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Introduction

starhungry

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Currently setting up my subaru for rubber tramping with my dog until I kick the bucket.
After a life of working for a medical insurance company and married without getting out much I want to get out there and stand on my two feet a bit with a free headspace to just breathe and be.
Want to be kind and helpful to those I meet. Want to assume the best in everyone and not the worst. I've slowly been getting over my fears to just let go of possessions and fear of others or being alone/cold/etc to get out and live.

Would possibly like to train-hop with my dog but understand its dangerous and hoping to find someone who may show me the ropes but I want to be able to give back to the community if I can instead of just take so I won't assume anything at this point, other than just be excited for getting out on the road.

Interested in what I can invest in now to have stocked in my car to be able to give folks on the road to help them out. Maybe food-wise? Need some input there. I want to be able to help folks other than just offer a lift or a wave/smile. Nothing large since I won't have a lot of room in my Suv with me and my dog.

I'm she/her but gender non label. Bisexual. Progressive/liberal for the most part. Believe strongly in that no person is better than any other and for basic human rights. Believe everyone should have the right to be free and live as they choose. Believe death is the most real part of living and that it should be done free and without lies.

Music lover of all types most especially ambient, rock, indie, punk, bluegrass, psychedelic, electronica
Love all the arts but not competent in them myself other than dabbling at writing.
Lover of science in general but especially quantum physics, astrology, archaeology, paleontology etc (do we ever really outgrow our childhood love of dinosaurs and spaceships if we are honest with ourselves?).
Lover of reading, especially science fiction, philosophy, mysteries, some chick lit, some classic lit, and poetry. Beat generation. Kerouac is my first love haha.

Would love to travel with folks but should probably figure out how my shit works in my setup without witnesses to the many mistakes I'll make at first. Not sure where I'm heading other than hoping I get somewhere warm and headspace free. Would love to offer rides, meet up, help others out in my travels. Would enjoy hiking, star gazing, playing cards, talking about books/music/thoughts about life and death the cosmos and all the good stuff people never seem to take the time to think about so the thoughts don't just sit in my head with nowhere to go. I smoke pot and drink occasionally but that's about it as far as drug use goes.

Going from Ohio to at least as far as Arizona somewhat soonish.
 
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ali

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Welcome. If you're traveling around hot and arid areas, i think offering water is always a good bet. That has by far been the thing i've been most thankful for receiving, both when bike touring and hiking/walking along roads with my gear. Food is okay, a bit like for Halloween people might trust it more if it's a sealed package like a Clif bar. Fruit is good idea because it's water and calories in an universally-familiar package. I've accepted stuff like salami and SPAM, or salty gas station snacks, but i felt a bit awkward because i prefer to eat vegan when i can. Accepting charity is difficult for some people and can put them in an uncomfortable situation, so i think it's better to keep it simple if it's someone you don't know. Water and fruit or vegetables you can eat raw (like tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots) are pretty much safe for everyone. Some kids want junk food and nothing else... they'll usually let you know by turning their nose up at whatever healthy thing you offered, you can make your own mind up if it's worth getting them a happy meal after that.
 

mellowedout

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Arizona is awesome, just be wary of getting stuck out in some areas, I know when I was in the Show Low area I barely ever found any assistance.

Being stuck in between a town out there sucks, but is also fun if you like the desert.

Also we got stuck out towards Area 51 in Nevada, it was not very nice. Ended up needing a tow to get us out and it was pretty expensive, relatively speaking.

Try to get stuck in a civilized area out there if you're going to get stuck or stranded, all I can say.

Also forgot to mention that there is nothing wrong with a travel buddy seeing your first mistakes, in fact it would probably be beneficial to have someone who knows a good deal.

I'm about to rubbertramp the first time myself, having all my on foot skills is useful because I'm constantly reminding myself of ways to get things, but there is a lot of knowledge I'm probably lacking as far as vehicle maintenance and good utility of a vehicle that would be nice to have someone who knows to show me my mistakes, even if they are beginner mistakes.
 
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starhungry

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Thank you for the reply and tips!
As for advice on rubber tramping I can say to make sure you have a tire patch kit, tire gauge, and portable air inflator if you don't already have them. A spare bottle of oil won't hurt either.
Lesson learned from getting a leak in Kentucky and rushing to a Loves truck stop. Then trying to find the leak and then plug it in the pouring rain at the air station hoping no one else needs air for a bit. That shit takes strength and luckily someone there was able to help after I found the leak and just couldn't get the repair rubber in far enough.

I'd like a travel buddy, I know I'm probably making stupid simple beginner mistakes. I'm generally too shy to approach people anywhere. So *shrugs*. Also there really isn't any room for another person to sleep in my Forester with my setup with me and my dog already. Front seat could be open during a days drive but to sleep they'd need to pitch a tent. Maybe a caravan would be better so you have separate cars but able to chat and relax at the end of the day. But again. No clue where to go for that or if people are even open to such a thing.

Right now I'm at cosmic campground in New Mexico. A bit of the wrong time in the moon cycle for prime stargazing but a nice spot nonetheless. Vault toilets which is nice to have. Before that I was at Baylor Canyon Rd dispersed and Land Between the Lakes. Stayed a few days in a hotel in Roswell and off the side of the road a time or two.

Trying to figure out where to land for 14 day stents so I'm not rushed and can do full setups. Looking for somewhere that won't be too warm when it heats up a little and with water available. And 420 friendly haha.
 
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Welcome! If you have an question, I have quite a bit of info to offer. Message me with anything I have a bunch of hardcore rubber trampers around me right now. Messaging might be sparing at times because I am about to head north for the summer months ahead. Be safe! Cheers!
 
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Joined
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Welcome! If you have an question, I have quite a bit of info to offer. Message me with anything I have a bunch of hardcore rubber trampers around me right now. Messaging might be sparing at times because I am about to head north for the summer months ahead. Be safe! Cheers!
By the way, your choice in sciences is astounding to me because with just that being said. We have a bunch in common!
 
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starhungry

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Arizona is awesome, just be wary of getting stuck out in some areas, I know when I was in the Show Low area I barely ever found any assistance.

Being stuck in between a town out there sucks, but is also fun if you like the desert.

Also we got stuck out towards Area 51 in Nevada, it was not very nice. Ended up needing a tow to get us out and it was pretty expensive, relatively speaking.

Try to get stuck in a civilized area out there if you're going to get stuck or stranded, all I can say.

Also forgot to mention that there is nothing wrong with a travel buddy seeing your first mistakes, in fact it would probably be beneficial to have someone who knows a good deal.

I'm about to rubbertramp the first time myself, having all my on foot skills is useful because I'm constantly reminding myself of ways to get things, but there is a lot of knowledge I'm probably lacking as far as vehicle maintenance and good utility of a vehicle that would be nice to have someone who knows to show me my mistakes, even if they are beginner mistakes.
Also I recommend a portable power jumper so you can jumpstart your car without assistance! I have one but haven't had to use it yet. Also might look into a portable battery bank like a jackery with a solar panel. Can use rice cooker, heat up water for coffee etc without fire or propane.
 

mellowedout

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I actually have all of the things you listed, and I even have spares of the tire kits to hand out.

I have some bigger issues with my truck right now, most of them are surface level. I've got to replace the door handle driver door, then rewire the mirrors and the door panel stuff or fix whatever is going on; driver window is also off-tracks, but I'll fix it when I do everything else. Thankfully it's all located in the same area.

Other issues I'd love to be able to solve efficiently would be rebuilding parts of the motor, primarily the top block (since it's the only thing I would ever be able to physically maneuver), or other things. I changed a water pump and an alternator once, but the water pump was more me watching than doing, unfortunately.

Basically, any part to a car that could be fixed without needing an insane amount of equipment that would be stationary (motor lifting is pretty much that, it'd be hard to get a motor out of a car without a lift) I think is worth knowing, if you really want to be prepared. It's a bit overkill, and I'm not anywhere even close to being there, but hopefully she will give me some problems here soon and we can take a looksie...
 

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