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aficion
01-31-2014, 10:37
Shelters are great to duck into when you happen to be near one in a downpour. For sleeping, resting, and waiting out long spells of poor hiking weather I much prefer my tent. No offense intended, but I do not get why many prefer the snoring, talking, farting, dogs, meeces, early departures, late arrivals, etc. that are to be expected in shelters. So I'd like to hear from you shelter lovers and other enlightened observers. Why do people choose to sleep in shelters?:confused:

Stinkbug
01-31-2014, 10:45
Shelters are good for logging your progress along the AT. I totally agree with your assessments. I spent one night in a shelter and I think I experienced everything you mentioned above.

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rocketsocks
01-31-2014, 10:47
Much as I like people, I don't think I'd care to sleep with strangers, sleeping near friends is different though, it's like family, so until I get to know ya...(which doesn't take long) I prefer to tent.

Pedaling Fool
01-31-2014, 10:51
Why do people choose to sleep in shelters?:confused:If I may take the liberty to speak for them...They are too lazy to look for a spot, then too lazy to set up their tent and they don't like bending down.


Am I right or what :D

hikerboy57
01-31-2014, 10:52
i suspect it has partially to do with comfort in numbers, a fear of sleeping alone in the woods.

Son Driven
01-31-2014, 10:53
Not to shelter, because I snore, and do not care so much for the shelter mice.

RCBear
01-31-2014, 11:02
If I may take the liberty to speak for them...They are too lazy to look for a spot, then too lazy to set up their tent and they don't like bending down.


Am I right or what :D

Lol! I can't imagine you are wrong :-) and if someone says otherwise, not sure I'm buying it.

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Damn Yankee
01-31-2014, 11:03
I have only spent two nights in a shelter on Bald Face Mt. and my brother and I just happened to be the only two people for those to nights. I enjoyed it very much but, unless it's down pouring I prefer a tent and the privacy. It is however nice to be in the shelter and watching the rain or snow in quarters that aren't so cramped, where you can stand and stretch so, I guess depending on the circumstances, I'm a fan of both.

RCBear
01-31-2014, 11:06
I have only spent two nights in a shelter on Bald Face Mt. and my brother and I just happened to be the only two people for those to nights. I enjoyed it very much but, unless it's down pouring I prefer a tent and the privacy. It is however nice to be in the shelter and watching the rain or snow in quarters that aren't so cramped, where you can stand and stretch so, I guess depending on the circumstances, I'm a fan of both.

I can see where in that circumstance, they may have appeal, and I guess if you carry a tent, you still have the option to shelter it here or there if it looks like you will get those conditions.

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aficion
01-31-2014, 11:19
i suspect it has partially to do with comfort in numbers, a fear of sleeping alone in the woods.

I suppose that is right. It is ironic though when one's choice of sleeping quarters is a bonafide mouse, skunk, coon, bear magnet. I mean you are sleeping where the critters you fear come for food.

hikerboy57
01-31-2014, 11:20
i like to choose the people/animals i sleep with.

HikerMom58
01-31-2014, 11:30
I don't like to sleep in shelter at all. I like my tent. I don't think the shelters should all be torn down. I don't look down on anyone that sleeps in them.
Some can be quite nasty/dirty looking but some are quite nice.

Pedaling Fool
01-31-2014, 11:34
I don't like to sleep in shelter at all. I like my tent. I don't think the shelters should all be torn down. I don't look down on anyone that sleeps in them.
Some can be quite nasty/dirty looking but some are quite nice.Do you look down on the ones that sleep in the nasty dirty shelters....Rhetorical....:D

aficion
01-31-2014, 11:46
Do you look down on the ones that sleep in the nasty dirty shelters....Rhetorical....:D

Only if they are not nice.

HikerMom58
01-31-2014, 11:48
Do you look down on the ones that sleep in the nasty dirty shelters....Rhetorical....:D

Ha! :) I think the shelters on the AT mimic the levels of "nasty" with "hiker trash". It's all different but in the end you find that you can love them all. ;) Just because.... :)

flemdawg1
01-31-2014, 12:01
Alright shelter-haters, if you're going to ask the question, get out of the way and give those the question is addressed to a chance to answer.

I sleep in shelters. Not all the time, but probably abit over half the time. If its crowded I'll move on, most of the time, especially if there is enough daylight to get to another campsite/water source.

I look at sleeping in shelters sortof like hiker feeds. I'm not always looking for them, but if they're available, why not enjoy it. And maybe I'm a bit tougher than you whiners. :-P

Oedipus
01-31-2014, 12:08
I like the shelters for trail markers, the fact that water is close, and maybe a little for some socializing. I carry a tent and prefer to pick my own spot to lay my head for the night. Have stayed in shelters, but only for safety from major wind storms. The tornado-y kind. Even then it was more psychological. Pretty sure the shelter would of just flown away with me in it. I get it though. Some like shelters, some like tents. Hiking is freedom, so I prefer to freely pick my own spot :)

Slo-go'en
01-31-2014, 12:10
If no one likes sleeping in shelters, why are they always full?

Last year between Springer and Marion, VA the only shelters I stayed in were in the Smokies. Not because I didn't want to sleep in a shelter, but because there was never any room.

Thru hikers nearly always opt for staying in a shelter - it is just so much easier. Which is why thier always bummed if they get to a shelter and find it full of some group or other.

moldy
01-31-2014, 12:19
From looking at my TJ, I can say that I stay in shelters 90 percent of the time. I plan my trips so that I end up at shelters.
I sleep better in shelters.
I like picnic tables.
I like having a crapper.
I like bear boxes and bear cables.
I like that I don't have to take up time and energy to set up or pack up a camp.
I like to be able to have a dry place to gather myself in the morning.
I like to carry only a very light. cheezy emergency tent.
I like the friendship of other hikers in shelters.
So far I have avoided hiking with the so called bubble. I would like more, bigger and better shelters on the Appalachian Trail

nu2hike
01-31-2014, 12:20
The people I've encountered that prefer shelters do so because it's simpler! No tent to setup at night and to pack up the next morning!
Ive never considered the fear aspect that someone mentioned but that could be a part of making a shelter their preference!
I on the other hand would never choose to sleep in one for all the reasons stated above! HYOH

RED-DOG
01-31-2014, 12:29
I don't usually stay at shelters only when the weather is crappy, but i use them for their water sources some times the privy, and to Socialize shelters are a great place to catch up on all the AT gossip and to see where all your trail friends are, and just too Socialize in general with Whom ever might be their.

Pootz
01-31-2014, 12:31
From looking at my TJ, I can say that I stay in shelters 90 percent of the time. I plan my trips so that I end up at shelters.
I sleep better in shelters.
I like picnic tables.
I like having a crapper.
I like bear boxes and bear cables.
I like that I don't have to take up time and energy to set up or pack up a camp.
I like to be able to have a dry place to gather myself in the morning.
I like to carry only a very light. cheezy emergency tent.
I like the friendship of other hikers in shelters.
So far I have avoided hiking with the so called bubble. I would like more, bigger and better shelters on the Appalachian Trail


I used the shelters 90% of the time during my Thru-hike for all of the above reasons. Remember its call a thru-HIKE not a thru-tent camping. Everyone gets to choose where they sleep at night while hiking, none of the choices make you a better hiker or person. HYOH

coach lou
01-31-2014, 12:35
I can't put a % on it...stuff happens.....I carry the Hooch. Some shelters are nice, clean maybe empty, nice view, bad weather....I'm in. A dump, dirty, buggy, mousey, nice night to cowboy, too many stinky thrus....I'm tarpin' it!

Bucketfoot
01-31-2014, 13:59
If its not thru hiker season or a weekend, shelters can be pleasant to stay in. Mice aren't even much of a problem then I have often had a shelter to myself or shared with just the person I happen to be hiking with. Depends what part of the trail you are hiking I guess.

illabelle
01-31-2014, 14:24
We sleep in shelters about half the time. Here's a few of the reasons:


Because all the trail guides give a mileage to shelters, they serve well as distance markers or waypoints, as opposed to some nameless place "about a mile past the place where the trail kinda meandered over the hill."
Shelters also make better pictures than a random spot between the trees.
Nearly all shelters have water. If you sleep there (or in the vicinity) you'll have water for supper, cleanup, breakfast, cleanup, and whatever you need to carry the next day.
The bunks generally don't have rock, roots, or briers on them. Most of the time they're level and dry. If we choose to bypass a flat smooth sleeping platform to try and find a comparable tentsite further on, we sometimes end up having to walk further than we wanted to, or settle for an unpleasant site.
Hanging around shelters gives us the opportunity to share our superior hiking wisdom with less experienced adventurers. And since all the "real" hikers are in their tents, we get to be the ones everybody looks up to. (I'm kidding! I know y'all are real.)
If the shelter isn't crowded, it's real nice to have a table to cook at, and a place to spread things out a bit.
Mice are cute. So are bears.

Sometimes we prefer our tent. Here's a few of those reasons:

We don't care for crowds, especially if they're loud or partying. That's not what we went to the woods for.
If it's REALLY cold, it's easy to stay warm in a tent.
Sometimes we reach a shelter well before we're ready to quit, so we just take a break and push on.
Often a shelter is down in a dip between two ridges (cuz that's where the water is). Sometimes, especially in warmer weather, it's nice to get the climb up the hill out of the way in the evening, and have a pleasant ridgewalk or downhill the next morning.
Once in a while the shelter is occupied by obnoxious know-it-alls who think everybody looks up to them because they've hiked "a lot." Who wants to be around that?
We've spent a lot of money on our gear. If we don't use the tent now and then, it will be harder to justify upgrading to the next great model.
Some locations have mice that have evolved into bears. We don't want to see what the bears have become.

Malto
01-31-2014, 14:27
I often will hike in the off season and will stay in the shelters only if I have them solo. The negatives of other hikers in close proximity far out weigh the convenience factor.

Luddite
01-31-2014, 14:31
I never much liked the sound of zippers being zipped and synthetic fabrics being stuffed away first thing in the morning.

Coffee
01-31-2014, 14:47
Can you ever really know if you will have a shelter to yourself? I guess the odds are pretty good if it is already dark and it is out of season but anyone can come in at any time, including a group of drunks at midnight. I feel more secure in a tent than I would in a three sided wooden structure where anyone can come or go at any time.

Conure
01-31-2014, 16:27
I haven't slept in a lean-to type structure since I was a Boy Scout, and that was only at summer camp. Didn't prefer it then, doubt I'd prefer it now.

I will be thru-hiking the AT starting later this year and will be avoiding the shelters at all costs. I like the fact that the trail guides place such great importance on using the shelters as mile markers, this way I know, approximately, when I'm between them. I'm also a hammock user so I have little concern for level ground. Now, if only I can figure out what to do in the GSMNP : )

Teacher & Snacktime
01-31-2014, 16:48
I slept in my first shelter at Harriman, and it was great! I suspect however it was because we were there with a group and there was no question about the "trust" factor. Also, it was winter so the beasties were at bay (at least I saw no evidence of them).

I have to say it was a strange, though very nice experience, and likely to be as close to sleeping out under the stars as I'm likely to brave.

I plan to check out a "loft" shelter experience at some point, as well as the Overmountain barn, but I suspect that unless it's another group situation, I'll tent.

Lazy factor? Oh yeah....I hate setting it up the tent at the end of a hike...that's Snacktime's job.

Teacher & Snacktime
01-31-2014, 16:51
I never much liked the sound of zippers being zipped and synthetic fabrics being stuffed away first thing in the morning.

First thing in the morning? Is that when we're supposed to get up? Yuk.

colorado_rob
01-31-2014, 17:05
Probably already been said, and if so to repeat, I sure like the amenities at a shelter (table, crapper, water source, chit-chat with others), but for sleeping, I prefer to pitch my tent somewhere either right next to the shelter or nearby, for all the negative reasons already stated.

XTrekker
01-31-2014, 17:08
I haven't slept in a lean-to type structure since I was a Boy Scout, and that was only at summer camp. Didn't prefer it then, doubt I'd prefer it now.

I will be thru-hiking the AT starting later this year and will be avoiding the shelters at all costs. I like the fact that the trail guides place such great importance on using the shelters as mile markers, this way I know, approximately, when I'm between them. I'm also a hammock user so I have little concern for level ground. Now, if only I can figure out what to do in the GSMNP : )

Never been to GSMNP, can you not use hammocks there?

elray
01-31-2014, 17:12
I've hated them (crowded and full of commando type mice) and I've loved them (rain 9 of the last 11 days) and even if you're tenting it's a nice place to stop for supper (picnic table) and catch up on all the gossip. Also wonderful for that occasional mid day siesta if you're into that sort of thing.

RCBear
01-31-2014, 17:17
Best response so far. And funny to boot :p



We sleep in shelters about half the time. Here's a few of the reasons:


Because all the trail guides give a mileage to shelters, they serve well as distance markers or waypoints, as opposed to some nameless place "about a mile past the place where the trail kinda meandered over the hill."
Shelters also make better pictures than a random spot between the trees.
Nearly all shelters have water. If you sleep there (or in the vicinity) you'll have water for supper, cleanup, breakfast, cleanup, and whatever you need to carry the next day.
The bunks generally don't have rock, roots, or briers on them. Most of the time they're level and dry. If we choose to bypass a flat smooth sleeping platform to try and find a comparable tentsite further on, we sometimes end up having to walk further than we wanted to, or settle for an unpleasant site.
Hanging around shelters gives us the opportunity to share our superior hiking wisdom with less experienced adventurers. And since all the "real" hikers are in their tents, we get to be the ones everybody looks up to. (I'm kidding! I know y'all are real.)
If the shelter isn't crowded, it's real nice to have a table to cook at, and a place to spread things out a bit.
Mice are cute. So are bears.

Sometimes we prefer our tent. Here's a few of those reasons:

We don't care for crowds, especially if they're loud or partying. That's not what we went to the woods for.
If it's REALLY cold, it's easy to stay warm in a tent.
Sometimes we reach a shelter well before we're ready to quit, so we just take a break and push on.
Often a shelter is down in a dip between two ridges (cuz that's where the water is). Sometimes, especially in warmer weather, it's nice to get the climb up the hill out of the way in the evening, and have a pleasant ridgewalk or downhill the next morning.
Once in a while the shelter is occupied by obnoxious know-it-alls who think everybody looks up to them because they've hiked "a lot." Who wants to be around that?
We've spent a lot of money on our gear. If we don't use the tent now and then, it will be harder to justify upgrading to the next great model.
Some locations have mice that have evolved into bears. We don't want to see what the bears have become.




Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 2

Conure
01-31-2014, 17:51
Never been to GSMNP, can you not use hammocks there?

Only if the shelter is full, and then you're camping right next to it, more or less--no primitive camp sites further on down the trail. Otherwise, you're forced to use the shelters. This applies to the AT only; i.e., their are primitive camp sites available on other trails within the park.

1234
01-31-2014, 18:19
From looking at my TJ, I can say that I stay in shelters 90 percent of the time. I plan my trips so that I end up at shelters.
I sleep better in shelters.
I like picnic tables.
I like having a crapper.
I like bear boxes and bear cables.
I like that I don't have to take up time and energy to set up or pack up a camp.
I like to be able to have a dry place to gather myself in the morning.
I like to carry only a very light. cheezy emergency tent.
I like the friendship of other hikers in shelters.
So far I have avoided hiking with the so called bubble. I would like more, bigger and better shelters on the Appalachian Trail

all the above times 2, I wish they all had the tables covered so I could eat out of the rain. I like the setup of woods hole and muskrat and hurricane all are log cabin type, big and table is covered and there is plenty of sitting, can cook sitting or standing, I can hang my 6liter tank and use what I need and give away the rest. They do not have many places for mice to hide. I would like to build and improve the shelters when I retire. The Virginia boxes have got to go.

Mumbles_2014
01-31-2014, 18:33
I was planning to stay in shelters most of the time for my thru-hike....you guys really changed my mind

aficion
01-31-2014, 18:52
I was planning to stay in shelters most of the time for my thru-hike....you guys really changed my mind

Not trying to put people off of shelters so much as hoping they think through their alternative arrangements. A solid lightweight tent can be a great investment which can be used near or far away from shelters as one chooses.

Just Bill
01-31-2014, 19:54
Illabelle- nice work young lady!

As a mid-westerner- shelters are a novelty that I enjoy. Since I rarely encounter, let alone get a chance to stay in one I don't mind em, and for you crust buckets, if Benton got his way it would be much worse.
Since I camp wherever and whenever more often than not, I don't feel insecure about using a shelter if I choose.
I think the shelter experience is tremendously different for those in the typical herd verses off season travel or less popular stretches of trail.
Weekday versus weekender is different too.
I was shocked to find the southern shelters were not mouse invested pits of filth if you visit them in the off season.
(A bit controversial)- I find the northern shelters to generally be nicer than the southern ones.
Let's be honest- we all have crappy days and want to take a 1000mg pill of ****itol (made by Merck) and a shelter is just what the doctor ordered.

One of the best and most unique things about the AT are it's community and social aspects- part of which center around the shelter system and newspaper (registers). I've had more than a few dozen unique, small crowd if not one on one stays with amazing people I would never have met from all over the world. I've stayed solo in a shelter dozens of times. Even if I just poke in for dinner, a wash up, a little chatting and move on- I'm rarely if ever unhappy I did. There are plenty of places to go and ways to travel without seeing a soul- but that place is not the AT- and the shelters are a big reason for that.

I will say one thing- perhaps the most important- Choosing to stay in a shelter is one thing. Having to stay in a shelter is another.
I never look down on someone who chooses to stay, but often find myself looking down on someone who has to.

Sarcasm the elf
01-31-2014, 20:20
I like to make fun of shelters, but when it's been raining for three days and everything I'm carrying is cold and wet then they suddenly become rather inviting.

Wise Old Owl
01-31-2014, 20:24
It would take a Hurricane to push me into one....

Different Socks
01-31-2014, 20:25
Shelters are part of the trail and were built for the trail, I use them each night I can for their simplicity. Tired at the end of a long day is easier at a shelter than compelling yourself to set up a tent. But when I must tent I do, yet first choice is a shelter. And out of all the people I met at shelters there were few I didn't want to be around because of odors, snoring, dogs, etc.

Teacher & Snacktime
01-31-2014, 20:34
I can't put a % on it...stuff happens.....I carry the Hooch. Some shelters are nice, clean maybe empty, nice view, bad weather....I'm in. A dump, dirty, buggy, mousey, nice night to cowboy, too many stinky thrus....I'm tarpin' it!

Who are you kidding, Coach? You're going to find the nearest fire tower and hunker "up" there!

aficion
01-31-2014, 20:37
Many good points have been made by many good folks. After thinking through it all, I believe it boils down to where can I get the best night's sleep. The answer my friend, is in my tent.

HikerMom58
01-31-2014, 20:58
Illabelle- nice work young lady!

As a mid-westerner- shelters are a novelty that I enjoy. Since I rarely encounter, let alone get a chance to stay in one I don't mind em, and for you crust buckets, if Benton got his way it would be much worse.
Since I camp wherever and whenever more often than not, I don't feel insecure about using a shelter if I choose.
I think the shelter experience is tremendously different for those in the typical herd verses off season travel or less popular stretches of trail.
Weekday versus weekender is different too.
I was shocked to find the southern shelters were not mouse invested pits of filth if you visit them in the off season.
(A bit controversial)- I find the northern shelters to generally be nicer than the southern ones.
Let's be honest- we all have crappy days and want to take a 1000mg pill of ****itol (made by Merck) and a shelter is just what the doctor ordered.

One of the best and most unique things about the AT are it's community and social aspects- part of which center around the shelter system and newspaper (registers). I've had more than a few dozen unique, small crowd if not one on one stays with amazing people I would never have met from all over the world. I've stayed solo in a shelter dozens of times. Even if I just poke in for dinner, a wash up, a little chatting and move on- I'm rarely if ever unhappy I did. There are plenty of places to go and ways to travel without seeing a soul- but that place is not the AT- and the shelters are a big reason for that.

I will say one thing- perhaps the most important- Choosing to stay in a shelter is one thing. Having to stay in a shelter is another.
I never look down on someone who chooses to stay, but often find myself looking down on someone who has to.


I like that.. :) And everything else JB writes of course! Oh but JB, "the south" has the Bryant Ridge Shelter... never forget! ;)

George
01-31-2014, 22:00
reoccurring theme in this thread: I do not like shelters/ but use them in bad weather conditions ( when of course all the other crusty shelter haters are also there ) - which means I only experience them at the worst - so I like them even less

rinse - repeat .........

Del Q
01-31-2014, 22:55
When I began my trek on the AT for some reason, almost every night I had the shelter to myself. March, cold, no mice, no bugs, worked out OK

It is nice having a picnic table to sit at, hang food bag in shelter, then tent away from the shelter. Have people to converse with, if not a good vibe or fun, head into my tent.

Most times I stealth camp but shelters do have some advantages. Spring 2013 with the nasty norovirus, I stayed away from everything!

Dogwood
02-01-2014, 03:11
On trails that I've thrued where there are shelters(AT, LT, PT, NPT, etc) when I wasn't required to always stay in shelters I haven't stayed in shelters every night nor camped away from shelters every night. I like mixing it up. It doesn't have to be an all shelters or all tenting/hammocking/bivying/tarping/cowboying options. I mix it up as suits me. Sometimes I like the convenience and comraderie of shelters especially when they aren't jammed pack.

winger
02-01-2014, 09:20
How many "shelters" are on the PCT and CDT?

Different Socks
02-01-2014, 10:25
Gotta agree with you on that one. I'm sure once I get back out on the trail, the views of the people I see and meet will not be so changed since 1992 as many try to lead me to believe here on WB.

Different Socks
02-01-2014, 10:26
Total combined? I'd say less than 1 doz for all 5900 miles.

Drybones
02-01-2014, 10:31
Many good points have been made by many good folks. After thinking through it all, I believe it boils down to where can I get the best night's sleep. The answer my friend, is in my tent.

Agree. I've slept in shelters but don't remember ever getting a good night's rest in one. I will say that Overmountain was pretty nice after walking 24 miles in pouring rain, cold, high winds and arriving at dark.

Lucy Lulu
02-01-2014, 10:53
I will stop in to shelters for lunch or to grab a snack if the timing is right, but I don't often sleep in them. I enjoy hiking as much as possible, and they never seem to be close at the end of the day. I usually stop at dusk. I also love sunrises, so I enjoy camping high and getting up to watch the sun rise. I am also a VERY light sleeper, and my experiences so far have made shelters a poor choice for me. If there are multiple days of bad weather, and I have not had a chance to dry out gear, I will sometimes stay in a shelter.

forrest!
02-01-2014, 10:57
What I have seen in Georgia at the beginning of thru-hiker season is that many inexperienced hikers use the shelters as a security blanket. They rush to the next shelter to beat the crowds and stake out their spot, cramming in as many people as they can fit.

Then later in the season there are the thru-hikers that don't carry tents. I have no sympathy for these people.

I usually only stay in a shelter when I want to make a fast getaway in the morning, like the last day of a section. And I apologize for waking other hikers at 5 AM, but I do it anyway.

Its much more efficient to hike the best distance for each day, regardless of where the shelter may be, as long as camping is permitted. Use them for water and cooking and socializing, then move on.

I would love to see the shelters disappear - instead have tent platforms around a picnic table where the shelter used to be, with bear cables and privies. But I know that's never going to happen...

Forrest

Colter
02-01-2014, 11:33
From reading this thread it would seem that most people like to avoid them. It sure doesn't seem that way out on the trail. They are mighty popular.

There are advantages and disadvantages of shelters. Many people who say they won't stay in them change their mind when it's pouring rain and their trail friends are waiting for them there.

I usually camped for the reasons people have stated, but maybe once a week stayed at a shelter for the reasons people have given. I often took breaks at shelters.

daddytwosticks
02-01-2014, 12:47
Here, let me sum it up:

SHELTERS = LOVE/HATE

:)

CarlZ993
02-01-2014, 14:14
From looking at my TJ, I can say that I stay in shelters 90 percent of the time. I plan my trips so that I end up at shelters.
I sleep better in shelters.
I like picnic tables.
I like having a crapper.
I like bear boxes and bear cables.
I like that I don't have to take up time and energy to set up or pack up a camp.
I like to be able to have a dry place to gather myself in the morning.
I like to carry only a very light. cheezy emergency tent.
I like the friendship of other hikers in shelters.
So far I have avoided hiking with the so called bubble. I would like more, bigger and better shelters on the Appalachian Trail
+1

Shelters were very convenient for me. I've tented a lot over the 20 yrs of hiking. I enjoyed the novelty & convenience they provided.

On many occasions, I've put up, slept in, and then packed up a tent while it rained the entire time. It rained so much in 2013 that I was glad to show up in bad weather (often the norm) & not have to deal w/ that. My earplugs didn't weigh much. I generally slept okay in the shelter.

coheterojo
02-01-2014, 17:18
I always carry my tent but I don't always sleep in it. Sometimes I cowboy. Lotsa times I'll stay at a shelter. Shelters come in all states of fullness, filth, flatulence and questionable companions but, if one is aware of all of this and can accept it for what it is, then I don't really see the problem.

Sometimes they are beautiful. Sometimes they're ugly. Sometimes they're full. Sometimes they're empty. Sometimes they have world champion snorers or herds of cub scouts or brazen mice. To think every one of them is going to be the epitome of perfection is somewhat misguided I think.

I don't know how many times over the years that the appearance of a shelter over the rise or around the bend has been the sweetest sight of the day.
I'm just grateful for their existence.

Dogwood
02-01-2014, 17:34
How many "shelters" are on the PCT and CDT?

LOL.LOL.LOL. Regular lean-tos on a long distance trail are relegated largely(almost exclusively?) to the east coast. Like JB says they are a novelty for those that hike out west/west of the Mississippi River,

lonehiker
02-01-2014, 17:43
The Ouachita Trail, which is west of the Mississippi has a few shelters.

winger
02-01-2014, 18:03
LOL.LOL.LOL. Regular lean-tos on a long distance trail are relegated largely(almost exclusively?) to the east coast. Like JB says they are a novelty for those that hike out west/west of the Mississippi River,


Exactly why I brought it up.

Coffee
02-01-2014, 18:14
I was reading a trail journal recently (can't remember which one...) and there was something about a shelter somewhere in Oregon or Washington along the PCT. Actually it sounded more like a cabin than an AT style shelter. Anyone heard of this?

I guess there's the Mt. Whitney hut near the PCT where I intruded on about six people sleeping when I got there last summer around 5am on a VERY cold early morning. There's the Muir Hut along the PCT/JMT which actually looks pretty nice but is supposed to be off limits except for emergencies.

Then there's the Green Creek Shelter, supposed to be the only shelter on the Colorado Trail. I plan to stop by this summer but I doubt I'll sleep in it. Some pictures of the shelter here: http://thewhiteroom.typepad.com/the-white-room/2012/09/day-14-on-the-colorado-trail-north-creek-to-green-creek-shelter.html

Dogwood
02-01-2014, 19:21
The Ouachita Trail, which is west of the Mississippi has a few shelters.

Yes Lonehiker, 12 shelters I think in 223 miles with none on trail in the Oklahoma section of the OT as far as I recall. The ones that do exist(and more are planned) are clustered in a somewhat limited stretch in eastern Arkansas. "Regular lean-tos on a long distance trail are relegated largely(almost exclusively?) to the east coast." Correct me if I'm wrong. I may be wrong. I may be missing a long distance trail out west that has regular shelters. In other words, you don't have the option to hike from one on trail shelter(lean-to) to the next on trail shelter(lean-to) during the course of hiking the entire trail but on the AT, Long Trail, and Northville Lake Placid Trail, and only the Alabama section of the Pinhoti Tr. Can anyone think of a trail out west or beyond those I mentioned that have regular shelters throughout the entire trail? I think the shelter availability is largely an eastcoast option on a thru-hike.

Son Driven
02-02-2014, 15:43
I like the shelters, because if they were not there it might be more difficult to find a place to hang my hammock.

Blue Mountain Edward
02-02-2014, 16:07
I use shelters but always carry a tent. Dont want to sleep side by side with stinky hikers or wake up at 5 am. It is nice to get out of the rain but I dont want to share floor space with a dirty dog and get hair on my gear.

Conure
02-02-2014, 16:11
It is nice to get out of the rain but I dont want to share floor space with a dirty dog and get hair on my gear.

Haha, the mental picture you gave me had nothing to do with a canine : )

eblanche
02-02-2014, 16:39
I tend to prefer shelters for the ease of setting up/packing up and others. However, in my experience, the worst part of shelters are the fact that other people are there. I tend to go to sleep early and wake up early so other hikers are generally annoying me when i want to sleep and I am annoying them when they are trying to sleep (when I pack up in early morning).

Having other early risers though is a great motivator to get my ass up in the morning.

Josh Calhoun
02-03-2014, 14:56
Thats right, shelters are nasty, infested with mice and bugs and a sure fire way to catch the virus! stay out of them!!i only say that bc i love shelters. i would pick them over a tent any day of the week. i like the simplicity and i HATE setting up and tearing down a tent. also i am a very social person and after a day of solitute i enjoy conversation. so please, stay out of tehm so im gaurenteed a spot!- Rash

daddytwosticks
02-03-2014, 17:06
Thats right, shelters are nasty, infested with mice and bugs and a sure fire way to catch the virus! stay out of them!!i only say that bc i love shelters. i would pick them over a tent any day of the week. i like the simplicity and i HATE setting up and tearing down a tent. also i am a very social person and after a day of solitute i enjoy conversation. so please, stay out of tehm so im gaurenteed a spot!- Rash You tell 'em Rash! I agree. Good to hear from you. :)

Drybones
02-03-2014, 17:45
I tend to prefer shelters for the ease of setting up/packing up and others. However, in my experience, the worst part of shelters are the fact that other people are there. I tend to go to sleep early and wake up early so other hikers are generally annoying me when i want to sleep and I am annoying them when they are trying to sleep (when I pack up in early morning).

Having other early risers though is a great motivator to get my ass up in the morning.

I find it easier to get up up in the morning if I've slept the night before, makes a big difference in the energy level that day too. I've had long, hard, killer days where I could hardly walk when I went to sleep, 10 hours of good sleep and I felt great the next morning....tent.

NY HIKER 50
02-03-2014, 17:47
Shelters are great to duck into when you happen to be near one in a downpour. For sleeping, resting, and waiting out long spells of poor hiking weather I much prefer my tent. No offense intended, but I do not get why many prefer the snoring, talking, farting, dogs, meeces, early departures, late arrivals, etc. that are to be expected in shelters. So I'd like to hear from you shelter lovers and other enlightened observers. Why do people choose to sleep in shelters?:confused:

True, but I think that some of the shelters are too near the roads which leads to parties and other problems. I believe that the shelters should be removed and just left as tentsites since that would attract less of these crowds. They are a pain to maintain, they are dirty at times and you never know who is going to show up. A simple register box would work.

Josh Calhoun
02-03-2014, 22:59
some of my best times on the AT was when a group of people showed up with beer, shine, pizza and a good conversation. Might be me but i invite that at any point of my hike. - Rash

m_factor
02-04-2014, 01:28
During my thruhike, I used shelters most of the time for the same reasons others have listed above. I also have bad knees and getting in and out of the shelter and using picnic tables is a lot easier than getting in and out of my tent.

That said, as I continued to lighten my backpack in the years after my thruhike, I was less tired at the end of the day and used my tent more even though I was hiking more miles.

Whatever your preference, there are times when the shelter is full so you'll need a shelter of your own.

evyck da fleet
02-04-2014, 20:06
I used shelters more than I wanted to at the beginning of my hike due to my inexperience with selecting tent sites without widowmakers above and where rain might collect under the floor. After enough restless nights listening to chainsaw snorers, I limited my shelter stays to times when I arrived during a lightning storm or if there was supposed to be a storm coming through during the night.

LittleRock
02-05-2014, 16:31
I, like most people, have a love/hate relationship with AT shelters. My experience is probably better than most since I typically do section hikes in the fall when there are fewer people out. I've stayed in a shelter by myself several times, but I've also had to deal with crowds, mice, drunks, etc. There have been many times when I've gotten to a shelter and been very grateful not to have to set up camp in the rain. There also have been many times when I've gotten to a shelter and immediately decided to move on and sleep in my tent. Some shelters are very nice and clean, others are dumps.

Overall, I've probably done about 75%/25% shelter/tent so far.

My favorite shelter hands down has been the Overmountain shelter in TN.

handlebar
02-05-2014, 22:34
I was reading a trail journal recently (can't remember which one...) and there was something about a shelter somewhere in Oregon or Washington along the PCT. Actually it sounded more like a cabin than an AT style shelter. Anyone heard of this?

I guess there's the Mt. Whitney hut near the PCT where I intruded on about six people sleeping when I got there last summer around 5am on a VERY cold early morning. There's the Muir Hut along the PCT/JMT which actually looks pretty nice but is supposed to be off limits except for emergencies.

Then there's the Green Creek Shelter, supposed to be the only shelter on the Colorado Trail. I plan to stop by this summer but I doubt I'll sleep in it. Some pictures of the shelter here: http://thewhiteroom.typepad.com/the-white-room/2012/09/day-14-on-the-colorado-trail-north-creek-to-green-creek-shelter.html

On the PCT in OR there are two similar shelters at Breitenbush Lake a half mile from the trail about a day north of Mt. Jefferson (about 7 mi N of Jefferson Park). See this day's journal and the next days: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=250196 . I sure was glad to find it during a 2nd day of very cold rain that had me pretty soaked and on the edge of hypothermia. I was first there so I claimed the top of the picnic table for bivouac at about 11am. About 3pm a soaking hiker rolled in and was disappointed to find puddles on the earthen floor. Fortunately there were boards in the rafters of this A-frame picnic shelter that we used to make a pallet. We wound up staying there two nights. Nothing dried out until some car campers offered us their "ambiance" wood and we were able to dry things with a fire. Otherwise all the wood was soaked.

Besides the huts listed above, there is a yurt about 8 miles South of the road to Lake City CO on the combined tread of the CT and CDT. It can be used if no one has rented it and the user should make payment as described near the door. The Green Creek Shelter is a pig sty. I wouldn't stay there.

Generally, on the AT, our group of Four Dirty Old Men used the shelters. We liked the raised platform, having a picnic table, etc, and found we usually got moving a little earlier the next morning not having to strike and packup a tent. If it is raining, it's a lot nicer to set up a bivouac in a dry shelter than setting up a tent in the rain and packing a wet tent out the following morning. However, if it's clear and cold, sleeping in a tent, or under a tarp, on the ground is warmer than on the deck of a shelter where there's cold air both above and below. Earplugs do a pretty good job of attenuating snoring, but occasionally there's a certified log sawyer. I remember my hiking buddies setting up their tents in the middle of the night to escape the noises in a shelter in VA along the Blue Ridge.

This fall I hiked the Tuscarora Trail from near Duncannon down to the N end of Shenandoah NP and completed the loop on the AT. If there was anyone at the shelters and it was dry, I preferred using my tarp. On the other hand, I was grateful for the small lean-to shelters that the PATC has spaced along the TT. One, a survivor from the old 3 sided log shelters built by the CCC in S. PA was particularly nice, as the maintainer had just spread several bales of clean straw atop the dirt floor. I enjoyed "hitting the hay" that night especially since there was a torrential rain. I only shared the shelter with a big toad that cozied up to my sleeping bag. Presumably it was looking for a little warmth.

Del Q
02-05-2014, 22:43
I like shelters..............places to sit, hang stuff, eat, hang food bag...........then find a great spot to tent, have it setup, down bag airing out.

Time for bed, bug and mouse free in my tent.

Amazing how fractions of an inch of whatever material becomes home, nice, warm and cozy