Here is a "numbers" report on our trip. We are providing these because other people might want to consider what we are doing as an option for them (actually, this is one of the reasons we write our blog). We see so few people out where we are, but believe many others would love it.
So, here they are:
Days gone: 139
Total expenses: $2300 (add another $500 if one includes a replacement tire). This includes gasoline, propane, camping fees, water, trash disposal, ferry fees, etc. This works out to about $16/day. This doesn't include food, which would be the same regardless of where we were living.
--in other words, this way of living is very inexpensive.
Miles driven: 5751. By far the fewest miles of any of our road trips. 2700 are miles from our home to the desert and back, which means about 3000 in the other 130 days. The reason for driving so few miles is that we frequently stayed in one place for several days--sometimes for almost two weeks. In other words, even driving from a far away location to the southwest doesn't put many miles on one's vehicle.
Average gasoline price: $2.45 THANK YOU inexpensive gasoline. It would have been an even lower average except we were in California most of the time, and frequently in places in California where gasoline prices are even higher than average for that state.
Average gas mileage: 10.25/gallon. It's a guzzler, all right, but our total energy consumption was very low. We used 561 gallons of gas (4+ gallons a day) and 40 gallons of propane. About 600 gallons of petroleum used for 20 weeks. The average home heating using propane is about a gallon an hour. This is approximately what heating with natural gas works out to as well. In other words, we used about the equivalent of two days worth of petroleum products other than gasoline in our 20 weeks.
Water usage: This is another measure of energy use. We could get by with under a gallon a day each. The average American family uses 400 gallons per day. Almost all of our water was for drinking. One can keep very clean with baby wipes and spit washes. And we can take a shower, when we need it, using under a gallon of water.
Electrical consumption: Zero. Two solar panels, and a solar powered shower bag.
Overall, even with driving this gas guzzler we are extremely energy efficient.
Hiking miles: 554
Hiking elevation gain: 12.45 (this is the number of miles we hiked up.........and of course also down)
Hiking time: This is kind of tricky to determine. We have two times. One is the amount of time from the start of a hike to the end of it. This includes stops for photos, for deciding on a trail, and for eating (although we rarely took a lunch break, just stopping to pull a few snacks from the back pack). The second time is time spent moving. Both seem relevant, as even when not moving we are standing, carrying a 15-25 pound pack, etc. We decided the best reflection of time spent hiking was averaging these two numbers. This works out to 283 hours. A little over two hours a day over the course of the entire 20 weeks.
This, for us, was the most important piece of data of all, and one of the main reasons for choosing this lifestyle. We can keep our bodies moving and working an average of two hours a day during the winter. In our mid to late 60s, this matters a lot.
This road trip is the longest stretch we have been gone from home. Other road trips have lasted longer, in total, but we used to come home in the middle of them.
We are so unbelievably compatible about our travels. (you have to be in order to live 20 weeks in the bed of a pickup camper). When one of us feels we have exhausted the possibilities of one of the places we are camping it seems the other is also at that same place, so we leave. We had planned on staying one more day in Twentynine Palms, CA, but both decided to leave.
We left the dry, sunny desert, and returned home to wet, rainy Washington. It is beautiful here. We are so very happy to be home, and are looking forward to seeing our families and experiencing another spring on Whidbey Island.
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