An attempt at making yet another cringe video!

 One of my favorite drinks, cold brew ice coffee....

So I take 3 ounces of Kona Blend ground coffee, steep it in spring water for twenty-four hours then filter into mason jars. Add your favorite creamer give it a shake, and away you go!

Spending time with old friends

Had to make a very fast turn around trip back home yesterday... I did take fifteen minutes to hang with an old friend before driving back. Yep we just shot the hay. 

 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

New album cover?

The album name? Yeehaw hoe-down! Redneck, boot stompers. 😂 I'm obviously in need of sleep. 

I did find a minute of solitude in the desert today, some much needed time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Haven't had a lot of rain this winter, so the desert is fairly void of color. But the air was crisp and clean, birds making the ruckus they usually do, and plenty of peace and quiet. Just what I needed. 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

Long day...

 

It was a long day, eight hour drive time, started at 4am and got back home at 9pm! Whew! I’m tired. 

Early morning drive back home...

 

When you live three and half hours from your kid, and they need your help, you get in the truck at 3:30 in the morning and start driving! Watch the sunrise with me...

Who else could use a campfire next to the lake?

It feels like a lifetime since I've been able to decompress next to a lake with a cold adult beverage and a campfire. It's even worse knowing that people I know are currently sitting in this exact spot, while I'm stuck in Phoenix traffic on the 101! Ugh!

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

I miss my time in the desert

Living in the Phoenix valley, I don't get a chance to get away from the city like I used to. I miss quite mornings in the desert, a cup of coffee, the sound of birds, grazing cows and wild horses. 

Now I have to plan trips to the country, like a hipster. 🤦‍♂️ I really don't feel at home in the city, and I count down the days till I can get some solitude in the desert. 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

Interesting article, however...

 12 Reasons Why A Truck Camper Is Superior To Any Other RV and 4 Reasons they're not!

I love these articles, however, every once in a while I have to take a minute and address the flaws. Sadly the wife is done listening to me, so I get to share it with all of you! Let's dive in.

1. YOU FIT IN A REGULAR PARKING SPOT
When we traveled for five and a half months with our three kids in a 27 1/2 foot Jayco travel trailer, we soon realized that a significant drawback of such an extended trailer is that it limits where you can park. For instance, on travel days, you can’t just swing through a drive-thru and order lunch for the family like you can on a road trip in the family van. You also don’t fit in the average fast-food parking lot.

With a truck camper, you might be too high for some drive-thrus with an overhang, but you still fit in their parking lots. You might not be able to park in the multi-level parking complexes, but you still fit in street parking spots.

Well, not completely true. There are a few slide-in campers that pop up, that would allow you to use most drive-thrus. Mutli-level parking complexes are still a no-go! Max height on most of those are 8'.

2. YOU CAN COOK A MEAL WHEREVER YOU ARE

In our DIY minivan camper, we had to cook our meals outdoors. We felt okay opening up the back and assembling a sandwich in the parking lot of the hiking trail, but other places it felt weird to make food.

I couldn't agree more! I've been that person who sits in a parking lot, opened the back, and starts making lunch... it's just weird to do so!

3. YOU CAN GRAB WARMER OR COOLER CLOTHES WHENEVER YOU NEED TO

When you drop your travel trailer off at the campground and then take off in your tow vehicle to explore the local area for the day, you have access only to what you pack in the tow vehicle for the day. 

I don't get this one. I can do that without a camper. but then again I wouldn't do that till I got to where I was going, and that is private enough I don't need the added privacy. 

4. TIRED? TAKE A NAP PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE

On our date weekends, my hubby has one request–he wants a nap. On the other hand, I am not much of a napper, but knowing that our date weekend is a rare full weekend off work for my husband, I happily let the hardworking guy take a nap.

I don't know about you, I don't need to spend $35K to take a nap... and yes most slide-ins cost that much!

5. MUCH EASIER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE CAMPSITES

We are glampers! We like to be warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot. We want access to a flushing toilet and a hot shower so we pay for campsites more than we take advantage of free ones.

But we both agree that when we leave town on a Friday night past dinner time with 6 hours or so to our destination, it makes more sense to camp somewhere for free whenever we get tired than to arrive at our destination at an hour where we would disturb others while we try to set up.

It is so much easier to do this with a truck camper as it takes seconds to set up and it fits in a regular parking spot. Plus, with it being on the back of our truck, we don’t have to worry about the conditions of the roads that go to free wilderness campsites like we did with a travel trailer.

This is my number one reason that a slide-in intrigues me. Another reason, a few states like California require different speeds and lane restrictions for autos and trucks towing. A slide-in would allow you to drive a little faster and utilize all the lanes on the interstate. This is an important one since we still have family in California. 

6. YOU GET BETTER GAS MILEAGE

When we pulled our travel trailer, we got 8 miles to the gallon with a 1500 GMC. We now own a Ford F250 and get 12 miles to a gallon when the truck camper is on the back. Yep, a bigger truck and we still get better gas mileage. Over time and miles traveled, the fuel savings will be significant.

I can't confirm or deny this claim. The author of the article comes to this conclusion but does not address that it's based on different trucks.  Could the F250 have a bigger motor or different final gearing? That may explain the difference more.

7. UNPLANNED STOPS ARE MORE DOABLE

Spontaneity is especially tough with a trailer in tow. You can’t see something on a road sign and just turn off the highway and go for it. You have to check if they have parking for your tow vehicle and trailer and a place to turn around.

I had family up in Alaska that ran into this full speed. Ended up down a road that had a bridge that their rig (Truck and 5th wheel) was overweight and length to traverse. Ended up having to back up the road, jacked knife their rig, and cause some slight damage. 

8. YOU CAN NAVIGATE THE SMALLEST OF GAS STATIONS

I wish that I had known about the All-Stays app before we left on our journey across North America pulling a 28-foot trailer behind us–it would have made gas station stops a whole lot easier. The app shows you which gas stations are coming up so that you can see if you can last until the next larger gas station that is travel trailer friendly.

With our truck camper, we don’t use the app to pick out our gas stops; instead, we use it to find free places to camp. Why the change? We can now get in and out of any gas station with ease–especially since our truck camper is a pop-up.

Smaller is sometimes better, and while this is an issue with the larger 28-foot trailer, a smaller 22-foot may not have this issue.

9. IT DOESN’T HAVE AN ENGINE OR TIRES & 10. IT DOESN’T REQUIRE EXTRA INSURANCE (AT LEAST NOT WHERE WE LIVE)

For a brief period of time, my husband and I did seriously consider purchasing a van that we can stand up in, gutting it, and then building it into a camper. But we soon realized that would mean we would have another engine to repair.

A truck camper has no engine and no tires. Tires are yet another expense that comes with both travel trailers and camper vans or Class As, Bs, and Cs.

The devil is in the maintenance and state fees! The more complex your set up, the more maintenance and fees are needed. Yes, I consider insurance a fee, you are required to have it.

11. IT CAN BE STORED IN A SMALLER SPACE

We store our truck camper inside my husband’s workshop that has a garage door. Jack backs up the truck and sets down the slide-in camper for the next time we need it.

Unfortunately, many of us will still have to pay for storage even a camper, that is unless you leave it on the truck. :) If the daily commute is a short one, and parking is available, many people just opt to leave it on the truck. think of it as a private breakroom.

12. YOU CAN TOW SOMETHING BEHIND IT

We have not done this, at least not yet, but a truck camper uses your vehicle’s haul weight, which does not affect the towing capacity. What that means is if you own a fishing boat, you can have a truck camper on the back of your truck and tow the boat on a trailer behind you (you do need to check the haul and towing capacity of your truck before you do this). 

This is a big draw to a lot of people, especially outdoor sportspeople. Boats, jeeps, motorcycles, etc can all be towed behind a camper... if your truck is large enough. 

Now the four cons

1. MOST DON’T SLEEP MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE COMFORTABLY

Except for the biggest models, most truck campers have a queen bed in the loft area and a dinette that makes into a twin bed or a Jackknife couch that is just wider than a twin. If you are a family of larger than three, a truck camper probably isn’t for you.

Is this a con?  Leave the family behind, two people can live comfortably in a truck camper.

2. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIGGER TRUCK

We first started looking at slide-in truck campers when we had a GMC 1500 Sierra and were shocked that even the lightweight truck camper models were over the hauling capacity of the truck. This is why we made our own truck topper camper in the GMC, which we used until the truck died.

Yes for the larger models that is true, but there are a few half-ton suitable units out there, but be cautious on the truck you purchase. Not all half-tons are created equal. Different trim models can have different payload capacities. In just Rams, there is a thousand-pound payload difference between a Tradesmen and the higher Rebel trim models, regardless of engine type and size.

3. ONLY THE BIGGEST MODELS HAVE INDOOR SHOWERS AND TRADITIONAL FLUSH STYLE TOILETS

This, to me, is the biggest drawback of getting a smaller pop-up style slide-in truck camper. My husband’s brother and sister-in-law just bought a larger truck camper with a traditional style roof and they have a wet bath that I am envious of. However, to safely haul such a trailer, we would have had to go with an F350 and we decided it just wasn’t worth the extra purchase cost and fuel cost for the one weekend a month of camping we average.

Not at all true. The Palomino Backpacker SS-1250 is a half-ton suitable that has a full wetbath. 

4. IT DOES TAKE PRACTICE TO GET THEM ON AN OFF YOUR TRUCK SAFELY

Truck campers have a post on each corner that can be cranked up and down to allow the camper to be put on your truck with ease. Well, not ease, the clearance between the exterior of your truck bed and the posts is extremely minimal, meaning you have to be a pro at backing up straight into tight spaces to get a truck camper on and off.

Like anything new, yes there is a learning curve. I've seen my fair share of first-time trailer towers unable to back up their new trailers! 

So that's my take on this article... am I right or wrong? Let me know what you think.

I'm working on a new thought

 

It’s a painful process, having a thought and attempting to put it to words. I was contemplating something someone posted on a search and rescue operation in our local newsgroup. A group of people was out exploring our desert in their Jeep before getting stuck. Other than being mired in sand, no one was hurt, the vehicle wasn’t damaged and the weather wasn’t dangerous. Yet many people made a big ruckus about the group being out alone in a single-vehicle. 

My main thought about this is, whatever happened to the American spirit?

We used to be people who could take care of ourselves, we would break out to seek new opportunities. We weren’t paralyzed by fear of the unknown. Not to overdramatize or romanticize going alone and looking for adventure, but being prepared to survive in unforgiving environments was a very American value for a very long time. 

Even though many preach that going out alone is an unnecessary danger, many today still do. If either solo hiking a long trail, Overlanding across the continent or taking a nature hike in a local, state, or National Park, adventuring solo is not in itself a sin. However, those online in IRL are all too ready to preach from their platforms that those who are seeking adventure, only do it the way they declare!

Back in 1995 I really got into mountain biking. I purchased a Specialized rockhopper, front suspension, rigid tail. I would bike in my local mountains four to five days a week. Around the local lake, down in Orange County, San Diego County, and everywhere in-between. I would eventually get to be a centenarian cyclist. Yes, I would ride up to and over three-digit miles in one day, and those would be solo miles.  After my five-year love affair with cycling, I put close to 25k miles on that bike. I learned early on that being prepared was more than just a catch-phrase. Once in my early mountain biking adventure, approx 30 miles from home, I had a flat tire.  I didn't have tire irons, a spare tube, or even a pump. It was a long walk home, and one I only did once. The next day I went down and bought an extra tube, repair kit, pump, and tire irons. I then practiced a few times at home, using the tools. The next flat tire I had, was only a momentary pause in the ride, and not a long walk.

I would carry more water and food than I needed for the planned ride. I utilized a Camelbak Mule, brought an extra layer of clothes, two bottles of water on the bike frame, a frame-mounted took kit, and a trip computer. While I was loaded down, I never had a life-threatening event. I would cycle year-round and experimented with a lot of different base and outer layers until I found a light reliable comfortable system that worked for me. I also learned a lot about taking care of my gear. Preventative maintenance on the bike, how not to damage the bike on the trail, how to repair it if something did happen, while getting huge air while descending a mountain is fun, the possible bent spoke, or damaged hub would end the day quickly! (same with water crossings as I found out while cycling Carbon Canyon Canyon in Brea. After a long descent, before returning to the trailhead, there is a water crossing that is a great way to cool down before loading up the bikes. The problem, a hot bike hub, will suck that water in and seize the bearings! I did that once.

I did go on a few rides with friends and small groups, but never really enjoyed myself. While I was putting a lot of miles on the bike, I didn't have a very fast pace, which seemed to be a pain when traveling with others, so I did my own thing most of the time.

Fast forward two decades and I started to get into hiking, and again I wanted to go it alone. Which I did. A medium-size pack, food, and water, additional layers, good quality gear, and away I went. I spent a lot of time in our local mountains, shaking down the gear that worked for me, a good balance of weight and usefulness. Never once did I fear the solo hike. I had confidence in my gear, my abilities, my decision-making. I eventually felt confident to tackle a hard hike. A rim to river and back in the Grand Canyon. While it would be a solo hike for me, you're never alone at the Grand Canyon! 

A three-day solo camping trip, to stretch my legs and plan a further adventure as well as a shakedown to see if I was up to the challenge. So after a little internal debate and wanting to get away from some of the crowds, I decided to head down the Grand View trail, to the Horshoe Plateau, instead of the river. There was still a lot of ice on the trail, temps on the rim were in the low thirties. It turns out it was the better decision. Either I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped or dinner didn't agree with me, by the time I made it to the plateau I was not feeling very well. a quick snack then I made the decision to start the climb up. The return climb to the trailhead would be a torture hike. I ended up stopping every 100 yards or so. I made it out of the canyon that day. thinking back on it, I have no regrets, other than I should have stopped sooner. That was the closest I had come to need a rescue. I should mention that at the time I was 43, not in my best shape, yet I went for it!

I say all that to say, there is nothing wrong with solo adventure. Getting stuck happens, getting sick happens, plans go sideways. It's not that bad things happen, it's how we deal with them that matters. I read a lot of stories and track them on Twitter of all the people lost, injured, or who pass away in national, state, and public lands. There are a lot of people who seek adventure and don't think of the what if's. They go out without food, water, shelter. I don't think it's harsh to say that many Americans are just too separated from the natural world, to really understand the dangers... But that's not a commentary of the solo-adventurer!

For more solo-adventurers...

Living to the Dead End - Solo

Venture4WD

Homemade Wanderlust

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

 

Three tote adventure

 I'm going to let everyone in on a big secret... I am not an organized person! I know a few of you are very shocked right now, but it's true. So today, after moving to Chandler some three months ago, I made my way back home to go through my storage and organize my camping gear. I decided to put everything into three totes. One for sleeping (everything for the interior of the tent, including cleaning), one for cooking (stoves, utensils, fuel) one for flashlights (lanterns batteries, night-time necessities) obviously I have more gear than that, I have four complete backpacking setups as well, they live in our daily drivers in case anyone in the family is caught in an emergency situation. 

The three totes also do not contain my tent, since I have three depending on the area and total people camping. small medium and large, all three are three-season tents. I also have four different ice chests for the same reason. 

I feel a little accomplished today.

Now to plan a trip! I'm still working on that.

😂😂 Still cracks me up.

Ok to start here's the article... https://manofmany.com/rides/cars/toyota-overlanding?amp 

A couple of things, Toyota isn't doing anything new or innovative with this, they are just riding a wave or popularly to make an extra dollar. I haven't found the price of this monstrosity, but being from Toyota motors I know a couple of things about this. 

A) it's going to be over priced and under engineered. 

B) the wheel bearings are going to fail. 

Tell me I'm wrong! 😂

Oh and yes if Ram came out with one I would probably consider buying one!

Jason @BeardedOverland

 www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

I really wish I still had my 86’ Zuk!

You can read the article here https://www.autoevolution.com/news/1986-suzuki-samurai-with-dodge-440-swap-isnt-your-typical-off-road-toy-156418.html

Someone put a 440ci engine in an 86 Samurai! That's freaking awesome. 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

Looking for a great podcast?

Those who follow me on the big three (Facebook, IG, Twitter) have heard me talk about Rigged For Dirt from time to time. It's by far my favorite podcast. The last two episodes in my opinion should be in the radio hall of fame! Ok maybe not, but I found them very interesting and felt I needed to share them with others. 

Rigged For Dirt Website

Rigged For Dirt 

A couple of the more recent episodes, and a great place to start...

Rigged For Dirt Rebelle Yell! Part 1

Rigged For Dirt Rebelle Yell! Part 2

Goodbye Social Media!

via Instagram

Goodbye Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter I’m logging off now for Lent. I may be back on April 4th. My Email is attached to my bio as well as my blog, if anything earth-shattering happens drop me a line? While I’m walking away from the big three, I’m not turning my back on the virtual world, I just think I need time away, and I think this is a great excuse to take it. I’m going to spend my free time reading the Bible, an autobiography or two, and probably a few novels.

Long Time no talk! via Instagram

via Instagram

Ok, it’s been a while since I posted. Been busy working and surviving the big city, my day-to-day life is boring as hell right now! But I’m planning an adventure or two! Hopefully, I’ll be able to afford a tank of gas to take them! We’re already seeing a spike in prices here in the valley, I paid $2.59 on Saturday 🤦‍♂️ I may have to start training for a long hike if prices top $3 or higher this summer! Who’s with me?

Weekly newsletter of The Bearded Overlord - Issue #1 | Revue

Well, I started a newsletter on my Twitter account where I post daily of people getting lost and hurt in National Parks and in the wild in general. I thought I would play around with the ideal, and guess what? People started subscribing! So I guess I have to do it for reals now! 😂

Follow along if you're interested. 

Bearded Overlord Newsletter

 

Now if you haven't noticed, I publish this newsletter under the name Bearded Overlord, that's an inside joke and I'm just going to let ride! Reach out if you want a non-interesting story!

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com

An early morning trip

Took an early morning trip back to Kingman to visit family, and made sure I took  as many dirt roads as I could to get there! I was a little unprepared for 30 degree weather, am I getting too used to the warm Phoenix valley temperatures? I hope not. 

Now when I get back, it's time to start planning a proper camping trip. I'm still thinking southeastern Utah, but since it might be late spring Colorado is calling my name. 

Jason @BeardedOverland www.beardedadv.blogspot.com