Want more power? more lift? more torque? better MPGs?? All in one solution here:

No one seemed to care about RTT and brolanding five years ago. Now, I’m seeing Subaru’s and Rav 4s with methods and maxtrax mounted on their roofs on my daily commute. We have become tone deaf and desensitized to the movement to go outdoors.

 

First guy to use it in the morning had to lite the propane heater. I have to admit, it made taking a dump a lot more tolerable.

 

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Food, stove, med kit, recovery gear, camp chair and some other stuff behind my seats - it's an AC w/a 6ft bed
The Gortex bivi bag does me all right when it rains, and I'd rather roll it up than a wet tent.
Mosquito net for in the summer, as needed.
Since this photo was taken I've installed a roll up tonneau cover that makes for a pretty good rain fly if I want to get all fancy and do that.
I think the overlander tents or whatever those hippy hotels are called are pretty cool and I'd maybe use one if I had one - but I don't.
Plus, since I'm closer to 80 than 40 the thought of climbing down & up a little aluminum ladder at O'dark-thirty to take a piss doesn't appeal to me much.
As a professional camper for 30 years in the United States Army I'm kinda set in my ways anyhow, but I sure do like seeing all the different rigs and set-ups you fellas have.
Thanks for posting them...

 

I found the biggest tipping point in BC was actually covid, for anything outdoors related. Sales were up hundreds of percentage points at outdoor equipment retailers (hiking/camping based) because everyone wanted to go outside. Stores couldn't keep stock on the shelves. So many product or shipping shortages made it even worse. Then people realized the average car is totally fine for the average FSR. Then they realized FSRs track through some truly beautiful areas, hence throwing ATs and nice wheels on anything that didn't have a Nissan CVT to cook over 10km on a dirt path. From there they realized "wow shit my Subaru is actually as capable as the commercials say it is, maybe I should go further next time!".

 

It's about having a good compromise, not just one or the other. Our trucks allow us to explore the outdoors, which comes at a risk due unknown/unforeseen circumstances that come with offroading/camping/etc. That's where compromising comes in to play. I'd gladly add a few hundred pounds of armor and recovery gear (sliders/skids/winch) for the protection it gives. Can't tell you how many people have needed to be rescued/towed for a minor issue simple recovery gear/body armor could have prevented. If someone loves going to the outdoors and "overlanding", they should at least carry the basics and make sure they are planning for what their vehicle is capable of. I get it sometimes unforeseen things happen, but that should be the exception, not the rule. As far as all the gucci overlanding gear, that's another story and each person is free to make their own choice. But remember there are people who backpack cross country with what fits on their back, and yet guys in the overland community carry so much stuff for small trips they sometimes even tow an off-road trailer. Most of my group I overland/camp/explore with are minimalist. We generally each carry a backpacking backpack which carries our tent, sleeping bag/pad, shower wipes, clothes, cooking kit and our meals/snacks. In an emergency, it allows us to hike out and for the convenience factor, mostly all of our camping stuff stores easily on a single seat of the vehicle. Other then that, we may have a small portable bathroom tent/camping chair and case of water in the trucks. I love when people at busy spots come by to look around at everyone's setups and ask "where is all your stuff?", only to find out we have everything we need and then some. To each their own though, and always remember, it's not about miles per gallon, it's about smiles per gallon.

 

That’s a beautiful minimalist set-up. Bravo.

 

https://www.snowpeak.com/collections/utensils/products/titanium-spork

 

Pulled out the storage behind the rear seats to make room for lighter shit I “need” to have with me. Used a cloth molle panel to attach things to. Rat7, some water, clothes, recovery gear etc. also took out the sound dampener so that’s another 11 oz gone. The boxes beneath the back seats pop out too stuck a blanket in there.

 

Interesting

 

This past weekend we spotted no fewer than 5 RTTs. The fiancee was like "oh! We should get one of those!"

Uh dear, they're literally no different than sleeping in our popup trailer, except we have hot running water and slightly better milage.

 

I used to go camping on the shore of Harrison Lake at a forestry site called Hale Creek. Only way in or out was 4wd. Beautiful place. I would bring a couple cans of beans, a pack of wieners and a 6 pack of Coke. I also had a small tent, a sleeping bag and maybe a change of clothes... pack light and just the essentials...

Now I have a wife and kids... so an RV is a must, a furnace, running hot water, warm, comfortable beds, a running refrigerator with a jug of milk in it! It isn't camping anymore, it's moving.


I am honestly hoping to bring back some of the simpler trips back, but I don't see the wife being interested in that... and the more the RV trips happen, the more comfortable I get with them

 

From my IG 10 years ago, trendsetting I guess. OK no Methods or Maxtrax, but certainly not on my commute in this pic. Barely better gas mileage than my stuffed Taco FWIW.

 

Backpacking is such a fantastic lesson in minimizing weight. I used to do the Grand Canyon every year, and would agonize over every ounce, because on that last couple miles coming out you’d give anything for a lighter pack.

 

My tent doesn’t add any MPGs

 

I have the light lugnut model with no unneeded (for me) 4wd hardware or electronics, lightweight springs and shocks.

I also have more plastic bed and less cab.

It's a '13, meaning I'm enviromentally friendly. If you've never considered that building a new vehicle is enviromentally impactful, you should. Especially when the new one is essentially the same as the old with just more glam and 'fresh' colors.

 

Took the family out for a little hike on Sunday. Driving like an old man on country roads pays off.

 

Oh man I can't imagine a trek that goes into a canyon. All of ours go up mountains, so that last 20km to come out is always a breeze unless you have bad knees or don't have trekking poles lol.

 

man i could actually afford a trailer at those prices! can't be spending 10k on a trailer!

 

Ah, you Florida guys always bragging about MPG gains.