Austin Hudson

As I wrap up the year, I get a chance to go through the hard drives and reminisce on all the adventures we’ve had as a company. I have had the privilege of being Vandoit’s Content Creator since July of 2020. In that two and a half years, I have been to many places and met many people I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Here is a ranking of the top five places I went with a Vandoit. For more photos and videos of our journey, check out our instagram! @Vandoitco

5. Victor, Arkansas

The trip to Arkansas was a simple, but unforgettable trip. A couple of members from our marketing department, myself, BLK ELK Media, and our Lead Engineer, spent three days in November shooting with our colleague Aaron Paris from Switchback Outdoor Safety. Our trip primarily consisted of filming overlanding and the testing of our exclusive Backwoods Adventure Mods Front Scout Bumper. We also filmed a video showing hundreds of ways to organize the contents of your van to make it work for you.

4. Buena Vista, Colorado

In August, we traveled to Colorado for Overland Expo Mountain West. A few days before, we made an early stop to see our good friend and Vandoit owner, Travis Brewer. This is where we got a majority of our content for Movement is Medicine, a short documentary about Travis and his journey from serious injury to prime athlete and performer. We got to spend five days with Travis in the small town of Buena Vista camping side by side with him and his van. The views in Colorado are wicked, but parking next to Twin Lakes was especially beautiful.

3. Flagstaff, Arizona

A little earlier in 2022, I went to Flagstaff, Arizona. Me and a fellow coworker helping with content met up with a couple of sales gurus who had been at Overland Expo West. By day we were riding motocross bikes and by night lounging in dispersed camping that overlooked Sedona. We also spent some time in Coconino National Forest and spotted a few free-range cows out our van windows. This trip was part of a nine-day excursion to several states including our next location, Jackson, Wyoming. 

2.  Jackson, Wyoming

Getting into Jackson Wyoming immediately washed us all over with the incredible views. We spent some time in Bridger Teton National Forest and got shots of the van in action. My personal favorite thing to shoot is drone footage. This allows me to get an aerial view of our roof rack, solar panels, roofnest tent and so much more atop the van. This trip was special too because of our Sales Guru’s attendance. Vandoit highly values letting their employees grow within the company and gain more hands-on experience through trips like this. Camping for three days in Wyoming–nine days total– brought us closer together and made coming to work feel even more like family. 

1. Moab, Utah

My favorite place I went to this year is somewhere I have been several times before: Moab Utah. The trip in particular I want to share with you is when I went with my dad in early October. We took time to ride our dirt bikes and relax in each other’s company; it was nice to have some one-on-one time with my dad in such a beautiful place. While we weren’t riding 4×4 trails, we attended VOX’s (Van Owner’s Experience) yearly meetup in Moab. The VOX events are always so much fun to be a part of as we get to spend time with our owners and hear all about their life with a Vandoit. The community between us and our owners is always a blast. We went on a group Mountain Biking Rides, visited Canyonland and Arches National Park, and spent hours around a campfire telling stories. 

As cheesy as it sounds, I love my job. I’m blessed to have the opportunities I have in traveling and capturing these moments with my camera. I cannot wait to see what 2023 has in store for Vandoit that I get to be a part of! Stay tuned for more.