I just got back from a weekend loop in the GSMNP and I'm done with shelters. Here's what happened:I normally don't use the shelters much but I got lazy and stayed at Spence Field on the AT last Friday night. I was the only one there and had a nice fire to dry out my shoes from the snowy trail:
https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Janu...9_193438-L.jpg
I saw a few mice but they're always a part of shelters. Anyway, I had hung my pack on a nail (not worried as much about bears in January). When I woke in the morning and crawled out of my bag, puffs of down flew up in the air. Upon closer inspection I saw I had two holes in my bag! The little bastards had robbed me while I slept!But wait, there's more....I took my backpack off the nail and a mouse scurried up and out of the main compartment. Looking in I discovered all the missing down from my backpack. As I turned it upside down to dump it out, I poured out 4 more mice! The industrious vermin had transported all their harvested down to my pack and nested in it!I had murder in my heart. I hate to admit the ugliness but I tried to stomp them all. I didn't connect with a single one. They were obviously well rested and scattered in all directions. They garbage bag liner I use for water proofing had also been chewed through and pooped on. Here was the pile of tainted down I dumped out on the shelter floor ( I swept it up and out before leaving but I'm sure it'll be reclaimed):
https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Janu...DSCN4091-L.jpgMy bag is tainted. My backpack is tainted. Nasty disgusting vermin put a bad vibe on my trip, lol. I had another night to go to finish my loop and I did, but I felt dirty.I'm gonna scrub out that pack with soap. Not sure about the bag yet.I put Band-Aids on the holes in my Western Mountaineering Lynx to stop the leaking while finishing the trip:
https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Janu...DSCN4105-L.jpg
And here is the largest hole they opened and harvested:
https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Janu...DSCN4106-L.jpg