[at-l] Full Shelters in the Smokies

[lparker@cacaphony.net (L. Parker)]

> Jim Lynch wrote:
> >I'm 60; I remember trenching.  Pup tents, no floors, two scouts and a
> >scout master, pouring rain.  Ah, the memories!
>
>
> I remember trenching, too.  Using floorless tents was an interesting
> experience in a heavy rain.
>
> Unfortunately some people still use it.  We ran into it in northern
> Callifornia a couple years ago.  And I've seen some of it on
> the East coast
> over the last 5 years.

I remember trenching also. Except it is not as much of a relic as we would
perhaps like to think. I was in the Smokies a few years ago, and it rained
(doesn't it always?). Anyway, the campsite was situated rather poorly on a
steep hill leading down to the stream with the water from most of the
mountain above coming by the front doors of our tents.

I was luckier than the others, I had actually pitched my tent ON TOP of a
huge hump of rock projecting about four inches above the surrounding ground.
One of the other members of our group found a relatively flat space of
ground that was actually out of the flow path due to a small natural swale
guarding it. The last member was not so lucky.

At 2:00 am he was out of his tent digging a moat around it to deflect the
torrents of water running down upon him. He spent most of the night and most
of the next morning, miserable, cold and wet.

It should be noted that this was not a matter of poor tent site selection.
Of the 12 to 16 tent sites available, these were the three best. The problem
goes back to the campsite selection thread earlier this month. Other than
the availability of water, there was absolutely nothing to recommend this
spot as a campsite.

Of course, the opposite is also true, we had passed by our planned campsite
earlier in the day, precisely because the spring there was dry.

As long as there are these sorts of problems with campsite location and
layout, there will be nasty things like "trenching" and worse.

Lee I Joe