Some Words of Encouragement

A good read...

Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those that don't see it

When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected
Decide what to be and GO BE IT

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream 'til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out

There's a darkness upon you that's flooded in light
And in the fine print They tell you what's wrong and what's right
And it flies by day and it flies by night
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in
And demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I'll scream 'til I die
And the last of those bad thoughts are finally out

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

- The Avett Brothers

Enjoy a listen...

Car Camping and Overlanding Wishlist

I recently picked up a new Toyota 4Runner and I've been shopping to outfit it for car camping and long-range trips. I've been shopping for tools, sun shades, recovery gear, and comfort mattresses and I'll even admit that I've even been looking at portable fridges and power stations. I'm trying to restrain myself and only purchase what I might really need. However, the Amazon algorithm has been feeding me eye candy. 

So here is my list of Amazon Prime Deals for car camping and long distance overlanding.

ICECO APL20 12 Volt Car Refrigerator - I can dream about chugging a cold one and keeping my freshly caught fish fresh. 🎣 And I really like the style of the all-aluminum housing. This 12v freezer Cooling ranges from -4°F to 68°F to meet all your freezing or refrigeration needs. MAX mode for fast cooling and ECO mode for energy saving. With the SECOP smallest compressor, it weighs only 22.8 lbs but is very consistent in performance. BUY

Ecoflow Portable Power Station - If I were to buy a refrigerator, I would need a power station to power it. See how this insidious type of online shopping spirals out of control. 😜 Portable batteries have come a long way. One can power all your appliances with 1800W output, that's on par with outdoor generators without the fumes or noise. With 15 outlets and its huge output, you can power 90% of your appliances.  BUY

Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station - Would you choose the Ecoflow or the Anker? I've always owned Anker products and they've always performed great and lasted long. So this Anker power station is certainly under consideration as an option. The Anker SOLIX C1000 can power for 99% of all appliances with surgepad technology that delivers 2400W. The power station is built to last with over 3,000 battery cycles. And with 11 ports, you can power your devices all at once.  BUY

HOTLOGIC Mini Portable Electric Lunch Box Food Heater - Truckers have known about this hack forever. Plug this food heater into your vehicle's 12-volt socket or power station, add your food of choice, drive for 1 or 2 hours, and presto... your meal is cooked and ready to eat. The warming lunch box is ideal for cooking healthy dishes, heating frozen boxed meals, and warming comfort food anywhere you need it. Enjoy delicious meals at home, on the road, potlucks, or gatherings.  BUY

HomeMate Memory Foam Camping Mattress Pad - With car camping, comfort is king. A foam mattress would offer better sleep and no crinkling sounds when I roll over. This 3” roll-up camping mattress combines memory foam with high-density support foam for a cozy night's sleep. Portable and easy to clean. Made with safe materials, the sleeping pad is CertiPUR-US and Oeko-Tex100 certified, ensuring a healthier sleep. BUY

The Pacapit Firepit and Grill - Camping is always better with a campfire. This Pacapit might just be the perfect fire pit for an aesthetic campfire experience, portability and low impact. The PacAPit patented designs allow you to take your campfire just about anywhere. Wood, charcoal, brickets, sterno and even propane can be used with this firepit. So this would work when there are burn bans. Easy no tool setup and with three stable points of contact you can take your backyard fire pit to your campsite and bring your campsite to your backyard. BUY

Fire Sense Notebook Folding Firepit and Grill - If you're budget-minded like me, this might be a good option. I'd like to adapt this firepit/grill to accept wood, charcoal and even propane gas. This Notebook firepit might be the perfect portable firepit and grill for easy transport, yet fully functional. The clever design allows this unit to stand 13 inches high for use and then fold to one inch flat in seconds. It is constructed of high-heat-resistant-painted steel and comes with a grill included.  BUY

KUST Window Shade Custom Fit for Toyota 4Runner - These sun shades are useful for preventing the sun from penetrating one's vehicle while parked. Or from curious eyes peering into one's vehicle when car camping or when parked at a trailhead. The KUST Window Sun Shades are an easy solution to protect your privacy when you are parking, camping or even sleeping inside your vehicle. The screens can block 99% of light and sun. The heavy-duty fabric is non-transparent and holds the shades firmly in place. BUY

FASTPRO 236-Piece Home Repairing Tool Set - After watching a recently released video from Project Farm, one of my favorite YouTube channels, this tool set seems to be one of the best quality/value tool kits. This tool set comes with all the most basic and necessary tools for work and DIY projects around the home or garage. It includes the most useful sizes to satisfy your general automotive repair work. Includes pliers, adjustable wrench, hammer, screwdrivers, magnetic screwdriver holder, screwdriver bits, utility knife, tape measure, sockets, combination wrenches, hex keys etc. The sockets and combination wrenches are made with heat treatment, chrome plated and polished for durability.  BUY

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Car Wash Soap - I've actually had this car wash soap in my cart for the last month but was delaying purchasing it because it seems pretty pricey for soap. However, this soap is highly recommended by car detailing professionals because it will not damage a vehicle's clear coat.  BUY

CAMPINGMOON Refillable Lindal Valve Gas Canister for Backpacking - This is a game changer in the backpacking diaspora. I believe that this refillable gas canister is somewhat new to the market. It isn't even on sale, but I want one. Every backpacker knows the pain of carrying and discarding used isobutane gas canisters. This canister is refillable. This empty gas fuel canister, with a standard Lindal valve for 35g butane gas can be filled from a variety of fuel cans both nozzle-type butane canisters or Lindal valve canisters. It even comes with adaptors. I hope to pick one up and test it to see if it is easy to use and performs the same as non-refillable canisters.  BUY

Nitecore NU25 Headlamp - I already own one of these, but it would be nice to have an extra to keep in my vehicle. The NU25 headlamp is capable of a 400 lumen max, Instead of traditional headband, it comes with a pair of paracord, which make NU25 even more lightweight, perfect for backpacking, biking, jogging and trekking.  BUY

So this is my list. Do I really need any of these items to go car camping? Of course not. Do I really want them? Maybe. I may pick up one or two of the smaller items and put the other items on my Christmas Wish List.  This is how I often delay my gratification and keep it real. Of course, if someone would like to purchase one of these items and gift it to me, I would be more than willing to accept your generosity. 😄

Have a good day, Y'all!  

*The links in this article are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I will receive a small commission of about 3%. The price that you pay will always be the same price that you would pay when regularly shopping on Amazon. Purchasing through these links helps to support me and my blog and encourages me to create content that is both informative and actionable. Thank you for your support.

 

Driving the Rim Rock Drive within Colorado National Monument

 

One of the grandest scenic drives in the American West, the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive located within Colorado National Monument offers redrock canyons, crisp blue skies, and glorious views along the way for motorists and bicyclists. This 4:15 minute video captures just a segment of the scenic drive that I had a chance to checkout on my roadtrip.

Colorado National Monument is a National Park near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is high desert land with pinyon and juniper forests on the Colorado Plateau,. The park hosts a wide range of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, ravens, jays, desert bighorn sheep, and coyotes. #getoutside #hiking #exploring #traveling #roadtripping #overlanding #coloradonationalmonument #nps #nationalparkservice #grandjinction #colorado

I Went For A Hike In A Lava Tube In Craters Of The Moon National Monument

I woke up at the crack of dawn to explore Craters of the Moon National Monument and specifically the lava tube called Indian Tunnel. At first glance, the terrain appeared shapeless, formless and austere. It wasn't. I started to look more closely and began to appreciate the unique geology and lava structures.

It was so quiet and peaceful that I decided to walk in silence and record the experience. I hope that you enjoy it.

Indian Tunnel (from the NPS website https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm) As the hot, fluid pahoehoe lava flows across the surface it forms rivers and channels. As the surface of the molten lava comes in contact with the cooler air, the surface of the lava starts to harden and the flow quickly "crusts" over. Hot lava continues to flow beneath the crust. When the eruption ends and the supply of lava stops, the lava drains out from beneath the crust leaving an empty tunnel or tube. Being the largest lava tube in the caves area, Indian Tunnel is over 30 feet high, 50 feet wide, and approximately 800 feet long. Indian Tunnel contains many of the features common to all lava tubes. On the ceiling of the tube you can see lava stalactites formed as the river of lava pulled away from the ceiling, and molten material began to drip from the hot ceiling. The amount of lava flowing in a tube fluctuates over the course of an eruption. If the activity at the vent increases, the amount of lava flowing into the tube may increase. This rise and fall of lava levels left marks on the walls of Indian Tunnel. If you look closely at the walls, you can see long linear ridges, called tide marks. These ridges show where the flowing river of lava temporarily held at a constant level long enough for deposits of lava to accumulate on the wall. Since geologists cannot easily observe what happens inside a lava tube during an eruption, they can only speculate on how many features are formed. Most agree that during an eruption, lava tubes are often in a constant state of change. They can form only to be destroyed by the formation of new tubes. Tubes can even burst if the eruption pours more lava into the tube than the tube can hold, splitting it down the middle, like a loaf of bread in the oven. Several forms of life can be found in Indian Tunnel today. In tubes with skylights, sunlight reaches into the cave and allows yellow and green mosses and lichens to grow on the moist, dimly lit walls. Small animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, and packrats make their home in the cave. Cavity nesting birds, such as violet-green swallows, find plenty of nesting cavities in the cracks of the rock that form the rim of the skylights. Great-horned owls may also nest on the numerous ledges found in Indian Tunnel. #hiking #cratersofthemoon #idaho