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Tree Nerd
12-21-2012, 12:05
Looking for a guide book for a 2013 SOBO thru hike? What is the best out or when will it be out?

Astro
12-21-2012, 14:13
My recommendation. Both Northbound and Southbound editions. You can preorder the 2013 edition. I started out with the Companion but have switched over to this.

http://www.theatguide.com/

enyapjr
12-21-2012, 14:14
Looking for a guide book for a 2013 SOBO thru hike? What is the best out or when will it be out?

The "A. T. Guide (http://www.theatguide.com/)" has sobo editions, either bound or loose-leaf...
Planned ship date of 1/22/13 for pre-orders (& at a 10% discount)...

Happy trails!!!

Wild Violet
12-21-2012, 14:15
Ship date is January 22, 2013 http://www.shop.theatguide.com/ for the 2013 guides. Friends who thru-hiked in '09 recommended it to me. (Actually they recommended The Thru-HikersHand Book (data from it is included). This seems to be a hybrid of two handbooks, someone else can correct that information if they know.

Tree Nerd
12-21-2012, 14:40
Thanks for the link guys. This guide looks way better than the companion. I will be ordering mine soon......BTW, SOBO edition shipped 2/14/12 and the NOBO ships 1/22/12.

SawnieRobertson
12-21-2012, 15:00
Don't discount The Companion. It has its own charms, all of which you will enjoy having.

Turk6177
12-22-2012, 11:14
AWOL's guide is put out by David Miller. Seems by far the best to me.

SawnieRobertson
12-22-2012, 11:30
Absolutely! AWOLs guide is the most helpful, but I also cut up The Companion and staple the pages to the other appropriate pages (like the pertinent ones from the ATC Guides) and stick them in my mail drops to use as I go through the miles between drops. It adds interesting facts that I may have read previously but cannot possibly remember. That is one reason why I like AWOLs looseleaf version, and I gift to my children the book size one so that they can know where I might be. It also helps me know where I might be too. Right?

rhyolite
01-17-2013, 01:19
I made the mistake of jumping the gun and purchasing the 2012 version in October. Survivor Dave then informed me that AWOL had the 2013 version in print. I then foolishly called AWOL and agreed to send him a check. No book yet! Lesson..purchase through Amazon or other online venue that protects you

ChinMusic
01-17-2013, 02:45
I would trust David.

BuckeyeBill
01-17-2013, 03:01
My 2013 NOBO showed up three days ago.

Josh Calhoun
01-17-2013, 10:06
awols AT Guide SOBO edition, i would trust no other!

RETCW4
01-17-2013, 12:33
I made the mistake of jumping the gun and purchasing the 2012 version in October. Survivor Dave then informed me that AWOL had the 2013 version in print. I then foolishly called AWOL and agreed to send him a check. No book yet! Lesson..purchase through Amazon or other online venue that protects you
What Chin Music said. I had to forgo my hike in 201. David saw my post and offered to either to refund my money or use it as a credit for 2012. He is probably smiling them in order with the priority to ones who preordered in Nov. I received mine last week.

Tumbleweed

Rain Man
01-18-2013, 12:20
...purchase through Amazon or other online venue that protects you

Amazon protects you????!!!! LOL Amazon protects Amazon.

Rain Man

.

Tree Nerd
02-08-2013, 12:12
I im going to buy the AWOL's AT guide SOBO edition. Should I go with loose leaf or not? What are the pros and cons of each? I dont plan on doing any mail drops unless I have family send me backup gear and I would like to keep the book when I'm done. Obviously, I am leaning toward non-looseleaf, but maybe someone can convince me otherwise.

Awol2003
02-08-2013, 17:23
I’d started out as a “keep the whole book” hiker, because I like to look ahead, and I liked the idea of having the book I hiked with for posterity. I ditched that plan after about a week. Partly in a frenzy to reduce weight (eight ounces is too damn heavy), but mostly because I like to refer to the guidebook so often. Often when passing a side trail, I want to know where it goes, when I cross a road I wonder what road it is, and if I’m running low on water I want to know when I’ll see another spring. It gets cumbersome to pull out the book a dozen times a day. I like having the current page in my pocket for quick reference.

Some hikers just like to stroll through the woods and see what they see when they come to it. That approach is fine, too. You just gotta figure out what type of hiker you are. If you’re the “constant reference” type, then loose-leaf will work better.
If you’re constantly referencing the book with sweaty hiker hands, it’s going to end up loose-leaf anyway. At Trail Days I see hikers who’ve come only 460 miles and their book is destroyed. I’ve also seen careful hikers who finish their hike with nicely-kept books annotated with trail notes.

rocketsocks
02-08-2013, 17:33
I’d started out as a “keep the whole book” hiker, because I like to look ahead, and I liked the idea of having the book I hiked with for posterity. I ditched that plan after about a week. Partly in a frenzy to reduce weight (eight ounces is too damn heavy), but mostly because I like to refer to the guidebook so often. Often when passing a side trail, I want to know where it goes, when I cross a road I wonder what road it is, and if I’m running low on water I want to know when I’ll see another spring. It gets cumbersome to pull out the book a dozen times a day. I like having the current page in my pocket for quick reference.

Some hikers just like to stroll through the woods and see what they see when they come to it. That approach is fine, too. You just gotta figure out what type of hiker you are. If you’re the “constant reference” type, then loose-leaf will work better.
If you’re constantly referencing the book with sweaty hiker hands, it’s going to end up loose-leaf anyway. At Trail Days I see hikers who’ve come only 460 miles and their book is destroyed. I’ve also seen careful hikers who finish their hike with nicely-kept books annotated with trail notes.Dave, was the gum binder decided on for easy tear-out of pages? Have you ever considerd reworking the gum binder to a sewn one, or would that have increased the price significantly.

Tree Nerd
02-08-2013, 17:47
I’d started out as a “keep the whole book” hiker, because I like to look ahead, and I liked the idea of having the book I hiked with for posterity. I ditched that plan after about a week. Partly in a frenzy to reduce weight (eight ounces is too damn heavy), but mostly because I like to refer to the guidebook so often. Often when passing a side trail, I want to know where it goes, when I cross a road I wonder what road it is, and if I’m running low on water I want to know when I’ll see another spring. It gets cumbersome to pull out the book a dozen times a day. I like having the current page in my pocket for quick reference.

Some hikers just like to stroll through the woods and see what they see when they come to it. That approach is fine, too. You just gotta figure out what type of hiker you are. If you’re the “constant reference” type, then loose-leaf will work better.
If you’re constantly referencing the book with sweaty hiker hands, it’s going to end up loose-leaf anyway. At Trail Days I see hikers who’ve come only 460 miles and their book is destroyed. I’ve also seen careful hikers who finish their hike with nicely-kept books annotated with trail notes.

Awol, First off, I loved your book. It is still one of my favorite AT books. Second off, thanks for the info. I guess I fall in the middle of the two types of hikers you described. I tend to look at guide books in the morning and at night, unless I run into an unexpected problem.

Does the loose-leaf come with holes in it to possibly put it back together when I return home? How do people go about getting current pages to them? Like I said before, I would like to avoid dealing with mail drops.

Awol2003
02-08-2013, 19:15
Awol, First off, I loved your book. It is still one of my favorite AT books. Second off, thanks for the info. I guess I fall in the middle of the two types of hikers you described. I tend to look at guide books in the morning and at night, unless I run into an unexpected problem.

Does the loose-leaf come with holes in it to possibly put it back together when I return home? How do people go about getting current pages to them? Like I said before, I would like to avoid dealing with mail drops.

No, there are no holes, and little margin in which to punch any. A ziplock is about the only way to contain it, and there's little choice but to use maildrops to get sections. It's sounding like the bound book will be best for you. Thanks for reading "AWOL"!

The binding is standard for paperback books, but this book will come apart more easily than most because it's bound on the shorter side. A sewn binding would require greater margin so it'd cost more and be heavier, so it's not an option.

rhyolite
02-09-2013, 19:48
I purchased the 2013 AT Guide by David "AWOL" Miller. It was just published a month ago. I made the mistake of buying the 2012 version last October. Turns out that lots of changes were made (according to AWOL). The book runs about 15.00 and is complete with all the important points with miles along the AT, including a topographic profile and maps of major towns, markets, restaurants, etc.
M

Tree Nerd
02-10-2013, 15:26
I think I will go with the loose leaf type. It would be nice to have the reference page (for that day) in my pocket that is easily accessed.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

SawnieRobertson
02-10-2013, 15:45
I think I will go with the loose leaf type. It would be nice to have the reference page (for that day) in my pocket that is easily accessed.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Yes, and, if you have the time, staple the pertinent pages from the guidebook to David's looseleaf pages. That plus a map, and you will have a nice, complete picture of your location.

TheGreek
02-10-2013, 15:46
I've got both the 2012 and 2013 AWOL guide. I also grabbed the 2013 in PDF to keep on my phone while hiking in case I misplace my paper copy.

max patch
02-10-2013, 15:51
How the blazes (pun!) did Earl ever hike the trail?

All you really need to hike the trail is the Data Book. The Companion and the AT Guide just make town life a lot easier.