Vanlife

In April/May 2022 we were on the road in Andalusia for 2.5 weeks. One of our more intense experiences occurred while wild camping - something that really got under our skin. In the last third of our journey, we reached Cabo De Gata, on the recommendation of our research queen and also on the recommendation of Juan, an employee of a hotel in Seville. The last kilometres of the journey were quite desolate, endless vegetable fields covered with fabric roofs, unusually littered roadsides - and then one of the most unadorned places "Cabo de Gata" did not really invite us to linger. But we stopped at the restaurant "Goleta Cabo de Gata" and had an extremely delicious lunch, I had mussels and then swordfish steaks on the table - both exceptionally tasty. On arrival, we had already marked a branching track in the sat nav, which, according to satellite image research, led directly to the beach, between Almeria and Cabo de Gata. After lunch, we ploughed about 1-2 km along ...

10-Day Emergency Survival Guide: Solar Power, Essential Gear & Supplies Preparation

When it comes to prepping, it's easy to get lost in extremes — bunker fantasies here, end-of-the-world scenarios there. It's more sensible to stay pragmatic. If you want to be prepared, you should consider the following three scenarios and decide what is truly necessary for each. Adapt your gear as needed so it can be helpful in several or all scenarios. Starting Point Let's assume the supply situation has collapsed: no electricity, no water, no food supplies, gas stations closed. The cause doesn't matter — natural disaster, sabotage, war, or terrorist attack. Public order is severely restricted. After a short time, even mobile internet (4G/LTE) stops working (based on recent experience from the ANTIFA attack in Berlin , September 11, 2025). Let's leave aside uncertainties, like being away from home during the crisis (e.g., on vacation, at work, visiting friends) and unable to reach your base. Goal: Survive ten days until the situation normalizes. Our Action Options...

Off-Road Navigation Made Easy: How to Plan Your Adventure

Before every Off-Road Adventure, the same big challenge awaits: Planning and Navigation! The perfect app for planning and navigating off-road adventures just doesn’t exist! Although there are plenty of usable apps, the learning curve is often only worth it for commercial tour operators. As a traveler and overlanding enthusiast, I’d rather spend my rare free time (especially as a new dad!) outdoors or behind the wheel instead of spending late nights diving into route planning or learning complex navigation apps. Of course, we could just opt for pre-made roadbooks from MDMOT, 4x4Roadbooks, or Pistenkuh, or book a guided off-road tour, such as one of the sociable events offered by Five-Mountains. Since we prefer solitude and remote nature, though, pre-planned tours or group trips aren’t ideal for us. They tend to lack that touch of adventure—like the uncertainty of whether our vehicle can handle the route—and shared spots can sometimes mean crowds, noise, or litter. So, if you’re like us—...

Roof load weight and the roof top tent

Travelling with an RTT is not that uncommon anymore, but comes with a couple of disadvantages which are not that well known. We will start with those and will discuss further advantages or disadvantages later on in this article. Often the weight of these roofracks together with a RTT exceed the weight limits that the car manufacturer allows for that roof. In addition, the weight limits as specified by the roofrack manufacturers typically differ between using them off- and on-road. Let's analyze that a bit deeper with the help of an example. We will compare one of the strongest Toyota Land Cruiser 200, with a weight limit of 150kg (330lbs) for the roof, with a Ford Ranger UTE, which is commonly used for overlanding. Some RTT and their weight 24kgs - Decathlon RTT (noname) 42kgs - GZ Aluminium Canopies ultra-lightweight carbon fiber clam shell 43kgs - Frontrunner soft shell 45kgs - Eezi-awn jazz and series 3 soft shells 48kgs - Thule Tepui Ayer 2...

Travel tip: a 4x4 adventure in Thailand by rental car

Years ago we were on the road in Thailand for a few weeks with a rental car. Unlike our rental offroad adventure in Laos , there was a wide range of rental companies and a Toyota Fortuner was quite affordable. As it turned out, the vehicle was only conditionally suitable for the terrain we encountered. But even with road configuration, with 4x4 and gear reduction you get further than you think. Thailand is especially off the beaten tourist track beautiful, pristine and offers plenty for the off-roader heart. Away from the very well developed and maintained highways and main roads, there are plenty of dirt tracks, river fords and remote mountain villages, some still only accessible via single-trail ie actually only via motorcycle. Perhaps the travels in Asia also explains why my travelogue to Iceland did not degenerate into exuberant reports on the subject of fords, water crossings and offroad. Thailand and Laos offer more here and even outside the rain...

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