The Stuff We Brought

There has been some interest in the logistics of packing for this trip. I approach this topic with my gear-loving, relational, detail-oriented and theatrical readers in mind. If you don't fit one of these categories, I hope you read it anyway.
When planning to drive around the country for an extended amount of time, the vehicle becomes a fairly important factor. After all, it’s really the only space that’s consistently yours. Neither my Rav 4, nor Patrick’s Audi wagon would cut it. I couldn’t bring myself to sell a perfectly good, paid-off car, so my ride is parked within eye-shot of my sister’s house in northeast Portland, taking her own time to reflect on where she’s been and where she’s going.  Patrick’s Audi is in a used car lot. I like to think she didn’t sit very long trying to look pretty, and has made her way to the driveway of a light-footed and nice smelling non-smoker. Both cars are relieved to be free of dog hair and farts for a while. The lucky winner of our vehicle search is the perfectly suited 2001Toyota Sequoia you see below.

I feel like a soccer mom when I drive it.

Although it’s quite perfect just the way it is, we “pimped out” the rig to meet our open-road lovin needs. We took out the third row of seats to create an oversized dog area. To make sure the dog area stayed within its generous confines, we installed a car barrier. Basically, it’s an adjustable set of bars that was super easy to attach to the head rests of the second row of seats. We knew we needed this after enduring a few Bender break-outs that found him Houdinied from the back, whining, drooling, shedding and panting on the shoulder of the driver.

This provides enhanced safety for the driver. Plus, we like to see the dogs behind bars.

Another way we “pimped our ride” was to get a cargo box for the top. Since Patrick got the car, I got the box.  I spent some time researching car toppers and found they range from 8 to 21 cubic feet of space.  They are also very expensive- the big ones are like 700 bucks. Ours was acquired through a victorious barter with a motivated Craigslist seller. The muscley guy from Vancouver, Washington even helped me mount the 18 cubic ft box to the rig for a screamin deal of $250. (half the price of a new one!) At the end of this outing, it will be heavily tattooed with logos from cities, states, venues and parks.

We already have Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Red Rocks Amphitheater stickers.

The last item I attached to the car was a tail gate bike rack that holds five bikes.That may seem excessive, but once you start riding bikes you notice you really do need different kinds for different terrain. This feeds Patrick's love of gear.

It folds down easily so the dogs can jump into the back.

I packed for the trip over a period of weeks. Setting my goal on fitting my clothes into the largest piece of luggage you can buy, I spent an hour here and there making decisions on seasonal items. Since it was summer, I started the elimination process with winter jackets and sweaters. Any decent item that didn’t make the cut went into a bag for my sister- why should perfectly good clothes spend the winter in a basement? As I progressed through the seasons, items went into the suitcase, the bag or a cardboard box until the closet was empty. On the final day of packing, I had piles of items currently in use on my bed-- exercise tops, evening wear, t-shirts, day wear tops, jeans, underwear, comfy pants, etc.-- enduring the painful process of final cuts.

This is hard to lift. Luckily the wheels rotate in every direction.

As I separated my belongings, and separated from them, I couldn’t help but notice Patrick hadn’t touched a single item in his closet or dresser. Except for the t-shirts I thought I had permission to throw away, all drawers, hangers and laundry baskets were still full. (turns out Patrick was joking about me throwing away his clothes and the Toro Bravo, Lake Tahoe polo he got off the back of a waiter there is actually a very sentimental item -AWKWARD)

The methodical technique I employed for packing nearly met my suitcase goal. In the end, all my things fit into that huge suitcase, an additional carry-on and a backpack.

A few nights before departure, Patrick declared that packing his clothes for our trip only deserved about an hour of his evening. I don’t know what he brought, but an hour later there was a bag full of garbage, a goodwill bag, two tubs, a duffel bag and a small carry-on full of clothes, ready to go. You may say, “Wow, that Patrick is efficient!”  However, I carry secret reservations about his packing techniques, based on our New York City trip. He packed 15 minutes before we left for the airport and when we got there, he discovered he only had one shoe. Adding to my reservations, just the other day, I found a home phone in one of his tubs.

In addition to clothing, I was hell-bent on stopping the madness of buying little necessities we already own. I packed three more tubs of supplies we could avoid purchasing and may possibly need down the road. There was one tub filled with a combination of vitamins, medicine, and bathroom/hygiene items. Another held kitchen staples like vinegar, maple syrup and quinoa along with labeled baggies filled with all our spices. The tubs also housed dog items like heartworm meds, brushes and de-hairing rollers. Patrick ended up ditching a tiny lunch box of tools I had packed and adding the screw drivers, hammers, etc.to one of the "necessity" tubs. The third big tub contained biking clothes, shoes, pedals and bike paraphernalia. All the camping gear, snow boards and items not used daily were packed on top the car in the screamin deal cargo box.

A SHORT PLAY BASED ON REAL-LIFE EVENTS

(Rhea is sorting bottles and filling a tub with supplies for the medicine cabinet)

PATRICK: What are you doing?

RHEA: I’m bringing some medicine along so we don’t have to buy stuff we already have.

PATRICK: You’re bringing Pepto Bismol?

RHEA: We already bought it, so why not bring it? One of us might get diarrhea!

PATRICK: When, in the last six months has either one of us had diarrhea??!! We are working with a limited amount of space! And you put gauze in here?

RHEA:  Don’t worry, I’m packing these tubs efficiently- they will take up the same amount of space in the car, with or without the Pepto and gauze.

PATRICK: (in a calculated, evil voice) You tell those tubs, I’ve got my eye on them… there just might be a freak accident that involves some gauze and other things flying out the window along the highway…. (under his breath) ...we're leaving here in a Sequoia and we'll be coming back in a Honda Civic...

[Weeks Later. Rhea and Patrick have been on the road four days and have arrived at their vacation rental home in Denver, Colorado, where they will stay for a month. Rhea is severely nauseous and had been for the last few hours of the drive. She even threw up in a Starbuck’s bathroom.]

RHEA: Thank God we made it. I just need to lay here for a little bit. Ugh.

PATRICK: Do you want me to go out and get you something?

RHEA: (lifting her head and smiling wide, despite her fragile state) That’s okay, we have some Pepto Bismol in a tub.

Fully stocked medicine cabinet in Denver. The space in the upper left is for Patrick's stuff.