Yeah, 8 people was the capacity that came to mind, so a late fourth arrival would not be an egregious violation of either rules or etiquette - though 10 PM would be pushing it, particularly if nobody was awake. And esp considering how early the sun rises in northern mid-summer.
If I were to "impose", on a resident group, I'd first step away and pre-prep so as "settle down" in the shelter in a minute or less, without subjecting anybody to the sound of prolonged rustling and fumbling.
Speaking of which: Two people have no business taking up either an entire lean-to or a large prime camping spot to canoodle together. Bring a phone booth with you, to make things interesting.
Still, I'm sure we've all noticed how easily even 4 people can "expand" into a typical lean-to. In practice, 8 works best for a close-knit group, in low temps, with dry gear, and either earplugs or flownase strips at the ready.
As it is, I tend to eschew lean-tos. If it's raining, a lean-to is a nice luxury. But while fewer people would be in the woods then, those that
were would be thinking the same thing. Drying rain-soaked clothes in a lean-to does not work particularly well in 100 % humidity. And pitching a tent in a lean-to just looks stupid.
Rain on a tent is nice white noise. If it's warm, a tent is better against bugs than a lean-to. If it's cold, a tent is warmer than a lean-to. Few tents have resident mice. Even fewer have resident pine martins. And when was the last time you clocked yourself on the head, standing up inside a tent ?
Designated camping areas more complicated because the first arriving group is semi-inclined to spread tents apart from one-another, if only in search of smooth level spots. A later arrival then has to look much harder for a spot without "encroaching".
Does that wander over most of the map ???
MR
