Living out of a truck, car, or van isn’t as rough as it sounds. It quickly makes you realize that you don’t need much to live happily. For me the key to being content living on four wheels is to have a good sleeping setup! If you have a comfortable bed to go “home” to every night then you will be happy! If I had to sleep on a thermarest for a year I would have given up this lifestyle a long time ago!! Beyond a bed, what do you really need? Everything else seems to fall into place. I cook on my tailgate which is easy and works fine. Having a van with a built out setup for cooking etc would be awesome but it isn’t necessary by any means.
Having a comfortable bed that you can park anywhere is a fantastic thing! You can pick up and leave whenever you feel the slightest urge for a change of scenery. If the weather gets ugly in your current spot, then check the weather in neighboring areas and make a move! I’ve had a very rough plan of where I wanted to go this year but it’s largely been spontaneous decisions that have led the way.
Living out of your vehicle forces you into a lot of situations you wouldn’t otherwise be in, such as camping in a Walmart parking lot or editing video at Starbucks while two high school girls sit next to you and talk about their drama for two hours! On the flipside, you wind up in a LOT of situations that are simply spectacular. For instance, right this moment I am sitting in a chair next to my truck, laptop in hand, working with the Chief and Shannon Falls as my backdrop. It’s 65 degrees, the birds are chirping, I’m enjoying a beer, all while being “homeless”. Enjoying all these amazing vistas and moments without spending money is a real luxury.
If you are traveling solo, especially to areas that aren’t popular destinations, you will have moments of loneliness along the way. Sometimes I really enjoy being by myself, especially if it’s a unique moment in nature. Other times it feels like the worst part about traveling. Heading to a new area by yourself with no contacts there sounds a little intimidating but it never takes long to meet people. Climbing is great for bringing people together and generating instant connections with all types of people that would be hard to find in other parts of your life. When people share a passion, it makes other things like age, race, sex, and money irrelevant. I have climbing friends that run the gamut from 15 to 50 and from dirtbag dollar a day budgets to CEO’s, doctors, and rocket scientists.
One thing I’ve come to expect out of all types of climbers is generosity. Most seem happy to share what they have with you which makes it easy to find a sense of community while on the road. I’ve traveled a lot in the past two years and in most places I’ve visited I have met friends or families who have been extremely gracious and taken me in their homes and treated me as if I was a long time friend. Being on the receiving end of generosity and hospitality is an amazing thing when you are accustomed to life on the road.
If you are going to spend some time traveling, my biggest piece of advice is to bring a camera and take lots of photos! I think this has been my biggest mistake. I definitely have a camera or two but I haven’t taken nearly enough photos and in particular enough photos with me and my new friends in them!
About six weeks ago I walked into the forest in Squamish to start warming up. Before I even had time to finish lacing up my shoes, two fellow Americans asked if I knew anyone looking for a room to rent. I had been hoping to move out of the truck soon to make editing and working easier. That was all it took to finally get me into an apartment. I’ve been living with two other climbers since then and it has been great to “settle down” and get out of the truck for a bit! We live in the closest neighborhood to the boulders and are fortunate enough to have a view of The Chief from our living room. My plan is to stay in Squamish until mid to late September, then I will likely head back East for a few months to get Western Gold finished and released!