April/May 2026 Canlife Correspondence: Freedom to Help, Five Year Fridge Review, Forest Camping, and Fun News!
Too Busy, Too Late.
When we started Freedom in a Can, LLC as a business in 2021, we adopted the mantra “our lifestyle has to drive the business, not the other way around.” Our self-appointed “almost monthly” caveat gives us an out when life gets a little too crazy or when we are simply having too much fun. April dished out plenty of the first, a little of the second. We hope you enjoy our April/May edition, chock full of insight...and fun news to boot!
When we started Freedom in a Can, LLC as a business in 2021, we adopted the mantra “our lifestyle has to drive the business, not the other way around.” Our self-appointed “almost monthly” caveat gives us an out when life gets a little too crazy or when we are simply having too much fun. April dished out plenty of the first, a little of the second. We hope you enjoy our April/May edition, chock full of insight...and fun news to boot!
Oh, and don’t skip the next section because we’re giving away an ICECO 12V Fridge Freezer – the very same kind we installed 5 years ago...and absolutely LOVE!
There’s this moment in “The Karate Kid,” when Daniel (all fresh-faced and satisfied) announces to his teacher, Mr. Miyagi, that he’s almost done painting the fence. Miyagi slowly sweeps his arm and Daniel’s gaze across the vastness of his backyard and replies, “whole fence.” While recently cleaning out my Aunt’s house, her residence for 36 years, my cousin asked us, “Did you look in the attic closets?” “Closets?” we thought. It’d already been a gruelingly couple of days moving furniture, trash, and sorting through boxes. The third floor attic was nearly cleaned out, almost done. The “closet” was actually a house-length crawl space, 12 feet wide. Our hearts sank once we opened the door. The first side was nearly filled with boxes, the other, equally cavernous space also nearly as full of family memories dating back to the 1920’s. Yeah, Kid, we feel ya!
When people ask us where we live, we point to Hamlet (the 1957 vintage camper that’s been our home for nearly 14 years). It’s good for a laugh, but it’s also not the whole story, because we are registered to vote, and we do pay taxes in our “hometown” in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC -- BIG SHOUT OUT to all the Mountaineers on this newsletter list!
Our parents on Shari’s side moved there 20 years ago, but here’s the funny thing, we now see them more often than when we lived in the very same community. The events, schedules and demands of our hectic university jobs made us nearly always “too busy.” The 'rents were just across town, always available, and yet it could be months in between longer visits, beyond Shari’s weekly lunch dates with Mom.
Hutch’s folks live in an equally beautiful home in northern Michigan on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay. Before our life in Hamlet, we could only manage a 3-day visit at best, even during the glorious "Up North" summers. In addition to us leading short term study abroad trips right after the spring terms Hutch ran a program for incoming freshman at the university that kept him busy most of the summer. His mother fretted about our decision to leave our careers behind until she realized that we would be visiting more often – then she became Hamlet’s biggest fan! Indeed, he has parked in their driveway many times, including a 3 month stint during the winter of 2015 where we picked up some temporary jobs after a surprising and radical change in plans.
There’s this moment in “The Karate Kid,” when Daniel (all fresh-faced and satisfied) announces to his teacher, Mr. Miyagi, that he’s almost done painting the fence. Miyagi slowly sweeps his arm and Daniel’s gaze across the vastness of his backyard and replies, “whole fence.” While recently cleaning out my Aunt’s house, her residence for 36 years, my cousin asked us, “Did you look in the attic closets?” “Closets?” we thought. It’d already been a gruelingly couple of days moving furniture, trash, and sorting through boxes. The third floor attic was nearly cleaned out, almost done. The “closet” was actually a house-length crawl space, 12 feet wide. Our hearts sank once we opened the door. The first side was nearly filled with boxes, the other, equally cavernous space also nearly as full of family memories dating back to the 1920’s. Yeah, Kid, we feel ya!
When people ask us where we live, we point to Hamlet (the 1957 vintage camper that’s been our home for nearly 14 years). It’s good for a laugh, but it’s also not the whole story, because we are registered to vote, and we do pay taxes in our “hometown” in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC -- BIG SHOUT OUT to all the Mountaineers on this newsletter list!
Our parents on Shari’s side moved there 20 years ago, but here’s the funny thing, we now see them more often than when we lived in the very same community. The events, schedules and demands of our hectic university jobs made us nearly always “too busy.” The 'rents were just across town, always available, and yet it could be months in between longer visits, beyond Shari’s weekly lunch dates with Mom.
Hutch’s folks live in an equally beautiful home in northern Michigan on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay. Before our life in Hamlet, we could only manage a 3-day visit at best, even during the glorious "Up North" summers. In addition to us leading short term study abroad trips right after the spring terms Hutch ran a program for incoming freshman at the university that kept him busy most of the summer. His mother fretted about our decision to leave our careers behind until she realized that we would be visiting more often – then she became Hamlet’s biggest fan! Indeed, he has parked in their driveway many times, including a 3 month stint during the winter of 2015 where we picked up some temporary jobs after a surprising and radical change in plans.
Our RV lifestyle, our loose-ish schedule, and ability to work from anywhere uncovered an unlikely upside of road life. We are more free to help out our family and friends when they need it. When the houses require a driveway repair, the decks pressure washed and stained, a deep cleanout of the basement, a more serious “stuff” purge, a complete cabin restoration -- we can be there to help. Most recently, we helped Hutch’s Aunt Martha clear out her house after she transitioned into a lovely assisted living facility nearby, with help from other family. Her house (and most of her stuff) just sat for 7 months, and needed cleaning out, so it could get sold. We volunteered to knock it out this spring. And, guess what? It was under contract with a solid offer within 12 days of us driving off! Hooorrray!!
It took us 5 full days working 10-12 hours a day to get everything out of her house, gifted to family, donated to local non-profits, or just tipped into 2 cavernous dumpsters. And her home wasn’t even filled with junk; it was neatly decorated, sorted tidily and spacious. It’s just that she lived there with her husband for 36 years, and if there was a place to store something, it was stashed away.
Perhaps, we are specifically equipped to deal with the difficult task of downsizing, having practiced it ourselves? Perhaps we have learned some karate kid moves after all?
Had we been traditionally-homed and employed requiring frequent (or even “gasp” daily appearances) at an office, we would have simply been “too busy” to help plow through the collected flotsam and treasures in her home. Had we not been able to visit her on our many times through Ohio, parking Hamlet along her side street (even the neighbors began to recognize him), we might have been “too late” in developing a meaningful relationship with one of our favorite “old persons." Both of these are tremendous gifts for us, and all we had to give up was the one and only thing we miss about homeownership -- our hot tub. Funnily enough, one of our great finds in the big move out was a foot spa...so maybe we can have both?
If you are over 60, please start that process now... as a gift to your children later on. At the very least, winnow and sift the junk out of your life, while you can. And don’t forget about that Crane Kick Daniel-san!
ICECO Fridge Freezer: 5 Year Review & BIG Giveaway!
Perhaps, we are specifically equipped to deal with the difficult task of downsizing, having practiced it ourselves? Perhaps we have learned some karate kid moves after all?
Had we been traditionally-homed and employed requiring frequent (or even “gasp” daily appearances) at an office, we would have simply been “too busy” to help plow through the collected flotsam and treasures in her home. Had we not been able to visit her on our many times through Ohio, parking Hamlet along her side street (even the neighbors began to recognize him), we might have been “too late” in developing a meaningful relationship with one of our favorite “old persons." Both of these are tremendous gifts for us, and all we had to give up was the one and only thing we miss about homeownership -- our hot tub. Funnily enough, one of our great finds in the big move out was a foot spa...so maybe we can have both?
If you are over 60, please start that process now... as a gift to your children later on. At the very least, winnow and sift the junk out of your life, while you can. And don’t forget about that Crane Kick Daniel-san!
Five years ago, we installed a 12V ICECO VL45 fridge / freezer in our truck, replacing the old cooler (aka food swimming pool). And then we tortured it for 5 straight years, 80,000 road miles, bouncing down washboard dirt roads, exposing it to extreme desert heat and even frozen mountain nights. In this video, we take a deep look at the long-term efficiency, structural integrity, and cosmetic appearance of this fridge freezer against 5 YEARS of relentless off-grid abuse. Does it hold up? Check our review...
Do You Have an RV-related Question?
When the waters rose overnight in their campground, one couple in their eighties survived by kicking out the rear window of their Airstream. From there, they jumped to the momentary safety of a floating dock that had been unleashed by the raging waters. With their temporary life-raft heading for a debris pile downstream (and almost certain drowning), they managed to grab onto a tree and climb up into its branches. There, they clung for the remainder of the night to be rescued by first-responders in the morning.
Enter to WIN an ICECO VL45 Fridge Freezer before May 25, 2026! Those who follow ALL instructions below may be rewarded!
2. LIKE the video!
3. COMMENT with "CANLIFE" and where you plan to take your new ICECO.
We have some BIG FUN NEWS!
Escapees selected us to take over their Q&A column for their quarterly "Escapees: Sharing the RV Life" magazine! This magazine is a membership benefit for the 122,000 members of this "OG" RV club, and is a fantastic resource for RVers of all types -- part-time, full-time, any time.
After 23 years, Mark Nemeth of "Mark, My Words" will be retiring this summer, and we are truly honored to continue his legacy beginning in the fall. Our new column titled "Can Life Q&A's" will be announced in the Summer 2026 issue, and yes, that is Hamlet on the cover! Look for it to arrive in your mailbox in early June.
Send us your questions! Technical and general RV lifestyle questions can be emailed to David “Hutch” Hutchison and Shari Galiardi at shari.hutch@freedominacan.com.
Not an Escapees Member Yet? Join Now & Save 20% with CANLIFE20!
When the waters rose overnight in their campground, one couple in their eighties survived by kicking out the rear window of their Airstream. From there, they jumped to the momentary safety of a floating dock that had been unleashed by the raging waters. With their temporary life-raft heading for a debris pile downstream (and almost certain drowning), they managed to grab onto a tree and climb up into its branches. There, they clung for the remainder of the night to be rescued by first-responders in the morning.
In case you missed it, these survivors were in their 80's! Among the Appalachian floods of 2024, there were thousands of stories like this — and much worse. But, the Appalachian area and its people earned their legendary resilience the hard way. Returning to the Appalachian region recently, we remembered our own experience and met with those rebuilding in the wake of the floods. Here's how things are progressing near our home town.
Image provided by Carl Caudle of Buck Hill Campground
June 14-19, 2026 ~ Fryeburg, Maine
Escapade 2026 is just a month away...whoop whoop! For 6 full days, Fryeburg Fairgrounds will come alive with laughter, learning, and energy when hundreds of RVers pull in and become a new community.
Neighbors become friends, seminars spark confidence, and nights are filled with live music and campfire laughter -- all gathered to celebrate the freedom of the open road and the new relationships that come with it.
Come check out our seminars during the event:
- RVing in Canada's Atlantic Provinces
- Tips & Tricks for Exploring America's National Parks
- Six Simple Strategies for Reducing RV Travel Costs
- Boondocking 101 Panel Discussion
Does Cheap Camping Still Exist? Shhh...It's Our Little Secret!
We see a lot of complaining on social media that "cheap camping" doesn't exist anymore, but honestly y'all, that couldn't be further from the truth.
With gas prices over $5 across the nation, many folks are considering not traveling at all this year. While that's certainly a financially sustainable option, a great way to off-set those travel costs is to camp in beautiful, quiet, semi-developed national forest campgrounds for next to nothing.
Just over the last couple of weeks, while traveling between North Carolina and Ohio, we camped at several gorgeous, quiet national forest sites along our route. While most are off-grid and cost less than $15, some even have water and electrical hook-ups for $20 per night! And, if you have the America the Beautiful Lifetime Senior Pass ($80 for ages 62+) or Access Pass (FREE for those folks with a disability), these campgrounds are HALF OFF -- making it the least expensive camping that you can find that isn't just boondocking.
As our faithful newsletter readers, we are letting you in on our little secret! This very basic website was developed by Fred & Suzi Dow for the U.S. Forest Service. For a couple of decades, they visited, researched, and gathered a wealth of information about national forest camping all over U.S.. Suzi has passed on, but their legacy still remains a great resource! You can search by state, then by "forest or grassland unit." Or, scroll further down and see a complete list. It's not fancy, but it's functional and the U.S. Forest Service does a decent job of keeping it up to date. It's not an actual app, but it does work well on a smartphone.
With all the news coming at us on full volume, all the time, it's easy to have missed this week's announcement from the Bureau of Land Management. Recreational areas managed by the BLM are very popular with boondocking RVers because of the beauty, low cost, 3 week stay limits and the ability to find solitude beyond the borders of a campground -- especially in the west where the majority of the 225 million acres of BLM public lands lie. What does this mean for RVers?
The "Conservation Rule" was a 2024 policy which placed conservation on equal footing with extraction, grazing, farming and other more "productive" land uses. It enabled organizations to lease land for the purpose of conservation -- for it's own sake or to counterbalance impacts from extraction activities elsewhere. Trisha Hedin, County Commissioner for Grand County, Utah (and home of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks) described it as such, “Putting conservation on the same playing field as other uses like mining, grazing and drilling is a common-sense approach that invites collaboration and lets Western communities like mine have a say when it comes to our most important resource -- our public lands." She further described the health of public lands as the "backbone of our economy."
The rescission of the rule is unlikely to have a large impact on boondocking in the near future, so keep those summer Western road trip plans! However it reinforces a more disturbing trend toward privitizing and monetizing our public lands. The recent senate vote to overturn a 20 year ban on mining in the Superior National Forest, the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has opened the door for a Chilean mining conglomerate to begin a dangerous copper mine in the area.
Poll after poll suggest that conservation of public land is a hugely important issue to Americans, some suggesting that up to 81% of all voters (regardless of party affiliation) believe that funding to programs that protect our shared public lands should NOT be cut. Another poll suggests that 71% would support an increase in taxes to increase protection in public lands! That's a solid percentage of our population that cares about shared spaces.
So, if this is important to us, let's get on the ball and take action! This helpful app will help you get your voice heard!
Summer is coming, deciduous trees are filled out with leaves, and somehow the weight of life just feels a bit lighter.
If you love to camp under trees, but are tired of not getting good enough rooftop solar gain, ShadowFlux panels are a great option for those who camp near trees, if your RV's rooftop air conditioner or fan vent casts a shadow on your roof, OR if your sweet ginger adventure cat loves napping on your RV roof!
Even when up to 30% shaded, these babies still produce power! To see real numbers in action, check out the ShadowFlux video review we did comparing a Renogy 200W traditional solar panel with the Renogy 200W ShadowFlux panel. Be sure to use CANLIFE for additional savings at Renogy.com.
Solar Coaching & Consultation Services: Thanks for ALL of Your Feedback!
Many many thanks to ALL who submitted your thoughts and ideas about solar consultation prices and services that we can offer our audience. Your feedback helped us shape our menu of options, which we will officially launch this June! Here's a sneak peek at what we'll be offering our followers and subscribers.
Planning ahead to autumn already? We love "no bug season," too.
We just added some new national park articles to our ever-growing series that are perfect for an autumn trip! You won't want to miss these small, yet fascinating parks along your journey: Petrified Forest (AZ), Hot Springs (AR), and White Sands (NM) National Parks.
Check back regularly as we continue to add more articles to our Best of America's National Parks Series which highlights the best hikes, camping and boondocking options, activities, and scenic drives in each park. Learn from the "nerds" NOT the social media influencers! As self-proclaimed "National Parks Nerds" who've explored every single national park that you can drive to, we've got some solid advice, not just sensationalized click bait.
P.S. If you love trivia, you'll want to participate in our annual National Park Week Trivia Contest! Typically in April, National Park Week was postponed this year to coincide with America's 250th celebration this summer, August 22-30, 2026. So, study up, follow us on social media (Facebook and/or Instagram), and get ready for our BIG trivia contest this summer!
The freedom to live, work, and play in gorgeous natural places comes with an incredible, but simple, responsibility. Living and traveling in our RV for nearly 14 years has afforded us some incredible opportunities to spend weeks — even months — in some of the most beautiful, pristine, and remote areas of this continent. For those of us who crave both adventure and solitude, this is truly RVing nirvana. That's why they are so incredibly worth fighting to protect!
Earth Day is always a great reminder that it’s not a burden so much as a joy. As full-timers, without the office or responsibilities of a house calling us back home, we can work, play, and live wherever we desire. Doing so, however, creates an awareness that extended stays in pristine places can have negative consequences on the environment for others and future generations to enjoy.
So, how can we balance a desire to be out there with our own sense of stewardship for it? Quite simply, we all must accept (and practice) our role as caretakers. Check out our article in RV Trader Magazine.
Parting Shot: The BIG Find this Spring...and it runs OFF-GRID!
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