Getting Real

“I’d really like to cuddle a unicorn but it ain’t going to happen”. (India Knight)

With less than 10 days (more or less) until EDT it is time to get real. Although our present TT is the largest RV we have ever had and it looked enormous when we bought it, everything has limits. Just because we can stuff every niche and cranny doesn’t mean we should. Not only would it make us overweight but it is would be impossible to find anything. (I would like to digress here into a tirade about the designers of RV’s but will restrain myself).

Our TT is actually considered small at 25’ and when seen parked next to some of the behemoths in campgrounds it is rather puny. Compared to our years of traveling in a VW pop-up transporter, it is positively palatial.  But for reasons not clear to me, access to storage was not a design priority. Thus our multitude of clear plastic boxes and see-through  bags with labels on them. 

 

Reality check #1, old people constantly lose things and I don’t want to spend our entire trip looking for stuff.

Reality check #2: What do we really need? Butch and I do not like to do laundry.  One of the perks we allow ourselves on trips is finding a place to have our laundry done. Sometimes these places are few and far between so we do take an ample amount of basics (socks, underwear, T-shirts). We choose light weight fabrics for quick drying and we do not take clothes that require special care since they won’t get it. (I will admit that when we get low on basics Butch will sit in a campground laundry for a few hours getting us caught up again.)

Clothing wise we need to be warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot. We need one nice outfit in case of a special occasion. We do not need a complete wardrobe of mix & match garments and black is always good. The same rules are true for sleeping. Sometimes we boondock or dry camp and don’t have heat. We have spent some very cold nights fully dressed and huddled in our sleeping bags so I have to contain my urge to take too many blankets. They take up a lot of space and don’t get used that much. If it’s too hot at night we deal with it. After all we grew up in Florida before air conditioning.

Reality check #3: I am not a gourmet cook at home and am unlikely to become one on this trip. I have a list of cupboard necessities (including salt, pepper) but don’t have space for much more. We will eat simply as we always do and explore the local cuisine when possible.  I have a wonderful set of stackable pots that, combined with a small fry pan and the pressure cooker, meets our needs.  Three RV’s ago I bought a set of Corian dishware that we never use. I took it out of the TT and put in four plastic plates. If we have guests they can bring their own. Plastic cups and wine glasses are good but I have two big fat crockery coffee cups.  Some things are not negotiable. I’m taking the microfiber towels that I bought when we had the van because they dry so fast but I’m adding some terry towels too. There are situations where you just need a big, soft towel.

Reality check #4: I do not ride my bicycle. It has traveled thousands of miles in the back of the truck but it is staying home this time. Butch does ride his so it goes. I do use my solo canoe from time to time but have decided that it can stay behind also. We are taking Miz Floppie (our inflatable tandem) because we always use it and I may take my new Rio (solo inflatable). Hiking sticks are a must-have along with a backpack, water bottles, and etc. 

Reality check # 5: The wench or the generator? They are both heavy and not used often but the generator won out. You cannot use a wench to make a cup of coffee in the morning. Nuff’ said

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(The photo is of our collection of Eagle Creek and Mountainsmith bags. They make packing easy because we put the same things in the same bags every time. When the bag is full…..you are done.)