After March 31, 2022, I’m officially “homeless” for at least the next 6 months.
I’ll be traveling in a 2009 Subaru Forester primarily using a Spring Bar Outfitter canvas tent for my dwelling.
You can follow me on my newly minted Instagram where I will post updates! I’ll also be posting regular updates on the blog.
I’ll also start sharing videos and blogging a bit more as I get settled in.
Background Information
I’ve had the Subaru Forester for several years so I know it’s capable and has a decent amount of space for a single person. I’ve also added a Thule Force 18 Cubic Liter cargo box which has tremendously.
Although I would typically sleep in the back of it on weekend trips, I won’t typically be sleeping in the vehicle except when I plan poorly or on longer than normal drives. I’ll have a lot more gear and supplies than a normal trip so my go-to sleeping and remote work arrangement will be using a SpringBar Outfitter tent.
At the same time, I will continue to work my day job and even try to run part of my e-commerce business on the road.
The purpose of this trip is mostly to explore areas I’ve never been, be more active, and to save money.
Long story short, my significant other got a job in a small town in California and I decided to join her on the move. We signed a short-term lease as it was sight unseen and we decided against renewing it.
As Spring arrived, it seemed like a great time for me to try this experiment out. So we downgraded the apartment, I got a storage unit, and I’m ready to get outdoors. I will occasionally stay nights at her place and she’ll join on as many adventures as she can, so you’ll see me try to balance work, outdoors, side hustles, relationships, etc. We’re in our early 30s and do not have pets or kids so that makes a lot of the planning a lot easier.
I’ve done a few 1 to 2 week trips in the past where I lived and worked remotely in a tent so I’m not starting this from zero knowledge. However, the extended length of time of this will definitely present a unique set of challenges.
At the same time, I will still have lodging from time to time with friends and I’m not opposed to paying for a motel when it’s convenient.
Trip Locations
The first few weeks will be honing in my packing and I will be adding/dropping items at my storage unit.
So I will start out in California with a goal to spend some time in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. I’m also going to try and spend some time on the coast, although finding free camping suitable for a large tent is much more difficult than elsewhere.
Sometime in early June I will be making a trip back to Utah where I lived for a few years to meet up with some friends to hike and mountain bike.
In July, I will head toward Canada to Banff National Park, Glacier National Park, and that general area.
August – no idea yet. Probably will try and explore Washington and Oregon. It also depends on how fire season is going.
In September, I will be taking an international trip for a couple weeks and then potentially “settle” down for the rest of the year and go back to taking weekend trips.
The Activities
I’ll mostly be hiking and (tame) mountain biking during the week with a little bit of running.
On the weekends I will either do those or try and add some backpacking and/or fishing to the mix.
The hardest part about packing for this trip is how large of a space my mountain bike takes.
I recently got into mountain biking and finally got my first bike a few months ago. I learned from my past week plus trips that I get “bored” or sore from running/hiking around camp during the week. I’m not always camping in the most beautiful places, so running the same couple miles for 5 days in a row got a bit tiresome.
Biking will allow me to mix up my activities and I have a blast on my bike no matter the view.
So for me, it’s a non-negotiable to bring.
I opted against any hitch or roof mount for now because I don’t want to be attached to my car or have to worry about it. Even though the bike isn’t expensive, it’s still just extra attention to the rest of my vehicle which has more valuable things in it.
I will be removing the front tire and seat and it fits perfectly in the back. However, it takes up about half of the storage in the back due to the pedals creeping out in space and the other gear associated with it such a helmets, shoes, and tools.
The Storage Unit
I’ve been against storage units forever because I thought you should never have enough stuff to need one.
Whelp. I just got a huge 10×10 unit.
About a third to a half of it is for an e-commerce business I purchased a few years ago and manage. The other half is outdoor gear and some typical housing stuff like a dresser.
I will probably have to frequent it once per month for my e-commerce store as I store my inventory there. Some of it is handled outside of me, but there are certain things I still do.
It’s okay for now, because those visits will allow me to adjust on the fly and add or leave items (such as fishing gear, my mountain bike, etc). These visits will also allow me to see my significant other more when she can’t join on the trips.
The longest road trip I’ve done before this was about 10 days.
However, I’ve been working remotely for over 4 years and have a decent amount of experience finding good camping areas that have cell service and I’m okay going with the flow.
