OVERLAND ON THE FLY

Toyota Transformation Twice

- JOEL LA FOLLETTE

I've never considered myself an "overlander." I'm more of an avid fly angler who has found, over the years, that good fishing spots seldom have comfortable hotel accommodations nearby or at least one that a fly shop owner can afford. I'm also old enough to cherish a cozy place to sleep when I travel, far away from rattlesnakes and other critters, preferably with a soft bed.

My first "build" was out of necessity, as the pressures of running a business and being a caregiver were taking their toll. My 5th gen 4Runner became my escape pod, allowing me to venture out in the afternoon to catch the evening hatch once my commitments were checked off and then stay for a leisurely camp breakfast and some fishing before heading home in the late afternoon. I found the James Baroud rooftop tent I had acquired comfortable and easy for a solo adventurer to deploy.

Of course, the more time you spend outdoors, the more things you find that make your visits to the wild places more enjoyable, like food. Adding an Engel refrigerator was the next step in a slippery slope that soon had me designing a slide-out galley and adding more "comforts" to my gear list. Then came bumpers and a winch, just in case. This, of course, required readdressing the suspension on the 4Runner and all that entails. Before you could say "What's an overlander?", I was driving one.

Icy Ending