From Rat Race to Road Trip: Overlanding With Four Dogs!
Get ready for an unmissable weekend of wheels, wanderlust, and wild stories! The Beast, our Volvo N10 overland camper will be on show at the National 4×4 & Camper Show at Stratford-upon-Avon Racecourse on 14–15 June 2025.
The show has a full schedule of seminars, which you can view here – and you will notice that I will be sharing my biggest adventures (and biggest mistakes!) as well as TONS of practical information in not one but TWO no-holds-barred talks.
Updated 28th January 2026
If you’re dreaming of building your very own adventure vehicle, start here!
Converting your own vehicle is one of the most rewarding projects you can take on — but it’s also a big one, with more decisions (and suppliers!) than you might expect. Whether you’re starting with a van, standard truck, or military-grade base vehicle, having the right resources and contacts from the outset makes all the difference.
In this post, I’ve pulled together a list of trusted suppliers, fabricators, and specialist services we’ve either used ourselves or discovered through countless hours of research, shows, and conversations with other self-builders. You’ll also find tips on where to meet fellow vanlifers and overlanders, which forums to join, and a few must-read books and websites that can help you avoid expensive mistakes (ask me how I know…!)
I have included international suppliers and highlighted shows in Europe, the USA, and Canada, and the general advice is applicable worldwide, however, there is a UK focus because I am UK-based. The post is also more truck- than van-focussed, but again, many resources will be helpful for a van build.
Continue reading “Trusted Suppliers & Self-Build Resources for Truck & Van Builds”
At this year’s Bushcraft Show, legendary survival expert Ray Mears opened his talk with a deceptively simple message: “Be prepared.” And by the end of his tale, no one in the audience was in any doubt that he meant it quite literally.
Ray had found himself in Spain during the recent electrical blackout. Planes were grounded, the airport shut down, and all nearby hotels were full. It was late – past 10 p.m. — and in Spain, that’s when many hotels lock up for the night. No flights, no power, no internet, no phone signal. He had one tenuous link to his team via WhatsApp, who arranged a hotel ten miles away. But when he got there, it too was closed.
So, what do you do in a blackout, ten miles from the airport, with no transport, no power, and nowhere to stay in the middle of the night?
Continue reading “What Ray Mears Taught Me About Overlanding: Preparation Isn’t Optional”
Following the UK/EU summit in May, 2025, UK Pet Passports are set to make a comeback, offering travel emancipation of British dogs, cats and ferrets!
The timescale for re-introduction has not been announced, but a return to Part 1 listed status for the UK signals a huge win for British pets and their owners.
The government said, “It is important that we get the right agreement for the UK, so the Government is not putting an arbitrary deadline on negotiations. We will provide more information on pet passports valid for travel to the EU in due course.”
World Wide Walkies