Stakes or no stakes in Zion

[archbishop]

Hope this is in the right section.
I'm planning a trip to Zion this fall and I like to cross every t and dot every I ahead of time. I've never been out west. (I'm from the midwest.) The question I have is pretty straight forward, but I can't seem to google it to get to an answer.
When I'm camping in Zion, Near the south entrance, Kolob, or the Narrows, Will I be able to stake a non free standing tent? (Think Eureka Solo.) Or should I be looking for a freestanding tent?
Thanks in advance for your help on this question.

[Cirrus2000]

You will be fine with a non-freestanding tent. Any designated camping area will have sand or sandy soil available for tenting. One thing, though, is that you may wish to have fairly large tent pegs - especially if tenting in a non-developed area (developed tent areas often have gravel to stake on). I don't know what comes with your tent, but small wire pegs will very likely not hold up in the softer sand - especially if you need to put a lot of pressure on them to hold the tent up.

Other pegs worth considering for soft sand might be:


longer, thicker pegs:




snow stakes:




or even sand anchors:

[ibenick]

Free standing all the way. You can get a staked tent up in most places but it can be quite limiting. My primary tent for several years had no poles, just lots of stakes and trekking poles to prop it up. Made for some less than ideal tent spots in the south, even with the big MSR ground hog stakes.

[Cirrus2000]

While it's true that it would be better to have a freestanding, you can get away without - don't have to make a purchase before your trip...

[Scott P]

or the Narrows

Personally I would forget about a tent completely in the Narrows. Most people I've seen in there don't take tents. I've never seen many bugs in there and if it rains hard, you'll probably be dead anyway. Might as well skip a tent and go lighter when hiking the Narrows since you would only want to do it in clear weather.

[ibenick]

While it's true that it would be better to have a freestanding, you can get away without - don't have to make a purchase before your trip...

Definitely doable with the non-freestanding. Here's a pic from my trip through the narrows in 2005. Both tents are non-freestanding.

...and if it rains hard, you'll probably be dead anyway.

I agree with you 100% Scott, I don't know why we brought tents. But on the other hand, it did rain pretty hard on us the second day, we were moving to high ground assuming the flood was coming, even planning on rationing remaining food incase we needed to stay an extra night but alas, no flash flood. I sooooo wanted to see one too... this was going to be my 'before' picture.

[archbishop]

Personally I would forget about a tent completely in the Narrows. Most people I've seen in there don't take tents. I've never seen many bugs in there and if it rains hard, you'll probably be dead anyway. Might as well skip a tent and go lighter when hiking the Narrows since you would only want to do it in clear weather.

This was kind of my thought on the Narrows part of the trip.

[Scott Card]

This was kind of my thought on the Narrows part of the trip.

x2. Not sure I would go in there overnight if rain was a threat.

[archbishop]

Good thoughts. I have some larger aluminum stakes that should do the trick. Here in the Midwest We got good old dirt. When I think of utah and the west in general I picture nothing but red rocks, of course I know this can't logically be true, yet I still post the question to figure out what I'll be up against. Thanks for your answer.

[accadacca]

A bivy sack might be the ticket. I love my mountain hardware bivy, bag (that zips to it) and pad that slips underneath the bag and between the bivy. Very comfy and super light.

[brookiekiller]

I did the narrows with no tent - but had mice running over and around the bag all night. If you don't mind the rodents, not much need for a tent. I will personally never go without a tent again for that reason.

[ibenick]

I did the narrows with no tent - but had mice running over and around the bag all night. If you don't mind the rodents, not much need for a tent. I will personally never go without a tent again for that reason.

That just gives me the chills. That's enough for me to never go tent-free again... that and the raccoon that came after me in Escalante back in May. Bugs are one thing but rodents...

[archbishop]

I did the narrows with no tent - but had mice running over and around the bag all night. If you don't mind the rodents, not much need for a tent. I will personally never go without a tent again for that reason.

Winner winner, chicken dinner. Hearing this makes me say, I'll be going with a solo tent. I'm good with bugs, rodents, not so much.
besides doing the narrows is only a part of the trip. I will be out and about for a week or so.

[Scott P]

I did the narrows with no tent - but had mice running over and around the bag all night. If you don't mind the rodents, not much need for a tent. I will personally never go without a tent again for that reason.

Never had a problem, but which are of the Narrows did you camp in? I'll have to scratch that one off my list!

[Cirrus2000]

Guys, they're just mice!!!

[Don]

Guys, they're just mice!!!

Mice. You don't have problems in your sleeping bag until one of these guys comes calling.




And here's one of a camel spider killing and eating your scary mouse. It's kinda long and filmed by soldiers so LANGUAGE WARNING and it is graphic.

[blueeyes]

No thanks I will pass on the spider video's! You and those camel spiders need to go now. I will take 1000 mice over one stinking spider.

[Scott Card]

Darn you Don.... Those videos gave me the willies. Just don't tell me they exist in Utah otherwise me and my Tarus Judge will be close companions. I am like Blue Eyes. I can handle mice but large spiders.....

[Cirrus2000]

Those things are scary. There are other members of Solifugae that do live in the States, just not the camel spider. Did a lot of reading up on them after Don's video. Pretty cool things! Not quite spiders, but closely related. Over 1000 species. Here is where they live:



So... Yep, they are around.

[blueeyes]

Not quiet as ugly and scary looking as that camel spider. They have the largest pincher jaw to body ratio of any thing with a pinching jaw. They hunt at night and have poor eyesight.

I WILL NOT SLEEP OUTSIDE WITHOUT A TENT!!!!!! I HATE HATE HATE SPIDERS. Thought I was going to go crazy in Moab with the Black Widows. I am going to go puke now.