Tag: nomad

Edwardian Camp Equipment

~ George Crawford ~ 2 Comments

From The Army and Navy Co-operative Society Store, London 1907

1907-11907-21907-31907-41907-61907-71907-51907-91907-101907-11Waiting for the plumbers gave me a few minutes to put up this post.  This is a lot more than a bunch of nifty images (but it is that as well).  There are some excellent items here that should give some inspiration for fabricating some classic and classy gear.  From an era before the activity of “camping” was fulling segregated from “regular living”.

Much more of this to come…

Casual Turtle Campers

~ George Crawford ~ 5 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIf you are looking for a topper or small camper with some class, check out Casual Turtle Campers.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFrom the website:

The idea for Casual Turtle Campers was conceived by Peter Pavlowich in the summer of 2010. On a road trip to Colorado, he noticed an abundance of truck campers but a profound lack of variety or style.  As a Wood Construction and Design graduate from the University of Idaho, he believed he could design and build a simple and attractive alternative to the big, heavy, white boxes that he seemed to see everywhere. Over the next few years, Peter slowly and methodically brought together ideas and drew up plans for what would eventually become the design for Casual Turtle Campers. 

He very happily lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife, Lindsey, and their dog/shop foreman, Moxie.  We love when people stop by – just get in touch!

http://casualturtlecampers.com/

Bike Storage

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

Saw this posted on Facebook:

coolBikeThe 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.

American Nomads

~ George Crawford ~ 3 Comments

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.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/5Ci7DEUks-E]

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.