appalachian trail shelters question?
by admin on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010 | 6 Comments
i planing to hike the Maryland half of the Appalachian trail and one way to save on weight i am going to camp from one shelter to another. just want to know is there any rules about the shelter? or are they any unwritten rules, for example don’t use cell phones stuff like that?
and how is it like to sleep in a shelter. is it cold? too many rats?
now i am prepared for the cold and the rats and so on. i actually want the trip to be as hard as possible, because that’s the way i like hard and tough. like to test my body and my mind. it is just i want to know what i am up against or what to expect.
thank you! 
no real written rules but you might have to share the shelter with other people..also, if the shelter is full you would be sh*t out of luck if you didnt pack a tent…i’ve used the shelters in the new hampshire and maine sections of the AT
Take a tarp with you instead of a tent – plenty of vids on youtube to teach you if you don’t know already. Very light and they pack small. Would recommend practising before you go though, for obvious reasons!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f8DVZnMFBk
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=344451
http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php
It is considered good shelter etiquette to leave a supply of firewood for the next occupant. Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises. Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
I included a link for a video of a day in the life of a AT hiker. And a link for a forum where you could post questions about the AT. As well as the link for the “Leave No Trace” ethics.
You may also like to take a look at the links at the bottom of the page for other AT information.
it depends on when you go whether or not the shelters will be full. if you’re going in the middle of summer when thru-hikers and day-hikers are heading through, then you do run that chance that the shelters are full when you get there. if you’re hiking now, then you’ll be fine.
i actually happen to have my Handbook at work, and no shelter is more than eight miles apart, so you’ll be fine as far as distance goes. although i actually remember the first shelter’s water source was something like 0.5 miles down a steep hill.
what is taboo in a shelter really depends on the people there. i’ve cooked inside shelters and routinely hung my food in them, though i’ve also had people complain about it. for the most part, everything else is just common courtesy.
i’ve only ever seen rats on the AT one time, and i wasn’t in a shelter. you will, however have mice–that’s a guarantee. they’re really not a big deal, though, since you’re asleep when they’re crawling on you. and if they get in your food bag, they only eat a little bit of your food.
sleeping in a shelter is just like sleeping on your floor at home. if you sleep on your shoulder, then it’ll likely be sore in the morning. and bring earplugs if you don’t enjoy other people snoring.
as far as the shelters being cold, they’re three-sided, so it’ll be as cold as it is outside.
have fun. Maryland is a somewhat-fast and pretty little stretch of the AT.
One of the respondents mentions the courtesy of leaving firewood for the next group of shelter users. In the spirit of leave no trace behind, that should be fallen dead wood. Do not hack away at living trees for this.
Temperature is a seasonal issue, as is inclement weather of any kind. You should research an area where you plan to hike and prepare for the expected conditions.
I haven’t heard as much about rats as I have about mice.
There is lots of guidance on line and in books.
These shelters are open air. You should know exactly how cold it will be before leaving. Asceticism is one thing, being unprepared another.