Shelter Etiquette 101

This issue has been discussed at great length before on this board but after reading a related recent thread I was concerned to read that a similar poll on a different board found people to be split almost 50-50 on this issue. I think most here on this board agree on proper manners in this situation. But anyhow what do you do when you get to a shelter that you were planning on camping out and another party has moved in and taken over and there is obviously room for your party also?

An interesting poll component, or follow-on poll, might be "and their reaction is..." It's one thing to ask politely to move over, and it's possible to rely on that course of action on your own behalf, but the response you get is more interesting.

Tim

I bring a tent. Warmer, cleaner, dryer and no worries about mice or men infiltration.

to broaden the scope of the discussion: conduct while at a shelter is also important. Have an idea when lights out is. Take care of your comofrt so that tossing and turning, weeping and sobbing is kept to a minimum. Use rodent baffles, hang bear bags etc. Keep you sh!t consolidated to your own space. etc blah blah blah.

My son and I were spending the night at Batell Shelter in May. There was one other couple. She was new, he was very experienced. Very pleasant company, good people for VFTT. So when we are asleep 10:00 rolls around and the shelter is full of college boys having a reunion. They spent more time collecting the booze. The stomped into the shelter, some had only cotton sweatshirts, some did not have sleeping bags. Needless to say they were miserable and nobody got any sleep.

Puck said:

So when we are asleep 10:00 rolls around and the shelter is full of college boys having a reunion. They spent more time collecting the booze. The stomped into the shelter, some had only cotton sweatshirts, some did not have sleeping bags. Needless to say they were miserable and nobody got any sleep.

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I hope you exercised your option to implement the procedure outlined in the last question of this poll

I always take a tent in case it's needed, but if I really wanted to stay in the shelter (e.g. lousy tentsites or pouring down rain...) I'd first politely ask them to move over. If they seemed really creepy or refused I'd move on and pitch my tent. Whether or not I educated them about shelter manners would depend on a number of variables.

Oh, and I'm very clumsy so I'm sure I'd make a lot of noise packing up and heading out in the morning.
-vegematic

I would do one of the first two poll choices: politely ask them to move over, or move on to another spot, depending upon my silent reaction to those occupying the lean-to. Generally it's never an issue.

I've already made my statement in the other string but: if there was no other safe option, an emergency, health or safety issue, then I'm putting my folks in there first and then myself.

I don't like to bother people and since I know the area I'm in, I'll find a nice quiet site elsewhere.

It happened to us a couple of times years ago when we used the Perch a lot. If when we arrived someone was already there, we just watched to see if they voluntarily made room and invited us over, if not, then they probably wouldn't be people we would want to share it with anyway. I haven't used a shelter since the 80's, I would rather look for my own place (within the legal guidelines, of course).

What if it's raining, you have been hiking all day and your tired. Also there is no place to set up a tent or very difficult to because of terrain or every other site is taken and there is definitely room in the shelter. How would you answer the poll under those circumstances. Sometimes the best made plans don't always work out.

I never count on staying at a shelter and don't like crowded shelters, especially when there isn't a friendly "we're all in this together" kind of vibe - so I would be most likely to move on.

Once this summer, I took a small group out on a two day backpacking trip. Since it was raining, I let the faster hikers go ahead, while I got soaked with the straggler. When I got to the shelter, one person in my group was without tent and was very distressed that none of the six people in an eight person shelter had taken her hints about needing space. While one in our group had already promised to share her tent in a pinch, neither really wanted to share the tent. I loudly reassured the woman without a tent that she had a right to a space in this eight person shelter, that of course the people in the shelter would make room for her - but that if she had any problems to let me know and I would make sure things worked out right. By the time I finished my speech a space had appeared in the shelter. I'm not sure if this was the best way to handle it.

I learned a lesson about being more assertive about double checking on the gear people bring.

I think a modified rule applies (or should apply) on the AT. If I'm in the shelter and it's getting filled up with through hikers, I'll gladly leave and pitch my tent to make room for more through hikers--especially if it's raining. I only have one more day in my weekend before I can get my stuff home and dry it out, but that isn't true for them.

Otherwise I've always enjoyed shelters.

I've always been lucky in meeting sheltermates who didn't even mind making room for the dog. At Taft Lodge on Mansfield two kids insisted on sleeping with Clio between them on the floor while we occupied the upper bunk. In the morning she played alarm clock by distributing kisses to everyone.

Unfortunately, I would not even consider sharing a shelter with strangers because inconsiderate slobs are far too common these days. The average person, even out in the forest, is no longer likely to be a decent, considerate fellow adult. It would be great to share with normal, civilized humans, but the atmosphere of camping out is too important to risk being compromized by grunts, and such could show up late when it would be a bummer to pick up and resettle elsewhere.

None of the above. I never use shelters, for the reasons that a poll like this exists.

We usually will move on, unless:
1) Theres room in there and the folks are cool.
2) It's raining and there's room.
3) 7 beauty queens are lost in the woods and there's room for 1 more person (Sorry Bird )

forestgnome said:

Unfortunately, I would not even consider sharing a shelter with strangers because inconsiderate slobs are far too common these days. The average person, even out in the forest, is no longer likely to be a decent, considerate fellow adult.

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Does'nt sound like you go camping in the same places I do....I have found just the opposite.

I agree with Skiguy.
I have never had a problem with Adirondack Lean-to's, or should I say, with the people who have been using the lean-to's. In fact, I have been lucky enough to say that my experience was more positive due to the interaction with new friends.

Does this mean that :

1. I am lucky?
2. Have too small a sample size?
3. The Adirondacks attract better people?
4. I have too a high tolerance level for jerks?
5. I am lying?

Or that I am such an ill-mannered boor that virtually anyone seems like a nice person?

Neil said:

I agree with Skiguy.
I have never had a problem with Adirondack Lean-to's, or should I say, with the people who have been using the lean-to's. In fact, I have been lucky enough to say that my experience was more positive due to the interaction with new friends.

Does this mean that :

1. I am lucky?
2. Have too small a sample size?
3. The Adirondacks attract better people?
4. I have too a high tolerance level for jerks?
5. I am lying?

Or that I am such an ill-mannered boor that virtually anyone seems like a nice person?

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Or could it be that like attracts like? If you are a kind, decent human and go out there expecting people to be the same, it's likely that's what you'll find.