8/23/12

From Backpacker to Casita Owner

I am almost finished reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild  (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail), a marvelous bestseller about a young women who hiked this 2,000 mile plus trail.  Cheryl writes in real terms about her inner struggles that motivated the journey.

This book in conjunction with the most recent Tiny Camper blog, http://tinycamper.wordpress.com, which discusses her lost love of backpacking; these two items have started me thinking about Casita owners.

I can say that I was a backpacker and remember what it was like to fix a one pot meal over a tiny camp stove after shouldering a heavy pack uphill all day.  I did do it!  Maybe 5 times!  I am glad that I'm pass the age to do this as it was much more pain than pleasure for me.  But I treasured the woods, the magic of the night and feeling a part of it all.  But I was also terrified of bears.

Many of the Casita owners that I have met are the outdoorsy, hiking, kayaking, backpacking kind of people who have just gotten older.  We still believe in all of the things that made us conservationists and many of us are boomers, remembering the first Earth Day!  It seems that just a certain type of person is attracted to the small fiberglass trailer.  There are a few that buy Casitas just for the fuel economy, but doesn't that play back into conserving our resources?

Backpacking skills and Casita living go hand in hand.  My husband and I try to not add anything to the trailer and eliminate unused items.  (But it was hard to do this during the RV show at Quartzsite. I admit to now owning two Kokopelli patio mats!)  We aren't extreme, I don't think, we just try to cut down on extra stuff.  Just like we do at home.

Speaking of home, does anyone live differently at home after spending long periods of time in the Casita?  I find myself turning off the water faucet faster, noticing all the unused plates and plastic containers and wondering when am I going to simplify my kitchen?

I hope this was not boring.  I am still learning this blogging thing and always feel like I need to be sharing some wonderful travel adventure.  We are taking off soon, got new tires yesterday and brakes are on the schedule for next week.  The Casita's front door handle broke this morning; we took it off and tried to fix it.  It was rusty and a little piece of wire fell out of it, so I called Casita and ordered another one.  Hope we can get it on and make it work!

About this blog, I think the follow me thing is working, but some fix-your-blog site says my RSS is not working, not exactly sure what that means?  But I googled "casita in the desert" and it came up on the first page for google searches.  Last winter when I started this I searched about 30 pages and never found it!  Progress, I guess!


5 comments:

  1. Oh thanks for the patio mat lead...I see an order on my horizon O:) ~cozygirl itsacozylife.blogspot.com

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  2. Hey Cj! Thanks for leaving a comment! We got one of our mats in Quartzsite, AZ at the big show last January and bought another at the Mesa Market, a gigantic flea market in Mesa, AZ.
    I just looked at your blog, very nice! Our interests are very similar except I have never been a crafts type person, but into the simple living, getting rid of it all, let's go back to nature thing.

    Your cast iron dutch oven recipes caught my I. I am going to head back to Pinterest and see what I find.

    I gather that you are heading toward fulltiming. Wish you all the luck in the future!

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    1. YEP hope to take off next year....I missed your reply until now. Sometimes I get an email...hummmmm haven't that all out :) Hope Kansas was fun!

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  3. Lynne, interesting conclusions about former backpackers especially loving Casitas. I remember marveling that I could carry my living room, bedroom and kitchen in a 25 pound pack and have everything I needed. When I got home from treks, I was always stunned at the waste and excess of normal household living.

    I carry that same approach over into the Casita. I make sure we have everything we need (and a few luxuries), but I hate carting around stuff that we don't need and won't use every day. In fact, one of the joys of getting out now is freedom from all the extra stuff! (Although I have to confess to enjoying decorating mine.) :)

    I think most tiny trailer owners share that approach. The joy of camping is being outside and we bring only what we need to enhance that experience.

    About the RSS feed not working, I've checked and double checked my code and it's right. If it doesn't straighten itself out soon, I'll just insert a text link to your site.

    It's turning out to be one of my favorite blogs to follow! :)

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  4. You are very kind to say such nice things...I think you can tell how completely insecure I am at this.

    Too scared to start tinkering with the settings, afraid I will make things worse. I may get some help later on.

    I have been using your blogroll to jump to many other blogs. I did not realize the whole universe is or is planning to go full time! What fun!

    I really, really do appreciate your comments! Thank you.

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