This is mine. It wasn't an overly complicated trail, but I did it on my own and had a blast with my friends. Rocky Mountains, CO, Dec 2018.
Pictures off your first time off-roading/overlanding
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Not every one could afford a camera when I started... so no pictures of my first
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Id have to make a huge wish for my house in galveston to re materialize, hurricaine ike took all my childhood memories.
Some of us were exploring before computers and drones and definitely before social media existed.
Back then only babies took selfies.
But we all felt exactly like you on the roof of yer Wrangler.
We never even plastic bottles, never mind bottled water. We just drank from a stream.
Starting a car was a process. Depress the clutch, pump the gas, pull the choke, turn the key, get a smooth idle by adjusting the choke, wait for the lifters to get oil pressure and quit clattering, pump the windshield washer with yer left foot, turn on the wipers to clear the frost, gas, clutch, go..... stall, repeat. Gas, clutch, accelerate and watch the wipers stop as the vacuum disappears. Slide in the choke. Adjust the radio tuning. Shoulder check for a lane change. Red light, stop and play with the throttle to keep it running.
Back then only babies took selfies.
But we all felt exactly like you on the roof of yer Wrangler.
We never even plastic bottles, never mind bottled water. We just drank from a stream.
Starting a car was a process. Depress the clutch, pump the gas, pull the choke, turn the key, get a smooth idle by adjusting the choke, wait for the lifters to get oil pressure and quit clattering, pump the windshield washer with yer left foot, turn on the wipers to clear the frost, gas, clutch, go..... stall, repeat. Gas, clutch, accelerate and watch the wipers stop as the vacuum disappears. Slide in the choke. Adjust the radio tuning. Shoulder check for a lane change. Red light, stop and play with the throttle to keep it running.
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I have a picture of a picture of the first 4x4 I owned. 1998 Wrangler 4cyl auto. But that's the only pic I have of it. This was taken in 2000.
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This is the first picture I took since starting my own off-road and overland journey. I volunteered at Overland Expo West to start to learn what I didn't know. Still learning and having a blast. :)
I know i'm dating myself but this is one of our earlier Rubicon trips... Most likely around 1986...
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My first time overlanding was pretty killer. Here are some pics
oh wow, a 1959 Pontiac !!Does this count?
unsafe at any speed...
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Tried this rated "easy" trail near lake tahoe last year. Still made me nervous 
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Unfortunately, no pics of the truly early days for me. We began with just washed out country roads and stuff near the town I grew up in. We "officially" started off-roading with lots of trips to Hollister Hills in my mid/late teens (born in '82). Usually we just did day trips, but occasionally we camped, so I guess that was kinda Overlanding? Then we got more into Pismo. Lots of great, crazy times. This is one of the few pics I have from the Pismo days, unfortunately:
No, I'm not Erik, and I'm not the camera man either. I was the camera guy initially (well, initially I was in the Bronco then kindly offered to get out, lol), but this was the days when you hit the button the a digital camera and it took the picture approximately three and a half weeks later. I wasn't doing a good job of getting the shot, so another buddy offered to lay down in the sand closer to where it was landing, and obviously was better in-tune with the camera's timing. So, I was standing just to the left of the camera, and on of my buddies I still dune with is the guy in the background with his old GF (yes, the white hoodie is a girl... it could be very cold in Pismo and apparently giant jean legs were still a thing in '00?). It's hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago...
This was the first thing I would say I truly "Overlanded" in. Yes, going to Hollister or Pismo and camping sort of fits the description, but those were specific small parks and were 99% on-road until you get to the park itself. With the Range (it was a '06 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, pretty well-optioned with the rear locker and I believe literally EVERY option available in '06) I think I actually did some "Overlanding" long before I was even aware of the term. I got it in '08 or '09 and these pics was from Sept '10 out in Idaho right before I sold it and got my '11 D'max in late Oct/early Nov '10. The only mods on the rig were HSE wheels (19" instead of factory Supercharged 20"s) with Goodyear MT/Rs. I kind of wish I still had it. It did amazingly offroad (not as good as the WJ, especially not having real armor) and ate up highway miles like nothing (as long as there were enough gas stations, lol). Anyway, it was the first rig that let just go explore off the beaten path and find spots to camp. And, believe it or not, it was SUPER reliable for me, and for my buddy that bought it from me when I got the D'max.
-TJ
No, I'm not Erik, and I'm not the camera man either. I was the camera guy initially (well, initially I was in the Bronco then kindly offered to get out, lol), but this was the days when you hit the button the a digital camera and it took the picture approximately three and a half weeks later. I wasn't doing a good job of getting the shot, so another buddy offered to lay down in the sand closer to where it was landing, and obviously was better in-tune with the camera's timing. So, I was standing just to the left of the camera, and on of my buddies I still dune with is the guy in the background with his old GF (yes, the white hoodie is a girl... it could be very cold in Pismo and apparently giant jean legs were still a thing in '00?). It's hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago...
This was the first thing I would say I truly "Overlanded" in. Yes, going to Hollister or Pismo and camping sort of fits the description, but those were specific small parks and were 99% on-road until you get to the park itself. With the Range (it was a '06 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, pretty well-optioned with the rear locker and I believe literally EVERY option available in '06) I think I actually did some "Overlanding" long before I was even aware of the term. I got it in '08 or '09 and these pics was from Sept '10 out in Idaho right before I sold it and got my '11 D'max in late Oct/early Nov '10. The only mods on the rig were HSE wheels (19" instead of factory Supercharged 20"s) with Goodyear MT/Rs. I kind of wish I still had it. It did amazingly offroad (not as good as the WJ, especially not having real armor) and ate up highway miles like nothing (as long as there were enough gas stations, lol). Anyway, it was the first rig that let just go explore off the beaten path and find spots to camp. And, believe it or not, it was SUPER reliable for me, and for my buddy that bought it from me when I got the D'max.
-TJ
1983 at the Gorge du Verdon in France, we were told that you could find gold in the riverbed. Fourteen people of 7 nationalities left the beach at St Tropez and headed for the hills in two VW Combies. We never found any gold but that might of had something to do with the 45 litres of red wine we bought at a local co-op winery.
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No Pictures Of My First Time Off-Roading, But This Was My First Bog With My K5 & The First Time I Floated My Mower. Looking Forward To Getting Some Overland Pics This Year!
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Crappy film camera of the 70's, 1 roll was all red tinged.
1976 bed set up for my 1973 88 Land Rover
With the family, needed a bigger car, 1967 109 Land Rover in the Black Rock Desert, it was called car camping then, 1987;
On the same playa that the Burning Man is now held
Fun times!
1976 bed set up for my 1973 88 Land Rover
With the family, needed a bigger car, 1967 109 Land Rover in the Black Rock Desert, it was called car camping then, 1987;
On the same playa that the Burning Man is now held
Fun times!
Eastern Kalahari Desert in 1973: Peugeot 404 Estate, with extra potable water tank, strengthened rear frame, and lots of enthusiasm. Drove it for a year and half in the Kalahari, Limpopo, and Matabeleland. The nearest tarred highway to this photo location was about 500 Km southwest (or only a couple of hundred Km if you drove into the next country.
