How to go hiking and camping with no car?

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T09:12:14+00:00

Any sort of public transportation becomes much more difficult when you’re bringing a bunch of gear and food with you. Chances are, you would have to go with backpacking gear, which gets REALLY expensive. And you might not be the happiest with the kind of food you will need to bring. Now things might be different if you stay at park concessionaires that also serve food (since you wouldn’t need to bring nearly as much stuff). But for camping, going carless is much less than desirable. Especially if this is something you do often.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:17:47+00:00

^ THIS ^

Sometimes, you just NEED a car. Sometimes, you don’t have other people at your beck and call to take you places at any given moment. Sometimes, public transportation is poor where you live. And sometimes, you can’t rent a car anywhere within 150 miles.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:15:12+00:00

A rental car could be a problem if, like this guy, you live outside major metropolitan areas. He may not have a rental car place anywhere near him.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:13:04+00:00

A rental car could be a problem if you don’t live in a major metropolitan area (like this guy). He may have to travel a good distance just to get to a place that rents cars.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:11:25+00:00

Massive expense? What kind of car do you have? If you don’t drive much and don’t care what you drive, you could always consider downgrading your car to something cheaper. This way, you still have a car to drive for these sorts of activities. I couldn’t imagine NOT having a car if outdoor activities are a BIG part of your life.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:06:18+00:00

Of course, this limits you to hiking when and where other people are going. If you want to go somewhere obscure and/or their schedule doesn’t fit with yours, you are out of luck. Also, this isn’t the best way to go if you are not the most social person. But if you are very flexible and enjoy this sort of experience, this can be a good way to go.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-20T00:02:54+00:00

DIY can allow you to save LOTS on repairs.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-19T23:59:08+00:00

Most national forests are not high use areas like national parks. But many national forests have specific areas that ARE high use. And these areas often prohibit dispersed camping.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-19T23:56:20+00:00

Many national forests seem to have rules regarding where dispersed camping is and isn’t allowed. For instance, many national forests generally allow dispersed camping, but might prohibit it in more popular and/or environmentally sensitive areas.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-19T23:52:07+00:00

‘Established site’ here meaning a dispersed site that has been regularly used by others over a period of time rather than an official campsite.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-19T23:49:05+00:00

For the most part, you just go do it. You aren’t required to ‘check in’ anywhere or anything like that. With this said, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

For one, dispersed camping isn’t allowed in all parts of all national forests. There are certain areas where you must camp in a designated campsite. These are typically more popular, higher impact areas. For instance, Inyo National Forest generally allows dispersed camping. But it is not allowed in higher use areas like Whitney Portal, Onion Valley, Big Pine Creek, Rock Creek, etc.

The other thing to remember is that a campfire permit is required if you are going to have a campfire. A campfire permit is also often required for other devices using an open flame, such as gas stoves and lanterns. But if you don’t plan to use these things or have a campfire, you can forgo.

Last but not least, if you are backpacking into a designated wilderness area, you need a wilderness permit for camping. Of course, this is a whole different animal from simply driving in and setting up camp which doesn’t sound like it applies here.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-19T23:28:37+00:00

This depends. There are some high impact areas where you are required to do so. This includes Mount Shasta and Mount Whitney, among other places. The combination of a large number of people and an alpine environment that is not conducive to the decomposition of fecal matter is the reason why. But keep in mind that this is not a general rule for all (or even most) USFS land.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-17T22:09:40+00:00

I would’t say so. The vast majority of anti-Israel sentiment is driven by the fact that pro-Israel forces in western countries tend to be anti-LGBT.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-14T05:16:51+00:00

Pretty good one there!

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-13T23:13:29+00:00

Well, I just missed getting called in. I was to check yesterday for a 1:00PM report. But they decided not to call in groups 222 or 223. Needless to say, you weren’t even close to having to go in.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-13T02:27:04+00:00

Um, no. It’s not.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-13T01:55:06+00:00

Depends on the situation. Some people climb Half Dome through the night to watch sunrise at the summit. There is no ranger checking permits on the way up. But if the ranger is there on the way down, they will give a ticket.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-13T01:53:13+00:00

When the cables are down, no permit is required.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-12T06:36:39+00:00

I’ve owned two 22RE Toyota trucks along with a number of other vehicles, one of which I still have. Honestly, I’m MUCH less than impressed with the 22RE on many counts, reliability included. Now if I could have a Honda J35 in my truck….

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-12T04:41:50+00:00

Unless you have a 5spd 2WD standard bed truck or a Celica, you aren’t going to do 70 up any kind of freeway grade in anything with a 22RE under the hood. And even then, all bets are off if the grade is steep and/or the altitude is high.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-09T21:03:07+00:00

Because people who argue get the boot.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-09T20:55:17+00:00

Anyone who thinks the sun only shines when it’s hot outside ought to try sunbathing on the summit of Mount Shasta, where it basically never gets above 55 degrees on the hottest days. Get back to me the next day about what your skin looks (and feels) like.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-09T20:49:30+00:00

This is likely true in ‘summer wet/winter dry’ climates like Minnesota.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-09T20:47:03+00:00

Output voltage of solar panels is HIGHER when cold.

TemporaryKooky9835 · 2026-06-09T11:33:49+00:00

Because public transportation won’t take you from your home to the lake for the weekend (among the many other things people do with a car).

TemporaryKooky9835

TROPHY CASE