TIPS FOR VAN LIFE DOGS

TIPS FOR VAN LIFE DOGS

TIPS FOR VAN LIFE DOGS

We have been traveling full time with our van life dog, Jits, for two years now. Before that he was living in an apartment with us in New York City so van life was quite change for all of us. Recently we got a new addition to our van life family with little Uke, the chihuahua puppy. Training Uke got us to thinking about all the little things we do to make sure our van life dogs are as happy as possible and we wanted to share a few of them with you!

Our dog Jits, a well trained van life dog

ADAPTING TO A NEW VAN

A new van is very exciting! When we first got our van we were sure to put Jitsy’s bed and some of his toys on board so that he knew where ‘his spot’ was on board. It’s important to use an old bed and old toys that have your dogs smell already on them. This will give them some familiar scents in the new space. Our van life dog, Jits, likes to ride up front with us so we ended up cutting his old bed down to fit between the driver and passenger seat where he is a happy passenger.

CREATING BOUNDARIES

With travel and a new backyard every day it can be hard for dogs to know where their yard ends and the wild begins. Jits has gotten very good with staying near the van but as we train Uke we have been using something more physical to mark out space. He has a picnic rug and we will put that outside where we make camp- this gives a defined space to sit and play. We use commands like ‘on the mat’ when he wanders and then we put him back on his mat and say the command again. (Eventually he will be like Jits and naturally stay close but for now the mat is helpful tool in van life dog training.

van life with two dogs

SHEDDING AND GROOMING

Jits is definitely a shedder but thankfully he LOVES a good brush. We brush him all the time outside; this is also a good time to do regular checks for ticks in the summer and especially if you are travelling in the northeastern United States. To manage hair inside the van we have a Milwaukee 12V rechargeable vacuum which is great for in the van.

For bath time, Uke likes to jump in the indoor TOURIG shower with us (and with him being so small that works great). Jits gets to use the TOURIG rear wash down shower, which also has hot water, so he has total luxury! We use Mossy Oak Outdoor dog shampoo; they have a citronella and a matching dog spray which is great for keeping bugs away from our good boys when they are adventuring.

Clipping nails, some dogs just hate having a manicure. We use a rechargeable dremil to do Jits’ nails. He still isn’t a big fan but he prefers it to clippers. With Uke we have been making a special effort to always play with his paws while he is a puppy to get him comfortable with it and ready for nail clippings. It’s been successful as he is very calm and will let us clip and file his nails without a fuss.

Kate and Jits

POOPS AND ROUTINES

We don’t want any dog accidents in the rig so we have a morning routine with the dogs to go wizz and poop. They get rewarded with a greenie for going potty. As they are both very food motivated it didn’t take long for them to be up in the mornings, done with potty and sitting eagerly ready for a treat before driving. We also feed the dogs at the same times every day, which helps keep poops on schedule.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

Dogs love being around their owners and the van gives them plenty of that for sure. They have lots of outdoor time, new smells and places to explore. We can’t imagine this van life journey without our dogs and we hope you and your best friend can enjoy the van life, too!

Jits and Uke playing outside the van

TOURIG AMBASSADOR THEODORE VARGAS ON WHY HE CHOSE TOURIG

TOURIG AMBASSADOR THEODORE VARGAS ON WHY HE CHOSE TOURIG

When did you pick up your completed TOURIG?

I picked up my completed build in Feb. 2019.

What made you choose TOURIG for your van buildout?

I chose TOURIG because they had a positive reputation, they were close to home and were providing the quality and craftsmanship I was looking for.

Enjoying van life.

What do you use your TOURIG for?

We use our TOURIG for all our outdoors adventures! We use it for camping, shredding the slopes, road trips, overlanding, exploring, mountain biking and even for cold weather trips around town when playing Pokemon Go.

What’s the best place you’ve ever parked TOURIG and why?

The best places are ones when it feels like we are all alone. We have a few spots in Questa and Taos, New Mexico. Lately we have been exploring Nevada, Arizona, and Utah as well.

Great views of the desert sunset one summer evening.

What’s the best feature of your TOURIG?

What is the best feature? Hmmmm… We love our van so picking one feature is tough. I love how roomy the garage is; how convenient the entire layout makes travel; how the sub makes DMX sound; how tough it looks; how it performs in all weather conditions; how streamlined the cabinets make the interior look. I can rave all day about my van!

Where can people follow your adventures?

You can follow me on Instagram @wherewewanderthewasteland and @mr_teargas.

Custom graphics on our rear door.

Any advice for people out there considering getting a TOURIG?

TOURIG is busy for a reason; they are great at what they do. So if you are considering a build, do some research, have some thought on what you are looking for. What’s your budget? Can you tell the difference between your needs versus wants? Eric and Paul can plan the whole build if that’s what you want. However, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas. Stay in contact during your build and be reasonable with time and expectations.

TOURIG AMBASSADOR KEVIN DIETRICH ON WHY HE CHOSE TOURIG

TOURIG AMBASSADOR KEVIN DIETRICH ON WHY HE CHOSE TOURIG

How did you choose TOURIG for your van buildout?

Making the choice on a van was a long and windy road. I spent several years looking into all options for a van. The choices varied from small to massive and everything in between. The path to choosing a van can be overwhelming, confusing and exciting all at the same time. After visiting many builders and seeing dozens of vans the final decision came after seeing a friend’s TOURIG. After seeing his van several times I chose to pursue a TOURIG.

We were able to get a meeting with one of the owners and the dream was sketched on a whiteboard within an hour. As luck would have it, I was able to get an order in with Mercedes with a delivery date that worked into the only build spot left for the year on TOURIG’s calendar. The rest is history…

Heading off on one of many adventures in our Sprinter van

What do you use your TOURIG for?

My partner, Bevon, and I use it for a wide variety of activities. Initially, I thought we’d use the van for mainly camping but that didn’t last long. I quickly began to enjoy using the van for all types of adventures.

The first road trip in the van was to Mississippi to pick up my new hunting dog. The 2,500-mile round trip was made possible because of this rig. I spent a few nights on my way in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. After puppy pick up day, we headed back to Colorado in the comfort of the van. The next few days were filled with pit stops, dog swims and plenty of cool camping spots.

One of many cool camping spots. 

The van was really vital in loading my dog training items each morning all summer getting ready for the season. And being able to make hot coffee in a heated space after a cold morning training session made the early morning more bearable.

The van has also been a game changer for elk hunting. It almost feels like cheating when the rest of the crew is shivering in their tents after a long day chasing elk. Being able to shower, cook and sleep comfortably has allowed me to hunt longer and harder each season.

Hunting in comfort and style: the van has been a game changer for hunting season.

We love camping and the van makes all our adventures more exciting. The ability to go places tow behind trailers can’t really opens up the options to find the perfect, epic site.

We’ve put 15,000 miles on the van in two years and it has been parked in some beautiful areas!

What’s the best feature of your TOURIG?

The garage!

What’s the best place you’ve ever parked and why?

One of our favorite places the van ha been parked is on the Salmon River in Sun Valley, Idaho. After a long drive, we found one of those spots that you couldn’t believe wasn’t occupied. The site sat just above the river and offered a wonderful view of the Sun Valley resort. Although it was a cold night we enjoyed the warmth of the van with the sounds of the river all night.

Favorite feature: the garage, featuring CargoGlide for conveniently stowing and accessing gear in tihe back of the storage garage

What’s the best place you’ve ever parked and why?

One of our favorite places the van ha been parked is on the Salmon River in Sun Valley, Idaho. After a long drive, we found one of those spots that you couldn’t believe wasn’t occupied. The site sat just above the river and offered a wonderful view of the Sun Valley resort. Although it was a cold night we enjoyed the warmth of the van with the sounds of the river all night.

Any advice for people out there considering getting a TOURIG?

Talk to as many TOURIG owners as possible. Being able to speak to different owners will go a long way in designing your van. They can give you valuable input based on their own experiences. Reach out to me anytime! @lils_bulldog on IG

MEET OUR PRO ROAD TEAM: KATE AND LEVI

MEET OUR PRO ROAD TEAM: KATE AND LEVI

INTRODUCING “WE ROLL WITH IT”

Hi there! I’m Kate, my partner Levi and I along with our dog Jits have been living and traveling full time in a van for the past year and a half. I’m from Australia and Levi grew up in Alaska. After meeting in New York City we both realized we were ready to trade the skyscrapers for mountains and the open road.

I told Levi I wanted to live in a van on our first date. The next day he texted me a photo of a van he’d seen and we basically started planning right there and then. We both grew up in outdoor adventure families and had both done a lot of camping and traveling but restructuring our whole lives to live on the road full time would still be a challenge. Here’s the thing with deciding to become a full time nomad: it’s never the right time. Eventually you just have to take the leap.

The two of us love to travel and we find that if we are in one place for any lengthy period of time we become stifled. The van life gives us the freedom we need to stay motivated and inspired all while enjoying all the comforts of home. Today’s digital world allows us to run our business from the road while offering our clients content creation, marketing efforts, social media management and product research and development. Our nomadic lifestyle means we are able to test and shoot gear in a vast range of environments over a short period of time which provides our business a unique edge.

Our dog Jits, road warrior extraordinaire

Our dog Jits, road warrior extraordinaire

PARTNERING WITH TOURIG

Along our travels last year we met Eric Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of TOURIG. Eric’s passion for the van lifestyle was infectious and we immediately fell in love with his enthusiasm. We became inspired by the drive to push these adventure vans further in capability and comfort. As we visited the home of TOURIG in Golden, Colorado we came up with a new idea to drive the TOURIG brand. Taking our skill set and our full-time travel schedule, we were able to create something very unique. We could generate content in the form of photo and video for TOURIG while sharing an authentic and intimate view of the brand connection to our lifestyle. At the same time we would be TOURIG’s full time road show, attending and hosting events, providing R&D on new product innovation and acting as traveling sales reps for the TOURIG brand.
Levi and I had built our first van ourselves and spent a year working with brands within the overlanding and vanlife community so we were able to bring a certain level of influence to our new TOURIG. We had learned a lot from our recent journey and knew that TOURIG was at the top of the game in the adventure van space. For our second van, Levi and I wanted a van that had better off-road capability and something that pushed the van to have the travel range and feature set of other extreme overland rigs.

TOURIG embraced the challenge and together we are now building our new van dubbed ‘Bruce Banner’! Tough on the outside, Bruce will have all the creature comforts TOURIG is known for, including a lithium battery system (which is new to us and we are very excited about), stainless steel interior shower, exclusive TOURIG Airliner Cabinets, beautiful LED ambient lighting and many other features throughout. Bruce also has a few new concepts on board which we will be product testing before they come to market. (Follow @myTOURIG to see the build in progress).

Our dog Jits, road warrior extraordinaire

Taking our new TOURIG for a test drive

WHERE TO FIND US

Keep your eye out for Levi, Jits and myself on the road in our newest TOURIG, ‘Bruce Banner’. We’ll be traveling the country throughout 2020 attending a lot of overland, 4×4 and adventure van events where you can meet us and see the van in person, Click here to see a list of events we will be attending. We will also be hosting nine Weekender Rally’s where you can join us for a show-n-shine followed by a group cruise. Click here to see more about our TOURIG 2020 Weekenders Rally Series.

Our goal is to share with you on social media the finer details of a TOURIG build and how we use our rig for work, play and day to day life. The outdoors is our happy place and we will be packing our van ready for all kinds of shenanigans. You’ll get to see how the van is the core of everything we do and we aim to inspire you to start your own unique adventures.

You can follow our journey online on the @myTOURIG social media channels and our own channels @werollwithit. We will also be contributing more journal entries here. If you have any requests for topics please submit them to experiences@mytourig.com. We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible

Kate

THE 6 BEST PLACES TO CLIMB AND CAMP IN YOUR VAN

THE 6 BEST PLACES TO CLIMB AND CAMP IN YOUR VAN

A definitive list of some of our favorite spots to climb and car camp in the United States

Of all the climbing areas we’ve been to throughout the country, these are some of our favorites in terms of not just the quality of climbing but the quality of camping, too. If you’re looking for your next climbing trip and want classic routes with access to some quiet car camping spots with beautiful views and flat places to park, look no further. Here’s our top picks. 

JOSHUA TREE

This national park contains spectacularly sculpted formations of a type of rock known as monzogranite and is a mecca for rock climbers around the world. Entry to the park is $30 a day or you can pick up a yearly pass to all USA parks for $55. Campsites are available within the park where you can find spaces right next to climbs or there is free BLM lands just outside the park.

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Beautiful monzogranite rock, typical of J Tree National Park

LOVERS LEAP

Located in Lake Tahoe, this area is a very tall chunk of mostly vertical granite, containing hundreds of cracks crisscrossed with thousands of horizontal dikes. These dikes are key to reducing what would otherwise be very steep and difficult traditional routes, into routes with good rests and abundant holds, resulting in an area with relatively moderate grades. There is a campground at the base of the climbs however it is more suited to tent camping, for vans we recommend exploring the forest roads nearby to find a nice flat spot.

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Classic granite multi-pitch climbing in Lovers Leap, Lake Tahoe, CA

THE TETONS

Grand Teton National Park offers climbers an array of climbing types, positions, settings and conditions. There’s everything from two-pitch sunny cragging to mixed alpine endurance testpieces. Like Joshua Tree, the park has an entry fee and paid campsites can be found inside. If you’d prefer to camp outside the park, you can drive just 30 minutes down a forest road to free campsites that are both well maintained and have a great view of the Tetons.

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Taking in the view of The Grand Tetons, WY on the drive in.

SAWTOOTH CANYON

Sawtooth Canyon campground is located 20 miles south of Barstow, CA. Also known as “New Jack City,” it has 13 campsites that you can stay at for free for up to 14 days! The area is listed as ‘primitive camping’ but with each site having it’s own shade Ramada, picnic table, fire pit and a grill it looks more like glamping to us!
TOURIG tip: head up to the group campsite where the bbq has its own spit roast set up and enjoy routes right out your door!

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Camping at Sawtooth Canyon National Park, CA

CITY OF ROCKS

City of Rocks
Located in Idaho, the City of Rocks granite is internationally renowned among climbers. There are over 600 routes here, both traditional and sport. Park entry is free and you can grab a camp site for just $13.

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ELDORADO CANYON

While technically not a camp and climb as you can’t camp at Eldorado, we’re slipping this one in as its in our own backyard and the climbing is pretty classic! It consists of steep, beautiful conglomerate sandstone walls of up to 700 feet high, in brilliant shades of gold and red that give you the real Colorado feel. Daily fees are just $9, make the most of it and stay the whole day with a lunchtime nap.

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