View Full Version : Etiquette for hanging food in shelters (Split from another shelter question)
Why do some people always think that the way they would like things to be done trumps what other people want to do?
Why does your desire to sleep in a shelter without food hanging in there trump someone else's desire to hang their food in the shelter?
I think its pretty rude to tell others what to do, especially people you don't know.
All you're really guaranteed is that if you don't like what's going on you are free to move along.
Those strings with cans don't work. I've seen mice jump from a sitting position on the floor of the shelter and land on the rafters. And I've watched them jump onto packs and food bags hanging from those strings with cans. Those strings with cans are a great way to avoid having to pack out your trash though.
Not only food bags but I have seen hikers hang their pack in a shelter and sleep in a tent. Your food bag and pack are your responsibility. Don't make others watch it.
Not only food bags but I have seen hikers hang their pack in a shelter and sleep in a tent. Your food bag and pack are your responsibility. Don't make others watch it.
I agree, but like I said before, messing with others peoples gear because you don't like what they do with it is wrong.
If you don't like what they are doing, either talk to them about it, or pack up and move on.
Your "right" not to sleep in a shelter with someone else's food does not give you the right to mess with someone else's stuff.
(I use the word "you" as hikers in general, not any specific poster)
Hanging food in a shelter, whether you sleep in it or not, is almost as questionable as choosing to sleep in a shelter in the first place. You are carrying a good shelter. If you use it, you can sleep away from noise, cell phone abusers, snorers, mice, notovirus, drunken dope smoking bonfire building all night partying youngens, naysayers, and smelly privies; and you won't have to stick things in you ears.
The Old Chief
04-23-2013, 11:21
Hanging food in a shelter, whether you sleep in it or not, is almost as questionable as choosing to sleep in a shelter in the first place. You are carrying a good shelter. If you use it, you can sleep away from noise, cell phone abusers, snorers, mice, notovirus, drunken dope smoking bonfire building all night partying youngens, naysayers, and smelly privies; and you won't have to stick things in you ears.
Well, all that you mention can happen if you choose to use a shelter on a weekend or long holliday, but I find that there are plenty of sections of the AT you can hike at the right times and not encounter very many people at all. On my last three sections hikes in Va. my hiking partner(s) and I rarely shared a shelter with anyone. We did avoid the shelters on Friday or Saturday nights. I've used a tarp in Va during August and was rewarded with Lyme Disease so health risks are out there no matter what you use for shelter. Twelve years ago hikers used the hanging devices in shelters right from the start and no one was stabbed, shot, or sodomized for doing so. Never saw any hiker brave enough to throw someone's food bag away just because they might have pitched their tent 20 or 30 feet from the shelter and had the audacity to hang their food bag with all the others. At that time the first and only bear cables we encountered before the Smokies was at Low Gap Shelter and everyone used them. Probably because there was a torn up backpack at the shelter and it scared us!
kayak karl
04-23-2013, 12:21
shelters attract bears and mice. don't hang out at shelters :)
Train Wreck
04-23-2013, 12:28
shelters attract bears and mice. don't hang out at shelters :)
"Friends don't let friends sleep in shelters."
especially if it's raining and there's only one space left and both of you are eyeing it :D
The Old Chief
04-23-2013, 12:38
Before there were bear cables at Woodshole Shelter there were no bear problems, therefore, bear cables attract bears, so don't hang out around bear cables.
CELTIC BUCK
04-23-2013, 13:09
I have a knife and a great throwing arm for someone with limited reach. Was that my food flying off a cliff? Yes, yes it was. Now go to sleep or meet my little friend.
Tough guy? more like dipstick
Sarcasm the elf
04-23-2013, 13:17
It's funny, I've had trouble with people hanging food at shelters on the Internet, but I've never experienced any problems while hiking in real life.
"Friends don't let friends sleep in shelters."
especially if it's raining and there's only one space left and both of you are eyeing it :D
Our forefathers would laugh their asses off at the wussyness of current outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen!
BobTheBuilder
04-23-2013, 13:43
I don't hang my food bag in shelters, but that's because I think it is still vulnerable to mice, not because I worry that somebody is going to get righteously bent about it. I wonder what other unwritten rules the OP has that will set off his "shelter rage?" I hope I don't accidentally cross him and wake up to find my stuff trashed.
HikerMom58
04-23-2013, 13:44
It's funny, I've had trouble with people hanging food at shelters on the Internet, but I've never experienced any problems while hiking in real life.
This is hilarious.............
Hiking in real life.....it matters! :sun True dat!!
HikerMom58
04-23-2013, 13:53
Our forefathers would laugh their asses off at the wussyness of current outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen!
Laughing asses off... yeah we got that covered!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXZ0fWkAghA
Laughing asses off... yeah we got that covered!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXZ0fWkAghA
Silly model should have hung her heals inside the shelter!
treesloth
04-23-2013, 15:23
Well, all that you mention can happen if you choose to use a shelter on a weekend or long holliday, but I find that there are plenty of sections of the AT you can hike at the right times and not encounter very many people at all. On my last three sections hikes in Va. my hiking partner(s) and I rarely shared a shelter with anyone. We did avoid the shelters on Friday or Saturday nights. I've used a tarp in Va during August and was rewarded with Lyme Disease so health risks are out there no matter what you use for shelter. Twelve years ago hikers used the hanging devices in shelters right from the start and no one was stabbed, shot, or sodomized for doing so. Never saw any hiker brave enough to throw someone's food bag away just because they might have pitched their tent 20 or 30 feet from the shelter and had the audacity to hang their food bag with all the others. At that time the first and only bear cables we encountered before the Smokies was at Low Gap Shelter and everyone used them. Probably because there was a torn up backpack at the shelter and it scared us!
I hear ya. For some reason, I read through this whole silly thing. The whole posturing on it really left me SMH... when it comes down to it, who really cares? I'm glad that the hikers I experienced on the AT were not like him.
On last years very fun Pa section hike, I threw my foodbag up on top of the Bake Oven Knob shelter while I tented 20 feet away. Did anyone care? Well, the only one sleeping in there was Roadside/IrishBastard, in fact he threw his foodbag up on there too. And previously I had hung my food in the Eckville shelter the night before, while I tented across the street. No one gave a crap.
So yea, "WHO CARES" is my mantra here. I truly can't believe that A.) Mr Coffee stirred the pot about this the way he did for such a petty subject, and B.) that this post has gotten SO many replies.
I know this horse has been beaten to death, but man, we're talking about a very SMALL percentage of hikers who would have a problem with this... and for why, I still don't truly know... even after painfully reading all these replies.
Depends...
Just responding to say that I "got" it. ;)
marylandmymaryland
05-01-2013, 13:45
am i reading this correctly? this guy is saying he's going to take someones food and hide it somewhere in the woods?
that's a good way to wake up dead...
Sarcasm the elf
05-01-2013, 14:02
am i reading this correctly? this guy is saying he's going to take someones food and hide it somewhere in the woods?that's a good way to wake up dead...I've heard that if a person dies in their sleep, they won't realize it until they don't wake up the next morning ;-)
mrcoffeect
05-04-2013, 09:06
am i reading this correctly? this guy is saying he's going to take someones food and hide it somewhere in the woods?
that's a good way to wake up dead... we are all going to wake up dead one day scooter, I don't spend much time being scared about
it. after all its just dying. Now bears and mice and hiker farts that's the things that keep me awake at night chewin my nails.
Sailing_Faith
05-04-2013, 10:55
What a great read...
Sitting here in my sleeping bag... Wind blowing cold rain through the anchorage. Chilly for May, but the soft light of the oil lamp and ipad full of Internet "tough guys". Better then a cheap novel, but slightly less believable.
Thanks for the entertaining read! :)
I hang my food on Mouse strings every single time i sleep in a shelter, thats what there, their for.
Train Wreck
05-04-2013, 15:26
What a great read...
Sitting here in my sleeping bag... Wind blowing cold rain through the anchorage. Chilly for May, but the soft light of the oil lamp and ipad full of Internet "tough guys". Better then a cheap novel, but slightly less believable.
Thanks for the entertaining read! :)
Hey; buddy, you askin' for a cyber knuckle sandwich? Huh?Huh? :banana
rocketsocks
05-04-2013, 16:07
What a great read...
Sitting here in my sleeping bag... Wind blowing cold rain through the anchorage. Chilly for May, but the soft light of the oil lamp and ipad full of Internet "tough guys". Better then a cheap novel, but slightly less believable.
Thanks for the entertaining read! :)
Hey; buddy, you askin' for a cyber knuckle sandwich? Huh?Huh? :bananaYou forgot to say "land lover":D
GeneralLee10
05-04-2013, 17:07
we are all going to wake up dead one day scooter, I don't spend much time being scared about
it. after all its just dying. Now bears and mice and hiker farts that's the things that keep me awake at night chewin my nails.
Maybe you should invest in a good Ol canvas tent and make yourself a nice shelter. I hung my food in shelters when I hiked. So did others. Get over yourself dude you don't rule the roost and more than likely never will. My items are mine for the taking NOT others. From the reading it seems as if your folks didn't raise you with manors or respect for others.
Don't like farts from hikers heck we smell without even farting.
mrcoffeect
05-04-2013, 19:06
Maybe you should invest in a good Ol canvas tent and make yourself a nice shelter. I hung my food in shelters when I hiked. So did others. Get over yourself dude you don't rule the roost and more than likely never will. My items are mine for the taking NOT others. From the reading it seems as if your folks didn't raise you with manors or respect for others.
Don't like farts from hikers heck we smell without even farting. my "folks" taught me that if you want respect, you better be prepared to earn it buddy. show me through your actions and attitude that you deserve my respect and i will freely and cheerfully treat you with the utmost of respect. far too many people nowadays feel that they are entitled to respect, but dont want do a damn thing to earn it. if someone is too lazy or inept to hang their food, that is not going to instill a deep respect for them in me.
Capt Nat
05-04-2013, 19:25
I may be doing it wrong. I begin every meeting and every relationship with respect. Everyone has the ability to lose that respect in increments till it's gone.
mrcoffeect
05-04-2013, 20:44
I don't confuse being polite to someone, with having respect for someone. there has been many times i have been polite to people I have absolutly no resect for. Im sure we all have been in that position,where we've had to grin and be polite. while the whole time your thinking what a tool. you may very well be thinking that about me. but if you come right out and tell me thats what you think of me at least i can respect you for being open and honest.
Sarcasm the elf
05-04-2013, 21:04
21464
..........
I may be doing it wrong. I begin every meeting and every relationship with respect. Everyone has the ability to lose that respect in increments till it's gone.
+1 on that.
Different Socks
05-05-2013, 00:24
I can't believe there are still postings for this.