The toughest of the tough
Day after day, Aaron packed his Defender with firefighters, hoses, and gear, running them between the camps and the frontlines of the fire, saving them hours of hiking. Many of those firefighters were relieved to find out Aaron also happens to be a national championship-winning rock crawler and off-roader, having raced famously gruelling competitions such as the Baja and King of the Hammers.
“I was regularly taking on trails that were so sketchy and steep, and I noticed a lot of white knuckles in the Defender. I saw the whites of a lot of firefighter eyes,” he says with a hint of mischief, “and these guys are the toughest of the tough.”
In times when he couldn’t drive, Aaron mentions that while some crews were initially uncomfortable driving the Defender because they had never driven an SxS in their life, it was easy to reassure people and show them the basics to make them comfortable.