Caught between shelters

[Gator 65]

I have a concern about the distance between some of the shelters in Ga. This will be my first thru hike and knowing that 'planning" to get from point A to point B on a given day does not always work out. I may be thinking 10 miles while 7 is reality So my question(s) are....

1- Is it a common problem due to weather and daylight to just get off the trail and set up a tent wherever possible?

2- Are there many restrictions to where you can do this type of camping?.

3- What hazards should we be mindful of when forced to do this?

I can see myself shooting for a 12-15 mile day out there the first week and running into poor weather or run out of daylight. I'm guessing that daylight hiking hours from 7Am to apprx. 4 PM would give you enough time to get up, pack up and eat on the run except for a 4 PM meal is enough time to set up a tent, get water and then prep for the night. Logic tells me to stay at a water stop but the camp sites may not be avail.
Any advice will be helpful.

[Serial 07]

camps sites are abundant early on...and so is water...i wouldn't worry about particulars, such as planning your first couple of sleeps now, you will see that it will be pretty easy to set up where ever you want/when ever want...hazards that i can think of are people...GA is a great opening to the trail, difficult ups and downs, some great views and the introduction to a great hostel environment (mountain crossings)...

one thing that i do often is get water from a source, by planning ahead with the help of a guide book, then just hiking ahead until i find the "perfect" spot...or one with an already established fire ring..

[mts4602]

I have a concern about the distance between some of the shelters in Ga. This will be my first thru hike and knowing that 'planning" to get from point A to point B on a given day does not always work out. I may be thinking 10 miles while 7 is reality So my question(s) are....

1- Is it a common problem due to weather and daylight to just get off the trail and set up a tent wherever possible?

2- Are there many restrictions to where you can do this type of camping?.

3- What hazards should we be mindful of when forced to do this?



1. It's actually not a problem at all, in fact people do it all the time.

2. Except for the GSMNP and a couple of other places, you can camp where ever you want as long as there isn't a sign in a particular place saying you cant camp there.

3. Try and camp where someone has already camped before so you can limit your impact.

[Frosty]

1- Is it a common problem due to weather and daylight to just get off the trail and set up a tent wherever possible?If the weather is bad, and you are hiking Ga in March or April, the shelter will be full by early afternoon, so you'll be setting up a tent anyways.



2- Are there many restrictions to where you can do this type of camping?There are trailside campites all over the place in GA. The only place I can think of where you may have to walk a mile to find one in on the side of Blue Mtn.



3- What hazards should we be mindful of when forced to do this?I wouldn't camp within a quarter or half mile of a road crossing, and I would be mindful of dead branches overhead if it is a windy night.



I can see myself shooting for a 12-15 mile day out there the first week and running into poor weather or run out of daylight. I'm guessing that daylight hiking hours from 7Am to apprx. 4 PM would give you enough time to get up, pack up and eat on the run except for a 4 PM meal is enough time to set up a tent, get water and then prep for the night. Logic tells me to stay at a water stop but the camp sites may not be avail.
Any advice will be helpful.You can get up before daylight, eat breakfast and start hiking before dawn if your want, and you can continue to hike after the sun goes down. And you can set up a tent, eat, etc after sundown. Staying near water is good but not necessary. You can top off your water at a stream and walk to a campsite, or you can camp dry. Eat something cold that doesn't require water and in the morning walk to the next water source before having breakfast.

No need to overcomplicate it. It's just walking.

[mnof1000v]

You'll find that many people are in the same situation as you. There are loads of places to camp.

[Skyline]

There are plenty of good, legal places to camp in Georgia between shelters. In fact, if you're hiking among the Prime Time NOBO herd, you may prefer those.

One thing: I wouldn't be shooting for many 12-15 mile days right at the beginning. Take your time, start slower and don't carry too much gear--just what you need. You can build up your daily mileage gradually as you hike north.

[Jack Tarlin]

You've received some fine answers.

There are all sorts of great places to camp on the Trail in Georgia.

I agree with what some other folks have said:

*Don't camp too close to a road.
*Don't camp immediately adjacent to the Trail; off to the side and out of sight is better
*Try and camp in a place that has obviously been used before.
*Camping immediately adjacent to a water source is sometimes frowned on; if you do,
make sure that any and all sanitary neccessities be conducted a good distance away.
*Watch out for dead or dying trees and make sure there's nothing potentially unsafe
hanging over your campsite.
*Keep fires to a minimum and better yet, don't have one at all. If you do, make sure it's
totally out when you leave in the morning.
*Wherever you elect to spend the night, try and leave as little trace as possible that you
were ever there.

[Cookerhiker]

When I hiked Georgia in early March '04 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=55544), my hiking partner and I had one between-shelters situation. After staying at Low Gap Shelter, the next shelter was too close but the following shelter was more than 15 miles (with Tray Mountain ascent at the end of the day) which neither of us wanted to hike. The Cheese Factory site was 13 miles and a nice place to camp - plenty of level, grassy areas and nearby water.

[Pony]

One thing: I wouldn't be shooting for many 12-15 mile days right at the beginning. Take your time, start slower and don't carry too much gear--just what you need. You can build up your daily mileage gradually as you hike north.

I couldn't agree more, after a few days on the trail I could not believe how sore my legs were. By about mile 8 or 9 I started to drag, which apparently leads to falling on one's face or twisting ankles. Besides, I met at least one person a day in Georgia that was leaving the trail (temporarily or permenantly) because they tried to do too many miles and had terrible blisters or injured themselves.

Also stop at Mountain Crossings, and they will help you refit your pack and shave some weight off.

[gearfreak]

You've received some fine answers.

There are all sorts of great places to camp on the Trail in Georgia.

I agree with what some other folks have said:

*Don't camp too close to a road.
*Don't camp immediately adjacent to the Trail; off to the side and out of sight is better
*Try and camp in a place that has obviously been used before.
*Camping immediately adjacent to a water source is sometimes frowned on; if you do,
make sure that any and all sanitary neccessities be conducted a good distance away.
*Watch out for dead or dying trees and make sure there's nothing potentially unsafe
hanging over your campsite.
*Keep fires to a minimum and better yet, don't have one at all. If you do, make sure it's
totally out when you leave in the morning.
*Wherever you elect to spend the night, try and leave as little trace as possible that you
were ever there.

All things I adhere to and would have mentioned. I personally prefer to tent and hiked all of Georgia staying in close proximity to just one shelter, Low Gap. I'd recommend not exceeding 10 miles for the first couple of days. By day 3 you'll start to find your groove. Just plan to be flexible and adjust your daily destinations as you go. If you can stick to your original plan great! :cool:

[Gator 65]

I appreciate all of the advice. It has cleared up one of my few remaining concerns. As usual, this web site is as valuable a tool as one can have for a thru hike prep. March cannot come soon enough.

[joec]

Being caught between shelters without any flat tent spots to be had, was the precise reason I switched over to Hammocks.

[Slo-go'en]

Being caught between shelters without easy access to water is a bigger problem. If you think you'll have to camp between shetlers, check for water sources ahead or make sure you have enough water for dinner and breakfist with you.