So you’re ready to hit the road? Kudos and bon voyage – but before you go, there are a few things worth knowing about this whole long-distance travel business. What is overland travel in the first place, how do you go about it, and it is worth it? As overlanders who have been living on the road and mucking about for years, we’ve gone through multiple phases of the thing. Both Lennart and I started overlanding on motorcycles, me covering some crazy miles across South America, Lennart exploring Europe. Then, we kept aiming for new destinations and threw amateur rally racing into the mix, and our newest project is the overland rig journey from Andalusia to Alice Springs. Over the years, the way we travel has changed, our MO has changed, and even the number of wheels we roll on is...
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The overland truck build is now in full swing, and it's hard to believe the whole thing was a mere idea just a few months ago. Moored in the cold and overcast wilderness that is Northern Holland, we're currently working on the Mastodon - our 1971 Mercedes LAF 1113B firetruck - and trying to figure out the ins and outs of the whole insane process. Don't worry, we're not actually naming it Mastodon - it's just that driving the truck feels like wielding some massive, ancient, but vaguely benevolent beast. The first time I drove it, I nearly took out a lamppost and a neighbor's storage unit before promptly getting the clutch pedal stuck (luckily, Lennart resolved this with clever use of a sledgehammer). When that engine starts rumbling and the truck jolts forward, it's like sitting high...
Read MoreWait, what? Buiding an overland vehicle? Aren’t motorcycles the perfect means for overlanding? They are – but we’re on a mission to build an expedition truck nonetheless. Okay, let’s back up a little. Lennart and I have spent a considerable amount of time wandering about on our motorcycles. I started my adventure traveling odyssey back in 2013 when I bought a small Chinese motorcycle in Peru and took off traveling across South America for two years. I never stopped riding – after a short stint back in Europe, I got a Suzuki DR650 back in 2016 and rode it across the US, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Then, I shipped the thing to Europe hoping to do some rally races and head to Africa. Lennart started traveling on bikes back in 2012, first doing short trips wit...
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