I just replied to littlerocks yellow springs thread about ignoring shelter sites which got me to thinking. A lot of folks wish the shelters were not there. But they are and always will be.
So on both my LDH's this year, I more or less excluded the shelters as nightly stops and chose camp sites that made sense with my day. The end result was more MPD, less annoyance of the cliental at shelters and overall I had a real great experience with that mentality. I would make sure that before I stopped I would have both smart water bottles filled up, and as well I carried a 2 liter sawyer bladder so I could fill that up if water was a couple miles prior to the tent site and then I had a full refill for the AM before leaving camp.
I also am now on the mindset of - If I am carrying this tent I am gunna use it every chance that I legally can. Which is another reason for the above mentality.
I know from personal experience that people use the shelter sites out of fear. Knowing that they probably will not be alone, there will be water there, whatever reason. But if people can break from that and dry camp, or use tenting sites - it may benefit them.
Thoughts? Can others relate?