HotSpringsCyclist
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- Joined
- May 20, 2018
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After many MANY months (years?) of making lists, working my a$$ off, spending time watching Bob's videos while I work, and doing product research towards this lifestyle, I have a 100%-ready system to try out Memorial Day week.
The plan is: 2000 Ford Focus, manual with a ratchet strapped-on cartop carrier. Inside the cartop carrier will be our "housing," - did I mention there will be three of us in the car plus two more caravanning with us), tent, bathroom tent for my disabled partner with a 7 gallon bucket ($29/Amazon)+Yeti toilet seat ($50/Amazon - lots because it was the best reviews and SAFETY - a for-sure seal is a MUST for a disabled person) and gamma lid ($7/Amazon), and a walker for support handles. REI Quarter Dome. REI Half Dome. Cheap-O Walmart tent for 6 - would never have bought this, but we won it in a drawing and the kids love it - so whatever! Hammock tent, individual tent - all kiddo things... fun for them. Blankets and pillows galore. $79 foam toppers from Costco - everyone loves these, and everyone has one. We do not skimp on comfort. We love our backs!
That's the car topper stuff.
Inside the car - back hatch: Food container: Mostly Costco stuff - got a gluten free person - Madras lentils, too many Girl Scout cookies, V8 energy drinks - I love these. Canned meats of every kind. Mayo and mustard packets. Books on harvesting and collecting wild greens (backed up by plenty of at-home experience). Cheese and crackers. Bacon. Peanut butter. Ramen. Tortillas - won't squish like bread. Vitamins and home-made tonics for overall health/sleep disorder/women's issues, etc. Hygeine items - Diva cup, pads, toothpaste and toothbrushes, some jewelry, first aid supplies, pit stick, wipes and TP., handwashing supplies. Water storage bottles. Coleman single burner propane stove. "Propane and propane accessories," [said in Hank Hill voice]. Large spaghetti pot with metal handles... (I like this a LOT better than Coleman 2-burner... what the heck *fits* on there, to feed 5 people without cooking in multiple rounds?! - NOTHING! If they had square pots, that would be a different story!) Anyways - love the one burner - I am a big fan of ONE pot meals. Pyrex bowls with lids for leftovers. (Future: Solar setup for my Vitamix and InstantPot).
Lots of rope and tie-outs, guy lines, stakes galore - mallet, garbage bags, backpacks for day trips and a small denatured alcohol stove.
Clothes - so we roll the clothes and focus on small/layerable: fleece Columbia jackets, tank tops, and compressable, high quality coats in compression stuff sacks. REI undergarments/long johns. Socks, shoes, Teva sandles - everyone has 2 pairs of footwear. I wish I had a shoe dryer, but the cigarette lighter in the car doesn't work. They do make a shoe dryer with this adaptation. Swim stuff. Quick-dry towels.
Tire fixing supplies, extra coolant & oil.
Bear spray (for both bears, and the prohibitive use of it against humans if necessary - easier than taking guns across state lines and probably more versitile, depending on the attack), bear bags for days we overnight into the woods on a backpack.
Believe it or not, this Focus actually came with a tow hitch! Ha! So I slid my bike rack right into that, and it seems to handle 3 mountain bikes just fine. So... helmets, locks, tools for repairs, all things to keep active kiddos occupied. It really is amazing that ALL this fits in/on this Focus, but it DOES and it works!
Ultimate goal is to drive this rig down to the RTR and stay awhile in 2020... maybe a month. Maybe two. And also, escape Spokane in August... smoke season is just no fun
What am I missing? Any glaring omissions?
The plan is: 2000 Ford Focus, manual with a ratchet strapped-on cartop carrier. Inside the cartop carrier will be our "housing," - did I mention there will be three of us in the car plus two more caravanning with us), tent, bathroom tent for my disabled partner with a 7 gallon bucket ($29/Amazon)+Yeti toilet seat ($50/Amazon - lots because it was the best reviews and SAFETY - a for-sure seal is a MUST for a disabled person) and gamma lid ($7/Amazon), and a walker for support handles. REI Quarter Dome. REI Half Dome. Cheap-O Walmart tent for 6 - would never have bought this, but we won it in a drawing and the kids love it - so whatever! Hammock tent, individual tent - all kiddo things... fun for them. Blankets and pillows galore. $79 foam toppers from Costco - everyone loves these, and everyone has one. We do not skimp on comfort. We love our backs!
That's the car topper stuff.
Inside the car - back hatch: Food container: Mostly Costco stuff - got a gluten free person - Madras lentils, too many Girl Scout cookies, V8 energy drinks - I love these. Canned meats of every kind. Mayo and mustard packets. Books on harvesting and collecting wild greens (backed up by plenty of at-home experience). Cheese and crackers. Bacon. Peanut butter. Ramen. Tortillas - won't squish like bread. Vitamins and home-made tonics for overall health/sleep disorder/women's issues, etc. Hygeine items - Diva cup, pads, toothpaste and toothbrushes, some jewelry, first aid supplies, pit stick, wipes and TP., handwashing supplies. Water storage bottles. Coleman single burner propane stove. "Propane and propane accessories," [said in Hank Hill voice]. Large spaghetti pot with metal handles... (I like this a LOT better than Coleman 2-burner... what the heck *fits* on there, to feed 5 people without cooking in multiple rounds?! - NOTHING! If they had square pots, that would be a different story!) Anyways - love the one burner - I am a big fan of ONE pot meals. Pyrex bowls with lids for leftovers. (Future: Solar setup for my Vitamix and InstantPot).
Lots of rope and tie-outs, guy lines, stakes galore - mallet, garbage bags, backpacks for day trips and a small denatured alcohol stove.
Clothes - so we roll the clothes and focus on small/layerable: fleece Columbia jackets, tank tops, and compressable, high quality coats in compression stuff sacks. REI undergarments/long johns. Socks, shoes, Teva sandles - everyone has 2 pairs of footwear. I wish I had a shoe dryer, but the cigarette lighter in the car doesn't work. They do make a shoe dryer with this adaptation. Swim stuff. Quick-dry towels.
Tire fixing supplies, extra coolant & oil.
Bear spray (for both bears, and the prohibitive use of it against humans if necessary - easier than taking guns across state lines and probably more versitile, depending on the attack), bear bags for days we overnight into the woods on a backpack.
Believe it or not, this Focus actually came with a tow hitch! Ha! So I slid my bike rack right into that, and it seems to handle 3 mountain bikes just fine. So... helmets, locks, tools for repairs, all things to keep active kiddos occupied. It really is amazing that ALL this fits in/on this Focus, but it DOES and it works!
Ultimate goal is to drive this rig down to the RTR and stay awhile in 2020... maybe a month. Maybe two. And also, escape Spokane in August... smoke season is just no fun
What am I missing? Any glaring omissions?
