It all started with the Front Runner Jeep. After seeing it at an outdoor show, I quickly fell in love with the Overland life. I even built my Jeep similarly to the silver Front Runner Jeep, where I took pictures of each design element from the rack to the pop-up tent to the Hi-Lift jack
I’m a sport bike rider so buying helmets is rather simple. Snell/ECE certification and best reviews and I’m basically on my way. I previously had an Arai RX-7 Corsair which served me well for quite a few years, with the only problems being their ridiculous side-pod, ADSIS or Super ADSIS or some other
I ride two bicycles, have one car and two motorcycles – okay, I had two motorcycles but had to sell one to finance a trip but will hopefully be buying another next year so I still consider myself having two. Trying to attach my increasing amounts of electronics to these vehicles while maintaining some semblance
I’m a bit of a shoe snob, I’ll admit it, but with good reason. I’m extremely hard on shoes and can destroy a cheap pair in months – weeks if they’re a bargain-basement brand. I recall in high school buying my first pair of modern-style cowboy boots, a fancy pair of grey bonded leather, rubber
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Well, about two brands of cooking pots, really: G4Free 4 Piece Camping Cookware & the Optimus Terra HE. As with almost everything these days, there is an overabundance of often confusing and contradictory information for an overwhelming array of choices for backpacking gear. This includes something as seemingly simple as which pot
What happens when Sherman Pass gives you a gash on your new KO2 tires? You figure out how to use a high lift jack. Fortunately Joe and Jeremy used it before and were able to quickly change my flat tire. I personally had to YouTube how to use a high lift jack a few times
It was 3 months after I bought my jeep and I made some upgrades for my first Overland trip. My friends and I were wrenching in the garage almost every weekend until our Labor Day trip. We installed: Rock Hard Oil Pan Transmission Skid Plates, Smittybilt Rock Sliders, and Rubicon Express 2.5″ lift. I had
I’m a huge fan of Leatherman tools, having had one on my hip literally since High School. That was back in the time when you could still do something like that and not be pulled into the nearest police station, or shot, or both. And no, I wasn’t a hick in a hick town, I’m
Update as of July 14, 2023: I ended up buying the Gerber StrongArm noted below, black, plain edge. It has proven to be durable and it’s much more lightweight than the Becker, which is now my truck knife. The handle has a lot of grip and while showing some wear probably has a few decades
The name Calscadia came from a portmanteau of the CAL from California where I reside and SCADIA for the Cascades, where I’m from originally as well as in reference to Cascade Locks where I adopted a beloved Bernese Mountain Dog. I started this website and social media as an outlet to talk about the adventures I take, the people I meet and the gear I abuse along the way. When I talk about gear, I’ll tell you what works, what doesn’t and why I came to that conclusion. I purchase my own gear, am not sponsored and won’t put ads on videos because I hate that as much as you do. I may get money from affiliate links but you’ll always know that in advance. Hopefully I’ll see you out there!