Rating: 
Summary: Wingfoot got me lost!
Review: 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 In a word, it is hopelessly out of date and not worth the investment.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
Rating:
Summary: Wingfoot got me lost!
Review: 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 In a word, it is hopelessly out of date and not worth the investment.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
Rating: 
Summary: Wouldn't be without it!
Review: As a thru-hiker, I wouldn't be without 'Wingfoot's" Thru-hiker's handbook. It is filled with plenty of need to know info plus a lot of stuff that you just don't get in the data book. This is a must have piece of gear for anyone planning on doing a long distance hike on the AT.
Rating:
Summary: The only guidebook you need for the Appalachian Trail!
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: The only guidebook you need for the Appalachian Trail!
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Best Guide Available
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A very important piece of gear for a thru or section hike
Review: I highly recommend this newest Handbook edition as the guidebook of choice for doing extended hikes on the Appalachian Trail. It seems to be the one book recommended by all the past thru-hikers I've talked with, and most of them considered it an indispensable part of their gear during their hike. The author has done seven thru-hikes, and it is apparent that he knows what Appalachian Trail thru-hikers need. Some of the things I like: It contains detailed information about all shelters, campsites, water sources, and other important facilities along the entire A.T., as well as the latest available information about places in nearby towns used by thru-hikers for rest and resupply. It gives the inside scoop on hundreds of preferred hostels, campgrounds, motels, restaurants, grocery stores, laundromats, outfitters, and other services needed by thru-hikers. It also has lots of tidbits about wildlife, wildflowers, history, and interesting things to be seen along the trail. I like the way the information is presented in an easy-to-follow format designed specifically for field use. Maps of towns most frequently used by long-distance hikers are included, as well as mileage data for the entire A.T. from Georgia to Maine. As far as I'm concerned, it has everything needed for hiking long-distances on the Appalachian Trail. Plus, it's lighweight and compact, a real plus for thru-hiking.
Rating:
Summary: As essential as breathing and sleeping
Review: 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
...
Rating:
Summary: Virtual tour
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A very useful planning tool
Review: 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.
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