Are Maps Necessary?
Is it necessary to carry a set of maps with you when you hike the AT? I was looking to take AWOL's the AT Guide with me. Will that be suffice?
many find the guide ample and its not easy to get lost on the at.. i prefer to carry maps to get a better idea of whats going on around the trail, towns, bailout points blue blazes, etc.
many chose not to carry maps at all.
maps come in particularly handy when youre traveling through the whites. so many trails that some have gotten confusesd at some of the trail crossings.
Going out without a map on a new trail, and even in some old haunts, won't happen with me. Sure, a newb could follow the white paint all the way to Maine without a map but I wouldn't do it. The trail isn't a linear tunnel with all else around it superfluous---there's all sorts of side spots you may have to reach. Let's say you've pretty much had it and need to bail to the closest road for a hitch. Can't be done without a map.
Like Tipi, I always carry a map of the area that I'm in EXCEPT on most parts of the AT - - I find that maps are super cool on the AT in special areas (GSMNP, the Roans, Shenandoah, the Whites, etc) but for the most part the Thru-Hiker's Companion pages or AWOL's guide has all you need - - the Companion does have little (not to scale) maps of towns and nearly every road crossing (in case you want to bail out is described - - better than most maps with phone numbers of hostels, hotels, laundry's etc.) - - I just find that (only on the AT in particular) that I really don't consult the map at all so I usually skip it in favor of pages from a Companion . . . . everywhere else, wilderness areas, national forest travels, other trails, I carry a map and compass.Originally Posted by Tipi Walter
I do happen to own (nearly) a whole AT map set because I like them. I would not recommend that a thru-hiker purchase a whole set though - - you might find one in a hiker box and, of course, most outfitters along the trail have section maps if you think you might want one - - when you finish that section, toss it in a hiker box.
Last edited by Papa D; 12-26-2012 at 18:23.
Thanks for your help guys! If I do decide to grab some maps, is there one that you guys recommend?
the maps from the atc are fine.the most important ones are the sets papa d mentioned above.
personally i always take maps, even if ive hiked the section before.
Maps are like seatbelts, you don't need them very often, but when you need them, you need them bad.
This question comes up every 2-3 months or so, and I guess it will continue to do so.
If you know that in the course of your 2,184 mile hike, you won't need to bail out for an emergency, that everything will go according to plan, that you'll never need to consult a map for any reason, then leave them home. So, for example, you find yourself in a snowstorm in the Smokies where the snow piles faster and deeper at the 5,000'+ level with no end in sight and you think about whether to take that side trail but wonder where it goes, you'll just have to keep wondering.
I've resolved that if I'm out section hiking and a thru (or any hiker) asks to see my map, my response is "Sorry you lost yours. Oh, you didn't bring one? Then why do you want to see mine?"
you can order maps here:
www.atctrailstore.org
but, like I said, I'd just order the new Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Companion - - that (or the Data Book or AWOL's Guide) is all you need for starters.
If you are Northbound, you can stop in at the NOC which is about a 2 weeks up the trail for most people - - they have a good supply - - if you are SOBO, there are outfitters in Monson, ME and Gorham, NH
It is more of a Risk Management thing. I started out with the ATC GA & NC maps and enjoyed looking at them. Just been using the AWOL AT Guide from Davenport Gap (had GSMNP map inside the park) to Hot Springs with out any problems. Following trail has been easy, but that is with not have any problems or emergencies. The seatbelt analogy may be a good one, and I have just been lucky and need to look at going to the ATC to buy some more. You normaly will not need them (at least in the South), but like stated before, if you do you probably really do.
If you need a map on the AT around here you probably should not be out in the woods by yourself. I've only done 500 miles of it, but maps seem superfluous given the well maintained and blazed trail, the traffic on trail, and the frequent road crossings. My 2 cents ain't worth a dime, but it is worth 2 cents and might save you more.
if you are on the AT in an "emergency" you will either backtrack to the last road or forward to the next road much more likely than locating a blue-blaze trail - - the companion and AWOL lists all the blue blaze trails and where the roads go - - the likelihood that a map would assist you in some "emergency" on the AT is highly unlikely - - a map in a big wilderness area on the other hand is an absolute essential survival tool (i.e. Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness, etc.)
You got a smartphone? If so you get the likes of Topo Maps and download the quads before you get to em. Then delete the quads as you pass em. If the **** hits the fan you have all the detail you want as well as GPS to tell you where you are. I got semi-lost in Yosemite two years ago (missed a turn and wasn't exactly sure where I ended up), I turned on the app and, pop, "Oh that is where I am and where I need to be". Problem solved.
And no, you do NOT need cell coverage for any of these functions.
Works for me.........YMMV
Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.
Great, thanks for your help guys!
so now you know that maps are both necessary and totally unnecessary.
we're always happy to help
You def cannot accuse some of us of Group Think..........
Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.
Maps are beautiful things in and of themselves. Unfolding a map is a pleasant, tactile experience. Contemplating all the lines and colors on a map is aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.
And, yeah, they help you figure out where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. There is that too.
I agree 100%
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
+2 I like to know where I am. Although all planning goes out the window when I hit the trail I love to study them before hand & anticipate the route. Helps me get through the times I can't be out there hiking. And like mentioned before they give you bail out routes if you get injured or bad weather routes.
Many hikers complain about the White Mountains. Many trails predate the AT so they are called by their own name. I recommend this map for there. It covers most of the Whites & shows bad weather alternatives/short cut. http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountain...e+mountain+map
Last edited by Mountain Mike; 12-27-2012 at 04:43.
Maps are also a low key way of getting funding for AT maintenance. Contrary to popular belief the federal governement doesnt pay for all the maintenance, the white blazes that folks plan to folow are mostly painted by volunteers outside of National Parks and some National forests.
In Maine and NH, if you do get in trouble and need to find a way off trail, a map is essential as a wrong choice may cause you to go 30 or 40 miles before you hit "civilization". On a foggy or nasty day in the whites its easy to get tunred around and more than a few folks have managed to end up heading south when they wanted to head north at a confusing intersection.
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