Land Between the Lakes (Tennessee) Overlanding - April 2022

View and purchase my photos at: davidcgray.smugmug.com/
#overlanding #bronco #landbetweenthelakes
I'm expanding my 'horizons'... In 2021 I took on a canoe trip, and now I've done an overlanding trip. For the 2nd trip of the 2022 season I got together with Jeremy (KZbin channel 'All Things Outdoors') and Chris (KZbin channel 'That Hiking Guy') to do an overlanding trip in the backcountry of Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in Tennessee.
Long ago we rented jeeps while we were on a family camping vacation near Silverton, Colorado. On that trip we did the famous Alpine Loop 4-wheel-drive trail as well as another above treeline drive up to Ice Lake. I loved it! Since then I have always wanted to get out and do something similar, and the opportunity presented itself when Jeremy invited me along on the LBL trip.
Overlanding is basically backcountry exploration via some sort of vehicle capable of driving on some really gnarly roads, and, in fact, the gnarlier the better! Not only do you get a backcountry experience similar to backpacking, but you also get to do it without torching your legs and body. On top of that having a vehicle enables many of the 'luxuries' that are impossible on a backpacking trip - 'real' food for every meal, comfy camp chairs, ice cold beer, unlimited water, and numerous other amenities. Overlanding is something that you get adjusted to VERY quickly! :-)
On this trip we had no set plans, other than to meet Chris on the first night at a nice backcountry campsite he had stay at previously on Clay Bay. After that the agenda was wide open. For the next couple days we explored all day, with a mixture of as many nasty roads as we could find sprinkled with some very enjoyable touristy type stops. If we saw something we were interested in, we checked it out. There was no set agenda, no timetable, and no deadlines. It was really nice!
The weather turned out to be absolutely perfect for the entire trip. It rained on the drive down, and it rained on the drive home, but the whole time we were in Land Between the Lakes it was sunny, blue skies, with temperatures in the low 80's. It would have been a little toasty for a backpacking trip, but with little walking required, no packs, and air conditioning in the Bronco it was actually quite pleasant.
This was my first overlanding trip, but I really (really!) hope it's not my last.
For those who have watched my other videos this one is done in the same style - a bit under an hour in length, intended to bring the audience along for the 'ride', and with a still picture slide show with music at the end. If you just have a few minutes skip to the end and enjoy the pictures.
Check out the KZbin channels for Jeremy and Chris:
/ allthingsoutdoors16 (Jeremy - All Things Outdoors)
/ thathikingguy (Chris - That Hiking Guy)
Equipment / Gear List:
Still and Video Camera: Nikon Z6 amzn.to/3dHJvni
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f1.8 Z-mount lens amzn.to/2QZqNOo
Tripod: Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod amzn.to/3bH3Rvg
Camera shoulder clip: Peak Designs Capture clip system amzn.to/2wRdusp
Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 16 amzn.to/2X5dKyu
Pack: Zpacks Arc Blast 55L
Tent: Zpacks Triplex
Sleeping Bag: Zpacks 20degF Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Therm amzn.to/2yjrUlj
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite amzn.to/39zju6v
Pillow: Exped Air Pillow UL amzn.to/2WYE5hZ
Stove: JetBoil Flash amzn.to/3azKRi7
Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 amzn.to/3dPtOL5
Pot: MSR Titan titanium 0.9L kettle amzn.to/3bF1RDB
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot amzn.to/2R0JvoW
Buff: Merino wool Buff amzn.to/3dCYHSC
Recharging Battery: Anker 3500mAH ‘lipstick’ charger amzn.to/2URI7G3
Camp Chair: Helonix Chair Zero amzn.to/2xzbwgh
Camp Shoes: Xero Shoes Z-Trek amzn.to/3bA3X7I
Wet Wipes: Survivorware Wet Wipes amzn.to/2JwbQ2e

[@nobison6185]

+1 someone that remembers Johnny Quest👍

[@oldguyinthewoods]

Boys will be boys. Another great video. Thanks David.

[@janetantill3312]

thank you for something new !loved it ! But don't stop hiking I love that also.

[@Rose-ht6wg]

LOVE It

[@Tastewithnewdrinks]

Great overlanding.

[@jhuntsberger718]

Pretty amazingly awesome !!!!! Makes you think about other options... enjoy your videos

[@jsallen50]

Thanks for the Video David... I had missed it when it came out, KZbin didn't let me know until I was out searching.. another good video..

[@gr8whytz29]

Looked like GREAT FUN!!!

[@connienelson1515]

You had fun, David!

[@jeffmorris739]

I think I saw you guys at the Sinclair gas station at the bridge and your truck was still clean. Funny it's a small world. I was in my Taco doing the same thing. Great place. Thanks for the video.

[@All_Things_Out_Doors]

This was a fantastic video! You totally captured it well. Thanks so much for riding along! As always you are such a class act and a pleasure to share a campfire with. You did awesome navigating some really fun terrain! Hope to see you on trail soon my friend.

[@TheJamesburgin]

Well, I appreciate all of your videos. Thank you very much for sharing what you do. Happy trails.

[@larrybell5144]

So good to see you again!!

[@hewjbacca]

Good to see ya again David, great video thanks for another adventure!!

[@josephbrecheisen6339]

Been a big fan of all of you, great video! Cheers to an epic 2022 season!

[@delvinmorales9458]

Awesome. Never thought you put out an Overlanding video. I could dig it.

[@rnw4468]

What a blast. Awesome Overlanding trip 🤘🏻

[@jackschwind4194]

Fun watching your adventure but I sure missed cheddar cheese spread, Duncan doughnut coffee and a backpack on your back😉

[@thathikingguy]

Was a great trip indeed, man I had the best time with you guys. I really love the drone shots of the lake you got. Those were spectacular. I appreciate hanging out with you and Jeremy and hope to do it again sometime. I will do the cooking next time LOL

[@connienelson1515]

Hey, you went outside the box. Great adventure and you did well in the car driving. You should do a few. Looked like lots of fun.

[@rickloging5709]

Great video, David! Love the ‘Johnny Quest’ reference. Watched that cartoon every Saturday morning. You now are an official overlander. Fun trip I know.

[@BrianWest58]

David, this video was so good it made me very disappointed I couldn't make it down with you guys. Well done!

[@CarlsonAdventures]

Great video. Land between the lakes is a great place to get off the road and explore. Looks like you guys had a blast.

[@tughoward]

Good to see you out and about again. I recently bought a Jeep Gladiator during the pandemic and threw a rooftop tent on it. Gets me to some of those more remote hiking places.

[@NorthbyNorthwestAdventures]

Awesome bronco I miss my old 82

[@matthewtaylor1039]

Looks like y’all had a blast. I really love backpacking, but I’ve definitely found myself doing more “overlanding” since I bought a Jeep.

[@JoshHerodOutdoorAdventures]

Looks like a good time. I have had this on my list the last few years. Going to have to get down there and do it

[@porkchop5678]

very nice trip.

[@Mike-cj3nw]

Very beautiful and green. So different than out west in Arizona. Try backpacking in the white mountains on the Arizona New Mexico border. Lots of bears 🐻 and elk.

[@connienelson1515]

Ah, now, David, a true overlander would have had a saw and cut through the tree and moved on. Great trip!

[@pluckywood4627]

Johnny Quest!! LOL. I love Johnny Quest!!

[@thepsg]

It’s fun to see you doing something different! I hope you don’t give up on backpacking all together, but I can see why you might be tempted!

[@davidgrayin]

No, Backpacking will always be my first love. I'll never stop, until I simply can't do it anymore - and hopefully that's a long time in the future. But I sure enjoyed this one.

[@thepsg]

@@davidgrayin Glad to hear it. I enjoy backpacking too, but I've never done an overlanding trip.

[@genocanabicea5779]

Don't you just love the cicadas

[@TheWayOutdoors]

Great video David! Despite this not being a backpacking video, it still had the same feel as any other trip. What a fun time you all had exploring the woods out there. This is also the first time I've seen the new Bronco in action, and its a pretty sweet ride! My buddy has an FJ cruiser, and we did some 4x4ing in the Moab area. Its truly amazing what vehicles can do these days. What are your plans for the year as far as backpacking? I'm looking forward to the next one very much. Cheers, and safe trails!

[@davidgrayin]

The plans for 2022 are starting to come together, but still a bit fluid. I'm heading to Dolly Sods with Travis in late May. June is still TBD but I'll do some sort of trip. We're heading to Glacier NP at the beginning of July (oh joy!), and then I'm hoping to get together with Jeremy again in late July for an overlanding trip in Colorado. Not sure about August but I do have a permit for the Indian Peaks Wilderness to redo the hike Christian and I tried to do in 2018 (had to bail when Christian was sick). I have a John Muir Trail thru hike permit starting at the beginning of September, but I don't think there is any way I can be away long enough to do the entire 214 mile JMT - I might still do a chunk of it.

[@murariufamily]

Hey David! Thanks for years of wonderful and entertaining videos. Can you add a link in your gear list for the drone you were using? That video was crisp and the drone looked rock solid. Thanks again!

[@davidgrayin]

Yes, will do. I need to get the gear list updated. The drone I'm using is the Mavic Mini 2. Jason wish used the original Mavic Mini on the 2020 Adirondacks trip, and I just fell in love with it. The only downside to the original Mini was it didn't shoot in 4K - they remedied that with the Mini 2. It is an incredible drone, and the small size and weight make it perfect for backpacking. I haven't used it as much as I would have liked to (or planned to) because drones are banned in so many backcountry places now (National Parks, Wilderness areas, etc.). When I took the last drone shot in the video the winds were actually about 25MPH, and the Mini 2 handled it perfectly though I did get a 'high wind' warning when I was flying it at the highest altitude on that flight - basically means the winds are too strong for the drone to maintain it's position. Still flew perfectly stable though.

[@murariufamily]

@@davidgrayin thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I appreciate the information!

[@WeaponsMachinist]

BRONCO OVERLAND ALRIGHT!

[@kentonseydellaolcp4785]

How about taking the Saab overlanding?

[@davidgrayin]

I sort of did take the Saab overlanding at time or two. The drive up on the 'back roads' to the Platora Reservoir Trailhead in the South San Juan Wilderness ended up being no place for my old 2000 Saab 9-5... but it made it! Sadly, I am currently Saab-less for the first time since about 2012.

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

.... Wow ,, looked like good fun .... Much of what I grew up doing ,, 4x4 wheeling to the end of any vehicle path and then backpack to a destination lake for a couple of days of alpine fishing .... ..Had all the amenities needed ,,including a chainsaws and chains/winches to clear the blowdowns ... wasn't called "Overlanding" back then ... just "Four Wheeling ..." ... One good thing about this style of backcountry travel ,,is that you are far enough away from the trailhead problems of vandalism and theft ... ... only thing I saw was "No Fishing and No Fish ",, my primary reason just to be there ... but it all makes up the adventure and fun ... love the drone shots ....

[@Lemi-killmister]

You ever meet the land between the lakes monster 😁

[@davidgrayin]

Not on this trip. But we were certainly aware of the LBL monster, and kept a close eye out

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

.. I heard that if she catches hold of you .... you won't want to go home ....lol..

[@jacktritten608]

its called 4 wheeling

[@squirrelcovers6340]

Awfully tame. Come to North Georgia and see how it's really done. We take chainsaws.

[@garyday5299]

I guess if you're into "muddin," it might have been interesting....

[@Jerkabobber]

That doesn't look fun at all...