Minimalists vs. Maximalists

[JudyJB]

Here I go again!

Because I do not tow a vehicle, someone a while back asked how long it took me to pack up to go out for the day or to the store. I said maybe 5 minutes was all it took me to toss stuff from counter into the sink, turn the engine on and hit the buttons for the slides, and unhook water and electric. A few minutes more if I was hooked up to sewer, but that would be rare. I seldom leave more than a chair outside and tend to leave it on the site if I am just gone for the day. I consider myself a minimalist.

I have been watching a couple of couples the last two days. The one that moved into the site next to me this morning has the following: a small refrigerator and a short table to put it on, one of those wheeled rolling carts to move the refrigerator, two large coolers, four unfolded chairs and two folded chairs, a fan on a stand, a large case of beer, an outdoor rug over the cement camping pad, and a kitchen-sized trash can. I am guessing they are expecting guests?? They have an older motorhome and a separate pickup truck, so they must not live very far away.

Another couple had a similar pile of stuff including the large cooler, plus two cast iron frying pans, a cast iron dutch oven, a barbecue grill and a tabletop two-burner electric cooktop, small TV, and a fan. This was for two people who did NOT have guests.

Reminded me of the two men I saw unloaded one of those 3' x 3' x 4' high chest freezers once from their pickup truck. They said they bought it at a garage sale, and it came in handy for camping! I think one thing traveling alone and being a full-timer has taught me was that you do not have to bring it all with you. I made do without a bunch of appliances and make everything do double-duty--like using my hand blender as a mixer.

So what is the funniest thing you have seen a "maximalist" bring camping?

[elkriverrats]

Some younger tent campers in a pickup truck - with a brown plaid couch that sat by their campfire
Gave my hubby a side-eye which he correctly interpreted as a NO.

I love watching what other people bring to camp. When it is just me I love travelling light, more stuff comes with hubby and kiddo.

[BirdbyBird]

I think Beth once talked about the difference between living full-time in your rig and being a vacation camper......We all enjoy the views and the great outdoors but those of us that use our rigs for living weeks, months or full-time and do want to move around.......don't set up "base" camp usually. I do admit to putting up the x-pen dog "yard" when I know that I am going to be in one place for a long weekend or more.......

[Acadianmom]

Judy, you must have been camped next to some Cajuns. It's not unusual to see them set up the propane burners and boil crawfish or crabs. The main complaint I see about campgrounds in South Louisiana is all the weekend partying. My sister and I have started going to the lake during the week and leaving the weekends for the weekend warriors.

One of the groups I camp with have a lot of women with the "Glampers", older campers they have fixed up and decorated. It's something to see, all the stuff they haul around and put up. I'm the minimalist in that group. I have very little decorations in my house. That group can get kind of rowdy but we usually have the whole campground. It's nothing to have 75 or more women at one of the campouts. I only camp with them a couple of times a year. Every month would be too much. But I have some great friends that I can camp with.

Martha

[Bethers]

I have a very lightweight table and chairs for when I'm workamping and staying longer term. It's rarely put out. For the whole summer here I have my outside rug and Beary, my chain carved bear. Right now even my outside chair is put away. It comes out when I need it. Whenever I leave it out we get a short rain and it's not usable.

I love watching people spend an hour or more getting ready to leave, or arriving. Even with my toad I can be unhooked, dumped, hoses put away, car hooked up and driving away in 15 minutes. The longest job for me is inside after an extended stay. But that's not really a biggie, either.

[snowball]

the first summer we lived in the 5th wheel we were still in SLC hubby was still working for part of it but the house sold faster than
anticipated...so we moved into the local KOA one day we saw a large motor home with a trailer hooked up to it curious as to what was in it
we asked one of the workers if he knew he said it was a personal helicopter then they hooked up a boat so here was the large motor home towing
a copter and a boat!!! then another day saw a think toy hauler pull up in the rear opened up full size washer and dryer pulled out and some how
hooked up and more laundry than I would care to do...I will admit being a maximalists both in and out ....usually have mats down...planters solar lights
and bird feeders...and chairs...we won't discuss the inside but do have it down to I know what to do and how to put it away so that it is safe...
sheila

[Pooker]

Buy a Roadtrek or Pleasure Way and you'll learn how to be a minimalist in a hurry!

Pooker

[JudyJB]

Beth, good point about the rain. They had cushions on a lot of those chairs, which of course got wet during the rain. I have also seen a lot of campers running around in the rain and wind trying to gather things up. I remember chasing my mat around the campsite when I first started out four years ago.

I always do dishes the last thing at night so I have an empty dishpan to toss stuff in if I am traveling in the morning. I also put TV in travel position and make sure drawers are shut the night before--learned that from forgetting the next morning. And I never leave the awning out overnight. Learned my lesson on awnings after having to get up one morning and get dressed at 2:00 am to put mine away in a windstorm! The less I have to remember in the morning, the less chance of forgetting something!

I'd like to park next to the Cajuns having a seafood boil, however!!

[Bethers]

Judy, I do all the inside stuff the night before, too. And if I'm not going to be boondocking, I dump, fill water tank and put those hoses away, too. But if boondocking, I want two empty tanks and one full when I pull out, so those are last.

[Colliemom]

I don't carry stuff other than what I use. And the stuff stays in my truck or trailer storage. If I am someplace for a few days, I will either put my tablecloth on the picnic table or not, put out my sitting chair under the awning. I carry my BBQ grill as well as a table to set it on as some campgrounds don't want them on the picnic tables. I have a habit now of putting things away the night before I am leaving. Dishes etc., as I wash them and put them away, grills and table, chair etc. I also roll up my awning if it's dry so the night dews don't get it wet and back my truck up to the hitch as well if I can. Then in the morning, all I have to do is hook up, unplug and I'm gone. If I'm moving from place to place like on my trip west or wherever, I don't even unhitch. I definitely am a minimalist. But I have seen people haul everything but the kitchen sink and sometimes that too. A lot of MI people are like that, even bringing huge grills from home, but they stay put at the campground for a week or two.

[IrishIroamed]

Since this is only year #2 for me, and only 6 actual camping excursions so far, I'm still figuring it out.

On weekends, and since I cannot park overnight in my driveway (unless I get it preapproved by the HOA), I bring a cooler because by the time the fridge would get cold enough to store food or make ice cubes, it would be time to head home. For longer trips, I do get the fridge going, but only stock with things that won't get bad, like water, and keep the actual perishables in the cooler until I get to the campground (5-6 drive drive).

I always bring my chair, and for week trips, my zero gravity recliner so I can stare at the heavens. Can't handle the sun too much anymore, so I bought an umbrella that I used in Shawnee but it didn't block the sun enough so I now bought a UV umbrella.

The rest, pretty much the same as Sue except for the table for the grill. I did buy an outside rug for when I know I'll be on dirt / gravel because it helps keep a lot of dirt & dust out of Colt. And hitching may depend on the weather if I do it the night before or the morning of departure, but somehow seems 50% of the time I'm hitching in the pouring rain.

Of course non of this is written in stone. My biggest problem is over packing clothes and food.