Grab a beverage and snuggle up to the campfire my friends. It’s that time again when we revisit the best overland travel and off-road content the internet has to offer, right here at Overland & Expedition. As the embers die and the great arc of the Milky Way unfolds over our heads, we’re going to sit back and reminisce about, well, last month two months nearly three months ago, ‘cause that’s what we do.
(Damnit, Tim. You couldn’t have waited one day? You’re a butt. A big stinky one.)
November offered up an eclectic mix of vehicle-based adventures, the usual highly intelligent discussions (seriously, keep an eye on the comments), moto news, and check-ins from around the globe. As our Emperor Hammerheadfistpunch always reminds us, if you would like to contribute to O&E, hit us up in the comments. We’re always looking to expand the fam, and we want to hear about your off-road and overland adventures!
Let’s get to it.
Trip Reports
As the northern hemisphere settles into the bitter clutches of Cailleach, we depend on our compatriots from Down Under to warm us with Australia’s sunshine and inspire new adventures. I seriously cannot wait to visit that continent one of these days.
Rufant just can’t stay off the beaches in his 105 Land Cruiser (or his old Pajero) and even when he’s traveling to watch motorsports, he can’t help himself to a taste of at least a little dirt. This time he brought some company in the form of his friends with a HiLux and a fancy new Rover.
SilentButNotReallyDeadly took us through another of Australia’s upside-down tracks with a weird name that reminds us history is everywhere you look, you just have to know where to find it. (How ‘bout a picture of your truck once in a while, eh, Silent? We live for that kind of content around here, you know. Sheesh.)
Speaking of history, both Tim and Hammerhead shared their own encounters with our fellow humans who lived and breathed and walked the earth before us - some hundreds of years ago, some just in the last century.
Maybe one day archaeologists will unearth the remains of rusty 80 Series Land Cruisers with laser-cut drawers and marvel at our meager existence. How could we have lived like that?!
Dreams and Discussions
There is a paradox that those who are moved to explore have to contend with: we are always planning for the next adventure, even while our current journey lies immediately before us.
But we wouldn’t be driven to find new horizons if that wasn’t the case, right? As Anatole France was reported to have said:
Hmmmm. I call bullshit. I think we all want to know where the path goes no matter how beautiful.
We often think we find ourselves alone on the metaphorical road, but that’s not really the case. We rely on our fellow travelers to find new ideas and share our discoveries. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn’t. I like to think around here at O&E it does.
Two Wheels... You Know the Joke...
Our good friend benjrblant obviously has invested in a very impressive life insurance policy, since he is now commuting regularly in urban Colorado traffic on this thing:
I will admit to some envy, however, as my only experience on anything resembling a motorcycle was a week-long rental of a Yamaha scooter in Thailand, and it changed my life. I have driven a lot of different kinds of vehicles, some very fast and exciting; but nothing has compared to zipping around a tropical island at 20 mph with my best girl hugging me tight, and the world unfolding before me in stop motion. I will join the moto club one day.
But that’s not all on the motorcycle front - Tim scored a fascinating interview with a Baja 1000 racer that is more than worth your time:
And, we have more pedal pushers in our midst, as Tim and his friends dragged themselves over Arizona’s hills and dales on bicycles through a torturous death ride, dodging axe murderers along the way. They subsisted on what I can only perceive were craft beer, whiskey, and the occasional whiff of baked beans. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Project Updates
Speaking of torturous rides, I cannot wait to see how SThree7's Isuzu project turns out. I have a soft spot for these step-child trucks, and he is making the best of it. Hilariously. It’s my favorite project car on the Internet right now.
In comparison, LionZoo has basically mailed it in on his new Lexus. SMDH.
WHERE IS YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CRAFT, SON?
And there we have it. My mantra for the new year is exactly what Rufant said:
I leave you with possibly the most epic camping photo of all time, because the archives could produce nothing better.
