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View Full Version : Got a question for those of you that avoid shelters every night of doing the AT:



Different Socks
08-21-2012, 21:56
How do you ever get to know anyone?

When I did the trail in 1992, on the trail the shelters were the "meeting place" at the end of each day to talk with like minded others, find out next day plans, ideas for town stops, advice/help with gear and food, reading/signing the registers, etc. For my entire thru hike there was only a handful of people that only tented. Is this another one of those things that's changing with the times? Should we just accept the fact that the shelters will be slowly removed from the trail altogether?

Part of what makes the AT what it is, is the shelters!!

10-K
08-21-2012, 22:04
Judging from what I saw in Vermont these past few weeks I don't think that there are any shortages of people gathering at shelters so I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Every shelter I passed towards the end of the day from Maine Junction to MA had people gathered at it.

What really got my attention is how early in the day people were stopping hiking. Tents were going up before 5:00 PM.

The Cleaner
08-21-2012, 22:11
I guess when you hiked the web didn't have all the info it does now.Who needs info from hikers when you have a smartphone,ipad,SPOT,ipod or all kinds of other info.When I started doing long hikes in79' I always enjoyed meeting others and sharing tales&info....things change....back then I never got to a shelter with 30 hikers all around...

Chaco Taco
08-21-2012, 22:14
How do you ever get to know anyone?

When I did the trail in 1992, on the trail the shelters were the "meeting place" at the end of each day to talk with like minded others, find out next day plans, ideas for town stops, advice/help with gear and food, reading/signing the registers, etc. For my entire thru hike there was only a handful of people that only tented. Is this another one of those things that's changing with the times? Should we just accept the fact that the shelters will be slowly removed from the trail altogether?

Part of what makes the AT what it is, is the shelters!!
All of this can be done away from shelters as well

Different Socks
08-21-2012, 22:17
I guess when you hiked the web didn't have all the info it does now.Who needs info from hikers when you have a smartphone,ipad,SPOT,ipod or all kinds of other info.When I started doing long hikes in79' I always enjoyed meeting others and sharing tales&info....things change....back then I never got to a shelter with 30 hikers all around...

So you're saying it's easier for you to get current info on the trail, bugs, towns, weather, next water crossing/supply or just plain talking to others off your Iphone than to stay at a shelter and just do it there?

tenlots
08-21-2012, 22:41
When I first started sectioning, many people gathered at the shelters with tents and lots of people just sitting around chatting. The past few years and the further north we went, less and less people were gathered in the evening. Now that we are in Virginia, very few people are in the shelters and most are going on for 25 more miles....no resting, just seems like a race.

MuddyWaters
08-21-2012, 22:47
Shelters are still great places to congregate, eat, chat, meet others, fill up with water, etc.

They just suck for sleeping

Some like solitude as well in the woods. Makes it more "woodsy".

The Cleaner
08-21-2012, 22:52
So you're saying it's easier for you to get current info on the trail, bugs, towns, weather, next water crossing/supply or just plain talking to others off your Iphone than to stay at a shelter and just do it there? Some info like water,bugs,mice activity you still need to get while hiking.Other info such as post office or re-supply & hostel conditions seems like you plan before you start a trip.I still meet hikers who've never heard of WB.I guess it depends on your personal preference as to where&when you find out current trail conditions.Seemed like shelter registers might have been more important in days gone by....

garlic08
08-21-2012, 22:53
I stopped at shelters for meals and the privy, then hiked on. It was nice to socialize for an hour or two, then sleep quietly in the woods. I got to meet all the people I wanted to that way. Towns were also a good place to socialize with other hikers.

I met some lifelong friends on the PCT and CDT, and there aren't any shelters on those trails.

scree
08-22-2012, 00:25
So you're saying it's easier for you to get current info on the trail, bugs, towns, weather, next water crossing/supply or just plain talking to others off your Iphone than to stay at a shelter and just do it there?

Are you afraid that if you hike again you won't be able to find people to talk to, or are you saying it's bad that people use technology to get information instead of having to talk to other people? I doubt you'll ever have much trouble finding people who'll want to talk all night, but if you just want the facts and a little quiet time you're a lot less dependent on word of mouth these days. When I section I mostly stick to myself. Has less to do with whatever technology I'm using and more to do with wanting some peace and quiet. I'm not out there to meet people or make friends, but if I happen to meet a few people I get along with it's always nice to bump into them from time to time.

Praha4
08-22-2012, 01:56
my experience on the AT was that many hikers still like to camp at the shelters for the reasons you stated: socializing, close to water, bear cables, shelter logbooks, etc. But there are many hikers who do not like camping near shelters for other reasons: too much noise, snoring, mice....and some prefer the solitude of camping away from the group.... some want to wake early and move out, don't want to worry about waking others in the early house... and some do not want to be involved in much of the "drama" on the trail, and when the shelter topics shift to politics or religion. but overall I see most shelters busy at nights.

leaftye
08-22-2012, 03:16
People on the other long trails meet just fine without shelters.

Monkeywrench
08-22-2012, 06:46
I camp at shelters often, just not in them.

Papa D
08-22-2012, 06:54
Muddy Waters and Garlic said it - - you hike to a shelter and hang out a bit, then hike on to a good tent spot or (if it's not too crowded) I often tent near the shelter when good sites are available.

hikerboy57
08-22-2012, 06:55
Shelters are still great places to congregate, eat, chat, meet others, fill up with water, etc.

They just suck for sleeping

Some like solitude as well in the woods. Makes it more "woodsy".i agree.ill hang at a shelter to eat cook and bs,then go to my tent to sleep.

garlic08
08-22-2012, 09:07
How do you ever get to know anyone? ...

I'll turn the question around a bit, and posit that you don't really get to know a hiker by meeting in shelters or towns, the typical "social scene" on the AT.

The hikers that have gained my respect, and consider among my closest friends, are those I've seen through harsh conditions without a convenient lean-to, picnic table, and campfire that someone else built. In that case, it's a matter of quality vs quantity.

I totally agree that the social scene is what makes the AT unique among trails, and one of the things I enjoyed about it. I'm just saying you can get to know people, maybe even better, without shelters.

lemon b
08-22-2012, 09:18
Agree with Muddy, Garlic, and Papa. Another point is that in the late 70's early 80's there were not as many hikers or shelters. Not to mention no cell phones and the like. We actually needed a map and compass.

moldy
08-22-2012, 09:29
We need more, bigger and better shelters. We have a ever growing population of hikers. In the next 20 years the total numbers of AT hikers and thru hikers will double. In addition to all the listed reasons why shelters are needed is the security issue. With all the missing, attacked and murdered hikers, many people sleep better if they are within screaming distance of a shelter.

Mags
08-22-2012, 09:36
Part of what makes the AT what it is, is the shelters!!

Perhaps. But part of MY AT hike was using shelters less.

Glad you enjoyed the socialization of sleeping in them. Found I could get a similar socialization by eating talking at shelters and then tenting nearby.

But, having done backpacking before I did the AT, I thought it was odd to sleep in shelters. Still do, ;)

Most long distance hikers likes shelters. Most people who backpacked before doing the AT do not like them.

Odd, but seemingly true.


Shelters are still great places to congregate, eat, chat, meet others, fill up with water, etc.

They just suck for sleeping



Yeppers...

coach lou
08-22-2012, 10:15
I carry a tarp and net, It can and does go up anywhere. If it's raining or is going to rain and it isn't crowded I'm in the shelter. If I find a nice spot, I tarp or just net. Some times those designated sites are mud pits. How many shelters have a view like Riga Lean-to, the tent sites don't. I just think being able to adapt to whatever situation is part of backpacking.

Grampie
08-22-2012, 10:19
I recently met a hiker who thru-hiked in 2001. That was the same year that I did my thru. During our discussion I mentioned a lot of folks that I had met. He did not remember meeting anyone that I knew. I first thought that he didn't thru-hike or he may have hiked in a different year. Than he told me he never slept in a shelter or tented near one. The end result was that he did a thru the same time that I did but didn't meet any of the wounderfull folks that I had met. What a shame.

Different Socks
08-23-2012, 22:35
People on the other long trails meet just fine without shelters.

Yes they do, but they still talk about where they will be that night so they can arrange to set up camp near each other.
let me put it this way: when I did the trail, you could assume you were going to see someone at that night's shelter on the AT b/c that was the place to stop. On the CDT/PCT or other non-shelter trails, you communicate as you go to find out where others will be b/c there is no shelters to assume that's where you'll meet up again.

Different Socks
08-23-2012, 22:38
i agree.ill hang at a shelter to eat cook and bs,then go to my tent to sleep.

Many people did this as well when I did the AT in 1992. It just seems like the hikers of these days don't stop at shelters for the night any more. When I did the AT, I looked forward to get to the shelter each night, especially in bad weather. Seems like too many people use it just as a source of water and then camp elsewhere.

Different Socks
08-23-2012, 22:39
Many people did this as well when I did the AT in 1992. It just seems like the hikers of these days don't stop at shelters for the night any more. When I did the AT, I looked forward to get to the shelter each night, especially in bad weather. Seems like too many people use it just as a source of water and then camp elsewhere.

That 2nd sentence is based on an assumption on all the comments I read on WB about why they don't stay at shelters,.

Sarcasm the elf
08-23-2012, 23:24
I carry a tarp and net, It can and does go up anywhere. If it's raining or is going to rain and it isn't crowded I'm in the shelter. If I find a nice spot, I tarp or just net. Some times those designated sites are mud pits. How many shelters have a view like Riga Lean-to, the tent sites don't. I just think being able to adapt to whatever situation is part of backpacking.

I was a bit jealous of your setup, the ability to setup the hanging bug net either under your "tarp" or inside a shelter seem like it has a lot of advantages, especially in our area where we are required to sleep in or camp around the shelters.

To the OP, as Mags said, a lot of us backpacked before we started the A.T. The shelters have always been a bit of a foreign concept to me. In my area (NY, CT, MA, most of NJ) we're required to stay at designated sights, which are either shelters or existing camp sites. Because of this requirement, we are always close to people, however even camping 25 yards away from the shelter in your own tent makes a big difference in terms of the peace and quiet you can find.

SassyWindsor
08-23-2012, 23:39
The large number of AT Shelter's are not needed. Scout Troops, Church Groups, and everybody else can have them to sleep in. Using one in a storm to cook a meal or to chat with someone you've met on the trail is one thing, to stay all night is not an option for me. I can't think of another long trail with as many shelter's as the AT, I think the AT avgs about 1 per 8 or 9 trail miles. The PCT at 2650 miles has less than a total of 10 shelters or 1 every 260 trail miles or more. The shear volume of hikers, most of which are day and section hikers, make it easy to meet people on the AT. Trail Days as well as other town events make for good social gatherings.

Winds
08-24-2012, 03:54
I stopped at shelters for meals and the privy, then hiked on. It was nice to socialize for an hour or two, then sleep quietly in the woods. I got to meet all the people I wanted to that way. Towns were also a good place to socialize with other hikers.

I met some lifelong friends on the PCT and CDT, and there aren't any shelters on those trails.

I didn't read most of the entries, but got surprisingly stuck on this. I am not attempting for a bit, and I'm not over-thinking it at all, but what is listed here is my plan and hopefully my results put simply.

~ Cheers!

coach lou
08-24-2012, 05:34
I was a bit jealous of your setup, the ability to setup the hanging bug net either under your "tarp" or inside a shelter seem like it has a lot of advantages, especially in our area where we are required to sleep in or camp around the shelters.

To the OP, as Mags said, a lot of us backpacked before we started the A.T. The shelters have always been a bit of a foreign concept to me. In my area (NY, CT, MA, most of NJ) we're required to stay at designated sights, which are either shelters or existing camp sites. Because of this requirement, we are always close to people, however even camping 25 yards away from the shelter in your own tent makes a big difference in terms of the peace and quiet you can find.
Elf, the next nite at Silver hill, the wind and rain tore that old thing up and I tried a few other things. I ended up getting a brandy new 8'x10' at Campmor. Very nice. I just haven't been caught in heavy rain yet. 3 times that it was raining bad since May, it rained, I was in the shelter with my net.

bobqzzi
08-24-2012, 08:01
How do you ever get to know anyone?



Why would you want to do that?

dmperkins74
08-24-2012, 08:30
I for one am out there to get some "me time", but I only go out for a few days at the most. That's why I personally prefer to tent. Also, since I'm just out for a couple of days, it's not as though I've got a driving thirst / need for info and people contact. If I were out for a long time, it'd be another story.

Tom Murphy
08-24-2012, 08:33
What really got my attention is how early in the day people were stopping hiking. Tents were going up before 5:00 PM.

That would be me on most of my trips. I am out for 1 or 2 nights doing about 8-10 miles day. Many times it is an out and back to a backcountry site. SO when I get where I have planned to camp I have no reason to keep going.

Also I want to explore a bit around in the area I am camped. Maybe gather wood for a small camp fire.

I enjoy a making a somewhat elabrate meal at a leisurely pace and reading my paperback for a few hours.

Hi, my name is Tommy and I hike to camp rather than camp to hike.

PS Enjoyed your LT prep thread and your LT trip report thread.

Mags
08-24-2012, 09:16
How do you ever get to know anyone?

One of my closest friends is someone I met on the PCT.
I was best man at his wedding, was there for his son's bar mitzvah and had a (teeny tiny microscopic) part in introducing his now wife.

We've spent many hours together in the backcountry since we met on the PCT (day hikes, skiing and backpacks) and have a friendship that is a decade old at this point.

Don't know how much more I could know a person from a trail than that......

OzJacko
08-24-2012, 09:25
When they first move out of home many young people share accomodation with their best friends. This often ends badly because "close" proximity brings many personal differences to irritation levels.
In a shelter you get a lot of this close proximity with strangers. It is not going to be a good outcome for everyone all the time.
I think shelters can be wonderful and a great way to get to know everyone. Most of the people on a trail are the sort of people I want to get to know - we have at least one thing in common after all.
But there are always going to be people I will want to avoid and I see a tent as a polite and simple way to make the "disconnection".

Bronk
08-24-2012, 13:40
I found that in the beginning the shelters were too full and I didn't want to be packed in like sardines...people were stopping for the day very early...some by 1 or 2pm because they wanted to make sure they got a space in the shelter. I heard it said often that when the weather was bad there was always room for one more in a shelter. In practice I never found this to be true. Many times I'd come up the trail to a shelter and as soon as I entered the area of the shelter someone would call out "the shelter's full!"

Later, as the pack thinned out, there were several times when I stayed at a shelter by myself. These were mostly shelters that were within a couple miles of town and they were empty because people rushed to get into town and skipped the last shelter before town or they were slackpacking through the area.

As people start to do more miles they don't want to be tied down to stopping at predetermined intervals and will pass up shelters in order to make a mileage goal for the day.

The system I ended up settling on once I got my trail legs was to stop at a shelter in the evening for the water source and the picnic table to cook dinner and then hike a few more miles after dinner and set up my tent around the time it got dark. I really like the quality of light as the sun is going down and it makes the colors brighter and more vivid...this makes the trail much prettier to walk during those hours. As the weather got warmer I preferred to walk in the evenings rather than the heat of the day.

atmilkman
08-24-2012, 14:19
The large number of AT Shelter's are not needed. Scout Troops, Church Groups, and everybody else can have them to sleep in. Using one in a storm to cook a meal or to chat with someone you've met on the trail is one thing, to stay all night is not an option for me. I can't think of another long trail with as many shelter's as the AT, I think the AT avgs about 1 per 8 or 9 trail miles. The PCT at 2650 miles has less than a total of 10 shelters or 1 every 260 trail miles or more. The shear volume of hikers, most of which are day and section hikers, make it easy to meet people on the AT. Trail Days as well as other town events make for good social gatherings.
I just did this the other night with a 2006 thread that listed the numbers of shelter at 291 including the 2 from the approach trail making it one every 7.5 miles. Just did it again with the shelter listing from the home page and it lists 300 shelter including 2 from the approach trail leaving 298 in 2184 miles for one at just over every 7.3 miles. Someone else said there is 6 in the first 30 miles in Georgia. Welcome to the Hotel AT.