Minimalist vehicle-borne camping

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4WD Swagman

4WD Swagman

Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Threads
7
Messages
51
Location
Australia
Do you prefer to experience the wilderness with all the comforts of home, or does your pioneer spirit win out and compel you to camp in a minimalist fashion?

Personally, I camp in a whole bunch of different ways, from a glamping tent to a bedroll under the stars.

When by myself in hot or temperate climes, I like to use a hammock.

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Awesome! I do lots of the minimalistic stuff when I do motorcycle camping.
 
The whole idea of vehicle supported "minimalist" camping seems like an oxymoron.....but I digress.

I have spent many nights sleeping in the back of the car with a blanket, a couple of energy bars and an bottle of water. Does that count?
 
mr Swagman , I'm the same as you.

at easter I camped at a popular spot in the Blue Mountains area with my boy. I swung my hammock, he rolled out his bivvy bag and tarp. I set up a hoochie for some shade, all in about 20-30minutes
majority of people around us had the latest and greatest offroad TajMahal camper trailers, caravans, buses with the whole box an dice from 12volt microwaves, TVs, digitally controlled hot water heaters, cordless electric chainsaw to cut wood!!
bringing the kitchen sink is soooo stone-age!

for fxxx sake, it took people hours to set up and pack up!


I camp when i go snowboarding with my boy, then I take a tent, and electric blanket and blow heater :princess::princess::rofl:
 
Dharma Dude said:
The whole idea of vehicle supported "minimalist" camping seems like an oxymoron.....but I digress.
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Hardly a contradiction in terms....it's all relative.

Sleeping in the back of a car, with a blanket, water and candy bars is luxury compared to being alone in the wilderness, naked without so much as a pocket knife.

I passed out in the alley behind a gin mill once. I thought that was roughing it.
 
It depends on if the wife goes camping with me. I have done bike packing trips where my whole gear kit weighs 5 pounds. If the wife goes we bring the big canvas tent, wood stove, cot, bbq, Dutch oven, and a porta potty. It's not all bad I don't mind galamping it.
 
when I was 16 I rode my bicycle to Sequoia national park, and camped one night at a lake - we unpacked everything, got the Svea stove going to make noodles - strung up our tube tent - all in about 15 minutes, then sat on the picnic bench and watched our new neighbor pull up and spend an hour setting up their trailer - only to then disappear inside for the rest of the night.

Nature is incredible, nature is uncomfortable, deal with it!

That said, as I get older - I am adding more comforts to our camping.
 
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half k cruiser said:
@4WD Swagman I do like your little orange cover. Is that something you put together yourself or purchased ?
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Cheers @half k cruiser

It's a 3m x 2.5m old style cotton japara tarp I purchased from Terra Rosa Gear. I tanned it with black wattle bark (strengthens the fibres) and then I dyed it using natural materials (inner bark of the persoonia levis for any botany geeks) but rather than go a rich brown colour it went sort of salmon pink hahaha

Incidentally the guy I bought the tarp from has also made Whelen tents and pyramid range-style tents using the same material - fantastic stuff
 
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4WD Swagman said:
Cheers @half k cruiser

It's a 3m x 2.5m old style cotton japara tarp I purchased from Terra Rosa Gear. I tanned it with black wattle bark (strengthens the fibres) and then I dyed it using natural materials (inner bark of the persoonia levis for any botany geeks) but rather than go a rich brown colour it went sort of salmon pink hahaha

Incidentally the guy I bought the tarp from has also made Whelen tents and pyramid range-style tents using the same material - fantastic stuff
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I like it, looks like a good size and a little more traditional looking then the silver and blue tarps I generally use.
 
mongoose2231 said:
Awesome! I do lots of the minimalistic stuff when I do motorcycle camping.
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I think these pack lists for your bike do a great job prepping you for the step to vehicles. I remember putting a wrench on every bolt, leaving behind anything the DR650 or KLR650 wouldn't use to save weight.

It was a natural progression from ultra light backpacking to car camping for us, but we never get it perfect and that is part of the fun.


Several "steps" in the transition for us:

We made several big steps as we went from backpacking to car camping to what I will now call expedition camping:

We went from homemade dried foods, to sandwiches and soups, to more complex meals.

We went from no cooler, to an ice cooler to now an ARB.

We went from a tight two person tent, to a three person tent for two, to a 6 person tent (even for just two of us now :))

We went from a 1.5" to a 2.5" to now an 8" air mattress.

We went from a sleeping bags to now sheets and a bag only if needed, but most of the time the bag is used as a comforter.

We have added fans and dual batteries and back up batteries.

We have added fold up chairs and light weight tables, when it used to be just cook off the ground :)

We enjoy campgrounds at times for electricity and water - - especially if away from it for a few days and need to resupply, charge, etc.

All of this can be done without sacrificing EVERYTHING in the outdoors, I believe.

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Hard to tell but right behind us is a pizza place with great beer . . . never had that before "camping" :)
 
For me minimalist camping would be more of a hike in with what you can carry in your pack. If I'm in my vehicle I can carry a heavier stuff to make things more bearable. ie larger inflatable mattress, porta potty, hanging shower bag, 2 burner stove, 10x10 canopy...just stuff I could never fit in a backpack. But that being said I do appreciate remote 4x4 camping. Able to get where the motorhome and airstream will never see. Top of a mountain on a narrow fire trail, 4x4 on the beach at the point, Along side a trout stream well off the beaten path. you have it to yourself or just a few who have the vision to outfit there 4x4 and make the journey. Most commercial campgrounds to me seem like a game of where's waldo, kids running everywhere, swimming pools, barking dogs, putt putt golf, glamourized red neck golf cars, DJs playing top 40, video game rooms, ...give me a break!...just too commercialized.
 
When I go with my wife we take everything we need to be comfortable and not much more. In Recent years we have tended to more single pot meals just to cut down on grocery list, prep and clean up. We do enjoy the Pop-Up tent trailer, it's more of a box to haul stuff and sleep in than the luxury condos on wheels people think as RV's. We still do some tent camping if the route won't allow the trailer.

On Solo trips in the FJ40 my gear list is exactly like a light weight back pack load out. The only deviation is meals. I waffle back and forth between single burner boil a meal menus and double burner Coleman, cast iron, steak and potatoes, fried eggs for breakfast menus.
 
Funny how it seems the more camping experience we have, when you get down to it, comfort becomes a big consideration. Is it experience or just getting older & wiser? I'm thinking some of us can remember being stuck overnight or stranded by weather and vowing "Next time........!" There's your "minimalist" experience for you. So knock yourselves out, rookies...lol :cheers:
 
80t0ylc said:
Funny how it seems the more camping experience we have, when you get down to it, comfort becomes a big consideration. Is it experience or just getting older & wiser? I'm thinking some of us can remember being stuck overnight or stranded by weather and vowing "Next time........!" There's your "minimalist" experience for you. So knock yourselves out, rookies...lol :cheers:
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This applies to that post.
rusty_tlc said:
It's camping.
People decide they need a bunch of specialized equipment and "build" a rig.
A more logical approach would be to simply go.
This leads to statements like "I sure wish we had brought some folding chairs." Which leads to the purchase of chairs, for example.
Most times you think of a bunch of stuff that would make traveling more comfortable and or safer. Perhaps you go with friends and notice equipment they have that makes the travels easier. Perhaps you start taking a notepad on your trips and listing things you want/need and make those acquisitions before the next adventure. As you become better equipped you feel safer and travel further and stay longer.
This process continues until you go out on a trip and don't have anything to write down.

Then you have built an collection of equipment that exactly suits your needs and the style of travel you partake in.

Nothing more, nothing less.
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