Avoid Shelter? By how much?

[Odd Man Out]

From all I've read here, it sounds like I would much prefer my tent to shelters. For those who dislike shelters, would you say that it is the shelter itself that you want to avoid, and that setting up your tent in the immediate vicinity of the shelter is a satisfactory solution? Or do you tent somewhere else completely removed from the shelter in order to avoid the shelter area/scene entirely?

Just Curious.

[waywardfool]

Avoid entirely. Area is usually beat to death, no ground cover, mud if it rains. Even tenting, I have had critters visit at shelter areas. Had no mice/critter problems away from shelters. I usually hike until dusk, then move well off-trail and find a spot.

Shelters are good for water stops, lunch time, break from the rain. That's it.

[Chaco Taco]

more prone to bear issues. Usually stay .25 away from shelters at the minimum. I just find them gross, esp the ones down south

[Slo-go'en]

I kinda like shelters, especially those with a broom so I can clean them out and without 20 people trying to stay in it. If I set up my tent, more often than not it will rain, even it there was not a cloud in the sky when I set it up - and I really hate packing a wet tent!

If I have to tent, I like to do it near the shelter, so as to take advantage of the (generally) near-by water, the picnic table, bear cables (if installed), the camp fire and have someone to talk too.

However, if your on the trail down south in prime time, you'll use your tent a lot as the only way your going to get shelter space is to get up early, hike fast and stop early.

[SassyWindsor]

Any place that has the assumed motto of "The shelter isn't full until everyone is inside" is bad enough. Add the pollution, awful smells, litter, noise, instrument playing, bad singing, etc, etc. Rats and bats are the least deterrent.

[stranger]

The 'good' thing about camping at shelter locations is that there are always tent sites, but as others have mentioned, they will be beat down, essentially a dirt patch and will get muddy and will splash in the rain. Obviously there is water at shelters which is always nice, but I prefer to arrange my days around mileage rather than shelter locations. So I might aim for 25 miles, etc...then check to see where the water is, and make a decision when I get there. I enjoy throwing a bear rope so don't consider shelters a benefit in that area (bear cables). I prefer to camp off trail as well, much better drainage, soft ground, no fire rings, etc....If you find a creek, just walk up or down it for 5 mins, you will find a good spot normally. Finally, I think shelters are great for taking a dump, they have privies and that's great. Doesn't mean I want to sleep there!

[Sierra Echo]

Last Saturday night I stayed with another gentleman at the Plumorchard shelter. Its was cold and the wind was brutal. So we both pitched our tents inside the shelter. Stayed nice and warm and had a great nights sleep.

[Frog]

Shelters are a good place to stop for lunch. Most have a water source near by so its a good time to fill up with water and move on. I just prefer using a tent. Not everyone goes to sleep and the time you might like to or get up at the time you like to. Since I prefer to get up before daylight it just works better for me to camp away from the shelters.

[tiptoe]

I almost never sleep in shelters, but I often hammock in the vicinity. As others have said, there's almost always a water source, conversation, and sometimes bear cables. Other times, shelters are a lunch stop, and I hammock wherever the evening finds me. It's a day to day decision, not a blanket rule thing. I'm simply more comfy in my hammock. Even if you plan to stay in shelters, it's wise to carry a tent, tarp, or hammock.

[Spokes]

Sociologically speaking, in 2009 I observed three types of thru-hiker groups- Tent people, Shelter people, and Ambivert hikers (the majority).

"Tent people" tended to be introverts and most likely females hiking alone while "Shelter people" were most likely extroverts, usually hiked in packs, and preferred maintaining a trail family.
"Ambivert hikers" took the middle ground and had no preference of sleeping in shelters or tents. In fact, the ambiverts mixed up sleeping arrangements the entire way and were just as happy to hike alone or with someone else.

Of course anomalies present in human behavior observation skew any form of true data collection. BTW, ambiverts represent 68% of the total population according to: Bartol & Bartol (2008). "Criminal Behavior: A Psychosocial Approach". Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: (8th Edition)

[virgil]

I always set-up my tent. When I'm on the trail it's my home away from home. Half the time I set up near a Shelter. It doesn't hurt to be socialble 50% of the time. You have a privy (such as some of them are), a water source, and the other hikers are usually friendly and kinda entertaining. The other half of the time I camp at primitive sites along the trail. For me, that's usually mountain tops or lookouts of some kind. That's a good choice too. Solitude and a great view. I like that mix.

[scope]

I guess I'm sort of an Ambivert, but I can't sleep in a shelter - not well anyway. I'll setup my hammock around a shelter to have the convenience of the privy and cooking/sitting surfaces and maybe the people... or not.

[Camping Dave]

Sociologically speaking, in 2009 I observed three types of thru-hiker groups- Tent people, Shelter people, and Ambivert hikers (the majority).

"Tent people" tended to be introverts and most likely females hiking alone while "Shelter people" were most likely extroverts, usually hiked in packs, and preferred maintaining a trail family.
"Ambivert hikers" took the middle ground and had no preference of sleeping in shelters or tents. In fact, the ambiverts mixed up sleeping arrangements the entire way and were just as happy to hike alone or with someone else.

Of course anomalies present in human behavior observation skew any form of true data collection. BTW, ambiverts represent 68% of the total population according to: Bartol & Bartol (2008). "Criminal Behavior: A Psychosocial Approach". Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: (8th Edition)

Ain't scientists great? They identified 3 types: a) never shelter, b) always shelter, and c) sometime shelter. How can you help but be surprised by the power of guided observation!

I always either shelter or don't shelter, depending on the weather and crowds. But I never never sometime shelter.

[shelterbuilder]

Well, shelters ARE a great way to get in out of the wind, the rain, and the snow - and that was the original reason for shelters. Way back when...when tents were made of canvas (and heavy as h... - wet or dry), shelters were a great idea. Of course, there weren't the numbers of people back then who were using them (and trampling down the surounding vegetation, and trashing thesites, etc). But unless you have a "dispersed camping policy" (where there are NO shelters or established campsites), you have to have some means of concentrating the damage done by humans so that it doesn't spread out all up and down the footpath - and THAT'S how shelters play a useful part in the trail system. By keeping "human pigishness" confined to certain areas, the rest of the footpath is left in relative peace. And my apologies in advance to those non-pigish hikers who might be offended by this post.

BTW, I guess that I would consider myself to be an ambivert - shelter location relative to my hiking plans, the shelter's condition (and who is there), and my personal preference on that particular day all play a part in the decision.

[Old Hiker]

Ain't scientists great? They identified 3 types: a) never shelter, b) always shelter, and c) sometime shelter. How can you help but be surprised by the power of guided observation!

I always either shelter or don't shelter, depending on the weather and crowds. But I never never sometime shelter.

And I wonder how many of my tax dollars went to fund that "study"??

[Blissful]

Any place that has the assumed motto of "The shelter isn't full until everyone is inside" is bad enough. Add the pollution, awful smells, litter, noise, instrument playing, bad singing, etc, etc. Rats and bats are the least deterrent.

Pollution???

I must admit I have seen lots of shelters but I never recall bad smells coming from them. Unless if you mean hikers, but all hikers smell.

I have also never seen bats. There are a handful of rats at certain shelters. Mice, yeah.

Instrument playing does happen on occasion, but its rare. So is the singing.

Are they noisy? Yeah if there's a bunch in there. Go off season and you can have the place to yourself.

But I prefer my tent. And I usually stay in the shelter areas, unless I am inbetween them. I do look for the sites fairy far away though

[birdygal]

I have only stayed at a shelter twice and tented away twice, I know I am an introvert but my reasoning for not liking shelters even camping near them is I cant sleep hearing people talk or snore both times I tented near a shelter I could hear the one person snoring in them

[wornoutboots]

I prefer to hike & then stay at the best plcae I come to @ an hour before dusk. Sometimes thats a shelter but normally a really cool secluded spot. If I'm out for a week or more & haven't had much personal contact, I'll stay just out of earshot(snoreshot) of the shelter & enjoy it's company. I've stayed in shelters many times, but 95% of the time I've gotten horrible sleep.

[Del Q]

I carry a tent so that I have options, if I have water and find a super spot when I am ready to stop, that is home for the night.

Some shelters are really nice and many others really "skeevy", another good reason to carry a tent in my view. Tarps? To me a tent is as much to remain bug free as dry.

I tend to hike early (March/April) and later (Sept/Oct), not a lot of people on the AT, most of the times I have shelter or shelter areas to myself. Other niceties with shelters is a place to sit (picnic tables), water and nice places to hang my gear.......

My favorite is killer tenting spots that are plentiful, have had some amazing experiences in places as I am describing. Its a great feeling having enough water for my no-cook existence, getting late and an awesome spot appears.............home sweet home!

Q

[mirabela]

I'm the "ambivert" described above, but when I avoid them I pretty much avoid them altogether. Most of my favorite nights in the woods have been in stealth leave-no-trace sites well off the trail, where nobody would ever know I was camped. Fewer critter problems, less litter, less noise, much safer from miscreants, softer ground, etc.