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Tested by Fire

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  Tested by Fire      The Bible talks about being when we are tested by fire we should still, in the midst of it all, give thanks for all things (1 Peter 1:7).   Tested by fire…I feel like I have been tested, and maybe got just a little burned.   This past weekend was a test run.   I had made several changes to the trailer and wanted to test out several things.   I have worked for several weeks on the plumbing, changing out the water heater and plumbing the magnetic faucet.   I also plumbed another way the trailer could draw water…through a Wavian can or our new Life Saver Water Can or through the normal main source of the water tank that is attached to the trailer.   It was a chore in the least, but with the weather being bad; it gave me something to do in the garage.   I also have changed out the lift on the FJ and have recently re-geared the FJ with 4:88 gears replacing the stock that was lugging my motor and killing my power.   I was anxious to pull the trailer and see how
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Memories

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 When I was in the first grade, I loved recess more than anything in the world.   I am pretty sure that most kids at that age do.   I went to school in North Little Rock, Arkansas.   My dad pastored a little church in the area and drove back and forth to Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee while finishing his doctorate degree in Biblical Languages.   Studying and learning was his forte, not really mine.   I loved recess.   One day at recess, we were playing around the large cement obstacles on the playground.   They looked like very large culverts that were about 5 foot in length and about 3-4 ft big around.   That was base.   One team chased us around while we ran to get away.   The only safe place was inside that enormous concrete culvert.   I was standing back staring at home base, watching Johnny stand in the doorway with his arms and feet stretched out over it, so that nobody could get past him to base.   That was cheating. They would surely catch me!   I'll show him I thought.   I
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Thieves

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    A thief is close to the top of the list of things in this life that really get to me.   I opened up Instagram this morning to see a post where some of my friends had their trailer stolen from the Ouachita National Forest.   They are full-time Overlanders and had led an event helping to clean up the forest, just to come back, rewarded by a thief when they returned.   It is sad that some people do not feel as if they have to work hard for what they have.   They feel as if they have the right to take whatever they want, even if it does not belong to them. For those raised to know the difference between right and wrong, we abhor thieves.   We believe that thievery is, in its core, the definition and symbol of wrong.   It is easy to determine in this life what is right and wrong.   Even if you are not a believer in the Bible, there are laws that determine what is right and wrong.   Even if you do not believe in the age old Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do un
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Winter Camping Gear

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  There are many things my wife does not like, but most definitely the things she likes the least is being cold.   She abhors cold weather.   She works all day with a heater on year around.   I am close but not quite as bad.   When camping you cannot always find a warm spot.   They are rare, but there are things, some special gear that are able to help keep you warm when experiencing harsh climates. One of our favorite things we have now experienced is a Diesel Heater.   Yes, we have the Mr. Buddy Heater and have used it tons, but everything else we have runs off propane and sometimes we need to preserve what we have for other uses.   We like the butane powered Kovea Heater and take it everywhere (it stays in the vehicle) as it is so small and packable in its own little case.   The diesel heater has now become our favorite for several reasons.   I filled up the tank, holding one gallon of fuel, and plugged it in to our power source, at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night.   On Wednesday mornin
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Three Squares a Day

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  I do not know about you, but I LOVE to eat!  Food is my hobby and my habit.  It is my crush.  It is one of the loves of my life…okay I am getting excited and a little "carried away."  I will calm down.  It is just that in my older age I appreciate the art of preparing food and the taste of well-prepared food.  It is a delight, comforting to the soul, and filling to the almighty belly! Now that the heat from summer is past and the fall, temperatures are making it where you actually want to be outside, I am eager to cook again.   I am eager to fire up the gadgets and pack the kitchen to the hilt and make sure I have plenty to prepare for up and coming trips.   My freezers are packed with almost all the meat I could eat in a year just waiting to be chosen for the next adventure.   One of the best things I have done is to upgrade my Vacuum Sealer.   I can purchase meat when it is on sale (and when I have extra money to burn), prepare it, then vacuum seal it for future endeavo
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Staying Warm

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  Many different things affect our mindset as we prepare for our Overlanding journeys.  How long will we be gone?  What food do we plan to prepare and will we need to eat out or replenish at some point?  How far are we going?  Can we bring firewood and have a campfire?  Is charcoal allowed or will it be propane only?  Many questions must be answered as we prepare for the setout of our adventure.  Another critical situation to consider would be weather… Camping and Overlanding involves all kinds of weather. If you have ever camped then you completely understand that you must be prepared for all of the elements that Mother Nature can throw at you.  People are paid to give a generalized prediction that may or may not come true so it is almost impossible to be completely prepared, but you can get close.  You know if it is November to February, it will be cold.  You know that if you are in the Midwest in June to August it will be unbearable hot.  You do not have to be a weatherman to know t
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Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This!

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  Mama said there would be days like this.   There would be days like this my Momma said.   I am not sure there would be a more fitting statement that rings true right now in this life for me.   For starters… I drove 3 hours to Artemis Overland in Springfield, Missouri last Saturday in order to install a couple Howling Moon Rooftop Tents and Awnings on my FJ Cruiser and Trailer.   It started out well as the first tent went on the trailer perfectly without a hitch.   The awning however, was a large 270-degree awning that was much heavier than my previous.   My brackets were not large enough to fit the lining of the bolt pattern on the awning.    Once we finally figured out how to get the brackets to work, we moved on to the FJ.   We finished the trailer and the next project was in line and waiting. We removed the extremely heavy FreeSpirit tent from the top of the FJ.   The previous awning had already been removed before arrival.   We unwrapped the tent that Aaron had set out for me
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