Jason and I had the pleasure of engaging in a Podcast with Overland Journal’s Ashley Giordano – pop the kettle on, make a cuppa and put your feet up. (Published here on Expedition Portal – a joy and privilege to also win the coveted award: 2022 Overlanders of the Year!)
Aug 2018 – May 2019 – Hilux build out: Self-sufficiency for weeks at a time and the final mods (Part 3 of 3)
The Mega Transect expedition: build-out continued Water and Gas A 10-gallon (45-litre) water tank (Front Runner Outfitters), a 4.5-gallon (20-litre) water-purifying jerry can (LifeSaver), for when we are unsure about the purity of our water source. Plus 2.85-gallon (3.9-kilogram) gas bottle for our two ring burner. Refrigeration While our previous means of a fridge […]
Aug 2018 – May 2019 – Toyota Hilux build out: Lockable storage and reliability off-road (Part 2 of 3)
The Mega Transect expedition: build-out continued Drawer, slide and cabinet system A British custom-designed drawer system, gearslide and cabinet solution (Gearmate), has revolutionised our load space. All lockable, the drawers offer up to 330-pounds’ (150-kilograms) load capacity and incredibly, extend 100 per cent, which brings our gear – separated by dividers and on a gripped […]
Aug 2018 – May 2019 – Toyota Hilux build out: A basic but capable 4WD, cooking and sleeping (Part 1 of 3)
The Mega Transect Motorcycle keys hung up for now, it’s a pleasure to share how we took a Toyota 4WD through its transformation. Ignoring the swarm of butterflies celebrating in my stomach, I’m hoping our efforts and choices will reap reward on what we’re calling ‘The Mega Transect’. Possibly help inform a decision you may […]
1 Jun – 31 Jul 2018 – Bittersweet endings
“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon”. Something that Chris McCandless (Into the Wild) wrote in one of his letters to which I can relate pretty well after nigh five years on the road. For him and […]
11-31 May 2018 – Zion, Overland Expo West, fast friendships and finally, the Grand Canyon: poetry in stone
Zion National Park, Utah “Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end.” Edward Whymper nailed it in Scrambles […]
6-10 May 2018 – Woody’s Wheels – Part 2, Ship Rock, the Valley of the Gods and a bit of Bryce
Woody’s Wheel Works, Colorado Roughly 1,000-killer-miles straight from Death Valley to Denver, we worked our cockadoodle guts to get there. But then our friend Woody is like L’Oreal, he’s worth it. A guy that can only be described with any real accuracy as Jack Nicolson meets Father Christmas. But first, it was a challenging test […]
9 April-5 May 2018 – Spooky sentinels, a 19th century ghost town and random reunions
Ancient beings in the Bristlecone Pine Forest, California In early April, when Death Valley had finally, finally started to lose some of its gleam, we jumped back on the road. And an hour’s scoot to the east of Bishop, up the road from Big Pine, arrived at the Bristlecone Pine Forest nestled in the White […]
19 March-8 April 2018 – Death Valley: Third time lucky…
Las Vegas Packed up once again at our Arizonan base in Prescott, the rolling dice until sunrise awaited. Vegas, baby. I could only imagine the indulgent sights that lay in store smack dab in Nevada’s Mojave Desert. Sure of myself that its focal point, the Strip, would be akin to Blackpool, my hometown but on […]
14 February – 18 March 2018 – I wish you were here or I was there but alas, we are where we are
“I really don’t want to go,” and pouted as I tried to internalize an unnecessary degree of petulance. Dispensing our warm goodbyes to biking friends in Borrego Springs, we saddled up and I reluctantly turned the key in the ignition. After multiple postponed departures, that is. A heavy sigh betrayed a sadness in parting from […]