Hey that guy snores.....

[snuffleupagus]

I was just wondering. How many people will tend to hike thru, as opposed to sleep in a shelter, next to someone who snores???
I was out last year when someone woke me to tell me I was snoring. The waking me up part didn't bother me, as much as the trying to find out who's boot was hurled at me, hitting me squarely in the face to wake me up did.
I don't neccesarily think it's the problem of the person snoring, to find other measures to insure restfull sleep for anyone else at shelters. Certainly, I find it my honorable responsiblity to inform hikers at shelters that I will be turning in shortly, that I snore passionately loud, and, that it is only my intention, and, for your safety alone, to ward off the impending threat of an occasional black bear mauling. Otherwise for the more endearing naturist out there. To allow a true perspective as to the effectiveness of my snore to attract the impending threat of an occasional black bear mauling. Doesn't anyone else carry earplugs while hiking in the vastness of The Great American Wilderness?
I know from my own experiences and from being accustomed to the noises from a rather large town(airports, sirens, gunshots, etc, etc, etc),it may take me several days to get accoustomed to the noises, or lack of noises there of, when sleeping alone in the woods. Hense the earplugs..... I also know that for the first few nights sleeping in the woods I can be rather partial to FREAKING OUT just a little due to what I call unforseen auditory dillusions, or, U.A.D for short. For example; the simple hippity hop of a cute little fuzzy tailed chipmunk may sound restfull for some, but for my first few nights out in the woods alone, it's certainly the sound of an oncoming grizzly attack or an axe yeilding lunatic. Whichever one is going through my mind at the time. So I tend to spend my first two or three nights, wagon wheel eyed awake, pearing into the darkness, trusty flashlight and swiss army knife w/retractable implements by my side. Only to realize that my earplugs take all those scary noises away. Seems like others could have the common decency to do the same in the way of a simple snoring hiker. It sure as hell would beat waking me up with a boot shinner in the center of my head. I also find it to be my coordial responsibility to allow the weary hiker the first opportunity at restful sleep. I normally stay up late and go to sleep last. I also find that people that snore generally have prior knowledge that they snore, being it a partner, soul-mate, girlfriend, wife, mother-in law, boyfriend whatever. Knowone need wake the sleeping snoring hiker to tell them they are snoring. It's rather pointless. Kind of like giving a drunk person a cup of coffee to sober them up. For the most part I believe that a simple quiet command to role over would suffice in most common situations. With maybe a neighborly little nudge. Any comments regarding your experiences with unruly snoring hikers would be appreciated. And be forwarned the hiker Snuffleupagus aka S.O.B. has in the past had the tendency to snore.
Thank-you for your attention in this matter.

[brian]

one word: earplugs...a good quality pair is worth its weight in anything (it wouldnt be much gold)

[MOWGLI]

Some would say that if you know that you snore, then you shouldn't use shelters where groups of people are trying to sleep in close quarters. There is still no excuse for anyone throwing a boot at your face. If someone did that to me, the boot would immediately revert to my ownership, and I'd be leaving with it the next morning.

Since you have had such an unpleasant experience already, why don't you plan on tenting along the way? Also, for those who might be a bit on the rotund side, a little beefy, portly, chubby, or perhaps even fat, if you are planning on doing a long distance hike, as you lose weight, you very well may snore less.

[Lilred]

I live with a man that can suck the paint off the ceiling when he snores. I wear earplugs to bed and that helps. I most definately plan on taking earplugs with me when I section hike just in case I end up in a shelter with a buzz saw.

If you know you will be disturbing people, maybe tenting would be a good solution to stop those boots from finding your face.

[Lone Wolf]

Shelters are first come, first served. Period. Deal with the snorers.

[Blue Jay]

Everything you said is correct. In addition, I like snoring as long as it is below 100 decibels, it is relaxing and helps me sleep. After saying that it is clear you know you do something that rightly or wrongly extremely bothers some people. It would be polite to sleep in a tent, you would be less likely to have a boot in the face or your shoe laces missing in the morning. Believe me I'm not saying you should sleep in a tent. I piss off people on a daily basis with some of my posts and I'm not going to stop. Just be aware of the results of your actions.

[MOWGLI]

It would be polite to sleep in a tent...

I piss off people on a daily basis with some of my posts and I'm not going to stop. Just be aware of the results of your actions.

Blue Jay's Book of Trail Manners

Now that's funny! he he he

[Brushy Sage]

One night in a shelter in Tennessee I heard the loudest snoring I have ever experienced. The guy next to the snorer, and beside me, kept beating on the shelter floor to get the snorer's attention -- but to no avail. My son, Patco, had taken a clue from other hikers who had knowledge of this guy's decibel level, and had joined them in the tenting field, and he wore earplugs as well. So, he had a restful night's sleep, while I, who was sleeping (or trying) without ear protection, got up frazzled and frustrated. After that night, I always kept my earplugs near. Earplugs, or tenting, or tenting and earplugs will solve the problem.

[papa john]

Everyone should carry a set of earplugs and use them when there is a snorer in the shelter or campsite. You will get a much better nights sleep.

As for the boot throwing incident, I would have crapped in it and then thrown it out in the rain.

[Lone Wolf]

******* right Papa John, that's the attitude!

[rumbler]

I don't get the folks who are virulently anti-snorer. You KNOW there will be snorers in the shelters. There will be people who fart, there will be people who stink, there will be people who flop around like boated fish. It became the symphony of the trail, folks snoring in unison, belching, farting, and lurching around for their boots at 3am to have that emergency poo.

If you are going to thru-hike, you will have to deal with a lot more troublesome obstacles than snorers in shelters. At least with the snoring you have multiple solutions: Earplugs, or if that goes against your view of trail accomodation unpack the tent you've been lugging around on your back. Or just get to the point where you are so tired you sleep through anything.

I saw a number of people whig out over snoring last year. None of them made it to Maine. If snoring bothers you, there are plenty of solutions to it. The most ineffective of which is to get irate.

Snorers can make an effort to tent - which in my opinion is almost always preferable and more comfortable than the shelters anyway. But the shelters are never going to be noise-free. If that is a bother, just add earplugs to your equipment list. It will be the second-lightest thing you carry.

Of course, you still have the farting, flopping and late night bathroom runs to contend with. So keep the lightest and most important piece of equipment handy at all times: Your smile.

[papa john]

Thanks LW!

To me, it is more irritating to hear the early risers and their zippers that bother me. I sleep best early in the morning and I can remember being woken many times by inconsiderate early risers zipping and unzipping their gear without any regard for those still sleeping. You can open a zipper rather quietly if you do so slowly. You don't have to ZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that sucker! Not to mention what they do when they put on their boots and then stand on the sleeping platform stomping their feet into the boots.

[Grampie]

I snore..... During my 2001 thru I would sleep in my tent, most of the time. If the weather was bad, or I couldn't tent I would stay in a shelter.
I would inform others that "I snore". The funny part of it was when I lost a lot of weight, 37lbs, my snoring stopped.
My advise is to carry earplugs and get use to snorers, because a lot of folks do.
Happy trails, Grampie-N->2001

[Bankrobber]

If you know you snore, you should stay away from shelters. I can understand if it is an occasional thing, but if you warn people that you snore you should camp out somewhere unless there is a nasty storm going on. Throwing a boot at someone's face is a bit extreme, but I think poking the snorer with hiking poles is a legitimate response to snoring.

[MOWGLI]

To me, it is more irritating to hear the early risers and their zippers that bother me.

I tried not to let much bother me on my thru-hike. I was blessed to be out there. I was awoken on several occasions by an MSR Dragonfly stove. If you've never heard one at 5:30 AM, it sounds a bit like a space shuttle launch. At least when it's fired up right in front of a shelter, or 5' from your head.

Whoooooooosssssh

[papa john]

Yep, I had one of those things. Lasted about 3 days and sent it home. After a few days, I gave up on the shelters and stayed in my tent. Between the mice, the snorers, the tossing and turning, the zippers, the people with tiny bladders getting up every hour to pee, I was much more comfortable in my tent.

[Lilred]

My first night in a shelter I shared with two other guys. One snored, but not loudly in my opinion. The other guy felt compelled to get up out of bed around 3am and wake this person to tell them he was snoring. In the process he woke me up too. I think this is totally unnecessary and I agree with previous posts. Snorers will be in the shelters, deal with it.

This same person decided at 5am to try to kill mice by slamming his hiking pole on the shelter floor in an attempt to squash them. I guess some people just have no consideration for others.

[Jaybird]

snoring is a given in a shelter setting.......

i always take a tent & (because i know i snore on most nights) i make those close by to my "bunk area" well aware that i snore!

tent & take the ear plugs too....then you have it covered!


i, too, find it obnoxious, & quite inconsiderate of the "super early risers"...that make way too much noise @ 5a.m. & believe everyone else should be getting up too....so, therefore, its okay to make all the noise they want!



see ya'll UP the trail!

[bearbait2k4]

Some people in here talk as if snorers can actually control what they do.

In all actuality, about 90 % of you snore. Take it from a person who rarely slept while staying in a shelter....YOU ALL DO IT.

The shelters are for everyone. Not just non-snorers, or non-toss and turners...everyone. There is no need to ask someone else to tent, due to your own comfort level, because the only situation you can change is your own.

[rumbler]

If you know you snore, you should stay away from shelters. I can understand if it is an occasional thing, but if you warn people that you snore you should camp out somewhere unless there is a nasty storm going on. Throwing a boot at someone's face is a bit extreme, but I think poking the snorer with hiking poles is a legitimate response to snoring.

Everyone snores, including (I dare say) you at times. And if anyone POKES me with their hiking pole while I am sleeping they will be the underlying cause for everyone waking up in the shelter, unless you could placidly and quietly watch as your poles were snapped in two. If you have that much issue with natural sounds that will be found wherever groups of tired hikers congregate, then perhaps you should camp out elsewhere as well.

You will hear snoring in just about every shelter that you sleep in, at least early on when there are still groups in the shelter. If your solution is to get angry without taking normal steps to reduce the noise yourself, then you will be in for a very long hike.