Bill Morton of Australia sent me this wonderful video link. Fascinating Aïda is a three-woman satirical cabaret act from the UK. This is video from their popular “Cheap Flights” song describing what you really get when you buy a cheap flight online. It so sums up my travel life in so many ways. With almost 5 million views, I’d say it sums up many people’s experiences. Delightful!
Hang out for the very end. It’s worth it!
I’m constantly asked which vehicle or trailer to choose when making a decision to take your camera and life on the road. My answer never varies. Here it is.
There are a lot of articles out there with one view or the other on what type of recreational vehicle you should choose for travel. I’ve found a lot of them very bias.
I take a more open approach. The key is to choose one that works for you. Seriously.
We planned to live in our 30 foot fifth wheel for two years. We retired it 16 years later after many repairs, fixes, replacements, and hard work.
First, the differences. A motor home has an engine and is open from the front to the back. A Class C is a motor home open from the front to the back with a van or truck cab “combined” into the RV. A camper is carried on the back of a truck and there is rarely an access point between the truck and the camper. A trailer has no engine and is pulled by any vehicle. A fifth wheel trailer has no engine and is towed by a truck. Below those you have a variety of vans and sleep-in-the-car configurations.
If you need to travel with a lot of stuff and you like luxuries, then motor home or big trailer.
If you want to travel lightly and feel the road closely, motorcycle or bicycle with a tent.
If you are physically fit, go with trailer (5th wheel or otherwise) or truck and camper.
If you aren’t physically fit, go with Class C or A motor home.
If you want to stay high in the mountains, backwoods, BLMs, rugged terrain, and off road, then tent, small trailer, class C, anything under 26 feet in total length is the only way to go.
If you are traveling to big parks, then anything goes but if you are in big campgrounds and trailer parks, they don’t like crap vehicles. Some won’t take trailers only motor homes.
If you are staying on the road for weekends, go cheap. If you only travel during summer, go cheap.
If you wish to plant yourself somewhere and explore from there, a motor home or Class C with a toad (tow vehicle) is essential.
If you are only going to go with friends and family for short trips during good weather and not long distance, go light, small, and easy on everyone.
If you travel with animals, buy with room for them in mind.
Can you sleep and walk in it? If you are tall, a bed across the width won’t work without a slide-out. If ceiling, door frames, and lights are low, tall people will need to stoop.
How much time will you spend inside as opposed to out? The more time you spend inside, the more luxurious, roomy, and comfortable it should be.
Traveling with small children? Remember they grow up fast. Plan for them.
How many bodies will travel with you? The more the merrier and the more the larger.
If you need to make frequent “pit stops,” buy a motor home or Class C for quick pull overs to use your own pit without leaving the vehicle.
If you are going to cross the continent a few times, choose a strong heavy axle RV made for hauling, pulling, or towing. Engine and tires will matter most.
If you are living in this full-time, makes sure it is durable, weatherproof, all season, and comfortable.
If you have a hobby or job you are taking with you, make sure there is room enough for you and the tasks, and the RV is secure enough to protect your investments.
How long are you going to actively use it? A year, two, eight, twenty? We got sixteen years plus out of our 2-year expected usage with a lot of time spent fixing it up and maintaining it, so look long not short and buy accordingly.
NEVER under-buy or underestimate the pulling capacity or weight bearing capabilities of whatever you are considering. Buy a tow vehicle that exceeds the need to pull the trailer. Buy a trailer or motor home to carry at least double your anticipated weight needs (you always add more than you should).
That’s all you need to know. Answer those questions and you will narrow down your choices quickly.
Walking for eleven years around the world, Jean Beliveau is about to return home to Montreal.
Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday, August 18, 2000, after his small sign business went bankrupt. He decided to run around the world to try to escape that painful episode in his life.
Archambault and his two children from a previous marriage did not try to hold him back. “It was cool,” said his son Thomas Eric, who was 20-years-old at the time.
Beliveau ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia before slowing his stride for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 kilometers across 64 countries.
At one point, Archambault encouraged him to use his voyage to promote peace and non-violence for the benefit of children in support of a UNESCO proclamation. Suddenly what started as an escape from his weary life had a purpose.
Over 11 years, he traveled across deserts and mountains. He fell in love for nine days in Mexico, wore a turban and a long beard in Sudan, ate insects in Africa, dog in South Korea and snake in China, and was escorted by armed soldiers in the Philippines.
Beliveau only fell seriously ill once in Algeria, was mugged only once by two young drunks in South Africa, and was detained only once in Ethiopia for no apparent reason (he was released the next day).
It was also in Ethiopia that he was once gripped by despair, which nearly caused him to quit and go home. He said he felt very alone. Archambault back in Montreal egged him on, convincing him to persevere.
“After food and shelter, man needs to feel like he belongs,” Beliveau explained.
While few ever have the bug or the thought, many mean it when then “leave home,” traveling to physical places in the world they thought they would never see, and traveling to psychological places within themselves they thought not possible.
Unfortunately, few who leave home this way have the support and encouragement of their family and friends. Most think they are crazy, as they did Brent and I went we hit the road full-time in 1996 with only a plan for six months, never believing it would be 14 years.
Jean will have wonderful stories and lessons to share, and a life lesson about people and kindred spirits that will serve him for the rest of his life, as do we.
Congrats, Jean, on your amazing trip. If you would like learn more about Jean and his travels, check out his site at World Wide Walk.
With Southern California out with no electricity, homes burning up in Texas, tornadoes across the country, devastating heat waves, much of the Northeast under water (and more water), earthquakes, and the threat of terrorism in New York and Washington DC (which means it could happen anywhere), are you ready? Is your emergency kit been inspected, updated, and do you even know where it is?
At a minimum, your emergency kit needs:
Sure, it’s easy to buy a ready-made kit, but don’t trust it after a year. Check it. Replace all bandages that have aged (lost their sticky), water, food, and medicines that have passed their expiration date. Make sure there is enough water for at least three days for drinking, cleaning, cooking, and personal use. Ensure it is stored in BP free, potable containers and change it every nine to twelve months.
Games and books to read out loud or alone are excellent for families and groups. There is nothing like a good book to distract and make time pass quickly. Continue reading