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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 14th, 2023

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  • IMO, AWD is overhyped. I’ve driven in snowy, hilly terrain in Canada for 16+ years, and the number of times I’ve been truly, call for help stuck is 2. Always FWD and manual.

    AWD is more expensive to purchase and maintain, burns more gas and tires, and doesn’t convey that many benefits. The ppl who really need AWD are generally the ones who actually need 4x4, and if you actually need 4x4 it’s for a good reason. Knowing how to drive your car well is more valuable.

    Case in point: I once drove up a rocky mountain ski hill on an icy day. There was a rise where everyone was getting stuck, including AWD and FWD drivers. Ppl were helping each other by pushing the cars to get them up/started. I was there for 40 mins, not a single AWD car outdid a FWD car. Trucks with low gear 4x4 made it, with effort.

    TLDR: IMO, AWD is more marketing hype than value that benefits the dealership more than the buyer. Save yourself the coin and get good winter tires instead. Stick with the Versa.

    Love,

    A fellow Versa driver









  • Ppl are offering great advice about where to start, and it’s what I’d suggest too - start with car camping to get a feel for it. If you overcommit too soon, you could ruin the experience for yourself. I know many ppl who will never camp again because they treated it like a hotel stay, got rained out, and decided it wasn’t for them lol.

    A couple of resource suggestions - you mention an interest in self sufficiency. Read the SAS Survival Guide by one of your own, John Wiseman. It’s my go to for general survival tips and skills, including the ones I hope to never need. But lots of good info just to be aware of too.

    Some other great resources can be books on flora and fauna. One I have sitting on my desk is the Canadian Outdoor Survival Guide. Obviously it’s for Canada, but it teaches you edible plants and behaviour around some bigger beasties (I don’t think that’s an issue in the UK).

    And a final thought - an old Parks Canada marketing slogan is a really good nature-respecting thing to keep in mind: Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

    Nature is in our backyard, but it’s home for the animals that live there.

    Happy camping! ☺️