gpsblake

I'm just curious as I was having a chat with someone about camping. I'm just curious if I would camp in the desert with my bivy tent, what are the odds that a rattlesnake or scorpions will be attracted to my body heat and try to sneak underneath the tent and the ground during the night? I know about shaking your shoes and such went camping in areas like that. I also know that rattlesnakes are a lot more active at night in the desert. Just curious if that is a legit concern or not?

Cheers and Happy Miles,
BLake

cyclezealot

At work, it really is desert terrain...Only not due to irrigation..Rattlesnakes , you must be in North America...Bivy tent? I have slept in desert..Never thought of that problem...My tents seals completly...
But, my point..Roaming around my plants' grounds this time of year. Rattlesnakes are in hibernation...See them all over the place all summer long...I never see them after October.. Are you camping after October...?

saddlesores

yes, i believe it to be a legitimate concern. don't know how common it is, tho.
doesn't matter to me, i always camp with a full tent with screen fly and tub
bottom. along with snakes and scorpions, you also got mosquitoes and flies and
ants and centipedes and.....i'd rather carry the extra pound or two and get a good
night's sleep. first time you wake up with your tent covered in tarantulas......

gpsblake

My bivy is completed sealed with a tent floor. I guess my question should have been, is there a good risk of stepping on top of one of those critters on the tent floor in the morning or while taking a pee in the middle of the night? I would think with body heat, they would want to crawl inbetween the tent floor and the ground. I figure if I tour that area, it would be in Spring more than likely.

Thanks and Happy Miles,
BLake

cyclezealot

Seems at my plant, they mid come out by mid April, should it be warm..Certainly by May...Seems been told in May they mate and are particilarily agressive...Under a tent? Seems possible..My tent I always have a pad under it as do most....Maybe some way to fold it back up and over the lip of the tent and seal it some how? Never thought of the problem...
They do like dark, warm, hidden places...Not sure if you have not added a another paranoia to our list...?

Jay H

As a lover of tarantulas... Where can I sign up?

As far as camping in the desert, forget snakes and scorpions, what to do with all that sand? Have you ever tried cooking on a stove on sand? Sand gets everywhere, especially if it's windy. I've camped on beaches before and when I do, I always try to go stoveless and pack non cooking foods.

Jay

balto charlie

My friends were in Moad Mnt biking in Oct and when they broke camp one morning a rather large scorpion came out from under one of their tents. However it can't kill you so don't worry about it. Charlie

mark48310

i've asked this question in various outdoors forums and the consensus, from people who live in these areas, seems to be that the risk of a snake crawling into your tent, underneath it, etc. is almost nil...it almost never happens and the stuff in books warning about it is a lot of hype. snakes sense heat but they're also wild animals not terribly enthused about curling up next to something 100 times bigger than they are...the snake doesn't just feel the warmth, it's aware that something is providing that warmth and that something is much bigger than it is...

you wouldn't curl up next to a 1000 pound grizzly on a cold morning, would you?

scorpions will crawl into stuff like shoes, etc. you just have to be careful. usually they won't kill you (if you're stung) but it can be very uncomfortable and painful, particularly if you're sensitive or allergic to their venom.

splitley

i live in the desert, and all i can say is you are worried about nothing! as far as rattle snakes, you can see them all year if the temp gets above 75 as they will come out and sun themselves, if you get too close they'll let you know! as for scorpions you almost have to step on one and then it's not life threatening! as with every where else, just use common sense, and you will have a nice time in the desert!

saddlesores

some critters are hungry and/or curious. had a mouse squeeze in between the
tent bottom and attached ground sheet during the night. rolled over while asleep
and pancaked the little bugger. didn't notice the next morning while rolling the
tent up. did notice the aroma that evening setting up camp, after the tent had
spent all day in the 100-degree heat. took awhile to figure out where that awful
smell was coming from, and longer to get rid of.

supcom

I have camped many times in the desert in Big Bend National Park. I've slept in 'sealed' tents, tarptents, and with no tent (my favorite). I have never had any snakes or spiders invite themselves to my campsite.

Go have fun and don't worry about it.

gpsblake

Thanks so much. I didn't figure it would be a problem or I would have read or heard about it happening a lot more. I'll just remember to shake out my shoes and gear that is left outside. Down here in South Carolina, the worst problem with camping is fire-ants. I always check to make sure I am not camping over one of their nest.

Cheers and Happy Miles,
BLake

trailhound

I live in Tucson, and camp in the desert frequently. Most of the time, I just roll my sleeping pad out on a tent footprint, throw the sleeping bag on top of that, and sleep under the stars. I've lived here since the mid 60's, and have seen my share of critters, but never had a run in with any of them. Rattlesnakes and scorpions want as much to do with you as you do with them.

Rogerinchrist

Live - no, dead - maybe.