Advice and tips on solo camping?
Posted: April 7th, 2011 | Author: Mitch | Filed under: Camping Tips | Tags: adult female, advice tips, Camp Sites, canada, extent, fair share, hotel in vancouver, how to save money, road trip, roommates, seattle, sky, tent camping, Travels, west coast, Yosemite, Young Adult | 6 Comments »I am a young adult female that is planning to take an extended road trip this summer. Beginning along the west coast, see Yosemite, Portland, Seattle, travel up into Canada go to Vancouver, the sea to sky drive, eventually get over to Yellowstone.
I am looking for any advice, tips and recommendations for this adventure. As far as what to bring, where to stay, what to eat and any dang thing that you feel may assist my travels. After Yellowstone I am out of places to add to my agenda, I just need to end up back in Arizona.
I will be traveling with just my dog (depending on the border policies).
I’ve done a fair share of solo camping but nothing to this extent.
Also, I will be tent camping and any advice on how to save money throughout the trip would be very helpful!
Thank you
Yes I plan to stay in designated campgrounds only, preferably reserved beforehand. Probably a hotel in Vancouver to experience the city. In the end I will have the entire route including dates I will be at each location, which I will give to my family and roommates.
I have friends in quite a few places along the route as well.
Sounds terrific! I’ve done a lot of such solo travel — in fact my last trip was 18 months ago to Vancouver. If you need a place to stay there I recommend the North Vancouver Motel — very near the Bridge to Stanley Park, a little funky but cheap and clean. While you are there take a day trip up Indian Arm, the fiord north east of the city, and go sea kayaking with the outfitter at Deep Cove. It’s worth a little splurge. Gotta check out the Museum of Anthropology and Granville Island. The Sea to Sky will blow your mind. Some nice days hikes along the way.
Heading to Yosemite, cross over the border from Arizona via Route 66. Have to stop for lunch in funky Oatman, a little hippie town on 66 where the feral burros hang out in the middle of the street, Then traverse the Mojave Desert and go up through Death Valley (if your car can take the heat.) It’s breathtaking.
After leaving Vancouver, make your way across to Jasper and then down the Icefields Parkway to Banff. One of the most gorgeous droves in the world. In Banff, stay at the YWCA hostel at the end of town — cheap, really nice rooms or the cheaper bunkhouse with great free breakfast and a little bar and coffee house on premises — you can walk one block to downtown or step out the back door and hike miles along the Bow River. Do check out the Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Whyte Museum while there. The Native Peoples museum is right across the road from the hostel.
I would NOT recommend bothering with Yellowstone. It is an RV parking lot in the summer and you will not see much of interest from the road. Also not a terrific place for a dog. Better and in my opinion more beautiful country is just about anywhere in Idaho: Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains is a spectacular campground and Craters of the Moon is amazing. Most of Utah is fabulous: Moab (Canyonlands Campground), Arches National Park (some restrictions on the dog), Bryce Canyon. Then down through the Grand Canyon area — stick to the National Forests as the Parks themselves will be swollen with tourons.
Practical matters: buy a AAA auto club membership — always can get road service plus motel discounts and free maps. Also buy a new Rand McNally Campground Guide — lots of fun and funky little family run campgounds out west where the owners will bring you cookies in the evening and coffee in the morning. Buy an electric teakettle and frying pan. Lots of campgrounds offer an electrical hookup and it makes cooking breakfast easy and quick. When you stay at Park or State Forest campgrounds look for evening talks by the rangers — fun and good places to meet people.
Have a great time — I envy you that trip!
I spent 5 weeks during a break doing than in college, and it was a blast.
I would steer clear of some of the designated campsites if you are looking to save money. $20 a night adds up in a hurry. You can stay in National Forests just about anywhere you can pitch a tent for free. You can also stay at BLM sites for $5 or $10 per night which is cheaper than National Parks.
If you bring your dog in to Canada, make sure to have its vaccination records.
If you are going through Arizona, you should check out Moab, Utah. It is one of the most amazing places in the country, and most of the camping around there is free or cheap. You can legally camp off of just about any dirt road in the area for free. There is also a youth hostel there with $3 showers.
I think that your trip is too many sights per mile, too many miles, and no adventures. I never planned a trip by reservations and often end-up climbing a different mountain than the one that looked good the night before. If you need to tell relatives where to find the body, use your cell phone or e-mail photographs that you download from your digital camera each night. Do not head into the northern mountains too early in the summer. Many trails are snow-covered until July.
Avoid National Park Campgrounds to the extent possible. Make Yellowstone a drive-through and camp at one of the beautiful places beside the Tetons, south of the plateau at Yellowstone, and hike around the lake, past the moose and grizzley bears, up to the ridge line. National Forest Campgrounds are less-crowded, especially on weekdays. Split your time between motels for showers and free dispersed camping in Wilderness Areas. From Yellowstone, take the I-25 down to Rocky Mountain National Park, then travel the I-70 west to the high country at 14,000 feet. Eagles Nest Wilderness Area, Mount Massive Wilderness Area, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area, Holy Cross Wilderness Area are great locations for dispersed camping. Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and Arches National Park are better with the rocks in contrast against winter snows and without the summer heat. Pack the right gear to backpack into wilderness areas and get off the freeways to experience camping.
tip number 1- take me i wanna go on a roadtrip again this year.
danieltl1212 at aol
tip 2 slab city in so cal
tip 3 beach by meir woods cais the most beautiful spot to camp in the world
email me if u wanna know more about that spot. or if im welcome to come
Be careful. Sounds creepy to me.
I just watched 127 hours where the poor dufus loses his arm in part because he failed to bring a friend, failed to leave an itinerary with a trusted family member or friend and failed to bring his full array of the ten essentials. He also went "off trail" without a specific plan.
So the best advice I can give you is,
1. Be prepared always have your 10 essentials
2. Know where your going whats necessary to get there and stick to the planned route.
3. Leave an itinerary with those you trust that includes the who, what when, where and how. Include emergency contact numbers for who they can call to get you.
4. Never go alone.
As for saving money? spend less.