Just how basic is your travels...?

chris & terry · Senior Member

RE: Just how basic is your travels...?

Cruising Granny · Guru

The butane cooker is for when I'm out on the road working. I can't take the caravan with me, so I have a camping set up for my other life.

Vic · Guru

Hmmm.......just looked at Spooky's profile and it shows he is banned.

If that is the case I assume we will not be seeing any more posts from him?

confuse

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Gosh how do you get banned - must have been serious

jimricho · Guru

Elle on Wheels wrote:
Gosh how do you get banned - must have been serious

Let's stay on topic and not go there, at least in this thread, please.

I can understand those who are on the road full time wanting the comforts of home, after all it is their home.

For the rest of us I can't help but feel that some of the setups are very expensive overkill. Forgoing luxuries such as microwave, jug, toaster, turbo oven, etc eliminates the need for these large (and heavy) battery systems and inverters. Laptops (with an appropriate power supply) and suitable TVs/DVDs can be powered from the 12v eliminating the need for an inverter, thus reducing the drawdown from the battery. 12v chargers that plug into the car's cig lighter are available for most mobiles.

(Warning....going without TV could cause one to become sane again!)

A good ol'fashion kettle will boil water, toast can cooked on a gas stove (or over a campfire) and a camp oven or maybe a Cobb will replace the oven. I don't have a hot water system but I do have a Shuttle Chef (similar to a Dreampot) so one trick I have learnt is to fill it with water and boil it in the morning, giving me a supply of hot water (two words Mr Censor, please note) for use during the day. I boil the kettle as well for my cup of tea heart starter and fill a thermos for my later mid morning caffeine shot.

Generators add to the weight of stuff carried especially when the fuel is taken into account and there are times when generators are not permitted or at least inappropriate.

Ma · Guru

Your post is spot on Jim and just goes, once again, to prove what a great country we live in with the fact that we can each choose our own mode of travel and what we take with us.............freedom to indulge our own wants.

Some of us, like you Jim, are quite happy with the basics while some of us want that little bit more. Some people want all the comforts of home and that is their choice as well.

Gee this is a great place.

-- Edited by Ma on Monday 28th of November 2011 08:22:49 AM

jimricho · Guru

And what's more it's affordable for those of us who have modest means, that's rare in most countries.

Landfall · Guru

Shazza, has summed it up well for a lot of people.

We too, went cruising on our yacht for five and a half years (originally planned on eight to ten around the world).

Came back and got our head back into land again.

During this time we had left our house vacant, with the neighbouring farms looking out for it.

After a while ashore, I got the travel bug again and this time decided we needed to go to "windward and not drag anchor." biggrin

Purchased a new caravan and 4WD.

Unfortuneately, wrong caravan. Hated the lifestyle after six months.

Traded that van in for present setup and very happy to go on extended holidays. (four to six months)

Looking ahead both times, I (we) could not see the point in travelling in ever decreasing circles for the rest of our days.

Medical, mobilityand growing older problems kept raising there ugly heads.

What do you do in a remote camp site in an emergency?

Could you really live in a small caravan in a park that might close down next week?

If we sold our home, when we finally are forced to go back to a residence, with the rising cost of housing, how could we afford to buy something as nice as we have now?

With all these questions running around in the head it became apparent, we are not permanent "nomads."

Like out yachting, like our caravanning, like our home. Love each other.

Can't ask for anymore than that.

How basic is our travelling?

I leave the sauna and spa behind. biggrin

Dusty smile

Boroma577 · Guru

I think it depends on how long you spend in your van......be it just on holdays for a couple weeks a year, several months a year or long term travel.

Long term travel for me definitely requires some luxuries but when I was just holidaying for a couple weeks at a time....less was fine.

I have camped in the back of a ute but now I like my mod cons.

shazartist · Senior Member

Great Question Spooky, and one I have often thought about. These are just a few ideas, Vic and others gave you some excellent ones.

It is not always about money or the lack of it, having a fully loaded van can be a headache as well, the old term "kiss" also equates to freedom. Personally I have no idea why people take off in a Van and don't enjoy the simple pleasures of star gazing, but stay inside watching the TV.

We were sailors and if you sail you generally have to be very careful about power, and weight. I have a healthy respect for being frugal with power and water as stores are not always close and taps certainly are not.

Solar is great but unless you have space on the roof and sun it does not do you much good if you want to use heavy power items.

Firstly, if you want to try doing it the simple way, which is a much easier way to go as there is less to buy, look after and break down. I think you need to consider what you must have. if it is things like micro waves and tv, you are doomed for simple...lol

I learnt to cook everything on the gas stove ..bread... scones...no oven, you need a good pot that retains heat and can be used for lots of different things, you need to look at food that does not need to be kept at low temperatures, so you can have a small fridge, top opening fridges are much more power happy, look for soaking beans, noodles not cans as they are too heavy and create garbage and take up too much space.

Spend money on clothing that is light, quick drying and versatile. I have fast drying towels as well...you will be surprised how clothing and linen takes up so much space and creates more weight than you can imagine.

If you like reading buy a kindle or ebook, no heavy books to carry...or an ipad which takes less power than a lap top too, it is small and you can down load books, email and surf the net.

I am sure you will get lots more info..good luck.

cheers Sharon

Vic · Guru

As he started this thread, let's hope Spooky is still reading the forum albeit he can't post replies now, it has some dam good replies and feedback on it and very interesting to read.

Spook · Senior Member

valnrob wrote:
It is possible, but probably not as comfy. We humans need our creature comforts. As kids we didn't have a tent, Mum and Dad slung a piece of canvas between a fence and tucked it in the car door. We slept on a mattress and some of us on the car seats. Only had an open fire, and sticks to make toast. Mum cooked all the meals with pots and pans brought with us. No radio, phone or any mod cons, but who cared? Great times.

Now days we need comfort!! Huge differences between then and now.

cheers

You were lucky, when we were kids we slept in t'hole in road...............aye and were thankful....................

goinsoon · Guru

Spook wrote:
valnrob wrote:
It is possible, but probably not as comfy. We humans need our creature comforts. As kids we didn't have a tent, Mum and Dad slung a piece of canvas between a fence and tucked it in the car door. We slept on a mattress and some of us on the car seats. Only had an open fire, and sticks to make toast. Mum cooked all the meals with pots and pans brought with us. No radio, phone or any mod cons, but who cared? Great times.

Now days we need comfort!! Huge differences between then and now.

cheers
You were lucky, when we were kids we slept in t'hole in road...............aye and were thankful....................

A hole in the road, you should be so lucky, when we were kids there were no roads, if we wanted to sleep, we had to build a road first and then dig a hole in it to sleep in

-- Edited by goinsoon on Monday 28th of November 2011 08:57:01 PM

03_troopy · Guru

Here's a basic camp setup for overnight fishing on the beach.

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Gosh you must be nice and slim to fit into that skinny little tent troopy

03_troopy · Guru

Elle on Wheels wrote:
Gosh you must be nice and slim to fit into that skinny little tent troopy

hahaha on the contrary, it's a double swag...

Happywanderer · The Master

My daughter and son in law have one the same. Now they have got the new bub have advanced up to a camper trailer. They haven't tried it out yet, we are all going to Edwards River on boxing day for a few days.

One of my visits to Greens Lake on my own there a guy slept in one of those on the ground between me and the caravan in front.

Vic · Guru

Hi Troopy, I know your on soft sand, but what do you use for a bed inside, also bedding?

jimricho · Guru

03_troopy wrote:
Here's a basic camp setup for overnight fishing on the beach.

That's a rather small esky mate! You wouldn't get a big jewy into that!

03_troopy · Guru

Vic, the swag usually comes with a foam mattress about an inch and a half or so thick which is probably a bit light for hard ground. We have used self inflating airmattress inside it once, but it was too awkward to get in and out really. You could possibly use it in conjunction with one of those thin closed cell foam yoga mats though. As far as bedding, if the mrs is with me she usually brings sheets, pillows, a blanket.. etc.. etc.. but by myself either a sleeping bag opened out or a blanket in really cold weather but you don't need anything apart from shorts and tee shirt usually.

Jim, that's my vintage bait esky courtesy of a council cleanup day. If I do manage to get a decent sized Jewie there, he'll get strapped straight into the passenger seat and taken home.. lol

-- Edited by 03_troopy on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 10:01:45 AM

-- Edited by 03_troopy on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 10:05:17 AM

JRH · Guru

Just my opinion but I refuse to put an TV antenna on my van, I go on a trip to enjoy myself in the fresh air and not sit in the van watching the box. The people who position their TV just inside the caravan door so they can sit outside to watch are my favourite kind of laxative especially when they have the volume set so the entire camp can listen in.

Vic · Guru

Thanks Troopy, sounds good to me !! biggrin