I hate freakin’ mice. I’ve read in some AT books that they are an annoyance at these AT shelters. They eat away your pack, they crawl around your sleeping bag, etc. Are mice really that bad at these shelters? I hate to sound like a wuss, but I’m going to be starting a 3 month AT hike in about a week and I need my rest each night. I’d rather just sleep in my tent than deal with these pests. What da ya think?
WFU Hiker
Yes i’m afraid that there are mice in AT shelters. Some are a lot worse than others. I would definately take a tent to get away from these little guys. They are especially bad in the shelters down south before the snakes take up residence, under the shelters, and eat a lot of them.
Grampie
Don’t stay near shelters if you don’t like mice. Shelters do have mice problems most of the time. You can usually tell how bad the mice are by counting tun cans hanging from the ceiling.
Darth pacman
Mice are all over, not just at the shelters. However at the shelters we have educated mice, that is they have learned that hanging around the shelters is a good way to get a meal from humans, from the crumbs they leave, from the free offerings they are sometimes given, and from what they can steal (since their taste now includes human food and they like it). So tent well away from shelters, 100’s of yards away at least, and you will still have mice, but not educated mice and they will generally leave you alone. Also at shelters they can be thick due to the abundance of food and scraps. Out aways from shelters, they (the mice) are more scattered out and will bother you less and you’ll see a lot less of them. Oh yes, at established campsites they can be bad too for the same reasons. Keep on hiking.
Maintain
Your choices are basically this. If you sleep in a shelter, then expect mice, and deal with it. Or, sleep away from the shelter using your tent/tarp/hammock and don’t have nearly the problem.
Peaks
Thanks for the advice guys. Is 1/2 mile away from the shelter a far enough distance not to be bothered by mice? My whole point is that I want to be close enough to a shelter if there is a severe thunderstorm but far enough away so not to be bothered by mice.
WFU Hiker
I’ve slept in shelters often and have only rarely had problems with mice. Only a handfull of nights have the little buggers really been active. hang your food and anything that smells like it from a mouse hanger in the shelter. The mice don’t want you, they want your food. They usually won’t come near you, especially your head.
…of course there are exceptions to every mouse…
Point is, it ain’t that bad. Shelters are nice when you feel lazy. Someone else’s snoring is usually worse than any mouse. I never had any mouse damage the entire trail (or on any subsequent section hikes for that matter).
Anyway, yes, 0.5 mi is plenty. I’ve never seen a mouse run 0.5 mi and I would expect that mice, and especially shelter mice, would roam no further than 100 yard radius (seeing as they’ll get all of the scraps they need while they’re there. 0.5 mi should be plenty for mice, but watch out for the larger rodents (squirrels, raccoons, etc.) and mammals.
Have a fun hike. Try out a few shelters to find out for yourself.
-Howie
Hungry Howie
My cousin and I section hiked the trail from Springer last Sept. My cousin awoke to the sensation that something was nibbling on his mustache. Seems like there was just enough smell of noodles and sauce on his mustache to entice a mouse for a midnight snack. He swatted it away only to wake later to the mouse (or one of his padners) again snacking on his mustache. Mice, you gotta love them!
Zydecajun
are what we’d call “wise guys” or “comedians” in the city. They like to run across hiker’s faces at night and poop in their snoring traps just for funs. You can often hear them up in the rafters, yukking it up and laughing their tails off about how this hiker jumped out of his skin and about scoring a “hole in one” (the mouse who pulls off the latter stunt wins the “Arnold Palmer” award of the night). Others shred up the finest pack in the shelter so they can sell the fleece to their neighbors, who use it for nest lining and warmth on cold nights. So beware, some mice are nice but others are nothing but trouble.
Jumble Jowls
I agree completely with what Jumble Jowls said. In fact while going through the ATC archives I found out the truth. Many of the older shelters on the AT were actually built by mice to exploit the population explosion of hikers.
Blue Jay
You all mean “microbears!” If you offer them a gift (small pile of food) they’ll leave you alone! (Right!)
Le
If I wanted to tent all the time, and avoid the mice-infested shelters altogether, how often along the AT will I be legally limited to just the shelters - or designated campsites (like in the Smokies)?
jim
As a Thruhiker, you are permitted to tent within sight of a shelter in the Smokies if the shelter is full. Luckily, during thruhiker season, this happens alot (Sringbreakers).
Other places of limitation include the Whites in NH where there are pay shelters/ tent platforms (there are still a few free sites), and in Baxter St Park at the end (or beginning).
Anyhwere else, with few exceptions (easements, private property, etc) you’re free to camp where you want.
-Howie
Hungry Howie
MICROBEARS?? Man I gotta remember that one. So far as shelter mice go, hey, the shelter snakes gotta have somethin’ to eat (like the 4 foot sucker under the Wesser Bald Shelter)
Saluki Dave
The main problem I had with mice was them getting into my food bag even though it was hanging from the bear cables(when they had them). I think I’ll try some 20lbs test fishing line between the cable hook and my food bag’s drawstring on my next section hike. Hopefully it will be too slippery or small for the mice to climb down on…
Any other suggestions?
Nooga