciated.:)
You dont' need maps, I would however get a Wingfoot Guide Book, that has everything in the data book and the companion, and more, and its not a huge book.
I purchased an entire map of the AT on CD and printed out the relevant sections. It's much cheaper than buying the official maps and gave much much much more information. Because the scale is larger, you really can see other water sources, open areas, names of mountains, forest roads, little towns, everything is there. I would highly reccomend it. It saves you money, and it's better. Of course, as with any tool, if you don't know how to use it, you won't get much use out of it.