Hey crew!
William here, I just wanted to include a little information from our livestream on Tuesday 07/06. Thanks for coming out and joining me during your busy afternoon.
Recap:
There is a certain feeling associated with being on the road for 20 days straight. You are on no particular schedule so you can wander freely when your eye catches something enticing. I had a absolute blast the entire trip!
You fall into a rhythm of setting up camp at the end of the day and sinking into your uncomfortable lawn chair but it doesn't matter because the freedom you feel overrides the discomfort. At first you dread river showers because of the freezing water but soon get so used to it, every river you see you look for areas protected from the current where you can wash off the daily grime from a long hike or bike ride.
Every morning you pack up knowing that by the time you set camp back-up you will be somewhere entirely different. The way the sun warms your skin, the scent of the native plants, and the sound of the rushing river, it's never the same. Constant sensory overload, it's impossible to take in all the beauty you see and process it that very moment.
Not until after resuming normal life do you start to remember golden moments. Much like when people refer to a certain time as the “good ole Days”, we sometimes have to remove ourselves to see the light from a specific moment. You forget the raging mosquitos, the fact you hadn't showered in three days, and the blisters that were accumulating on your heels. You realize despite those not so great things you had an unforgettable moment.
Dunsel’s made my trip way better:
I had an assortment of Dunsel products. I used four totes, a laptop sleeve and a toiletry bag.
Tote bag #1 One tote was my personal bag with laptop, sunscreen, hats, wallet, and other miscellaneous things I needed often.
Tote bag #2 This tote was a dedicated snack bag that was great because you could reach and get everything while driving instead of fumbling through a bunch of things in the back seat. This turned into a map bag after we ran out of snacks.
Tote bag #3 We used another tote to make grocery runs or when we were walking around a town.
Tote bag #4 Last but not least, one tote became a shoe bag. Easy to clean and big enough to hold a few pairs it worked terrific!
#Toiletry bag
This is where I kept my sacred biodegradable soap but it quickly would fill up with things I used at night like my headlamp.
#Laptop sleeve
This was an vital organizer for me. I kept all charging cables, a knife, cash, sunglasses and random other important things. With the yellow liner, I felt I could always see everything inside.
Traveling more sustainably
ECO Travel Tips:
- Use reusable items
1.1. Tote bag
1.2. Bring a cooler
1.3. Reusable zip lock bags
2. Pack Light
3. Travel over land in groups
3.1. Carbon offsets are not really ta viable solution to our co2 emissions problems. Check out this podcast.
(https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uyUG2HdVQC6QBBVk6YjCF?si=-Vyl7dnlRN2yksQXPgtD0Q)
3.2. Flying produces 5.9 times as much co2 emissions
4. Drink local beer
5. Ride bikes instead of driving when you get to your destination.
Route Notes:
- Milford Connecticut
- East Lansing Michigan
- Sioux Falls SD
- Mount Rushmore
- Big Horn National Forest (Route 14)
- Cody Wyoming
- Yellowstone National Park
- SawTooth National Forest(Stanley)
- Boise ID
- Crater Lake National Park
- Lake Tahoe (Emerald Bay)
-
Sacramento CA (woodland/Davis)
