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Spring overlanding is a gift until the rain won’t stop and the bugs wake up angry. I’m back with a practical, field-tested reset for late April into May: how I maintain my camping gear so it lasts, how I waterproof and protect it from UV, and how I keep ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes from turning a weekend outside into a week of regret. If you’ve ever packed up a damp tent, dealt with that sour mildew smell, or watched your “waterproof” jacket wet out, this is the kind of maintenance talk that actually saves trips. 

I walk through the products and process I rely on, including Nikwax for washing and reproofing outdoor gear, then a bug plan that works in the real world. For fabrics and gear, I like Sawyer permethrin applied to the outside of clothing, boots, and even the exterior of tents and awnings. For skin, I use Ben’s Adventure Formula with picaridin, plus the boring-but-critical stuff: daily tick checks and paying attention to what bites can mean, including concerns like Alpha-gal in tick-heavy areas. 

Then I pivot to what might matter even more than gear: pace. Too many people rush to “get to camp” and miss the towns, the roadside stops, the local food, and the weird little discoveries that make travel memorable. I share why I travel slow, why I often go alone, and how patience helps when things go sideways like getting stuck after dark. Stress doesn’t fix a vehicle, it doesn’t change the weather, and it doesn’t make the trip better. 

If this resonates, subscribe for more overlanding mindset and practical camping tips, share the episode with a friend who always rushes the drive, and leave a review on Apple or Spotify so more people can find the show.