View Full Version : tent vs. shelter
jimmyfunk
07-05-2007, 18:27
It is my understanding that you are required to stay in the shelters provided while on the AT. Is this true? Furthermore, should I pack a tent in the event that the shelters are full? Newbie here planning first trip.
Appalachian Tater
07-05-2007, 18:35
In the Smoky Mountains you are supposed to stay in shelters and if they are full, camp nearby. Thru-hikers do NOT need reservations. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/backcountry-camping.htm
Elsewhere, tenting is allowed and staying in shelters is not required although you may be restricted as to as where you may tent.
You should ALWAYS carry a tent, tarp, hammock, etc. as shelter space is first-come, first-served, and is never guaranteed. It is also possible that you may need a shelter in case of emergency.
Q: Are you required to stay in shelters?
A: Not normally. There are a very few areas along the AT where tent camping is not permitted. Those areas should be clearly indicated on maps and in guidebooks. There are usually signs along the Trail as well.
If you are planning a section hike, please tell us what section you're considering so we can tell you whether it's one of those special areas.
Q: Should you bring a tent?
A: Yes. Shelters can be full; you can get caught by dark or bad weather between shelters; you might choose to stay in a campsite; you might want to camp near a shelter to get away from the other people in the area, or to get under cover if it's buggy.
Marta/Five-Leaf
Take a tent. Learn to set it up with your eyes closed. Some people are drawn to the shelters, i prefer to sleep in my tent unless it has been a long day and i dont want to set it up. Saves others from my snoring and me from theirs
Tents are also nice for personal space. You don't get much of that in shelters.
Jack Tarlin
07-05-2007, 21:19
Jim:
There are all sorts of reasons to carry a personal shelter of some kind: Whether it's a tent, tarp, bivy, hammock, or something else is up to you.
Some of the reasons:
*Privacy and peace & quiet.
*The ability to camp where youwant, like on a mountaintop to see a sunset,
etc.
*You might not reach a Trail shelter at day's end....maybe it's further than
want to go; maybe the Trail is tougher; maybe you get hurt, or the
weather turns really bad.
*Maybe the shelter is full when you get there
*Maybe it isn't full, but there are folks there you might not want to over-
night with....you really wanna sleep next to a dozen born-again Cub
Scouts?
*You'll avoid snorers, teeth grinders, people who come in late, get up real
early, get up 5 times a night to pee, etc. In short, you'll sleep much
better by NOT staying in a shelter.
*Certain shelters, at certain times of the year are really buggy.
*All shelters have mice or other vermin, and are frequently dirty. Many have
fleas andticks, among other things
That's just a few things off the top of my head. You may elect to overnight at a Trail shelter during your trip, but you should ALWAYS be in a position to make that choice.
Bring a tent, tarp, or something else.
jimmyfunk
07-05-2007, 21:47
we will be hiking from Clingmans Dome to Fontana Dam... I'm not sure if this was an area that did not permit tent camping...
jimmyfunk
07-05-2007, 23:26
thank you for the replies... very very helpful.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-05-2007, 23:40
You are required to use the shelters or tent within sight of the shelters if they are full in the GSMNP (and nearly all of the section you mention is). You will need to make reservations for the shelters since you are not a thru-hiker or hiking a hundred miles or more before entering the NP.
Yep, you're required to stay in shelters along the AT in the Smokies. As the female dino said, you need to call the Park and make reservations for the nights you are planning to be there.
Even with reservations in shelters, I still think it's wise to bring at least a tarp or space blanket along for emergency use. Also make sure you have a good, stout bag for hanging your food from the bear cables. You may want to hang your whole pack to keep the mice from chewing on/pooping in your stuff at night.
Marta/Five-Leaf
Chaco Taco
07-08-2007, 22:56
we will be hiking from Clingmans Dome to Fontana Dam... I'm not sure if this was an area that did not permit tent camping...
Still take something. The park is crazy about now and shelters are full. Stealth camp, you will thank yourself later.
modiyooch
07-08-2007, 23:03
I prefer the tent by far. When I hiked the Northern section of the Smokies, I had two shelter reservations. It was so full the first night, that I pushed myself to get out the second night to avoid a much smaller shelter.
saimyoji
07-08-2007, 23:09
It is my understanding that you are required to stay in the shelters provided while on the AT. Is this true? Furthermore, should I pack a tent in the event that the shelters are full? Newbie here planning first trip.
Welcome to WB. Do a search on this topic and you'll find more than you bargained for. :welcome
I always bring a tent/tarp.
buckowens
07-09-2007, 06:49
I am a tent fan as well. I am about to convert to the "hanger" side for solo camping, but when with my hiking buddy Roo will still tent. She absolutely hates mice, and most of the shelter stories we have heard involved the little guys.
We stayed at Woods Hole Shelter recently and pitched our tent outside the shelter for the reason listed above. The social aspect was still there, but we had our own space.
Also, it is nice to not be tied to having to make a shelter each day. We camped at beautiful spots at Hickory Flats (woods prior to the cemetery), Justus Creek and on top of Sheep Rock Top. Just pulled off the trail when we got tired!
Oh yeah, and two days we camped not at all where we had planned. One was just above Unicoi Gap (could not get a ride into town) and at Blue Ridge Swag, both of which we were in a thunderstorm...
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-09-2007, 10:15
I forgot to say that carrying a shelter of some sort is absolutely necessary for all backpackers. We have ponchos that double as single taps alone or can be used together to form a large tarp. An oversized mylar emergency blanket can be a ground cloth. 50 ft of mason's string completes the emergency shelter. These go with us even on dayhikes as we have spent two unexpected nights out on dayhikes in the decades dinos have roamed the earth. (one was due to getting lost - the other was due to tornado with severe storms that came up suddenly and without warning.)
modiyooch
07-09-2007, 10:36
I like to hike mileage and pitch at dark; and not schedule hikes per shelter. I like the fact that my tent is snake proof and bug proof and rain proof. Now, if only bear proof.
Shelters = Mice. Snoring. hard floors.
Tents= no mice. only your own snoring. soft ground. privacy if you need it...ahem. (notice to that couple at gooch gap April 24, 2007....put a sock in it next time).
I carry a very light SpitfireII UL tent. I also take a very light tarp for portable emergency shelter.
jimmyfunk
07-09-2007, 15:47
We just got back from our trip last night. While we ended up staying in shelters both nights I did pack a tent in case. The trail was pretty empty because of the dry weather... there was actually only two places in 32 miles for us to get water. The shelters were pretty empty because of the exodus, so we just passed out there. I kept a journal along the way and will share some pretty neat experiences we had once I get a moment to put all of my writings together. Thank you everyone for helping me make the trip safe and enjoyable!
Programbo
07-09-2007, 22:00
I love the shelter system for it`s tradition and history...You can climb in a certain shelter and think of all the famous thru-hikers who stayed there before you..Or in my case I can go to a shelter and remember that I stayed there myself 30+ years ago and that it still looks the same (Basically at least)...I hear people throw around terms like "purist" but I doubt you`ll find anyone who was hiking what is known as the "Appalachian Trail" when there wasn`t a shelter system...Mice?..They are part of the charm of the shelters..Gotta out fox those little rascals!... It`s a different world today so I guess it might depend on the company I found if I`d enjoy staying in a particular shelter today....I think if it wasn`t crowded and wasn`t inhabited by people I might clash with I would always prefer a shelter over a tent..BUT..Always carry a back-up tent,tarp,hammock,whatever as one never knows
shelterbuilder
07-09-2007, 22:26
I, too, can remember certain shelters from 20 - 30 years ago and think "what a godsend" or "what a dump"; I think about different "characters" I've met at shelters and how my life has been changed by some of them. I also have the perspective of helping to maintain 5 of them for the last 20 years, and how some of the maintainers have changed my life.
I'm not going to get into the old question of whether or not we should have shelters at all: they are a part of the Trail that some folks can take or leave alone. I always carry some sort of shelter, whether it's a tent or a tarp, or just a poncho and a ground sheet, because it's just good insurance against the unexpected.
Do I recommend shelters?? It depends! I tend to use them more in bad weather, less during good weather; more when I'm being sociable, less when I want to be alone. The decision is a personal one, often made on-the-spot. But if I carried NO shelter with me, I'd have NO choice!:(
Chaco Taco
07-12-2007, 13:29
While alot of the new shelters are nice in the GSMNP like Cosby Knob, they still suck. You have to lay on a hard surface, You hear people snore, fart whatever. I can understand the system for the LNT principle, but I will never sleep in another shelter again strictly because no matter how tired I am, I cannot for the life of me fall asleep and get the rest i need. Stealth camping is the way to go if you can get away with it, just dont get causgh in the Smokies.
I like my tent. It keeps the Gila Monsters out on the Trail.