AT Guidebook
Companion, Handbook or Pages????
What is most useful, informative, etc.?
Order all three and see what format you like. They all have info laid out in different ways.
Pages for me, I love the profiles in it!
companion is my vote, pages still has a lot of stuff missing and the handbook was way out of date two years ago and doesn't look like much has really changed. All of this is trail information that I am talking about, town info seems correct for all of them.
Used first two, the other came out this year. Liked the companion the best IMO, but haven't used the third.
It doesn't matter much.
Saw all three used this year. Even saw several people using out-of-date data books. All have the same basic information. All have minor errors in them. Pick one and have a great trip.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
The Companion has the most Field Editors, and in most cases, these people actually live in the sections they're writing about, are very familiar with their sections, have hiked these sections multiple times, and are in a good position to keep up with changes and additions, especially when it comes to town facilities and businesses. Most of the Companion Editors are also former thru-hikers. What this means is that the Companion is generally the most accurate of the major trail guides.
The format of the Thru-Hikers Handbook is probably the easiest on the eye; the Handbook absolutely has the best town maps; also, the accuracy of the Handbook has improved since Bob McCaw took over publication.
I would be interested to hear from 2008 hikers which book they saw most often in the hands of other hikers. Maybe a ratio. One hostel owner down south said he saw App Pages over the Handbook 4 to 1.
I'd disagree strongly with that percentage, but like you, I'd be very curious as to feedback from more folks who actually were hiking this year.
I can only state based on what I saw, so this is in no means all inclusive. I saw equal amounts of the ATC and wingfoots among thru-hikers this season. Not as many had the pages. I think that the 4 to 1 figure is grossly overestimated. I used the App. pages from Ga>MA then lost it and could only find the wingfoot guide(now Bob Mccaw). I found this guide much better than the pages because of the detail in landmarks it gives. However, it was nice to have the elev. profile of the pages. Anyway, they all have errors and if I had to go back and do it again, I would use the Thru-hikers guide(ewither old wingfoot version or Bob mccaws version) and buy the maps. Of course, everyone will say something different....
Will I ever get to where I am going? If I do, will I know when I am there?
Appalachian Pages was the dominant handbook among the SOBO's I saw with their handbook, mainly because they liked the fact that there was a book designed for going SOBO.
It seems it was pretty evenly split this year, with an edge going to the Handbook. Most people I saw who started with the Companion traded out because they were not fond of the format. Most commented that the ideal book combined the + factors of all three books. Most wanted the town information from the Handbook, some history from the Companion, and the profile from the Pages.
Even I admit there were times when I wondered "What is the history of this trail area?", and would reference Cookie's Companion. There were also times when I referenced the closest Handbook for some more town information that what I was given in the Pages.
However,95% of the time, the Pages did it for me, and there were a lot of times when people referenced my profile to determine if they would hike on or stay where they were for the night.
Hope this helps,
Kirby
Pretty even mix.
I hiked this year and saw all three used. Maybe, the Companion was used slightly more than the other two (just my observation). And, as I said earlier, saw way more people than I would have anticipated simply using the Data Book (mostly outdated at that).Originally Posted by lonehiker
Pick the format that suits you (or flip a coin) and you will have a guidebook that will get you to where you want to go.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
Cookie, my hiking companion, used the data book for his day to day operations on the trail. He only referenced the companion when it was time to go to town and needed to know information.
I was even at the point where I would say "what's the data book say Cookie?"
Kirby
Appalachian Pages will have hundreds of more mileage reference points in the 2009 edition. The book was put together quickly when we learned that the Thru Hiker Handbook was no longer going to be published in 2009 because Wingfoot was giving it up. We did not want to leave a void where thru hikers did not have a good book such as the THH and we had some very innovative ideas. Bob McCaw bought the TTH from Wingfoot late in the year after Appalachian Pages was already put together and carried on where Wingfoot left off.
We have already added hundreds of more reference points. In fact I am typing this from a motel room in Vermont because I have been on the road the last two days collecting data and verifying information for our 2009 edition. Awol is also on the road right now doing the same thing in Virginia and I am driving trail towns in New Hampshire, Vermont and some of Mass.
I have been paying $5 ea for clean old companions and thru hiker hand books if they haven't been written in or none of the pages torn out.
Pages had alot, and i mean alot of mistakes and inaccuracies. However, the others also had inaccuracies and mistakes. I will give Pages the benefit of the doubt being the first year. The town info was really bad in some spots. Seems like some of the info was copied from other books and put in because some of the places to stay had been closed for 3 years. Example, Deleware Water Gap, a listing for a hotel that shut down 3-4 years ago from a flood was still listed in Pages, but i also think it was listed somewhere else. I was really let down that I had to tent behind the church. Really wanted that hotel room! The maps in Pages were awesome and it seemed that alot of the listings in towns were more numerous. I thik that with time, Pages will become the dominant book. 501's book was good too, I check it out a bunch. The profile in Pages was a nice addition even though it was off big time in some spots. Also think that some of the towns with maps should have been replaced with other towns. Some had maps while others didnt. Phone numbers missing on some spots that really could have used them. The PO listing in back was helpful but some of teh numbers in smaller towns were just the USPS main line and they redirect you over and over when you call them just trying to get a box forwarded from a PO in small towns. Just see the importance in checking to make sure places are still open instead of assuming
Crucial! Good job collecting that info. Im still puting info together for you. Should be ready to go here soon.
Thats great ATTroll! I wasn't trying to say the pages was unusable. If I could have found it when I lost mine, I would have bought it again. With more references, it could be the book to go to. Thanks for all the hard work and good luck!
Will I ever get to where I am going? If I do, will I know when I am there?
i too hiked this year and i'll tell you, when i lost the companion (which was inevitable), it was a great day...i celebrated and knew that that book wasn't gonna make it to katahdin...it was bad...if you can find a wingfoot, though there were some errors and a new shelter you're gonna have to learn about, i think that's the best book i've seen over the past two years...
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
