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Hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2022 and 2024... saw a scary difference in the shelters
Honestly, I did a thru-hike back in 2022 and then a shorter section hike last month around the Smokies. The amount of mouse droppings and torn up gear in the shelters was way worse just two years later. Folks are leaving food scraps everywhere and not using bear bags right. Has anyone else noticed shelters getting messier on popular routes lately?
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kevin_sullivan3mo ago
Wait, didn't the Smokies require bear canisters not bags?
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the_nathan3mo ago
Yeah you're right @kevin_sullivan, the Smokies switched to hard sided canisters a few years back. I learned that one the hard way actually. I showed up with an Ursack and a opsak liner and the ranger at Elkmont straight up told me it wouldn't cut it for the backcountry. They're real strict about it too, even for day hikers on some trails now. Best bet is to grab a BearVault or a Garcia canister, the rental places in Gatlinburg usually have them if you don't want to buy one.
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