Question about shelter etiquette...

[Stan]

Okay, those who like it in a shelter... can you explain why??

On most of the occasions that I've used shelters they were either occupied by only my son and me or by our group alone. On a few occasions there were others, including some of the best mannered dogs we could hope to meet, but I've never been in a crowded shelter ... if it were I'd probably prefer to tent, too.

The reason I like shelters is that they are more spacious than my tent, they're much faster for making and breaking camp and I like the big picture window.

 

[the starchild]

shelters are the GREATEST thing when it is raining. except for a few annoying dogs (always at guyot for some strange reason) i have never had a problem and usually meet cool people. sometimes you meet some strange ones, but usualy everyone is all good. everyone this past weekend was cool, the last two guys were kinda to themselves, but it was chill talking to GNR's party. i had no idea y'all felt the way you did about setting up.

tents weigh more and even more important, a wet tent weighs alot!

i didn't realize people avoided/disliked shelters so much. there's good and bad i guess.

it is what it is....

 

[MadRiver]

Although I love Crag Camp and Grey Knob, I do not like shelters as a rule for several reasons. I do not sleep well on overnights and do not like having to listen to everyone’s nightmares, snoring, flatulence, etc. Since shelters are quite smaller than huts, one is usually jammed in so tight that one’s personal space is lost. In the morning, the first person up determines when everyone else will get up by virtue of their activity e.g. lighting off a stove, banging their boots, or just talking loudly. If I am not staying at Grey Knob or Crag Camp, I much prefer a tent.

Besides, I always thought that a shelter was nothing more than a bear's lunchbox.

 

[sli74]

I have always preferred my tent to shelters. I tend to hang out in shelters to chat and socialize and if it is raining to cook and eat but when sleeping a tent feels much safer and more private. However, during my "long distance" hikes, any hike longer than 3-4 nights, I have stayed mostly in shelters. For instance on the Long Trail, I don't think we tented even one night though we came close during the second hurricane that hit last September. During a rainstorm, I MUCH prefer the shelter.

I remember arriving cold and WET to Peru Peak Shelter on the LT during that hurricane, my 2 hiking partners were already there, along with 7 other AT/LT hikers. I was so tired and cold and when I walked up and looked in the shelter, it looked SO packed that I practically burst into tears. Most everyone inside insisted that the shelter was made for 10 and that there were only 9 of them. It looked impossible to me and I was preparing myself to hike on to the campsites further ahead. They convinced me to stay and boy was I happy I did. We had to overlap the thermarests but we all stayed warm and cozy. I felt SO bad for the hikers that arrived after me knowing exactly how they felt when they looked into the shelter. It could have been a wet, solo night in a tent if it hadn't been for everyone being so accomodating. (Also, that was the day I met Brian, so it was a wonderful day in hindsight )

I have always been accomodating of late arrivals but after that experience, I am even more aware of how someone coming in from the rain with a pack on their back must be feeling and try very hard to make them feel welcome.

Try to treat others as you would like to be treated, I try very hard to live by this rule, both at home and in the woods (my home away from home)

sli74

 

[GNR]

After hearing from others and reading my own writing...

Perhaps speaking up and talking about it would have made more sense. We should have asked if others had brought shelter rather than keep our annoyance to ourselves and set up in silence. Good feedback.

Also, because we had the shelter to ourselves the previous night, and one of the down bags did not have a cover, we slept length-wise with one person in the corner to protect the bag, not to try and claim the whole shelter. That is probably how it seemed when others arrived. That would be annoying if I had arrived and seen that...point taken.

Thank you everyone for your comments. GNR

 

[Mad Townie]

This isn't TOTALLY on topic, but I believe short time hikers (1-3 nights) should carry a tent and give up the shelter space to long distance hikers (LT, AT thru or long sections, etc.)

In the Hundred a few years ago we set up in a shelter on a rainy afternoon, then when AT through hikers began to arrive we pitched our tents and slept there. Everyone was happy . . . wet, but happy.

I get peeved when staying in a tent and the people in the shelter give you grief or sour expressions for hanging out (early) or cooking under cover at the shelter. This is not in bear country, of course. Some people are just anti-social, I guess.

 

[bubba]

I get peeved when staying in a tent and the people in the shelter give you grief or sour expressions for hanging out (early) or cooking under cover at the shelter. This is not in bear country, of course. Some people are just anti-social, I guess.

So, I posed the question earlier... as far as LT etiquette is concerned, if you are tenting (not close up) is it acceptable to use the shelter for some comfort, warmth, dry, etc.? Cooking eating... is there a line that you cross at some point.

 

[Michelle]

shelters are for everyone, first come first serve, no matter how long you are out there for.
I think everyone should be ready to camp........tent, tarp, hammock, bivy, whatever. Cause you never know when you'll get to camp and the 6 person shelter will have 12 wet hikers already in it and at that point, squishing in becomes an issue. Ya, sure if you are out there for a week or so, carrying a wet tent kinda stinks, but the sun will come out eventually and you can dry it out.......it might be moldy by that time, but that's all part of the fun!

I say, use the shelters for whatever you want, to hang out, stay dry, sleep in, hang your pack and food while tenting, whatever (maybe not cooking right next to some poor hiker's head and spilling bits of food all over their bag.........that might draw the line) but why not make use of them, that's what they are there for, right?!

 

[blacknblue]

Just my $.02...
The shelters should always be first-come, first-serve, which has worked against me in the past while long-distance hiking, but that's the way of it. I would never think that I have more of a claim to the shelter b/c I've been out longer. (I do frequently give out water/snacks to thru-hikers when I'm day hiking, kinda like feeding the animals at the zoo.)
That being said, when the shelter gets full, the dogs should be the first to go, not a late-arriving hiker. Sorry, but the dog won't mind sleeping out of the shelter as much as a weary fellow hiker. In general, hiking dog etiquette is a whole other post...
Using the shelters while not actually sleeping in them? I say that that's a-okay. The shelters are easier to cook in, just to be able to spread out a bit and be off the ground. Plus, it adds to communal aspect of backpacking (which can be readily avoided if desired).
As for shelter/non-shelter preferences... well, sometimes I enjoy having the spaciousness of the shelter. I hate going into the wilderness and spending my evening staring at the inside of my tent. At least in a shelter you can look at the surrounding forest. On nice nights though, it can be nice to have some peace and quiet.
Oh, and giggy, it's never okay to do what those folks were doing! Especially in a shelter. I came across that once... ON THE TRAIL. It was... um... awkward.

 

[sli74]

shelters are for everyone, first come first serve, no matter how long you are out there for.

I agree 100% . . . and Michelle is one of "them thar thru-hikars" so she should know Welcome back girl !!!!

sli74

 

[moonrock]

Oh, and giggy, it's never okay to do what those folks were doing! Especially in a shelter. I came across that once... ON THE TRAIL. It was... um... awkward.

Sooooo, NOW we can't even do THAT in the woods ?!?

On the one hand, THIS "loser" feels vindicated (but only the one hand).
But is that the real reason those DEC guys load Rubber Bullets ?

["HEY, YOU TWO: GET A ROOM; AND TAKE THAT $&%^#* BEAR WITH YOU !!!"]

LOL

 

[giggy]

never said it was OK - just said I didn't care.

 

[blacknblue]

giggy - yes, I was agreeing/confirming with you. Sorry if that was unclear.
Moonrock - I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it's a little strange to do so in the middle of the Appalachian Trail!

 

[ralphnetta]

We missed you also.

 

[weatherman]

The topic migrates, but...

had to ask: What's the deal with the "tent in shelter" method? Tramper Al and I encountered this a couple years back on the ME AT, though it was no big deal because there was plenty of room and warm, good weather and we had tents too, and nice smooth ground to pitch them on. But we got to a 6-8 person shelter and there was this 2-3 person tent taking up the whole thing!
Hypothesis: what Giggy noted. Strange.
-Weatherman

 

[ripple]

I don't stay in shelters, so it is just a quess, but maybe the tent in the shelter was during the buggy season?

 

[spaddock]

Also, that was the day I met Brian, so it was a wonderful day in hindsight

So it sounds like tight cozy shelters pay off in the long run!
Great story.

-Shayne

 

[blacknblue]

I did the tent-in-shelter once (at Hexacuba), and it was during a tremendously buggy and ridiculously hot/humid day. The shelter was for shade; the tent to get out of the insane bugs. Other than that, I have no idea.

 

[giggy]

blacknblue - oh yea - odd in middle of trail - maybe they wanted people to join in - at least in the shelter your in bedded down territory , well ya know. hehehehehe better yet would this be considered public nudity? not really out in public - and maybe not nude!! I would like to see this tried on huntington ravine trail on the hard parts. now that would be an accomplishment

I have just sunk this thread to the low point!!

on a better note:

I have set up tents in shelter in hermit lake before - (in winter) - just to keep a bit warmer and not have to deal with hastle of shoveling out platforms.

 

[sli74]

So it sounds like tight cozy shelters pay off in the long run!
Great story.

-Shayne

He didn't actually make it to the shelter in time to snag a spot so he wasn't part of the tight cozy shelter but I did feel kinda bad for him, all wet and cold and no shelter to sleep in . . . he chatted and moved on further down the trail.

Back to shelter etiquette . . . I have a friend whose Dad set up a tent in the shelter and it was also a situation where there were a ton of bugs and NO flat spot to set up a tent, I would it interesting but probably wouldn't do it myself just in case other hikers showed up and needed sleeping space.

sli74