EP77 | A Conversation About Expedition Overland Apex Series Season 6: Africa–w/Clay & Rachelle Croft

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Episode Description:  

Since 2010, XOVERLAND founders, Clay & Rachelle Croft, have been traveling the world with a team of adventurers and filmmakers to locations as varied as Central America to Scandinavia. For their most recent overlanding experience, the trailblazing couple took their three boys–Cyrus (18), Ryder (15), and Eli (12)–to Africa with the Expedition Overland team to begin traveling a new continent together as a family–a Croft first.

With this groundbreaking series set to release this year (2024), we sit down with Clay and Rachelle to talk Africa. Where did they go? What did they see? (Without giving too much away!) What were some of their biggest challenges and most memorable moments?

Join the conversation as we discuss what it looks like to travel through some of the most rugged terrain in the world as a family and experience the surreal moments that can only occur when overlanding in Africa.

DETAILED EPISODE SUMMARY

Part 1 (0:40-3:03) Episode Intro:  Leah and Jimmy share an overview of the episode ahead:  a conversation about overlanding in Africa with Clay & Rachelle Croft.

Part 2 (3:04-13:15) Welcome Clay & Rachelle Croft! Let’s Talk Overlanding in Africa!  XOVERLAND co-founders, Clay & Rachelle Croft, join the podcast for the first time in a while to discuss Expedition Overland’s recent adventure in Southern Africa. Since 2010, the trailblazing couple has overlanded many parts of the world–Central & South America, Alaska, and Scandinavia–just to name a few. Here, they discuss how Africa compares to their previous experiences and what sets this continent apart from other regions of the globe.

Part 3 (13:16-20:40) For Overlanders, What are the Roads like in Africa? Experienced overlanders, Clay & Rachelle share their insight on what it’s like to travel the roads of Southern Africa, noting the effect upon the team’s trucks and the pace of vehicle-based travel in this part of the world. We also discuss the different types of roads in Africa, the choices overlanders can make when it comes to vehicle-based traveling, and the dangers of animal collisions and traveling at night.

Part 4 (20:41-24:57) What are the animals like in Africa?  Southern Africa is replete with a wide variety of iconic critters. From lions to elephants to gazelles, all kinds of animals roam about in this region of the continent. Rachelle & Clay talk about their overlanding experience in Southern Africa when it comes to animals, noting some of their most memorable experiences.

Part 5 (24:58-27:44) What is it Like to Camp in Africa? Clay and Rachelle have camped out of their overland vehicles in many places around the world, but what is that experience like in Africa? Sleeping in a rooftop tent with elephants about? Clay and Rachelle look at the fun and the potential dangers of vehicle-based, overland-style camping in the wilds of Africa.

Part 6 (27:45-31:37) What were the Biggest Challenges faced by Expedition Overland in Africa? A fan of the book, The Obstacle is the Way:  The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday, Clay Croft explains how for his team in Africa, the lessons learned from this book came into play. Clay and Rachelle discuss how they had to adapt to Africa and the myriad small challenges that create a larger obstacle for travelers.

Part 7 (31:38-39:55) What is it like to Go Overlanding with Your Family in Africa? After pointing out the many small issues associated with overlanding in Africa that created a larger challenge for the Expedition Overland team, Clay and Rachelle share the unique challenges associated with two months of overland travel as a family of five. The couple also discuss how they saw their boys grow during the course of the expedition and note the lessons they learned.

Part 8 (39:56-45:55) Working as a Family, Managing a Team, Filming a TV Series, and Running a Business–All While Overlanding–How do Clay and Rachelle Do that? Working together as a couple, functioning as a family, managing a team, filming a television series, running a business–and overlanding throughout Southern Africa? Many might wonder how Clay and Rachelle Croft can pull this off. Join our conversation here to find out how they do it.

Part 9 (45:56-49:25) How did the Trucks of Expedition Overland Fare in Africa? Leah asks the question that so many of us want to know:  How did the XOVERLAND trucks fare in Africa? Expedition Overland has always been famous for its amazing fleet of highly equipped Toyota trucks. Clay and Rachelle share what they learned about their trucks and their overland vehicle builds in Africa.

Part 10 (49:26-53:27) Medical Preparations for Overlanding in Africa and Final Thoughts: Clay and Rachelle share the strategy and approach they took to making medical preparations for Africa, including getting the proper vaccines, bringing along a team medic for the first part of the expedition, and working with Global Rescue Insurance for potential emergency evacuations. Clay and Rachelle wrap up the conversation with some final thoughts on their experience.

Part 11 (53:28-End) Jimmy and Leah Reflect on the Conversation with Clay & Rachelle: Jimmy & Leah spend a few minutes talking about their conversation with Clay & Rachelle, noting key insights about the Crofts’ African experience.

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