Mountain Monday: The Dirtbaggers of the World

Home sweet home … adventure style

By Meggan Wenbourne

Stop in at any local climbing gym or at the nearest crag and you’re guaranteed to discover more than one person who has made a home out of the back of his or her vehicle. Truck life is something I have become fascinated with over the past few years and as a result I am constantly on the lookout for new designs and ways of making a life fit in a pickup bed.

It’s a known fact that climbers and many other outdoor enthusiasts will do everything in their power to save whatever money they make and travel with it instead of paying rent for a place they barely inhabit. Although to some it may sound bizarre, this sort of lifestyle is no longer as uncommon as you might think, especially in the world of climbers.

This nomadic lifestyle has allowed people to live their passions instead of merely escaping to them from time to time, which is a gift all in itself. Every year, there seems to be more people becoming a little more accepting of the idea of individuals getting out there, traveling and seeing the world instead of joining the seemingly nonexistent workforce and dedicating their lives to something they may not want.

Although I have personally never lived out of a truck for more than a month and a half, I can say I learned a lot in the short time we were on the road. The incredible experiences that resulted in us living a more nomadic lifestyle were worth any hardships we endured along the way. And, bonus, we met some incredible people along the way living their own nomadic lifestyles!

Why would anyone want to live in a cramped space, usually alone, with nowhere to take a shower or go to the bathroom you ask? Well, I think it’s an opportunity to see the world from a whole new perspective and experience it moment by moment. Instead of judging a person for choosing a different path, maybe adopt a different perspective, if only for a moment, and recognize that if we were all the same, the world would be a very boring place.

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Meggan Wenbourne is an avid climber, mountain biker and backpacker who works and plays in Santa Cruz, CA. She spends her time traveling to the mountains as often as possible to get lost in the pine trees and explore the granite rock of the Sierra Nevada range and has recently developed an obsession with the desert and its red rocks. When not away on an adventure, she can be found eating burritos and training at Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, riding amazing trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains or nestled away in her cozy tiny house with cookies and adventure reading.