I like to make fun of shelters, but when it's been raining for three days and everything I'm carrying is cold and wet then they suddenly become rather inviting.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
It would take a Hurricane to push me into one....
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Shelters are part of the trail and were built for the trail, I use them each night I can for their simplicity. Tired at the end of a long day is easier at a shelter than compelling yourself to set up a tent. But when I must tent I do, yet first choice is a shelter. And out of all the people I met at shelters there were few I didn't want to be around because of odors, snoring, dogs, etc.
Who are you kidding, Coach? You're going to find the nearest fire tower and hunker "up" there!Originally Posted by coach lou
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Many good points have been made by many good folks. After thinking through it all, I believe it boils down to where can I get the best night's sleep. The answer my friend, is in my tent.
I like that..And everything else JB writes of course! Oh but JB, "the south" has the Bryant Ridge Shelter... never forget!
reoccurring theme in this thread: I do not like shelters/ but use them in bad weather conditions ( when of course all the other crusty shelter haters are also there ) - which means I only experience them at the worst - so I like them even less
rinse - repeat .........
When I began my trek on the AT for some reason, almost every night I had the shelter to myself. March, cold, no mice, no bugs, worked out OK
It is nice having a picnic table to sit at, hang food bag in shelter, then tent away from the shelter. Have people to converse with, if not a good vibe or fun, head into my tent.
Most times I stealth camp but shelters do have some advantages. Spring 2013 with the nasty norovirus, I stayed away from everything!
On trails that I've thrued where there are shelters(AT, LT, PT, NPT, etc) when I wasn't required to always stay in shelters I haven't stayed in shelters every night nor camped away from shelters every night. I like mixing it up. It doesn't have to be an all shelters or all tenting/hammocking/bivying/tarping/cowboying options. I mix it up as suits me. Sometimes I like the convenience and comraderie of shelters especially when they aren't jammed pack.
How many "shelters" are on the PCT and CDT?
Gotta agree with you on that one. I'm sure once I get back out on the trail, the views of the people I see and meet will not be so changed since 1992 as many try to lead me to believe here on WB.
Total combined? I'd say less than 1 doz for all 5900 miles.
Agree. I've slept in shelters but don't remember ever getting a good night's rest in one. I will say that Overmountain was pretty nice after walking 24 miles in pouring rain, cold, high winds and arriving at dark.
I will stop in to shelters for lunch or to grab a snack if the timing is right, but I don't often sleep in them. I enjoy hiking as much as possible, and they never seem to be close at the end of the day. I usually stop at dusk. I also love sunrises, so I enjoy camping high and getting up to watch the sun rise. I am also a VERY light sleeper, and my experiences so far have made shelters a poor choice for me. If there are multiple days of bad weather, and I have not had a chance to dry out gear, I will sometimes stay in a shelter.
What I have seen in Georgia at the beginning of thru-hiker season is that many inexperienced hikers use the shelters as a security blanket. They rush to the next shelter to beat the crowds and stake out their spot, cramming in as many people as they can fit.
Then later in the season there are the thru-hikers that don't carry tents. I have no sympathy for these people.
I usually only stay in a shelter when I want to make a fast getaway in the morning, like the last day of a section. And I apologize for waking other hikers at 5 AM, but I do it anyway.
Its much more efficient to hike the best distance for each day, regardless of where the shelter may be, as long as camping is permitted. Use them for water and cooking and socializing, then move on.
I would love to see the shelters disappear - instead have tent platforms around a picnic table where the shelter used to be, with bear cables and privies. But I know that's never going to happen...
Forrest
From reading this thread it would seem that most people like to avoid them. It sure doesn't seem that way out on the trail. They are mighty popular.
There are advantages and disadvantages of shelters. Many people who say they won't stay in them change their mind when it's pouring rain and their trail friends are waiting for them there.
I usually camped for the reasons people have stated, but maybe once a week stayed at a shelter for the reasons people have given. I often took breaks at shelters.
Here, let me sum it up:
SHELTERS = LOVE/HATE
+1
Shelters were very convenient for me. I've tented a lot over the 20 yrs of hiking. I enjoyed the novelty & convenience they provided.
On many occasions, I've put up, slept in, and then packed up a tent while it rained the entire time. It rained so much in 2013 that I was glad to show up in bad weather (often the norm) & not have to deal w/ that. My earplugs didn't weigh much. I generally slept okay in the shelter.
I always carry my tent but I don't always sleep in it. Sometimes I cowboy. Lotsa times I'll stay at a shelter. Shelters come in all states of fullness, filth, flatulence and questionable companions but, if one is aware of all of this and can accept it for what it is, then I don't really see the problem.
Sometimes they are beautiful. Sometimes they're ugly. Sometimes they're full. Sometimes they're empty. Sometimes they have world champion snorers or herds of cub scouts or brazen mice. To think every one of them is going to be the epitome of perfection is somewhat misguided I think.
I don't know how many times over the years that the appearance of a shelter over the rise or around the bend has been the sweetest sight of the day.
I'm just grateful for their existence.
AT x 3
GA-ME 2010
GA-ME 2011
ME-GA 2013
LOL.LOL.LOL. Regular lean-tos on a long distance trail are relegated largely(almost exclusively?) to the east coast. Like JB says they are a novelty for those that hike out west/west of the Mississippi River,
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