couldn’t-do-without and heading south



I like this spot. This is the view from just outside the Nash. Oh wait, no, this is a photo Lisa emailed from the Bahamas of an approaching squall.


Guess I’ll have to get a bag for myself. But I had thought THIS ONE was mine.

On the February 2008 page, ‘odds and ends for off-the-grid vagabonds living in small rigs,’ I covered just about everything I pack along with me. Recently I was thinking of a scaled down list of items that I really would not want to do without in this lifestyle. Some are way more important than others. So, here’s my current couldn’t-do-without list:


First off, chuckles, smiles, & laughter; friends to talk with, email, & spend time with when the occasion arises; felines & a window cage;


A good 20’-22’ trailer w/awning, LEDs, and the only floorplan I like; leveling blocks; 4-wheel drive tow vehicle; emergency RV road service; small 12V compressor; solar panels; Olympian Wave 6 catalytic heater; 150-200 watt inverter; MacBook w/external drive for backups; iPod; cell phone; Kindle (w/free book sites) and paperbacks; a few DVDs; DeLorme atlases;

Telesteps model 612FC ladder; ten 5-gal buckets (water) w/watertight lids; a 2 or 4 gal Reliance water container (galley) & funnel; rubber bucket; solar shower bag; two low-rider chairs; outside table w/stool; single-burner camp stove; 1 ½ qt. sauce pan w/lid; tools; 6’x8’ tarps; reflectix (for summer sun);

mail forwarding service; safe deposit box (not just for papers); a website; pocket-size digital camera; Japanese digging/weeding knife; small one-piece European surplus steel shovel; quality pocket knife w/clip; mtn. bike; exercise equipment; daypack; Nalgene water flasks; 5’ PVC hiking staff with an angle cut at one end (both ends corked); zinc oxide sunscreen; handheld GPS; handgun; sleeping bag & liners; BDUs; cadet-style cap; leather gloves; waterproof sandals; grains & legumes; yerba mate w/SS tea ball; decent dry red wine.

Remember, I still carry most of the items on the February 2008 page but this shorter can’t-do-without list covers the fun/comfort/important/most useful/whatever aspects of the lifestyle for me.


I house-sat in Moab, for Lisa and Glen while they went off to the Bahamas for Lisa’s 60th birthday. They are good people; I’m glad they are able to, and take the time to do stuff like this. M&M had to stay inside the Nash, too close to a road. I had daily access to wi-fi, what a treat. Definitely made use of the bathtub and ate a few meals out. The Bangkok House Thai restaurant (2728 S Highway 191) has great food and good prices. Definitely worth a visit if in Moab.

I do a lot of dirt roads, and since it was so convenient while here, I had the Nash wheel bearings greased and seals replaced. The brakes where also checked (fine). Should be good for another 12,000 miles.
Cleaned all my drinking water jugs, buckets, and Nalgenes out with bleach. Probably won’t get a chance to do that again until December.


Had a nice dinner with Theresa and David one night at their house; possibly the best lasagna I’ve had. They have a good size vegetable and herb garden and I left with enough garlic to hold me for a while. They also have chickens so a dozen eggs were also in the bag. Way cool. I looked at their house one last time. David is a carpenter and contractor and this year’s project is tearing down the house and building another on the same footprint.


I guess it’s strange for May, but I headed south. M&M sure seemed to enjoyed our daily walks from this camping spot.


Camping without neighbors. Spot the Nash?



The area offered some pretty good hiking.


On one hike, I thought this looked like a spot where I could climb out of the gulch. Not so. I had to keep scrambling along just 20’ down from the top for a hundred yards to finally get to a spot I could climb out.


Once up top, this is the view to the west, and more space-between. There were quite a few hikes up side canyons off this main gulch.


I wonder what the story is for this wall.


I came across some stellar scenery while out mtn. biking. I just don’t know how to use the camera well enough to truly capture the sights.


I then headed farther south to the Kaibab plateau. A few Wait, Wait and Vinyl Café podcasts got me through the drive. Three weeks was up and it was time to make a town-run.

May sixty minutes sixty years—2285 minutes
May Triple 18—pecs/delts: 1815; core: 2155; legs: 2625

Travel is like a good challenging book: It demands presentness—
the ability to live completely in the moment.
Robert D. Kaplan


RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’

RVwest article ‘The Spaces Between the Places’

FOR INDEX OF POSTINGS GO TO JULY 2006

Comments

Steve said…
Thanks for the "must haves". I am living tomorrow to car/tent camp out west. I've followed your blog for a long time, great information.
June 4, 2015 at 3:05 PM
klbexplores said…
I'm getting ready to head out for three months in a different rig. Not what I thought I would be in (a class B, roadtrek), but due to back issues, I needed to cut back on the heavy lifting. I've done some trial runs and have needed to make some adjustments for the kitties to be comfy and am still on the learning curve for them... but away we go! I love keeping track of your kitties and love seeing them out in the wild. I'm thinking of a small kennel attached to the passenger door window when parked....I'll have to give that some more thought. Bet you have stocked up on the Killer Dave Bread while in Moab. Love that stuff!
June 8, 2015 at 2:46 PM
icatshop said…

It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed material. Fantastic read. Best camping shower bag service provider.
April 21, 2021 at 11:39 PM
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