Minimalism

Minimalism is a style characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.  I was pronounced a minimalist the other day, after making a remark about a school bus RV conversion.  I was struck by the fact that the owners had installed a fireplace, so I blurted out "why would you bring a fireplace to a campground?," which seemed like a very logical question to me.  I realize most people have an inherent need to express their individuality, and I suspect there was so much room in the bus that it was simply the fact that nature abhors a vacuum that led to the decision to install a fireplace.  I'm sure it looked cool, but to me it sounds a bit absurd for a camper.

So am I a minimalist?  I suspect most monks, bicycle tourists and backpackers would think not.  After all, with the exception of a toilet and shower, we have all the basic amenities of the biggest RVs.  Is our style simpler than the majority of RVs?  Yes.  After all, we don't need things like mops, vacuum cleaners and blackwater hoses.  And we don't carry things with us that don't get used, as there is simply insufficient spare room for such a practice.  Is it the simplest form of camping?  No, most tent camping is simpler (though even that can also be taken to extremes).  And the vast majority of teardrop trailers are far simpler than ours.

No, we aren't minimalists.  We desire a degree of creature comforts: control of our sleeping environment (heating, cooling, lighting), the ability to prepare a simple meal, and places to organize our gear in a manner that allows us to get what we need without having to unload several other things (the main role of our van).  So simplicity is important to us, but it is far removed from "extreme simplicity."

If more people were aware of what is possible in a teardrop camper,  I suspect more people would own one (at least couples and singles - they aren't the solution for most families).  After all, many people clearly would prefer having a smaller camper, as evidenced by the fact that a lot of folks start out with a small RV, only to upgrade to a larger model so that they don't have to convert a piece of furniture into a bed each night or when they tire of climbing over one another to get in and out of bed.  They could achieve the same goal by downsizing to a teardrop and end up with lower cost of ownership and the freedom to go more places than is possible with a large rig.  Simplicity has many benefits.  And if it is done right, doesn't require many sacrifices.

Getting back on track, the weather has finally changed, with it being cloudy and cooler, with intermittent rain showers.  It is good enough weather for riding (in fact just about ideal with the present temperatures in the 70s), but we made it a short day today, with Alea riding just 17 miles before we left the Trace to camp at Davis Lake ($20, power, water and showers).  That sets us up for a 45 mile ride tomorrow to Jeff Busby Campground, the next closest campground along the Trace.  It sounds as though the wet weather pattern is likely to stay with us for the next several days, so we'll probably be keeping our travel distances short, provided there are convenient campgrounds to allow us to do so.

Cooler, wetter weather has arrived!