I am contemplating moving the spare tire and other gear from a roof rack to a small trailer. The roof rack gets a little less accessible to me every year. I dont' think my next truck will have a 4" lift kit either - it's just too much trouble to climb in and out of.
I've also firmly adopted a policy of buying my way out of trouble. I carry cell phones, PLB, SPOT, cash, credit cards, and even a significant amount of gold bullion hidden in my truck. I have memberships to Coachnet roadside assistance as well as the GEOS SPOT rescue service and the roadside assistance that Chrysler offers all their customers. I am prepared to shell out major amounts of cash to buy my way out of a bad spot. 20 years ago, I would have no problem hiking 5 miles with an empty gas can to get a refill but not today - Today, I'd shell out $200 for a gallon of gas in a heartbeat if I have to
Old age has a way of changing your priorities and perspective.
Traveling alone is also going away for me bit by bit. I've found that it takes considerable effort and many years to cultivate traveling companion relationships and I have spent a lifetime doing this. I've found that multiple travel partners are the easiest way to go... In other words I have fishing partners and then I have offroading partners and then I have air travel partners and I have hunting partners, etc. It's hard to find one partner that wants to do everything you want to do and then still have a fun time. As I get older, I find it really nice to have some nieces and nephews and children and also friends who like to travel with me. As I get older, traveling alone is getting harder and harder to pull off successfully. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you spend your entire life building relationships around outdoor activities, then those same people still want you around even when you're old. As an example, I'm off to a hunting trip with a nephew in a couple of days - a tradition that I started with him 25 years ago when he was just a boy.
You also have to let the young folks know ahead of time what your limitations are. If you like to go to sleep at 8pm every night, need to be near a bathroom, and do not like to drink alcohol, then make sure your travel companions know this and will accomodate you, especially if they are younger. You don't want to find yourself in the middle of a rowdy dance hall at 1am and have no way out because your young nieces and nephews think it's cool to bring you along into their world. Another facet of this is "control" - as you get older, you need to maintain control over your situation to make things go your way.
A lot of people don't like to talk about this part - but cash is king. If you are poor then getting old isn't all that much fun. Like it or not, geezer survival hinges a lot on how much money you have. So save your pennies and if you don't know what "compound interest" is, then that should become your number one homework assignment.
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