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Barbara
I'm going to Utah this month with my boyfriend and some friends. We'll be staying in SLC for part of the trip to snowboard. We were also planning on driving out to see the Great Salt Desert. Our friends wanted to go camping/hiking but we're concerned there won't be anywhere that isn't cold/wet during this time of the year. Is there anywhere we could go where we'd stand a chance of being comfortable? We don't mind driving a little ways for a good spot. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
We will be taking this trip next week. I'm not asking for anyone to predict weather for me. Just asking if someone has had a camping experience in the area in March that could give me some insight. I'm also not asking for it to be 75 degrees and sunny. I just want to avoid any areas that will definitely be too cold for camping. We can bundle up, we just don't want snow/ice. I don't have an RV so that's out of the question. I would prefer tent camping as we all have tents but a cabin could work too.
Answer
I frequently go backpacking in winter. However, I have about $1,000 worth of gear with me. If you are prepared to buy some essential new gear, then you will be comfortable. Lower altitude areas will have mild temperatures compared to the higher locations adjacent to the ski resorts.
Essential winter camping gear:
1] Down jacket, $150 to $300. GoLite 850 down for $150 is the best deal I have found.
2] JetBoil, $100, or other camping stove to boil water for bottles to warm your sleeping bags.
3] Insulated sleeping pads, $100, to keep you off of the ground.
4] Down sleeping bags rated to zero degrees, $300.
You should be comfortable with these components at night.
Marmot 0 degree Never Summer Sleeping Bag, $300.
Sierra Designs Eleanor 19 degree DriDown Sleeping Bag, Women's, $320.
Sierra Designs DriDown 6 degree Sleeping Bag, $600.
I frequently go backpacking in winter. However, I have about $1,000 worth of gear with me. If you are prepared to buy some essential new gear, then you will be comfortable. Lower altitude areas will have mild temperatures compared to the higher locations adjacent to the ski resorts.
Essential winter camping gear:
1] Down jacket, $150 to $300. GoLite 850 down for $150 is the best deal I have found.
2] JetBoil, $100, or other camping stove to boil water for bottles to warm your sleeping bags.
3] Insulated sleeping pads, $100, to keep you off of the ground.
4] Down sleeping bags rated to zero degrees, $300.
You should be comfortable with these components at night.
Marmot 0 degree Never Summer Sleeping Bag, $300.
Sierra Designs Eleanor 19 degree DriDown Sleeping Bag, Women's, $320.
Sierra Designs DriDown 6 degree Sleeping Bag, $600.
Where to find people to go deep woods camping with?
Mike
I'm looking for other people who are into camping/hiking in rougher conditions than normal. My friend and I (both 20 something year old guys) like planning survival vacations around the world when we're not working. Every few months we'll go somewhere big and live in the woods for awhile and we're trying to find like a website or club or group of people who do the same.
Not any militia end of the world types either, looking for Intelligent/interesting/sane outdoor enthusiasts, men or women. Any good sites to check out or adventure blogs?
Answer
In the US, the Meetup.com website has location specific groups for various activities. Just in my medium large eastern city there are several backpacking groups where people post outings or look for like-minded trip companions. It doesn't cost anything to use it.
There are always going to be challenges when you are a" stranger" attempting to find people in remote locations who are willing to commit to this sort of outing. You have to count on them to trust that you yourself are "intelligent/interesting/sane" and you have to do the same leap of faith for them,. with no guarantees on either side. So, though such a network of travel companions would be ideal, it is not all that easy. There used to be a site called "Travelchums" through which I was able to locate some excellent trip partners for parts of the world where I wanted to do wilderness trips. But it unfortunately folded.
You might want to check the classifieds in Outside and Backpacker and other wilderness sports mags for social networking groups that connect people with this sort of activity interests. Also, the massive social networking site PlentyofFish.com, though usually viewed as a "dating" site, is also an excellent free place to locate people with similar (and non-romantic) interests world wide. You can check the forums on there for an interest group or run specified searches on area and interest.
Look for forums on line under "survival camping" or "primitive backpacking" too. I like browsing forums to find people who share interests. Following their posts can give you a good sense of what kind of person they are and whether they are BS or not.
If you are good at "hunting and gathering" for sustenance in the woods, you should be clever enough to use your imagination to "hunt and gather" some buddies to do it with, right?
In the US, the Meetup.com website has location specific groups for various activities. Just in my medium large eastern city there are several backpacking groups where people post outings or look for like-minded trip companions. It doesn't cost anything to use it.
There are always going to be challenges when you are a" stranger" attempting to find people in remote locations who are willing to commit to this sort of outing. You have to count on them to trust that you yourself are "intelligent/interesting/sane" and you have to do the same leap of faith for them,. with no guarantees on either side. So, though such a network of travel companions would be ideal, it is not all that easy. There used to be a site called "Travelchums" through which I was able to locate some excellent trip partners for parts of the world where I wanted to do wilderness trips. But it unfortunately folded.
You might want to check the classifieds in Outside and Backpacker and other wilderness sports mags for social networking groups that connect people with this sort of activity interests. Also, the massive social networking site PlentyofFish.com, though usually viewed as a "dating" site, is also an excellent free place to locate people with similar (and non-romantic) interests world wide. You can check the forums on there for an interest group or run specified searches on area and interest.
Look for forums on line under "survival camping" or "primitive backpacking" too. I like browsing forums to find people who share interests. Following their posts can give you a good sense of what kind of person they are and whether they are BS or not.
If you are good at "hunting and gathering" for sustenance in the woods, you should be clever enough to use your imagination to "hunt and gather" some buddies to do it with, right?
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Title Post: Can I camp comfortably anywhere in Utah in March?
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Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
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