Cathy and I pack our teardrop trailer for our trip from Toronto to the Arctic Ocean with a big loop through Alaska. The teardrop model we have bought is called Diamond in the Rough. We pick this as the most rugged model.
Update: We completed this epic roadtrip successfully and with a lifetime of stories and memories. Check out the final story at Arctic Roadtrip – Its a wrap.
About our Tear Drop
If you have never seen one, a Tear Drop trailer is like a small hard-top tent, with a basic outdoor kitchen when you open the back hatch. Our model is called ‘Diamond in the Rough’ made by the Teardrop Trailer Company near Newmarket, Ontario. It weighs less than 1000 lbs loaded and so we can pull it with our Subaru Outback. We ordered our trailer with a few extras – a large storage box, butane stove, 12v power with roof top solar panels, a 110v electric hook up, a spare tire, 17″ wheels and stabilizer legs – so we can be off the grid and back country when we want. I am tall so they extended the bed. We are going lux inside with a foam mattress, duvet and pillows.
Packing list
Cathy and I have experienced summer snow storms in Yellowstone and Jasper. And on this trip we will be at Banff, Glacier, and Denali, as well as Inuvik and Tuk in the far North. So snow and cold is a real possibility. On the other hand, we have lived in the West and know it can get really hot at times. And we are doing a wide range of activities – a semi formal wedding in Whistler, city time in Anchorage, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon, several days off-grid, mountain hiking and of course camping. So prep’ing equipment and clothing is taking some real thought.
We spent a lot of time over the last week and especially this weekend and we have 95% of everything put together. All we need to do now is pack our teardrop and hope it all fits. We leave Thursday morning for Pancake Bay Provincial Park (amazing beach on Lake Superior) near the Sault.