Originally Posted by
MamaBear
When we did the LT last year, we used the tent three times from MA to Rt. 4, twice due to the shelters being full - we were in competition with the AT thru's for space and actually didn't mind tenting. The third time was due to the mosquitos, and the tent was a better option. On the section from Rt. 4 to Canada, we didn't use the tent at all. In fact, we downsized our tent from a 2 person to a roomy 1 person (we're both small people, at this point) for the second half, to save a little carry weight. There are plenty of shelters and less hikers in the northern half.
That said, I would recommend at least carrying a tarp and knowing how to set it up to provide yourself some shelter in the event you get stuck in a bubble for a few days or are out when there are college groups/boy scouts/etc. Depending on timing, in August, you might run in to larger groups, like college orientation trips.