So what does camp look like on a given night?

I've given a few photos below of hammock set ups and shelters. I prefer to hammock, but some nights shelter slumber is easier.

When you sleep in a shelter you sort of agree to half a nights worth of sleep and half a nights worth of fussing over the dirt and dust naturally tracked into the sleeping area, the wildlife (mice, chipmunks, snakes etc) that scavenge crumbs in the night, the snoring and midnight bathroom breaks of others (impossible to do without climbing over others or making noise or a headlamp), and the constant tendency of various appendages to fall asleep just as you do.

In the case of the Smokies, sleeping in a shelter is required unless the shelter is full (a situation we only lucked into one time). Often, I will hammock near a shelter so I can socialize and use the bear cables but, ultimately, get a better night's sleep.