Whiskey 7 Backroads - Blog

Join Brent blog on overlanding, camping, and backroad adventures across America, Montana Ranch, EarthCruiser EXP, gear reviews and community rendezvous.

Roll Your Own: How to Host a Camper Rally

Gary Matos

Gary Matos on how one simple open house in Montana grew into an annual gathering, and the tips he and Gretchen have learned for hosting a camper rally of your own.

9 min read • Oct 17, 2026

Death Valley public

Death Valley West Side Road: Pierre Formosa and NPS Safety Advice

Brent Conklin

On August 17, 2026, a 68-year-old visitor from France died after his vehicle got stuck in mud on West Side Road. Here is what the park reported, and what NPS says to do if it happens to you.

18 min read • Oct 10, 2026

Ham Radio public

Get Connected: A Setup Assistant for D-STAR and the XLX159 Reflector

Brent Conklin

I get asked a lot how to set up a radio with a hotspot. Get Connected is a free assistant that walks you through it and prints a setup report for your gear.

7 min read • Oct 6, 2026

BLM Dispersed Camping public

BLM Dispersed Camping: Rules, Finding Sites, and Doing It Right

Brent Conklin

Free camping on BLM land comes with a short list of rules. Here is how the 14-day limit works, where you can and can't camp, what California's fire permit covers, and how to find a legal site.

19 min read • Oct 4, 2026

gear-review public

2026 Truck Camper Buyer’s Guide: Why Flatbeds Are the Move

Brent Conklin

A practical 2026 flatbed truck camper buyer’s guide covering Four Wheel Grandby Flatbed, Hawk+, Bowen flatbeds, payload, cost, and who should buy one.

12 min read • Sep 19, 2026

camping public

"ChatGPT Told Me I Could Camp Here": The Mount Shasta AI Warning — and How to Actually Plan a Trip With AI

Brent Conklin

A guide to make sure you check all AI info with verified Human info

16 min read • Sep 13, 2026

overlanding public

The 10,000th SOS: What a Garmin inReach Rescue Actually Looks Like, and What I Carry

Steven Marty

When you press the SOS button on a Garmin inReach in the PNW, this is what happens in the next ten hours. Here is what Steven carries and why every overland rig needs a layered comms stack.

13 min read • Sep 5, 2026

baja-overland public

Aqua Verde, Baja California Sur: the road in and the spit around the corner

Brent Conklin

Our EarthCruiser route to Aqua Verde: the road in, beach camping, and the quiet spit around the corner.

14 min read • Aug 29, 2026

overlanding public

28,254 Miles in a Stock Grenadier: What Becky Kim's Cape-to-Cape Run Teaches a Weekend Overlander

Brent Conklin

Becky Kim and Bonnie Koko drove a stock INEOS Grenadier Trialmaster 28,254 miles from Cape Agulhas to Nordkapp to London in 122 days. What the run means for weekend overlanders.

12 min read • Aug 21, 2026

starlink public

The Starlink Mini Era: How a 1.10 kg Dish Rewrote Off-Grid Connectivity for Overlanders, Campers, and Remote Workers

Brent Conklin

The Starlink Mini wasn't a smaller version of a satellite dish. It was the moment the internet became portable enough to be useful off-grid. How the 1.10 kg, USB-C PD-powered dish changed what overlanders, campers, hikers, remote workers, and families can do off-grid.

17 min read • Aug 14, 2026

overlanding public

onX SOS: What It Actually Does Off-Grid (And What It Doesn't Replace)

Steven Marty

onX added a $49.99/year SOS button to the same app you already use to plan routes. I walked the chain from button to coordinator — and checked it against the Garmin inReach I carry on every trip.

11 min read • Aug 7, 2026

pacific-northwest public

When an Oregon Fire Closure Hits Mid-Trip: A Couple’s Last-Minute Reroute

Brent Conklin

A Stage 1 fire restriction, a washed-out forest road, and unhealthy wildfire smoke can blow up a three-week Oregon trip in a single afternoon. Here is what the couple did instead.

15 min read • Jul 31, 2026

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