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  1. #61
    Registered User Drybones's Avatar
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    Can't believe no one's asked for a hot shower.

  2. #62
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    hot shower??? i have grown to love the cold water bathing. i find myself still splashing water from the sink and bathtub. a hot shower seems eccentric. i guess its only a matter of time before a request is made to have tp supplied at all trail privys too. that would save a lot of weight that hikers dont have to carry.

  3. #63
    Registered User kolokolo's Avatar
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    For those groggy hikers in the morning - a sign back at the A.T. indicating which direction is NOBO and which is SOBO.
    Formerly uhfox

    Springer to Bear Mountain Inn, NY
    N Adams, MA to Clarendon VT
    Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch

  4. #64
    Registered User cabbagehead's Avatar
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    1. fire places that discourage large fires
      1. People should wear clothes instead of polluting.

    2. More space where people can't sleep
      1. I like to store my pack in the shelter and sleep outside. I don't like it when shelters are crowded with sleepers.

    3. more advanced materials and polyurethane glue
    4. nails in walls
    5. more metal cans on the strings
    David Smolinski

  5. #65
    Clueless Weekender
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    For most of the Trail - and all of the Adirondacks - it's really hard to improve on the classic Adirondack lean-to. It can be built from materials found on-site (although that takes extensive planning, to mark suitable trees, fell them, and prepare and season the logs, split the shakes, finish the puncheons, and so on). It has a raised puncheon floor - much needed when snow is melting and the shelter interior would otherwise be knee-deep mud. If cedars are available for the roof, it lasts many years with comparatively little maintenance. particularly if the logs are tarred. The three-sided stone firepit reflects heat into the shelter: invaluable when a party is caught unexpectedly by snow in September or May. It doesn't have to be right on a highway - it can be far enough back to discourage abuse from the local kids.

    It won't work in Harriman, because a log shelter wouldn't last a summer what with the locals horsing around. (It used to have some. What remained of them was burnt intentionally by the parks department.) I don't know what to do about Harriman.

    My suggestions of things to keep in mind for shelter design are simple.

    Face it away from the prevailing wind, especially at the high elevations. Having the wind blow cold rain and snow into the shelter is nasty. Having it blow smoke from the firepit into the shelter is obnoxious. Having it blow sparks from the firepit into the shelter is a disaster waiting to happen. (In the Adirondacks, it might actually be better to face it side-on, so that it won't look into the teeth of a Northeaster.)

    On that subject, provide a water bucket. I'll happily fill it on arrival and empty it when I leave. In Harriman, just build the damned thing of stone. (I'm not swearing - 'damned' is precisely the correct term for the destination of Harriman shelters.)

    Provide it with a privy. (Once again, I don't know what to do about Harriman, where the locals would use the privy as a garbage can. That's why the privies were taken out of Harriman - they were killing the maintainers with the removal of you-know-what-stained trash.)

    Keep it, the water source, and the privy far enough from each other to avoid major problems. Put up signs directing to water source and privy if it isn't obvious. (Think about whether it will still be obvious when there's fresh snow in December or flourishing brush in July.)

    Put a broom in it. I'll be happy to sweep if I'm the last one out - if there's a broom. (Once again, I don't know what to do about Harriman, where a broom would be firewood within a week.)

    Some sort of table or shelf out of the rain, for organizing small things, is nice to have. (Ever needed to replace an eyeglass screw, sew something, unclog a stove jet, or change a headlamp battery on a not-quite-level shelter floor?)

    Provide bear cables, bear poles, or bear boxes, in bear country. I can do a proper bearbag hang, but it's really nice not to have to, and nice to be able to set up without worrying that a late arrival won't know how.

    A sleeping loft if the shelter gets crowded enough to need one. A shelter that's that crowded so distresses me that I wind up spending the night in tiers. (sorry, couldn't resist!)
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  6. #66
    Registered User Monkeywrench's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drybones View Post
    Can't believe no one's asked for a hot shower.
    That's been done - Partnership Shelter.
    ~~
    Allen "Monkeywrench" Freeman
    NOBO 3-18-09 - 9-27-09
    blog.allenf.com
    [email protected]
    www.allenf.com

  7. #67

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    One cold spring in VA, I did appreciate that the shelters tended to be on the east side of the ridge facing the general direction of sunrise. Awfully nice in the AM to wak up with some sun in the shelter and a little bit of sun can really warm things up quick.

  8. #68

    Default Official A.T. Shelter Guidelines

    ATC's guidelines for locating and building shelters and campsites can be found on the policies page of our website at www.appalachiantrail.org/what-we-do/trail-management-support/volunteer_toolkit/trail-management-policies.

    If you have any serioucomments for ATC, send them to Tom Banks, chair of the Trail & Camping Commttee of the Stewardship Council, at [email protected]. Besides, I'm on vacation and will soon be hiking, then at The Gathering.

    Laurie Potteiger
    ATC

  9. #69
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    Hey, zcalla20!

    Although my graduate thesis relates to the A.T., its underlying theme (under-participating demographic groups) differs from yours. Nonetheless, I would like to see your survey. Since your link has closed, I had hoped you would not mind sharing your survey with me.

    Thank you...


    --Greg

  10. #70
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    I second the motion for no new shelters, dismantle a few.

  11. #71
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    Dismantle shelters, improve privies instead if you have to maintain a campsite.

    sent from samsonite using tapioca 2
    Let me go

  12. #72
    Registered User scooterdogma's Avatar
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    Wow, I went to take part in the survey and it has already reached the allotted number of participants. There must be a lot of night owls on whiteblaze. Here are my suggestions to improving the new shelters;

    I would like a shelter to:

    -Provide protection from bad weather
    -Provide natural light
    -Provide a fireplace in the center, open to both sides, so more people can dry their wet clothes.
    -Lots of pegs for hanging packs.
    -Large covered area for a table and benches, some of us do like to socialize.

    -The option of using shelters are not... oh, wait, we already have that design


    I like the 3 sides and a roof design.
    Having a partially enclosed privy is nice.

    A thoughtful, well designed building is a thing of beauty. Kudos to everyone who has ever planned, built or maintained those structures.

  13. #73
    Registered User scooterdogma's Avatar
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    Ha, I should have looked at the first post ....2012 <----need more coffee, lol

  14. #74

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    I agree with Lone Wolf they should be thinned out to one every 15 to 20 miles apart.

  15. #75
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    I wonder how maintainers would spend their time if they didn't have to build and repair shelters. Would much rather see more water bars, puncheons and switchbacks than shelters.
    Order your copy of the Appalachian Trail Passport at www.ATPassport.com

    Green Mountain House Hostel
    Manchester Center, VT

    http://www.greenmountainhouse.net

  16. #76
    Registered User q-tip's Avatar
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    A good broom.....

  17. #77

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    Laurel Gap Shelter in GSMNP DOES NOT need to be redone! It was recently redone.

  18. #78

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    I agree. Thin out the AT shelters. Focus on the remaining ones or build new ones in those same sites or better sites.

  19. #79

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    Quote Originally Posted by RED-DOG View Post
    I agree with Lone Wolf they should be thinned out to one every 15 to 20 miles apart.
    and make the old shelter sites campsite areas, I would like to see more designated campsites, and more actual trail maintenance instead of trying to re-build or re-place shelters

  20. #80
    Registered User Bags4266's Avatar
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    I agree with campsites, with picnic tables. That would be much cheaper than a shelter

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