Beautiful area. And thanks for the detailed response. I've never backpacked in grizzly country. Makes me nervous. Although rationally I know the risk is small. I spend most of my backpacking days in the Sierras, but that's easy cause I live in California. My other days are in Southwestern deserts, mostly in Utah. I love the desert. But carrying water is indeed a heavy proposition at times, depending on location and time of year.I'll start at the end first. I do get concerned about getting stuck. As someone who has walked out more than once, I take precautions when solo. Same when spending a week or more backpacking in wilderness areas solo. Everything has to be calculated.
The reason for the 37s is just to add more capability on the trails I'm already doing. Not to get me farther in so I have to walk farther out. I've debated a winch, but I don't know if I would get into more trouble knowing I had it verses staying conservative without it. I also know the long lost art of using a shovel, stacking rocks, employing a chainsaw, etc. to get out of bad spots. I tend to stay in 2wd and no lockers as long as I can so I know when I get to the point of needing them. Some people start out with everything and never realize they are getting over their head until they do.
Worse thing I think I ever did was get my wife's new Jeep stranded in white out conditions in Alaska that took 3 days to recover and required a long cold walk to a phone. That was a long time ago and I still carry lessons from it.
Unfortunately, money is an issue, as I just have too many irons in the fire, and every dollar spent on the Bronco is money not spent on other hobbies. I want to beef things up prior to the 37s for insurance. Moving to the 3.0 steering for me is cost effective verses going to the 74weld. It will be stronger and better than what I have, and now I'll have a spare rack if I need it.
As far as the tailgate reinforcement, I haven't decided. I'd prefer a bumper mounted swing gate, but the current ones on the market all have a few, small concerning issues that have kept me from pulling the trigger.
I am at my heart a back country camper. My kids are in their late 20s and in their prime, and they all dread going hiking with me, as they know it's going to be work. I've definitely slowed down and decreased my range, but prefer to be as far from people as often as I can. I enjoy solo trips for a week or more with no outside communication, although the wife has finally forced me to carry a Garmin inreach. For some reason she is concerned about finding the body. Never concerned her when I was younger. Must have something to do with getting the retirement funds.
I'm also coming from a long time use of Toyota IFS and have learned the value of carrying spare CVs, tie rods, etc. as you just never know. Usually for someone else, but it's nice to have the parts and tools for trailside fixes when needed. Another concern is good street manners. I'm often driving 1500+ miles one way just to get to the trail.
This was a couple weeks ago where I stopped for lunch in the Absaroka-Beartooth wilderness area. The Bronco got me to the trailhead and the legs did the rest.
