shelter etiquette

[GoldenBear]

But I have ALWAYS had a goal of leaving a shelter cleaner than its condition when I arrived. That's why you'll see me sweeping out a shelter in the middle of the day, and picking up other people's trash.

Also, be aware that neither aluminum nor plastic wrappers burn in the fire pit. Which, BTW, is NOT a trash pit either.

One minor thing about shelter etiquette: believe it or not, unless we ask, we DON'T CARE about your gear. It may very well be the greatest piece of equipment ever made, be always presume we DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.

Oh, and don't set off your air horn inside the shelter after taking a drag on your bong pipe, particularly when others are trying to sleep. Sad to say, I have to add that.

[fadedsun]

My main rule for shelters, as in life: Be kind.

[RED-DOG]

Shelter Etiquette.
1 NO Dogs in shelter ( leave them out side even if it's raining ).
2 No fighting/ Arguing.
3 No cell phone use inside or near the shelter while people are sleeping.
4 Have respect for other peoples gear.
5 No Bitching about the Terrain/miles " if you can't do 20+ miles without complaining about it don't do the miles".
6 If you not carrying a stove DON'T beg someone else to use theirs.
7 Keep your gear in a nice neat organized manner NOT strewn all over the shelter floor.
8 Always make room for another person if it's raining even if the shelter is full.
9 No late night conversations inside shelter.
10 Do NOT set your tent up inside shelters no matter how cold it is.
11 DO NOT pee/crap directly behind shelter go a good distance away to do your business even if it's raining.
12 DO NOT hang your wet clothing directly over the sleeping area.
13 NO bragging/ smartass remarks about how many miles your doing.
14 No GUN play if your carrying a firearm leave it inside your pack or someplace out of sight, Not everybody likes guns.
15 DO Not use the MICE strings to hang your pack on, their for your food bag only.
16 NO complaining about the shelters.
17 DON'T try to be the shelter BOSS.


I only stay at shelters if the weather is really crappy

[Wülfgang]

I do not understand why people would want to stay in shelters, barring horrible weather.

Out west we just don't have them, and I'm amazed at how many AT and LT hikers do the shelter-to-shelter thing. After a serene day in the woods who wants to sleep on a crowded hard wood floor while listening to others talk, fart, cook, eat, shuffle, complain....

[runt13]

OK! not having spent any time in a shelter, it seems to me that if you set up camp so your looking into a shelter its like looking into a big TV with a horrible soap opera on!

just saying.

[Seatbelt]

I've had good experiences in shelters and a couple "not-so-good" experiences also. The more mileage I do on the AT (I'm over 500 miles now), the less interested I am in shelters. Enjoy the tent much better.

[jbwood5]

In all my days of hiking, I never knew an obnoxious hiker can be ejected from a shelter by majority rule. I don't know if you are serious or not. This is truly news to me.

Obnoxious could mean a loud snorer. I remember a few nights where the rest of the group would have liked to eject that guy. LOL

Things have changed from even 10-15 years ago. I was out for a month one year in May (10 years ago) and 2/3rds of the time I had a shelter to myself and the rest of the time perhaps 1 to 3 additional people. You never know when or how many people will show up. Even on my most recent hike, I had IMP shelter completely to myself in July. But at Hall Mountain, it was packed with a guy sleeping on the 'step down' board and many setting up tents in the back in the pouring rain.

[Slo-go'en]

I do not understand why people would want to stay in shelters, barring horrible weather.

Out west we just don't have them, and I'm amazed at how many AT and LT hikers do the shelter-to-shelter thing. After a serene day in the woods who wants to sleep on a crowded hard wood floor while listening to others talk, fart, cook, eat, shuffle, complain....

It rains a lot on the AT and in general, shelters do make life easier. There are also a host of reasons that shelters are desirable, but that's not the point of this thread.

People hanging wet clothes/gear in the shelter is one of my pet peeves. There is no way anything is going to dry, it just drips on floor and makes anything which isn't wet (like your sleeping bag) wet. It's better to wring as much water out as you can and then stuff it into a bag.

Speaking of getting stuff wet in a shelter, try not to stomp around inside the shelter with wet/muddy shoes. This mostly goes for when your just stopping for lunch or a break.

[msupple]

why? a conversation is a conversation

Amen! I've never understood the problem some people seem to have with other folks talking on a cell phone. In fact, unless the speaker is on you are hearing only one voice instead of two during a trail conversation. Some seem to get in a tither about the sound of a phone ringing. I find it less annoying then the various sounds of jetboils, pocket Rockets, belching, farting, crinkling neo AirXLites etc that I hear around shelters. I'm with you Lone Wolf.

[bamboo bob]

Can you get a group to agree on something, anything? I can't.

Hey , can you see it. Votes 6-5 get out!

[peakbagger]

My "rule" is that I have the right to reserve the space under my thermarest, anything else is a bonus. Once the floor area is covered with pads touching each other but not overlapping the shelter is full (barring life threatening conditions). I do not consider an individuals decision to carry inadequate levels of gear a life threatening condition, if they decided to hike without a shelter they deserve what they get when they get to shelter.

[FatMan]

First, there are no rules at a shelter. So the best outcome is that everyone adheres to common decency. Unfortunately, what someone sees as common decency can be quite different that your view. If you can't accept that I strongly recommend over nighting elsewhere.

We see threads like this regularly, and no one will ever agree 100%.

[Seatbelt]

First, there are no rules at a shelter.

The shelters in the smokies have rules posted.

[FatMan]

The shelters in the smokies have rules posted.

Ok, if rules are posted follow the rules. If not, there are no rules at a shelter.

Seatbelt, how about sharing with us the rules you noted at shelters in the Smokies so we all know.

[Kraken Skullz]

Uhh, nobody said that thru hikers have precedence at shelters over day hikers or section hikers. They have a lot longer days than the above mentioned folks and deserve the space in my opinion.

The worse they smell the higher the priority they get in a shelter.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I think what makes a phone conversation annoying is that it is almost always much louder than a normal conversation. No one wispers into a cell phone.

Agreed. When I'm in the woods, one of the last things I want to hear is a stranger shouting one side of a conversation into an electronic device. If I wanted to hear that then I'd hop on a crowded Metro North commuter train.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Uhh, nobody said that thru hikers have precedence at shelters over day hikers or section hikers. They have a lot longer days than the above mentioned folks and deserve the space in my opinion.

The worse they smell the higher the priority they get in a shelter.

Nonsense. We're all equal out there.

[saltysack]

I wish they would get rid off all shelters!!! its supposed to be a wilderness experience....use a shelter u pack in/out....just my $.02.....nothin but rat traps...


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[MuddyWaters]

I for one, have never objected to a woman changing clothes in a shelter.

[Kraken Skullz]

I disagree sarcasm. During nice weather, I would gladly give up my spot in a shelter to a thru hiker, especially if I have other options. It was a bit of tongue in cheek but if I have been out for a few days and a legit dude (or dudette) came along that was doing the whole AT in one go, I feel they can sleep in the shelter if they want and I will pitch a tent or hang my hammock nearby.

Never had to do it but I would.