Today on The Wizard Life I'm going to be discussing and demonstrating the advantages of having Four Wheel Driver when living in a vehicle in the wilderness!
I've been living in my truck in the deserts of Arizona for about three weeks now, and one of the things I'm discovering is that I am very fortunate to happen to have a 4x4 truck because it allows me to get deeper into the desert than most others can. A majority of the folks living this way are either in RVs or Vans which cannot traverse rocky, hilly and irregular roads so they are forced to park in groups near the main entrances. Not much privacy!
Here's a look at the space I had all to myself for days on end because I was able to drive about 10 minutes farther in:
I've found that securing the contents of my vehicle is critical if I'm going to go exploring into these areas. I learned that the hard way with containers falling and spilling their contents all over the place. I have a fragile solar panel that I rely on for power, so this is something I need to prevent from happening again.
Here's a look at how I've arranged the back of the truck to prevent things from getting jostled around:
Most of my food is in the large blue bin on the left. The solar panel is underneath the smaller bins on the right with a sleeping bag between them to protect the panel from scratching. I've found that propane tanks are far more stable on their sides as long as something is blocking them from rolling… definitely not an item I want bumping around inside!
Another advantage of Four Wheel Drive is that it's super fun! I have a friend who does this with a group of other people all the time, and now I understand the appeal. I'm pretty inexperienced, so hopefully I don't wreck anything on future my adventures into the wilds.
Let me know if you have any off-roading tips to avoid damaging your vehicle or cool places to explore in the Southwest United States!
Thanks for stopping by!
@cahlen
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I'm jealous. But honestly, my off-roading tip to avoid damaging your vehicle is: Stay on the road.
Jokes aside. Play it safe. By the looks it would take a while for anyone to come if you get stuck out there.
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Ya, getting help if my vehicle breaks down is a big concern. Do tow trucks come out to these places? Probably not...
Luckily I have a bike and am always close enough to other campers to get help, so I'm not gonna die of dehydration or anything.
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Tow trucks will come for an ungodly price I imagine. +1 for not dying of dehydration ;) I haven't had good luck with vehicles. They're be hard to trust.
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I've gotten pretty far back on the forest roads and offroad with a Promaster City van with street tires and only 5" of clearance. That said, I've paid for it with two smashed oil pans, 10 tires in two years, ripping off the front bumper, and gotten horribly stuck a few times. Not smart. Crazy, actually. 4WD is better.
A couple months ago, I got a lift and K02 all-terrain tires. Now got 7" clearance. It's still not a 4WD, but it should solve most of my problems.
My next rig will probably be a 4WD of some kind, or maybe an AWD, like a Subaru Outback.
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Sounds like most of the problem is clearance then, eh? Would an Outback have enough space in the back door sleeping and storage?
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Oh, it'd work for me on a minimalist basis. http://www.cars101.com/subaru/outback/outback2018.html
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I know it has nothing to do with your post, but that beard is rad! How long did it take to grow that long?
Now, living in your truck in the freaking desert, that sounds both terrifying and delightful to me, I don't know if I would have the balls for that, but seeing stories like yours do offer me a healthy slap on the face to remind me to get out of my comfort zone and push through my own limitations (but who knows, maybe is just your beard that's having a hypnotic influence on me 😉)
By the way, a random and unasked recommendation, that occurred to me as I wonder how you pack enough food to sustain yourself in the desert! Have you heard of Sampa? It's a wonderful Tibetan food, basically balls of grounded seeds and honey that last 5 years, it's easy to do, tastes great and provide plenty of energy!
Anyways, I just wanted to share that in case you need to find creative ways to stay nourished. I wrote a post with the recipe a few days ago, or I'm sure you'll find more info looking online.
Thanks for the inspiration mate! Please take care and may your 4x4 be always with you (and in optimal conditions)
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Thanks for the beard props! I can't even remember now how long it's been growing... probably almost two years.
I think about how this lifestyle would have blown my mind 5 years ago, but nowadays it just feels so natural that it's hard to remember why I was worried about it. I had a pretty long transition time into this simpler life though.
I'm planning to make some videos about what I eat out on the road very soon. In summary, I eat a lot of ghee, coconut oil, eggs and rice. I pick up vegetables like romaine or celery whenever I move locations.
Sampa sounds fascinating! I'll check out your article.
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Super stoked to have found another person traveling and living the nomadic lifestyle I am looking to live. Not many do this from a truck so I'm super interested in how you are managing it. Cheers to you!! keep up the adventure!
Cheers, gypseanicky
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