Originally Posted by
Jack Tarlin
There are any number of good reasons to carry maps, and only one poor reason NOT to, and that's to save money.
*Maps will tell you where you are in the world, what lies ahead of you, what
is behind, and what is to either side.
*Maps will reveal geographic features and knowledge that may prove very
useful: They will tell you where roads are, and where roads and side paths
lead. They'll tell you whether or not one will be going up or down hill, or
where there is likely to be reliable water that isn't listed in your guidebooks.
*The elevation profiles will greatly assist your daily trip planning: They'll tell
you where you can likely do a big-mileage day, and likewise, they'll tell you
where it'd be foolish to attempt one. They'll help give you an idea of how
many hours a particular stretch will take to hike, which will greatly lessen
the chances of you falling short of a shelter or road, or running out of
daylight because a stretch took longer than you'd anticipated.
*The maps and elevation profiles will be essential during the planning stages
of your hike, when you're trying to figure out how much food to carry for
particular stretches of Trail. For example 70 miles of Southern Maine is
VERY different from 70 miles of Central Virginia, and a study of the profiles
can help give you a better idea of what one's daily mileage is likely to be
in each section.
*If you like to get your big climbs out of the way early, before it gets too hot,
the maps will provide this information. Likewise, if you don't want to deal
with a big uphill late in the day when you're worn out, the maps will also tell
you about this, so you can plan the end of your day accordingly. With
maps, you have a lot fewer surprises, and you have the option of saving a
bad climb for the next morning if you wish. Without maps, you're blind, and
have only a very rought idea of what the Trail in front of you is like.
*If you want to find a good place to see a beautiful sunrise, sunset, or
meteor shower, the maps will help tell you.
*In an emergency situation, the maps will tell you how you can get out of
the woods or mountains with minimal effort....they will tell you if side trails,
roads, or streams will lead you in the right direction....or the wrong one!
They'll tell you if that jeep track actually leads somewhere, peters out, or
makes a circle. Without a map and the ability to read one, you have no idea
what lies to either side of you, and in an emergency situation, your choices
are basically limited to retreating back down the Trail to a known road
crossing; hiking ahead to the next one; or waiting for rescue. Having a
map in an emergency gives you all sorts of options, and will help you make
an informed, intelligent decsion on how to handle the emergency.
*You'll always know where the "bail out" points are, which is very useful if
you or a friend is hiking ill or injured, and the possibility exists that you might
need to get off the Trail in an unanticipated spot. Likewise, if you have an
emergency situation at home (expectant partner, sick relative, etc). it can
be VERY useful to know where the roads/towns/phones are located if you
have to leave the Trail in a hurry.
*If you are dealing with a sick or injured hiker, the maps will tell you where
the likeliest "extraction" point will be, where the nearest road/car access is,
where stretcher carriers are likliest to come in, etc.
*If you have to leave an injured hiker, you'll have an exact idea of where
he is, rather than an approximate one.
*If you are forced to leave the established Trail for any reason and bush-
whack, the maps will help you with your navigation, and will be invaluable
if you find yourself lost. This can happen often when a section of Trail
is washed out, or one discovers that a stream or river is impassable.
In these situations, without maps, you have a very high possibility of
getting lost or mis-directed. Maps will also tell you if you'll be heading up-
hill or down, which will help give you a better idea of how long it might take
you to cover a certain distance.
*If you are taking part in a search and rescue, especially a search for a
missing person, the maps will help tell you where you are, will help identify
local landmarks, and will help prevent YOU from getting lost while you are
helping others.
*And the main reason....if you or anyone with you should lose the Trail or
become lost, the maps will help you make intelligent decisions as to getting
back to the Trail, finding an alternate route, etc.
*In short, you'll find maps useful every single day of your trip, and they'll
prove themselves invaluable in an emergency situation. Without them, you
are extremely limited in how you can help yourself, or help others, without
making the situation worse for yourself, the injured or lost hiker, or the folks
who'll be out there looking for you. When you have maps, you have a rough
idea what lies ahead of you, or on either side if you must leave the Trail for
any reason. Without maps, you're purely guessing, and are essentially hiking
blind.
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