Summer desert camping

robtattoo

robtattoo

WKR
Joined
Mar 22, 2014
Messages
3,637
Location
Tullahoma, TN
Furthering my info gathering for my August/September roadtrip.

In mostly planning on staying in air cooled motels, but I'm sure there'll be a night or two when I'll have to sleep out. Plus, there's always the chance of a breakdown induced 'impromptu camping' session.....

Anything I need to be careful of?

Should I be concerned about rattlers? Scorpions? Big-ass tarantulas???

My present tent setups are all floorless & I was thinking I might add a cheap, tub-floored mesh/fly tent. I know I have a habit of overthinking stuff like this (and underthinking silly things like food. Water. Gas.... you know, dumb stuff)

I've spent plenty of nights out in dry, cold climates, but not a single one in hot & arid conditions.

I'm very open to any hints, tips & knowlege y'all would feel like sharing!
 
Not completely sure of your plans but I recently picked up one of these.
Not a lot of experience with it yet, but it’s cheap and light.

www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com

Bryce 1P and 2P Backpacking Tent

A Backpacker Magazine Top Pick! Our Bryce 1P and 2P tents are the perfect lightweight companions for your next backpacking adventure. FREE shipping and Lifetime Warranty. Click now for more info!
www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com
 
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.
 
Tarantulas usually won’t bother you. They are fairly calm. I would be more worried about rattlers, scorpions and all the other critters that bite and sting. I would never do a floorless shelter in the desert or high desert. In fact, I don’t use them at high elevation either. 🤣
 
Was camping at a state park at Concan Tx in a Casita with air cond as nighttime temps were mid 80s. There were tents there that had zipper ports in the side with window air conditioners ,think from Walmart.
 
Those tarantulas, rattlers, and scorpions get cold at night so do them a solid and share your warmth. Go with a ground cloth, sleeping bag, and enjoy the view of the stars!
 
Use some kind of tarp under and up the sides of the tent. keep tent zipped up at all times. Don't leave sleeping bag or duffle bags on the deck, critters may sneak in for a nap. Keep all food in ice chest or on camp table, or in vehicle. Have a handgun loaded with snake shot handy. I have only had a few uninvited critters in my tent, generally not a problem.
 
I live in AZ and the heat here is no joke for people or cars. When traveling I always carry GALLONS of water for the car, and GALLONS of water for the people in the car. You will need to drink over a gallon per day per person here. I would also advise Liquid IV, an electrolyte powder you add to a bottle of water. Gatorade just does not cut it here. Tucson loses about 6 tourist a year, and some residents, who walk away from their car and never come back. We have lost several this year already. It is frequent when I am hiking out of a local trail late in the afternoon, rescuers are hiking in trying to find a tourist that didn't make it back to the trailhead to meet the hotel shuttle bus at the appointed time. Many die within sight of water, but they became so disoriented by dehydration so fast that they just walked in circles trying to get to it. You can become so dehydrated so fast, that even if you start/continue drinking water, it will be too late, your body will not uptake the water and you will die anyway. That is where the Liquid IV comes into play. It helps your body uptake the water you drink once your electrolytes have been compromised by dehydration. They sell it at convenience store counters here. After dark, snakes and tarantulas and gila monsters can be a concern, the centipedes, scorpions, black widows and recluse spiders here are no joke either. Even if you get stung by a Tarantula Hawk wasp (dang near the size of a small humming bird), you are never going to forget it. The heat is the REAL KILLER here though. Know where you are and what is required to stay alive in a worst case scenario. Those scenarios happen here frequently, especially to people not familiar with the area.

Heat related rescues happen almost daily here this time of year in popular outdoor recreation areas.

https://www.kgun9.com/news/communit...rom-sabino-canyon-included-15-month-old-child

In this incident one of the experienced rescuers had to be airlifted off the mountain also. It is so easy to get compromised here so fast you don't realize it until it is too late, even for experienced first responders.
 
svivian said:
If you have no use for a tent after this trip, you can borrow my two person back packing tent. Pick it up on your way through grand junction from Gunnison and drop it off on your way back.
Click to expand...
BLJ said:
Not completely sure of your plans but I recently picked up one of these.
Not a lot of experience with it yet, but it’s cheap and light.

www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com

Bryce 1P and 2P Backpacking Tent

A Backpacker Magazine Top Pick! Our Bryce 1P and 2P tents are the perfect lightweight companions for your next backpacking adventure. FREE shipping and Lifetime Warranty. Click now for more info!
www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com www.pariaoutdoorproducts.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer Viv, very kind of you!

I've been thinking of adding a 'proper' lighter tent for a while. I have my big canvas for long stays & a floorless Mountainsmith that I love & have used the hell out of on short trips, plus a couple of different tarps, but nothing handy with a tub.

I just found this on Amazon & I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to order it to try out.....

 
Maricopa County native here. Very very important to hydrate as everyone has mentioned. Gallon of water a day per person is typically the norm in the summer deserts here.

Depending what part of the state you're in, probably a good idea to have an enclosed tent. Bark scorpions and ants suck and they are quite prevelant in the deserts around here. Floorless tent and you also may have an issue with kangaroo mice chewing through your sleeping bag, amongst other things.

One item not mentioned (especially in August/Sept) is monsoon rain/flash floods. Camping in anything that resembles a wash could be real bad news with a flash flood. Staying out of the washes will reduce the chance of a flood hazard and should also reduce the number of critters around camp.
 
Black widows hang out in their webs, so they're easy to avoid.
All that other crap is out to get you.
Bio/Chemical warfare is not to be taken lightly.
Even the shindaggers crawl around to get you.
OTOH, cheap hotel rooms provide their own unique habitat in which dwell other equally unsavory bio/chemical hazards. Ew.
 
dmoto said:
Maricopa County native here. Very very important to hydrate as everyone has mentioned. Gallon of water a day per person is typically the norm in the summer deserts here.

Depending what part of the state you're in, probably a good idea to have an enclosed tent. Bark scorpions and ants suck and they are quite prevelant in the deserts around here. Floorless tent and you also may have an issue with kangaroo mice chewing through your sleeping bag, amongst other things.

One item not mentioned (especially in August/Sept) is monsoon rain/flash floods. Camping in anything that resembles a wash could be real bad news with a flash flood. Staying out of the washes will reduce the chance of a flood hazard and should also reduce the number of critters around camp.
Click to expand...
Great point about the flash floods. I forgot all about those, and as you say, they can be deadly also. Lost an entire family one year here who were playing frisbee in a sandy wash in a city park when a flash flood hit. There was a clear blue sky where they were, but it was raining heavy in the mountains miles away. Terrible tragedy.


Monsoon season has started.

https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/tucson-fire-saves-three-in-swift-water-rescue-fourth-rescued-by-bystander
 
Yea I'd be more worried about the monsoons in a cheap tent. They come on fast and can be pretty violent. They can also make some roads impassable for a bit, something to keep in mind. Don't set up in a wash/low spot.
 
Water...lots.
Shade / rope. Always good to be able to string up a tarp of some type to keep the sun off of you.
Bathtub floor...scorpions in boots suck!
Food / silverware in a tote/bag. Had a bad case of anaphylaxis in tucson due to kissing bug crawling over my cookware set. Boiled up some water and made oatmeal like always and about 3 minutes later started getting lip / mouth swelling. By the time I made it to er I was having airway constriction. No bueno.
Leatherman & tweezers with you at all times to pull those damned jumping jack cactus out of your hide with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top