Hi David,
Carving and whittling have many different descriptive names. They all produce chips of one sort or another. Chip carving is a particular style and would use an array of tools that differ from what I use for my small sculptural pieces.
Here are a couple of links that might help you to find some answers:
Chris Pye Woodcarver His site is "Dedicated to the teaching, the learning and the love of woodcarving." He has an enormous information on his web site.
This link (click here) connects you to a list of numerous PDF manuals that he has prepared for students of woodcarving.If you use the keyword "chip carving" you will find many resources, such as
this one that has videos and tool talk.
WoodCarving Illustrated Board Woodcarving Illustrated is a popular magazine. A couple of our forum's members or friends of ours, have authored articles in the magazine in years past. This forum will connect you to wood carvers beyond those of us here on The Carving Path forum. If I had more time, I might enjoy rubbing virtual elbows with folks on this forum to see what others are up to. I see that it offers online wood carving classes, different styles of carving, tool talk, materials, finishes, and much more.
I agree that wood carving on a small scale will suit your present life of travel. Your travel companion might appreciate you carving outside, or having a cloth or box that catches the wood chips as you make them in your limited space though!
What sort of farm did you have? Where was it? I live in a rural area in the northern central United States, where agriculture and diary was once a main activity. The pull of the large city an hour away has caused a shift towards farmland being sold to be divided into unsightly home sites of 5-10 acres each, without trees, on once productive crop lands. I live in one of the oldest settlements, whose beginnings preceded the formation of our state of Minnesota as one of the first four land offices in the territory. It never grew, and remains a rather quiet place.
My father took on the RV life style for years, but kept a home place to return to for part of each year. They enjoyed the travel until age and health ended the journeys.
Thanks for taking time to look at my web site, and for the compliment.
Janel