Wandering Retirees

Today we traveled from Sutherlin, OR to Portland, OR on Interstate 5. It was a bit traumatic after so many days when we were the only vehicle on the road. We arrived at our Air BnB a bit stressed and needful of solitude. Unfortunately we had to venture out again for groceries and liquor. It was a taxing journey, but we comforted ourselves with some Starbucks coffee while hovering over the bike at a Safeway grocery store. The only photo I have depicts our trauma.

Thankfully our Air BnB is secluded!

Because there are no glowing descriptions of our travels, I thought I would share some insight into how we ramble.

People always ask how we can pack for a long trip in such little space. Bikers, bicyclists and backpackers around the world know you don’t need to bring much on a journey. After the first few years, we started buying hiking clothing which is durable, doesn’t need ironing and washes up easily. Below is an a sampling of what is on our packing list:

2 pair of hiking pants

3 short sleeve wicking/odor resistant shirts

One lightweight long sleeve shirt

Thermal shirt

Thermal bottoms

A Smart Wool pullover

7 pair of underwear

3 silk sock liners

3 wool lightweight hiking socks

1 midweight fleece

1 lightweight packable rain jacket

1 hat

Lightweight riding gloves

Heavyweight riding gloves

Toiletries/Medications

A little makeup for me

Bug spray (need more)

Sunscreen

Collapsible bowls and cups

Reusable “sporks”

A paring knife

Lightweight lunch bag

Reusable sandwich bag

Small container of dish soap

Laundry line for air drying

Tide stick

8 Laundry soap pods

PacSafe bag for valuables (haven’t used yet)

Tiny tripod

Camera

Apple SD card reader

Extra SD cards

Small flashlights

Anker 5 port charger and charging cords (the Squid)

iPads

iPhones

Mini keyboard (not needed)

2 small packable/collapsible “backpacks”

Spot GPS tracker

Paper maps

Highlighters (still wish we had)

Index cards

Playing cards

Bike manual

Sena Communicator manual

Bike tool kit

Tire kit

First Aid kit

Nalgene water bottle (broke at Crater Lake. Now we have a pink one with the Crater Lake logo)

Thermal bottle for water or coffee ☺️

Walking sticks

Tie downs downs for the ferry rides

There you have it. All of this fits in the side cases and top case. And we’ve been warm when needed in our 45F days.

The walking sticks are in a roll bag on top of the top case.

Honestly, I can’t say I need anything more. I love the freedom that comes with having so little. It’s amazing how much stuff we have that we really don’t need.