- Quick facts
- Total days on the road: 586
- Currently in: USA
- Miles Driven: 36821
- Countries Visited: 17
- Days Camping: 389
- Days Indoors: 202
- Get Updates via Email
Expedition Tongs
{jcomments lock}About 10 years ago I bought a pair of typical South African tongs for the BBQ made from aluminum. While on our Pan-American journey they soon became Jareds go-to tongs for everything from handling charcoal and wood for fires to flipping all types of meat on the grill.
During this time I saw the tongs used in ways I never thought possible and for things I never imagined. As my well loved tongs were used and abused, it became evident that I would eventually need a new pair. The aluminum was soft from bending and re-shaping the pinchers, the rivets were becoming lose from gripping too many heavy objects.
Download Our Free Ebook: Overlanding Mexico and Central America
{jcomments on}{jcomments lock}
At long last, our crowning achievement is finished after several days of nonstop work, excluding that night we went through a bottle of rum and two bottles of wine, of course. In the process of painstakingly recounting our trials and tribulations for your enjoyment, we've gained a profound understanding as to why so many writers are alcoholics.
Introducing: Don't Go There. It's Not Safe. You'll Die. And Other More Rational Advice for Overlanding Mexico and Central America.
So what's this all about? In case the title isn't clear (blame Jessica) it's a guide for people who want to travel by car in Mexico and Central America. It is filled with information we gained during our eight-month journey from Seattle to Panama. It also contains advice for planning and preparing for an overlanding trip based on the hundreds of hours of research we did before leaving home.
Best of all, it's free! No strings attached. All that we ask is that you pass the word along and share the book with others.
First Aid Kits: What you need and why
{jcomments lock}The great Center for Disease Control (CDC), has much more knowledge than I could amass in a lifetime on the topic of international first aid. Here’s why they say you need a first aid kit:
“The purpose of packing a travel health kit is to ensure travelers have supplies they need to—
- manage pre-existing medical conditions and treat any exacerbations of these conditions,
- prevent illness related to traveling, and
- take care of minor health problems as they occur. 1”
Forks in the Road: Recipes from Overlanding the Pan-American Highway
{jcomments lock}It's our pleasure to finally introduce our latest work, Forks in the Road: Recipes from Overlanding the Pan-American Highway. A cookbook that has been 25,000 miles in the making.
What's Inside?
- 85 full-color recipes, all of which can be made in a minimalist camp kitchen.
- Comfort breakfasts, quick & easy lunch ideas and dinner recipes sure to make fellow campers jealous.
- Instructions for how to bake, braise, roast and smoke using charcoal.
In the unfortunate event that we've never had the privilege of cooking you a meal, here are a few recipes from the book that should give you an idea what we're all about. Click to enlarge.
Forks in the Road: The Making Of
{jcomments lock}A mere three days away from the release of our soon-to-be critically-acclaimed cookbook, Forks in the Road: Recipes from Overlanding the Pan-American Highway, we feel it's our duty to provide you with a glimpse of the trials, tribulations, tantrums and alcohol-fueled late-night sessions that brought it into being.
What's the best way to test the relationship of the ones you love? Long-term travel. What's the best way to ensure you never want to see each other again? Travel long-term while simultaneously attempting to write, photograph and publish a cookbook.
We drove 25,000 miles through 13 countries while taking 2,780 pictures and writing more than 90 recipes spanning 210 pages and 45,000 words to make this happen. It was quite possibly the most difficult, delicious and time-consuming thing we did on this trip. And it was totally worth it. We hope you enjoy our efforts and a laugh at our expense.
Coming Soon: A Cookbook from Life Remotely
{jcomments lock}Ladies and Gentleman, it's announcement time again. Don't lie. I know you love announcement time. Coming oh-so-very soon to a computer, kitchen, amazon.com, and Overland Expo "near" you:
Forks in the Road: Recipes from Overlanding the Pan-American Highway
To be released online and in print at Overland Expo 2013 on May 17th.*
*Assuming Jared finishes writing the words, Jessica gets the back cover designed and the book is finally sent to the printer this week.
What's inside:
- 85 full-color recipes all made with ingredients available in Latin America
- Quick & easy ideas for every meal of the day
- Baking over charcoal explained with easy-to-follow diagrams
- Latin American-inspired recipes to match an overlanding lifestyle
- How-to guide for roasting an entire lamb or 25-pound beef rib rack
Each recipe was cooked, written, photographed and published while driving the Pan-American Highway. Care has been taken to point out hard-to-find ingredients, offer readily available substitutions and give advice for keeping meals simple and flexible. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, drinks, sauces, spice mixes, and side dishes are all included.
And because we know you might not have a permanent address at the moment, we are offering two versions:
Ebook (PDF): $14.99
Print book: $29.99
The Breakfast Bomb - Recipe
- Serves: 6 {jcomments lock}
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Estimated cost: Less than $10
Quiche is good, the breakfast bomb, well it's The Bomb. The recipe originated in South Africa and was discovered by us in Argentina. It could easily be a lunch or a dinner. One thing is for sure, it is a great way to start the day.
We have been using store bought pie crusts since they are so easy to find here in South America. The fillings depend on personal preference and what leftovers you happen to have in the fridge. We like to use slices of salami, ham, grilled steak or chorizo. For the veggies we go with bell peppers, onions, chives broccoli or potatoes.
Stuffed Apples - Recipe
Serves: 4 {jcomments lock}
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cost: Less than $5
This is a very simple desert that can be made while grilling or making a poitjie on a charcoal fire. The apples are perfect for a cold camping night. They dissolve in your mouth in what can only be called a flavor explosion.
The Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Argentinian Mud Chicken - Recipe
Serves: 4 to 5
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 to 2.5 hours
Estimated cost: Less than $10 {jcomments lock}
Mud Chicken? Yup, chicken baked in mud. This recipe originates from an old-school Argentinian cookbook that covers recipes that gauchos and indigenous people prepare.
When I first heard of this method I said to myself, "that is never going to work." It wasn't until Lucy Pickering from Chasetherace.net dumped a steaming brick of mud out of her Dutch oven that I reconsidered.
Beef, Bacon & Beer Potjie: Not Your Grandma’s Stew - Recipe
Serves: 6-8 {jcomments lock}
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Estimated Cost: $10
This is a spin on a classic South African recipe. Stews are normally a bunch of ingredients that are thrown into the pot and stirred from time to time, the end result is all your ingredients having the same consistency, mush.
On the other hand, a potjie is never stirred. All the ingredients retain their texture and shape but still mix flavors with their neighbors. This meal is hearty and perfect for a cold night, especially when accompanied by a few beers.
Don’t be afraid to change up the ingredients, especially the veggies. A potjie is very forgiving and turns out scrumptious every time.
Baking Mouthwatering, Moist Dutch Oven Bread - Recipe
Makes: 1 loaf {jcomments lock}
Prep time: 30 minutes
Dough rising time: 2 hours
Cook time: 45 minutes to one hour
Estimated cost: $2
Yes, you can bake in a Dutch oven. In fact it is one of the most rewarding parts of owning one. This recipe is a simple and can be altered to make herb bread or smaller rolls.
The trick is to give the dough plenty of time to rise.
All Glory to the Dutch Oven!
{jcomments lock}In South Africa the Dutch oven or potjie (pronounced poy-key) is usually associated with social gatherings and special events. While overlanding it’s that and much more. Our Dutch oven forms a vital part of our kitchen arsenal. It allows us to make ridiculously cheap and good meals with little effort. Not to mention that it makes us popular around dinner time as fellow travelers flock to our side to contribute to the evening festivities.
The Dutch oven allows us to make a wide variety of delicious comfort food without needing an actual oven. After being on the road for a year, we can emphatically say that a little bit of home goes along way.
What is a Dutch Oven?
Simply put, a Dutch oven is a cooking pot made from heavy cast iron. If you take care of it, it will last forever. They are typically black and pre-seasoned but can be found with enamel coatings that come in all shapes and sizes. Cast iron pots are not practical for backpacking because of their weight and size, although lighter aluminum varieties are available, they are definitely the the same.
Kobus’ Faux Roast Chicken - Recipe
Serves: 6 {jcomments lock}
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
Estimated Cost: Under $10
The first time I made this chicken it was a winner and we immediately added it to the "cook it again list". This method of cooking the chicken creates a tender, juicy, fall-of-the-bone meal that is straight out of flavor crystal heaven. It is easy to make and takes very little culinary skill, after all I am just the driver.
It's not technically roast chicken since it's partially cooked in liquid, hence the "faux". It's semi-roasted, the legs and thighs are cooked in liquid while the white meat and most of the veggies, being above the liquid, are roasted to perfection. You get fall-off-the-bone dark meat and juicy roasted white meat, best of both worlds.
How to Take Photos of Star Trails
{jcomments lock}Streaking stars across the night sky are beautiful and capturing them on a photo gives you the time to enjoy the view while the camera does all the work. As usual with star photo excursions, check the weather forecast, pack your photo and camping gear and head out as far away from civilization as possible.
How to Take Incredible Star Photos like NASA
{jcomments lock}You do not need to work for NASA or have a fancy telescope to take beautiful photos of the night sky. All you need is a clear evening, a decent camera, tripod, some warm clothes and something to drink.
Check the weather forecast in your area and don't forget to see when the next meteor shower is. The further away from civilization the better. Light from cities and even little towns has the potential to spoil beautiful photos.
Sample Travel Budget
Download the sample budget here. This article explains how to use this sample travel budget. The article Creating a Travel Budget will help you to better understand what each category means and give a bit more explanation about the way you should use the budget. {jcomments lock}
The budget is divided into five categories: income, start up costs, reoccurring costs, one-time travel expenses and daily expenses. Breaking down expenses into these categories is necessary to keep yourself organized. It also lets you see where your money is going, giving you flexibility when things don’t go as planned. Knowing where costs can be reduced lets you absorb unknown expenses with minimal stress.
How to Tell your Clients you are becoming Location Independent
{jcomments lock}We're not contemplating whether you should or shouldn't tell your clients you are traveling. You should. The question is how.
As a freelancer, I’m sure you’ve come to recognize that every client is different. Some of them are a lot different and some are down right loony. However, they do pay your bills and they all deserve to be told if major changes are happening in your business.
The World’s Best Resource for Getting a Job on a Cruise Ship
Overview
{jcomments lock}If you’re serious about getting a job on a cruise ship, here’s the one resource you need: a 175-page ebook written, researched and recently updated by cruise employee veterans Earl Baron and Liz Aceves, How to Work on a Cruise Ship.
We bought it, reviewed it and scrutinized it. And we think it’s pretty damn good.
How to Find a Job on a Cruise Ship
{jcomments lock}Getting work aboard a cruise ship is slightly different than on land. You still need to write a resume and a cover letter, go to an interview and sign a contract. The difference is that you cannot simply walk up to a ship and apply for a job.
Start by looking at your experience and skills and match them to a ship board position. If you have a degree in photography then getting work as a ship photographer is easier than trying to get a job as a bartender. If you work with children or in entertainment then you can apply to be a youth coordinator or one of the cruise staff.
What's It Like to Work on a Cruise Ship?
{jcomments lock}When looking for work on a cruise ship, you are presented with pictures of idyllic beaches, happy working people and nice cabins.
Ahhhh, the awesomeness of marketing. While that image isn't entirely fake, it is far from the real life of a crew member. Let me break it down for you.
Working on a cruise ship is not the same as working on land, not all bad, just not the same. You do not have the luxury of going home at the end of the day. Complaining is futile, because everyone is in it together. Cruise ships for the most part operate in international waters and therefore do not need to comply with labor laws.
Hours
All departments have different work schedules and hours. Some only work while the ship is at sea while others operate regardless of the ship's location. Cruise lines are registered in countries other than the USA for various reasons, usually they are tax related. This also allows companies to skirt the laws of minimum wage and maximum hours employees are allowed to work in a day.
What's it Like to Live on a Cruise Ship?
{jcomments lock}A cruise ship is a veritable melting pot of work , travel, cultures, ideas and STDs. Crew from around the world slave away week in and week out to keep passengers coming back. After all, the passengers make this form of work while travel possible.
Life aboard a cruise ship is filled with tight spaces, work schedules, crew parties and time in new and interesting destinations.
Space
On every ship there are designated crew areas which, compared to passenger areas, are small and confined. Instead of nice paintings on the corridor walls there are bulletin boards and emergency evacuation information.
Job Classifications on Cruise Ships
{jcomments lock}Disclaimer: This article is specific to Norwegian Cruise Lines, and may or may not be the same accurate for other companies. It is based on our four years of experiences working for NCL. We welcome comments from current and past staff, crew and officers and will be happy to add them to the article.
Before we delve into life aboard a cruise ship we need to explain the hierarchy of the staff and crew. Not everyone has cushy jobs with nice cabins and time off. In fact, many employees are never seen by passengers and rarely leave the ship.
Reflections on My Cruise Ship Life
{jcomments lock}As I sat on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, I gazed out at the hordes of new people crowding the beach, accosted by hawkers selling trinkets. The day before was quiet, barely a soul on the beach. This morning, however, three cruise ships dropped anchor and drip fed passenger after passenger into this popular port.
I spent four years of my life at sea, working for Norwegian Cruise Line as an executive casino host, a sweet gig. I got paid to see the world and experience other cultures. Or so I thought.
How Working Changes our Travel Style
{jcomments lock}Here at Team Life Remotely we travel a bit differently. Not because we are trying to be better than others, but because we are attempting to maintain our jobs on the road. Our short 15-hour work week may seem insubstantial (and ideal) but it makes a big impact on how we travel.
Here are a few things we’ve had to change to keep the pay checks coming in:
Planning, Researching, and More Planning
Travelers debate this all the time. Is it better to throw caution to the wind and just go where the road takes you, or to struggle with a bulletproof itinerary? Generally, we’re the type of people to read a lot, ask a lot of questions, but commit to pretty much nothing. Personally, we hate itineraries, but they've become a necessary evil.
Daily Struggles of a Digital Nomad
{jcomments lock}We’ve been traveling full-time for eight months now. It has been nothing short of incredible, but not without hardships. Our travel-related struggles are usually self-inflicted and end up making for a good story a few weeks later. However, because we are attempting to offset all of our travel costs by working online, we have an entirely new set of problems that come up time and time again. For those of you looking into the digital nomad lifestyle, here’s a look at what you’re in for:
Internet
This struggle has so many facets, it’s not even funny. I thought finding internet would be the only issue. Turns out, finding it is easy. Making sure it’s reliable is the hard part.
No Signal
You know how every conceivable type of accommodation advertises free wifi these days? Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. The only problem is, it rarely every reaches where you want to work, especially in big hotels and campgrounds. A good strong signal is hard to find.
Home page
{jcomments lock}Technology gives us the ability to work remotely. Curiosity, wonder and boredom drive us to the far reaches of the world. Put the two together and you have Life Remotely.
We've spent the past fifteen years traveling and working around the world. In October of 2011 we left our home in Seattle and headed south. Our goal: drive to Patagonia and spend the night in Antarctica. From there, who knows.
Introducing iOverlander: Find & Share your Next Destination
Hi friends. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I know you’re wondering what we’ve been up to. But, let me just say, it’s all boring, so let’s skip to something a lot more interesting.
Sometime about a year ago we’re sitting around sharing beers with these cool cats from Song of the Road. And we started talking about the lack of one good solid list of camp spots for Overlanders. Turns out that Sam is a developer (and a damn good one), and I seem to be obsessed with things involving spreadsheets and maps. And if you put those things together, add a year of work, a hell of a lot of volunteers a few thousand recorded camp spots from around the web, you end up with this: www.iOverlander.com.
What is iOverlander?
iOverlander is a both a website and an iPhone app to help travelers find and record destinations. It’s an interactive map, but also a downloadable list of campsites, hostels, parking lots, mechanics, and many more places on the road. It tracks GPS coordinates and names, but also amenities (wifi, bathrooms, water, restaurants, pet friendly, parking spaces, altitude, shower water temperature, and more).
The Best FREE GPS Maps for Central and South America
{jcomments lock}There are quite a few options on the interwebs for free open source GPS maps, especially for Central and South America. If you don’t own a GPS unit yet read this article for some advice.
A Word (or 60) on Paper Maps: This article is specific to electronic GPS maps, but it is my opinion that nothing replaces a good paper map. Hands down the best on the planet are from Reise Know How. You can buy through US distributors, but to get the most up-to-date versions we recommend that you contact Reise directly. (The shipping from Germany isn’t that much!)
OpenStreetMap (OSM)
The most popular free GPS maps are from OpenStreetMap (OSM). This is the largest open source map ever created. It 150 GB or uncompressed XML data. (Gigs people, Gigs!) OSM is always the best place to start when looking for free GPS maps. There are a few things you need to know.
The Best GPS Devices for International Travel
{jcomments lock}As the official navigator of team Life Remotely, I’m in charge of getting us where we need to go as painlessly as possible. There are two very important tools for this task: a GPS device, and a decent digital map. The two are inseparable. A map does no good without satellite reception, and an excellent GPS isn't worth squat without a navigable map.
This is part one about how to pick the best GPS unit for international travel. In part two I discuss the best maps for navigating the Pan-American Highway.
Why Garmin?
There is only one brand you need to look at if you’re traveling internationally, and that’s Garmin. No, we aren’t sponsored by them, nor am I being paid to write this post. Not that DeLorme, TomTom and Magellan fail to make good devices. Actually, they are quite comparable to Garmin. However, there is one huge deciding factor that puts Garmin miles above the rest, summed up in two words: open source.
Garmin accepts third party maps. You can make your own, trade with other travelers, download OpenStreetMaps or any of the other FREE open source map from non-profits around the globe. Trust me, the amount you could spend on maps far exceeds the cost of a GPS unit. Take advantage of the free (and often superior) maps available and buy a Garmin.
No Longer for Sale: 1997 Toyota 4Runner in Buenos Aires
Blue is going home! That's right we are not selling Blue in Argentina anymore.
{jcomments lock}We spent months researching the type of vehicle we wanted to use for our trip from Seattle to Ushuaia. Our research pointed to one vehicle, a 3rd generation Toyota 4Runner. It had the highest reliability ratings for any mid-size SUV and was imported throughout Central and South America, making spare parts easier to find.
Full details on the vehicle and what is included below. There is a article full of recent photos here. We have just written a step-by-step process explaining the completely legal vehicle title transfer process. Please note because of the cost of importing into Argentina this vehicle is ONLY available to foreigners (i.e. Non-residents of Argentina).
1997 SR5 Specifications
- 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5
- V6 3.4 L engine
- 4 speed automatic transmission
- 4x4 on demand drive with over drive
- Currently 173,000 miles (Approximately 176,000 on sell date)
- Unleaded Fuel
- We have averaged 18 miles to the gallon on this trip between Seattle and Ushuaia (Ask me for the spreadsheet!)
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