How did you get where you are now?

  • HTML tutorial

paul87250

Rank VIII
Launch Member

Off-Road Ranger III

10,095
Folles, Haute-Vienne, France
First Name
paul
Last Name
Newbold
Member #

18967

Hi my name is Paul and 23yrs ago on the 3rd Jan 2001 my wife Nicky and our dog Mutley left England for good... we had an old camper and 3k in cash with the idea of exploring europe/world.

Photo 1285.jpg

We spent our first winter in Chamonix Mont Blanc it was a bit of a shock as -25°C in an old van is a challenge, things got better we found some work to top up our dwindeling funds and learnt to ski. The winter passed and spring rolled in so we headed aroun the Iberian peninsula taking in Spain, Portugal and Andorra we soon learnt that our old van with a 4 speed box is not in a rush, 45mp/h on the flat.
Times were fantastic we went back to Chamonix to climb for the summer then toured aroun Italy Austria Germany and Switzerland.
we lived for 8years like this working ski seasons and travelling but always living in the van. In the first few years we never used campsites we always used carparks or other areas where overnight stays were permitted.
Photo 1296.jpg
So time slips passzd and now we have a small house which we needed after the unexpected arrival of our son Zac, he spent the first 2yrs on the road then school called so we settled down for a time 2010 onwards using our defender to travel and enjoy the life we have been blessed with.DSC_0215.JPG
I found Overland Bound by chance while lookig for adventure on dark winter evenings and have learnt alot and been inspired by a great many of the members of this fantastic community.

Please share if you like the path that brought you to this point and OB

All the best Paul & Nicky
 

freak4life

Local Expert
Member

Contributor II

1,300
Cañon City, Colorado, USA
First Name
rich
Last Name
anderssohn
Hi my name is Paul and 23yrs ago on the 3rd Jan 2001 my wife Nicky and our dog Mutley left England for good... we had an old camper and 3k in cash with the idea of exploring europe/world.

View attachment 272448

We spent our first winter in Chamonix Mont Blanc it was a bit of a shock as -25°C in an old van is a challenge, things got better we found some work to top up our dwindeling funds and learnt to ski. The winter passed and spring rolled in so we headed aroun the Iberian peninsula taking in Spain, Portugal and Andorra we soon learnt that our old van with a 4 speed box is not in a rush, 45mp/h on the flat.
Times were fantastic we went back to Chamonix to climb for the summer then toured aroun Italy Austria Germany and Switzerland.
we lived for 8years like this working ski seasons and travelling but always living in the van. In the first few years we never used campsites we always used carparks or other areas where overnight stays were permitted.
View attachment 272449
So time slips passzd and now we have a small house which we needed after the unexpected arrival of our son Zac, he spent the first 2yrs on the road then school called so we settled down for a time 2010 onwards using our defender to travel and enjoy the life we have been blessed with.View attachment 272450
I found Overland Bound by chance while lookig for adventure on dark winter evenings and have learnt alot and been inspired by a great many of the members of this fantastic community.

Please share if you like the path that brought you to this point and OB

All the best Paul & Nicky
Hello Paul, Nicky and Zac, welcome to Overland Bound.
 

Alanymarce

Rank IV

Trail Mechanic III

1,392
Colombia
Restricting the reply to the overland travel aspect:
  • Road trips in Malaysia many years ago
  • Hitch-hiking around Europe while at University
  • Wandering in Botswana/Zimbabwe by motorbike and various vehicles in 1973/1974
  • Hitch-hiking Botswana to Kenya in 1974
  • Boulder to Grand Canyon and back in 1976 in a Datsun pickup/ground tents
  • Road trips in Canada, USA, and Europe in the 1980s/1990s
  • Various wanderings in the Sahara 1999-2001
  • Colombia to Tierra del Fuego and back in 11 months 2010-2011
  • Southern and Eastern Africa in 10 months 2017
  • Around Australia in 10 months 2019
  • Around Canada in 11 months 2022-2023
  • Lots of short trips in between between the above.
 

MidOH

Rank IV

Off-Road Ranger I

1,298
Mid Ohio
First Name
John
Last Name
Clark
Ham/GMRS Callsign
YourHighness
Years and years of misery off road as a field technician.

"Hey, I can use this for camping".....

Right now I'm parked in a foot of snow, 50' from trains, watching a generator run, while my POS Ram Cummins 4x4 says "ding 5mph max speed in 90miles cause I'm junk".
 
  • Like
Reactions: El-Dracho

Outdoordog

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

1,473
Big Bear, CA, USA
First Name
Jino
Last Name
Hwang
Member #

21318

Was tired of my car and wanted something 4x4 so I didn't have to camp at campgrounds, never liked camping anywhere other people are around, I don't even want to be in visible range or audio range. So a modified 4x4. 3.5" lift with 37" tires.
Joined some forums, and that's how it began.
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
Ha ha. gotta love the dodge products. Leave you stranded constantly. :tearsofjoy::tongueclosed:

As for us. Met my wife at my brothers house one night. She was renting his basement apartment and we have been together ever since. She had a 5 year old at the time, and I took him as my own right away. Fast forward, we had colin some years later and he's our little man. Tyler is 25 now and Colin is 17. Tyler has his own life in St John's and Colin will be with us for life so we plan to make the most of it travelling with (insert vehicle that's not a jeep here). ha ha. The patriot will be the rig for now until we get our new outback this summer. Then the pat will be left to secondary vehicle duties. Had enough of jeep/dodge/Chrysler products leaving us stranded and breaking constantly. right back to my 98 Dakota they have been brutal for reliability.

I digress, we will be wacking the KM to the soob as soon as it arrives.
 

Ragman

Rank V
Member
Investor

Explorer I

1,825
Geneva, IL, USA
First Name
Richard
Last Name
Gearhart
Member #

15373

My overlanding/camping progression probably pretty standard affair-
Late 1970s Cub/Boy Scouts and fell in love with the camping/outdoor aspect
1980's camping weekends with friends at local county and state parks (Midwest is full of them) complete with all the beer we could drink
Early 1980s my firs Jeep CJ-7 and the romance of reading about the Turtle Expedition and dreams (unfulfilled) of the Rubicon Trail
Early 90s started a series of longer canoe trips in Canada's Quetico NP which taught me the value of good gear and how to manage with very little of it
Late 90s was the motorcycle era where I rode my 1992 Harley Davidson Low Rider up the Dalton Highway and back to Oklahoma as well as completed numerous Iron Butt Association rides
Early 00s -2015 were the kid rearing years involving 2 week trips to National Parks for camping
2015 reintroduction to Jeep with a JKU Rubicon that lead to our current "overlanding" which include months long trips to the US West as well as the Dempster HWY, the ALCAN, and upcoming trips
2020 out of an itch and to keep busy while working from home (my last year of work) we started our YouTube channel Dickin' Around Outdoors to review products, get cooking and document trips
2024 will be continue that trend with some good trips planned and the Grenadier on order to create a more bespoke (probably) overland vehicle.
Still minimalist carrying home dehydrated foods, no fridge, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: paul87250

rgallant

Rank III

Advocate I

808
British Columbia
First Name
Richard
Last Name
Gallant
Ham/GMRS Callsign
VE7REJ
Service Branch
RCAC (Reserve) 75-00
7 years old in the back of station-wagon, with my 4 siblings a dog, mom and dad. 100 or more miles from nowhere fishing for 3 or 4 days. It kinda of stuck with me and I have been wandering for nearly 60 years now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: paul87250

MOAK

Rank V
Launch Member

Off-Road Ranger I

2,865
Wherever we park it will be home !!
First Name
Donald
Last Name
Diehl
Member #

0745

Ham/GMRS Callsign
WRPN 506
Years and years of misery off road as a field technician.

"Hey, I can use this for camping".....

Right now I'm parked in a foot of snow, 50' from trains, watching a generator run, while my POS Ram Cummins 4x4 says "ding 5mph max speed in 90miles cause I'm junk".
F sakes, you can't re-gen them like the big trucks? Wow, thats screwed up and a reason I'll stick with gassers.