Guthook’s AT App

Guthook’s trail apps just might change the way you hike

One of the more time-consuming annoyances for me when preparing for a hike has always been the whole map/guidebook thing. Obviously it’s pretty dumb to ever go on a hike without a map of some kind, even on such a well-traveled path as the Appalachian Trail. But DAMN, maps are a PITA. They fold funny, they’re printed in small font that old eyes like mine struggle to read, one might require multiple (gasp) maps, they might be paper-based and get ruined in the rain, etc. And they don’t weigh 0 oz. either. And guidebooks? Yeah, they’re great for pre-hike prep, but how many of us really want to carry a BOOK with us on the trail. Books definitely don’t weigh 0 oz. That cuts into my beer weight.

My past compromise was to bring one sheet of a topo map of the area I was hiking in, and several sheets of more detailed trail notes, mileage points for water sources, shelters, viewpoints and all that. Both in gallon-sized ziplocs for protection. While this method works, it has drawbacks; one time, the ziploc with my trail notes fell out of my pocket and was lost. And it never seemed adequate to keep me from occasionally taking a wrong turn off a trail. Like, I wandered a freakin’ MILE off course on the Pinhoti Trail once, and was lucky to get back on track. I craved a better system.

You can’t escape reading about Guthook’s apps if you read any AT or PCT trail journals, and everyone seems to love them. But I was hesitant. To some extent, I head into the backcountry to get unplugged….why would I want to “enslave” myself yet again to my smartphone? However, I eventually realized that I was already using that same phone to take dozens of photos every day, and it wouldn’t kill me to peek at it a few more times. So, when I finally upgraded my phone several months ago, one of the first things I did was to purchase the Guthook AT app. I have used it on 2 section hikes since, and I’m totally sold on it.

For starters, I really enjoy not having a folded up gallon ziploc in and out of my pants pocket all day. But even better has been having detailed trail info right at my fingertips. Once on each hike I managed to take a wrong turn. As soon as I grew suspicious, I checked Guthook and confirmed my position, allowing me to get back on trail quickly. (Don’t ask how someone gets lost on the AT as much as I do, it’s just a gift that I have)

Even better, I love having the ability to find out instantly how far ahead the next water source is. And because people can post notes about current conditions while they are hiking, I have a pretty good clue about the real-time state of said water source. The same goes for shelters. If someone who stayed at Shelter X 3 nights ago posts that it contains ravenous vermin hordes or that there is a problem bear, I can alter my plans and camp away from that shelter.

Guthook also has details on elevation, and I have to admit that it’s nice to see how far from being done with a big climb one is. Also helps getting mentally for the next day’s hike in the morning….”yo, we got a kick ass climb early in the day, but it’s all cruising after that.”

But Guthook goes much further. It has waypoints for road crossings, views, special scenery andnearby hostels as well as things you’d want to know about in trail towns like where’s the post office, AYCE Chinese buffet, etc.

Best of all, Guthook added ZERO ounces to my pack weight! Actually, it cut weight, since all I bring now besides Guthook is one sheet of a topo map. Hey, phone batteries die, so you’re still stupid not to have some kind of topo map with you.

Another wonderful thing about Guthook is that it works in airplane mode, so it doesn’t run your battery down. You can even download photos related to your hike and view them offline.

Guthook makes apps for many other trails. In fact, I purchased one of the sections of the Florida Trail for my upcoming hike in the Ocala National Forest, which makes me feel better about hiking somewhere completely new to me. And let’s face it, I probably WILL take a wrong turn down there at least once. And when I do, the Guthook app will probably get me back before I wander into quicksand.

Sure, getting back to nature means leaving most of our technology behind. It’s pretty sweet not having to check email every day. But a little tech on the trail is a good thing. One 6 oz. smartphone allows me to text/call, take photos, play music, and operate Guthook, an app that will be coming with me on as many of my future hikes as possible.