I had two major sources of inspiration in the building of my rig: First, my inner cheap-ass. I've got little to spend, and truth be told, I can't stand those over-built, over-equipped nancy-mobiles. You love your $650 fridge. Great. Did I mention my five-day cooler was on sale for $16.00 at Ralph's grocery store? The other concern that my inner cheap-ass has is "What happens when things break?" If you have complicated, expensive stuff, it will eventually break, need repairing or replacing, and since you're used to the convenience of all that stuff, you'll just have to go out and spend more money on more stuff. My inner cheap-ass has broken that cycle. When I see what little he is capable of living comfortably with, I am in awe!
My second source of inspiration is Tom Sheppard. While he may indulge in some equipment I would never need, he is after all driving around the Sahara for weeks on his own. And just look atis rig! Stripped down, no roof rack, bins organized and strapped to the floor. The guy doesn't use a tent or even have A/C!
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Sharam
You are so right. I spent 8 years working in Africa taking people on expeditions. It is nice to have a few luxuries but really, to be true to the objective, you just have to leave all the 'stuff' behind. You want to reach your destination, you want to be able to get yourself fixed when you break down, you wan to get unstuck when you get stuck. Food - water - enough for three days. You need a piece of flat ground to sleep on - preferably longer than you are and wide enough to roll over.
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