They had a dog and wanted to keep the dog from bothering others. They were polite and moved the tent to the floor when more people arrived.Originally Posted by 2015 Lady Thru-Hiker
they never should have been in the shelter at all with a dog, top or bottom floor.
i sleep in a shelter for two reasons
i like the company, and am just hanging out or i like the shelter
always prepared, never need the shelter
would never leave if told, who der hk?!? think they are
hubris
Yep, the golden rule
I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.
How do thru hikers have priority at a shelter?
I understand the momentous effort required in a thru hike, but your ability to take 6 months off work while I can't doesn't make you any more important.
Are thru hikers not packing any kind of tent/shelter etc? If you are thru hiking and relying on space inside a shelter I think you may have planning issues.
Someone's decision to hike 2185 miles is not cause to make a day or weekend or section hiker vacate shelter space. Period. If someone came at me like that I'd tell them to go pound sand- we'll share, but no one has any priority (save the Smokies).
To be honest, the only reason I stop at shelters is for the availability of water, privy (in some cases), and picnic table. I have yet to sleep one night directly on a shelter floor- closest I came was setting my tent up inside twice.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
I've done it and seen it done a couple timesas well. Mind you, the two times I did it, was in a downpour and I was the first person at the shelter. When others came in, I offered to move it. The second time was in a 2-story when another couple came in & set up their tent upstairs. 3 people in a 2 story shelter= do what you want.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
but why? the roof leak? i don't understand
I finally figured it out: Shelters were intentionally built to collect in one place all of the people with all of the bad habits listed in this thread so that the rest of us can enjoy a peaceful night alone in the woods.
It seems lil warmer inside tent..no wind....did it during freezing cold winter storm....didn't arrive til midnight ....no one else out dumb enough to be hiking in that crap I guess...
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but it's warmer on the ground. no wind blowing under the tent
Good point I forgot to mention all the trees dropping frozen branches full of ice and 30+ mph wind
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Nah, fully prepared, just felt like it.
You can call it lazy if you want to pithy it up.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
If they're thru-hiking, they're essentially on a 6 month vacation. And I am usually on a 5 day vacation. If they did 24 miles, it's their choice. They could choose less. While it may be nice to give up a spot, there is nothing about a thru-hiker that makes me think they're more deserving than I to use a shelter spot.
Think about it- you arrive at a shelter soaking wet. Its pouring down rain and windy. There is no one else at the shelter, it's 5 pm, and it's a pretty big shelter (Roan High Knob). Do you- a) go outside and put up your tent, getting it wet with the possibility of having to pack up a wet tent in the a.m., b) leave the tent in your pack and sleep on the shelter floor and have mice run across your face, or c) put up a tent inside to keep a & b from happening.
The thought of having mice (which are prevalent in many shelters) using me as a highway while I'm sleeping disgusts me. Yeah, I know, woods and nature and all that, but I don't see anyone embracing tick bites either.
Point is I only did it 2 times, when no one was competing for shelter space. Heck, at Clyde Smith 3 guys already had their tents jerry-rigged & suspended on the platforms when I arrived because the whole shelter leaked like a sieve. I didn't have a problem with that- I camped out under the awning.
Trust me, if I never have to spend a night sleeping on a shelter floor, it's okay with me. I love tenting. (stupid smokies)
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Sadly that is part of the "entitled hiker" mentality that people run into. "I must be better than you because I'm a thru-hiker". No, I have a full-time job and am working on my pension & retirement.
I will however, try to assist & accomodate them whenever possible. I believe in paying it forward, but if they come across as buttholes expecting it, no dice.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Trust me, if I never have to spend a night sleeping on a shelter floor, it's okay with me. I love tenting. (stupid smokies)
Why call the smokies stupid?
Put the blame on other hikers as without the abuse and damage that occurs around shelters in the park, the regulation to not tent in a shelter site wouldn't have had to been put in place....
+1 on this. Too much damage being done to the sites.
"Truth is anything you can convince someone else to believe" - Me
Shelters have their good points.
They concentrate a lot of impact in small areas for one.
They are also a large part of what the AT is, they are congregating points for eating, sleeping, and water. They are a big reason the AT is so much more of a social trail than other trails. On other trails you dont meet as many people and spend time talking to them, because everyone doesnt stop in the same places. You say hi, and then continue on and camp by yourself, you dont get to know others the same way you do on the AT.
Sleeping at them sucks usually, I agree. I do well with earplugs. And usually people watching is a sideshow when certain people show up.
Spoken like a True Dog...
Bring enough gum for the whole class, or don't bring it at all. Ask before you chew.
Fixed it.
The preferred method for privy use is the team pee, women seated, men standing or straddling depending on your aim. It's not a regional thing.
This fosters camaraderie and trust.
The team poo should be avoided and only fosters disgust.
Fosters in a flat bottom can is a good social lubricant and MYOG stove.
If you were better with your thingy you'd probably enjoy team peeing better.i never stay in or near shelters so ithingy use isn't a problem for me
Shelters are a novelty to all of us non-AT hikers. They are a part of the trail, generally an enjoyable one. The AT is not a wilderness, meeting folks along the way should be expected and generally welcome experience. Nobody will complain if you choose to walk on past, don't complain if you choose to stay. Flagrant violations of general social behavior is quite rare.
Have a fire, cook dinner, visit with your fellow hikers. Do your camp chores, washing, laundry, and socializing.
Then move on and camp where you like if that's your thing- best of both worlds and part of the unique experience on the AT.
Many, many, many places to go if you don't want to see people.
Pack/plan/hike as if the shelters don't exist- then a stay at one is a pleasant surprise.
I Agree violently on the Phones; if you use your phone at the shelter I will ask to borrow it.
I will call a 900 number, then your spouse/mommy/significant other to discuss our recent team poo and your odd fascination with it.
In the offseason- sure is tough to walk by an empty or very lightly used shelter, no matter how tough you are.
For those who hike other trails- kinda hard to pass up the novelty of them any time of year.
Most importantly- it's tough to miss a good team pee.
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