GSMNP hammocking???

Im planning a thru-hike in March-April, just got the companion book and my god its a read...and try to understand / remember rules, permits, camping.. he's me thinking it was going to be easy...left foot,, right foot,, left foot..

has anyone recently hammocked GSMNP / AT (with any problems)?
today I've read on websits, old / new forums and in the book.. the answers
No..
Yes..
only when the shelter is full, with permit, camp near the shelter..
400f from the AT..

so know I'm more confused...but I'm ok with the permit...ill be carrying a printer :)

any info happily received.

When you reach GSMNP you will need to aquire a permit. When I went through registered and paid online for the $20.00 thru hiker permit. I think that allows for up to five nights. I was through in three.

I purchased an inexpensive z-rest knock-off and used it for two nights. The last night the shelter was full and I gladly hung the hammock.

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cant use a hammock at the shelters in the Park....

Unless-----the shelter is full........


https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/manag...endium-all.pdf


that will give you the rules about it....

Leave the gun bring the canolli. Bring the hammock leave the printer. When you travel along the 2200 miles of the Appalachian Trail you will spend 6 or 7 nights in GSMNP. The National Park Service requires you to sleep in the shelters provided. If a shelter is full you are allowed to camp near the shelter. In the event that you will be camping we expect you to do the best you can with the equipment you have. That means that you set up your hammock as near as you can. It's best if you are within yelling distance. It's a bear thing. There are several places in the first 2 weeks of your trip South of GSMNP to print your permit. Make it part of the many problems you will solve along the trail.

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That means that you set up your hammock as near as you can.

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and not using the shelter to tie onto..............

thanks for the reply's big help... i will have a tarp too, this year I've been playing around with it as a tent setup, open/closed...was ok, much better between two trees :)
thanks

(this was the first question off many too follow..lol)

QUOTE=Goingforalittlewalk;2183422]thanks for the reply's big help... i will have a tarp too, this year I've been playing around with it as a tent setup, open/closed...was ok, much better between two trees :)thanks (this was the first question off many too follow..lol)[/QUOTE]

i have toyed with the same ground set up. Here is a video link:

https://youtu.be/fOzJlDYvG7s

I will also carry a Thermarest Z Lite Pad to get me through the Smokies / Shelters if forced to stay in them. It can also double as bottom insulation if I were t hit extreme.y cold night temps at the start of the Thru.

First thing to understand is that the rules of GSMNP is that a hammock is treated the same as a tent (so any rules regarding where and when you can and can not setup a tent applies to a hammock as well).

Second, to apply for a GSMNP 'Thru hiker permit', you must start and end your hike at least 50 miles beyond the boundaries of GSMNP.

If you don't qualify for a Thru hiker permit, then you must get a general backpacking permit. This permit requires that you obtain a reservation for each campsite or shelter you will camp at. This permit requires you to stay on your reserved itinerary, and where you have a reservation for a shelter, you must camp inside the shelter (i.e. no hammock).

If you do qualify for a Thru hiker permit, you are not tied to a specific itinerary. You simply must enter GSMNP within 30 days of obtaining your permit, and once you enter GSMNP, you have 8 days before you must leave. You can only camp at shelters along the AT (or campsite 113). You can not spend two nights in a row at the same shelter, and if there is room in the shelter, you must sleep in the shelter.

The way it is possible to hammock at a shelter is that during the thru hiker season, if more thru hikers stay at a shelter than there is room, the over-flow is allowed to tent (or hammock) near the shelter.

Yeah bud if you’re just doing the Smokies you’re pretty much shelter bound.

I thru’d this past year and had my neoair shipped to Fontana for me to pick up on my way into the Smokies.

I spent two nights in shelters, and two nights in my hammock.

Lots of people would just stand around at a shelter with full packs waiting for the shelter to get full so they could set their stuff up.

The third night I was hiking with a ranger and he looked at the roster for the shelter, how many people were there, and said just camp wherever you want.

The next night was a terrible storm and the shelter was overflowing with people and wet gear.

I set up in the storm and that was rough


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Cheers all...
That's why people are friendly at shelters. .. ' no..really you can have that last spot.. I insist' lol

I've used that setup before but I have a DD 3x3m tarp setup like this
https://goo.gl/images/D3ixEU

I saw no problem with using a hammock around any of the shelters I was at except they weren’t always full.

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any info happily received.

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It's not a mountain. It's a molehill.