Outskirts Overland Podcast
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Outskirts Overland Podcast
Its been a minute - Life got in the way
What if navigating life as a single dad could actually enhance your overlanding adventures? This episode of Outskirts Overland is all about my personal journey reconnecting with the community after a brief hiatus. From celebrating family milestones to dealing with health matters, it's been a season of growth and reflection. I share my excitement about upcoming events like the Big Iron Overland Rally and Rendezvous in the Ozarks, and how these gatherings are more about camaraderie than off-roading thrills. Plus, I've got some heartfelt updates about spending quality time with my kids and gearing up for some exhilarating winter camping trips with friends.
Eager to know what makes a truck truly adventure-ready? My rig is about 80% complete, and I can’t wait to showcase it at the Big Iron event. Whether you're interested in custom mods or the latest gear, this episode has you covered. I’ll give you the lowdown on my recent positive interactions with companies and why supporting American-made products is crucial, especially as a veteran. Don't miss out on the custom sticker giveaway—100 stickers will be up for grabs, right on my truck's tailgate. I also open up about a significant shift in my military career and its profound impact on my life, making this episode a mix of personal and practical insights.
As the colder months approach, how do you ensure your gear is always in top shape? I break down my seasonal preparation strategies, from diesel heaters to my favorite outdoor brands like Mountain Hardwear and NEMO. Learn how I stay packed for each season, ensuring my truck is always ready for any adventure. I'll also share tips on organizing your gear, maintaining electronics, and the importance of redundancy. Plus, stay tuned for an exciting discussion on battery-powered tools for overlanding and how to manage winter power needs effectively. Join me in celebrating the relaxed vibe of the Big Iron event and let's cheer on the Bears as they take on the Texans!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Outskirts Overland. It's been a while, guys. I'm back, but it has been a minute. I got a lot was going on, but before I get into all of that, I'm going to go through the housekeeping stuff Right now. Currently it is the end of Overland of America event in Oklahoma, but the next event on the calendar coming up is Big Iron Overland Rally. My background is Big Brutus. Currently it is Big Iron Overland Rally and that is September 27th in West Mineral Kansas, then two weeks after that is Rendezvous in the Ozarks, 27th in West Mineral Kansas, then two weeks after that is Rendezvous in the Ozarks.
Speaker 1:So if you guys are interested to get into some events, kind of in the early you know, late summer, early fall time, those are great events. If you guys are looking to get into going on your own trips, traveling and navigating your own trips, I use Onyx Offroad. Lucky enough for me, they also have a discount code that'll save you 20%. It is GLOBALOVERLAND236. Also, along with going out on your own trips and getting off the grid, weboost also has graciously decided to work with a podcast and you can use the code OUTSKIRTS5 to get a discount at WeBoost too, if your emergency contingency plan has something to do with making sure you can maintain some service to contact family members or emergency services, that's definitely something I would recommend looking into. I'd also like to say thanks to Toyota Trucks of Arkansas, as I have a lot of friends over there. That's a Facebook group full of um off-road Toyota enthusiasts, um in the Midwest, and they do a lot of really good things and I'm very happy to uh just to be friends with those guys. So if you're, if you're the type of person that uh likes to preserve our public lands and likes Toyotas and likes getting off road and likes helping the community and you live in the Midwest, toyota trucks of Arkansas is a great place for you, um, and and then some other partners you know, ken, to tires, kmc wheels Uh, they very awesome to me. Rough country um has it's been great as well. So just just some people to look out for. If you guys are looking to uh, if you're just looking at products, their brands of stuff that I use and stuff I like, um, so anyways, housekeeping out of the way, um, it's been a while. Yeah, boondock Everlock just said it's been a while.
Speaker 1:I'm going to address that too, like I didn't take a break from the podcast because I needed a break from the podcast. I kind of just I mean, life had a lot of life stuff come up, not bad stuff, good stuff. Just it kind of made me incapable of doing the podcast A the way. I want to do it candidly, like my kids would have been around and I was kind of laid up, which I'll talk about, but like it just wasn't. I wasn't comfortable in the atmosphere I had at my house to be putting a podcast out for you guys. So that all has cleared up as of, you know, I'm finally getting around okay this morning. So I was like man, I'm gonna put one out. It's a Sunday, but I'm gonna put one out. I'll probably do another one this week too, while I try to get back in the swing of things. Just because I can and I feel so bad I haven't been doing it for you guys and myself, like I kind of agreed to do this for myself.
Speaker 1:So anyways, last podcast I did, I discussed how it was my daughter's birthday. The next day was my birthday. September 5th is my middle daughter's birthday, september 6th is my son's birthday, september 12th is my niece's birthday and September 13th is my sister's birthday, so I've been birthday nuts. 14th is my sister's birthday, so I've been birthday nuts and I don't talk about it much, but just as things happen. I am a single dad. My children have mothers though, so I work a custody schedule and it just so happened I have had my kids every weekend, but this weekend for the last four or so. So I've had my kids for a month, which is great, and I love having them and I wouldn't change that for anything. To spend all their birthdays with them, first days of school with them, all those things is great. It just hasn't. I've been celebrating birthdays and getting ready for school and doing all those things with my kids and my birthday is in there too and and just been a lot.
Speaker 1:I uh, I treated myself to a uh. After, you know, all three of my kids had birthdays in two weeks. I treated myself to a no more kids procedure. So I've been recovering from that. So that's what this week's been. I've been recovering from that and it's not terrible but's been. I've been recovering from that and it's not terrible, but I haven't been comfortable enough sitting down to want to do a podcast, so I just kind of lumped everything together my truck with my truck, going down kids' birthdays.
Speaker 1:I got that procedure done and, you know, so that I could go into the season of big iron rendezvous, polar bear camping club, I hope, um, just getting out with my friends in the winter I really like winter camping, predominantly like winter camping. So I was like I just gotta get all this stuff done. And now, you know, now is kind of the time to focus on just getting ahead, um, you know, so that I can spend the winter and spring, and you know out, so sometimes you got to do that I don't live on the road, unfortunately, um, or I wouldn't have to catch up on so much house stuff, logistical stuff, but that's what I've been doing. So it's just literally been. I've had my kids and then I had, um, you know, sterilizing myself surgery, so, which is good, that's all good things. I mean it, just it just there's just recovery associated with it and things you got to do. So anyways, back to back to life here.
Speaker 1:I mentioned in the last podcast and I think I did it extremely late I was working on my truck. I mentioned in the last podcast, and I think I did it extremely late, I was working on my truck. Man, my truck is. I said my truck was about 80% done. My truck's still probably about 80% done. I'm still waiting on a few things. Like I said in the last one, man, it's so different though my truck is ridiculously different.
Speaker 1:Hopefully you guys come out to Big Iron. Also, stickers I told you guys come out to big iron. Also, stickers I told you guys that I have stickers. Here's a sticker. I got a hundred stickers made. I think probably 15 of them are spoken for already, just with my friends and family. But I'll have these stickers. They'll be free. They'll be on the tailgate of my truck at big iron. If I have any left, I'll be giving them out at rendezvous when I'm there on Saturday too. I don't, I don't foresee me having any left. Um, they're Matt. They're nice.
Speaker 1:I spent money so you guys could advertise me with a decent sticker, like it's a good decal. Um, so if you guys are coming to big iron to meet me, I'll be somewhere near Benji and newfound overland, um, and these will just be on the bed of my truck or on a table or something. Come by, talk to me. Um, I'll probably be somewhere near them in my truck, but, uh, there'll be there to give away their free. They're nothing. Uh, you know, your time's worth something to me and you guys listen to me. So if you're around, I appreciate you guys, take a sticker. Um, no big deal there. Um, I appreciate you guys, take a sticker. No big deal there. I already have you on the friends and family saved list, sir. So there's definitely you're good. So you know, come on by see me, talk to me, chit chat.
Speaker 1:My truck's going to have a few things on it that you guys might want to look at. Um, there is I. I I've never been part of a a SEMA truck build and for those of you and for those of you that understand what that even means, like a SEMA truck build, it's where, like, a lot of companies come together and help somebody build a truck for a show with, like new stuff that's coming out or they're developing or and stuff like that. I have never been part of that, nor is my truck that, but I kind of feel like it is. I got so much stuff on there and I'll talk about it all with you guys. I just, you know, worked with these companies and told them that I would, you know, until I'm at Big Iron.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna do like I just sitting here. I mean, everybody else has seen it and it's it's. A lot of people think it's really cool. So it's a lot different, though it's a lot different. The truck's the same color, you know, whatever, whatever, but it will kinda, I mean, I guess hint number one, one kind of the same color, some. I mean it's different. So a lot of stuff about my truck change. So I'll be revealing all that, you know, two weeks from now.
Speaker 1:I'll talk a whole lot about that in the process and what changed and why it changed and how it changed and how stuff's working and what I think about it and a lot of things, a lot. There's a freaking lot of new stuff and I've worked with some companies directly and then some businesses directly that are distributors for companies. I guess I would say, and I have a lot to say about all those folks and I have not yet to have a bad experience with anybody. So I am very proud to say everything that I worked with and is on my truck now is made in the USA or somewhat locally, a lot of it. So everything I added it was made in the USA and I've actually spoken to people from the company personally, like face not face to face in person, but like I'm talking to you guys face to face if you're watching the stream. So that man and that matters a lot. I, I mean, and that's just something else. As I think about that, I was like you know, I'm a veteran and I was going to say that I'm a veteran, but that's something that changed.
Speaker 1:In the last month too, I had a substantial shift, um, in my life as far as you know kind of my military career was. Is um concerned that that actually changed the? I mean, that changed my life forever. So something I've been working on for a very long time came through, you know, a few couple weeks ago. So that's really cool too.
Speaker 1:It's just been very busy personally, um, and I haven't felt like I was in a place to just I didn't want to just put out crap to you guys. So, nonetheless, but I've worked with all these companies. They're all super cool and great and like yeah, it's just cool. And I haven't gotten the vibe from anybody that that what I'm doing has much to do with the podcast. Really, I'm by no means getting everything for free or doing some, but like there I feel like I'm getting extra attention, um, but I don't feel like I'm getting it because of this podcast and I love the podcast. So, and it has, it has helped me with some things. I mean I do get inbox emails from companies and people wanting to collaborate with me to their gain. Nothing I got going on is that um at all. So just cool people.
Speaker 1:I, you know, and, again, like as a veteran, I like that stuff's made in America, that that matters to me, you know, I like to know that there's if and even if it's a veteran-owned company, that's. I don't put that above anybody else, but I like to see that stuff. So, anyways, trucks changed a lot like a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, very, very, very different, very, very different man, that's going to be a lot to cover and I'm going to. I think I and I don't remember what I've said before, but I'm going to I'm going to contradict some things I said before. Based on the truck, what it is now versus what it was, and the reason it was, the way it was before versus now. I think I covered.
Speaker 1:I have a daily driver now, so my truck is, I mean, it's nothing, it's, it's a toy. It's a sits in the shop. Like I said, I haven't put any miles on it since last time we talked, on the 23rd of August. Zero drove in it, driven it, zero miles. Uh, it's in the shop right now. My dad's doing something to it and I was somewhat concerned it was going to start even. It's just been sitting for almost a month, but it did and it's fine, so all is well there. I took it to the gas station once, which, for reference, is a mile and a half from my house. I guess I put a mile and a half on it in 25 days. So, yeah, it just sits.
Speaker 1:That changes a lot of things about what you and this is something I wouldn't have known until now but that changes how you're building yourself. If it's what you drive every day or it's not, definitely changes how you're going to do things. At least in my mind it did and it changed. There's some things that I would have loved to done that I can do now because I have a whole nother car to get my family around. So that's awesome, uh, and been fantastic, like just the best thing ever, like for me. But anyways, talking, I just wanted to get on today and talk about. Like I've been doing a lot of research and I do this all the time, but I find the podcasts where I just talk, you guys like, you guys eat it up, like when I just chit chat about, like, my thought processes, what I'm thinking about. Um, I brought it up a couple of podcasts ago. I'm going to bring it up every podcast until the time comes.
Speaker 1:Get out in your garage, fire up your diesel heater. Make sure everything's working. It's going to get cold and you want to make sure it works before you want it, before you need it. So keep running your diesel heaters. Put diesel treatment in the gas If they got gas in them. Check the fuel filters, all those things. Clean out the intakes. Make sure your diesel heaters are running people, because you're going to want them to run and they're going to fail you. And it's not the diesel heater's fault. If you've let this cheap $200, $100 diesel heater sit in your garage for the last year. You're the problem. A diesel heater is not the problem. So fire your diesel heaters up, get them going. Be thinking about winter. It's around the freaking corner. So make sure you're checking your sleeping bags. Make sure you're checking your sleeping bags, washing stuff getting it ready, because the time and season of wet and cold is right around the corner.
Speaker 1:We had a 40 degree morning here where I live in missouri the week, so we haven't had one since I'm. It's not a regularity, but 40 is. Is diesel heaters getting out in 40 for me now that I have one? But I've been running it every week Like it's a you know, like it's a dirt bike in the winter kind of thing. Like if I want it to work I got to keep running it to make sure it's going.
Speaker 1:And Boondock Haverlock just said he just ran his this afternoon. He and boondock haverlock just said he just ran his this afternoon. He said he figured out how to run it off the blue eddy. Yeah, the blue eddy will run it, mine runs mine's, I run mine on a blue eddy, a littler one, but that yeah. So I just ran mine the other day too, like just, and I let it run for I don't know a couple hours, few hours. I let it run through just because if something was starting to gel I wanted it to get through.
Speaker 1:But I also put the diesel 911 in there as well and all my diesel for that thing, just because it's such a cheap diesel heater, but I find it to be such a like. It is a real game changer and, although I could do it without it, the diesel heater not even providing heat, just getting the moisture out of the air in the mornings in the tent and stuff, is just. I mean that just the moisture control itself makes the diesel heater completely worth it to me and almost like I'll never go back it, you know. So I just want to make sure. I just had to make sure it would. It would rock. So it was no big deal, oh, but yeah, so that first things first.
Speaker 1:Make sure you're doing that, because that's something I've been doing regularly while I haven't been speaking to you guys, but winter's coming, coming. So I've been, you know, I've been pulling my, my setup out and this is going to be it's going to be tough to explain, you know, to you guys, but because my setup's changed so much. But I've been pulling my setup out, kind of inventorying stuff, making sure I'm ready for, you know, the wet, the cold, having that spare stuff, because in the summer, you know, you don't have to make sure you've got spare rain gear, spare blankets, spare, you know, coats and all these different things. And I have said before and this is something that's a hot topic too like how do you pack? I stay packed. So, like right now, winter's not here yet, but winter's going to be here before I know it.
Speaker 1:And given that statement exactly, I want to make sure my truck's packed for winter so when it is here, there's no stress of forgetting something. I've already spent the last two, three, four weeks, you know, evenings or weekends, couple nights, going through it to make sure I'm prepared for that season, and I do that every season, long before it gets here. I do the same thing in the summer, when it's coming to be summer, and I take some of the winter stuff out Like I'm not rolling around all summer with my diesel heater in my truck or a bunch of extra blankets and hand warmers and beanies and shoes and socks and a little bit of it, but less of it. In the summer I'm more worried about having extra batteries for fans and different things like that. So lots of power in the summer, because the fridge doesn't work as well when it's hot, or well, it works as well. It eats more power when it's hot. So it's just different stuff for different seasons, depending on the weather, um.
Speaker 1:So I've been refining that big things I've been thinking about is of course diesel heater rain gear out is of course diesel heater rain gear. You know, shoes, socks, pants. You know I like to have those things. Like I, I have camping stuff and just like I have a sleeping bag that's for camping, I have outfits and shoes. Like I have stuff that's for camping. It doesn't get worn to work, or I don't wear it to work or out, or it's it's it's camping stuff. So it gets used camping or it doesn't get used. And the only reason I do it that way is I, in my mind, think it's going to preserve the longevity of some of this really expensive technical outdoor gear. I don't want to wear my expensive rain jacket all the time when it's raining to walk from the parking lot into work and for some reason, you know, whatever it the, it deteriorates faster because of it. Do I know if that's the case or not? No, but that's my thought. So my camping gear is my camping gear. I have stuff for camping and that's not everyday stuff. It's my camping stuff and it's for camping. Um, and it stays in around the truck unless it's getting washed or cleaned and then it goes back. So but I've been thinking about a lot of the, a lot of just the camping gear that's going to be needed for the season coming up.
Speaker 1:I got a new sleeping bag and a Hest pillow. Hest pillow was a big thing. I was like man, if I ever get rich, I'm getting a Hest pillow. I'm not rich, but I got a Hest pillow. I'll let you guys know I'm pretty excited about it. I don't have it yet it's not gotten here yet, but I'm excited about it. I got a new sleeping bag because the nice guy I am, I go alone most of the time and I had a double sleeping bag and I still need a double sleeping bag. So I gave it to somebody Nice guy I am, anyways. So I got a new single sleeping bag. I'll let you guys know what it is. I'm not even going to look at my email right now, but it's a 15 degree sleeping bag.
Speaker 1:That mountain hardware brand that said it was good for people that roll around in their sleep. That's me. So I got that, um again from REI. I talk about REI all the time. Dude, rei. Sales are crazy on REI guys. I wish I would have got on here with Labor Day because, man, there was some freaking Labor Day sales. Hopefully you guys got a hold of some of those. I did not get my sleeping bag on one of them, but I did get a sale. It was like a brand sale sale. It was like a brand sale For mountain hardware. I'm a pretty big mountain hardware fan, msr fan, outdoor research fan, nemo, outdoor equipment fan. Those are all universally good brands in my book.
Speaker 1:When you're looking at anything like a sleeping bag, I also get sleeping bags Because I am always in the tent, right, like always. But I do backpack and hike and stuff and if I ever gotten a, uh, it's dual purpose. My sleeping bag is a light backpacking bag. Um, cause you know, I just multi-use. I I don't, I don't do overnights um backpacking anymore, hiking, but I like the idea that if I did decide to, I have done it before. I have a pack, I have poles, I have sleeping pads, I have all this stuff. You know that would be needed to do that, that I wouldn't have to buy a different freaking sleeping bag to go do it. So I did it. That that was accounted for for sure.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, sleeping bag something, because right now I'm not worried about sleeping bag. Heck, it's 90 degrees. I'm more worried about a fan. I'm more worried about staying cool. I'm more worried about shade. You know all of these things. I'm way more worried about those things than staying cool or, excuse me, staying hot. You know, I got bug sprays on my big. On my list right now. You have ticks, bugs, all of the above. It's big right now, still big, but it'll flip quick and it'll be freezing before you know it and raining and just different type of type two fun.
Speaker 1:So that's what I've been doing, really outside of building the truck, or not even really building it. I'm re-outfitting the truck. Nothing, it's a lot different, but it's not like I. My truck doesn't have a flatbed or something Like. It's not nothing like like drastic, looks way different, is way different. Nothing too complicated though. So I've been doing that I did, but I gotta just shut up. I'll talk about another time, another time. But yeah, so I just been going through making sure I'm refining all that stuff, making sure it's ready to go. It's all in, waterproof you, all my electronics are. I'm paying a lot more attention to like my electronics being in waterproof places so they don't get ruined.
Speaker 1:Checking all my fuels. This is something that I, this is something that I do. And this is one of those things where I think my friends would be like if you were an onlooker, you'd be like Charlie does this, I wouldn't have thought about it, but I carry extra fuel like crazy. My friends would be like if you were an onlooker, you'd be like Charlie does this, I wouldn't have thought about it, but I carry extra fuel like crazy. Uh, if, when I say fuel, I mean like camp fuel, whether it's propane or anything, I do the same thing with fire starters. Like I like to make sure that I'm not ever running low, ever so. Like, for instance, if I've got my 10 pound propane tank with me, I've got it and two one pound propane tanks just cause, just cause. So I've recently went through, and that's usually about every six months. Or if I'm down to the last one, like I always have two propane tanks, I always try to leave, if I'm leaving for a trip with the 10 pound full and I just get it filled up. Now, you know, if I run out, if I, if I ran out of the full 10 pounds, that's what I'm using the one pounds. But if I don't have two one pounds, I'm going to get two or one or whatever. I do the same with my jet boil. Like extreme redundancy. With the Jetboil I always have three of those and I'm using one, but I have two extras. I do the same thing with fire starters and I mean I talked about on this last podcast this pull start fire starter thing that I used dude sick, it's like so good. But I have two of those with me and I have four strands of Blackbeard fire starter too. I have waterproof matches. I just go through an inventory stuff on a regular basis when I have a downtime like this.
Speaker 1:I've been down since July 4th from camping. I wrecked my truck, my truck got redone. Now my truck got fixed, like the body of it, the paint of it, the doors, the bedside, the tailgate, like the stuff got fixed. But I got all this other new stuff. But I've been down since July 4th. So I mean two months, two months, I mean two, more than two months.
Speaker 1:I haven't done anything. So I've just been going through and making sure. You know, testing, you know what. Where's my fuel at cleaning stuff, checking to see if anything's rusted. You know what. Where's my fuel at cleaning stuff, checking to see if anything's rusted. You know, since it's been such dewy, it's been so dewy like going through checking my silverware, checking my multi-tool, changing batteries and stuff that has batteries, charging stuff that needs charged. You're just doing all that stuff like making sure I'm just ready to go, so when it's time to go I don't have to do all those things Like. I definitely prioritize my time. There's always time for me, no matter if I'm camping or not camping, and I'm spending time making sure. You know I'm I'm always kind of kind of making sure I got enough my stuff's ready to go, so that when it's time to go I'm not trying to. You know, hail Mary, remember everything.
Speaker 1:You know I went through and got quart freezer bags and gallon freezer bags and I put those in my truck. I had a few left. I took whatever was left from last year. Those usually last me a year a full thing of Ziploc freezer gallons and freezer quarts. I don't like to use Tupperware so I just put leftovers in those things, cause then I can just dump them back in a pan, cause that's what I cook with. But I had a few left from last year. I brought those in the house to use with kids lunches and different stuff in the house and got two new, two new bags of those are, two new boxes of those. Put them out there.
Speaker 1:Um, since going with Johnny last time we with Johnny last time we made pizza in the what's the thing? Dutch oven. So I've added parchment paper to my inside food stuff. So I got a roll of parchment paper and put it in the truck as well with a roll of tinfoil. So I got parchment paper and put it in the truck as well with a roll of tinfoil. So I got two things those freezer bags, rolled parchment paper, roll of tinfoil. Those are things that people might not be thinking about, but they have the tinfoil itself. I mean I've been in situations where I've lost plates and I've I mean I've heated stuff up on tinfoil, um, I, so I always keep those things just cause um, and added parchment paper to the list just because we used it to make that pizza and I could easily take the ingredients for that pizza, like every single solitary time. But without parchment paper that doesn't happen. You will never get the pizza out of that, out of that uh, dutch oven. So parchment paper got added to the list. Not a big deal, um, but it's in there. That's what I've been doing lately Just making sure all that stuff since situated, making sure I got all the shower wipes are stocked up and if they're not stocked up, since it's a downtime, order them.
Speaker 1:I can wait. I'm not going out tomorrow. I'm not in this, I'm not in this time crunch madness where I'm like I gotta figure it out now, where's it in stock? I gotta go like that's. The thing I hate the most sometimes is when people in my way is you know, I'm not going to be like this all the time. My way is the best way. Do it when you don't care, get ready when you don't care because by the time you're ready to go and you're going chaos mode to get ready the day before or whatever, you're going to forget something. It kind of takes the whole. It kind of changes the whole vibe for me from relaxation being the focus to like stress being the necessary, the necessity, the necessity, stress being the necessity to go relax. That is. I am not trying to be doing that, I'm trying to be chilling, chilling.
Speaker 1:Another thing I did. You know, if you have downtime or you haven't went in a while, every week it's been. We have lots of temperature fluctuations here. Like I mentioned, it's 90 right now. It'll be 50s in the evening. Once a week I open my tent up and let it air out.
Speaker 1:Last thing you want is mold or mildew in your tent. My tent is a 23-0 wedge-style aluminum tent. It's freaking super nice. It hasn't had much condensation just right around the seals, not even on the tent. But I have had other tents and stuff happens. So make sure you open up your tents, airing them out, especially when you're not going. When you're going they're getting opened up. So when you're not going, make sure you're opening up, just to make sure they're.
Speaker 1:Ugh, I'd hate to be Mulder Mildew sleeping in. Ugh, that gross. Anyways, if that becomes a thing I'd mentioned it before I how you clean your tent If those things happen. I've been there, so you're not like a bad person. I've been there. I got I could do a podcast or a video on how to clean your tent of those things and move on with your life. It's not a throwaway situation, especially when you're talking to a rooftop tent those things and move on with your life. It's not a throwaway situation, especially when you're talking to a rooftop tent. The same knows our trail tent like this $2,000 tent. Like throwing ain't no way throwing nothing away. So there's ways to get around it, but I would not want to be sleeping in it that way at all.
Speaker 1:Check your mattresses. My mattress was a little wet. Actually, I got an anti-condensation mat under my mattress in my rooftop tent, but I just felt a little moist. Maybe it's because it was cold. You know, if you guys, maybe you don't, maybe this is a Charlie specific thing, but, like, as I touched the mattress it wasn't like wet or anything. But I don't, I couldn't tell if it was because it was a little chilled or if it was a little wet thing. But I don't, I couldn't tell if it was because it was a little chilled or if it was a little wet. Regardless, I took it out, hung it up on like I don't know, like wood clamps in my garage and let it dry for a day and put it back, and it's not been an issue. I took the anti-condensation mat out and wiped all the aluminum too, because aluminum is going to sweat. I mean, it's just the way it is.
Speaker 1:It's's a lightweight tent so it doesn't have as much insulation as others. It's a kabari light, so it's the lightest. Kabari 23-0 makes. Um, so that comes with some, comes with some structural like. It's just, the focus is to be thin and light, not to be uberly insulated and it's yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 1:But just things to pay attention to. You don't want to be mold or mildew. You know, on your mattress, the foam will, the foams that they put in these mattresses will hold moisture, also prone to mold mildew. That's camping equipment. That's tense, if you ever I think everybody that ever went camping as a kid can smell like what a mildew tent is, like you could say it, and they're like. Every time I got a tent out when I was a kid, I guess that's what that is. You know that plastic mildew smell from tents being put up because everybody's ready to get out of camping first thing in the morning, before anything dries up, and then never even addresses their tent again until it's time to go camping. You know, the same weekend next year, um, pay attention to it, don't be the one you know Um. So, yeah, that's, that's really what's been going on with me, some live stuff for sure.
Speaker 1:I plan to be back doing this regularly. Um, I didn't really have any topics today, just big things. It's just. I got stickers. Come to big iron. I'll have stickers for you. I'll be near Benji Um. I may or may not have a sign or a flag or something that you guys will be able to identify me with, but maybe that'll just be motivation for you guys to like walk around and meet new people at Big Iron. So, but if you find newfound overlay and I'll be not too far from him or or or, he'll know where I'm at and could tell you and I'm sure he'll have some type of signage, no-transcript of you guys there, those of you that are watching and won't be there.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to take like, I'm not going to send everybody a freaking sticker, but again, I've mentioned it, I really do appreciate my global listeners as well. If you do not live in the United States and clip like period, if you don't live in the United States, you can message me on on on this video, on on on YouTube, or you can DM me on Instagram outskirts dot overland and I'll I'll send you a sticker. If you're a international listener, you're not an international, because I just think that's the coolest thing that's ever existed. I I mean, that's so cool, like my sticker in spain that'd be tight. So, yeah, if you're an international listener, not in the united states, canada even. You can dm me, I'll send you a sticker and I'll give out what's what's left. You know, at big iron, just because I think that's the coolest thing that's ever happened.
Speaker 1:Um, if you're a an american, if you're a us listener, you're, I'll go to other events. This is the same sticker I will have every time to give away. Um, you know, I'll be at some. Hopefully I'm at something you're at sometime. You know I I might go to Expo East next year. I'll probably go to whatever just happened in Kentucky earlier this spring. I'll go to that next year. More Expo Again. Big Iron probably, rideau probably, so, like, if any of those are up your alley.
Speaker 1:If you're somebody that has your own social media and you are in the US and you want to trade, I'll trade you a sticker for a sticker or a patch or whatever. I'm cool with that too. That's your only way you're going to get me to send you one in the US, though, if it's a trade, other than the people I've saved them for that are my ride or dies since fifth grade. That's just the way it is. So that, but that anyways, that's what I got going on. That's what's been going on with me. A lot of stuff going on with me, um, but should be, I think it's. I think I'm about back to normal, um, my normal, and that's that.
Speaker 1:Um, as the as next week rolls in, I'm probably going to talk a little bit next week about I do want to talk about how to set up for power in the winter. I've talked about power to a great extent on this podcast over time, but now I'm starting to realize I'm like a lot of episodes in this podcast Not a lot like a hundred, but like I'm going to have to hit on some stuff again because people are listening to recent more than going back. So I'm going to need to touch on like batteries are a problem in the winter and you need to be prepared for that, because I would say most of us I'd say you know there was a big, big, big push for power stations and dual battery systems, like four years ago, five years ago, and they've become so affordable. I think most people have them now, power stations at least, but nonetheless they don't do well in the cold, none of them. They're great thing if you can keep them warm enough to be great or you get them big enough to where they don't need to recharge. So I'll probably talk a little bit about, like, just cold considerations with power because, like I run my diesel heater on a a battery. But, like I'll talk about it next week, you don't want to be your diesel heater's probably outside because of the exhaust, but you probably won't find a way to not have your battery outside or you're only going to have a diesel heater for one night because your battery is going to fully discharge and not be warm enough to recharge. So think about this stuff. But I'll talk about that. I'll go in in depth with it. I've been shopping Amazon. I'm going to go over some Amazon stuff that I have seen recently. That's like some really cool stuff that everybody might know about. They might not. It just became privy to me.
Speaker 1:I'm going to talk about electric chainsaws. I have an electric chainsaw. It's a, in my opinion, it's a winter necessity. It's one of many things that I thought was stupid to have that I would never go camping without. Now, just like a diesel heater. I didn't have one of those until last year either. But I'll talk about electric chainsaws out now. Um, just like a diesel heater. I didn't have one of those until last year either, um, but I'll talk about, uh, electric chainsaws.
Speaker 1:I'm going to talk a little bit about uh, kind of my methodology with electric chainsaws and why I have that methodology. And that goes with all power tools associated with overlanding. So, like chainsaw, fan blower, any number of things. Uh, some people tire their air compressors are, you know, portable, battery powered. Some people's lights are portable, but like, just insert power tools, um, but definitely electric chainsaw for sure. But definitely electric chainsaw for sure.
Speaker 1:So I'll talk about kind of just cold batteries, that kind of stuff, stuff I've seen on Amazon that I think is really cool. I don't really need anything, but there's some cool stuff that I think maybe somebody might need. I always just think, what could maybe one of my friends want? Like, would one of my friends think this is useful? And then I just apply that to everybody that listens to, listens to podcasts, like you guys may also think it's useful. So I just bring it to you guys too, um, because I, if it's useful to one person, it's at least useful to one other person. So I think that's always, always just intelligent to do. Um, so, yeah, I'll get into all that, but that's just really I wanted to get on and just be like hey guys, I didn't forget you, I'm not.
Speaker 1:The podcast is not over. Um, just really. I mean, some military stuff came through. My kids all had my I mean shit. My whole entire family had birthdays in the last three weeks. All of them extended family Like we all have birthdays like within the last three weeks. All of them extended family. Like we all have birthdays like within the same three weeks. And then I had a surgery, so that's all. Nothing else changed. I'm still here. I'm still available. My Instagram might seem like it has been dead for three weeks. It has. I mean, I'm a single dad of three kids and work and that stuff happens, so it's just what it is.
Speaker 1:I don't plan for this to be the case over and over and over and over. I'll probably be every week for a hot minute now, but it's just been tough, um, so hopefully I catch you guys next week Again. If you're an international listener and you want a sticker, I catch you guys next week Again. If you're an international listener and you want a sticker, I will mail you a sticker. If you DM me, um, on YouTube or Instagram, I would, and I want a picture of my sticker on your car wherever you're, wherever you live, I would freaking that's so sick. I'd love that Um, everybody else make it to rendezvous in the Ozarks or Big Iron and they're there for a year taking so hope to meet some of you guys there, chit chat with some of you guys there.
Speaker 1:I am working on something in my truck currently Well, my dad's working on something in my truck currently. I'm still out of commission for working on my truck at the moment to where I can probably record at Big Iron potentially, and I would love to get some conversations with you guys in some Instagram lives or shorts or or I mean even we can even stream. I could stream, just to you know, around the campfire potentially and I'd love to do that with you guys. So come loaded with some topics to discuss some things that you agree with me on, some things you don't agree with me on, and I'm more than happy to talk about it. I'd love to talk about it, talk about experiences and stuff. I do just sit here and talk to myself for this time I do the podcast, so sometimes I forget stuff that may be valuable to talk about, but when I'm in a setting with a group of people and we're talking about something, sometimes that'll that'll trigger me to be like, oh yeah, this you know, like oh yeah, that I forgot all about that, you know, and, uh, and that'll get me on a talk about something and be like, yeah, I actually had a similar experience or completely different experience or whatever. So I'm really looking forward to getting to meet some of you guys. Um, I'm really really hoping.
Speaker 1:Uh, big iron is not my big iron's, my favorite event. If a lot of people come because it's a great place to meet other come because it's a great place to meet other travelers, it's a great place to meet other overlanders. It's a great place for that. It's nobody's. Rigs are moving. You kind of pick a spot, you stay in that spot, you hang out, you listen live music. If that's not what happens, it's kind of the same people I've seen the last four years and I know them. But that's still.
Speaker 1:Reunion time is fun, don't get me wrong, um, and I love that, but I would really love to meet some of you guys and get into some new conversations with some new people and and get to know you guys. So I really would. If you haven't looked into big iron overland rally and you're anywhere within driving distance, um to that, you can look it up online. Um, I would, I'd. I mean, I can't tell you enough. Like I said, the rigs don't move. It's a good place to look at stuff. Talk to people, because nobody's doing anything else, nobody's getting ready to go out, like it is the ultimate place to learn from people. Talk to people, look at rigs, cause again, everything's staying where it was. There's classes.
Speaker 1:Um, I just would love to see more people go to it and, if I can have anything to do with more people going to it, like a couple of years ago I mean, it was really really, really hot one year and there was a lot of people there and they left the next day and the year before that there was a lot of people there. I mean the last three years there's been the least amount of people last year in the last three years. So I'm really hoping, I am pushing for you guys to go, because when there's a lot of people that go and there's a lot of travelers new travelers, old travelers, people getting into it, people looking to get into it, people that live on the road full-time seen dozens of full-time on the road, youtubers stop and attend Big Iron. It's a super cool thing to like. If you and your wife are interested in homeschooling, you can talk to these people about that stuff.
Speaker 1:I just hope that I can be any part of more people getting to this event and because the groups just aren't it, meet people in person, be their friend on Facebook, get their phone number, text them, because the groups man, they're not, they're not it anymore, forums are dead and Facebook groups are toxic. So getting to these events and meeting real people that you could tangibly like you could shake their hand or hug them is your best bet at getting getting positive relationships in this hobby, honestly. So if you're anywhere near Big Iron or Kansas and you you're comfortable driving that far and you have the financial ability to afford ability to afford it and go, it's not extremely expensive, but you'll see when you look um, it's not. I mean it's not really extremely expensive at all. Um, for what it is. But go, I mean whether you, whether it's to meet me or anybody else you will meet some new people. Some of my literal best friends to this day I met at big iron when I went the first time Period. So that's.
Speaker 1:It's a great event for camaraderie, not a great event for wheeling, not a great event for, you know, nobody's recovering, anybody. You're not going to have any cool stories about, except about trips. Other trips you've been on Because you're not doing anything at Big Iron, but that's a super chill, you super chill way to do it too. So, anyways, hope to catch you guys next week and have a good Sunday. Let's go Bears, Go Bears, beat the Texans. I'll talk to you guys later and have a good one.