I knew it was coming and still I find it funny. I love this age and this moment. I find age related muscle loss amusing. I find the solution somewhat less entertaining.

Travelling is like this. Of course the kind of travelling that we do is not as easy as other types. We aim for comfort as a high priority but this often means things are heavy and cumbersome. We have tried many solutions and many variations and we have spent way too much money trying to find the right kit for our rig. Marjorie is not always as enthusiastic about the process but she is often happy with the outcome.

The kitchen part of our set up has been a challenge. We traditionally have packed for a large group, given that we had three children and usually travelled with all of them. We carried plastic plates and bowls and cutlery for too many people. We always had two or three stoves, a cast iron frying pan and a pressure cooker. We used an enormous molded plastic cooler and we bought ice every second day while we were on the road.  We carried plastic cups, wine glasses, full sized spices and used a huge box to carry everything. In another box we carried collapsible tables and chairs. It was a system that worked but it required a lot of space. 

The sleeping arrangement was also a challenge. We have too many tents and too many sleeping bags. We have a six person tent that has aged out (like its owner). We have multiple 3-4 person ground tents that we have used by dividing the family into smaller groups. The problem we had was setting up and taking down time. We have searched high and low for a way to camp with many people, using a single car, roof rack and the cooking system that we already own.

Then the pandemic hit, I retired from my teaching career and overlanding became a popular trend. We also bought our Kia Telluride at this time and our space for travel became significantly larger. We knew that in retirement we would travel by car and consequently we ordered a roof top tent from China. By buying this fold out roof tent, we were able to free up space in the back of our Telluride. Also, our children had all grown at this point, so it was generally just Marjorie and myself using the space in the car.

Another first purchase for us was an electric fridge for the car. My nephew sells solar equipment and gifted us a Bluetti battery pack and some solar panels for our setup. By using the panels, the car's 12V plug and the Bluetti, we became able to keep the fridge cold for 24 hours a day. The fridge is smaller than our old cooler and because we don’t have to fill it with ice, it holds more than the bigger, older cooler.

We got rid of our huge, old, super comfortable albeit worn out, camping/rocking chairs and replaced them with light weight, collapsible high backed Cascade camping chairs from Costco. We replaced our huge kitchen box with a smaller, lighter box with light weight pots and two single burner camping stoves. Our smaller coffee set up is a French press and two lightweight insulated cups. We have narrowed our plates and bowls and cutlery down for four people and everything can be accessed from underneath the back door of our vehicle. 

In the roof top tent, we have a single, lightweight down quilt made by Thermarest. It is very warm and combined with an inflatable camping mattress that replaced the original roof top tent mattress and a fitted sheet set, the sleeping set up is comfortable enough that my old man shoulders don’t suffer at all compared to my bed at home. 

We have minimized our set up and we have strategized to make everything fit and to make it lightweight so that my shoulders survive. The whole process is ongoing and will always be refined. Our objective is to keep things simple and cheap and to not get caught up in the fashion part of this style of travelling. We have handed down, recycled, sold and have given away much of our older gear in the process of perfecting our load out. Weight, responsible ownership and comfort often drive our decisions, however there are some things that we still want to get.

I wish that I had a skid plate on the bottom of the car and this would be the first modification that I would prioritize as an enhancement to our Telluride. The second item that I often covet is a 270 degree awning to cover the back and side of the car when we are camped in exposed spaces. I also think about wrapping the car to prevent the inevitable scratches that come from off roading. The last possible consideration is having the car lifted and reinforced so that we have more clearance and suspension when on back country roads or trails. 

Today I sit here typing this short post. My shoulders are sore and my old man's back hurts. I look down on my typing through my progressive lenses and I feel my age. At the same time, I also feel the undying urge to grab my camping gear and hit the road. The whole “aging sucks” feeling disappears the moment we close the back door and plug the fridge into the car. I know, I know, ….I should probably lift some weights first!