The shelters are often constructed using various construction techniques and materials and some are really amazing. This one is located at Deep Gap in GA and is a timber frame structure with a loft. The large deck on the front was a real plus for cooking.
The shelters are not without their problems--they can be colder than a tent, they sometimes get crowded, but the biggest problem is "rodents of unusual size".
These shelters quickly become the perfect home for rodents--food scraps inadvertently left behind by hikers, shelter from the weather, and usually a relatively close water source. You can hear them in the middle of the night chewing on wood, nuts, other items--running back and forth across the structure--and in extreme cases running off with watches, compasses, and other items.
This shelter atop Blue Mountain had an interesting rodent control method--a cat. There is a cat that has made the shelter it's home, works great for the cat (plenty to eat) and it works great for rodent control. The only downside was instead of listening to rodents all night long...we listened to the cat meow.
