The Gaia GPS Offroad podcast kicks off today, bringing you conversations with experienced offroaders and overlanders from around the world. Listen in as host, fighter jet pilot, and experienced overlander Wade May dives deep under the hood with experts in the field. International travelers and backyard explorers alike transport you to their most harrowing encounters, biggest lessons, and most epic adventures on the trail.
The debut episode launches with a story from Casey Kaiser, an experienced overlander with a penchant for finding abandoned homesteads in the desert. Casey takes us on a complete misadventure. Thirty miles off the grid, Casey’s fully upgraded Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JKU suddenly caught fire. The flames quickly engulfed Casey’s entire Jeep, leaving him stranded in the middle of the night in Oregon’s high desert. Casey made it home safely to tell us what he learned from this unforeseen catastrophe.
Following Casey’s story, we’ve got an impressive lineup of guests on deck. Up next, international overlanders Tim and Kelsey Huber of Dirt Sunrise reveal their go-to recovery kit. Get a complete trails report of Moab’s Rimrocker route from John Lumia of Trails Offroad. The folks at Mountain State Overland walk us through how to upgrade your rig with purpose. Plus, get an inside look at the Bad Ass Ladies Overland, a crew of women who banded together to find friendship and face challenges on the trail.
The Gaia GPS Offroad podcast, sponsored by Trails Offroad, drops every other week. Catch it in between episodes of Gaia GPS’s wildly successful Out and Back podcast, which features stories and interviews from all kinds of adventures around the world, including ultralight backpacking experts, thru-hikers, backcountry skiers, ultrarunners, and rock climbers. Subscribe to Gaia GPS’s Out and Back podcast and Gaia GPS Offroad podcast wherever you listen, so you don’t miss a beat. Give us a follow on our offroad and overland Instagram channel @gaiagpsoffroad.
Episode 1: Jeep on Fire with Casey Kaiser of Coyote Works
On a long weekend in 2018, Casey Kaiser set off to explore new territory in Eastern Oregon’s sagebrush desert. Guided with a plan to visit an old homestead site, Casey rambled some six hours off-pavement into the buttes and canyons outside his hometown of Prineville, Oregon. The trip was off to a perfect start — a challenging trail, bluebird skies, and his yellow JKU Jeep Wrangler eating up anything the road threw his way. But then, with a flip of a switch, everything suddenly went wrong.
“I noticed out of the corner of my eye, it looked like a little steam was coming out from underneath my hood,” Casey said on the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast. “As soon as I lifted the hood, flames erupted.”
Casey knew he had a serious problem. He was alone, 30 miles off-pavement, and his rig was literally going up in flames. Tune in to Episode 1 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast to hear firsthand how Casey narrowly escaped disaster in the high desert that night. Casey reveals the number one lesson he learned from losing his rig — the expensive reality of auto insurance coverage. Plus, Casey explains how he used Gaia GPS to safely get home before sunrise the next day and why he couldn’t wait to buy another fully upgraded JKU Jeep Wrangler as his next dream rig.
Connect with Casey on his Coyote Works YouTube channel. Follow his mostly solo overland adventures on Instagram.
Next Episode: Ride Along with Tim and Kelsey Huber of Dirt Sunrise
Tim and Kelsey Huber of Dirt Sunrise Adventures quit their jobs a few years ago and sold almost everything they own to pursue overland travel on a full-time basis. Their first trip took them to South America on the Pan-American Trail. After more than two years on the road, Dirt Sunrise is back in the states and ready to talk about their adventures abroad.
Come back and join us on Episode 2 for a fun chat with Tim and Kelsey about international overland travel and their dreams for the next big trip overseas. The possibilities seem endless. These offroad driving and recovery instructors share the story of their rig “Goose” that carried them through their journey in South America. The Hubers also talk about their new-to-them dream vehicle and enlighten us about their top picks for recovery methods and gear. Hint: it does not always include a winch!
Learn more about Dirt Sunrise at their website, follow them on Instagram, and subscribe to the Dirt Sunrise Youtube channel to virtually join them on all their offroad adventures.
Meet the Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast Host: Wade May
After a 43-year career of flying A-10 and F-16 fighter jets for the United States Air Force and Boeing 737s as a commercial airline captain, Gaia GPS Offroad podcast host Wade May has put his feet firmly on the ground. With over 20 years of offroading and overlanding experience, Wade constantly seeks out the serenity of remote backcountry adventures with his trusty 4-Runner, “Bullit.“ Between extended solo overland adventures, Wade shares the lessons learned from his broad experience in the sky and on the trail in overland workshops, classrooms, writings, and, of course, while hosting the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast.