Get Outside Explore - Quick Car Tent Conversion ( Long Read )

[JohnHafterson]

Over the last 15 months I've been getting out driving, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, road trips to various states and throughout my home state Illinois.

State Parks, National Forests, Nature Preserves, small rural towns on state and county highways...

If you are not getting out into nature or exploring unknown areas periodically, you would be wise to do so.

Good to get away from the screen and the accelerated information storm we're in.

I've noticed recently in light of how things are progressing that the natural world seems more alive/textured/vibrant ( not using drugs ).

Quite strange the notion that something big may be coming our way has heightened my visual senses. Like my brain is seeing patterns textures layers.

It's a good way to decompress yourself and to prepare psychologically for what may be approaching ( maybe nothing will come ).

Very difficult to say if/when this type of activity may not be allowed if our movement becomes restricted or gas fuel shortages take place in the near future.

Get a tent or turn your car into a driveable tent ( take the front passenger seat and back seat out ).



The above can run length wise where your passenger seat was and in the foot space behind the passenger seat. You can place a thermarest sleeping pad on top of this and use it as a relatively flat platform to sleep on.

These containers double as storage space for supplies as does your trunk.

When I was younger I did multiple month long road trips out west, down south, up north.

You can sleep in 24 hour walmart parking lots for free ( bathrooms and supplies if needed ) in between destinations, national forests for free, blm land for free, state park campgrounds for a modest fee, or just random parking lots if needed.

I no longer have a sedan now use a beater minivan and remove all the passenger seats and fold down the third row.

Just a quick how to for the younger people on here maybe looking to get out on the road...

 

[gaze]

eating on the road is the biggest problem that holds people back. eating out is not a problem here and there, but day after day it takes a toll especially when the only places to eat in the outskirts of town are denny's, ihop's, and mcdonald's. packing a cooler
and portable stoves obviously help but it's difficult to rely on those for every meal.

if you can handle restaurant food perfectly fine despite the PUFAs then i agree the mental benefits are worth it. before I cared about nutrition I would go on multiple trips every year. few things feel as good as sleeping outdoors, and being a vagabond on the road makes you feel free

 

[yerrag]

I'm glad it's still easy to do that in the US. I was afraid it was going to be hard to do that given the changed political climate, but it's probably more true of city life than country life and being out in the woods and nature. The bears have always been there, and it's a matter of preparedness and taking precautions, like having a bear sack in trees to keep bears away from you. Animals are predictable and so are easier to deal with. Since you've been outdoors a lot before, it's easier to go alone. For beginners learning the rope, it's good to have a group to go with, and the best way is to join university mountaineeering clubs, which are mostly open to outsiders. If you have a skill or two to share, you're even more welcome.

Been thinking of doing that in the Philippines, but I have to reach out for that crowd. My little city-bred circles are too scared, even myself I feel I need to have a gun but I've never owned one. The thought of getting one is there, but just not acted upon. Survival preparedness is needed, but never acted upon. But time is catching up. There is no use pretending things will be better. It is accelerating. The cat's out of the bag. Evil is not pretending to be good anymore. It's in your face. You're like cattle free in the meadows, ripe to be corralled and sent to the pen to be fattened.

 

[JohnHafterson]

eating on the road is the biggest problem that holds people back. eating out is not a problem here and there, but day after day it takes a toll especially when the only places to eat in the outskirts of town are denny's, ihop's, and mcdonald's. packing a cooler
and portable stoves obviously help but it's difficult to rely on those for every meal.

if you can handle restaurant food perfectly fine despite the PUFAs then i agree the mental benefits are worth it. before I cared about nutrition I would go on multiple trips every year. few things feel as good as sleeping outdoors, and being a vagabond on the road makes you feel free

Agreed on the freedom feel. Cooking doesn't take that's long.

Easy to eat relatively low PUFA none of the stuff below really needs to be refrigerated except maybe eggs but even those can be pushed:

Cheese
Butter
Canned Meat
Dried Fruit
Fresh Fruit
Honey
Eggs
Instant coffee
Jerky
Instant rice
Olive oil
Sugar
Oatmeal ( small pufa ain't gonna kill you )
Boxed milk
Liquid egg whites
Gallons of water
Juice

 

[JohnHafterson]

I'm glad it's still easy to do that in the US. I was afraid it was going to be hard to do that given the changed political climate, but it's probably more true of city life than country life and being out in the woods and nature. The bears have always been there, and it's a matter of preparedness and taking precautions, like having a bear sack in trees to keep bears away from you. Animals are predictable and so are easier to deal with. Since you've been outdoors a lot before, it's easier to go alone. For beginners learning the rope, it's good to have a group to go with, and the best way is to join university mountaineeering clubs, which are mostly open to outsiders. If you have a skill or two to share, you're even more welcome.

Been thinking of doing that in the Philippines, but I have to reach out for that crowd. My little city-bred circles are too scared, even myself I feel I need to have a gun but I've never owned one. The thought of getting one is there, but just not acted upon. Survival preparedness is needed, but never acted upon. But time is catching up. There is no use pretending things will be better. It is accelerating. The cat's out of the bag. Evil is not pretending to be good anymore. It's in your face. You're like cattle free in the meadows, ripe to be corralled and sent to the pen to be fattened.

The US doesn't feel that wild, it definitely has wild states like Alaska and wild sections/pockets in some states but most things are accessible by car even national forest have logging roads etc for for navigation though they can get tough to drive depending on the location.

I don't know much about the Philippines obviously different geographically, socioeconomically, politically, climate so logistics different. But looks like some cool things mountains, islands, jungles, etc.

 

[Rafe]

I’m out in the woods 2 or 3 times a week hiking or snowshoeing. This summer I was able to hike longer & stronger than I ever did in my 20s, thanks to taking RP advice & making it my own.

I went cowboy camping earlier in the summer & bedded down in a stealth spot in a mouldering leaf bed. Am convinced being out there stimulates immunity with exposure to a wilder biome. And everything else.

The high profile areas are getting more use & some have been restricted in US like national parks & thru-hiking trails. But most states have lesser-known much less traveled medium & long mileage trails. Some are pretty undeveloped.

Highly recommend backpacking as well as car camping like what op says.

 

[Inaut]

Great suggestions @JohnHafterson.

 

[Infinite]

I also live in Illinois and I've been wanting to do the same. I've been looking at used Subaru Foresters so I can start exploring state parks and camping in the car.

 

[gaze]

Agreed on the freedom feel. Cooking doesn't take that's long.

Easy to eat relatively low PUFA none of the stuff below really needs to be refrigerated except maybe eggs but even those can be pushed:

Cheese
Butter
Canned Meat
Dried Fruit
Fresh Fruit
Honey
Eggs
Instant coffee
Jerky
Instant rice
Olive oil
Sugar
Oatmeal ( small pufa ain't gonna kill you )
Boxed milk
Liquid egg whites
Gallons of water
Juice

sounds like a great list. I certainly could survive off that for months.

what car do you take out ?

 

[OccamzRazer]

Over the last 15 months I've been getting out driving, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, road trips to various states and throughout my home state Illinois.

State Parks, National Forests, Nature Preserves, small rural towns on state and county highways...

If you are not getting out into nature or exploring unknown areas periodically, you would be wise to do so.

Good to get away from the screen and the accelerated information storm we're in.

I've noticed recently in light of how things are progressing that the natural world seems more alive/textured/vibrant ( not using drugs ).

Quite strange the notion that something big may be coming our way has heightened my visual senses. Like my brain is seeing patterns textures layers.

It's a good way to decompress yourself and to prepare psychologically for what may be approaching ( maybe nothing will come ).

Very difficult to say if/when this type of activity may not be allowed if our movement becomes restricted or gas fuel shortages take place in the near future.

Get a tent or turn your car into a driveable tent ( take the front passenger seat and back seat out ).

View attachment 26282

The above can run length wise where your passenger seat was and in the foot space behind the passenger seat. You can place a thermarest sleeping pad on top of this and use it as a relatively flat platform to sleep on.

These containers double as storage space for supplies as does your trunk.

When I was younger I did multiple month long road trips out west, down south, up north.

You can sleep in 24 hour walmart parking lots for free ( bathrooms and supplies if needed ) in between destinations, national forests for free, blm land for free, state park campgrounds for a modest fee, or just random parking lots if needed.

I no longer have a sedan now use a beater minivan and remove all the passenger seats and fold down the third row.

Just a quick how to for the younger people on here maybe looking to get out on the road...

Good for you man. These types of trips are so therapeutic, and I suspect they can also solve a lot of modern health problems. Thnx for bringing this topic to light!

My car is too small to sleep in but I've been considering getting a rooftop tent for it and traveling all over, kind of like you described.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Agreed on the freedom feel. Cooking doesn't take that's long.

Easy to eat relatively low PUFA none of the stuff below really needs to be refrigerated except maybe eggs but even those can be pushed:

Cheese
Butter
Canned Meat
Dried Fruit
Fresh Fruit
Honey
Eggs
Instant coffee
Jerky
Instant rice
Olive oil
Sugar
Oatmeal ( small pufa ain't gonna kill you )
Boxed milk
Liquid egg whites
Gallons of water
Juice

A little too complex IMO. I'd just do cheeseburgers (without the bun), milk, and maybe some fruit juice/green drinks and call it done. Add collagen to said fruit juice too.

Any small deficiencies on such a diet would probably be overwhelmed by the health-promoting freedom of travel. Sometimes I feel us 'Peaters' get a little too focused on food - myself included.

 

[Inaut]

I think I would love to hack it in the bush...I just wish I could have a bidet with me. Real life changer i tell ya

 

[Inaut]

A little too complex IMO. I'd just do cheeseburgers (without the bun), milk, and maybe some fruit juice/green drinks and call it done. Add collagen to said fruit juice too.

Any small deficiencies on such a diet would probably be overwhelmed by the health-promoting freedom of travel. Sometimes I feel us 'Peaters' get a little too focused on food - myself included.

Pretty much my diet now :)

 

[gaze]

A little too complex IMO. I'd just do cheeseburgers (without the bun), milk, and maybe some fruit juice/green drinks and call it done. Add collagen to said fruit juice too.

Any small deficiencies on such a diet would probably be overwhelmed by the health-promoting freedom of travel. Sometimes I feel us 'Peaters' get a little too focused on food - myself included.

when you go camping, not exactly practical to just pack a cooler full of milk and juice. it requires non-perishables

 

[JohnHafterson]

sounds like a great list. I certainly could survive off that for months.

what car do you take out ?

1999 Altima 1-2 month trips taking out front passenger and entire backseat out allowing easy sleeping lengthwise w/ camping pad on top of storage containers.


Currently using 2002 beater Honda Odyssey 225,000 miles. Mine has rust + dents. More space to work with storage wise can fit bike, storage containers, still with plenty of room to sleep.

 

[JohnHafterson]

when you go camping, not exactly practical to just pack a cooler full of milk and juice. it requires non-perishables

When it gets to fall ( great time to go - vacations over - students back in school much less people on the roads ) ambient temperature gets cooler so trunk essentially becomes a refrigerator so less need to worry about perishables.

 

[gaze]

View attachment 26295
1999 Altima 1-2 month trips taking out front passenger and entire backseat out allowing easy sleeping lengthwise w/ camping pad on top of storage containers.

View attachment 26296
Currently using 2002 beater Honda Odyssey 225,000 miles. Mine has rust + dents. More space to work with storage wise can fit bike, storage containers, still with plenty of room to sleep.

nice. any cheap mt. bike recs? these days the bike costs more than the beater cars

 

[yerrag]

When it gets to fall ( great time to go - vacations over - students back in school much less people on the roads ) ambient temperature gets cooler so trunk essentially becomes a refrigerator so less need to worry about perishables.

And the cool weather is nice. I enjoyed a solo trip to Washington state's Olympic Peninsula. Perhaps the best. But I was driving mostly, but camping in a small tent. Walking along the coast and seeing the strong currents going into the sea from the river. Buying alder-smoked salmon from Indians, and seeing different kinds of forests. And of course, I also see the trucks carrying lumber, but also get to see the nurseries where they have saplings growing to replace the trees they've cut. Seeing good stewardship of the land is a welcome sight.

It is a sea of tranquility where just across the sound is woke craziness in Seattle, but back then wokeness was just beginning to show up. The Pike Street wet market was a very enjoyable place to go to, and I still can see the original Starbucks which I happened along when it was a stand-alone.

 

[OccamzRazer]

nice. any cheap mt. bike recs? these days the bike costs more than the beater cars

I know it wasn't addressed to me...but I used to be a pro cyclist so here goes.

Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Specialized, and GT all make pretty good entry level mountain bikes. I always liked hardtail bikes more than full suspension, but YMMV. Look for Shimano Tiagra components or better.

If you go on FB marketplace or CL you should be able to find a used name-brand bike with these specs for under 800 bucks. Anything much cheaper may not last you that long unfortunately.

 

[gaze]

I know it wasn't addressed to me...but I used to be a pro cyclist so here goes.

Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Specialized, and GT all make pretty good entry level mountain bikes. I always liked hardtail bikes more than full suspension, but YMMV. Look for Shimano Tiagra components or better.

If you go on FB marketplace or CL you should be able to find a used name-brand bike with these specs for under 800 bucks. Anything much cheaper may not last you that long unfortunately.

thanks. were you legitimately pro or was that sarcasm?

the facebook market place is indeed a good idea actually. my friend has basically furnished his entire new house using free or very cheap goods that people surprisingly put up just to get rid of. i'm sure i can find some bikes in the sub 1000 range. i guess craigslist is irrelevant these days? edit: just saw you also mentioned CL

Do you still ride? by cycling I assume youre talking about the long distance stuff and not downhill mt. biking or anything like that right?