I am in a pickle?

Gerty Dancer · Guru

I am in a pickle?

GaryKelly · Guru

Yep, less is more. BTW, I was after a kitchen caddy to hold various utensils (wooden spoons, tongs, etc) and found a leather-look ice bucket in an op shop for $4. Perfect!

-- Edited by GaryKelly on Friday 13th of September 2013 12:56:42 PM

shekon · Guru

confuse confuse

Ok, I have now done the easy rooms, and into the kitchen cupboards. I keep looking at all my gadgets that I have accumulated

over the years, I know that I do not use them often however when I do they are very handy. Things like my pie maker, the sandwich press, I will pack my mixmaster up and just take my little beaters, and all my saucepans and pans.

The crockery, the glasses, and all the little bits and pieces that seem to be so essential to ones life. I know that I will only take 3 or 4 of each just incase one day I have visitors or break something.

I think it would be easier if the MH was here already and I could pack straight from my cupboards. I am hoping that will happen next week, so maybe I just need to leave it.

Ok GN's hit me with your suggestions and advice. My MH has a BBQ on the outside so I am guessing that I will use that more than anything else.

the rocket · Guru

hi, when we first started off we took lots and with each trip something "useless" comes out of the caravan never to be seen again. Good luck. You would be surprised at "what you don't need". enjoy.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Minimilisation is the way to go - electrical items - what if you don't have electricity - some things use a lot of power if you are going through an inverter - my glass turbo cooker will work on our 2kva Honda genie as well as electricity.

And yes, you will use the bbq a heap - and as for pots and pans - we have three pots, one steamer basket, one large and one small frypan - as well as a large boiler pot to cook stews etc. Four plates, bowls and bread and butter plates. Four cups, couple of glasses and cutlery.

Items that have multiple uses is the way to go - i.e. I have a microwave rice cooker (plastic) - that is used for a mixing bowl, when I make bread, etc.

As the Rocket says, put in what you think, and cull or add as you need on your travels. I must say that really heavy based frypans take a lot of heating, so lighter based ones are better in my opinion.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Multi use is the way to go, plus enough crockery and cutlery fo r a full day (so you only need to wash up once each day -saves water).

We used to carry stuff "in case of visitors" but no more....... Fellow nomads know to bring a coffee cup or wine glass if dropping in, and usually they bring a chair too.

You need a shake down trip to refine and toss out stuff you wont use, and life suddenly gets much simpler.

We carry a small saucepan, a large one, a frying pan and a steamer basket, and a whistling kettle. 1 large bowl which is a fruit bowl, salad bowl, chip bowl, mixing bowl all in one ! ....oh and 1 square cake tin which doubles as a baking dish or carry meat from the BBQ dish... Could also bake cakes !

We carry a sandwich toaster for when on power, but no mixmaster, pie maker, coffee machine, breadmaker, etc, etc. however, you will find your own way.

beiffe · Guru

You will find what you use very quickly. We are all different so what one deems necessary others consider useless so it is entirely up to you.
Another way to go is to start light (get rid of most of the STUFF) and then after you have said "gee I really could use A or B" then either buy one(most household items can be very cheap) or check out the op shops.
Also clothes, I now discard a seasons clothes when I am happy the season is over ( I often save on jumper etc) and then leave the rest at an op shop and then re purchase when the season changes again. jeans and tops etc are usually under $10 at Kmart etc so not expensive to restock and you have NEW and CLEAN clothes again.
I mainly cook outside when camped so I have a frying pan that I can use inside and outside and most of the other stuff stays in trailer.
I have the 240v appliances because I can and I use them constantly but normally they are no use to campers who don't go to the parks.
You will sort it out so don't loose and sleep over it.
Regards
Brian

VKPORTABLE · Senior Member

Shekon;

Pretty common thing most people going from a house into a Motor-home, Camper, Tent, Caravan or what-have-you experience.
You didn't say if you were travelling solo? Since you posted into this section I will assume you are.

I started out probably much like you, getting sentimental over things, thinking 'Yep this will come in handy' and so on. It's a trap! You end up carting junk around that you may never use or very rarely use. Obviously there are things you may never use that are essentials, such as a good first-aid kit.

If you are on your own do you really need a dozen pots, plates, pans and gadgets?
For solo travelling you can do just fine with one or two pots, a frypan, two plates and a few cups. I ended up throwing all my glass cups out, they end up breaking and are just a pain and replaced them with melamine or plastic variants. Same with plates - melamine.

The more stuff you have the more you use, the more you need to wash up!!!
As for the likes of pie makers and sanga press - these are only going to be any good if you have 240v on tap, using them with a generator seriously taxes the genny due to their hungry thirst for power. Why not get a camp jaffle iron?

You never said if you were going to be free-camping or using Caravan Parks, so it's a bit hard to give you ideas of what you can swap for non-powered operating.

Pie maker - get a dutch oven, you will be surprised at how much you can do with these little beasts, from bread to roasts they have it covered.
I've even done a roast in my beloved Aldi cast iron frypan.

When I was at a bush camp once I was rather relaxed, actually I was snoozing on my air-bed outside it was a nice warm day and I had been out for most of the night previous doing night photo work, then in rolls this this 4WD that sounded like it really wanted to be on a drag strip instead of gravel. It was pretty obvious this may well have been their first outing as the vehicle and camper they were towing were in pristine condition - this became even more evident when watching them set-up.

After about an hour of doing battle with the camper-trailer it was finally set-up, I did offer assistance but this was refused with very angry outburst. I guess he didn't want to look like a dill in front of his missus and kids. So I wandered back to me chair and settled in for the afternoons entertainment.

The kids, been little tackers were having a ball, running around throwing sticks at each other, collecting sticks for a camp fire.

Then to my amazement, I watched as they took out stuff from the rear of the 4WD, and more stuff, and yet more stuff. I was rather impressed with how much they actually had jammed in, very good packing indeed. They had everything! Right down to a shop style coffee maker. With their tables set-up, little camp cupboards filled, lights everywhere and genny hooked and ready to roll it was an impressive sight. I thought maybe I had taken them wrong and these people are serious long-stay free campers.

The dinner show was no less impressive.
I've never seen so many gadgets just to make... wait for it.... Sausages and Vegetables! Yep snags and a few vegies, a frypan and a pot you would be normally thinking? Noooo not these fearless warriors of the outback - One frypan for the snags, 3 pots for the vegies, plates everywhere and more tongs and flipping items then you could poke, well a tong at. Apparently they couldn't all be done in the one pot it seems. So dinner was done, and then they sat the snags on a plate and set them aside whilst doing battle with the vegies - having been at this place for a week before they rolled up I was well aware of the local Kookaburras Kamikaze antics. In swooped a keen eyed burra and decided a snag was for him (or her). The kids thought this was kinda cool, the old man got up, knocked the tables and vegies over in the process of trying to chase away this rogue bird.

They ended up having a snag each in bread...

The kids were obviously starving and not happy with one snag in bread, I made a second attempt at reconciliation as I had been brewing a casserole in the dutchie, was planning on freezing most of it for lunches over the next few days. I offered them some of the casserole, Mister Outbacker didn't get a chance to raise dispute before I could even finish the kids were propped up beside my camp-fire licking their lips.

Moral of the story:
After dinner we ended up having a good old chat. It was their first outing and they had never been camping before. The salesman where they brought the camper trailer from told them to take everything they would normally use at home. Even the camper wasn't really suited for a family. When they seen what little I had, they were perplexed at how I could survive with so little, until I explained that you can use most things for more then one purpose. They had decided there and then to re-assess their needs and set-up.

Ironically a few months later I came across this very same mob in another National Park - sans camper and now sporting a more practical tent and less junk.
They seemed a lot more happier and relaxed this time round heh. They still had some mod-cons but nowhere near the amount they had first time I seen them. I have to admit their coffee machine did a nice coffee, not that I would carry one of these, but it was nice all the same. They said that having less items with them was far better then their first outing with all the packing - unpacking and re-packing.

pawsoz · Senior Member

Hi Shekon
I started out with extras in case I had visitors......most visitors one has on the road are others on the road....you soon learn to byo plate/mug/glass!
I carry 2 of each now! That still allows me to be a bit lazy about the washing up at times.
I cook in either a good sized n/stick deep fry pan for which I have a lid, or a n/stick saucepan - that's it. Although would very much consider buying a dream pot style cook while you drive thingy!

But as others have said you will soon work out what you use and what you don't and there are always op shops that will make good use of the stuff you don't need!

De Cluttering one's life is one of the important steps in this whole life on the road thing!

annie

shekon · Guru

Thank you everyone, I will take on all your advice and certainly have those words ringing in my ear as I start to pack the MH next week. Yes I am picking it from Mildura on Tuesday. Very exciting. This of course will determine how much room I have also.

As I was reading VKPortable's story, I laughed, and thought hmmm sounds like me. I could actually imagine myself doing that sort of thing in the past. Not so much now.

As you have all said if I pack too much the op shops will benefit and if I need something then off to the op shops and I will benefit.

My goodness I am about to tackle my wardrobe. Shoes, shoes and more shoes, after 5 wear, and good day wear that will no longer be needed. Of course if I go by the golden rule if I have not worn it in 12 months then ditch it, I will sort things out very quickly.

I have to admit I am looking foward to being able to dress a little more casually and not be so concerned about it all.

Ok enough procrasinating and on with it again. As I look at the boxes starting to pile up I think, hmmmm, Sharon there is still a lot of stuff in there you could have gotten rid of. Oh well lets see how it all goes and I might have to make trip home and have a huge clearing sale in the near future.

Have a fun day all.

Happywanderer · The Master

Sharon, yesterday I reduced my wardrobe by half. It was a great feeling. Today I packed what was left into the van and it did fit. Probably a few too many shoes but some will be needed for different occasions.
Re marking things with a red dot, if it still has the dot in 6 months throw it out. There are certain things you can't do that with e.g. fire extinguisher, small shovel, etc. Some you might never need but need to keep them in the van.

dawa · Guru

beiffe wrote:
You will find what you use very quickly. We are all different so what one deems necessary others consider useless so it is entirely up to you.
Another way to go is to start light (get rid of most of the STUFF) and then after you have said "gee I really could use A or B" then either buy one(most household items can be very cheap) or check out the op shops.
Also clothes, I now discard a seasons clothes when I am happy the season is over ( I often save on jumper etc) and then leave the rest at an op shop and then re purchase when the season changes again. jeans and tops etc are usually under $10 at Kmart etc so not expensive to restock and you have NEW and CLEAN clothes again.
I mainly cook outside when camped so I have a frying pan that I can use inside and outside and most of the other stuff stays in trailer.
I have the 240v appliances because I can and I use them constantly but normally they are no use to campers who don't go to the parks.
You will sort it out so don't loose and sleep over it.
Regards
Brian

I have a minimal amount of clothing and a small port holds my 0FF season clothes.

No way would i want to be shellig out for clothes each season. But as i said i have a small amount and wash every day,

I miss my rice cooker[electric] and my soy milk maker [bought stuff isn't as nice]

However once i have up-graded my generator i can have these IF I feel i want to.

A lot depends on wether you will stay in CP's or free camp.

I don't carry extra plates etc and have never been short.

Dawa

neilnruth · Guru

No one has said in all these posts that the more you have with you, the heavier the load and so the fuel economy isn't as good. That's what determined our 'downsize' last year. And I haven't missed anything I left behind.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Available space determines some of it, and weight determines the rest.
If it's family treasures see if one of your children have the same emotional attachment. You won't be taking it. It's too valuable to be knocked around in the MH, it will take up valuable space for the number of times you use them.
The family china - lose it to family or close friend as a gift, or sell it to someone who appreciates it.
The Correlle crockery is light, tough and looks "classy" if you entertain in the camp. As long as it matches the plastic table cloth and the "silver", commonly known as stainless steel.
You'll need a couple of good carving knives.
The principal is, if you haven't used it in the last 12 months before you pack up, you won't need it ever again.
You only need 2 towels for each of you (if there's 2). One fresh one in case the one in the wash hasn't dried before you need it again.
Bed linen - just one set, and wash it on a day it's guaranteed to dry or put it in the drier.
Only sensible shoes. Unless you plan on bush walking in the stilettos or dancing in your trek boots.
A little bit of warm clothes and a little bit of cool clothes. They do wear out, and there will be shops somewhere out there in the great outdoors.
Then I had to transfer my work camp stuff from Landcruiser to Betty Benz. I just love those cupboards.
The caravan remains safe and moderately equipped.
All good. Safe and happy travels.