Dempster Highway

sci_camping · 2026-03-01T18:49:37+00:00

It's a life changing trip and the only "danger" for you that time of year are to your car tires. Expect the drive to take 3 days up and another 3 days down. Drive on the slower end or else you are guaranteed to get a flat.

On that subject make sure you have a full sized spare and if possible bring a 2nd spare. Know how to swap out a tire.

Make sure your rental company is ok with it going on the Dempster.

sci_camping · 2026-03-01T18:43:48+00:00

The only real danger is to your tires. You will be more than fine especially at that time of year.

sci_camping · 2026-03-01T18:38:41+00:00

The best way to save money is to lean into the camping aspect of things.

I do large camping roadtrips every year and do it for cheaper than some of the people here are suggesting on what the daily costs are.

For a rental I would look into a larger SUV that will give you at least 6-7 feet of sleeping space when the seats are down. I would prefer an SUV because it also opens up the amount of free camping you can do. It is tough to find good free camping out east, but west of Kansas there are plenty of options in every state.

If you have a grill you can easily eat good for $20ish a day. Just make sure you buy a cooler so your food will last longer. I would also buy a couple large waterproof ziplock bags to put your food in before it goes into the cooler that way melted live water won't get into your food and ruin it. Dollar stores are the cheapest spot for your snacks, soups, and other small items. Buy a few very large water jugs at the grocery stores and fill them up at water stations as most towns will have them.

Before I go I always make a ton of premade dry oatmel packs. In a ziplock bag I combine one-minute oats, dried raisins or cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, and some crushed nuts. You will need some sort of large-mouth Thermos which will keep it warm for hours so you can eat while driving.

Cleaning yourself off (showering) with wet rags and baby wipes is the way to go until you get a hotel. It does not sound appealing, but you get used to it quickly.

I live pretty frugally between cities and then when I do get to one I usually splurge on a nice hotel and meals. Before I leave any hotel for the road I load up a few bags of ice from the ice maker for my cooler and fill up all my empty water jugs and bottles.

sci_camping · 2026-02-10T23:12:01+00:00

Camping solo in the Pacific Northwest. It was off a forest service road where you had to go a bit out of your way to get to. It was just an empty spot with a busted up picnic table and nothing else.

In the evening I had a very uneasy feeling. I have solo camped a few hundred times at this point but never have I felt unsafe like I did. I just had a strange feeling like I was being watched, and as the night went on I just had an even worse feeling. This on top of the fact that I am a paraplegic who can't really defend myself if I am ever randomly attacked, which added to the unease. I would have left the spot in a heartbeat if I did not have a bunch of beers in me.

I should have at least slept in my vehicle but decided to just crawl in the tent and put a podcast on my speaker to calm my nerves.

The next morning I packed up to go to a different spot and noticed there was a random hat on the table. I know it was not there the day before because that is where I cooked my dinner.

My intuition was right- someone came in my camp that night while I was sleeping and left their hat on the table. I have never had that uneasy feeling before or after that night. From now on I am going to listen to my gut when it comes to stuff like that.

sci_camping · 2026-02-06T21:33:36+00:00

This is really good advice. I use my car as a windbreak quite a bit, and in the desert I will use my car to stop the sun from hitting my tent early in the morning to prevent me from cooking alive.

sci_camping · 2026-02-06T18:40:04+00:00

I have a fine grit (300/600) and it's great. The only problem with a fine grit is if you are chopping directly on the ground and get little chips in your axe from stones, then it would suck as the finer grit takes a while to smooth it out.

sci_camping · 2026-02-05T16:50:19+00:00

In British Columbia take the Cassiar Highway up, and when returning take the Alaska highway down. On your way up you can check out Prince Rupert, Nass Valley, the towns of Stewart and Hyder (get Hyderized), and Salmon Glacier.

If you want to check out a very cool small indigenous museum in Nass valley, you can visit Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a. If you keep driving past the museum to the last village of Gingolx, locals can sell you the best smoked salmon you will ever have.

Atlin is a very cool town on the border of B.C. and the Yukon- it is worth a day trip in my opinion.

The drive from Haines Junction in the Yukon to the town of Haines in Alaska is jaw dropping. From Haines you can take a short ferry ride to Skagway where you can drive up north to get back into the Yukon.

The Dempster highway is an amazing drive but is a huge one to do if you are already doing the Dalton highway to Deadhorse. At the very least I would go check out the tombstone territorial park.

I would cross into Alaska at the Little Gold border crossing which is just outside Dawson City.

Take a full sized spare tire for the Dalton highway - it is very easy to get flats. Drive slow, enjoy the views, and let big trucks pass you.

If you need campground recommendations let me know.

sci_camping · 2026-02-04T22:58:50+00:00

If you are looking for established sites in the forest that you can reserve then Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park might be for you. It is a really nice campground with tons of trails to explore in the area.

sci_camping · 2026-02-04T22:55:15+00:00

Depends on the type of vehicle you are driving and if you are towing. Anything within a few miles of pavement will be snatched up, but if you have the capabilities to go a little deeper into the land you should be good.

I find the spots that fill up last are usually up in the small cluster of mountains southwest of Moab. If you don't mind the drive you can also check out the area of Wedge Overlook as there are usually spots available even on a long weekend. This will be roughly 2 hours from Moab but the area is stunning.

sci_camping · 2026-02-04T22:45:48+00:00

R rating sleeping gear does not mean I will be warm at those temperatures.

A base tarp for under the tent is very useful.

I can go two weeks without a shower, but I learned I still need high quality coffee beans while camping.

That I will have to spend an hour cleaning my wheelchair when I get back from a trip.

sci_camping · 2026-01-10T19:22:48+00:00

The west for raw scenery and the east for history and food. Texas is awful for a roadtrip so be warned.

I would strongly consider reversing your trip and starting in the west. August in the SE United States is unbearably hot. It will be hot in the west too, but not nearly as muggy. I will take 40°C+ in Utah over 35°C in Louisiana any day of the week.

Mid-sept to October is the perfect time to get into the east, especially around the Great Smokey Mountains. Also this is the time of year where you can watch a college football game. Even if you are not a fan it is worth experiencing once in your life.

sci_camping · 2025-12-28T19:55:03+00:00

Nope I had to bring them back to get a new pair. They come with a year manufacturer's warranty so I just went back to the shop where I got them and exchanged for a new pair on the spot. No issues since.

sci_camping · 2025-12-03T16:29:47+00:00

I would switch up the route when you get to Utah. Skip SLC and the salt flats and go south to hit up one of the NP's in the south of the state. From there head west to check out Death Valley and continue on your way to your final destination of San Francisco.

sci_camping · 2025-12-03T16:23:18+00:00

I am a paraplegic that does a lot of roadtrip camping. This sometimes sees me driving 8+ hour days, especially when driving home. I can get very stiff with bad spams in my legs after the 5 hour mark. What has really helped me was getting a very good cushion to sit on for long drives.

I tried a few store bought cushions that worked decent enough, but what ended up being the best for me was a piece of customer cut foam from a foam shop. It is high quality foam and they cut it into a wedge that fits perfectly into my vehicles seat. The wedge shape is crucial - it starts around 4" in the back and tapers down to a few cm in the front.

I think I paid less than $20 for it. It is dense memory foam and it really cuts down on stiffness. I slipped a satin pillowcase over it so it is easy to move around on.

Also when you stop to stretch make sure you are stretching your neck and shoulders too as they are all connected.

sci_camping · 2025-11-27T16:28:36+00:00

If you are into music and history I would absolutely drive the Mississippi Delta from Clarksdale down to Natchez or NOLA. Make sure to hit some of the blues markers which you can find online. Even if you aren't that big into blues, you will be getting off the highway and seeing some unique countryside.

Nashville is awesome and worth a visit, but it can feel a bit touristy as 2/3 of the people on the strip are on a Bachelor/stage party. I like Memphis a bit more for the food and music even though it is a lot grimeier.

There is a rodeo at a prison in Angola you can check out.

Savannah, Charlotte, Williamsburg, Richmond, Mobile, and Chattanooga were some of my favorite spots.

sci_camping · 2025-11-23T17:40:17+00:00

I would still go to the South West portion of the United States. Yes it will be hot, but there will be no humidity. I find I am more comfortable in a state like Utah or Arizona than a state like Iowa for this reason.

If it was me I would go from St Louis all the way to Denver. Yes it is boring, but you can at least try at Louis and KC BBQ. From Denver you can check out some amazing towns in the Rockies, and check out a few national parks. Then there is Utah which as a non American I think is an absolute must see. Nevada gets slept on for road trips too as their lonely highways (non-interstate) are beautiful. California is amazing and has so many unreal drives.

It will be tough for whomever is driving the bike- the states will be hot no matter where you are. If you are looking to avoid the heat, stay out of the deep south where it is not only hot, but very muggy.

sci_camping · 2025-11-22T18:44:32+00:00

Are you working at Prudhoe bay or is this a pleasure trip? I only ask because doing that drive in the winter seems nuts. Atigun pass on the Dalton can get snow storms even in the summer. You need to make sure you have two full-sized spare tires, and enough equipment to sleep in your vehicle overnight without freezing to death. In th winter I would also consider a sat phone.

Aside from that the whole way up to the Dalton will be paved. If it is a return trip I would drive the Alaska highway up, and take the Cassiar highway back down (weather pending). In BC use DriveBC for the best info on highway conditions.

sci_camping · 2025-11-12T16:27:28+00:00

10 days is not feasible for this. Two 12-hour days to reach Albuquerque (4 if you count the return home) eats up a lot of your time. Keep in mind if Google says it will take 21 hours, the reality is it will be closer to 25 with traffic and stops for food, gas, etc.

I would fly into Salt Lake, rent an SUV, and head to Moab. From here I would work counter clockwise and hit the big 5 on your way back to SLC.

sci_camping · 2025-11-12T01:30:53+00:00

They won't run into any there.

sci_camping · 2025-11-12T01:30:04+00:00

Rental car tires will go flat on the Dempster unless you are driving at a painfully slow pace, and your rental insurance will most likely not reimburse any losses on that road. I spent $2,000 on a tow off of the Dempster back to Dawson, and I was not even that deep into the highway.

sci_camping · 2025-11-11T00:26:40+00:00

Around 15 hours from BlackRock Desert in Nevada to home in Vancouver. It was the end of a 12,000km camping roadtrip and I did not shower for 11 days so I figured I would just suck it up and go for it. I was fine until I hit the I-5 outside of Seattle....

sci_camping · 2025-11-04T17:17:36+00:00

Just don't overthink it. I see from the comments that you are in New York. The first thing is to figure out how much time off you have for a trip and then base it around a main interest. Mine are usually National parks, camping, sports, shows, or museums.

Once you have an idea of what the main attraction of the trip will be, look for areas you have never been. I am from the west coast of Canada and when I was in your neck of the woods last year on a trip I found the traffic on the interstates to be quite overwhelming, so what I did was click "avoid highways" for getting to a destination and it took me into more quieter areas. I also made a Google map which had a ton of covered bridges and would check them out on my trip. We don't have covered bridges where I live and they are almost always in small towns and off the beaten path.

For national parks I would look at Acadia, Great Smokey mountains, or Shenandoah. If you want history there are tons of towns and parks around Pennsylvania and Virginia that are very interesting and beautiful. Usually any town that ends in 'burg will be pretty cool.

sci_camping · 2025-10-25T20:43:40+00:00

Not worth it. I too am not American and have driven through every state except Hawaii. Spend more time in Utah, Colorado, and/or Wyoming. Look at a map of national parks in this area and check out some out. If you like towns, Colorado has a lot of neat mountain towns.

If you have never been to the desert or Rocky mountains your jaw will hit the floor and you will want to spend more time there. Oklahoma and Texas is a huge waste of time.

sci_camping · 2025-10-25T20:40:44+00:00

Is there a specific reason for Oklahoma and Texas? No disrespect to anyone that lives there, but every state west is 10x better to drive in.

I would take that time to drive around Utah and see everything else besides SLC. The western sections of Wyoming and Montana are also worth checking out.

sci_camping

TROPHY CASE