View Full Version : guidebook, companion, maps
downes911
07-23-2009, 15:39
ok folks I need the skinny on these. Is there a big difference between them or are they about the same (yea ok i know the difference w/the map, DUH).
I planning to start my thru hike 3/2010, i have the companion, but am considering getting the guidebooks/maps.
What is the general thoughts on this.
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2009, 15:43
The three major Trail guides (the ones that are updated annually) that long-distance A.T. hikers use before and during their hikes are, in fact, very similar. At the end of the day, it probably doesn't matter which one you elect to use.
Whichever one you decide on, however, as a former thru-hiker, I very strongly suggest you travel with up-to-date Trail maps as well, for all sorts of reasons.
Very few, in fact, virtually no thru-hikers travel with the Trail Guidebooks.
ok folks I need the skinny on these. Is there a big difference between them or are they about the same (yea ok i know the difference w/the map, DUH).
I planning to start my thru hike 3/2010, i have the companion, but am considering getting the guidebooks/maps.
What is the general thoughts on this.
Not needed at all but many people enjoy having the extra info. Once I was involved in an emergency situation where a map helped and would never tell someone NOT to carry one. I carry the companion and data book pages for the section I am on.:)
I would either suggest the thru hikers Handbook or Appalachian pages. Both have similar info. As with any guide book for a trail that is always changing neither book is 100% correct. When in doughty follow the white blazes. I used the thru hikers handbook in 2007 and it worked great.
Enjoy your hike
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2009, 15:54
Since the ATC decided (for whatever reason) to let all the current Trail Guides essentially copy the invaluable information contained in the A.T. Data Book (which was once considered indispensable on the A.T.), there is, unfortunately, very little reason to carry the Data Book anymore.
This information is now essentially reprinted verbatim in the Thru-Hikers Handbook; the Thru-Hikers Handbook; and Appalachian Pages, i.e. mileage charts and information, info on road crossings, campsites, water sources, etc., are now found in all three of the major Trail guides.
Why the ATC basically decided to give this hard-acquired data away to anyone who asked for it....well this escapes me, but that's the way it is.
trippclark
07-23-2009, 15:55
I agree with Jack that the guides (Appalachain Pages, the Companion, and the Handbook) are all quite similar. There are differences, and most folks have personal preferences, but in the end the content is very similar. All of them will provide the info that you want along your trip. I do think that the differences between them are significant enough to where it is worthwhile to look at all of them and select the one that appeals to you the most.
He is also right that almost no one carrys the guidebooks. I would add, though, that as a section hiker I still find them to have worthwhile information. I usually hike 50 - 75 mile sections of trail, and I like to read through the applicable section of the guidebook(s) before the trip, and usually make copies and carry those pages specific to my small section. It makes for interesting reference reading during the trip. The guides also provide details about road access to each of the defined sections. For a section hiker, this information can be quite helpful in locating the trailhead for your trip.
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2009, 16:03
I agree with everything Tripp just said. The Guidebooks are particularly useful in providing information on what you're SEEING form the Trail, i.e. views, vistas, surrounding landscapes, etc. The Guides are full of quite detailed information on what you can actually SEE from the Trail, and this information is almost entirely absent from the other Trail books.
Why the ATC basically decided to give this hard-acquired data away to anyone who asked for it....well this escapes me, but that's the way it is.
Jack, some people are more interested in sharing and helping others than in turning a profit.
A good source for free interactive maps is:
http://www.thetrailwiki.org/
downes911
07-23-2009, 16:08
so the companion will be sufficient for the thru hike, but the guidebooks would offer extra info for interest purposes
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2009, 16:08
Arizona:
Your sentiment is an entirely admirable one, but I have a gut problem with folks (whether working for a non-profit or for their own benefit) taking the efforts and hard work compiled and done by others (nearly all of whom are nameless volunteers), and then taking this information and putting it out for sale in their own book.
It's distasteful, period. If you write a book, you should do your own research for it.
downes911
07-23-2009, 16:09
i would like to get some more info the Whites any suggestions
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2009, 16:21
Go to www.outdoors.org
The Guidebook put out by the Appalachian Mountain Club, the AMC White Mountain Guide, is the bible for those planning to spend any length of time hiking in the White Mountains, and this has been the case for around a hundred years.
Likewise, the ATC has recently (and finally!!) updated their Trail map set for Vermont/New Hampshire. The new maps are wonderful.
Likewise, the ATC has recently (and finally!!) updated their Trail map set for Vermont/New Hampshire. The new maps are wonderful.
Jack, I completely agree. Vermont's new maps are wonderful and long overdue.