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Does anyone know if the A.T. Guide will be revised for 2020? I know that not all reference materials are updated yearly and I'm wondering if I should go ahead and purchase the 2019 edition or wait for a new revision? If the Guide is updated yearly does anyone know when the 2020 will be available? Thanks!
It is updated yearly with as many changes as they know about, but generally you can easily get by with last years version.
I believe the new edition is released in Dec or Jan for NOBO and a month or so later for SOBO.
Thank You soumodeler. I'll wait on the updated version. I suspected the 2019 would be just fine but my OCD will kick in if I know there is a more recent edition available. I'm planning to start NOBO March 1st so there should be plenty of time to get the new one.
Don't forget, they also have a .pdf version if you want to save a little weight, not worry about it getting wet, pages wearing/falling out, etc. Personally, I prefer the book but on my thru I took the digital copy (left the book at home with my family) and found it was rather easy to get used to. Just a thought. I have AWOLs guide, not sure the others offer .pdf?
Go ahead and get the current guide so you can start to study it. Get Guthook for on the trail which will have the latest info.
The only significant changes which might happen from year to year is the status of hostels - some new ones open and some old ones close but that doesn't happen all that often.
Thanks for the suggestions! I much prefer a hard copy and don't mind a few more ounces. I went ahead and ordered the 2019 so I can start familiarizing myself and to aid in trip planning. When the 2020 becomes available I'll add it to my library.
They have TWO paper versions. One is bound. Get that one for the home-front/support people. Then there is one that is loose papers so you can just carry a few weeks worth at a time. Even comes with a zip-lock bag to hold the papers. AND, you can download the PDF version. But you have to purchase the two paper copies. I took notes from peoples trail journals and then write those into the copy also. Just like Tips from people from the year before. Takes some doing to transfer it to a new copy, but hey, it's just reading the guide.
What about the pocket profile set? Is there any extra value in having the information formatted that way on trail or is the pocket set too condensed to be of real use. The little laminated cards look cool but couldn't contain as much info as the book format. I'm really only concerned with resupply points and town services. Years ago when I first fell in love with the idea of the AT there was no internet. A big part of the draw was going on an adventure where I wouldn't know what was around every turn and behind every bush. Hitting the water sources is important to me but beyond that I'm not looking for a step by step commentary. I want to preserve at least the illusion of a sense of adventure. I seldom carry a phone in my daily life and though I will carry one on the trail it will be turned all the way off between check ins with family. I've never missed a step in daily life because I was looking at a phone screen and I wont be picking up any new electronic habits on trail. Don't misunderstand my meaning. I have nothing against technology and I love the availability of information it provides. I also love having the ability to access it when it's beneficial to me and to turn off the tap when it becomes a nuisance, which for me is every time I hear a bell, ding or beep that I didn't initiate or ask for. I tried e readers when they became available and got really excited when I found out how many books I could carry in a small package but from the very start I couldn't get the same enjoyment reading from a screen as I get from paper books. Now that I'm thinking about it, it is ironic that I will have to use the internet to find book stores along the AT and hopefully some libraries where I can donate paper backs I no longer want to carry:-?
I was always in the "not ruining the adventure" crowd but my thoughts have changed throughout and after the AT. I'm still all for not ruining the adventure but now I see guides/maps (that I always carried anyway) and now my gps as a way to help learn, explore and understand more about the areas I'm traveling through. I don't look at it like "theres only xx miles and xx elevation to get to the peak" or "only half a mile to the shelter" …. I see these things now as helping make the adventure more interesting and fun... I'm not in the lightweight backpacking crowd though, that's for sure....
I have a few sections of the PocketProfile. It actually unfolds to be about 18" long and covers roughly 100 miles on average. All the significant way points are listed and shown on the profile. They are a useful alternative to the full Guide, but gets a bit expensive for the whole trail. Even so, as a light weight and easy to use backup to a phone, could be worth it.
Most of mine I found abandoned in shelters near the map end points. It's nice when you find one left off by someone going the opposite direction you are as you enter that section.
Looks like the Guide and all twenty-two pocket profiles will be right at a hundred bucks. After reading a little more about the pocket profiles I think I'm going to get the big set. As rhjanes suggested I'll leave the book with family but the pocket profiles will work for me on trail.
Also give the White Blaze Pages a look on the home page of this site...nice comprehensive guide. ��
They didn't have the pdf version in 2013. No Guthooks, either (dark ages). I carried a portion of the unbound version while my wife had the bound version at home (she mailed me food & gear when needed). I liked to write times & dates on the guide pages on various reference points. This helped me when I got an opportunity to type in my blog. I ended up keeping a good log of start times & end times for each days hike. See signature line.
Is anyone having trouble opening the pdf on thier phone? I purchased it and cant seem to find it on my phone now