By Lizann Lightfoot, Military Spouse
Packing for our last PCS move was tough—we had to clean the house, map out the route to our next duty station and buy a tent. Yes, we camped in a tent when we moved cross-country from Pennsylvania to California. It was a big tent because we are a family of six. When we moved, our children were ages 7, 5, 3, and 1.
It may sound like a recipe for disaster, but it ended up being one of our most interesting and memorable family vacations. Best of all, the government paid us to take the trip!
I should clarify that this was not a full DITY move, now called PPM (Personally Procured Move).
A PPM is when you personally pack up and drive all your belongings to your next duty station, without using a moving company. During our camping trip, we were not driving a moving truck because we did a partial DITY move. In a partial move, the government movers come to your house, pack most of your furniture and belongings, and take them to the next duty station. However, you agree to move some of your belongings yourself. The government reimburses a portion of your moving expenses based on the weight of what you choose to move and the mileage to the next duty station.
Much more information can be found at the original post location. http://blog.pcsgrades.com/dity-move-camping-trip/