Clarification Needed on Camp Site Selection...

[Meenkya]

Leaving in two freaking days, with daughter, to do HMW nobo!!!....Did I mention how psyched we are!!! First use of dancing banana, seemed appropriate, I apologize .

I've seen the term 'stealth camping' and assume that's for parks that require you to camp at designated sites.

In the HMW, do you have to stay omly at the shelters? It seems from more than one reference that camping away from them is a much better experience due to mice, rude/smelly/humans, incredible view/site etc. I feel more inclined to not use the shelter simply due to a chronic reduction of patience over the years, lol, the other reasons all seem like bonuses to me. Is it okay, leaving the LNT principle of course, to camp away from the designated shelters? Baxter excluded, I already have a lean to reserved....ironically

Thanks all again for this invaluable site.....

[map man]

In that part of Maine you do not need to stay at shelters -- only in Baxter State Park do you need to stay at designated spots, as you already noted. The word "stealth" is confusing because different people use it differently. Some use it to mean camping away from designated spots when that is against regulations. Some use it to mean any time you are camping away from designated spots, whether it is against regulations or not. And some use it to mean simply camping out of sight of the trail where you are not seen, whether it is against regulations or not.

[Turtle-2013]

I don't really like or use the phrase stealth camping, since it implies something illegal, and has come into common usage to mean camping anywhere along the trail that isn't an officially designated campsite. I prefer the phrase backcountry camping, or even LNT camping (leave no trace), or several other similar phrases.

There are a few sections of the trail that do not allow backcountry camping like NJ, NY, and GSMNP, but most sections are either "open" or just have rules like, distance from roads, or structures, or water, or specific areas closed. To my recollection the 100MW has a few "do not camp" areas but is mostly open to backcountry camping.

Have fun in the 100 ... and if you need detailed info about the 100MW ... catch up with Helitrope here on WB ... he is a wealth of info for the 100MW!!!!

That said, shelters and the area around shelters are not nearly as bad as they are sometimes protrayed to be. When I did the 100MW I stayed in shelters two nights, in my trap-tent near a shelter one night, and backcountry camped the other 4 nights. ...but if shelters had been available where I needed them, and they had had room, I would have likely stayed every night.

[TKE402]

I did the HMW a couple of years ago. There are "Stealth" spots very frequent on the trail. They are not that stealth as you can see them in plain site. There is only one or two areas that I recall that requires to comp at designated areas. I believe it was around Katadyn Iron Works section? There are signs explaining such so don't worry. I highly recommend staying at some "stealth" sites. When I planned my hike the shelter location dictated my mileage everyday. Once on the trail and I noticed the abundance of spots my shelter anxiety decreased as there were spots seemingly everywhere. Just hike until your tired and I'm sure you will find a spot!

Chris

[Turtle-2013]

correction ... Heliotrope ... I spelled his WB name wrong....

[Meenkya]

Thanks for the info, simple enough...

[Slo-go'en]

Thanks for the info, simple enough...

Maybe not. There are a few well established tent sites between shelters as noted in the AWOL guide. These are mostly at the fords and a couple are at ponds. Finding a good spot to tent along the side of the trail is hit or miss, mostly miss. Especially when it's getting dark.

[Berserker]

Maybe not. There are a few well established tent sites between shelters as noted in the AWOL guide. These are mostly at the fords and a couple are at ponds. Finding a good spot to tent along the side of the trail is hit or miss, mostly miss. Especially when it's getting dark.

Agreed. I have not yet done the HMW, but I have done the rest of ME. In general, it depends on if you want to hang out in camp or not. If you want to hang out a bit it's going to be easier to use established sites as they'll be more open and are usually "drier" (i.e. located on higher ground and less muddy) when it's raining. Most of the shelters South of the HMW have room near them for multiple tents to be set up, and some of them actually have tent pads and/or platforms. So I would assume the HMW is the same. One thing I noticed about ME is that between the shelters and official camp site areas there are other established spots here and there. Other than those one could camp off the side of the trail, but I didn't see a lot of places where this could be easily done. When it rains water seemingly comes out of everywhere. At any rate, have fun.