Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2017 - 50

OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY
Alyssa Pugh and Brian Wood gaze out on the
Rockies with "Red Zeppelin," their 2000 Ford
F-250, 7.3L Diesel All-terrain Popup Camper.

the Intermountain West during the summer.
They'll head out east for late summer and fall.
Retail Wish List: Adam and Susan's greatest
need is solar power; it's crucial for road trips, so
both are looking at the different options available in the outdoor industry. They'd also like to
find a pump that could be attached to standard
six-gallon water jugs (the type you'd see in an
office) so they don't have to tip the jugs upside
down. Adam is working to outfit the RV with
lighting that doesn't drain the rig's 12-volt battery. Since the couple paddles year-around,
drysuits are key. They use the NRS Crux, which
Adam says is durable without being stiff.
Favorite Pit Stop: "For RV-specific things we
avoid the chain stores because the prices are
way higher. But for general auto parts, it really
just depends on what's local and available."
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: @Wildriverlife

50 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Winter 2017

ALYSSA PUGH and
BRIAN WOOD
▼

The Lifers: Alyssa Pugh and Brian Wood's lifechanging decision to travel North America in a
camper came after they were rained out during trip to the Grand Canyon two years ago.
Sitting in a semi-flooded campground, they
looked at a map and decided to head north. So
the Northbound and Down road trip was born.
They headed back to their hometown of Austin,
Texas, and began saving for their adventure of a
lifetime. "It's a pretty amazing feeling to just be
able to open up a map and go there," says Alyssa.
"That's what our mission is about."
The Ride: After moving to San Francisco, the
couple bought a 2000 F250 and outfitted it
with a pop-up camper. We were initially drawn
toward vans," Alyssa says. "But the more research we did, we found that a truck with fourwheel drive and high clearance would be ideal
to help us get where we wanted go."
The Route: From San Francisco, Alyssa and
Brian drove up the California coast, through
Oregon, Washington, Canada, and into Alaska

where they pretty much visited every remote
locale they could drive to. They're on their
way south now having tripped through Canada
and the Intermountain West. Once they get
back to Austin-where Brian's parents are
based-they'll be outfitting their new rig for
early 2017, a 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser. They
plan on adding a rooftop tent and custom outfitting inside for toys-they've packed mountain bikes, an inflatable kayak, a surfboard, and
light mountaineering equipment everywhere
they've gone.
Retail Wish List: "We wear our Keen hiking
boots just like regular shoes now," Alyssa says.
Both have worn out their CamelBaks and say
the inflatable Sea Eagle kayak is "the best investment we've ever made." Their coffee grinder
and kettle comes in a close second
Favorite Pit Stop: "We've been to 4Wheel Parts
(stores) on occasion. For anything outdoor-gear
related, we spend a lot of time in REI or small,
local gear shops." O.R.
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: @northbound.and.down

Photograph by Carlo Nasisse

Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2017