Summer desert camping

[JeffP_Or]

Perhaps this is a given but if you camp out, before you put on your boots the next morning, shake them out - shake them GOOD. As noted, crawly things gravitate toward warm and moist at night - boots are a great hidey-hole when left out in the tent vestibule.
The only time I have ever been witness to a scorpion hit was when a guy put his shoes on in the morning without checking them first....not a pleasant way to hike around the next few days.
Watch where you step when leaving the tent at night for a nature break [or keep a pee-bottle inside with you].
Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled when exploring there are tons of cool, different, and interesting things that only live in the deserts - and most people overlook them all.

 

[Weldor]

Benadryl, and don't forget our favorite buddy the skunk. They love trash and food wrappers. High ground for a night you'll be fine. Enjoy!

 

[MuleyFever]

If you set up at night look really good for a fire ant nest first.

That actually applies to setting up during the day too.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My Dad grew up camping, boyscouting, backpacking, etc. year round in the Arizona desert with his friends. Snakes and scorpions "climbing into your sleeping bag" is the most over-thought and over-worried thing and overall "myths" of sleeping on the ground in the desert of all time haha. My boys and I have spent countless nights in the desert since we moved here full time, 4 years ago. It's really just not something to worry about especially if you are even somewhat strategic with sleeping spot.

Are there instances of it happening? Yes. Are most of them "made up" internet stories? Yes. Are you more likely to be struck by monsoon lightning instead? Yes. You are 9 times more likely to die being struck by lightning than dying from being bitten by a venomous snake. The VAST majority of snake bites yearly come from "snake handlers" and folks harrassing snakes in the wild instead of leaving them alone.

I would be far more worried about bringing sufficient water, sufficient salt/electrolytes, backup vehicle starting system (jumper box, generator, etc). Cooler with sufficient ice and ice retention, first aid supplies, training on what to do if snake bit (bring snake gators when hiking around). My Listo Provisions Brush Cruisers are a daily wear in Spring/Summer/Early Fall as I spend a ton of time (5 days per week average) hiking in their prime habitat.

Feel free to ask questions here or via PM if you need specific info on anything.

 

[Weldor]

All good advice, but I believe OP ment a overnighter not a hiking ,camping for a extended amount of time, Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[mgstucson]

Phew!

That is very much not what my imagination had conjured up! I was seeing far more teeth & chitin!

Well the trail you are on disappears in the hard rocky ground. You wander on thinking that you are on trail when you are not. You may even be able to spot a landmark to get you back on trail, but there are hundreds of yards where the ground is completely covered with those things between you and the landmark, and you did not bring enough water to go back the way you came, even if you could retrace your steps in the rocky ground that all looks the same. You are dehydrating with the sun beating down on you like a hammer, even while you are standing still trying to make up your mind (which is getting foggier and foggier). That is how people get in life threatening events before they realize it here.

 

[RadialJett]

It sure is nice to have so much water on you that you can waste some soaking a neck gaiter/bandana, your hat, shirt etc. for some cooling relief.

Lots of the creep/crawly stuff will glow under a UV light, maybe you want to see that, maybe you don’t.

Flash floods are no joke! I almost got wiped out by one driving my car.

The rain was literally 30 miles away.

The wash was dry when I entered it-on a paved road- half way across I noticed bubbling sandy muck way up the wash. It hit the road when I had a couple hundred yards to go. I made it up and out, but a bit unstable. A Grand Cherokee behind me a hundred yards or so made it, but was struggling the last bit. I’d have been dead on a motorcycle.

This wasn’t even remote, I was on Gene Autry Trail heading into Palm Springs. Less than a mile between the interstate and town.

 

[TaperPin]

As a practical matter, if not in an enclosed tent you will be visited by critters of some sort. The magical place where nothing crawls, walks, or flies must be nice to camp in, but I’ve never seen it. In the high desert I personally know a guy who woke up on an aluminum cot with a snake coiled up on his chest. To be fair a cot prevents most negative encounters and he just had bad luck.

I’ve seen field mouse-sized scorpions in bedding in the Boise foothills. Most likely you’ll be pestered by field mice, lizards, or one of the many beatles that become active at night and enjoy walking around on anything new to the neighborhood. The worst outcome I’ve seen was a dude with damaged netting on his tent in Nevada and unfortunately the time period of our camp out was during a moth hatch - there must have been 100 moths in the tent as soon as a headlamp was turned on. They don’t bite, but he said they landed on any exposed body parts all night long. lol

Outside of Grand Junction the little noseums do bite and the tent won’t save you, so pack plenty of bug juice.

Ground temps can be hard to deal with during the hottest days until well past dark. The sooner your chosen sleeping spot can be protected from the sun, the better. Just setting a tent up helps, but shading the spot with something 100% sun blocking is better. Sleeping on hot dirt is miserable.

Before a trip to hot weather country you can always turn up the thermostat and spend time in the heat to get your body acclimated, or at least to get an idea of how poorly you’ll sleep. It might take a few days to get your stomach used to drinking enough water, so practice that as well. Bring a good book on the trip in case you need to wait until well after midnight to actually sleep. Other than that I love the sky at night out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[def90]

Lots of tarantulas in the Colorado desert in August and September. My kids go crazy for them. I’m too scared to touch one…I assume they bite?

Either way, they’re super badass.

The tarantulas come out in Sept-Oct for their annual mating fest.. they are pretty docile and can be handled without too much issue.. This was a little south of La Junta in early October.

 

[Ucsdryder]

The tarantulas come out in Sept-Oct for their annual mating fest.. they are pretty docile and can be handled without too much issue.. This was a little south of La Junta in early October.

View attachment 901306

That’s where we’ve seen the most. Can they bite and does it hurt?

Is it hard for your son to walk around with those giant balls?!!

 

[def90]

My Dad grew up camping, boyscouting, backpacking, etc. year round in the Arizona desert with his friends. Snakes and scorpions "climbing into your sleeping bag" is the most over-thought and over-worried thing and overall "myths" of sleeping on the ground in the desert of all time haha. My boys and I have spent countless nights in the desert since we moved here full time, 4 years ago. It's really just not something to worry about especially if you are even somewhat strategic with sleeping spot.

Are there instances of it happening? Yes. Are most of them "made up" internet stories? Yes. Are you more likely to be struck by monsoon lightning instead? Yes. You are 9 times more likely to die being struck by lightning than dying from being bitten by a venomous snake. The VAST majority of snake bites yearly come from "snake handlers" and folks harrassing snakes in the wild instead of leaving them alone.

I would be far more worried about bringing sufficient water, sufficient salt/electrolytes, backup vehicle starting system (jumper box, generator, etc). Cooler with sufficient ice and ice retention, first aid supplies, training on what to do if snake bit (bring snake gators when hiking around). My Listo Provisions Brush Cruisers are a daily wear in Spring/Summer/Early Fall as I spend a ton of time (5 days per week average) hiking in their prime habitat.

Feel free to ask questions here or via PM if you need specific info on anything.

I would agree. I've slept out in the open on the ground many times while rafting the Colorado through Colorado and Utah and have never had an issue. Plenty of snakes and scorpions in the area along with many other creppy crawlers. Think they have those sun spiders down there as well.

I do remember sitting in the Minneapolis airport waiting for a flight one time and a girl was sleeping on the floor up against a wall. Watched a mouse come out of the jetway and make it's way along the wall and disappear behind the girl sleeping on the floor.. lol

 

[def90]

That’s where we’ve seen the most. Can they bite and does it hurt?

Is it hard for your son to walk around with those giant balls?!!

Not my kid, was a random family on the side of the road out to see the tarantulas just like I was. They were playing "fear factor" with the tarantulas. One of them would lay on the ground while another would set a tarantula on their face and let it walk around. Don't know how I didn't manage to take a photo of it.

They can bite, from what I've been told it's like a wasp sting. You have to really do something to piss one off though for that to happen.

 

[robtattoo]

The tarantulas come out in Sept-Oct for their annual mating fest.. they are pretty docile and can be handled without too much issue.. This was a little south of La Junta in early October.

View attachment 901306

NOOOOOPE. NOPE NOPETY NOPENOPE.

If I don't need binos to see it, it'd be too close.

Screw every bit of that!

 

[robtattoo]

Just to reiterate, by the way, I'm not doing any extended camping or hiking, this is purely a motorcycle road trip through the southwest with the possibility of maybe 2 or 3 nights camping.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I spent many, many nights sleeping under the stars at Twentynine Palms, California. I always just slept on the ground with a sleeping matt under my bivvy sack and a seasonally appropriate sleeping bag. I used a full camelback for my pillow. Never had any issues with unwelcome visitors, but these were my rules.

Desert critters aren’t too big on seeking body heat, but they love shade and water.

Always find a fairly flat place with a slight uphill slope to bivouac. This is just a comfort thing.

Clear away any rocks in the area while wearing leather gloves. Are you sleeping on someone’s home?

Don’t put down your sleeping stuff until right before bedtime. In the desert heat during the day, you don’t want your bed to be shade for something.

Pick up your sleeping gear as soon as you get up in the morning. In the desert heat during the day, you don’t want your bed to be shade for something.

Don’t eat within 30 feet of your bedding area. Crumbs attract insects. Insects attract scorpions and spiders. Crumbs attract desert mice. Desert mice attract snakes.

Keep your water stored in the shade away from your bedding area unless it is tightly sealed. Drink warm water (don’t use ice). Ice makes condensation. Water attracts everything. The horrible Africanized bees particularly love condensation on cold camelbacks.

Have a pair of boots or something with closed toes inside your bivvy sack to put on if you need to urinate in the middle of the night. Keep your headlamp with them. Go at least 90 feet away to pee. Water attracts everything.

If anything you own has been on the ground for a while, be careful picking it up. Particularly if it was there overnight. Desert animals seek shade before the sun comes up.

Don’t ever, ever drive through the desert at night. The sheer number of horrible scurrying critters out there might keep you from ever sleeping.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[grfox92]

My Dad grew up camping, boyscouting, backpacking, etc. year round in the Arizona desert with his friends. Snakes and scorpions "climbing into your sleeping bag" is the most over-thought and over-worried thing and overall "myths" of sleeping on the ground in the desert of all time haha. My boys and I have spent countless nights in the desert since we moved here full time, 4 years ago. It's really just not something to worry about especially if you are even somewhat strategic with sleeping spot.

Are there instances of it happening? Yes. Are most of them "made up" internet stories? Yes. Are you more likely to be struck by monsoon lightning instead? Yes. You are 9 times more likely to die being struck by lightning than dying from being bitten by a venomous snake. The VAST majority of snake bites yearly come from "snake handlers" and folks harrassing snakes in the wild instead of leaving them alone.

I would be far more worried about bringing sufficient water, sufficient salt/electrolytes, backup vehicle starting system (jumper box, generator, etc). Cooler with sufficient ice and ice retention, first aid supplies, training on what to do if snake bit (bring snake gators when hiking around). My Listo Provisions Brush Cruisers are a daily wear in Spring/Summer/Early Fall as I spend a ton of time (5 days per week average) hiking in their prime habitat.

Feel free to ask questions here or via PM if you need specific info on anything.

This a well articulated, perfectly rational summary of the situation. However, my irrational, paralyzing fear of snakes doesn't care about logic. I could still never sleep out in the desert without a floored shelter. I don't even like going out there to shoot in the summer. I know its irrational, but Im still deathly afraid of all snakes, and have zero fear or worry about Grizzly Bears, even though after 5 years in Wyoming, I still havent laid eyes on a rattler and have seen dozens of bears and been charged mutliple times.

I wish I could get over it, but its been there since I was a tiny little kid.

 

[butcherboy]

This a well articulated, perfectly rational summary of the situation. However, my irrational, paralyzing fear of snakes doesn't care about logic. I could still never sleep out in the desert without a floored shelter. I don't even like going out there to shoot in the summer. I know its irrational, but Im still deathly afraid of all snakes, and have zero fear or worry about Grizzly Bears, even though after 5 years in Wyoming, I still havent laid eyes on a rattler and have seen dozens of bears and been charged mutliple times.

I wish I could get over it, but its been there since I was a tiny little kid.

Man, I hear you about snakes. Can’t stand them and they freak me out. I’ll never use a floorless shelter of any kind for sleeping. One time while bow hunting for elk my brother and I ran into a rattlesnake all coiled up in the sand early morning. I wanted to kill it so made it get agitated with the tip of my recurve so it would raise its head up. I barely missed its head but now I wanted my arrow back. I picked it up with my bow and flipped it out about 20 feet away. Grabbed my arrow and bounced like a mule deer out of there!

 

[grfox92]

Man, I hear you about snakes. Can’t stand them and they freak me out. I’ll never use a floorless shelter of any kind for sleeping. One time while bow hunting for elk my brother and I ran into a rattlesnake all coiled up in the sand early morning. I wanted to kill it so made it get agitated with the tip of my recurve so it would raise its head up. I barely missed its head but now I wanted my arrow back. I picked it up with my bow and flipped it out about 20 feet away. Grabbed my arrow and bounced like a mule deer out of there!

I understand the fear is irrational, but it doesnt matter if it's a garter snake or rattle snake. It will be the same reaction.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[EastHumboldt]

NOOOOOPE. NOPE NOPETY NOPENOPE.

If I don't need binos to see it, it'd be too close.

Screw every bit of that!

Somebody is a bit arachnophobic

While i don’t have it that bad, I can’t bring myself to voluntarily touch most spiders. I was turning on the hose bib one day and found a very large black widow crawling on the outside of my bare forearm. I shook her off, and then proceeded to shriek like a 7 year old girl, then do the hoogity-boogity dance for about ten seconds accompanied by gargling and choking noises. I’m glad no one got that on video or I would have ended up a star on “Ridiculousness”.

Post Number 35 is righteous. A tub floored tent will give you some security from creepy crawlies. Pitch it right before dark.

 

[robtattoo]

Somebody is a bit arachnophobic

While i don’t have it that bad, I can’t bring myself to voluntarily touch most spiders. I was turning on the hose bib one day and found a very large black widow crawling on the outside of my bare forearm. I shook her off, and then proceeded to shriek like a 7 year old girl, then do the hoogity-boogity dance for about ten seconds accompanied by gargling and choking noises. I’m glad no one got that on video or I would have ended up a star on “Ridiculousness”.

Post Number 35 is righteous. A tub floored tent will give you some security from creepy crawlies. Pitch it right before dark.

Same here.
Snakes do not phase me in the least. I've stumbled across plenty of timber rattlers, western diamondbacks, cottonmouths & copperheads & not once did I get 'The Ick' I regularly handle king, rat & corn snake to move them out of the kennels.

Spiders, on the other hand, are a hard no. I've got comfort enough that little jumping spiders don't bother me, but if I find one ON me unexpectedly....... instant kung-fu-ninja moves followed by the shivers & possibly crying

Ever walk into a face height banana spider web in Florida? Damn thing's the size of your outstretched hand & the web is basically super sticky Kexvlar. Instant panic attack, herperventilation & pant dampening. At least tarantulas stay on the floor!