sharing camp sites

[Little Rickie]

I hope the guy & gal at the Slide Brook campsite from last weekend are members and read this.

I was up last weekend with 2 other adults & two boys to hike Dix on Saturday and Macomb on Sunday. We hiked in Friday night in the dark. The camp site by Slide Brook only had one tent and they (the guy for sure) were not willing to share the campsite. We should have stayed anyway but the other two adults didn't want to create a tense situation in front of the boys. The best I got was a begrudgingly weak response of "I suppose so.", we I asked point blank.

We found a place to set up our tents, albeit illegle, just past the lean-to, which, I might add, had room for two and was willing to share.

Hay folks it's was a big holiday weekend for hiking & climbing. Lots of people in the woods. The're public campsites. If you two love birds wanted a place all to yourselves find a smaller place to set up your tent. Turning people away in the dark is poor form.

Other than that it was a glorious weekend. One adult and two of the kids bagged their first high peak on what was one of the best weekends I've hiked in a long time. I'm glad their first was on such a fine weekend.

In the car on the way home they all called home and the excitment in their voice as they talked about their experience was heart warming.

 

[woodstrider]

Sharing Camp sites

Well, it sound like the couple was totally in the wrong. I agree that if they wanted to have some privacy they should have hidden themselves away- like I do. They were probably rank beginners.

I think that you handled the situation very well. You demonstrated flexiblity and everyone had a good time- that's what it's all about.

 

[Tony]

Sharing or not

My favorite story about sharing campsites is still the one found in Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods."

 

[1ADAM12]

My favorite story about sharing campsites is still the one found in Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods."

Are you referring to the part where Kats (sp) took the shoelaces from the other hikers boots?

Rickie you and the other Scout leader set a good example for your scouts. If you had caused a scene like I probably would have you might have ruined the hiking expierences for the young adults.

You did good!

Adam

 

[NewHampshire]

Next time, as you walk away, simply say this "Well, I guess it is for the better anyways. There is a HUGE pile of bear s**t just over there, and judging by the pile he left he HAS to be hungry again!"

Brian

 

[J.Dub]

Next time, as you walk away, simply say this "Well, I guess it is for the better anyways. There is a HUGE pile of bear s**t just over there, and judging by the pile he left he HAS to be hungry again!"

Brian

.....or......


When they fell asleep, you could've crept quietly over to their campsite and snuck an open package of bacon into their tent.

I'm just sayin'...

 

[paul ron]

The nerve!

Now that really stinks!

There have been times I was sharing a lean-to with a buddy n we moved out to allow a small group, with kids, to have it. I always carry my tent, it only take a few minutes to pop up in the overflow site. We can move much faster with less trouble than dad can organize his group of kids. After all the kids will learn a greater lesson by our example, rather than of being a hard nose.

Pancake syrup on a tent works much better.

 

[bignslow]

We found a place to set up our tents, albeit illegle, just past the lean-to, which, I might add, had room for two and was willing to share.

At least you didn't try and go into the leanto, when we arrived Friday night there was a group of 2 with a tent set up inside. We had tents, but a leanto is always nice. I politely told them that we weren't coming in because we had tents, but it is against the rules and etiquette, and if we hadn't had tents we would have been making room that night.

 

[TCD]

I agree with the above, and I'm always happy to share as long as the people don't cause any problems (like major nightime noise).

I noticed that this thread is pretty unanimous in its agreement that sharing is good. I couldn't find it, but somewhere here, or maybe on ADKForum, there is another recent thread where the sentiment was 50/50, with some posters holding out that once they had "claimed" a site, it was a terrible offense for anyone to move in next to them...

I like this thread better...

 

[skiguy]

Always a difficult situation when one has had a great hike and you need to pull out the hat of diplomacy. It is unfortunate when you have to be put in this situation. On a recent hike to a shelter we were put in the same position with the tent in the leentoo thing and the person with the tent actually had the tent set up for their four dogs. Now I am a dog owner and lover but this was not what we were ready to deal with after a great day of hiking. Fortunately after hanging around for awhile and with some ergonomic sugestion the perportrator recinded some space.

 

[WinterWarlock]

But what a lesson to the Scouts, not only in diplomacy, but in being prepared for contingencies like this. I know a lot of folks who go out and assume they'll have access to a lean-to...these boys know better now. And as someone else mentioned, they saw the leaders grin and bear it and walk on.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

EDIT: I see there is also a poll on this question by skiguy: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25798

Is there any rule or legal precedent on claiming space? I'm sure there is some rule about overflow and how close you can camp to existing shelters or camping areas. I keep hearing how few legal backcountry sites there really are (in the Whites anyway.)

Sounds like there is a disagreement on the etiquette.

In this case I suspect the hump beast was planning an appearance and you spoiled those plans

Tim

 

[rhihn]

EDIT: I see there is also a poll on this question by skiguy: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25798

Is there any rule or legal precedent on claiming space? I'm sure there is some rule about overflow and how close you can camp to existing shelters or camping areas. I keep hearing how few legal backcountry sites there really are (in the Whites anyway.)

Sounds like there is a disagreement on the etiquette.

In this case I suspect the hump beast was planning an appearance and you spoiled those plans

Tim

This doesn't fully answer your question, but from DEC State Land Camping rules:


Lean-tos are available in many areas on a first come first served basis. Lean-tos cannot be used exclusively and must be shared with other campers.

From DEC's Lands and Forests regulations (190.6)

a. Open camps (lean-tos) may not be occupied by the same person or persons for more than three successive nights or for more than 10 nights in any one calendar year, provided others wish to use such camps.

b. The enclosure of the fronts of open camps is prohibited, except by tying canvas or nylon tarpaulins in place or erecting snow walls. The use of wood, nails, screws or other fasteners is prohibited.

c. The erection of tents in open camps is prohibited.

 

[WinterWarlock]

c. The erection of tents in open camps is prohibited.[/B]

So it looks like the hanky panky they had planned is not allowed after all...

 

[Little Rickie]

Could we please start using a word different than erection.

 

[moonrock]

The "couple" that inspired this thread were self-absorbed, thoughtless, and likely inexperienced (camping, anyway).
But there are many times when it's best to just roll with the waves.

On one solo trip in 2007, I packed in from the trailhead starting at 9 PM.
Heading toward Indian Pass, the first lean-to was occupied by a family (?) and two VERY loud, skittish dogs. There were several prospective tent sites nearby (some occupied). But I quickly realized this was a lose-lose situation; whatever sound I made over the course of that night would have set off the dogs - to the detriment of everybody within a half mile.
When I reached the next shelter, it was 10 PM and 3 dudes (dogless) were sleeping there. Even though I had every right to share the shelter, it seemed the better part of valor to quietly pitch my tent 50 yards (and a large boulder) away. No less so because: the shelter was a SAWMILL !
And had I arrived earlier, and accepted their hospitality (as offered the next day), I would have been in for a miserable, sleepless night.

MR

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Lean-tos are available in many areas on a first come first served basis. Lean-tos cannot be used exclusively and must be shared with other campers.

Who decides when one is full? Are their capacities posted to resolve this ?

I may be in a position to start camping in the next year or two so I am curious... and I'm not necessarily (nor particularly at this time) interested in NY.

Tim

 

[Toe Cozy]

I am all for sharing lean-tos up to maximum capacity and even slightly beyond capacity during inclement weather if you can work it out with everyone involved (i.e. people are willing to sleep like sardines).

Setting up a tent in a lean-to unless you are at a campground where it's one lean-to to a party is just rude.

However, for the people who arrive very late (i.e. after 9 or 10 pm. when often most hikers have turned in for the night (depending on the time of year and light in the sky, etc)) I think it is should be standard procedure for late arrivals to pitch a tent elsewhere. Is it not rude and inconsiderate to wake people, expect them to move, readjust when by 9 or 10pm they have assumed they had the space to themselves and went to sleep? If it was 10pm and folks rolled in to set up camp in the lean-to, waking me up, getting settled, etc. I'd be pretty annoyed. I suppose the logical thing is to provide space ahead of time, just in case. However, I think it is more considerate for the late arrivals to have alternate camping plans and expect that they will have to use them.

So, just like many things in life, I think there's room for consideration on either side of the situation.

 

[Little Rickie]

Good point TC.

So just for the record, the people we talked to were awake and sitting by a fire. Both the camp site and the lean-to. The two other tent sites that we checked out had people in tents and we assumed they were sleeping so we didn't disturb them.

This situation was more annoying and rude more than anything else. We had a great weekend. I (we) were prepared to and had no problem setting up and sleeping in tents, though we were concerned that if a ranger came by he would make us move.

 

[trailbiscuit]

Who decides when one is full?

There is ALWAYS room in a shelter.