It's all relative. IMHO. I know that sounds awfully patronizing, but it's true. Every one of us stands in front of our own experience. "Less is more" is a loaded theory. The most important and immutable factor on what 'less' is, is age: your age. I believe most on here started out hiking, biking, backpacking, car camping, four wheel driving, and moved inexorably toward more comfort and convenience as the decades rolled on. Legions fell by the wayside, stopping at simple car camping, once a year for a few days, or doing that 10 day backpack along the Muir Trail as the pinnacle of their outdoor, adventure travel experience. But you, yes you, kept plugging away following your star to the next form of remote area transit to explore the next great beyond. You are the true loyalist who will trade a little comfort for adventure any day. All those other people are just fooling themselves that they are "expedition campers". But, when you hear in your head, "I don't want to lay on the ground and let the bugs crawl on me any more", you have reached another age-related plateau. I started out a bachelor with a 1949 Willys Ute Wagon with a big 'ol Chevy V8. Got married and wife promptly died on me. Got married once again and added a 1966 FJ-40 ragtop with a plywood hinged bed arrangement for two. A two-camping car family. Then the kids started appearing. Add a jeep trailer to the mix to haul all that stuff you need with kids. On to a 1970 FJ-55 with a snap-on sailcloth boot tent enough room for 2 adults, and 2 kids. Here in the Vizciano desert in Baja with broken trailer springs (moyes)
Then on to a 1980 IH Scout Traveller turbo diesel. Plenty of room. Then a 1982 Jeep Scrambler (CJ8) that eventually turned into a bonafide rock crawler.
The kids are now gone and on their own. We are in stage two: out of the house and out of our pocket. In order to haul my dedicated rock crawler around, I bought a new 2001 Dodge CTD-HO 2500 4WD to tow a 14' car trailer with the CJ8 on. Then in order to not sleep on the ground (tents are now history) at the trailhead bought a small Lance Lite hardside camper.
Along the way too, were three XJ's, and our current 2011 Grand Cherokee. We have now peaked and have shed most of the 4WD's retaining only a few jeeps and the p.u./lance.
I have spent a lot of time getting the Dodge/Lance in EXPO shape for our bucket trip next year: a circumnavigation of the lower 48, counterclockwise, traveling thru all the boundary states in a 4 month tour, September 1st to January 1st. For my age, I would consider the Dodge/Lance TC pretty minimal. No AC. small tanks. minimum insulation. Still, I would not flinch at being reasonably comfortable in a year long trip to somewhere. Which reminds me of the other variable. How long are you out away from civilization? The longer you are out, the more comfort you need. Trust me, a six month winter in Siberia would not be a good thing in a VW bug and a pop tent. (our neighbors, the Wescott's found out about Winter in Siberia in a rag top 4 Wheel Camper, that they no longer have) We have used the Lance maybe 200 nights in the ten years we've owned it and I know this will be the last stop on the age-related calendar of expedition-type rigs for us. We've traveled about 2 million miles in some kind of four wheel drive since 1965 and seen a greater part of the Western U.S.,Western Canada, Baja California, and Alaska.
Our time has come and almost gone. We're good with that.
Could we live with a compact Synchro or a big Euro style expo rig? Absolutely, except the price tag. It's too late.
The bottom line is, "run whatcha brung" and enjoy. Where you draw the line on "less is more" is your own business.
regards, as always, jefe
elder of the tribe.
