Eating Well with no on board fridge

Many newbies learn a hard lesson about keeping food on hand.

Even when dwelling in a small car or minivan I kept enough food on hand so that I could last at least two weeks.

The lists below detail sources and types of useful canned and dry goods that will give a newbie easily prepared meals under most circumstances.

Check out freeze dried foods at 

http://www.augasonfarms.com/Dairy-Meat

I use many of their products. A number 10 can of tvp lasts one person a month if eaten daily.

Some of my personal favorites are ham tvp, beef tvp, taco tvp, cheese powder, tomato powder, potato shreds, and bell pepper dices.

I also use lots of the small canned meats found at family dollar, dollar general, and almost any grocery store. To name a few, Spam, Treet, ham, chicken, sardines. I'm just not a big tuna fan.

I also carry many dry goods as staples. Rice, instant potatoes, dry milk powder, lentils, beans, split peas, various types of pasta. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, it's a good start for being well stocked. 

I carry many spices, they take little room and add significant flavor to meals. 

I usually carry some canned goods. Pork n beans, vegetables, tomatoes, 

Then there are coffee, coffee creamer, sugar, vanilla, cocoa. 

This list should help almost anyone wanting to boondock but was worried about carrying enough food on board.

The HAT trick

Lots of us adore hats. I actually have a small bag of them. As well as 2 straw hats.

The desert gets cold at night and in the morning. You loose heat from your head.
So by having a hat on, you stay warmer and utilize less propane or wood for heat.

In daytime, when it's warm, that bright sun can really make it hard to see. As a woman, those big floppy sun hats (made of straw) both keep my head cool and shade my eyes. Add an inexpensive pair of sunglasses (designer name at flea markets $4) and not only am I comfortable, but I look a bit stylish.

Of course custom made hat bands on our straw hats allow us to express individuality.

It may seem silly to some, until you've boondocked out in desert or winter. Then you find your hat is one of your favorite items.

See you on the road
Lou

Vandwelling-heat and cooking little $

There are all these great stoves you can make out there, but really safe and simple is much easier.

Materials
#10 can (big restaurant sized)
Vienna sausage can
Napkin
Old top from stove burner (or metal grill at least 6 inches across.

No tools needed.
Put napkin in vienna sausage can
Fill half full with rubbing alcohol (70%-90%)
Set in #10 can. Light.
Put stove top on it.
Cook.

For heat, just don't put pan on it.

My YouTube videohttps://youtu.be/8p-iX7RUTJE

Vandwelling 101-3 I Want Hot Food & Coffee- Kitchen Gear

Cooking Gear

It's too expensive to always eat out & cheap fast food carries it's own health risks. So, what's the alternative?

I carry a two burner propane stove. I prefer the Ozark Trails one for several reasons.
*it has wind blocking panels
*it packs away smaller than most 2 burner stoves
*it's easy to clean
* lightweight and I can set it up in minutes

Cast Iron Skillet

I carry a medium cast iron skillet. Once properly seasoned, it's easily cleaned.
Cast iron offers even heat meaning meals properly cooked.

To clean, use spatula to get all food out, sprinkle coarse salt in it and use paper towel to scrub. Quick rinse with boiling water, wipe lard all around inside, store.

Stove Top Pressure Cooker

I have a 6 quart pressure cooker and I love it. I've cooked roasts, ham, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pork tenderloin roast on my camp stove or over an open fire.

In my opinion, it's extremely useful & has many uses.  Average cost about $25

Coffee Pot

One of my most used items is 6 cup aluminum coffee pot. It goes on camp stove or over an open fire. Not only is it useful for coffee but it's very handy to heat water for bucket bath!

Bucket

Yes I said bucket. Mine is muti-use
Washing dishes, wash hair, take bath, store kitchen items in, it's uses go on & on. Although mine is plastic, I'd like to get a galvanized one in the near future.

Saucepan
2 qt stainless steel with lid. So very handy.

This gives you more than enough to eat well

Vandwelling 101-2, I Need A Good Night's Sleep.

The first thing I plan is where is my bed and how big will it be.

I'm 5'4", slender, and I have two small dogs that are absolute bed hogs.

In my first vehicle, it was a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. There wasn't a lot of choice as far as bed layout and size. I merely laid out my bedding across the back seat and curled around my pups.

I was thrilled when I bought my 1997 Ford e250 extended body cargo van. My bed was very simple, a Coleman cot across the rear doors. It was not the most comfortable bed, but I added substantial padding underneath me & it worked. I was tickled to have a pillow and I could stretch out full length. Luxury!

I tried moving the bed in several different places but I found out that a rear bed from side to side worked for me.

When the Coleman cot bit the dust (losing springs and aluminum leg breaking), I replaced it with half inch plywood that I laid across 4 milk crates.
The milk crate base was great for storage but it was often awkward to access the storage. This type of bed, with 2 inch memory foam from a sewing store is definitely one of the easiest starter beds.

When you upgrade your bed at a later date, all elements of this starter bed can be used for other things. You can use the plywood for custom cabinet or a counter top or a table. The milk crates become stackable storage.

My current van is a 1999 Ford e150 conversion van. The bed is rear seat folds down. Mine is mechanical, rather than electrical. If I ever go back to a cargo van, I'd just use starter bed again until I find a futon of the size and style I want.

In Hawaii, my bed was a foam chair that folded out to the size of a twin mattress on the floor.

I guess what I'm saying more than anything is that you don't have to have everything perfect right from the start. I've always needed time and experience to figure out what suited me best. By being comfortable, but utilising simple solutions, it allowed me to enjoy myself more and to reduce my stress from the beginning.

It takes time and experience before you know exactly how you want your van.
For me, simple works better, and I always have to watch my budget.

See you down the road.

A Van Is NOT A House Vandwelling 101-1

One of the most important lessons is that while my van is my home, it is not a house. There is a learning curve and adjustment period when starting out.

I can almost see the puzzled looks and hear you thinking that I've lost my mind. I really haven't flipped my lid. Let's take a moment and explore this idea.

Usually a house has electric and you plug in or flip a switch. It has running water, a shower, and many things you think are necessities...but what if they aren't?

Living in my van is different from an apartment, a RV, or even camping. By discarding the ideas of making it a mobile house or a camper, we can approach the lifestyle from a completely new perspective rather than a pale imitation of sticks and bricks housing.

Let's make a list of what we really need. Everyone's list will be slightly different. I'm just going to go over some of the basics.

You need to be able to sleep comfortably. You need somewhere or way to store clothes.

You'll want to eat, cook, and stay clean.  Theres the matter of staying cool when it's hot or warm when its cold outside.

There's the matter of peeing and pooping.
These are everyday functions that we rarely think about how we accomplish them. Or we just try to adapt methods more suited to a fixed abode.

Looking at them in a fresh manner without preconceived ideas leads to an easier lifestyle.

You really don't need to wire your entire van like a house. In fact I rarely use the type of power used in a house. 12v dc (direct current) is much simpler, easier to learn and almost anyone can easily learn to safely do your own power system.

Sleeping. It's actually one of the easier parts of vandwelling to figure out and build your bed. Several types of comfortable beds don't require any actual building.

Your water system can vary from really simple to actual running water.

Storage for clothes, food, kitchen items can be modular or fancy custom builds.

Entertainment... Oh lots of variety and potential in this area. To TV or not to TV. How do I power my laptop? Where do I sit/lounge. Internet. Arggggh so many choices.

Showers and bathing...solar shower? Gym membership? Outside Showers?

How do I prepare meals? Do I want/need a fridge? How much power do I need?

Is your head spinning yet?

This lifestyle can be much simpler. You can actually start out with basics, and as you gain experience, your wants/needs will change.

A dear friend of mine had 4 batteries for power. She's now planning on selling two of them. Another person I know installed a 2000 watt inverter running off a second battery that was charged by her vehicle when running. We often buy more than we need when starting out.

Another person I know of is such a minimalist that she has 1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 bowl.

There are so many variations in this lifestyle from one extreme to the other.

I'll show you how to start with basic comforts. That'll get you going, there is a learning curve to this lifestyle and many buy way more than they need and have so little room that finding what you want is more work than necessary.

As you actually start vandwelling and gain experience, you'll start to figure out what your personal priorities are and you'll make better decisions about how to customise your van and amenities so that it truly is your home and lifestyle based on what is important to you.

That being said, this lifestyle doesn't suit everyone. This way, you can try it without totally overwhelming yourself.

Hopefully this introduction has caused you to think and ask questions.

See you around, more to come in the future.

Coming Soon -- Especially for Newbies

In the past, I've blogged primarily when I had something I felt worth saying rather than a weekly or daily blogger.

I've always found writing easy for me but I've never really yearned to be a published author. Let me clarify one thing...I have the utmost respect for those who are published authors, it takes much more than most of us will ever begin to guess.

I'm an experienced vandweller and RV-er. Many of you know that I have a smaller van group on Facebook. Lately I've had friends suggest I do a book on vandwelling.

I've always shied away from presenting myself as a guru or voice of authority on vans or vandwelling. I've always been turned off or repelled by those who endlessly promote themselves with YouTube channels or websites and forums.

While I am neither a guru or the ultimate authority on vandwelling, I am experienced and love sharing what I've learned along the way.

A lot of my lessons came from
     a) making common mistakes and
     b) being on a really tight budget.

Having MS means fatigue factored in and I had to figure out easier ways to do things.

So, I thought I'd use this blog as a means of passing on things I learned from other even more experienced travelers, the lessons I learned the hard way, and my personal philosophy on how to live this lifestyle.

I'm currently temporarily in an apartment, but I'll be returning to full time vandwelling and traveling early January 2017.

So, watch this blog (I'll set it up soon for email subscription) and I'll go over many of the basics starting very soon.

Perhaps I'll see some of you on the road soon.