Technology has changed so much in the past 20 years, and so have
the gear, tools, and equipment available for traveling. Full time travel has
become more socially acceptable, viable, and a choice for many. People no
longer have to stay home tied to the phone when on call, and are no longer
tied to a beeper. Now there are cell phones, texting, and voice mail, multiple
lines, telecommuting, and working from anywhere. What makes this all possible,
and what is the end goal when considering what to own in day to day life?
Living life as a minimalist between studio apartments, mobile dwellings, and
moving every so often, there are certain belongings that are critical to
success.
Back in 2006, moves were made with much larger and bulkier
electronics, and were less energy efficient which limited usage, and public
internet was not that common except in a few airports and coffee lounges. On
the flip side, more people had unsecured wireless, and crossing borders was
more complicated. Nowadays, electronics are light, energy efficient, and more
individually tailored, which translates to buying a computer, and then needing
to buy pieces and parts for the individual’s needs. Gone are the days when the
Blackberry was the most sophisticated item, and no one had ever head of a
netbook or tablet.
The items listed are items owned for over 2 years, and are a
critical part of day to day life, and have proven their value over and over
again.
The first is the Acer Aspire netbook, which was built in
2011, and was bought at the local trusty Wal-Mart. I added a spare battery, extra
charger, extra chord, and it came with the international charger. It has been
loaded with full windows 2010, and allows for full time college education, as
well as the watching of Netflix being hooked to an old flat screen monitor in
place of television.
Next is the Archos 101 which when loaded with Android 2.3
has proven useful, even though it isn’t the most up to date to be found on the
market. It serves my purposes, has WIFI built in, and has plenty of ports,
attachments, cases, accessories, and at 300 on EBay, proved to be a smart
investment. Especially great is the game Jewels and the RealCalc app from the
Google Play store, which is where the Android apps are found.
Then, there is the Nokia E71 which via JoikuSpot allows for
WIFI where it wouldn’t normally be available, has a recorder, is great for
texting, and works great for personal needs such as Google maps, email, and
other basic app abilities. The E71 still costs over 150 dollars, and holds its
value well due to the diverse nature of a phone no longer made through Straight
Talk. The Razor is also great for prepaid Verizon, still looks great, has large
numbers, and has proven a solid, reliable phone when the Straight Talk phone
lacks reception. The fact is that traveling with prepaid phones that can have
different numbers assigned, be activated at any given time, and have national
cards, as well as buy from any other phone capabilities, as well as website
ordering makes it a great offer. As a former happy customer of Sprint, the constant
moving proved a problem with reception so prepaid, with the various plans
available, became the best option available.
Next is the old trust Sony Walkman 8GB from 2012 that works
great, has wonderful radio reception, charges quickly, and really does have 30
hours of battery life, which gets used over and over again. Sporting a 3.5 mm headphone
jack, the choice became a pair of headphones made for the iPhone that has a
microphone, and a built in antenna for better reception. Nice and simple, and
not connected to any internet network of any sort, it is a great device for bus
stops, running, walking dogs, or simply relaxing at home due to the small size,
radio, MP3, and podcast abilities to allow for seamless transfer between one
function to the next. The amount of space holds quite a bit, and as a fan of
Michael Duncan’s History of Rome podcasts, which are listened to over and over again,
Sony has proven reliable once again.
The camera is a Canon, and is relatively aged, so without
going into reference, it is worth saying that Canon still has great quality
photography equipment, and Sony ranks a quick second. There was a time when one
camera to the next was the norm, but after a while, certain items remained,
have aged, and just get better with age. Adding a better pixel quality camera
will come when the need presents itself, but for the time being, Canon remains
on board, capturing the most precious of moments.
Add 2 USB backups, a few memory sticks, and a portable USB
DVD player for the laptop, that can be played with any USB port that connects
to the TV or computer monitor, it has proven extremely useful, and has been
well traveled, which will hopefully see many more miles throughout the years to
come. The DVD case continues to be carted around, of which the DVDs are backed
up onto memory sticks, along with the music for easy access as needed. There is
also the Canon Pixma scanner, printer, and fax combo, the reliable Target camp
chair, DVD and blue ray disk player, lightweight fans of different sizes
(including 2 USB fans), trusty Thermos canteen, luggage set, a few books, foam
gel mattress, clothes in two totes, a few dishes that are easy to wash, coffee
maker, camping gear, and the cats bag, cat tree, and BoodaDome litter box. Add
the cat show kit, and that literally sums up what is to be found as a
minimalist. Never again will I worry about moving because of owning to much
stuff as many others have done, and with that, the next move is coming up.
After extensive research, and making sure to know what needs
and wants there are at a personal level that can work with the need to work,
continue to provide an environmentally protected area for the cat with the litter
box separate from living quarters, and the exact furniture needed so that
nothing has to be given up. Time has been taken because after 3 vehicles being
home on a temporary part time to full time basis, the decision to have a
manufactured trailer that has a bathroom, does not rust, and is lightweight to
haul became the requirement for happiness. Day to day maintenance and tasks
became too overwhelming, parking to unreliable, and repairs expensive to make
full timing in a motorized home (no home if repairs are needed) a problem.
So, a 16 foot toy
hauler trailer is the final decision that fits having a shower, toilet, kitchen
with sink, stove, fridge, living area with flip down bed on one side, flip down
seat and flip up table, a/c, heat, bubble windows, awning, outside shower, garage
area between flip up bed and table/chair, and anchor hooks so the ramp can
serve as a porch. The inside a/c will have shelves to the ceiling that personal
belongings fit on in slide out shelves. In front of the shelves and the inside
shower/toilet will be curtains instead of doors, as doors take up room to open and
close. The litter box will in the back corner of the garage with diamond
patterned flooring in a custom made box that has a hole in the back, and a
slider box that is brought out for cleaning to limit odors and tracking. Then,
a mount will be made on the wall for the bicycle, as that is the reason for the
toy hauler.
Toys stay inside, having a shower readily available, having
a separate area for the litter box away from the kitchen, and not stowed in the
indoor shower, and space for the cats sturdicage are items that will not be
negotiated. Having space for an office chair, an area that can be open for
exercise when outdoors isn’t always possible, and a pet friendly, easy to clean
area are needed, The low cost Huffy that has been since high school is
reliable, and comes for the long haul, and with a family members health
declining due to a diagnosis of COPD means the acquisition of 2 dogs, which means
plans had to change over the course of time. Realistically, the dogs do not
change the spectrum save for the fact that a back ramp that can be used as a
porch seems like a great idea, and a separate area where pet hair is not
welcome also had to happen. The space at the end that forms the garage area
will be used for kennels with wheels that can be pulled up the ramp to reduce
lifting, as the two dogs sleep in kennels when their owner isn’t home. One is
ten years old, and the other is three years old. Both get along with the cat,
and the three year old requires a significant amount of exercise, and weighs in
at 50 pounds. She has a great temperament, and loves to travel.
The trailer also allows for the dogs and cat to stay in a
climate controlled home where they can remain hooked up, and have a pet sitter
visit them during the day as needed. Working a regular day job is required, and
having a vehicle where the pets do not go to work is required. Preference does
not lend to boarding, and having a home that is separate from the daily driver
is preferable. In case of emergency, someone else can haul home as well, and
the cost of parks is cheaper than rent in some cases. Also, motor travel will
not change, so why not have both readily available? There is also an interest
in a small motorcycle as well, and a toy hauler allows for it. Attending dog
and cat shows, having company, parking in a park where age will not be an issue
because a standard toy hauler is like an old fiberglass egg, which means a
timeless classic that blends in, and is still lightweight should work out well.
For what is findable in rent, doesn’t involve yard work, and isn’t required to
be a permanent fixture, the trailer is perfect. Work requires travel in most
cases, and the pets have been the largest issue, trailers are nicer than most
apartments, and come with a/c at a reasonable cost. Add solar panels, a large
screen flat screen that mounts on the wall, and life is great. There is no time
frame for what is to come, but hopes are for within the next year to have a
car, toy hauler (there are many to choose from), and simply move what is hear
into it.
Considerations were also given to a pop top, but the
condensation could prove to be a problem, and a slide out the cat could get
stuck in doesn’t seem like a great idea. I can’t wait to get on the road again,
and do it better this time. Finally, the problems that have been long term are
finally ending. My current residence is selling in the next year or so, and so
the time to make the move is coming. The excitement, dedication, planning, and
money are coming into place much quicker than planned, and the pet situation
isn’t one now, as well as meeting park requirements as there is a love of
campgrounds with amenities. It is amazing what a person is willing to accept in
the span of 10 years of adventure, of which floors that can be swept and
mopped, exercise area, a/c, and a built
in shower are not optional. Then, off to explore kayaking, and more national
parks.
