Outskirts Overland Podcast
Welcome to the Outskirts Overland Podcast, your go-to source for all things overlanding! Hosted by a seasoned adventurer with over 15 years of experience, this podcast offers a genuine and down-to-earth exploration of the overlanding lifestyle. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting out, join us as we delve into the essentials of gear and equipment, share captivating stories from the road, and provide practical tips for your next adventure. Tune in for insightful interviews, expert advice, and a community of like-minded explorers who share a passion for discovering the world beyond the beaten path. Get ready to fuel your wanderlust and embark on unforgettable journeys with the Outskirts Overland Podcast!
Outskirts Overland Podcast
Surviving Water Crossings and Finding Solitude: My Weekend in the Arkansas Wilderness
Ever had that moment when your fully equipped off-road rig sinks deeper into mud precisely because of those fancy new lockers? Charlie from Outskirts Overland shares his recent adventure through the Ozarks where exactly that happened – water flooding his floorboards as his truck settled into unexpected mud.
The weekend trip featured breathtaking scenery around the Buffalo River, with an unusually lush, rainforest-like landscape following recent rainfall. Charlie navigated multiple water crossings, including one dramatic moment when water surged over his hood. Despite the challenges, his truck performed admirably with its new modifications, though the experience confirmed his need for proper mud tires when his current set failed to clear themselves despite maxing out the RPMs.
Perhaps most surprising was the complete absence of other overlanders or off-road enthusiasts throughout the entire weekend. Despite being in a well-traveled area, Charlie didn't encounter a single other off-road vehicle – not at campsites, not on trails, not even at gas stations. This observation raises questions about the current state of the overlanding community that many enthusiasts might relate to.
Charlie also raves about his new Morphlate hub system for tire pressure management, calling it revolutionary for its ability to automatically achieve and maintain exact pressures without constant babysitting. For those who've spent precious adventure time fiddling with tire deflators, this insight alone makes the episode worth a listen.
Whether you're an experienced overlander or simply dream of off-grid adventures, this honest account of both the triumphs and challenges of vehicle-based exploration offers practical insights wrapped in the authentic voice of someone who clearly lives for these moments in the wilderness. Ready to experience the quietude of the Ozarks and maybe rethink your tire pressure management system? This episode is your perfect trail guide.
The Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. This is Charlie with Outskirts Overland. Good morning. It's Monday, yesterday is Mother's Day and today is International Nurses Day. So if you have a nurse in your life, go ahead and wish them a happy Nurses Day and obviously, if you forgot, yesterday is Mother's Day, so maybe get on top of that. So Monday I would really ask that you guys go leave a review on Apple Podcasts, as that helps the podcast out a bunch. So go over there and leave a review on Outskirts Overland Podcast. Rate the podcast, but it really really helps if you leave just a comment, just anything Like love it, hate it. You know, keep doing it, liking the dailies. Something Helps me guys, helps me, helps the podcast and it helps me stay motivated, staying in contact with you guys, and I'd really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:So this weekend I got out and went to the Ozarks trucks finally all together, lockers, everything. So I went out and it's still appealing went to those arcs, got pretty cool camp spot and then ran back home in time to get my girlfriend home from Mother's Day. So just a little quicker than a normal weekend trip. So they came right in. It came right into my face. I had to winch myself out. It was absolutely disgusting and it even like flooded my floor mats on my driver's side because when I got stuck at like One thing that I didn't account for with the lockers is because you lock them, I mean and mean it buried it. It just sunk it down on truck, actually just sunk down on the driver's side and that's it getting a little water and I got full of them. I mean, I was an absolute disaster and cover equipment every day, so I just got my tree saber out soft shackle, which my son fell to the tree. A huge deal. Honestly, I really wanted to get out and they really even should have they making my life. That happened this weekend and other than that as success was good, everything went well and other than that it's successful it's good, everything went well. I've got a pretty long session of pressure washing ahead of me. The truck is an absolute filthy mess.
Speaker 1:We did go through some water crossings. I went through one that was up over the hood. One of the water crossings was up over the hood. It was crazy, but again, I have a snorkel. It's all silicone like stuff's fine, it just was, it was a, it was a water. It was nothing else you could say about it it's big on, huge, it's big, big, deep, deep guy. And it looked like it was deep. So we went, we went through it and it was up over the hood. But then we came back you could see a little better.
Speaker 1:You go into water crosses a lot, those arcs and those of you that go a lot, you kind of know it's like a weird, it's just the way it is. But like you go in and come out like decent steep angle. So for it to go over the hood and dip in is not uh, it's not uncommon. To be honest, this one was actually a dip in, it wasn't. And then it went and it was roots. There was tree roots there in, uh, in the water, and I guess the flooding had pushed back the water, so like the tree roots were the low point. It's kind of great, it's kind of cool, it's kind of it's not something I've seen a lot, but the truck, the truck did great. Uh, I didn't, I didn't have any problems with it. You know, I got it home yesterday. Everything appeared to be good. We'll see. It's gonna sit for a few days. I aired the tent out, tent Tent was good, all is well there, you know, like everything seems to be working as it should, going well, so that's exciting.
Speaker 1:But as I was out this weekend and I'm not going to talk about it, you know too too too much here but like I didn't see another Overland or even off-road vehicle all weekend and I'm not going to tell you guys exactly where I was in those arcs, but I can tell you right now it's not an area that is unknown. I get to see other vehicles. Really, that was unusual, I thought Pretty unusual, honestly Crazy. I saw nothing, nobody. I saw a bunch of people floating. I was near the Buffalo River, I was on the Buffalo River, so I saw a lot of people floating. I was on the. I was near the Buffalo River, I was on the Buffalo River, so I saw a lot of floaters and canoers, people doing that, quite a bit of that, which is also not uncommon. But it's not uncommon at all to see people Like see some off-road rigs, to see some, you know, overlanders or off-roaders or campers or side-by-sides even I saw nobody or off-roaders or campers or side-by-sides even I saw nobody.
Speaker 1:So that was a little, that was a little tough man. I was like dude, this is crazy, it was wild. I yeah, I was pretty blown away by it. Honestly, I could, like I didn't even see another one at like a gas station somewhere like it. Those of you goes up, go those arcs not everybody listens here goes those arcs.
Speaker 1:But, like you know, insert any popular, you know public blm. Like I wouldn't call it moab by any means and I wouldn't call it the rocky mountains. But, like you, pretty typically you go to the ozarks. You're going to see at least other off-road activity, people, like at least side by sides or some side by sides. It's turkey season, so that's maybe. Maybe that's why I didn't. I did see hunters, but I only even saw like two of those, two or three of those, so turkey hunters, so I thought that was just bonkers, honestly. So I don't know if I'm doing a poor job of motivating you guys or people are just getting out of the hobby, but I can tell you right now I would really. I mean, it's such a fun time. I had a freaking blast. It was the trip I needed. I've been going to Polar Bear Camp Club and I've been going to Moore Expo and you know all all this stuff.
Speaker 1:I haven't been getting out like I like to get out and man and I freaking needed it, sometimes better today than I did friday. I did it so bad. It's nice to get out there and have a little problems. You know it's not to not break but to have like some critical thinking nerves going to. You know it's not to not break but to have like some critical thinking nerves going too. You know, when you go in a water, when you go for a water crossing, you're like it looks fine but then you don't account for this huge dip down. You know, get you going a little. This isn't, this maybe isn't good, but you just gotta keep going. It's good. It's good that adversity is good. It's good for me.
Speaker 1:Then, sitting in the woods, you know chilling this is the first time I haven't done a fire in a while. I typically don't like to. You know I don't like to do fires in the warmer weather for real, and I really kind of like the dark and not messing with the fire unless I need it for heat. Like, and I really kind of like the dark and not messing with the fire, unless I need it for heat, like in the cold, somebody's got to help, it's just a necessity, for it's just a necessity when it's warmer, eh, not so much. I don't really Like. It's not for me. My girlfriend even commented she's like I like the ambiance. I was like I like the dark to be, like it's just so quiet.
Speaker 1:I always think when it's night time it's kind of like winter. You know, like maybe you guys don't have this experience, um, like I do, but I, uh, in the winter I feel like everything's a little more like uh, what's the word I'm looking for? Like amplified, like all the noises and stuff. Like you can hear noises better when it's wintertime, like winter's quieter, so you can hear stuff better. I feel that same way at night, and especially like, because the Ozarks had so much rain, like it was like very green, very lush, like almost I mean it was almost rainforest-like, to be honest with you guys, like it was very wet and I don't mean like yeah, I got stuck in a mud hole but there was still dusty gravel. Like to be completely honest, like I'm talking about, like the standard, like to be to be completely honest, like I'm talking about like the, like the standard, like grass and like leaves, and like everything was very bright, green and lush.
Speaker 1:And if you guys even go look at my socials I'll put up some pictures. Um, I made a couple little video clips. You know I got the drone now so I'm like almost look like a professional kind of you guys are gonna be like. This is what this looks like now that this guy's got this thing. Like it makes you look like I don't know. Youtube's so full of drones that whenever you get a drone and you have any type of like decent photography and proprioception depth percent like you can be, like you look like a stud. So not that I think my stuff looks phenomenal, but like it makes it look like it up, it makes me look more professional at this for sure. Um, so that's I mean I guess that's good. If you guys like it better than it's good, it's all the same to me.
Speaker 1:But it was really freaking, freaking green and the water was high. I went, I went out in the water. It was cold like not crazy, so I think it's it's getting there. It was like 80-something in Missouri and then down in Arkansas it was like high in the high 60s low 70s. So it was a little cooler, but it's pretty, I mean it's good. It was a little cooler, but it was pretty, I mean it was good. I went and stopped by and saw my friend Benji at Midwest Adventure Outfitters and picked up my Morphlate hub and four-hose kit that I so graciously have now. So that's freaking awesome.
Speaker 1:Loved that thing, used it. I'll be putting up a little video about like about it, because I just think it's like I didn't have one. Now I have one. I just think it's so cool that you can set it, like when you set it and again, this is just a crazy good product like you can set it to a temperature and it's not like other systems where it it like airs up and down, like. So like, say I said it this is a I'm trying to explain this, right but like say I said it at. Like I said mine of 36 psi. It gets to 36 and it stops. Then all four tires even out and if they're over 36 it'll air it down like it's to make sure both ways that it stays there, not just gets to there when you air down, kind of the same thing If it starts to go too low and you do have your compressor hooked up, it's going to put some air back in so it gets to the actual pressure you want. As they equalize, it is just like.
Speaker 1:It's one of those things where you don't. But it is so freaking nice that Morphlate system and I got the hub because I have an ARB compressor so I don't even have to like, and again, I'm not, I don't even have to get a compressor out like and it's, and guys, I'm gonna tell you thing is expensive. But, like man, it is just sick. Like it's sick. And I'm going in the car wash right now. Tell you guys that, like every morning, if you guys are like jesus, guys, car wash all the time I keep my subaru clean because my truck never is. It's like, uh, anyways, if you've got like a junk drawer and you keep the rest of your kitchen clean, it's kind of like this, you know the truck's a junk drawer, kind of just, it's kind of a catch-all for madness. Um, like you could car real clean. So, anyways, but that morph late is sick.
Speaker 1:Like airing down and just like. I have had those stawn ones that you screw on I've done the ones where you pull the, uh, pull the, you unscrew the valve stem and pull it, setting up your hoses, and literally just go. I just press the thing up and it deflates, it airs down to what I set it at, I don't have to go on and off, there's no screwing with it. You literally set it, hook up the air and it does it like that's all you do, like you just set the pressure you want right before you hook it up, whether it's down or up, hook it up or open it up and that's it. It's stupid, like whether it's faster or not doesn't even matter, I I don't even know, because it's just so much nicer.
Speaker 1:So, like, when I'm airing down or airing up, I can be like reorganizing stuff in the back, getting things organized. You know, heck, I could go pee or what you know like it. Just I don't have to sit and mess with it and worry about my tires being all jacked up and then I gotta go back and mess with it again a different way and it's just, it's just wild. It's just, it's just so good. It's just so good. I don't I mean I'm not gonna beat the dead horse here, but that more play system, like the fact that they made that hub.
Speaker 1:So if you do have like a compressor, you like, or say you even got like a fire and you just put it on board like you got an onboard one, like the hub works and it's sick and I, almost they, and I'll be completely honest with you guys the uh, the arb I have the air between not the new brushless one and it only puts out like six, almost seven cfm of pressure and that morph late compressor is 10.6 so it's probably faster. But I freaking love the way that I like the air hub myself, like specifically, I like the air hub and it keeps the hoses separated. So I think it's just a sick setup. So, anyways, shout out to morfle for just being freaking awesome and shout out to benji of midwest adventure outfitters for being awesome. We did, uh, we did. You guys will see in my pictures we did get my truck lettered. It does say Midwest Adventure Outfitters now. So it is officially official that I'm representing my friend Benji on the truck Not that you guys thought I was. In any case, just now outwardly see it on truck.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I guess I not to beat a dead horse, but like that Morphlate thing is just like when I was airing down specifically such less of a pain, like because you can be doing something that takes longer and it stops. It stops like it stops at what you want to air down to, like so if you go do something else, like you walk away. You get caught walking away, like for me, like you know, being decently known like at an event. This is awesome. I can air down and go like chit chat, and I don't have to worry about my tires being flat or airing up. I don't worry. I have to worry about like, oh, hold on a second, I gotta go, blah, blah, blah. Like if you had kids, like you could be dealing with a kid and not stressed out because they had to go pee or needed to change clothes or a diaper or whatever, because it's gonna stop up or down. You just don't have and you're not like you don't have like this anxiety of rushing.
Speaker 1:I think that's worth a lot really like, and sometimes stuff is expensive and it's not worth it. Sometimes stuff is expensive and it's and it's absolutely revolutionized that piece of gear and I feel like more flight has revolutionized that piece of gear. Like they've done something so different that logically seems like it's not that crazy to do, but nobody else is doing it, so there's something to that. So I just think it's phenomenal and we'll go to bat for them forever. That thing is beyond amazing, uh.
Speaker 1:So, anyways, I also got some roller cams. Finally, I've been using it regular like straps and I got some roller cams because I got I like keep my ladder on like on the back of the truck because it doesn't fit inside the tent when I close the tent. So I like use I don't know I was using this regular big straps too, but I got some roller cams. I like I don't know, I just use this regular big straps too, but I got some roller jams. Those are just a little. Those are just like a little upgrade to either. Like they're nice, I think they're great.
Speaker 1:I just didn't have some. I have, I have some. I didn't have any for that. I didn't have any for that specific like size. I had like some bigger ones, like I was keeping some stuff tied down with, but I got some Lillard guys to do that and that's just quicker too. Those things are just quick and they're not expensive at all really.
Speaker 1:So my today, this weekend, was the weekend where I am for sure positive, I'm getting mud tires, though I just said that my tires clear well and and they are wearing. I mean they're wearing, so I can't expect them to be perfect, but, man, when I got stuck in the mud, it was 100%. Those things were not clearing and I've never had that issue. And I mean, like I told you guys, and I've never had that issue and I mean, like I told you guys, if you put our PM's to it you could make it work. I like that thing in first year and Was bouncing off the rev limiter and my tires weren't clear. So it's time to have a little bit bigger. I you know bigger lug spacing. So I'll be, I'll be when these wear out. I mean, it's not like it's. It's not like. Oh my gosh, I got stuck and the tires are gonna change my life, that's. That's not the case. I'm not going to get new tires.
Speaker 1:You know, like, really, pretty honestly, like there was a bypass and I just didn't feel like it. It didn't look that bad but it was. So I took the bypass back out, I'll tell you that for sure, and it was slick too, man, it was a little slimy, some areas, you know again, low spots. The closer I got down to the Buffalo River it was a little nastier, but up on, like the four service roads or so they're fine, they're all fine. So, but yeah, mud tires are gonna be something I definitely get, not something I'd recommend if you daily your vehicle.
Speaker 1:But, like ever, even if I get a pair and I'm like these are, you know, good, they're good. Caveat, they're still only good for being mud tires, guys. Like they're so, like they're gonna be, be loud, they're gonna wear kind of crappy. They probably, they probably will junk. Like I just do my best. Buy, you know, buy what I think is the best product for the money. I'm never looking for the best as far as tires are concerned. That's a wear product like. It's kind of like I am with brakes, like I don't have some crazy, like I'm gonna wear them out. They're going to get sand in them, they're going to get mud in them. Like you want quality but I'm not going. Like I'm not buying Brembos from my truck, like they're still going to get tore up at a faster rate.
Speaker 1:So tires, kind of along the same lines, I'll find something that I think will work well within, you know, middle of the range budget. So stand by for that. When that comes it's probably a year out, I'd say. I usually get rid of tires on the truck when they're about 50%, so when they still got you know, 10, 30 seconds of tread. That's about when I'm getting rid of them, because the truck's a toy, you know, and the whole purpose of that toy is, you know, essentially is traveling off-road. So if that toy doesn't, uh, if that toy doesn't do that well and it's just because of tires like that's why I get rid of my 50, that's just where I start to notice they're not performing as well as I would like. So that's what I do. I mean just going over, you know what's happened this weekend, I only saw like two other Overland vehicles, even on the highway.
Speaker 1:Wild times, guys. Wild times Crazy, but anyways, guys have a happy wild times, guys. Wild times crazy, but anyways, guys have a happy international nurses day. Make sure you, if you forgot mother's day, you send that text, make that call today, you know, or post on facebook if that's your thing, and uh, I'm gonna catch you guys tomorrow.
Speaker 1:I got a lot of things in. You know I got a lot of things in. You know I got a lot of things, a lot of things up in the air right now that I hope to be in front of us, but lots up in the air at the moment. Hopefully I got some exciting stuff for you guys coming up, though Hopefully I can't tell you I do, but hopefully I do, hopefully that comes. So any guy anyway, guys, just to reiterate please, please, please, please, go on apple podcasts and uh leave a comment, leave a review, please. That really helps me, helps podcasts. I appreciate you guys and uh, hope you guys have a good week. Hope, well, hope you guys have a good monday. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll catch you guys, and I hope you guys have a good week. Well, I hope you guys have a good Monday. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll catch you guys later.
