The recent rains in the Bay Area have been hampering our ability to pursue the remaining Nifty Ninety peaks, especially since many of them require a short backpacking trip. I’m definitely not keen on sleeping in a tent while it’s pouring rain outside. Just the thought of having to set up or break down camp, with the ground turning to mud, while trying to keep everything clean and dry (mainly on the inside), makes me shudder. This is how we found ourselves sleeping in the back of Axle, our Defender 110 over the weekend.
Our objectives were two-fold: first, see how quickly we could get out the door if we didn’t need to pack a tent or camp kitchen, and second, how comfortable it would be to sleep in the cargo area. The idea was for multi-day roadtrips where we didn’t want to spend money on hotels or deal with the hassle of setting up camp. Meals would be on the road or in restaurants along the way.
Getting out the door was fast. With almost no planning, we woke up Saturday morning, grabbed the air mattress, pillows, sleeping bags, Jackery and small duffel with clothes and toiletries, and tossed everything into the back and drove off. Objective one achieved.
We headed to the Four Wheel Camper showroom in Woodland, not far from Sacramento and spent an hour learning more about the different models and assessing what would work best for us. While we’re not ready to buy one just yet, it’s definitely something we’re considering as a possible rig for future adventures.
The rest of the afternoon we walked around downtown Sacramento and explored the nearby environs. That evening we had dinner with friends who were driving down from Seattle to San Diego. I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of restaurants and retail and we all enjoyed a really good Thai meal. Although the state capital is only 1.5 hours away we’ve rarely visited the city, instead driving right by, usually on our way to the Sierras. Perhaps that will change next time we’re in the neighborhood.
While our friends drove to their hotel, Chris and I headed for Beals Point Campground located on the shores of Folsom Lake. It was a 30-minute drive from downtown Sacramento and we arrived around 10 P.M.
I was surprised by how many people were actually camping. Since the atmospheric river was supposed to hit over night, I thought we’d be the only ones crazy enough to be out in it. After finding a spot and parking Axle, we moved all our things to the front seats, folded down the rear seats, inflated the mattress (which was a bit long, but we managed to make it work), and had our “bed” ready in about 10 minutes. Points for not having to pitch a tent.
In the morning we woke up to rain pelting down. Inside we were completely dry and cozy. The width of the cargo space was actually ample for the both us. My main gripe was with the length. Chris sleeps on his side so no problem there, but I couldn’t stretch out completely. It didn’t help that the 4-inch thick mattress was a bit long, so we had to partly fold it up, thus taking away some of my leg room. We’ll have to try it again with a mattress that fits better.
Overall, though, I would say it was reasonably comfortable. Most importantly, there is just no substitute for being dry, warm and completely sealed off from the elements. Literally being able to car camp won hands down in this situation.
Packing up was just as easy. With both of us in the back there was still room for us to maneuver. We deflated the mattress, put away the sleeping bags and moved everything from the front seats without having to get out of Axle. With objective two accomplished we left the campground.
On our way back to San Francisco we decided to stop at a Ford dealer to check out the difference between an F150 and F250. We’d eventually need one if we decided to buy a truck bed camper. It was an informative session with the sale rep, and suffice to say, the F250 is a beast!
Once home, unpacking and putting things away was a breeze. The trip was a success. Now that we know a quick getaway is entirely feasible and comfortable, we just might do more.