Two Big Reasons to Consider Greendockin'!

For those of you that have been following our blogs, we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and commentary of all the fun that we have had.  One of the biggest reasons for traveling across the United States with only our truck was to show everyone just how much fun it could be.  However, there is another important reason why we made the trip.  We needed to see how feasible it was to live in the back of a truck for a long period of time.  You might now be asking yourself why?  Well that is what I want to write about today.

The headlines over the past month have shown time and time again, just how often the unexpected can happen.  A significant earthquake hits the east coast for the first time in over 50 years.  A potentially dangerous hurricane may cause casos on the east coast as far north as New Hampshire!  The largest earthquake to hit Colorado in over 30 years occurred a couple of days ago.  Riots broke out in England.  Egypt and now it appears Libya will come under new governments.  If you wanted to go back a few months before that, Japan gets hit by one of the worst earthquake/tidal wave combinations ever recorded.  Having said all that I want you to know that I am not a wacko trying to predict the end of the world.  However, I do want to point out that I feel more prepared to handle those types of situations now more than ever before.   I attribute it to the lessons that we have learned while Greendocking.

For those of you that may be reading our blog for the first time, let me quickly explain what Greendockin' means.  It is simply the ability to survive off of the grid.  In other words, being able to live in such a way as to not need the main 'conveniences' found in the world.  For electricity, we have a solar generator powered by a 90 watt solar panel.  We have a 5 gallon water tank and a 5 gallon solar shower to help take care of our water needs.  We have a toilet seat that attaches to a 5 gallon bucket for our waste products.   We also use a variety of things to enable us to cook, clean, and even entertain ourselves.  If we currently lived on the east coast in the path of that major hurricane, we could very quickly leave the area with everything we need to survive for quite a few days without spending any money on meals and lodging.   

I guess what I am saying is that beside the obvious advantage of being able have a great time on vacations, the Greendocking system may one day save our lives.  I hope and pray that it will never come to that, but the great thing about it is that we do feel prepared in case it ever happens.  For the next little while, most of our blogs will cover the little items and tricks that we have learned to rely upon in our adventures.  Hopefully as you follow along, you can pick up a few tips along the way.  Best case scenario, you will learn some things to help you get the most out of your vacations.   If the unimaginable happens in a worst case scenario, we hope that you will find yourself better prepared thanks to what we will be sharing with you.  Happy Trails everyone!