2014 back to the "Beaten Path" in the Absaroka Wilderness, northeast of Yellowstone National Park, this time with a fishing rod in hand. I assisted taking a group of scouts last year there. This time it will be an adult-only fishing trip. If you have the skills to backpack, this is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Can't hike? Take the car can ride from Red Lodge, Montana to Cooke City, Montana, a breath taking trip up over 10,000 feet. Best time is mid July to mid august. Dine in Red Lodge, really nice town! Be sure you have good brakes, some parts of drive not for the faint-hearted. Be sure to stop at the Top-of-the-World store along the way. If you hike it, start on Cooke City side at about 7500 feet, up over top at about 9900 feet, then down to 6000 feet at East Rosebud, about 26 miles. 2 really long days for super athletes or minimalist light weight hikers or a nice 3 to 4 day trip for the average Joe. Abundant water and nice lakes to camp by such as Russell Lake, Ouzel Lake, Twin Outlets Lake, and Rainbow Lake. Huge waterfalls thundering through many sections of the trail on the north end. 200 folks in the area on an average summer day, spread out over miles of wilderness but lots of side lakes/trails if you want to explore without others nearby. Camping at trail heads is $20 a car per night, parking free at trail heads, and camping is free in the wilderness. Some special camping rules apply, mainly distance from water sources, but very manageable. Check it out on Google Earth, East Rosebud going south-southwest toward Wyoming. Steve

We have a member of our fly fishing group that uses an old time canvas wall tent (I think he's just about worn it out ... who knows how old the thing is!) - AND, he tows everything around in a little utility trailer. Really does it with some kind of military efficiency; a place for everything and everything in it's place when he's traveling. Plus he gets on me about my popup tent camper - he says that at least when his utility trailer is not being used for camping that it can be also used for other things, like hauling his yard work bric-a-brac and debris, maybe even hauling a wash machine or refrigerator for somebody - in other words he says his utility trailer "earns it's keep" by using it for many other things besides camping. Says my tent trailer's only purpose in life is camping ... and he has a big point! My friend uses these large plastic bins to carry a lot of the camping gear (keeps it water tight) in the trailer; and has also made some wooden storage/carrying boxes for things like the axe, tent stakes and poles. Also has made a table with folding legs that just fits the bottom of trailer. When he gets everything loaded aboard, then has a plastic tarp he secures over the load - also uses this same plastic tarp as a canopy over his table & cooking area. Bottom line, he has an efficient system for setting up a most comfortable camp. Awhile back I told my utility trailer friend that at least I could carry my canoe on top of the closed popup camper for traveling down the road rather than having to carry it on the roof of the tow vehicle and partically obstructing some of the driver's vision, like he had to do with his utility trailer. Darned if when I saw him the last time that he had not made a removeable carrying rack for toting his canoe around that just fit the trailer! Dale

Jennymama, I just wanted to say congratulations on your new quarters! I came to this thread late so have just been reading through the posts...I kind of started chuckling about halfway through at the different "camps" we are all in (those who say "go for it" and those who shudder at the thought of living in a travel trailer for several months, LOL.) I wanted to do that when we were building on our land, and two years later I still think our lives would have been easier in many ways had we done so (we also thought about going ahead and building the shop and putting a small bathroom in it, to live in during the build.) I think you have three really big considerations that will make you very glad you did this. One is that the drive to your dd's school would take up so much of the time that you will need for dealing with things as the house is being built, not to mention time that could be better spent with your younger one. Two hours a day, five days is a week is a LOT of time that you just gave yourself! The two other things will be important to your sanity and comfort over the next few months, and they are the facts that you can put your travel trailer a bit away from construction site for privacy from the comings and goings of the workers (and safety for the kids re: construction materials) and also that you have that big finished shop. If you can keep that for your own stuff and not have it become a repository for storing construction stuff, it will be a real asset as far as storing kids' toys and household goods. You can both have things with you that might take up too much room in the camper, and start to move more of your stuff when it gets closer to time for the move. Good luck with the build and enjoy the outdoors.

We have a 27" Trail Bay TT by R-vision. We usually just use a flat sheet on the dinette and couch instead of a fitted sheet. Even a twin sheet will work for that. We have a queen in the bedroom. We like the Oxy packets for the toilet. We get them in the rv section at Walmart. White can with an orange lid. Get a check list to use before you leave either home or the campground. Use the list to be sure you have done everything. Here's a list you can use: PRE-TRIP CHECK LIST stow t.v. medicine cabinet latched stow and lock awning close vents lower roof antenna(s) drain and stow water hose retract stabilizer jacks stow jack boards stow electrical cords shut off lp gas shut off water heater shut off furnace stow microwave turntable disconnect and stow electrical connection lock refrigerator and freezer dump holding tanks secure all loose items distribute weight evenly close and secure all doors and windows retract steps clean up grounds put out trash check engine oil secure hitch ball lock down secure anti-sway bars hook & check all lights secure safety chains hook break-away brakes cable all hitch cotter pins secured lock all outside compartment doors FASTEN SEATBELTS AND HAVE A SAFE TRIP Have fun. Linda