Going off-road is all in the preparation. If you have the right kit with you then there’s nothing stopping you from spending hours exploring the landscape in whatever vehicle you chose, even if it’s a $70,000 Porsche. Michael Perez did just this earlier this month when he decided that keeping his Porsche Cayenne on the asphalt was too boring and took it for a trip out in the boonies of Utah. The Cayenne is A Pretty Cool Choice For Exploring The choice of car may seem odd at first glance, taking what would generally be classed as a luxury vehicle out in the wild but when you give it some thought, it’s not a bad idea.
- The Cayenne is roomy enough for lots of gear and Michael filled it well. In the back was an Engel 17qt fridge and a Yeti soft cooler. In the trunk was a Dometic 25 fridge, Lift Trax, 5lb C02 tank, two aluminum boxes with recovery gear and kitchen gear. All of it powered by his trusty ArkPak.
- The vehicle has all the power that a person could need for say, powering up a dusty trail or outrunning a US Forest Service officer - who's wondering what you're doing driving around in a 300hp Cayenne, in Utah.
- The Cayenne's active all-wheel drive and 295 ft-lbs of torque has more than enough power to get over the typical obstacle, even when you are carrying the added weight of all of your survival gear. Porsche's AWD system is surprisingly capable off-road, considering it's racing pedigree.
- Finally, the luxury crossover comes with air-conditioned seats, a must when out in the wilds of Utah. Granted, the trip was done in October, but it’s still better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
So Michael chose his vehicle wisely, and had all the right gear. All that was needed now was something to keep everything running.
This is where the ArkPak comes in, which is capable of running a 42qt refrigerator for about 168* hours. So those three refrigerators that Michael had with him could in theory run for about 56 hours (give or take), giving him plenty of time to go out and have fun. If he were to use the ArkPak for his cellphone and other devices as well, he would easily have had enough power for two days in the wild – even longer if he invested in a solar panel to charge the ArkPak.
So there we go. It goes to show that you don’t need a rusty old Land Rover to have an off-road adventure. All you need is the right equipment, some imagination and maybe around $70,000 to buy the Cayenne in the first place.
* based on a 12V 130ah deep cycle battery (Group 31), running times are a guide only and are dependent on use and conditions.