[dsrtsage]

If I had the time, I would camp every day. I sleep like a baby under the stars (I only use tents in winter)...and in my tent in the snow with my thermarest, it is pure sleep heaven. However, I only like camping in the desert...I will avoid camping anywhere there are mosquitos at all costs because for whatever reason they attack me ferociously even while everyone else just gets just one or two bites. I don't consider "camp grounds" real camping...which works well with desert camping, because you can find the most beautiful spot on the planet, there will be no bugs, and not another human being within a 50 mile radius. Just stop, unload, and get the food going (not hotdogs or any crap like that...we do prime rib in the dutch oven, stir fry's, crab legs, and anything else good we can think of...I can cook anything in the desert that I can cook in my kitchen...I have even made fried ice cream...and this is with minimalist equipment. I have introduced girly girls to desert camping who hate camping, and they have all loved it (especially the remote hot springs). If you do it right, it is the best experience you can have...and doing it right requires not overthinking, not over packing, just head out in the cruiser...I can be ready to go from ground zero in under 20 minutes for a 4 day trip...with a stop at the market on the way out of town. One trip we do yearly is we drive from the utah border to the california border across the whole state of Nevada without touching pavement (except to cross a couple highways). We cross many many mountain ranges covered with extensive forests and wildflowers up to 10k feet, huge plateuas, deep canyons just wide enough for the landcruiser, and long valleys that seem to go on forever. Average is about 700 miles over 7 days, and we try to stop at all of the itsy bitsy tiny mining bars along the way. Camping is wherever we see a nice spot, we simply stop and that is home for the night. Most people think Nevada is Vegas...it most certainly ain't. Nevada in July at only 7000 feet (before I finished restoring the '66)

[bigheadfred]

Nice.

My express intent when I go is to simply get as far away from people as I can.

Heading for an area that doubles in fishing and rock collecting is a plus.

[SJackson]

I think campgrounds are fine. I like the desert too, only time I’ve been to Vegas was cause they have an airport. Any what you mention, wildflowers, plateus, et all are great. As a midwest person, I’ll tolerate the mosquetos, mostly, rather than the snakes. And the hot springs scare me. Not cause of who has been in there, but who climbs in my ear. But isn’t that what camping, presuming that’s not what one does for a living, is about. Different experiences.

[TADSLOS]

Great post. I’m envious.

[familyop]

Away from the power grid at over 9,000 ft. here (couple states west of you) building special utilities—water, etc.—before house). We’ve been iced in with winter winds over 100 mph, and other nights, temps below -30 so far. Modified travel trailer instead of tent, though. It’s a good place to start a little yak ranch.

[Elsie]

...because you can find the most beautiful spot on the planet, there will be no bugs, and not another human being within a 50 mile radius.

AMEN and Amen!!!

(Southwestern Utah beFORE the Escalate thingy of Bill Clinton put ADA approved potties in every remote canyon.)