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View Full Version : Tentless and Hamockless Entire Thru-Hike?



ScubaSteve
06-01-2011, 22:26
Is it reasonable, considering I am starting a late, September 1, SOBO thru-hike that I decide against bringing a personal tent or hammock and just stay in the shelters the entire hike?

Blissful
06-01-2011, 22:32
I wouldn't. Its gonna get cold too later on.
Anyway there will be tons of NOBOs in ME then, finishing the trail. At one shelter alone we had 15 of us. I'd bring a shelter at least for ME and NH

Lone Wolf
06-01-2011, 22:32
Is it reasonable, considering I am starting a late, September 1, SOBO thru-hike that I decide against bringing a personal tent or hammock and just stay in the shelters the entire hike?

totally unreasonable. NEVER count on shelter space. you need to be self-sufficient

Dogwood
06-01-2011, 22:37
It's entirely possible but a potentially higher risk approach to an AT thru-hike! I would not want to be totally dependent on HAVING to reach/stay at an AT shelter on the trail! Your hiking flow/timing can easily get interupted without a tent, tarp, or hammock. Your weather man predictions better be right on if you decide it's OK to not stay at an AT shelter on a given night if you decide to not carry a shelter! AND, consider the start of your SOBO! You'll be on the AT, still in the northeast, when nasty colder weather can suddenly occur!

WingedMonkey
06-01-2011, 22:38
I'm a Florida Cracker and when I've done the AT in the winter in New England I find myself setting up my tent inside the shelter just for that extra few degrees. I've never shared a shelter after first snow.

WingedMonkey
06-01-2011, 22:41
I'm a Florida Cracker and when I've done the AT in the winter in New England I find myself setting up my tent inside the shelter just for that extra few degrees. I've never shared a shelter after first snow.

I should have refined that to mean Connecticut Massachusetts and lower Vermont.

Jim Adams
06-01-2011, 22:44
take a small tarp at least....what happens if you walk into a storm in the middle of the day and no shelter near.

geek

wcgornto
06-01-2011, 22:52
Going SOBO, I went from Damascus to Hot Springs with rain fly, poles and footprint only. I sent the rain fly and poles home from Hot Springs and did the last stretch fully reliant on shelters. My tendency was to arise early, hit the trail quickly, hike far and fast and arrive at my planned shelter early, usually before anyone else. That time of year (mid to late November), the trail was very sparse. It was a calculated risk, but one that I was comfortable taking.

I never used my tent out of need after New Jersey. In Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, there were a number of rainy nights on which I encountered a full shelter and used my tent in the rain.

Lord Helment
06-01-2011, 22:53
you are a total ****ing idiot if you do...a tarp weighs a pound at the most...it ain't florida

4shot
06-01-2011, 22:57
It's doable I suppose. Just do not show up at a full shelter expecting to be accomodated because you don't have any personal shelter. I just did a short section on a relatively deserted stretch of trail,Davenport Gap to HS. Crossed Snowbird mountain and got to Groundhog Creek shelter about 4:00, just before a nasty storm. We met 2 other NOBO's who cut their day short because of the storm clouds. 2 others came in about 6 or a little after, they were going to camp on the bald but it was too nasty. Just like that, the shelter was full and we had not seen anyone else all day while hiking.

That's a long winded way of saying that shelters draw hikers during storms, even when you think the trail is deserted - which is exactly the time you will be in need of a tent/tarp/hammock. very risky way of trying a thru-hike. also, I've had to tent at a few hostels that were full as well.

Ender
06-02-2011, 07:26
totally unreasonable. NEVER count on shelter space. you need to be self-sufficient

What Lone Wolf said. It's your responsibility to be prepared out there, not others to move out of a full shelter when you arrive tentless on a rainy night without your own shelter. At the very least, bring a small tarp... a cuben fiber tarp will only weigh 3-5 ounces at most.

Always bring your own shelter. Always.

Monkeywrench
06-02-2011, 09:14
If you don't carry your own shelter, you need to be prepared to lay down in the mud and go to sleep in the pouring rain.

d.o.c
06-02-2011, 09:17
or under the shelter i usualy relied on shelters i had a tarp that was alright but i didnt ever stay dry or anythng in so i went shelters all the way but.. once upon a bluemoon i got shut out so i went under the sheter.

d.o.c
06-02-2011, 09:23
cowboy camping on nice days were always cool one time it startd raining at like four in the morning i did a big but slow day that day.

Kerosene
06-02-2011, 09:42
You just cannot depend on there being room available at established shelters. You need to bring something to provide you with enough shelter that you'll at least be able to keep your sleeping bag dry. A Cuben fiber tarp is one light-but-expensive option. You could also try a Gatewood Poncho/Tarp (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/raingear.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_smd.tpl&product_id=39&category_id=12) (11 oz, $135) for at least dual-use. Of course, you may never need it, but it is frankly irresponsible to hike without some form of basic shelter.

Ender
06-02-2011, 09:45
Yep. I've witnessed people without tents not able to get shelter space on rainy days before. One time, the tentless dude was really annoyed that people weren't moving out into the rain with their tents so he could have a shelter space, but no one budged, with one person in the shelter outright calling him an idiot for not being smart enough to have at least a tarp. It was a little ugly, but the guy hiked on to the next shelter maybe 6-8 miles away. I always wondered if that next shelter was full too...

garlic08
06-02-2011, 10:18
I guess we all have our stories about being or seeing fools without shelters on the AT.

The time I was really happy to have my own shelter was when I got caught by a flash flood on the Rattle River near Gorham, NH. I was two miles from town, might as well have been twenty. Couldn't go either way. I camped right on the AT below a good water bar and had a good dry sleep. I even avoided the cost of a night in a motel. It would have been a whole different story without a tarp.

I often go without a lot of things, including a stove, camera, knife, phone, even maps sometimes, but I won't go without appropriate shelter and insulation. Along with a clear head and enough water, those two things will help get you to your next birthday as much as anything you can carry.

Slo-go'en
06-02-2011, 10:20
With a Sept 1 start, there is a pretty darn good chance you will have shelter space every night (and often the whole shelter to yourself). However, like everyone else said, having some kind of personal shelter is prudent.

I would recommend a bivy sack. Not only does this give you an emergency shelter if you need it, but it can be used inside an AT shelter for added warmth and protection from the weather, such as rain or snow blowing into the shelter.

sbhikes
06-02-2011, 10:22
No shelter = idiot

Many Walks
06-02-2011, 11:52
No shelter = idiot
There could be a lot to say, but this says it all.

4shot
06-02-2011, 11:58
one other compelling reason to have a shelter...if you are sick (contagious type) it is better to tent/hang by yourself out of respect for other hikers.

I remember we caught up with a section hiker last year in the 100 mile wilderness. when we caught up to her, she was in a shelter. It was starting to rain so we got in the same shelter. She was coughing/hacking/wheezing and informed us she was sick. We were in no real hurry so for the next 2-3 nights when we stopped at whichever shelter, she would inevitably show up and ask if we could "squeeze in one more" meanwhile coughing and sneezing her lungs out. Really rude if you ask me...she had her own tent but was apparently too lazy to set it up. (Not too sick to put it up as she was well enough to hike the same miles we did.) and she wasn't a kid either, probably in her early 50's. Our trail name for her became Typhoid Mary. There was enough in our group to fill the shelter so we didn't exactly exclude her but it may have been the most selfish, rude display of behavior I witnessed on the entire journey.

I went by the shelter guidelines...if it said 6 people, I didn't try to get in one but I wouldn't "squeeze one more in" either (unless it was one of the few that seemed to be off on the capacity estimate in a conservative manner). For the most part I avoided them unless it was weather related.

Deadeye
06-02-2011, 13:13
totally unreasonable. NEVER count on shelter space. you need to be self-sufficient

+1, in fact, you can't always count on a shelter being where the map/guide says it is. They have a nasty habit of burning down at most inconvenient times.

hikerboy57
06-02-2011, 13:51
With a Sept 1 start, there is a pretty darn good chance you will have shelter space every night (and often the whole shelter to yourself). However, like everyone else said, having some kind of personal shelter is prudent.

I would recommend a bivy sack. Not only does this give you an emergency shelter if you need it, but it can be used inside an AT shelter for added warmth and protection from the weather, such as rain or snow blowing into the shelter.
this is good advice, the mountains get pretty nippy during the time you'll be out there, and even is you find a vacant shelter, you may want the extra protection from the elements.

Doc Mike
06-02-2011, 15:34
If you continue to enable those people who would choose to do this by building more/better shelters then people will continue to exercise this type of stupidity.

CowHead
06-02-2011, 15:52
It's your call HYOH but as stated before the risk might out weight the comfort zone, my tent weights less than 2 lbs and those stormy days it sure comes in handy

Ender
06-02-2011, 15:59
And it really doesn't take much to be prepared... a 3 ounce cuben tarp from zpacks, and you're good to go. There's really no excuse to not do it. Especially when, if you come upon a full shelter, it's not their responsibility to make more room for you just because you don't have a shelter of your own.

Gaiter
06-02-2011, 16:45
Another vote for carrying some form of shelter... like lw said, you need to be self sufficient
my first long hike i started with a rain poncho that had grommets to set it up as a shelter... plus its multifunctional (if its big enough, it will cover your pack too!)
my second long hike i just went with the ground cloth and rain fly of my tent, now i've switched to an appy trails tarp

Dogwood
06-02-2011, 19:04
With a Sept 1 start, there is a pretty darn good chance you will have shelter space every night (and often the whole shelter to yourself). However, like everyone else said, having some kind of personal shelter is prudent.
.....


BUT, he needs to consider, even with a Sept 1 SOBO start date, at the beginning of his thru he will encounter the AT thru-hiker masses heading NOBO. So, perhaps AFTER he passes the main NOBO hoards he might encounter more open shelter space. Until that time he might be competing for shelter space with these other hikers!

Skidsteer
06-02-2011, 20:21
Is it reasonable, considering I am starting a late, September 1, SOBO thru-hike that I decide against bringing a personal tent or hammock and just stay in the shelters the entire hike?

It's about as reasonable as Bill Gates using food stamps.

weary
06-02-2011, 20:58
take a small tarp at least....what happens if you walk into a storm in the middle of the day and no shelter near. geek
Geek is right. Plus people do wander these hills 12 months a year. The shelters are rarely full after the peak season. But the word is "rarely", not "never."

Spirit Walker
06-02-2011, 22:55
During the autumn months, scouts and church groups go out on weekends. I've seen full shelters in MD in November.

During the week you'll likely be able to use shelters most of the time, but you may decide not to. They are colder than a tent, dirty, and full of mice. And the floor is a lot harder than the ground. I'd rather tent it unless it's actually pouring.

Tinker
06-03-2011, 00:52
If you don't carry your own shelter, you need to be prepared to lay down in the mud and go to sleep in the pouring rain.

Or worse - break a leg on icy rocks during the time of year that few people are on the more remote parts of the Trail without having portable shelter?
I know, bad things only happen to other people.:rolleyes:
Don't get killed out there. At least bring a poncho sized tarp and a waterproof bivy sack.

bfayer
06-03-2011, 06:02
Yep. I've witnessed people without tents not able to get shelter space on rainy days before. One time, the tentless dude was really annoyed that people weren't moving out into the rain with their tents so he could have a shelter space, but no one budged, with one person in the shelter outright calling him an idiot for not being smart enough to have at least a tarp. It was a little ugly, but the guy hiked on to the next shelter maybe 6-8 miles away. I always wondered if that next shelter was full too...

Years ago when I was young (and I mean a lot of years) I was in GSMNP and it was a misty wet night, right after dark a guy walks out of the woods looking like a skinny wet cat that just fell into a lake. The shelter was full.

He walked up to the shelter and through his chattering teeth he begged us to let him in because he did not have a tent. Everyone else told him "so what" and one offered him a plastic ground cloth.

Being young I said "you can have my space" I packed up and set up my tent in the rain. It was not a bad night, but in the morning I had to deal with a wet tent and packing up in the wet mist.

As people were leaving I told one of the other guys "I was worried about that guy, I thought he might have hypothermia" The guy laughed at me and told me that guy had been pulling the same act at every shelter he came to, always showing up after dark and always shivering and every time some sucker gave him space.

That was the last time I gave up space to someone that did not have kids.

Just a story, pack what you want.

Seatbelt
06-03-2011, 09:37
The only way that I can imagine this working is if you are hiking so slow that you stop mid-day at the next shelter while no-one else is there and call it a day. Even then you can find somebody occasionally who is taking a day off or weekenders doing the same thing.

stranger
06-03-2011, 09:37
I think there are a few things to consider here:

1. The risk taken by not carrying a personal shelter
2. The hassle of having to use shelters all the time
3. The pressue put on others if the shelter is full on a rainy night to move outside
4. The lack of respect for others to put them in that situation
5. You only have to run out of luck once to have a miserable and dangerous night

My friend hiked the AT in 1995 with just a tarp, he never used it and slept in shelters, hostels or motels every night, he ended up using the tarp as a groundsheet in shelters, just a 5 x7 tarp, tiny considering he was 6'3"

In 2008 I hiked with this jackass who didn't carry a shelter, his logic was to hike to the next shelter if one was full, I asked him what he would do when the next shelter was full, he replied hike to the next one...and yes, he pulled a few 30+ mile days because of this. During an argument one night about the pressue put on other hikers by him not carrying a shelter, he refused to acknowledge any of it...he kept saying, I'm self sufficient and I will hike to the next shelter or hostel, etc..

A week later, at Mountain Harbour Hostel in TN, I'm sitting outside sorting my pack and I hear the lady tell him the hostel is full and he is welcome to set up his tent and use the shower...he then says, "well I don't have a tent so what are you going to do with me, I'm at your mercy" She then gave him a spot in the onsite caravan. I later heard he pulled this crap with hikers during rainstorms when shelters were full.

Even if you could safely hike the AT without a personal shelter...why would you want to do this? I only stay in shelters when I have to and always wish I was in my tent. Do you really love mice and dust that much? Are you afraid of tenting? Many hikers are.

Finally, using shelters all the time would mean having to hike shorter and longer days, nearly every day. I always said my perfect day is around 22-23 miles, what if a shelter is at mile 18 and mile 30? Stop early or hike on, only to sleep in a dark box with mice running around?

Sounds like a really bad idea, because when push comes to shove, in the rain, with a full shelter, you are probably going to ask for space and make everyone feel uncomfortable because YOU decided to be inconsiderate to other hikers. Especially when tarps are 5 ounces these days!

DLANOIE
06-03-2011, 11:59
Is it reasonable, considering I am starting a late, September 1, SOBO thru-hike that I decide against bringing a personal tent or hammock and just stay in the shelters the entire hike?




This should be under the hiking humor section...

ScubaSteve
06-05-2011, 09:30
Thanks everyone for your colorful responses :)

4shot
06-05-2011, 13:46
Thanks everyone for your colorful responses :)


are you going to tent or hang on your hike?:sun

DavidNH
06-05-2011, 14:32
And what if the shelter is full?

If you are thru hiking or even just section hiking the AT, you need to carry a shelter of some sort. Don't count on space in a shelter even if there usually will be space.

Bring shelter.. It's a couple of pounds. Shelters and a luxury, not a necessity. period.

Dogwood
06-05-2011, 14:58
...guy walks out of the woods looking like a skinny wet cat that just fell into a lake.

It was kinda funny picturing that. LOL.

ScubaSteve
06-06-2011, 09:58
are you going to tent or hang on your hike?:sun

I would like to hang but figured that, with the freezing temperatures I will be going through the hike, I may as well tent.

I know I could get a rig that would hold me through the winter if I got the right quilts, but the entirety of it is overwhelming lol.

Maybe I will just post a query over at the cousin site unless you have specific suggestions :)

ScottP
06-15-2011, 21:19
totally unreasonable. NEVER count on shelter space. you need to be self-sufficient

what he said

topshelf
06-15-2011, 21:56
You should instead try to do a thru-hike using no shelters. Use only your tent and hammock. Other posts have discussed all the pitfalls of shelters and their sanitariness

SassyWindsor
06-15-2011, 22:06
Not a problem. As long as you hike at night, sleep during the day. Good chance of finding space at a shelter.

SassyWindsor
06-15-2011, 22:09
....8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 :d

SassyWindsor
06-15-2011, 22:10
Not a problem. As long as you hike at night, sleep during the day. Good chance of finding space at a shelter.


:D I left this out