Big Bend, Texas

Agreed. I set up in Fresno Vista. First night I was a sleepless mess- I was like, " ok, somehow I got the trailer in here, how the fuck am I going to get it back out?"


It was amazing. Truly in the wilderness. Cool to watch a pack of coyotes less than 50 yards out running something down, and know you're the only human within a days hike.

Also, it was hilarious. I discovered so many missing parts off both truck and trailer, only to find them all again a couple days later on the way back out.








So uh, lesson learned. BBRSP taught me why only posers store their shackles on the bumper.

 

Yeah it feels like you’re in over your head about halfway to camp. I miscalculated the time and ended up getting to the front gate at about dark, not realizing how much farther I had to go, and then really starting to be a little concerned as I scrambled up a hill in 4lo in the dark


Those roads will definitely rattle things loose. They definitely destroyed all the eggs in my cooler.

 

Very cool picture

 

Kinda makes me miss Texas

 

Phenomenal pictures - thank you for sharing.

 

Did you deflate your tires driving around the park? I have a trip coming up at the end of October and trying to get as much basic recovery gear together as I can.

 

Airing down and taking it easy is fine for most of the park. Black Gap Road was the challenge where I was glad to have full skid plates.

I'd wait until October before venturing out there.

Rio Grande Village was 114 yesterday.

Chasis Basin, 5700 ft elevation, was a cool 94F.

https://bbnha.org/docs/dr.html

 

Yeah my girlfriend and I are going in October, I've been wanting to go out there for years and I finally got a reliable truck to make the trip with. I definitely want to drive Black Gap Road, is there anything else you recommend making a priority? Off-roading or otherwise?

 

My DCLB Off Road was stock tires & suspension. We had to get out and stack rocks at a few places; having off-road knowledge (what line to take) helps. Quite a few pin stripes from Old Ore Road.

We aired down to 15 PSI, a small compressor to air back up, plug kit for emergency repairs.

I finally added an anytime front camera. Steep climbs with a sharp turn are a pucker factor, so having a front camera helps. With the long bed, I should have had a trailer hitch skid back there. No damage, but slid on rocks coming off ledges (go back to the first page and there is a red DCSB climbing the rocks to get an idea of the ledge).

 

I also wanted to ask, I know there is a gas station somewhere in the park which is great but is there somewhere to inflate the tires? I don’t have an air compressor yet and not sure if I should buy one before going out there. I want to get a tonneau cover as well so not sure if I need to spend the money on the air compressor.

 

Decent compressor for $84

$75 VIAIR 88P - 00088 Tire Inflator Portable Onroad/Offroad Air Compressor for Car, Truck, SUV & RV | 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 120 PSI, Alligator Clips, Twist Chuck

https://www.amazon.com/Viair-00088-88P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B005ASY23I/

Get a decent tire pressure meter.

I have an ARB compressor, Shaun deflators, and that fancy pressure meter. Overkill.

$70 ARB ARB601 Digital Tire Pressure Gauge with Braided Hose and Chuck, Inflator and Deflator 25-75 PSI Readings

https://www.amazon.com/ARB-ARB601-Pressure-Inflator-Deflator/dp/B073RS57L5

 

I usually take them down to about 25 PSI for most situations. You can go lower, but Big Bend has so much pavement in between these roads/trails that you'd need to stop and air up once you hit pavement. 25 is a good all around number.

There is a gas station that also has air in the middle of the park.

 

I would buy the viair inflator above and a smittybuilt plug kit. Both fit nicely behind the back seat.

I'm normally against bringing the entire tool chest and the kitchen sink along, but even on pavement it's a good idea to carry 2 gallons potable water, first aid, tire changing tools AND tire repair tools. If your battery is over 2 years old, carry a small jump pack also. All of it will stow nicely in the rear cubbies. You'd be surprised at how many people find themselves flat from just a mesquite thorn.

I got lucky, I only used my equipment to air up/down, and to render roadside assistance. (Someone needed a jump). But those are the essentials you should think about carrying. If nothing else, water and a good first aid kit minimum. Tire troubles get increasingly common once you're south of US 90.

 

Is this with your headlights only or did you have aftermarket lights?

 

halogens in factory housings. The camera makes them look brighter than they are, but I don’t mind them.

 

Did you ever feel like you needed or would have been better off with more lights? I’m considering getting some ditch lights just in case. I don’t know if I would need them as I don’t plan on driving around the park at night but think they would be nice to have in an emergency situation.

 

Are you spending the night in the state park beyond Sauceda? Extra lights are a "nice to have," but they aren't needed. I do like my ditch lights for finding small turn-offs, but didn't have a super need for them anywhere. Get them if you really want them, but don't feel pressured if you don't.

That said, as I was hanging out at my campsite in the state park I met a guy on a motorcycle. He also underestimated the time it took to get into the park, missed the turn to his campsite, and wound up sleeping on the side of the main road. (which still wasn't bad, I saw maybe five vehicles the whole time I was inside the park.)

If you're going into the state park, your best bet is to plan it so that your previous night is close by. I spent my first night in Fort Davis, we were on the road by 9 am, and still reached the campsite after 5 pm. Google says its a 3 hour drive. Granted we did stop and tour Marfa and Ft Leaton, but really for the distances involved, there wasn't that much dawdling. Well, aside from backtracking to find lost car parts there wasn't.

 

Nah. I’m never driving fast enough off-road to overrun my lights. If I were driving fast and needed to see farther to match, then more light makes sense.

 

Yeah although I want them at some point, I don't think I'll be in any situations where I could need them anytime soon. I'll just keep saving up for a suspension lift instead.

 

Aa far as I know, no National Park allows dispersed camping. That's a BLM or USFS thing. The NPS is way more restrictive on policy with respect to camping, fires, bodily waste disposal, etc. They have a different definition on "Conservation" than BLM and USFS, and different objectives on land use.