Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest - October - Anyone want to join the fun?

Havr a great time on the trails, @raqball.

Dispersed camping is the next step for this newb. 🙂

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Dispersed camping is the next step for this newb. 🙂

I prefer dispersed camping as you can find spots with stellar views and there will be no other people around.. For your fist trip, maybe do a short one or two overnighter as a shakedown..

There are sacrifices for those views though.

• No electricity
• No water
• No toiliets
• No manmade fire pits
• No picnic tables

All of that can be overcome with some preparation.. Dispersed camping in a tent will be slightly different than doing it in a camper. I've done both and to be honest, I prefer doing it in my camper.

Make sure to check that dispersed camping is allowed where you want to go. Call the rangers for local authorities ahead of time to check.

Know what wildlife is in the area and be prepared if you encounter them. Bears, wolves, mountain lions, snakes etc... Remember you are in their home..

'Dangerous' wildlife in the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest are mostly: Coyotes, Foxes and Rattlesnakes.. Foxes and Coyotes are not really a danger to humans (although they can be) and are more of a danger to small pets. Rattlesnakes will generally book before you even get close to them..

Other wildlife in the area for anyone interested includes: Pronghorn, white-tailed deer, and mule deer. Coyotes and foxes in various habitats. Birds like pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, waterfowl, and wild turkey.

Some things you might need that can be forgotten

• Battery packs to charge phone and other electronics
• A way to recharge those battery packs (solar, generator)
• A high powered rechargeable fan for summer months
• A heater for when temps get low
• A toilet of some type with toilet paper
• Shovel
• 1 gallon of water per person, per day. Used for drinking, sponge baths and cleaning cooking items
• Some sort of emergency communication device like a Garmin inReach Mini and a new iPhone with that feature
• A solid first aid kit
• Let someone know the grid coordinates of where you are going to be and on when you will be back
• In bear country? Bear proof food storage container(s)
• Trash bags
• Dish soap and soap for your sponge baths

Here is my setup for extended dispersed camping stays. Everything I need for the Bronco and the TigerMoth:

• 200aH battery power in the TigerMoth. Can recharge them via solar or generator for extended trips. Camper has 3ea USB charge ports and 3ea 12V DC charge ports that will run off it's batteries
• 40aH battery pack in the Bronco
• Car fridge in the Bronco with the 40aH battery pack. When on the trails during the day the Bronco runs the fridge and it charges the battery pack. When back at camp and the Bronco is off, the fridge auto transfers to use the battery pack. If I need to charge the battery pack that runs the car fridge I can use solar or generator
• 100W solar panel. Can charge the TigerMoth batteries or the car fridge battery pack
• Small Honda 1000w generator. Can charge the TigerMoth batteries or the fridge battery pack
• 5 gallon water jug. This will last me a while as I do not use the water for drinking (except for morning coffee). I use the water for sponge baths and for cleaning up cooking items and gear.
• Portable toilet with compost bags. You can use a separate shelter for its use but I don't. I use it inside my camper then burry the bag away from my site. Mine folds down compact for easy storage when not in use. Use compost bags and they'll degrade over a few weeks and not harm the environment.
• Shovel. Used for above and for recovery when on trails
• Rechargeable high powered fan. The one I have will run for 12 hours on high before it needs to be recharged. I can recharge via USB using my campers batteries. My last trip temps hit the mid 90's and it did great for sleeping at night in the hot stuff..
• Propane heater for those cold nights. WARNING: When using a propane heater make sure windows are cracked / tent is well ventilated and have a reputable carbon monoxide detector
• First Aid kit
• Satellite communication for emergency use
• Bear spray (works on other wild animals as well)
• Firearm (I have a handgun and a 10MM AR style Survival Rifle)
• Propane camp fire. Some heavily used dispersed sites might already have a human built fire pit but I try to avoid those as it = possible people in the area.. LOL.. Plus, with fire bans almost everywhere, propane fire pits are generally still allowed.
• Food
• Propane for fire pit and propane for cooking
• Cooking stove
• Pots , pans, cups, dishes, cooking utensils.
• I store 6 gallons of extra fuel for the Bronco on my camper. This is emergency fuel so I can make it to a gas station when I run low
• Paper towels, kitchen towels etc
• Change of clothes
• Mosquito repellent spray and / or a mosquito deterrence device.
• Camp chair and camp tables
• Camp light / lantern
• Flashlight

I am sure there are a few things I am forgetting as that's off the top of my head.

My last trip temp were in the mid 90's during the day and only dropped to the high 70's at night so it was HOT with no A/C. It was not really an issue though as during the day I was on the trails with the A/C running in the Bronco and when back at camp it has cooled off enough to be semi comfortable. I ran the fan at night while sleeping and it did the trick. The next morning I'd plug the fan in to the camper to recharge its batteries for the next night.

For the colder months have some sort of heater. I use a propane heater with a longer hose. I keep the propane outside of the camper and run the hose through a window. As I said before, make sure you have a lot of ventilation by cracking open windows and a reputable Co2 detector..

Start off with a short shakedown trip and adjust your setup from there.

I am good to stay dispersed for weeks at a time aside from needing fuel, a water source and maybe to restock food.. All the electricity I need is in the TigerMoths batteries and I can recharge them via soar or my generator. I can also keep my car fridge running indefinitely via solar or my generator..

Dispersed camping is not for everyone. Some want / need the comforts and features that a full blown established campsite offer and there is nothing wrong with that. But I prefer to be away from people and I enjoy the stellar views that can be found at dispersed site.

Sorry for the long post but that's my .02 on the matter..

Missouribreaks

I'm looking to get there this June and noted you were there 6 months ago. How was the trip. I'm planning on driving some of the back roads and hopefully won't get stuck. I'm planning on hiking but don't know how difficult the sand will be to hike in. Lastly, I may bike a road or two and paddle the river.
I'm looking for any local advice or experience anyone has had.

The sand is really soft and deep in some areas but semi-hard packed in others. Some of the trails will go from mild sand to the soft deep stuff then back again on the same trail.

Where I was, I did not really see anything suitable for hiking. It's mainly 2 track trails with no tree cover for shade or cover.

There may be some hiking spots on the East side of the Merritt Reservoir though. I also think there might be a traditional style camp site over there on the east side of the reservoir.

I am headed back out there either end of March or the beginning of April (weather depending) for a few days. Hit me up if you are heading there in June as I'll gladly join the fun then as well...