Customer Reviews

The Thru-hiker's Handbook (Georgia to Maine 2001): #1 Guide for Long-Distance Hikes on the Appalachian Trail

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is about the same size as the "AT Data Book" but has a lot more information. Has the usual information like mountains, shelters, mail drops, but includes small maps of towns with places to eat, get food, sleep, etc. Also, instead of just saying "w" for water-is-available, usually indicates where it is. For example, it might be 1) "to the left 150 feet"; 2) "off the AT about 0.1 mile, not visible from Trail; watch for tiny sign on a tree. Water is quite a way down from the shelter, but cold and dependable" or 3) "off the AT on 0.3 side trail to the left, tent platforms nearby, water source is spring". That kind of detail can make a difference when you are planning your hike for the next day.

I used it for a successful thru-hike of the AT. Maybe thousands by now. I think that about says it all.

Only about 7,000 people have completed this awesome task. Wingfoot did it many times. He knows the trail and what it takes to do it. He goes to great pains to update it every year with the latest trail information, hostels, town maps, equipment suggestions, and more.

Those who used the book had a higher success rate than the approx. 4,000+ people who attempt it each year. Out of those 4,000+, only about 500 will make it. I was one of those. Of those who finished with me, about 90% carried Wingfoots book and used it all the time. It was as essential to us as breathing and sleeping...

Mr. Boo AT GA --> ME 1999 6 months 7 Days
...

I am one of the happy thru-hikers who used Wingfoot's book in the summer of 2001. My
dog-eared copy was consulted several times a day for 17 weeks.

Most folks hiking the trail are especially interested to learn certain things; where can I:
eat, sleep, eat, do laundry, eat, find water, find the next shelter, call home, buy some more
Advil, get a motel room, pick up my mail, eat, find stove fuel, buy a new pair of shoes,
and eat. Running mileages make it easy to figure out how far it is, or was, to any
important point along the trail. There are maps of the most important trail towns.

This book covers all those basics. I think it strikes a nearly perfect balance between
covering enough, and covering too much. A smaller, lighter book is important to most
hikers, at least at the end of their hikes!

In addition to the basic information outlined above there are interesting facts on wildlife,
flowers, and history.

I used my copy of The Thru-Hiker's Handbook as a journal, as I found plenty of space to
write the events of the day along the margins, thus saving me additional weight and
making it easy to reference my entries to where I was along the trail at the time.

If you're going to make a long hike on the AT, you're going to want this book. If I give it
5 stars, I mean it! Enjoy your hike.

Colter

Personally next to the Data book this is an essential book, especially for those heading into towns. But not only does the handbook carry important information about the towns, but important historical facts about the trail; Along with information about some of the wildlife and plants along the way. I am excited to see this book back out again as there are still many places I need to write to send my thanks, as I burnt my last one, page by page. Not out of disrespect, but for weight reasons. Take a hike and you know what I mean. Good luck and happy hiking. M&M AT GA>ME99

I have used Dan's guide books for a few years and find each new
edition to be better than the rest. I used the information to do
a 300 mile section hike in May and June of this year. It was
extremely helpful in planning my town stops and resupply points.
The inclusion of historic information as well as plant and fauna
descriptions elevate it above just facts and figures.
In the back of the guide is a section to submit updates on
anything the reader finds has changed since the guide was

published. This gives everyone the chance to participate in
keeping the guide up to date.
I am extremely happy with "The Thru-Hikers Guide" and will
choose it for all my future Appalachian Trail hiking needs in
the future.

This review is for the Southbound book. I encourage Southbounders to use Wingfoot if for no other reason than the ATC book patronizingly entreats "would be southbounders" to beware of blackflies, etc. as if they are trying to discourage a southbound hike. But Wingfoot has a lot of great information, sometimes too much information, and the book is large and heavy as a result. I could have torn off the pages as I went, but I wanted an intact record of my hike. If Wingfoot would edit this book down to a more compact size, and include some decent maps, his book would be, without a doubt, the best out there.

I've used the Thru-hiker's guide in planning hikes of 35 to 250 miles on the Appalachian trail and have it extremely valuable.

This guide, which is updated yearly, is a wonderful resource for planning long-distance hikes on the Appalachian Trail and for consultation along the way. It provides specific information about resources available on and near the trail, including shelters, water sources, campsites, stores for food and other supplies, post-offices, restaurants, hostels and transportation. It also contains accurate mileage information (to the 1/10 mile) for distances on the trail and basic directions and mileage information for off-trail resources.

While the authors provide some information about each region through which the trail travels and does list some of the side trails and the many interesting destinations to which they lead -the clear focus of the guide is on the pragmatics of getting around on and near the trail. Because many people who hike the entire trail or large sections of it will carry the book (or one piece of the book at a time) with them, the information is presented in a highly condensed format. In this sense, the book is a highly specific tool - well designed for a very specific purpose. Those looking for a guide to gear for thru-hiking will need to look elsewhere, as will those who are looking for a good deal of colorful information about the areas they travel in, reviews about the strengths and weaknesses of the various hostels and restaurants along the way. Most long distance hikers would not want to carry a book with that kind of detail.

Many people who have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail have also used the "Thru-hikers planning guide" workbook, which can be used as a companion to this guide.

I used this book for a virtual tour using a mapping program. Hopefully, I will someday have the time to do the trail or at least some of it. I will definitely get this book each year.

After ten years of section hiking the AT, I have completely given up on Wingfoot's (so called) Trail Guide. In a word, it is hopelessly out of date and not worth the investment. I hiked several miles in the wrong direction on my last hike in Vermont because Wingfoot mis-directed hikers to a shelter that had been moved three years prior. Wingfoot is resistant to change and needs to thru-hike the AT again to bring his guide up to date.
I highly recommend the "Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Companion."

Big E