I've been on several adventures this summer. I love the idea of camping, but so far I haven't enjoyed myself while spending the night. I haven't been comfortable sleeping and can't afford one of those fancy roof-top tents. I really dislike not being able to shower easily, especially after a long day on a dusty trail or working up a sweat hiking. I absolutely despise the mosquitos. I don't particularly care for spraying myself down with repellent, but I'll do it. Finally, there's no way my wife will go camping without an RV so I basically have to go solo.
Is overloading not for me?
Does anybody here run off-road adventures where we use motels?
Anybody have suggestions for improving the experience and convincing my wife to go?
I just got back from a 10 day adventure that was awesome. I used motels and relatives' couches the whole trip. I ran 6 Jeep Badge of Honor Trails including Black Bear Pass. I want to do that again next summer - but no camping. Would I find any takers in this community?
I hate mosquitos too. I have 4 kinds of insect spray. One of those thermal butane repellents. Mosquito candles and i dont hesitate to use it all! Ive learned where to camp over time where mosquitos dont live. Usually high up in the mountains away from any standing water.
And no, you don't have to camp. This isnt the boyscouts, you're not missing out on necessary patches and ribbons in order to be a true Overlander. You can stay in motels. And as far as remoteness, try air bnb or something similar. I have rented peoples cabins for a night in the middle of nowhere. only have to go a few miles out of my way to get to them and stayed deep in the woods the whole time.
Get out there on your own time and in your own way. Dont be afraid to go with strangers. And dont be afraid to stop going with people who have different ideas of what Overlanding is to them. Good luck. And have fun. Remember if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong
There is something special about going to a remote place, setting up camp, letting the kids and dog explore and then watching the night take over the camp spot - the animals that visit, the birds that take notice of your presence, and of course, the night sky above the envelopes the camp and makes one feel like a part of the cosmos. That's camping for me.
I can go either way, but to include and engage the wife, she'll camp one night (ground tent & cot) but almost mandatory a motel for hot shower and good nights sleep the next. I just want to get out on the trails and see the beauty in new adventures / discoveries. It's always better to explore with friends / small group.
I'm sort of in the same mind set. I got rid of the off road vehicle and went for total comfort with some off pavement ability. I guess I've gone from off-roading to trying to mesh RV'n with over-landing. The last 3 big trips I've gone on centered around camping at RV parks or fancy campgrounds where we then traveled to the off-road trails and cool destinations. My wife doesn't really enjoy the remote camping thing so if I want to do remote destinations, I'm on my own. I'd be down for running black bear and some area back roads just have to find a spot to park the trailer.
Aaron,
This is a very compelling question. There are times I think to myself "Is all the preparation for my trip worth the the actual time I enjoy myself. Hauling all the gear out of the truck, then the next day, pack it all back in, etc. etc... I think this comes with age. As I near rounding 54 in October, the days of jumping up on the Jeep and raising and lowering the RTT become more and more weighted. We thought about a small off-road trailer and I really think that would make things a lot more palatable. But I am sure that comes with its own rules.
So, to answer your question and to echo Paul's remarks, do what works for you!
I am sure there are plenty of folks that would be onboard with this premise!
Dan
I'm a big fan of doing what works for me and letting others do what works for them. Things often do not go to plan, conditions change, trees fall and rigs break. Being prepared to camp and not letting that ruin the experience would be important to me. Staying in hotels is going to limit where you can go and how fast, but if you like it; then do it.
If you don't have experience camping it takes some trial and error to find out what works for you, regardless of the gear you can afford. Like most things you are not going to be great at it without experience. If you like camping aside for comfort I would say stay with it and you will figure out what works to be comfortable. I wouldn't trade it for anything, we had an amazing night two weekends ago where the night was super dark and you could see all of the stars and the Milky Way. We saw about 10 meteors over the evening, talked with good friends and killed the better part of a nice bottle of bourbon. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
All of your dislikes have ways to make them better, mosquitoes are not mine or anyone's favorites, we find places where they are not too bad, and we use repellent at times etc. There are cheap solar shower systems, etc. You will never get to the level of comfort of a hotel, but the payoff is well worth it for me. Over time some even begin to like the discomfort, in a sort of pavlovian correlation to all of the other things that come with it. I say do what works best for you.
Cheers