Is it Stupid to Visit DEATH VALLEY in Summer?! (SUV Camping/Vanlife Adventures)

Thanks for watching! So I went into the ER a few days ago for severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Turns out I had a kidney stone. Not fun. I passed the stone the next morning, and all is well now. Just wanted to keep you updated on what's going on in my life lol! 💉🪨🤢 -Tristan

Just a word of caution. Travelling in remote desert areas in the summer is inherently dangerous. If your car breaks down, you can easily be dead before anyone finds you. Gas stations are far apart and may not be operational in the off season. Cell coverage can be spotty at best. There is no safety net. If you get in trouble, you had better be prepared to get yourself out of it. It is MUCH safer if you can get someone with a second vehicle to travel with you. A satellite locator beacon and the recovery service to go with it are a good idea.

My mind is BLOWN at the idea of an earthquake in Japan affecting water levels in this tiny spot. We really are one earth, eh?

I love Death Valley. I can't think of many parks where summer is the off season. The benefit of no people adds 10-15 degrees to my heat tolerance lol. Walking around Badwater Basin at night during a new moon is incredible. Being under an absolute sea of stars in a huge sky, it feels almost fake. I like to camp (or stay at a hotel in Beatty with air conditioning) then go out after dark to find good places to sit under the stars or get night sky photos.

PS: Regarding Devil's Hole, it wasn't one guy, it was three guys. They were drinking, but that's not why they did so much damage. They went there with the intention of trashing the place. They destroyed security cameras, but left perfect closeups of their faces on the security video as they did so. (They weren't the brightest bulbs on the circuit). They didn't just flop down in the pool, they relieved themselves in it. Also caught on security cameras. And yes, all three idiots went to prison.

There is NOTHING stupid about this fish story. You find the greatest oddities. Thank you very much for sharing.

I watch quite a few camping, adventure videos and my husband could care less but when he hears your narrative he will stand behind me to watch. It cracks me up!

If you love beautiful landscapes and don't mind the constant feeling of what seems like a fan blowing at you from inside a hot oven then it is not at all stupid to visit the geological wonder that is Death Valley in the peak of summer.

Tristan, this was terrific. One of your best.

i like your informational videos, i hadn't been to Death Valley for many years, but when i saw you standing in the HOT WIND, it all came rushing back to me....that hot wind is not my favorite mother nature experience, but i agree with you on the beauty of the HARSH landscape....love it.

Beautiful. But deathly. I think one has to be very prepared. The barren inhospitable landscape - just beautiful. And the SILENCE... is golden. Thank-you very much for the hard work of preparing the video 🙂

Having lived in Vegas for a decade I can attest to what the heat can do to things in your car. I've had multiple pens essentially melt, ink on your car seat doesn't get out, and NEVER EVER leave unopened carbonated drinks inside when the temp gets over 90...they will always explode. I learned a few lessons my first summer there lol. Death Valley and the Mojave are so beautiful, as Tristan said...hostile...stark beauty, but I do not miss those temps even a teensy bit. Tristan, if you read this I wonder if you noticed the Spring Mountains (MT Charleston) to the east.

I can't tell you how many things I got to see "unobstructed" during the 80s and early 90s. Slowly but surely, things got gated, caged, and locked.. because we can't have nice things.

That heat is extraordinary. I took a trip to BC (from Saskatchewan) a couple of weeks ago and had to stop and get gas. It was 47C and a strong wind was blowing. I decided I'd rather my snot freeze than my eyeballs melt.

Thanks for another great video. Glad you’re on the mend. Went to Death Valley in 1990 when it was still a National Monument and cars didn’t have temperature displays. Looking forward to this series as we spent our vacations camping the Eastern Sierras around June Lake back in the 60’s.

It really depends on what you're acclimated to, and what you do to deal with the heat. When I was younger, this kind of heat would have knocked me out. I was living in a place that averaged about 125 inches of snow per year, and I was nowhere near acclimated to this kind of heat. Now that I've been living in Las Vegas for two decades, the temperatures in the video wouldn't be anything special. There have been at least 10 days so far this summer where the external temperature gauge in my car read more than 120. (The official temperature at the airport was 116 - 117, but of course that was in the shade. Good luck finding shade in the Mojave Desert). I love Death Valley and I visit 2-3 times a month, year round. Of course, I take precautions, just like this gentleman with his sunshade hat. I drink a lot of water (drink more than you think you need; you're dehydrating faster than you realize), and take it much easier than you normally would as far as any exercise. Do most of your hiking very early in the morning. In Las Vegas in July and August, I do my daily walk starting at 4:30 a.m. Whatever you do, don't try to be a hero. Know the signs of heat exhaustion and take remedial steps as soon as you see the signs. Do not let it progress to heat stroke. When you get that far, your perceptions are badly warped and you probably won't even know you are in danger.

I love how informative and interesting you make your videos. Thanks for sharing!

The desert has a beauty all its own. Thanks for the education and the tour Tristan.

Awesome, awesome video, Tristan!! Fabulous footage of Death Valley, mountains, arches, etc. I love the pupfish saga….I did not know a thing about them. They’re beautiful and to think they exist in such a fragile environment amazes me! Thanks for the grand adventure!

Oh wow, so sorry to hear that! I hope you're doing well. I really enjoyed this video! Can't wait to visit both places. 🙂