Our bedroom with our one set of sheets.

We're learning why so many people prefer the simple life and we're shedding our possesions as we go.

The Must-Haves

• Our essential items include a tool kit with metric and English ratchet set, maps (especially our U.S. atlas), various travel guides, our cell phone, and our handheld GPS.

• For extended travel, a motor home should be equipped with a fireproof safe for valuables and important documents (especially when traveling outside the U.S.).

Modern Conveniences that Do More than One Job

• Ideally, what we bring on board will serve more than one purpose. For example, we use our handheld GPS on the road and also on the water when we’re boating and the trail when we hike.

• A pressure cooker is a great way to cook on the road — it uses less fuel and cooks food faster than conventional cookware. Pressure cooking also keeps nutrients in the food instead of boiling them away.

• Using a digital camera eliminates film and photo clutter. Images on our computer are easier to sort than snapshots, too.

It’s Easy to Figure Out What to Wear (When You Only Have One Sweater)

• Good travel clothing should include pieces that can be easily layered and that are wash-and-wear. While we're on the road, uick-drying fabrics like Nylon and polyester fleece are easier to wash and dry than delicate fabrics like silk or slow-drying fabrics like cotton.

• We carry two basic sets of clothing, one each for warm and cold weather. We have enough pieces to last about a week.

• We carry one set of sheets, which we wash and put right back on the bed.

Doesn’t Take Much to Make Us Happy

• Man cannot live by practicality alone, so we have a few carefully selected luxury items. Our luxury items include a violin, mandolin, a few games and Lexan wine glasses.

• We carry a special box for our souvenirs. Our souvenirs are required to be very small — items like a cocktail stirrer from Labrot & Graham or a vial of gold from Colorado. Eventually, we’d like to display these in a small shadow box somewhere in Murray.

• We’ve subscribed to Sirius satellite radio, which allows us to listen to the radio, uninterrupted, across the country. We especially like to listen to the news on NPR, and satellite radio allows us to do this without worrying about losing the signal. Currently, the two major satellite radio carriers are Sirius and XM.