Supplies and equipment

[Brandon]

Well Mark, The Tv screen is 5in and it ataches to a FM mod. I have a place right in the dash under the radio that it fits nicely. It contects to the current FM radio antenna, I may scrap that Idea, havent full committed to it. OK here is the deal It is just me so I was gonna bring 4 to 5 sets of cloths. a safety kit small tent and matress with a few blankets. I am will also have some non pearishable food stuff and thats it.

My cell phone has internet access and GPS. Belive it or not I dont think I will be to crowded. I have a well in the trunk and am good at Organizing. I plan on a 2,000 to 4,000 dollar budget. But I am a very dedicated to seeing specific places of interest and only a few misc places.

I actually feel the back seat and passenger seat will remain fairly neat. I have alot of small place to put non oftenly used stuff.

Does this Budget seem OK or what. Also I may scrap the TV Idea and go for a CB. Should I get a beefed up one or standard. The standard one is only a rough 30 mile radius.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Brandon,

TV -- have you ever used it on the road? Reception is likely to be fair at best.

Cell phone with internet access -- again have you tried it on the road? What model and service are you envisioning using? Unless this one of the brand new so-called "3-G" models -- the fastest thru-put you are likely to get is 7 to 12Kbps. E-mail is doable near major urban areas, but web access is a huge stretch.

CB -- We have some really good links for CB information at http://www.roadtripamerica.com/dashboarding/vehicles.htm#tel

Standard (power) CB is all you need. SSB is a very useful option. Reception is not really about the power ("beefed up") but is 100% dependent on the matching of the antenna with the transceiver.

Budget: Your adventure is open-ended? How many weeks were you planning to stretch a $4000 budget? With fuel costs hovering in the $2.25 range, what % of your budget is ear-marked for fuel and vehicle maintenance?

Car Camping: Check out some of the information we have gathered at http://www.roadtripamerica.com/tips/carcamping.htm

Mark

[Brandon]

Well it is Open ended. I doubt I would be doing more than a flat change. The vehicle is just been 100% overhauled and preped. I have however put something aside in an emergency.

I am more or less looking to make sure in semi urban areas I have the ablity to contact ppl via email. Hence the cell and gps. The internet connection is in case I want to rescearch what I may be missing in areas I pass thru.

I have a feeling 3 to 4 weeks is what the trip will end up being. I am a personal trainer and think I may get itch to get back to fitness. I have benefit rides in the summer to attend. And I am moving down south in the fall.

I guess in a sense I am going more on this trip to find what moves and inspires me more than anything else. I have Lived 2min outside Hartford for too long and my sprit like the sun and the ocean.

[Mark Sedenquist]

E-mail is our primary form of communication, we have nearly 8 years of on-the-road experience -- if you are expecting to use a .6 watt cell phone to enable e-mail and internet access while in rural areas -- you may be a victim of marketing hype. There are plenty of options -- the very best wireless solution may well be the WiFi connection points that are springing up. But land wireline is still the only reliable mode and easy to obtain while traveling.

3-4 weeks -- sure your budget looks sound.

Go have an adventure and then be sure to report your findings!