Backpacking in the southeast?

Hi Sanad, Yesterday I just got back from a 3 day hike on the AT in the Smokies. My Buddy and I ran into only 4 other hikers out there at the shelters and none of them had tents with them, their plan was to stay at the shelters, so no tents, tarps, or bivies required. So, Yes, weekend hikers sometimes go without any shelter and it is generally no problem. I personally always carry a tent because I want to have options. I am a very light sleeper and sleeping in close proximity to others can involve snorers, smokers, loud people, people getting up, making noise at night, etc so it just results in a miserable night of sleep for me. Other people I know are heavy sleepers and it is a total non-issue for them. I always take a tent so I have the option of sleeping near but not in the shelter. It works great for me.

I always take a tent so I have the option of sleeping near but not in the shelter. It works great for me.

Until you get a fine. :-)

"Until you get a fine. :-)"

True Chris. I always have to carefully weigh the options. "Hmmmm…Pay the fine, or sleep with those guys…Hmmm…pay the fine or sleep with those guys…Let's see, how much cash do I have on me…?"

I understand. I don't even know how serious the Rangers are about it, I just like to make sure people know they're taking the risk.

I would recommend taking at least a bivy even if you plan to stay at shelters because of the safety factor. Injury, changes in weather, & fatigue can all alter the best of plans. Also, the AT thru the GSMNP is easier to hike SB compared to NB. Also realize that the altitude will slow you down as you live near sea level. On the Georgia AT I average about 2.7 MPH. In the GSMNP last Labor Day weekend I averaged 1.9 MPH, hiking NB.

Well, I got back to Florida this morning around 5 am. This was an incredible hike. It was me and two other hikers. We completed the hike on schedule. Left Thursday night and got to Fontana Dam right on time for our shuttle at 8 am Friday Morning. Because of our shuttle driver's recommendation, we ended up starting at Cosby Knob instead of Davenport Gap. First day it started raining hard around 5, so we stayed in Tricorner Knob instead of the intended Pecks Corner. That was probably the coldest night, a ranger told me it was probably in the high 30s. On Saturday we went from Tricorner Knob to Mount Collins. On Sunday we went from Mount Collins to Spence Field. This was probably our toughest day… the climb right before Thunderhead mountain was pretty much straight up. On Monday we went from Spence Field to Fontana Dam where my truck was parked.

This was a very fun hike. The biggest mistake I made was over estimate how tough my feet are. I took only my Vibram Fivefingers KSOs for this trip… oh how I regret this decision. I didn't realize how rocky the terrain would be in these mountains. Needless to say, my feet are probably 3 times their original size now, and will need a couple of days to recover. I will post another thread in the trip reports section once my buddies send me the pictures from their cameras. We also took a few videos which I will need to figure out how to post or at least link to. Now… I have to get back to nursing my poor abused feet.

-Sid

Great area. Glad you had a blast. Looking forward to the pictures.

Brad