To lighten a load by dispensing with life-saving measures such as maps is utterly foolish.
Hey, thanks buddy. So, anybody who takes my advice is a MORON? I actually agree with you on that one. Might be the smartest thing you've ever said. Well, I gotta go pack my ipod and blackberry now, it's time to head to the trail. Oh crap, I almost forgot to pack my GPS. Wouldn't want to feel like i was attempting to accomplish something on my own now would I?Originally Posted by take-a-knee
By the way, this is a private forum for 2008 thru-hikers only. Not hikers who might be hiking in 2008 but probably won't because they are terrified of getting in a bind a few miles from civilization.
I don't give advice on computers because I don't know anything about them so my advice would be worthless. You obviously don't know anything about land navigation, you would need a map on a hike in the Sahara you said. You'd need more than a map in featureless terrain. Precise navigation there would be impossible with a GPS or at least a sextant and an ephmeris to determine latitude. Get up to speed before you offer potentially dangerous advice and you won't get flamed.
My advise is to hike the trail without maps. My question is, how many people have died because they didn't have maps on the AT? Answer: 0. Therefore it's a bit of a stretch to call maps lifesaving measures. On the other hand, several people have died due to snake bites, yet almost everyone agrees that snakebite kits are not practical. Also, two people have dropped dead from heart attacks, should we all carry portable defibralators?
I agree that maps are fun to look at and make hiking the trail more enjoyable. I like to use them to look back at the day's hike and say, "hey, remember that hill, it really sucked." It's also nice to spend the evening in camp looking at the next day's terrain. But it is not necessary to carry maps to safely and successfully complete a thru hike of the AT. There are threads on this site that address this subject. This is not one of them. The original thread was about reducing someones pack weight. The thread originator's pack list included a compass, but no maps. If you don't have maps, I feel that a compass is a complete waist of space. You may want one simply because you enjoy using it, but if your goal is to reduce your pack weight by elliminating equipment you don't need, lose the compass. By the way, in the threads that do address the maps and compass issue, I am not alone. In fact, close to a third of responders say they don't use maps. Yet, still no deaths due to lack of maps. The death toll due to snakebites will continue to rise, yet still no snakebite kits on the pack lists.
One thing I haven't heard from take-a-knee is an effective arguement with examples of why maps are so important for a successful thru-hike. If the arguement is that in the event of an emergency, you will need to know the fastest way off the trail, then fine, take your maps and have your false sense of security. The fact of the matter is, leaving the trail is much riskier than staying put and waiting for help. Rarely will you wait for more than half a day before another hiker comes by. Leaving the trail in an emergency guarantees that if your condition worsens, you will not be found in time.
If there are other essential reasons to carry maps and a compass, please let me know. Maybe I will add them to my pack.
If there is a forest fire, you may have no choice but to leave the trail quickly. Throw down your pack and run downhill if possible.
One very minor point: It would probably be better to bring a Lighter rather than Matches... lighters are much more practical on the trail.... It's pretty rare to see a thru-hiker with actual matches. Although, I suppose this point is irrelevant since the hiker in question is already on the trail!
it might not just be that someone NEEDS to leave the trail.. But what if someone just WANTs to.
I mean, I'm just doing the AT to get away from everything... If I see a nice lake some distance away, I'm probably gonna wander off and try to find it, and camp out there for a few nights. In that case, a compass would absolutely be neccessary to get back on the trail.
but i guess if your just planning on walking the trail, and nothing else, they wouldnt be neccessary. But for the small amount of space they take up, I dont see enough reason not to take them along either.
Finally, someone with a legitimate reason for carrying maps. I couldn't agree more with you kappy, if you are going to go off trail then maps and a compass are essential.
Once again, I would just like to point out that the thread was started by someone asking for advice on lightening her pack. She was bringing a compass but no maps. I suggested that the compass wasn't essential. Some people became violently ill at this suggestion. To those I say get a clue. Not everyone hikes for the same reason. I hike partly because it is more dangerous than staying in bed. For me, maps and a compass reduce the risks off backpacking so much that it loses some of its excitement. For others it may enhance the experience. Why does anyone care what I think? Hike your own hike.
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