Keeping it light

[Happy Joe]

I gave up on hauling gear in a trailer.
Going, relatively, light in a without a trailer is less stressful and more fun (although I often take the "easy" bypasses when loaded).
Typical quickie load;
9x9 dome tent, 3 chairs, cots, bags, mattresses, clothes (small duffle each) a small (~18"x18") table, cook kit including a small backpacking stove, food, water, a cooler, a small 35 AH battery, tent lighting and inverter, and a grill for the campfire, in early spring and late fall sometimes a heater.
For longer stays, sometimes; a larger tent and/or a canopy, a small folding solar array, a roll up table, with a larger (propane) stove & tank.
I almost dread bringing the fridge as it, with accessories, may force me to make/pull another trailer... the tipping point is close (its probably time to reassess and lighten up)
At this point, unless something unforeseen occurs, I don't see bringing the genny, a chainsaw, picnic table, kitchen sink, etc.

Enjoy!

 

[kojackJKU]

our picnic table folds into a small suitcase, weighs nothing, and just tucks into the back of the back seat.

 

[siebermd]

Its a tough balance. Every time Ive gone out, I bring everything I think I need. And 9 times out of 10 I use very little of it. As HappyJoe says, its stressful bringing all that stuff.
Going light is going right I feel. But its sooo hard to leave stuff in the garage. Because you just might need it..... ugg, stress

 

[Rusty762]

Interesting thread, I have always been in the keep it light crowd and my current vehicle is a good example. I grew up in the high sierras and spent a lot of time in the back country and like the back packing mentality, a lot of the gear I carry currently is hiking equipment. I recently returned from a two week adventure in Utah, myself and a friend with a fair amount of gear, ARB fridge and couple pelican cases full of camera equipment. This was the first time I really stretched her legs and I realized for the next trip I want to have a trailer, it would allow me to keep the vehicle lighter when running technical trails, I could have brought a couple of items that would make camping easier like a portable shower and just a few other items that were left at home due to space constraints. For a weekend trip on the Rubicon I keep it light and simple and have no regrets, but for longer trips I am really wanting a trailer. Now if I could just find me one of those money trees....

 

[MOguy]

Interesting thread, I have always been in the keep it light crowd and my current vehicle is a good example. I grew up in the high sierras and spent a lot of time in the back country and like the back packing mentality, a lot of the gear I carry currently is hiking equipment. I recently returned from a two week adventure in Utah, myself and a friend with a fair amount of gear, ARB fridge and couple pelican cases full of camera equipment. This was the first time I really stretched her legs and I realized for the next trip I want to have a trailer, it would allow me to keep the vehicle lighter when running technical trails, I could have brought a couple of items that would make camping easier like a portable shower and just a few other items that were left at home due to space constraints. For a weekend trip on the Rubicon I keep it light and simple and have no regrets, but for longer trips I am really wanting a trailer. Now if I could just find me one of those money trees....

You don't have to spend allot on a trailer. I have a 5X10 cargo trailer ( you can get a smaller one if you wanted) and did a spring over and have 33s on it. You can get a trailer for a few hundred bucks. If you want to make it taller a spring over really won't cost you anything. I got hubs tires and wheels that I can switch off between my jeep or trailer. That will cost more but not a necessity. You can get totes or bags to pack your stuff in and some straps. You don't need to go invest thousand more in stuff to load on your trailer. There are some cool off road trailers but you don't need one to make things more comfortable.

I do have a regular camper trailer I did pay a chunk-o-change for but I only use that for on road adventures at campgrounds.

 

[twiisted71]

for a trailer I would and have gone much cheaper and easier. Look in your local classifieds for someone parting out a mini truck. Even better is to look for one with a matching wheel lug pattern to your rig (unless running 8 lug, then an 8' 3/4 ton or heavier frame/axle/springs/bed 'might' be overkill!). If you want to go enclosed grab a Dodge Caravan, strip it down, knock out the windows (they are HEAVY), chop off the front end to the length you desire and skin/frame with light gauge steel. They will already have real road going rolling gear, and lighting, along with well designed features (tailgate or doors). Again this is just my preference while others would prefer a "purpose built" specialty trailer they can spec out exactly as they want just by ticking boxes on an order sheet.

As age/infirmity creeps up on me, I have come to value the comfort at the end of a ride much more than 'proving' what my rig can do enroute to getting there. I have blown motors, busted axles and generally acted a fool showing I could climb the steepest hill, ford the deepest hole, and cross the nastiest holes enough to last a lifetime. Today I prefer just going somewhere most others can't/don't and don't take the most difficult route I can make up to get there. A queen-sized Coleman inflatable mattress and a battery powered inflator take up virtually no room but make ALL the difference in how I feel when I start off the next day! A cot and wool blanket will do but my inflatable mattress gets me off the ground, insulated from it with a 6" air barrier and takes up no more room when packed, yet gives 3-4 times more room when set-up as well as just feeling more "home-like" to me. I understand that others want to 'rough-it'. Neither way is right or wrong, just a preference.
Fridges vs ice chest and stoves vs campfires are a matter of preference. You are going to have to take food and drink either way. Time of year and locale can have a lot of influence on these decisions. Some folks demand steaks, wine, and a weber BBQ pit at supper and a fancy Keurig coffee in the morning with fresh pancakes and bacon; others are willing to make it with MREs, potted meat and crackers, poptarts and filtered creek water; while others still want to forage for roots, grubs, and berries washed down with filtered urine. Again personal preference will dictate how much stuff is 'needed' and where it is to be carried/towed. I can tell you I have seen dozens of folks when we were full-time RVers whose exotic Florida Keys camping trips turned into nice hotel vacations due to not realizing how miserably hot/humid it is down here 11.5 months of the year! I've even seen folks blow off long awaited hard to get Nat'l Park reservations after enduring the boat rides to get there and realizing what camping meant there vs where they were used to. Again perspective and preference.... Teenagers may have thought it a great adventure while more adult bodies would view it as torture.:camping:ahhh vs.:1888fbbd:Arrrrgh!
For going light I prefer to have as little "camping" stuff in my vehicle as possible, hence the trailer. It only takes one instance of having to walk out of the woods in the dark in a freezing drizzle to make you wish you had a working winch/hi-lift/come-a-long, etc. For most wheeling a winch is like an insurance policy. You don't want to have to buy it and hope you never have to use it, but when you do.......

I have helped far more folks with my 'excess' gear than I've needed for myself, but I have needed them myself and never regretted the fuel/wear/performance penalty from having a winch and highlift on my offroad vehicles.

Running a difficult long trail one way is one of the times I can think of that hard decisions would need to be made regarding what to take/leave. A multi-day excursion wouldn't allow pre-positioning the trailer at a predetermined campsite along the route. Having a trailer along, even the most hardcore offroad version just doesn't always present itself as feasible. Super tight trails that require continuous backing and repositioning of your rig can be totally ham-stringed if coupled to a trailer.

 

[Happy Joe]

I realized for the next trip I want to have a trailer, it would allow me to keep the vehicle lighter when running technical trails, I could have brought a couple of items that would make camping easier like a portable shower and just a few other items that were left at home due to space constraints.

In Moab and similar areas we try to set up camp on BLM land or National Forest; then having unloaded the vehicle proceed to run trails or explore on foot, basically; do day trips, returning to camp each afternoon/evening, then go for a different trail, or series of trails, next day.
The first run in an area is usually something relatively lite like Moab Rim just to get the feel of the terrain.
For multiday linier trips (like the eastern half of the Mormon Trail) we pack light then establish camp each afternoon, maybe do a short hike (if the area is really interesting we may stay at the same base for a day or more, and pack it up each morning. (a trailer would probably make both the trip and the camp setup breakdown more work/less fun, IMO).
Driving difficult terrain is a huge incentive to keep the load light and trailerless, IMO.

Enjoy!

 

[siebermd]

In Moab and similar areas we try to set up camp on BLM land or National Forest; then having unloaded the vehicle proceed to run trails or explore on foot, basically; do day trips, returning to camp each afternoon/evening, then go for a different trail, or series of trails, next day.
The first run in an area is usually something relatively lite like Moab Rim just to get the feel of the terrain.
For multiday linier trips (like the eastern half of the Mormon Trail) we pack light then establish camp each afternoon, maybe do a short hike (if the area is really interesting we may stay at the same base for a day or more, and pack it up each morning. (a trailer would probably make both the trip and the camp setup breakdown more work/less fun, IMO).
Driving difficult terrain is a huge incentive to keep the load light and trailerless, IMO.

Enjoy!

Happy Joe, we are headed to Moab next summer. Taking the trip all the way from the East Coast to do some trails and camping. I have looked at the White Rim trail, definitely want to do that. What other trail do you recommend that we can spend a day or two on?

 

[siebermd]

Well my weight just increased significantly. The Overlander tent from Smittybilt went on sale for $250 off.

Canceled the order.... Lol I just cant do it. I was loosing sleep thinking about all the weight and lack of room for anything else on my rack. Plus not being able to unload everything at the campsite. Maybe after I get a trailer I will get one.

 

[Happy Joe]

What other trail do you recommend that we can spend a day or two on?

If you are going to make that long a trip be certain to hit up the Arches National Park north of Moab.

It depends on the experience that you are looking for, your vehicle and driver capabilities; we typically run in groups of at least 2 vehicles with winches, lockers and medium sized/wide mud tires.
The trails we frequent are some of the more difficult (adrenalin fueled but not extreme) ones (Moab Rim is rated very difficult, I haven't heard of White Rim trail) however there are many trails that can be run with a stock SUV... whatever your vehicle or desires/experience Moab has some trails for you (be careful not to get in over your head some obstacles like Potato Salad Hill (near the dump) are known for roll overs and body damage can be done on many trails.
Gather info, do research and plan the trails ahead of time. Moab is also a world class Bicycling area.
Poison Spider and Golden Spike are de rigueur difficult 4wd trails and taken together can take most of a day (bring water and lunch) if no breakage is encountered (we have driven out in the dark several times).
Hells Revenge can be made into an all day experience or shortened significantly.
My personal favorite is Pritchett Canyon run from the river end toward the highway south of town.
Metal Masher is another that is in the difficult to very difficult category.

There are also some extreme (body damage probable) areas; if that floats your boat (area BFE off road park) comes to mind.

If scenic is your thing there are those too (but we usually don't seek them out)...
There are maps and trail guides available in Moab.

Be safe and...
Enjoy!

...And now we return to Keeping It Light...