The Appalachian Trail : How to Prepare for & Hike It (Appalachian Mountain Club Trail Guide: Massachusetts) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "One cannot view Katahdin, for example, without experiencing a sense of awe..." (more)
Key Phrases: Appalachian Trail, North Carolina, Springer Mountain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Appalachian Trail 101878 By Liberty Mountain

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Rainbow Books (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568250509
• ISBN-13: 978-1568250502
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #340,099 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre Literature, August 4, 2003

By	The Solemates (Seneca, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of the necessaries for hiking the AT., March 17, 1999

By A Customer

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.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This books DOES have information., January 22, 1999

By A Customer

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...