The Four Corners National Monument is a scant four hour drive from Albuquerque. Since meeting Brandy, we’ve made a trip to the area, to Cortez, Colorado, but never visited the monument, nor the other two states involved in the intersection, Utah or Arizona.
That changes this year.
Ambitious Hiking Goal
I happened upon the YouTube channel Adventures of A+K, a couple that travels the country in a Sprinter van. One of their recent videos showcases their hike through the Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch Trail near Kanab, UT.
AllTrails shows the trail as an easy 5.6 mile long trail with a 616 foot elevation gain. Looking at the video only made me insistent on hiking this trail at some point in the VERY near future.
What Else Is There to Do in Utah?
Aside from that amazing looking hike in Kanab, what else is there to do in Utah?
Well, there are FIVE National Parks in the state. Zion National Park is only a half hour drive from Kanab. The Grand Canyon is only an hour and a half away from Kanab. And of course, the Four Corners National Monument is more or less halfway between Albuquerque and Kanab (though currently closed due to the COVID pandemic.)
Truth be told, thinking of the possibility of hitting TWO National Parks in one fell swoop is mind boggling to me and is definitely something I would LOVE to do in the VERY near future.
More Gear
This trip is going to require a camping trip. At 7 1/2 hours away, it’s going to have to be at least a 4 day weekend trip, if not longer. With plenty of BLM land along the way, free camping is in abundance. That said, in addition to the gear on the post I made on April 8, I’m going to have to make efforts to outfit myself with the necessary gear to be able to camp for at least a long weekend. Luckily, I will continue to have access to the base, on which there is an outdoor rec center that rents, among other things, camping equipment.
Shelter
The outdoor rec center offer tents for rent for $45 per week. But the tent I’m looking at is $50, so why not just spend the extra $5 and buy my own?
Granted, this is a 2 person tent, whereas the rental from the base is a 4 person tent, but if it’s just me and Ash, do I really need a four person tent?
Sleeping
If I ever did own a sleeping bag, I don’t remember how long ago. Heck, I don’t even remember the last time I went tent camping. Decades, probably. As a result, I’m going to need a sleeping bag to keep me covered and warm on this and other camping trips to come.
I found this one on Amazon. Seems to be a pretty good four season bag, priced reasonably, good reviews, and it’s nice and compact and lightweight to boot.
Sleeping directly on the ground, even in a sleeping bag, does not sound like a good time. Luckily, I found this self-inflating sleeping mat on Amazon.
This guy promises 4.7 inches of lift. Now, I’m a heavy guy. Anything inflatable is likely going to sag under my weight. But hey, even if I get two inches of support from it, I’d be happy. As you can see, it also folds down nice and compact, and if I don’t have to haul a compressor with me to inflate it, all the better!
Cooking
Of course, I’ll have to carry food with me; I have plenty of storage options for that already, but once I get out there, I’ll need a way to cook the food. Amazon offers this Coleman 2 burner propane stove for a decent price.
I have a pretty good variety of pots and pans, cast iron and non-stick. If I plan my meals accordingly, I can minimize the number of pans I’ll have to bring with me.
Lighting
Lighting can come in different forms. Course, I’ll pick up a headlamp for quick jaunts around, bathroom breaks from the tent, whatever. But to light my campsite, or the inside of my tent, I’ll need a lantern. I’m thinking about this four pack of double-A powered LED lanterns that Amazon has for under $30.
These four kind of “big ticket” items are just the start of everything I’ll need if I want to take a camping trip. Obviously, there are plenty of camping checklists out there to ensure I have everything I’ll need to survive.
And of course, I’m certainly not going to start with a week-long road/camping trip to the middle of the Utah desert by myself. Alan and I are planning for something much sooner. I do have to get some sort of power source for my CPAP; I’m thinking about the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240. It’s got really good reviews and is priced very reasonably right now.
Conclusion
So, what do you think? Are there better (or, primarily, more affordable) options out there for me for these specific items? Drop a comment below and let me know! I’d love to get input from ya!
Stay tuned for more on this trip as it develops!
-Phil