Overland Adventures Magazine - Fall 2021 Edition by Overland Adventures Magazine, LLC

Journey with no boundaries

Magazine | Fall 2021

Cooking

56 Coconut Curry Chicken-Mr Buckaroonie

DIY

22 Imagine the Perfect Drawer System Merri Morrall Family 38 Overlanding with a Toddler- Scott Parker 44 The Overland Travel Family

Overland Adventures Magazine

Fall 2021

www.OverlandAdventuresMagazine.com Cover Photography: Vil Van Merew Editor In Chief: Mary Beth Ebnet

Art Director: Rich Johnson

Social Media Director: Jillian Perez

Writer: Scott Parker

Proofreader: Ellen Driscoll

Writer: Joey Slayton

54 A New Adventure- Sarah Morrison

Featured

34 Overlanding Through Serbia- Aleksandar Veljković

International

14 Dirt-biking through Burma-Johan de Villiers 30 Overlanding Japan Eiji Matsushita 46 The Real North Cape- Mike, Andrea and Aimee the dog 50 There and Back Again-Thomas Fibrich Kids’ Corner 17 Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky GulchJay H. Mowell

Maintenance

53 Maintenance is Key to ReliabilityMatt McClellan Others 8

An Office with a View- David Mountain

18 From Brooklyn to Boondocking- Delia Mo 3

Luke’s Wings

10 Overlanding 101- Joey Slayton 48 The Rebelle Rally- Thayer Low

Retirement

53 Traveling to New BeginningsMichael and Debbie Lee Auburn 58 Our Alternative Plan for Retirement David and Charlotte

Rig Builds

12 Burnt Trekky- Fred and Amanda 26 Our shop vehicle, Warthog- Cassie Burt 42 Reaching West- Rachel Nevill

States

6 48 States, 59 Days and 14,242 Miles Dayman Baker 20 Ghost Trains in Maine? Andrew Jordan 28 Overland Nevada-Nicholas and Benjamin Vaskov 41 Ozark Overland Adventure Trail (OOAT) Matt McClellan

MISSION STATEMENT

We will do so by publishing a magazine and hosting a website where we share informative, inspiring and fun content with existing and aspiring overland adventurers!

We want to give our passionate community a voice: whether you are a family making memories with your kiddos or are a group of friends enjoying a weekend together, or sharing an amazing trip with that special someone. We want to feature you! And let your journey expand our minds, help us learn something new… and soar into something amazing and life changing!

VISION STATEMENT

We want our magazine to inspire the adventurous person in all of us, by:

Our mission is to connect and inspire people from all around the world who have a common passion for adventure and overlanding.

Our Vision is to help build an overland community across the globe where everyone’s perspective, knowledge and passion can be shared and valued.

CORE VALUES

It doesn’t matter what kind of rig you drive, or how much money you have spent building that perfect rig. We are all here for the same thing…. Adventure, a journey and maybe, just maybe, a destination!

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Being Inclusive

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Respecting everyone’s path and journey

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Sharing knowledge and wisdom

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Encouraging everyone to Tread Lightly and be respectful of their environment

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Having fun!

Luke’s Wings

Flying Our Wounded Service Members

Luke’s Wings is always looking to help more service members. To qualify, you must be a service member/active duty, veteran receiving medical treatment, veteran in hospice, or SOCOM. Luke’s Wings was founded with a specific mission: To provide complimentary airfare to wounded, ill and injured service members and their families during recovery and rehabilitation. The government provides just three flights for immediate family to be at the bedside of their wounded warrior after sustaining an injury. Once those flights have been utilized, families are completely on their own to travel back and forth between their everyday lives and their new reality. For the past 12 years, the generosity of our donors has allowed Luke’s Wings to provide over 5,600 round trip flights to warriors recovering from both the visible and unseen wounds of war, veterans in hospice care saying their final goodbyes, and service members battling life-threatening illnesses from all across our great nation. Many of these service members receive their care far from home and due to costly travel, remain separated from loved ones. This is where Luke’s Wings steps in. With the support of our donors, Luke’s Wings is able to provide flights to service members like U.S. Army Specialist Miguel A. (Ret.). Specialist Miguel A. was injured while completing a training exercise on his deployment to Kuwait.

While his unit prepared to push into Iraq, Miguel sustained intense injuries to his back, including spondylolisthesis from a fracture on his L5 vertebrae. Once arriving at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for his long-term recovery, Miguel had surgery for the fusion of his L4 and S11 vertebrae and received an implanted spinal cord stimulation device to assist with pain management. His motivation through it all? His two young daughters. We are honored to have provided flights for this family to be together on several occasions and Luke’s Wings will continue to provide flights during his recovery. We cannot help but reflect on a year that has been unlike any other in our organization’s history. For many of our beneficiaries, the current uncertainty surrounding flying presented new challenges for families to be together when they needed it most. This has meant delayed medical appointments, cancelled visits with loved ones, and a critical gap in support as these men and women recover far from their loved ones. While we continue to book flights for those trips that just cannot wait, Luke’s Wings has also provided gas cards and other transportation support to ensure that no matter how near or far, by plane, train, or car, Luke’s Wings will get you there.

Please contact our programs team for further information: Beatriz Ibarra, Program Manager beaibarra@lukeswings.org 202-803-2041 Amanda Gonsalves, Program Coordinator amandagonsalves@lukeswings.org 202-803-2042 Have any unused airline miles? Since 2012, Luke’s Wings is proud to be one of 15 charities selected as a Delta SkyWish Partner. This means you can donate any amount of your unused miles free of cost! Donate your Delta Sky Miles directly to Luke’s Wings, allowing us to say YES to military families in need. These miles will help us book hundreds of flights for warriors in need. Visit lukeswings.org/ ways-to-help/ to learn more!

Luke’s Wings www.instagram.com/lukeswingsusa www.facebook.com/LukesWings www.lukeswings.org www.twitter.com/lukeswingsusa

Backwoods Overland www.instagram.com/backwoodsoverland www.facebook.com/BackwoodsOverland www.backwoodsoverland.com

www.instagram.com/Backroadsandrigs www.bio.site/backroadsandrigs

48 States, 59 Days and 14,242 Miles During the pandemic of 2020, I packed up the Jeep and drove solo around the U.S., crossing all 48 contiguous states in 59 days, covering 14,242 miles, 0-14,111 ft. in elevation change. Sound Impressive? Well, to be honest, the impressive part is that I actually left the driveway. We all too often allow excuses to jump in our way. Can’t afford it. Can’t take the time off from work. It’ll take too long. And what about all of those “what ifs” that could happen? For the first time in my life, I took control and made it happen. This journey deserves a book, but here is just a glimpse of what it was like. As spontaneous as it may have seemed to my family and friends, the trip involved a planning process for sure. A friend and mentor of mine, Logan Stout, wisely reminded me

that whatever I was planning will certainly take longer and cost more than I ever expected. He has always been correct, and this trip was no exception. With this knowledge, I added up what the mileage and cost would be and then I added another 50 percent to those numbers. Well, the estimated vs. actual mileage and costs were more than my original estimations, but were just below my adjusted estimation of the additional 50 percent. Win in my books! Thanks, Logan! (@loganstout) I left Tampa and traveled clockwise around the country. I

blew through some states that I had already been through. My first stop was to see my parents in Texas. They live in the Sam Houston National Forest on their little Texas farm. After a good visit, I launched out towards my brother’s place in Colorado Springs. I spent three weeks wandering and exploring much of the southern half of Colorado, from Colorado Springs, The Great Sand Dunes, Medano Pass, Cache Creek, Durango, Silverton and Ouray. I met up with some old Air Force family members and camped/explored for four amazing days together. I met up with new friends as well – one made me hunt them down in the mountains north of Silverton – Kit, thanks, brother, for the tour of your home turf. Camping was amazing. If you love overlanding, Colorado is a MUST!

that iconic park, but I had to keep heading east. Devils Tower is etched into the memories of every person my age who grew up watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I was so excited, I got there about an hour before sunrise. The pictures I captured were mind-blowing. Sunrise was epic. Then, off to Mt. Rushmore. Think about this – four bucket-list items in three days.

Off to the western states. I left Colorado and went straight to Moab, Utah. I didn’t play much there – Moab isn’t as much fun when you are solo. I’ll be going back with friends for sure. Leaving Moab, I shot south towards Phoenix, Arizona. I drove through the Valley of the Gods, ran where Forrest Gump ran and visited Mexican Hat. All so beautiful. I camped at a reservoir in the middle of nowhere along the way. No cell service, no WiFi, nobody anywhere around. It was so peaceful and those stars! WOW. After visiting family just outside of Phoenix, taking a hot shower and doing laundry, I headed up through Nevada. Finding another campsite on BLM land, I woke up to the best sunrise of the trip. Because of the fires of 2020, I didn’t linger in California, Oregon or Washington. I did have a spectacular campsite in Oregon on Crescent Lake. It was a heartbreaking drive, though. The scorched earth, burned RVs and houses were surreal. After a night with friends in Everett, Washington, I headed to some bucketlist items. Northwestern Montana was a dream. I was able to stop at a friend’s house in Kila, Montana. We served together in the Air Force 30 years earlier. There is more adventure left for me here! I left there and headed to Yellowstone. Camping just outside the northwest entrance, I woke up to the coldest temps yet while camping. 21 degrees was refreshing for sure! Driving Yellowstone was so much fun. I could spend several days just going around

The drive north to Fargo and then south to Madison, Missouri, was just as expected - a lot of farmland and flatness, although it was actually very beautiful. I was happy to get back to some rolling hills in Missouri though. These states required dedicated driving and not much sightseeing. My next stop to see friends was just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. There, I crossed off a few other things on a list I didn’t know I had - cheese curds and a few Brandy Old Fashions. My friends were amazing hosts. I even got to meet Husky SeQuoi the Siberian Husky @ huskyquoi. Then, it was off to a couple of more bucket list items – I put my hand in all of the Great Lakes and got to see Niagara Falls in person. Stopping in New Hampshire, I got to see some amazing friends. Before making the turn south to my son’s place in Arlington, Virginia, there was lobster to be eaten. Jim and Janine never disappoint in taking good care of this traveler. Once in Virginia, I got to visit several sites with my son and his girlfriend. Great Falls Park and Shenandoah National Park were spectacular. It was bittersweet leaving the kids, but I had to move on down the road. I stopped for a quick visit with some of my Air Force family before driving through the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. After working my way through South Carolina, I drove the Tail of the Dragon, Deals Gap. I have been

there a few times on two wheels, but this was the first in an overland vehicle … it was a blast! I left there and drove the remainder of the states, working my way back to mom and dads in Texas. Up to Kentucky, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, I didn’t miss a single state, even if it was just to cross the state line and back. On the way back to Florida, I popped into Georgia to close out the 48 states. There is so much more exploring to do in our beautiful and amazing nation. Lessons learned: It WILL take longer and cost more than you expect. Stop and smell the roses, see the sights, don’t make excuses and soak it in as much as possible. Overlanding allows us to take our hotel and kitchen

with us. Don’t be afraid to get out there. Biggest lesson comes from Peter Van Stralen and his family from Epic Family Road Trip – Work/Play/C.A.R.E. (Create A Remarkable Experience) wherever the road leads you! IG: epicfamilyroadtrip So…what’s next? In August 2021, my brother and I will be headed from Colorado Springs to Alaska. We will be taking our time for sure. Hope to see you on the roads and trails!

Dayman Baker www.instagram.com/idoverlander www.youtube.com/I.D.Overlander

An Office with a View This last year has brought change to the way many of us travel, work and spend time with one another. For me, life began to change dramatically three years ago with military retirement (Go Air Force!). I had a picture in my mind of how that might feel and found myself entertaining thoughts of how my life would be framed going forward while leaving behind one way of living and being given the opportunity to create another.

Like many of you, I had a love of the outdoors and the roads less traveled. The serenity found there and the opportunity to slow down was calling me, daily. I just hadn’t figured out how to answer the call. So, I started with a Jeep, a Gobi rack and a tent. I really didn’t know what it all meant at the time, but I was moved by the thought of journeying to parts unknown. It wasn’t an easy change. I was working the equivalent of two full-time jobs leading up to that time. I was a glutton for punishment with working for the military and owning a contracting business. In short, I had surrendered to shelving my time in nature. The gear sat on shelves, the poles tucked away, the books of places I wanted to visit collecting dust. I’d walk out of my house or off a job site to find my Jeep staring at me, literally. I swear it was trying to tell me to “just go already” but I wasn’t listening. At least, not as often as I should. The shift or epiphany, depending on which way you look at it, finally happened for me about a year ago. I was out with a buddy sitting around a campfire when he asked me, “What’s next?” As if he knew something I hadn’t yet figured out. He and I have traveled to tropical spots, but I could tell he wasn’t asking about planning another trip. He looked at me and said, “How is your KPI this year?” He saw the puzzled look on my face, so he helped me out. He said that he measures life balance by his main Key Performance Indicator (KPI), meaning how much time he spends away from home each year. It was as if a light went off as his number crushed mine. I’m a bit competitive, so I looked at his number as a challenge.

He looked at me and said, “Your Jeep is under-utilized,” and then he asked, “How many days a month do you actually need to be in front of clients?” Slowly over a couple of nice hazy IPAs, we discussed this subject. He recommended the book, The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss, and so I began to entertain the possibilities. With some careful planning and some thoughtful organization, it became clear that many days all I’d need is a laptop and two bars on my cell phone coverage meter. It’s possible! To be remote and still rock crawl. It has its limits, as I still need to be reached by clients or employees during working hours, but there are ways to explore and feel confident. Using Gaia with my cell coverage overlay has allowed me to traverse old mines, study petroglyphs, sharpen my skills with black and white photography, and renew my love of history. Usually, I will start my workday by setting my intentions and utilizing my time wisely to ensure the bulk of the laborintensive work is accomplished early. Some of the little things that I have found helpful to aid in my escape include gear prep (recovery gear is essential), food prep (with MREs for backup), a reliable steel horse, and my electronics charged (Garmin for emergencies included). This allows for easy road trips so that I can explore the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, depending on where I hang my hat. Many of my clients are working remotely now. Think of the possibilities. Is it possible that you can expand your KPI by working and enjoying sunsets? To take in the sound of howling coyotes, travel to wide-open spaces, and find the serenity found in nature? Maybe you’ll need to bring a collared shirt, suit jacket, and backdrop to hang from your vehicle. Perhaps you’ll need to keep a stash of MREs and camping grub at the ready. But it’s worth it! I can say from doing this now for a year pretty consistently, it’s brought so much joy to my life. I have new experiences, friends, and skills that I might never have had the opportunity to experience. One of the things I have started to enjoy more than anything is cooking in nature. I’ve had to get creative and that’s never a bad thing. The most important part

of cooking has been sharing meals with new friends and taking in the beauty of the surrounding areas. The more time I am out there, the more like-minded people I meet. Often, making new friends willing to share ideas and laughter are part of my travels. Many of them have way more gear than me but I prefer to keep things light as possible. Usually, I can be seen with a simple Macbook, Jackery power unit, and of course my favorite office chair, a hammock. This year I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy most of Oregon, parts of Southwestern Utah and a good deal of the desert from Death Valley, California to Sedona, Arizona. That feeling of sitting high above the red sandstone vistas of Sedona and getting work accomplished is priceless. It reminds me of how important that balance truly is. Choosing to invest in time well spent is really what life is all about. I do realize how fortunate I am as my kids are at an age which allows this to be a reality, but I hope sharing my story might inspire someone reading this to find ways to enjoy the immense beauty of our great nation while sitting in shorts and flip flops down a forest road or on BLM property. No need to be confined by four walls or tied to a desk. If anything, getting creative with my workday provides me with business opportunities, connections, and time to be forward-thinking. Creating community and inspiring others to have these experiences has led me to writing this article. So, if your circumstances have changed enough in the last year to allow you to ponder an expanded KPI, I encourage you to give it a try. Seek the bliss and follow the trails that lead you to new paths.

David Mountain www.instagram.com/MojitoAdventures www.mojitoadventures.com www.youtube.com/Mojito Adventures

Overlanding 101

Planning

When it comes to camping or overlanding, different people value different things. This varies greatly when it comes to planning a trip. Some people love to be spontaneous and have no plan. Just “fly by the seat of our pants” is part of the excitement that some want. Not knowing where to lay our heads is a great way to get the true feel of this vagabond style of living. We have done that. It does give you a rush when it comes down to just a few hours of daylight and your search for that place to land becomes priority. Others cannot and will not live that way. It would drive them crazy to have to deal with the unknown. Months before departure they are glued to the maps laid out on the table. Months before they set out on their adventure they have sought out and downloaded every mapping app available for planning routes, stops and camping spots, all the way down to places to stop and eat. Others are between the two previously mentioned. They are somewhere in the middle of the planning spectrum in love with both worlds. They have a general plan for a route for the trip, but are open to making changes as the days will come. The attitude of “we can always come back” is in their minds and always part of the plan. I am not sure in which category you fit, but at some point, you will want to check out certain places, check off places on your bucket list, or just point your rig in some direction and go, and that might require some form of planning. Let us take a look at the resources that we have available to us that will help this make it easier on us to get this done.

Paper Maps and Books Some of us old school people love maps. We love the National Geographic maps that have detailed images, routes and trails highlighted for ease of use. We love the fact that they have all of the national forests, national parks and other places available so that we can see where we are going at any point in time and do not have to rely on any electronic device that may or may not work wherever we are. No matter where in the world you go, you can find a map showing where each road will lead you. You can also stop by any of the national forest ranger stations all over the United States and pick up a paper map. There has been legislation passed that as long as there are regulations on forest roads and inside national forests, maps must be provided to the public. Although I feel that there is a move to make all of these maps electronic in the near future, they are available free of charge if available. Books are becoming a more prevalent way of planning and also include detailed maps as well as GPS locations and coordinates, trail ratings, pictures and more to give you a better idea of what you are getting into when you enter a certain area. These books are usually only for certain popular areas of the United States, but if you are planning to venture here, these books are well worth the price you will pay for them. Funtreks (www.funtreks.com) is a great source if you are heading out west to Arizona, Colorado, Utah and California. Their books are very detailed

and useful when determining places and trail of interest, level of difficulty that you want to try, and everything in a general area. We love these books and use them every time we plan a trip out west. The Colorado Trails Guidebooks also are a great source of information when you are planning on exploring the multitude of trails there. They are invaluable when you have extra time and want to detour off and explore places you have never been. There are other guidebooks and trail books available out there for purchase. Just do an internet search and a vast number of resources will be spring forth. Just make sure you plan enough ahead of time to receive them before you leave.

Apps It is exciting to see the quality of mapping and planning apps available out there for purchase. There are so many options that there is something for everyone. Gaia maps is probably the most popular app for tracking, planning and discovering new areas. They offer a great app for all devices and also provide a website whereby everything you save is uploaded and stored for future use. You can create layers and set up your map to look like what you want and see what you want, which is great if you are looking for certain terrain, roads or satellite imagery. It seems like it is limitless to what you can do on this app. You can share what you save with others you choose and always return if you want to do a route multiple time. The cost is around $20 a year and

well worth what you receive. Another app that I use is the Avenza Map app. It is very different from Gaia maps in that you can download PDF format maps and see where you are on a certain paper map. This is extremely helpful in that you can download all of the MVUM maps from all of the national forests all across the United States and have them readily available on your personal device. You pull that map up wherever you are and it will pinpoint on that paper map where you are. This is incredibly helpful in that those MVUM maps are the most accurate and up-todate when it comes to open and closed trails, private and public lands and other things. The app is free and the maps are free but in order to get the GPS tracking on the app it costs around $20 a year. Other apps such as onX Offroad, OverlandBound One, TrailView, and Offroad Trail Guide provide lots of great information as well as tracking all over the United States. Trails Offroad also offers an app and website with waypoints and videos so that you have a better idea and understanding of the terrain and trail difficulty.

Budget Budget plays a huge part in planning. Whether you are spontaneously taking off or have planned months for this adventure, how much you have saved will determine how far you can go and how long you can stay. Make sure to factor in all of the areas in which you will need funds for your trip. Park fees, camping fees, gas and food will be your major expenses. Make sure to check out the gas prices where you are traveling as well, as they tend to be much higher in certain areas than others. Also, consider items that you might need to purchase while on the trip. Will you be gone so long that you will need to restock on food? Will you need more water than what you can carry? Will you need to refill your propane tanks? It also does not hurt to have some reserve set back in case of flat tires or unforeseen repairs that might happen from mishaps

on the trails. I always try to take an extra credit card to have for “just in case” times. An immediate need might require immediate funds that you may not have at your disposal. Fortunately, we can have credit and pay it off later. Just remember to pay it off later.

Getting your Rig and Gear Ready This is the final step in the planning stage of your adventure. This will happen just before you set out on your journey. It does not matter whether your travel vehicle is a dedicated overland vehicle or your daily driver, you will need to go through your items and pack according to where you are going. For instance, are there fire bans? Will you be able to cook with charcoal? If so, you can take your grill. Will you be able to have a campfire? If so, you will need to take fire-starting supplies. If not, then you will need to make other plans for heat and cooking. If you cannot have charcoal or a campfire, you will not be able to grill or use Dutch ovens. More propane will be required and plans may need to be made if you are taking a large canister or more green bottles. If you cannot have a campfire and it will be cold, you might want to take or purchase a portable propane fire pit. Will gasoline be readily available or will you need to take a Rotopax or Jerry cans such as those made by Wavian USA to carry extra? What about water? Sleeping arrangements should be considered, so make sure you have everything you need for that. Dry food storage and how it will be carried is a huge consideration. Do you have a refrigerator or will you need to find places to buy ice every few days? There are so many factors to consider when you will be traveling out into the unknown. You do not want to forget items and have to travel way out of your way to find a place to replace what you forgot. A checklist would be very helpful in this area and should be considered.

Conclusion I cannot cover all there is to cover in this area of planning before a trip. There is no all-inclusive paper written or podcast that could possibly include every variation of trip out there. It would be impossible to include everything for everyone but what we can do is lay out some ground rules or guidelines to get you started. Every time you get a new trip or adventure under your belt, you will get better. You will know what you need to take. You will forget less things. You will always be making changes to your setup, your gear and your list of items to take and to leave home. Think about what you thought you had to have and then never used. Leave it at home next time. Make room for other things or just make room. Think about how you can organize better. You can ask others for advice and see what they do. It may be good for you or you may have some new way that someone else has not thought of before. It is trial and error. Just make sure you are as prepared as possible before you pull out of the driveway.

Joey Slayton www.instagram.com/joeythebrofessor Adventures of the Brofessor

www.OverlandRadio.com PODCAST - The Overland Philosopher

Burnt Trekky

Mod List

• Rallitek Front and Rear Overload Springs

• iKamper Skycamp Mini + Annex

• Primitive Racing Mid and Rear skid plates

• Front Runner Slime II Roof Rack

• Method Race Wheels 15 x 7 Methods 502 Vt-Spec

• Thinkware Q800Pro Front and Rear Dash Camera

• BFGoodrich Tires 235/75/R15 BFG KO2

• F44 Offroad Front Bumper and Skid plate

• Rally Armor Mud Flaps

• Diodedynamics SSC2 Led Pods Driving Combo Ditch lights

• Detours of Maine Custom Spare Tire Carrier

• Baja Designs SAE Squadron Amber Fog lights • LP Adventure 1.5 lift w/RA kit and light brackets

• WeatherTech Floor Mats • Wet Okeole Hawaii Seat Covers

I’m Amanda, and my husband is Fred. We love to spend our time camping and exploring new trails around Oregon in our modified Subaru Crosstrek, not only to get outside to be together as a family, but also to be with our friends. Neither of us is from Oregon, so that’s another reason why we explore. This whole area is so new to us and we want to see all of the beauty that it holds. Our journey started off in Michigan with a Toyota Tacoma and a ground tent. That didn’t last long because we hated the set up and take down of the ground tent, not to mention the struggle of fitting it back into the tent bag that’s two sizes too small. Through an online forum, we discovered the rooftop tent. The ease of the set up intrigued us, which led us to pull the trigger on a CVT rooftop tent. After moving to Oregon a few years later, we decided to move to a smaller vehicle. We wanted something that was better on gas but still capable of going on the trails. In February of 2019, we bought our Subaru Crosstrek and started our Instagram page. To us, our page was just something to do for fun. Neither of us had experience in social media. I liked the creative side of photography, but I didn’t know how to use a camera. For the first year, I actually took all of our photos on an older Android phone. After that, my husband learned how to use a DSLR camera. He currently uses a Sony A7iii. We began exploring just around the coast. We’d pick a dirt road and use Google Maps to guide us around. We quickly learned that the Subaru community was large and very supportive. This led us to attending our first car meet that spring, where we met a ton of amazing people. This is how we met IG:pnw_crosstrek and IG:overlandandspeed, who are now our closest friends. Our first dispersed camping trip was at a small, local mountain. I was honestly terrified. I grew up camping at campgrounds, so, naturally, that’s where I felt safe. Being out in wilderness with

no one around for miles seemed crazy to me. My thoughts were, “What if a bear or cougar attacked us?” For the record, the only things we’ve ever seen at camp were a rabbit, a few deer, and some mice. So, I put my fears aside for one night to humor my husband’s dispersed camping dreams. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It was so peaceful out there and we saw an amazing sunset, but the best part was when we woke up the next morning. We woke up above the clouds. It was the most magical thing I have ever experienced. In that moment, I fell in love with dispersed camping and with Oregon. After that, we began exploring the trails around Bend with pnw_ crosstrek. We camped by a cliffside overlooking a lake, other spots with a view of the mountains, and a few places that were river/lake side. The views never disappointed, but it wasn’t always picture perfect like Instagram makes things look. We’ve camped in some pretty bad winds which isn’t fun. This other spot was next to a small lake and it looked absolutely beautiful, but it turned out that the entire mosquito population lived there. It’s a funny story now, but at the time it was pretty rough. We built out our car pretty quickly, in my opinion. Since we knew we wanted to camp, we first bought the Slime II roof rack from Front Runner and a tent. We ended up going through a few rooftop tents because we really didn’t know what we wanted in a tent and it’s hard to judge something before you actually use it. (The other tents

we had weren’t bad, they just didn’t fit our family’s needs). We now have an iKamper mini and we love it! We love that the outside has the characteristics of a hard shell, but the inside is a hybrid of a soft shell. The small, half flip out gives more room inside the tent than a standard hard shell normally would. The world map inside is pretty cool, too. Next, we really wanted to invest in things that protected the car and kept it in good shape. To protect the underside of the car from rocks and other trail hazards, we bought skid plates from Primitive Racing. Since we have a child, we also wanted to keep the inside of the car well protected. We decided to put in seat covers from Wet Okole Hawaii and floor mats from WeatherTech. Lastly, we bought a front bumper from F44 Off Road. This decision came about because we kept hitting our front end on the trails. It didn’t happen every time, and there was never any serious damage, but it was enough for us to want that high clearance in the front. With our daughter growing up fast, we don’t really know what the future holds for us. All I know is that we will find a way to continue to explore the wilderness, camp, and leave things better than it was when we arrived.

Fred and Amanda www.instagram.com/roaming_onward

Dirt-biking through Burma PART 1: By Johan de Villiers

Living in South Africa as an adventure biker has many advantages. It is a great place to get your motorcycle fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment and thus a great starting point for any expedition to some of the wildest and most beautiful countries in Africa, such as Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania and Rwanda. But once you have visited all these gorgeous destinations, including the Serengeti, Chobe and Moremi and witnessed the silver back gorillas in Rwanda, where to next?

owing to the ongoing ethnic genocide known as the Rohingya conflict. The rest of Myanmar is classified as a high caution country but is generally safe for travelers provided that the correct precautions are taken.

General expedition and kit list

That was the question we were pondering planning our next adventure sitting around the dinner table at our sea-side home of Melkbosstrand in Cape Town in early 2019. Both Kim and I were also seasoned off-road racers, so to combine our adventure bike skills with our dirt bike abilities seemed like a logical choice at the time. In addition to that, we have spent many months in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal and loved the culture and food of those remote countries. How we stumbled on mystical Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known, eludes me, but what an

adventure it turned out to be! Situated in South East Asia, Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh, Laos, India and Thailand, as well as China. The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal forms the southern coastline. Under a strict military dictatorship till 2011, the country was off-limits to all western travelers for many decades. Although a mostly peaceful Buddhist country, most foreign embassies still advise citizens to stay clear of Rakhine State, which is located on the western coast of Myanmar,

We normally divide supplies into accessories, camping gear and miscellaneous kit before we travel. Carry a survival watch, such as a Garmin or Suunto, just in case your GPS on your mobile phone fails. Steel putty is vital in case you have a major spill on one of the dirt bikes whilst riding. We packed a small mace spray each for personal protection, but to be honest, we never once felt threatened in Myanmar.

Personal health and inoculation When traveling to a remote third world country, it is vital that sanitization is high on your priority list. Hand wipes can come in very handy when no hot shower is available for days. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the local villagers for a bucket with some clean river water when required! Before the trip ensure that you have as a minimum the correct inoculations for hepatitis A and B, tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever. A good anti-malaria drug such a mefloquine is also highly recommended. We packed a small first aid kit that included anti-fungal creams as well a broad-spectrum antibiotic and rehydration tables. You are not going to find a local pharmacy around these parts easily unless you are in the bigger cities, so don’t overlook this requirement. In some of the remote villages, there are no bed and breakfasts or accommodation available. Introduce yourself to the local chief of the tribe and they will be willing to share their private residence for a small fee. The advantage of this is obviously safety. Nobody messes with your bike and they cook some scrumptious meals as well!

Travel documentation and passports Being from South Africa we easily applied for a visa online for Myanmar. It is cheaper to book your tickets through Bangkok in Thailand and then take a regional flight into Mandalay. Remember to upload all your travel documentation and inoculation certificates into the Cloud, either via Microsoft One Drive or Dropbox. In the event of a lost passport, you can easily retrieve it and gain access to emergency travel documents from your local embassy in Myanmar. Credit cards obviously only work in the large cities, so ensure that you always have enough local currency to pay for food and fuel. Below is a handy list of the minimum travel documentation to pack beforehand:

Rider and protective clothing When packing, remember the lighter the load, the better. Separate your packing list for clothing into riding gear and general clothing, head gear and footwear. It is highly recommended to bring your own full-face helmet and riding gear. You already know it fits, it is clean, and you can have your own intercom system fitted beforehand. Considering the vast distances that you cover via dirt bike in Myanmar, it really helps to have instant communication between riders, from shouting warnings about oncoming trucks and meandering bush pigs in the road to highlighting some beautiful temples or pagodas in the jungle! Just remember to charge them at the same time as your mobile phone when you arrive at your destination each night.

Our packing list for the expedition: Clothes - Technical T-shirts and

shorts, Long hiking trousers, Normal clothes, jeans, underwear, socks, T-shirts, Bike jacket and biking pants, Leatt neck brace, Helmet and gloves,

Riding boots, Hiking gloves, Waterproof trousers and jacket, Warm gloves, Sarong

Head Gear - Sun hat and cap, Buff light and beanie, Head lamp x 2, Spare batteries, Spare flashlight, Sunglasses

Footwear - Salomons, Trekking or

Miscellaneous - Ankle guard,

knee guard, Spare laces and super glue, Duct tape and cable ties, Big Voltaren tube, Compass and mirror, Pen, Reading glasses, Rope, Spare nuts, bolts, steel putty, wire, Black bag and Ziploc bags, Waterproof 20 L bag (or small one)

Accessories - Leatherman

river shoes, Sandals/slips, Thin socks: 4 pairs of smooth wool to be worn closest to the skin

tool, Camera and charger, Kindle and chargers, Cell phone and charger, International plug adapter, Power monkey or battery bank, GPS handheld, Survival watch and charger

Camping/Hiking Equipment - Backpack:

Travel - Passport and e-ticket (and

80 or 85 lts, Sleeping bag plus thermal layer, Thermal mats: Neoprene or Therma Rest, Plate, cup, and cutlery

Medical/hydration and sanitation - Water Bottle: 2 x one

liter wide mouth water bottles, Thermos 1 liter, Suncream and lip screen SPF 40, Personal first aid kit, Pee bottle and adapter (grin), Rehydrate, Puritabs and Celebrex, Anti-malaria tabs, Insect repellent/cream, Antibiotics, Lighter and fire starters, Hand cleaner/wet wipes, Toilet paper, Toiletry bag and towels

Travel - Large duffel bag, Small

duffel bag: (foldable) or backpack, Spare locks (1 x bag pack, 2 x duffel bags)

copies of both), Travel itinerary, Forex, Travel insurance, Inoculation/yellow fever, Discovery Med Aid card, Hotel reservation forms, Credit cards, Dropbox activated and updated, Maps of region, Visa, Mace spray Part 2 Continued in Fall Issue

Johan de Villiers www.facebook.com/johan.villiers.5

Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah One day during our most recent trip out west, we were looking on the internet for fun places to hike that were nearby in Utah. Then we saw a place called Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch, so we went and checked it out. It was a long, bumpy, dirt road to get there and there were a lot of people, but we did find a parking place and got to the trail. The canyons weren’t at the beginning of the trail, so we had to hike a mile to get to the slot canyon. Once we got there, we had to climb up a 12-foot rock wall to get into the into the first canyon (Peek-a-boo). When

we went, there was a line of people waiting to go up into the canyon. Many people, including me, needed help scaling the rock face. When we finally got up, there were a bunch of holes that we could crawl under, over or through. That part was really fun. In both canyons we had to wait a while for people to get through tight places. When we got out of Peek-a-Boo Canyon it was about half a mile in the hot desert to Spooky. In that canyon, we went just a little way before we had to stop, because really big rocks had fallen into the gulch. There was a rope there to help us climb down the 10-foot drop. My dad had to help my brother and me get down through the hole between the rocks. It felt good down there because we were finally out of the hot sun. Soon we realized it was slowly getting narrower and my dad almost got stuck. It wasn’t even a foot wide in some places. We could only go one direction on this trail. When we got out it was bright and sunny. When we finally came out of the gulch, somebody took our picture for us with the canyon behind us. We hiked a total of about 5.5 miles from the overflow parking. Twice my dad had to dump his shoes out because there was so much sand in them. Those slot canyons were my favorite part of that trip out west. I think it was also my family’s favorite part.

Jay H. Mowell-Age 11 Son of Eric & Kim Mowell 356 Overland www.instagram.com/356overland www.facebook.com/356overland

From Brooklyn to Boondocking Hello everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Delia. I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York, but currently, I live on the road full-time with my partner, Enoch. We live in a Nissan Xterra and adventure trailer with a rooftop tent. Together, we are MoLeisureXventures. What does this name mean? My last name is Mo, his last name is Leisure, and the Xventures is for the Xterra and the many adventures it has taken us on. Our goal is to visit all of the national parks in the U.S. So far, we’ve visited 46/63 national parks, have driven through 40/50 states and are currently in Mexico. You may be wondering, “why did you decide to do this?” Keep reading and I’ll explain it all to you. As mentioned above, I was born and raised in Brooklyn. Born in the city, raised in the city, I am a full-blooded city girl! After about 25 years in NYC, I decided I wanted a change of scenery. I wanted to get away from the brutal East Coast winter and move somewhere warmer with better temperatures. So, I moved to San Francisco, another city, with slightly better weather (at least I got away from the snow). I lived in the Bay Area for about 1.5 years. During this time, I met Enoch in a hiking group. We shared a love of travel, and we both wanted to make travel a priority in our lives. That was it! We spoke about traveling full-time and decided to make it happen. Enoch bought Yogi (our Xterra) and drove up to Alaska to visit his parents for about two months. I had never been to Alaska, so I flew up to visit. We drove the inner loop and I camped for the first time. I was hooked and wanted to continue. So, I flew back down to San Francisco, saved up some money, quit my job, sold a majority of my belongings,

ended my apartment lease and embarked on the trip! We started our trip in November 2019. Yogi was packed to the brim with stuff. Our bed was a Smittybilt RTT. Enoch built a kitchen galley in the back of the truck and installed a water tube on the roof that would act as a shower (we never used it as a shower). I went from living comfortably in a studio apartment to boondocking in a different location every night. So, back to the main question: Why? Well, why not? I’ve always been the person that was waiting for the “right time” to do something. After I moved to California and met Enoch, he showed me that you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow and to embrace living in the now instead of waiting for the future. Prior to moving to California, Enoch was involved in a serious car accident he barely survived. After a three-month long recovery, he decided that he needed to start living for himself because life is short. There’s no such thing as the “right time.” Covid is another example of how things can change so quickly. When Covid hit, we were on the East Coast. We were on our way to Brooklyn to visit my family. NYC was one of the hardest-hit areas in the country. We were quarantined in Brooklyn for about 2.5 months, along with the rest of the world. Being stuck inside gave us confirmation that we had made the right decision to travel full-time. Once the national parks started opening up again, we hit the road. While we were in quarantine, we kept busy, improving Yogi and getting rid of more things to lighten our load. Minimalism is another great thing I’ve

embraced on this trip. I used to own A LOT of things, mostly clothing, but also knick knacks I had accumulated over the years. Decluttering is such a relieving action. I started the trip with three totes and four bags full of just stuff. I am a lot more organized now with just three bags for clothing, electronics and adventure gear. We minimized our belongings but expanded our rig to include an adventure trailer. We lived in the Smittybilt RTT for about eight months before purchasing a Freespirit Recreation overlander trailer (boo-boo) and RTT. We like the idea of having a base camp to return to after a day of adventuring. Before getting the trailer, we would have to pack up every morning to go somewhere. Now that we have the trailer, we are able to clear out some room in the backseat of the Xterra for our newest family member, a rescue pup named Ella. Enoch built a new kitchen in the trailer, equipped it with a battery system that powers a water heater for the sink/shower and propane for the stove. #overlandaf

Which brings me to the term “overlanding.” I had no idea this word existed before meeting Enoch. Overlanding is the journey of exploring places without having a destination. After learning the meaning, I realized I had been living my life in the opposite way. I was always so focused on getting to each destination in my life, not realizing there were so many different ways I could’ve gone that would’ve been more fun, to reach the same destination. The faster you go through life, the more you miss out on life’s beauties. Growing up in Brooklyn, I’ve always been in the NYC mindset of go…go…go! Now I think back, wondering where I was sprinting to? Why was I always in a rush? Everyone in the city is always in a hurry to get somewhere that they don’t stop to

appreciate their surroundings. After being on the road for a little over a year, I have so much appreciation for the world around me: The sun that warms us every day, the trees that shade us, the water that hydrates the plants that create oxygen for us to breathe. Boondocking allows us to be one with nature, using what is naturally available for us but also making sure we leave everything as it is so others can enjoy the space, too.

www.instagram.com/moleisurexventures www.facebook.com/MoLeisureXventures www.moleisurexventures.travel.blog www.youtube.com/MoLeisureXventures

Brooklyn will always be home in my heart, but boondocking lets me call a new place home every night in this overlanding life!

Ghost Trains in Maine? Seems like every part of the US has amazing landmarks or destinations with some epic-looking feature. From coast to coast, adventure seekers like myself have been drawn to seek out the hidden and sometimes forgotten treasures of the world. As popularity in overlanding has grown over the years, many of these landmarks, hidden features and works of art have become a playground for many to visit. Some of these destinations have gone from a secret spot to a global hot spot that seems to trend on social media, then they get left alone. Maine or the East Coast is no exception, but we seem to be a little more forgotten. With social media as large as it is and with the popularity of overlanding taking the west coast by storm, it is no surprise that the East Coast is left in the dark more often than not.

Why is the East Coast in the dark?

How to explore the North Maine Woods.

One big factor that the West Coast has over the east is the availability of public lands. With many more national parks open with trails that reach all skill levels for off-roading and overlanders, it’s no surprise it has become the mecca for this growing hobby. The East Coast, and mainly Maine, deal with the complete opposite side of this. Maine, being 90% privately owned, makes adventuring extremely tricky and at best difficult. With little to no public trails or national parks open to offer such adventures, Maine becomes one of the trickiest places to explore. Fear not! With a little planning and understanding of the North Maine Woods rules and regs, anyone can enjoy exploring the back country of Maine.

Now it’s time! Word has it one can see two steam locomotives lost in the North Maine Woods, but wait - what is the North Maine Woods? Well, glad you asked. The North Maine Woods is 3.5 million acres of wilderness between two of the wildest rivers in the northeast, the Saint John and Allagash. With over 3,000 miles of dirt roads ranging from goat paths to dirt logging roads, you’ll have no shortage of fun and excitement while driving. You might even see a Maine moose! Owned by Maine’s big paper companies, the North Maine Woods is in the heart of the logging industry. Plan ahead; there is a charge to enter the North Maine Woods, and they accept cash or check only. So, are you ready to find the trains? Here are a couple different ways. Start by picking yourself up a Maine Gazetteer and get familiar with the legend and what the symbols stand for, then look for

marked in that Gazetteer you picked up. Bring some cash; they charge a small fee for camping and a fee to enter the North Maine Woods, all worth it when you wake up next to a rolling stream or a quiet pond with M\moose feeding on the shoreline. Each campsite varies a little, but you can expect a fire ring, an outhouse and a picnic table.

What to expect

the tramway. You can buy a Gazetteer at most gas station or retail stores in Maine. Second, head north towards Greenville and stop into one of the local Maine stores and you might get there by word of mouth. I will not give more than that out; I mean, the best part of exploring is planning. The other way would be to pay a guide service to take you. Maine has a couple guide services that would be more than willing to take you to the trains and maybe even find a few other hidden spots like the ice caves.

What to drive! Maine offers off-roading and overloading for all kinds of skill levels, from a hardcore buggy park to easy fire service roads that flow deep into the back country all the way to Canada. For this trip, we recommend a stock 4x4 or all-wheel drive car. The roads can be extremely rough and full of washboard

and washouts, and mostly traveled by overloaded logging trucks that speed down them with little to no care. So, keep your eye out for the dust cloud and move over to the right as far as you can! They have the right of way ALL the time. This land is owned by the private logging companies that supply much of the lumber to the Northeast. Though our truck, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD OR, which is overly built for just about anything, is most definitely overkill, but fear not: This is stock 4x4 friendly. With much of northern Maine being covered in shale, a very sharp rock that loves to cut tires, be prepared and have a spare or two. We recommend an all-terrain tire with a reenforced sideway. Much of the trip in is done on a logging road there are opportunities to find a hidden trail or two that gets a little technical. Oh, by the way do not forget that gas. Once north of Greenville or east of Millinocket you will not find a gas station for miles! Camping can be found all along the back roads that are well-

Once you find the parking lot for the tramway it’s a short hike into the tranquil North Maine Woods. Along the trail you’ll find the walking easy and the forest open with an overhanging canopy. The best time of year to find these trains is fall when the foliage is bright and the bugs are low, but the black flies can be as thick as a dense fog during spring. About a third of the way in, you will start to see the remains of the trains. The first part you come to is an overgrown track which the hiking trail follows to another set of tracks that also has old signs and foundations spread across the forest. The last part of the trail leads you down the center of the track to a clearing that holds two steam locomotives sitting majestically in the open. These 100ton trains from the 1920’s where once used to transport logs and pulpwood 13 miles to a 3,000-foot tramway that ran from Eagle Lake to Chamberlain lake. The remains of thick steel cables, long saw-like teeth, still remain in place. Once you get over the sight of such amazing trains you can walk down a path which runs along the tramway to the old steam room. This was a what powered the pulleys that took the logs from Eagle Lake to Chamberlain Lake. This surely is a sight to see and one you won’t forget. So, the next time you’re planning a trip, think of Maine and come find out what adventures there are in the Northeast.

Andrew Jordan www.instagram.com/wicked_overland www.youtube.com/wickedoverland

Imagine the Perfect Drawer System not be exactly what you want or fulfill your particular needs, and pre-made modules can be very pricey. Drawer systems are a hot topic these days. Before you go out and purchase or build an expensive setup for your rig, we have some suggestions that may help to custom-fit the right system to your needs. Drawers help keep things organized, a place for everything and everything in its place. They make it so much easier to get to things without having to dig through deep totes. Our experience is, if we can’t get at something quickly, we usually go without. There are pros and cons of buying a system that is pre-made versus building your own. Purchasing a readymade unit is less hassle, usually takes less time, is often well-engineered, and is likely easier than designing your own. However, what others offer may

For building inspiration, check out other people’s systems and manufactured ones, too. Collect the elements that will best serve your needs. Then, begin to map out how you will build it. Start by measuring your available space and decide how you want to secure it. For safety, the drawer system needs to be securely held in place. If permanently mounted, it can be bolted down through the floor. If removable, consider using the factory d-rings on the cargo floor. It’s important to determine what will be put in the drawers. Lay your probable contents out on the floor in the way you plan to store them. You will want the most-used items towards the front of the drawer. Heavy things like tools and recovery gear should be kept down low. Measure the space your gear takes

up. This will establish each individual drawer’s depth and width. Will you need a space for a cooler or fridge? Most people carry one or the other and want easy access to their food and beverages. We created an upright set of drawers on one side and put our fridge on the other. Will you be using the top as a sleeping platform? These questions will help establish if you want a vertical or flat top-drawer box. You may want your drawers to double as counter space or be able to use it as a table. Your drawer system can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. It doesn’t have to be pretty or fancy. We drew our design out on paper several times as we thought of new features we wanted to include. If you have little or no experience in woodworking, look at your house furniture for ideas how to join the panels. The easiest joints to make are simple butt joints with glue and screws.

After determining the dimensions, draw simple pictures from differing angles. Start your drawing with the overall size of the cabinet. Build the size of the drawers to fit accordingly. Incorporate all measurements, including the thickness of the panels and leave room required for drawer slides. When embarking on a DIY project, our first thoughts center on building materials. Our choices are often dictated by the tools we have available, our budget and our skills. A vehicle drawer system built with an extruded aluminum frame and lightweight panels will keep the weight down, but can easily become very expensive. For most do-it-yourselfers, plywood is probably the most economical and easiest material to work with. For drawer operation, a few options to consider are metal drawer slides or wood-on-wood slides. Metal slides make the drawers easy to pull out and

push in, can be equipped with stops, and can allow the drawer to be pulled out all the way, making getting to the things at the rear of the drawer easier. But they can be expensive and make the construction more involved. Woodon-wood drawer slides are easy to make and there is virtually no extra expense. However, wood-on-wood can operate too loose or too tight, or even grind down over time. Although the finished weight of your project should be a priority, sometimes it’s better to over-build (thicker materials) then skimp and have it collapse or fail. Keep in mind, drawer bottoms also need to stand up to the weight of their contents. With the right skills, materials and a plan, you can build your own custom drawers that will keep your rig organized and perhaps make your trips more enjoyable.

If you would like further instruction, check out these videos on our YouTube channel. One shows how we built a simple two-drawer cabinet, and the other is a much more elaborate system with counter space and all.

DIY Rear Drawer System Overland Storage DIY Rear Cargo Drawers Easy Build Merri Morrall www.instagram.com/wanderlost_overland www.facebook.com/WanderlostOverland www.youtube.com/WanderlostOverland

Our Alternative Plan for Retirement

Nearing retirement, Charlotte and I have a lifetime of backpacking experience between us and to some pretty obscure places to boot. We honeymooned in Timbuktu in Mali, so buying a truck to drive around the world seemed the most natural progression for our retirement plans. What we were about to undertake took our traveling to a whole new level. I was encouraged to buy tools that I had no idea what they were or how they might be used. We both had to undertake our heavy goods driving licenses, we did a first aid course and even bought a defibrillator for our journey. It was around two years from buying our Mercedes Atego truck under the supervision of Ian from Motorcraft Adventure Developments who did the

build for us, to driving away on our adventure (COVID cost us six months+). That time took us through one of the steepest learning curves of our lives. We learned how to change wheels on our monster truck (we uprated the tires to Continental HCS 395X85XR20’s offroad to give us a bit more height). We learned how to service the truck and that oil goes beyond the filler cap under the bonnet and actually has a purpose. Yes, we were seasoned travelers but knew nothing of the mechanics of a truck and what we were undertaking. The guys at Motorcraft lead us through the whole process from stretching the chassis to the final fit-out of the interior which was a battle of wits with Charlotte’s artistic side rearing

up versus the practicalities of making Charlotte’s ideas work on our trip. We would hear those immortal words “All this extra stuff isn’t camping you know,” to which our retort became “Yes, we know. We are not camping; we are driving around the world.” Charlotte got her way in most cases …the upgrade on the fridge to an Isotherm 320 Marine fridge/freezer was a genius suggestion by Ian and although it hurt financially at the time, my goodness we are so pleased to have one large fridge and two draw freezers. Keeping the wine chilled is a breeze now. I believe the fridge alone is 11 cubic feet! We have encountered some criticism via social media of the comfort we have had built into our truck as we have spent as much money as we

could afford to make the journey as pleasurable as possible. Some diehards seem to believe you have to sleep on a bed made out of 6” nails to be a true overlander. We don’t believe this is the case and are happy with our luxurious permanent double bed and we even have a dartboard and pedestal for our entertainment.

procedures now, and we can even change a fuse without reverting to the manual!

Other items include a rooftop terrace complete with handrails, solar panels, a rooftop tent as well as a Honda CRF250L mounted on a hydraulic lift at the rear of the truck (another amazing innovation by Motorcraft).

I tend to do more of the mechanical stuff and get assigned duties like laying on my back to check for oil leaks under the truck whilst Charlotte undertakes the lighter duties like making sure the wine is chilled correctly.

The whole build is truly magnificent and we are so pleased with the end result, and so when the day came to leave the factory, we couldn’t have been happier. Our travels took us through France, Spain and Portugal before reverting back to Italy to catch the ferry to Morocco to start our trip proper. That was six months ago. We have learned so much more and are able to tackle any number of mechanical and electrical

We tend to split duties between us and both drive, which can turn heads when a blonde lady in sunglasses thunders through a Berber village driving a 13.5-tonne lorry.

As everyone has been affected by COVID … so have we. We are currently waiting for the border to Mauritania to open before we can move on and see Morocco. As the gatekeeper to Africa, and Mauritania being the real deal, we are so looking forward to dipping our toes into the melting pot of Africa and beyond! As we wait, we learn more and more and fall more in love with our beautiful home. The original plan was to travel for maybe three years and then it

slipped to five, and now we feel 10 years may be more realistic, with the biggest challenge being: What we do when we are done? If you are reading this article and wondering if you should take the plunge, please believe me when I say just do it! It is an amazing way to spend your time. I read so many inspiring quotes like, “Don’t wait until tomorrow, you only live once,” etc., all over social media written by Jane in Halifax or Bill in Portsmouth. Who I’m afraid to say, will most likely never take the plunge? Which is such a shame, as it’s the only way Charlotte and I are to live now! Anyway, I must go, we have an electrical short on our motorbike to sort out this morning and I need to get out my multimeter to find the problem.

David and Charlotte www.instagram.com/Sommertravelling

www.sommertravelling.com

Our shop vehicle, Warthog 26

When many people imagine a Porsche Cayenne, the first thing that comes to mind is a luxury vehicle - an SUV, able to get you from point A to B with class. Here at Berg, we recognized the Cayenne for that same talent - but we wanted to take it a few steps further. We imagined a Cayenne getting you from point A to point B despite any obstacles that might possibly lie in your path. We started to imagine how to take advantage of a car that was already incredibly capable. From the factory, the first generation (2003-2006) Porsche Cayenne came equipped with low-range gearing, towing capabilities up to 7,716 lbs, center-locking differentials - there are a few rare beasts out there with a locking rear differential - four-wheel drive, and (for our model) a 4.5-liter V8 Turbo engine capable of 440 horsepower. As an SUV, it also comes with a good amount of ground clearance, which is essential when taking any vehicle off maintained roads. We decided the best way to make our Cayenne stand out, and better than any others around, was by enhancing what it already had going for it! We liked the ground clearance offered, but it simply wasn’t enough. Supplied with factory air suspension, we added spacers (produced by PRG Products) which gained us two inches more in height. We also upgraded the wheel and tire size, adding an additional bump to the height. The modification of the tire size was a slippery slope, and we started to run out of clearance room to turn the wheels without rubbing components in the engine compartment. That couldn’t slow us down, though! We made the necessary modification to the intercoolers on both sides of the front end and pulled them forward enough that our improvements in tire size were fully functional. It would be hard to believe that while making all these improvements, we didn’t consider the power output available and how we could make more. We opted for a software tune from APR to upgrade to Stage 1. This software modification, requiring no hardware modifications, got us to 487 horsepower. We made the switch to Evans waterless coolant, which keeps the cooling system under less pressure and helps to run better under strenuous

conditions. We made one more power upgrade by using Fabspeed’s catalytic convertor bypass pipes. This allows for more exhaust flow and also gives the Cayenne a nice, deeper sound. All of these upgrades to the height and ride of the car were for the overwhelming fear that is rocks. While we now had the means to climb almost any rock that could stand in our way, there was the inevitable requirement of armor. A first-generation Cayenne comes stock with aluminum rock rails, but we considered them to be a weak point at this point in the build, and it wasn’t enough! We worked with a local welder (Noble Metal Shop) who was willing to take on the huge project of designing front and rear steel bumpers, as well as additional steel rock rails for both sides of the vehicle. After the gentle care and consideration for how they fit to the frame of the car, down to how sturdy they were when smashed against an unforgiving surface, we were starting to see our project coming together. But we couldn’t come this far to have something unexpected take us down. We gathered skid plates for the entire front end, the transfer case, fuel tank, and rear control arms from Eurowise, for the absolute certainty that this Hog would be invincible. But there was still something missing. This is a shop car, after all. So we needed a design that represented Berg Performance. We got together with a friend of the shop, K.Craft Dsgn., and brainstormed some ideas. We work on German vehicles (Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche) so we had a special connection with the Porsche Martini style. We wanted to incorporate the Martini look with our Berg logo, and came up with the beautiful mountainscape and classic colors fitted to it now. With the design created, we reached out to another friend, Forged Auto Styling, to work their magic and turn our sketch into something real. They printed and meticulously laid our design across the body of the vehicle, to give it that one-ofa-kind look and the indisputable fact that it was our creation. With the overall look of the body completed, we added some finishing touches to make it absolutely

unstoppable! KC HiLiTES fitted us with two arched LED light bars, one mounted to the top and one mounted to the front of the hood. We installed a roof basket, complete with rescue ramps, two threegallon Jerry cans for gas, two threegallon Jerry cans for water, and a high-lift jack. Added to the custom front bumper is a wench, and inside the vehicle are several tow straps with the worst-case scenario in mind for every excursion. After months of preparation, and many friends willing to help out along the way, we were lucky enough to take our completed Warthog into the wild where it belonged. We got some footage of it in action from our videographer, Kreation Films, in November of 2020, just in time before the trails were closed for the winter. While it is set up for absolutely every situation we could face, we have a never-ending desire to make it better! In the future we plan on adding a rear locker, which will help to overcome more than a center locker can provide, an IPD Plenum which offers more airflow/intake, and a rear light bar. Our motto at Berg Performance is “Everything is Important,” and we are heart-set on proving that motto through a unique vehicle that we can quickly cruise around town or slowly migrate up any mountain side! Thank you to everyone who helped make our vision a reality!

Cassie Burt www.instagram.com/BergPerformance www.facebook.com/BergPerformance www.youtube.com/BergPerformance

www.bergperformance.com

Overland Nevada: A World Within. A State Apart. Perhaps no state is better suited for overland adventures than Nevada. From ghost towns and remote mining settlements to hot springs and alpine lakes, Nevada offers it all and truly is “A World Within. A State Apart.” North of the bright lights and glitzy entertainment of Las Vegas lies an oasis for overland adventure in rural Nevada. The landscape is dominated by basin and range topography, thousands of acres of long narrow mountain ranges interspersed with gentle sloping arid valleys. More than 80 percent of Nevada is owned by the federal government and managed for public use, so most of the land (millions of acres) is open to all things overland – off-roading, camping and adventure-seeking. Great Basin National Park is the crown jewel of the area. The park is one of the most isolated in the continental United States. As a result, it is not overrun with city-slickers like many other national parks. Spaces at the improved campgrounds within the park are almost always available, and an abundance of primitive sites are on the numerous trails outside the park. Stargazing is a must-do activity. Great Basin National Park is internationally renowned for its dark skies thanks to its remote location, low humidity, and high elevation. While there, be sure to check out some of the oldest non-clonal organisms on earth - the bristlecone pine trees found only in the region. Some of these slow-growing trees are over 4,000 years old.

Not to be missed on any overland trip to Nevada are the Ruby Mountains. The “Rubies” are located just outside of Elko Nevada and include ten peaks over 10,000 ft. The range includes numerous alpine lakes, and the mountains are flush with wildlife. The rugged beauty is breathtaking. One could be forgiven for mistaking the Rudies for a small slice of the Swiss Alps. Off-road opportunities abound in the Basin and Range National Monument and Gold Butte National Monument. Both are within a day’s drive of Las Vegas. The former includes numerous hot springs and interesting geological formations, including the Big Rocks wilderness. The later includes hundreds of ghost towns and old mining claims worthy of exploration.

Looking to find the weird and outlandish on your overland adventure? You can find that in Nevada, too. Start with the Extraterrestrial Highway, also known as State Route 375. The road runs adjacent to the Nevada Test and Training Range which includes Area 51, a top-secret military installation. Hundreds of UFO sightings have occurred in the area. A must-stop is the Little A’Le’Inn, a bar, grill and motel in Rachel, Nevada, that is out of this world. If you find your way to Goldfield, Nevada, be sure to check out the International Car Forest of the Last Church. This sculpture garden is made up of more than 40 cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles standing on end, straddling crevices or balanced in the desert sand. “Churchgoers” are invited to bring a can of spray-paint and their cameras.

So, when planning your next overland adventure, don’t let Nevada slip your mind. We are certain you will find it to be “A World Within. A State Apart.”

Nicholas and Benjamin Vaskov 2019 Toyota Tacoma and VentureCraft Trailer www.instagram.com/camping_nevada www.facebook.com/CampingNevada

Overlanding Japan

Japan is a small island country, so the style is a little different from overseas with vast land, but I enjoy short-term camping by car called Jimmy in search of the sea, mountains, rivers and lakes.

Hello, I’m Eiji Matsushita and I live in Fukuoka prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan. It is a place with large population and many buildings. Since I often go camping, in the mountains where there are no people, the footsteps of beasts like deer, bears, and wild boars sometimes approach the tent. One of my vehicles is a 1994 SUZUKI Jimmy with a body lift, matte

places. Hilleberg, Nemo and Msr are often used in places that cannot be reached by car. There are four seasons in Japan, and each has its own advantages:

tires and an over fender. The other is a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, roof carrier, matte tires and a hitch carrier. This SUZUKI Jimmy is my favorite to drive. This is because there are many narrow roads in Japan, which are compact and can lead to rough roads. These are the places I enjoy to camp - the seas of Omura Bay, Entrance Nada and Kanmon. The rivers are the Niyodo and Kusu River, and Shidaka Lake and Mountain Kuju. Pic 9 My favorite tents are the Blast Trail, Hilleberg, Nemo and Msr. The Blast Trail is mainly used in places where tents cannot be set up or in rough

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Spring is a time when fresh greenery and flowers are beautiful, so I go out to mountains and lakes.

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Summer is a good climate for fishing, so I go out to the sea and rivers. Temperatures are between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius.

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In autumn, the leaves begin and the mountains turn red, yellow, and orange, so I go to the mountains.

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In winter, it snows, so go to the mountains and enjoy a bonfire and a wood stove. But autumn is my favorite! I enjoy camping when the mountains are colored and it starts to get cold. In winter in Japan, it is 0 degrees in the plains and -10 Celsius in the mountains.

The dishes I eat are stir-fried, stewed dishes using beef and pork. Roast beef, curry, spareribs, self-caught fish and dumplings. It’s a favorite dish that is easy and delicious to eat.

A memorable trip is at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan in Shizuoka prefecture. I went by car for 15 hours to visit this sacred place. Fumotoppara Campsite is said to be the most sacred place to camp, a vast campsite that campers all over Japan want to visit at least once. In many seasons, 1,000 to 2,000 people visit. Mt. Fuji is the world cultural heritage that Japan is proud of. We worship Mt. Fiji and national treasure that protects its beauty.

Eiji Matsushita

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ThunderBoxUSA.com

Built in Australia for Outback conditions, this is no prissy privy! Made of wood and steel, there’s not a scrap of plastic here—and with proper care, it will last a lifetime. Thunderbox can be stored almost anywhere, yet sets up to 16 X 16 X 16. Lightweight and Portable with a space-saving design. Same height and seat size as your toilet at home. Upper seat made from wood laminate MDF. Lower box made from heavy duty steel. Tested to a weight limit of over 500 lbs. Weighs about 9 lbs.

Folds down to only one inch thick. ThunderBox is easy to use, easy to clean, stable, and strong. No assembly required, take it out of the bag and in seconds it’s ready to use. Use Thunderbox to keep the Great Outdoors unspoiled by confining waste, either for burial or for packing out at the end of your trip. For simplicity and durability it has no equal!

Rev 1.2020

Overlanding through Serbia A wild-camping heaven

As much as the rest of the Balkans is a favorite overlanding destination for Europeans, Serbia, situated in the very heart of the Balkans, is some kind of a black hole in most overlanding charts. It’s hard to explain why most if not all itineraries of overlanders go around, but extremely rarely through, Serbia. Lack of information? Prejudice based on media reporting from the past? Absence of some record-breaking landmarks? Maybe a little bit of each. But for those who get to know Serbia, it’s a real revelation. Serbia doesn’t feature the extreme rugged and rocky, sky-high mountains of Albania, Montenegro or Bosnia, nor does it have the coastline of Greece and Croatia, or the huge freshwater natural lakes of North Macedonia. You don’t find it in any of the overlanding guidebooks, you don’t read much about it in the internet forums, and open-source GPS maps of Serbia feature the lowest level of detail of all Balkan countries. So, it’s

close to impossible to discover its wellhidden secrets without an experienced guide. But one who invests an effort to truly explore Serbia keeps returning again and again.

What is so captivating about this landlocked country in the heart of the Balkans? Aside from the great Panonian Plain in the far north, Serbia is a mountainous country. Although Serbian mountains don’t reach much more than 2.000 m of height (2.170 m at the highest peak, Midžor), they are beautiful and diverse, very rich in forests of all sorts, from some of the largest beech forests in the Balkans to most beautiful pine tree forests in the higher areas. The longest European river, Danube, flows through Serbia and forms the Iron Gate gorge (called Djerdap in Serbian), the most

impressive part of its entire waterway towards the Black Sea. And that is not the only gorgeous canyon in Serbia. Lazar’s Canyon in the Kučaj mountains is also a must-see, as well as Uvac, Vladikine ploce, Temstica, Drina, Brnjica … it’s a long list. And the list of Serbian underworld is equally as impressive, featuring some of the most stunning caves in the Balkans, the longest one being more than 12 km long! There are also impressive lakes (Vlasina, Zavoj, Uvac, Zaovine), and medieval ruins peeking from some almost unreachable hilltops. But a very special phenomena which marks the Serbian Carpathians are the natural stone arches hidden deep in the river valleys in Vlach land full of legends and sorcery. Often surrounded by jungle-like terrain, with no clear signs leading to them, they just emerge like miracles in front of your eyes. Vratna River has three of them, making it unique worldwide.

ABCs of overlanding Serbia Before you enter wild Serbia, you have to be ready to encounter heavy vegetation. If you’re sensitive about your rig’s paintwork, better not even approach the Serbian jungles. And if you do enter, don’t do it without a chainsaw, because every season you encounter some new fallen trees and branches on trails that may have not been used for years. Serbia is a sparsely populated country, and in some parts (especially in the east) you can drive through the wilderness for hours (maybe even days) without encountering a human settlement. The maze of forest roads and trails is very extensive, offering you tremendous creative possibilities to explore. Very few areas are off-limits for being natural reservations, and outside of those areas you’re completely free to roam and camp in the wild practically in any spot that you like. Private land that is surrounded by fences and no trespassing signs is very rare in Serbia, as the local culture is friendly towards visitors. So, you will be relaxed about wild camping in Serbia like nowhere else in Europe. The local people that you meet are very friendly and hospitable, usually inviting you into their houses to taste some domestic plum brandy and sheep cheese. Overlanding tourists are

not a common sight in Serbia, so the locals didn’t get a chance to get very much irritated by their numbers. So, there’s no negative attitude towards strangers approaching them in their Jeeps, rather just a somewhat surprised reaction.

But what’s so special about overland driving through Serbia? Most of all, it is the tremendous opportunity to improvise and explore

in a dynamic geometry landscape that is just perfect for off-road driving, full of surprises and discoveries at every bend. In countries with more rugged mountains, you don’t have such choice. You can enter a valley in most cases along the only existing road, and you have to return the same way, because there’s no way out over the high, rocky ridges on the other side. But not in Serbia. In Serbia every forest and ridge trail will offer you junctions galore to take you in any direction you desire. So even if you return to the same area over and over again, it will never be boring because you can improvise a

What to see in Serbia? That is a tough one, because the entire country, apart from the northernmost flat part, is full of extraordinary landscape and attractions. And you certainly won’t be able to cover them all in just one visit.

completely different trail every time. And the endless grassland ridgeways of the higher mountains in the southeast and southwest of the country are a special treat if you’re looking for wide open views over stunning vistas.

Regarding the wild campsites, some are simply so beautiful that you will want to spend several days there before you move on. And there are all kinds of them – deep forest campsites, riverbed campsites, open grassland ridge campsites, beach campsites … in most cases with overwhelming amounts of firewood freely laying around for your campfire.

If you prefer the more populated areas with tourist resorts everywhere, you will want to roam the western parts of the country (Tara National Park, Zlatibor, Zlatar, Jadovnik and Golija mountains). Those in search of true uninhabited wilderness with almost no tourist infrastructure will head straight eastward, where it will take a few weeks for a journey starting from the dense forests of the Iron Gate (Djerdap) National Park southwards, gradually making your way towards the 2000 m mountains of the southeast. The very dynamic terrain of Homolje mountains, full of steep sides and deep river valleys, seamlessly integrates with the misty plateau of Kučaj Mountains (which hosts the magnificent Lazar’s Canyon), continuing over the holy mountain Rtanj until you reach Stara Planina. And Stara Planina is a world of its own. Not

only does it feature the highest peak of Serbia, but it is also the home of two-thirds of the waterfalls in Serbia, including not only the highest (200 m), but also many truly amazing looking ones. Once you start exploring Stara Planina, there is a high chance that you won’t make it anyplace further. And that would be a pity, since the Jerma Gorge, Vlasina Lake and spectacular ridges of Dukat Mountain are waiting for you further south.

Have we tickled your imagination? Then start planning your Serbian journey right now!

Author/Photographer:

Aleksandar Veljković Overland Expeditions Manager

Rustika Expeditions

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Overlanding with a Toddler PART 1

Although I’ll be discussing overlanding with a toddler, I thought I’d start at the beginning: what is overlanding? There are lots of interpretations about what it is or how you do it, but my definition is that it’s whatever you want it to be; don’t let someone else define it for you. With that out of the way, the most common interpretation is adventure travel with a vehicle, where the most important part is the journey, not the destination. I’d like to say that is true, but not always; there are many factors that can affect this and one of those factors is traveling with a toddler. My wife and I have been overlanding or adventure traveling since we met thirteen years ago, and now that we have a fouryear-old, our goals and ideas of adventure travel or overlanding have had to change slightly. No more spur-of-the-moment trips to the mountains, no more extended cross-country trips with long days in the

Jeep, and more often than not, we find ourselves spending our time closer to home enjoying a few days at a time with other couples who have kids. Whether we are by ourselves or with others, the important things are that we are watching our son grow up in the outdoors and sometimes even sharing those moments with other like-minded families. So, let’s start with what it takes to get out the door. If you’re like us and have most of your camping gear already stashed away ready to go, all you need to do is pack your clothes, grab your food and you’re out the door. But now we also have a toddler to contend with, and his needs are drastically different. As adults we learn what we can live with and without. We can occupy our time reading a book on long drives or we can just enjoy nature and beautiful scenery as we

traverse a mountain pass, but a toddler’s needs and wants are vastly different. To start with, they eat all the time, they have short attention spans, their moods can change in an instant, and when they need to go potty, they need to go. So how to do you prepare for adventure with a toddler, especially when space is limited, or you need to travel across country to get to your destination that you’ve been longing for? Patience, lots and lots of patience. Now that you know the secret, we’re done! Not quite, but it’s a good starting point. I can honestly say, my wife is better at it than me; I can get hot-headed and disgruntled very quickly. She, on the other hand, can take a calming approach that almost always seems to work. My downfall is that I like schedules, but when traveling with a toddler, forget it. However, there are some tricks that can keep you

on track and keep the mood light. First off, lots of snacks. Kids love snacks. I’m not talking about Ho Hos and Ding Dongs, but somewhat healthy snacks such as fruits, veggies, dehydrated fruits, shelfstable pepperoni sticks, and occasionally crackers. My wife always packs great snacks. That’s not to say that we don’t give our child sugar-filled snacks; we do, but we also try to mix in some healthy snacks along the way. You’ll also want to have a good supply of those snacks, because one minute your little monster may love one thing and the next…they wouldn’t eat it to save their life. If you are traveling for an extended time, you definitely don’t want to load your toddler up on lots of sugar … imagine being locked into a fivepoint harness for hours on end and you just chowed down on a bunch of sugary sweets and the vehicle overlords say you can’t do anything for next few hours or more. I don’t know about you, but I’d go crazy. Little kids are the same way; they are stuck in their car seats for extended periods of time and it’s our responsibility to make this trip fun and entertaining, otherwise it could lead to disaster. So now that we have snacks out of the way, what else can we do to keep them entertained? If your toddler can read, great, maybe bring their favorite books. Most toddlers are just starting to read at this point in their lives, but that doesn’t mean you or another passenger can’t read a book or two to them. Bring their favorite toy or toys, maybe a favorite stuffed animal or some cars that they like to play with. Do not bring LEGOs, that stuff goes everywhere, and you’ll never find the piece that falls down between the seats (yes, we are speaking from experience). As you can see there are lots of ways to keep your child occupied. Sometimes we play games like we did when we were kids, such as the first one to find a red car wins and maybe gets a treat. I’m not saying that everything that works for us will work for you, but these are some good tips to get you moving in the right direction. One final point I’d mention is to build in extra time for stops and breaks; what may normally be a four-hour car ride can easily turn into 6 or 8 hours, no joke. Let’s talk potty time, we’ve all been there. Does your child still wear diapers

or pull-ups, are you in the process of potty training, or is your child reliably using the bathroom all the time? If you’re potty training or trained, what do you do when you’re out in the woods and miles from the nearest bathroom? You may be of the mindset of letting them go in the woods (for boys its easier, pull it out and let it go). But what about girls, or if they have to go number two? To help us with this concern, we bought a portable kid’s potty. It’s been a lifesaver and we take it everywhere we go (we keep one in each of our vehicles), since as I mentioned before, when a little kid needs to go, they need to go! Yes, it takes up space, but they are fairly small and instead of trying to find a place to go, we can pull over wherever we are and set it up for him. For cleaning we keep disinfectant wipes and doggie bags with us at all times and it makes cleanup a breeze. Now that my son is potty trained and he’s gotten a little older, he’s able to tell us if he needs to pee or poop and it makes things a little easier, but I can tell you from experience that when its 15 degrees outside and the wind is blowing, having a potty you can set up in the seat next to him is a game changer…Just don’t spill it! Now that we have talked about snacks, keeping your little ones occupied on a long drive, and peeing and pooping. Let’s dive into clothing and other accessories. So how to do you pack for little kids? If you child is anything like ours, we bring lots of backup clothes, as

he tends to get dirty fairly quickly. Luckily though, their outfits are fairly small and don’t take up a ton of space. Now I’m not saying that we change his clothes every time he gets dirty, but there are times when a kid just needs to get changed and having a good supply of extra clothes can be useful. This is also critical if you are potty training but out of pull-ups; make sure to pack enough extra bottoms to handle accidents. Packing for extreme weather changes can be hard, unlike adults we can get some quality technical gear that can shield us from the elements and dress in layers to keep us warm and dry. Kids’ clothing, although it’s getting better, is big and bulky and when you start layering up a toddler, they start to look like that kid from A Christmas Story. The warmer months are usually easier, more shorts and t-shirts and maybe a few sweatpants and hoodies for those cool nights and you’re usually set, but if you’re traveling to those higher altitudes also be prepared for those freak storms that can drop the temperature. Basically, what I’m saying is whatever you bring for yourself, bring more for your kid. They are not little adults, kids can compensate for a long time, but when they crash, they crash hard and if you can keep them comfortable, warm and dry they will be happier, and you will be happier. So, you’ve made it to camp, now what? Little kids need to be watched, now I’m not saying you need to be a helicopter parent, but a watchful eye will keep them

from getting into trouble or even hurt. Camping is time to explore; these little kids are like sponges, they are soaking up information, so let them explore, even let them get a booboo or two. If your kid is like ours, he probably wants to go go go and once he’s out of his car seat its go time. For us it usually means that one of us is setting up camp and the other is off wandering through the woods or watching him ride his bike down the trail (yes, we bring his bike everywhere). By giving them time to explore this lets them get some energy out, while you are getting camp set up. Maybe you have a happy helper who loves to be a part of solution (not my kid, but maybe yours is). Let them help; as they get older, they will become an integral part of the team and make things easier for everyone. Try to make camp early, because setting up camp with a little kid at night can be draining, and usually if there is a problem with your equipment, nighttime is not when you want to find out. Neil has his own headlamp, he loves playing with it, and it’s a great way to keep him in sight when it starts getting dark. Now that camp is set, and dinner is going …. Oh wait, meals. That’s another whole topic to discuss. What about meals? Having a variety of food can keep a toddler happy. I’m not saying you have to bring extra food just for your little monster, but having a variety of food, especially things that you know they like, can be helpful. Luckily, we try to encourage him to eat all types of things at home, especially things we make out on the trail, so he isn’t crazy picky when it comes to food, but having some of his favorites can be helpful when

he’s in a picky mood. For us, keeping a healthy supply of mac-n-cheese and hot dogs can save the day. We also keep a big supply of yogurt pouches and yogurt drinks available; this has saved us on more than one occasion. Easy singleserve snacks like hummus and pretzels are also a go-to for us. It’s amazing how many calories these little bottomless pits can burn in a day, and we can definitely tell when he starts becoming calorie deficient, the hangry monster comes out. This leads me to one of our favorite pieces of Overlanding gear, our SnoMaster fridge. It is permanently mounted in the Jeep for a reason: I always carry drinks and snacks every day, so it doesn’t matter if we are out in the backcountry or headed to the store, I always have a fresh supply of snacks just in case he (or my wife) starts to go downhill. Now I’m not saying you need a fridge to have a great time with your family, far from it, but for us a fridge has been a lifesaver. We no longer need to worry about food going bad, or worrying about buying ice. Having a fridge is just one less thing to worry about when you’re away from civilization, and if I can minimize what we need to worry about then it makes our lives much easier. So, what I’m saying is, bring the food you know will work for you, and when you’re planning your trip think about the setup you are using, and prepare your meals and food around what works for you and your kids. Now that the light has faded and its nighttime, we usually end our night around the campfire, but depending on how the day went, your little one may not be tired yet. Maybe it’s time to take a short night

hike, or let them run around camp for a bit to get that extra energy out - just be careful of tent and awning lines. Once they’ve expended that extra energy, we like to listen to music around the fire, maybe make some s’mores and hopefully end the day on a high note. So once those little eyes get heavy, now what? Everyone is a little different when it comes to sleeping arrangements. Maybe you have a slick sprinter van that everyone sleeps in, or you’re old school and have a ground tent that you’ve been using for ages, or maybe you’re part of the roof top tent club. It doesn’t matter, what matters is that everyone gets a good night’s rest. Each of these methods has its own ups and downs and you’ll need to figure out what works best for you, but here are some things to think about. Is your child wearing a diaper at night, or are they potty trained, and how will they go to the bathroom at night if they need to? Kids can be scared of the dark, so maybe you need to have a small night light of some sort. If it is raining or snowing, or the wind is blowing, just remember noises can scare a little kid. Does your little monster have his or her own sleeping bag (and if so, are they warm enough?), or do they sleep in a big bag or under the bedding with you? These are all things that can affect how your child will sleep. Remember this is a new and exciting adventure for them, you want it to be memorable and positive. A few final thoughts: build in time for adventures and activities, no one wants to be couped up inside a vehicle for hours on end. If you’re traveling across the country, pull over and make time to stretch, run and play. Try to have patience (I’m still working on this myself), and make the most of your time. Things do get easier as they get older, and your trips can get longer and more remote, lean on your friends for advice, and just have fun.

Scott Parker www.instagram.com/BoldOverland www.instagram.com/explorationcaptured www.facebook.com/BoldOverland www.youtube.com/BoldOverland www.youtube.com/explorationcaptured

Ozark Overland Adventure Trail (OOAT) Created and mapped by Ozark Overland Adventures

When most people think of epic overlanding routes in the U.S., the Rocky Mountains and desert regions of the Western U.S. are usually the first areas that come mind. An often unknown and overlooked area of the central U.S. called the Ozark National Forest, in Arkansas, is a hidden gem perfect for an overlanding adventure.

trucks can complete the route, but serious pinstripes are guaranteed.

The Ozark Overland Adventure Trail is a five-day overlanding route through the Ozark National Forest that was created by Ozark Overland Adventures to introduce people to some of the best trails and scenery the Ozarks have to offer. It has a good mix of scenic and technical trails with camping spots and points of interest highlighted along the route. The journey will bring you on an epic overlanding adventure that is sure to please. Spend time touring historic cabins and schoolhouses, find your way across beautiful rivers and bring home some of our beautiful red Arkansas clay for the carwash.

crossings. The water crossings are what separate the Ozarks from other locations and are the most unique and frequent obstacle you will encounter. The crossings can range from almost dry in the summer to impassible in the spring after heavy rains. Walking and scouting water crossings and mud holes is always highly recommended, especially during the rainy season from March to June. If you are uncomfortable with the depth, turn around and find an alternate route. That’s part of the adventure.

The Ozarks are filled with a variety of terrain and obstacles including steep hill climbs, rocky ledges, deep mud, tight forest trails, and numerous water

The OOAT is best run-in smaller rigs such as Jeep Wranglers, Toyota 4Runners, and mid-size pickups like Tacomas and Colorado ZR2s. Full-size

The route itself was designed to be flexible. If you have a day to run trails, pick the day you like best and run it. If you have three days, pick the three days you want to run. If you have the time, run all five days. The route file can be found in the Ozark Overland Adventure Trail Facebook group and contains five days of trails color-coded by day, and numerous campsites and points of interest along the way. You can find videos for each day on the Ozark Overland Adventures YouTube channel. The route file can also be found in the video descriptions. These videos will show you what to expect and help you decide which days you want to run.

Matt McClellan ozarkoverlandadventures Ozark Overland Adventure Trail Ozark Overland Adventures

Reaching West PART 1

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to live on the road! I assume 90 percent of your hands are raised or you wouldn’t have gotten your hands on this magazine. Living on the road, specifically in my own converted van, has been a dream of mine since I was about 24 years old. You know, the typical millennial trying to avoid real life and solely traveling for a living. Except there’s a catch. I actually went to school to be, and am now employed full-time as, a mechanical engineer. This has put a major hindrance on my van-life dreams in one major way: My job is not remote. That being said, let me tell you about my journey…from there to now. Including living full-time in a van for five weeks, and now constructing my own to live in by summer’s end!

I follow this rad and inspiring account on IG called @ ourhomeonwheels. They are the sweetest young family who were living in their third converted van when they decided to begin renting it out one summer. I was like, alright this is cool, but I want to LIVE in one, not vacation in one, so I kind of wrote it off. Then I saw that they were vacationing out of country for two months, which sparked an outrageous idea! I would ask them if I could rent their van long-term while they were away, and I would attempt to get approved for leave without pay from my job. I crossed my fingers and just assumed it would never work. But lo and behold, three short months later I was packing my bags to fly across the country and finally get a real taste of what solo female van-life would look like.

I picked up this beautiful yellow creature in Arizona, and planned to make a big loop zig-zagging up through California and Nevada, turning east from Oregon to Idaho/Montana/ Wyoming, and finally driving south through Utah before returning the van back to Arizona. All in all, I stuck with that general idea, letting the national parks route my trip for me. I drove a total of 7,679 miles and stopped in 14 national parks across eight states. I slept in a variety of places, including Walmart parking lots, BLM land, paid campsites, and strangers’ driveways via Boondockers Welcome (highly recommend). I met some amazing people, fellow nomads and locals alike, which overall strengthened my view of the world that people are inherently good and friendly. Prior to this trip, I was unsure if I would be able to mentally do it: Survive alone in the van, mostly without cell service, in a part of the

country where I knew very few people. But I did it, and it was quite literally lifechanging. The day I got back from this trip was the day I started my budget and began planning for the life I wanted: Full-time van-life. I gave myself three months to save money before searching for my dream van, which was a 2002-2006 144-inch High Roof Dodge Sprinter with under 200,000 miles. Pretty vague, right? I test drove three vans that didn’t quite meet my expectations - they were either too rusty, too large (158-inch), or too high a price for the value of vehicle. Also, right smack dab in the middle of my intense van search, COVID hit. This severely limited my travel options (lots of vans for sale on the west coast), and also drove the market way up for sprinter vans. A double whammy. So about eight months of searching for that perfect van, I was about convinced

I would never be able to do it. Then, out of the blue, a friend of mine and fellow van-lifer messaged me asking if I saw that the church across the street from my apartment had some old vans for sale. She convinced me to go give them a test drive and I walked away that afternoon with a 1997 Ford Econoline 12-passenger van. What on earth had I done? That was a very short six months ago. Fast forward to now, and I have completely gutted it, driven it across the country to get the 12-inch roof replaced with a custom 24-inch fiberglass roof with slider windows and a vent fan, completed by Fiberine, and ordered all the electronics needed for an off-grid setup. All I have to do now is the fun part: Build it! I will be doing this work myself, with the large caveat that every friend I have will likely get roped in to helping me.

I have some traveling left to do in the coming weeks, but after that I will be buckling down and spending almost all of my free time getting the van ready! I turn 30 at the end of July and my goal is to be living in the van by then. I will have a few more things to do after the build is done, which include getting a lift, a paint job and a roof rack, but I plan to be doing all of this while living on the road. I will be updating you guys on the good, bad and ugly of the whole process in the September issue, so keep an eye out for that! I’ll see you on the road! Part 2 Continued in Fall Issue

Rachel Nevill www.instagram.com/totesrach www.instagram.com/totesvanlife

The Overland Travel Family:

Our family in an awesome 4x4 RV camper truck through Europe and Africa

Hi, we are Els (40), Justin (43), Tristan (11) and Qaspen (7). In 2018 we decided to take the plunge, to stop running around in the hamster wheel, and start exploring our own limits. We took our chance to raise our own kids instead of them spending a lot of time in kindergarten or school. We always dreamt of this sensational feeling of being able to travel and work at the same time. In 2016 Justin decided to get his truck driver’s license, preparing for this dream in a far-away future. Just having his license for a few months, we saw this amazing vehicle standing in front of a church in the middle of a town in the pouring rain. We decided to contact the owners, who are also a family of four about to leave for their own expedition tour. That very weekend, we reached out to them and kept in touch over Facebook. After nine months they returned and we decided to go for it! We bought the vehicle to live our dream now with our kids, instead of when we get older. We left home August 2019. We started in the Netherlands, then slowly descended to Belgium and France and drove along Normandy coasts heading further south. We learned and showed our kids a lot about World

War I and II history, including Omaha Beach and La Coupole, where the Nazis build the V2 Rockets deep in a mountain. From France we zigzagged down to Portugal, and learned a lot about church histories and religion. In the south of Portugal and Spain we learned surfing on the best beaches. Around Christmas someone started an initiative on Instagram to spent Christmas together somewhere on a field in the south of Spain. And so we did, having the best Christmas ever, in 25c degree in the sunny weather, surrounded with 10 other traveling families (with 19 kids in total!) who we never met before. An absolute

highlight of our time! In the New Year of 2020, we kept traveling south, crossing into Africa to Morocco. More than half the families we met during Christmas decided to travel to Morocco, too. During our trip in this beautiful country, we met up quite often with several families from this group. It is really assuring to know we have a group of like minds traveling who are about one or two days away from each other. We exchanged plans, routes and lots of photos. We shared our experiences on the insta-group while underway. Unfortunately, when COVID hit the world, we were still in

and, of course, camels. The days in the desert were instructive: The desert is not just sand and dunes but is full of hidden life. To be able to see it and experience it with your own eyes is more impressive than reading about in a book. The starry sky in the desert is breathtaking. Not even 10,000 words could describe that feeling. We learned about the constellations and the movements of planets as we stared at the night sky. The beauty of traveling is that we meet a lot of interesting people. Everyone has their own specific interests in something and we learn from each other.

Morocco. We experienced our first lockdown in Tafraout, a very nice little village full of palm trees, a desert landscape surrounded by mountains where we spent three months making new friends for life. We sure have a beast of a camper truck. We really love it, and feel really safe in it. It gives the kids a place to call home while having a different backyard almost every day and meeting new people. When we enjoy one place, we stay longer to experience the most of every amazing place. If the weather is bad, we continue driving. Our camper truck really feels like home. As unlikely as it may seem, we really get everywhere we want to go. Our truck is 10,8m (36 feet) long and a whopping 17Tonnes heavy; its impressive. And that’s a downside we didn’t consider when we started this: On a regular day people take about 20 photos of it, and keep asking questions. On the other hand: we’re always up for a chat and it’s impressive enough not to touch it and leave us alone when we don’t want to be disturbed. Still, we get into cities or small villages easily most of the times. And if not, we just turn right instead of left, and go with the flow of the day.

We try to stay away from the campsites or paid places as much as possible. Sometimes there is no other option because you cannot camp “wild” anywhere, but then we will stay there for a short time. We use a European version of iOverlander / Park4Night and get private spaces out of a Facebook group.

Now in COVID times we decided to slow down a few paces on traveling. We focus on living self-sufficiently and sustainably. Right now, we are developing a 20-foot container unit to convert into a tiny house for a family of four and then sell our camper truck. This way we can put this container on any truck to drive it to another place and we stay there for a few months, instead of moving every other day. We found out that that will suit us better, the kids are more at ease, and we can really learn the environment and the locals. The kids now speak three languages already, just by traveling, and have friends in a lot of different countries speaking different languages. We would like to see them grow and find out that all the differences we are as persons make us just as equal to each other. All the best,

We self-educate our kids during our trip. We use the info gained about historical places to educate them about the Roman Empire, world wars, mathematics and the solar system. On our walks in the nature, we see that the impact of plastic is significant. We always try to make a place tidier than we found it by cleaning up or organizing something that was previously disorganized.

The Overland Travel Family www.instagram.com/10000woorden www.facebook.com/10000words.org www.youtube.com/10000wordsMenzo www.10000words.org

Because we live outside a lot, we see even more of what our earth has to offer. We have seen wild boars, small and large snakes, scorpions

The Real North Cape You might remember us from our introduction article “Our Lives as Overlanders” in the December 2020 issue, when we shared our story about reaching the North Cape in Norway last autumn. This might be nitpicking, but technically the famous North Cape is located on the island of Magerøya and is connected to the mainland through an impressive 7km/4.34mile long tunnel which is built under the Barents Sea where it goes down to 212m/695ft under sea level. The “real” North Cape is only a few degrees lower on the map, but it’s located on the mainland. The road to Europe’s northernmost point is not difficult to drive, but very epic! Steep serpentines lead to high plateaus with crystal clear lakes, and the next moment, the road rapidly drops again to the sea. Only the last few kilometers are a well-maintained gravel road, so this trip is doable for adventurers with any type of overland vehicle. The End of the World is marked by the world’s northernmost lighthouse on the mainland, Slettnes Fyr. The cast-iron tower was heavily damaged during the Second World War, but it was later painstakingly restored. Fun fact: The light doesn’t burn during the summer due to the midnight sun.

The landscape is rocky and wild and you can go hiking for hours to explore the coast, where you can find remains of early settlements. We were lucky to experience this amazing place during mild weather, just before winter. In the light of the setting sun, we even saw some reindeer passing by. With staying up late, we were rewarded with a view of the Northern Lights, which spread out across the whole sky. We watched the dancing auroras for hours. This is only one of the beautiful destinations in northern Scandinavia, and even though it’s far to reach, it’s totally worth the drive. The saying “the journey is the destination “could not be more accurate in this case.

Mike, Andrea and Aimee the dog www.instagram.com/4xtremes www.facebook.com/4extremes www.4-xtremes.ch Email: info@4-xtremes.ch

The Rebelle Rally My Land Rover was buried up to the axles at Big Dune, a lone sand dune somewhere outside of Death Valley. As I pulled out my MAXTRAX and started shoveling, I realized that the Rebelle Rally was no joke. The almost year I had spent training and preparing for this event kept me calm. But on the other hand, getting traction in the sand dunes with a 7,000-pound vehicle can take a few tries! However, throughout this endeavor I realized I was having the time of my life! The Rebelle Rally consists of eight days off-road, traversing some of the most diverse and untouched terrain the United States has to offer. It starts in northern California, in Lake Tahoe, and winds its way through the California and Nevada deserts before ending 2,000 kilometers later in the Imperial Sand Dunes, also known as Glamis,

at the border of California and Mexico, making it the longest off-road rally in North America. Sound fun? It’s a blast! And the best part, “this just so happens to be for women because, if it weren’t all women, women wouldn’t sign up to do it,” Emily Miller (founder) says. Miller, who has competed for years, had finished the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles, a female-only rally in Morocco, and wanted to bring that same opportunity to women in the States. Most recently Miller won the Carta, another navigational-based rally! Miller has trained thousands of drivers, many of them women, and loves seeing the confidence driving off-road brings to them. The Rebelle is designed this way for women to be able to use the car in their driveway and learn the skills necessary. No tube-chassis vehicles needed.

In case it crossed your mind as it did mine, after I started training with previous Rebelles, the idea that this was something feminist, or girl-power was wiped away. These women were so far beyond that. They are hard core! They have made me want to push myself further in every regard, off-road or on. As I’ve heard Miller say many times, this is not a “painted pink” rally. The Rebelle Rally is map and compass-based, with absolutely no technology allowed. Everything that is Wi-Fi enabled is sealed up before the competition begins. My partner for 201819, Penny Dale, and I drove with caution tape over the dash of our 2013 Land Rover LR4 as mysteriously (even though unplugged) the navigation seemed to be working and we didn’t want to take any chances at being disqualified! Each day competitors are given 15 to 20 latitude and longitude checkpoints that they must plot and then devise the best course to each. It is not mandatory to get to each one, just the “greens.” Checkpoints are marked as green, blue and black, like ski runs, and the greens are always marked with a tall flag, thus easier to find. Every competitor must find the greens in order to keep competing that day. This is also a way to keep track of everyone as they move through the course. Blues are marked

with a smaller flag or pole, and blacks have no physical marker. Penny and I went for almost every checkpoint every day, except the few that we knew we didn’t have time to make it to. A huge part of the Rebelle is time management. There are situations when you simply can’t push your truck too hard on rough terrain and therefore forfeit a few points. However, making sure your rig is in top condition for the duration of the rally is a priority. Blowing tires or puncturing an oil pan on day one just to get an extra point is not worth it. Personally, one of my favorite challenges in the Rebelle are the Enduros, also known as Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) challenges. They combine extremely precise navigation and mileage with precision driving, usually at given speed, or being able to compensate for any loss or gain in speed. The last year I competed (2019), the course director, Jimmy Lewis, threw in some painfully slow speeds on smooth roads (driving slowly is sometimes is quite the challenge!) as well as faster speeds on roads that really were just rocks. We were rattled to pieces but loved the challenge. However, if you ask any Rebelle, the one of the most memorable parts is probably the camaraderie. Any rig you pass on the course will give you a thumbs up, just to make sure everything is ok. After all, you can

drive for hours and not see a single soul during the rally. When a truck gets seriously buried in the Glamis dunes, other teams will come running (after all we are competing, and time is of the essence) to shovel and get the truck out! A group of women that began with an adventurous attitude and a willingness to try something new end as a solidified tribe that will be friends for life. There are very little things that this can be said about. To sum it up, it’s like summer camp for off-roading women! That’s what keeps many of us going back! The Rebelle continues to grow and change, with funds being sent to help women overseas with small loans to start businesses. In a time when women are standing up for women, Emily Miller is showing that there is so much more to this event than just driving. And as for this year? I am already signed up for the 2021 rally in October! I absolutely cannot wait to see good friends, my truck and I covered in dirt, and enjoy that summer camp feeling for another eight days!

Thayer Low www.instagram.com/discovery_girl42 www.Discoverygirl42.com

There and Back Again …

A Mystical Journey to the Land of Trolls PART 1 Thomas Fibrich – November 28, 2020 After having a great time in Greece in the year 2017, I suddenly realized that staying in hotels during my vacation was not an option for me anymore. The decision was made – I was going to heavily modify my 2015 Toyota Hilux to be able to stay closer in nature and do overlanding trips, which can last longer and give me the opportunity to stay completely on my own, if I would like to do so.

Then, in 2018, after the mods on my pickup were finished end of 2017, I did it the first time, just by circling the complete European coastline all around. It was an absolute adventure, driving around 10.000 km (about 6,200 miles) and visiting 13 countries.

People could never really convince me to go there because I would rather love to use my holidays to visit the south and sit on the beach, enjoying the warm sun. That might not be possible in an area where you have to expect snow and rain in August.

After another visit in Greece, passing Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia, my beloved friend and advisor Lisa came up with the idea that I should visit north Europe, because I would love it.

After my amazing experience, I am so glad that I stayed open-minded, listened to the recommendation of my very private advisor Lisa and just gave it a chance. Well, because the target was really to see Denmark for some days and then head to

the North Cape, which is 4500km (2,800 miles) ahead, I just passed the whole way from my home town to the border of Germany to Denmark within a day; this was quite challenge. But after arriving on day two on Rømø Beach in Denmark late evening, I was rewarded by a breathtaking view and atmosphere right away in the first second. What was really a pity was that wild camping was not allowed in Denmark. So, it would be wise to find a place where nobody would be disturbed by my parked truck and any trouble can be avoided. I had on my mind, coming back the very next day, to enjoy this great beach by off-roading a little bit, trying out my new toy drone and maybe taking a bath in the northern sea, at approximately 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

After enjoying Rømø Beach, time had come to head to the north coast of Denmark and get a booking for the ferry. This is something I would do in the evening in my cozy roof tent, an Autohome Columbus (Black Storm edition small), so I decided to take the SuperSpeed 2 from Color Line Ferries, taking in Hirtshals Denmark to Kristiansand at the south coast of Norway. Since I never took a ferry for such a long ride (it took more than two hours) and of course never passed the Northern Sea, I got really seasick. The sea was very rough, which is why I, coming from the southeastern end of the Alps, was not used to it. So, arriving in Norway, it was very much a challenge that first evening to find a camp site and recover.

It was an experience, which was not so nice but I would not have liked to miss; once in a lifetime everything has its first time. After getting my long-range fuel tank refilled the next morning, I went to the west coast of Norway, passing Stavanger and heading to the Hardangervidda National Park, realizing that this country has an amazing new thing and a new surprise after each and every corner. People there were very kind, and the traffic could not be compared with anything I had experienced in any other European country; it was very smooth and drivers were very courteous. The number of motorways was very limited so I learned that, to get to the most northern spot of the European continent would be a challenge and take a long time.

Also interesting was that the Norwegian people love motorhomes. The streets were full of them, next to an amazing number of all-electric cars, like Teslas and all the others. Of course, they like pickup trucks as well, and my model, the Hilux from 2015, was one of the most wanted ones there. This fact, and the heavy modifications on my car, led to friendly conversations with natives, at parking lots or gas stations.

Understanding this, I decided to get there as quickly as I could and save time for the way back, just in case, and to not end up running out of time in the last days. That decision was really a good one!

and feeling peace. In the middle part, it started to meet this requirement in a very mystical way. After passing Trondheim, landscape was looking like an image of a movie, more and more … mile by mile.

The dimensions of this country were way different than my home country.

Water in the rivers, waterfalls and fountains, was clear and sweet, so water supply was no issue for me at all. This made the overlanding trip much more comfortable. Being able to wash yourself and the equipment, regularly, was also a big added value for such an adventure.

While the southern part of Norway had a higher density of settlements and people living there, I was looking for that part of the country where I could be more on my own, with only nature around me

Day three I passed the polar circle. It seemed that I could do the driving to the North Cape in five days, which meant an average of 500 - 700km (310 - 430 miles) per day. This was quite a challenge, and in Norway, it took about 10 to 12 hours of driving every day, but it didn’t bother me at all. You get way addicted to the traveling because every other few miles… you explore something new and breathtaking. That leads me to just never stop … what will be behind the next corner?

Thomas Fibrich

Maintenance is Key to Reliability For anyone who actually uses their off-road vehicle off-road, maintenance is going to be a big part of your overlanding journey. Driving a vehicle off-road greatly increases the wear and tear and regular maintenance is critical. Ball joints, wheel hubs, u-joints and bushings are critical and frequent maintenance needs. This may seem obvious on a vehicle but it is also critical for the gear we use on the trail and away from civilization. One of the key overlooked equipment that rarely gets any maintenance love is the winch. This can be a problem because our winch could literally save your life or at least determine if you get to drive home or pay for a very expensive recovery. One key thing to do is keep your winch line clean and in good condition. This applies for both synthetic and steel cable. For steel cable, make sure there is no rust or broken strands. For

synthetic line, be sure and clean the line any time it has been in mud or dirty conditions to keep the dirt from breaking down the strands over time. An easy way to do this is to unspool your line and let it soak in a bucket of water and push the strands together to help release the mud and dirt particles. Let it dry before respooling.

If you notice your free spool lever becoming difficult to move or becoming stuck, there’s a good chance you may have had water or mud get into the gears causing problems. Winches are actually simple equipment and it’s not hard to disassemble the gear, clean them, and repack them with grease to keep things working smoothly.

For both steel and synthetic line, always respool your winch line under tension. This is important so your winch line doesn’t dig into itself during a recovery, making it very difficult to unspool the next time you need it. Find a small hill, connect your winch line to a tree or maybe another vehicle, put your vehicle in neutral, and spool the winch line back onto the winch while it pulls the vehicle up the hill. This will keep your line spooled evenly and properly after a recovery making it much easier to unspool the next time you need it.

Just like maintaining your vehicle is critical to ensure confidence and reliability on the trail, maintaining your winch is key to having a safe recovery. The last thing we want to do is be stranded when a little TLC between trips could have prevented this.

Matt McClellan www.instagram.com/ozarkoverlandadventures www.facebook.com/OzarkOverlandAdventures www.youtube.com/OzarkOverlandAdventures

A New Adventure

The journey to becoming Morrison’s Outdoor Adventures started in the summer of 2019. Mike, the kids and I were on our way to Tennessee for a family vacation when we started discussing selling our house and moving closer to Mike’s work. I was a special education teacher for the past 11 years, so I just thought I could get a job in a new location. The goal was just to be closer to Mike’s job so he wouldn’t have to drive so far and we could spend more time as a family when he wasn’t traveling so much for work. As the summer passed and school started again, the thought of moving became more and more appealing.

During the fall of 2019, even though I was working full-time, I was also helping run an Outdoor Events Center in Uwharrie, North Carolina. Our focus shifted from looking at a house to buy to living full-time in a camper, homeschooling the boys and putting more time and energy into the Outdoor Events Center. This would allow Mike to be closer to his job - a win win for everyone! So, we started camper shopping, going to every camper store we could to look at all the different models and styles. We finally went to an RV show and found the camper that would fit our family’s needs the best and bought it on the spot. We even looked at purchasing a lot in a gated RV community after our house sold. We had a buyer for our house super-fast and the time was coming that we needed to

close on the land to put the camper on. We thought, wow, this is going great. Well, of course our plans changed again! The story of our life is “do not make plans because they can change in a blink of an eye.” Mike’s job changed drastically after I had resigned from my teaching position and it was time for us to do something that allowed us as a family to enjoy the great outdoors. In a week, we decided that we were going to buy a truck to pull our camper, start our own company and hit the road. As a full-time job the past four years, Mike had been teaching others how to drive off-road because it is his passion. The boys and I always enjoyed going and watching Mike teach his training classes. Once we realized how the outdoors had brought us closer together as a family, we wanted to share that with other families and individuals! We wanted to restore the basic outdoor skill sets needed to enjoy and preserve the great outdoors. So, we started Morrison’s Outdoor Adventures. Morrison’s Outdoor Adventures mission statement is reconnecting individuals and families through the great outdoors. Mike is certified by the International 4 Wheel Drive Association, a Master Tread Trainer for TreadLightly, and Co-director of Education for Southern Four-Wheel Drive Association.

He has over nine years of experience in off-roading driving and recovery instruction, and has trained military, commercial and recreational groups such as Special Forces, Rangers, Duke Energy and more. We have worked hard to design a curriculum to give each person a hands-on experience, the knowledge and the ability to operate their vehicle with confidence. Our family has been an avid outdoor family and has developed our skill sets. Through Morrison’s Outdoor Adventures we offer guided trail rides, guided trips, off-road driver training, vehicle recovery classes, outdoor skill classes, and private oneon-one training. We are so excited to get you and/or your family outdoors!

Sarah Morrison morrisonsoutdooradventures MorrisonsOutdoorAdventures www.morrisonsoutdooradventures.com www.i4wdta.org www.sfwda.org www.treadlightly.org

www.instagram.com/danweinelvisuals Dan Weinel Visuals www.DanWeinel.com

Coconut Curry Chicken Curry Chicken, which can be cooked at home or, better still, cooked out on the tracks and trails in a cast iron dutch oven on the open camp fire. Folks, give this a go - you’ll thank me for it! If you check my YouTube channel, you will see where I made it on the Ozpig and even got the coconut cream out of real coconuts, the way they do it in the Torres Strait.

Ingredients • 3 lbs chicken thigh fillets cut into half inch cubes (use thigh not breast) Folks, my wife Rosaline is a Torres Strait Islander. Torres Strait Islanders make up the Australian Indigenous population, along with Aboriginal people. The Torres Strait Islands are situated between the tip of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Over 200 beautiful islands are littered throughout the Coral Sea, and only a small amount of the islands are inhabited. Rosaline’s mother was born on the beautiful little island called Naghir; the English name is Mt Ernest. Ros has ancestors buried on the island, which is now uninhabited. A favourite dish from the Torres Strait Islands is Coconut

• 6 chicken wings, cut in half • 2 chicken drumsticks can also be added if you want • 4 tablespoons of dry curry powder (we use Keens brand in Australia) • 3 large yellow onions, sliced • 1 large piece of fresh ginger, grated • 2 tablespoons of minced garlic (from a jar is fine) • 3 washed potatoes, diced into large cubes • 1 large sweet potato, diced into large cubes • 2 cans of coconut milk

• 1 can of coconut cream • Chicken stock Ros, myself and Rafa the dog standing on the very tip of Australia, one of the most iconic photos an overlander can take in Australia. It is a four-wheel drive mission to make it to the tip of Australia. You can see the first of the Torres Strait Islands in the background. 200 islands extend right up to just two miles from the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Cooking Method Place your cast iron camp oven on some hot coals and bring to a nice hot temperature. Put in a good splash of oil and get it nice and hot. Put in the sliced brown onions and keep stirring until they start to soften. Put in the minced garlic and grated fresh ginger. Keep stirring. Don’t let it stick. Then put in four heaping tablespoons

of curry powder. If you can get Keens brand in the USA, use that. Keep mixing the curry powder throughout the onion, garlic and ginger. Place in the diced chicken thigh filets, wings and drum sticks, if you use them. Keep stirring until all the chicken is coated with the curry powder and it starts to brown. When the chicken looks like it has taken on all the flavor of the curry powder, add in a small amount of chicken stock so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the camp oven. Place lid on for a few minutes and have a few sips of your beer. Make sure your fire and coals are stoked - you don’t want to run out of heat during the cooking process. Take the lid off and add a can of coconut milk and a can of coconut cream. Mix it all together and place the lid back on. Have another beer!!!! Give the chicken a good stir. If the curry sauce looks too white, you can add a bit more curry powder to taste. If

it looks like the curry flavor is too strong, you can add some more coconut milk or cream. Either is fine. Make sure there is enough liquid for the chicken to simmer in. Add the potato and sweet potato and mix in. At this stage, you can lessen the heat. Put the camp oven on a bed of coals and put a shovel load on the lid.

Serve up a big bowl of rice and then scoop on the Coconut Curry Chicken. A big chunk of Aussie Damper with butter goes well for mopping up that beautiful coconut curry sauce. A slice of lemon goes nicely with it also. Sit down with another beer and enjoy with the family around the campfire. This makes a great winter camping food. It really warms you up. ENJOY!!!!!!

Sit down around the fire, crack another cold beer and start thinking about how good it is going to taste. Give it a stir every now and then. Make sure it is simmering away nicely. At this stage, you crack another cold beer and ask the wife to cook a big pot of white rice!!!!! Lol You can simmer this for anywhere from an hour to two hours, but keep stirring. You just simmer it - don’t have the heat too hot during this stage.

Mr. Buckaroonie www.instagram.com/Mrbuckaroonie www.facebook.com/Mrbuckaroonie www.youtube.com/Mrbuckaroonie

Traveling To New Beginnings Debbie and I have spent the last 20+ years working in public safety. In 2012, I retired after a 22-year career in law enforcement, and Debbie has been a working firefighter/paramedic for the last 32 years. Deb and I grew up with a love of outdoor activities, such as camping, hunting, fishing and off-road driving. With this being said, life took over and we couldn’t be in the outdoors as much as we would have liked to be. After my retirement I struggled with post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI). I had problems with hyper-vigilance, I couldn’t sleep at night due to nightmares and I was unable to go places where there were large crowds of people. This became so severe that I even considered suicide several times. I went to counseling, was prescribed medications and did everything I could to overcome these issues. These things helped me find a somewhat normal life again, but not the peace I searched for. In 2017 I was invited to my first overland trip, seven days in the Death

Valley National Park. About midway through the trip, we were camped at an old talc mine located near Hunter Mountain. As I sat behind my rig watching the sun set, I had a feeling of calmness come over me. It sounds kind of corny, but it felt almost spiritual. For the first time in a very long time, I wasn’t watching everything and everyone around me, I was just there in the moment. This time in the desert inspired me to go farther and stay out longer, chasing the sense of peace I had found. We chose our 2015 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4X4 because of Toyota’s inherent reliability and I have always loved the 4Runner platform. I’ve had Toyota vehicles all my adult life and to be honest I’m a Toyota guy!! Our rig is my daily driver, but she has been built for a specific purpose and this purpose is when Debbie retires, we will be transitioning to a full-time overland lifestyle. We officially started building our rig in November of 2017 and it is still ongoing. When I began thinking about what modifications I wanted to do, the list seemed extremely daunting, to

say the least. I decided to let our trips tell me what was needed, not just what I wanted. It is very easy to go out and buy thousands of dollars of needless parts and accessories. This process has served us well, because there has been very little that we have changed out on our build. Luckily for 4Runner owners there is a very robust aftermarket support network out there. This abundance of aftermarket support is a double-edged sword, so whenever I decided on a new modification, I would research the different products and absolutely would not purchase something because it had a cheaper price tag. What I’ve learned throughout my life is generally, you get what you pay for. “Buy once and cry once” for a lack of a better term. On about 99 percent of this build, Debbie and I have taken the built, not bought approach. We have made the decision to save money by doing all the installations ourselves. Our vehicle is regularly maintained by Deb and I as

Photographs:Gene PascuaIG: dffrent_allroad

well. We feel this approach has given us a much better understanding of both our vehicle and its capabilities. I have fabricated many of the small items myself in an attempt to further save money for other modifications. Some of these include antenna mounts and our iPad navigation mounting system, converting our ARB fridge slide into a tilting slide, and doing the FJ Cruiser transfer case conversion myself. The number one favorite thing about our rig? Wow, that’s a hard one. I suppose if I had to choose, I guess it would be between the ARB air lockers and the Long-Range America auxiliary fuel tank! No, sorry ARB, it has to be the new auxiliary fuel tank. This was a game-changing modification in my book. I say this because I am a fuel freak. If the fuel gauge hits a quarter tank, I’m getting nervous and trying to find a filling station. Well, that feeling is gone for good now. With this modification we have the ability carry 47 gallons of fuel. I have to say it is an awesome feeling to just push a button as you drive and watch your fuel gauge rise back to full. Thank you “Long Range America!”

The biggest challenge to this build was what type of rig did I want to build. Was it going to be a straight overland rig or something like a rock crawler? I truly love the overland aspects but I really like doing the harder trails as well. What I came up with was truly a rig that has the ability to take us almost anywhere we ask her to. I get asked all the time, “Are you finished building it yet?” and all I can do is smile. As far as the absolute needs category goes, the only thing I still need to do is spindle gussets. Our girl is super-heavy now and Toyota spindles are well-known for failings. I want to deal with this possibility before we have a trip destroyed. Once this is done, I’m pretty sure our girl will be pretty much bulletproof. If it’s about “wants” then that’s another story. What I would like is to install a Marlin Crawler “Taco Box.” Why, you ask? Because “Marlin Crawler” that’s why. Then some RCV axels and good headlights! 4Runner headlights are the worst!!

Deb and I have done overland trips in almost every state in the western United States, but I have to say the most epic trip we have done thus far was this past August. We completed a monthlong trip through the Pacific Northwest. This trip included the Washington State Back Country Discovery Route, the Washington State coastline, Oregon State coastline, California coastline, numerous national forests and state parks, and culminated at Dillon Beach, California, before we headed home. As far as when we transition to full-time, we don’t have a locked-down plan yet. 2021 is going to be a very busy year. Our tentative plans include all three Overland Expos, the Great Continental Divide and the Trans American Trail.

Michael and Debbie Lee Auburn www.instagram.com/ironhorseoverland

RIG MODIFICATIONS: 2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 ENGINE: • Toyota 1GRFE 04-11 4.0 Liter V6 • Drive Train: • ARB twin compressor CKMTA12, steel braided air lines, air lockers front and rear Revolution gears (4:88) • FJ Cruiser manual transfer case conversion Safari Snorkel • Fuel Storage: • Long Range America 24-gallon auxiliary fuel tank suspension: • Front/Rear: King 2.5 Extended travel, adjustable remote reservoir coil overs, with 700-pound coils / King 2.5 Extended travel, adjustable remote reservoir shocks • SPC adjustable Upper Control Arms • Total Chaos stock length Expedition series lower control arms • Overland Custom Designs adjustable sway Bar End links • Califabrication adjustable heavy duty upper & lower control arms, adjustable heavy duty pan hard bar • Old Man Emu 998, 980 pounds rear coil springs • Timbren active off-road bump stops • Overland Custom Design adjustable links sway bar end links • Air Bags: Firestone 4135 Coil Rite air coil assist BRAKES: • Stop Tech Slotted rotors • Hawk Heavy duty truck brake pads WHEELS/TIRES: • Wheels: Black Rhino / Reno / Bead locks / 17x8.5 / 3.5 BS / -30 Offset Tires: B.F. • Goodrich 315/70/R17 KO2 All terrain • Bumpers/ Armor:

• Front: Demello Off-road three hoop full coverage bumper • Rear: Brute Force Fabrication dual swing out bumper Armor: • RCI Off-road engine, transmission and transfer case steel skids • Califabrication Rock Sliders LIGHTING: • KC Hilites 50-inch Gravity Pro6 LED light bar, fog lights, dual Flex ditch lights, 28” chase bar, C2 Scene lights, Cyclone rock light kit ELECTRICAL: • SPOD HD 8 Circuit accessory management • Redarc BCDC 1225 DC/DC charger, Tow Pro Elite break controller • Odyssey group 34R 55 AH battery • National Luna dual Battery monitor • 12 circuit fuse block (rear of vehicle) INTERIOR: • Boss Strong Box 4Runner Overland Draw System • Goose Gear T4R plate system W-100% rear seat delete • Expedition Essentials T4R accessory dash mount • ARB large fridge freezer slide • Dometic CFX3 55- liter fridge/freezer Frontrunner • 10-gallon floor board tank • Ram Mounts I-Pad mounting stand Apple I-Pad II (Navigation) Communications: COMMUNICATIONS: • Yeasu FTM 400XDR dual band Ham Radio • Cobra Electronics 75 WX ST 40 channel CB radio • Garmin Outdoors InReach Explorer Plus • WeBoost RV OTR fleet cellular phone extender • Diamond NR770HB dual band ham antenna

• Firestik CB radio antenna RECOVERY EQUIPMENT: • Smittybilt XRC 9,500-pound winch w/ synthetic line • 10-pound Power Tank Co2 tank • Agency6 Fair lead Agency6 Billet Winching shackle, Adventure mini shovel, Mega mount Hi Lift jack 40 inch • Echo 355T chain saw with 16-inch bar • Council Tools large axe, Council Tools 16” camp axe ROOF RACK/ACCESSORIES: • Frontrunner Slim line II full rack Rhino • Rack 270-degree Batwing Awning • Weboost RV OTR Fleet antenna • Maxtrax traction boards • Full Size Shovel Expedition • Essentials 10-pound propane tank mount • Quick Pitch Shower unit • Northbound Expedition GARB, chainsaw carrying bag

www.instagram.com/dobinsonsusa www.facebook.com/DobinsonsUSA Dobinsons Off-Road Suspension Options www.DobinsonsDirect.com

RESPONSIBLE NOT BORING

Trust us, we’ve been doing it for 30 years!

Image by - Vill Van Der Merwe - Instagram @geoscoutadventures

For over 30 years, Tread Lightly! has been promoting responsible recreation through trail clean ups, restoration projects and education, keeping our public lands healthy, accessible and open for all to enjoy. Whether you are an individual, a club or a business, you can join the Tread Lightly! movement. Do it today! For more information on the impact we’re having and to join us on this journey, drive on over to treadlightly.org. 62

I RIDE, I DRIVE, I OFF-ROAD, I TREAD LIGHTLY!

Follow the T.R.E.A.D. principles to stay on track. TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY Travel responsibly on land by staying on designated roads, trails, and areas. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated fords. When possible, avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas. RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS Respect the rights of others, including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers, and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers, and those on or near shore. EDUCATE YOURSELF Educate yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes, and know-how to operate your equipment safely. AVOID SENSITIVE AREAS Avoid sensitive areas on land such as meadows, lake shores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don’t disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds. DO YOUR PART Do your part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and repairing degraded areas.

Overlanding has something for everyone. From campers to offroad enthusiasts. There are miles of trails throughout the US to explore, the only difficulty is deciding where to go after packing up your vehicle. As off-road and outdoor recreation grows in popularity, so do the impacts on public land and trails. Tread Lightly! works collaboratively with industry partners, public land agencies and off-road enthusiasts to maintain access to these places by promoting minimal impact recreation. Supporters of Tread Lightly! practice environmentally responsible outdoor recreation by adhering to the T.R.E.A.D. principles, an outdoor ethics messages that promotes minimal impact recreation on land and water. If every trail user takes the time to learn how to be respectful and responsible, it can make a huge difference on our public land and trails. Do your part, support Tread Lightly! and it's mission by becoming a member at treadlightly.org.

Overland Adventures Magazine - Fall 2021 Edition

Articles inside

Coconut Curry Chicken-Mr Buckaroonie

There and Back Again-Thomas Fibrich Kids’ Corner

Our Alternative Plan for Retirement David and Charlotte

A New Adventure- Sarah Morrison

Reaching West- Rachel Nevill

The Rebelle Rally- Thayer Low

Ozark Overland Adventure Trail (OOAT Matt McClellan

Overlanding Japan Eiji Matsushita

Overlanding with a Toddler- Scott Parker

Overlanding Through Serbia- Aleksandar Veljković

Our shop vehicle, Warthog- Cassie Burt

Overland Nevada-Nicholas and Benjamin Vaskov

48 States, 59 Days and 14,242 Miles Dayman Baker

Ghost Trains in Maine? Andrew Jordan

From Brooklyn to Boondocking- Delia Mo

Imagine the Perfect Drawer System Merri Morrall Family

Dirt-biking through Burma-Johan de Villiers

An Office with a View- David Mountain

Overlanding 101- Joey Slayton

Burnt Trekky- Fred and Amanda