- Quick facts
- Total days on the road: 586
- Currently in: USA
- Miles Driven: 36821
- Countries Visited: 17
- Days Camping: 389
- Days Indoors: 202
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Vehicle Modifications for Long-Distance Travel
Long distance international road travel requires a lot more from of your vehicle than normal driving. Some vehicle modifications are necessary to make your life on the road safe, convenient and more comfortable. {jcomments lock}
The Hazards of Driving Unknown Roads
{jcomments lock}Road conditions and obstacles in underdeveloped countries are frustrating, to say the least. Drivers accustomed to U.S. or European roads can find many situations terrifyingly dangerous.
Many destinations have roads that are seldom marked or in a state of complete disrepair. Traffic is a maze of sketchy public transportation, motorcycles, donkey carts, pedestrians and animals of all shapes and sizes. The rules of the road may be wildly different than your home country. In many places traffic laws are completely ignored. Making sense of the chaos is something even locals find difficult.
Choosing an Overland Vehicle
{jcomments lock}Buying a car that will take you to faraway places is a big investment. It’s also very risky. You will rely on your overland vehicle to make your trip successful and comfortable. A breakdown at home may mean 30 minutes waiting for a tow truck followed by a day carpooling to work and a couple hundred dollar bill. In a foreign country this will undoubtedly be more traumatic. Your car will contain everything you own, and may be your sole means of transportation or even your home.
Renting a Vehicle
{jcomments lock}Have you ever tried to rent a vehicle and end up staring at the guy behind the counter like a deer in headlights? An hour later you’ve upgraded to a car you don’t need and are unknowingly paying for a pile of unnecessary insurance and other hidden fees. This article will help you decide whether to rent a car and how to avoid these extra costs.
Traveler’s Diarrhea Part 2: Treatment
{jcomments lock}This is part two of our mini-series on traveler’s diarrhea (TD). If you want more information about what TD is, and how to prevent it, check out part one.
Unfortunately, TD is not completely avoidable. We covered prevention in the last article, but what do you do once you have it? Here are a few tips...
More Articles...
Subcategories
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Plan & Prepare
Plan & Prepare
Planning for a big travel adventure can be a daunting task. There’s much to consider and even more to research. Properly planning your trip will make life easier on the road and allow you to spend less time worrying about details and more time having fun. These articles cover the basics of researching and documenting your travel destinations and other pre-trip activities we find valuable.
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Overlanding
Overlanding
Traveling by vehicle is a great way to see places that are normally difficult to get to. Having a car or truck makes it easier to camp and cook, giving you ways to save money and enjoy natural and cultural heritages that may be out of reach of traditional backpacking travelers. In this section we offer advice for choosing the right vehicle, renting, outfitting and staying safe while driving in foreign countries.
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Health & Safety
Health & Safety
Staying healthy and being safe on the road is 20% preparation and 80% common sense. We’re here to help you be prepared, you’ll have to supply the rest. Know what the risks are, what diseases are common and how to prevent them, where it’s safe to go, how to deal with corruption and avoid petty crime. Pack a first aid kit that can handle common health problems and have insurance for yourself and your stuff in case of emergency. Be ready to deal with the unexpected and have enough information to let your common sense do the rest.
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Cooking
Cooking
It seems all we do is talk about food, what we are eating and when. When people first meet us they quickly come to realize we eat a lot and we eat well.
We thought it is high time we share some of our culinary shenanigans with food lovers alike. If you have any recipes you would like us to add, let us know and we will get right on it.
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Photography
Photography
There are books to be written on the subject of travel photography. Hundreds of thousands of tips to be given on lighting and lenses, composition and cameras. In fact one member of the Life Remotely team spent four years of her life studying it. There is no possible way to pack all that info in one little website, but we vow to do what we can.
Occasionally people ask us how we take certain photos, and what type of gear we recommend. We’ll publish some articles here to help you out. Most are written by request. Send us an email if there is something you’d like to know, and we’ll do our best to say something smart about it.
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Budget & Money
Budget & Money
Budgeting is all about getting the most out of your trip. Putting in this effort before you leave to help reach savings goals, pick good bank accounts and ensure your travels will be as successful, stress free and long as possible. Maintaining and sticking to your budget on the road will help you make better decisions with the least amount of worry. Trust us, it’s not much fun, but financially planning for your trip will always be worth it in the end.
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Camping
Camping
Camping while traveling can be a fun and convenient way to save money and experience new places off the beaten track. It can also be such an uncomfortable and frustrating hassle that you run screaming for the nearest hotel. In this section we share some of our experiences from years of traveling and camping. We’ll help you decide whether or not to camp, how to stay comfortable and sane when you do camp, and what to bring with to make life on the dirt a bit more enjoyable.
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While Traveling
While Traveling
As any experienced traveler knows, you will run into difficulties while you're on the road. How you deal with the hard times will make the difference between a miserable trip and a memorable experience.
Travelers seek to grow themselves personally, and come home with amazing stories to tell. We do this by being prepared for the expected and by dealing with the unexpected with a positive attitude. Here you'll find common advice we've gained through our years spent traveling, and general tips to help you avoid and deal with the tough times.