View Full Version : The A.T. Guide a simple review
I just received the new guide from Awol. All I can say is get one. the layout is great. I really like the shape and size of the book, think of a really thick map.The elevation info is much improved over the 2009 Appalachian Pages, You can get a better feel of the trail ahead thanks to the elevation chart. The town maps are also much better and more of them. There is GPS info for trailheads if you use a GPS. Heck there is even a calendar in the back important dates and when the moon will be full, helpfull if you do the night hiking thing. I just wished the calendar stated the hours of daylight. This would be helpful for early planning,
Thanks for another great guide book Awol:D
ShelterLeopard
12-21-2009, 14:20
Could you provide a link to a place where I could look at the book? (Or buy it?)
ShelterLeopard
12-21-2009, 14:21
I keep googling it and getting brewery and art guides...
ShelterLeopard
12-21-2009, 14:22
Sorry, never mind- just had the brilliant idea of looking on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/T-Guide-David-Miller/dp/097970815X/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261419733&sr=1-15
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 15:20
I can't wait to get my copy. After trying my hand at guidebook creation I am even more impressed now.
http://www.orchidculture.com/COD/daylength.html
Google sunrise/sunset. Navy site has a plug in function.
Only really need one or two day lengths per month.
scruffy, did you get yours as a special review copy or can the rest of us folks who pre-ordered look forward to seeing one in our mailbox soon?
You can also buy it from http://www.awolonthetrail.com/order.html and in three different formats: NOBO, SOBO, and NOBO loose-leaf. I was going to just go with the Companion in pdf format, but at a reported 8 oz for the whole thing, even with just 5 mail drops that's not much weight to have an alternate guidebook in hard copy, and I was going to print out data (mileage, shelter location, elevation) page info anyway.
So the NOBO loose-leaf format sounds perfect for me.
Thrasher
12-21-2009, 15:43
I just got mine from the mail carrier a minute ago. It looks good. The plastic bag for it is a nice touch too.
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 16:14
Mine just came in today too. I'm going to sit down and look through it with a critical eye.
scruffy, did you get yours as a special review copy or can the rest of us folks who pre-ordered look forward to seeing one in our mailbox soon?
I just did a preorder like normal
SGT Rock
12-21-2009, 21:45
I've been looking through mine. The information for this are is very accurate. But the thing I am impressed by are some of the new ideas.
1. The listing of what trails the AT follows in the Whites. I love how he does that. I have been trying to figure out a smooth way to do that in my BMT guide since it follows other, older trails through the Smokies and some of the Cherokee forest.
2. GPS coordinates to road crossings. I've done a complicated map that shows where the BMT goes though each state with highway maps trying to solve that problem. Now I'm thinking of something like that with a section added to my guide's website so you can find those crossings while at the house on the internet and, if you want to, plug those locations into a car GPS.
3. Town maps are streamlining the town entries in a very nice way. Instead of trying to list every possible place in the town descriptions, he lists information about services you may need to know more about than the name and location. Then the places like BK, Food Lion, etc - are shown on the town map to make them easy to find.
4. The new page layout with mileages is VERY nice. I don't think I would ever try to replicate that. The work involved must have taken weeks.
As I look at it, the more I like. It is now like looking at a tile job in someone's house after you tried doing one yourself - you see certain things and realize how well it is done and realize how hard it must have been to do.
Red Beard
12-21-2009, 22:20
I'm waiting on mine with bated breath! :D
I'm waiting on mine with baited breath! :D
So you had sushi for dinner?
I got mine today. awesome job.
Red Beard
12-21-2009, 22:30
So you had sushi for dinner?
I got mine today. awesome job.
:p I'm jealous... and a bad speller to boot.
trippclark
12-22-2009, 00:21
I got mine today also. As others have said, it is even better than App Pages!
Rain Man
12-22-2009, 00:45
Mine came at 8:00 tonight! Letter carrier must be covering someone else's route too!
It looks good so far, but have only had a bout 5 minutes to flip through.
Rain:sunMan
.
DrRichardCranium
12-22-2009, 12:04
How could you guys have gotten it? On AWOL's website it says it won't be out until 1/18/2010
HikerRanky
12-22-2009, 12:04
Mine came yesterday.... I must admit I like the layout a lot better than the previous offering....
Chaco Taco
12-22-2009, 12:10
How could you guys have gotten it? On AWOL's website it says it won't be out until 1/18/2010
He has been posting on the site that he was shooting to get it out as early as possible.
Chaco Taco
12-22-2009, 12:11
Mine came yesterday.... I must admit I like the layout a lot better than the previous offering....
Im hoping the mailman will be bringing mine today!!!
Received mine today!!
Twice now AWOL has raised the bar on AT trail guides and hikers will benefit greatly.
Chaco Taco
12-23-2009, 18:56
Still waiting......
Chaco Taco
12-28-2009, 20:44
Just got mine. Have thumbed through it. It is pretty impressive. I really like the map of the Whites. That was a really cool addition. The layout is cool. Considering its a first edition, its pretty darn accurate. Also like the grids in the town maps to help with distance. Overall, I think this will grow into the best guidebook for the AT.
Ditto the positive reviews. Very very nice. IMHO this will set a new standard for these guides with some of its features. Also like the website updates and the fact that you can sign up for email updates. Congratulations to Awol and his contributors.
cant wait to get mine! :)
SGT Rock
12-29-2009, 07:57
Just got mine. Have thumbed through it. It is pretty impressive. I really like the map of the Whites. That was a really cool addition. The layout is cool. Considering its a first edition, its pretty darn accurate. Also like the grids in the town maps to help with distance. Overall, I think this will grow into the best guidebook for the AT.
I gotta agree. Awol seems to think quite a bit about HOW information is presented, not just the information itself.
My only complaint: the book is getting heavier.
Chaco Taco
12-29-2009, 18:39
50 some odd pages more than Pages.
SGT Rock
12-29-2009, 19:43
7.7 ounces! Ouch LOL. :eek:
Blue Jay
12-29-2009, 20:31
I gotta agree. Awol seems to think quite a bit about HOW information is presented, not just the information itself.
This is exactly correct.
SGT Rock
12-30-2009, 15:36
7.7 ounces! Ouch LOL. :eek:
I just weighed my 2009 Companion, it is 11.4 ounces, so I guess I shouldn't complain ;)
trippclark
12-30-2009, 16:19
My only complaint: the book is getting heavier.
This is a good reason why a thru-hiker may want to get the unbound version and only have with them the pages for a particular section and then bounce-box the others or have them mailed.
As a section hiker, I usually just photocopy the pages for the section that I am hiking.
FritztheCat
12-31-2009, 10:30
Still waiting on mine. I got the email that said it was mailed on the 18th but it hasn't arrived yet. :confused:
I'll give the mail a few more days. :rolleyes:
gearfreak
01-05-2010, 12:19
The A.T. Guide (http://www.theatguide.com)
Jack Tarlin
01-05-2010, 16:23
This was recently discussed on another thread.
I'm always amused at people who express dismay or amazement on the weight of a Trail guide.
This is kind of a non-issue: People who want to can purchase the unbound edition of the the A.T. Guide, or they can photocopy specific sections and carry only the information that they need, i.e a few pages at a time, making the weight issue completely moot.
Being concerned about the physical weight of an entire guidebook is only an issue if one elects to travel with an entire guidebook, and when you're slogging thru North Carolina, you don't need to know whwre the cheap hotels are in Connecticut. Leaving Georgia with a complete A.T. Guide, i.e. one that contains data and information you won't be needing until autumn......well this is like carrying a can of tuna for 1400 miles before eating it. Not a very wise thing to do.
Carry what you need, get the rest while en route. Worry about your miles, and not your grams.