I've stayed at several of the AMC huts in the White Mountain National Forest in NH. They are great for doing a traverse type trip, where you want a reasonable hike each day, but, a nice dinner at night and hearty breakfast the next day to get started. (The food is usually pretty awesome). It makes your pack a lot lighter. Instead of carrying a full tent and food and cooking gear, you take more of a day pack, plus survival gear just in case you have to spend a night out. In the winter, most of the high huts are either closed, or self service, so it's a very different scenario. The huts along the AT in New Hampshire are all about a day hike apart, so it's perfect for travelling a little lighter. Many of the popular ones get very crowded on summer weekends, but, spring/fall, and mid-week are ok. My son loves going up to Lakes of the Clouds hut.
We're doing a winter weekend camping trip in 3 weeks. We'll be camping in adiriondack shelters, which are basically simple three wall structures with a slanted roof, open front, and large fire pit just beyond the overhang of the roof. There are usually wooden bunks on each side that you put a pad on and then lay your sleeping bag on top of it. You can either keep a decent fire stoked through the night, or rig a tarp across the front of the shelter to close it in. I use a pretty decent 0 degree bag, with a fleece liner, and a bivvy sack on the outside when I am in this type of setup because you are out of the weather, but, not out of the cold.
In a hut, sometimes the woodstoves are heating the place to a point where you could get by with much less. I have literally been sweating in the huts, and wished I brought a summer bag instead of a winter bag, but, you have to plan for the worst scenario. Camping in a cabin, or hut is going to be a lot warmer than an open shelter like we're using, or a tent, but, they are all fun. Have a great time!
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- Ron