Northology Adventures January 2021

A MIDWEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PUBLICATION

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES JANUARY2021

WHY I EMBRACE WINTER SPORTS MIDLANDUSA MXT115 REVIEW UNIMAGINABE HORIZONS A YEAR ON THE ROAD HITTING THE GRAVEL DRIFTLESS EXPLORERS THE GEAR BUNKER MEANDERING RUN MAX-BILT PROFILE

contents 04 The Gear Bunker 06 Midland MXT115 Review 10 Drifless Explorers 16 A Year OnThe Road 24 Why I Embrace Winter Sports 26 Meandering Run 30 Unimaginable Horizons 36 Max-Bilt Profile 39 Hitting The Gravel

CONTENTS PAGE PHOTO BY UP JEEPING COVER PHOTO BY JEREMIAH OSCHWALD

Northology Adventures Magazine has made all efforts to make sure that content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor. All content is published in a good faith. Northology Adventures does not guarantee or accept liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this magazine or errors in the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers.All rights reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without a written consent. By using links in this magazine, you acknowledge that and agree that Northology cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for content of other websites and advertisements.

CINDY POPE Publisher HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

For those that think that the new year changes anything... I have news for you.

Change does not happen by the turning of a calendar page or the popping of the cork on a champagne bottle.

But change can happen if you put enough

effort into something. Here at the Pope household, we are adventuring as a family now. That is a story for another time but a lot of effort, self-care, healing and love has made amazing things happen in our lives.

That is why we traded the Jeep for a van.

Again, a story for another time.

Cheers to the new year, anyways. Many wishes for success, health and prosperity coming your way. Thanks for a great 2020.

See you all at the MOORE Expo?

-Cindy

SPOT X SATELLITE MESSENGER PEACE OF MIND IN THE BACKCOUNTRY Anytime you travel to remote areas, communication is often compromised. It’s a concern I have wherever I may be. As a former Ranger, communication was paramount for a successful mission.

Nothing has changed since those days except the technology. Even with modern smart phones, travel to countries with a limited network will render them useless. Additionally, in the US, I’ve found myself paddling the Great Lakes, Over-landing or even backcountry skiing outside of cellular coverage. A dangerous proposition should a real emergency occur. A simple and affordable device, the Spot X Messenger is designed to remedy this situation.

Read the full story on The Gear Bunker website

keweenaw overland adventure retreat 9/16-19/2021 Ticket go on sale 3/1/2021 sponsor/exhibitor inquiries - koar.up@gmail.com

CUSTOM BUILT TEARDROP CAMPING TRAILERS

HAUL YOUR BOATS, BIKES AND CAMPING GEAR IN ONE EYE-CATCHING, AFFORDABLE PACKAGE

TCTeardrops.com

OVERALL SPECS

COMMUNICATIONS

MidlandUSA

MXT115 field review Jeremy Byington of New Holland Overland tests the MXT115 for Northology Adventures readers

LET'S HAVE A LITTLE TALK ABOUT RADIOS Outfitted in our 2017 Toyota Tacoma we installed a Midland MXT115 2-way radio as one of our primary communication units for our adventures. We use both HAM (With an ICOM 2730A Unit) and GMRS. Both types of communications have their pros and cons and we wanted to outfit our vehicle with both types so that we can be prepared for any scenario. Since New Holland

Overland also leads group trips throughout the year we found it valuable to have multiple systems of communication so we can accommodate to those who join along in our trips. The majority of use for our communications really is only in short range within a mile radius, so that is how I will be testing the MXT115. Rarely have we needed HAM or GMRS for long range situations.

Midland has been manufacturing 2-way radios way back since the 1950’s, pioneering and developing industry leading radios for numerous adventure applications.

The Midland MXT115 is a compact portable 2-way GMRS radio compromising of a 15watt base unit. The radio unit came with a nice magnetic antenna that will mount to your roof or whatever highest metal surface is on your vehicle, with options available from Midland for alternative antenna’s to best fit your mounting needs.

DID YOU KNOW? Before operating a GMRS radio, a consumer must have a valid license. Any radio using the shared FRS/GMRS frequencies that is able to transmit above 2 Watts of power was reclassified as GMRS only after the FCC Changes in September 2017.

SOURCE: MIDLANDUSA

RIG INSTALLATION

FIELD REVIEW

With Michigan being a heavily wooded environment it was tricky to really push the MXT115 to its full advertised range. However with some planning on the freeway we were able to test the radio between one vehicle to another over a 26 mile range, and still had good communication and clear transmission. Quite impressive for such a little unit!

During a few trail runs we used the MXT115 to help guide our trips, mainly using short range communication it never transmitted fuzzy or squelched weird, but held clean transmission throughout the whole day. One place in the future I am excited to try out the MXT115 is at Silver Lake Sand Dunes, where I have the potential with this radio to communicate with people from our campsite at the State Park to vehicles on the dunes! I have no doubt that with the tree lines and the dunes the MXT115 has the power and ability to transmit across such terrain. Overall I am extremely impressed with the quality and power of the MXT115 unit from Midland. It certainly packs a powerful punch of a radio in a small package, and the ease of use and install was impressive.

"...we were able to test the radio between one vehicle to another over a 26 mile range, and still had good communication and clear transmission...

Quite impressive for such a little unit!"

For our Tacoma we chose to install the base unit on our center console molle panel, giving us perfect access to the radio to change settings and channels.

Threading the antenna through some of the dash, between the door channel and up the windshield, it lands on the roof with its magnetic mount. With the current setup of our Tacoma it made mounting the Midland unit’s provided antenna a little tricky, which we ended up finding a cozy spot in-between the roof rails of our rack system. Not the most ideal location, but with a different style antenna like Midland’s NMO mounts we could mount off of our ditch light brackets giving us a much better chance for longer range communication. For the handheld mic that you hold to speak into we mounted off the front of our TPAM from Expedition Essentials. In terms of electrical installation Midland makes it incredibly easy with a simple 12V cigarette plug, you could also hardware the unit into the truck, but if your looking for ease of installation the 12V plug is hard to beat!

ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE

TOYOTA & JEEP SUSPENSION SPECIALISTS GEAR & AXLE UPGRADES - FULL REPAIR FACILITY OVERLAND VEHICLE OUTFITTING CALL 989-593-2533 FOR QUOTE expeditionvehicleoutfitters.com

CUSTOM ADVENTURE TRIPS & ITINERARIES / OUTDOOR EVENTS / CONTENT CREATION / ADVENTURE MAGAZINE

driftless

explorers

Late season Driftless Area and Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail

By UP Jeeping With the week of Christmas off of work I decided to visit the Driftless Area in southern WI and Iowa and meet up with Chad and Cindy Pope of Northology. Since I was near the start of the Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail (T.W.A.T.) I decided to try and follow it back to Northern WI and home back to the UP of MI.

First and foremost, I don't understand the desire to follow routes just to follow the route.

I've heard many reasons why people enjoy following them, and I suppose as long as you're having a good time then who am I to disagree? But for me a route is nothing more than one person's idea of how to get from A to B. Prior to the trip I did some research on the trail and what things I think are interesting and what I'd like to do or see. The route has three distinct sections, lower Driftless, central farm land, and northern Wisconsin.

We started off in Council Hills Illinois, camping at Council Hill Station and were treated with great hospitality by owner, Jamie and Albert the cat who were both happy to have us. After a hearty breakfast we were off to explore the Driftless. We followed the trail pretty much exactly at this stage, and we were rewarded with fantastic views along the way. We camped the first night just outside Prairie du Chien at Wyalusing state park. This is where we started leaving the route to explore a bit more.

"...think about what you want to get out of an adventure."

On the Iowa side of the Mississippi we hiked around Pikes Peak State Park. I fully intend to revisit the driftless area in 2021 and will spend a week exploring. North of Prairie du Chien I feel the terrain slowly started to transition from Driftless to central farm land. The trail takes you deep into a very southern feeling ride through twisty hollers and valleys. At a certain point you notice the farms start getting bigger and you will see a lot of Amish? farms, schools, buggies, laundry...

This central part of the trail completely lost my interest after about 2 hours of, "oh look more farms" and on top of that there was nothing to do or see along the route, lots of private property and just nothing of interest for me.

After a little research we jumped off the "trail" north of White City and jumped on Highway 33

PAG E S|T AJTOE UP R P IE K ET ' SHPRE E AK A RNKE Y

into Ontario and drove through Wildcat Mountain State Park. Highway 33 was a blast to drive, a slow winding 2 lane blacktop road with several tight switchbacks and pretty decent elevation changes. To me this was the highlight of the central portion of the trail, and I plan to go back to visit this area in the near future. From there sticking to a 2 lane blacktop we hit 71 into Sparta for a bit of a rest. After more research on the trail we made a decision to just take pavement to Eau Claire to get to Max-Built before they closed for the day. We toured their shop and were invited to stay at the owners cabin just out of town.

I left Eau Claire the next morning and I made my way east on 73 to Thorp and back on the "trail." I feel like Thorp marks the transition from central farm land to Northern Wisconsin,

gone are endless farms and straight roads and enter twisty dirt roads through the forest. This section I deviated from the official trail a bit as well, I must have had the ORV or adventure bike version of the route as I ran across a few gates that limited access to under a certain width vehicle. But it was easy enough to find the next road over to still follow along. Getting into northern WI I started to run across snowy and icy roads, and the weather was starting to turn. I camped at Big Falls County Park and Campground on the Jump River, a great little campground with bundles of slab wood provided for fires! From here out the weather really turned for the worse, rain turned to freezing rain, which turned to snow, which turned to a blizzard. I jumped off the trail for a bit to take a side trip over to Timms's Hill, the highest point in Wisconsin (how is this not on the route when it's just a couple roads over???)

I made it as far north as Phillips before I felt the back roads were getting too dangerous to travel solo without more recovery gear. By this time the temp had dropped and I was in full on winter blizzard conditions.

At this point the off season camping will bite you, all the state and federal forest campgrounds were closed and gated for the season. I ended up finding a boat launch to spend my last night at, tucked under some trees to try and get away from the storm.

Luckily the snow fizzled out, but not the cold.

Below zero temps that night, but the furnace in the camper didn't seem to run that much.

The next morning the temp was a chilly 2 degrees and the camper and truck were frozen solid from the rain and snow from the day before. Thankfully the old Powerstroke started right up with fresh batteries and a few cycles of the glow plugs... From here it was just an adventure in itself to get back to MI with how cold it was, everything was frozen and struggled to work properly, including me.

"...everything was frozen and struggled to work properly, including me."

So I don't think I failed to do the trail, like I said, I'm not one to blindly follow a route just to say I did the route and get my sticker. I used the route as a jumping off point to build my own adventure. Some people say "we follow the routes because we have limited time and don't want to fail." For myself, I found way more interesting things once I left the route that I didn't even finish. I feel like if I would have followed the route I would have missed out on a lot of great things. So I guess think about what you want to get out of an adventure, if you only have 3 days and want to do the route I feel like you are failing at the core objective of all this. I had a blast exploring Wisconsin and seeing new things, I got what I wanted to out of the whole thing.

DUGWAY RD- POSSIBLY THE MOST PHOTGRAPHED SPOT ON THE TRANS WISCSONSIN ADVENTURE TRAL

WELDING, AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SANDBLASTING, PAINTING

A YEAR ON

THE ROAD

MOLEISUREXVENTURES CELEBRATES AN ANNIVERSARY

BY DELIA MO PHOTOGRAPHS BY ENOCH LEISURE It’s been one year since we decided to quit our jobs, sell our belongings and embark on this overland trip of a lifetime! We started this trip in November 2019 with a goal to visit all of the National Parks in the US. Since beginning the trip we have visited 46/62 National Parks; there are some that we need to visit again because parts of the park were closed due to covid or the weather. We’ve had to jump over a few hurdles along this trip: quarantining for 3 months was the biggest one, along with non stop rain, 50+ mph wind storms, wildfires in Oregon and California and issues with our car and trailer. BUT there are so many more positive things, like the people we’ve met and the places we’ve been to, that keeps us going.

A lot has changed since we started this trip. Our 2009 M/T Nissan Xterra was pretty much stock with just some suspension modifications; we had a Smittybilt RTT and way too much stuff. As we continued on the trip, we slowly got rid of things to lighten the load of the truck. We also learned early on that we were going to have to make more upgrades to the Xterra.

When we were in Death Valley NP, we lost our side steps and mud flaps on Mengel Pass, thus adding rock sliders, armor and bigger tires to our list of modifications. When we were in the Ozarks in Arkansas, it had been raining non stop for days and we went through some water crossings that were definitely deeper than normal, so we decided we needed a snorkel for water and dusty roads. Since we live on the road full-time, we don’t have a place to ship items/ work on the truck. So when Covid hit, it was kind of a curse and blessing for us.

We had just made it to New York at the time, which is where I’m from. Since we had to quarantine, we took advantage of this time to do all of the modifications that were on our list. We got a bit stir crazy, along with the rest of the world, but appreciated the fact that we were safe and sound. Once Acadia NP in Maine opened up on June 1st, we were back on the road. Traveling post quarantine has definitely been a game changer. There are a lot of things we need to be more aware of especially when we're in public areas. But regardless, we adapted to this change and do what we have to do to continue this trip.

Along with more upgrades to the Xterra, we recently added a GoFSR trailer to our overall rig. This helps distribute all the weight that we had in the truck, gives us a basecamp to return to after a day of adventuring and makes room for a potential adventure puppy (fingers crossed). We are currently in the process of modifying the trailer too because nothing from a factory is ever good enough for Enoch.

He always has to add his touch to everything which creates a never ending project that I’m sure other overlanders can sympathize with.

THERE ARE SO MANY MORE POSITIVE THINGS, LIKE THE PEOPLE WE’VE MET AND THE PLACES WE’VE BEEN TO, THAT KEEPS US GOING.

We still have 16 parks to visit to reach our goal of visiting every National Parkin the United States. We are currently waiting for the Canadian border to open up so we can make the drive to Alaska (there are 8 parks for us to visit there.) We also need to plan our flights for the parks in Hawaii, Samoa and the Virgin Islands. A question that we’ve gotten a lot is: “What will you do after visiting all of the National Parks?”

We don’t have a set plan yet but we would like to drive the Pan-Am Highway starting from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska down to the tip of Argentina (we would love to discuss this trip with others that have done it before, feel free to reach out to us!)

We have met so many amazing people both inside and outside of the overland community. We are especially grateful for the friends that opened their home to us in Oregon during the wildfires. And the new friends that were with us when our trailer broke down; sticking around to make sure we were able to get back on the road safely. We’re thankful that we were able to meet up with some super cool people from all over the US to do trail runs and camp with. We love being a part of this community and are excited to see what the new year has for us! Thank you to everyone that has been following us, we appreciate you and can't wait to meet you on the road!

Vehicle mods X Consultations X Overland gear

Visit us on facebook

KEVIN WHY I EMBRACE WINTER SPORTS BYVERSINO

Wind, cold, snow, ice. Bring it on! For some people, the first snow of the season is like a root canal without Novocain. Shorter days combine with colder temps to induce Cabin Fever. For others, they look forward to the first snow like a kid on Christmas morning. Frantically looking for trail updates to see where adventure may take them. Then we have the group in the middle. They could make do without winter, but they live in it. So they might as well find a way to enjoy it! I like a cold beverage as much as the next person, but how many days can you spend sitting at a bar? Allow me the opportunity to demonstrate why you should embrace winter, not run from it.

1

3

Getting outside is good for you! Studies have shown that exposure to nature can reduce stress and anxiety. Adults should be outside for at least 2 hours per week according to people a lot smarter than I am. The outdoors provides a unique opportunity to achieve work-life balance.

Use the outdoors as your gym. I would much rather look at a snow covered forest than a pair of sweaty exercise pants. Don’t get me wrong, the gym has its place. I belong to one. But Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing using poles is a great total body activity.

While there are some tips and tricks to snowshoeing, as long as you have normal balance and could put one foot in front of the other, you can snowshoe. Exercise in the fresh air versus sweating next to a stranger? Seems like a no brainer!

2 Kevin Versino is the General Manager of Rocktown Adventures, a specialty outdoor retailer and outfitter located in Rockford, IL. Rocktown Adventures has been helping people create memorable outdoor experiences since 2014.

It is good to try new things. Taking on a new activity and learning the skills to be proficient breeds confidence that can be applied to other parts of your life, such as taking on a new project at work.

Besides, it is good to challenge yourself, keep your mind active.

4

5

6

Winter activities are great social activities. It is easy to get a group of friends or family together to create memorable outdoor experiences. For families, the outdoors provides endless entertainment options. Kids especially should be outside as it provides them an opportunity to problem solve and think creatively.

That feeling of exhilaration after a hike or ski. There is no better feeling than that you experience after heading out in winter. You know you did something good for yourself physically and mentally. You overcame the challenges winter weather presents. And you have earned that warm spot with a beverage in your hand.

Which leads to‌.

You will never have a better tasting beer than after a nice ski or hike in winter. I am not sure what it is about cold weather and krausened beverages. But it is cold in Germany, so they must have known something!

MEANDERING RUN ELWOOD TOAST

@CoffeeToastRunner

CARB UP

Over the years that I've been running there are many I'VE DEVELOPED SOME HABITS things that I've learned from observing others but THAT HAVE HELPED ME TO STAY mostly from experimentation, doing, trying and FOCUSED ON RUNNING SO I my own "learned things." I no longer eat a THOUGHT THIS MONTH I WOULD forming slice of toast right before I go for a run. Seems SHARE THEM WITH YOU. pretty simple but I had to experience the discomfort of eating before my run a few times before I changed my habit. Carb loading before a run is usually a good idea but give your stomach time to Make running a habit. Put on digest. Eat a light snack, nothing heavy or you'll feel your running gear as soon as you stomach heavy and develop a stomach ache soon get out of bed or as soon as your into your run. I observed, experimented with my diet arrive home from work. Your gear and learned. LOL. If you are planning a Saturday tells your body that next up is morning long run do your carb loading the night your daily run. It becomes a before, pasta is a good choice. The next morning eat routine. Some enjoy a cup of something light about an hour before your run. coffee before hitting the road.

Lay out your gear the night before so it is easy to find and slip into. I find that even if I'm going for a walk rather than a run I still wear my running outfit Take running shoes for instance. I learned as I was because it helps to cement the transitioning from road to trail running not to run habit in my mind. Anything you trails in road shoes. Road shoes simply are not can do to make your workout a designed and structured for the twists and turns habit will improve your chances that trails provide. They don't protect your feet for of getting it done. the many times I ram my foot into an invisible tree root or rock. Likewise I don't wear my trail shoes on the road. They aren't designed for repeated foot strikes on concrete. Road shoes normally provide more shock absorption and a softer ride while those trail specific shoes offer a more stiff and harder ride simply because each footstrike lands differently.

HABIT UP

SHOE UP

GEAR UP

Gear is important. Common sense says to dress warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Layer up! Generally I've found that tights are great for winter running. For the upper body I'll wear several thin layers with a top layer of a fairly light jacket.

Several layers of breathable, lighter layers tend to keep you from sweating much and you'll remain warmer for a longer period of time. Body movement generates heat and the multiple layers allow that heat to stay close to your body. On the other hand running in a single cotton shirt and a heavy jacket will cause you to sweat quickly. Sweat plus cold If you live in an area with an temps equals a cold soggy run. active running club try to join in.

You may prefer that to running solo especially on unfamiliar roads or trails. It can also be more safe than running alone. In a group you can also learn from other people's experiences. Many running clubs offer weekend and midweek training runs and this helps to encourage your training, especially when you're feeling tired and want to stay in bed instead of rising to run.

GROUP RUN UP

SUMMER UP

Summer gear is equally important. I tend to run in the least amount of clothing as possible. Short shorts are great for hot humid running. Ladies wear a breathable top with no sleeves if possible along with shorts or a pair of very light three quarter length tights. Early mornings and evenings can offer a cooler alternative to mid day runs. Low riding socks offer a surprising cooler run in hot temps so leave those longer length cotton socks behind. Hydration is important. Drink before and during your summer runs if possible.

STEP UP

In my experience running on the roads is a much different experience than trail running. After that first road mile warm-up your mind may start to meander and you'll find yourself thinking of all sorts of thing. Work, your schedule for the day, what you'll eat after your run...these and a hundred other things will pop in and out of your head. You're on autopilot and simply putting one foot in front of the other with only an occasional glance down at the pavement in front of you. Trails however will offer a more challenging run. Up hills. Down hills.

Rocks. Roots. Rocks. Quick left and right turns.

Steep grades and downhills. So learn early to pick up your feet. I've experienced plenty of faceplants in my running life. But don't be afraid of it. Just take it slow and learn how to pace yourself safely.

Running trails is great fun but you need to pay more attention to where your feet are landing and pushing off. I highly recommend the trails!

MUSIC UP

Believe it or not this is a controversial subject. Many people enjoy music while running, walking or hiking. Others run without music and enjoy the sounds of nature and being outside. There is certainly a place for both. Either way be considerate of others. If you want a musical run use earbuds rather than cranking up your phone's volume. Don't disturb others. I prefer running without music. I've tried running with earbuds but they usually end up falling out of my ears and about the time I need a boost a slow love song comes along and makes me want to stop. Choose your music wisely. Also for safety, always be aware of your surroundings and don't turn the volume up to loud (which can also harm your hearing long term). You can't hear automobiles and runners while a podcast or music is blasting away in your ears.

Custom off road trailers, vehicle accessories & gear

g3fabrication.com

Southern Wisconsin's Leading Jeep & Truck Accessory / Fabrication Shop

performanceoffroadwi.com 262-372-3173 waukesha, wi

unimaginable horizons HOW I MADE VANLIFE WORK FOR ME BY BECCA FOSS

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

Let’s back it up, shall we? My name is Becca, I’m 28 years old, and I lived in my van from

But, how much do we really need to spend to reap the rewards of roaming and enrich our lives? We’v e all spent time on the road whether it be a quick weekend getaway or an extended road trip. One aspect of travel that I bet we can all agree on is that road trips can get spendy, real quick.

2013-2019 for over 9 months each year. I explored deep into the American West while living on four wheels. How did I do it? I’m extremely frugal and prioritize where my money is spent. Let’s break it down and chat about some of the ways I was able to get my total spending to under $500 a month.

SUNSET IN MOAB AT ONE OF THE DISPERSED CAMPING AREAS

YOUR VEHICLE AND

home, sweet home The most important part of long-term vanlife is the four wheels beneath you, your home on wheels! In a perfect vanlife situation, you will want a vehicle that is reliable, comfortable to your standards and inexpensive to repair (you WILL break down at some point.)

When I first started my journey in 2013, I traveled in an early 2000s Jeep Liberty. My home on wheels then evolved to a Nissan Sentra where I set up a tent every night for 8 months.

After my tent got eaten by horses one night (true story,) I decided to upgrade to a 2001 purple Toyota Sienna with a bed platform in the back. From the minivan, my homes progressed to a 1978 Toyota Chinook, then a 1984 Toyota Sunrader, and now my current rig - a 1978 16’ Toyota Sunrader complete with orange shag carpet. My ‘78 Sunrader is a dream but it took a lot of trial and error to discover the perfect setup. Vanlife doesn’t have to look like a $60,000 sprinter or a $100,000+ Sportsmobile. With a little creativity and a few sacrificed modern amenities, your four wheels can take you to unimaginable horizons.

INTERIOR OF THE SUNRADER. THIS BED PULLS OUT OVER THE BENCH SEATS TO CREATE A CALIFORNIA KING!

CAMPED OUT SOMEWHERE IN WYOMING. A FAMILY OF MICE CAME INTO THE SUNRADER HERE… ALWAYS HAVE MOUSE TRAPS ON HAND, THOSE BUGGERS ALWAYS FIND A WAY IN!

CAMPING

FOOD

The best aspect of vanlife is the freedom to wake up in a new campsite every morning. I almost never pay for campsites, instead, I seek out dispersed camping on National Forest and BLM land. With dispersed camping, users don’t

The easiest way to blow your road trip budget is eating out for your meals. On the flip side, cooking all your own meals is such an easy way to be more kind to your bank account. I love cooking and enjoy creating new recipes with the

have access to normal campground facilities like running water, electricity, or a toilet, users are expected to properly dispose of human waste and pack in their own water. This land is completely free and is one of the greatest things

remnants in my refrigerator. I eat a lot of veggie stir fry, breakfast burritos, PB&J with fruit for packed lunches, pasta with vegetables, and tacos. In true dirtbag fashion, I have been known to seek out foodmarts with expired goods. I once

about our Public Lands system in America. To learn more about dispersed camping, stop in the

purchased an entire cartload of expired $0.20 CLIF bars! Some people may think I go too far,

local National Forest Ranger Station for the area that you’l l be visiting. As always, Leave No Trace.

but this is a huge way I’v e saved money to perpetuate my travels.

ENTERTAINMENT You have your home on wheels, you’r e camped out on beautiful National Forest Land, and you just cooked up a delish meal. Now what? How are you spending your time? What do you want to get out of your adventure? I’m fortunate in that I have very focused passions and I’v e invested in the gear to do those activities safely.

While I was living out of my van, I spent my days rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, and biking.

After the initial investment of gear, all of those activities are free.

FUEL

MY TWO DOGS, JACKSON AND BANDIT, LOVE TO HELP ME DRIVE.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND AAA RV INSURANCE. MY WATER PUMP EXPLODED AND I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE COLORADO.

It’s easy to get behind the wheel and drive here, there and everywhere. Exploration is certainly part of the fun of vanlife, but if you’r e focused on saving money, try and plot out where you would like to go ahead of time. Find (free) camping nearby and really explore the area.

During my six years of vanlife, it wasn’t uncommon for me to stay in one campsite for a week or two. Heck, I would stay in Moab, Utah for over one month every Spring and Fall while rock climbing!

I’M PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THESE COUCH CUSHIONS THAT I CUSTOM MADE MYSELF. I THINK THEY COMPLIMENT THE SHAG CARPET PERFECTLY!

OTHER EXPENSES Other expenses - Unfortunately, it’s expensive to just be alive. Insurance, cell phone plans, clothing, preventative medical visits, and general care add up quickly. To be completely honest

Ultimately, the time that you spend adventuring on your road trip is yours and yours alone.

Having an open road ahead of you is the perfect opportunity to literally go wherever you want in

with you, I didn’t have health insurance and I used a dinosaur phone that could only talk and text. As a healthy 20 year old, I deemed these

life. Roam free, friends, and slow down to enjoy the journey.

things acceptable to skimp on. That being said, it’s worth it to go through your finances with a fine tooth comb to see if you can get a better rate or cut out some unnecessary expenses.

FOLLOW @BECCA_FOSS ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE STORIES ABOUT BIKEPACKING, DIRTBAG LIFE AND SUPER CUTE PUPS JACKSON & BANDIT

TRAILS END CAMPGROUND

14203 M26 Copper Harbor, Michigan

Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition Use code NORTHOLOGY20 for 20% off

Adventure Awaits

Welcome to the new monthly business profile feature where we ask our supporters to tell us about their business and their outdoor passions & pursuits. In this edition, Phil Norvold tells us what makes Max-Bilt tick.

MaxBIlt Offroad & MFG 6129 Sandstone Rd. Eau Claire, WI

Website- www.maxbilt.com Phone- 715-210-0256 Owner- Phillip Norvold Founded- March 2008 "Maxbilt Started for a passion for Jeeps, and the lifestyle that comes with it."

Phil talks about the product that got it all started- secure storage.

"From parts to service we like to think of our place as a one stop shop. Our team has experience in wheeling in all sorts of terrain and environments. We live what we do.

From wheeling the toughest 4wd trails in the country, organizing intense roadtrips with limited supplies (see Epic Willys Adventure) and constantly escaping on overlanding expeditions we take this knowledge we have gained to make your experiences better. We retail and install our own solution based products as well as products from other reputable companies in the industry. We offer general repair and maintenance on ALL Makes and models backed with a 2 year 24k mile warranty that is honored at 12000 shops Nationwide. We also design, plan and build turnkey rigs, vintage restomods build for cruising to the ice cream shop, overlanding rigs purpose built to spend weeks off grid, or a trail buggy designed to concur the toughest terrain, or anything in between we can do it.

We ask the questions to learn your end goal, and we help you execute that process as efficiently as possible, our experience will provide you with the opportunity to put your money to work for you, and not spend it twice. Legends are BILT."

So. Are you overland AF? Tell us what overland means to you. .Well yeah! Overlanding to me means seizing the opportunity to go to the outdoors, experience adventure and constantly explore. Its meeting new people around a campfire. Its looking up at the night sky and getting lost in the stars. Its experiencing that first cup of coffee while the sun rises. Most importantly, its the opportunity to share these things with my family.

Are you seeing any trends in the industry or your business related to overland travel?

Our business has embraced the growth of this trend. As much as exploring and camping has been around forever, when you think about it its programed in our DNA. That being said the last 5 years there has been explosive growth, and 2020 and the social distancing has provided a springboard for many companies, including ours to offer solutions to those looking to go and get lost.

Do you enjoy silent sports activities on overland trips?

I do, thankfully 2020 allowed me to slow down on the traveling for trade shows and events and partake in a lot more of them. Mountain biking has been at the top of my list and I enjoy being able to mix that in whenever I can. Other than that fishing and hiking are great but no activity is enjoyed more than an afternoon hammock nap sesh.

What is one thing about your company that you want people to know?

Having someone take your dreams and make them a reality requires a whole lot of trust. We respect that, and we will earn it.

adventure calendar

a summary of midwest and national events

submit your event at info.northologyadventures@gmail.com

January 1/22-24 Northology Winter Weekend, Copper Harbor, MI

February 2/13-14 MOORE- Midwest Overlanding Off Road Expo, Springfield, MO 2/26-27 Northology Winter Weekend, Copper Harbor, MI

March 3/12-14 Canoecopia (virtual) 3/19-21 Northology Winter Weekend, Copper Harbor, MI

20-40% OFF GAIA PREMIUM

hitting the gravel for a good cause Illinois Overlanders finish some business and collect donations for a local charity In November, Northology Adventures invited the Illinois Overlanders on a gravel road trip from Rockford to Galena, Illinois and back. Unable to complete the route in the daylight, a date was set to complete the second half of the ride in December.

In true holiday spirit, participants decided to bring donations to the rendezvous point at The Norwegian for Miss Carly's organization and four carloads of toys, household items and warm clothes and mittens were delivered to them on the morning of the ride.

Thank you to everyone who contributed. Special thanks to Mark Daggett, Ryan Green, Steve Rainman and Juan Cruz for delivering the donations for us. A shout-out to Mark and Merri of Wanderlost Overland for again helping out with convoy logistics and being the best tail gunner out there. There were 33 vehicles in the convoy this time around, and our MidlandUSA GMRS radios kept us all in contact and the route on our Gaia apps kept us on the right track.

Save up to 50% off Gaia Premium

Ryan, Mark, Steve and Juan delivering the goods at Miss Carly's.

Photo by Steve Rainman

Find out more about MidlandUSA radios