Overland Trail Guides Podcast

We talk with Brent Baker from Oregon Adventure Trucks about the overlanding journey. We'll start off by discussing car camping, move to dispersed camping, and eventually progress to full-on adventure travel. We'll discuss the essential gear you'll need for your first camping trip, an overview of the preparation for adventure travel, and some things to consider as you begin your travels into the backcountry.Overlanding and Adventure TravelAs overlanding has exploded in popularity over the last decade, the term has become ubiquitous across the outdoor recreation industry, often used by anyone heading to the forest for a weekend of camping. We'll discuss the typical journey many of us take, starting as car campers and progressing to multi-day overlanding trips, and for the fortunate, extended journeys spanning thousands of miles. Before you dive headfirst into your first big trip, whether it's a multi-day or longer excursion, there are a few things to consider. Ben and Brent will share their experiences and tips, covering essential gear, Leave No Trace and TREAD Lightly principles, respecting the land and locals, and how to keep your adventure on track.Oregon Adventure TrucksBrent Baker is the owner of Oregon Adventure Trucks, based in Bend, Oregon.  Oregon AT specializes in outfitting vehicles for off-grid camping and overlanding. They are the top North American dealer for AT Overland products, which include truck toppers and campers, but also do aftermarket work on vehicles and sell a variety of off roading and camping gear from their shop. Beyond selling and installing gear, Oregon Adventure Trucks is dedicated to educating the overlanding community through off-road training courses that focus on vehicle capabilities, safety, and responsible land stewardship.https://oregonat.com/About Overland Trail GuidesOTG (Overland Trail Guides ) features North America's largest directory of curated overland routes, with over 100 route guides across the US, Canada and Mexico.  Check OTG out at:www.overlandtrailguides.com

Carina and Chris of Momentary Locals join the OTG crew to talk about their adventure exploring the Pan-American Highway. Having just started their journey in June of 2025, the duo shares insights from their previous overlanding trips. They also walk us through how they decided to leave their busy lives in Santa Cruz, California, and travel full-time along the world's longest road.We'll dive into their experience building out their new rig, life events that led them to doing the Pan-Am highway now, and some of their experiences traveling on the road and trail over the last two months.  The Pan-American HighwayThe Pan-American Highway is a vast network of roads stretching approximately 19,000 miles from the Arctic Sea in Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. As the longest road in the world, it presents an unparalleled challenge for overlanders, connecting diverse landscapes and cultures across the Americas. For those seeking a long-term journey, this epic route is widely considered one of the most iconic and essential drives to undertake.About Overland Trail GuidesOTG (Overland Trail Guides ) features North America's largest directory of curated overland routes, with over 100 route guides across the US, Canada and Mexico.  Check OTG out at:www.overlandtrailguides.com 

Join us as we chat with Christian Fick about his time exploring southwestern Oregon.  The Wild Rivers Discovery Trail is a 225 mile overland route in southern Oregon  was developed by Overland Trail Guides.  While most Oregonians head inland in search of views, this section of western Oregon features those vistas seldom seen in this part of the state.  The region of southwestern Oregon got its name due to the numerous Wild and Scenic Rivers along this stretch of coastline. This section of coast is part of the Klamath-Siskyou ecoregion, that's home to the largest concentration of Wild and Scenic rivers in the lower 48.  Prior to the establishment of commercial fishing, the salmon and steelhead runs along this section of coast were said to rival those in Alaska.  The Flat Tops Adventure TrailThe 225 mile long Wild Rivers Discovery Trail travels from the Oregon-California border, hugging the coastal mountain ranges as it heads northward to its terminus in Port Orford.  The track crosses through the watersheds of more than half a dozen rivers, with fantastic riverside and creekside camping opportunities.  For those looking to extend the adventure, one can easily connect the Wild Rivers track with the Steelhead Adventure Route (Smith River NRA / Northern CA) and the Siskiyou Crest Adventure Trail, that sits on the eastern side of the Rogue River-Siskiyou NF.  To get the GPX File, complete route guide and more, please visit our website. www.overlandtrailguides.com

Originally, a favorite among the van life and outdoor recreationalist community (surfers, rock climbers, etc), more and more folks are using their Sprinter 4x4s to explore the dirt roads of the backcountry.  And while many Sprinter owner stick to mellow gravel and graded dirt roads, there is a small group of folks pushing deep into the backcountry on trails geared towards 4x4s.  For this episode, we chat with Dan Blanchard, Sprinter Sportsmobile owner, and longtime OTG member.  Dan has persistently been in touch with us, touting the capabilities of a Sprinter Van when driven by an experienced off road driver.  And we completely agree, an expert driver is capable of pushing the limits of a vehicle far beyond the driving skill and capabilities of your average Joe or Jane.  We chat with Dan about his experiences buying his Sportsmobile Sprinter at the start of Covid, and then using it to explore the West and gradually taking on harder and harder trails.  If you're wondering about the limits of a Sprinter van, then be sure to tune in!  About Overland Trail GuidesOverland Trail Guides, or simply OTG, features North America's most extensive directory of curated overland routes (90+ routes and growing).  You'll get recommendations on appropriate vehicle, technical ratings, best time to visit, places to see and camp, and more. www.overlandtrailguides.com

With so many folks burnt out from the daily grind of the corporate world, more and more folks are trying to figure out a way to turn their passion into profit.  We chat with Brent Baker of Oregon Adventure Trucks about his path from the corporate world, to landing a job at EarthRoamer, and eventually starting Oregon Adventure Trucks.  Brent shares some invaluable advice in regards to breaking into the industry and starting your own overlanding business.  If you're thinking about hanging up the towel at your daily grind, you'll definitely want to tune into this episode.  Oregon Adventure TrucksFounded in 2020 by Brent Baker and his partner Aaron, Oregon AT is Overland AT's regional distributor and installer in northern California and the Pacific Northwest.  Beyond truck capper and camper installations, Oregon AT also offers a variety of off roading classes, sells a variety gear out of the Bend storefront, and have been doing more and more custom modifications and installations for overland vehicles.  www.oregonat.comAbout Overland Trail GuidesOverland Trail Guides, or simply OTG, features North America's most extensive directory of curated overland routes (90+ routes and growing).  You'll get recommendations on appropriate vehicle, technical ratings, best time to visit, places to see and camp, and more.  www.overlandtrailguides.com

As the world of overlanding and off roading continues to grow, more and more folks, especially those with families are considering upsizing to full size trucks by the makes of Ram, Ford, Chevy and GM.  And while full size rigs offer a variety of benefits like increased space and comfort, massive payloads, and the ability to fit oversized tires (37-40+ inches), it isn't all peaches and creams.  Long time friend and supporter of OTG, Nick Walton joins us to discuss his experiences traveling with his family in a Land Cruiser, along with the decision making process to upsize to a Ram 2500 with Four Wheel Camper.  We'll touch on some of the pros, and the cons of going to a full size rig.  If you're considering upsizing to a full sized truck, you'll definitely want to give this show a listen!About Overland Trail GuidesOverland Trail Guides, or simply OTG, features North America's most extensive directory of curated overland routes (90+ routes and growing).  You'll get recommendations on appropriate vehicle, technical ratings, best time to visit, places to see and camp, and more.  www.overlandtrailguides.com

The MERUS Adventure Park is a first of its kind off roading and outdoor recreation private park in the Texas Panhandle.  Covering 5500 acres and more than 50 miles of off roading trails and 30 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, MERUS is situated in the rugged and beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, which happens to be second largest canyon complex in the country.  In this episode we talk with Dirk van Reenan, founder of CEO at MERUS about his background as an entpreneur, his vision, and what led him to create the MERUS Adventure Park.   We dig into the current state of MERUS, along with the phase 2 plans for MERUS, and even bringing the same model to different locations across the country.  Visit MERUS Adventure ParkMERUS was created specifically with off roaders and overlanders in mind.  Daily visitorship is capped and only 4x4s (no ATVs, UTVs or motos currently allowed) so the park can retain its rugged backcountry charm, while preserving the trails for posterity.  And since the trails were purposefully built with off roaders in mind, we've been told they're some of the best trails you'll find anywhere.  If you'd like to experience MERUS adventure park, please visit their website at https://merusadventure.com

The Flat Tops Adventure Trail is a 298 mile overland route in northern Colorado that was developed by Overland Trail Guides.  While lesser known than the San Juan Mountains to the south, the Flat Tops certainly aren't lacking in impressiveness or grandeur. The area gets its name from a series of table-top mountains that dominate the region. These unique geological formations were created by ancient volcanic activity and erosion over millions of years.For this episode, we chat with Eric Raymond of XplorAdventure who explored the Flat Tops Adventure Trail over the course of two separate trips in the summer of 2023.  The Flat Tops Adventure TrailThe 298 mile long Flat Tops Adventure Trail forms a loop just north of Glenwood Springs in northern CO.  Lesser known than the San Juan mountains to the south, the Flat Tops sees a fraction of the trail traffic.  For overlanders seeking alpine views, lakeside camping, and more challenging terrain, the Flat Tops Adventure Trail is the perfect track.  To get the GPX File, complete route guide and more, please visit our website. www.overlandtrailguides.comXplorAdventure Flat Tops Series on YoutubeEpisode 1 - https://youtu.be/Y7RVREC3I_Q?si=gVcirZdY4NItzLDaEpisode 2 - https://youtu.be/mvRrkPaQFzg?si=qMzbM0Hgk9xV9_4pEpisode 3 - https://youtu.be/ubZZh4-Mm14?si=RdaMRuVkPxsyNYJ3Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/1l61pg3HqG4?si=x3WH6pVxEU69tC4_

The Gold Butte Adventure Route is a 350 mile overland route in southern Nevada that was developed by Overland Trail Guides.  We like to call the route the gateway to red rock canyon country of southern Utah and northern Arizona.  The Gold Butte ADV Route sits on the northern edge of the Mojave desert and with dozens of hikes, slot canyons, and Native American Heritage sites along the way, there's a lot to see and discovery.   The Gold Butte Adventure Route travels through Lake Mead NRA, Valley of Fire SP, Logandale OHV Trails, and of course, Gold Butte National Monument.  For this episode, we chat with Nick Walton who experienced the Black Rock Desert Adventure Route this past fall with the OTG Crew along one of our annual pre-Thanksgiving trail runs.  The Black Rock Desert Adventure RouteThe 350 long Gold Butte Adventure Track begins just outside of greater Las Vegas in Henderson, NV before going deeper into Lake Mead NRA.  The highlights of the track are the numerous slot canyons, incredible rock formations, absolutely spectacularly camping opportunities, and dozens of Native American heritage sites.   To get the GPX File, complete route guide and more, please visit our website.  www.overlandtrailguides.com

For this week's episode, we welcome John Liotti of Big Thumpers back to the show.  This past summer, John had the opportunity spend 3 weeks in Pakistan, most of which was spent exploring the highways and backroads with a local guide.  The group traveled 1,600 miles through Pakistant visiting locations such as  the Silk Road, Islamabad, Lahore, the Hindu Kush, KarakoramTune in to hear about his time traveling through Pakistan, along with a couple of near death experiences.Different Agenda Motorcyle ToursMoin Khan grew up in Pakistan and received his bachelors from San Francisco State University.  Today Moin leads motorcycle tours through his homecountry, visiting both well known locations, as well as out of the way villages and tracks that only locals know about.  If you're interested in a tour, you can find A Different Agenda on Facebook, but they also work closely with the Recylcery Garage in Santa Cruz, CA.