January 2014 | Volume 7 | Issue 1

It was time for graduate school, which meant a more reliable and efficient vehicle than my worn out Silverado was needed.  After a brief search for a car, I realized I needed an SUV.  Having some prior experience with 4Runners, I set my sights on one.  

A 4th gen was chosen since they felt more robust than the older models and, after some interweb scouring, several were located nearby.  However, few were within mileage and price constraints.  About this time 5th gens were hitting the scene and my aunt, knowing that I was looking at 4Runners, devised a scheme in to get herself a new model and help me with a deal on her ‘03.  After a little more searching around, the decision was a no brainer and I was to be the proud new owner of a mint Limited with a stack of maintenance docs as thick as my textbooks.

This past summer I took the test to get my amateur radio (HAM) license. One thing that interested me about amateur radio was APRS, or Automatic Packet (Position) Reporting System. APRS basically uses radio waves to transmit data automatically at various intervals. The information transmitted can include many different items, but one bit of data often transmitted is GPS coordinates. This location data can be very useful to keep track of others in your group, or for someone at home to monitor your off-road location.  http://aprs.fi/ is one online site that shows recent APRS user locations. Information of local APRS users can also be shown on your radio or on an attached GPS device.

There are a few schools of thought when building a capable, useful off-road trailer. Some choose to go very basic, using their trailer as little more than a cargo carrier, while others go all-out with built in kitchens, showers, and entertainment systems.

Regardless of how you intend to use a trailer, the basic upgrades are usually the same. Of course storing basic camping gear such as food, accessories, clothing, and camp gear is a given, a few other essentials are usually on the list of upgrades.

I will be the first to admit that there are few things in life I find as rewarding as settling down to a great meal after a day of exploring the backcountry.  I will also admit that the first meals Krista and I prepared in the field were less than stellar.  I was inexperienced cooking in the wilderness on a camp stove.  I had grown up camping with Dutch ovens and had no idea what I was doing when I went to purchase our first stove.  Over time I began to realize that not all camp stoves are created equal, and most have been purposefully designed for certain segments of the outdoor market.