View Full Version : Where do AT thru hikers who use tents put their packs at night
Kulliman
02-15-2016, 17:25
When I backpack, I sleep in my tent and hang my pack on a tree. I'm just curious where AT thru hikers that sleep in tents generally put their packs at night. I would like to know what people are planning to do or if you have thru hiked the AT what you saw or did.
eblanche
02-15-2016, 17:30
In the tent/vestibule. If you want to leave it outside, bring a trash bag so it doesn't get soaked from rain.
lonehiker
02-15-2016, 17:34
I use 3/4 length pad so my pack is used for my lower legs.
soumodeler
02-15-2016, 17:35
Under the tent vestibule. Prop it up on the trekking pole that is used to pitch my tent. If it is raining, some water might get on it, but not an issue as it is mostly empty anyways.
Cotton Terry
02-15-2016, 18:47
In the vestibule in a contractor bag.
colorado_rob
02-15-2016, 19:02
In my tent, fits easily. I suggest not hanging it from a tree, packs are bear-magnets because they probably have food odor, even without food, and some bears probably visually recognize packs as food containers. Here is a pack we hung from a tree:
Cotton Terry
02-15-2016, 19:05
In my tent, fits easily. I suggest not hanging it from a tree, packs are bear-magnets because they probably have food odor, even without food...
So, then, why would you keep it in your tent. Is your tent, by chance, hermetically sealed?
colorado_rob
02-15-2016, 19:07
So, then, why would you keep it in your tent. Is your tent, by chance, hermetically sealed?No, but my epic body odor completely disguises the residual food smells!
Back in when I had a Eureka Solitaire tent and an external frame pack, the tent stayed outside. Nowadays I hike with a larger tent and an internal frame pack, so everything but my trekking poles gets to stay inside.
Cotton Terry
02-15-2016, 19:33
No, but my epic body odor completely disguises the residual food smells!
Ha! Good one. That reminds me of that old spiritual, "You will know that I'm a hiker by my smell!"
Back in when I had a Eureka Solitaire tent and an external frame pack, the tent stayed outside.
Outside of what? ;)
Lone Wolf
02-15-2016, 20:27
When I backpack, I sleep in my tent and hang my pack on a tree. I'm just curious where AT thru hikers that sleep in tents generally put their packs at night. I would like to know what people are planning to do or if you have thru hiked the AT what you saw or did.
mine goes at the foot of the tent. food too
MuddyWaters
02-15-2016, 20:37
Inside a mesh inner, or under legs. Keep mice away from it. Hanging from a bear cable is good too.
GoldenBear
02-15-2016, 20:44
Since I'm probably the last AT hiker with an external pack, I simply lean my pack against a nearby tree. Over it I hang my rain poncho, thus protecting all the stuff in my pack from rain during the night. I place my food (and used containers) in a tightly closed Ursack, hung a few dozen meters from my tent.
evan_rolltide
02-15-2016, 20:58
mine goes at the foot of the tent. food too
ditto. How many areas on the AT is it required to hang your bag?
Since I'm probably the last AT hiker with an external pack, I simply lean my pack against a nearby tree. Over it I hang my rain poncho, thus protecting all the stuff in my pack from rain during the night. I place my food (and used containers) in a tightly closed Ursack, hung a few dozen meters from my tent.
Ditto. External frame pack and an Ursack
Christoph
02-15-2016, 21:08
I had to sleep diagonally in my tent. It's 6 foot x 4 foot "2 person" tent. So my pack fit in one of the corners rather well. If it was soaked, it still went in with me. Never leave a buddy behind. :)
Hikes in Rain
02-15-2016, 21:13
I use mine as part of my pillow.
SWODaddy
02-15-2016, 21:24
I use mine as part of my pillow.
Same. Pillow.
heatherfeather
02-15-2016, 21:28
Yeah, pack goes inside the shelter with me. If it's too crowded inside the tent due to having a hiking partner, vestibule.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Same. Pillow.
Yup, stuff into a small stuff sack, great pillow.
I use 3/4 length pad so my pack is used for my lower legs.
I've been reading this "trail wisdom" for 40 plus years. I have never owned, nor have I ever seen a pack that would be comfortable between my legs and feet and the ground. That includes the frameless Jensen pack that I have owned since 1975.
Obviously folks do it. I'm not buying it.
Sleep well.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
High Mileage
02-15-2016, 23:58
I put mine inside my Lunar Solo, it has plenty of room weighs 24 OZ and is made in the USA, plus doesn't break the bank.
I use 3/4 length pad so my pack is used for my lower legs.
Almost surprised that it does, but that works for me too. The only downside is that the pack has to be completely emptied at night before retiring, and refilled in the AM when breaking camp.
Pedaling Fool
02-16-2016, 08:42
So, then, why would you keep it in your tent. Is your tent, by chance, hermetically sealed?Same reason I keep my food in my tent -- to keep the bears from getting it.:)
Hermetically sealed...that's funny:D
Harrison Bergeron
02-16-2016, 11:58
I stand it up and beener-it to the hiking pole that supports my tent, so it's easy to get into if I need something.
Tents that don't have room for my pack are not acceptable.
Another Kevin
02-16-2016, 12:16
I'm emphatically not a thru-hiker, but I can't see that it matters for how you stash your pack. I go with pack in the vestibule, sometimes clipped to a tent pole to keep it upright, pack cover underneath it like a bathtub to keep it up off the wet ground.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3763/14278773134_b910043572_z.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/nKLrMG)Campsite (https://flic.kr/p/nKLrMG) by Kevin Kenny (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/), on Flickr
wornoutboots
02-16-2016, 12:41
In the vestibule, keeps it 100% cry, if I need something out of it at night, it's right there, I also lean it up near my head as an extra windblock on high wind nights & it's right there in the am when I awake & pack up before leaving the tent.
In the tent/vestibule. If you want to leave it outside, bring a trash bag so it doesn't get soaked from rain.
Ditto on this!
Not a thru hiker, but I keep mine in the vestibule. Inside a trash compactor bag if it's raining out.
evyck da fleet
02-17-2016, 01:19
I sleep against one wall of my tent and the pack goes against the other at the top half. Doesn't take up that much space once the tent sleeping bag and clothes bag/pillow are removed.
daddytwosticks
02-17-2016, 08:14
I'm not a thru hiker either so I hope I don't get in trouble responding...
Every tent or tarptent I've ever owned had some sort of vestibule. Store your pack there. If you need extra protection, cover it with your pack cover or trash bag as already described. :)
Odd Man Out
02-17-2016, 09:02
Under the tent vestibule. Prop it up on the trekking pole that is used to pitch my tent. If it is raining, some water might get on it, but not an issue as it is mostly empty anyways.
Me too
My tent is a Tarp Tent Notch. It has two very large vestibules. I have rigged a short piece of cord. A loop on one end goes over the tip of the pole holding up the tent. The other end has a mini biner I can clip to the loop at the top of of the pack so it is hanging from the pole. This keeps it off the ground.
Brewerbob
02-17-2016, 09:45
Same reason I keep my food in my tent -- to keep the bears from getting it.:)
Hermetically sealed...that's funny:D
After weeks of peanut butter and ramen, would hermetically sealed be a good idea for the occupant?
Hiker found dead; cause of death, his own farts.
Brewerbob
02-17-2016, 09:49
I had to sleep diagonally in my tent. It's 6 foot x 4 foot "2 person" tent. So my pack fit in one of the corners rather well. If it was soaked, it still went in with me. Never leave a buddy behind. :)
I've been thinking of getting a 3 man tent for this very reason. The gf won't leave her dogs at home or outside alone. 2 people, 2 backpacks and 2 dogs will fit in a 2 man tent as long as you don't mind stacking. Grrrrr.
My daughter now babysits the dogs and there's no chance in hell they are coming on the thru hike. Still a 3 person tent would be nice to have the extra room.
Christoph
02-17-2016, 10:03
I've been thinking of getting a 3 man tent for this very reason. The gf won't leave her dogs at home or outside alone. 2 people, 2 backpacks and 2 dogs will fit in a 2 man tent as long as you don't mind stacking. Grrrrr.
My daughter now babysits the dogs and there's no chance in hell they are coming on the thru hike. Still a 3 person tent would be nice to have the extra room.
I have a larger (and much heavier) tent as the family tent for the wife and dog. I'm 6 foot 2 so my small tent actually does quite well with all of my gear in it, if I sleep diagonally. I like to have my pack near me mainly to keep rodents out and for use a pillow or leg rest throughout the night.
Brewerbob
02-17-2016, 10:51
I have a larger (and much heavier) tent as the family tent for the wife and dog. I'm 6 foot 2 so my small tent actually does quite well with all of my gear in it, if I sleep diagonally. I like to have my pack near me mainly to keep rodents out and for use a pillow or leg rest throughout the night.
I'm 6'2" as well and do NOT have to sleep diagonal at all even in the 2 man tent. I bought the 2 man tent for when I was solo hiking. I had my son with me once but turns out he's a glamper not a hiker. Even with the gf, everything fits but I don't know if I'd like it much for 6 months straight. A little more elbow room would be nice but I'm not willing to go up too much in weight. So, we'll see what I can find on sale over the year. Worst case I stick with what I've got.
I sleep against one wall of my tent and the pack goes against the other at the top half. Doesn't take up that much space once the tent sleeping bag and clothes bag/pillow are removed.
I do this also. There is always something that I want - book, meds, etc - so it's near. Used it as a pillow once and didn't like it, that drove me to an inflatable pillow.
jenningka
02-17-2016, 13:41
Since my pack is emptied of gear, I'll slide my quilt/ feet in there at the foot of my tent and use it as an extra layer to keep warm when backpacking in the cold.
Brewerbob
02-17-2016, 13:49
Since my pack is emptied of gear, I'll slide my quilt/ feet in there at the foot of my tent and use it as an extra layer to keep warm when backpacking in the cold.
No fricking way!! I can't stand mummy bags as it is. For survival sure. For anything short of that, not a chance!!
The Solemates
02-17-2016, 15:43
pillow......
LittleRock
02-17-2016, 16:15
If you hike solo, a 2 person UL tent is typically the perfect size for one person and their pack. Usually they only weigh a few ounces more than their 1 person equivalents.
Casey & Gina
02-17-2016, 16:41
No fricking way!! I can't stand mummy bags as it is. For survival sure. For anything short of that, not a chance!!
It's funny how really limiting things work for some people. I roll over way too much in my sleep to stand having my legs stuck in a bag, or even laying up on top of a bag while using a short pad. I carry more weight for greater comfort with no regrets.
Our backpacks go in the vestibule, or in the case of a tent with no vestibule, in the tent with us.
Brewerbob
02-17-2016, 17:22
If you hike solo, a 2 person UL tent is typically the perfect size for one person and their pack. Usually they only weigh a few ounces more than their 1 person equivalents.That was the standard M.O. I couldn't get the wife or kids interested in backpacking. They were barely ok with throwing stuff out of a trunk and setting up. Actually only my son was ok with that. Wife tolerated it once in very rare while, the daughter even less so.
I didn't foresee having a gf that enjoys hiking when I bought the tent many years ago.
It's funny how really limiting things work for some people. I roll over way too much in my sleep to stand having my legs stuck in a bag, or even laying up on top of a bag while using a short pad. I carry more weight for greater comfort with no regrets.
Our backpacks go in the vestibule, or in the case of a tent with no vestibule, in the tent with us.In a rectangular bag I'm fine. I switched from the 20" wide pad to the 25" wide pad. A short pad? Yeah, that's not happening either.
With the backpacks in the tent, I have to sleep in a fetal position as I throw them at the foot of the tent. That usually isn't a problem as I tend to sleep that way any how. It's when I cramp up or try to stretch and I'm kicking them that I remember they are there. A 2 man tent with a decent vestibule would do. The 3 man tents seem to really jump in weight.
Casey & Gina
02-17-2016, 17:58
In a rectangular bag I'm fine. I switched from the 20" wide pad to the 25" wide pad. A short pad? Yeah, that's not happening either.
We did the same...tried short pads, then 20" pads with a short one for our son, and then switched to two 25" rectangular pads with a rectangular bag (Feathered Friends Condor) used as a quilt. Very comfortable now.
With the backpacks in the tent, I have to sleep in a fetal position as I throw them at the foot of the tent. That usually isn't a problem as I tend to sleep that way any how. It's when I cramp up or try to stretch and I'm kicking them that I remember they are there. A 2 man tent with a decent vestibule would do. The 3 man tents seem to really jump in weight.
Check out the Big Agnes Scout UL2 for a good vestibule-less tent option, it's got more than enough room to stretch out straight and have the packs down below your feet. It will also fit a 50"x77" rectangular sleeping system (rare for a 2P tent) and is under 2 pounds. Single wall, though...
Zach ADK
02-17-2016, 19:26
I also am not a thru hiker. I have an external frame pack and a Eureka Spitfire. I stand the pack up against the outside of the tent wall next to the door. The rain fly covers all but the bottom couple of inches of the pack and that part is just the metal frame anyway so it doesn't matter if it gets wet. There is not room in the tent for the backpack since I am 7 feet tall and have only a couple of inches of space at either end between my head or feet and the tent wall. I could put it beside me but then I would have to sleep in a curve and I don't think that would be ideal.
Zach
Hangfire
02-18-2016, 03:10
I left mine in the vestibule with all contents in 2 large ziplocks inside the tent with the exception of food which was hanging in a tree or on a wire or in a bear box. I also left my boots in the vestibule and in heavy rains I would set the pack on top of my boots.
I use a ZPacks Hexamid Solo+. Since my pack is virtually empty when at camp, I just hang it from the handle of the trekking pole I'm using to support the Solo+. Keeps it protected, handy and off the ground.
MuddyWaters
02-18-2016, 12:47
I use a ZPacks Hexamid Solo+. Since my pack is virtually empty when at camp, I just hang it from the handle of the trekking pole I'm using to support the Solo+. Keeps it protected, handy and off the ground.
^^^
Note hanging shadow
33703
MuddyWaters
02-18-2016, 12:52
Double post
Back .. when I had a Eureka Solitaire tent and an external frame pack, the tent stayed outside. Nowadays I hike with a larger tent and an internal frame pack, so everything but my trekking poles gets to stay inside.
Anyone who tried to parse that first sentence, my apologies. The pack stayed outside. Of course. ;)
Puddlefish
02-18-2016, 13:59
Anyone who tried to parse that first sentence, my apologies. The pack stayed outside. Of course. ;)
I read fluent typo.
My tent interior is +/- 3x8 (Eureka Zeus 2). Plenty of room to have my pack (Mountainsmith Auspex) inside at bottom left (I sleep on right side to be closer to where door unzips). My food bag and my tent are strapped to outside of pack while I hike, and the food bag gets hung from a tree when in camp after dinner.
This setup means food odors inside the pack are minimized, so not as much of a bear magnet inside tent. It means if raining in the AM, I can pretty much pack while inside the tent. Then exit the tent, put pack cover loosely over pack and lean against a tree while taking down and putting wet tent in its stuff sack, and attach via built-in bungee cord-type retainers to outside of pack. So wet tent doesn't cause everything else inside pack to get wet. Retrieve food bag from tree, grab something quick to eat and then attach food bag outside pack the same way as the tent. Put rain cover on more securely and start hiking.
Cookerhiker
02-20-2016, 15:16
Not a thruhiker - is it OK if I answer this question? ;)
My pack goes in the vestibule of my Mountain Hardwear Sprinte 1 tent.
FlyFishNut
02-20-2016, 18:10
I have a larger (and much heavier) tent as the family tent for the wife and dog. I'm 6 foot 2 so my small tent actually does quite well with all of my gear in it, if I sleep diagonally. I like to have my pack near me mainly to keep rodents out and for use a pillow or leg rest throughout the night.
What tent do you have??
Turk6177
02-20-2016, 19:38
I generally put mine face down behind my head in the tent. I like to have my head elevated a little so I use it as a "pillow stop/headboard." I still keep all the zippers open in the event that some kind of mouse somehow gets into my tent. Lastly, I never keep any food in it at night. Maybe this is over kill, but I don't want to find out if a bear comes looking for some grub.
I either put mine on the ground right under the hammock, sitting on its rain cover, Or clip it to the hammock suspension line near my feet.
OldTrailDog
02-22-2016, 22:07
I know there aren't any growly bears back east, but even with black bears I strongly recommend food and toiletries not be left in the tent. The photo is from a food storage citation that I issued several years ago in WY's Teton Wilderness337573375833759 when griz decided to investigate the intriguing odor inside the tent. Started by squishing the tent flat. The odor, you ask, a bar of soap.
OldTrailDog
02-23-2016, 21:41
Oh, it turned out to be a $500 bar of soap. May sound expensive, but when you consider the consequences of not storing properly bear attractants: Griz has now learned to check out tents for food = dead bear (Threatened and Endangered Species); Griz has learned check out tents for food = dead camper. How would you like to be in the next tent Griz checks out?
By the time I set up my shelter and unpack what I need at night and hang food, there is very little left in the pack so it is easy to take into the shelter with me. I will often hang it from my entryway trekking pole so that the outside pockets can be used to put things into for quick access.
rocketsocks
02-24-2016, 16:25
Oh, it turned out to be a $500 bar of soap. May sound expensive, but when you consider the consequences of not storing properly bear attractants: Griz has now learned to check out tents for food = dead bear (Threatened and Endangered Species); Griz has learned check out tents for food = dead camper. How would you like to be in the next tent Griz checks out?now I'm not suggesting the fine was steep, it was, but Gris don't need an attractant to check out a tent, they are not deterred by much and any unattractive item in their home is not only fair game but in an of itself is an attractant, no?
rocketsocks
02-24-2016, 16:28
Hmm, not sure what happen that.
Anything not native...not unattractive,
JumpMaster Blaster
02-26-2016, 20:16
Not sure why only thru-hikers are being asked the question, so I'm going to answer anyway.
I keep mine in the vestibule inside the compactor bag that lines it. That way it stays dry and no little nasties or baddies get in it. Since the pack is going to be on my back 70% of the time, I'd rather not have ants, spiders, bugs etc making it a home while I'm asleep. If it's really bad out I'll put itunder my head or feet insode the tent (still in the bag). I NEVER hang it on bear cables, not because of bears but because of people.
OldTrailDog
02-29-2016, 22:21
now I'm not suggesting the fine was steep, it was, but Gris don't need an attractant to check out a tent, they are not deterred by much and any unattractive item in their home is not only fair game but in an of itself is an attractant, no?
True dat, it is all a matter of minimizing risks and still enjoying the wilderness.
Personally, a can of bear spray and a brace of border collies, or other stock dogs, make the best sleeping pill ever (no you don't eat them). Plus, the dogs clean up the leftovers and are outstanding company.