Well, I think I figured out what Im going to do...
I'm going to go ahead and go with hydroton and do a drip to res for now untill I can get the resources to do a full aero set up... I've already got most of the equipment on hand to do about 4 DIY (Rubermaid) setups. 6 plants each.

Either that or i am considering doing a drip to res set-up using homemade flood tables lined with perilite and still growing in hydroton. Drain into res so I can still recirculate my nute soulution.

I just know I plan on doing a lot of camping this summer and well I need a system that I can leave for a couple/few days and not have to worry about them drying out on me.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
A couple other ?'s I have are":

1: What is the best way to clean hydroton between uses?
2: Should I leave my pump on 24/7 or just water a few times a day(say, 15min every 2 hours) etc...???
Would this system work with the perilite and hydroton with flood tables as I described above?