The Oklahoma Adventure Trail-West Half Day One

Oklahoma Adventure Trail-The West Half

The Oklahoma Adventure Trail was created by The Adventure Riders in 2012.  The Adventure Riders had an idea of a long adventure motorcycle trail that would connect must see places and loop around the entire state of Oklahoma.  Being in Okie I felt I needed to do this trail.  There are a couple of different places to find information about the trail.  Some of the sites I found had somewhat updated information about the trail.  So I started planning and started to gather a team.

Mark

Mark my uncle and a big reason I love 4x4 vehicles was the first person I contacted about the trip.   He is a mister fix and worked may years as a mechanic.  He has also taken several nursing classes which made him a very valuable member of our team. 

DJ

DJ a friend from church that has years of backpacking experience and serves in the National Guard.  He would be my lean on man for navigation and rode next to me in my vehicle.

Justin

Justin is a Jeep friend and he came with the most capable vehicle for the trip.  A Jeep Rubicon on 35in tires, tons of recovery gear, and a willingness to do anything for the team.

Jack

Maggie

Jack was interested in coming with us on the trip.  I think he had the most experience of all of us.  He and his wife Maggie have both spend several years as adventure motorcyclist as well as going on Jeep adventures.  His knowledge of camping gear is second to none. 

We also had three kiddos with us, Jack and Maggie's grandson, DJ's daughter, and my daughter Molly that comes with me on most of my overland and camping adventures.  It was great having kids with us, it just helped keep everything fun. 

The Kids

We all met at my house a few weeks before we left.  We talked about what each person's expectations were and what we wanted to gain from the trip.  We talked about food, camping, and the trail it's self.  A lot of the time was spend talking about our vehicles, experience, and what items we each needed to bring.  We all agreed on where and when to meet.  The time was set the place was marked and we were ready.  The trip was going to start spring break 2017.

It was a Wednesday evening when we met at Lake McMurtry in north central Oklahoma.  From here we would drive counter clock wise to the west.  I arrived just before sunset.  Jack, Maggie, and Justin where already there and had their camps all set.  DJ and I worked at getting our hammocks setup.  We both had our daughters hammocks right above ours so that nothing could get to them without us knowing.  They just liked being up higher than us in their hammocks.  We sat around telling stories of past adventures and sharing our excitement about this new adventure we were starting. 

That first night was cold.  The wind blew off the lake which didn't the fact I couldn't sleep anyway anticipating starting the drive in the morning.  I did manage a couple of hours of sleep, Molly slept all night and stayed warm.   When we all woke up we made breakfast and broke down camp.  Mark arrived, and the last piece of the puzzle was here and we were ready to start.  Packed and ready to go we all got in our vehicles and started them up, well everyone but me.  Seems the girls game of opening and closing the doors all night, with a few times the just kept them open drained the battery in the Liberty.  No problem we just give it a quick jump and be on our way. 

Me freezing the first night

We met dirt roads right at the start.  A lot of the roads we traveled on where not well maintained, just the way we like them.  It was in the first hour that we had our first very small water crossing.  Not very far from there we found and old building.  We guessed that it was well over 100 years old.  The roof was gone and it was falling apart, and another photo opportunity.  Shortly after that we came across a couple of camels, yes a camels on the side of the road.  Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures.The trip was in its first two hours and already it was a blast. 

We travel on more dirt roads some smooth some not so much.  We traveled along a creek and was stopped by a bridge that was out.  We back tracked and found another way around.  A big part of trips like this is the ablilty to adapt to changes.  This is more of a mental thing then anything else.  Not getting worked up over lost time backtracking is key.  We decided to stop and eat lunch at a diner in Pond Creek, Pepperment Pad this was a cool little burger place.  They had tons of history on the walls.  We wanted to eat together in a restruant early on the trip simply so we could talk and not worry about making lunch.  It was a great place to laugh and get closer as a team. 

After lunch we head out to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.  We would start on the east side of the Great Salt Lake.  We stopped a couple of times and watched several different species of ducks gather in the ponds around the lake.  We would travel around the  northwest corner of the lake and head to the Great Salt Plains.  I had heard about being able to dig for crystals on the Salt Plains.  As we approached the area where you could drive on the Salt Plains we found that it was closed and would open in a week.  The kids were almost as upset as us adults.  I did see that the parking lot which was dirt had a lot of sparkles in the sun.  So we told the kids to start looking for crystals.  They did find several small ones. 

As we left the Salt Plains we ended up on the longest paved road we would drive the entire trip.  So we put the petals down and headed to Alabaster Caverns State Park.  It took us a while to find and campsite.  We did not get one we liked but we got one that worked.  Most of the park was closed due to it not being the high traffic season.  We all cooked our meals and sat again telling stories, but this time we started talking about the events of the day.  We stayed here because we wanted to tour the caverns and hoped to see some bats! 

Our first full day was over.  The next day we would need to do a quick repair, we would get lost, and we would be amazed how different our home state would be mile after mile. 

Come back and see what happens on day two of the Oklahoma Adventure Trail-West Half, and remember to GO ALL OVER. 

A response to the last blog post.

Let me start by saying I did not intend to start the firestorm I did with my last blog post.  It was a look at the extremes of both.  It seemed to some that I did not shed a positive light on the Offroad world.  That was not what tried to do or say.  I enjoy both activities, a lot.  I have spend many years doing both as well.  I have planned and gone on long distance overlainding trips and I have been a part of the planning for fun day trips to the local offroad parks.  The mind set of each is completely different.  I am sorry if you ddon't not agree, I am also not saying anything bad about either one.  I am passionate about both and will defend each activity.  I don't mind the bad comments and  read every comment good or bad.  I try my best to respond to most.  I even try and use the comments as fuel for future post, as I did with the last post.  The argument has gone on forever, so I tried to put a different light on it, some agreed some did not.   I did not intend to fix the argument or change anybody's view.  Just tried to get people to think about how we Overland vs how we Offroad.  I didn't mean that we don't go offroad and push our vehicles when we Overland,  we do.  For those unhappy about my last post I am sorry and will do better at explaining my views.  I don't pretend to think that everyone will agree, but I can promise you I didn't not plan to make anyone mad.  We may tag different labels for Overlanding, rock crawling, muddling, and off-roading but the public sees it all as the same.  It is our job as a whole to create a positive image for what we do.  I hope this helps.  Please let me know what topics you would like to see in the future.  And as always GO ALL OVER!

A big thank you to the FaceBook groups that allow me to post these Blogs.
Texas Overland
Overland, Offroad, Expedition, and Camping 4WD Vehicles
OFFROAD VEHICELS and Camping
Natural State Overland
On-Torc
And several others.

Overlanding vs Offroading

Overlanding vs. Offroading(Rockcrawling, Mudding, Extreme Stuff)

I have had several people ask me about Overlanding vs Offroading.  They are in my opinion ultimately separate activities, ultimately.  I guess the confusion comes from the fact that Overlanding is primarily done on dirt roads and not on pavement, for the most part.  Overlanders do travel on trails and we enjoy scenic drives far away from where most people travel.  Offroading is taking your vehicle to the limits of its capability, and sometimes its breaking point.  Now lets look at each one.

Overlanding-We have beat this one until it is dead, but lets look at it again, differently.  Overlanding is beauty.  The entire object of an Overlander is to reach a beautiful spot and on the way enjoy everything the travel brings to us.  Overlanding is a relaxing break from the loud everyday craziness that is all around us.  We strive to find a way to survive on our own and in the process we bring ourselves closer to God, nature, and our true self.  We need our vehicle and our equipment to sustain us for multipule days, weeks, months, and for some even years.  We are not reckless but instead controlled in what we do.  We take care of the land and even leave it cleaner than when we arrived.

Offroading-Adrenaline is the word I would use first for Offroading.  It is a mixture of gas, metal, rubber, and dirt.  It is the sounds of a motor screaming, tires burning, metal breaking, and gears twisting.  Offroading is creating your own path, one that takes a special vehicle.  One built to rip and tear its way up and through things that seem impossible.   We Offroad to challenge the vehicle and to take it to it's breaking point, to find the weak point and to make it better.  Some Offroaders often trailer these vehicles because they know it will be tested to the limits.

We need to do both, to learn about ourselves and our vehicles.  Overlanding is like a graceful long distance runner, where Offroading is like a powerful sprinter.  As Overlanders we need to take our vehicles Offroading.  We need this so we can learn how our vehicle will react to the environments we put them in and so we can make it out and make it home.

They each have their own place and time.  Please do not confuse Offroading with Overlanding.  Stay on the trail and always Tread Lightly when Overlanding.  Please only Offroad at places that allow it, such as Offroad parks.  We must work together to keep our sports available. 

GO ALL OVER, or at least where allowed.

Overlanding-What is at the Heart of Overlanding?

What is at the Heart of Overlanding?

So if you are reading this you have heard of the term Overlanding.  The term has sparked a desire for you to explore, to get outside, and to survive in the wild.  This might have happened to you years ago or it might have just recently happened to you.  Even if you are new to overlanding I'm sure you have seen or read people arguing over what is overlanding.  It seems that people have very different ideas and definitions when it comes to overlanding.  We have all seen the internet definition of overlanding, which is Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal.  Still there are complaints when people say they went overlanding as to if they actually went overlanding or just car camping.  Well that got me thinking this question, What is at the Heart of Overlanding?  This is not a post to define overlanding but to explore what is at the heart of overlanding.

I have several mentors that have reached out with a helpful hand.  I have also had "elitist" tell me I am not an overlander, that you cannot overland in the USA, and that you must have the best most expensive gear to overland and so on and so on.  This is not what I feel is at the heart of overlanding.  Overlanding is a learning experience that never ends.  It can be simply learning about new gear that can make your travels easier and safer.  For many it is getting away from everything and learning more about yourself.  Challenging yourself with experiences that lead to new "survival" techniques.  We all had to learn how to build a fire, how to pitch a tent, and the hardest of all how to roll up a recently used sleeping bag  For others it is about meeting new people from other places and learning about their culture.

Overlanding is so much more than the gear we use or the places we go.  For some it is an escape from a world with walls and ceilings.  A time where they can overcome the day to day traps and feel free.  It is a lifestyle for a few that live everyday on the road, traveling, exploring, and learning.  Overlanding has even become a culture within itself.  Just look at social media.  We have groups with members that are regional and world wide.  We also even identify ourselves are overlanders and not just people that overland.

We as Overlanders are also story tellers, teachers, and an inspiration to others that may feel trapped.  We talk about our adventures through our the story's that we tell, the videos that we publish, and photographs that we capture.  The people that we share these experiences to, see the excitement in our eyes and hear it in our voice.  For some it sounds crazy and for others it sounds alluring.  Story's that stir a feeling from down deep inside themselves that cause a need to be outside, to be far way, and need to explore.  For those that we inspire we owe it to them to help them, to teach them, and to encourage them.

If someone tells you that you are not an overlander and you feel deep down that you are, don't be discouraged.  Even though they may have years of experience they still just don't get it.  For them it is something they want to keep to themselves.  This selfishness is not what is at the heart of overlanding.  The heart of overlanding is to share the experiences that we have had and to inspire others to go outside, to be free.

Learn, share what you have learned, and GO ALL OVER.              

Overlanding does not have to be expensive.

Overlanding does not have to be expensive.

A Defender 110 with a full setup. I mean the roof top tent, the snorkel, ARB bumpers, awning, fully dress interior with a fridge and pull out kitchen set, you know everything.  Well a man can dream, right?  I will never own one of these and heck I''m even lucky to have the vehicle I overland with now.  I didn't buy my vehicle to go overlanding.  I just wanted a 4x4 vehicle to hit some trails and get dirty.  Then when I discovered what overlanding was I had to make that vehicle work.  I have a 2010 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4.  Not the vehicle most would choose but it works for what I needed when I bought it.  I have done a few things to make it more capable for traveling offroad.  I added a 2-inch lift, 31-inch KO2s, trimmed the front fenders, and removed the front bumper for better approach angles.  All of this I did super cheap.  The tires have cost the most.  I also have a CB and removed some plastic in the rear for more storage room.  My vehicle was not expensive and the work I have done myself.  I do have more plans in the works, like adding a storage box, roof rack, and a front bumper.  I plan on doing all these myself with help from people I trust.   You don't need the $40,000 rig with $20,000 worth of goodies to go overlanding.  You only need a vehicle that will safely get you from point A to B.  We don't care what type of vehicle it is, although we recommend a 4x4 with proper recovery points.  You don't want to be "that guy", you know the guy that gets hung-up or stuck on everything on a trip.

As far as gear, buy what you can afford.  Remember you really only need a place to store food, a shelter, a sleeping bag, a first aid kit, and recovery gear.  Keep is simple when you get started and build your gear up as you go.  I've seen people in super nice trailers with roof top tents and everything you can think of and then I've seen guys with barely anything else having just as much fun, maybe even more.  Spend money on the items that are the most important to you first.  This could be a nice stove, a tent, or even just a good sleeping bag. It is your gear so spend your money how you want.  It is awesome to get advice on what gear you should get, but remember this will be your gear bought by your money.  Just know it doesn't have to be expensive.

Yard sales!  Search yard sales for camping gear, coolers, storage boxes, axes, and even trailers!  Yes! Check out yard sales as often as you can. So many are in to the "it" thing, and right now that's overlanding. So, these folks buy equipment, don't really use it and then sell it. Their loss is your gain. I have so much gear and tools purchased from yard sales. I have saved so much money that way! Keep an eye on Craigslist too for some almost-new stuff at rock bottom prices.

As your travels take you further, you will find yourself upgrading your gear, and maybe even your vehicle.  Remember, to start overlanding or to be part of a group, you don't have to spend a ton of money. You are in it to enjoy it, not empty your checkbook. Start off with what you have, add what you can afford and as you go, upgrade the items you use the most.  Overlanding is a continuous learning experience.  Enjoy it, keep learning, and GO ALL OVER.

Overlanding-Prep Work Part 4-Recovery Gear-You will get stuck. Maybe you haven't yet, but you will.

Overlanding-Prep Work Part 4-Recovery Gear-You will get stuck.  Maybe you haven't yet, but you will.

I always have recovery gear in the vehicle, always.  Tow straps, do you know how many times I have been out and someone that got stuck didn't have one, well it's been way to many times to count.  I like Hi-Lift jacks they have more than one purpose.  Yes they help you lift a vehicle but they can help you get unstuck.  If you learn to use one correctly you will be able to pull the vehicle out of a bad spot.  I am seeing bottle jacks more and more, and to be honest I feel they are safer for lifting the vehicle.  Gloves have to be in the vehicle and more than one pair, but then I just like gloves.  If you have a winch there are many other items you should have with you.  Bring tools for YOUR vehicle, this is another sore spot for me.  I have tools for my vehicle and they might not work on yours.  Nothing is worst than a broken down vehicle and not being able to help because you don't have the right tools.  If your vehicle requires metric or standard bring the correct tools.  It will save you space if you bring the right tools.  Also if you have worked on your vehicle and discover there are tools you do not need, don't bring them it will save you so much space.  You also don't need several of the same tool, how many wire cutters do you need?  Recovery gear and tools I feel should be in the bottom of your packed gear.  Hopefully you will not need them.  So don't pack them on top and then have to move them each time you want a snack.

Here is a list of some of the items I feel should be taken on a overlanding trip.  This is not a be all end all list and should be added to per the needs of each individual.  These are items to get you started.  Remember safety before anything else.

1. Tools for your vehicle, each vehicle many need different types of tools
2. Hi-Lift Jack
3.  Tow straps - 2 or more, 2 inch width or wider, 20 foot or longer
4. Tree saver
5. Come-along
6. D-Rings
7. Shovel
8. Chainsaw and bar oil, 2 cycle engine oil, spare chain (can be handy in recover situations, as well as for trail clearing on wooded trails)
9. Snatch Block
10. Winch Damper, if you have  a winch
11. Gloves (more than one pair and for different uses)\
12. Extra hoses and belts for your vehicle
13. Common spare parts for your vehicle
14. Whiskey only use at the campsite when the day is over

Get out of a pickle and GO ALL OVER!

Overlanding-Prep Work Part 3-Kitchen Gear for all the foodies out there.

Overlanding-Prep Work Part 3-Kitchen Gear for all the foodies out there.

I love to eat so kitchen gear is very important for me on a trip.  With that said you don't need to bring the entire kitchen.  Start off small and simple and as you gain experience grow your kitchen gear and what you cook.  We also prepare some of our food ahead of time and freeze some of it before we leave.  This helps keep the cooler cold and the food keeps longer.  These could be breakfast burritos, meatballs, or any other foil wrapped foods or vacuum sealed food.  A vacuum sealer really comes in handy in food prep.  Planning food is important as well as planning how to store it.  Think of creative things like putting eggs in a used coffee creamer container.  The sky is the limit and I would love to hear about tricks you use to store food.

As far as gear you will need a cooking source.  This could be a double burner or just a single hiking style burner.  If you bring a burner bring fuel and matches and/or a lighter.  I like to have one cast iron skillet because they last forever and clean easily.  I also bring a cooking kit that stacks into each other, saves space and allows me to cook more than one thing at a time.  Get a set of reusable plates, forks, spoons, and knifes.  You only need one set per person.  Clean them after each use and just pack away.  Paper plates and plastic forks etc. only mean more trash and can take up tons of room.  Bring a small towel for kitchen cleaning only, and keep it with your cooking gear.

Placement is also key.  You don't want to unload your vehicle at lunch.  Most of the time lunch is a stop on the side of the trail kind a thing so you want easy access.  So plan how you pack your food and have a plan what you will have for lunch, easy meals at lunch time just make sense to me.  I don't want to break out the stove for lunch so sandwiches are a good go to.  I also like to keep a small cooler up front with some drinks and snacks for the day.  We love apples, oranges, grapes, and bananas.

Make sure you decide if you are on your own for food each meal or if you will take turns each night for dinner.  It can be fun and a great bonding experience to divide meals up each night.  Just make sure everyone is aware and that they bring enough food for everyone if you divide who is responsible for meals each night.

I also like the Yeti style cups.  I personal love my bubba cup.  It keeps my drinks cold and hot for hours  I have one for cold drinks and one for coffee.  Again this is totally up to you and what you feel you need.  I have used both everyday for almost two years now.

Here is a list of some of the items I feel should be taken on a overlanding trip.  This is not a be all end all list and should be added to per the needs of each individual.  These are items to get you started.  Remember safety before anything else.

1. Large water jug & water bucket
2. Coolers/ice or a Frig
3. Thermos
4. Stove with fuel/propane
5. Matches/lighter
6. Stackable pots and a cast iron skillet
7. Reuseable plates & bowls
8. Silverware/plastic silverware
9. Heavy-duty aluminum foil
10. Trash bags
11. Dish soap
12. Cooking oil/Pam spray
13. Containers for food storage
14. Potholders/oven mitts
15. Soap for outside of pots and pans
16. Cook utensils-spatula, knife, spoon
17. Tongs
18. Skewers/grill forks
19. Can opener/bottle opener
20. Folding table
21. Cutting board
22. Ziplock bags
23. Dish pan
24. Dish rags/towels
25. Scrub pad/brillo
26. Seasonings/sugar/condiments
27. Coffee
28. Coffee filters
29. Collapsible silicon coffee drip
30. Whiskey only use at the campsite when the day is over

Eat well and GO ALL OVER