Who We Are:
The Story Behind Our Vancouver Island Overland Adventures
Most people who land on our website see a snapshot of who we are through our about us page.
Vancouver Island locals, lifelong outdoor explorers, and overland enthusiasts who turned a passion into a business.
If you made it to our blog post here, thanks for reading!
But that’s only the surface.
Behind every vehicle, every guided tour, and every trail recommendation is a story. A personal one. A lived one. A story shaped by this island’s forests, beaches, mountains, and muddy backroads.
And this blog is our chance to share it—not as a business—but as people who genuinely want you to fall in love with Vancouver Island the way we did.
Where It Started
My name’s Zach owner and founder of WEstern Red Adventures.
my connection to this island runs deeper than I ever realized when I was a kid sitting in the backseat of my parents truck.
Before I ever touched a 4x4, before I understood words like “approach angle” or “tire deflation,” and long before I dreamed of building an overland business, I was just a kid who loved the feeling of getting out there.
My childhood felt like a constant series of backroad escapes. Some weekends we’d tent camp. Others we’d hook up the RV. And sometimes—my favourite times—we’d sleep right in the back of an SUV with nothing but sleeping bags and fogged-up windows between us and the night.
It didn’t matter how we camped.
It mattered that we went.
My best memories are built from:
crackling campfires that lasted longer than the marshmallows
smoky hotdogs cooked over glowing coals
long, winding gravel roads that shook the whole truck
snowy day trips where I’d stare out the window, watching the forest blur by
As life got busier, those trips became fewer. But something inside me held onto them—the freedom, the quiet, the way the island felt untouched and infinite.
So the day I got my driver’s license?
I was back out there.
Long nights in the garage wrenching on whatever vehicle I could afford at the time, then hitting the roads at sunrise with a few good friends and zero plans. I wasn't just trying to explore. I was trying to reconnect with something that had shaped me long before I understood why it mattered.
Falling in Love With Overlanding
Somewhere between sleeping in the back of a Jeep and dreaming about next weekend’s escape, I discovered overlanding—this perfect blend of off-roading, self-sufficiency, and exploration where the experience matters more than any destination.
It was everything I already loved, just with a name.
Rooftop tents.
Fridges.
Proper recovery gear.
Remote campsites you can’t find online.
Suddenly, our simple weekend trips turned into multi-day expeditions and better equipped vehicles and gear.
We weren’t just following roads anymore—we were carving out new experiences, pushing ourselves to learn how to wheel safely (with more than a few battle scars on our personal rigs), with a group of people who felt the same way about being out there.
For over a decade, our small (changing at times) group explored places most people never think to visit:
hidden lakes
forgotten forest service roads
rec sites that never show up on Google or just hard to find
rugged corners of the island where the silence hits you first
We spent nights around the fire talking about everything and nothing. We planned week-long excursions. And through all of it, our appreciation for this wild island and the communities that care for it, deepened.
When the Idea First Took Shape
It was 2020 when we first thought the idea, it WASN'T until late 2023 one night during A torrential rainy summer night in Zeballos where we got serious.
“What if we could help other people experience this?”
“Not just camping…
but this feeling—the freedom, the discovery, the excitement of real overlanding.”
We were huddled under a small shelter, dripping, eating what dry snacks we had, and laughing about the chaos of the day.
And tucked between those moments, the original idea slipped out again with more intention:
“What if we could help other people experience this?
Not just camping…
but this feeling, the freedom, the discovery, the excitement of overlanding.”
A rental service.
Paired with guided tours.
Built by locals who live and breathe this lifestyle.
It felt right. It felt obvious.
But life doesn’t always move when you want it to.
Taking the Leap
It wasn’t until early 2024 that everything aligned and the dream stared to become real.
We launched with one rig. the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
A niche vehicle.
A capable, proven explorer.
A rig that feels like it was built for this island.
No, we’re not a massive fleet. We’re not trying to be.
We’re growing slowly, intentionally every vehicle added with care, every piece of gear chosen because we’ve used it ourselves in rain, mud, snow, and everything Vancouver Island throws at you.
And through it all, our mission has never changed:
To give people the chance to explore Vancouver Island the way we do, without the stress, without the guesswork, and without needing to own thousands of dollars of gear.
Because this island is special.
And we want you to see the parts most people never get to experience.
so, What Makes Us Different?
Yes. we’re a rental company. But honestly? That’s the least interesting thing about us.
We built this so we could share something that’s shaped our lives.
We’re locals who know these routes because we’ve driven them for decades.
We’re overlanders who still spend our own free time finding new hidden spots.
We’re a small, passionate team—not a corporate operation or generic rental fleet.
And whether you’re heading out solo or joining one of our guided overland tours, our goal is simple:
To help you experience the wild, quiet, unforgettable side of Vancouver Island—where the roads are part of the fun, the campsites don’t disappoint, and the memories last long after the fire dies down.
