Richard Soohoo
Cover: Industrial Designer
Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, USA
MODALITY / SPECIALIZATIONS
Truck, hiking, soon-to-be ADV Moto
SITE: AmericanAdventurist.com
OVERVIEW
What makes an adventure truly remarkable or meaningful, and why do you seek that? In other words, why must you go?
Living to work? Or working to live? It’s a question which constantly brings me back from the tunnel vision of society.
Having to deal with the hustle and bustle of urban life every single day really puts things into perspective. It gives me the sense that there is much more on this Earth for us to take in and enjoy while we are living and breathing on our short stint of life. The even better aspect is being able to share it with my fiancee, Deanna. She’s never been out of the Los Angeles bubble, not until she met me and we began our adventures together. For myself, I’ve always been camping with family ever since I was a little boy and it’s stuck to me since. Being able to show Deanna what truly is out there beyond the county lines really gives both of us the satisfaction of being among nature and all of its wonders. Then it hit both of us that you really don’t need much to live a great life.
STRENGTHS
When are you most confident while on your adventures and what makes that possible?
I thoroughly enjoy trip planning. Laying out locations, distances, itineraries, timelines, etc., gives me goosebumps. Call it weird but there is a joy to compiling information and laying out a plan. Even though I create these plans for us to use, sometimes the plans go out the window from unforeseen circumstances and the ability to adapt and improvise on the fly kicks in. Having that set schedule, yet having it able to adjust itself makes it fun.
After being on a number of trips, I was able to organize my gear a lot better, and throw out all the unnecessary bloatware that didn’t need to be there, yet obtain necessary efficient items that did need to stay. With all the necessary organization, my self-sufficiency increased a number of times. I’m at a point where all I need to do is go shopping for food, throw it in the truck, and off I go.
WEAKNESSES
Be honest, now, where do you feel least confident?
I feel least confident in self-recovery because of my limited knowledge and skills. I have not been in a situation where I have gotten that stuck that I needed a combination of tools. Even my recovery bag only allows for one other rig to be available to pull me out should the situation arise. A pair of TREDs, which I’ve got, can be great, but only go so far… where a winch can be more versatile, which I have yet to get.
A big limiting factor of my trips is the vehicle itself. Open diffs, no skid plates, little power really keeps me on the more tamer trails. Even though I’ve got pretty darn good ground clearance, I still worry about the underside. Skids and a winch are definitely on the list.
KNOWN LOCATIONS (most recent 3 adventures)
- 05-2016 – OXW15 – 3-day 2-night: Trip to Mormon Lake, AZ for Overland Expo.
- 02/2016 – DRV16 – 3-day 2-night: An American Adventurist hosted event in the desert of Anza Borrego, CA.
- 12/2015 – DVX15 – 5-day 4-night adventure in Death Valley with a number of other rigs, multiple campsite location nightly (featured on Adventurist Life).