All New ALDHA CompanionLite- Free!

[Sly]

All you need to do is copy what you want from the from the FREE online addition and print! Wow! That's awesome!

Here's the link! http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm

I should add, if you like what you see and aren't a member yet, it's only $10 a year! ALDHA

[Lone Wolf]

All you need to do is copy what you want from the from the FREE online addition and print! Wow! That's awesome!

and how dumb of ALDHA. they don't make a dime. they should never bitch about being strapped for $$.

[shelterbuilder]

and how dumb of ALDHA. they don't make a dime. they should never bitch about being strapped for $$.

SHH! Don't tell them, or they may start charging!

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Put that info in an excel chart and then we'll talk.

[Sly]

Put that info in an excel chart and then we'll talk.

You're more computer savvy that I.

Wolf, some people are going to buy the book, some aren't. ALDHA and the ATC are in business of promoting the trail. Free info is good.

[SGT Rock]

How about we make a trimmed down Companion next moth FD and then send them the PDF for free and leth them decide what to do with it. I have some popcorn, a computer, Adobe Pro, and a bottle of bourbon.

[Lone Wolf]

You're more computer savvy that I.

Wolf, some people are going to buy the book, some aren't. ALDHA and the ATC are in business of promoting the trail. Free info is good.

then Whiteblaze Pages shouldn't give any $$ to ATC or ALDHA. obviously they don't need it.

[Sly]

have some popcorn, a computer, Adobe Pro, and a bottle of bourbon.

Ummm, popcorn and bourbon, I'll help!

[SGT Rock]

Well damn Sly, you are invited too. We are going to have a WhiteBlaze: Companion trail maintenance party. A couple of relocations and some trimming. We can get that sucker down to 100 pages. I guar-un-tee it.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

How about we make a trimmed down Companion next moth FD and then send them the PDF for free and let them decide what to do with it. I have some popcorn, a computer, Adobe Pro, and a bottle of bourbon.

I'll bring some root beer and you're on.

[SGT Rock]

I'll bring some root beer and you're on.

Oh common...

Once a year is still good. Especially when you have the snips out. Reduces the inhibitions and make you more likely to cut. Just ask Lorena.

[Nightwalker]

Put that info in an excel chart and then we'll talk.

If you want a copy of it in chart format, let me know. I've already done it, using just the data. I'm going hiking a couple of days, but PM me and I'll send you a copy.

I'm sorry about getting P.O.'d at you earlier today. I handle chronic pain terribly, and that's where I'm at right now. I should have sense enough to stay off-line during these attacks, but sense has never been one of my strong points.

[SGT Rock]

I did the same thing in excel. I've already trimmed it down to 102 pages and think it could go smaller.

A suggestion to the head editor though - limit any town description to 1000 characters or less (not words). It would keep the listings short and to the point, not the long rambling descriptions they are becoming.

[Nightwalker]

I did the same thing in excel. I've already trimmed it down to 102 pages and think it could go smaller.

A suggestion to the head editor though - limit any town description to 1000 characters or less (not words). It would keep the listings short and to the point, not the long rambling descriptions they are becoming.

I can't find mine just this minute, but it's much shorter than that. When I find it, I'll send it to you and see if you want to post it here. I only did the data pages, not town descriptions.

Rene has asked for a copy, and I can send one to anyone else as well. I'm also currently working on an elevation profile of the whole trail for someone else, and just can't wait to see how that one comes out.

I've been making maps for 7 years now, and I'm finally making a little money on it. I'd love to get to where I can make a living on this so I could tell Uncle Sam to just keep that check. T'would be nice to actually feel useful to society, ya know?

[SGT Rock]

Well when I give a lenght - it included my mail drop list, general time line, and some other "fluff" plus the way it layed out was MINE. I printed it on waterproof paper - a whole 26 sheets total by God - 4 pages to the sheet; and this is without trimming the town and shelter "fluff".

[Sly]

then Whiteblaze Pages shouldn't give any $$ to ATC or ALDHA. obviously they don't need it.

It's a dog eat dog world.

[Sly]

Well when I give a lenght - it included my mail drop list, general time line, and some other "fluff" plus the way it layed out was MINE. I printed it on waterproof paper - a whole 26 sheets total by God - 4 pages to the sheet; and this is without trimming the town and shelter "fluff".

Yeah a friend scanned and "shrunk" the CDT town and trail guides so the pages fit in a quart size ziplock. Pretty nice.

[SGT Rock]

See, despite all your neysaying at those that have suggestions for the Companion - it can be done.

BTW, seriously, I was thinking about this some today. I imagine the reason the Companion stays exactly the same way is because a system is in place and no one has gone through all the trouble to set something else up. It is one thing to complain about it, it is another to spend 40 hours going through the Companion entries and reducing everything to small package and giving it to ALDHA editors to work with.

[map man]

The edition of the Companion I have is from 2005 and I like one change in particular that I see they've made in the last two years from looking at the on-line 2007 version. It's got the tables now with the Data Book information (and I like it that it's got even more elevation data than my 2005 Data Book). I now see what people are talking about when they say they find themselves flipping a few pages to get from the text description of a town or hostel back to the equivalent place in the table. I wonder if it might be worth it for the ALDHA to try to intersperse the tables and text so that the text info is always within just a page or two of the matching place in the table.

I wonder why they got rid of the spiral binding on the paper copies? Seems like the spiral binding made it easier to keep the book open to the page you wanted and made it easier to rip individual pages out if that is your preference. I suppose the spiral binding made it bulkier.

I always thought that when the day came when I started down the AT that I would travel with the Data Book with my own custom adaptations written/crammed into any place in the book I could find, and then tear the pages out and laminate them to make them waterproof (that's what I do with my custom made cheat sheet I made for myself for the Superior Hiking Trail). The Companion, though, looks to be evolving toward being more user friendly and useful as years go by, so maybe by the time I get to the AT I'll be able to use that as my base document and not have to worry so much about leaving out info that I might think ahead of time I don't need, but later find out I wish I had.

(I've been following, but refraining from commenting on, the discussions about the WhiteBlaze Pages because I'm a bit conflicted about it. However, making people aware of the free on-line Companion, and trying to make the information in the Companion as useful and accurate as possible, is a good thing, I think, regardless of whether WhiteBlaze sponsors/creates a similar product.)

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

::: Dino nominates SgtRock for President. He doesn't snivel, he just gets 'er done :::