Journal - Page 2 of 2 - Outdoor Wanderlust

Out of Africa Wildlife Park – A Safari in…

My Happiest Place on Earth… or at least pretty darn close to it.

In September of 2016 I visited the western United States including Arizona, Nevada, and California. Sedona, Arizona is certainly a highlight when I think back on all of my travel experiences. I completely fell in love with the outdoor opportunities and the foreign, captivating landscapes of red rocks. I also had one of my favorite tourist experiences in the Out of Africa Wildlife Park. In my opinion, the park was very reasonably priced, especially for the value of the experience. Our ticket (which included a tiger feeding and a Jeep safari tour) cost us less than our local theme park admission. I set my expectations low due to the reasonable price, but I was quickly pleasantly surprised. Out of Africa Wildlife Park offers a unique experience in which you can interact with a variety of animals. We split our day into four distinct activities: Solo Exploring, Jeep Safari Tour, Feeding the Tigers, and the ZipLine. Read more “Out of Africa Wildlife Park – A Safari in Arizona” →

Van Conversion

Programming Maestro RR for Ford Transit Camper Van

The factory stereo options in the Ford Transit are quite limited and the overall sound quality leaves much to be desired. We plan to replace the head unit, speakers and adding a subwoofer to bring the whole system up to snuff. For the most seamless installation we’re using a Maestro RR unit that connects our aftermarket head unit to the factory system. By using this unit we can keep the steering wheel controls (and custom program them), use the factory backup camera, use Sync (if we want to) and many other existing factory features. Get the full list below.

It also adds in additional functionality like engine gauges in the head unit, engine code scanner and monitor individual tire pressures. We will be installing a Pioneer AVH-4200-NEX head unit but you can check the compatibility on the different head units from the iDatalink website. Our base system consists of the Radio Pack #21 (The AM/FM Stereo with SYNC® (Radio Pack #21) is optional in all Transit models. Includes single-CD player, 4″ multi-function display and message center and leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for audio and multi-function display.)
Read more “Programming Maestro RR for Ford Transit Camper Van” →

Trip Planning

15 Days of European Travel in One Backpack

Recently the husband and I took a 15 day trip through Europe. We each carried one backpacking-sized backpack, and at times I had one regular size purse/shoulder bag. That was the entirety of our luggage. Here are some tips and how-tos to realize your own minimalist packing dreams.

But Why, Though?

Packing this light offered several benefits for the trip. Having one backpack means you only have one thing you might lose. It is easy to keep track of. Our trip included five flights (a few were connecting legs of our overseas flight) and on only one occasion did we have to check our backpacks. Not having to check our bags means less chance for the airline to lose them. Our two bags fit nicely in every train storage situation we encountered. Also, having only one thing to carry and carrying it on your back, means cracks in sidewalks, stairs and running for gates is less of a problem than it would be if we were trying to drag along roller carry-on bags. Not having to pay fees to check bags means we could reallocate our funds for our experiences. That bit of money likely covered one of our more expensive meals and may have even gone a long way toward off setting our Disney Paris admission fees. Read more “15 Days of European Travel in One Backpack” →

Gear Review

Gear Review: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Underwear

Summary

The comfortable, washable, odor resistant ExOfficio Give-N-Go underwear make packing light for multi-day travel a breeze. ExOfficio advertises right on the package “17 countries. 6 weeks. One pair of award-winning underwear.” Here is my honest review of these travel underwear.
Read more “Gear Review: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Underwear” →

Hiking

Ridge Hiking in the Switzerland

We recently visited Stoos, a small town in mountains of Switzerland. What is normally a small ski town in the winter is a beautiful destination for hiking in the warmer months.

Getting There

Getting to Stoos is a 45 minute train ride from Lucerne, Switzerland to Schwyz, Switzerland. Once in Schwyz you’ll need to hop on the #1 Bus to Stoosbahn and take the funicular to Stoos. The current funicular is about a hundred years old and will be replaced in 2018 with a modern funicular. The new one will be the steepest funicular in the world once opened.

If the weather is good, you’ll have a few options for hiking. Stoos has a few chairlifts available to reach the summits or you can hike the trail to the top. Our trip consisted of riding the chairlift up to Mt. Klingenstock where we met up with the panorama trail leading to Mt. Fronalpstock. At 6,338 ft., Mt. Klingenstock is the tallest peak along the trail.

Gear Review

Gear Review: Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack

Summary

Osprey Farpoint 55 is designed and marketed as a “travel & trekking” backpack. We bought it for traveling (not on a trail) because of its versatility and it’s built-in day pack. After years of lugging around roller suitcases down cobble stone sidewalks and busy urban streets it made since to try a backpack instead of traditional luggage.

We carried this pack for 2 weeks and across 6 countries in Europe. Get our full breakdown and opinion below. Read more “Gear Review: Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack” →

Van Conversion

Ordering Van Conversion Parts

It’s like Christmas everyday and I’m becoming friends with the UPS guy.

We’ve started checking off the obvious items on our build materials list like wire connectors, adhesives, insulation and tools. If you’re interested in keeping up with our material list you can find that here. Everyday another Amazon box appears on the door step. It’s really easy to blow your budget on a conversion if you’re not careful. We’re keeping a detailed spreadsheet of material, parts, costs planned vs spent, etc. to stay on top of it all. I’ve found a few helpful things that has saved us a few bucks already. Read more “Ordering Van Conversion Parts” →

Van Conversion

Van Conversion – Buying a Van!

Step 1: Buy A Van

To be honest, this wasn’t step one. There was a lot of research, planning, test driving and discussing that happened first. You can check out all that detail here if you’re interested in that.

Back to the main point.

WE BOUGHT A VAN!

To be more precise, a 2018 Ford Transit High Roof 148″ Wheel Base. To find out why we picked this van read this. This is obviously the first major step and actual commitment to the vanlife and we’re super stoked about it.

Gear Review

Review: Cairn Subscription Boxes

Overview

Cairn is a monthly subscription box service that specializes in outdoor gear, snacks, apparel and skin care products. If your an outdoors freak and/or a gear hoarder then this might be a fit for you. I’ve been a subscriber for a couple years of there original subscription box program. Like most subscription box program every month a box shows up with a surprise collection of gear on the inside.

Trip Planning

Series: Traveling to Europe for Newbies – Part 1

If you’re like me then you’ve done a lot of traveling in the U.S. but not so much internationally. Maybe it’s the cost, making time or the fear of the unknown. I plan to embark on 2 weeks in Europe this year and document the process of planning, navigating and making it a trip to never forget.

Step 1: Commit to a Travel Time

Pick a date or a time period when you want to go. Keep in mind that summer is peak season for tourism in Europe so if you want shorter lines and fewer crowds go during the shoulder or off-season. Committing to a time period is important so you can start looking for the travel deals and planning out the details like destinations, cell phone usage, etc. It should also go without saying but be sure you allow enough time to get a passport if you don’t have one yet.

Lifestyle

Welcome to Outdoor Wanderlust

I daydream a lot. I dream about summiting mountains or bombing mountain bike trails like it’s my job. To me, it’s odd to think that others aren’t dreaming about this stuff. From a young age I was running around in the woods and building stick teepees. It was the norm. I grew up, got a job, got a mortgage… you know the drill. The ‘American’ dream. Once I had some cash in my pockets traveling became an option and it took very little to get hooked. Read more “Welcome to Outdoor Wanderlust” →

My Happiest Place on Earth… or at least pretty darn close to it.

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But Why, Though?

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Summary

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Getting There

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Summary

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Step 1: Buy A Van

WE BOUGHT A VAN!

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Overview

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Step 1: Commit to a Travel Time

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