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9 Years Ago
As I began gathering what I considered essential for living on the road for months I knew I’d be bringing too much stuff. Weight is always a consideration when on a limited gas budget. Leaving enough room in the camper to actually turn over in bed is always nice too. I made piles of food, clothing, electronics, books, photography and cooking gear. Then I went through each pile and pared them down. There was still way too much but I was afraid that the one thing I left behind would be the one thing I would need the most.
I had the truck serviced, tires rotated, worn engine parts replaced, but I didn’t cough up the $150 it would cost to replace the struts that hold the camper flap up. Apparently the gas in them leaks out eventually but the flap would still stay up when the weather’s warm. When it’s cold, the flap crashes down on my head as I’m leaning in to rummage in the back. It’s more than annoying, especially when I forget that it does that and it catches me off guard. It really hurts! So I found a free fix - cut a section of old hose matching the length of the strut fully extended, slit it up the side, raise the flap all the way up and pop the hose on the strut. Works perfectly! I kept the hose in a small container near the tailgate with other essentials so it was always handy. Because it removed all threat of nasty surprises and further brain damage, life on the road was no longer fraught with impending danger. That hose became my good friend. I was Chuck Noland and it was my volleyball.
A few weeks into the trip I was camping in what I thought was a campground off a long, really rough road. One evening after returning from a hike, I was advised by a passing Fed that I was on NP land, thus it was an illegal campsite. He said he had no problem with it but if LE came by, they would cite me. I drove a few miles to BLM land just as it became fully dark and parked off the road. When I lifted the flap to grab my hose, it wasn’t in its container. I grabbed the flashlight and the lantern and lit up the truck bed (while holding the flap up with my head). I dug through the bedding, under the mattress, behind the cooler, through the stacks of books and every other cranny where I thought it may have rolled. I have all the metal parts insulated with several layers of bubble wrap and I even ripped some of it off, thinking the hose may have lodged behind it. I’ve lived with the stupid camper flap smacking me in the head on plenty of other trips but I’d become spoiled by the simple luxury of raising the damn thing and having it stay put. I was nearly in tears by the time I gave up and crawled into bed.
I woke at 4:00, made coffee on the tailgate with a freezing wind whipping the flames then spent another half hour looking for the hose in really unlikely places. I was desperate. The sun still wasn’t up when I drove back to the place I’d been camping. I left the headlights on, grabbed a flashlight and searched the ground in a huge radius but there was no little piece of green hose. My head throbbed in anticipation of the next assault. I felt really horrible but my little green hose was gone forever and nothing would bring it back. Mindful that LE could show up any minute and assume I’d slept there I slowly drove out over that nasty, potholed washboard of a mine field that passes for a road. About half a mile from the campsite the headlights picked out an anomaly wedged between boulders in the track. I hit the brakes, jumped out and ran toward it. I kept telling myself that life was just screwing with me (again) and it was only a random piece of garbage but when I snatched it up I saw that it really was my little green hose! I carried that frozen muddy scrap of rubber reverently in both hands to the camper and tucked it securely into its container. What if I hadn’t found it? I imagined it laying there in the road for years with people driving right over it, mashing it into the rocks until it disappeared entirely, never suspecting that it was anything more than a piece of garbage. I couldn’t bear it! My truck may have been crammed with pricey electronic gear but in the moment of discovery when I was miraculously reunited with that scrap of rubber it became, by far, my most prized possession.
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9 Years Ago
How touchingly beautiful your moment of pure joy!
Safe journey. I admire your resilience.
9 Years Ago
I am a bit jealous. We have great weather down here but it would be nice to get some elbow room and fresh air. Have a safe trip!
9 Years Ago
Good luck Kathleen, and I'm glad you found your hose. I've found when I'm out extended periods, I sometimes start to misplace and lose things. If I don't take time off and collect myself, then I start to drop things. Not good with camera gear.
9 Years Ago
Great story Kathleen! Thanks for sharing. Sometimes its the simple little things that make life so much better.
9 Years Ago
You know, I've learned this lesson long ago but I never put it into practice when it comes time to load up. I could easily eliminate 75% of the stuff I'm hauling and never miss any of it. The things I use and need most (other than basic food, water and clothing) is a battery-powered reading light, good books, a sharp knife, down bedding, a waterproof jacket and that piece of hose. The rest is just taking up space and adding too much weight.
9 Years Ago
Greg, I keep thinking I'll take time to regroup but us old farts get to thinking that time is too precious to spend on chores. Maybe if I spent a night in a campground with picnic tables I could dump it all out and repack. As it is, I just wait till I get home and unbury all that cool stuff I just had to have but never found once.
9 Years Ago
Great story! So many times I've thought something was lost forever but found after sifting through sand or retracing ones steps. Most likely way not to find something is probably if someone moves it.
9 Years Ago
LOL funny story glad you found it, it always comes down to the little things that are most important.
9 Years Ago
I traveled in a motor home for 2-3 months out of the year for several years.
I found that my two favorite kinds of store became backpacking stores and army surplus. The specialized in light and compact item.
Some of their freeze dried stuff was actually pretty good too. Okay, pretty good may be a stretch... but they were edible. The ones at the Army surplus were less money, but not as tasty. The ones from the back backing stores were more money but tasted better.
Of course we actually did some back packing so it was necessary. You may not need to go to that extreme.
There is an artist member of FAA that is actually living in a motor home on the coast of Northern California. Maybe she will stop by and give you some hints.
I really love her story and envy her for what she is doing.
9 Years Ago
Normally I will not read four paragraphs in the forums with each one getting longer but your story Kathleen was captivating. You need to submit it to a camping magazine!
9 Years Ago
Yes, Floyd, I'd enjoy meeting her one of these days. I'm a big fan of her work and our home territories overlap. I'm actually on my way to the northern California coast tomorrow. Will be quite a change after so many weeks in the desert but it's a change I'm looking forward to.
Thank you, Suzanne. LOL, I have just as much trouble paring down words as I do extraneous stuff.
9 Years Ago
" northern California coast'
That is God' country for sure. From Morro Bay north all the way to the border. Just one photo op after another.
Make sure you allow plenty of time, like 10 years of so! lol
Here is another tip that we found. I am a 45 year member of the Elks. They most of them in California have decent camping facilities and they do not charge all that much. They also have great meals. If you are not an Elk, joining may be worth thinking about.
The Elks club in Monterey for instance. High up in the trees and a spectacular view of Monterey Harbor. Very inexpensive over night fee, great people and very good, inexpensive food.
Have fun!
9 Years Ago
Thanks, Floyd. I'll be on the Mendocino and Sonoma coasts this trip, staying on my Great Grandfather's homestead near Anchor Bay, but I do try to make it down to the Monterey Bay area once a year or so. It really is a spectacular area. I was lucky to find a cattle rancher who let me camp on his land last time I was down there. Lots of great memories.
9 Years Ago
I don't know if it's me you guys are talking about, but I'm on the central Oregon coast right now. Just arrived Saturday for a month-long stay. It's beautiful here, too. Last month I was in the Columbia River Gorge, on the Washington side. Fun exploring the less well-traveled side of the gorge. The weather turned nasty about four days before I was scheduled to leave, so those last few days weren't all that fun. The weather here is pretty nice, compared to there, and considering it's winter, lol. I'm not sure exactly where I'll go next, but I do plan to meet up with my children in January--probably near Bodega Bay/Russian River area. Having a blast living the dream! You can follow my journey here if you're interested. Endless Weekend
I love your story Kathleen. You should write a book! BTW, you are much more hard-core than me. I have a nice little heated home on wheels with a bathroom and a kitchen. I think I'm too old to rough it. :D
P.S. Thanks Floyd, for the tip about the Elks. I may have to look into that.
9 Years Ago
Were your ears burning, Loree? Yep, I am a big fan of your work.
It's not that I enjoy being hard core it's that I have no choice. And I am way old. I'd be happy to have amenities such as running water, heated bed, etc., but it's either rough it or stay home. Actually I do enjoy the illusion of being self-sufficient out there even if it is only an illusion.
9 Years Ago
Thanks Kathleen. I'm a big fan of your work also. Even more so knowing the lengths you go to get those shots!
And I totally understand about paring it down. I left with everything I thought I needed, then after the first month, got rid of a bunch of stuff I was tired of tripping over, lol. It's a real eye-opener to figure out what you really need to live.
I was looking at the Monterey/Santa Cruz area for possibilities, but dang they want a lot of money for a place to park your RV. I could rent a really nice house anywhere else for the price of a campsite in that area! I'm for sure going to spend some time among the redwoods soon, though. Me and those trees have a bond. ;) Probably somewhere in the Crescent City/Eureka area. Don't know exactly when yet, but the where is on my agenda.
9 Years Ago
Loree, I've always loved the big trees. We never the logged the redwoods on family land (never will) and that is always where I drew my spiritual strength as a child.
I'll be taking the Navarro River road to get to the coast today. There are good places to camp there and a beautiful campground on the beach at the mouth of the river. No amenities but a very minimal charge to camp and though the road is potholed, it is paved. Good birding there in the estuary.
I hope our paths do cross some day.
