009 - The Box Of Many Things

It has been a week since we started painting streams and fixing things up around the work room, and what a week it has been for streaming. Twitch has been fucking up all week, throttling me between noon and 4 pm, so now my streams will have to wait until the late afternoon before I can do anything reliably. So for now, we sit and wait. 

We also sit and wait for today's delivery, since we mounted the stud boards and rails to the underside of the bench rather expertly in under an hour. Measured for holes, drilled them, checked spacing with bolts, re-drilled a couple holes because oops (next time paper template), placed rails and then final bolts in place - washer on top, locking ring on bottom. Today's delivery is a box of 1000 staples I needed because my original box vanished somehow, plus some 1/8" x 12" x 18" basswood panels to be the shelving on the rails (plus screws for the mounting). 

The plan is easy enough - hot glue the panels as double stacks to make them 1/4" and staple perimeter to reinforce, then drill holes at each end to mount, and mount with the new screws. Flat, sturdy shelf at 36" for holding all my supplies and tools at the moment, plus a place to keep the desktop PC to maximize work surface on top. The spacing of the rails is 16" 

Speaking of which, I ordered myself a new gaming desktop PC, which arrives Wednesday, and should last me the next several years (much the same way this one did). The workshop PC will remain a workshop and utility PC, and the new PC shall be solely for games. Both will stream, but reducing the strain where possible is best. 

While we wait for supplies to show up, we spent some time planning out the contents of the emergency box, shown below. I took one side panel and the bottom panel and comped them into shape, then started adding items to fill the space without going over the edges. Mostly. The emergency food on the right (6 bricks) and the three 1-liter collapsible bottles (with 26 treatment tabs, for 26 liters of water total) are not easy to place, but their volumes will fit inside the footprint of the box. 

As for the items inside the footprint, we have a flat scuba knife in front. To the right, there are three aluminum mint tins (taped shut for waterproofing) that contain matches, a sewing kit, and fuel sticks (cardboard and wax). On top of that we have a cheap multi-tool. Behind that, the red first aid kit, and on top of that a collapsible hand saw (which is really good and I will be ordering a second one for the shop). The yellow pouch in the back contains the emergency tent and some paracord, and the two army green pouches have the emergency sleeping bags. I have included four red glowsticks as well, and a rechargeable headlamp, which is resting on top of the four sealed emergency mylar blankets. There is still plenty of stash room for paracord, lighters, maybe tossing in a USB charger and power bank. 

Once I have everything lightly assembled on the box, I can start finalizing the contents, but right now I feel good about this setup. We have food, water, shelter, first aid, illumination, and utility all covered, plus the knife is basic self defense I can strap to my belt or ankle. Will probably add a fourth bottle and more water tabs as well, for cooking purposes. Other items like a poncho or collapsible grill would likely be throw into a bag if needed before bugging out. 

Actually seeing what will be included in the box recharges the motivation to keep working at it, despite the delays on materials and setbacks to the process. I will have everything I need for Friday's crafting stream, which means I will be able to work on the shelves all week prior to that. Staying winning. 

008 - The First Stream

Today is the first stream from the new work table, in celebration of my fifth year streaming on Twitch. It was a lot of work getting everything ready, fresh problems popping up every time a new problem is solved. The chisels arrived, and they were not for wood, so I needed to emergency order a set of wood chisels. They arrived and I learned about chiseling, so that's a new skill set I will be working on as well since I don't have room for a router just yet. 

Chiseling chiseled, bracketing bracketed, monitor setup, but then the spare desktop I was going to use as a streaming burner didn't have the proper driver version for OBS Studio. In fact, the GPU itself was the issue, and unable to be upgraded since it was integrated into the board. So now we have the gaming stream computer in the work area, and that will be what we use for the time being - and we will also be gaming from here as well. 

Which means we will need to speed up the upgrades to the bench while we are working on other projects, which begins Friday. I am not trying to move the desktop from room to room for eternity, so the first upgrade to the bench will be the storage rack. The holes in the supports on the bench will have 1.5" x 3.5" stud boards bolted on, then aluminum T-rails affixed on top of those - the rails have M5 holes 2" from the ends and then every 4" between. The vision is to affix the rails on top of the studs, then affix hardwood panels on top of the rails as a shelf for tool bags, project boxes and storing the desktop PC tower (right now it's on the work table). The shelf underneath will need 90mm M5's (ordered) for the studs, then other M5's for the panels (to be ordered later), but the panels themselves will be ordered once that step is complete, since I can't know what I am working with until the rails are in place. 

There's a short list of projects I will be drafting up as well:

• A miniature painting supply case, holding my paint rack, brush case, and palette. It needs to be lightweight with a locking front door, and I am thinking magnets instead of a clumsy latch, simple knob on front, handle on top. Store that under the bench when the shelf is complete. 
• Shoe rack, as a simple "classic" project. Bottom for storing boots, angled shelf for ankle height shoes and slippers. Chose this idea for both function and more intermediate design. 
• Standing pegboard tool rack. Locking wheels on the bottom so I can move it around the work room. Spacing between the vertical supports to drop the panels down. Wide base to accommodate hanging tools on the peg board, as well as a small platform in front for heavier tools. 
• Bench extender rack. Maybe an additional two feet past the length of the bench, same height of the work surface, again with locking wheels. The extra space would be ideal for laying out larger lumber or cloth. Could also attach a vise to the top, and make straps with clips to secure the extender. 

It's all little projects to start with. Get used to the tools as I go. Learn how, pun intended, wood works. Amass a collection of screws and nails. 

In the meanwhile, here's the work table, assembled and ready to go.

007 - The First Bit Of Progress

So the work table arrived a day early, and I got right to it. Maybe 30 minutes in total of work, the instructions were clearly drawn and the parts all fit properly. Attached the lamp arm easily enough to the back of the table, plugged it into one of the USB outlets. The only issue was the spare monitor stand I had from my computer desk - the brackets were spaced thinner than the wood top of the table, so I needed to order a set of cheap chisels to thin out the wood on the back. The downside is this will permanently deface the underside of the wood. The upsides are the surface of the table will remain unmarred, and the monitor stand will have a slotted position to be even more secure. 

This is the part where I start using the things I have learned from all the videos I have watched, namely making templates from cardboard, tracing and scoring the wood before the chisel even touches the surface. Eyeballing it, we are looking at 3/16" needing to get taken off, and the brackets are 1/2" spacing, so 11/16" thickness on the wood top is crazy sturdy (and where 33 of the 40 pounds of weight went). 

Luckily the outlets are on the right side like I wanted. I also thought up ANOTHER PROJECT just assembling the table, and that would be using the cross beams on the bottoms of the legs to build a shelf that supports both tool cases AND the computer tower for streaming from the table. Which also means I need to add a pullout drawer underneath the table for the keyboard and mouse. Not the worst thing in the world to have to buy, but still a pain in the ass. That can be the weekend's problem after the table is setup and properly facing - I should have the floor panels by then as well, so that's another issue averted. 

Thinking of placing the computer tower outside, off the floor, to the right of the table - the keyboard and mouse would be able to easily reach from that side, and the monitor stand would be mounted on the back there. Webcam mounted on the ring light, easily reaches over the center of the table. Computer, monitor, standing lamp and wifi router only require a power strip. The power box on the table takes the other grounded outlet, and there's a cutoff switch on the power box so I don't leave anything running when not in use. 

Already took the measurements of the underside of the table. Originally I had wanted to make a pullout bench, but seeing there were mounting holes in the cross bars on the legs, a better idea presented itself. I take two lengths of 1" x 2" board, mount them into the holes, then take additional planks and mount them across the length of the table underneath. Leave spaces between the planks for style points. Also thinking it would be a good time to add Danish oil to the new lumber to learn that as well. Drop cloth over the table, latex gloves, shop cloth (or old shirt), wipe on, set, wipe off.

Until I acquire power tools, I only have the one tool bag to store, so we can make the computer storage part modular in time. The biggest concern will be sawdust, followed by heat and ventilation for the tower, so it's possible a custom casing will need to be made from basswood panels and a small exhaust fan. Thankfully the tower is slim, 12" x 12" x 4", so it won't take up precious real estate underneath. 

For now, however, chisel and mounting for tomorrow. 

006 - A Change In Plan

I made a decision, executed the decision, and am now sitting and waiting for said decision to begin momentum.

The decision was to get into carpentry at home in my apartment, which sounds weird, but is entirely doable. Drop tarp for the floor, light vacuum for the dust. I already pulled the trigger on a cheap starter work table, 48" with AC outlets and USB ports. Wishlisted a Ryobi cordless tool set, a dustbuster, and already thinking how to improve my apartment for cheap. First step will be assembling the bug out box. Second will be designing a storage bench to keep under the table when not in use. Keep all the tool bags and what not inside. Maybe some locking wheels underneath. 

So, yeah, making actual moves in life now towards the camper van goal. I can't progress on the practical front until all the supplies are here, but I can still come up with new projects and what have you. Before I even start the bug out case, there's the initial building of the table, setting down garage tiles (4' x 3' total) underneath to protect the floor and carpet, and affixing my lamp arm and other devices. Probably order some pegboard hangers for the holes in the sides, this way I can hang some of the electric tools, mainly the glue gun and staple gun, perhaps a hammer and some pliers. 

Ratchet set will be under the table, probably make myself a little rack for screwdrivers if I can't find one cheap. The arm-mounted ring light goes on whichever side the outlets are on, likely facing the right. Figure out how to rig and store a second desktop PC there, because this will also be a tabletop mini painting area. Streaming small projects and mini painting from the second location, but also maybe pencil and paper drafting streams as well. Time will tell, but we will be looking at options. 

Assemble the work table, take measurements, start planning a tool bench that can be sat upon. I also will be looking into getting into more fun projects, like building an emergency water purifier that runs on 12 volts (expensive but it works). Plenty of things to keep myself occupied in the seasons to come, especially since it will be too cold to do much else. 

Lots of moving parts in play. Lots of Amazon packages on the way.

005 - The Solution At A Glance

So, the trigger was pulled on all the materials except the 1.5" webbing and clips. Since I won't need those until last, they can wait. The inspiration here was "Chinese food container" and I will explain my reasoning.

The fully assembled and secured case will be roughly 6" x 12" x 12" like I previously posted, but sealing all the sides  to be waterproof would be a massive pain in the ass. There would be a requirement for additional panels to wrap around the case, and even then it would take all manner of engineering to rig it correctly on such a small budget. I had to scrap the idea of designing it around what the panels would hold, and instead design it around a closed case - meaning the bottom panel would now be the starting point of the design. 

The first step will be using hot glue to line up the full size panels on top of each other before securing with staples. Second step will be using a metal edge and utility knife to cut another four panels in half, and repeat the process of squaring and stapling. that makes all seven panels required for the body. The steel rods are only 2.5mm thick, so we will take four pairs of those, cap them with rubber paracord tips, and hot glue to secure those in place - this way the steel rods will not puncture the tarp from normal wear and tear. The four reinforced rods will be at the long edge of the bottom and top panel for extra support when carrying. 

When carried, we will still have a handle on top, and we will be replacing the cross-body strap with a removable shoulder strap, but the mechanism has changed from fold-out to fall-down to open. The tarp uses less material this way; simply comp and trace the pattern, then cut everything but the bottom edge of the image below - that will be our fold line. Fold it in on itself so that the brown is the visible layer and add an extra inch to the outline, like one would do in a fabric pattern. This outline will be how we seal the panels and rods inside each section of tarp as we go, dab of glue at the corners, then staples along the outline. Leave slight gaps between panels so there is limited movement to shift and fold. 

The key element of waterproofing the case comes from the four diagonal parts of the tarp at the main part of the image - when the box is closed, it will resemble a bucket inside. I did this not only to ensure that water could not get in from the outside, but that water could also be stored inside the case in an emergency (with the items removed first, of course). The two side flaps on the top panel would drape over the two open seams at the top, meaning even in the rain the closed box will not have water getting inside. 

The tops of the two side panels will have an adjustable and detachable 1.5" shoulder strap, with metal attach points secured with 1" webbing. When fully boxed up, there will also be two sets of 1.5" straps attached at the back of the case, cut in the middle with buckles affixed. Once the box itself is assembled, I can move onto the individual pockets and pouches for the storage layout. 

Seeing as how most of the items thus far have a longest dimension of 6" or less, and the case will probably rest around 6.5" inside, a lot of real estate is opened for the interior. Instead of my original plan to use a 12" x 12" panel for the emergency shelter, I can now fit everything along the bottom panel, still leaving me with 6" x 9" x 12" of storage above that for food and sundries. 

As far as sundries go, I have a bag of red glowsticks that can be used in a pinch for lighting (why I purchased them) as well as blacklight pen lights. I can make a small firestarting kit that fits in an Altoids tin (cotton balls, magnesium shavings, flint and steel, Bic lighter). Order a 12 pack of emergency rations (either coffee bean or honey butter) for roughly a five day food supply. Get some collapsible plastic bottles for water (which I can quickly fill at home before leaving), and include purification tablets I already possess (probably the same five days' worth). Build a small first aid kit. Include some lengths of paracord. A multi-tool. A knife. Maybe a folding hand saw. Tiny sewing kit. Some KN95 masks in a Ziploc bag. That's a whole survival kit in a small case. 

It would also be a smart idea to attach some webbing on the sides and a mesh net on the exterior of the outer panel to give me access to store a poncho, emergency radio, other small implements that may prove useful in an emergency. While the radio should be kept in the waterproof inside, it's in a black tactical pouch currently, so black against brown isn't so bad in most conditions. Besides, it takes up the same space as the tent and sleeping bags at the bottom, so once the shelter is setup, the radio can just get dropped inside. 

While the inventory case from Sons of the Forest had badass LED strips that changed color, I don't see this as a practical option. If I need a bug out bag, it's because I am trying to avoid detection, not invite it. It's why the red glow sticks are included, and truth be told I could probably throw in my other rechargeable headlamp that has red light. In fact, I will do exactly that, plus a USB cable or two with wall charger.

With every emergency need covered, that means I can save room and time in a larger pack for other "quick grab" items - hatchet, machete, rainfly, hammock and ratchet straps, personal wipes, more water tabs, more food, mess kit, more first aid, spare socks and shirts, etc. Again, I am not EXPECTING to need to bug out of where I live anytime soon, but with everything being what it is these days, you can hardly blame me. Plus it would be a vital addition to the camper van in case I am ever broken down in the middle of nowhere and need to physically hike for help. 

The things we do to keep our brains active during periods of inactivity, amirite?

004 - A Little Project On The Side

So I was playing Sons of the Forest with a friend, and going back and forth into the inventory case had me thinking, and then literally say on stream, "I could probably build this in real life." So then I got to looking up prices and what basic materials I would need to make such an object. 

A heavy duty 10' x 12' tarp gives enough sturdy, waterproof material to work with. A pack of 1/8" x 12" x 12" birch panels gives me plenty of solid backing required, pre-cut, and lightweight. A pack of 12" steel rods gives me framing support when needed, at least on the top and bottom. An electric staple gun to attach the tarp to the wood panels. I have a bunch of strap adjusters for 1.5" webbing, so we get webbing and clips to secure the overall structure. All the basic concerns are now covered. 

So what will actually be put inside the case?

This was the biggest question, because while building something for the sake of building it is cool, yes, having an actual utility function would be even better. The solution was simple: this is my bug out bag now. Emergency shelter kit, emergency sundries, emergency food, everything goes in its own little place. 

With that in mind, I can take the panels and comp out what supplies would be going into it, pencil out how much space is needed for each item, and design the layout in Corel Draw. This will greatly help when determining how the panels will be setup in terms of folding and how much space between layers is needed. Once I have the panels comped out and the dimensions needed, the layout will be sketched out, and I will also be using 1" webbing and mesh netting for pockets. 

Ideally, the setup will be a square/rectangle when opened, so I can fold the tarp in on itself before stapling, waterproof both sides of the panels at once. The gear won't be floating around loose, but individual compartments will be setup using the mesh netting, and 1" webbing as both outside border and divider between pockets. The real tricky part will be keeping it low profile at 12" x 12" in terms of thickness. I'm thinking 8" x 12" x 12" to keep it in "backpack" dimensions, probably with reinforced top and bottom and a webbing handle on top for carrying, as well as a diagonal webbing strap for wearing on the back for short periods. 

Right now, until I have everything I need to include measured out, we will just sketch possible layouts for the panels. 

The project begins.

003 - Considering The Considerations

So how exactly does one consider the considerations? What does that even mean?

Simply put, it's how much can you strip back on modern accommodations and conveniences before extended living becomes unlivable. How many things are you able to go without for weeks at a time? What basic needs can you easily cover, and which ones will take some special adjustment or addition? How primitive and how advanced are you willing to balance yourself?

Personally, I can do without a lot of things. I grew up in poverty. No central air conditioning. No central heating. Processed and canned foods. Simple mattress and bed. I am already locked in for a no-frills life, and I have not actually changed much since. At the absolute basic level, the only real needs are shelter, storage and mobility. The van must be able to travel under its own power, it must contain all the items I will need to survive, and it must be insulated and waterproofed against the elements. 

As far as bathing goes, I could get by with military showers in a shower enclosure outside a van, and even go so far as to get a Planet Fitness Black Card to get in gym time with showers on the sly. Toilet use? Find a shopping mall, fast food place, public building, aforementioned Planet Fitness for instances outside, and a simple compost commode for the van itself (and even then only for solids with a liner). Maybe a collapsible rubber basin as a wash and shave station if a full shower isn't necessary. Small shaving mirror and kit. Done.

Which brings us to the next consideration, water storage and disposal. After seeing how much others have put into plumbing, both cost and effort, I came to the conclusion that I do not require as much running water as they do. Every system I have seen revolved around electric water pumps, propane water heaters, and drainage through the bottom of the van. The inclusion of a shower stall alone is like building out an entire room that needs waterproofing and extra finishing, and takes up valuable real estate for storage and living. As far as a sink goes, we have the wash basin on standby, plus I can always get another basin for washing dishes to save on storage and costs. 

With no plumbing needed, that's more space for water storage, which would be located under the utility counter. In theory, with a 22" x 22" x 22" space, I could store eight six-gallon jugs of water, which would be enough for one month of basic survival (drinking one gallon per day, leaving 18 gallons for cooking, cleaning and hygiene). Maximum capacity, that much water weighs 144 pounds, which could be stored in separate areas to balance things out (but likely not much of an issue in a work van). Gray water wouldn't be much of an issue either - many campsites and RV accessible areas have gray and waste water disposal tanks and pipes. 

Then, there is the concern about heating and cooking. Easy and done, propane tank. A 30-pound tank can be stored easily inside the van, in a secure and padded cabinet. A short hookup from the tank to the utility counter through a cabinet wall, add an emergency shutoff valve on the hose. When not in use, both the emergency cutoff and tank valve stay off, and a simple propane stove can be stored in another cabinet. Since you can't have open cooking flame running all the time, I would get another length of propane hose and a second emergency cutoff valve, and connect that to a mountable propane heater (likely mounting it securely to a cabinet edge myself). If the van is properly insulated against the cold, the heater would quickly fill up the space with heat and dissipate slowly over time, so I wouldn't need to keep it burning long. 

For staying in a state park or a campsite, however, cooking could be done outside if open flame conditions allow. A collapsible firepit with grill top, some scrap wood scavenged from fallen trees, or even a bundle of firewood stored inside, and that saves on propane use for cooking and potential heating if it's not too cold out. While propane makes a great primary source of heat and fire, having the option to cook with wood flame (or charcoal, again, options) changes the setup and storage in the long run. 

After that, we come to electrical, and this is the part of the construction that will probably cost the most and be the most difficult. We are going with a solar charging system, and have decided on a minimum 400 watt panel setup on top, likely two 200 watt panels hooked up in series (maximize voltage). The real question from here is whether to buy an all-in-one system, where the components are included, but there is no modular customization, or buy and install each component independently, which is easier to finance and upgrade over time? Either way, I will also need batteries for increased storage, so that is another factor needing factoring in. 

The next thing about the solar power system is it would need to be backwards compatible with the van alternator as a separate connection, so the van can charge the batteries while driving around. This means the solar panels will be charging the batteries while staying still, and the vehicle itself can charge the batteries while traveling, but also vice versa - the solar panels can charge the van battery while stationary as well. This system lends itself to a custom setup with upgrades rather than an all-in-one, but some power stations might have that feature installed standard, so more research would need to be done. 

As for what we would be powering with the system, the main concern is food storage, which can be done with a 12 volt DC fridge. Inexpensive and small enough to be stored away under the bed, most can be used as a refrigerator or freezer, and can hold enough food to be kept cold and fresh. The power drain of running it 24 hours continuously, however, would be 1440 watt-hours, or 60 amp-hours (which is where we get into the math and science of power systems). A 2000 watt-hour all-in one would cost me $2000 easily, but the majority of the power consumption goes into the fridge, and there are still other things needed to power. 

There would need to be at least one exhaust fan mounted in the ceiling, which would average 528 watt-hours, and that caps the 2000 watt-hour all-in-one system for just two devices. Granted, actual drain would vary, but you need to know what kind of drain you are looking at under full strain, and 1968 out of 2000 wouldn't allow anything else to run for the day. That means an additional battery is needed, for a combined storage capacity of 300 amp-hours minimum (the fridge would use 20% of that, previously listed at 60 Ah above). Exhaust fan would be 1.85 amp-hours, 44.4 for a full day, which is roughly one-third of the total battery capacity. 

Which is how we understand why electrical systems are so complex. So many numbers and units. 

We also need interior lighting, minimum three, maximum four, 1 amp-hour per light - these would not be on 24/7, but the rating is still necessary to know. We also need two outlets, one for USB devices, one for AC power - these would be for short term operation of electrical equipment, recharging devices and batteries mostly. Low drain, but still necessary to factor in. Then we have our tertiary cooking option, because propane and open flame might not be possible, which means the dual induction range (high wattage, but 120 volt AC, so moderate amp usage). We also have another power concern being external cameras and the visual display panel - runs on 12 volt DC, and should be low current, but another potential 24/7 operation, which is why 320 Ah battery is a bare minimum for storage. Finally, I am thinking two forward mounted LED lights for high visibility while driving in fog or total darkness, with an independent toggle switch on the dashboard - again, low drain because of situational usage. 

Then we have completely optional, independent electrical devices. I could wire external flood lights to the power supply, or I could get solar powered motion sensor lights for the outside. These would save on power drain from the battery for sure, first because they recharge daily from the daylight, and second because they are only on when they are triggered, so their daily consumption is extra low. Another consideration I am leaning heavily towards is a rechargeable solar exhaust fan to mount near the bed on the wall - low voltage and amp, solar panel for recharging, and would only be used at night or if the inside of the van is too hot (on a sunny day, this would just be running in the sun). It might also be smart to wire these into the overall system with a kill switch - top off the batteries during daytime charging. 

Saving on the water pump, a water heater, not having a flat screen TV included as a "need" - these are all the little decisions that get made in order to maximize efficiency. The final consideration to consider would be storage. 

Need at least one spare tire, and the tools to replace said tire in the field. Need at least 10 gallons of gasoline stored in jerry cans for emergency fuel. Need a couple small propane tanks for emergency heating, like camping cylinder size. Need a place to store the commode when not in use. Need a place to store all my actual tools for repairs and upkeep, maybe even upgrades. That's all before clothes and cleaning supplies and dishware and food storage - storage is a main concern. What about storing a full size bicycle if possible? Yeah, storage will be a constant planning factor and necessity. 

This is making me look into a Murphy bed setup for storage purposes. All the walls and ceiling will have cabinets. The power system will be installed in cabinets in the back of the van, with cabinets for fuel and tool storage on either side for weight balance. The bed can be mounted to one wall, with floor storage cabinets used as the support structure for the Murphy bed to sleep on. The commode can slide into a side cabinet. The propane would be secured next to the utility counter, the water underneath the counter, and the pantry, cookware and dishware wrapping up and around the counter. Survival gear would be stashed in multiple cabinets all around. If the bike can be secured opposite the bed we could do that. Everything is done without cabinet doors, using fastening hooks and stretch cargo netting, as nothing would be too heavy to need more securing. 

All of this thinking and pre-planning is without even having a physical van to measure and sketch out. 

This project will be almost as insane and detailed as building an actual house from scratch.

002 - Every Journey Begins With A Cliche Step

The one thing you can count on me for is even if I never so much as begin a project due to time or finances, I will absolutely research the shit out of it. One tool that has been a game changer in this regard is Youtube, which has declined in ease of content filtering recently, but still remains one of the best learning devices of our age. You can argue books and reading all day long, sure, but until you actually see someone do the thing you are trying to do in a video, actually moving and explaining as they go along, can you really understand the correct way to do something?

Perfect example, how to start a fire. 

Fire is something that no human society has ever survived without. If you were to travel to any place on this planet where people have lived for generations, you will find they all know how to make a fire. Now, the trick here is can modern humans make a fire without the aid of modern technology? I would say most urban dwellers do not know how to gather kindling and tinder and use flint and steel to create a flame. Until a few years ago, I would have also counted myself amongst that group. 

Then I look it up on Youtube. Watch several videos. Observe techniques. Listen to what they say and how they explain it. I now know how to create fire using different methods based on what I have on hand. Then I created a fire kit for camping purposes, and it contains multiple methods of creating fire. Now it sits waiting on a shelf for if and when I ever need it. 

Same applies to everything else I have assembled thus far. Cooking and mess kit. Emergency shelter kit. Multiple tents for different needs. First aid supplies. Water purification and storage. Collecting firewood. If there is a basic necessity required while camping, you can be sure I have it covered. Learned it all from Youtube. 

The same methodology applies to this whole camper van notion I have. 

Watch someone do it. Get the spark of inspiration. Watch another person do it. Watch another person do it. Watch the same person do it differently a separate time. Watch someone explain the most high tech setup possible and how they did it. Take note of how everyone has agreed to start with the flooring once initial measurements are taken. Then wall studs and ceiling supports. Then they start figuring layouts based on needs and possible accommodations. 

Does the bed stay out or does it fold into something? How do they handle bathing and a toilet? How will they cook their meals? How do they store water and fuel? Is their electrical setup all components, or an all-in-one? What tools are they using for the carpentry work? Which screws and nails and adhesives? What kind of flooring? What kind of paint, and how do they apply it? Wiring? Surfacing? Finishing? Multiple people with multiple approaches and multiple finished results. 

Then the observer becomes the planner. 

Everyone agrees on flooring first, but the majority use solid foam panels for insulation. Almost all use whole sheets of plywood cut to form for the subfloor, generally in 2-3 panels. All of them stagger the crossbeams in the floor for insulation and fitting purposes. No one ran electrical conduit or plumbing through the flooring. 

Wall studs and ceiling beams were installed but left uninsulated and unfinished. Generally, everyone installs the power station in the rear of the van, so cables and wires are run through holes drilled in wall studs from rear to front and along the ceilings. Some use bare wires for ease of access, others use conduits to distinguish or keep tidy. Everyone agrees on making sure your wires are all rated for the devices they will be powering before running or cutting anything.

After that stage, everyone goes off on their own tangents, with their stages based around time constraints, availability of supplies, general habits and preferences, etc. The important part is everyone starts the same way, and up to a certain point, there is one direction to travel in. Acquire vehicle, measure, floor, walls, ceiling, wires. It worked for them, so that is how I will do things. One step at a time. First, get a van.

001 - The World of the State

So, we are not calling it stealth camping. We are not calling it hashtag van life. None of that "white people shit" that plagues "influencer culture." Even calling it "nomadic" sounds insulting to actual nomadic cultures worldwide, because white people love to just take words and apply them to themselves. For all intents and purposes, my long term plan is to just be a wandering hobo. A tramp. A vagabond. Easy, simple terms for what all this "lifestyle" nonsense is all about. 

How did I come upon this kind of long term dream? 

I am tired of capitalism. Full stop. 

I was an "essential worker" during lockdown in 2020 and I learned how empty our society is, how meaningless our traditions are, and how absurd the expectation to work truly is. My job lost its holiday party at the end of the year. It stopped giving out end of the year bonuses. It stopped matching 401k contributions. It cut overtime out completely. It cut back every possible expense and benefit it could. 

But company officers and management still took vacations and got new cars. 

It was only the workers who suffered. 

I always joked that if I lost my job I wouldn't look for a new one, I would simply turn to crime. I think acquiring and building out a van to live a transient life as off-grid as possible is a better solution, especially seeing how prisons are just regulated labor camps. 

I have also put a lot of thought into this now that I have been let go from my job during a period of complete economic turmoil. Yes, I need money, but also, what good is working for money if there is no end goal for it? Am I working to support my own existence, or to support my landlord? Are my earned wages actively improving the quality of my life, or are they simply being bled out of me to pay for things that society forces upon me?

I'll save us all time and energy, none of the money was benefiting me. Cost of living keeps rising. Wages do not increase anymore. We keep giving up more of the things that bring us joy in order to keep existing, but existence is not a life. 

So I decided my life will be lived for myself and cut as many ties to society as I can, with "no landlords" being the greatest of these ties. Landlords and the rental system are designed to create housing scarcity so that private citizens cannot own their own homes in a capitalist society. We are forced into a societal meat grinder where we are told successful living is attached to material accumulation, and the greatest of these is the purchase and ownership of a private home, but then every possible hurdle is placed in our path to achieving that goal. Ten years ago I could have afforded mortgage payments on a meager-yet-mine property, but my "credit rating" was not in any place to attempt doing so. Now, I can barely afford to keep up with the small annual increase to my rent without major changes to my income and expenses, and that is the point in which I no longer wish to participate in the system.

To be clear, this isn't just, again, entitled suburban white boy angst. This is the culmination of being exploited by capitalism in the labor market for 28 years at the time of this writing. This is having spent more of my life miserable and stressed to the limit trying to scrape by than ever being happy. My childhood wasn't even a happy one because the looming spectre of financial insecurity was there for my parents as well. I grew up in poverty, navigated adulthood in poverty, and now stand in poverty looking at what is just over the small fence at the boundaries. 

To also be clear, this isn't some misguided line of reasoning either. Rent is out of control. Food costs are out of control. Medical costs are out of control. Property costs are out of control. There is not a single facet of our lives in the US that isn't engineered to maximize profits for those who own them while strangling the rest of us who are forced to pay for them. While I cannot escape the "work for wages" part at the moment, I can redirect where the money will be going hereafter.

At the forefront of this redirection is the acquisition of a permanent shelter from the elements. That shelter just happens to be cargo van shaped. 

I would rather die untethered through happenstance than be choked to death by a government and economic system I never chose to exist in. It's that simple.

000 - So Bizarre, Finding This Here

Looking into a free online journal for keeping track of notes and sketches and what not, as well as keeping others who would be interested apprised of such things, I decided to use this platform. What I didn't expect to happen was Google automatically sign me into the account I had 11 years ago - so I deleted all the cringe attempts at writing from back then, and now we have a brand new place to put things. 

What is this all about? Two words: Camper Van.

At my age, the chances of owning a house at any point in the future are slim-to-none, slim left town ages ago, et cetera, and such. The more I look into it, owning property itself will also be a non-starter anytime soon (or at least so long as society still requires money and laws). I can, however, own a vehicle that one could sleep in on the sly (we don't say stealth camping here, because that is just white gentrifying homelessness for content farming). I am talking full on nomadic life. 

So, the camper van idea? 

Design, acquire, build out and re-fit a cargo van to live in. Drive around. Document. Photograph. Live. Actually fucking live. 

I caught the camping bug at Frostburn 2023, and while the rain (and subsequent freezing of said rain the following day) almost ruined it all for me, I learned valuable survival lessons. The first lesson was I need a vehicle. The second lesson was to research and study before any great undertaking. The third lesson was I was destined to live outside by my own rules, not those society has placed upon me. 

Yeah, it's a stereotypical "suburban white boy from the 90s" thing to say, but it's 30 years later, and I have only become increasingly revolutionary in my thoughts and attitudes. We live in a world ruled by pedophile billionaires who eat babies, actively encourage christofascist white supremacy, and seek to enslave everyone to serve them. I would rather die in the wilderness alone in a van than continue to support this system that has existed before my birth and have had zero choice in opting out of. 

Until the camper van. 

Yeah, I would still be living in a fascist hellhole, but I could at least drive to other parts of it, possibly even cross national borders to escape it (I'm looking at you, British Columbia). So this will be that intellectual journey as it progresses, even if it never comes to fruition. There will also be camping and outdoors stuff posted in here as well, as they all relate to the main purpose and function of this record. 

I just need a little money for a little van, no big deal...