When it comes to Appalachian Trail guidebooks, there are really only two options: The Thru-Hiker’s Companion by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and The A.T. Guide by David “Awol” Miller. I used both of these guides along the trail, as I used Awol’s Guide and my hiking partner used the Companion. While both guides will get you from Springer to Katahdin (or Katahdin to Springer), there are some important factors to consider before making your purchase.

Format

The most important part of both guides is how they depict the trail. The Companion uses a combination of a table and an elevation profile, while Awol’s Guide uses just an elevation profile.

In this case, Awol’s Guide is a much better resource. Roads, water sources, shelters and other important places are marked on the elevation profile exactly where you’ll find them as you hike.

The Companion’s information was last updated in 2012, so it’s outdated. If you’re looking at the elevation profile, you’ll find that shelters, water sources and the like will not be located where they are marked. While the table is accurate, the elevation profile is misleading. In fact, Katahdin is marked around 2,185 miles, not 2,189, so everything’s just a little off. That may not sound like a big deal, but expecting water or a shelter to be at the top of a mountain when it’s actually a few miles down the mountain could be a lousy surprise.

Planning

The Companion’s table format makes planning a lot easier. It includes separate tables in the back with information on post offices, hostels, camping, and showers along the trail. Planning can certainly be done with Awol’s Guide, it’s just not conveniently organized like the Companion.

While You’re Hiking

One of the most important differences between the two guides is Awol’s includes landmarks in the elevation profile that the Companion doesn’t. When you’re on a long stretch of trail with little info to figure out your location, having a power line, stile, bog board, footbridge, or railroad tracks on your map is very helpful. Awol’s guide also marks more water sources than the Companion.

While both guides mark parking areas, Awol’s includes GPS coordinates. If you’re section hiking or planning to have people meet you on the trail, this will be helpful.

The town maps and information are also very important. Both are decent in this category, but Awol’s is slightly more detailed.

The Companion also has information on the history of shelters and landmarks you’ll pass. While this isn’t necessary, it can be an interesting read.

The Winner

Though I hate to say it because I always want to support the ATC, go for Awol’s The A.T. Guide. The ATC is a great organization that does tons of wonderful things for the Trail (we encourage you to become a member here), but their book is just not as good as Awol’s. And with the elevation profile being so inaccurate, it could be misleading for 2015 hikers. The AT Guide is more detailed, accurate, and a safer bet to use for your thru-hike.