6 Tips From a Dirtbag on Finances

Whether you’re currently living the dream, chasing storms, avoiding them or dreaming to do so and in either scenario find yourself underfunded and dreaming of a lottery win. Well these tips won’t equate to a lotto win and you can keep dreaming on that point but these certainly will keep a healthy sum of cash on hand.

1. 

   Winter time van stoke. Photo by Natalie Noakes

   I cannot reiterate this enough. Know the difference between wants and needs. This will save you more money than you realize if you just ask yourself before big and small purchases alike if you need it or you want it. A new rope because yours is raggedy and has been in the field for years is a need despite it being a rope. Buying a bag of organic kale chips because you’re a bit peckish is a want, do those exist?
2. Never pay retail when you do need to make purchases. There are a gajillion sites out there that will help you on this mission. They sometimes require a bit of patience but they pay off can be awesome. To name a few: Steep and cheap, chain love, left lane sports, the clymb and sierra trading post. Few things will drain your bank account faster than a new pair of full priced skis, a mountain bike at retail or a rack of cams from REI.
3. Accept free things (embrace the freegan lifestyle). Whether things are given from dumpsters, friendship or in exchange for services say yes. Unless they won’t fit in your vehicle they can be of immediate or later use, they can be sold off or bartered with later.
4. Learn as much about vehicular maintenance as possible. What sounds better, $50 for an oil change or $20 knowing you did it right (on most vehicles they’re dead easy) and saved $30? Breakdowns are costly and it’s better to head them off with regular maintenance for cheap when done yourself.

5. 

   Post photo shoot coffee.
   Photo by Dan Holz

   Live for free. Whether it’s rent, hotels or camping costs, spend the extra ten minutes to try and figure out they might be avoided. I figure, conservatively, over the past three years I have avoided many of these and saved easily $5,500!
6. Pay for experiences that last, Forbes agrees. Buy a board game instead of a movie ticket, a plane ticket instead of a new T.V. I guarantee that the memories and relationships formed through the game or trip will far outlast those of the movie or T.V.!
7. Be positive and enthusiastic, good things will come.

Getting the Previa Winter-proofed

Snowed in...almost.

This winter I am back in the mountains of Colorado and according to the farmer's almanac it is supposed to be chilly...chillier than last which had a couple of weeks that it was dropping down to -25F. So far, unfortunately it seems to be holding true with nights dropping down to -7F in the second week of November, last winter I had not yet moved from blankets to my sleeping bag and now I have spent the last week and a half sleeping in my bag, with several of those nights being uncomfortably cold (my fault since I sold my winter bag and have been sleeping in a lighter bag rated to +45F) for more than a few nights.

To ready the van for the winter I have used a few tricks from the previous winters, modified some others and introduced a couple of new ones.

Returning due to popular demand:
-As in has been the case in prior winters when it's chilly and you're warm the motivation to put cold shoes on and step outside to visit nature loses some of its appeal, so the pee bottle has remained a constant.
-Another constant is the memory foam mattress that gets rock hard when cold but almost melts underneath you when it warms up, it's the closest a mattress can get to a hug and it feels great!
-The Coleman two burner continues to make cooking and water boiling a cinch while also cranking out those BTUs and making the van interior feel like a tropical paradise despite the snowy landscape.
-Books and podcasts as I talked about in my entertainment post have occupied much of my evening free time.

Version 2.0 
- This summer when I sold the purple dragon (the van I spent the previous two winters in) the home made tea candle space heater went with it. So far I have dabbled with a modification of placing a small bowl in a low walled pail (for draft protection). It fits three tea candles and I think is just fine for taking the edge of the air while I sleep. I moved away from the prior construction because last winter I knocked it over many times which was something of a fire danger as well as a great way to spill hot wax everywhere. The down side to the new design is that the candles to light up the van which isn't very stealthy and can sometimes inhibit sleep, also the exposed flames continue to present a fire hazard, we'll see if any more modifications occur as the winter progresses as it's still an imperfect system.

The Coleman with the coffee percolator, perfection!

-My hot beverage system, however, has been perfected with the introduction of a new mug in addition to my Hydroflask mug. In the morning I make my first cup of coffee and put it in the new mug that is less insulative and therefore makes for a great hand warmer and makes the coffee a more drinkable temperature faster. My second cup of coffee goes into the Hydroflask for work or more long term sipping as it will keep stuff hot for hours and if you're not careful like me is a recipe for a burnt tongue!

New this Season:
-All Wheel Drive, as you may know I upgraded to a Toyota Previa this year and it has AWD, it is awesome. With new snow tires and ingenious design I have had to work to make it slip. Time and time again I have assumed that I won't get out a snowy parking lot or will slip going around a corner, all of which would have been true in my previous vans. Time and time again I've been disappointed with a mundane and safe drive to my sleeping place or work. I now understand how my friend Nathan was able to pull my old Dodge out of ditches and through town with his Previa last winter, they're amazing vehicles!

The ensolite foam insulation on the sliding door.

-However, the Previa is a mini van and so has boat loads of windows A.K.A. heat sinks. To combat this I've installed the reflective bubble wrap cut to fit, backed with canvas that Velcros to the interior. On the sliding door the canvas wasn't very practical so the bubble wrap is glued to some ensolite foam, the bubble wrap was from Nathan's Previa, saving me a bunch of work which was awesome. For the front I've attached Velcro to the reflectors you can put in your windshield in the summer so that the reflective surface faces into the sleeping area. This set up has proved to be surprisingly warm, keeping the van (I'm guessing) 20-30F warmer than the exterior temperatures when combined with my tea candle heater.
-Down socks, they're awesome also! I wear mine inside the van when lounging, inside my sleeping bag on cold nights, in my snow boots when I'm lazy and it's cold outside. They pack down to nothing so are easy to accommodate in the van and are extremely warm (You might recognize the guy in the  picture in ^ link).

Books on the left, chitenge from Zambia on the right
and a man cave in the middle.

A view of the yard out of my bedroom window.
River front property is as great as they say it is.

Climbers unite!

Check and check, American Death Triangle, retired leeper hangers,
 hardware store wedge bolt, star dryvin, a modern 3/8" 5 piece
 that's hanging ~1/2" out of the wall, lots and lots of faded tat and
4 extremely heavily worn leaver carabiners
 and all of it is...kind of equalized.

This past climbing season one of my big missions out in the desert has been working with a few other folks to replace and update as many anchors as possible. Bolting has been something that I've done on and off for the past couple years, though rather intermittently particularly when not doing first ascents. I prioritized rebolting and equiping old routes with new hardware which was kind of awesome, I got on routes that I had never done before, routes that I'd done years ago and not touched since, I worked on routes that I regularly lap and felt good about doing all of them. It was sweet to be able to structure my climbing day around routes that needed a little love, there were entire climbing days of doing only routes on the list which completely eliminated the "well we could do that one, but this one looks good, but that one is kinda long/short/wide/thin etc" hmmming and hawwing conversation. Instead it was easy to point my rope gun at the route and then ride a top rope up to the anchors.

I learned over the course of the season that fixed gear is far too often blindly trusted, and I'm certainly guilty of this as well, however there were so many anchors composed or sun rotted webbing, outdated bolts, poorly placed bolts, single bolts, fixed nuts...well the list goes on, that have been used for years and it is a minor miracle that more people have not died by ripping anchors in the desert. The alarming ease of removing some of the hardware that I did has certainly been an eye opener and solidified the need for a growth in the community of anchor updaters!

Close up of a poorly placed modern bolt.

If you're getting in to doing or have been establishing new routes please for the love of god spend the little bit of extra money and get hardware that is going to last! Buy the steel (not aluminium) rap rings and the 3/8 chain and quicklinks rather than 3/16" crap that I've seen hanging of new routes in the desert. If you've been using good stuff then many thanks for the hard work and investment in the future safety of others!

Check out some of these...sub par anchors for a good laugh and what not to do as well as these:

http://dumbanchors.blogspot.com/

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/569713/Good-Anchors-Bad-Anchors

Two bolts, two hangers and an faded tat. None to be trusted.

If you're feeling pscyhed on doing some of the same check out some of these groups and resources:

Here's a whole library on basically everything you could ever want to know on tech specs, how to rebolt, bolt identification etc.
http://www.safeclimbing.org/education.htm

Here are some of the places that have been at least partially updated.
http://www.safeclimbing.org/replacement.htm

http://www.climbing.com/ari/

Also feel free to use me as a resource if you're psyched, if I can't help directly I know some people that know some stuff that I can put you in contact with!

Edit: Here is a write up on some of these pictures.

Modern anchors and drilled angles with some
 heavily worn carabiners and cross threaded quicklink

Lots of keychain carabiners!

More crappy hardware.

One pile of bleached tat and cordalette.

Another pile o' tattered webbing and cordage!

Update from the vortex (Durango)

Well, this past month has seen more van problems than I care to mention ranging from burnt out tensioners, alternators and an extra vehicle that just won't sell. That being said this past month has been pretty rad, complete with rafting down the Animas with some old and new friends with hundreds of other locals, helping out with a mountain biking shoot (and also launching my hand modeling career), climbing whenever possible and running and mountain biking with some decent regularity.

I'm happy to report that I have been working with some regularity for a few different companies on the Western slope and have relocated to Durango for the foreseeable future. I have also purchased another van, a Toyota Previa that is a nice gold color. As of yesterday I have stripped it down and built it up with a pretty full sized bed platform. The full run down on building up a van and some thoughts and angles will hopefully be coming shortly. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a post on my mom's site regarding the finances of my van life.

My upcoming agenda includes more work, fine tuning the new van set up, cruising to Wisconsin for my Grandfather's 90th and hopefully many more days of climbing, mountain biking and laying out under the mountain stars. Annnd as always, dreaming about all of the places I'd like to travel to and ramble around!

Customizing a Van

For van dwellers or aspiring van dwellers I should say; there is a decision to be made regarding the interior of the van/vehicle you will be living in. The decision being whether you will buy a van that has been pre built to live in or one that is a blank slate, chock full of potential. There are certainly pros and cons to both and circumstances may force us one way or the other.

The pros of getting a van pre-built up include: convenience, cost and time factors. It's obviously convenient as you will not have to build out the interior yourself, overcome the inevitable hiccups that are associated with such a project as there are a plethora of obstacles you might run into, like tapering van bodies that mess with your bed setup, the curvature of the walls, insulation taking up more space than anticipated, incorrect measurements etc. Cost also is a perk as in my experience pre customized vans typically have a lower cost relative to the amount of work put into them as I am guessing that the sellers focus more on the worth of the vehicle itself rather than the living functionality, and so what may have been hundreds of dollars in materials and time may only be reflected in a $50-100 price increase. Time in addition to what's already been mentioned is still a factor to consider when purchasing an instantly livable vehicle as you can simply hop in and hit the open road with out any further fuss. And obviously I should mention if you lack the cash to take it to specialists that customize vans like Outside van or Sportsmobile and are not a DIYer then a prebuilt up van might be just the choice for you.

The benefits of customizing your own vehicle might however include some or all of the following: maximized storage potential, increased livability, street cred., pride, easily modified creation, personalization and just a fun experience. Some decked out vehicles when purchased may have only been intended for use as a part time camp/get away vehicle and as a result may lack the maximized storage space a full time van dweller may require, leaving you cluttered and aesthetically less pleasing.

Note how the shelves accommodate each of the
largest items, coincidence...not quite.

By creating your own interior you can create spaces specific to items that will be a permanent fixture, like water, food and cooking appliances, so as to make the most of your limited space. Since you're the one to be spending the most time in your vehicle, build it up in such a manner that you will find it a comfortable and convenient place to retire/hang out in. Street cred. and pride often go hand-in-hand when you receive complements on your creation you can stand behind it with your head held high and share what you learned and how you did it. Ease of modification and personalization are huge benefits as the first set up you create is unlikely to be perfect and so you can tweak it as necessary. And because you built it you know how it all fits together. Along those same lines you can take other's designs and modify them for your benefit, notching shelves to accommodate skis or fly rods, mounting a bike rack on the bed just so, blacking out the windows for stealth bivys or late morning lie ins, etc. Lastly, creating your own living space is a great way to reflect on what you need in your home, how it fits with your van/tiny house lifestyle, and getting to create something you can use and by psyched on.

This is pretty much the way the van came, which was perfect
to leave from the previous owner's house
straight to the desert for a climbing trip!

It is possible, I should mention to combine both of these options by modifying an existing custom interior to suit your needs as the author has done on his previous two vehicles. One of the best parts of living in your vehicle is that there are no wrongs or rights and it's certainly not too difficult to create what will suit you best.

Nifty stowaway bedside table took about 5 minutes
 to install and has been totally worth it.

For any and all van lifers reading this I'd be psyched to see pictures of your rigs!

Frugality and the Luxuries of the Van Life

For folks that are unfamiliar with manager's special, allow me to enlighten you. Manager's special, as a term is specific to the Kroger line of stores, however, the concept is used by many chains. Manager's special, is usually massively marked down grocery items that are about to expire. This can include but isn't limited to: veggies, fruits, baked goods, vitamins...well pretty much everything that has an expiration date stamped on it, or is drastically out of season.

Manager’s special is the socially acceptable and sometimes slightly more costly version of dumpster diving, unless of course it's paired with a coupon. Dumpster diving being the hide and seek game of finding edible foods that have fully passed their expiration date and have accordingly been tossed in a dumpster despite still being edible, particularly in the case of processed foods. Manager’s special items are typically identified by bright yellow and orange tags in the Kroger stores or by designated areas that will contain just baked goods or vegetables or refrigerated items etc. 

Additionally, these markdown items are almost always 50% off of their regular price or better.

As a result of this markdown, dirtbags and penny pinchers alike can enjoy the edible luxuries that are also enjoyed by people with a reliable and healthy income. We can appreciate and enjoy the aromas and flavors of cold pressed organic olive oil, imported Wensleydale cheese with cranberries or handmade hummus with fire roasted green chilies.

People that I have worked or lived with know that I love to flaunt the rack of ribs I've recently picked up for six bucks, or the ½ gallon of the aforementioned olive oil for $7.49. If you don’t care to rub your savings in the faces of friends, but still wish to bask in the glory of finding a delicious deal. Simply peel that still discount sticker off your great find and share. Let your friends and family ooh and aah over whatever delectable dish you’re serving and smile to yourself, knowing you only spent pennies on it!

So next time you go grocery shopping swing by the markdown sections first, especially if you’re a fan of baked goods as they seem to be plentiful, and snag some stuff that’s on your list…or not (be careful though if shopping on an empty stomach as the impulse purchases can be most costly despite the savings). Save yourself a couple bucks here and there, toss time in a piggy bank and I’ve found that in a relatively short amount of time you can tack on an extra month to your road trip with your manager’s special savings!

Yes a few spontaneous purchases made their way into the cart...but JACKPOT!