Tent necessary for thru?

[Tom Murphy]

Wet dogs with muddy paws walking and laying down on other hikers' $300 down sleeping bags in the shelter will make you the least popular jackass out there, and deservedly so.

I didn't know why people were being anti-dog until I read this post. Yeah, I would be pissed off if this happened to my bag. And I would blame the owner, not the dog.

[Ladytrekker]

I would never assume it is OK for a dog in a shelter and I want my own private sleeping quarters. When I have been at shelters with plenty of room I still sleep in my tent.

[BobTheBuilder]

I didn't know why people were being anti-dog until I read this post. Yeah, I would be pissed off if this happened to my bag. And I would blame the owner, not the dog.

I couldn't agree more - I love dogs and have had them my whole life.

[vamelungeon]

I can't imagine being inside a cramped backpacking tent with a wet dog when he shaked himself dry.

[Sir-Packs-Alot]

... that sounds like a scene from an upcoming sequel to the John Candy movie - "The Great Outdoors" !

I can't imagine being inside a cramped backpacking tent with a wet dog when he shaked himself dry.

[deeddawg]

I would never assume it is OK for a dog in a shelter

You sound like a considerate dog owner.

One never knows who might be allergic to dogs, or have an irrational fear of dogs due to some childhood trauma. ...and even if you ask, is that one person really going to speak up alone when the others say "sure, no problem!"?

[jersey joe]

I would never assume it is OK for a dog in a shelter and I want my own private sleeping quarters. When I have been at shelters with plenty of room I still sleep in my tent.

That being said, If I were in a shelter, I wouldn't assume that someone might not show at the sheter with a dog and want to stay.

If you are staying in a shelter, you aren't allowed to be picky and choose who stays with you. Even snoring humans, dogs, mice, smelly people, etc.

If you want to control your environment, bring a tent.

[Rocket Jones]

If you are staying in a shelter, you aren't allowed to be picky and choose who stays with you. Even snoring humans, dogs, mice, smelly people, etc.

I agree with everything you said, but if the filthy, wet hiker lifts his leg on my bag, I'm kicking his $*#&@! And the average hiker is slightly more civilized than the average dog.

[hikerboy57]

the dogs are never to blame, its the pwners. I love dogs myself, but never comfortable when an unleashed dog comes running toward me. I dont have the owners knowledge that the dog is "freindly". I have no problem with a well mannered dog sleeping next to me in a shelter, but I prefer a tent anyway. its cleaner quieter no bugs and no mice running across my head in the middle of the night.I would definitely carry a tent in case the Shelter People dont share your love of dogs. as far as bringing your dog on a thru hike, does your dog have any experience with long distance trails. they can be very rough on his feet, no dogs are allowed in the smokies, bear mtn musem, and the trails in the whites and western maine can be very, very difficult for a dog.I met a SOBO last year in the mahoosucs, and her dog whimpered all night from the tough stretch of trail they had just completed.it made me think maybe the AT isnt the best place for a dog.

[CrumbSnatcher]

the AT is a very rugged trail for dogs,best to leave them at home(THRUHIKES/NOT SECTION HIKING) if it works out well enough.
if you bring the pooch, i would try to stay out of the shelters for the most part of the journey. dogs in my opionion are much more relaxed and comfortable in your tent/tarp or just outside your tent/tarp
slightly away from the shelter and all the extra noise and distractions. the ground is going to be much more comfortable,than those ole' hard wood floors, sleeping pad or not! sepecially on thier hips!
no chance of someone stepping on your dog at night(hurting a paw or worse) in the shelter. and even the distraction of multi-people getting up at night to piss or whatever? i would bet most dogs don't sleep thru all the noise's in the night, even though they are dog tired :-) what ever you do HYDH and have a great medicine/vitamin kit for the pooch, along with good flea/tick prevenatives,including a flea collar. toys/snacks DON'T EVER MAKE A DOG CARRY WATER :-( and don't kill the dog would be cool too!

[Lone Wolf]

the AT is a very rugged trail for dogs,best to leave them at home(THRUHIKES/NOT SECTION HIKING) if it works out well enough.
if you bring the pooch, i would try to stay out of the shelters for the most part of the journey. dogs in my opionion are much more relaxed and comfortable in your tent/tarp or just outside your tent/tarp
slightly away from the shelter and all the extra noise and distractions. the ground is going to be much more comfortable,than those ole' hard wood floors, sleeping pad or not! sepecially on thier hips!
no chance of someone stepping on your dog at night(hurting a paw or worse) in the shelter. and even the distraction of multi-people getting up at night to piss or whatever? i would bet most dogs don't sleep thru all the noise's in the night, even though they are dog tired :-) what ever you do HYDH and have a great medicine/vitamin kit for the pooch, along with good flea/tick prevenatives,including a flea collar. toys/snacks DON'T EVER MAKE A DOG CARRY WATER :-( and don't kill the dog would be cool too!

y'all listen to crumb. he's the best dog owner/hiker that walked the AT. he never let his girl sit outside dot's while he was in drinking beer for hours like most other hikers with dogs.

[CrumbSnatcher]

y'all listen to crumb. he's the best dog owner/hiker that walked the AT. he never let his girl sit outside dot's while he was in drinking beer for hours like most other hikers with dogs.

i appreciate the kind words LW. i never saw my dog as a dog, she was always my best friend. hell, one year we went thruhiking just cause we couldn't find a place to rent!,reckless ass kids ok,but no dogs. :-) met alot of great people on the trails over the years, but never tried to keep up with them at my dogs exspense. we hiked her hike, **** load of night hikes to keep her cool! big o hairy black dog(chow/lab) would shave her once during the hike. out of all the miles we did,i only ever pushed her too hard one time, but i can't seem to forget it, it still troubles me today.

[DLANOIE]

Plain and simple me and my lab ward are thruing in march, is a tent necessary. My plan is to take advantage of the shelters and hostels along the way. How many nights could I be shelterless if I were to not bring a tent.

If "yes you need a tent" then wha tent would be good for me and my 80 pnd lab.

I would NEVER bring my dog on a long distance, multi month hike. I also would never bring my dog inside a shelter even empty or a hostel without permission from the owners FIRST. But you do what you want to do. Hike your dogs hike and have fun.

[4thandgoal]

So as my first response was promptly deleted, I will only ask the question in defense of hikers with dogs. What is the big deal about dogs on the trail? Too many hikers think that the trail belongs to them. Sure, your space in a shelter may be yours while your there but dang. I would be more than happy to share space with a dog over some of you guys anyday. I would never think to make people feel bad for wanting to hike with their dog. On the bright side, i know that most of us are better than that. Hikers with dogs should not be the black sheep.

[Wobegon]

What is the big deal about dogs on the trail? Too many hikers think that the trail belongs to them. Sure, your space in a shelter may be yours while your there but dang. I would be more than happy to share space with a dog over some of you guys anyday. I would never think to make people feel bad for wanting to hike with their dog. On the bright side, i know that most of us are better than that. Hikers with dogs should not be the black sheep.

Like others have said, it's not that there's a dog, it's that several of the dogs on the AT are poorly trained and looked after by their owners. Several times I had dogs run up on me (from ahead or behind) with no leash and sometimes no collar. No owner in sight. This is against the rules. Commonly the owners would come up and THEN hook up their dog to a leash.

As far as shelters go, these are built for PEOPLE. Improperly cared for dogs are messy, and I HAVE seen poorly-behaved dogs crawl all over hikers and their gear while the owner just laughs. I've seen people turned away from shelters because a dog is taking up a space that should have been for a person. Some people are allergic as well. There was a southbound Weimaraner this year by the name of "Bash" that bit 6 people before the hiker wised up that this was a dumb idea.

I don't mind dogs on the trail, but very few I saw were well-behaved, and very few owners consistently tented or used their own shelter, kept the dog leashed, kept the dog out of the water sources, and picked up after them.

[CrumbSnatcher]

So as my first response was promptly deleted, I will only ask the question in defense of hikers with dogs. What is the big deal about dogs on the trail? Too many hikers think that the trail belongs to them. Sure, your space in a shelter may be yours while your there but dang. I would be more than happy to share space with a dog over some of you guys anyday. I would never think to make people feel bad for wanting to hike with their dog. On the bright side, i know that most of us are better than that. Hikers with dogs should not be the black sheep.

nothing better than having a well looked after,spoiled,well fed,healty dog on the journey! my pooch and me stayed in quite a few shelters over the years, they were almost always empty or filled with people that knew my dog,and welcomed her with open arms! if we were in a shelter, she usually had both or ended up with both of are sleeping pads for comfort, with a open sleeping bag as a blanket. that being said, whenever we were in a shelter and hikers kept coming,or i knew more would/were going to show up, we went and set up the tent.
she was always happier laying in the grass anyway chewing on sticks :-)

[Tim51]

If you're bringing a damn dog, especially one that is nearly as big as some of the women on the trail, you'd better bring a tent.

i second this.

[Gambit]

If you have ever gone out for a few nights you would know the answer to this. You might get stuck between shelters because of injuries, foot problems or over estimating your mileage because of rough terrain. The shelters are always over crowded during the "thru season". How much backpacking experience do you have.? It always amazes me that people plan a thru hike and never spent a night on the trail.

Dori, do not compromise my experience. I am an Eagle Scout, an engineering graduate, and have humped 1200 miles to prepare for my thru hike, its only walking woman get over it. I am sad to say that there are alot of true ######## along the trail and it seems that some migrate their frustrations from the trail, to the forum. Dont be so eager to deal out judgement. Yvon Chouinard: "If you go in an ******* your gunna leave an *******".

As for everyone else with positive comments I thank you, and see you on the trail!

[Terry7]

The reason most people bring dogs is because they are scared of bears. Now your saying thats not me but down deep you know its true. I worried about bears my first long A.T. hike 5 years ago. I have hiked aleast 5000 miles over the last 5 years on the A.T. and I am starting a hike from Harpers Ferry to Damascus next week. If you see a bear be thankful that you were lucky enough to see one. I love dogs but you will be better off leaving them at home.

[CrumbSnatcher]

The reason most people bring dogs is because they are scared of bears. Now your saying thats not me but down deep you know its true. I worried about bears my first long A.T. hike 5 years ago. I have hiked aleast 5000 miles over the last 5 years on the A.T. and I am starting a hike from Harpers Ferry to Damascus next week. If you see a bear be thankful that you were lucky enough to see one. I love dogs but you will be better off leaving them at home.

my dog was always very quite,and stayed by my side. whenever she paused/froze, it was cause she was locked in on something! i saw more bears and wildlife because she was with me :-)