We are off road enthusiasts who enjoy the great outdoors and the adventure of exploring new places.

Many things make up a great expedition. The preparations and the planning, the camping, the travel, the camaraderie, meeting new friends, challenging trails and seeing new sights around every corner are just a few reasons we enjoy it so much.

We believe that we should be good stewards of the land by following the tenets of Tread Lightly, practicing low impact camping and encouraging others to do the same.


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Thanks Matt.......and Matt

This should be on the "Thank You" page of this blog but I wanted to make sure it is read by everyone who visits.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank Matt for all that he has done to ensure the success of this trip. The planning he has done and the routing he has done are great but what makes this even more great is that he has done all of this while serving our country in Afghanistan.

Thank you Matt for all you have done toward making this expedition one of the best.

Recently we have had another Matt sign on as an expedition member. Mr. Matt Hunt of Lincoln, Ne. He has also been deployed to Afghanistan. All of our thanks go out to him as well.

Special thanks from myself and everyone else to you both for serving our country and being part of the fight for our freedoms.

Saying thank you seems to be so inadequate. I hope someday I will be able to repay you in some way. I don't know if that is possible but I am going to try.

We will see you soon my friends. We all miss you. Especially Griz.

Tom

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What's in your BOB

BOB-Bug Out Bag-something you can grab and go with and have everything you will need for an extended stay in the wilderness.

Some items that could be in your bag:

Emergency shelter
Rope
A good knife
Fire starter
Survival kit
Dry clothing
Water
Food
Compass
Map of area you are in
Daily meds if they are needed
Water and a means to purify water.
Sierra cup
Flashlight with extra batteries.
First Aid kit
Sheet of clear plastic that is a minimum of 36 X 36 inches
1/4 inch clear tubing-4 feet

Let's go through the list and see what might be suggested for each item.

Emergency Shelter-This could be a folded up poncho or small lightweight tarp

Rope-50 to 100 feet of parachute cord. This cord is strong and lightweight without taking up much room.

A good knife-Doesn't need to be a machete but one you are familiar with and know how to use. It should have at least a 3 inch blade. Quality is up to the individual but remember you get what you pay for and your survival might depend on that knife.

Fire starter-waterproof matches/striker to light them or a flint and steel with tinder in a small container. Dryer lint or cotton balls are great tinder if kept dry. This should be separate from the fire starting items you have in your survival kit.

Survival kit-Let me describe what I have in mine:
Whistle
Signal mirror
Waterproof matches/striker and/or a new Bic lighter
Tinder
2 yards of woven nylon string
5 yards of monofilament fishing line
Fishing float
Fish hooks
Lead weights
Doll fly lures
Swivels

All of this in a watertight container that is 1 inch in diameter and 3 inches long with room to spare. I plan to include another means of starting a fire and have more tinder.

Dry Clothing-Probably will take up the most room in the bag. Choose lightweight, warm and hopefully waterproof clothing. Dry socks are a must.

Water-Should have enough to get you through one day with the thought that you will find more. The recommended amount for one day is one gallon. Weight is a factor. If you know there will be a ready supply of water, you might be able to carry only a quart container. Use a metal container in case you would need to boil water in it.

Unless it is absolutely necessary and your survival depends on it, never drink water from any source in the wild without first purifying it. Boiling or water purification tabs work well as do several commercial brands of water purification systems.

Sierra cup- This is a small lightweight steel cup that has many uses

Food- It is great to think you could carry enough food to last a week or more. Remember that you can survive for quite a while without food. Military style MREs work well account the high calorie content, small space they take up and that they will last a long time if not opened. Freeze dried foods are another innovation that might be considered.

Compass-Know how to use it!!!!

Map of area you are in-Road maps, topo maps or forest service maps work well. Know how to read the map and how to use the compass to find your way on that map.

Daily meds-If you have daily maintenance meds, try to have enough to last a week.

Flashlight-There are many to choose from but again, you get what you pay for. Your survival could depend on it. You might consider carrying a couple of "light sticks" that glow after they are bent.

First Aid Kit-Should contain the basic items. Tape, antiseptic, bandages, rolled gauze. pair of scissors, 3 pairs of gloves, small sealed container of alcohol or betadine, tweezers and band aids should get you started.

Sheet of clear plastic. This stuff can come in very handy. One suggestion would be for an emergency water supply, you could build a solar still. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still, the plastic tubing would be used with this.

These are merely suggestions as to what could be in your BOB. Everyone has different ideas of what should be carried. All suggestions could work very well.

This is not an inclusive list. This is what I would have in mine. I would probably have more items as suggested above but my entire bag will weigh less than 15 pounds. The heaviest item in the bag will be one of the most important. That is the water.

The bag doesn't have to be huge. It should be able to be carried as a back pack would be.

Thursday, May 19, 2011



As you will recall, Matt and I have partnered with Phil Golden and his Expedition Awareness in an effort to help spread the word about a deadly childhood disease known as ALD or adrenoleukodystrophy. Please visit the above link to learn more about Phil's expedition and the many ways to help.


Brooks Golden is the 18 month old son of Phil and Melissa Golden. He is pictured above. He was diagnosed with ALD in 2010. Phil is undertaking Expedition Awareness, departing in June on Phase 1, to raise awareness of ALD which will help find a cure for this disease.

Matt and I will be carrying the message for Phil during our own expedition, which begins in August, in an effort to reach even more people and educate them to this deadly disease and Phil's efforts.

Please visit the website for Expedition Awareness and see the many ways you can help in this fight. Visit the store and purchase gear. Donate to the cause. Become an Awareness Partner yourself. Do business with the many sponsors who are supporting Expedition Awareness and our CDR 2011 expedition.

Please keep the Golden family in your prayers.


Monday, May 16, 2011

Not a lot happening the last couple of weeks. two of our three vehicles decided to have mechanical problems. One was fixed and is back on the road but my TJ will have to go to a mechanic to get the front bearing units changed out. Glad one of the wheel bearings went out now instead of on the trip.

Have communicated with the folks over at the Off Road Camping Club, ORCC. Along with the Expedition Portal, the Overland Journal and 4x4 Ham, we have a great resource list we can use. Many thanks are due to these great folks along with many others for contributing to the success of our expedition.

When we get closer to our departure time, ORCC has offered to set up a board on their forum that will link to this blog and will receive updates during our trip so the members can keep up with our progress.

Friday, May 6, 2011

It is hard to believe we are only about 10 weeks away from our departure date. We have been busy preparing for this expedition for close to two years.

There will be a lot of activity when Matt gets back getting him and his Jeep "Blue" ready to go but we will be ready when the time comes.

The price of fuel has been getting our attention as of late. We are still committed to the trip and we will have to figure this into our budget.





What a great find. ThisTrasharoo will prove to be a great asset. It will be much better than having a plastic garbage bag hanging off the back of the Jeep.


We pickup trash when we are on the trail. It is sad that some off road folks seem to think the world is their trash can.

Check out the website of Tread Lightly. http://www.treadlightly.org/ We do our best to live up to their tenets when exploring this great country. As everyone should also try to do.