There are two Best Circles that we've made over the years, that stand out in my mind.
The first, we just traveled in a truck with a campershell, Sleeping in a tent in good weather, the shell when necessary, and hitting a motel once a week or when the weather was really rough. That was 'bout a month long bit of Joyous wandering. The other was the Solo trip to Alaska. Just a bike and a tent.
Just following our/my nose...
In both cases, about as light an outfit as you could do. Shelter, cooking, clothes and transportation. How much else is really necessary? How much of what we consider necessary... is? How much is just convenience we convince ourselves we can't live without?
I look ahead... at my Bucket List of places I'd like to wander... and ways... and I have difficulty seeing this old fiver... or any other fiver this size or bigger... squeezing up that trail... along with, fitting the cost of moving such a rig into my lil' budget.
I think of how Easy and light, some others travel. Their rigs don't get in the way of the wandering. They NEVER have to say... "it would be nice to go there... but the rig won't fit." Hell, they're Shipping their rigs all over the world!
Just coming here to Zion, we have to stop on the east side, pay an extra fee so they can close the tunnel... so we can run our too wide, too tall trailer through... Hell, we have to do that for just our Dually...
How many camps are we kept out of... by our oversized need for "Convenience"? What If?
These folks have rolled across Africa with their Diesel VW van...
... and are now on their way to Alaska. They're something older than I am...
This young couple... maybe mid twenties?... are near the end of their current journey. They started in Argentina in 2010... are now on the way to Yellowstone and will end somewhere around Vegas I guess... before selling their "Rover", and flying home...
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| *2takearest.com* |
They refer to this lil' rig, in their website as their "Home"... We stumbled across the rig in the parking lot in Zion... and passed them riding the bike on a day trip up to Bryce National Park...
And then... Here in South Campground is another young couple... proven by their not much more than toddler kids...
Another European rig... Proven by the plates... another VW Van... and What a Tent! It's carrying an Outwell tag on it...
Somehow... these folks that are out for extended periods of time... and look to be having the time of their lives... are doing it fine!
There's a lesson here to be learned I think...
A bed to sleep on overnight in roadsides if necessary... and when you get to the place for your camp... enough room for a family!
Even in "Hard Side" camps... where the big fuzzy buggers cause trouble... with a Van... you've got your hard side for sleeping... yet no shortage of "Living Space" During the day or even bouts of foul weather.
... and there's plenty of room for adjustments to your own personal tastes...
It's just an intriguing way of going... How much shinier would these views along the way gleam... if the Way itself was lighter and easier?
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| *Through the Grotto* |
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| *In The Sanctuary of Zion* |
Consider this... If... the places you go, soothe a bruised and weary soul... what if... the stress and work of pushing a large and heavy rig down the narrow roads, was largely removed? If the cost of maintenance and just moving the rig was a lot lighter on your life? What if you STARTED from a higher, lighter, better place? How High could you soar?
What If... Without a care, you could stop at those curious little places, where you WISH you could... but can't... because there's nowhere to get your truck and 36' rig off the road...
... so you tell yourself you'll drive back once you get camped... but never do. What If?
What If you had a smaller rig going down the road... that opened up into something you could stretch out in... when you got stopped.
I'm not breaking any new ground here. Too many have gone before... but maybe, just maybe... rather than pointing my own idea of "the way"... it's time for this grumpy buster to listen to and be reminded of a few higher priorities... learned from the lessons of others.
It's not, and never will be a One Size Fits All life out here... but... There are a lot of Options for Vagabonds and Yonderers...
A lighter Pack Can Make for Shining Times
Brian
8 comments:
Tis risky to downsize... but you deal well with risk and change. Just remember, you can always go back if it doesn't work, but can you afford the experiment.
We are sort of "locked in" to our experiment in downsizing from a Fiver to a pop up A Frame Chalet. It works, but downsizing comes with downsides... as well as upsides. You trade one thing for another. Only if your marriage is on good terms would I recommend a substantial reduction in space :)) and you do have two dogs... just sayin'
We are planning to attack our Colorado Rocky Mountains this summer... to go farther and higher. I am finding roads to Alpine places above timeberline that we can navigate our rig too... I mean high up where there is tundra for lawn and enough flowers to tear the eye. These are "Jeep roads," but not the nastiest... like we drug you guys over. My route list is growing and we can't wait to camp closer to Heaven. Lightness is a good thing.
I *traveled* with my husband (and our two labs) in a 40 foot motorhome and enjoyed every moment we had, together. After he passed away, I sold the motorhome and I bought an Aframe Chalet and a big truck to take the dogs camping so that they could live the life my husband had planned for them. We enjoyed camping mostly in the southeast. My Chalet was not as roomy as Mark's.
When I had to put my older lab to sleep at age 13, Jack and I were beside ourselves with grief. I decided to take a trip west (my kids were betting I wouldn't get past Alabama) so I bought a small trailer (23ft including hitch) (traded the Chalet). It's no more difficult to pull than the Aframe, and I *traveled and camped* for 6 months out west. I could live in it without any problems. By then, my kids were wondering if I was ever going to come home--only a wedding made me return.
Mark is right--I think my husband and I could have lived easily and gotten along in the Chalet, but I took my daughter upon occasion and we got on each other's nerves.
Jack never gets on my nerves and I traveled all back roads once in the west. It was a wonderful salve for our wounds. I think Jack swam in every stream and lake east of the Mississippi. Because of health reasons, I haven't been able to go, again, but maybe I'll have one more chance--we'll see--I think if I get another shot at it, I won't come home until health forces me.
Your post made a lot of sense. There's no one size fits all. My husband liked to drive the big rig and he enjoyed the comfort in the evenings. He liked to *travel*. I did, too, but I think given the choice now that I've experienced both ways, I'd choose my little trailer so I could do more backroads, comfortably, and camp places we couldn't in the motorhome. JMO
Hello Cowboy,
Just read your post on possible downsizing. I read and thoroughly enjoy them all. I was sitting in the parking lot of the Flying J in Ehrenberg, CA, having my breakfast, when a fellow in a Bull Frog Water Truck Company truck, noticing my hat, strode over and exclaimed, "A cowboy in a Volkswagen van! What's this world coming to?"
I invite you to meet "Betsy" my Westy at afarnsworthaday.wordpress.com/unde-a-wandering-star/
And I look forward to meeting you somewhere down the road.
John (Juanderlust)
Interesting thoughts. I'm coming from the other direction. Have been living in a tent, then rented for a bit, and am now in a 13 foot fiberglass camper with 2 cats and 4 dogs. I still have the big cabin tent and can use it for an extra room, but haven't needed to yet.
Sometimes, pulling this little camper that will go almost anywhere, I still miss the freedom of not pulling anything. But when thigs are rough (bad weather, not feeling good), I wish for something bigger.
I like to boondock in the wilds, so for now, I think what I have is great, but there may come a time when I'll opt for something bigger. But not so big I can'te go where I want to most of the time.
Your post brings back lots of memories about our decision on a rig for traveling after retirement. We looked at most of the options, large and small. Settled on a 17' Casita back in 2007 and haven't looked back. Easy to tow, can get most everywhere with it, and it has everything one "needs". Works great for the two of us and the dog.
Since you're thinking about downsizing...DOWNSIZE. Might have to build a kennel for the top though.
Some of our fondest memories are of turning a Chevy panel sided van into a camper, complete with sink, "ice box", single sink, where you pumped the water a double bed running sideways,portable potty, even had a 5,000 BTU air stuck in a hole we cut in the back door. Oh, and the walls and ceiling were covered with black and red shag carpet. Oh, what fine times we had in that van. LOL If the truck fit, then you could camp. Only thing didn't have was generator. We didn't boondock so stayed where we could plug in. Stored coolers, chairs etc. under the bed where you could get to them by opening the double doors in the back. Brings back many fond memories.
ever'bodies comments only serve to keep my cogitating gears... Grinding!!! :) So many options... and only enough dollars to start in the direction of a decision and hope like I always have that the way opens up... like it always has! Ha! Ha!
...and then along comes the CRUEL ones like Jeff and Lori :) Just a scooter in the Breeze... How SWEET that is!!! :) ... though... unless I miss my guess... Ms. Heidi will start grousin' right quick after about 400 miles with a 50 lb dog under each arm, sitting on the back of the Raider :) ... though... come to think of it... if she had her own Spyder... and SHE pulled the trailer... she could carry her hounds back there!!!
Oh Lordy! You've all got me digging deeper into this hole I started! :)
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