[pct-l] Guidebooks. Help a brotha (sister?) out!

[Brian Lewis]

I'm afraid I have to agree with Bob, there's already a lot of stuff out
there, so unless something had some pretty special feature(s) I'd be
concerned that it would just add to the "noise".   I was perhaps more anal
than most in prep for last year, but still didn't read anything like all
that's out there between travelogue type books (serious and humorous),
various guide stuff, trail journals, etc.    I remember at one trail angel
stop seeing yet another substantial book on the PCT that I had never heard
of before being used as a door stop or something like that.

I suggest that if you nevertheless want to do something like this that you
look for some specific niche.  For example, would your publication be
intended to be carried and used on-trail, or just in preparation?  Or
perhaps it would be aimed at non-hiking friends and relatives to help them
understand the crazy thru-hiker they know?   Or it could be aimed at section
hikers, or shorter trips, though I know there exists a (at least one) book
aimed at telling people about good short hikes along the PCT.     Would this
be text that you try to keep current each year, such as Yogi's guide, and
would you be up to doing that?     Maybe you plan to do the PCT in some
unique way, perhaps a Monty-like super ultralight passage (but heck,
Jardine's first book ...)?         Would your pub be unique to the PCT or
would it more be aimed at would-be long distance hikers in general?  If more
the latter, then of course you have even more publications out there already
doing that.

Maybe as a female person you could address concerns and fears that females
in particular have, things like hitchhiking, being alone on the trail, what
the best sleeping pad options are, how to pee in your tent when it's rainy
or buggy out, whatever.   Of course this stuff has all been addressed too in
forums and various pubs, but I don't know how well it's been dealt with in a
publication like I think you're talking about.   Since this particular idea
isn't too unique to the PCT, however, there may well be AT or just generic
stuff out there that already does a great job at it.   I really think this
is a problem for most niche approaches, as not many of the challenges/issues
confronting the PCT hiker are unique to the PCT.

Sorry, I don't mean to come across as super negative, just tossing out ideas
as they occurred ... how about a time machine so you could go back to before
there was so much already-published competition?  :-)


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle