In this episode of Remote Trails Radio, Garrick and Melody trade road-trip stories from winter travel across the West, introduce Melody’s new pup Yuzu, and share updates from past episodes - including a deep dive into Bluetti’s new Charger 2 and what it means for vehicle-based power systems.

Garrick walks through his experience with the Starlink Mini, explaining how standby mode makes satellite internet surprisingly practical for overlanders who want connectivity without committing to a full monthly plan. Melody brings a must-listen podcast recommendation on air compressors and duty cycles, adding context to their earlier gear discussions.

The second half of the episode looks forward to 2026, with a packed calendar of events - from Overland Expo SoCal + PNW and the Northwest Overland Rally in Plain, WA, to the Big Thing in Montana and the Panhandle Overland Rally in Idaho.

They wrap with media recommendations, tax-filing tips, and a few predictions about where overlanding is headed - EVs included.

It’s a relaxed, wide-ranging conversation about travel, tech, and community, perfect for anyone planning their next adventure or just dreaming about the season ahead.

• Bluetti Charger 2
• Botches Offroad: Morrflate
• Month of Feb: Dirtfish Rally Ice Driving
• Feb 27-28: FAT Ice Race 2026
• March 14-15: Overland Expo SoCal
• June 18-21: Northwest Overland Rally
• June 26-28: PNW Overland Expo
• July 9-12: The Big Thing at XOverland Ranch
• Sept 18-20: Panhandle Overland Rally
• FreeTaxUsa.com

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Welcome to the first Remote Trails Radio episode of 2026—and instead of a highlight reel, we’re doing the anti-wrap. Garrick and Melody unpack a wild, soggy, and often frustrating Pacific Northwest fall, from historic flooding and washed-out highways to snow seasons that never quite showed up.

From there, things turn productive (and optimistic): we celebrate our first-ever fan mail, share practical motivation hacks for actually finishing projects, and dive deep into one of the biggest backcountry updates in years—the release of Washington BDR 2.0, plus a surprise refresh of the Oregon BDR. Garrick breaks down what changed, why it matters, and how these updates make multi-day BDR trips more realistic than ever.

The episode also includes:

• A deep dive into Whidbey Island adventures, including Fort Ebey State Park, glacier-carved kettle terrain, and XC-style MTB trails with big history
• Overlanding logistics with dogs (including a new four-legged passenger joining the crew 🐾)
• Nitro Circus highlights and why it’s worth seeing live
• DIY fire starters, boot dryers, and underrated road-trip snacks in Random Recommendations

It’s a wide-ranging, cozy, information-packed episode—perfect for planning your next adventure while the weather does whatever it wants.

💬 Got something to share?
Use the “Send us a text” link in your podcast app, or email us at RemoteTrailsRadio@gmail.com
—you might hear it on a future episode.

🔗 Links

• Teton Sports Camp Cot with Pivot Arm
• Instagram for “How Long Does It Actually Take”: @christi.newrutzen
• Cook Unity
• Snoozer Dog Console Seats
• Nitro Circus
• Rebel Cheese
• WABDR 2.0 Update
• ridebdr.com, FB WABDR, FB ORBDR, FB IDBDR
• Travel Guide: Fort Ebey State Park
• Bigfoot Bushcraft Fire Starters
• DryGuy Boot Driers

Thanks for sticking with us through 2025. Here’s to better weather, better trails, and even better adventures ahead.

RTR, over and out. 🚙🏍️❄️

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🎄 Merry Christmas from Remote Trails Radio!

In this holiday episode, Garrick and Melody kick things off with updates, mishaps, and the ongoing debate over car color—before diving into gear talk, trail stories, and a deep Moab travel breakdown.

We start with real-world vehicle issues, including a cargo-area heat problem in a 3rd-gen 4Runner and a physical muffler swap that had unexpected consequences. From there, the conversation shifts into air compressor systems—why you actually need one, how different setups compare, and what really matters when it comes to CFM, duty cycle, noise, and long-term reliability. Melody shares what inspired her latest build while Garrick weighs in on proven options.

The second half of the episode is a Moab travel guide (Part 2). Building on Episode 6, we recap iconic routes like Potash Road, Shafer Trail, and Long Canyon, then branch out to Gemini Bridges, Four Arches Canyon, Surprise Valley Overlook, and more. Along the way, we share lessons learned—from melted interior gear and intermittent motorcycle failures to getting properly stuck in the mud—and offer practical tips for camping, weather, timing, and route planning.

We wrap things up with trail-resource recommendations and a few random holiday recommendations to send you into the season right.

Whether you’re planning a winter desert trip, dialing in your air-up system, or just escaping family chaos for an hour—this one’s for you.

Links:

• Goose Gear
• Sponsored by Wifey
• Wifey Air System
• VIAIR 400P
• ARB Twin Air Compressor: Use our discount code: REMOTETRAILS10
• Potash Evaporation Ponds
• Shafer Switchbacks
• Long Canyon Road
• Trail route resources
  • Utah BDR
  • Trails Offroad
  • Overland Trail Guides
• Big A** Calendar
• Merrell Moab Mocs

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Remote Trails Radio Instagram @remotetrailsradio

Remote Trails Radio YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio

Opening music is Fun by Vibe Tracks https://goo.gl/Vb19cj

Zack is back! Our favorite resident tinkerer (last heard on Episode 10) returns with a new-to-him 2023 Tacoma and a head full of ideas. We chat through how he specced it as a dual-sport hauler on a budget—why he went with the “park-service white” access cab, the first mods he’s already done (hello, plug-and-play bed lights and wheel chock), and what actually makes sense to upgrade when your priority is getting bikes to the trail, not building a SEMA truck.

From there we wander into all the good nerdy stuff: sleeping in the truck bed vs cots and tents, soft toppers vs locking tonneau covers, how enclosed trailers double as bunkhouses, and what dispersed camping around Moab might look like for our Thanksgiving moto crew. We also unpack the difference between off-roading, overlanding, dual sport, and ADV riding—and why trail difficulty ratings are so tricky for motorcycles. Zack shares the story of his surprise Yamaha WR250R birthday bike (with some truly wild graphics), we daydream about fake sponsor decals and RTR stickers, and wrap up with our random recommendations: anti-seize for your bolts, ultra-lux burrata filling, secondhand gear apps, and a moody Rush track for your next night-drive playlist.

Links

• Gambler 500
• Poshmark
• Bel Gioioso “Burrata Filling”
• Permatex Anti-Seize
• Copaslip Anti-Seize
• “Witch Hunt” by Rush

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Our Thanksgiving episode is here! 🦃 This week, Garrick and Melody dive into an unexpectedly eventful stretch of adventures, gear experiments, and one very fancy set of license plates.

We kick things off with updates from Episodes 26 and 28—including Garrick’s saga of trying (and failing, then succeeding) to build a DC5521 fridge cable, plus the surprising Instagram shoutout that has us basically famous now. Melody comes clean about a missing tire gauge, and BTech quietly drops a radio update that solves a big annoyance for dual-sport riders everywhere.

From there, we head into Melody’s deep dive into Hong Kong license plates—the status symbols, the minimum spend, the adjectives (“beautiful”/“ugly”), and the story of how an Uber driver revealed the whole scene. Meanwhile, Garrick reports back from a chilly Halloween hot-tent campout, tests out a new Bluetti charger, wrestles with mixed weather, and finally admits a diesel heater might be worth it after all.

Our Gear Focus this week nerds out on micro power stations, featuring the surprisingly capable Anker Solix C300 DC—a tiny-but-mighty “power bank on steroids” that can run a fridge in a pinch and might be the ultimate beginner power station for overlanders. We compare it against competitors from EcoFlow and Jackery, talk real-world uses, and highlight who this form factor is actually great for.

Then we jump into this week’s Adventure App pick, Radio Chatter, and wrap with some random recommendations: Met Market’s pre-order cranberry sauce (trust Melody on this) and the Botches Offroad Podcast (trust Garrick on this).

Happy Thanksgiving to our American audience—and thanks for riding along with us. 🦃🏕️

Links:

• https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio
• Make QR Codes
• Road Safety Kit
• How to make a better portable fridge cable video (Jasonoid YouTube)
• BougeRV Diesel Heater
• Anker Solix C300 DC
• Anker Solix C300 DC on Costco
• Ecoflow Trail 300 DC
• Jackery Explorer 240D
• Radio Chatter
• Met Market Advance Holiday Reservations “Cranberry Orange Sauce”
• Botches Offroad Podcast

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Remote Trails Radio Instagram @remotetrailsradio

Remote Trails Radio YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio

Opening music is Fun by Vibe Tracks https://goo.gl/Vb19cj

Chilly temps, big mods, and bigger trip tips. Garrick installs a DC-DC alternator charger (Bluetti Charger 1) to turbo-charge his EcoFlow River 2 Pro and talks solar (220W), safer fridge power connectors (DC5521 + Anderson swap-ends), and why cigarette lighter plugs keep letting overlanders down. Melody breaks down our Vancouver Island playbook—ferries (Black Ball vs. BC Ferries), border/dog docs, bear-country camp hygiene, and how we actually find great camps (Gaia/OnX/Trailforks/Backroads Mapbooks + Overland Trail Guides)—including the backup-your-pins lesson we learned the hard way. Plus quick PNW ride notes from Roslyn to Grand Ridge (hello, cougar signs), and gear fails & fixes (air compressor, tire gauges, and the case for a compact propane fire can).

In this episode:

• DC-DC charging 101: stepping up voltage for real alternator watts
• Solar realities, fridge “eco mode,” and solid DC5521 outputs
• Vancouver Island logistics, reservations, and camp-scouting workflow
• PNW ride recaps: gravel loops & weeknight singletrack
• Bear-country habits that actually help
• Gear talk: redundancy that matters (power, gauges, fire)

Random Recs:

• Dessert hack: dates stuffed with almond butter
• Thrift smarter: the Depop app for graphic tees & trail-town fits

Relevant Links:

• Remote Trails Radio on YouTube
• Remote Trails Radio on Instagram
• Ecoflow 220W Solar Panel
• Bluetti Charger 1
• Timber Bell
• Jasonoid’s guide on creating a better 12V power cable

Say hi on Instagram @RemoteTrailsRadio and catch episode uploads on YouTube—like & subscribe to support the show. Questions or trip tips? RemoteTrailsRadio@gmail.com

Send us a text

Support the show

Remote Trails Radio Instagram @remotetrailsradio

Remote Trails Radio YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio

Opening music is Fun by Vibe Tracks https://goo.gl/Vb19cj

Join Garrick and Melody for a spine-tingling Halloween edition of Remote Trails Radio, featuring returning guest Scott as they swap eerie tales from the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. From raccoons that seem just a little too smart, to cougar cries that sound like human babies, to the chilling darkness of lava tubes and an overland camp that may be cursed — this episode has it all.

The trio dives into ghostly folklore, Sasquatch legends, and firsthand stories that’ll make you think twice before camping alone in the woods. Plus, they share a few not-so-scary recommendations, from powerful lights to binge-worthy shows perfect for spooky season.

Grab your lantern, stoke the campfire, and settle in — it’s time for a Halloween adventure you won’t forget.

🎧 Topics include:

• Creepy wildlife encounters and strange campsite behavior
• Exploring Falls Creek Cave and the fear of total darkness
• Sasquatch myths and mysterious happenings in the Olympic Mountains
• Personal stories of “spooky camp bottom” and unexplainable vibes
• Random recommendations for your next eerie-season adventure

🔗 Links:

• Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization - 1-408-634-2376
• North West Mythology
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws-FvRFMlFQ
• Costco Infinity X1 Lights
• Yellowjackets TV show
• Eberlestock Fade Sling

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Remote Trails Radio YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio

Opening music is Fun by Vibe Tracks https://goo.gl/Vb19cj

Melody and Garrick circle back on a summer of experiments—what gear actually worked, what flopped, and what they’re upgrading next. From window-vent rain solutions and Bluetooth headsets that finally transmit clearly, to $28 camp showers, engine-bay steam cleans, and a close call that becomes a hard-earned route-planning lesson, this one’s packed. Plus: the gloriously flowy Olympic Adventure Trail, a jaw-dropping day around Windy Ridge on Mount St. Helens, Burley Mountain Lookout views for days, and two quick recs (free dog birthday swag and a language-learning kick).

• Roadie
• Window Sock
• Shokz OpenRun 2
• Shokz OpenComm2
• BlueParrott trucker headsets
• Amazon Shower
• Heated Cup
• Open Bay Garage
• All the Best Pet Care
• DuoLingo

We're posting our videos to YouTube now. Check out episode one!

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Remote Trails Radio Instagram @remotetrailsradio

Remote Trails Radio YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RemoteTrailsRadio

Opening music is Fun by Vibe Tracks https://goo.gl/Vb19cj