Adventure seeking, outdoor enthusiast and living life one mile at a time. We are describing our latest TreadWright Trailblazer Alex Fleming a 19-year-old Journalism major at Colorado State University. Alex has earned his stripes as a TreadWright Trailblazer for his emerging presence on Instagram, love for outdoors and consistency in blazing trails. Alex attributes his passion for exploring and overlanding to his father who had him hiking outdoors and off-roading at a young age. Staying true to his love as a new age journalist Alex can often be found outside recording his life digitally through Instagram while exploring in his 2000 Toyota 4 runner (Named Kevin the bird from UP).
We had the pleasure to sit down with Alex for a quick Q&A and here are the results
Alex's Favorite Trip:
A weekend trip I did on Lockhart Canyon and Lockhart Basin in Moab, UT with a close friend. It is my absolute favorite due to just being two people, two trucks and a lot of time in the dirt. Lockhart is a trail that pushes your patience a little, It seems to be never-ending, has steep sections and, takes a bit over a day to complete. This trip was the first time I had my Guard Dogs in Utah, and I was also blown away by the traction and ride quality on the rocks in the sand.
Alex's Trip Planning Techniques:
My trip planning is very minimal, I usually make up a quick idea using trail books or reading forums and then I just go for it. This has worked out so far, and the spontaneous adventures are always much more rewarding to me. Making a concrete plan always stresses people out when you get off schedule, which happens 99% of the time and it ruins the trip for some. Having no plan leaves the idea of freedom, you can do whatever you want, and it adds to the sense of being disconnected from day to day life. As far as gear, It's almost always the same for every trip. I gear check before I leave to make sure I have everything using a checklist. As far as food, I just get what looks good and use Ramen and dry foods as a backup in case something goes wrong, or I run out of "real food."
Alex's Quick Tip:
Pack everything outside of the vehicle so you can see it all laid out, easier to see if you're missing anything. Then pack it into the truck in an organized manner so you can find it all. If you do this, most the time you won't forget anything. I sometimes use a quick checklist of critical pieces. Main things for me is tools, food, recovery gear, camera equipment and communication devices like ham radios, then chargers for all the devices.
Alex's Vehicle in Action