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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All the information you need, excellently presented,
By "at_bobby" (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Thru-hiker's Handbook 2002: Guide to the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) (Paperback)
I have been interviewing thru-hikers who were successful on their thru-hike, that is interviewing the ones who made it from all the way from Georgia to Maine, and I have noticed that most are carrying Wingfoot's Handbook when they finish. They swear by it, saying that it had all of the necessary information but did not have so much detail that they felt like they were being led by the nose, as most other thru-hiker guides try to do.The Handbook is laid out with mileage figures for all major features along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, and has precise information about where to find off trail services needed by someone hiking week after week. It shows the best towns to use for resupplying, and there are maps of the most important trail towns. This book covers all the basics, with information about lodging both on the trail and in nearby towns, water sources along the trail with the directions to them (this is really important, since all other thru-hiker guides don't tell you where to find water, but this one does), places to resupply, places to get fuel for a backpacking stove, in other words everything a hiker needs to know for doing a successful thru-hike. I especially like the notes about animals, wildflowers, and history. Wingfoot gives just enough to make it interesting, but not so much as to make the book huge. It is less than half a pound in weight (that's really important to thru-hikers), and can be split into sections easily. Wingfoot has thought of everything it seems because he is a thru-hikers with multiple trips and has helped thousands of people plan for a thru-hike. He knows his stuff better than anyone alive today, imo. The Handbook is updated every year and it is important to get the latest copy. I heard some folks griping because they thought Wingfoot had something wrong, but every time I looked they were using an old Handbook from several years ago. Wingfoot updates the information each year so that people can have the latest info on their thru-hikes. By the way, I met Wingfoot (the Handbook's author) on the trail last week as I was doing a practice hike in north Georgia. He is a really friendly person and after talking with him for a few minutes I was ready to head for Springer Mountain and begin my thru-hike right then! From what I have heard all along the A.T. no one has done more to help thru-hikers have a great hike and to help protect the Appalachian Trail from development than Wingfoot. The Thru-hiker's Handbook is coordinated with Wingfoot's website which is another plus for users of this book. New info is being shared all the time that helps users of the Handbook keep their data current. I give this book my highest rating, based on what I have heard from dozens of thru-hikers and what I have experienced suing it on the trail for my own A.T. hikes.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For serious thru-hikers, not tourists!,
By Paul Morris (on the A.T. heading north!) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Thru-hiker's Handbook 2002: Guide to the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) (Paperback)
I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail right now and I am using wingfoot's handbook as my guide. I disagree with the review I just read that said the handbook is not updated thoroughly. I have found the information to be highly accurate (i'm in a town now that was listed in the handbook, using a computer that it said was available). The reviewer is probably using an old edition. It is important to get the latest edition for thru-hiking. I started with the "other book" but soon found that it has too much information that has nothing to do with my needs as a thru-hiker. The handbook has just what I need and no more. It is easy to use and written to help thru-hikers, not to try to tell tourist every detail about things that have nothing to do with hiking. There is a lot of politics by some of the tourist types on the trail trying to discredit wingfoot's book, because he works hard for protection of the trail and upholding thru-hiking traditions and that makes them uncomfortable, but he stands for something important and I admire that and support him. I would choose the handbook even if I didn't like the traditional values Wingfoot teaches because it is so in step with the way I am thru-hiking, but now I recommend it even more since I am doing a thru-hike and can see how important those values are to what I am doing. The handbook is 100% thru-hiker, and it is the only book available that I can say that about. I recommend it to any future thru-hiker.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Thru-Hiker's Handbook 2002: Guide to the Appalachian Tr,
By B. Jeanne Fisher (Huntsville, AL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Thru-hiker's Handbook 2002: Guide to the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) (Paperback)
This is an excellent resource for anyone planning a hike on the Appalachian Trail. The information is accurate, concise and in a format that is useful to the long distance hiker as well as the day, week, or week-long hiker. I relied on Wingfoot's 2000 and 2001 Handbooks for my entire hike of the AT. If you only buy one book for your hike make sure it is this one. Wingfoot's book is a 5 star. Little Steps GA-ME 2000/01
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