Meandering to Maine and Back: T-3 Days (June 20th) or Every Nook and Cranny

I spent most of a day getting Austin loaded up while Shar was doing her last day at work. Car camping is a little different than other types because you have to think in layers. We also sleep inside the vehicle so Austin has to have a “Sleeping Mode” and a “Driving Mode”.

Two principles guide what we bring along on trips. We take only what we need and we don’t pack our fears. Since we’re car camping it’s not quite as restrictive as the backpacking I do where every ounce is counted. There are obstacles to overcome though. For example, every item that is sitting on our blow up twin mattress and bedding has to live somewhere else while we sleep.

Since we do travel so light, most of the items on the bed just move to the front seat area. There is plenty of room on the floor boards, some on the seats, and backpacks fit nicely on the dash. Big things like the RC and our 6 gallon water cube (BC) go outside, creating other challenges.

We brought a 5’x7’ tarp to protect RC from the elements and one of our heavy duty bike lock and chains will keep it from walking away in the middle of the night. We’ll only fasten the RC to one of the tire hubs when we’re in populated areas, such as rest areas or truck stops. When the weather isn’t a factor, RC gets a beach towel covering. With the BC on top it look like nothing more than a cooler.

We also have some great storage space on the floor in between the front and back seats. This space can be hard to access, other than on each end visible with the back doors open. Items we don’t regularly use are stored in this area: an extra propane canister, a tent if we decide to camp that way, the solar shower, our little camp table, the trekking poles, an extra roll of TP, our bathroom bag, and Shar’s hiking shoes.

Austin’s wheel well is a brand new addition for us this year. All the tire stuff, extra wet wipes, the chaffle maker, all the extra dried food, and the comforter can be found here. When the RC and BC are out of the vehicle this area isn’t hard to access, but impossible otherwise.

We looked into adding seat covers to Austin because black faux leather seats will be no fun in the sweaty heat. We couldn’t find any we liked at a price we were willing to pay, so we’re testing out the idea of two beach towels over the seats. These towels can be removed from seat duty to provide additional sun protection for RC when it’s needed.

This trip we’re also trying tool duffle bags vs boxes for the food items. Each one focuses on a different meal and should speed up the process of making and locating food. They are a little more movable and stackable as well.

And of course RC will be holding any food item that needs refrigeration

So Austin is loaded, minus things like RC, BC, and the food duffles that we don’t need in Pacific City on the 20th, or in Seaside on Wednesday and Thursday nights. We plan on stopping off in Salem on our way south on Friday, June 23rd. Shar will have conference items, like her laptop, that won’t be needed or wanted on the road trip. Once the change over is done it’ll be I-5 for the next day and a half.