#vanlife and they don’t even mention climbing

J. Alberswrote: I’m glad they pointed this out. It’s pretty hilarious actually, because a van decked out like people have them is literally just a fricking camper. That’s fine, but let’s call it like it is.... #winnebagolife
You can rebrand it all you want, but grandpa and gran dma were doing this in the 50’s, so it ain’t new or original.

This point reminds of the time a fella was explaining to me his plans to create a tiny home community and I replied quite earnestly, "sounds like a trailer park". His loss for words made the conversation pretty memorable.

If yer gonna go custom, go retro modern.

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/restored-1937-zeppelin-roadliner/

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/1941-ford-western-flyer-is-an-rv-we-d-love-to-be-stuck-behind-93375.html

Luke Robertswrote:

That’s why the word “extra” preceded $15

Ironically, my foot is in my mouth because I haven't paid for camping in about 6 or 7 years and I forget that it costs as much as it does to pitch a tent.

How low can we go?

1. Dirtbags climbing
2. Middle-class hipsters imitating dirtbags
3. Trustafarians imitating middle-class hipsters
4. Instagram influencers imitating trustafarians
5. NY Times reporting what's trending Instagram as if it were an actual trend
6. Middle-class hipsters worrying that imitating dirtbags isn't edgy now that it's in the NYT

Real dirtbags will never know you think their lifestyle is over, because they're too busy living it. Go climb, hipster.

Vanlife has eclipsed climbing. Lo, the vanpocalypse is upon us. Where once climbers lived in vans, now vandwellers occasionally climb.

Time to go back to sleeping under trucks.

I believe there has been an increase in boat sales also, people spending their money in hopes of escaping the pandemic and various lock downs. Once the scientific community wrestles  this virus into control there may be a bunch of good deals out there for both.

David Kwrote: How low can we go?

1. Dirtbags climbing
2. Middle-class hipsters imitating dirtbags
3. Trustafarians imitating middle-class hipsters
4. Instagram influencers imitating trustafarians
5. NY Times reporting what's trending Instagram as if it were an actual trend
6. Middle-class hipsters worrying that imitating dirtbags isn't edgy now that it's in the NYT

Go climb, hipster.

haha. Your definition of "hipster" is probably way different than mine. Portland is a fricking hipster nightmare! plain hipster, shabby-chic hipster, faux-moto-gang hipster, yuppie hipster, hippie hipster, hip-hop hipster, coffee hipster, nerdy hipster, redneck hipster, bar-fly hipster, foodie hipster, feminist-punk hipster, feminist-punk male ally hipster. The list is long!

I'd like to add a "1.5" to the list. Blue collar middle-class. Likes traveling regularly (4 hrs+ most fair weather weekends) for climbing as he lives in a basalt pergatory. Likes making those frequent trips dead simple and comfortable.

Michael Bradywrote:

haha. Your definition of "hipster" is probably way different than mine. Portland is a fricking hipster nightmare! plain hipster, shabby-chic hipster, faux-moto-gang hipster, yuppie hipster, hippie hipster, hip-hop hipster, coffee hipster, nerdy hipster, redneck hipster, bar-fly hipster, foodie hipster, feminist-punk hipster, feminist-punk male ally hipster. The list is long!

I'd like to add a "1.5" to the list. Blue collar middle-class. Likes traveling regularly (4 hrs+ most fair weather weekends) for climbing as he lives in a basalt pergatory. Likes making those frequent trips dead simple and comfortable.

Meh, as far as I'm concerned, being in the #1 is about living a life you enjoy and not caring what other people think. They may not be dirtbags, but they're still in the #1 position if they don't spray about it.

I'm pretty comfortable being in the #2 position. :)

David Kwrote: How low can we go?

1. Dirtbags climbing
2. Middle-class hipsters imitating dirtbags
3. Trustafarians imitating middle-class hipsters
4. Instagram influencers imitating trustafarians
5. NY Times reporting what's trending Instagram as if it were an actual trend
6. Middle-class hipsters worrying that imitating dirtbags isn't edgy now that it's in the NYT

Real dirtbags will never know you think their lifestyle is over, because they're too busy living it. Go climb, hipster.

I'd submit I'm a .7, better than your 1. I can camp out of my Honda CR-V any amount of time I like....

Because my (under 800sq ft) house was paid off long ago, and I am able to live off of a very small fixed income. No degree, no "profession", just jobs that paid enough, and being rather content with enough being far less than average. Zero debt.

Yeah, you're defining "dirt bag" as being without a home. I'd say it's more the willingness to live small as a life choice. And climb at will.

Best, Helen

A Dirtbag wouldn't feel at home if they were to have one. The open road is a Dirtbag's home.

Who really gives a shit about people hash tagging #vanlife anyway?

I have a Honda Civic/ tent combo that functions as a van. It gets 50 MPG on the freeway, comes with a Jetboil kitchenette, and I can fit all of my climbing gear inside it. I can also drive it to work.

Vanlife isn't (and has never been) exclusive to climbers.  Sprinters are popular now, but VWs were the "in" setup in the 60s.  Call it what it is -- a mini RV.  Popular amongst all sorts of outdoors enthusiasts and road trippers.

Of course, a trip to any semi-popular climbing spot on a busy weekend will reveal that climbers certainly do love vans... I blame Seattle's tech money.  I do have to admit that it would be pretty convenient to own one.

Dirtbag is a state of mind (or so I'm told), vans are a tool.  You can be a dirtbag in a Honda Civic, a Subi, or a Van, or nothing at all if you want.  If you're using a van as an RV for weekend road trips, that doesn't make you a dirtbag.

Oh no I almost started caring about this.  I better stop.

Artem Vasilyev wrote: I think vans are awesome and comfy, but not 100% necessary to be honest. As long as you have BLM land nearby, and a tent, there is your #vanlife build for like a couple hundred bucks for a tricked out car camping setup. I also sleep on top of my truck (on the roof rack w 2 opened up crashpads) and honestly haven't had anybody bother me yet. It's super comfortable sleeping too, in comparison to sleeping inside my truck, which is cramped (I don't have a long bed that would let me sleep stretched out). I think a reason I never get bothered is that nobody actually realizes or can possibly imagine that a person is sleeping up there - they may assume that I am a bundle of gear. It would probably be more obvious if I ever have to set up a rain fly, but its suprisingly easy to find cover to sleep under so I haven't had to do that yet.

My partner and I slept in a backpacking tent in Joshua Tree BLM for four months first time we went. To be honest it was sort of miserable. This past time being in a piece of shit Safari was also miserable, but with much less sand in every crevice of our bodies! You’ll figure it out soon enough. But really, a van can be pretty nice, but a garage is really the dream! 

You don't need to roll in cash. you do need to be willing to put in the work. it took a solid 5 months to finish my build while working my day jobs.

I earned the sprinter. Have done the whole spectrum and slept in the dirt, in the honda civic, the delta 88 and a whole sucession of vans leading up to the holy grail of vans. The Sprinter :)

I met a guy once who was dirtbagging all of north and south America....on a bicycle with a bike trailer for stuff. Pretty impressive! He had at least two years to go when I met him.

Your build is beautiful, Nick!

Artem Vasilyev wrote:

Once I'm flush with cash I'll be rolling in my sprinter van with the rest of them, no doubt :)

Don't forget about your student loans

Nick Goldsmithwrote: So much hate . so little time. 06, Bought it for 9K spent 4k on the build. super cool tiny house on wheels that's getting 23mpg.  

I'm hatin

hatin that I'm not using it! Nice build, man.