Trail Guide

[eldwayno]

Should I get Wingfoots Guidebook or the Companion?

[hikerltwt]

wingfoot is so much better

[TJ aka Teej]

Should I get Wingfoots Guidebook or the Companion?
Choice of book won't get you to Maine, or for that matter keep you from getting there either. The DataBook is a gem, extremely useful, and quite probably all any AT hiker really needs. Many thanks to Dan Chasin for his 25+ years of great work.
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You will find many comments on this topic. Try the 'Media' forum for a taste, or the 'Has WF ripped off the Databook?' topic.
To put it in a nutshell, WF hasn't been backpacking in over ten years. Much of the trail he writes about and most of the services he lists he's never seen. Most of the equipment today's hikers use, the hostels they stay at, and the issues they face came into being after he quit the AT.
The Companion is written by volunteers (like me) who hike the sections they write about, and who visit the towns and services they list every year.
You will find that many novice AT hikers use WFs book. You'll also find that few if any buy it again, and if they do buy an AT guide they get the ATC's books.
Info on the WF book is on his website. Money spent on the Handbook goes to WF, who calls himself "The Center for AT Studies."
Info on the ATC's ALDHA Companion: www.aldha.org (http://www.aldha.org)
Order the Databook and Companion at the ATC's website: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/index.html
Money spent on the DataBook and Companion supports the Appalachian Trail and the Appalachian Trail Conference.
(Standard answer #653)

[eldwayno]

I got the Data book with the purchase of my maps and guidebooks for Christmas, does one really need the companion?

[TJ aka Teej]

does one really need the companion?
"Need" is such an interesting word:D
You can view the entire '03 Companion at www.aldha.org (http://www.aldha.org) for free. In a few weeks, the '04 version should be up. Check it out.

[mdjeeper]

i prefer the ATC guide and databook personally for a couple of reasons 1) the money goes to the ATC, 2) it is comprised of information collected by people who actually cover the sections they write about and 3) to me it is laid out better. just mho :)

[Jack Tarlin]

The Data Book is invaluable as far as planning your daily mileage and travel, in that it lists road crossings, campsites, and most important, primary water sources. It will also tell you, in brief, what is at each road crossing, i.e whether or not there's a market nearby, a restaurant, etc.

Unfortunately, the town/resupply information in the Data Book is limited; it might tell you that there's lodging half a mile East of a particular road crossing, but it won't tell you anything about the place.

This is why most hikers carry one of the more complete Trail Guides such as the Thru Hiker's Companion or Thru-Hiker's Handbook. These are especiallly useful in telling you where the hiker services are, what is specifically being offerred, and at what price. If you're wondering where the cheap motels are, the All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants, the Outfitters, etc., then you really need one of these books. They also contain vital info on which towns have ATMS or Internet services; which towns have clinics or veterinarians; which towns have bus service, etc. Lastly, the Guides show days and hours of operation of these services, which is something that every hiker needs to know.

In recent years, most hikers have felt that the Handbook offers more complete information and better maps, but every year there are nagging errors that probably have to do with the fact that the Handbook is published by someone whose actual time on the Trail in recent years has been limited. The Companion, by and large, is written and edited by folks whose knowledge of the Trail is fresh and contemporary which means it is likelier to be more accurate, and there's a better chance that the editors actually have first-hand knowledge of or experience with the places they're talking about; the Trail has changed a great deal over the past decade, and a great many places that offer hiker services have sprung up in the past few years. Likewise, many places that existed in the eighties and nineties are gone. Therfore, having recent first-hand recent Trail experience is very important, and with this in mind, the Companion is probably written by folks who've actually visited the places they're writing about.

Nevertheless, either book is well worth the money, and you'll use your Guides every day. They're also of vital importance in your trip planning, especially as aids in planning your town stays, maildrops if any, rest stops, etc. Whichever one you choose you'll probably be happy with; I tend to prefer the Companion partly because of accuracy issues, and also because it's an important source of revenue for its publishers, the Appalachian Trail Conference and the Appalachian Long-Distance Hiker's Association, two very worthy organizations.