For most of human history we have moved across the surface of the Earth as more-or-less self-contained units. Rarely alone and generally with all the stuff we owned.
Obviously, this was before the age of Consumption as a way of life.
I love to see the details; the wash basin, table and chair, the little mirror…
Car camping in the 1920s.
It’s really no surprise then that we took to car camping as a natural progression in travel, especially in the West where movement was a theme and great open spaces we’re available. With an auto, long distances can be easily covered, there is plenty of space for essential gear, and we bring the solidness and security that the auto provides with us anywhere we need to go. As for this photo, the beauty is in the details. I really enjoy the domestic scene here as the daily routine continues no matter where we are. The non-travellers I know seemed to lump life while camping or traveling as something very different than life at home. Maybe it’s different for me having been fairly transient for much of my early life and working on the road for many years. Living is done wherever you are.
I really love this illustration from one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain. An image of his mind while recounting his many adventures on the road and playing the self-critical and self-deprecating American. This is how my thoughts appear to me much of the time.
This is part of an ongoing theme to document travel and camping gear that has served me over the years. These will be mirrored on the Traveler’s Gear page as I get them up.
As a traveler, primitive technologist, peaceful survivalist, affected provincial, long-time Idler, and sometime field scientist I find the necessity for a shoulder bag to carry essentials. I have two size shoulder bags as well as various backpacks, brief cases, and messenger bags that have served me well over the years walking thousands of miles on survey and in my travels.
I made this bag a few years ago based on an 18th century gentleman’s shooting bag. If you are interested to see it’s construction, it is documented HERE. Carried by naturalists, sportsmen, and explorers, this small compartmentalized bag keeps the essentials handy. Sturdy 10-12 oz vegetable tanned leather from Hermann Oak means that this bag will serve many decades without fear of damage from wear.
This is most of the contents from the above bag; mostly things I don’t like to be without. Clockwise (more-or-less) from the upper left: Brunton pocket compass with signal mirror, Moleskine notebook, pencil, folding knife, whetstone with bag, belt knife, wooden spoon, 550 paracord, insulated mug, hand lens, sunglasses.
Since I was eleven, I have been infatuated with mountain man style wilderness survival. It was, by far, my favorite merit badge as a Boy Scout. The merit badge book taught about the old idea of a “possibles” bag carried by early explorers that we now think of as a survival kit. Although the above is far from a complete survival kit, this little bundle, with the addition of a water bottle, gets me through many long days of travel and field work. Additional items include: lighter, flashlight, bandanas, and some first-aid essentials. However, traversing the wilderness, or even through civilization, means more than having the right stuff handy, being dressed properly is probably even more important. After years of walking in the wilderness I have learned the same lessons that our forefathers did; the importance of being well shod and covered with a proper hat.
It was great to escape the heat, dust, and chaos that is my normal life these days. Oregon was everything I hoped for and more. The Pacific air brought back many good memories and made me yearn again to live near this amazing coast.
The weather was perfect, the water was cold, and the seafood abundant.
My blood is too thick for the southern plains and this trip was an excellent respite from the drying winds of the Llano Estacado.
We spent three days just walking on the beaches and retreating to the woods to camp with little concern for the outside world. The rest of the time we ventured around northwest Oregon and southwest Washington and just generally loafing about.
Debris from Japan was apparent on the shore and hinted at a tragic but interesting story.
It was great to travel with friends who know the region and could steer us in the right direction to get the most out of our short visit.
Twenty years ago I was certain that I would spend my life in the Pacific Northwest. Events transpired, or failed to, to allow this to happen and I have been drifting in the west for a long time now. Every time I see and smell the Pacific, I’m ready to settle down and grow some moss.
It is certainly a rugged beauty but in a bountiful land.
I will definitely be back. Hopefully without too much delay.
The ultimate picnic bike. I like the fact that it is a bar on wheels but you could also pack i full of less fun stuff like food, tools, spare parts, or other flat goodies. There could be some cross-wind issues but the location is low and centered in the frame. Good use of space.
I never really classed myself as a “nomad” when I was young and traveled a lot. It was more like I was just traveling to see things. I was fortunate. Though not wealthy, I was able to spend a lot of time in the American Midwest, camping and canoeing much of the Ozarks, bicycling southern California, and drifting around parts of Western Europe, even slipping into North Africa for some exciting adventures. By luck, my college career sent me back to Europe and my early career as an archaeologist lead me around the western United States into some pretty amazing little corners of wilderness I would never have seen otherwise.
With the far-sighted perspective of time, I can see than I have been on the move much of the time since I left high school. Being tethered to other, more sedentary people, gives a sense of having a base that may really be a false reality. Having let go of things has opened my eyes to the freedom that having few possessions can provide. It’s a big world out there, and it’s always an education to experience it.
Here’s another interesting documentary about modern American Nomads produced by BBC4 in 2011 based on the book by Richard Grant. They come from all walks of life and choose some very different paths; “Among them are retirees in RVs, teens hopping trains, hitchhikers and rodeo cowboys.” Check out his other books if you get a chance, they are certainly interesting reads.
About the author:
Richard Grant is a British writer currently living in the Mississippi Delta. He is the author of three books, Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa (Free Press, 2011), God’s Middle Finger (Free Press, 2008),published in the UK as Bandit Roads, and American Nomads (Grove Press, 2003), published in the UK as Ghost Riders. In addition, he writes articles for magazines and newspapers, publishing regularly in the Telegraph magazine (UK), and Port. He is the writer, presenter and narrator of the television documentary American Nomads, broadcast on BBC4 in November 2011, and currently working on a documentary about tribal life in Ethiopia.
