Going Primitive in the Airstream

Our latest Airstream adventure was another learning experience. This time, we rented a primitive camping site (no hookups) at Findley State Park, in Wellington, Ohio. The objective, aside from spending a perfectly gorgeous autumn weekend outside, was to figure out how to use all the amenities of our Airstream, without relying on outside water, gas, or electrical sources. When we eventually take this thing on the road for months at a time, we want to be ready for any excursions into the remotest places we can access.

Another objective of mine was to figure out how to eat well on the road. I have nothing against burgers and s'mores, but I know there's got to be a way to eat better (healthier, more 'gourmet') using open heat sources.*

We learned a lot, and doing these short trips will help us figure out what we'll need for our longer trip in December. Here's an abbreviated list of some of those things we became aware of during this trip:

• Start with full water tanks. The Airstream holds 39 gallons of fresh water, but we started with only about half that, and ran out before our weekend ended.
• Learn to conserve water! We were lucky to have a shower house 1/2 mile down the road, but there will be times when an outside source of running water won't be an option. 
• And while we're at it, we need to learn to conserve electricity, too. We ran off of the battery power, but that has its limits and we reached them, too. We need to consider other sources of light (outside, mostly) and be conscious of where we're drawing power. Of course, some things that draw on electrical power are not optional, like listening to the Tribe playoff series game through the stereo system.
• Camping in primitive sites means that most of your neighbors will be tent campers. I kept an eye on how they managed water, heat, light, etc., especially those who were camping with their kids. If they can survive in a tent all weekend, I can figure out how to survive in a camper.
• Bring a bike! It would have been really helpful to have another mode of transportation, especially since the shower house was half a mile away.
• We continue to add to our list of 'creature comforts' and other things we'll need to pick up to live more efficiently in our silver dream. I'll post that list soon so you can get an idea of what I consider the bare essentials.
• I'm learning that I like the transition state of camper living. I guess I'm used to my creature comforts, and if I don't have to give them up then, well, why should I? For example, it was pretty cold when we woke up in the morning, but, unlike the tent campers, we just had to flip a switch for heat. We also have the luxury of A/C (didn't need it this time), and if my coffee gets cold I can pop it in the microwave. I'm OK with this.

We had a fantastic weekend getaway in a gorgeous (and relatively quiet) park. Findley State Park has a well-maintained trail system that we made good use of during our visit. I'd like to come back here sometime in the dead of winter to get a better perspective of camping life in the cold and snow.

*Future blog posts will feature our gourmet cooking experiments.

Dave doing the camping thing. Which is mostly nothing!

Dave emerging into the cold morning. 

Leaves are showing a touch of fall color. 

Morning hike around the lake.

Eric joined us for a 10-mile trail run, then went off and ran it again without us. He's a trail beast!