Tent in shelter?

[bigcranky]

The thru-hiker guidebooks usually let you know if there are tent sites at any particular shelter. For the Companion, to which we contribute, if it says "camping" then there are tent sites. If it doesn't say anything, then there probably aren't. Places that don't allow tenting are also marked (e.g., the Partnership Shelter). This is not a foolproof method, nor does it guarantee that you'll get a site, of course.

[Tipi Walter]

There are plenty of shelters with bad tent areas. The best way to have advanced notice of this is to do serious research into each location. Have fun, you'll be cross-referencing multiple sources. The upshot is that you don't have to stay at the shelter. You can drop in, check it out, get your water, and move on.

Shelters with bad tent areas? It's laughable. Just go a half mile back or a half mile further on the trail and set up your tent. No purpose or sense WHATSOEVER in camping in or near any AT rat-box shelter.

Putting a tent inside a shelter is the final symptom of shelter-induced entitlement retardation.(SIER). Here's a thought: Backpack the AT and just pretend, just imagine, there's not a single shelter on the trail for your so-called mouse-chewing, rodent-pooping convenience. Man-up or girl-up and avoid the shelter system as you would avoid a hepatitis-laced potato.

[mountainman]

Tipi Walter, Well said

[Traveler]

Shelters with bad tent areas? It's laughable. Just go a half mile back or a half mile further on the trail and set up your tent. No purpose or sense WHATSOEVER in camping in or near any AT rat-box shelter.

Putting a tent inside a shelter is the final symptom of shelter-induced entitlement retardation.(SIER). Here's a thought: Backpack the AT and just pretend, just imagine, there's not a single shelter on the trail for your so-called mouse-chewing, rodent-pooping convenience. Man-up or girl-up and avoid the shelter system as you would avoid a hepatitis-laced potato.

A distance away from the shelter is a good idea, where its allowable. Some areas don't allow camping outside of the shelter areas, states like MA and CT don't allow camping outside of designated camping areas (some have shelters, some don't). Its up to the hiker to know the rules of the trail where they are and where camping (and fires) are allowed.

[Tipi Walter]

A distance away from the shelter is a good idea, where its allowable. Some areas don't allow camping outside of the shelter areas, states like MA and CT don't allow camping outside of designated camping areas (some have shelters, some don't). Its up to the hiker to know the rules of the trail where they are and where camping (and fires) are allowed.

But vast areas allow dispersed camping like Georgia, all of NC and TN save for the Smokies, and nearly all of Virginia.

[orthofingers]

[QUOTE=Tipi Walter;avoid a hepatitis-laced potato.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm? I never knew potatoes could be laced with hepatitis.