The Pepsi challange for the 2 guidebooks.

[moldy]

I received my 2014 Thru-hikers companion today. I also have the 2014 AWOL guide. For the past several years the AWOL guide was a better product in many respects. I have railed about the decay of the Thru-hiker Companion and predicted it's death for some time. Not so fast. It grieves me to say so, but this new Companion is greatly improved. The new profile maps go a long way to close the distance for equity with AWOL. AWOL still has some advantages but I think that for the first time in many years the Companion has changed for the better.

[ChinMusic]

Competition works

[max patch]

My personal view is that the profiles add no value. Profiles are already on the maps which everyone should carry anyway. The Companion is now 30% larger with no additional content (except the profiles).

Having said that, props to the Companion for listening to what the public was asking for and adding the profiles. I will accept that my views are in the minority. Sales of the Companion support ALDHA and the ATC and there is really no reason now to shop elsewhere.

[4eyedbuzzard]

My personal view is that the profiles add no value. Profiles are already on the maps which everyone should carry anyway. The Companion is now 30% larger with no additional content (except the profiles).

Lots of hikers don't carry maps because as I have often read here "they're not needed", "too heavy", "too expensive" (but of course hikers always want to look at them when you pull one out ). And some probably couldn't read them or use a compass anyway. But, obviously hikers like profiles for planning purposes, so . . .

Having said that, props to the Companion for listening to what the public was asking for and adding the profiles. I will accept that my views are in the minority. Sales of the Companion support ALDHA and the ATC and there is really no reason now to shop elsewhere.

But, at roughly the same price, AWOL's guide has some nice features that the Companion doesn't offer (SOBO version, looseleaf versions, more data, etc). I agree with Chin, it's good that hikers have choices and that the two compete to produce better products.

[Slo-go'en]

But does it fit into a quart zip lock? That is my one gripe about the AWOL guide, it doesn't. I'd also like to see the town info in a seperate section at the back of the book so trail data isn't broken up and have to flip past it to continue on. Although I can see why it's done the way it is for people who like to carry only parts of the guide.

I also find the AWOL format a bit difficult to follow, but I suppose that comes from using the Wingfoot guide for so many years before. In that respect, the companion format is better for me, but it lacks the detail of either Wingfoot or AWOL guides. Maybe that has changed in the new edition too?

I guess it all comes down to you can't please everyone...

[Bronk]

I have seen several shelters that had a nice binder for the register and inside the cover of the binder they had a laminated copy of the map for the area as well as elevation profiles. It made me wish all the shelter registers were like that.

[bigcranky]

But does it fit into a quart zip lock? That is my one gripe about the AWOL guide, it doesn't.

Nope, not even close. It's small enough to slide inside the bag, but too long to zip it shut.

I do like the new format, though. I used to make my own sheets with mileage data and profiles, just so I could have one thing to look at during the day on the trail. (I'd keep the maps tucked away for use in camp for planning, or emergencies.) Now I have everything on one page without having to cobble them together myself.

[lonehiker]

But does it fit into a quart zip lock? That is my one gripe about the AWOL guide, it doesn't.

I also find the AWOL format a bit difficult to follow, but I suppose that comes from using the Wingfoot guide for so many years before.

I simply tear 2-3 pages out of AWOL's book, fold in thirds, and place in pint zip-lock bag and keep in shirt breast pocket. I bought all in 2008 but opted to use Appalachian Page and found it very easy to follow.

[ChinMusic]

I simply tear 2-3 pages out of AWOL's book, fold in thirds, and place in pint zip-lock bag and keep in shirt breast pocket.

WOW, that is exactly what I do, right down to folding the pages in thirds.

I bought AWOL's loose-pages option. I carry all the pages I won't be needing for the next two days securely in my pack in the baggie they came in. I used a mini (too small for a sandwich) ziplock baggie, which holds the folded pages (in thirds) perfectly. I have AWOL's pdf version on my iPhone in case I need to look for a phone number or something. I never have to take off my pack to find something that way.

I carry the pages in my left front pocket which can get wet. I have found that the baggies wear out quickly so I got in the habit of using clear boxing tape on the edges to help prevent water from getting in. Without that extra reinforcement the baggies could leak and ruin the pages.

[Son Driven]

The trail is the trail, and continues to reveal itself to you as you go. All as you need to know. Do you have enough water to get to the next water source? Do you have enough food to get to the next re-supply? Just keep following the white blazes, and then the day will come where you have passed by all the white blazes, and you will be here on white Blaze dreaming about the blazes yet to be conquered.

[Phoenix Firebird]

I have seen several shelters that had a nice binder for the register and inside the cover of the binder they had a laminated copy of the map for the area as well as elevation profiles. It made me wish all the shelter registers were like that.

That would be a fantastic idea for all shelters to have have a laminated copy of a map of the area.

[4eyedbuzzard]

That would be a fantastic idea for all shelters to have have a laminated copy of a map of the area.

Unfortunately, I would venture that they could likely get stolen by less than respectful hikers if only placed in a register/binder. I think a better idea might be a map and such behind a plexiglass mount similar to what are at many trail heads. Something mounted with security screws not easily removed. Unfortunately it's just the way the world is. If someone needs it and it isn't bolted down . . .