overland

***New Member Introductions***

dschmenk-7693 said:
Hello everyone. I'm Dave, along with my wife Cathy and our two old dogs, Storm (15) and Astro (13), we like to get to ghost towns and historical sites around the West from our home base at Lake Tahoe. We actually just did the Lost Coast Trail this past week using the nicely curated trail guide here. Had Usal Beach practically to ourselves, but met a nice couple (Hi Jim and Amy) who are also members here from Canada in their Bean teardrop. Our rig may be a bit over the top, but creature comforts are a requirement to keep the wife and dogs happy. Glamour shot from the south end of Saddle Mountain Rd (which just got some nice maintenance):
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It’s rare to have Usal to yourselves. I also have a “different” rig from the usual 4 runner or Jeep found on OTG.
Nothing wrong with them, but I like more creature comforts also.
 

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Hey everyone! Sam Taylor here with my wife Danyell from Gilroy, CA just south of San Jose. Army vet and father of four beautiful daughters looking to get back out into the outdoors. I drive a Toyota Tacoma. Looking forward to getting involved here. Cheers!
 

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dschmenk-7693 said:
Hello everyone. I'm Dave, along with my wife Cathy and our two old dogs, Storm (15) and Astro (13), we like to get to ghost towns and historical sites around the West from our home base at Lake Tahoe. We actually just did the Lost Coast Trail this past week using the nicely curated trail guide here. Had Usal Beach practically to ourselves, but met a nice couple (Hi Jim and Amy) who are also members here from Canada in their Bean teardrop. Our rig may be a bit over the top, but creature comforts are a requirement to keep the wife and dogs happy. Glamour shot from the south end of Saddle Mountain Rd (which just got some nice maintenance):
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I dont think its over the top, looks amazing! Any pics of the inside?
 
kenveltk-177 said:
Hello all,

I'm Ken from Cheyenne, WY. Driving a 2023 4Runner, lifted on 34"s, armored, and usually towing a homebuilt squaredrop. I enjoy the Medicine Bow NF, areas in the Rockies of Northern Colorado, and am looking forward to seeing more in WY, like the Tetons and Bighorns.

This picture was taken at Taylor Park Reservoir in Colorado.

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Nice Squaredrop, id love to see the inside!
 
Hello! Just getting into the world of Overlanding, currently have a 2020 Nissan Frontier, with plans to get a Jeep as well. Living in Florida, once I have the truck built out I plan on doing a Florida to the Smokey Mountains route and doing some exploring up there
 
Hello. New to this forum and to OTG and to overlanding. Bought a 2017 4Runner ORP a couple months back which came with all the essential off-road parts installed (suspension, tires, 3" lift, front and rear bumper, spare tires, etc. etc.). I added a bunch of comfort features like the Set Power fridge, a power station with a DC-DC charger and a RTT.

We are in the Bay Area, CA. Ready to start exploring but a bit nervous. We are overwhlemed by the amount info out there. Our biggest fear is getting stuck somewhere and not finding a place to camp. Thankfully it seems like the OTG routes are a good starting point. Would the Redwood Coast Route be okay for a first timer?

Anyhow, very happy and excited to be here.
 

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vaibhavd-3654 said:
Hello. New to this forum and to OTG and to overlanding. Bought a 2017 4Runner ORP a couple months back which came with all the essential off-road parts installed (suspension, tires, 3" lift, front and rear bumper, spare tires, etc. etc.). I added a bunch of comfort features like the Set Power fridge, a power station with a DC-DC charger and a RTT.

We are in the Bay Area, CA. Ready to start exploring but a bit nervous. We are overwhlemed by the amount info out there. Our biggest fear is getting stuck somewhere and not finding a place to camp. Thankfully it seems like the OTG routes are a good starting point. Would the Redwood Coast Route be okay for a first timer?

Anyhow, very happy and excited to be here.
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Welcome, @vaibhavd-3654 . Love the Runner!

Let me know if you'd ever like to go hit some simple trails in the Mendo or Indian Valley Reservoir area.

I haven't done the Redwood Coast AR recently, but pretty sure you'll have no problems in your rig. I guided a group through the Mendocino BCDR a few weeks back and it's all open and easily doable in your 4Runner. Plus, there's tons of camping options.
 
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Rock Hopper said:
Welcome, @vaibhavd-3654 . Love the Runner!

Let me know if you'd ever like to go hit some simple trails in the Mendo or Indian Valley Reservoir area.

I haven't done the Redwood Coast AR recently, but pretty sure you'll have no problems in your rig. I guided a group through the Mendocino BCDR a few weeks back and it's all open and easily doable in your 4Runner. Plus, there's tons of camping options.
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Thank you Rock. We'd love to join on the trails. I took the truck to Hollister over the weekend and was surprised to learn how capable it was. Almost had it toppled in a rut and it wasn't a great feeling. The more experienced member of the group guided us out. Lucky escape :)


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Greetings everyone,
My name is Gus and was told about this site by Greg (@Gvb40). I am originally from Noth San Diego County but reside in Colima Mexico for the last few decades.
I drive a 2019 VW Amarok 4x4 diesel pickup. It's slightly lifted (2 in.) on 33s. I have a Alucab canopy camper on the back.
I've been offroading/camping since I was 16 (69 now). At the start it was all surf related,looking for surf in Mexico and central America.
Now it's more exploring and beach fishing.
I recently did the COBDR and have done many more bdrs. I did the Continental divide trail with Gvb40,the çopper canyon a few times and ferry over to the Baja once a year.
I'm looking forward to doing a few OTG trails in the future!
Saludos a todos!
Gus

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Hello I'm Michele and We live in Indiana the southern part of the state. My husband Billy and I have Jeeps. We don't have any favorites places yet ,cause we really just started with this over landing. Thou he is very partial to Red River Gorge area . We love exploring and try to take as many road trips we can and we off road. We both have been camping since we was teens. The trips that are planned the THOR and KAT at this time and we have been debating RTT or Overland campers. We have 5 children 1 Boy and 4 girls with a bonus Daughter and 9 Grandchildren
 

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Hello from NorCal! I just joined here to try and put together some info on a trip my family and I will be taking next summer, as well as potentially joining a few events. In June I plan to take my wife and daughter from South Tahoe down 395 to Alabama Hills, then back up a bit and over to Yosemite (my wife's idea - glamping in a cabin). However, before then, I'd like to hit some great out of the way places down 395. I'm thinking of these:
  1. Kavanaugh Ridge
  2. Leavitt Lake
  3. Travertine Hot Springs
  4. Bodhi Ghost Town
  5. Schatt's Bakery (of course!)
  6. Gem Lakes (are they accessible by Jeep?)
  7. The Buttermilks
  8. Papoose Flat (can I get there from the North side rather than going up from the south side canyon road?)
  9. Whitney Portal Campground
  10. Laurel Lakes
  11. Convict Lake
  12. June Lake Loop
  13. Rock Creek Lake
Anything I should stay away from? I have a more than capable rig (JLU w/lift). But my wife hates rock crawling, and I hate people 😅 so I'd like to go off the beaten path a bit when I can.

Looking forward to any input and meeting some of you during events!
 
Hey @brian.te-9193 ,

Welcome to OTG! I think you'll find that people are a little friendlier and more helpful than some of the FB groups that we're both a part of! I would recommend posting your proposed itinerary to the Trip Planning section. We've got a lot of folks who love exploring the entire Eastern Sierra region, so I'm sure you'll get folks chiming in, and perhaps sharing a few hidden gems as well.
 
Hello, my name is Melissa and I live in Washington state on the Olympic peninsula with my two dogs and two cats. I recently acquired a 2002 GMC Safari van, AWD converted to 4WD that I’ve named Edelweiss. She has all-terrain tires and air shocks, along with some campervan goodies, and is apparently intended as an off-roading rig. I’m interested in learning about overlanding, mainly so I can go camping in lonely places. Hello!
 

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@melissa.-7929

Hi Melissa, and welcome to the forum. I think you'll find OTG to be a great resource. Below you'll find my take on things you should consider, as an introduction to off-roading in "lonely" places.

Your vehicle performs best when not overloaded, so keep the weight of your gear to a minimum.
Travel in a group if possible, or at least until you feel confident in your skills.
Be prepared for emergencies. This should include a jack, full size spare tire, first aid kit, and some sort of satellite communication.
Be prepared for navigating without cell service. Your GPS app of choice should support GPX file imports and offline maps.
Always carry basic recovery gear in case you get stuck. An absolute minimum would be two aluminum hitch receivers designed for soft shackles, two 5/8 hitch pins, two 7/16 soft shackles, and a 20-30 ft tow strap. MOJAB can do this for under $150 if you purchase everything as a (build your own) recovery kit.
If you want to get into remote places, consider adding 2 in of suspension lift front and rear.
Maintain your vehicle like your life depended on it.
Never push yourself beyond your limits. Know when it's time to turn around.

Have fun out there! Ask questions in the trip planning section of this forum if you need advice regarding specific destinations.
Joe
 
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melissa.-7929 said:
Hello, my name is Melissa and I live in Washington state on the Olympic peninsula with my two dogs and two cats. I recently acquired a 2002 GMC Safari van, AWD converted to 4WD that I’ve named Edelweiss. She has all-terrain tires and air shocks, along with some campervan goodies, and is apparently intended as an off-roading rig. I’m interested in learning about overlanding, mainly so I can go camping in lonely places. Hello!
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Welcome
 
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