Really... no tenting in SNP

[Another Kevin]

Small-footprint is a definite advantage. I thought of this site as a near-perfect stealth site. I couldn't stand up under the hemlock branches, so I wound up pitching the tent on my hands and knees. But it was out of sight of the trail, below 3500 feet (a requirement in New York), the duff was deep and cushiony, and I slept like a rock. (The tent wasn't that saggy when I pitched it. Wet nylon stretches. I was about to break camp when I took the picture, so I didn't bother retensioning it.) Since all I was doing at that site was sleep, I didn't need a lot of room to spread out. I waited to have breakfast until I came to a spot with a nicer view.
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I agree with Slo-go'en that if you want solitude, a National Park is not the best place to find it.

I was really astonished at that NPS guideline. In wilderness or Wild Forest areas in NY, the rule is AT LEAST 50 yards from anything: trail, shelter (on DEC lands, camping in the immediate vicinity of a shelter is a no-no), water, cultural site, ... and 200 feet or more is strongly recommended. 20 yards in open woods might still be very much in plain sight.

In the balsam and spruce up Slo-go'en's way, designated sites are pretty much all there is. I can recall a trip with Elf where we pitched in the hole left by a blowdown, because everything else that we'd seen all day was spruce, viburnum, cliff or beaver swamp. (This was an off-trail outing, bagging three or four Catskill summits.) But there have been many times in the North Country that I've had a designated site all to myself. It's a different game when you aren't on a big-name trail.

[QiWiz]

I've done the SNP 3 times and always tented. I did however use a 1 person tent though, but still don't see how using a 4 person tent would be a problem.

The bigger the tent, the more potential problem there is finding a large enough area to set up. To me the difference between a 2 person and a 4-person tent is big. Literally. That said, I'm sure you can make it work if you need to.

[Slo-go'en]

The Red sack is about 20 yards from the trail in this picture. Your still quite visible from the trail, but at least you can get an idea if it's possible to set up a tent at that distance.
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[Red Cinema]

had a few questions for you. i plan on hammocking as well during my thru hike. would you recommend a hammock cover to prevent heat loss from wind underneath? also a sleeping mat to lay inside the hammock or is that not necessary? curious on how warm it kept you as well. thank you.

Much depends here on the details: time of hike? what's your rain fly like--does it have doors, can you pitch it so the bottom edge is at or near the ground? Is your insulation more than what you'd need for expected temps, or just about what you need?

Generally speaking, SNP has a lot of places where elevation is significant, and that leads to wind. I did most of the SNP earlier this year and found it necessary to pitch carefully several nights. If I'd had a cover I could have spent less time optimizing my tarp pitch.

And if you find yourself at the end of your day about here. . .

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[jj dont play]

The 4 person tent will make it hard but there is definitely plenty of tenting opportunities. Not always ideal but that applies to the majority of the AT.


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[FreeGoldRush]

Is there an advantage to going smaller than a two person tent? I was considering the Z-Packs Duplex but may go smaller simply with the hope of having more options on where to set it up. Is this a reasonable consideration for a thru hiker?

[mikec]

When I sectioned SNP I stayed at the shelters a few nights and and the campgrounds a few nights. 3 places that I camped were on the ridge just south of the Elk Wallow Wayside (the next morning we had to hike a mile or so and had 'Egg Sandwiches (with Meat)'; a sloped hill just north of Pinnacles picnic area that was not very good; and a nice hidden area just past the spring at Mount Marshall (This was a really nice site).