Look at it this way...
What's the point of carrying a guidebook at all? To have the latest information RE water sources, shelters, town services, etc, right?
So, if you buy a guidebook for this information, why would you knowingly/willingly handicap yourself by purchasing outdated information?
Roland
...that is true. And you'd do fine hiking with the 2010 THH.
The 2011 AT Guide has the typical year-to-year updates: some businesses came and went and changed prices; and the trail grew a couple of miles. The AT Guide has about *20* more town maps than were in the 2010 THH. The elevation profile in The AT Guide is about twice the size of what was in the 2010 THH, so it shows substantially more detail. Also, the profile overlays the data so that all landmarks are aligned to the profile, not just a few.
Most important, but not readily apparent, is the fact that all data in this year's ATG was verified by taking GPS waypoints. The elevation profile was also completely redone, so the alignment of landmarks to profile is better than ever. There are about the same number of landmarks as were in the THH, which is about 800 more than are in the Companion.
Sold! Thats good enough for me! Thanks for the info!
Headed in to town.. You gotta rock the down! -fellow hikers mantra
Get a 2011 of whatever you get. I like both that are out there. I'd probably go with the AT Guide.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
i find the Bob McCaw book to be my favorite and i took parts of 3 different guides with me. Im not sure that guide is still coming out.
The companion has an outstanding data key, that is the best. if the companion had elevation profile it would be almost perfect
YOUTUBE: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCMDkRcGP1yP20SOD-oiSGcQ
Instagram: DIGGER_PCT_2016
twitter: @takethisbread
AT 2x, LT, JMT, CT, Camino, Ireland Coast to Coast, HWT, WT, NET, NST, PCT
It's the only current A.T. guide I own and well worth its price.
I have carried the Companion and the ATC maps my last four thru hikes. That is an excellent combination for me!
I send Companion pages and maps that I'll need later, along with a few other items ahead in my bounce box.
I used Wingfoots on my long walks before that.
Stumpknocker
Appalachian Trail is 35.9% complete.
Any one will do and I generally buy them all to support continued development and cross reference them since often one will contain some info another doesn't.
I liked previous incarnations of The AT Guide over the current one which I think is starting to suffer from improve-itis... The improvement I like least is that the data pages are starting to be far enough apart from the town info that when hiking it's getting difficult to know what to keep and what I can throw away. I liked it much better when the town info was on the opposite page (for the most part). That way, when I had hiked a page I could usually safely throw it away. Now I find I have to carry oddball pages so I don't inadvertently throw away town info.
One thing I don't get about any of them is the obsession with "east" being right and west being left - why not just say "left" or "right" since you have to do the mental conversion anyway? If you're hiking opposite of the layout of the guidebook east is still west and west is still east - seems like left and right work just as well.
The Bible & AT Guide. I can use the AT guide for fire starter material after I'm done with it. I love gear that has multi uses.
Another vote for the AT Guide here, a really good product. I also started out with WF's guide.....this is a vast improvement
I should have noted I would probably go with the AT Guide for the profiles as well.
I really like how up-to-date the Companion tends to be, due to the large number of folks contributing and thus spreading the workload around. If it offered solid profiles, that would likely tip the scales to carrying it versus the AT Guide.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
My bachelor's degree is in history, so I'm probably pretty slanted in my view, but I enjoyed the historical notes when I thru-hiked. I felt much more involved in my hike knowing a little bit about what was around me. It's the same reason I can't imagine hiking the AT without maps. I could follow the blazes and probably stay found without them, but my hike would be less without knowing about what was around me. I'd say keep the historical info.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
"You do more hiking with your head than your feet!" Emma "Grandma" Gatewood...HYOY!!!
http://www.hammockforums.net/?
Best news I have heard.
Like 10k, I buy all them. You try to support the folks that aid the hikers.
Great bathroom reads anyhow.
You ought to take my suggestion that each Companion include a digital download of the book as well in a PDF file or something.
Like when you buy a record.
YOUTUBE: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCMDkRcGP1yP20SOD-oiSGcQ
Instagram: DIGGER_PCT_2016
twitter: @takethisbread
AT 2x, LT, JMT, CT, Camino, Ireland Coast to Coast, HWT, WT, NET, NST, PCT
Ha - thanks everyone. Looks like we're getting the AT Guide and will supplement with info from our '10 Data Book and '10 Companion (verified via internet, of course)
Formerly 'F-Stop'
If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.
~ Dolly Parton