Utah Desert Backpacing

No experience is required. Participants should be in reasonable physical fitness with the ability to carry 40+ pounds over multiple miles. Days range between 5 and 8 miles with over a thousand feet of climbing on some days. Terrain is mostly off trail in sand and hard packed dirt with some sections of loose rock and exposed sandstone.

Our staff screens all participants prior to approving them to participate in our adventures. 

Capitol Reef is a hidden gem in Southern Utah. This trip highlights the vast desert views as well as the spectacular slot canyons that make this park so special. We’ll start the first leg of our journey on one of the most scenic, established trails in the park. Early into the hike, we’ll venture off trail into the true backcountry of the Waterpocket Fold. We’ll then spend the next few days traversing ridges, navigating slot canyons, and summiting sandstone peaks. You can expect to traverse exposed cliff sides, filter water from dessert potholes, and scramble up steep embankments. The payoff is views that rival Zion and an experience in the wilderness that you will never forget. 

While no experience is needed for this trip, you should expect difficult days both mentally and physically. You can expect high cliffs that we will need to traverse, and long days of hiking in the backcountry and camping in primitive areas. This is by no means a beach vacation, but this will be an incredibly rewarding trip for those willing to put themselves out there. 

This is a true backcountry experience and our route is mostly off-trail, hours away from the closest road. We will have satellite communication as well as trained guides to help in case of an emergency, but the best way to manage risk in these types of environments falls on everyone individually to make good choices as a team.

If you haven’t been before, the Utah desert can be as harsh as it is beautiful. You can expect large temperature shifts throughout the day from blazing heat to freezing nights. Canyons can also be deceptively cold, especially with water crossings. Our guides will help manage the risk of the group by mitigating hazards, and locating drinking water locations in the backcountry, however part of the culture of T3L is education on how to responsibly and safely manage the hazards of the backcountry. 

Camping Gear: There are some opportunities to rent gear from T3L, but participants should provide their own camping gear, and T3L will have a few group items like water filters and extra stove fuel. We’ll cover gear needs extensively in our pre-trip calls but reach out to ask any questions you might have.

Camping: Participants should plan to bring a backpack (65L or bigger), tent (two guys per tent so you may end up sharing if you are coming solo), sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backcountry stoves and gas, and cooking utensils (Cooking items can be shared among participants and T3L has a few we can spread around). Plan for cool evenings. Comfortable non-cotton layers including water resistant pants, rain jacket, puffy jacket, beanie, non-cotton socks, hiking boots/shoes, and base layers.

Personal Toiletries: Hygiene is important in the backcountry and we recommend picking up Eco safe products including soap, bug spray, sunscreen, toothpaste and toothbrush.

The Type3Life staff will hold multiple preparation calls to answer gear questions and help you prepare for the adventure. 

You will be responsible for getting yourself to and from Torrey, UT where we will meet at the hotel for the official start of the trip. Once with the group all costs for the trip including food, lodging, transportation, and National Park fees are included. 

Our staff has decades of experience operating in the backcountry recreationally, as professional guides, or as military leaders. Our staff is certified in wilderness medicine and trained to T3L’s high standards in risk management and group facilitation. 

We believe that being outdoors is a great way to manage your own mental well-being during the pandemic. As with everything we do, risk management is also a cornerstone at Type3Life. While we know everyone is tired of dealing with this, we do expect everyone to follow our COVID-19 guidelines while on our trips to help manage the safety of the group.

Local areas, guides, and activities may require different considerations for minimizing our risk for COVID-19 exposure and we appreciate you working with us during your trip to help keep everyone involved safe. At the very least hand washing and good hygiene is necessary in any backcountry trip. We will communicate specifics with you upon signing up, but if you have any questions, please reach out to us.

We recommend all of our participants look into purchasing their own personal travel insurance prior to the trip to cover them in case of unforeseen travel or medical issues that may arise.

During the primary backcountry portion, T3L staff will have satellite communications for emergency situations. In the unlikely event of an emergency, T3L will contact your emergency contacts. There is no cell phone service where we will be.

Our trips are all about getting out into incredible places other men looking to push themselves outside of their normal comfort zone. What separates a T3L trip is our emphasis on individual personal growth balanced with our dedication to building a community of guys who have your back. We do have intentional moments of reflection built into each trip, but we focus on letting the people and the place come together organically for a unique experience each day.

All of our trips are designed to push participants physically and mentally. That being said, every man can benefit from our trips, not just the super fit. If this experience sounds cool, but you’re not sure if you’ll be able to do it, we recommend reaching out to us and we can talk about it. If we don’t think you can safely participate, we’ll find the right trip for you.

Each T3L trip is unique, but the commonality between each group is the community of guys that you leave with. With that, we just ask that you come ready to be a part of the group and treat your fellow members with respect.

From a physical standpoint, be sure to review the itinerary and make sure you are physically and mentally up for it. We have trips of varying difficulty levels and can work with you to find you the best option. Again, if you have any questions about your ability to participate in a specific trip, we recommend chatting with the T3L team.

Finally, we all love beer. In fact, the idea for this company may have come after one too many beers on a river trip. That being said, we believe that the experience we’re putting on is incredible enough that we do not need drugs or alcohol to dilute them. It’s about being the real you out in the real world. We do require you to leave any non-prescription drugs and alcohol at home.

Type3Life trips are not intended to be wilderness therapy. Our intention is to build community and create bonds that help men connect with one another. 

If you need therapeutic resources please reach out and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.