We find ourselves in seasonal limbo, thirsty for a soulful springtime refill of the good stuff. Sunlight. And lots of it.
But first, let’s draw a line in the soil, scuff it up and step good. This month has plenty adventure left in it and it’ll be March before you know it. Don’t wish Feb away… instead, let’s embrace the inbetween. The cold winds, short days and open trails - a little dirt’ll do you good.
Read The Escape Vol. 45 for more on the unwavering allure of vanlife, the act of putting one foot in front of the other and how to sling dough—dirtbag style. Plus a Green Friday 2024 update on how things are growing, thanks to your support.
1. The Allure Of Vanlife: Snow Build-Outs
Big, small, DIY, custom or completely outlandish - we’ve all seen ‘em. Above the snowline, nothing changes except for a stern “doors rolled shut” policy and steamed-up windows from morning brews and gear hung to dry.
Boards, skis and poles strapped up top; rinse and repeat, slopes to après to parking spot. The simple life, mountain-style. But where do you start? How do you go about building a rig for winter?
Enter Nate Duffy and co. - good buddies, grease monkeys and field testers of all things Made To Roam.
2. Somewhere Wilder x The Ply Guys
A fully custom refit of the @somewherewilder adventure wagon. It’s a beaut - @plyguys, props to you. The fleece Frida’s wearing? We’re pretty stoked on how it came out, but you’ll have to wait a little longer to get your mitts on it.
3. Slow & Social With The Sole Clinic
We’ve got a long running—sorry—buddy up with our local trail crew, the Sole Clinic. They’re a good bunch, super welcoming and well travelled in the New Forest dirt. Our ambassador Sam Jones happens to be a founding member…
4. A Simple Set Up For Camping Out Of Most Vehicles
An original in the vanlife space and author of the elusive hardback ‘Home Is Where You Park It’, Foster Huntington shares his back-to-basics list of essential camper kit. With 14 years of road experience, what he says goes. And it goes well, for a long time.
5. Dirtbag Dough Slingin’ Recipe
It was thought the humble (pizza) pie would elude campers forever. Unless you’re firing up a gas oven or plugged into the mains—that’s cheating—it’s really really hard to make pizza on the fly. Fresh Off The Grid may have the answer… a clue? It rhymes with ‘rast rion’.
6. Green Friday 2024: Your Impact
Thanks to your support during Green Friday 2024, Passenger is funding the protection of 25,550 acres of Brazilian rainforest. In partnership with Rainforest Trust and Fundação Pró-Natureza, this contributes to a collective 1.19 million acres of native land being safeguarded across the Cerrado and Caatinga regions - vital ecosystems that play a key role in shaping our planet.
The Cerrado alone is home to 5% of the world’s plants and animals. And your orders will help:
Expand Veredas do Peruaçu State Park to protect rare wetlands & wildlife
Strengthen Serra da Capivara National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Create the Jerumenha protected area, securing vital water sources & forests
We say it a lot, but your decisions really do make an impact; together we’ll keep on planting today, tomorrow and the next day just as we always have.
“For every order, we plant a tree” - It’s a year-round promise, one we’re proud to stick by.
Vol.4 | Sidetracked
A mood refresher. Think of it as a February palette cleanser, shake off those dark winter mornings and get ready for brighter skies ahead.
