Isle Royale Forums

Having a discussion with a friend about tents in shelters. I can not seem to find if there are any regs/rules regarding tents in shelters. I have never really understood why folks do that. If its windy or rainy put your tarp across the front but if you want to use tent go to a campsite and leave shelter for folks that want one. Its kinda hard to share shelter in time of need if you have a tent taking up most of the room. Its kinda like a sigh saying no room ,go away.

Page 8 of the Greenstone: "To minimize damage to vegetation, tents and hammocks may not be erected outside shelters; tents may be used inside shelters."
I always bring a tarp, a larger sil-nylon if paddling or a smaller polycro one I made for backpacking. Have also fashioned some hooks to facilitate hanging it up without screws or nails. Have never set up my tent inside.

I have put my tent up in a shelter once, when a very cold wind was blowing directly into the shelter and my tarp wasn't big enough to work. It had the additional advantage of allowing me to pack up the tent clean and dry the next morning to go home, but the main reason was for warmth. It did make a big difference! And, if it also deters people from asking to share "my" shelter, then that's ok in my book, as I am sufficiently introverted that having others move into my personal space is stressful for me. Obviously extenuating circumstances like foul weather or injury would prevail, but I still do not like sharing a shelter except with my own group. We had a big discussion about the ethics of sharing shelters not too long ago.

On our first trip to the island, I put our tent up in the shelter at Moskey. The wind was ripping down the lake and my tarp wasn't enough, so we put up the tent in an effort to help stay warm with another wind break.

Now picnic tables in the shelters...

hooky wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:04 am........Now picnic tables in the shelters...

We had a rain day at Duncan Bay Narrows many years back. We moved the picnic table into our shelter to have something to sit on. Next day dawned sunny and bright, so the table went back outside.

You can set up a tent inside. We’ve not done it but our tent is not freestanding so it can’t be set up without staking. We do however carry a small tarp for a wind break. It’s got enough tie outs to make it work even without nails or screws.

You can see how we set the tarp up in this video. It’s right at the very beginning:

treeplanter wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:03 am

hooky wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:04 am........Now picnic tables in the shelters...

We had a rain day at Duncan Bay Narrows many years back. We moved the picnic table into our shelter to have something to sit on. Next day dawned sunny and bright, so the table went back outside.

If only everyone who did the first part of moving the table also did the second part of that like you.

Not clear to me why a picnic table ever needs to be moved inside a shelter.

backwoods doc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 2:22 pm Not clear to me why a picnic table ever needs to be moved inside a shelter.

I agree with you. I am same way about tent.

hooky wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:04 am On our first trip to the island, I put our tent up in the shelter at Moskey. The wind was ripping down the lake and my tarp wasn't enough, so we put up the tent in an effort to help stay warm with another wind break.

Now picnic tables in the shelters...

Just a few weeks ago the person who had claimed the only shelter in Todd Harbor had their tent AND the picnic table inside the shelter...

blink wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 11:10 pm

hooky wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:04 am On our first trip to the island, I put our tent up in the shelter at Moskey. The wind was ripping down the lake and my tarp wasn't enough, so we put up the tent in an effort to help stay warm with another wind break.

Now picnic tables in the shelters...

Just a few weeks ago the person who had claimed the only shelter in Todd Harbor had their tent AND the picnic table inside the shelter...

In all fairness if person was alone maybe table was already in there. If it was me I would have asked for help in getting it out of shelter and since only shelter would ask if they wanted to share. As I said before a tent in shelter says in big neon letters no room at the inn! Sneaky Monkey shows how tarp will work in a pinch if it is windy, rainy, maybe not as perfect as tent but will work. I have used my tent, fly to try to shield and it worked.

I may be in the minority on this one. I have no problem with putting a tent up in a shelter. I have done so on very cold nights early or late in the season. It makes a huge difference. (I have never seen a need for the picnic table.). I suppose a tent does send a message of No Room at the Inn, but that does not bother me. Barring a storm, i prefer not to share a shelter. In my experience, IR (unlike i gather the AT) does not have the practice of sharing sites or shelters unless everything else is full. Hikers on IR are awesome and i enjoy chatting with them, but i prefer solitude at sites if that is possible.

chief54 wrote: Fri Jul 09, 2021 6:30 am.......In all fairness if person was alone maybe table was already in there.......

Maybe depends on the campground too. I've never camped at Merritt lane, but have stopped there for lunch or to stretch my legs while on a day-paddle. More times than not, the table is already in the shelter when I get there.