Permatex

ter, the Concession Lake OHV Trail near Trent Lakes, Ontario, Canada is a popular choice for off-roaders who appreciate a little bit of everything, from rocky areas and mud to elevation changes and deep-water pools. Rated moderate difficulty, this trail is best traveled from March through October - in the Great White North, that guarantees snow on the ground.

“This trail is just under three hours from Toronto. It’s a relatively open trail that offers a variety of terrain, including swampy areas and mud crossings, rock crawling, and tight trees. There are definitely some obstacles to navigate, and some elevation changes that off-road enthusiasts sure seem to enjoy. This riding offers some open areas to rest and look around as well,” explains Off-road.com.

Ironically, as the off-road community continues to grow in size and scope, access to public land continues to shrink. Since trail access is subject to change, be sure to always call ahead and confirm closures, change in entrance points, or reservation for snowmobile use only after a certain date. Remember to practice proper trail safety and always leave Mother Nature in better shape than she was found.

Kaiser M715 1-1/4-ton 4 x 4 cargo truck was based on the mid-‘60s Gladiator.

Army Off Roaders

Story and photos by John Gunnell W hen you think of it, the U.S. Army had a lot to do with starting the move to off-road vehicles that has evolved into the sports and hobbies that we enjoy today. Whether it’s off-road racing, overlanding or conquering a treacherous obstacle course with your SUV, you can draw a direct line back to the motorization of the military in the early 1900s.

The first practical four-wheel-drive vehicle invented on this side of the Atlantic was a car made by the Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. (later FWD) of Clintonville, Wis. About a half dozen were made, before the company leaders decided to focus on manufacturing four-wheel-drive trucks.

FWD trucks performed well in United States Army cross-country trials, which led to the purchase of an FWD chassis for testing.

OFF-ROAD Plus MAGAZINE FEB/MAR 2020 28 Kaiser-Jeep M725 Ambulance is one of 3.700 built in 1967-1969 years.

With a body mounted on back, it became an Army Scout Car and proved the benefits of four-wheel drive. It outperformed three two-wheel drive trucks in a 1,500-mile test early in 1912. But the future didn’t look great for four-wheel drive until the U.S. Army started looking for trucks it could use in its “Punitive Expedition” into Mexico to chase the bandit Pancho Villa in 1916.

Based on its testing, the U.S. Army was sold on the reliability and off-road capabilities of the four-wheel-drive trucks, so when our European Allies entered World War I in the summer of 1914, the British Army quickly ordered 50 of them. Then, the U.S. Army ordered 147. By 1917, America had become embroiled in the war and FWD committed its total output to the Army, which ordered 3,750 FWD Model B 3-ton trucks.