Do I need a tent or a hammock in Smokies?

[dlittle]

Doing threes days/2 mights and have shelter reservations.

Do Ireally need to bring my tent or hammock?

[STICK]

IMO, you should always have some sort of shelter in your pack on overnight trips. You never know what will happen. Although, setting up tents or hanging hammocks are not allowed unless the shelter is full. (Even so, I am not sure of the rules of using a hammock in the park. Maybe someone else will chime in or you can call and discuss it with the rangers. I can say I have seen a ranger tell 2 hikers to take their hammocks down from inside a shelter...) Saying this, you (and everyone else) should have a reservation to stay at all the shelters in the GSMNP, so this really only applies to thru hikers on the AT...

For my hike coming up I am taking a poncho tarp. It is both my rain gear, and an emergency shelter if something were to happen to me on the trail. I do not anticipate using it at the shelters since I have reservations. (Although I understand that things happen.)

Be prepared.

[Skid.]

You cannot pitch one anyway, legally (or logistically in most areas). I did the northern 35 miles last month, had a shelter reservation and therefore did not carry a tent, other than one of those 'emergency shelters'. Worked fine for me.

[Rain Man]

Do Ireally need to bring my tent or hammock?

Yes. You always need emergency shelter. You could be injured or become sick and not make it to a shelter. Or, you could get to a shelter and find it full and the self-centered jerks who do NOT have reservations won't move out. They can't be bothered to follow the rules, so they tell you to "go jump."

Just be prepared for the unexpected, in other words.

Rain Man

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[Wise Old Owl]

You cannot pitch one anyway, legally (or logistically in most areas). I did the northern 35 miles last month, had a shelter reservation and therefore did not carry a tent, other than one of those 'emergency shelters'. Worked fine for me.

Interesting - how did you do in that? I read about the disappointment from product testers but they lived to tell the taie....