LIVING OFF GRID is saving us THOUSANDS: Here's How
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 12 окт 2024
- Living off grid has always seemed a bit daunting to us - that is, until now! We’ve spent the past four months learning how to live and work completely off grid, and we think we have mastered the set up needed to make our off grid living comfortable and stress free. This set up works EVERYWHERE and has totally saved us on multiple occasions. We’ve used it to stay connected while posting up on BLM land, camping at dispersed campsites, and it’s even saved us a few times while staying in actual rentals in the middle of nowhere with terrible WiFi. Not to mention, this off grid life is saving us thousands of dollars a month. And you know where that is going - straight into our investments so we can continue to work towards financial independence and early retirement.
Power your outdoor adventures with the Jackery 1000 v2! Perfect for camping, road trips, and RV life, ensuring you stay powered up wherever you go. Discover more and get yours at Jackery on Official Store and Amazon Store (below).
To get our Jackery power station and solar charging set up, below is our affiliate link (which will provide us a small commission that will go directly towards supporting the channel):
US Store:
www.jackery.com?aff=2231&
Amazon: amzn.to/4exBMYb
Promo Code: VYXPOKFL
#jackery #jackery1000 #solargenerator #whatcanjackerypower #jackery2000
Thanks for the shout out! That was awesome and totally unexpected. For that, if you head Florida way, we have comfy place you can sleep. And yes we survived Milton, but we have some repairs to do. You are awesome, thanks for sharing and we've become bigger fans of Starlink, especially after our trip to Redoubt Mountain Lodge in Lake Clark this summer...it was amazing. Stay safe, can't wait for the next adventure.
Bruce so glad you received the shout out -- and even more glad you survived the hurricane ok! Wow the weather had gotten crazy lately. Hope the repairs won't be too expensive. And thank you, we would love to stay with you guys whenever we do our cross-country trip -- maybe next fall! ❤️
This was a really fun and interesting behind the scenes video. I'd be interested in seeing more of these types of videos sprinkled in from to time!
That is great to hear, and we will definitely do it! We love sharing the different aspects of this new life with you guys! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I know nothing about off the grid living so this is all fascinating info for me :)
Happy to hear it's going well! So much money saved, nice!
Thanks Thaddee! Ya so far it's going even better than we'd hoped, and we're feeling really, really grateful! ❤️
Very cool! We used to do a lot of off grid stuff. I have two recommendations. Get a portable jump starter and a small battery block. Put them in the glove compartment, check on them sometimes to make sure they remain charged, but otherwise forget about them. Equipment fails - your jackery plug, a microchip, connections, anything - and having a way to jump your car or juice your phones while you reach civilization is a must.
These are great suggestions! And it reminded me of something we should have added in the video -- the Jackery solar panel has its own direct plug-in too for phones, etc, so even if we accidentally dropped the Jackery off a cliff or something we could still at least charge stuff direct off the solar. ❤️
This is great stuff!! So many people would not want to do all the planning and logistics to do what you've done, so bravo for that! And what a great use of technology with the jackery and starlink! CO is definitely out of control with hotel/airbnb prices so anything you can do to make things reasonable is awesome! There are so many ways to live differently which gives you freedom and it's great that you are showing this to all your subs! Keep up the great adventure!
Thanks Dan! Yes it really is amazing how easy it is now to be nomadic with the Jackery-Starlink combo. I have literally had a client call me for an emergency session while we were driving in the middle of nowhere, pulled over and had a Skype session going with them in less than 5 minutes. CA and CO have both gotten really pricey for accommodations, but they're our two favorite places to adventure so we had no choice but to get creative, and that's honestly made it even more fun! --A
Love you guys so much, I find it interesting that I don't get the notifications of new videos ❤
Oh my gosh thank you, and that is so frustrating that they're not notifying you! Well the good news is that we post every single Thursday at noon PST, so even if they don't notify you just click over to the channel on Thursday and you can count on a new video being up! ❤️
I've been doing van life for almost 2 years now. I love it!
Amazing!!! That is really inspirational for us to hear, because we've sort of been wondering if the joy of nomadism is going to wear off but so far it definitely hasn't! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard It's not easy, but it's been an adventure. I love traveling and vlogging my adventures. Any ?'s about nomad life, I'd be happy to answer.
Love you guys!
Y’all are an inspiration! Love your living out your dreams.
Fantastic video!!! That pre-nomad rent was wild!!!
Haha yes, and that was a rent-controlled apartment if you can believe it! If we'd paid full market value for that in Santa Monica it would have been more like 5k a month. Give me housesitting and off-grid living any day! ❤️
Respect! Good for you gorgeous duo !
Thanks Jules -- life is so good right now!! ❤️
Thanks Adam and Elise...I admire what it takes to abandon the city life and going off grid.
Many people seem to be doing that lifestyle.
Wish you well in all your endeavors and stay safe out there.
Thank you so much! It really feels like a great adventure, and we're so grateful to have you guys supporting and advising us in it! ❤️
Thanks so much for posting! So valuable. I am not far behind you with this lifestyle minus the climbing! 😊
Thanks for sharing! I didn't know you two went off grid completely, that's awesome. Adam, Elise is right, Love is Blind is a great show! 😀 Are you two considering upgrading to a van for more room?
Nick I am so glad you are with me on Love is Blind, and that's a great question! We seriously considered getting a Sprinter type of setup from the start, but when we worked out the numbers (including gas with all the miles we drive) we thought it would actually be better to get the Subaru and do mostly Airbnbs and housesitting. But then we started having so much fun and adventure every time we stay off grid that now we're once again seriously considering doing a bigger off-road capable van rig! Of course you guys will be the first to know if and when we make the change!! ❤️ --E
This video was so interesting! Glad to see you guys are enjoying your nomad lives. As a travel nurse, I’m not quite in a situation where I’m interested in living off-grid full time, but for months at a time, this video gave me plenty of ideas.
Quick questions if you get a chance to reply: how do you typically manage showering/bathing?
Does starlink still work well when it’s overcast? (I know it’s supposed to, but wondered about your experience)
Also curious about bathing!
These are great questions, Colby. For bathing, as you know we really prefer lakes and waterfalls so whenever possible we camp near a natural body of water. We have actually come to prefer that to a regular shower! But when there is no natural water, we usually just go without showering (drinking water in the car is too precious to use for bathing) and then shower at the gym whenever we come into town to work out, which is pretty often. So far the Starlink has been perfect even when it's overcast. Will definitely update you though if we have any problems with it once we get into rainy season, etc! ❤️
This is an interesting video. Thanks for sharing. I liked your solar and power solutions. My wife and I lived off grid for a summer when we first got married and it taught us a lot. One thing that I was curious about was your water setup. When I am gone for a week, I take our old Ford E350 with two 7 gallon water jugs and cots inside. In the summer, a daily shower is no problem because it is hot enough to heat the water. In colder months, a Coleman two burner grill works great as a water heater. Interested to see more of how you are roughing it!
Thanks Jared! We will definitely do further videos on these issues, and the water question is a good one. We use natural bodies of water to bathe or just skip it for a couple days if natural water isn't available. We haven't yet stayed anywhere for more than a weekend that doesn't have natural water to bathe in, but if we do we'll def need to follow your plan and bring extra bathing water because 3 days would be too long! ❤️
Way to go guys! ❤
Thanks Arianne -- we're loving it so far!! ❤️
Fantastic vlog Adam & Elise.
Very interesting how you guys are operating logistically.
Costs involved in maintaining a house these days, especially the ever growing single market !
Seeing more & more embracing the "van life"
Saw on the news, some poor guy in Tampa saw a Tornado rip away his house roof, leaving the inside open to the elements, even before Milton racked up !
Good for you two if caught up in a biblical storm's path, just load up & get out of "Dodge"
Love you guys ☀️ 🦅
Stay safe 🤍 😺😸 ❤
John we've been thinking exactly the same thing! We get the heck out of Dodge even when some rainy weather rolls in because we don't want to waste a single weekend without at least one awesome adventure! And of course if there was a major disaster that took down all the electricity like what just happened in North Carolina, it wouldn't affect us at all. We are totally independent of the electrical grid and also the water supply with all our excellent filters. If there is a big disaster in one of the states we're in or close to, we've already talked about taking our Jackery-Starlink setup there in order to help everyone who's cut off communicate with their loved ones! ❤️
Smart decision, best luck on your new life style!
Thanks Miguel! So happy with how it's going so far, and we will def keep you guys updated! ❤️
Have u guys ever considered buying a small rv with a shower and toilet to avoid paying for lodging? The smallest one from cruise American is very nice and it can house 3 people. Would be perfect for you two
Yes we thought about it very seriously before we started out on the nomad journey! But when we figured out how many miles we'd be driving, and worked out the gas cost and price differential in the vehicles, it seemed like getting lodging occasionally was actually the cheaper option! However, now that we're enjoying off grid living so much it's probably just a matter of time until we upgrade to a bigger and more comfortable and bathroom-equipped rig! ❤️
Dolphin with extended cab but they can't offroad like Subaru.
u both are smart,, always welcome at my hous if your out this way ,,, i know 2 ppl doing this...stay safe
Thank you so much, and that is great to know! I think at some point next year we're going to actually try to make an itinerary for a couple of months where we stay with as many of you guys as we can and make a fun video about it -- and of course we'll do a post about that well ahead of time to let you know the time frame! ❤️
I love the Subaru setup. It's nice and simple, and you still get good mileage. If you want to keep doing this long-term, you might want to look into a truck camper like Bound for Nowhere. Personally, I think their truck setup is fantastic and would fit your style of adventure more than a sprinter van.
That is great advice, and we are right there with you. The Subaru is an amazing car for putting in a ton of road miles and also great for a few nights at a time off grid, but then it's also super nice to come have a bathroom and comfy bed when we're housesitting, etc. If we really decide to go full time off grid we will definitely want a bigger and more comfortable rig. ❤️
Love this, y’all make me smile!
Thanks John! We love sharing these adventures with you guys!! ❤️
thanks for sharing, a good move and always a good experience to even just try it out for a while as well.
Thank you, yes that's exactly what we're thinking too! So far we've done motel, airbnb, housesitting, and off-grid, and we've actually been enjoying and doing the housesittting and off-grid the most, which is great because they're obviously by far the least expensive. ❤️
Thanks for the update! Glad to hear things are going so well. I’m certainly jealous! 😊.
Surprised off line maps are an issue. Do you use Gaia? I’ve found their offline maps are perfect for all those times without cellular. Another subscription to carry though…
Can’t wait to see where winter takes you- I’m guessing you’ll go deeper not south ❤
very helpful car camping info! Might be doing this occasionally in coming years, though we am carrying 3 houses in my early retirement. Makes me think I should have considered the Outback instead my new Crosstrek.
So glad to hear you are thinking about this! It is definitely the most fun we've ever had with any living situation, bar none. The feeling of absolute freedom is truly intoxicating. The Outback is a great ride, but Crosstreks are pretty awesome too -- just not quite as much room for sleeping, but you could probably make it work! ❤️
Loved this!! Looks great but I can imagine it's hard work to keep everything safe and organised.
Oh my gosh you are right about that. We try to stay organized, but it's so easy to just throw things down when you're tired or busy and that car becomes SO messy in a hurry if we don't stay on top of it every minute! ❤️
Congrats on getting out of CA and the crazy expensive rent there. Sounds like you all are having a blast doing the nomad thing. What's the plan for winter?
Thanks very much! Winter is gonna be a blast. We're looking at Costa Rica, Tahoe, and Hawaii already for sure, and then playing the rest by ear. But you can see the overall plan is to have some of it in warm beautiful climates with great hiking, and some of it in snowy places with great skiing and snowshoeing. ❤️
You guys never cease to amaze me! I love this! Do you have a gym membership for showering and working out? What is your bathroom system? And lastly do you just keep bear spray in the tent just in case of big animals? Stay safe enjoying each day to the max, and I'm excited for you in your future retirement! ❤🎊
Lorina these are great questions!! Yes we have a 24-hour Fitness membership with buddy pass, and we go there all the time for workouts, showers, etc. It is amazing, by the way, how nice the 24-hour fitnesses in Colorado are! And yes we do have bear spray for when we go up north into grizzly territory. We're not too worried about black bears, because we've encountered plenty of them over the years and they're pretty harmless, but grizzlies are a whole other story. The bathroom system really depends on where we're staying. A lot of times there is a trailhead bathroom close by which is great, but sometimes it's either a WAG bag or dig down 6-12 inches. That aspect would definitely be the allure of a bigger rig with a black-water tank! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Get a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket lined with a kitchen trash bag (or wag bag), throw a few inches of kitty litter in the bottom and you can buy a sealable bucket top with a toilet cutout on it. You can also get a pop-up privacy stall that folds down to a flat circle like a windshield cover. Tips from pandemic travelling when we couldn't go inside anywhere.
I had the same setup for a month long March madness powder highway ski trip. It’s really great for that. But honestly now I have a van. I slept like a baby for the most part in most places where there wasn’t plowing.
That is great to hear about the van -- congratulations! Did you by any chance get the flat mobile Starlink for it that attaches to the roof? We're curious how that compares to the dish setup we have. ❤️
Didn't know you guys hit Burning Man. Sucks about the mud, but I'm sure you made your own adventure!
Haha we definitely did, Quinn! We became psycho-nauts for a day or two, and had a very memorable time dancing barefoot in the mud! ❤️
Fun video guys! I can see some great advantages to living off the grid plus I think it suits your adventurous lifestyle 🎉
Yes! We've been feeling the same way. We actually budgeted plenty of cash to stay in hotels or airbnbs if we want to, but we're actually loving staying off-grid because, like you say, it just fits really well with the adventures we do and we can basically just get out of the car or tent and be right there at the trailhead! ❤️
Two words...Sprinter Van. Godspeed. Good luck on your adventures.
Yes Robert! That was under serious consideration when we were starting out, and now that we're starting to figure out all the things we like and don't like it is under even more serious consideration! ❤️
Friends. That have houses.
I’m totally doing this.
Yes!!! That is what we like to hear! If we all keep encouraging and inspiring one another on these adventures, we're going to have the best and most exciting lives ever! ❤️
Thanks for the nostalgia! The good ol days before your maps automatically downloaded tiles and you had to spend hours saving and importing kml files lol
Haha yes! I remember taking trips in a Volkswagen van with pop up top back in the day -- awesome!! ❤️
You guys rock. Counting down my early “retirement”. Great insights.
Brian that is so fantastic. How long do you have left now? ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I keep pushing it back wanting to make sure I don’t run out of money due to inflation. That is a real thing these days. New date is Nov ‘25. Fingers crossed.
@@brianmahern6699 I totally relate to that. I'm still accepting work from old clients (at an increased rate of course!) mostly out of loyalty because they're great people, but having an extra cushion/hedge against potential inflation is definitely part of it too. --A
You guys have such an amazing Setup! If I had one recommendation for you, it would be potentially upgrading your Yeti cooler to a 12v dc electric cooler like the Iceco go20 cooler. It can save you guys from having to do ice runs and expand your options for food like ice cream. It can run right off of your Jackery Explorer 1000v2 power station and run for days. I just got one and I highly recommend it! :)
For the future you guys can also upgrade and get a Portable Hot Shower system like the Hottap system from Joolca. It uses propane to heat up the water and for the water pump you power it with the Jackery.
This is great advice! It will be emotionally hard to ditch the Yeti because it's been with us for so long, but a cooler plugged into the Jackery would be way more convenient. We are going to look into this. ❤️
This is so awesome!!
Thanks Patrick! So happy to share this part of the adventures with you guys! ❤️
So strange to think of you answering comments completely out in the wild like that. Love to know where you are when you reply to this! 🙂
Yes Billy it's so much fun! You wouldn't believe some of the crazy and beautiful places where we post up and work, or edit videos, or answer comments from you guys. Maybe we'll do a short vid in the future just showing us working in a bunch of different off grid spots! ❤️
nice. i usually put some sort of small umbrella over my power station.
You could also get a piece of packing cardboard put it on top and then weigh it down with the rock or something
Super interesting video! Thanks for the tips :) Y'all are hardcore; I never see you sitting in chairs (except for giant ones in Bishop.) :)
Haha we've actually just been talking about whether we should get a couple of those little fold-up camp chairs, Matt! Adam actually likes to lie down while he works, but I wouldn't mind an outdoor chair to sit in while editing videos and things like that. ❤️ --E
Awesome and adventurous lifestyle. Have you guys ever considered doing this in Asia (much better bang for your bucks), like Thailand or something, for a year or so? It would be cool to see you guys doing crazy hikes and living in different parts of the world.
Yes Kenny! In fact, we're going to start experimenting with that idea in December by going to Costa Rica for a month. You can probably guess why -- because it's not only inexpensive, but it also has some of the world's most beautiful waterfall hikes! ❤️
Thank you again for sharing all this stuff - this is very interesting and as always, gets us to know you and your lifes better 🙏
But I guess, that you are posting the video on this channel means, the early-retirement-channel is no more, right?
Andre that is a great question! We decided for now just to fold the early retirement channel ideas into this channel and also into some of the member videos. Eventually, when we don't have to do paying work anymore, we definitely still want to do both channels, but for now with how busy we are it's easier just to keep everything on the LH2 channel. ❤️
Hi Guys! Wow- I missed a few months and you go nomad on me! Kudos!! We have a very similar set up! The Outback is a great vehicle for car camping. I was wondering about Starlink- good to know. I went with an EBL power station- similar to Jackery and have your same cooler! Lol. What mattress did you go with? I’m happy with my Exped MegaMat single (since it’s just me) and I use the space behind the driver side for plastic storage bins which sit flush with the mattress ( behind passenger side). I went with two side by side Thule XT Sport (smaller) roof top boxes which pack a ton and have room to attach a side awning. I will say that purchasing inexpensive window nets, usb portable fans, and a set of WeatherTech shades helps tremendously. Walmart sells a black folding table that slides
form fitting under the single mattress from hatch to crack line of back seat… this levels out when placing back seats down. Don’t forget to reverse the back headrests to prop mattress! Lol. Tricks of the trade, So proud of you two! How often do you sprinkle in a hotel / airbnb stay per month? I’m still in Charleston SC, fully retired but still have my pet and housesitting service. Thinking of selling my condo for good and doing the car camping full time. I’d love to know your thoughts on pros and cons. Hope to see you on the trails one day! Brian
SUPER !!! 🙂
Lincoln lawyer--good choice! I suspect a lot of things change w/the onset of cold weather, rain, etc--do you continue to camp or do more hotels? Stay safe and love to you both.
You're right about that, Bob! Winter is going to be less car camping and more monthly airbnbs for sure, but that will be a fun change of pace! ❤️
You should do a video on your investments. I’d be interested in that.
We will absolutely include this on our end-of year status video!
Will Comment later or tomorrow Elise.. I am sick now with flu, fever and headache.. Will get to bed early to relax... Have a great evening... 😭
Oh no Serge, I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope you're taking care of yourself and drinking lots of fluids, and that you wake up feeling better tomorrow! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard thank you Elise I appreciate so much.. I took a sick day today from work as I have many left so I will rest for 4 days as Monday is Thanksgiving for us in Canada.. And on the 20 going to Cayo Coco Cuba for a week in an all inclusive resort.. I have enjoyed your video this early morning and it's awesome to see how organized both of you are and the difference of costs is crazy.. Hope you can keep it up for long... Have a great day and weekend Elise... 🤗😘✌️
Serious car question? Have you guys ever heard of a key fob draining a car battery in under 3 hours?
I sat nearby (about 10 feet) to my car at a campsite with my key fob, and less than 3 hours later the car battery is dead, new car.
Also, awesome video, appreciate you guys so much!
And you're so adorable together!
I’m curious about this too since I just bought a Subaru & want to start car camping & have heard the thing with the key fob.
Anytime you are within 10 feet or closer with your car your key fob and battery are communicating and draining your batteries. Most common with Subaru. Subaru says six and a half feet but I think at.10 feet it is still true.
Wow honestly we had not heard that but thank you for telling us! Fortunately we haven't had that happen yet -- maybe because we got the basic version with an actual key that you turn in the ignition rather than the fancier version with a push-button start. Do you have the push-button kind by any chance? ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHardyes I have the push button
Thanks for the Jakery info. I'm looking for one when the house power is out. Will it run a refrigerator?
I so totally could not do what you're doing. We have a Victorian in Alameda (come visit) and I really like growing tomatoes in our backyard. Not to mention the dog really likes her pricy digs. She'll travel with us to hotels and family houses, but while we like camping she tends to hear and bark at ghosts so she is not a great candidate for the great outdoors.
Ellen the Jackery would be perfect for when the power goes out, and yes it will run the refrigerator -- though not constantly all day. A big fridge will pull about 500 watts or so, which would drain the battery in about three hours if you have the solar running. However, by not opening the door too much and turning it on for an hour or two every four hours you could keep stuff cold almost indefinitely, and of course keep all your other electronics charged as well. ❤️
Those hotel rooms are more than my mortgage. Absolute insanity. Problem is, there are people out there willing to pay that much. That's why it's so high.
You're saying the absolute truth. In fact, we heard that a lot of the hotels were completely sold out at those prices! We didn't spend a dime on accommodations, but full disclosure we did pig out twice on ribs at the Hickory House restaurant so we didn't escape Aspen totally unscathed 😂. But wow were those ribs good! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Ribs are hard to turn down. You're forgiven. 😋
Mmm Aspen, a place where the beer flows like wine and the beautiful hotels cost more than all the salmon of the Capistrano.
it’s my happy place
Hahaha yes! But luckily the dispersed camping options in the area are incredible, and for people who prefer a regular campsite with bathrooms and showers there are also fantastic options for about $25 a night that aren't usually fully booked up during shoulder season! ❤️
If you ever need a place to crash for the night and need to do laundry/shower in Colorado Spings hit us up. My wife (33) and I (35) live in a 5 bedroom 4 bath house. We're close to the Sangre De Cristo's if you ever want to do the Crestone Traverse. We both used to live in SoCal and have hiked all over the West.
Dan thank you, that is awesome!! We would love to come over and do the Crestone Traverse, and it would be a blast to stay with you guys too (maybe the day after rather than the day before the traverse, so we wouldn't wake you up at 4am when we were setting out!). ❤️
To charge the Jackery fast while driving, connect a Renogy 12 Volt DC to DC charger between the car battery and the Jackery. Much faster than the cigarette lighter plug.
That's great advice, thank you! We definitely noticed that the cigarette lighter plug is pretty slow. The solar, though, is super fast when the sun's out! ❤️
That's some crazy rent! What do you think you will do when it starts snowing, heavily? Move to a drier climate? More power to you guys!
That is a great question, Harlan! We're thinking half and half. We'll do Costa Rica and Hawaii for a month each when it's really cold, but we'll also embrace the snow and do a month in Tahoe for some snowshoeing and maybe even some ski mountaineering adventures! ❤️
Cool new lifestyle. Have you guys considered building a tiny home on wheels or even converting a small camper/trailer that your car can tow a with a full bathroom, kitchen and storage area?
Yes! We thought about several options, including towing a trailer with a bathroom, but decided we wanted to keep cost and commitment low while we experimented. Now that we're enjoying being off grid so much, we will at some point probably do an upgrade either to a towed trailer or just a bigger rig with a black water tank. ❤️
maybe get a car gps that runs off satellites . cheap and no cell towers needed. I bring mine when renting cars .
love what you guys are doing !
Yes those things are great! We actually had one before we got the Starlink, but now we don't need it because we can just set the Starlink up anywhere and download the routes we need. But you are right that they are essential when renting cars if you're gonna be outside of cell service!! ❤️
I would love to do this, but I can't do my job remotely, and my wife likes living in a house. Love seeing others do it, though! Btw, what kind of work does Adam do remotely?
Ya Shane we hear versions of that a lot, which makes us realize how lucky we both are to have fully remote work and to be partners with someone who has the same wanderlust! Adam is a writer, and he's trying to retire but all his clients keep begging him to do "one more job" and also offering him more money, so he's still pretty darn busy! ❤️
Adam & Elise..I have been thinking about doing this myself. What do you use for a living address on documents such as drivers licenses, vehicle insurance and registration, etc.?
Great question, Alan! We're currently using my parents' house in Northern California for all that stuff, and they've been kind enough just to hold our mail for us in a box. ❤️ --E
Maybe consider???? A strong box (lockable, and with sturdy handles to draw a chain thru it and lock it to the bottom of a seat). Several years ago; several vehicles (including my friends) at the "horseshoe" pull off parking spot at the Salmon Falls trailhead (south of Big Sur on PC) was broken into. Unfortunately, I had an $800 flash unit stolen. To make matters worse; my friend didn't file a claim; so I was out a flash unit. And (sort of funny); to make it really bad, we got to Big Sur St Park...my friend decided not to gas up, and to do it in the morning before heading up to Carmel to find a place to fix his smashed drivers window. Well, the evening went well...had a camp dinner and a couple beers b4 getting into our tents under the redwoods. At 1 in the morning, my tent zipper comes down, and a flashlight in my face, and my friend saying "We gotta bug out of here Troy". Long story short, after 45 min of trying to convince him everything was fine (he was having some type of psychotic attack); we packed his vehicle up (a Scion SUV) and pulled out of Big Sur heading north. Well, his scion had about 1/8th of a tank of gas, and the station (west side of PCH from park entrance) at 230am was closed and didn't have an auto pay at the pump. So, we are driving up PCH to Carmel; middle of July...LA the day prior was in an extreme heat wave. As you know, PCH gets cold at night; and the temp was below 40. We both had brought jackets and knit hats. The moon was full, and the fog was intermittent along the cliffs...so taht was neat...other than we were pretty cold (smashed out window... heat on max didn't help). Thankfully, we got to Carmel without running out of gas, and the 1st station was closed; but was still able to pay and pump. Still very cold, as we made our way over to the central valley, down the 101...as the sun rose, still cold...made or way over to the 5...by time we got to Pasadena, it was no longer cold; it was well in the 90's and I was so pissed that I had taken a week from work, to be ruined by his extreme claustrophobia, that I refused to stop ( get jackets off and get into shorts...we are both big guys, and changing on the drive is not possible in his little SUV). Oh...I had the driving duty, because he was still a freaked out. Anyhow, finally got changed out...but now it's back to really hot. We did hit a huge summer rainstorm coming back across to (to Phoenix), that helped cool things down some. That night, went to my brother in laws house...he said "I thought you and Jack were out camping for 5 days"...before I said anything, he said,, (Oh no, don't tell me...he started freaking out in his tent". Turns out he did the same thing on a deep sea trip out of San Diego... but on that trip; he had to deal with it for a few days. Anyhow...a strong box....I keep valuables in it and chain it to tie down points in the 4Runner.
You guys should think about getting a Renogy or Victron DC to DC charger to supplement your solar power. These devices will charge your Jackery at over 200 watts/hr. as you drive. Drive for 2 hours and you get 400 watts plus. And the best part - it works even if it's raining or night time since it works off your car alternator.
Nice guys! Is awesome u can do this! Question was showering/bathing?? Where do u do that? Lakes, rivers, streams, hotels, AirBnB's? Keep up the great work
Yes you have it exactly! We prefer lakes and waterfalls and can usually find a way to be pretty close to them, but we also often will do nights in a hotel or airbnb which lets us really get showered and also do laundry, etc. Also, whenever we want a shower we often will do it at whatever gym we stop to work out at in whatever town we're driving through! ❤️
Who needs or wants to stealth camp? There are plenty of great places to camp where you don't have to worry about stealth camping. I have been doing what you do, living out of a no build Subaru for a long time without ever stealth camping. I will eventually go with a truck camper, though. A good step up from the fantastic Subaru. 😊
That is well said, Mickey! And the more we get into off-grid living the more we find people who recommend really great and lesser known dispersed camping spots to us! I think we're eventually going to follow your footsteps with a bigger truck or Sprinter camper set up. The Subaru is so much fun for now, but eventually it will be nice to have a bit more space. ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard
When I think about it, 2 people in a Subaru might be a little more difficult than just one person. I have found it to make things go much better to go where the weather is nice. You'll be in the lap of luxury if you get a van after living in a Subaru. Enjoy your videos. Keep up the great content.
In your cost savings, what about car insurance, gasoline, that sort of thing? Thanks - you two are killin’ it. Also, what Subaru model is that?
OMG, love is blind? Noooo, my wife has that affliction as well, terrible! I roll with a jackery too, star link at home and I just download my Netflix,lol. Even when deep wilderness camping. It is a life saver for the long nights coming. I feel like it’s perfect for me in my big ol’ Tundra. You guys may need a truck to save your marriage, lol! But seriously, lol. I feel even that is a bit tight for me and the wife. . .
Hahaha Karl I'm so glad someone else besides me has to deal with Love is Blind! I cannot understand how anyone can watch these reality shows. That is awesome you've got the Jackery and Starlink too -- and ya if we keep staying off grid as much as we are right now, we're definitely going to need a bigger rig! --A
Great video! How do you shower?
Also, E stop blocking the sun 😃!!
Well you've been watching us long enough to know that as long as we're close to a natural body of water, which is usually the case with our camping spots, we don't need a shower. But sometimes we're not near natural water and have to go a couple days without a shower -- no big deal unless it's really hot and sweaty out. Once it gets past two days, though, we pretty much always at least drive into town for at least a gym workout and an actual shower! ❤️
I don't know if this is something you want to talk about, but I'd love to see a video on how much you can write off all of these costs as business expenses given your youtube channel.
That is a great idea, and we will for sure do a finances video for you guys at the end of the year. The short version is that while we don't make too much on the RUclips, at least we can write off nearly all of it because we have the videos to show that our travel to all of these places is a legitimate business expense. ❤️
I'll be "that guy". What is you end goal, if any?
I'll tell you from my experience, that from age 70, everything went downhill really fast. I'm just trying to maintain at this point.
Good luck on your new adventures!
That's a great question, and truthfully we're not sure yet. If we keep loving nomad life as much as we do now then we'll probably transition to larger and more comfortable travel setups as we get older, and also do lots of cruises and things like that. But if we get tired of traveling (or just physically can't do it as much), then we'll most likely get a pretty little place in the Eastern Sierra -- Bishop, Mammoth, or Tahoe -- and use that as a home base while hopefully still traveling occasionally. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard if the later is a possibility, there's this thing called inflation. My first of three houses was a whopping $25K! Today, that house probably sells for over a million just due to the location and it's a really tiny place.
Mammoth property is already outrageous. We looked for a summer place. Bishop has some really nice locations.
@@2-old-Forthischet You are right about that! Our hope is that our stock market investments will go up with inflation roughly as much as housing, though the massive housing inflation since 2020 definitely shows that that might not be the case.
@@LiveHardxLoveHard on the plus side, Warren Buffet invests in stocks and not in real estate. I "played" the stock market when I was a lot younger and it is like legalized gambling. It is addicting. I have never regretted it.
Really cool, but how is your quality of work on those conditions and have you considered a tiny cargo trailer?
That's a great question! We actually think the quality of work goes up because there are virtually no other distractions. I always used to hear about my favorite writers going off into some cabin in the woods to write their novels or whatever, and now I'm actually starting to understand why. ❤️
I remember you had bicycles and Adam had a Cannondale.You sold them ? Elise is such a Suzy homemaker out there.
Good memory, Rob! We actually stored them in a cheap storage locker near the Sierra along with some of our winter stuff like snowshoes, so we can still grab them if we want to do a biking adventure -- which we probably will! ❤️
You guys climb enough to justify reverting back to Bum climbers, which is ancient tradition among all climbers. Of course, you’re doing it 21st Century RUclipsr style. All the.famousclimbers from Jon Krakauer and,Alex Honnold to Fred Becky are/were proud of their bumness. (Tip : find bars with happy hour buffets for a cheap supper) As we move into winter, the car will probably be better than the tent for sleeping. I’m jealous of your Jackery setup. All the hippest RUclipsrs run Jackery’s (Slim Potatohead, Wonderhussy, etc) When I’m close to pulling the trigger I’ll probably browse Bluetti , etc just to just compare price points. Finally, for Netflix, may I suggest a couple stories in the excellent “Love, Death and Robots” series - ‘Lucky 13’ ‘Aquila Rift’ ‘ ‘Mason’s Rats’ ‘Life Hutch’ -a cgi rendering of the short story by the late Harlan Ellison.
Charles you are definitely on the money with the Bum climbers -- we've watched all of those "dirtbag" documentaries about that era and love everything about it! And we're hopefully gonna build an igloo this winter, which if it comes together of course we'll show you a video of. Meanwhile, will for sure check out the series it sounds amazing!! ❤️
That is amazing what those hotels go for, incredible, looks like you guys are having a blast, and saving money at the same time, I am curious, what is your plan when you get older and leading a nomad life just does not work ? I realize it's not my business, you don't have to answer, thanks for sharing Larry Owens
That's a great question, Larry! So it kind of depends on whether we keep loving nomad life as much as we do right now. Our thought is that if we still really love it as we get older we'll probably evolve gradually into more comfortable camper-type vehicles, month-long cruises, nice cushy airbnbs and things like that. But of course at some point we'll probably also just find a nice modest house, most likely somewhere in the Bishop/Mammoth or Tahoe area to use as a home base. One nice thing is that if we keep living as inexpensively as we are now, we will hopefully have a good amount saved up for a house when that time comes! ❤️
Way thumbs up on this video. Maybe one of the best yet (and I did watch the first one when you were just building the bed in the car). I lived a year and a half outta my car after my roommate got us evicted and it wore me down...but it was all city living in the car. This actually looks really fun. And to be able to travel wherever you want on any given day is really sweet. I didn't know anything about this Jackery thing and thought Starlink was just some satellites that Elon Musk shot into orbit over Ukraine. So, I am going to check out the Jackery with solar and a Starlink connection if I can link it on your page. I'm not a prepper or off-gridder but I think everyone should be prepared right now for any kind of emergencies that could drive them off-grid. I'm still working on a good "bug out bag" but this brings up a whole lot more questions. The only thing I might be worried about is if we were hit with an EMP or a extremely strong CMI, the electromagnetics could knock out whatever power sources you have ...mainly your car. There are companies that build devices that can block this out so your car will still drive though. Maybe worth investigating....although some people say these devices are hoooeey. And I got a gut laugh when one second, Adam is eating a big ass burrito and then in the Yeti he has boxes of grape nuts. LMFAO
Haha Jim that is so great you've been following this journey ever since that early build video -- thank you! Yes we are absolutely on the same page with you about being prepared for emergencies. In California it's earthquakes of course, but as we're seeing there are lots of other reasons like hurricanes to have an off-grid setup. Literally the power could go out in California for a whole month and it wouldn't affect our connectivity at all -- we are truly and completely off grid, and loving it! ❤️
wow, it takes courage to do this, wish you the best.
if I was doing it, I would get a Ford Transit 2023 Cargo Van, and turn it into an apartment giving you privacy.
The car has lots of flat roof, so I would put solar panels there, and upgrade Jackery to 2000
Also I would move my residency to New Hampshire NO Sales Tax and NO Income Tax, more money in your pocket
We have looked at the Transits, and agree that it is a very good option! The plan is to take a full year trying different things to see what modes we like best, but we've been enjoying off-grid so much so far that it's looking like some kind of van or truck camper build might ultimately be the right choice. ❤️
Hi You Two (hug HUGE)
Smart & very inventive living off grid.
My Son & I lived in a 24 foot RV for 10 years. It helped us save enough money to buy our Home we are in now. And? And, we would be honored if you Two ever 'babysat' our Home.
Yes, we have all the modern conveniences (wink).
GOD BLESSES ALL.
Oh my gosh that is so cool that you guys lived in an RV and saved for your house -- that is really the best of both worlds! And thank you, we might very well take you up on the housesitting offer -- it has been such a great addition for us to be able to enjoy beds and a roof and a kitchen without hotel or airbnb prices! ❤️
So, in few more months y'all can upgrade to 4Runner with that savings and go farther out 👌🏻
Or maybe even a bigger off-road van setup! This first year is really about feeling out what we love doing the most and where we love doing it, but we are loving off-grid so much that it seems like a bigger setup is inevitable. ❤️
It looks like you two could use more headroom. I wonder if a minivan is an option?
i hope you find under roof accomodation that suits you. subaru will be to small long term..motorhome maybe? it is possible to get AWD one
Yes if we decide to do permanent off grid the Subaru will definitely be too small. Right now it's great because we're alternating between different situations, but for full-time off grid we would probably do some sort of cool camper van setup! ❤️
What software are you using to manage your finances? Are you manually inputting all revenue/expenses into an Excel sheet? Thank you!
You two are so cute together! Just one teeny favour? Could someone please dust that center screen in your car? My OCD was triggered. LOL, naw I know it's hard when you're on dirt roads all the time. Again, love your vids!
Oh my gosh Steve we both saw that in the video and were like, we're total slobs! But I guess it's good to show how we really live because we almost never dust in there -- and actually there's usually more junk piled in the back too, with at least a few empties or wrappers floating behind the seat. We're slobs for sure. 😂
You’re going to get tired of the small car thing. You should look into a van. Sprinters are nice, but very expensive. But…it may be worth it, because they are tall, to give you a lot of room, and I believe (i could be wrong though) they hold their value pretty well. Look at getting a used one.
You can put a bank of 8 batteries in it…get a little Honda inverter generator, maybe solar panels on top next to Starlink.
But I don’t need to tell you guys how to live. I’ve seen your videos. I’d say you are living pretty well. 👍
This is great advice, and of course you are right that if we keep doing mostly or totally off grid we will need to go way up in size. For now we're sticking with the Subaru because we also have a couple of monthly airbnb rentals in awesome places coming up over the next few months and we want to see how we like that vibe of staying in one place for a month before moving on. But definitely if we decide to go full time off grid we will need a bigger rig, and the Sprinter might well be the way to go since Adam is so tall.They are super expensive, but we're saving a lot this year so that will definitely help! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I have a lot of experience in this type of living…from living in the back of a pickup truck to a van similar in size to a Sprinter, to a big box truck I converted into an RV.
It’s a balance. Every time you go up in size, you are sacrificing mobility. An RV is nice for the comfort, but horrible when you just want to take a short trip into town to get supplies. The parking…the driving, fuel mileage, its a hinderance.
The Subaru is nice because it’s small, but you don’t have the space.
The Sprinter is a great happy medium. Pretty easy mobility and comfort.
Also…with a Sprinter/van, you can haul bicycles for little town trips or whatever.
I love your channel and this new thing you’re doing will open up a lot of other possibilities for other types of videos. There are many “I live in a van down by the river” channels, but most are girls just making videos of themselves waking up in a parking lot wearing little panties and teasing their male subscribers with a fantasy.
One more thing, some feedback: the first video I ever saw from you two…the thing that stuck out the most was the quality of the picture. 4k or whatever they call that idk I’m a musician not a videographer, but I was totally amazed at how clear and vivid the picture quality was, and combined with the obvious beautiful locations, was what initially grabbed me and made me want to see more.
Point is, I think you should keep up on the latest and greatest tech in video recorders or whatever you use. It blew my mind, and made me feel Iike I was almost standing on the mountain, too!
See ya!!
@@zenlandzipline Thanks very much! We have actually been talking about a new camera (more expensive, but enables very professional shots) so this is great to hear.
FREEEEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMMMM😅😂❤
You can stay here. The burg. If your cousins don't like you.
Thanks Dan! We would love to stay in the burg when we're up there -- cousins still like us but have moved. ❤️
Y’all need a tarp! The sun in the tent is brutal
Haha no worries Gavin, we have a tarp! We just left it off for filming purposes, but definitely have it on most of the time for sun, wind, and morning dew protection! ❤️
You should do a video on your Burning Man experience
We actually thought about it, Douglas! But the camp we were in discouraged it and we didn't want to offend anyone. Really wish we could have showed you guys some of that craziness though! ❤️
Are you going to purchase a van in the future or living in your car is temporarily
That is a definitely the question we've been asking ourselves! We had originally thought we'd just alternate between camping, housesitting, and airbnbs, but we've been having so much fun every time we're staying off grid that now we're thinking of making that aspect more permanent. If we do that, of course, we will need a bigger rig. We decided at the start that we'd do it this way alternating between different styles for a year to see what we like most, so most likely by June we will decide if we're going to upgrade to a van. ❤️
Elise and Brian, you Guy's might have a "Wider Unintentional Effect" sharing Heading for the Hills( Nature) like Beacons of Light, which is what (we) really our! Back to where (we) belong out of Devil- Cities! Brian and Elise i heard i think it was Oxford University study that people are the most happiest in communities, with no more groups less than 45 close friends, family or people! I watch you Guy's because your a "Good Looking" couple, Leaders, and it is Visually stunning God's Country like( U2 the Band) Joshua Tree! Dean( Soul)Toronto P.S. Luvs the Ride!
Thanks Dean! We are right there with you about living in God's country, and you know we love that Joshua Tree (the place and the album!) ❤️
Suburban. Cannot beat them. Takes $15k to fix old one though. Rebuild it all. Still cheaper than new Subaru.
If you plan your routes gas is not bad. Obviously electric is it if staying on the pavement. I have seen Teslas everywhere in the west. Everywhere.
Even White Mountain CA parking lot.
Also now that we're understanding more about the power of solar, a solar rechargeable electric could be attractive once the tech is better.
ELISE and ADAM a hello from France. Here is a video that launches you both on the rails of a new life that I wish you the best possible. I have no doubt, you will always introduce us to magical places where the wilderness will welcome you with kindness, and I will be behind my screen to enjoy all your future adventures. ADAM it's not good to want to trap ELISE on a simple 8X8 a bit like the coyote, but she's not fooled. Beep beep... Kisses to you both. DAN
ELISE et ADAM un bonjour de France. Voilà une vidéo qui vous lance tous les deux sur les rails d’une nouvelle vie que je vous souhaite la plus belle possible. Je n’ai aucun doute, vous allez toujours nous présenter des lieux magiques ou la nature sauvage vous accueillera avec bienveillance, et je serai derrière mon écran pour apprécier toutes vos aventures futures. ADAM ce n’est pas bien de vouloir piéger ELISE sur un simple 8X8 un peu comme le coyote, mais elle n’est pas dupe. Bip Bip… Bises à vous deux. DAN
Haha Dan, j'aime moquer des competences d'Elise en mathematiques, parce que cela me rappelle le pauvre coyote. 😂 Bip bip! ❤️
My question - can the portable charger power a toaster for pop tarts?
Haha yes and not only that, we're seriously thinking about building an igloo this winter and powering a small portable heater in there. Is that some bougie off-grid action or what? ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Well I'm glad to hear a heater would be involved because I remember when you camped in the deep snow as a survival test. That wasn't a pleasant experience for you. I'd love to see the igloo building technique!
So how does the house sitting work?
Basically, when people we know who live in interesting places are going out of town, they let us know the dates and if we can make it work with our schedule we come live in their place, water their plants and collect their mail, and of course go do our adventures on the weekends. And then when we go, we leave them a super nice bottle of wine and/or tequila as a thank you for letting us stay! ❤️
Have you seen any difference in your food bill?
Great question. It has gone up slightly, because it's harder to buy big portions and we eat out a bit more, but we're still doing a good job of making a lot of our own food so it's not out of hand. We'll work it out exactly in our end-of-year analysis of the first six months, but a rough guess is food has gone up about 20% since we started travel. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Thanks for the thorough reply! Very interesting.
How about food costs and gas?
We're compiling all that data, Rick! We'll do an end of year post for you guys detailing the whole first half-year of expenses vs income. So far it's looking really good though, and better than we originally expected! ❤️
I love your videos and what you are doing. Don’t love Adam belittling Alise. We all have our strengths.
Kristy you are totally right about that. E and I tease each other a lot without hard feelings because we know how much we respect one another's skills and intelligence, but that might not be clear in a video and I will def think more about that next time before on-camera teasing! ❤️ --A
how about shower?
Usually we stay near bodies of water, and you know how much we love those lake and waterfall plunges -- we honestly prefer that even to a regular shower. But if there's no water around we do sometimes go a couple days without showering and then do it when we come into town for a gym workout or to stay in a motel for the night. ❤️
Get a used dependable camper van. Sleeping in a small car or tent all the time is not a sustainable life style unless you want to be homeless.
Ya we're giving it a year to experiment with a variety of different arrangements, but for sure if we continue to love off-grid living as much as we have so far we will upgrade to a camper van type of rig. ❤️
RVs are awful. Absolutely the worst. The only van I would consider is the terrible looking Nissan truck one 4x4. Shorty. Stock .
No chance we do an RV -- if we go up in size it will be a truck or van conversion, not one of those giant gas guzzling boxes. ❤️
You kept saying “watts per hour”. That’s not a valid unit. The unit of watts already has time included in it. Just say watts. If you want to talk about storage capacity, then you need to multiply the power by time and the units would be watt-hours.
Thanks I didn't know that! So just to be clear -- when I said the solar system charges the Jackery at around 180 watts per hour, I should have said it charges at around 180 watt-hours? Or just 180 watts?
@@LiveHardxLoveHard 180 watts. If you charge at 180 watts for an hour, you will have captured 180 watt-hours of energy. You can convert watt-hours to amp-hours by dividing by the voltage.
Watts per hour makes sense and it's intuitive. How else would you convey 180 watts per hour? I just don't think 180Wh would make sense for describing is charge rate--instead that would mean the battery would drain in 1 hour at 180W. I use the same W/h terminology in my head with my system, it's intuitive. I don't see why it's not a legit unit? Maybe you mean it's not commonly included in labelling?
@@mountains1233the watt unit already expresses energy per unit time. One watt is equivalent to one joule of energy per second. That’s what I meant in my original comment where I said watts already have a time component in them. So if you want to mention the time unit, instead of saying 180 watts is the power output of the solar panels, say 180 joules per second is the power output of the solar panels. Does that make it easier for you to understand?
Yeah, in between selling my old place and buying the place I'm in now I lived homeless in my expedition for 3 months and I completely outfitted it for boon docking. And then because I live so far out of town many times when I travel to town I camp out of the truck because this whole area is a camping culture area with a million and one things to do and all the stuff that I buy for camping works for my truck and my house and then another thing that people do out here is they go canoeing far into the middle of nowhere with great fishing and pristine lakes with campsites on lakes and a network of portages to all the different lakes all made by the Indians that lived here before us! I got a yeti cooler like that and I was upset with it. The better option would be the cubed box with the rollers with extendable handle mostly because you never really need to cool that much and it's a deeper cooler so every thing just fits better in there with the ice and you don't have to worry about organizing it all the time and making sure everything goes back then way it came when everything wants to shift and ice falls down. Its just better so I'm trying to sell mine right now. And then if you want real refrigeration for the car then get a medium sized dometic fridge cooler! Don't get the big one with two bins just get the biggest one beneath that one with one lid and one bin. I just spent a lot of money today on an Amazon order for two crucial items that are the best leading items for camping today. I'll tell you about them if you want. I have a million camping items for every situation and all I do is review products. I'm basically a pro at this stuff now. I know all the brands and all the products out there and all the shortcuts and work arounds and which ones are the best or worst so if you ever want to know without researching like crazy or buying the wrong item then I could let you know what's going on! Lol. Get the inside scoop if you know what I mean!
Steve this is great information! Thanks so much, and we will definitely ask you when we have product questions! If we go with a bigger truck or van camper setup eventually we'll for sure go with a Dometic, though we have been very pleasantly surprised at how long the Yeti can keep everything cool! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes, Yeti's are very nice. A van set up would be great. That is what I'm thinking of upgrading too as the truck is still just a little too compact and also I am a giant human and for you guys there are two of you so space becomes crucial I also bring two dogs with me, used to be three. Yeah I talk to people all the time that are canoeing way out in the middle of nowhere. It becomes an art form at that level because weight and practicality really come into the picture. Because you are so exposed with paddling and such and all that has to be done in a good and right way and for portaging you have to pack everything just right otherwise your making multiple trips back and forth with extra weight on rocky mountainous trails and leaving gear behind and such to go back and pick it up later. Luckily we have basically a zero theft culture up here and everyone who comes up here knows and understands plus if you get caught by the rangers messing with people like that the penalties are much higher. I just bought a leading hot tent by Russian bear, the up series, and I just bought a titanium folding stove with a nesting stack. Its like the best you can buy. Glad your jackery is working for you and is charging well. Look into "amorphous" solar panels! They charge in low light and shade and they make them in nice folding blankets that you can sprawl over the front of your car and they fold up into a little square!
Looking to be able to do similar things in the future, but no way could I sleep in that setup (good on you for being able to!) So I'm saving for a cargo van along with all the same kinds of things (I'll definitely use your link when I buy my Jackery setup.)
That sounds perfect! We might very well end up with a cargo van setup eventually too, but just wanted to try different things the first year -- including housesitting and also a monthly airbnb rental we have coming up -- just to see what we like best before committing to a van. You will not regret the Jackery -- it is an incredible tool, and we use it every single day even if we're staying in a motel because they never have enough outlets for all the stuff we need to charge! ❤️
Adam is screwed he is too tall for car sleeping. 😅
Rain is the enemy. Cold rain 🌧 worse.
Which makes the southwest king. BUT. Places like Mount Blanco or even Moab Zion GCNP Flagstaff are high. 3300 to 6000 is cold. Now the good news is it doesn't rain if below freezing. It does snow.
Tents fold inside out in the wind. Literally. Flys 🪰 are the worst. You need a six man tent for two. Always uss pad tarp.
I would recommend South Utah. The key is to be able to access town easily. The AZ STRIP is literally in Saint George. If you have satellite 🛰 ♥️ the virgin river gorge exit 18 I15 is bank. You can get two Mesquite easy. Bathroom is heated AC. BAM. YOU NEED A ZERO DEGREE minimum sleeping bag -20 is better.
Hotels are cheaper in Mesquite and Saint George. Pow.
YOU ARE 5 hours from everything. Zion GCNP AZ Strip Valley of Fire Arches Bryce Vegas. Antelope Island is a great sidebar. Great Basin for a week too.
Whitney Death Valley is 6 hours. Obviously, death Valley is G.
Fuel is cheap if two working. DAVE RAMSEY said it. YOUR JOB is your biggest source of wealth. Period.
Their is seasonal work, but nomads hate work. 50 hour a week scheduled work. Freeeeeeeeeeeedommmmmmmm!
Friends are your best friends.
So is the southern Utah AZ NV border. Aka AZ STRIP.
FL GA MS AL LA beach bumming is putting yourself at risk for crime big time.
Beartooth no services but Golden July 15 to September.
Obviously, Sierra Nevada May to November.
Most try to stay above 8000 feet.
Lake Wenatchee area Glacier Peak Wilderness WA is bank once snow melts. Late July. #1.
WA is low. 3000 to 6000. So late summer it is hot hiking but tons of low water rivers!! AZ STRIP has no water!!!
Water is important. Very. Field sanitation is important. Very.
YOU NEED a shovel and bucket. I use 2 red ACE hardware ones. Microfiber washcloths. Dawn. Forget soap.
Dogs are awful. Mess. Wreck your car tent. I take 3 so yeah. The worst for living off grid. With Starlink. Hilarious.
Good luck. They are not off grid. Very few people can take true off grid. Why try???? Dumb. I AM IMPRESSED THEY USE SUBARU. Very.
You cannot do it without car carrier. Just can't.
This is great advice as always, Dan. How did we not know you take 3 dogs with you?!?! Oh my gosh that seriously complicates the whole car camping project! We love dogs and will probably get one or two eventually, but only once we settle in one place because like you say they are a handful (though worth it!). ❤️