[pct-l] PCT Atlas vs WP Guidebooks

[Postholer]

The PCT Atlas is very, very cool! They have tons of info are they look very 
easy to use.

but...

At $220 for the atlas you can get the WP guidebooks, databook, PCTA 
membership and a backpack.

The entire set of maps has not undergone the rigorous, year after year 
testing the Wilderness Press guidebooks have endured. In fact since the 
atlas is brand new I don't think anyone, including the author, has used them 
solely for the entire trail, that is, they've never been tested.

With the atlas you don't get all the verbose narrative. That is mostly good. 
But when you really need it, you have it. It's like having a mini PCT-L in 
your posession for that section of the trail.

While the WP guidebooks have gone years without a major revision, annual 
updates are made available by WP.

The WP guides are the work of many people not just one person. Maintaining 
such a set of maps year after year by one person would seem highly 
improbable. Who will update the PCT Atlas yearly?

Lastly, for the purpose of hiking the trail end to end the WP guidebooks 
have been used successfully by 1,000's of hikers doing exactly what your are 
setting out to do. If it's me, for $220 I'll let someone else test out the 
PCT Atlas as a single means of navigating the PCT.

YMWV,

-postholer

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