Glad to hear that...I think Boy Scouts get a bad rap on the trail.
Glad to hear that...I think Boy Scouts get a bad rap on the trail.
The last few times I hiked on the AT annoying things like this were a chronic problem. Tents in shelters, all the time... And nobody ever took one down as more people filled the shelters. The tent weenies say it's the way they keep the mice/mosquitos/weather out.
It's a no-win situation.
Best to camp in the woods by yourself.
my experience with scouts: they usually cook too much food and I am glad to help
story I heard about tenters in a shelter on a rainy night: after a polite request to not monopolize the space was refused - in the morning on the way out the offenders boots were collected from the ledge and deposited in the woods a ways down the trail - if this actually happened' I doubt the same individuals tented in a shelter again
I know this is a few months old but I couldn't let it go.
If someone is going to shoot you because of an accident, that same psychopath would stab you, beat you up, impale you on a hiking pole, beat you to death with your own pack.
The tool is not what makes somebody unhinged.
Please remember that.
MOST people who carry avoid confrontation because they DON'T want to need their gun, not the other way around.
I still like K K's Dr Seuss quote on the subject of obnoxious people. It says it all in my opinion.
KK4VKZ -SOTA-SUMMITS ON THE AIR-
SUPPORT LNT
"Conflict Avoidance: Stopping the Fight Before It Starts" https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/con...-fight-starts/
Many years ago my car broken down on the interstate. A stranger stopped and offered to help but I advised him that the engine was blown. He insisted on taking a look but kept trying to get behind me. I didn't allow him to get behind me and kept my finger on the trigger of the gun hidden in my pocket. Don't know if he realized how close he came to getting shot, wonder how close I came to getting assaulted as I'll never know his intentions. But this incident convinced (confirmed) me that CC has it's place. As there's little to no crime on the trail I don't feel a need to CC. But as noted an angry individual doesn't need a gun, so I'll keep my situational awareness and choose whether to camp near others or just move down the trail.
Recently ran into a couple of idiots. At one shelter, there were 5 of us for a shelter that could really only hold four. At around 5:30 PM, this guy saunters up, says it is a really good shelter, then asks me about my sleeping pad. (there was about 1 foot of space between me and the next person) He said, yeah, I am going to sleep here and I was like "Are you serious?" The weather was fine and in my opinion, he arrived to late and needed to camp elsewhere. He would not budge, so I took my gear and left and actually ended up with a nice camping spot by a river. Another one came into another shelter and ruined the whole vibe of it - you could sense from his personality. Then he moaned and groaned all night, along with farting frequently. I met him on the trail later and he had some stupid comments to make. I went hiking to get away from A**holes, but apparently they are out there as well. In the future, I will go out of my way to avoid staying at shelters.
Scene: Springer Mountain shelter last Saturday night, and there were lots of people out for the weekend. I had set up my Hennessey hammock with old Jacks r Better 9x9 tarp and was sitting on the ground near it doing a crossword puzzle. A young women passed by me and noticed that the hammock had a tarp over it.
me: Of course it has a tarp. Doesn't yours?
her: Nooo.
me: What will you do if it rains?
her: Long silence, then... I'll just hope it doesn't rain.
Yikes.
I take my Scout troop on the AT every year. In fact this year we will be hiking near Pine Grove Furnace SP. I make sure they are very respectful to others. We will pick up any trash along the way and we don't use shelters.
Often we bring extra food to share with the SOBOs Thru-Hikers we meet. My Scouts love to hear the stories the thru-hikers tell (they're tired of my stories!) so we often invite them to have dinner and talk to us.
If you meet us on the trail I hope you come away with a positive attitude towards Scouting.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
I don't want to participate in any wars. Win or lose.
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I was thinking a quick slice to their pack shoulder straps would make for an annoying day.