the finer points of shelter etiquette

[jesse]

#4 leaving before dawn is perfectly acceptable.

#10 Never ever leave anything. No food, books, unwanted gear, etc, anywhere, not in shelters, streams, anywhere period. Pack it in pack it out. Other hikers should not need your stuff. If they do, too bad, maybe they plan better next time.

[Tin Man]

I go to the woods to escape rules. We are bombarded with rules everywhere we go. I hike to simplify, not find more rules. On the trail, there are posted rules, unspoken rules, make your own rules, rules posted on websites, what rules?, rules you can live with and rules you can live without. I follow most of the rules about where to hike, camp, etc. I just don't just don't see the point in staying in vermin-invested, filthy shelters where people observe their own version of the rules and which are never the same as anyone else's rules. Dang the rules and learn to stealth already!

[River Runner]

my dog had over 6,000 A.T. miles with no complaints

Dogs are seldom the ones complaining.

[River Runner]

I just don't just don't see the point in staying in vermin-invested, filthy shelters

And sometimes they have rodents, reptiles, and insects as well as the hiker-vermin.

[rafe]

I just don't just don't see the point in staying in vermin-invested, filthy shelters where people observe their own version of the rules and which are never the same as anyone else's rules. Dang the rules and learn to stealth already!

If you feel that way, then you ought to avoid shelters, for sure.

[Tin Man]

And sometimes they have rodents, reptiles, and insects as well as the hiker-vermin.

Hikers ain't vermin, they is Trash.

[Captain]

only reason #4 is there is i do not see how its possible in a stuffed shelter to get up pack everythin to go cook and eat breakfast without waking someone else so i thought out of respect i would try to tent off as much as possible

[mrc237]

15 + good reasons to stay away from shelters

[rickb]

no cooking inside the shelter

Good in theory, but I'm thinking that rule can be bent from time to time.

[hopefulhiker]

I have seen a lot of people cooking in shelters, either on the picnic tables or on those shelf tables just in front.. The main thing is to clean up properly..

[rafe]

15 + good reasons to stay away from shelters

Yeah, shelters are evil, doncha know. Spread the word!

[Dances with Mice]

TANSTAAFL. There's a price to be paid for every benefit.

The benefits of using a shelter are that no time need be spent looking for a tent space, setting up the tent or taking down the tent. If it rains you don't have to carry a wet tent. There's people to talk to and compare notes with and a register to read. All kinds of cool stuff.

The downside is a loss of privacy and having to put up with others who aren't on your schedule or don't have your sense of wilderness ethics or personal etiquette.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

[generoll]

always an uncommon amount of common sense from the dancer

[Nearly Normal]

Gearhead and gram weenie chit chat gets old after a while too.

[Cookerhiker]

#1 theres no problem with dogs in the shelter,if others have no objection(especially if the dog is well behaved) if the shelter starts to fill up yes i throw up my tent.(prefer to tent anyway)my dog had over 6,000 A.T. miles with no complaints .....

Do you think there's a single hiker out there who doesn't think that his/her own dog is "well-behaved?"

Last year on the rainiest day of my LT hike, I was the second to arrive at the shelter and took the low bunk; the first to arrive had taken the low bunk on the other side. There was a long table in the middle of the shelter with bunks on both sides.

So later this guy and his dog arrive and I'm assured that the dog is "well-behaved." The hiker took the bunk above mine. The dog was supposed to lie on the floor below. I didn't mind the dog in the shelter per se but the dog wouldn't settle down all night and in fact, kept putting his front paws on my bunk apparently attempting to climb closer to his owner. He kept telling the dog to lie down and kept apologizing ("he's not usually like this") until finally I volunteered (after hearing some hints) to take the top bunk.

OK - minor inconvenience. It's the principle that bugged me. Maybe the dog got better as his hike progressed; this was their first night out. I guess I should look at it as I was accomodating the hiker, not his dog.

[CrumbSnatcher]

Do you think there's a single hiker out there who doesn't think that his/her own dog is "well-behaved?"

Last year on the rainiest day of my LT hike, I was the second to arrive at the shelter and took the low bunk; the first to arrive had taken the low bunk on the other side. There was a long table in the middle of the shelter with bunks on both sides.

So later this guy and his dog arrive and I'm assured that the dog is "well-behaved." The hiker took the bunk above mine. The dog was supposed to lie on the floor below. I didn't mind the dog in the shelter per se but the dog wouldn't settle down all night and in fact, kept putting his front paws on my bunk apparently attempting to climb closer to his owner. He kept telling the dog to lie down and kept apologizing ("he's not usually like this") until finally I volunteered (after hearing some hints) to take the top bunk.

OK - minor inconvenience. It's the principle that bugged me. Maybe the dog got better as his hike progressed; this was their first night out. I guess I should look at it as I was accomodating the hiker, not his dog.

i'm very sorry that you had a bad dog experience. but i was stating FACTS. i never once! never! had anybody ever bitch about my dog on three thruhikes and other trips as well. my dog was a bono~fied good behaved traildog.and many, many hikers could back me up on this. and yes i have run across many hikers that said they had a well behaved dog and didn't! IMO there are not too many bad dogs, just dumbass hikers with dogs and you can't fix stupid. i hope your next dog experience on the trail works out better for you...

[Tin Man]

TANSTAAFL. There's a price to be paid for every benefit.

The benefits of using a shelter are that no time need be spent looking for a tent space, setting up the tent or taking down the tent. If it rains you don't have to carry a wet tent. There's people to talk to and compare notes with and a register to read. All kinds of cool stuff.

The downside is a loss of privacy and having to put up with others who aren't on your schedule or don't have your sense of wilderness ethics or personal etiquette.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Tent near the shelter. You don't have to sleep in the shelter to use the firepit, read the register, or talk to folk. The downside is you have to carry the tent and not worry about others' behaviors.

[Tin Man]

i'm very sorry that you had a bad dog experience. but i was stating FACTS. i never once! never! had anybody ever bitch about my dog on three thruhikes and other trips as well. my dog was a bono~fied good behaved traildog.and many, many hikers could back me up on this. and yes i have run across many hikers that said they had a well behaved dog and didn't! IMO there are not too many bad dogs, just dumbass hikers with dogs and you can't fix stupid. i hope your next dog experience on the trail works out better for you...

I am sure you have a great dog, but people don't bitch about things that bother them until they are away from you ... or on an internet forum.

[CrumbSnatcher]

I am sure you have a great dog, but people don't bitch about things that bother them until they are away from you ... or on an internet forum.

i prefer people who, if they have a problem with me or my dog, to tell me up front to my face.no sugar coating! respectable i would do the same for them, in a polite manner. backstabing sucks. i would like to think alot of the people on this forum were better than that. at least you don't have worry about my dog. after 14 1/2 great years togeather i lost her about a month ago.

[Tin Man]

i prefer people who, if they have a problem with me or my dog, to tell me up front to my face.no sugar coating! respectable i would do the same for them, in a polite manner. backstabing sucks. i would like to think alot of the people on this forum were better than that. at least you don't have worry about my dog. after 14 1/2 great years togeather i lost her about a month ago.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Just saying most keep their thoughts about others' behaviors, and their dogs, to themselves. I don't think they should be considered backstabbers, but perhaps they just don't like to "make waves".