An overwhelmed newbie from New Jersey

[NJRadioGuy]

Here are some suggested east=y trails (IDK I googled it):
Many of us have SUV's and rarely if ever take them off road. I've been doing it for years since my kids were little and they loved it. Give it a try. The ones farther north offer some challenging hills to climb as the forests down south are flat and easier to drive.

• Stokes State Forest - Northwestern Jersey
• Ramapo State Forest - Far North Jersey
• Norvin Green State Forest - Far North Jersey

Can't say I've ever heard of Norvin Green. I'll have to look that one up. We did Ramapo last October with one of my clubs and it was just perfect. A nice mix of easy trails, climbs and technical stuff. Probably my favourite so far, in fact. I'm not sure of the legality but it seems to be a popular place on weekends. Stokes is almost completely shut down. That was my very first experience in wheeling and all but one of the roads have barricades across them, unfortunately. I expect I'll be doing Brendan Byrne and Wharton State Forest roads very very soon (I think next weekend IIRC), and more in the spring.

I'm probably just going to buy a third- or fourth-hand Wrangler to do some rock crawling; I enjoy it to a degree, but honestly, as I've posted earlier, just a nice forest road under my wheels and camping by a lake is my idea of heaven on earth.

You will be fine , bring some food water , basic recovery items, take it slow and build up experience, prob 80 percent of the trails traveled by members here are dirt roads. Once you build up that experience start taking on more challenging trails , always try to bring a buddy with you.

I've got some good recovery gear now (10k Warn winch and dampener, ARB snatch block, soft shackles, D-rings, a tree saver, tow strap, two knockoff-type recovery boards, and a 7/8" dynamic snatch rope) and I've watched a ton of videos, but I've yet to use any of it. I've never been stuck since getting it all :) And yes, we always bring plenty of water, soda, food, and two blankets, towels, and a change of clothes; even if we're going up with a club. I consider it good practice and a good habit to get into.

NJadioguy, Your GC will drag you around LOTS of places reliably. In reality, you will break before it will. Don't be afraid of venturing off road, just take your time, and use common sense when crossing waterways etc. You will have a BLAST. When in Newfoundland, don't just stick to the west/northern Peninsula. Get around all over this place. By the time you get over here, we will probably have our airbnb setup running. Contact us before hand and I will confirm. It's going to be a comfy 1 bedroom flat with kitchenette and all the coziness of a quaint farmhouse. Contact us here when you are in the planning stages of your NL trip, I can provide backcountry routes that your GC will love!

That will be VERY high on our priority list. Like I said before, both my wife and I have wanted to visit The Rock for about 20 years, but we just never got a Round Tuit. We both need to be Screeched in, don'tcha know! And we must spend a few tourist dollars with the good people of Gander and spend at least a night there, after what happened in 2001.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Here are some suggested east=y trails (IDK I googled it):
Many of us have SUV's and rarely if ever take them off road. I've been doing it for years since my kids were little and they loved it. Give it a try. The ones farther north offer some challenging hills to climb as the forests down south are flat and easier to drive.

• Stokes State Forest - Northwestern Jersey
• Ramapo State Forest - Far North Jersey
• Norvin Green State Forest - Far North Jersey

Can't say I've ever heard of Norvin Green. I'll have to look that one up. We did Ramapo last October with one of my clubs and it was just perfect. A nice mix of easy trails, climbs and technical stuff. Probably my favourite so far, in fact. I'm not sure of the legality but it seems to be a popular place on weekends. Stokes is almost completely shut down. That was my very first experience in wheeling and all but one of the roads have barricades across them, unfortunately. I expect I'll be doing Brendan Byrne and Wharton State Forest roads very very soon (I think next weekend IIRC), and more in the spring.

I'm probably just going to buy a third- or fourth-hand Wrangler to do some rock crawling; I enjoy it to a degree, but honestly, as I've posted earlier, just a nice forest road under my wheels and camping by a lake is my idea of heaven on earth.

You will be fine , bring some food water , basic recovery items, take it slow and build up experience, prob 80 percent of the trails traveled by members here are dirt roads. Once you build up that experience start taking on more challenging trails , always try to bring a buddy with you.

I've got some good recovery gear now (10k Warn winch and dampener, ARB snatch block, soft shackles, D-rings, a tree saver, tow strap, two knockoff-type recovery boards, and a 7/8" dynamic snatch rope) and I've watched a ton of videos, but I've yet to use any of it. I've never been stuck since getting it all :) And yes, we always bring plenty of water, soda, food, and two blankets, towels, and a change of clothes; even if we're going up with a club. I consider it good practice and a good habit to get into.

NJadioguy, Your GC will drag you around LOTS of places reliably. In reality, you will break before it will. Don't be afraid of venturing off road, just take your time, and use common sense when crossing waterways etc. You will have a BLAST. When in Newfoundland, don't just stick to the west/northern Peninsula. Get around all over this place. By the time you get over here, we will probably have our airbnb setup running. Contact us before hand and I will confirm. It's going to be a comfy 1 bedroom flat with kitchenette and all the coziness of a quaint farmhouse. Contact us here when you are in the planning stages of your NL trip, I can provide backcountry routes that your GC will love!

That will be VERY high on our priority list. Like I said before, both my wife and I have wanted to visit The Rock for about 20 years, but we just never got a Round Tuit. We both need to be Screeched in, don'tcha know! And we must spend a few tourist dollars with the good people of Gander and spend at least a night there, after what happened in 2001.

I'm 50 min from gander. We all helped out by sending food and supplies when people were in need. I see alot of people just getting off the ferry and hitting grose mourn and getting back on the boat. They miss so much. You need about 2 weeks on the island to really experience everything we have to offer.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

I'm 50 min from gander. We all helped out by sending food and supplies when people were in need. I see alot of people just getting off the ferry and hitting grose mourn and getting back on the boat. They miss so much. You need about 2 weeks on the island to really experience everything we have to offer.

That might be pushing it for time for us, but a week in NL, 4 or 5 days on Cape Breton and 3 or 4 days on PEI (plus travel time to/from home) would be doable. We love PEI (I used to holiday on the north shore with my parents in the 70s) and I adored my time in Cape Breton, but we only spent two nights there.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

That might be pushing it for time for us, but a week in NL, 4 or 5 days on Cape Breton and 3 or 4 days on PEI (plus travel time to/from home) would be doable. We love PEI (I used to holiday on the north shore with my parents in the 70s) and I adored my time in Cape Breton, but we only spent two nights there.

The east coast is a special place for sure. I lived in Yellowknife for a year, and needed to get back home to the salt water. First thing I did was get on our boat we had at the time (34ft marine trader trawler) and spend a weekend at Exploits Island. Life was good again! When you have your travel plans made, send me a message here. I can point you to some nice back country routes if you like!

 

[NJRadioGuy]

Well here's to Justin at least opening the border—that'll be a start! I will certainly ping you here once we're ready for a trip down east.

 

[eroyar23]

Wharton is a blast. I took the wife and kids there last month. Nothing too crazy besides a couple water holes because it had rained the previous day. A couple of the roads get a little tight. Your jeep should be fine you sit higher then me with my 235's

 

[NJRadioGuy]

Wharton is a blast. I took the wife and kids there last month. Nothing too crazy besides a couple water holes because it had rained the previous day. A couple of the roads get a little tight. Your jeep should be fine you sit higher then me with my 235's

My only concern is deep water. I'm already pinstriped so a few more won't kill it, but flooding the engine worries me. So long as I can get to a do-it-yourself car wash to clean off that sugar-sand completely I'm good. Better in the summer when I can pressure wash it in my driveway.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

My only concern is deep water. I'm already pinstriped so a few more won't kill it, but flooding the engine worries me. So long as I can get to a do-it-yourself car wash to clean off that sugar-sand completely I'm good. Better in the summer when I can pressure wash it in my driveway.

For water crossings, Figure out how deep you can go without getting into trouble. Then you can go really slow through them and not worry. find out where your intake is, and then you can judge what you can do.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

For water crossings, Figure out how deep you can go without getting into trouble. Then you can go really slow through them and not worry. find out where your intake is, and then you can judge what you can do.

Manual says 20 inches so for safety I'm saying 16-18, tops. The intake looks higher than 20 inches, but the alternator is lower and probably other things.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Yes, so 18 inches is deeper than you think, that being said, I think you could probably go 2ft and still be fine. They are conservative on that. I wish I could find the video of me in my jeep blasting deep puddles.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

I don't think I want to push it. A hydrolocked engine would be the end of my daily driver and Jeeping for me in general. I have to play this ultra conservative. It's why I deeply regret buying a WK2 and not a used JK or JL Rubicon. But like I said, that ship sailed in 2019.

 

[Dusther210]

Greetings from a radio guy in Fort Lee NJ!

A lot of good guys have already posted in here, you’re in great hands. Feel free to PM me if you want someone to go out with or to chat.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

Greetings from a radio guy in Fort Lee NJ!

I have a good friend who's a ham in Ft. Lee as well (Alex, K2BB). He's not into overlanding, though, but he's big into moonbounce. Probably about as expensive. If you're ever up for a short trip please keep me in mind. I'm always looking for an excuse to get some dirt under my Falkens.

 

[littledetails]

Hey @NJRadioGuy I saw your post and just wanted to reach out – I also live in Northern NJ (Montclair to be specific, where my wife is from), and have similar interests to you when it comes to overlanding. I'm a professional photographer and backpacking enthusiast. I'm new to Overland Bound (still a guest user), and until now I've done a number of overland trips criss-crossing the country in a Mini Cooper – most recently solo to Montana and back in August 2020. I've found that by no means is a 4x4 necessary to get to a lot of great places. Your rig is already more than capable enough for what you want to do.

Having said that, a Mini Cooper has its limits, and so I've just pulled the trigger on my first real rig... a 2021 Land Rover Defender with a RTT. I haven't actually got the car yet – I expect to take delivery next month – but am already planning a number of trips this year, notably to CO, UT, CA, OR, and MT. I also have a couple of backpacking trips on the books for July and September in the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountains respectively. In addition, I have a landscape photographer friend (and YouTuber) in BC, and would love to visit him and maybe visit Banff and the Yukon territories while I'm at it. Of course, COVID could still spoil some of these plans, but thankfully my wife and in-laws have already been vaccinated.

Like you, I am not particularly interested in rock crawling, giant tires, or risking serious damage to my vehicle. While the Land Rover is not going to be my daily driver, I'd like to keep it in pretty good condition – it's an expensive machine, for better or worse. What I am interested in is dispersed camping in beautiful places. Getting a little further off the beaten path than developed campgrounds and national parks (though I do love our national parks!). Getting into the mountains. Doing a stream crossing or two. Camping under the stars away from city lights. I plan to use my vehicle to access trail heads where I can hike and photograph beautiful landscapes and people engaging in the outdoor lifestyle (hikers, climbers, kayakers, etc.). Staying out of town for a few days at a time, and then resupplying and resting in small towns along the way. A mix of vehicle and human-powered overlanding.

I can't offer a lot of 4x4 overlanding experience. Like you, I went to YouTube university when it comes to this stuff. Regardless, if this sounds good to you, get in touch and maybe we can meet up and perhaps plan something.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Hey @NJRadioGuy I saw your post and just wanted to reach out – I also live in Northern NJ (Montclair to be specific, where my wife is from), and have similar interests to you when it comes to overlanding. I'm a professional photographer and backpacking enthusiast. I'm new to Overland Bound (still a guest user), and until now I've done a number of overland trips criss-crossing the country in a Mini Cooper – most recently solo to Montana and back in August 2020. I've found that by no means is a 4x4 necessary to get to a lot of great places. Your rig is already more than capable enough for what you want to do.

Having said that, a Mini Cooper has its limits, and so I've just pulled the trigger on my first real rig... a 2021 Land Rover Defender with a RTT. I haven't actually got the car yet – I expect to take delivery next month – but am already planning a number of trips this year, notably to CO, UT, CA, OR, and MT. I also have a couple of backpacking trips on the books for July and September in the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountains respectively. In addition, I have a landscape photographer friend (and YouTuber) in BC, and would love to visit him and maybe visit Banff and the Yukon territories while I'm at it. Of course, COVID could still spoil some of these plans, but thankfully my wife and in-laws have already been vaccinated.

Like you, I am not particularly interested in rock crawling, giant tires, or risking serious damage to my vehicle. While the Land Rover is not going to be my daily driver, I'd like to keep it in pretty good condition – it's an expensive machine, for better or worse. What I am interested in is dispersed camping in beautiful places. Getting a little further off the beaten path than developed campgrounds and national parks (though I do love our national parks!). Getting into the mountains. Doing a stream crossing or two. Camping under the stars away from city lights. I plan to use my vehicle to access trail heads where I can hike and photograph beautiful landscapes and people engaging in the outdoor lifestyle (hikers, climbers, kayakers, etc.). Staying out of town for a few days at a time, and then resupplying and resting in small towns along the way. A mix of vehicle and human-powered overlanding.

I can't offer a lot of 4x4 overlanding experience. Like you, I went to YouTube university when it comes to this stuff. Regardless, if this sounds good to you, get in touch and maybe we can meet up and perhaps plan something.

Great reply. It always comes back to use what you have. I have did trips in my 88 hyundai excel. No matter what you have pack it up and go. 4x4 gets you into more remote places, but any rig will get you places.

BTW, what kind of photographer are you? I am just getting started as a true photographer here on the island. I am also going to start shooting a documentary on an extinct indigenous tribe that lived in my area in the 1500s.

 

[littledetails]

Hey @NJRadioGuy I saw your post and just wanted to reach out – I also live in Northern NJ (Montclair to be specific, where my wife is from), and have similar interests to you when it comes to overlanding. I'm a professional photographer and backpacking enthusiast. I'm new to Overland Bound (still a guest user), and until now I've done a number of overland trips criss-crossing the country in a Mini Cooper – most recently solo to Montana and back in August 2020. I've found that by no means is a 4x4 necessary to get to a lot of great places. Your rig is already more than capable enough for what you want to do.

Having said that, a Mini Cooper has its limits, and so I've just pulled the trigger on my first real rig... a 2021 Land Rover Defender with a RTT. I haven't actually got the car yet – I expect to take delivery next month – but am already planning a number of trips this year, notably to CO, UT, CA, OR, and MT. I also have a couple of backpacking trips on the books for July and September in the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountains respectively. In addition, I have a landscape photographer friend (and YouTuber) in BC, and would love to visit him and maybe visit Banff and the Yukon territories while I'm at it. Of course, COVID could still spoil some of these plans, but thankfully my wife and in-laws have already been vaccinated.

Like you, I am not particularly interested in rock crawling, giant tires, or risking serious damage to my vehicle. While the Land Rover is not going to be my daily driver, I'd like to keep it in pretty good condition – it's an expensive machine, for better or worse. What I am interested in is dispersed camping in beautiful places. Getting a little further off the beaten path than developed campgrounds and national parks (though I do love our national parks!). Getting into the mountains. Doing a stream crossing or two. Camping under the stars away from city lights. I plan to use my vehicle to access trail heads where I can hike and photograph beautiful landscapes and people engaging in the outdoor lifestyle (hikers, climbers, kayakers, etc.). Staying out of town for a few days at a time, and then resupplying and resting in small towns along the way. A mix of vehicle and human-powered overlanding.

I can't offer a lot of 4x4 overlanding experience. Like you, I went to YouTube university when it comes to this stuff. Regardless, if this sounds good to you, get in touch and maybe we can meet up and perhaps plan something.

Great reply. It always comes back to use what you have. I have did trips in my 88 hyundai excel. No matter what you have pack it up and go. 4x4 gets you into more remote places, but any rig will get you places.

BTW, what kind of photographer are you? I am just getting started as a true photographer here on the island. I am also going to start shooting a documentary on an extinct indigenous tribe that lived in my area in the 1500s.

I was a portrait and Peter Hurley-style headshot specialist, but during the pandemic where I pretty much couldn’t photograph anyone in my studio I’ve decided to pivot and change genres. I’ve dumped the studio and am now pursuing a career as a commercial outdoor lifestyle photographer. Think photos of athletes and gear in the wilderness for outdoor brands. It’s better aligned with my interests to boot. Check out my John Muir Trail hiker project on IG (@hikers_of_the_jmt) for an idea of what I like to shoot.

 

[littledetails]

Hey @NJRadioGuy I saw your post and just wanted to reach out – I also live in Northern NJ (Montclair to be specific, where my wife is from), and have similar interests to you when it comes to overlanding. I'm a professional photographer and backpacking enthusiast. I'm new to Overland Bound (still a guest user), and until now I've done a number of overland trips criss-crossing the country in a Mini Cooper – most recently solo to Montana and back in August 2020. I've found that by no means is a 4x4 necessary to get to a lot of great places. Your rig is already more than capable enough for what you want to do.

Having said that, a Mini Cooper has its limits, and so I've just pulled the trigger on my first real rig... a 2021 Land Rover Defender with a RTT. I haven't actually got the car yet – I expect to take delivery next month – but am already planning a number of trips this year, notably to CO, UT, CA, OR, and MT. I also have a couple of backpacking trips on the books for July and September in the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountains respectively. In addition, I have a landscape photographer friend (and YouTuber) in BC, and would love to visit him and maybe visit Banff and the Yukon territories while I'm at it. Of course, COVID could still spoil some of these plans, but thankfully my wife and in-laws have already been vaccinated.

Like you, I am not particularly interested in rock crawling, giant tires, or risking serious damage to my vehicle. While the Land Rover is not going to be my daily driver, I'd like to keep it in pretty good condition – it's an expensive machine, for better or worse. What I am interested in is dispersed camping in beautiful places. Getting a little further off the beaten path than developed campgrounds and national parks (though I do love our national parks!). Getting into the mountains. Doing a stream crossing or two. Camping under the stars away from city lights. I plan to use my vehicle to access trail heads where I can hike and photograph beautiful landscapes and people engaging in the outdoor lifestyle (hikers, climbers, kayakers, etc.). Staying out of town for a few days at a time, and then resupplying and resting in small towns along the way. A mix of vehicle and human-powered overlanding.

I can't offer a lot of 4x4 overlanding experience. Like you, I went to YouTube university when it comes to this stuff. Regardless, if this sounds good to you, get in touch and maybe we can meet up and perhaps plan something.

Great reply. It always comes back to use what you have. I have did trips in my 88 hyundai excel. No matter what you have pack it up and go. 4x4 gets you into more remote places, but any rig will get you places.

BTW, what kind of photographer are you? I am just getting started as a true photographer here on the island. I am also going to start shooting a documentary on an extinct indigenous tribe that lived in my area in the 1500s.

Sounds like an awesome documentary project btw. What island are you referring to? I’m going to hopefully be helping a cinematographer friend with a doco this year on hiking in the Sierra Nevada.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Newfoundland that sounds like an awesome assignment too!