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phillycheze
11-11-2008, 16:32
which book of the main three (companion, pages, or data book) has the best readable information?
i can't seem to pick one.

Lone Wolf
11-11-2008, 16:33
data book

Sly
11-11-2008, 16:40
which book of the main three (companion, pages, or data book) has the best readable information?
i can't seem to pick one.

Depends on what you're looking for. If you need town info, shelter info, a bit of history, along with data, the Companion.

BigBlue
11-11-2008, 17:13
Personally I like the Pages, it's more visual than the others. Data is good if you just want raw data and no fluff. Don't like the format of the Companion.

Lone Wolf
11-11-2008, 17:21
and there's always the Thru-Hiker's Handbook

cravj1988
11-11-2008, 17:23
the thru hikers companion is what i lived by

sheepdog
11-11-2008, 17:24
Hope that helped.

jbone
11-11-2008, 17:34
It looks like you are close enuf to the trail to do a weekend or two. I suggest hiking a couple sections, and then go to a bookstore/outfitter that carries the books. Read about that section(s) you hiked and determine which info is more handy to you. Some ppl prefer loads of data, others don't.

HYOH and good luck!

KG4FAM
11-11-2008, 17:36
All the guidebooks are going to have errors (I hold accuracy way above format), but I don't get pissed at the book when it is put together by a nonprofit group that has volunteers out there checking the notes. That is why I like the companion

Sly
11-11-2008, 17:55
All the guidebooks are going to have errors (I hold accuracy way above format), but I don't get pissed at the book when it is put together by a nonprofit group that has volunteers out there checking the notes. That is why I like the companion

Wise man. ;)

Kirby
11-11-2008, 22:06
I'm fond of the history in the Companion, but not the format.

I carried the Appalachian Pages.

An ideal guide would have the AP format with the history provided in the Companion.

Kirby

Blissful
11-11-2008, 23:23
I liked the companion myself.

TJ aka Teej
11-12-2008, 09:02
It looks like you are close enuf to the trail to do a weekend or two. I suggest hiking a couple sections, and then go to a bookstore/outfitter that carries the books. Read about that section(s) you hiked and determine which info is more handy to you. Some ppl prefer loads of data, others don't.

That's pretty good advice, jbone.
Philly, you can check out the entire 2008 ALDHA Companion for free at:
http://www.aldha.org/companyn.htm

Lyle
11-12-2008, 11:41
My choice is either the Companion or the AT Pages. Like many of the features in the pages, but the Companion's info is a bit more in depth (it's also a bigger book).

Both are hiker friendly, in that the Pages offer a loose leaf option, also a Southbound option, and perforated pages so you only need to carry the section you are currently hiking.

The Companion, on the other hand, offers the online version which allows you to print out the section you need, mark it up during planning, but still be able to reprint with your final plan for your hike. Very convenient. Be sure to purchase a copy if you plan to use the online version - it's only fair to the authors and publisher, and not all that expensive.

I'm looking forward to the 2009 AT Pages and the improvements made. During my last section I used both - just carried the sections I needed.

Jack Tarlin
11-12-2008, 12:16
I think the Handbook's print format makes it very easy on the eye, especially as concerns the mileage charts and the town maps.

In terms of accuracy, the Companion is probably the best, as it's individual field editors actually live and frequently hike in the areas that they are writing about and up-dating.

Ultimately, tho, the books are quite similar and at the end of the day, it probably doesn't matter too much which one you take.

vtdrifter
11-16-2008, 21:46
Although I didn't have it, I was by far most fond of the Handbook, because it lists a lot more data points like trail crossings, campsites, and old forest roads.

phillycheze
11-16-2008, 22:08
so, all are good depending on who u are?

Sly
11-16-2008, 22:13
I'm fond of the history in the Companion, but not the format.


Kirby, or any one else, how would you change the format in the Companion to better suit your needs? Although I'm not at liberty to say right now, there will be changes coming.

lonehiker
11-17-2008, 00:17
Kirby, or any one else, how would you change the format in the Companion to better suit your needs? Although I'm not at liberty to say right now, there will be changes coming.

I particularly liked that fact that I didn't have to flip to the back of the book or to the back of the section to get the information relevant to the data. In Pages, the data is on the right hand side and the corresponding information is on the left. No flipping back and forth.

gonewalkabout
11-20-2008, 14:11
What about the "Thru Hikers handbook"? I don't see too many comments about it.

http://www.trailplace.com/hb_2008edition.html

max patch
11-20-2008, 14:38
What about the "Thru Hikers handbook"? I don't see too many comments about it.

http://www.trailplace.com/hb_2008edition.html

Its the best.

Idealist
11-20-2008, 15:09
We used and liked all the books. [When considering the overall cost of a thru-hike, the cost of an additional guide book seemed insignificant.]

We planned our trip using the Companion & the Data book.

We traveled with an intact data book, relevant pages from the Appalachian Pages and the Handbook, and a downloaded (on our smartphone) older version of the Companion. [All together, the mail dropped pages & data book weighed less than an intact guide.]

We found…
the Handbook especially rich town information.
the Companion great for knowing the little extras about the trail.
an intact book (the data book) nice for long term trip planning (and reflection on where we’d been)

Most often we used the Appalachian Pages because of its excellent format. And we had a Southbound version – that was very much appreciated.

I reckon “I can’t seem to pick one” either!

Bare Bear
11-21-2008, 18:12
I have used all of them, sometimes just taking whatever someone discarded in a hiker box (free is cheap). I found good and bad in all of them. I will probably use the Pages next thru because I think it will improve and I like supporting the ATC.

Jack Tarlin
11-21-2008, 18:19
Interesting thread.

Speaking only for myself, I have to say that I'm more interested in a book's usefulness and accuracy as opposed to its format.

Reliable fact-checking and accuracy beats "easy on the eye" every day of the week.

Rockhound
11-21-2008, 18:45
get all 3 then just take the averages for miles and elevation. By the way, I was just looking through the handbook, and did you know the record for hiking the AT is 37 days? (that should get lonewolf going)

Bare Bear
11-21-2008, 18:53
LW and I actually agree on some things. Cold beer is good. Records are OK but not official in any ATC way so HYOH.

Bigglesworth
11-21-2008, 21:29
which book of the main three (companion, pages, or data book) has the best readable information?
i can't seem to pick one.

I swore by the Handbook. If you want more historical info go with the Companion. There were many errors in the Appalachian Pages, but very visual people/people who didn't carry maps liked this one. To be fair, it is a newer one and they are ironing out the kinks. The data book is a little too bare bones for most people.

Sly
11-21-2008, 21:37
I will probably use the Pages next thru because I think it will improve and I like supporting the ATC.

Um, Whiteblaze supports the ATC and Pages placed an ad in Journeys but all proceeds from the Companion go directly to the ATC.

Kirby
11-22-2008, 18:31
I would like the companion more if it did not list all the town information in one long paragraph, perhaps create a new indent paragraph for each thing, like "lodging" and "groceries".

Also, cut down on the history of all the shelters. While it's nice to know some history, the history of some shelters seem pointless.

A bigger size font would be nice as well.

Kirby

traildust
11-22-2008, 19:37
They are all excellent resources. just pick one. get going.

Sly
11-22-2008, 20:23
I would like the companion more if it did not list all the town information in one long paragraph, perhaps create a new indent paragraph for each thing, like "lodging" and "groceries".

Also, cut down on the history of all the shelters. While it's nice to know some history, the history of some shelters seem pointless.

A bigger size font would be nice as well.

Kirby

I can agree with those and will try to make the changes for 2010.

Kirby
11-22-2008, 20:59
Although there are certain shelters that are worth a paragraph, like mentioning that Mountaineer Shelter was built in a 36 hour period or how Overmountain Shelter came to be a shelter.

I'm fond of the quotes about each different section of trail that comes before the data. I'm always humored by how locals interpret their section of trail in comparison to what I think.

Now that I think about it, I think it would be great if on the data page where a town is listed it adds on what pages one can find the information on (ie:Mile 1956.2:Monson, ME(P. 136), that way hikers can easily figure out on what page relevant information is listed on.

Hope this helps,
Kirby

Hot Cheese
11-22-2008, 22:16
I have all of them and have used them to varying degrees. The one I like the best for its format and used for our thruhike was the Handbook. It gave us info our friends carrying the companion didn't have on water sources. My biggest complaint with the companion was the long paragraphs and the lack of listed water sources and road and trail crossings.

-Hot Cheese

Sly
11-22-2008, 23:18
Now that I think about it, I think it would be great if on the data page where a town is listed it adds on what pages one can find the information on (ie:Mile 1956.2:Monson, ME(P. 136), that way hikers can easily figure out on what page relevant information is listed on.

Hope this helps,
Kirby

Yeah, that's a good idea too.

Sly
11-22-2008, 23:21
. My biggest complaint with the companion was the long paragraphs and the lack of listed water sources and road and trail crossings.


I'll check it out... thanks.