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Re: [AT-L] down & going tentless
At 10:17 AM 9/23/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Second point, no tent. A light tent is an absolute essential for camping in
>the east where the weather is so damp. In most areas off the AT there are no
>shelters. Where there are shelters, you may well find them filled - even in
>winter. A tent is warmer than a shelter. The mice won't keep you awake all
>night. It gives you much needed flexibility. (I once hiked 24 miles in the
>rain because I wasn't carrying a tent, I finally arrived at the shelter and
>it was full!) What happens if you don't feel comfortable with one of the
>people in the shelter (i.e. hoods in the woods, or party crowds)? Without a
>tent, you have little choice but to stay. This can be very dangerous.
>
Jim, you have convinced me to carry a tent some time ago on this list. I
never had much problem without one though. I backpacked some 700 miles of
the trail without a tent including the 100 mile wilderness for 10 days. I
concede that I have been lucky. In fact it seems to rain on me a lot more
since I started carrying one. I used to go with a shelter or bust attitude
though and now I feel more free to stop when I feel like it.
There are sections with more than enough shelters though and a new found
nightmare is waking up to rain. I really hate stuffing and packing a wet
tent. Gear is always about trade offs, isn't it?
AT2000
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