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  1. #21
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    07-03-2016
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    Simi Valley, California
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    57
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    Are you still hiking the Long Trail this July? I will be on the trail going northbound starting July 6th

  2. #22
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    07-20-2016
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    Rockville, MD
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    I just thru-hiked the Long Trail SOBO 7/2 through 7/17 and I slept in a shelter every night. I had a bivy sack and a tech blanket. Only the Goddard shelter on Glastenbury was full (after I secured a spot, on a night that had bad thunderstorms), but I did pass by one shelter that was full with kids apparently as a part of a summer camp or something. "No tent or no shelter" is possible on the Long Trail but it's a bit risky unless you are willing to be flexible.

  3. #23

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    Congrats on finishing. I'm gearing up for my nobo in August. You must've been doing bug miles to finish in just over two weeks

  4. #24
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    07-20-2016
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    Thanks. I pushed it a bit too hard (for my feet) due to another commitment. Also if I had hiked only a section it would have been a while until I would be able to get back and finish. In retrospect if I was planning this trip without time restrictions and given my hiking abilities I would start at 10 miles per day and ramp up and do low teens in the north and high teens in the south with probably one zero day shooting for about 3 weeks. I think that my feet would have been in much better shape by the end. The terrain in the north was a new experience for me. I had never hiked so many consecutive steep ups and downs. I hope you miss the AT bubble in the south (I think it's due to come through the last week of July/first week of August). Enjoy the awe-inspiring terrain up north.

  5. #25

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    Tour mileage plan is what I think I'll do but perhaps push it to 10-12 the first few days and then pick it up to 12-14 for a few more days before going 14-16 the rest of the trip. I have just over three weeks to finish

  6. #26
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    07-20-2016
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    Rockville, MD
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    Good plan. Hope all goes well.

  7. #27
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    09-06-2008
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    Andrews, NC
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    65
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    Get yourself a poncho tarp. Or maybe one of those emergency tube tents.

  8. #28

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    Do not count on shelters.
    Also, be aware that bugs can be an issue even when the weather is not. It was blood suckers that originally got me into a tent (rather than a tarp shelter).

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scotsman View Post
    I just thru-hiked the Long Trail SOBO 7/2 through 7/17 and I slept in a shelter every night. I had a bivy sack and a tech blanket. Only the Goddard shelter on Glastenbury was full (after I secured a spot, on a night that had bad thunderstorms), but I did pass by one shelter that was full with kids apparently as a part of a summer camp or something. "No tent or no shelter" is possible on the Long Trail but it's a bit risky unless you are willing to be flexible.
    The Goddard shelter was full in mid-October, but the fall foliage season was at its height.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by frochetti View Post
    Are you still hiking the Long Trail this July? I will be on the trail going northbound starting July 6th
    I hope to be southbound at some point in July, work permitting.

  11. #31

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    Despite being pretty UL I would not leave a tent behind on a JULY LT thru-hike.

    Here's are two alternatives to consider applied solely or in tandem:

    1) find a lighter wt than 42 oz shelter to rent, borrow, or buy used.

    2) reduce your consumable wt
    a. resupply more often
    b. pay close attention to avoiding unnecessary water wt hauls

  12. #32

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    As evidenced here on this thread in abundance way too often reducing wt carried is narrowly focused on by prioritizing the gear category. For those with tight finances not able to buy more gear or different gear to lower wt perhaps one of the best categories to consider for losing the wt hauled is consumable wt. All it takes is some willingness to look at reducing wt from a different perspective considering wt saving through better logistical approaches.

    Backpacking can be a vehicle for examining cultural and personal shopaholic tendencies.

  13. #33

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    I'm cosigning:

    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    As said, july is busy time on southern half. Youd be stupid not to have a weather resistant shelter you are comfortable spending all night downpour in.

    Decrease pack wt by leaving behind crap you dont need, not things you do.

  14. #34
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    01-03-2010
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    Windham, Maine
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    We did the middle portion of LT from Brandon Gap to rt2 a few years ago. My takeaway from the experience was to, next time, take my hammock instead of a tent.
    Let me go

  15. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    As evidenced here on this thread in abundance way too often reducing wt carried is narrowly focused on by prioritizing the gear category. For those with tight finances not able to buy more gear or different gear to lower wt perhaps one of the best categories to consider for losing the wt hauled is consumable wt. All it takes is some willingness to look at reducing wt from a different perspective considering wt saving through better logistical approaches.

    Backpacking can be a vehicle for examining cultural and personal shopaholic tendencies.
    Why the circumlocution, just cut weight where and when you can, nothing to due with shop"o"holic cultural consumables.

  16. #36
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    04-15-2016
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    North Carolina
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    Just came across this thread I started again, so thought I'd update on my experience in case anyone else asks the same question. I did end up bringing a tent, and I'm glad that I did. I did, however, meet several people who didn't bring tents or hammocks and slept only in shelters. And they all survived, and at least 2 of those people finished an E2E hike. I only had one night with a full shelter where people were turned away due to space limitations.

    I would say you can go without a tent and you'll probably be fine, as I met several people who did this. But if you reach a full shelter at 7pm, you'll have to ask someone else in the shelter to leave, because they were prepared and brought a tent and you didn't, and that' a real ******* move.

  17. #37
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    01-03-2010
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    ROFL 😂 I'd like to see that.
    Let me go

  18. #38
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    10-04-2009
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    West Stockbridge MA
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    I completed an LT thru hike NOBO last Aug. I carried a hammock and only spent one night in a shelter due to camping prohibited at that shelter. Some shelters/camps are very nice, most not so much. I would not consider hiking the LT without carrying some form of shelter regardless the season. For me it's a safety and comfort factor, YRMV. After a long hard day of hiking the last thing I want to be concerned about is will there be any space in the shelter for me (plus any partners I may be hiking with). For example, I arrived late at Bear Hollow Shelter, it had been raining all day and a big T'storm was moving in. The shelter was packed to the gills even a couple of guys under it with their dog. I set up below the knob and rode out the wild, all night storm, nice and dry. Similar thing happened at Goddard shelter, except hail was involved.

  19. #39
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    06-10-2005
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    Bedford, MA
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    IMO, it's irresponsible to head into the woods, planning to spend the night, without some form of personal shelter.

    Let alone the issue of whether the shelter is full or not. Consider the possibility that you might not make it to to the shelter, for whatever reason -- getting lost, injured, or perhaps delayed by foul weather or trail conditions.

    Ability to shelter-in-place could make the difference between inconvenience and disaster.

  20. #40
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    01-03-2010
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    Windham, Maine
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    Yeah, and then have the audacity to try to kick others out of the shelter because you did not bring your stuff
    Let me go

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