Camping for 3 months: How does it feel?

What I think about during 90 days on the road

Why do I camp for months at a time?

To live in different regions, immersed in the environment, and for the opportunity to experience and learn about some of the most beautiful places.

How does it feel to camp for three months?

Well, it feels like we live here now. I get used to a lot of things. The mattress in the car is my bed now, and I'm accustomed to sleeping on it. I've been showering decently regularly. I've cooked most of our meals on a camp stove and I make instant coffee in the mornings.

I suspect not everyone would get used to those things, but I do. I appreciate routine and I become familiar with the daily ebb and flow of camping.

Most people guess a bed or shower is what I'm missing greatly on the road. Actually, what I think about often in terms of logistics is filling up water, charging my phone, finding a place to sleep, and plotting our trajectory for what's next.

We travel with about seven gallons of water containers: six gallons and several small bottles. We refill them at visitor centers, city parks, libraries, and random spigots near sports fields. We use at least a gallon or two per day, for coffee, food, cleaning dishes, and cleaning ourselves. It gets worrying to travel with less than three gallons. Even more often than filling the gas tank, we focus on keeping our water stash full.

My phone, similarly, needs to be charged every day. We have a couple of car adapters to charge the devices. I keep my phone on airplane mode most of the time both because I'm often out of cell service and it preserves battery charge. I do have a external battery pack but the one I have doesn't work that well. Probably I could benefit from an upgrade.

We're always on the move, often checking Google maps or iOverlander to find the next great place to camp and hike.

What do I think about when I'm on the road? A lot of these daily logistics, but I also think about writing (my past experiences), my friends, books I'm reading or TV shows I'm watching, and opportunities for the future.

Will it be hard to leave our rental car behind and go back to the east coast? Yes, it's a big change, almost like a move, after three months. I'll miss my friends who live on the west coast.

Living out of a car in the way we do it (a foam mattress, regular showers, good food) works really pretty amazingly well. But it's still a very small space for two people. And the only other spaces are public (libraries, visitor centers, cafes, trails). I'm looking forward to spreading out into a room with a door when we head back (at least occasionally).

People ask me if I'm sad to leave. I mean, yes, but, also I have a feeling of accomplishment and completion. We did what we set out to do. Actually, we did three months instead of two. A 50% upgrade. And although it may feel like I live here now, I don't.

One win is that my partner found someone who wants our foam mattress for sound insulation. If the deal works out, we'll be able to hand over the foam on the morning we're flying out. A free mattress, with no waste

Thanks so much for following along on this trip with me. It's been a truly unique and special experience. I have a huge backlog of video to edit, from all the hikes on our trip. I'll continue to post more when I have more time and a reliable internet connection!