Like so many other events during the coronavirus pandemic, the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous and the Women’s Rubber Tramp Rendezvous could not be held in person this year. But as nomads we are resourceful and the RTRs were switched over to a completely online format with live presentations by knowledgeable nomads covering topics such as camp etiquette, solar power, and boondocking. The presentations consist of a class followed by a question and answer period. All sessions are posted on the HOWA YouTube channel for viewing at a later date.
Thank you to the HOWA staff, HOWA volunteers, and the nomads who shared their expertise with the community. We appreciate all of the work and dedication that went into making the 2021 RTRs a success!
When Bob Wells started the RTR in 2011 no one dreamed that it would become so large so fast. From a gathering of fewer than 50 people, the RTR attendance swelled to many thousands in 2019 and outgrew the site at Scadden Wash, east of Quartzsite, Arizona, where it had been held for years. After months of searching for a different location with little success, Suanne Carlson, HOWA executive director who took over the management of the RTR and WRTR in July 2019, and her team of assistants developed a new plan- the RTR would be held at the La Paz County Fairgrounds and attendees would camp on BLM public land.
While this wasn’t a perfect solution, because the part of the fun of the RTRs is camping in a large group, everything worked very well. New nomads and nomads-to-be attended the seminars then camped for the night with HOWA Caravans. Nomads who had attended RTRs in previous years gathered with friends at camping areas scattered across the desert. Most had no need to attend the seminars but they still enjoyed the spirit of the RTR gathering.
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