West AIRSTREAMS and ROUGHING IT...

[Len n Jeanne]

Ray, I respect your superior experience and knowledge, but truly "roughing" it for me isn't something I can do from an Airstream. By definition, an Airstream is "glamping." If you can haul an Airstream into it, it's civilized to some extent.

"Roughing it" is about getting into roadless areas. These are generally places with no cell phone service. Where if your GPS conks out (which we don't own, anyway,) you have to find your way out using topo maps or your own navigational sense. Where if you can't carry it on your person (or maybe on a pack animal) you can't take it. Where your knowledge substitutes for all the things you can't carry.

Roughing it occurs in places where you see more moose or elk tracks than human footprints, let alone tire treads. Places without litter. Places where you might not see another person who isn't traveling with you.

But are we "afraid" of firearms? You bet. Those things are liable to shoot somebody.

[Lara Me]

Roughing it and glamping are not mutually exclusive. Both have their charms. When the family comes with me, an Airstream sure beats my previous Honda Element pop top custom camper, or a tent, for all around family fun. Everyone's warm and comfy at night, all the amenities are handy, and getting up to visit the bathroom isn't a chore and we're still close to nature most times. Wouldn't go back to the car camp or tent.

But sometimes you need an adventure, a place the AS can't go, with enough potential for danger to make it worth retelling and remind you of the important stuff. When I get those urges, I saddle up the ADV motorcycle with tent, sleeping bag, freeze dried food and mini stove, and head into the mountains for a few days, and all is right with the world.

Best of both worlds.

[Ganado]

When I was a kid we use to walk to school, barefoot, in the snow, up hill, both ways!

Potatoe, potato the English language is so imprecise .... Everyone's idea of roughing it is different.

Besides this is an Airstream forum why are we discussing roughing it as anything other than a joke. I

[Ray Eklund]

Ganado... what is your idea of roughing it in Arizona? Why is "roughing it" a "joke"?

Why is it important for you to criticize those who do not use their Airstream in a way that does not fit into the "norms" among Airstream owners?

What, if any trailer, do you find that fits your traveling needs? What kind of RV Park would fit your ideal situation and unique needs?

Why are you reading the Boondocking Forum, but find it a joke? Have you better things to do with or without a trailer? Please explain why you feel that you must post to criticize someone else for how they prefer to use their trailer? Start a thread and express your opinions in a manner that can be understood in context to your experiences of snow and being barefoot in Sedona, Arizona... or where ever.

[Panama Red]

Pretty sure Ganado was just saying that by definition anything you do in an Airstream can't really be considered roughing it... It is a pretty posh experience, even in my crappy old '74.

-Red, backing out slowly, not making eye contact...

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

Pretty sure Ganado was just saying that by definition anything you do in an Airstream can't really be considered roughing it... It is a pretty posh experience, even in my crappy old '74.

-Red, backing out slowly, not making eye contact...

*******

"Classic Old '74"

Probably lost in the translation on my part would be the point that Ganado was attempting to get across in the discussion. Roughing It or using the Airstream in the same statement.

I should have said a Sears Tent and Roughing It... but used my Airstream, anyways.

[Panama Red]

My first tent was a cabin Sears tent my parents got me for Christmas in about fifth grade. Me and my cousin camped the stew out of that old heavy canvas thing. Loved it! The dirt has become considerably harder lately... Not sure what is happening to the planet to make this so, but it is true!

-Red, pretty sure about the dirt thing...

[dannydimitt]

Whenever you have an individual being critical of how you interpret your concept of roughing it... they are crass and find no purpose while towing their trailer. They call ahead to make sure they have a place to park. They are in contact with friends, relatives and neighbors how remote this camping area is in the city limits of Santa Fe, New Mexico. These same critics would not last a week with us. They are fearful of firearms, wild animals and themselves being hurt and left to their own insecurities. They would be lost in the Forest or the Breaks in rough country. You read about these people in the newspapers frequently. They are dangerous to bring along as you become their tour guide, host and repairman.

On this Forum ARE individuals that understand what I am saying. They speak of their experiences that are learned by being in the field, not from a book or a camping guide. Listen to them on the AirForums. They are a very small percentage of trailer campers and even a smaller percentage of Airstream owners.

It is not what a tent costs, your tow vehicle or your trailer... if you have something negative to say about Roughing It, it had best be from experience. Not from a person who owns flip flops and nice sun glasses.

Great post Ray , there are those of us that feel exactly the same when it comes to places to set up camp , and the trail getting there.

[slowmover]

So this is the thread for the hairy-chested.

Using fossil fuels isn't roughing it.

[xrvr]

Yes to many AS owners roughing it is staying at a campground and not an RV resort! I'm somewhere in the middle. Always respected those who really get off the grid, even with a trailer. Once tent camped on the Ohio river on my wedding anniversity on May first. In the twentys, water bottles froze, only ones in the whole campground including the ranger who went home at dark. Always remembered that but never had the opportunity to duplicate it. Too much if a woosie to do that without a trailer. Go for it guys. Peace, jim

[Ray Eklund]

Ganado has a bit of truth in her comment. I should have defined "Roughing It" or as I inquired, that Ganado define Roughing It.

"Rough"... not smooth, uneven, coarse, not perfected, make rough, treat harshly.

Both of my adult daughters were... results of camping in the back country while "roughing it". June seemed to be a good month in that respect. As I look back at a large canvas tent overlooking rough Badlands... mice coming in during the dark hours for shelter or loose tid bits of food... that at the time was living in comfort.

Had I been so lucky to have had an Airstream in those days... I could not afford the luxury as the additional family members would have stripped our incomes to... really "roughing it".

I stand that it is not HOW you are camped that determines if you are roughing it or not... it is how many children you produce while camped. The more children... the rougher it gets.

[slowmover]

I like that definition. If it is rough then set about procuring extra hands.

[StrmyWeather]

I wonder if giving up the internet connection could be termed 'roughing it'?! Hm...

[StrmyWeather]

[QUOTE=Ganado;1563901]When I was a kid we use to walk to school, barefoot, in the snow, up hill, both ways!

I know what you mean Ganado. I only had alligators and moccasins to help make my way to school... after all, nothing is much worth seeing or roughing it for east of the 105th meridian... Wish we were as resourceful or independent as those out west. I better google roughing it...

[westcoastas]

Ray, for some, the corollary to "roughing it" would be adventure...

“The word adventure has gotten overused. For me adventure is when everything goes wrong. That’s when the adventure starts.”

- Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia Clothing

[Ganado]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Ganado... what is your idea of roughing it in Arizona? Why is "roughing it" a "joke"?

Why is it important for you to criticize those who do not use their Airstream in a way that does not fit into the "norms" among Airstream owners?

What, if any trailer, do you find that fits your traveling needs? What kind of RV Park would fit your ideal situation and unique needs?

Why are you reading the Boondocking Forum, but find it a joke? Have you better things to do with or without a trailer? Please explain why you feel that you must post to criticize someone else for how they prefer to use their trailer? Start a thread and express your opinions in a manner that can be understood in context to your experiences of snow and being barefoot in Sedona, Arizona... or where ever.

Im not being critical Ray and I so apologize if it seemed that way. I find your posts to be highly thoughtful and insightful. THe remark was based on a childhood set of mental programming. I had an Uncle who no matter what we said, he always had it rougher. It got so ridiculous that we made up,, 'when i was a kid.... uphill both ways barefoot...' as an exaggeration to cope with his stories with some humor.

I was watching everyone's different definitions of 'roughing it' and it struck a funny bone for me and reminded me of that Uncle. We all have a different definition of roughing it =) and it doesn't matter what other people think. Our personal version is the right version for us.

I hope I have made it clear I was not making fun of anyone. And I apologize for not explaining the tongue and cheek comment more thoroughly. I wont let that happen again. I was merely funny to me that we all have such vastly different view points. It is part of what I love about human beings... we are so vastly different.

I read this boon docking blog because I don't know anything about off grid or roughing it. I'm getting an education.

Sorry this took so long to get back to you. Life sometimes overwhelms my internet participation =)

G

[mefly2]

We prefer the unimproved campgrounds (no electricity, no asphalt, some-no water and/or only pit toilets) but with the AS (as opposed to our tents), we have taken on the term used frequently on this forum of "glamping". We have stayed in a "civilized" for pay KOA CG three times in the last four years. The generator allows us to camp/cook/stay comfortable in a turnout or wide spot in any rural roadway around here ... if we want! As you approach medicare age (I'm [past it) the comforts provided by the AS become even more valuable when boondocking...averaging just over 60 days per season with a not yet retired DW.

[Ray Eklund]

"Slow Mover: So this is the thread for the hairy-chested. Using fossil fuels isn't roughing it."
******
Never been hairy chested, myself. My hair is still on my head. My brother with hair over his entire body and none on top... figure that one out.

Now Fossil Fuels is another story. After spending five weeks at RV campgrounds and one week in a gravel lot for $6 a night... one thing I noticed. Carbon based firewood seemed to be a part of the urban camper gone boondocking requirement. Bundles of firewood are available everywhere at stores for those wanting to be within a RV Park or camping area to "rough it and sit around the campfire".

Bury, compress this and other organic matter for, lets say, several hundred million years or longer, and presto... Fossil Fuels used in our Airstream propane tanks. Same sources of "stuff", just more environmentally safe. Imagine a wood burning stove in a 16 foot Bambi or a 34 foot International... it would provide plenty of heat, maybe more than anyone could ask. Maybe burning "cow chips" is more organic and roughing it. Eskimos obviously have found a way to survive their Winters, and you will be surprised that they live in structures heated with... organic fuels.

As Ganado explained so well, we all have our image of "roughing it". Some individuals go through a painful effort to show how miserable one can survive in the boondocks. This is for those making television appear to be actual life or death situations, sans helicopters, staff, GPS locating equipment, etc..

Oh... I can give a Roughing It test for anyone willing to find a definition that fits their vision of "nowhere". We and our two Blue Heelers are at comfort knowing that we are prepared when we break the bonds of civilization's conveniences of grocery stores and gasoline stations. Some people I know go through extreme efforts to show their "roughing it" abilities, that we would never find fun or entertaining. There is risk to consider. Many in this category have satellite communication... just in case for a flight rescue to ease one's mind.

An Airstreamer from a large urban environment will have a more conservative "roughing it" vision. We who live in the "boondocks" already, need a more aggressive vision of roughing it. To each their own.

We follow rock outcrops and geology where it takes us. There are no rest stops to find comfort. There may be no established camp sites, other than hunter's camps that can be found following the double rutted tracks beyond a grove of trees or rock protection from the wind and elements and not in a flash flood area, etc. It is experience and from this experience, sound judgement. This mitigates "roughing it" to living within the frontier that remains today with minimal traffic. I say minimal traffic, as no matter where you haul your trailer, there will be others with the same access. You will never be alone, but may feel alone not seeing or hearing others in the vicinity.

Do push your limits of comfort. Learn from it. Discover that you ARE capable and can depend on yourself and company. Children fear only what their parents fear. Develop a sound judgement of your surroundings and make mental plans to evacuate if necessary, what to do if you become lost or disorientated in the rough back country, if your trailer has a mechanical problem, tow vehicle breaking down... etc.. You will live through it keeping a clear mind and avoid panic.

This is not for everyone. Probably less than 5% of the Airstream crowd. The Airstream CAN handle it. It is the strength of the person that makes that next step. The other 95% will chide the thought as juvenile behavior even to consider to take their aluminum can onto gravel, dirt or double rut roads. As one person had said... times have changed and you just do not do that to your trailer.

I said, "no, that is not true that times have changed. PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED."

I leave the rest up to you. I do check in to follow comments made by interested trailer owners, of any brand, and welcome you to test YOUR ability away from the status quo of RV Parks and hook ups. Life is too short for some, and for others, much too long.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by slowmover

So this is the thread for the hairy-chested.

Using fossil fuels isn't roughing it.

Carry it in on my back AND a bottle of fuel I could call roughing it. But the weight penalty is high over more than a few days. Going to the trouble of carrying a stove of any sort might not be roughing it.

But all weather shelter, clean water and bottled fuel is hardly anyone's conception of "roughing it". Refrigeration and available electricity take it completely off the table. Telephones and Intenet access make it a mockery.

Unless we're making fun of giant Class A owners.

[Ray Eklund]

When I had my driver's license at 16, I took my 1956 VW Bug into the Badlands of western Nebraska. Sioux and Dawes County.

I set up an ex-arm pup tent in 1965. I carried enough water to sustain myself for a week... maybe 3 gallons and cans of Soda. Food... canned, fruit, chips, cookies peanut butter, jelly and the other "wonderful food options" to survive. An ice chest for cooling and for drinking supply. A sterno can to cook over, as there is little firewood in the Badlands/Grasslands, unless one wanted to go into the Pine Ridge areas to the south and harvest dead wood... which I had no time for nor need. My technological hand held device was an AM Radio so I could catch the radio station in Rapid City, South Dakota in the evenings. Other than that... it was the best I could do with the tangible assets I owned and could afford at the time.


Fast forward to 2015. I have a new 2015 Airstream. A virtual home on wheels lacking nothing. All the comforts. All weatherized for anything the Rocky Mountains could throw into the panhandle of Nebraska.

I still can listen to Rapid City, South Dakota radio. I can still haul the same food and practice the same activity today within our Airstream. The pup tent was a comfort in 1965 and the Airstream a comfort in 2015. In my youth I practiced the best technology I could afford to stay in the field and collect fossil specimens on several ranches. Now, wiser and richer, I do not enjoy the comforts of my trailer any more or less than the pup tent of years gone bye. It is all relative.

There are those who have never found themselves too far away from the paved roads and comfort of others with similar thoughts and beliefs. I encourage this, just so those of us who enjoy what ... we do... can keep doing so as long as possible. It is among these people that are critical of activities they really have no experience and never will. It always begins with... "Yes, I did it and it just was not my thing."

Well, this is "my thing". I have collected rock over 14,000 feet and below sea level. This is why "spelunkers / cavers" are very careful WHOM they invite into their tight circle. If you are a spelunker, you know. I know. It is something that I tried, but preferred to leave it to those of you who know what you are doing.

There is nothing taken away from the back country if you carry it on your back, your friend's back or in a wheeled vehicle. Packing it in on your back, in my view, is stupidity, but why be critical. Horse and back country packing loses no "roughing it" with me. Neither with an Airstream parked to greet them as the train of horse pass and we share pleasantries.

Today, make the best of your health and find a friend to introduce you into a new experience with your trailer, or tent. The majority of people living will NEVER figure out why you do it... this is 98%+. I do not know why I persist on encouraging others to do the same as myself. Maybe company loves misery. Just like finding the deep pools for fishing in a Rocky Mountain stream... begin with small steps and then discover... you had the ability all the time. The trailer is the Ruby Slippers and you could be home where ever you decide.