Guidebooks, maps and more oh dear

[BklynDakar]

Say you go from Alaska to Argentina for one year. Do you carry all the maps and guidebooks with you for the whole trip. My guidebooks for Mexico, CA, and South America are big and then there is a book to read and maps- just about takes up half a pannier.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Just my opinion, but I suggest you read all the guidebooks, or at least the stuff you think you need to know BEFORE you start your trip, make some notes and add them to one, the skinniest, guide book you have and then leave all the heavyweight books at home.Set off on your trip with that and the foldup maps you need and wing it . You are going on your own trip, not to recreate exactly the voyage of someone else who has different interests than you.You see far too many tourists wandering about cities guidebook in hand dashing from one page to another ticking off the sights the book mentions.

[skip]

Hi
I found that its best to try and pick up maps and guide books as you go, i ve traded maps with other travellers that i've met and i've cut down a few guide books given away the chapters covering places that i won't be visiting. Travelling around Central America there are plenty of hostels,most have a small book exchange you can usually exchange a guide book there.
And at the end of the day if you end up with to many maps or guide books use them to start the campfire in the evening........ Hope this helps Skip

[Frank Warner]

Yep .. it is a problem. As is carrying a notebook computer.

I'm taking a PDA with a small fold up keyboard. That takes care of the diary .. and I can store songs on it. And scan books and take them that way. Same with maps .. photograph them and take them on a memory card .. take much less space. You will be technology dependant .. but if you use the same camera travelling then you can look at the information with either the camera or the PDA.. just chose the equipment carefully so it is compatible.

The PDA also has the maintance/workshop book for the bike .. camera guide book.. scans of imortant documents .. all teh stuff that takes paper room..

[AndyT]

Of the 4 South American countries I´ve been in so far, the only one where I have been able to find a decent map in is Ecuador. They may well exist, but I can´t find them. I´m told Toyota does a good map book of Peru, but didn´t learn this till after I was in Bolivia. If I ever do this again, I am going to stock up on maps at home and take them with.

[ClassicCruiser]

Originally Posted by Frank Warner

Yep .. it is a problem. As is carrying a notebook computer.

I'm taking a PDA with a small fold up keyboard. That takes care of the diary .. and I can store songs on it. And scan books and take them that way. Same with maps .. photograph them and take them on a memory card .. take much less space. You will be technology dependant .. but if you use the same camera travelling then you can look at the information with either the camera or the PDA.. just chose the equipment carefully so it is compatible.

The PDA also has the maintance/workshop book for the bike .. camera guide book.. scans of imortant documents .. all teh stuff that takes paper room..

An alternative, if you are going to buy the books anyway, might be to extract the overall 'big planning' info from them and then post the originals to a few contacts around the world for pick up en-route. Just an idea.

[Lone Rider]

I have a true map fetish.
Gimme a decent map and I'll get by, whether I know what accommodations, restaurants, etc are there or not.
The large guide books are...well, large. This is tough because of changing plans while on the road and they can come in very handy.
Web Info: Jeez, it's all there....with a little work. Take a laptop or other device or not? I've been taking one and will continue to do so. Pics, uploading, maybe personal records, etc.

Guide books and maps can sometimes be impossible to find while in-country.

[Fletch]

Read the Guide books, then Rip, sorry, I mean remove neatly the pages (or Copy), the ones of relivance... 90% of all RG's or LP's contents is tageted towards Backpackers... Remove that stuff for a start....

OK OK so I'm with Lone Rider on Maps... You just can never have enuf good ones can you...