The Need/Want List

In no order of importance and just off the top of my head at the moment: For the Tacoma: • Bumpers. Front for sure. Rear would be nice as well as much to carry extra Jerry cans and another spare as anything else. I like the ARB and its price but not its weight. There’s …

The Camper Shell

my old blue shell on the white Tacoma
The Old Shell
vicious, sharp edges left behind
It is merely misting outside
rain-soaked bedsheets
Again, it was merely misting outside
Through the sheets onto the pad
screw right through an electrical wire
Detail oriented
still leaks a little bit
Better but not perfect

I traded in my old mid-90’s snugtop camper shell for a brand new snugtop Hi-Liner. I now have no idea why. I am extremely disappointed in the fit and finish and lack of attention to detail they took when making it. The installation was of the same low caliber as well. Aluminum drill shavings were left in and …

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

I am the 2nd owner of this Tacoma. The previous owner did several upgrades to it and a couple of them I even like. One that was not to my liking was his change to 15×12 wheels with substantially larger than stock Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ 33×12.50R15LT (318/72/15). While certainly fun and cushy off-road they had their drawbacks. …

Q Industries MV50 SuperFlow High-Volume 12-Volt Air Compressor

Quick deflation is cool but the flip side of that is the re-inflation when you leave the off-road world and reenter paved roads. I have found that about 48 psi, cold, is my best option for comfort on paved surfaces. When I started airing down for off-road fun my target is ~25 psi and I was …

Coyote Automatic Tire Deflators

I usually like to drive fast enough to essentially skip across the tops of the washboard rolls which seems to be between 30-35mph. In sand or on rocks reducing your tire pressure gives you a larger tire tread contact patch and softer, more flexible and pliant face and sidewalls which help grab hold off, roll …

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

As well as the Tacoma is set-up for our needs and how comfortable we are on this nomadic adventure sometimes it’s nice to avail oneself to the simple luxuries in life. I’m talking about hot showers that didn’t come trickling out of a solar shower bag and potable water that didn’t need to be hand pumped …

Mingus Mountain Wilderness

Does it even hold water
My Tacoma
I parked out of sight of the access road
First glimpse of the area
One of several piles of garbage left behind by previous visitors
One of several piles of garbage left behind by previous visitors
a pile of horse dung left in a firepit
No, I really don’t to use your horse’s dung as fuel
broken bottle
A Lot of this
A pile of garbage I collected
After 30 minutes of pickup. The pile eventually grew
dog sitting on her pad next to a roaring campfire
5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat on it
2nd toilet of the day
a wooden toilet box in the middle of nowhere
2nd toilet of the day

About an hour after driving away from Arcosanti we find our way up the narrow access road out of Clarkdale and arrive in downtown Jerome. We don’t specifically know where we are going to stay tonight so we can’t stay long but we have a couple of stops we always make when in town, Caduceus Cellars and The Spirit …

Camping Among Stabby Things

bit of cholla catus stuck to my finger
It attacked me when removing it from her paw
piece of cholla cactus stuck to my Asolo boots
They tenaciously clung to my Asolo boots
Willow with a look on her face like I have just beat her when all I did was put her Ruffwear booties on
She is never a fan of the booties when they first go on
Sheltered from the wind. Not another person for miles.
Sheltered from the wind. Not another person for miles.
Willow wearing her Ruffwear booties
See, I told you the booties are a good thing
Panorama
Panorama, Click for full size.

We’re continuing on our way to Glendale to drop a load of stuff off at the storage unit. Our next stop after Barstow is up in the hills off Hwy 72 and Vicksburg Pit Road in Vicksburg, AZ. The Free Campsites website has told us about dispersed camping options there on BLM land but we pushed further up …

Sawtooth Canyon BLM Campground, Barstow, CA

The Sign at the Entrance
The Sign at the Entrance
Willow standing on top of a concrete T-Rex Skull
My Conquering Hero

About 17 miles out of downtown Barstow, CA, on the opposite side of Barstow Rd/Hwy 247 from the New Jack City rock climbing area is the BLM’s Sawtooth Canyon campground. It is reached by a lightly washboarded well maintained dirt road. A 4×4 or high-clearance vehicle is not needed. Once we arrive at the campground …

Some Guiding Principles and Things We’ve Learned

In no order of importance and continually being fine tuned: • Follow the Leave No Trace principle and, if you Pack It In, Pack It Out. • Picking up and packing out your own garbage is no longer adequate. To keep up with scumbag litterers please consider picking up more than just your own garbage. …