How We Quit Our Jobs to Travel the Country Full Time

July 30, 2018February 14, 2019

How We Quit Our Jobs to Travel the Country Full Time

Updated February 2019
We orignially posted this while traveling full-time and living 99% off of savings. Some things have changed and we have updated this post with the changes. New information after nearly a year of travel will be in italics.

We did it! We quit our desk jobs and took off across the country in our converted school bus. A nomadic lifestyle has proven to be tricky and challenging in all sorts of ways and we have tried to document how we made the switch from full-time, white picket fence, 9-5’ers to full-time, skoolie living, nomads!

A Little Background

Rachael worked with the local university in the business office taking care of students that needed financial guidance to remain enrolled and in good standing with the university. She really thrives in an environment where she can help people every day and use her exceptional customer service skills.

I worked in a similar field, managing the accounting and compliance for a job training center that works with at risk youth. I never particularly cared for the work, but getting to interact with young people and trying to make a difference in their lives was meaningful enough to stay there for 4 years.

However, as of March 15th, 2018 we were unemployed and shortly thereafter, became houseless. See, a big component of this plan was to make sure that we could liquidate the assets or liabilities that were holding us in one place and the biggest asset that we owned as a couple was our home. I purchased a house several years ago and had always planned on upgrading it and flipping it or turning it into a rental property. Fast forward to now and the house is rented to a lovely couple and the rent amount more than covers the mortgage and repairs.

So how have we transitioned from a house full of stuff and a driveway full of cars and projects, to a couple that can fit most everything that they own in a short bus and a shed? How we did it is outlined below:

Sell Everything

START WITH THE SMALL STUFF

This is dramatic and over-simplified, but seriously, sell everything. We found so much stuff that we don’t use and that doesn’t bring us any kind of joy. Did I really need six (yes, 6) fishing poles? I fished once in 2017. I sold all but two rods and they will be going in the bus with us. We had several garage sales and facebook posts that sold everything from duplicate things that we both had when we got married to things that simply sat on a shelf and never got used. Start analyzing what clothes you enjoy wearing and which clothes sit in your closet and never get worn. Start making a pile of clothes you don’t want and put them up for sale. SMALL STUFF– ~$2000

MAKE A PLAN TO SELL THE BIG STUFF

After you have sold a lot of the little things that you don’t enjoy, move on the big stuff. In 2015, I purchased a two year old Honda Accord that was cleaner, faster, and nicer than anything I had ever owned. I loved that car. I loved the efficiency and status that came with having a nice car. However, I quickly realized that the price tag was not worth the comfort. We sold the car and Rachael’s pickup truck and are now a one vehicle family, a bus! Not having a car payment and having dirt cheap insurance is one of the most freeing feelings that I have ever felt.

Another big ticket item that needed to go was my project 4×4. This was the first car that I purchased outright after completing college and there was a ton of sentimental value attached to it. It had been on many adventures and hauled most of the gear that I owned to the trailhead or the riverside. It had issues however, and cost several thousand dollars to get it running after the head gasket blew a couple of years back. Once repaired, we sold it and cut our losses. Keep in mind that you will rarely make back the amount of money invested in a project car.

ACCORD SAVINGS- $385/mo

4X4- $3750

Make a Budget and Stick to It

One of the most difficult things for us to do is to stick to a budget and most of that revolves around food and fuel. We have opted to maintain a simple budget and track our expenses as we travel. We encourage anyone trying to live this lifestyle to keep detailed records and copies of receipts for potential tax purposes. Below is the outline of our weekly budget:

Food	125
Gas	125
Gear	20
Supplies	20
Laundry	10
Fun	50
Misc	50
Weekly Total	400
Monthly	1600

As expected, we have overshot our fuel budget significantly while traveling through California and Oregon. We have seen diesel prices exceed $5.00/gal. Below is a more accurate budget breakdown for our travels after four months on the road:

Food	150
Gas	175
Gear	10
Repairs	50
Laundry	5
Fun	25
Misc	25
Weekly Total	440
Monthly	1760

COUNT ON NEEDING A FEW REPAIRS

Our bus is a 2000 Chevy that had 107,000 miles on it when we started the build process, which would lead one to expect a relatively trouble free 20,000 miles or so traveling around the country. Well in four months we have had to replace the brake pads on the front and rear as well as the rear axle oil seal ($700), replaced the Pump Manual Drive ($300), and replaced a broken bike rack ($500) and a bent DIY trailer hitch ($250).

Since then, we have spent another couple of hundred dollars on miscellaneous parts such as fuel filters, fuel pump, and a serpentine belt. All are regular maintenance items that would come up during the regular course of ownership.

If you are planning to travel the country and rack up hard miles on your school bus or van, consider having a pot set aside for repairs and new parts. It helps to be able to replace parts and do some of the work yourself, but count on having to pay a shop to do more of the heavy duty jobs.

LIVE YOUR CONVERSION BUDGET BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

If you are still working on your bus, start using your “full-time” budget as soon as possible even if you are living in the driveway. Accustom yourself to not getting the $5 cup of coffee and start conditioning yourself to ride your bike to work when your weekly fuel budget is spent.

We have continued to use this philosophy as we find housesitting gigs around North America. We use the time to recharge, save some more money, and see a new area more intimately. Likewise, we still live like we are in the bus even though we are in a big house in a beautiful location. This keeps costs relatively stable and sometimes it’s much cheaper.

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE

The only way that a full-time nomadic lifestyle was possible for us was through savings. We began early in our relationship with a fair amount saved up already and once we were married we were able to reduce our expenses and save a lot of our expendable cash for travel.

SAVE FOR THE “END GAME”

What happens when you run out of money? What if your freelance gigs dry up? What do you do if your company doesn’t want to pay you to work remotely any more? Be smart and have a pot of money sitting aside, ideally in a fluid investment (think high-yield savings account), and be prepared to settle down somewhere for a while until you have enough money saved up to have another go at it. At minimum you will need some money to park your rig and job hunt in a new area. Don’t be caught off-guard by not being prepared.

PLAN FOR FUTURE TRAVEL

Where do you want to go on your next adventure? Knowing where you are going will make plans much easier while you travel. For example, we want to eventually travel the Baja Peninsula, so we are making plans to brush up on our Spanish and reach out to businesses that hire ex-pats in the Baja area for work over the winter. Most organizations and businesses don’t look for last minute employees. Reach out and make connections before they are needed.

If you are making income while traveling, consider setting aside $25-$50/month to your “Baja Fund” and keep it separate from your other savings. This will allow you to save toward a goal and have a good chunk of cash to start from when you are ready to make the jump again.

Live Simply

The longer you spend working on this lifestyle, the quicker you will learn what you need or don’t need in a given week. For example, we have found that we can wear a shirt a few times before it starts to smell (and that’s why we do laundry right?). We have also found that if we aren’t working up a sweat, we can skip a shower for a couple of days. Our camp shower gets used regularly for “rinse offs”.

One of the most obvious ways that we have embraced the “bus life” is through using objects for more than one purpose. Recently we bought a huge tray of strawberries at the market and after we were finished, turned the container into a box for our granola bars in the cabinet. For more ideas on reducing your environmental impact while living a nomadic life or a normal 9-5 life, check out our article HERE!

5 STEPS TO SAVE THE PLANET EVERY DAY

Pick Up a Side Hustle

While we traveled the U.S. in 2018, we tried to pick up odd-jobs along the way that could supplement our budget a bit and allow us to experience new things. From working as parking attendants for a massive music festival to shooting residential drone footage in Idaho, there are options out there to make a little side money to keep going.

A lot of folks that we have met on the road have a side hustle like selling essential oils or making handcrafted goods that they sell online. Other folks that we have met maintain real jobs from their vehicles. One of our friends works for a non-profit full-time from his sprinter conversion which allows his wife to pursue her dreams of becoming a nutrition expert.

In September, we reached out to a group that we had volunteered with earlier in the year about volunteering with them again. When we chatted with them, we were suprised that they offered us part time jobs working remotely. We are able to set our own hours within reason, collaborate with people on our team all across the U.S. and save up for more travel. Can you say Alaska 2020?

Are you living life on the road as a nomad? If so, how did you do it? We would love to hear from anyone that has found other ways to make it on the road and avoid the 9-5 at all costs!

As always, thank you for reading along on our travels and adventures. Hopefully you were entertained, enlightened, or otherwise felt like the last few minutes reading this post was a worthwhile investment of your time. If you enjoyed our content, there are a few ways that you can help promote what we do and keep us on the road a little longer:

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July 30, 2018

The Sierras

Entry into the Sierra Mountain Range was special for both of us. Neither of us had ever been to this part of the country and we had both had most of the region on our respective bucket lists for a long time. Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Tahoe, who doesn’t dream about visiting these places? This is how we did it!

Camping

Surprisingly we have found some fairly epic, FREE campsites in California. Because we only spent a few nights in SoCal, we have included those campsites in our post about FREE camping in California and you can find it HERE!

FREE CAMPING IN THE SIERRAS

Considerations for boondocking in and around California:

-Be Courteous

Parking in places that most people don’t use for camping spots can sometimes produce some weird vibes with folks. We found that being friendly and courteous of others goes a long way when living in your car, bus, or truck. When a security guard or sheriff passes you, wave and say hello. Be friendly, you will be surprised how well it will pay off.

-Leave It Better Than You Found It

Our biggest complaint while traveling through California is the overuse and misuse of public lands. If you can’t dig a cat hole deep enough to bury your poop and toilet paper, you don’t deserve to enjoy public lands. Pick up your trash, bury your poop, and don’t leave food laying around in bear country. It’s really simple and when everyone takes care of public lands we all win.

Attractions

California is the most diverse state in the United States. You can surf in San Diego and in a few hundred miles be scaling the granite walls of Yosemite Valley. There are bike trails, hiking trails, OHV trails, sand dunes, beach dunes, thru-hikes, rock-climbing, and so much more. We have tried to summarize our time in California with the highlights of our trip.

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is one of the least crowded and most underrated of the National Parks, in our opinion. In one park you are able to see thousand-year-old trees that have withstood the efforts of humans and mother nature to grow bigger than any other living creature.

The Sherman Sequoia is worth the drive up the winding road into Sequoia National Park all on its own. Better yet, take some time and explore the backcountry of the park with an overnighter to Twin Lakes from the Lodgepole Campground. The permit process is super easy and the park rangers will even rent you a bear cannister to comply with their rules regarding bears and backpacking. If you dare, try to take a dip in Twin Lakes, it will take your breath away!

Sequoia National Park was mellow and easy to navigate. Our advice, with any National Park, is to start your day very early and enjoy watching the crowds wander onto the trail as you are heading back to camp for a mid-morning nap.

Kings Canyon National Park

A smidge North of Sequoia National Park is a park surrounding a canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Kings Canyon National Park. This park is home to amazing views of the parks namesake, Kings Canyon as well as some other notable massive trees such as the Grant Giant Sequoia.

Hot Springs

The Sierras are home to some of the most scenic and accessible hot-springs in the country. We stopped at a couple and have added a few more to our list for our next drive through California.

-Remington Hot Springs

GPS: 35.5758934, -118.5528070

Remington Hot Springs is at the foot of the Sierra Range yet boasts some amazing scenery along the Kern River. The springs were discovered and later enclosed with rock and mortar. The temperatures vary, but we rather enjoyed the experience of swimming in the ice-cold river followed by warming up in the second-hottest hot spring.

-Travertine Hot Springs

GPS: 38.245922, -119.205372

Travertine is a BLM trail-head to a set of hot springs near the town of Bridgeport, CA. There are many springs to choose from but get there early in the day and stake your spot out, it gets busy.

*Keep in mind that many like to enjoy the hot springs in their most natural form, naked. Remember this as you are hiking over the boulders to the springs at Travertine and don’t be surprised when you make eye contact with a 90 year-old naked man slipping into the pools!

Yosemite National Park

The Valley may be one of the grandest spectacles of nature that I have seen. Granite walls tower thousands of feet up from the valley floor, one of the most beautiful National Park lodges ever built, and deep green meadows that stretch as far as you can see are all reasons that everyone should see Yosemite once in their lives.

We spent our first morning in the park driving to Glacier Point, one of the most spectacular views of Yosemite from above. The road to Glacier Point is not for the oversized vehicle or those scared of heights or precipitous drop-offs. Once you reach the top though, you are rewarded with exquisite views of the valley below. Half-Dome is on full display in front of you and several HUGE waterfalls can be seen in the same blink. There are a couple of small interpretive trails around the top and some longer trails that connect to the valley.

Speaking of waterfalls, if you are a waterfall junkie like we are, the Mist Trail will not disappoint. The hike begins at the Happy Isles trailhead and meanders up the valley wall past Vernal and Nevada Falls, two of the most spectacular waterfalls in California. Once you reach the top of Nevada Falls, the trail connects to the John Muir Trail (JMT). The JMT is a National Scenic Trail that wanders through some of the most iconic and beautiful areas of the United States. The JMT takes hikers back down into the valley and eventually returns to the trailhead.

An entire day could be devoted to time just in the Valley itself with sights like El-Capitan, Half-Dome, and the Awahnee Lodge towering over the Valley floor. The morning that we arrived (and added our bus to the ranks of vans, busses, and old cars that belonged to the many climbers who flock to the valley daily) Alex Honnald and Tommy Caldwell had just broken the speed record for climbing El-Cap. The valley was a buzz with reporters and climbers chatting about how they had accomplished the feat several times in the week leading up to it and were merely breaking their own record that morning. There are impressive exhibitions of human ability every week in Yosemite it seems.

Lassen Volcano National Park

As one of the lesser known and visited National Parks, Lassen Volcano National Park boasts beautiful scenery and unique geo-thermal properties that rival that of Yellowstone.

We chose to enter the park at the less popular Warner Valley Entrance and hiked the Devil’s Kitchen Trail. This easy trail crosses through Warner Valley and up the hill to the geothermal pools.

Hiking through the pools was an interesting experience as you can feel the heat and smell the sulfur. The most interesting part of the scene above is that the creek running through the area is still ice-cold while the pools and puddles around it are in excess of 100 degrees!

On this trail we also had our first encounter of the summer with a bear. A cinnamon black bear approached us on the trail and you can read all about that encounter in our article about it: When Nothing Works in a Bear Encounter.

Food, Groceries, and Amenities

GLUTEN FREE RATING: B

Since the majority of the attractions in the Sierras are in fact, in the mountains, it is important to resupply on food and supplies before heading higher in elevation and higher in price. The National Parks and surrounding communities have done a really good job of exploiting the careless traveler with prices that sometimes exceed 200% of what they cost in the real world. While diesel fuel was still $3.85/gal in Fresno, fuel at the gas station leaving Yosemite was $6/gal! I understand the costs of getting fuel into remote places like Yosemite, but it’s not that remote, there is a major road running through it. It’s a bit of a shame when it still costs $25+ for a vehicle to enter the park and $40+ to camp for a night in a parking lot, but the Parks can still gouge tourists for fuel.

I digress. We resupplied in Fresno before heading into the mountains and had really good luck with the shopping center near Woodward Park on Nees Ave. There was a Trader Joe’s and a Sportsman’s Warehouse so we were able to stock up on all of our food needs and replace any broken gear or supplies that had run out. We missed a few things and had to pick them up in Oakhurst, CA and the prices weren’t overly inflated on most things but there were simply less stores to choose from.

Alpenglow Gear Co.

Oakhurst, CA

Part of the appeal of traveling through parts of the country where really affluent sportsmen recreate is that they will sell their old gear to used gear stores and we can in-turn get a lightly used piece of gear that we couldn’t previously have afforded. That’s the idea behind Alpenglow Used Gear.

This shop is just starting out but is located right off of the highway and already offers a wide supply of used clothing, cycling gear, climbing gear, backpacking gear, and much more. The staff is super fun and we even ran into him utilizing another local small business at the coffee shop in town; it’s very cool to see small businesses supporting each other in a tight knit community as well as giving back through trail clean ups and conservation.

The Cool Bean Café

Oakhurst, CA

We tend to only use coffee shops when we need wi-fi and this shop was sufficient at uploading some images and getting out. The atmosphere was really fun but the clientele made our experience crummy, through no fault of the shop. A table of nearly ten, seemingly intoxicated, street youths spent over two hours yelling, screaming, and carrying on while the rest of us tried to enjoy the mellow music that none of us could hear. We would really like to come back and visit this shop again to give it a fair shake.

If you need to resupply on food or supplies, nearby cities of Fresno or Bakersfield are in the valley and quite warm but have all of the stores you would need before a few weeks in the mountains.

The Sierras have been spectacular to visit and we already have a list of sites that we want to spend more time in including visiting this area in the winter when the crowds are smaller and the parks are empty.

July 29, 2018

Free Camping in the Sierras

Remington Hot Springs

Lake Isabella, CA

GPS: 35.576386, -118.552872

Much like many of the sites we review, this is a parking lot. There are pull-outs all along this road, but this GPS point is a lot. It has excellent views of the Kern River below, and access to the Remington Hot Springs just down-hill.

The springs are nice and this spot is a great place to park to enjoy a late-night or early-morning soak.

Behind the Rock

Three Rivers, CA

GPS: 36.409936, -118.94564

This spot is exactly how the title sounds, behind the rock. There is a turnout at this GPS point that is behind a large mound of rocks that insulates the lake-side of the boulder from most of the road noise nearby.

There are toilets just down the road from this spot in the day-use area on the lake and the entrance to Sequoia National Park is only a short drive up the hill.

Stone Creek

Sequoia National Park

GPS: 36.663691, -118.846050

When exiting Sequoia National Park, you will pass Stone Creek Store and just after the store on the left you will see a Forest Service Road that is blocked with a tree. Next to the tree is a new trail/road leading back to several secluded spots.

This is a great spot to explore both National Parks nearby and a short hike North of here is a beautiful cascade waterfall. Animals walk through this area all day and don’t seem to mind people one bit.

Buck Rock Meadow

Kings Canyon National Park

GPS: 36.722725, -118.850537

There are pull-outs all down this road between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Any sized rig can fit somewhere on this road. We found a spot right near a meadow a few miles down the road with a good view and level ground.

There were vault toilets near the beginning of the road and at both park visitor centers.

Bass Lake

Bass Lake, CA

GPS: 37.293835, -119.531886

Bass Lake is more of a stopover campsite instead of a “stay for a week” campsite. We stayed two nights and moved our rig during the day. The sheriff drove by at least once and waved, very friendly. We kayaked on the lake and explored the “town” before heading into Yosemite. Please don’t abuse this spot by having campfires, leaving trash, or being belligerent. This is a great rest stop before the National Park.

The nearby boat launch had bathrooms and potable water. The local authorities are very serious about collecting their day-use fees and were writing tickets during the week while we were there in the early summer. Tread lightly.

Miami Creek OHV Area

Fish Camp, CA

GPS: 37.415164, -119.636342

This is an OHV area and it appears that OHV drivers get to do whatever they want here. We stayed the evening up this road and only had a few rigs “BRRAAAAAPP” past us in the evening. The mosquitos were moderately aggressive, but the spot was level and relatively quiet.

Makes for a great basecamp for resupply in Oakhurst or traveling into Yosemite.

Goat Meadow Trailhead

Fish Camp, CA

GPS: 37.491268, -119.623491

This is a pretty straight forward parking lot and small wooded section nearby for dispersed camping. This is a simple lot with no amenities. Pack it in, pack it out.

Have you traveled frequently in this area and have a suggested spot? We would love to hear about it and potentially add it to our article. Email us at okienomads@gmail.com

July 17, 2018

A View From the Top: Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park

A hike in canyon country with exposed trails, beautiful views, and a chance of a most certain death if you make a mistake makes for a great adventure when visiting Zion National Park. The only thing more dangerous than the trail itself is the thousands of tourists that flock to the trail every year.

Formerly known as Temple of Aeolus, Angels Landing rises out of the Virgin River Valley to a height of 5,790 feet with an elevation gain of over 1500 feet. The rail starts at the Grotto Trailhead inside Zion National Park and is 2.4 miles long. The trail begins with a steep, but wide walking path that terminates at Scout Lookout. Most tourists turn around here and enjoy the views of the summit with very little risk of life or limb. Other more courageous individuals continue up the “chains” to the very top. We hiked this trail in April and the video from our climb is below:

The National Park Service formally recognizes 8 deaths that have occurred on Angels Landing, the most recent in Spring of 2018. Hikers often underestimate the steepness, iciness, or exposure level of the trail and have little options for turning around once they start the climb. Below are some tips to use to decide if you should attempt a hike up Angels Landing:

Insure that you are in good shape before attempting to hike AL- The Trail is steep, exposed, and often requires the use of yours hands to grab chains or to stabilize on nearby rocks. Being in poor fitness, i.e. not able to walk stairs without breathing heavily, will only magnify your difficulties on this trail.

Bring Plenty of Water- Zion National Park is located in the middle of the desert in Southwest Utah and temperatures during the day can reach 100F+. Bring enough water to hydrate the whole way up and back to the parking lot. Keep in mind that Zion National Park requires all visitors to park and ride a shuttle from the entrance of the park to the attractions within, so bring enough water to get you off the trail and back to your vehicle (up to 2 additional hours).

Use the Appropriate Gear- The trail to Angels Landing can be icy for several months of the year and care should be given in the quality and type of footwear that you bring. Traction aids such as YakTraks should be considered if ice is present or simply rescheduling your hike to later in the season. Wicking clothing is important during the rest of the year and a quality day pack or hydration bladder is very helpful for carrying several liters of water on the narrow trail.

Start Early in the Day- Like most trails in the National Park system, crowds of thousands of people will flock to the trailheads beginning at around 9AM. Set the alarm a little earlier, enjoy a cup of Rose Rock Coffee, and start the trail before sunrise to skip the crowds and enjoy some solitude at the top!

Angels Landing, although not overly technical is a dangerous and rewarding hike that requires a bit of thought before embarking. If you enjoyed our post, please stay a while and read about more of our adventures around the country. You can follow our travels more directly on Instagram and Facebook as well.

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018

When Nothing Works in a Bear Encounter

Our legs were tired, our feet blistered and our skin sunburned after hiking 170-miles around Lake Tahoe on the Tahoe Rim Trail. My wife Rachael and I had decided to take it easy and enjoy some small day hikes in the less-traveled region of Lassen National Park, the Warner Valley Trailhead.

We started out on the trail early and reached a geothermal feature called Devil’s Kitchen before most people had woken up in their tents. We enjoyed a quick stroll through the creekside pockets of 100◦F+ water that reeked of sulfur.

We followed the ultra-easy and well-marked trail back the way we had hiked to find the geothermal pools and soon found ourselves face-to-face with something that we hadn’t yet experienced in over 3-months of spending nearly every day outside in the forests and deserts of the American West, a bear.

Rachael stopped first. She reached across my chest, like Kramer from Seinfeld and halted our traffic down the trail. She thought it was a large dog that had escaped it’s owners in the nearby campground, it wasn’t. It was a juvenile brown bear that was too old to be a cub and too young to be a mature bear. My pulse quickened as the bear approached slowly, but directly toward us. I snapped a couple of very quick photos from a good distance then began to execute standard procedure for handling a bear encounter, outlined below. SPOILER ALERT: standard procedure didn’t work.

We ensured that the bear was not a cub- This is really important step in deciding what you are going to do next. If a juvenile bear is alone, it should be afraid of you and run away fairly quickly after you do steps 2 & 3 below. If the bear is a cub with a near by momma-bear, it might run away, but you should be prepared for an angry and aggressive adult bear to follow close-behind the cub. In this case, the bear was a juvenile but not a cub, however, this bear was very intent on walking toward us on the trail.

We made ourselves BIG- In previous encounters with non-grizzly bears, at 6′ 3″ tall, I have had success with standing tall, raising my arms, and jumping in the air to scare off an approaching bear. If you have trekking poles or in our case, nearby sticks, pick them up and bang them together over your head.The idea is to get as big as you can and present yourself as a bigger predator than the bear. After getting big, the bear approaching us was not fazed by our attempts to scare it back into the woods with our size.

We made a lot of noise- Additionally, after we got big, we made a lot of racket. I normally start with a stern and deep “Hey Bear” and gradually make myself louder and more aggressive. We continued to have a fairly aggressive and loud conversation with this bear and it did not react at all. If anything, our words seemed to invite further investigation from the bear. After exhausting all of our options, we resorted to a last resort when dealing with bears, get out of the way.

We got out of the way- After making all attempts to reinforce fear of humans into this small bear’s world, we simply did the only option we had left, get out of the way. We stepped nearly 20-feet off of the trail and away from the bear’s path. He continued to advance uncomfortably close to our position, but passed us with no aggression. Once the bear had passed us, he lingered and seemed interested to see if we would stick around. We walked quickly with our eyes never leaving the bear for more than a couple of seconds. We cleared the next hill and the bear continued on the path away from the trailhead.

After a few minutes had passed, our collective blood pressures dropped and we reflected on what had just happened. This bear, being a young bear and living so close to a campground has probably associated humans with food. This is the unfortunate result of people spending a lot of time in bear-country and not properly storing their food and other scented items. This is a perfect example of why hanging a bear bag or using bear boxes is essential in the wilderness.

Keep in mind that these suggestions are sufficient for black and brown bears, not grizzlies. Grizzly bears are aggressive carnivores and if you encounter one, make yourself as small as possible and play dead. Acting aggressive toward a grizzly is dumb and will get your face ripped off if you are lucky, and killed if you’re not.

Have you ever experienced a bear in the wild? What was it like? We want to hear about your story and share it on our blog. Send us an e-mail at okienomads@gmail.com and tell us all about it.

July 15, 2018

5 Steps to Save the Planet Every Day

Since transitioning to a nomadic lifestyle, we have found more and more ways to reduce our environmental impact. Below are five ways that we have changed our lifestyle to do a little more for our planet.

Stop with the Plastic Sacks Already!

There are very few instances when plastic sacks at the clothing, grocery, or convenience stores makes any logical sense. Around 5,000,000,000,000 plastic bags are produced YEARLY and most of the trash in our oceans is plastic.

Alternative: Use canvas shopping bags instead of plastic. Leave a few canvas bags in your vehicle and remember to take them into the store with you when you shop. Some stores will even give you credit for using canvas bags.

Avoid Using Plastic Drink Bottles

On the many miles of trail that we have hiked and biked across our country we have seen and picked up hundreds of plastic bottles. Some sources claim that a PET bottle takes around 1,000 years to biodegrade naturally.

Alternative: Use a reusable cup such as an Ozark Trail, Yeti, or another of the many different brands that make stainless steel cups. Although the process to produce a stainless cup is less than environmentally friendly, if you use it regularly over a long period of time it is a step in the right direction.

Recycle or Reuse Everything You Can

Did you leave your reusable bags at home and drive across town to the grocery store? No worries, use your plastic bags as trash bags around your house several times if possible. When building our bus, we used old cut up bike tubes as rubber grommets to run cable and PEX tubing throughout the bus. When a t-shirt gets beyond an acceptable state of ragged, tear it up into garage or kitchen rags.

Conserve Electricity & Use Solar Power if Available

Besides our engine, our entire bus is powered by solar power. We have 300 watts of solar mounted on the roof that powers LED lights, a high-efficiency refrigerator, and a small inverter. We have found that when we rely on the sun for our electronics, we waste less and use less altogether. 300 watts has been more than enough to support all of our electronics with some to spare.

Do you have a light on at home while you are at work? Is there weather-stripping around one of your windows that lets in outside air? All of these things can require more electricity and cost the environment and your wallet.

Conserve Water

Perhaps the easiest and most time-honored way to save the planet is to consume less water. The average person uses 80-100 gallons of water per day. In our bus with a simple 12V water pump and small storage tanks as well as our re-usable water bottles, we use less than 80 gallons every two weeks! Here are some ways to reduce your water consumption at home:

-Don’t run the water while brushing your teeth

-Skip watering the lawn

-Ensure that all plumbing and fixtures operate as they should and don’t leak

-Replace inefficient appliances with High Efficiency units that use less water and electricity

-Take shorter showers

We hope this list has been helpful and that you have found new ways to help the environment. If you have different ways that you reduce, reuse, or recycle, please send us an e-mail! We would love to learn some new tactics to reduce our footprint.

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July 4, 2018March 5, 2020

FREE Camping in Southern California

We were pleasantly surprised to find more than enough FREE camping SoCal and we didn’t have to camp in a Wal-Mart parking lot! Below are some of our favorite sites from our time in Southern California.

Laguna Mountain

Julian, CA

GPS: 32.977978, -116.524818

We end up in trailhead parking lots a lot of the time because they are well-traveled, have access to trails, and normally have toilets. This spot was simple, had a great view of Anza Borrego in the distance, and was right on the Pacific Crest Trail.

There are quite a few level spots here and a vault toilet is available. Take a walk on the nearby Sunset Trail for beautiful views at the foot of the Sierras.

San Diego River Preserve

San Diego, CA

GPS: 32.76000856, -117.2250726

This site is a pull-out along the San Diego River in the heart of SD. There is bound to be a fair bit of traffic noise and potential conversations with homeless people living nearby, but you can’t beat the location for a quick night’s sleep and 5-minute drives to Sea World, Ocean Beach, and much more.

This can be an intimidating place to park, but we left our rig here for 4-5 hours at night and rode our bikes to Ocean Beach to have dinner and drinks and enjoy the ocean. There are plenty of runners and cyclists that use this abandoned road day and night, so we never felt unsafe here.

Law Street Beach

San Diego, CA

GPS: 32.8025916, -117.2595628

This section of curbside next to Pacific Beach is one of the best FREE camping spots we have ever had. The view of the Ocean is magnificent and the amount of active people around was very refreshing. There is not a lot of solitude here, but there is plenty of ocean to share.

This site had bathrooms and showers nearby and one only had to make sure not to park here during street sweeping, one day per week.

Thomas Mountain

Anza, CA

GPS: 33.5792566, -116.6241575

There are loads of pull outs and campsites along this OHV trail/road near Anza, CA. The road can be a bit rough and steep, so we stopped short of the top and had a great view of the valley below.

Vehicle with low-clearance should really try somewhere else, this road is rutted and rocky in places and could be hard to navigate in a rig larger than 24 feet.

North Joshua Tree BLM

Joshua Tree, CA

GPS: 34.172932, -116.224663

If you are looking for a peaceful escape from the modern world, this is not it. This is a dry creek bed that is used heavily for off-roading, dirt biking, and any other loud vehicle driving that you can think of. The lake bed is beautiful and very flat, but don’t plan on going to sleep until dark.

This is a perfect overnight spot before entering Joshua Tree National Park. The West Entrance is just minutes away and has a bathroom and brochure station for the park.

Sawtooth Canyon (New Jack City)

Barstow, CA

GPS: 34.670395, -116.98423

We recently (March 2020) added this campsite as we traveled to LA for work and this made a perfect stopover from Northern Arizona.

This campground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is very busy in the climbing season (October-March). There is a ton of climbing available in this area and something can be found for climbers of all skill levels. This site has toilets but they were full when we visited, there was also zero occupancy when we arrived on a Wednesday night in March-arrive early. All in all, it wasn’t a bad place to stopover on the way to LA. Be sure and hike to the top of the ridge and check out the views looking toward Big Bear.

We had some of our most unique campsites of our whole summer in So Cal and we think you will enjoy them too! Did we miss any spots along our route? E-mail us and let us know!

July 2, 2018July 2, 2018

The Mist Trail: Hike Through Yosemite’s Iconic Waterfalls

The Mist Trail

Distance: 3 miles to Vernal Falls (round trip), 7 miles to Nevada Falls (round trip).

Elevation: 4000 feet @ trailhead, 1000 feet to Vernal Falls, 1900 feet to Nevada Falls

When to Hike: Mid-April thru Mid-July; You want to catch the peak runoff flow from the mountains into the valley to get the best waterfalls. Time of day is a huge factor on this trail as well as it is extremely popular. Pack a snack, eat a quick breakfast and hit the trail by sunrise to avoid the crowds on the way up and barely catch them on the way back down.

Why Hike This Trail: Simply put, the views! Spectacular views are scattered throughout this half-day hike. Views of both falls, Liberty Cap, and the rest of the valley can be had from nearly every spot of this hike. An added bonus is you get to hike a section of the iconic John Muir Trail (JMT) on the way down from Nevada Falls.

Time to Complete: Depending on distance, fitness level and time of day, this trail can be completed in 2-6 hours.

Difficulty: The climb up the falls is not technical, but it is strenuous given the elevation gain. The hike down is mellow with gracious switchbacks.

What to Bring: Rain gear and plenty of it. The hike up runs right along both large waterfalls and you will get wet, very wet. Bring a jacket and something to protect your camera and other electronics. Also bring plenty of drinking water and snacks for the top of the hike, there’s a good chance you could be worn out by the time you reach the top.

Parking: Park at the Happy Isles Trailhead and walk on the paved path toward the falls. There is a nearby campground if you’d rather spend the night close to the trailhead and bathrooms are plentiful both on the valley floor and all along the Mist Trail.

Enjoy this beautiful trail and remember to be aware of where you are at all times when outdoors. More people die in Yosemite National Park on the Mist Trail than anywhere else in the park. Most accidents occur from hikers falling or swimming in the water and being swept away by the current.

Month: July 2018