Tuesday morning started like any other — a quick drive to take my daughter to work. Nothing out of the ordinary. But within seconds, everything shifted. An oncoming driver pulled out of a long parking lot and shot directly into the left lane of a two-lane roadway — my lane — like they were the …
I’ve said it before: I have a love/hate relationship with social media. These platforms start as a way to share stories and passions, but over time they turn into noisy, in-your-face marketing machines fighting for every second of your attention. Facebook was the first to go several months ago. Instagram followed. The old time_2_xplore account …
Read more “December Digital Detox — Stepping Back to Move Forward”
🔥 3 Years of Real-World Use — Since Sept 2022 I bought my Vevor diesel heater back in September 2022, and after three full winters of camping, off-roading, shed work, and keeping gear thawed in Atlantic Canada, I finally feel qualified to give a true long-term review. Not a weekend test — an actual multi-year …
What I’d Do Differently After 30,000 km Building a Volvo XC70 into an overland rig isn’t the same as modifying a truck or traditional SUV. The XC70 has unique limitations, unique strengths, and a surprising amount of capability if you understand how to set it up properly. After two years and over 30,000 km of …
Read more “If I Had to Build My Volvo XC70 Overlander Again”
Gear Upgrades, Tents & Lessons Learned Every camping season has a rhythm to it, and this year was no different. I started 2025 with a simple goal: get out more, travel lighter, and make my Volvo XC70 an even more capable soft-roader. I didn’t get out as much as I’d hoped—plans shift, life changes, and …
Read more “My 2025 Camping Season: From Spring Snow to Fall Sunsets”
This week I had two attempts on my gear that I know of—and that’s two too many. Both times, someone tampered with the bike rack on my Volvo. The straps were undone, the U-lock and cable moved, and worst of all, it looks like someone took a prybar to the locking clamp, leaving deep gouges …
Read more “Keeping Your Gear Safe: A Tough Lesson in the City”
There’s a weight to the end of June that I can’t shake. It creeps in slowly—mood shifts, irritability, emotional fog. I don’t always recognize it right away, but it always leads me back to one day: June 28, 1990. That was the day everything changed. I remember every moment of it, even now, 35 years …
Read more “PTSD Doesn’t Work on a Calendar—But Neither Does Healing”
“PTSD doesn’t work on a calendar. But neither does healing. We show up anyway.” It’s been a tough stretch lately. I haven’t been able to get out as much as I’d like—Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis have turned every step into a reminder that the body’s not always on board with the mind’s ambitions. But …
Some of you know my story. Others are just stumbling in now—welcome to the mess. I live with degenerative discs, neuropathy, and now, for bonus points, confirmed plantar fasciitis in my right heel and Achilles tendonitis in my left. That’s right—my body’s basically staging a protest every time I lace up my boots. Chronic pain …
After eight unforgettable years of overland adventures in my 2000 Ford Explorer—fondly known as Nessie—I’ve made a significant transition to a more manageable ride: the 2005 Volvo XC70, affectionately nicknamed the Moosewagen. This post takes you behind the scenes of my rig’s evolution, explains why I decided to downsize, and shares how the new setup …
Read more “Downsizing from Nessie to the Moosewagen: My Overland Journey”