Stupid, stupid question. Please don’t flame me too bad.
Mice. I know they have squatters rights in most of the shelters. Question: how bad are they if you sleep in the tent? I suppose they like the warmth and protection of the shelter and probably spend most of their time there. I ask because I hate…HATE rodents. I’ll put up with them if I have to.
Thanks
Aslan
Forget my post everyone. I just did a search on mice and was inudated with all the good stuff. I am tenting!
Aslan
I like the mice if there aren’t too many of them. I left my spoon out by mistake the last time I was at Hawk Mountain shelter, and the two mice there tried to run away with it, but couldn’t get it into their holes (too big), so they just put their little front feet on it and ran across the floor with it about 5 or 6 times. I was cracking up.
Oracle
There not to bad sauted with some ramps and squeeze butter.
Tent away from shelters as the mice do wander around at night. They aren’t bad in cold weather or the fall when there is plenty of food. I have been raided several times away from shelters while tenting and had one come in the door of my tent one night in the Smokies. Remember the mice live in the woods where are merely visiting.
Darth Packman
awww…they kinda become like your family dog after awhile. simply cute and entertaining. once on Blood Mtn. it was pretty cold and snowy and i woke up the next morning with two of em cuddled up in the bottom of my bag. they were just trying to get warm like me. hey! you know those “mouse trapeze” things that are supposed to keep them out of your food bag? how much fun is it to watch them swing around on those things? :lol “look mom! no net!”
roadie
Aslan. I don’t like mice either. I try to stay in a tent at all times. I will stay about 20 yards from the shelter and have never had a problem. I once set up my tent in the Standing Indian Shelter to get away from the mice. No problem with the mice, I did hang up my food bags outside the tent. I know this is not a very good practice and will never do it again. 
When I do stay in a shelter, the mice keep me up all night. I just keep thinking one of them will be joining me in my bag or running over my face. I know that the shelter is theirs after dark and try to give them their due.
Bilko
I agree with Bilko. I just can’t get a sound sleep with them scurrying around. I’ve had them rummaging through my pack, run over my sleeping bag (with me in it),& jump on my head. I know it’s not rational but I JUST CAN’T STAND THEM!
I love the convenience of a shelter, but I’ll take a tent anytime.
Twizzler
C.S. Lewis would be ashamed of me! :oh
Seriously…I hate the critters. But I am sure I could co-exist if I had to. Still…unless it is a driving rain I plan on tenting. But I would much rather deal with the mice than rats!
A friend of mine has a family cabin at the apex of Peter’s Mtn., PA (about 15 yards off the trail…underneath the new walking bridge). I’ve spent the night there a few times and it was crawling with mice. One could only imagine what it is like out in their environs.
Aslan
In their environs, Asian? Heck, their environs are everywhere. There is probably one under your chair right now, and his sister is waiting in bed for you.
Bob J
I wouldnt be afraid of the mice, I am VERY afraid of bears. They frighten the willies out of me like none other. I can live with the mice in the shelters as long as it keeps me safe from the bears.
:boy
Mr. Peppers
Peppers, afraid of bears? Black bears love a handout. You can’t prevent mice from running over you, but you can semi-control bear activity. Funny how the bears don’t bother me but the mice do.
Aslan