Outskirts Overland Podcast
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Outskirts Overland Podcast
Bringing Your Build to Life and Staying Connected Off-Grid
Join me, as I share the thrilling buzz around the upcoming Big Iron Overland Rally at Big Brutus in West Mineral, Kansas. Experience the anticipation and camaraderie of fellow overlanders, and hear all about the gear swap shop where enthusiasts bring their latest innovations. Get an insider look at my journey to perfect my truck build just in time for the event and the magic of connecting with like-minded adventurers.
Ever struggled with staying connected while off the grid? Listen as I recount my trials and tribulations of missing crucial moments with my kids due to weak cell signals, and how I found a lifeline through WeBoost. Discover a thorough comparison between WeBoost and Starlink, as I weigh the pros and cons of each, focusing on practicality, cost, and ease of use. From personal anecdotes to in-depth reviews, learn how reliable connectivity can transform your Overlanding experience, allowing you to share those fleeting, precious moments with loved ones even from the most remote locations. Tune in for invaluable insights and tips to enhance your adventures with robust, reliable signal-boosting technologies.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's Oskar Soverland on the road. I am taking a trip to pick up something and I've been trying to see if this works, because if it does, I can do this going anywhere and that's kind of nice. So I was like, well, let's give it a shot and see how it works out. Anyway, so, doing that, first things first. Guys, I got to go over my normal crap. Even though I'm driving, I'm still going to put it up as a podcast later. So if you guys want to get a discount on Onyx Off-Road, go ahead and go over there. Use the code GLOBALOVERLAND236. You'll get 20% off Onyx Off-Road. If you guys want to get a WeBoost, which I'm going to talk about today, if you guys want to get a WeBoost, use the code OUTSKIRTS5. Outskirts5 will get you 5% off, I think. Free shipping too. So that's also that helps me out. I'd also like to thank everyone over at Toyota Trucks of Arkansas for just being awesome people. That's a Facebook group full of my friends and now everybody's my friend really and they just do great things for the Midwest community and the outdoor community around us, and they are Toyota off-road based. So if you want to go on over there check them out. They're awesome. Also, you know, rough Country, kmc Wheels, weboost, you know, I don't even know who else SherpaRacks. Thank you guys, y'all are awesome, you've been awesome, so I appreciate you guys. So today, I mean, man, I got a lot going on, but big iron overlay and rallies coming up and I really push that to you guys last week get out, look at some people's, get out and look at some people's rigs. Chit, chat a little bit, engage, enjoy it. I'll be out there for sure. I'm leaving Friday early so I'll be out there like midday Friday probably. My truck is, I mean it's like done. I mean I think it's pretty done. I am still waiting on a couple parts, but I don't even know they're going to be here before big iron, but they are not I guess the word would be quintessential to the truck build. So it'll be fine, that'll be all good, so I'll have that. But that's next week, guys, that's a week away. That's a week from tomorrow, I mean a week from tonight, really. Um, and that's at Big Brutus in West Mineral Kansas. They are having a gear swap shop. So that's going to be pretty freaking sick. Gear swap shop sounds like something I'd be interested in. Um, so that sounds cool. I'm going to bring some stuff, maybe trade some people, maybe not. I'm going to have all those stickers I showed you guys last week. So come on by. A couple people did message me. I'm getting your stickers sent out because you reached out. I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:But today I mean I don't really have a whole lot to talk about. I mean I'm going to talk about my truck and what all changed, how that happened and what happened next. But this week I did get my WeBoost installed. I have a WeBoost. I got the Overland WeBoost, overland Reach and it's got like an adjustable thing so you can flip the antenna up and down. It's got an on off switch and inside antenna in the truck to help the help the uh signal in the truck. Um, I had, it helps. I mean. I mean, who would? Who would have thought the thing boost your cell signal is supposed to boost your cell signal. I haven't used it like in a place way out in the woods, but I have used it in quite a few places already where there's no like there's one to no bar of service and what I have found is that if I haven't flipped the antenna flipped up and I do, uh, and I drive it with it on, it'll keep me in service and run out of service and then turn it on. It doesn't get me a bar, but if I'm driving it'll keep me in service so it doesn't fall to zero. So that's something that's something unique that I haven't seen anybody talk about. But I haven't haven't lost total service going from an area of service into an area of not. I'm still maintaining a bar or two.
Speaker 1:I'm catching 5G earlier than I was before, which is substantially awesome, like if I want to upload, you know any content to you guys while I'm out, like shorts or stories or what's going on at the time. So it's not all post-trip stuff. I'll be able to do more live stuff. It'll help me do stuff like this. I'm in the daily right now. I don't have a Wii Boost in it, but I'm going down I-70 in Missouri and, quite frankly, it's just. I mean I should have good service the whole way anyways. So, yeah, the Wii Boost actually works pretty great. The installation of that's I mean you could make it a little more complicated, like I did, but it was pretty easy. It's just a couple plugs and some wire. It's really not a big deal but it does work. So I'm happy to relay that it does work. I'll I'll check, upload speed tests and stuff. Um, I've been more or less driving it with it on and seeing how it keeps me in service.
Speaker 1:If I'm falling out, if I'm dropping calls, can I send pictures? We used to not be able to. You know, message send failure or send his sm versus iMessage, stuff like that. Everything's going iMessage, it's not going to SMS. I'm not getting a message send failures in text, because I voice text a bunch or send photos, even sometimes to stoplights, to friends and groups and different things, and it seems to work great for all that. I mean it does work. I mean it, it does work. I mean it's not a, it's not a catch. All you got five bars and five G LTE now because you got this pole on your roof. But like it helps, it does help and I'm in hopes that it'll help me, like when my daughter's call when I'm out or if something was to happen again.
Speaker 1:I can't change that in the moment, you know I'm not going to be able to just hop out of the woods, but it's nice to not catch a voicemail two days later since you've been out of service. So again, I don't believe, again I don't believe that, uh, that it's, it's the end all be, all of things. But for people sorry for people that go out often there's going to be a case where you're going to get to a situation I've been in one where you're out out, you don't have any service and then you get, you finally come out of the woods or whatever you want to call it, off the mountain, whatever, and then you see like four or five missed calls, two voicemails and like you know I've had those things happen and know they're over the course of days and nothing's been catastrophic. Again, because everybody in my, my life already knows I'm, I'm, I'm out of you know I'm out of pocket, so like I'm not going to be available to change anything for anybody anyways, so they all know that already. Um, so it's not. It's not really like anything crazy has happened. But there's a couple of things, like good things, that happened with my daughter. Like she did a really cool thing and wanted to call and talk to me and I like missed that. So like it wasn't even, like catastrophe struck. It's like I didn't get to share a, a win with my kids.
Speaker 1:So I'm hoping the weeboos can help me just, you know, kind of stay a little more connected, as you know, as a father, because sometimes, you know, my kids do cool stuff on the weekends when I'm gone and they want to tell me about it, and and when when it's two or three days later and they're little kids, like they already forgot, they even wanted to, so miss out on the excitement of that, and that's kind of a bummer because I am a dad, you know like, and I want to be able to, to have that five minute conversation, because those of you that have kids young ones or old ones they'll kind of tell you this really cool story and then they'll be like, awesome, cool, okay, bye. Like they just dip, like it's not, it's a one minute thing, but I miss it. So, like, if I miss it, I I want those memories just as much as they do. Or if they do, I mean they wanted to tell me, so that's awesome. So I'm hoping that's what the weeboos can provide for me. It's just, you know, pop it up, I'm not trying to. Will it help me do instagram? Yeah, will it probably help me do shorts and reels and stuff? Yeah, it's more like I did my first backflip off the diving board today and I missed that call. You know, like that's what I like. Quite frankly, that's what I'm more concerned with, like when my kids call, or my sister, my niece, like something like I've had good stuff happen that I've missed, not bad stuff, but it's happened enough to where it's universal, like it's going to flow through both things, like I'm still missing it and I don't like that. I think it's going to be a good piece of kit.
Speaker 1:I was definitely looking at Starlink but, man, the initial investment is more and the continued investment is higher. Again, I think Starlink is freaking awesome. No-transcript, you know me looking at it. I'm like, how do I keep Starlink on on the truck? It doesn't get tore up.
Speaker 1:And I'm looking at these flat mounts and I've seen like people have to flat mounts and you got to take the. You know you guys saw the back of the Starlink off and those of you that know what I'm talking about don't talk about and you got to try and make it watertight. Well, even just in the last, I mean this is after I was usingtight. Well, even just in the last, I mean this is after I was using the WeBoost but even just in the last few days. You know, starlink doesn't make the Starlink flat mount for, like your Prinsu or Sherpa rack or or, uh you know, rhino rack or Backwoods rack, whatever your, your roof rack. So, given that they don't make it, it's not not, it's not seamless. So I've seen a few of those fail, even in the last week um, water getting in or some type of short occurring within the structure of the flat mount kit, the connections that connect all the things together, and man, that just is.
Speaker 1:I'd only want it flat mounted. I don't really have a solution to just taking it in and taking it out. It's not, it's not huge, but it's not small either. And and the moment I honestly feel like a Starlink, in my opinion, because I wouldn't be able to mount it flat mounted, I'm now at a risk for somebody seeing me pull that out at camp and I'm at an expo and I go to get breakfast, and now my Starlink got stolen, like because it's you know, and I don't want to think bad of people, but just I thought through all these things when I was thinking about it, like my Wii Boost is under the seat, bolted antennas, bolted to the roof like pretty, and one piece ain't good without the other. So, and it's also a little more security. If you flat mount your Starlink it's secure.
Speaker 1:The flat mounts with the Starlink are failing, you know, I just don't know, I don't know, and that led me to be like I just don't want to spend. You know, the first month activation and the equipment's about a thousand bucks and then it's's 100 plus every month and I was like man, if I, that's a lot to spend. If I don't like it, it's half that much. To get into a wee boost, the good wee boost, the overland reach with the antenna that flips up and down and the bigger. And you know, and I was like man, it's cheap still but at half the cost and no monthly fee. I was like not, like I'm going to make it work. You know, a Starlink might be in my future still, if they make a smaller one or they come out with a flat option, which I do think might look. You know, with as many people as are trying to go with the flat option with the Starlink, I do think that's coming. They already make a smaller one, smaller antenna. That's going on there.
Speaker 1:The WeBoost also use less power. That's something I got to consider as well. I don't have an enormous power setup. I haven't seen the WeBoost do anything that even drops my voltage. I haven't ran it through something that tells me how many watts it's pulling. It does not appear to be much. So there's that. So yeah, that's where my mind was at, and I did a podcast a while ago before I had either of them and I was going through it on the stream like this is this, but that's that.
Speaker 1:The more I looked at it I hate to be the fanboy that I'm going to sound like right now I was like you know, there's one thing I can tell you is that redundancy is extremely important and if I know any popular overlanders that travel a lot long distances and are extremely redundant and having multiples of things, it is X Overland and they use WeBoosts. So I was like they don't have Starlink and again, they've got sponsorships and they've got different things, but I'm sure Starlink would work with them. I mean, I may be speaking out of turn here, I'm not them, but they could probably have whatever they want, really Like they could have whatever partnership they want. So I'm assuming the partnerships they have fill a need that they want, filled with that thing. So I was like you know I hate to be that guy, but I'm like that's what they use and that's what they're using in Central America, south America, like that's what's on their Tacoma, that's what's on their 4Runners, like I mean I do still have again, I still have Solio. They do inReach. I mean I didn't rely on that, I don't rely on I'm not trying to be a fan boy, but like it does work. I know it works. I have it on the truck. It's I mean physically, I know it works. Um, but that's where I came down to it. I was like I see a lot of YouTubers with Starlink.
Speaker 1:I'm looking at all the ways they're all putting it on. Some of them are attaching it to their tents when they, when they pop it up. Some of them put it out in the field. Some of them did the flat mount. Some of the flat mounts have been flawless. Some of them have failed. Some people have lost their bases, you know, forgotten their bases at camp and then they're trying to figure out how to set it somewhere to get Starlink. Like there's just a lot of moving parts there and that is again kiss.
Speaker 1:You know, keep it simple, stupid. That, in my opinion, is not keeping it simple. Weeboost is there, it's fixed. You pop it up, you pull a thing, you pull it up, you flip a switch. You can leave it on forever or you can put it down and shut it off Like it's not going to. I don't want to speak out of turn. I haven't left it on all night and see if my truck will start, but I mean I don't feel, having not done that, I'm talking ridiculous here, but I don't feel like it would kill it tonight, even running all night. So I've been happy with it. I think it's doing what it should do. I've been happy with it. I think it's doing what it should do, and for the money versus the other option.
Speaker 1:Now there is a thing that is called a high boost, I think, and everybody's like oh, it's way cheaper, dude, it's like 50 bucks cheaper. Because I looked at it too, I was like, well, I mean, okay, what's cheaper? It's not cheaper enough for me to be like don't get the WeBoost. So I was like that's the brand, that's the. You know, that's the one everybody knows about. There's a reason for that. I have tried to skimp on like stuff I want to work before and then I'm buying two, and then if I bought two a high boost and a WeBoost or a high boost and then I'm buying two, and then if I bought two a high boost and a wee boost or a high boost and then you know a star link, and then I'm constantly wondering if the wee boost is better, like that's not good for me either. I'll just buy it all and then you know that's just ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Making good decisions, people, making good decisions with your money. I do think the WeBoost, you know 500 bucks down there, that's what it costs, about 500 bucks. When you put my discount in, you save a little. So I think it gets you out there. Um, and you know if it worked for me. I mean, what's it worth to you? You know I don't know. You know if it's worth $50 a trip, well, 10 trips. It pays for itself. If it's worth $10 a trip, well, 50 trips. So you've got to justify. Do I go enough to justify that? Have you went 50 times in a year? Have you went 15 times in a year? Do you go twice a year? Do you probably need a weeboos in? I would say probably not. And if you go twice a year, you might be somebody that's not getting as remote, I can't imagine you're as confident with your navigation. But maybe I'm completely wrong, maybe I'm way off base, I don't know.
Speaker 1:But it isn't just a cell phone signal booster. So the closer you are to the antennas, the better it works. It's not specific to my phone. It's not specific to a specific. It's not specific to a Carrier. It is a cell signal booster. If that's a sit, if that's a Verizon, if I'm in a tower closer than an AT&T tower, it's going to boost Verizon best. Clearly a cell booster. It doesn't care, it's got no opinion and if you're close to it it's going to help you. If I have 50 people close to me, it's helping all 50. If I have 50 people sitting next to my truck, it's going to help all 50. You don't have like a login. It doesn't have a VPN, it's not secure. 50. You don't have like a login. It doesn't have a VPN, it's not secure. So that also is nice, because I'm just helping a brother out if I'm out there.
Speaker 1:These are all things like some of it I didn't think about before I got it, but now that I got it I mean to be quite honest, my dad was like super hot to try to get this thing in because he wanted to see if it worked. Because I live out in the country and we require Wi-Fi to have cell service and if you walk outside of the Wi-Fi, like outside, and the Wi-Fi drops off while the service is trying to connect, we drop the hell out of calls. So I haven't dropped a call with it in the truck, but I mean I drop calls on a daily basis. I'll be like, hey, I'm gonna lose you, I'm going, I'm an xyz place with the weeboos. That's not happening. So also, I mean that's a case for it in your car, if you track, like if you're a salesperson even, and you you do something in a remote area where you're always losing service and you're trying to do meetings or something like this stream, like it's's, it's gonna be, it's a nice thing.
Speaker 1:I mean I can see a lot of use cases for it. The overland drive reach, they say, is the most powerful cell signal booster the FCC will let be available to a like, essentially a civilian individual. So my experience is that it helps and it seemingly no matter what the bars tell you. The the rate in which data is allowed to go through it seems to be kind of a lot higher actually, just by how fast I can see a picture send and stuff. So I don't know that the bars are even indicative of what it's really doing for you. But that's way outside of my scope of intelligence.
Speaker 1:But I mean I'm sure I could, I'm sure I could ask him about it. Um, I mean, now I do kind of got a thing with them. But I mean I don't know if it's, if it works. It works Like that's kind of where I'm at with it and it and it works. So that's where I'm at with it. So I've been really I I have been really happy with it.
Speaker 1:I'm not in the middle on it, like I think it. It works as advertised. I tend to think in my mind I thought it wouldn't work as good as it does. So that's a. Again, it's not a Starlink. It ain't going to let you do anything under the sun. I don't think I'm downloading. And then again I don't know I'm going to try but I don't think I'm down. My download or upload speeds are going to be anything near Starlink. Starlink is like tip top to the tip top line when it comes to that stuff.
Speaker 1:Just all the things I said earlier is the reasons that I don't think that's for me. At least lately, I have not been the guy that's going easy. I'm pretty hard on stuff at the moment, given my entire truck just got repainted cause I slid it into the abyss. But you know, and I want to not do that again. But let's be real here. I didn't mean to do it the first time. So who knows?
Speaker 1:I think that the uh, the wee boost would hold up to that. I think it'll take it. I think it'll take a tree or two or ten or fifty. Also, it doesn't look like it's going to get too. It's not flimsy or crappy, it's metal stuff. Starlink is plastic, so that's a thing too. My Wii Boost will last hell guarantee I can tell you that for a fact. Will a flat mount a Starlink, will any Starlink? I have no clue, man. So no clue, don't have one. But that's where I landed.
Speaker 1:And I know I said earlier in a podcast I talked to you guys about it because I'm interested in getting one, I'm getting one. I was like I'm getting one, I'm very interested in the weeboos. Well, they heard me say that. So, and I've called them out too, like, don't think I wasn't, like hey guys, like I am interested to see if this works. I want to get this out. If it works, like and I know there's other people on YouTube and there's other people doing stuff and I'm not going to toot my own horn here, but I feel like that I might be a little more, I don't know I might touch you guys a little more realistically. I don't like the word touch you guys, but like I might get to you guys a little more realistically, as I'm kind of also just a dude, like I'm not like big enough to have like enough cool stuff and getting it for free, and being like ads, ads, ads, ads, that I'm like this is good, this is bad, whatever, whatever. So, given all that I'm like, I'll tell you guys what I think about it and that's where I'm at with it. Sorry, I'm listening to Google Maps at the freaking moment and Google Maps is saying bro, get on the other highway, homeboy. So I'm trying to bro, get on the other highway, anyways. So, yeah, I think the WeBoost works as an advertiser, if that's something that you might want. I think it's good For me.
Speaker 1:I have the podcast. I have friends that go with me. Does it works as advertised? If that's something that you might want. I think it's good, um for me. I have the podcast. I have friends that go with me. I would say that my friends are everybody's excited about me having it as I am, because now they don't have, like it suffices for more than just one person. So now my whole group's got a cell booster. Anytime you're with me, you got a cell booster.
Speaker 1:So it's also it's kind of like the divos, I'm gonna go, I mean, I'm gonna take it back. It's kind of like divos light ranger, though everybody don't need one, but you want one with you, your group at least, because it's phenomenal, it's a phenomenal product. So like, it's kind of like that, like I, I don't see a use case for if I got four buddies going, that we all four need these things. I, I don't know that I would say that by any means, like you could just have one guy, that's got it. And if you need to make a call, stop and go near that car, like or sit in the passenger or sit in it or whatever that case may be, you know like that's, that's where that needs to land. You don't need to be having everybody, don't need to be having one. So that's like that's something to think about too. Like you don't need seven of them and in our case I'm the guy with the podcast that talks about stuff, so I got the thing like that's.
Speaker 1:You know, I wasn't the first one with a diesel heater. I'll tell you that I was the last. I was last one with a diesel heater, actually, cause I was like I don't need that crap, I'm too fun, get out of here, I can handle it. I now have a de-sweeter and would tell everyone don't be me, do not be me, get a de-sweeter. It is so worth the $100. It's worth the $100. You've got to do it, dude.
Speaker 1:So, anyways, I just wanted to get on, go over something today, get in front of you guys. I told you guys I was going to try and get back on it, but I want to get off before Thursday Night Football. I am a huge football fan. There will be Thursday Night Football. I am trying to get where I'm going and get home quick so I can watch Thursday Night Football night football. I am trying to get where I'm going and get home quick so I can watch Thursday night football. I don't know where you guys all land, but go Jets tonight. Not really a Jets fan, but go Jets tonight and I will catch all y'all later. I'm going to hop on off of here.
Speaker 1:You guys have anything I've seen a couple more of you comment about on podcasts and stuff. I smacked my lips too much. Hopefully that's not offending anybody else, but the one guy that commented about it. I really appreciate you guys and you know I just really appreciate you guys listening, being here, following. It's really cool. I really hope to meet some of you guys in the next few weeks here, as I'm out at these events, really, really excited to meet some of you guys. Talk to you guys. See what you guys have. Look at your stuff, look at my stuff. Have a beer, like. I'm very excited to meet some of you guys. Talk to you guys. See what you guys have. Look at your stuff, look at my stuff. Have a beer. I'm very excited to meet some of you guys. So, nonetheless, have a good evening. Watch some football if that's your thing.
Speaker 1:If not, at least three popular Overlanders videos come out on Thursdays. Search Overlanding on YouTube. You're going to find a couple of new videos that just came out. It's a good day. It's a good day for everything today, so I'll catch y'all later. Talk to you next week and I'm going over the truck next week. Pictures video the whole nine, so I may even do it like this so that you guys can kind of see it with me. This isn't my favorite view. I don't love it. The audio is probably not as good, but it will allow me to be to move around a little bit. So hopefully that all works out and I will catch you guys next week. Get outside, enjoy the weekend, be safe and I hope, to hope, to hope, to hope, to see a bunch of you next week at Big Brutus. Talk to you later.