The Guidebook of the Future

[James Dziezynski]

As I get working on my 2014 projects, I'm wondering what the hiking/scrambling/guidebook of the future is going to look like. I figured I'd ask here, since this is an active and tech-savvy community. I'm curious if people still like having a paper books or not? E-Books I find to have a lot of limitations on file sizes for maps - but apps and PDFS can offer the detail you need. Printouts from places like 14ers.com are pretty common and do the trick as well.

So I ask you -- what is your favorite format for guides/guidebooks? What do you think will be used in the immediate future? I'm thinking of going the app route for a new project with the ability to print maps/descriptions, but that could be a lot of work

Thanks for the feedback!

[GeezerClimber]

I like books. The batteries don't die and I can read them in bright light. I even have one of yours. I also carry topo maps and a compass which I consider essential safety gear. However, there aren't many in my age group (over 60) in the mountains so I advise trying to appeal to the young-uns if you want financial success.

Dave

[jaymz]

As far as guidebooks go, whatever comes in the future, it's good old fashioned paper for me. As mentioned, it never needs batteries, never blacks out... but then again I'm a luddite who refuses to ever get a Kindle. On the other hand, I tend to use this site as my main source of information for a trip, while using books as a supplement to what I find here. The interaction with a live community is indispensable for route/conditions updates, as is the ability to discuss experiences that will help prepare for whatever might be encountered.

[dannyg23]

Personally I would like to see a winter 14er guidebook at some point but I know the niche for that is small.

There is a winter 14er guidebook, it's by Lou Dawson (actually it's two books). It's also the likely cause of 59 being the standard winter number as it was Ralston's guidebook of choice and includes No. Massive as it's own peak.

[TravelingMatt]

I generally try to memorize the important parts of the route beforehand, either from a book or an online source. If it's from a book it usually stays in the car. If I have a map with me I'm more likely to use it to identify other peaks from the summit rather than for routefinding. Nothing about technology changes this.

I used to carry a GPS, now I consider myself able to estimate my position and altitude well enough without one. The more I hike, the more I feel like all the technology I need is between my ears.

[GeezerClimber]

I'll try to be more helpful this time. As a retired businessman looking at the topic, I think the guide book market for Colorado is pretty saturated. I have a shelf full of them---two editions of Borneman and Lampert, three of Roach plus 13ers, 50 best summits, best dog hikes, lake hikes, hikes in each county, each range and on and on. I'm a sucker for guidebooks. I always figure if I can find a couple of really nice hikes I would not have previously known, the $20 price tag is money well spent. It's hard for me to imagine there is much yet to be uncovered. Lately, I've gotten more interested in books about early explorers, Indians, history, etc. but I would think that market is very small. I doubt anyone ever got rich off any of them as it is.

As for online stuff, it would be very difficult to compete with 14ers.com for mountains. As it is, Bill has to get some donations to break even.

I like your lively writing style. Perhaps you should try your hand at mountain stories of some sort, fiction or non fiction.

BTW, I once attended Mattatuck CC a lifetime ago.

Dave

[GeezerClimber]

The more I hike, the more I feel like all the technology I need is between my ears.

Wow. I was just thinking this AM that how one uses (or doesn't use) this piece of equipment goes a long ways towards surviving or not.

Dave

[GeorgiaTyler]

The Lou books are awesome

[Dave B]

I'll try to be more helpful this time. As a retired businessman looking at the topic, I think the guide book market for Colorado is pretty saturated.

I disagree with this. I think CO is saturated in terms of hiking books but not in general terms of mountain guide books. For example, it looks like the skiing guide by lordhelmut and benners is selling well and stocked widely. Additionally, over on MP, people are frothing at the mouth in anticipation of the newly updated Rossiter guide for climbing in RMNP (if only Fixed Pin would stop dragging their feet!!!).

In addition to Dave Cooper's two books a more comprehensive statewide snow and scrambling and/or alpine climbing book could easily be written. I imagine something similar to the three volume Beckey bible set for the North Cascades would sell well, at least I'd buy 'em. But then again, I'm kind of a guide-book whore.

So yeah, hiking books appeal to the masses and that market is saturated, but there is plenty of room for scrambling, climbing and skiing guides in this state, plenty.

EDIT - to answer the OP, with regards to guide books, I vastly prefer printed books. I'm not a fan of kindles, iPad apps etc. For me, the best compromise would be a printed guide with an included CD-ROM from which maps or abridged route descriptions could be printed as a pdf or other easily printable and transferable format.

EDIT 2 - I just realized how incredibly outdated a CD-ROM is, good lord...

[GregMiller]

Google Earth on a google glass style heads up display that draws the route out in front of you, annotated with exactly where to step, with flashing alarms when you get off route.

Practically, though, I'll probably always carry a map and compass, but a lightweight tablet with a color e-ink display primarily for maps and with guidebook data and recent beta loaded would be great (different answer to the question, I know).

[TravelingMatt]

You could make a good guidebook out of the 100 or so most interesting 13ers that aren't covered elsewhere (such as in Roach or Cooper). Not sure how much of a market there would be tho.

[Jim Davies]

I really liked Roach's 14er map pack...too bad it's been discontinued. The idea of having the map and route description together on a single durable card was great, and I wish I could get something like that for the less popular peaks. OTOH, it's basically the same as printing the 14ers.com route description, minus the "durable" part.

Paper guide books are great, but they tend to get out of date wrt access issues, and carrying an entire 200-page book along is heavy.