Many of us travel using various modes of transportation. From flights near & far to closer destinations on wheels. When I travel near or mid-near I use my 40′ Newmar motorhome.
Now why would I use such a beast? Simple, I like the convenience of having a base station upon which I can do all my excursions from. I recently traveled 1,600 kilometers (approximately 1,000 miles) from my home to Bella Coola, British Columbia to do some Grizzly Bear photography. I towed behind my GMC Envoy that I used as my get around vehicle once I arrived. When I’m there I’m fully self contained with water, sewer, full power by use of a generator or inverter, fridge loaded with lots of food, etc. I can get up in the morning and have an “army shower” (get wet, shut off water, lather down, turn on water to rinse, done!) and be able to do this for a couple of weeks quite comfortably. I have lots of room inside to setup a simple office with my laptop (and printer if I desire) and download and start working on my images each evening. I have power (solar panels & generator) to recharge any equipment that I may need. On days that I decide to kick back and relax I have satellite TV and can catch up on current events.
Now others like using something much more nimble such as those from Sportsmobile to travel in. While I like the idea of these vehicles here is why I don’t use them. Firstly, Jackie and I would drive each other crazy if we were stuck in such a confined space for extended periods, secondly there simply is not enough room for the extra items for “living” that we can load up on at cheap locations and not have to worry about food or water for an extended period of time.
Do I miss shots while driving a big rig and unable to get off the road in time to capture it… YES. But I also do most of my driving during the middle of the day when the light is harsh and I’m not quite that interested in shooting at that time anyway. When I arrive at my destination I don’t have hotels or restaurants to content with, and have all the food in my unit planned and ready.
How do you travel? We’d like to hear from you.