Rethinking many aspects of our Overlanding setup and goals.

[DRAX]

:o Yep, a 3 week delay is harsh but not surprising, but 2 or 3 months without camping? I couldn't do it.

View attachment 218950

Yeah, I can see being in Oregon that it would suck not being able to camp for that long. Here in Illinois the winters and terrain aren't exactly conducive to camping and we have to travel a little bit to get anywhere good, plus it gets super cold here, so honestly we're not missing out on too much camping here over the winter. I'd still like to be able to go somewhere if we wanted to, though. :)

 

[billum v2.0]

Here in Illinois the winters and terrain aren't exactly conducive to camping and we have to travel a little bit to get anywhere good..............

A few hundred miles further west, same dilemma. Can't say if the wait on the original delivery was worse or having it settin' in the shed, watchin' the snow fall this evening, waitin' for better weather.

Seems neither of us were graced with the virtue of patience.

 

[BlackDog1]

"tactical" just means taking a regular item and painting it black and then charging double for it.....

Its not tacti-cool until you add a molle panel and a picatinny then its tacti-cool. then maybe some extra pockets for accessories.

 

[Padams7]

Teenagers…. The digital/social media kids.

So how to get your daughter to enjoy the outdoors? Put another screen in her face!

I’m serious, a nice digital camera, and encourage her to start shooting landscapes and animals. Encourage her to open an Instagram for just those types of photos. Share it on other social media and when she begins getting the likes and hearts for those photos, it will make her feel good and she will look forward to taking more.

As far as the sleeping situation, my wife and I in the RTT, my teenage boys on the ground in their separate tent. (Gazelle T4). Gives some privacy. Sometimes my youngest boy will bring his own little tent to stay away from his brother.

 

[Etoimos]

We got our first build delay of 3 weeks earlier this month, so now the trailer is estimated to be built the last week of Feb. That both sucks and is fine, we weren't planning on getting the trailer until March or April anyway so it's still sooner than anticipated but also sucks because I'm going stir crazy. :) We sold off our unnecessary/redundant gear back in Aug/Sep to free up space and put some funds away before winter came so unless I want to sleep in the bed of my truck we're pretty much SOL for camping right now. I don't really "fit" in the bed of my truck anyway unless I lay diagonally.

Anyway... Only 2-3 more months, that's not too far away. Right?! :D

That stinks, but it is not that bad and as you said the timing is pretty decent. My OGT trailer sits in my barn pretty much all winter as well here in Colorado. All the good camping is up in the mountains and remote places get snowed in pretty early and don't open back up until some times June or July :(

 

[rgallant]

Let see late November early December massive flooding and road closures, followed by -12 to -15C temps. My Disco has been sitting for almost 2 months. And most of the major FSR's in the SW BC area are a mess or unpassable and may stay that way for sometime.

 

[DRAX]

I must say, it's pretty exciting to think that we should be getting our trailer in about 2 months. Maybe it's just me, but crossing over into the new year and it no longer being "next year" that we'll be getting the trailer makes it feel much sooner. haha

 

[MidOH]

Teenagers…. The digital/social media kids.

So how to get your daughter to enjoy the outdoors? Put another screen in her face!

I’m serious, a nice digital camera, and encourage her to start shooting landscapes and animals. Encourage her to open an Instagram for just those types of photos. Share it on other social media and when she begins getting the likes and hearts for those photos, it will make her feel good and she will look forward to taking more.

As far as the sleeping situation, my wife and I in the RTT, my teenage boys on the ground in their separate tent. (Gazelle T4). Gives some privacy. Sometimes my youngest boy will bring his own little tent to stay away from his brother.

That's what they did with Scuba diving. Some dive shops provide a camera now. Was a huge scam to get more people in the water.

At least 1/4 of divers are jumping in with huge camera rigs now. There's plenty to take pictures of, but they are missing the best parts of diving. I try to take in as much possible, and the camera limits that.

Overlanding though, this might be a perfect idea.

 

[DRAX]

Teenagers…. The digital/social media kids.

So how to get your daughter to enjoy the outdoors? Put another screen in her face!

I’m serious, a nice digital camera, and encourage her to start shooting landscapes and animals. Encourage her to open an Instagram for just those types of photos. Share it on other social media and when she begins getting the likes and hearts for those photos, it will make her feel good and she will look forward to taking more.

As far as the sleeping situation, my wife and I in the RTT, my teenage boys on the ground in their separate tent. (Gazelle T4). Gives some privacy. Sometimes my youngest boy will bring his own little tent to stay away from his brother.

The only problem with that is that phone/tablet cameras take such good pictures and make it so easy to share them that it's hard to convince them to use a dedicated camera. Honestly, our best solution to the issue is to just go places where there's no cell service so she's forced to put her phone down. :D Once she comes to terms that she's going to be out of cell range she's usually fine, but the larger issue is the addiction and withdrawal which are real whether she wants to admit it or not. Once she's been cut off for a couple of days she does recognize that she feels better and and admits she doesn't feel the need to be on social media all the time. The problem is she's not mature enough to actively make the decision to limit her time online or recognize when it's affecting her mental health but she's old enough to start making her own decisions as she'll be 18 in just over a year. Just flat-out limiting her time does nothing, she does have some behavioral/emotional/developmental issues and in order for anything like that to have an affect or for her to actively make the decision to limit her time she would have to realize and admit that it has a negative effect on her. Without going into too many details, it's not a matter of being spoiled as I'm sure some outsiders would think based on her behavior. She's been difficult since we adopted her at 18 months. Nurture will only overcome nature so much. But we love her anyway. :D

 

[Advtres]

The only problem with that is that phone/tablet cameras take such good pictures and make it so easy to share them that it's hard to convince them to use a dedicated camera. Honestly, our best solution to the issue is to just go places where there's no cell service so she's forced to put her phone down. :D Once she comes to terms that she's going to be out of cell range she's usually fine, but the larger issue is the addiction and withdrawal which are real whether she wants to admit it or not. Once she's been cut off for a couple of days she does recognize that she feels better and and admits she doesn't feel the need to be on social media all the time. The problem is she's not mature enough to actively make the decision to limit her time online or recognize when it's affecting her mental health but she's old enough to start making her own decisions as she'll be 18 in just over a year. Just flat-out limiting her time does nothing, she does have some behavioral/emotional/developmental issues and in order for anything like that to have an affect or for her to actively make the decision to limit her time she would have to realize and admit that it has a negative effect on her. Without going into too many details, it's not a matter of being spoiled as I'm sure some outsiders would think based on her behavior. She's been difficult since we adopted her at 18 months. Nurture will only overcome nature so much. But we love her anyway. :D

Thank you for sharing your experience and journey with your daughter. Your post echos not only teenagers but grown adults as well. My hubby is either on TikTok or Facebook, like ALOT. The best thing we can do is to get them off their islands into the great outdoors. Something about sunshine, open sky and a little exercise is good for the soul, even if they grumble and snarl at us a little . It is making these memory together that we talk about on the way home, carry over to the next adventure and through the years…

 

[RatAssassin]

I've been doing the outdoor thing a very long time. Decades.
Whether it's "Overloading"(car camping as it used to be called), backpacking, paddling, climbing, etc., it's an ever morphing and changing thing.

It's what keeps it amazing. The new technology, fabrics and super ultra lightweight gear in all those great locations and in all those glorious seasons. I gladly throw money at it and laugh down the trail. For some it's gambling. Others? Smokes and booze. For me? it's gear and gas to the trailhead.
That's the beautiful thing about America. You are inspired to take any hobby to the next level and then some. It's truly awesome.

So tweak those systems, use that gear. It's all going to change anyway, but you'll find new uses for what you already have or incorporate the new with the old. Scratch that gear up and get it dirty, but take care of it. That's why you bought it. It's made to be used. And while you're at it, put a few scratches and scars on yourself to help you remember your journeys and tell great stories to the people who only wish they could break away from the rat race and do what you do.

CHEERS!

 

[ZombieCat]

I've been doing the outdoor thing a very long time. Decades.
Whether it's "Overloading"(car camping as it used to be called), backpacking, paddling, climbing, etc., it's an ever morphing and changing thing.

It's what keeps it amazing. The new technology, fabrics and super ultra lightweight gear in all those great locations and in all those glorious seasons. I gladly throw money at it and laugh down the trail. For some it's gambling. Others? Smokes and booze. For me? it's gear and gas to the trailhead.
That's the beautiful thing about America. You are inspired to take any hobby to the next level and then some. It's truly awesome.

So tweak those systems, use that gear. It's all going to change anyway, but you'll find new uses for what you already have or incorporate the new with the old. Scratch that gear up and get it dirty, but take care of it. That's why you bought it. It's made to be used. And while you're at it, put a few scratches and scars on yourself to help you remember your journeys and tell great stories to the people who only wish they could break away from the rat race and do what you do.

CHEERS!

RatAssassin,
You’ve so eloquently stated why I roam our great country, both by vehicle and on foot.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous and leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you -- beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.”
(Ed Abbey)

 

[DRAX]

Things are getting real now, just got the final invoice email today and have 2 weeks to get them the money. Eek!

Starting to get pretty dang excited, though. Being self-contained with easy setup and the ability to go "anywhere" has me all antsy. For me, I think this will turn out to be the best of all words. I'd been missing the protection and easy setup of a travel trailer for a while, and being able to just pull into camp and be able to hop into bed is going to be amazing. :) No more climbing around like a monkey in the rain/dark/heat working on getting an RTT (or regular tent) put up or taken down. No more being tied to camp once deployed. Being able to camp in all seasons...I can't wait!

And since my employer has effectively said remote work/WFH is going to be permanent I can work from the road without worrying about someone complaining that I'm never in the office. :) Y'all have no idea how stir crazy I've been going not being able to get out and travel/camp since late summer.

 

[ZombieCat]

DRAX, that’s a great trailer and I think you’ll all enjoy it. It’s been interesting reading this thread because I wrestled with many of the same dilemmas. I still enjoy tent camping, but you’re subject to the discomforts of cold, heat, damp weather and nylon flapping loudly in the wind. RTT’s we’re my first choice. Since I’m out and about every day that I’m not traveling to a new location, I’d be forced to tear down/set up my “house” every single day. Ugh! A truck camper, van or conversion is cumbersome if you want to do a bit of off-road exploration. Same issue with tearing down every day. They cost more in fuel, too.
Like you, I settled on a teardrop. Yes, it has drawbacks - I have to think ahead when making campsite decisions, drive a little slower on the highway (no more leadfootin’ across the country) and it cost significantly more than my previous setups. But it didn’t take long for me to appreciate the comfortable bed, A/C in 90 degree heat, and popping the hatchback to a cute little kitchen. Mostly, though, it feels like a home. Not a temporary shelter, but an actual home. For me, that perception has made extended travel enjoyable and I’m looking forward to summer. I hope to see you on the road!

 

[DRAX]

DRAX, that’s a great trailer and I think you’ll all enjoy it. It’s been interesting reading this thread because I wrestled with many of the same dilemmas. I still enjoy tent camping, but you’re subject to the discomforts of cold, heat, damp weather and nylon flapping loudly in the wind. RTT’s we’re my first choice. Since I’m out and about every day that I’m not traveling to a new location, I’d be forced to tear down/set up my “house” every single day. Ugh! A truck camper, van or conversion is cumbersome if you want to do a bit of off-road exploration. Same issue with tearing down every day. They cost more in fuel, too.
Like you, I settled on a teardrop. Yes, it has drawbacks - I have to think ahead when making campsite decisions, drive a little slower on the highway (no more leadfootin’ across the country) and it cost significantly more than my previous setups. But it didn’t take long for me to appreciate the comfortable bed, A/C in 90 degree heat, and popping the hatchback to a cute little kitchen. Mostly, though, it feels like a home. Not a temporary shelter, but an actual home. For me, that perception has made extended travel enjoyable and I’m looking forward to summer. I hope to see you on the road!

Thanks! Indeed, everything is a compromise and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to zero in on a setup that should work the best for someone. This trailer is the biggest purchase we've made for something we've never seen in person, only going on what we've heard from other owners, watching videos, etc. Every once in a while a new video for a different off-road trailer will pop up on YouTube and my wife and I will watch it. Even with trailers costing a lot more than this one we both still agree that this Pando is still the best setup for what we want and there are some pretty amazing trailers out there.

I also think this trailer is actually a bit larger than we pictured in our heads after watching videos and looking at pics, because I've seen them in pictures hooked up to tow vehicles and they're not exactly tiny. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think this is likely to be the largest trailer that I'd want for where we plan on going. The smaller ones don't have the storage or layout we want and the larger ones (tandem axle) are just way too big, heavy, expensive, and difficult to maneuver on the trail.

We've seen these trailers taken on trails I wouldn't attempt with my truck (There was a ZR2 towing one, but that is shorter and more capable than my Canyon) and that was one thing that sold us. I didn't want the trailer's capabilities to be what limited where we went, so space willing this trailer will go wherever I'm comfortable taking my truck.

Exciting times ahead!