Books, Books and more Books

[tlbj6142]

I bought the ATC's "Southwest VA" guide/map packet for a trip I plan to make later this spring.

After looking at the trail guide and having seen the companion and the handbook (I haven't seen the databook yet), I have to wonder why there is so much overlapped with the information in these books. Seems like all of it could be put into a single book per state/reigon.

Besides the current section's map(s), what guides (trail, handbook, compainion and/or databook) should we carry on a thru? Why?

[chris]

I would carry the companion (or wingfoot) and the relevant maps. Break up the companion into sections.

[tlbj6142]

So, what's the point of the trail guides and the databook? History lessons?

[Dirtyoldman]

different strokes for different folks.....

[chris]

History and background, I suppose. Some people feel more comfortable with the guides. It depends on the person, I suppose.

Some people like the data book along with the companion. The companion lists very few campspots or water sources outside of shelters. The databook has more of this. The companion has good town info which the data book, I believe, lacks. Wingfoot seems to be a popular compromise.

[Jeff]

I have never seen anyone using the "Trail Guide" while hiking. It has just way more information than needed to get from Point A to Point B.

It is nice to read at home!

[steve hiker]

I'd use a data book mainly for water sources.

[Scamp]

I used the maps and the Companion last year.
For my section hike this year I reduced
the maps on a photcopier, and pasted the
databook pages, also reduced, on two
pieces of paper. Much lighter than 10
maps, or even 2 maps. I also have the
Companion sections in my maildrops.
Kinko laminated my consolidated maps/databook for $4.

Many people use only the Data Book.
They were always interested in the elevation
profiles on my maps.

One couple I hiked with, section hikers,
photocopied relevant pages from the
State's Guidebook.It has very detailed info on mileage and
ground reference points.
Some people just follow the white lines.
Scamp

[Peaks]

If you ever looked at maps from 30 years ago, you quickly realize that they left much to be desired. They were very basic. Not much information at all. Hense, at that time, the guide book portion was very necessary to give you a description of the trail.

Over the last couple of decades, the quality of maps has dramitically improved. And, I also think that the trail is better maintained and blazed. As a result, the guide book's importance has diminished.

I think that the ATC guidebook committee really should reconsider the value of guidebooks.

[TJ aka Teej]

Originally posted by tlbj6142
After looking at the trail guide and having seen the companion and the handbook (I haven't seen the databook yet), I have to wonder why there is so much overlapped with the information in these books. Seems like all of it could be put into a single book per state/reigon.

The individual guides interact with the map sets, and are mostly for uses like yours, hiking a certain section. It's not practical for a thruhiker to carry/use the single state guide books, imo.
As for the history of why there's two trail guides:

The ATC has published an AT guidebook since the 80's starting with the Philosopher's Guide. The PG was originally an 'underground' effort, but expanded from bootleg to official status. For a few years the ATC employed Dan Bruce to produce their guide. He departed and the ATC continued to publish a trail guide with the aid of volunteers from ALDHA. (ALDHA is an organization dedicated to the welfare of the long distance hiking community.) The Thruhiker's Companion and the A.T. DataBook are ATC publications. Profits from these books go to the ATC. (The Appalachian Trail Conference is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, management, and promotion of the Appalachian Trail.)
For some reason, Mr. Bruce sued the ATC.
The "Handbook" is produced by a one man business run by Mr. Bruce, calling it's self "The Center for AT Studies." Profits go to Mr. Bruce, the webmaster of "Trailplace.com" a commercial enterprise that asks for donations.
For several years the ATC has donated the DataBook's mileage figures to Mr. Bruce's company to be included in his book, an arrangement objected to by many ATC members.

[TJ aka Teej]

Originally posted by Peaks
I think that the ATC guidebook committee really should reconsider the value of guidebooks.

The state guides are published by the individual AT clubs, aren't they? I know the MATC is responsible for the Maine Guide.

[Papa Bear]

I consider the Guide Books "at home" references. I enjoy reading the background and historical material. They're on my hiking bookshelf and I'm glad to have them.

The Companion is more an "on-trail" resourse, but most people probably split it up and just carry pages for which ever scection they are in. It has the all important town information.

I take the Guide Book trail description pages (printed from my CD version of the books) and print the relavent Companion pages (printed from the On-line Companion) on the back. So I have a one page front and back summary of each trail section. All original books stay safe at home.

Obviously I'm a bit of an information hound, but I find I appreciate the trail much more when I know what's comming as well as historical background, and of course the town stop stuff from the Companion.

You could hike the whole trail with no maps or books (just follow those white blazes) but I enjoy it much more the way I do it.

Pb

[tlbj6142]

Wow that's quite a bit of at home work. But if I you were to do it in sections that would be a nice way to go.

Companion vs. Handbook.

I've seen quite a bit of the Companion (since it is "free" online), but I have only briefly looked at the handbook. I liked the town maps in the handbook, but given that most of these towns are quite small, I doubt they are really needed.

Any thoughts?

[Papa Bear]

The at-home preparation is not that bad. Yes I did sections, but long ones (10 days to 2 weeks) and did 5 of them last summer, so I was on trail almost half of the season.

If you just print out the Companion pages for a section (say Connecticut and Massachusetts) you get maybe 7 or 8 pages. Then I put the pages back in the printer (upside down) and print the trail descriptions, hopefully about the same amount.

Now I'm done. Most of the time is making sure the fronts of the pages are the same trail section as the back, but even if it's off by a page or two it hardly matters.

Now I've got say 8 pages for 150 miles. Light load indeed, and everything I need . Oh yeah - don't forget to bring the maps.

One thing - a real positive - is going to the trouble of doing this ahead of the hike familiarizes me with the material much more than If I just threw the book into my pack.

As for town maps, The Companion has them for some towns (like DWG or Hanover). but once looking at it briefly I hadly needed to worry about it further. Don't know if the Handbook maps are better, but as you say, they are only marginally useful anyway.


Pb

[tlbj6142]

I noticed that the trail guide I have (Southwest VA) mentions water that should be avoided (typically due to heavy farm drainage). Does the handbook, databook or companion give that kind of information?

Seem like it would be useful to know not to drink, even if you treat, certain streams.

[chris]

Nothing like that in the Companion from Springer to Damascus.

[cburnett]

If the trail conference book / map set are not purchased, where do you find maps to the trail? I have considered purchasing the National Geographic maps that corrolate to the AT. Any comments or suggestions to this idea?


the roman numerial four (IV)

[chris]

You can purchase the maps without the guides if you wish. Another possibility is to buy all the USGS quads for the entire trail, which will end up costing a lot more than the ATC maps in the end. You could lower the cost by using one of the custom map kiosks. Or, you could go to something like www.topozone.com and print out all the relevant quads. This would burn up a toner cartridge or two and a bunch of paper but will probably be cheaper than buying the ATC maps. Or, there are CDs with the maps on them, which you could buy and then print out. I think the Weasel has some info on this somewhere on this site. However, the simplest solution is just to buy the maps from the ATC. Skip the guidebooks and just pick up the Companion instead.

[DebW]

If you try to use USGS quads, you will find the trail in the wrong place in many, many places. It is relocated frequently, and the USGS maps are updated only every few decades (some may be 40 years old). The official ATC maps are definitely the best bet, though they may not really be updated often enough to keep up with every relo.

[RagingHampster]

I'm also in limbo on what to do. I have 11 months before my attempt, and I'm still looking. Originally I was looking for something similar to the GMC guide for the Long Trail. Apparently I'm told it doesn't exist. I did purchase the AT 2003 Data Book, but it lacks maps, and I'd like some more info on trail accomodations, etc.