Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

So it looks like you've already got your answer, but having been through this route just earlier this year, let me confirm that Mengel Pass is thoroughly inadvisable for a 2WD longbed pickup. Which is too bad because Goler Wash and Barker Ranch are awesome destinations to visit, and are 2WD accessible from the Ballarat side (although perhaps not recommended solo). However, there are tons of amazing "off-pavement" destinations suitable for 2WD trucks throughout the park, so don't condemn yourself to crowded visitor centers just because certain through-routes are too rugged. You can plan a totally rewarding adventure by continuing to research your trip here and elsewhere. Make sure to keep your plans flexible so you can respond to the actual conditions during your trip, and don't get caught off-guard by the weather!

In a pinch I bet you could get a 2WD truck over Mengel Pass with a 4x4 tow vehicle, especially northbound, but that seems like a nightmarish and utterly irresponsible thing to try in a national park, where a handful of ill-conceived fiascos can bring about permanent road closures or other restrictions. Not to mention the looming fate of the valley's namesake, which tragically claims stranded motorists year after year...

...which brings me to the reason I logged on tonight, I wanted to share the following read I stumbled upon the other day. It details the search for a party of German tourists who succumbed to the elements after becoming stranded in their rental vehicle in the late 90's -- not far from Mengel Pass:

https://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

As this took place many years ago, I'm sure the more experienced contributors here know of this saga, and I apologize in the likely event that it's already been discussed. But it's a fascinating read, and I wanted to (re)share it for the benefit the current readership and other newcomers such as myself.

 

This is always a concern, but as a city dweller, my truck is more far more likely to be stolen or burglarized at home than at a remote trailhead. I would be weary about leaving my gear unsecured at a grocery store parking lot, or at the paved trailheads frequented by the masses near LA, but since we don't need a truck to reach those places, we take my wife's car instead. Out in Death Valley, people will be checking out your truck and your gear for inspiration, not theft. Lock your doors though!

 

@mk5 Thank you for sharing this. I do recall the story but didn't know all of the details nor the SAR efforts that we're involved.

 

Very interesting story. Read all about it before, and it goes to show how serious you should take the area and to be prepared. That said, even if you are prepared, things can still go very wrong.

 

Thanks all for the advice as well as the article on the DV Germans. I actually read up on them and watched quite a videos on youtube. Very interesting yet spooky at the same time.

We are planning to go around Thanksgiving week. I hope the crowds aren't too bad but I got a feeling that everyone is going to want to try and get out there because of covid. We will definitely bring some sleeping bags that are rated for cold temps.

By the way, as for the restroom arrangements. Do you guys just dig a ditch and cover it up or do you bring some type of camping toilet?

 

Get a portable toilet. There are plenty of options but take your shit with you

It's a kind of harsh way to put it but we're starting to see paper flowers blooming in places we shouldn't. We don't need more and frankly, it's much better for the environment if you take it away.

 

I use wag bags in a 5 gallon bucket in the park for human waste and throw them (along with the TP) in the trash when I get home.

 

Yeah that's what we were thinking as well.

 

If you can't take it with you use the Murphy Method
https://youtu.be/w-Jku2U3-8E

Thanksgiving week tends to be very popular in DVNP.

 

I used to be ok with this but in places like DV, I don’t think we should be leaving anything.

 

A cat litter bucket makes for a good camping toilet. Keep some litter in it, seal the lid when you're done, secure it in the truck bed, toss it in the trash when you get home.

Just don't let your cat see you doing it or one or the both of you might have an existential crisis

 

Interesting, over the last year, as I’ve seen more and more people out and about, and more and more TP, we too have started packing everything out. Hopefully in the future, we can go back to burying.

 

Lol I love that video @ETAV8R !

There is definitely too much poop and toilet paper hiding in every corner of the desert, so proper burial (and packing out the TP) is critical! Too many people think they can shit in a flood-prone canyon, or on hard rock covered with a couple of stones. Of course we only see the stuff that isn't buried properly, so probably far more people are doing it correctly. I personally prefer the bucket method, mostly because it gives me a throne to sit on, and we can always use it at camp, regardless of whether the ground is suited for burial. Here's what I recommend for folks getting into dispersed camping:



From left to right, more or less:

1. 5 gallon bucket with toilet seat lid
2. TP + butt wipes
3. These pink bag things for my wife. I don't know exactly what they are or how they work, and I don't ask questions, but they are a stand-alone system (not used with the bucket). She calls them a "game changer" for camping!
   
4. Double bag liners for the bucket. These comprise a heavy duty ziploc style bag, with an inner trash bag containing some gelling powder. You open the ziploc and set it at the bottom of the bucket, pulling the trash bag up to line the bucket, and secure it beneath the lid. When you're done, you remove the lid, knot the liner bag, and let drop into the ziploc bag which you can seal. So it's already double bagged and leakproof at that point. However, I've found that this is not an odor-tight solution, and I don't like lugging around stinky shit bags for days on end in my camper shell. So...
5. I use 12" x 18" mylar bags (you can buy them on McMaster Carr) with a battery powered bag sealer to enclose the above bags. You want the style that uses 2xAA batteries, the rechargeable style ones aren't strong enough. The sealed mylar bags are 100% odor tight, I can leave my most vile acts of shame sealed therein for days in the hot sun until I find an appropriate place to dispose of them.
   
6. Reading material, of course!
   

You could criticize this approach as wasteful, since we are now using 3 different plastic bags per day the bucket is used. But it works for us and leaves no trace, and since our travels often have us visiting restroom areas during the day, the bucket only gets used a handful of times per year. I'm still on my first box of 5 bags! But damn, when you need the bucket, you need the bucket, and it's great to have a system that works..

So I was quite pleased with this setup, but early into our adventures, my wife told me she feels, well, "vulnerable" on the bucket, even though we're miles from other people. So I offered what I thought was the perfect solution:



But it turns out this isn't what she meant. Instead the situation was remedied by getting one of these little "poop tents" which is also nice for showering:

 

I don't know that it will ever go back to the way it was. REI is investing in "overlanding", all these van companies are building for off the grid living. It will never be the same.

edit: The neighborhood has gained two or three of the Revel branded 4x4 vans...

 

This is also the system I use with the gel powder bags, except I use the reliance foldable toilet. I like this because if I run out of bags I could dig a 6 in hole and go while sitting on toilet

 

Oh boy. I can think of some situations....

 

This line had me

 

Yeah... Sit down thinking the ground is solid... And it's not. Hopefully you haven't started

 

I was thinking more about containment in questionable situations.

 

The splatter factor