- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 4,256
i think it's well worth it if you're hiking the a.t. for multiple days. like thru-hikers though, it's extremely minimalist when it comes to the info so if you're not strictly staying on the a.t. and might want to wander around off-trail or take a different trail too, then it's good to bring a general map along with it.
i like the easy to read mileage between any two-points including water sources although it only states if it's reliable or seasonal. it doesn't tell you if it's an easy to spot lake or just a small stream that you have to bushwack to get to though (hence a general trail map is highly recommended to bring along).
it shows places to resupply (only a handful of these pages though with a normal looking map):
lots of info packed into each line:
this is how most of the pages look like. that line in the middle is the trail's elevation so you'll know if you're about to climb or descend at any given point (the right-most column states the actual elevation).
here's a regular trail map:
...and here's the a.t. guide's version of it...really minimalist! it's way easier to tell the distance between two points with the guide though compared to the general trail map. from the left-most column of the guide, i just subtract the two #s: 805.8 - 804 = 1.8 miles (distance from the parking lot to the lemon squeezer).
also, note that the "island pond" is noted only as a water drop on the guide.
lots of details for the shelters including the distance to the next 3 south-bound and 3 north-bound ones from the current one. the water details alone are worth the price - i've been to those shelters many times and i had no idea there were potential sources there.
i like the easy to read mileage between any two-points including water sources although it only states if it's reliable or seasonal. it doesn't tell you if it's an easy to spot lake or just a small stream that you have to bushwack to get to though (hence a general trail map is highly recommended to bring along).
it shows places to resupply (only a handful of these pages though with a normal looking map):
lots of info packed into each line:
this is how most of the pages look like. that line in the middle is the trail's elevation so you'll know if you're about to climb or descend at any given point (the right-most column states the actual elevation).
here's a regular trail map:
...and here's the a.t. guide's version of it...really minimalist! it's way easier to tell the distance between two points with the guide though compared to the general trail map. from the left-most column of the guide, i just subtract the two #s: 805.8 - 804 = 1.8 miles (distance from the parking lot to the lemon squeezer).
also, note that the "island pond" is noted only as a water drop on the guide.
lots of details for the shelters including the distance to the next 3 south-bound and 3 north-bound ones from the current one. the water details alone are worth the price - i've been to those shelters many times and i had no idea there were potential sources there.