When you 4 wheelers go touring to unfamiliar places, do you often/ever hire a local guide, and bring him/her along in your car? Not a fixer, but a guide who knows the territory, safe routes, cultural dos n don'ts, road and weather conditions, etc.?

I ask this because every time I prep my car, I always prepare for a third member of the crew sitting in the back, with room to spare for stuff and supplies. Not a problem with the 80 series TLC, not so much a problem with the jeep CJ7 and the Series III SWB, but a major problem with the Suzuki LJ80.

Okay, so I guess not many people would consider driving an LJ80 for ANY length of travel anywhere. But I kinda like the LJ80. Its a brutally bare minimum 4x4 that's still amazingly capable with a good set of tires and a rear difflock. It easily travels 500+ Kms on a 40L tank of gasoline on good roads, it weighs less than 1000Kg fully loaded, and it's so small and narrow (3.2m length, 1.4m width) I could drive it up unpaved village paths. Travelling on an LJ80 feels like the 4 wheeled version of backpacking.

Passionate rant aside, so with very very limited space in the back, I still have to carry a tent, foam bedrolls, clothes, drinking water, some dried and instant emergency food, maybe a simple stove, extra oils, extra spare tire, tools, a 40L box of loose items, decent first aid kit, and a plastic 20L jerrycan, among other smaller things. All this means I will have to lose the back seats, so no space for a third member of the crew. Even sleeping in the car would mean sleeping on the non reclining front seats. Not too comfy for multi day travels (hence the tent).

I admit touring in my home country rarely present the need for a local guide. But there are still places where the situation and terrain can be so treacherous some local knowledge is a good idea. Some parts of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and most definitely Papua, for example. The question is, do I stop and ask often, or hire a guide to accompany me in the car?

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1980 Suzuki LJ80, 1980 Land Rover SIII SWB, 1981 Jeep CJ7, 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80