Camping at Yellowstone

[01WHTRNGR]

I'm tentatively planning a trip to Yellowstone this upcoming week due to have 9 days off of work. I plan on bringing a kayak and my street bike and camping out of my truck. I have a futon that fits in the bed perfect, as I haven't made a setup yet for truck camping. I would prefer to spend the least amount of money possible on food and make food before I leave. All of my camping stuff is back home, so I won't have any cooking equipment unless I buy some. I was wondering if anybody had any tips, or suggestions on what to do

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I'm tentatively planning a trip to Yellowstone this upcoming week due to have 9 days off of work. I plan on bringing a kayak and my street bike and camping out of my truck. I have a futon that fits in the bed perfect, as I haven't made a setup yet for truck camping. I would prefer to spend the least amount of money possible on food and make food before I leave. All of my camping stuff is back home, so I won't have any cooking equipment unless I buy some. I was wondering if anybody had any tips, or suggestions on what to do

It's lousy with bears in the NPS campgrounds, as well as bison.

Plan accordingly.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Foil dinners...

Heating up ready to eat food in cans on a small fire.

9 days is probably a stretch for home prepared meals to be edible.

 

[01WHTRNGR]

Yeah, I didn't write that the best. I have a 9 day break, but will probably only be at Yellowstone for 3 or 4 days. I plan on making a bunch of granola bars for sure and bringing canned meats. I'll also be bringing a cooler. This is very spur of the moment so probably not thought out the best.

 

[dvdswan]

Tie your food hanging from a tree about 15' off the ground. MREs are great when you have no cooking equipment. But, you won't poop for a week after.... LOL.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

MREs are great when you have no cooking equipment. But, you won't poop for a week after.... LOL.

This is an accurate statement.

 

[Jazzer]

1lb of dry ice (if available) plus a block of solid ice (you can make in the freezer with suitable random molds) will keep your cooler fresh for most of the trip. Lay a white towel on top of the cooler if it’s in the sun.

A 2 gallon pump up sprayer, painted black and jerry rigged with a kitchen faucet sprayer and hose makes a dandy camp shower if set in the sun all day.

 

[Fast Eddie]

@Jazzer and @dvdswan have good tips. Look into a small roll of reflectix to wrap the cooler in or place it inside then load up your vittles. All coolers are not created equal.

PJ is right about the bears but if it's at night, you're likely to smell them before you see them. If that happens, keep iterating 'Hey bear, go away bear', loud enough to make yourself clearly heard. There's one thing you can almost always be sure of - they want as far away from you as you do them. Unless you surprise them or otherwise taunt them, they'd just as soon stay away from you.

I boondocked in Flathead National Forest for 14 days. Completely different set up but bear encounters were not uncommon at all. A Ranger gave me the above advice for making sure they know you're there.

Have a great time.

 

[01WHTRNGR]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be camping in a campground so I imagine bears wouldn't be too common? Especially at this time of year.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Another cooler hack... freeze a 12 or 24 pack of water and use the bottles of water in place of or with regular ice. As they melt or as tough take them out to thaw you will have ice cold drinking water, the only downside is packing out the empty bottles

AJ

 

[01WHTRNGR]

Yup, that's what my family always does on trips

 

[Blmpkn]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be camping in a campground so I imagine bears wouldn't be too common? Especially at this time of year.

Probably more common in campgrounds because they smell like food.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Probably more common in campgrounds because they smell like food.

Stupid tourists too.

When we camped there in the 90's Japanese tourists were sprinkling M&M's around because they wanted to see a bear.

They ended up getting booted from the campground after they got a bear in their campsite and the ranger people figured out what was going on.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Stupid tourists too.

When we camped there in the 90's Japanese tourists were sprinkling M&M's around because they wanted to see a bear.

They ended up getting booted from the campground after they got a bear in their campsite and the ranger people figured out what was going on.

If you see m&m's sprinkled around your tent in Kentucky... it wasn't me.

Thank you...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you see m&m's sprinkled around your tent in Kentucky... it wasn't me.

Thank you...

If you find bacon grease around yours... it was me.