NWOL EST. 2006
ADVENTURE TRAVEL ENTHUSIASTS DEDICATED TO OVERLAND EXPLORATION
MEET THE TEAM
WE'RE HUMBLED BY OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS - BE SURE TO SAY HI
MEET THE TEAM
CONNECTING IS OUR PASSION
Northwest Overland would not exist if not for our dedicated volunteers and Champions. Please take a moment to check out their stories.
If you'd like to ignite your local area and become part of the team, we'd love to hear from you!
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ON THE TRAIL!
FOUNDER & ENTHUSIAST
Hi, I'm Dan Cronin and I am passionate about connecting you with the natural beauty the Northwest has to offer.
Throughout my life, Overland Adventures have been an amazing way to connect with others that enjoy traveling deep into the secret places our beautiful region has to offer. I've shared many great moments with family and friends - along with my treasured travel companions, Charlie (my pup) and daughter, Lucia... leaving me with wonderful memories and a deep appreciation for this unique approach to adventure travel.
WHAT IS NORTHWEST OVERLAND? We are a member based community that provides self-guided and escorted overland adventures here in the Pacific Northwest.
Your membership affords you the opportunity to join us on guided expedition tours into areas that are hidden and unknown by most. Each self-driven adventure is carefully planned to maximize your experience, allowing you to fully rely on your transportation for enjoyment and survival. Our trips promise to thrill and surprise those willing to detour off the beaten path as we encounter unforgettable discoveries.
We are also a thriving and growing community. When we're not out blazing new trails, you can find us chillin' at a local pub near you - envisioning our next excursion or investment; swapping stories; or just sippin' on a beer, enjoying like-minded people who share our passion. We hope you'll join us and maybe even consider being an area coordinator for trips or local social engagements. I'd love to chat if you have questions, feel free to drop me a line!
BE SURE TO SAY HI TO OUR AMAZING TEAM BELOW...
GET CONNECTED
MEET YOUR AREA COORDINATORS
A PASSIONATE & DEDICATED GROUP OF ADVENTURERS
NWOL FORUM MODERATOR
As a Washington native, I’ve been involved in the outdoors my whole life. Camping, hiking, snowshoeing, fishing, etc. As a teenager, I became interested in off highway travel. I had more than my share of mishaps before I finally decided to get a 4WD vehicle.
Back then I just picked a forest service road and saw where it went. When I got there, I camped. The “overlanding” craze hadn’t quite taken off in the US. We just called it car camping.
I got involved with Northwest Overland after complaining to my, then, customer Tod Cole about not knowing enough people get out with. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the finest individuals one could hope to.
NWOL is a community of great people that I’m glad to be a part of.
See you on the trail!
BTW... Aaron's wife Kristal is one of the coolest overlanding gals you'll ever meet. She's got a truck of her own and a mind of her own and is Aaron's faithful sidekick, all the way! You gotta meet these two!
VANCOUVER / PORTLAND
As an inner city kid, my enthusiasm for the outdoors did not start until the late 80s when a friend convinced me to buy a fancy mountain bike and ride some trails. Fast single tracks got me addicted to speed, fancy CNC’d parts and mud. Mountain bikes turned to road bikes which led to motorcycles – all of which kept me smiling until work slowly took more and more, then most, of my time.
Humans are not meant to be trapped indoors. As a business consultant specializing in demand generation, marketing and sales, my time was spent indoors or on a plane. That was until I got married and the in-laws introduced me to ATVs and glamping. Speed and the outdoors had me immediately addicted once again. A 42 foot toy hauler is nice but not my style so I searched for alternatives. That search led me right to overlanding! A do-it-all vehicle dripping in hardware that can go anywhere and haul a small trailer full of toys/gear – what is there not to love?! The thrill of going slow is just a bonus and things not breaking as often is nice too. Exploring cool places while experiencing natures beauty, that most people only see in pictures, with a community of good people makes overlanding a core piece of family time.
My current hardware addiction includes a few old mountain & road bikes, odd ball old motorcycles (not running), a couple of ATVs and rigs that are slowly becoming more overland worthy:
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland: 4.7HO V8, 4.5” lift, 32” tires.
2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Quad Cab: 2” lift, 35” tires, 4.56 gears, Detroit TruTrac LSD.
1994 Ford Bronco: 351w, SAS, 35” tires, Detroit TruTrac LSD, 4.10 gears. Yes, a Ford Bronco! I have always wanted one and it actually makes a great overlander with a stock 32 gal gas tank and sleeps two adults comfortably.
With a young son and daughter, I may need to reconsider my rig choices. I have only been overlanding for a few years and consider myself a knowledgeable beginner. I am lucky to have a large community of advanced and even expert overlanders to help guide me/us. I like getting people together and making things happen! I always say, “the journey is the destination” and enjoy all types of overlanding and outdoor adventures.
Michael Fung
Twitter: @_ironMichael
Instagram: @Prepped4x4
SOUTH PUGET SOUND
I’ve been hanging out on NW Overland since 2007 but have been playing off-road since buying my first 4×4 in 1995. I caught the outdoorsy/camping bug when I was a kid and when I had the chance to merge the two together, my wallet has been pretty slim since.
I pretty much enjoy anything that gets me outside to include meeting new folks and encouraging them to get their rigs off the pavement for the first time.
I drive a 2017 Dodge Ram Power Wagon. I look forward to meeting you!
Benny
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
I grew up in south Seattle and as a child spent many memorable years enjoying car camping with my family doing what we call "overlanding" now. When my own children were small, we spent many wonderful times camping and fishing in the mountains as well.
My wife, Vicki, was also raised in western Washington and spent many years out in the mountains camping and fishing with her father. Shortly after we married, we bought a fifth wheel trailer and a pickup so we could go "camping". We very soon discovered that this was not for us, so we sold the pickup and trailer, bought a Jeep XJ and a tent! Now we could camp in more remote and beautiful places. What is "overlanding" for us? Taking the road less traveled, seeing what is around the next bend in the road, what is over the next hill. Going and seeing places and sights that bring wonderful memories.
We have met and enjoyed meeting and spending time in the outdoors with several wonderful folks we have met in the past few years. We hope to be able to continue down this road, along with our dog "Lilly Mae" sharing and making many memories with the folks here on NWOL!
We both value the opportunity to help and spend time with others down this road as your Central Washington area coordinator.
NORTH PUGET SOUND
I have been a Whatcom County resident for most of my life. We have had all things Jeep Wrangler from a CJ to two JK's. My wife, Lynne, spent 20 years in the USAF.
After following her around the country, we have settled back on Lake Whatcom. We love being outdoors, whether hiking near our home to camping out on the Olympic Peninsula or east of the Cascades. After attending the Northwest Overland Rally and going on a few trail rides, we love that there is a forum geared towards some of the beautiful local areas and PNW people.
We have had a chance to go on the Rubicon and Moab, but some of our favorite days have been exploring areas in our own corner of the country.
WEST CENTRAL OREGON
Wikipedia defines Overlanding as self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Looking back through all the stages of my life, I can’t remember a time when Overlanding wasn’t a part of my life. I remember lots of self-reliant travel to remote destinations with my family and friends. Granted - Overlanding has changed a lot since the 70’s, the concept remains, we have just added a lot more technology.
Off-roading adventures, camping, exploring has always been a big part of my life as far back as I can remember and growing up in SW Washington gave me the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful land on Earth. Whether it was a weekend trip up into the mountains with my buddies, or a week long hunting trip into Idaho with family, I’ve always loved and participated in OffRoad adventures. Working on our rigs and learning the capabilities was always a passion, and still is today.
So who is Shane? I’m a “Geek” by trade; sitting in front of multiple monitors at work, sometimes 12 hours a day. I’m a spontaneous adventurer by heart; getting out and explore and seeing the world and meeting new people doing so as often as I can. My wife and I live in Salem. We have a yellow lab named Ollie who will always be found with us out on the road. We love Geocaching and often use the hobbies together.
A few years back we decided we wanted to get more into long range Overlanding and wanted to build a very capable self-reliant vehicle that we could go off-grid for a while when we wanted to escape. We have a 2018 TRD OffRoad 4Runner named Johnny5. We are planning a 4K mile / 3 week trip this next spring and going off grid as much as possible.
I have 3 fundamental beliefs for successful Overland and Adventuring:
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Be safe - don’t take unnecessary risks that could lead to disasters
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Follow the law - don’t break local laws or regulations
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Have fun - why else do we do this?!
Using these beliefs have led to a lot of fun adventures, learning, and teaching. I’m constantly learning and will never be an expert in all aspects of Overlanding, but will always follow the strengths of others to help fill gaps. It’s a passion, it’s a desire, and it’s a love/hate relationship at times, but always, it’s an adventure.
Cheers to future adventures,
Shane
