- Boondocking, primitive,
nomading, vanning or van life,
off-grid,
dispersed,
overlanding.
All of these terms describe what is known
to most of us as camping.
Not always in a traditional campsite,
but in a variety of locations
that can be used for some sort of overnight stay.
But the question is
how do we find these sometimes rare
and unique spots?
Well stick around, my friends, and let's find out.
One of the first things we need to do
after picking up a new set of wheels and tires
from TrailBuilt Off-Road is to go out,
hit the trails and really put those new tires to the test.
And what better way to do that than
to load up your vehicle with a bunch of camping gear
and go exploring on a new adventure?
Some of us already have a pre-planned destination
in mind to go camp at,
but a majority of us wanna travel
to some adventurous and unknown remote location.
The only problem is we don't always know exactly
where they are or what the best way to find them is.
So where do we start?
Everyone that goes exploring in a new and different location
will have their own unique way of finding those routes
and destinations, but for me personally,
what I found that works best is a combination
of websites and mapping systems.
And here's what I mean.
The first thing I always like to do before we head out
on another wilderness adventure
and probably one of the best tips I can give you
is to search the maps on a desktop or laptop computer first.
Yes, phones and tablets have apps that allow you to search
a variety of different maps and camping spots,
but being able to search on a computer
with a decent internet connection first
makes it so much easier to find the really cool locations.
For example, I like to have the Gaia GPS Maps tab open,
Google Maps tab open,
iOverlander.com maps open,
recreation.gov tab open
and a Facebook tab open.
By doing this, I can then compare the visuals
on the maps and save way points and points of interest
in the form of a GPX or KML file.
After that, I then opened up the Gaia Maps app
on my phone and make sure to download
those map areas for offline use.
This way you don't have to worry
about not having cell reception or signal
to view the maps.
With the tabs open, I can Google search area attractions
or points of interest and then search Facebook groups
for cool areas that coordinate with them
to sort of really get an inside scoop
on those specific areas.
Instagram can also be a good resource
for searching those areas for good quality photos.
Plus I'll cross-reference recreation.gov
or iOverlander
to get additional dispersed camping information as well
to really get that full scope
of the areas we'll be traveling to
and to find some of those hidden treasures
that you may not normally find just by searching on a map.
Another tip and trick when you're searching in Gaia Maps
is to have the layer visible
for MVUM from the United States Forest Service.
MVUM the Motor Vehicle Use Map
and it'll show you all the forest service roads,
although it's best to have the most current version
in a physical paper copy form
from your local ranger station just to be on the safe side.
I'll also toggle on and off the US Public Lands map
and the satellite map to ensure
for one, I'm staying on public property
and not veering off into someone's private property.
And two, the satellite view will give me additional views
of the surrounding terrain,
so I can visually see things
like campsites, buildings, forest areas
and a variety of other geographical items
that I wouldn't be able to see without it.
Another nice feature with Gaia Maps is
that when somebody else saves their recorded track publicly,
you now will be able to see that trail
or route and most of them will list the camping areas
that they stayed at,
although it is always best
to verify those are legitimate dispersed camping areas
and not just somebody that may have stayed
at their buddy's cabin or something like that,
which is especially important to plan the camp spots
you wanna stay out well ahead of time
and even pick out
at least one or two contingency camp spots,
just in case there is someone at, well,
your originally intended spot
or the travel time puts you either way behind
or way ahead of schedule
and then you're either gonna end up
driving way past it to the next picked out destination
or you're way behind schedule and it's gonna be too late
at night by the time you arrive
at that planned camp spot.
I don't wanna ever want to feel rushed
just to get to a specific spot
and would rather bunker down early
if we need to.
This way we have time to get our campsite all set up
and time to prepare a halfway decent meal for the night.
So I always like to pick out a few different spots
just in case.
Between the Gaia Maps and the Google Maps app,
they have been all I've needed to find
and get to some of those pretty sweet spots.
And guys, another thing I will say though,
is that our intentions are not to just flood
the really extravagant secret spots
with more people.
As you've probably noticed,
I didn't give away any GPS coordinates in today's video,
but rather to provide the tools and information
for you to use to possibly find those awesome areas
that you may not have found previously, which is great.
But here's the thing, guys, please, please make sure
we are being responsible outdoor enthusiasts
and adhering to the tread lightly principles
of which are leaving the areas camped in
or traveled in better than what you found it,
minimizing or not using an open fire
in highly flammable dry areas, repairing damaged areas
when noticed, staying off of privately owned land
without permission,
staying on designated trails and avoiding sensitive areas
like archeological sites, wetlands, muddy trails
and other various spots
that just wouldn't make sense to go through.
And if you plan on any type of travel
that involves a vehicle, then first and foremost,
before even going out to hit the trails,
hit treadlightly.org/learn and get educated
or refresh your mindset on what it means
to actually tread lightly.
This way, by working together as a community
and doing our part, we can preserve these awesome trails
and camping areas for generations to come.
So in short and to recap, first things first.
Grab your new wheels and tires from TrailBuilt Off-Road
and with free mounting, free balancing and free shipping
to any state in the lower 48, why wouldn't you?
Second, jump on your computer and search Gaia GPS Maps,
Google Maps and recreation.gov,
iOverlander.com, Facebook groups, et cetera,
to plan your routes and stays.
Then before you leave for your adventure,
check out the Tread Lightly website,
then make sure you have your map areas downloaded
on your mobile device and enjoy your overlanding adventure.
Also, guys, this is just a way
that I search and plan our trips,
but what we'd love to hear from all of you
is what resources do you use?
Do you have any suggestions as to which mapping platform
is more user-friendly than the other?
Definitely make sure and let us know in the comments below.
Other than that guys, as always,
we appreciate all of you for watching
and all of your support.
I'm Josh with TrailBuilt
and we'll see you guys out on the trails.
(light music)