Rocky Mountains on a budget

Going With the Comforts AKA Glamping

Can you take a trip to the Rocky Mountains even with the kitchen sink and still save money? The short answer is you can. With the right equipment you can take travel trailers with you. These travel trailers have all the comforts of home. http://forestriverinc.com/ has options for any style and budget.

You will want to invest in a quality portable generator. A generator will allow you to power your travel trailer. You will need to provide fuel for the generator you chose. Fuel types include Gas, Diesel, and Propane.  There are solar options now to choose from, but you will sacrifice some room in the travel trailer.  I own the Cabela’s sportsman’s series generator https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en .

Water and water storage will be the other thing to consider when bringing a travel trailer. Towing with a full water tank can add challenges. With the proper truck and hitch system this task can be easier. Portable freshwater tanks can be purchased to aide in helping manage the amount of water you can use while in the field.

Travel Light…It’s About the Experience

Tents are a versatile way to experience the Rockies. There are many companies with many designs. The best practice here is to choose one that will fit your needs. The wife and I have three dogs that travel with us. We have found that a wall tent style best fits our needs and room for all. Cabela’s Outback Lodge fits our needs. This high center pole tent gives us room for our cots, gear, and dogs.

Cooking is a difficult task in the Rockies due to it being under a red flag warning and no open fire band most of the time. Good options include propane tabletop grills and griddles. I prefer to take my pellet grill with a convertor that I run off my truck. Invest in a good cooler as well, as this can lengthen the time in between trips to town for ice. Traveling light with tents, cots, cook stove, and outdoor activity gear allows you to utilize the cost saving technique. Depending on the time of year doesn’t apply in the Rockies. Please plan on having the proper clothing for all four seasons. One could experience all four seasons in 24 hours in the mountains

How to Do the Rocky Mountains on a Budget

I like to travel light, I’m not as extreme as back country. So, after my initial investment in camping gear. That we upgraded as we experienced great outing in the Rocky Mountains. I found a way to stay budget friendly and still get the most out of our tips into the Mountains.

We utilized Bureau of land management land or BLM (https://www.blm.gov/) , National Forrest Land (https://www.fs.usda.gov/) , State Wildlife Areas (https://cpw.state.co.us/)  . Please review rules of each of these types of lands. Rules change drastically between them. How are these lands Budget? Well, they are free to use. Colorado state lands may require a conservation stamp to utilize, but make sure to check local regulations.

I utilized a hunting app called On x Hunt to identify these lands. I have this app for hunting, fishing, and camping so it was worth the $100 annual fee for me. This app also has many features in it to utilize when planning hikes within these wild places. You can pre plan routes and download maps to utilize while offline. Thank you for reading I hope this helps you find your starting point. Please look for another post to expand on activities and adventures I experienced in the Rocky Mountains.