There’s only so much storage space inside a motorhome that’s been designed within the body of a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van.  So I can't help but wonder if I'm being over-ambitious as I'm planning to pack our hiking and biking gear.

For day hiking, we each have boots and clothes, waist packs and water bottles.  In the mountains, Virginia uses Leki Lhasa trekking poles and I have a Leki Sierra hiking staff that also serves as a monopod for my video camera.  For bicycling, I think I’ve got an external storage solution for the bikes themselves (see my earlier blog post).  But we also have helmets, cycling clothes and SPD shoes, a bike pump, and assorted tools. 

For carrying our camera gear (see “About Us”), we use a couple of different sizes of Tamrac Velocity sling packs.  And if we’re not taking our cameras, we are likely to be carrying our binoculars.  Depending on where we camp, we might prefer to bring a spotting scope and tripod.  Or, once in a while, snorkeling gear.

All these things add up, of course, and I keep looking at the floor plan and also thinking about all the household items that will compete for drawer and cabinet space.  This may explain why Virginia just stared at me when I started talking about getting an inflatable kayak.  And the paddles?  The life vests?  Never mind.

[Follow-up in this blog post]