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Southern Maddog

Southern Maddog

10 Year
Joined
May 14, 2015
Threads
13
Messages
42
Location
Delray Beach, Florida
New to all this. Planning on a trip from Florida to the west coast-up the PCH to Washington over to Idaho and a few others. We are starting to compile places we want to see and grading them, trails we would like to try etc. Placing them on a map. We have an 1980 BJ 40 with a 14B. Just bought a Kukenam ruggedized RTT, Engel fridge. Looking for any advice to plan, places to go, things to take etc. I have been going down lists and have first aid, jacks, shovel, cyalums, tire repair, tools, sleep bgs, fan, lanterns. Has anyone tried using bladders for Water or fuel? Planning a few trial trips beforehand. Taking the big trip in spring of 16.
All responses appreciated.
 
I have a ton of advice. But start with a good atlas (I like benchmark maps). They cover the western US. You can also get a GPS with various maps to load. Or get a smart phone app to use GPS absent a network data connection and download Google Maps of your area of interest.

Buy the Annual National Parks Pass (aka Interagency Pass) You will save a bunch of $$$ on entrance and camping fees in National Parks, Forest Service ad BLM lands.
 
The more you camp in advance the better prepared you will be.

IMHO
Advice Number One - Have dedicated gear for camping stored in the boxes that will pack into your truck. This reduces the chance of forgetting the potato peeler or dish sponge.

Advice number two - there are Walmarts everywhere, you can get almost anything you forget along the way.

Advice number three - don't sweat it. One of our best memories is the time I forgot the grill and we had to cut the steak into strips and cook it on sticks over the fire. Another one is the time I forgot the crank to raise the pop-up and had to carve one out of a branch. And the time when I was a kid it and rained the whole weekend so we played cards in the tent. The little stuff that goes wrong makes great memories.

If you do the whole PCH you might want to research the "Mission Trail" it is a string of Catholic missions that are spaced out on the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Some are very beautiful and located off the beaten track.

In Nor Cal you might want to research the Lost Coast Highway. Cool road not overly difficult but very scenic and some decent camping. Plus a really great restaurant and so-so camping at Shelter Cove.
 
Kofoed said:
I have a ton of advice. But start with a good atlas (I like benchmark maps). They cover the western US. You can also get a GPS with various maps to load. Or get a smart phone app to use GPS absent a network data connection and download Google Maps of your area of interest.

Buy the Annual National Parks Pass (aka Interagency Pass) You will save a bunch of $$$ on entrance and camping fees in National Parks, Forest Service ad BLM lands.
Click to expand...
Thanks Kofoed, I have a large map, GPS with north America, GPS on phone. I would like to load some trail maps, I am starting the trail list so we can plan. I can't get away with it--I planned large projects for a living for 40 years. I have a National seniors pass. I was wondering about TOPO maps. I want to go offroad but do not want to get extreme or rock crawl. Also thinking of protection while camping. Plan on a 12 Gauge. Again-Thanks
 
rusty_tlc said:
The more you camp in advance the better prepared you will be.

IMHO
Advice Number One - Have dedicated gear for camping stored in the boxes that will pack into your truck. This reduces the chance of forgetting the potato peeler or dish sponge.

Advice number two - there are Walmarts everywhere, you can get almost anything you forget along the way.

Advice number three - don't sweat it. One of our best memories is the time I forgot the grill and we had to cut the steak into strips and cook it on sticks over the fire. Another one is the time I forgot the crank to raise the pop-up and had to carve one out of a branch. And the time when I was a kid it and rained the whole weekend so we played cards in the tent. The little stuff that goes wrong makes great memories.

If you do the whole PCH you might want to research the "Mission Trail" it is a string of Catholic missions that are spaced out on the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Some are very beautiful and located off the beaten track.

In Nor Cal you might want to research the Lost Coast Highway. Cool road not overly difficult but very scenic and some decent camping. Plus a really great restaurant and so-so camping at Shelter Cove.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dan, I am big on the adventure getting there---truck broke and we had to fix etc. I am also a fan of-thought of that-got it covered. can't help it I planned large projects for 40 years so it's nature. We had one of those with the kids when we went out driving for the day--kids got hungry and we were in Amish country--bought a pie and cut it with a credit card--they loved it.
We have been to a number of missions on the Anza trail. Nogales, outside Tuscan, San Diego, and a few others. We will look at the Lost Highway it sounds just like what we want and we no doubt will look for the rest of the missions we haven't seen. The Anza story is interesting and the mission he built outside Tuscan is beautiful. We plan on spending the bulk of our time in So Cal, Nor Cal, 4 corners, Wyoming (where my family is from). We will keep watching this thread and taking notes. Thanks for the reply
 
Speaking only of the SW US, Massey and Wilson have some good guide books for CA, NV, AZ, and, if you can find it, UT. These are the Backcountry Adventures guidebooks. These are not exactly cheap new, but you can find them used on amazon or abebooks.com. They also have a stripped down, "pocket" style guidebook with just the basics. They make for decent reading if nothing else.

You want the versions with over 500 pages, to wit: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...earchurl=sts=t&sortby=20&an=massey+and+Wilson

You can get USGS 7.5 minute topo maps from various sources. The paper maps (of which I have a whole pile) have become fairly obsolete IMO, in the digital age if you want to cover a large swath of area.
 
Kofoed said:
Speaking only of the SW US, Massey and Wilson have some good guide books for CA, NV, AZ, and, if you can find it, UT. These are the Backcountry Adventures guidebooks. These are not exactly cheap new, but you can find them used on amazon or abebooks.com. They also have a stripped down, "pocket" style guidebook with just the basics. They make for decent reading if nothing else.

You want the versions with over 500 pages, to wit: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=16304173677&searchurl=sts=t&sortby=20&an=massey+and+Wilson

You can get USGS 7.5 minute topo maps from various sources. The paper maps (of which I have a whole pile) have become fairly obsolete IMO, in the digital age if you want to cover a large swath of area.
Click to expand...
Thanks-will check that out. I did get some free Topo maps online for my phone. Some work offline. Got some Moto maps.
 
I've only been on the historic Mojave trail. Didn't do the whole trail but put my name down in the travelers log and sang my praises to the Frogs
 
Yosemite in the off season when kids are back in school, and if time Sequoia/Kings Canyon (in the middle of calif.) Then head back to the PCH
 
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