Customer Reviews

The Appalachian Trail : How to Prepare for & Hike It

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I personally have bought every book possible concerning the Appalachian Trail while planning my thru-hike. However, if you are concerned about money, or wasting time reading for that matter, I would advise not to buy any of Jan Curran's books. I have read all three of his on the AT and have found them very boring, to the point of difficult to finish. Other books out there are much worthwhile.

Nonetheless, this book would be voted as the best of the three, with decent general purpose advice for long distance hikes. But there is nothing unique about the information. Pick up any hiking book and it will provide the same background. It just seems to skim the surface.

The book provides a general overview of the many issues that face Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. It is well-organized, beginning with the trail's history, moving through planning and equipment/food, injuries and first aid, etc. Also covered are animal issues, sanitation and etiquette. The final chapter lists some information about portions of the trail which might be interesting to those who only wish to hike certain pieces of the trail.

Most useful are the appendices, which provide necessary information about equipment manufacturers, Post Offices near the trail, ATC trail-maintaining clubs and maps.

The book could be more detailed, however it does provide a lot of information in a small format.

This book gives a lot of general information for people who want to learn more about thru-hiking in an average sort of way. Obviously, it should not be the only book read in preparation for a thru-hike. The Data Book, more books with personal stories, and many other resources are neccessary for this. This book tells you a lot about thru-hikers on average. One should note that this is impossible to do- they're an ecclectic bunch, but still, this book does well at an impossible task. I liked this book because it was a unique source of information; few other books about the AT present information in this way or in this particular type of depth. Anyway, keep hiking...

A short volume that gets to the point. A practical guide to planning your AT logistics. Stresses there is more than one solution to a problem depending on the person. Doesn't candy coat or judge and recognizes that the mental side of the trip will be the real test.

Just as disappointing as Curran's "TheAppalachian Trail: A Journey of Discovery." Much is promised, but little is delivered.

The book is titled as if it is providing a lot of useful information. Instead, what you will find is 192 pages of mostly generalized backpacking information.

It's mostly "take what you need" and have fun.

I would not recommend this book for any purpose - although it has a list of P.O.'s in the back which some may find of value. I would suggest the A.T. Data Book for this info. though.

I found this book to be helpful in offering specific information about things that are encountered on the AT itself. Curran writes the book like many other hiking books offering general advise, but he keeps it aimed at the AT. It is a wonderful starting point for getting information about the trail.

After having read Jan Curran's account of his hike of the AT over the course of two seasons("A Journey of Discovery" and "Onward to Katahdin") of which I thought were good, I read "The AT-How to Prepare for & Hike It". Potent, and packed with information, I clearly felt this was an excellent book. Written in a no-nonsense way, the book is perfect for anyone contemplating or planning a long distant hike on the A.T. It is especially good for the newbies, like myself, who are out looking for knowledge. I have been planning a thru-hike of the A.T. for a long time, and have read a lot of books on the subject, including different hiker accounts of their attempts and successes. This book covers many different issues regarding what one needs to know in order to be prepared. However where this book really shines is in alerting the aspiring thru-hiker to the "emotional battles" that one must overcome in order to be successful. One needs to realize that hiking in sunshine and high spirits will only be some of the adventure. Hiking in cold rain, soaked, and covered in mud will be something the hiker will be faced with. Being hungry, tired, sore and/ or injured, and the sheer massiveness of the endeaver will be something the hiker must be prepared for. I recommend this book to anyone considering hiking the A.T, as in my opinion it is a very good read.

This was the first book I read in my studies of the AT. I found it very informative for the novice backpacker(me) and great starting point for researching the AT for your Thru-hike. It discusses the importance of mental conditioning which is absent in all other hiking/backpacking books I've read since. It also provides continued inspiration for my thru-hiking dream until it becomes a reality.

Have been reading many books about hiking the AT and this one was not as good as hoped for after reading it. Not very informational and questioned some of the recommendations and suggestions.