[at-l] Re.: Shelter Etiquette

["Christopher Vreeland" <vreelanc@cooley.edu>]

Howdy Folks,

I would like to my personal "amen" to Wild Bill's answer #5 - 

>>5- What do you consider the worse infraction of shelter etiquette? >>
>>Bring wet muddy dogs into the shelter and letting them walk all over other 
>>hikers sleeping bag.

and to make a couple of suggestions in answer to question #3, - What shelter etiquette advice do you have for this year's ThruHiker class?

As a thru-hiker, you are not "entitled" to anything more than anyone else.    Showing up at a shelter an hour after dark and demanding a place in the shelter because you have hiked  a 19 mile day to get to Little Laurel  Shelter  (north out of Hot Springs) and don't carry a tent doesn't endear you to the folks who are sleeping there.  Perhaps carrying a tent or accepting the fact that on occasion you will arrive to a full shelter and need to hike some additional miles to get to a less than overflowing shelter is in order.    

A last little hint which I didn't really think of (and probably violated frequently) when I was doing my long distance hikes  (GA->PA '88 & PA-ME'89) -  make an effort to include the weekenders/short-termers in the conversation at the shelter.  On a long distance hike you develop a commaraderie  (sp?) with your fellow long distance hikers which may lead you to focus exclusively on what you and your fellows are doing.  Viewed from the outside, your actions can look a lot like snobbishness if others are not included - besides, weekenders usually carry better food  :->.

Have fun at the Ruck.

TTFN,

Chris



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