Journey with no boundaries
Magazine | Summer/Fall 2022
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Self-Drive Safaris and Overland Adventures for Discerning Travelers Let us help you achieve your ultimate adventure dream At v-adventures, we believe there is a better way to live your adventures and the African dream. Based in the United States, v-adventures was founded by Valentina and Antonio with the desire and passion for overland and self-drive safaris in Africa. Having spent years exploring the gorgeous and little-known areas of Africa, we are pleased to offer you a customized experience and help you make your safari adventure the best vacation you have ever had. We have decided to stay focused on the areas we know the most and where you will discover the unique pleasure of traveling overland or enjoying a traditional wildlife safari: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
Living in the USA, we are now expanding our adventure options to the Americas: the gorgeous off-the-beatenpath trails in the US and selected destinations in Baja Mexico, Atacama Chile, Bolivia, northern Argentina. Your holidays are principal for us, and we know time is always a constraint. Together with our team and our selected partners are focused on providing you with personalized itineraries and the most reliable vehicles to ensure the type of experiences you work so hard to enjoy. We are proud and excited to know that we can help you discover extraordinary places and fully live oncein-lifetime experiences without worrying about logistics.
Travel with us, and we will make sure to exceed your expectations. v.adventuresLLC valentinav_adventures YouTube Channel V_adventures v-adventures-llc v-adventures.com Blog & Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gt65ef
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Overland Adventures Magazine
Editor In Chief: Mary Beth Ebnet
Art Director: Rich Johnson
Social Media Director: Jillian Perez
Writer: Scott Parker
Proofreader: Ellen Driscoll
Writers: Sonja and Gert
Writers: Lavi and Ollie
Writer: Valentina Vallinotto
Summer/Fall 2022
www.OverlandAdventuresMagazine.com
Cooking 5
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo- Chief Jesse Houston
Crossing Overlanding 22 The Relation Between Overlander and ArchaeologyLuiz Dias Fernandez 30 On Two Wheels You Can Travel and Adventure! CherifiSaifeddine
Featured 12
What Is Death Valley-Jessy Greenland
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Oh SHIT! - Nick Savatgy
26 Overlanding Crossover Adventurers - Mike and Mrs. Rugged
International 10
Tunisia- Andrea and Mike Kammermann
16 Exploring from the Tiniest Creatures to the Mightiest Mountains…- Tom and Solus Ipsa Burkitt 18
Ladakh Motto Adventures - Tsewang Stanzin Tani
20 The Start of Our Overland Adventures Part 1 - Milady Landy, Sonja and Gert 32 Overlanding with Kids, in the ‘70s - Valentina Vallinotto
Rig Build 8
Vehicle Dynamics Concepts - Scott Parker
24 Everything & The Kitchen Sink - Miranda & Kyle West
Meet the Writers Andrea & Mike Kammermann Lavi & Ollie Scott Parker Sonja & Gert Valentina Vallinotto
MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to connect and inspire people from all around the world who have a common passion for adventure and overlanding. We will do so by publishing a magazine and hosting a website where we share informative, inspiring and fun content with existing and aspiring overland adventurers!
VISION STATEMENT
Our Vision is to help build an overland community across the globe where everyone’s perspective, knowledge and passion can be shared and valued.
CORE VALUES
It doesn’t matter what kind of rig you drive, or how much money you have spent building that perfect rig. We are all here for the same thing…. Adventure, a journey and maybe,
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just maybe, a destination! We want to give our passionate community a voice: whether you are a family making memories with your kiddos or are a group of friends enjoying a weekend together, or sharing an amazing trip with that special someone. We want to feature you! And let your journey expand our minds, help us learn something new… and soar into something amazing and life changing! We want our magazine to inspire the adventurous person in all of us, by: •
Being Inclusive
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Respecting everyone’s path and journey
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Sharing knowledge and wisdom
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Encouraging everyone to Tread Lightly and be respectful of their environment
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Having fun!
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
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Canola oil
1 ¾ cups
Bay leaves
3 each
Andouillea, diced
¾ cups
Thyme sprigs
1 bundle
Chicken 1” diced
¾ lbs.
Garlic, shaved
1/3 cups
Creole seasoning
1 tablespoon
Tomato, diced
2 cups
All-purposeflour
1 ¾ cups
Chicken stock
6 cups
Yellow onion, diced
2 ½ cups
Worcestershire
¼ cups
Green bell pepper, diced
2 ½ cups
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon
Celery, diced
2 ½ cups
Tabasco
1 tablespoon
Gumbofile*
2 teaspoons
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•
•
•
In a large Dutch oven, heat the • oiloverdirectflameandcook the diced andouille sausage until browned and crispy. Toss the chicken with the Creole spice while the sausage is cooking. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon when crisp • and reserve.
Addinthegumbofile,garlic, thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Cookforanotherfiveminutes and then add in all of the stock. Cook for one hour, slowly simmering. Add in Worcestershire, tabasco, and salt. Taste. If you can allow to cool overnight, it’s always better the next day. Serve over white rice.
Add the seasoned chicken to the oil and cook until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon.
TIP: you can easily turn this into Addalloftheflourtotheoil.Stir a seafood gumbo by substituting with a wooden spoon and make shrimp for the chicken. Toss the sure you scrape the bottom of shrimp in the Creole spice, but add the pan. Do not leave the pot them in at the end because they at this point, but constantly stir don’t take long to cook. Add in untiltheflourstopsfoamingcrawfishtailsifyou’dlikeaswell. and begins to darken. Move the Dutchovenoffofdirectflame *Gumbofileisgroundsassafras and continue cooking the roux, leavestraditionallyusedtoflavor stirring frequently and always and thicken gumbo. You can scrapingthebottomsotheflour easilyfinditonAmazonifitisn’t doesn’t burn. When the roux available in your local grocery has the color of milk chocolate, store. https://www.amazon.com/ and an almost burnt popcorn s?k=gumbo+file&ref=nb_sb_noss aroma, it is ready for the vegetables. Add all of the onions and stir them into the roux. Place the Dutch oven over a medium flametocaramelizetheonions in the roux.
Chief Jesse Houston
•
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Add in the celery and bell peppers and stir. Once incorporated, cook until the vegetables are tender.
overlandchef OverlandChef
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Vehicle Dynamics Concepts end may sag, which would decrease my approach angle. Additionally what may have been a $1,500 cost with the addition of a bumper and winch may now cost you additional $1,500 or more to upgrade my suspension. Actions have consequences.
Vehicle Dynamics is a class that I’ve been teaching for several years. The premise is this: vehicles were designed, tested and built to function a certain way. As soon as we start During this class we usually start at makingmodificationtoourvehicles, thewe bottom of the vehicle and work our are fundamentally changing how they way up, a process which gives us the weredesigned.Modificationsarenot opportunity to discuss each component necessarily a bad thing, but for every and how they affect the vehicle, and change we make, there can or will be whether we should delete, modify or a consequence; sometimes this can replace components in or on the vehicle. be good and sometimes it can lead to Developing needs and wants can help potentially dangerous outcomes. us prioritize certain aspects of the build, while vehicle dynamics lets us During class I usually have the understand the consequences to those studentswalkaroundamodifiedvehicle. actions. Wediscussthemodificationsandhow they affect the handling characteristics Typically,thefirstthingIask of the vehicle, which gives the students students to do is to research their a process for deciding a need or want, vehicles. They can look in their vehicle as well as developing a good sense for manuals and utilize the placard that unintended consequences. A common is typically found on the inside of the example would be: I may want a steel driver’s door. We are looking for several bumper with a winch which could easily important pieces of information, such as add an additional 200 pounds to the what does the vehicle weigh and what front of the vehicle. While the bumper is the GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight can provide additional protection, Rating, which is how much it can carry, the choice of adding a bumper may max load. Understanding these two depend on what I plan on doing with benchmarks will help you determine the vehicle. This may be a want and not what you can and can’t do with your necessarily a need. Think of it like this, build, or more importantly, what you if I add additional weight in the front need to modify so that your vehicle can ofavehicle,Imayfinditnecessarytoproperly function not only out on the trail upgrade my suspension. The vehicle but during everyday travel as well. While might still be drivable, but the front there are other pieces of information
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that we will need when building a vehicle,thesearetwothatIfindthe most important. Adding things like bigger tires, different suspension and roof racks will fundamentally change how your vehicle performs; these things will change your center of gravity and potentially change your braking distance. As you increase your vehicle’s weight, you may notice that you are wearing through your brake pads faster, which may lead you to needing to upgrade your brakes. My goal is to give students a good working knowledge to be able to think through the process of adding additional gear. I’m not asking you to become an engineer, but having a good understanding of how making one decision can affect another is important. It is certainly essential to understand that some components on our vehicles are more than capable to handle the day-to-day activities that we will put them through, but when venturing off the beaten path it’s also essential to identify weak points and what common issues we may need to address sooner rather than later. The end goal is to enjoy the outdoors, and by making smart decisions as we build our vehicles, it helps to limit the issues that may arise down the road. Over the next several issues we will dive further into building vehicles and address some of the most common questions that arise.
Scott Parker
I4WDTA Certified Instructor Federal Government Off-road Instructor Member of BOLD Overland Scott Parker explorationcaptured UCYXQh2gj1knFKNlS8eynM5A etservicesconsulting.com ET Services Consulting etservicesconsulting
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Tunisia built on a dam. Here you can enjoy Caribbean-like beaches with crystal clear water and colorful traditional towns.
Full of surprises Tunis alkhadra is Arabic for Tunisia, the green one. It points out the general misconception to think of this country as a desert. Tunisia is located in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya. It can be easily reached with a ferry from several ports in Italy. The north is fertile and green with a Mediterranean climate, this is also where one can visit Cap Engela which is the northernmost point of the African continent. Heading south from here on, you can visit several ancient Roman sites, from entire cities overlooking fertile plains to one of the largest Roman amphitheaters in the world. Traveling along the coast, you can reach Djerba Island, which is connected to the mainland with either a small ferry or a paved road
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As you enter the arid south of the country, there are other places of interest. If you are a Star Wars fan, you can visit several films locations of the successful film saga. Further south the world’s largest hot desert begins. Before we enter the Sahara Desert, we restock in a dusty town called Douz. 800 liters (211 gallons) of diesel, 450 liters (118 gallons) of water and food supplies from the local market. With our waypoints marked in offline maps, we head out into the vast desert. The asphalt ends just after the town, and from there we follow a gravel track; a few hours later we find ourselves in front of a seemingly endless dune field. Time to lower the tire pressure from 6bar (87psi) to 3bar (43psi). We have traveled through deserts before, but every desert is different. The sand dunes in Tunisia are relatively short in distance and height, and they are
also quite hard-packed so we didn’t even need the low range or the diff locks for most of the time. Just before the sunset, we reach Mt Tembain, our first destination. A few wild camels wander past us while we are eating dinner. Our plan was to cross the desert from Mt Tembain to the northeast, basically toward the coast. But on the third day, the wind started to blow and grew into an intolerable sandstorm. While driving we could no longer see the terrain, so we decided to park and assess the situation. Not having any phone signal, we had no way of knowing how the storm will develop or how long it will last. As it grew stronger, the best option we had was to return to Douz and seek shelter until the storm subsided. A few days later we are able to complete our route and spend a few days on the coast before boarding the ferry back to Europe, with our heads full of memories and Sahara sand in every gap of the truck.
Mike, Andrea and Aimée the dog 4extremes 4extremes
UCKGHA5Jpc-se8gqU7w2u0Xg www.4-xtremes.ch Email: info@4-extremes.ch
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What Is Death Valley
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When you think of a desert, do youthink,flatwastelandofhotlifeless death? Do you think of the history it holds or the stories it possesses? It’s probably the last place anyone wants to explore or visit. Now that we are back from Death Valley, let me tell you how wrong all of these things are. Believe me I’ve seen my share of pictures of Death Valley and I still had a different outlook on it to begin with. Boy, my eyes were opened. Everything I expected or envisioned was totally thrown out of the window! Even pictures and videos did no justice to the amazing things I experienced! Death Valley is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park with its belowsea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat. Each extreme has the most striking contrast - snowcapped proclaimed Death Valley Monument wanting to explore this vast landscape peaksfromwintersnow,fieldsof by president Herbert Hoover, placing with many features to get lost in. wildflowersfromrarerainstorms, it under federal protection. In 1994 the Death Valley is full of stories, history magical hidden locations teaming with monument was redesignated as Death and amazing diversity in nature with wildlifeandfish.DespitetheharshValley nameNational Park. geological wonders. You can go from there is a great diversity of life. Part of the lowest sea level to the highest point the Mojave Desert in Eastern California ModernJeeperAdventuresfirst in the US. and the hottest place on earth, Death trip to Death Valley was in 2019 and Valley was named in 1849 during the continues to be the prime overlanding For this year’s journey we started California Gold Rush. In 1933 it was destination for Jeepers, and anyone in Beatty, Nevada. Beatty is full of
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interesting characters and history. In fact, after spending a couple of days there, we quickly realized we could spend our entire three days here exploring the area surrounding this historical place. Because of a renewed interest in mining, Beatty is full of new mining activity. Wild burros lace the town’s interior and exterior. With only a couple of hotels and a handful of places to stay, you can meet a few of the characters in Beatty in a short amount of time, from the Dollar Bill/Motorsports bar to the casino on the far end of town. There is a little something for everyone in Beatty.
Thefirstdayofouradventurebeganwithanamazing breakfastatthecornercafewhere2of 1 usfilleduptheent small cafe. With our tummies full and a quick driver meeting, wemadeourwaytowardstheMayflowerminingdistrict.The wonderment of the forgotten mining areas, jaw-dropping views, scattered dilapidated mining equipment and buildings left behind in a once thriving mining community made for some interesting history and hiking through the remaining structures. We had to remember that we were only a few hoursintoourfirstdayandwehadalotmoretoexplore. Rhyolite is a ghost town right outside of Beatty with a lot of unique art, a house made of glass bottles and an old train station. The beauty and eeriness of the statues are something to sit and ponder on while sitting on the mosaic couch. At this point we get ready to go up Titus Canyon Road. This drive is what we call a 5-40. You either go 5 mph or 40 mph;
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it’s a very bad wash boarded road that will shake everything loose on your vehicle and make your shocks work overtime. As you come up to the many switchbacks of the red pass, which is the highest point of Titus Canyon Road, it is a spectacular view of colors and a deep scenic canyon overlooking Leadfieldmining.Thereisaninteresting storyabouthowLeadfieldminingcame about, just like a used car salesman pitch, it was far-fetched and people fell for it. Short and simple, you put out a “flyer”fortravelinguprivertoabigold awesome lie, it’s quite fascinating that people did that back then to get money.
On to Titus Canyon, a very deep and narrow canyon at the very end of the road. The middle is open like a river bed of sorts, and I wouldn’t like to becaughtinaflashflooddownthere! evening in Mesquite springs, which is We get our pictures and take a moment The canyon road is beautiful limestone, about 22 miles on pavement. As we to tell our group about the crater and petroglyphs, native plants and wildlife. set up in our spots and make dinner, move on to the racetrack road. Airing Watch out for the bighorn sheep! You werelaxbythecampfiretoreflecton down can make it a better ride, but get feel like you are going to get swallowed the day as well as take pictures of the ready for a long rough driver of winding, up by the very steep canyon walls that beautiful sunset and listen to howling tightcornersaroundhillsandafieldo are over half a billion years old, and coyotes. Time to sleep for the next long Joshua trees. remember to look up! The end of the day of another long 5-40 road which is canyon opens up to the beautiful graben calledthe“racetrack”road. We make our way to the TeaKettle desertfloorandgiantmountainsof junction to deposit our signed teakettle Panamint range. Watch out for hikers The sun wakes us up bright and atthe“offeringspot”andmoveonmany in this narrow part of the canyon. At the early to the smell of bacon that is more miles to the Racetrack Playa. The end is a parking lot and bathrooms to cooking over the camp stove. We have a playa is magical and rocks move on the air up or take a break after the two-togood routine of packing up and heading playa and leave a trail. You will have to three-hour drive through this beautiful outforourfirststopafewmilesdown check out how all of the tailing comes to popular canyon. the pavement to the cool cinder cone or be and why the rocks move across the the Ubehebe Crater. It was created by a playa. We walk around enjoying the sun At this point in the long day, we powerful volcanic steam explosion and and eat our lunch before we head out for set sights on our camping spot for the is 600 ft deep and half a mile across. another day of adventures! I can make a small book about all the amazing parts of Death Valley but I will end our journey here. Who knows maybe there will be a part 2? Modern Jeeper adventures should be on your lists to explore and share the Jeeping passion!
Jessy Greenland rockstarjeepgirl jessica.helmgreenland www.modernjeeperadventures.com
Photos: Corey Osborue
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Exploring from the Tiniest Creatures to the Mightiest Mountains, and everything in between
If it is a mountain, waterfall or a firetower,itisonTom’slistofplacesto go. Buster has taken us repeatedly up We are a Tom & Solus Ipsa a lifted, upgraded and re-geared. We Canoe Mountain (the highest place you husband/wife team that strives to also upgraded from a ground tent to a can drive in British Columbia) just out of showcase the natural beauty, from the rooftop tent that we initially installed on Valemount, BC (with and without trailer, tallest mountains to the tiniest creatures Buster’s roof rack, but then re-located to where we have spent the night with the and everything in between, of the places be mounted on our trailer. We currently resident marmots); done the Telkwa we visit. venture out with our new-to-us, lifted, Pass near Telkwa, BC (with and without 2008 Jeep JK Rubicon with a 5.7 trailer); explored Molybdenite Ridge We both work full time, varying Hemi, called Growler (which Solus Ipsa near Lillooet, BC; and many locations shift patterns, so when we do get named, because that Hemi is loud and closer to our Prince George, BC home time off together, we tend to cram as growly), and a much beefed-up overland base, including Kenney Dam/Cheslatta, much adventure into our getaways as trailer with a mounted rooftop. Greer Falls, Sinkut Mountain, Lookout possible! And just FYI, as a worry-wart (Vanderhoof, BC); Two Sisters and co-pilot often feels the need to remind We never go anywhere without our Yank’s Peak (Wells, BC), as well as a driver Tom, “Are you sure about this? cameras and Solus Ipsa tends to take multitude of other close to home places. Remember, we need this vehicle to get pictures of anything and everything! Tom Buster has taken us on more than many us home and you need it to take you to says I see the world through the eyes trips to the Okanagan region of BC, and andfromwork.” of a small child, and can be amused a multitude of places in Alberta. Two and occupied for hours along 20 feet of our favorite locations to visit include We began our adventures with of shoreline. He is not at all wrong! Lol! Farwell Canyon and area near Williams a ground tent and a stock 2010 Jeep Ievenhavea“pointandshoot”inmy Lake, BC, and Abraham Lake and JKcalled“Buster.”Tomnameditthat daily-driver car because you never know nearby waterfalls etc., near Nordegg, because he says … “I’ll probably when you might see something cool. Alberta. bust’ertrying.”Busterwouldlaterbe
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Our recently acquired (July 2020) Growler has taken us back to the BC Okanagan area (Vernon, Cherryville and Lumby) and, thanks to the power ofthewayupamountaintoseeafire On any given adventure, we seem of the 5.7 Hemi engine, enabled Tom lookout), having the rooftop tent’s annex tofindcoolandinterestingplacesto to tow our “now built for the bush and zipper freeze shut (we camp year-round, visit in BC and Alberta. And we love to beyond”trailerthroughtheWhipsaw andapropane“BuddyHeater”produces share whatever information we can to Trail (near Princeton, BC) a lot of condensation!), scratches/cuts/ our fellow overlanders! We relish the bruises and broken bones while clearing opportunity to get back to nature and get We carry an intense amount of downed trees on the trail or when awayfrom“itall,”andourgoalissimply recoveryandfirst-aidgearwe ( have moving/hooking up the trailer and, the to share with others the beauty of nature rarely needed recovery gear, but have always possible, being lost and without available in our own back yard, and to oftenusedfirstaidgeartohelpothers) cell service , (LOL! More than once. encourage others to get out and explore! always pack extra fuel (LOL! Jeeps are That’s what paper-copy Backroads Map not known for fuel economy), and have Books are for) travelled over 20,000 km throughout our Tom & Solus Ipsa Burkitt various BC and Alberta trips over the We have gone from a simple cooler last three years. We have experienced for food and a ground tent to a kitchen Photographer: Solus Ipsa rolling the utility trailer off the hitch with slide-out drawers and fridge/freezer 2BOverlanding ball at a non-bridged, severely steep, in the back of the Jeep. We added an necessary, back roads water crossing, awning over top of this for inclement 2BOverlanding losing a tire and rim coming down a weather and a large rooftop tent that mountain, severe engine overheating was previously mounted on the Jeep 2BOverlanding (funny, not, how that happens when but currently mounted on the trailer for your rad fan suddenly quits working, use as base camp, allowing us use of especially when you are three-quarters vehicle for explorations.
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Ladakh Motto Adventures
a travel fair ladakh
LaA RIDERS is an event based out of Ladakh, in union territory Ladakh, which is situated in India. This is a yearly event that takes place in the summer within the months of July and August. The whole idea behind organizing such an event is to capture and explore the vast vistas of natural landscapes which Ladakh has to offer.
4×4 off-roading enthusiast, we promise to give you a good time.
Apart from the full-time adventures during the day, we are committed to keeping you entertained with live music and good food. Those participants who are interested in more mellow activities can indulge themselves in At LaA RIDERS, we as organizers stargazing and astronomy. The event is are committed to keeping the spirit of a joyful platform where fellow riders and adventure to the maximum, which is participants get the opportunity to meet reflecteduponourroutesandspots. and explore new ideas and networking. Whether you’re a solo rider, pillion or a
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Tsewang Stanzin Tani Ladakh motto Adventures laa_riders UCKdQ5WzNiCY4rAVHPAxoD2A
Oh SHIT! Failure provides an opportunity to learn, and we have had our fair share of lessons. With a combined 60+ years of off-road experience, we have seen the spectrum from camping in campgrounds, off paved roads, to sleeping in a Cascadia Vehicle Tents roof top tent on the Rubicon Trail. Oh shit! moments can happen anywhere!
from the sidewall. We made quick work changing out to his spare tire but it goes to show you can’t even let your guard down on the drive home.
Another example comes from a trip we did exploring the mining country of central Nevada. The route took us to well-preserved mining structures and across desolate stretches of dusty desert. None of the trails were hard by any stretch of the imagination. One One such moment occurred section of trail was faintly visible and following a night run on Fins & Things eroded heavily; it clearly hadn’t been in Moab, Utah. As is customary at the traveled in a long time. A momentary goneMOABevent,anunofficialnight lapse of focus led to the Toyota FJ run happens the night before the event Cruiser in our group sliding into one with those helping out with the event. such washout. The ditch swallowed LED lights blazed the trail ahead while his 35-inch tires and all the travel from rock lights aided in tire placement. his Total Chaos long travel kit. His FJ Hours of fun passed by as we navigated landed on the frame like a beached the slick rock obstacles, and all was whale. Working together we used Bubba good. Then on the dirt road drive back Rope Gator Jaw synthetic shackles and to pavement, a voice came over the Warn winches to free the FJ. radio “I need to pull over…. I have a flat.”Thefrontpassengersidetireof Learn from our experience! Issues the Nissan Frontier in our group blew can come up on the easiest of trails. out completely, separating the tread Calm minds and teamwork come in
handy even when the easiest of trails presentan“OhShit”moment. We’ll see you on the trail!
Writer/Photos by Nick Savatgy RogueOverland RogueOverland UCRLj811op0U08fbnJWCZIOQ www.rogueoverland.com
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The Start of Our Part 1 In20 6wemadeourfirstserious plan to start traveling overland. Since summer 2016 we have done many journeys, mainly in Europe and Africa. We saw extensive wildlife in Africa, traveled the desert in Morocco and enjoyed cultural highlights of Europe. Now, in summer 2022, we just modifiedourlatesttravelplan.Wenow know that one of the main lessons we have learned during our journeys is that theplanswemakearealwaysflexible. In 2006 we visited Tanzania with our family of four adolescent kids. After this wonderful journey, we (in fact I, Gert) decided we wanted to travel overland to Tanzania, with our own car. The car eventually became a 1980 Land Rover Series 3, that I bought on Ebay, for GBP 255 (then € 350 or USD 400).
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In short, I restored the car completely and in 2016 we shipped our old Milady Landy to Namibia. In fact, the shipping already was a big change of plans. We had in our mind to travel to Tanzania overland, but trouble in Mali and Nigeria had risen and we considered it not safe to travel Africa from north to south.
Southern and Eastern Africa in an old Land Rover The 1980 Land Rover Series 3, now christened Milady Landy, was a treat and a threat for our overland journey of
Overland Adventures We made the journey of our lifetime and enjoyed six months of Africa to the fullest. Milady Landy decided a lot of our plans, but we were still at the steering wheelandsawmagnificentlandscapes, encountered numerous animals and met curious and wonderful people. In short, we loved the overland adventure lifestyle and decided we wanted more of it.
Milady Landy, Sonja & Gert MiladyLandy MiladyLandy MiladyLandy
Southern and Eastern Africa. She, the lady, was clearly in her element among the wildlife on the African savanna. But as an old car, she needed a lot of attention/maintenance/repairs during the voyage. We visited many car mechanics and workshops and did a lot of repairs ourselves. One day, with a broken chassis, we thought our overland
journey was over, but of course in Africa repairs are always possible.
Travel blog: www.miladylandy.nl/en
All this meant we had to modify our plans regularly. During this adventure we concluded we were traveling to the horizon. On a daily basis we decided where to go and we loved it!
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The Relation Between Overlander and Archaeology the 31 kilometers (19,263 miles) of a precarious rural road that led to the community, becoming an essential tool in my professional activities.
and materials of European origin such as Portuguese faience, enamelled ceramics and some metallic objects. I realized that this was possibly a place of contact between natives and Europeans in the 16th century, something really rare, not only in Brazil but also in all the Americas.
In 2002, when I was 23 years old, I boughtmyfirstx44 vehicle,aLadaNiva 9,and )10 .6( withitIstartedmyfirst In 2006, after a three-month off-road adventures. archaeological campaign in the Chapel of Saint Michael Paulista (dated 1590), I Early on, I realized that the visited the village of Bananal and heard traditional off-road trails were not what rumors that in a nearby village called I got authorization from community I really wanted. Quick weekend trails Piaçaguéra, which means “the way of leaders to take some pieces to be bring a lot of maintenance and just a few theancients,”appearedsomepieces presented of to the authorities of the places were visited. Because of that, I potteryonafootballfieldinthemiddle historical preservation of heritage, started taking longer journeys with the of the community. showing that the remains were about car, accessing remote places, often four kilometers from another important alone. Because of this, I earned myself We were in the rainy season and historical site, the Ruins of Abarebebê thenickname“crazy,”consideringthe the challenge was the sandy soil in the (“flyingpriest”intheTupinikimlanguage, risks involved in my trips. I avoided region which became impermeable one of the peoples on the Brazilian buying a second car, forcing myself to in many places, forming large ponds coast), a church dating from 1505. use it on a daily basis as well. with dark-colored water, almost Unfortunately, my requests for studies ferruginous, due to the tannin of plant in the area were not accepted and the From 2000 to 2009, I carried out decomposition. After overcoming all area remains unknown till today! several ethnological and incomedifficulties,Icameacrossanincredible generating works in the indigenous amount of archaeological materials As I had an off-road driving training community of the Tupi Guarani people collected by the residents of the reserve. in Depaschoal Goodyear University in the city of Peruibe on the coast of Some of them showed me big garbage (2004), I started offering my car for the state of São Paulo. Niva’s off-road bags full of ceramic materials, a mixture archaeological campaigns in addition to capabilities were constantly tested in of low-temperature indigenous ceramics my archaeologist service. In 2010, I was
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hired by an archaeology company along with my car. The contractor categorically stated that there was no need for an offroad vehicle, but I heard the warnings from my mother who advised me to go with my Niva. It was my luck, as I came across an area of 4,439,000 square meters of wild forest with no existing road or access, having at my disposal a team of three archaeologists and me, and four employees from a third-party company, who would only work after the fourth day of the campaign.
Wespentthefirstdayopeningtrails, Owner of the Gurgel Sasquatch using the vehicle as a tool and opening Overlander project, which is based on “testwells,”lookingforthebestplaces a 1982 Gurgel X12 vehicle, the only to start our work. We highlighted three vehicle of this model in the world fully overlappingbonfires,referringtothree rebuilt for overlander practice. different periods: 1000, 700 and 400 years ago. The car became a deposit of collected pieces, kitchen, dining Luiz Dias Fernandez room and often a dormitory for quick Gurgel Sasquatch Overlander naps during the brief break periods. Without it, it would be impossible to gurgelsasquatchoverlander enterorleavethearea.Wefinishedthe work at the end of the afternoon and UC6yJ9Nm49hgJz6l9JKJ2LeQ the way to the hotel was in complete Beside this, the contractor hosted darkness, assisted only by the auxiliary us in a hotel, 40 kilometers (24.8548 headlights, installed in the front bumper miles) away from the study area on the and in the luggage compartment of the edge of a nearby city. The road was Niva, thus preventing us from falling reallydifficultanddeserted.There intowas huge holes, or crashing into rocks no possibility of accessing the city in an and logs scattered on the road. It was easy way, so we took in Niva everything a great overlander and archaeological that we needed to spend the day in adventure that will never leave my the forest, from tools and electronic memory! equipment, to clothes, water and food. We faced insects, bad weather and Luiz Dias Fernandez lives in São confronted some gunmen who tried to Paulo, Brazil, ethno-historian, professor, kick us out from the place, following archaeologist, poet, musician, cultural obscure interests of uncertain headers. producer, offroader and overlander.
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Everything & The Kitchen Sink The start of my camping experiences began simply during the few years I spent in the Girl Scouts. Fast forward about 12 years, when my then-boyfriend and now husband took me to Huntsville State Park, where he introduced me to his two-man mummy style tent. I was not enthusiastic about this in the least. On our next camping trip, Kyle brought his dad’s tent, which was roomy but 30 years old. An afternoon rain shower that came while we were away hiking quickly revealed the tent’s age, and we came back to our belongings
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soakedandourair-upmattressfloating. to spend at least a week in one of his I then bought a tent that I believe made dream destinations, Big Bend National Kyle, who is an Eagle Scout, very Park. embarrassed by the mansion I had purchased. While we had done short camping trips with our daughter, I put my foot Over the next few years, we down and informed Kyle that in order camped seldomly because I was to do a weeklong, backcountry desert frustrated by it all: Setting up a tent in camping trip with a toddler, I wanted a the wind, the dirt in the tent, the air-up sink and no more ground tent. I honestly mattress never holding air conveniently was oblivious to the fact that there were by 2 a.m., and the lack of organization. a handful of pricey off-road trailers on Not to mention the storage of all the the market, and just thought I had given gear at home. myhusbandanimpossibletasktofulfill In 2016, we had a baby and travel got expensive on a one-income budget (due to my choice of being a stay-athome parent). Kyle decided he wanted
Then one day Kyle came home withafiberglassutilitybedoffofaFord Ranger, and let me tell y’all it looked nasty. I thought he had lost his mind
and for the life of me I could not see his grand vision. Slowly but surely, Kyle brought the trailer to life, starting with the frame. Everything on the trailer either came from Facebook Marketplace or Amazon, and it did not come together overnight or even over a few weeks.
dedicated storage space. The trailer is constantly ready to go and no longer takes us several days to ready our gear for a quick weekend trip.
Going with the trailer route, I enjoy the fact that my RTT is not mounted on my vehicle so I can set up base camp and still be free to explore. The RTT was a game changer compared Ourfirsttripwithitwedidnottohave the ground tent in its ease of set up, the tent. By the second trip we had comfort, and, well, no more dirt except recently received the CVT Mt. Rainier, for the time we encountered 55 mph but it was temporarily strapped on the winds. trailer. Our third trip was an 8-night trip to Big Bend National Park, complete Basically, to wrap this up I’ve with my sink and tent on top of a always loved the outdoors but not telescoping rack. This project began in traditional camping. The off-road trailer November 2016 with the Big Bend trip has allowed me some comforts and happening in April 2018. lets us go further than an RV. By going the home-built route we saved a huge We have since added trailer brakes, amount of money and made it the way awning, 12-volt charging system, lighting thatfitourlifestyle. system, fresh water tank, water pump, and a myriad of other gear. What I We have now visited 33 different love about the trailer is the fact that campsites, and we could not be more everything has a home, a place, a thrilled that our daughter looks forward
to each trip. Our trailer is an everevolving project that we are always proud to share. And who knows? There may be a hot water heater or a 12-volt refrigerator in our future. Huge shout out to Kyle for making my kitchen sink a reality, as well as several friends and family members that were always willing to lend a hand or an idea.
Miranda & Kyle West adventurewest3
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Overlanding Crossover Adventurers
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We are a veteran family with homegrown values, living the life of adventure and running a social media presence known as “The Rugged Outdoorsmen.”Wehavethreesons that are now grown and out on their own adventures, and Mike, our youngest outdoorsman at 11 years old. We love to explore new places that are off the beaten path, primarily in the rugged Southwest. We use back country by-ways and dirt roads traveling deep into our national monuments, preserves, national forests and other public use lands. I’d say that we are part-time overlanders, traveling to lesser-known places where we’re free to roam, with few restrictions. Our objective is to set up camp in these places, so we can freelance hike and explore where few have gone, on the paths we create. Freelance hiking is the practice of exploring the wild where there are no trails, and in doing this, having navigational skills is a requirement. Exploring these places has allowed us to immerse ourselves into the wild and experience all the outdoors has to offer. With that being said, we also enjoy
visitingplacesofhistoricalsignifica as well as our state and national parks around the country. As with many other overlanders and outdoorsmen, our passion is not limited to just one activity, we also kayak, paddleboard, rock climb, rappel, and go whitewater rafting. We trek across the country to the East Coast for six weeks every summer, where we stay at Camp Riverview, our rusticfishingcampinthemountainsof upstate New York. Our camp is off-thegrid and nestled on 11 acres along the banks of the AuSable River, a premier troutfishingandkayakingwaterwayin the Adirondack Mountains. This journey from Nevada to Camp Riverview is filledwithexplorationaswenavigate across the country. The summer in the mountainsisspentontheriverfishin and enjoying watersports. We schedule frequent day trips from camp to explore the surrounding mountains and places ofhistoricalsignificance.InearlyAugus we begin our journey back across the continent to our basecamp in Southern Nevada. We’ve been overlanding for many years now and traveled with several different vehicles. Jeeps are our favoriteandwenowownourfifth,a Wrangler Unlimited. We’ve tented and
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• Ford E-series Extended Radius Michele, my wife, was adamant Arms and Brackets about certain creature comforts that • Skyjacker 188 coils onewouldtypicallyfindinasmalltow behind or motorhome. She wanted a • Ford E-series Sway Bar Drop Brackets small kitchen equipped with an oven and a double sink. A fully functional • Fox Shocks Rear & Reservoir bathroom was also an absolute must on Shocks Front her list. I wanted something that could • Fox Shock Steering Stabilizer Kit carryasignificantamountofequipment, • Rear shock Mounts with plenty of power, that we could use off the grid for a week or more. Mike, • Ford E-series Lift Kit for Class-C becoming a young man, wanted to have • 7 BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 his own space. 235/85/16 Load E tires (These tires
raised our overall lift an additional Our annual trip across the country, 1.5in for a total lift of 7.5in) which requires a lot of highway miles for several days at a time, was another The next step was to add functional factor to consider when choosing a bumpers. We had Weldtec designs build base rig for overlanding. We decided us a custom rear bumper. The left-side that a small Class C motorhome with swing arm was designed to carry the therightfootprint’)52-( andfloorplanoversized spare tire. The right-side would make a great base to build out swing arm was designed with a platform ouradventurerig.Michelefoundafloor to mount a large cooler and extra gear. plan on a 24’ platform that would meet The platform also doubles as a grill all of our expectations. One with ample platform. interior storage, a cabover bunk that gives Mike his personal space and a We decided on an Aluminess front large storage bay with outside access bumper with a built-in lockable box for a for all our gear. It also has an 11-foot Winch and Recovery Tool Storage. The slide-out on the driver’s side that really Winch we chose as part of our Recovery opens up the interior cabin when it’s gear is a 12,000 lb Warn Winch model deployed. VR EVO with synthetic cable.
towed many different styles of campers through the years, from hybrids to hard shells, and even had a 31-foot motorhome. With all our travel and Last year we scoured the internet Our Recovery gear also includes: through years of experience, we’ve until we located a 2017 Thor 24’ Class C • Black Off-road Traction Boards come to realize that we needed a more with 35,000 miles on it at a dealership in • 20ft 1.25in Kinetic Recovery Rope practical, functional adventure rig to Colorado. This small ‘C’ cabin sits atop rated at 52,000lbs fitanactivelifestyleoftwoadults of the and very rugged heavy framed Ford • 2 -8ft Tree Saver Straps with a 10 a soon to be teenage boy. A rig that E-450 chassis. It’s powered by Ford’s Ton Snatch Block could carry enough adventure gear for massive, big block V-10 with six-speed threepeople-inflatablepaddleboards, transmission. With this truck as our • 4 Heavy Duty D-Ring Shackles/ 2 Mounted on the Front Bumper kayaks, all our hiking gear, backpacks base, we began the overlander build. and mountain bikes, etc. Something small and nimble enough to get on Thefirststepwastogainsome Then,finally,weaddedsome length restricted roads, but large enough ground clearance. Doing a ton of tech gear and creature comforts. For to suit all our needs. We also had to research, we decided to have a custom navigation we installed an Alpine Stereo consider the economics and feasibility lift kit built and installed from Weldtec navigation system with a 6.5in screen of the long highway journey across the Designs in El Cajon, California. They for the rear camera. We also have a country to the East Coast each summer. builtusacustom6”liftspecifictothe Garmin RV 780 Advanced Navigation weight of the truck. This suspension lift System with front record camera. We included: have solar on the roof married with a Cobra Pro 2500-watt inverter. The truck also came equipped with an onboard Onan 4000-watt generator.
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We refer to our rig as “The Adventurer,”andMikelovinglycallsthis truck“Hercules.” This build has truly enhanced our overlanding experience. The rig is about the same size as an extended cab pick-up with a bed camper installed. It’s definitelynotajeep,butithasenough ground clearance and power to tackle some truly rough back country roads. Mike and I have a Dot com business, www.theruggedoutdoorsmen. com, where we manage our social media presence, our merchandise and blog. In all actuality, The Rugged Outdoorsmen brand is a father, son and occasionally mom too. (Mom or Mrs. Rugged as she is also known, is an absolute key component of this tribe, although she sometimes pretends otherwise.) She is our photographer and trip navigator, and she’s damn good at both. Our mission as The Rugged Outdoorsmen, is to motivate others to get outside and set the example for others to follow. A lot has happened since we began this journey documenting and sharing our adventures on Instagram and our Facebook business feed just a year ago. We started meeting great like-minded people on both platforms, created friendships, and a growing following of incredible people. We love the feeling of belonging and community that we’ve experienced on Instagram - a rugged thank you to all who support and follow us. Creating a healthy balance on social media has led to other brands reaching out to us to promote their products, and we’ve managed to reach out and create a rapport with several brands on our own.
Our show runs every Tuesday without earth, and we want to encourage more interruption. As this story goes to print, people to do the same. We’re a family weareonepisodetwenty-five.Onourof outdoorsmen, freelance hikers, and show we provide a platform for other overlanders who love adventure. We outdoorsmen to share their stories and take pride in doing what’s right, leaving experiences with like-minded people. places better than we found them - pack If they have a small business, we also in and pack out - and we believe in give them the opportunity to share that karma and providence. information with our viewers during the episode. We are actively working on the direction of our brand, and we’re excited to see new growth in the future.
We currently promote, review, and In Closing fieldtestproductsonourexplorations as The Rugged Outdoorsmen, with Being outside and overlanding seven active accounts and an ongoing together is an incredible bonding collaboration with RWC - Rugged Wear experience for our family, and we Clothing. We have created an IGTV live cherish that experience. We believe that television show called “Thurro & The the world was meant to be explored, RuggedOutdoorsmen”withourpartner, and that as a people, we should be friend and producer, Thurro Alexander. outside enjoying the beauty of the
JB | Mike and Mrs. Rugged
Get Outside - Hike the Earth - Be Rugged The Rugged Outdoorsmen LLC theruggedoutdoorsmen www.theruggedoutdoorsmen.com
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On Two Wheels You Can Travel and Adventure! Traveling long distances is possible need a road bike. This is an example in many ways, but there is a way that andnotafixedflag.Allbikesarevalid overcomes the rest of the means which for travel with a difference in speeds gives you absolute freedom to watch and terrain resistance. There are what you want from a larger angle, stop many brands in the market today with smoothlyandcrossthemostdifficult comfortable and practical accessories paths. and equipment. Just choose the bike accordingtoyourfinancialcapabilities Thebicyclehasevolvedinaterrific and the goal of your trip. Some travel way. It has made it possible and has with a bike that is not worth more than given us a new breath to live imaginary $100. experiences and have interesting adventures, so you should try traveling Second: The bags that are packed by bicycle and your heart will be on the bike frame differ and vary attached to it for life. We will give you a according to the method of travel that simple explanation of how to prepare for you will choose. There is a bike touring a trip on the bike in three steps. method represented in four basic bags that are installed on the front and rear What a cyclist needs to start the wheels.Thesebagsarefilledwithallthe adventure: requirements of the trip. It is considered the easiest way, but its disadvantage is First: Choose the type of bike that everything will be stacked with an according to the roads that you will obligatory addition: Pillars for carrying cross. A sandy path will need a bags on two wheels. As for the method mountain bike, a temple path. You will of bikepacking, which is considered
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the best, depends on three basic bags: Finally: You must have an the handlebar bag (sleeping bag, tent, adventurous spirit and a love of clothes), the triangle bag (repair and discovery from the heart to take a long cookingtools,firstaid)andthechair or short trip. (clothes, charger, food) generally bags in two ways They all perform one task, which is to carry what the cyclist needs during his journey. The amount and type Cherifi Saifeddine of equipment varies according to the bikepacking.tunisia duration of the trip, the destination and the weather. fatbike.tunis
Water bottles! The most important element of the trip. There are prepositioned places on the bike frame to install water carriers. You control their number according to the weather and the abundance of water on the road. Third: You must study the road before setting out and plan well for the trip by collecting information about the intended destination with good physical preparation to endure the hardships anddifficultiesoftheadventure.You must also beware of entering prohibited areas, closed reserves and dangerous places, so you should check every big and small before going in Anywhere.
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Overlanding with Kids, in the ‘70s “Mummy?WhereisDaddy?” “Daddy is studying; he is studying hisAfricamaps.” Yes, my father spent hours studying his next itinerary across the Sahara Desert almost every night. In the 70s, there was no Google for searching, no socials for networking, and only big companies could afford or know how to use a single computer. The search was in libraries and bookshops, and few of them had information about overlanding in Africa. Networking was word of mouth between
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passionates, who somehow got a name and a phone number to get in touch.
new bride, my mother, a city lady, from Turin in Italy to Southern Morocco: 4,000mi in total, about 1,500mi dirt Maps were paper maps only, and roads, on a red Alfa Romeo Giulietta since it was impossible to zoom in, their Spider! He could even get a speed scale was essential. For example, it was ticket on a dirt road by a Moroccan prettyeasytofindtheMichelinMappoliceman of who measured his speed Western and Northern Africa; however, with a chronometer. Just simple physics: it was one single sheet covering an area speed = distance/time. I remember him wider than 4,000 miles! telling me he broke the cup of the oil reservoir and repaired it with a piece of My father went to Paris, where wood that was still in place at the end of heknewhewouldfind2:0, 1scale his journey. ratio (1cm = 200m) paper maps and the precious aerial photos that the French His Africa addiction kept pulling shot in the areas when those were their him to overland Sahara for 40-60 days colonies. In our family home in Italy, each winter until 1992. However, after I still keep his big orange folder with thisfirstcrazyadventure,herealized maps and aerial photos, his opisometer the Giulietta was not the proper vehicle for estimating distances and fuel for this kind of overland trip and bought consumption on the paper maps, his the iconic vehicle for the African compass, and his tire pressure gauge. deserts: a Land Rover series IIA. Other overlandvehiclescameafterthisfirs His intense passion for Africa one: in the 70s, two other Land Rovers started in 1962, after seeing the movie series III, in the 80s, Toyotas FJ45 “LaurenceofArabia,”anepichistorical pickups, then a FIAT OM 75 big truck. dramafilmshotintheJordandesert. Inamedit“Maciste,”anItalianmovie One year later, in 1963, he drove his character of the 10s, a Hercules-like
the time of the day, the compass, the mountains, and the dunes around us. In the late 70s, we have to remember that GPS was still an unknown subject. Then, he tracked on the map an off-road itinerary across oued (dry riverbeds), canyons, and dunes that eventually would lead us to a little village signed on his map, hopefully in 3 or 4 days.
Daddymanagedaquickbriefing: “I’mprettyconfidentonthisitinerary However, we don’t know each other, so feel free to choose. Nevertheless, if we stay together, we have chances of supporting each other on the trails and sharing food, water, and fuel in the next fewdays.However,it’syourchoice.” Of course, there was no choice, and everyone was on board. It was almost figurecharacterizedbyhisenormous three hours, the itinerary made a close sunset, so we camped, and around the strength. But, unfortunately, Maciste loop: it was a dead-end! Our friends campfire,westartedtalkingwithour was too big and heavy, affecting the fuel Orazio and Teresina were traveling with new travel mates. Onboard the Land consumption. The fuel range is critical us on their blue Toyota FJ45; however, Rover: Pierre and Christine, a Belgian when you have to cover hundreds of after a few minutes at the dead-end, couple and an Australian hitchhiker miles in the middle of nowhere with just a green Land Rover arrived, and soon traveling across the globe with a $1 daily a few unreliable gas stations. So, in the after, a Peugeot 104! So we all followed budget. On Peugeot 104, there was 90s, his last overland truck was a pickup the“wrong”trail. a Swiss couple. I remember her John Toyota Land Cruiser FJ75 with a roofLennon-style little round glasses and his top tent. On top of that, we were all too jeans overalls on a dusty t-shirt whose short in fuel to drive back on the same color was similar-white just under the My daddy was my hero, and while itineraryandreachthe“closest” suspenders. gas I was always happy and excited to help station. We didn’t see any other vehicle him customize the vehicles, handle the in the last two days, so it was very Onthefirstdayofouroff-roadand camping gear, and pack stuff and food unlikely someone could rescue us off-track itinerary, we drove on soft in the storage compartments, I kept before we exhausted our drinking water. sand, dry pans, and rocky paths, which asking: “Daddy, when shall I come to What could we do? were very challenging for the Peugeot Africawithyou?”Atthattime,traveling 104 that was being towed almost all the to Africa required many vaccinations, Daddy opened his big orange folder time. In the afternoon, Daddy saw far and clean water and fresh food were and started studying the maps looking away, under the umbrella acacia trees, not always available or reliable since for our approximate position based on a group of Tuareg. He stopped Maciste we had no fridge. In addition, I was a bronchitis kid, so my parents were a bit concerned about my compelling request. However, a daddy can’t say no to his only daughter for too long, and, extending my winter-break/Christmas holidays, I started overlanding. Memoriesofthosetravelsarefixed in my brain even after 45 years. This is one of them. We were driving on a sandy and bumpy dirt road in Niger, and as often it happens,wetookasecondary,“parallel” trail to avoid the worst of the potholes. Unfortunately, after driving for two or
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man, who wasn’t aware of the joke the other men were playing with us, said “Botna!”meaning“no’’inTamashek and pointed to the exact direction my fatherexpectedtofindthatvillage.At this point, after greeting the old Tuareg with some more cigarettes, he reached ussmiling,confirmingthatthedirecti we were following was the correct one. As a matter of fact, after two more days of traveling and towing the Peugeot, at sunset, we reached the little school village of Teguida Intagait, as daddy was expecting.
and suggested our travel mates stay far away while we approach them with our vehicle. My mother and I stayed in the truck, and Daddy joined the group of men resting in the shade. Tuareg people speak their own language, the Tamashek, which is different from the Arab language, the primary language spoken in Saharian countries, and they did not even speak French, the second language that is common in the former French colonies of North-Western Africa. Not having a common language to understand each other, my father approached them with a simple but appreciated gift: cigarettes to let them know our peaceful intentions. Then, he pointed in a direction and named the village that was supposed to be there. The Tuaregs ironically smiled and pointed in a different direction, asking for more cigarettes. Daddy pointed in another direction, naming another village, and again, smiling, the men pointed in another direction.
their elegant white mehari dromedaries, and while crossing the desert, their survival supply was only nine dried dates a day. So when they saw us driving off track, in the middle of an extremely remote area, days of travel far awayfromanyofficialtrail,theysawan First of all, my mum. She was living opportunity. They had just to wait: soon, theseexperienceswithconflicting we would be out of drinking water, and feelings: trust in her husband and, at the in less than one week, they would have sametime,shewasterrifiedbecause access to our vehicles and supplies. of the deep concern of having her only child in this situation. Daddy was puzzled by the contrasting directions they suggested, Orazio and Teresina traveled a and while he was walking back to couple of times in Africa with us. They us, saw an old Tuareg sitting alone always trusted my father’s experience, under an acacia tree. He approached following him, whatever. They always him and suddenly pointed in one had a positive attitude. However, maybe direction, knowing it was the wrong in those three days, they questioned one, and named a village. The old themselvesabouttheirconfidencein
Tuaregs are nomadic tribes of the Sahara Desert. As proud nomad people donotbelongtoaspecificcountry,this iswhytheywereunofficiallyethnically persecuted and subject to ethnic cleansing in those times. They lived and roamed in secluded areas of their land, the Sahara Desert, trading salt, dromedaries, dates, and some of them were known as marauders, or a kind of pirate of the desert. In those days, the onlyavailable“vehicle”forTuaregswere
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As a kid adoring her hero, I fully trusted my father, so I lived this experience as if nothing different could happen: daddy knows what has to be done; we have just to follow him since this is the best and only choice. However, now I’m a mature woman and understand that our travel mates could have had different feelings.
followinghim,“whateverhappens.” Pierre and Christine were adventurous souls, traveling across Africa only with a Touring Club guidebook and a large ratio-scale map. They knew some of the tracked routes could be tough trails; however, there should be some kind of trail, at least. They were building their overland knowledgedaybydayonthefield.I think they got this experience as part of their overland learning process. However, none of them had the deep knowledge and experience you can build just by studying and together traveling overland in the same countries for more than 15 years. The Swiss couple lived in a bubble, barely talking at the camps. They were driving a sedan, the Peugeot 104: the most unadapted and unreliable vehicle on those routes. Two days before we met, they lost their group carrying their fuel and supply, and they were almost desperate. Nevertheless, I think they felt so lost that any alternative could only be better, even if extremely uncertain. I clearly remember the Australian guy when we reached Teguida Intagait. He jumped down from Pierre and Christine’s Land Rover and shook Daddy’s hand. No words are needed. I reached some of the actors in this 45-year ago overland adventure. These
are pills of their lovely memories.
visited the oasis close to the village, and all the kids followed us. After a while a very little baby girl took and Rosanna Damiani shookmyhand,saying“cadeau.”We always brought candies for kids on our Vallinotto, Mummy African trips. However, that day we ran When we arrived at the school out since we had already shared all of village, we were coming from an them. So, I replied, “Sorry, I have no unusual direction, and since most of the moresweetsorothercadeau.”However, kids had never seen European people the baby girl kept shaking my hand and before, I guess we had been the village said:“Nom,nom.Cadeaupourtoi,” news of the month! (“No,no,thispresentisforyou”)and offered me a little almost-broken egg. I When we arrived at the village, we felt so emotional, and could hardly avoid were surrounded by all the kids, asking crying. I hugged the baby girl, and never for“cadeau,”theFrenchfor“presents”. left her hand for all the tour of the oasis. Angelomy ( father’sfirstname)asked the kids to stay in a line, so Teresina and I started sharing all our remaining Christine Verboomen, the food supplies with them. Then, we
pretty blonde Flemish girl My husband and I were traveling across the Sahara on a 22-year-old Land Rover that had been our house for one year. Our navigation tools were a Michelin map of Northern and Western Africa, and a Swiss guide of the Touring Club, describing the different sand routes. After traveling across these fabulous sandy deserts, and meeting awesome people, one day we get lost. No GPS, no telephone, no internet: lost. Suddenly we saw an orange FIAT truck and a blue Toyota. Angelo and Rosanna came out of the truck. I remember she was wearing white clean trousers, and a white clean t-shirt, while we were awfully dirty and full of sand after traveling for months in the Sahara.
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us. Wonderful experiences melt with difficultepisodes.Afteryourcall, everything suddenly came out into my memory. I remember Pierre, Christine, and the Swiss, when we reached the school village, and the kids guided us to close-by petroglyphs. Many of these prehistoric paintings were poorly preserved and your mum said, in Piedmontdialect:“Tutitoc,”meaning, they are all in small pieces. However, the kids loved the onomatopoeic sound of these two worlds and kept repeating them like a mantra song: “Tuti-toc, tutitoc,tuti-toc,”whilewewerealllaughin All those memories built our long-lasting love for Africa, which is still today so intense. At the camp, in the evening, they said Orazio “Orazietto” “pastapertutti”(“pastaforeveryone”), Ostino, the travel mate and we ate spaghetti with butter sauce, everyone would like to drinking red wine. It was like meeting Santa Claus in the middle of nowhere. have I’ll never forget it. When we got lost, Angelo’s detailed maps allowed him to It seems to be hard to remember findourprecisepositionandhowto events find that happened 40-50 years the route. We were not lost anymore, ago. However, when I got your call, I and even more: we found new friends. suddenly felt like I was still there: the Angelo and Rosanna were superb and sand, the wind, awful trails, unbelievable funny people, and our friendship lasted landscapes, million-star nights, and for years. also friends who are no longer with
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Pierre Hoorens, the adventurous Belgian guy Pierre reached me on Facebook a couple of years ago, and this lovely online meeting, after 45 years, is the idea for this article. He is still today an active overlander with his camper van. Thanks, Pierre, for sharing with me the pictures of our camps in the desert. Precious memories, as our overland friendship.
Valentina Vallinotto
Founder and Managing director at v-adventures, a company based in Prescott AZ Co-owner at Ndutu Safari Lodge, located in the Ngorongoro-Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania v.adventuresLLC valentinav_adventures YouTube Channel V_adventures Blog & Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gt65ef
Angelo Vallinotto, Daddy. 1934-1993. My hero
this land, people, and wildlife. The call of the wild still attracts me today.
—
Learning from Daddy, at v-adventures, we create enjoyable We build our personality part from tailor-made overland itineraries, imprinting, the phase-sensitive learning consolidating, in our adventurous that is rapid and apparently independent clients the knowledge and respect of of the consequences of behavior, and the destinations they are exploring. Our partfromlifeexperiences.Definitively slogan is: “Travel with us, we will make Africa is part of my DNA; even if suretoexceedyourexpectations”. my long-lasting overland trips have consolidated my knowledge and love for
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Meet the Writers Andrea & Mike Kammermann Lavi & Ollie Scott Parker Sonja & Gert Valentina Vallinotto
crossed the United States from coast to coast, made our way to Alaska and then basically followed the PanAmerican Highway from Prudhoe Bay all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina.
Andrea & Mike Kammermann with dog Aimée
From there we followed the east coast of South America to Venezuela. We had experienced many different cultures and landscapes, drove stunning tracks up to 5300 m asl (17388 ft asl) in the Andes, crossed the Amazon Delta on a small boat and the thick rainforest in the Guyanas.
We’ve always been curious about what lays behind the next turn. This is whatgotusintooverlandinginthefirst After that journey we knew that place. this is the lifestyle we want to pursue. This became our focus upon our return It all started in 2010 with a to Switzerland. A few years later we Land Rover Defender 110 which started out again with a Mercedes we equipped and shipped from Benz Axor 4x4 expedition truck. We Switzerland to the US. From there, a have now been living in it full-time for three-year journey started. First we four years.
Lavi & Ollie Hi! We are Lavi & Ollie and we love to go on adventures!
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Since then we have traveled to the hottest place on earth, the Lut Desert in Iran with 65C (149F), and the coldest inhabited town, Oymyakon, Russia, with -52C (-61,6F), crossed the Gobi Desert, drove across frozen rivers in Siberia and off-road in the Sahara Desert. To this date we have mapped our way through 55 countries, fivecontinentsand520’00 km (155343m). We can’t wait to see the rest of the world. 4extremes 4extremes
UCKGHA5Jpc-se8gqU7w2u0Xg www.4-xtremes.ch Email: info@4-extremes.ch
We met on a cherry farm whilst the Globe by Motorcycle. To do this, travellinginTasmaniafiveyearsago. we need to riding 50,000km through Since then, have taken on some crazy 35 countries on 5 continents on a travel challenges around the worldsingle Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT named including riding 25000km across “Bumblebee”. the islands of Indonesia on a 125cc Lavi & Ollie scooter. Walking 3000km across New Zealand and cycling 2000km from the lavi.and.ollie top to the bottom of Britain. We are now are attempting to set a Guinness World Record by become the Youngest Pair to Circumnavigate
www.youtube.com/laviandollie
Valentina Vallinotto I’m the founder and owner at v-adventures, a company based in Arizona, and co-owner of the Ndutu Safari Lodge, located in Tanzania. Adventure and African safaris are the keywords of my passions, my life, and my job. I climbed summits in the Alps, Kilimanjaro, in the Andes, and Chinese Pamir with my husband, Antonio. In addition, we dive in Egypt, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Borneo, Belize, Australia. Nevertheless, between peaks and abysses, we always managed to insert a trip to our beloved Africa. I started Overlanding in Africa
in 1978 with my dad. However, with In the USA: Antonio,afterthefirstexperience, we realized the classic tour package • For our serious 4x4 training: Jeep was not for us. Thus, we began in JK Willys the 90s to visit Eastern and Southern Africa independently, Overlanding, • Our small-size Overland vehicle: and exploring parks and lesser-known Building #solivagant destinations with the eyes of the locals. So, we soon became passionate about • Out middle-size Overland conservancy too. The passion was expedition vehicle: #Ulisse so strong that soon it became my job. (ambulance conversion) Living in the USA, I am expanding now Founder and Managing director at our adventure options to the Americas: v-adventures, a company based in the gorgeous off-the-beaten-path trails Prescott AZ in the US (both southwest and east coast) and selected destinations in Co-owner at Ndutu Safari Lodge, Baja MX. located in the Ngorongoro-Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania OUR OVERLAND VEHICLES v.adventuresLLC In Africa: valentinav_adventures • History with Dad, in the 60s-70s80s: Land Rover Series, Toyota YouTube Channel Landcruisers, FIAT OM 75, and yes, an Alfa Giulietta Spider! V_adventures •
Valentina & Antonio’s African Safaris: Land Rover Defenders, Toyota Landcruisers, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Prado
and travel pretty much full time in our Milady Landy since October 2019. We have 4 adult children, Michiel (m 33), Suzanne(f 32), Gerben (m 30), Rindert (m 28) and one grandchild, Jules (m 1). We have been happily married for 37 years and have done many international travels with our kids during holidays.
Milady Landy, Sonja & Gert We are Sonja Van den Berge and Gert Jan ter Haar, aka Sonja and Gert. We have made traveling our lifestyle
Sonja is originally from Belgium and has been a language teacher in her professional life. Gert is from the Netherlands and a civil engineer working in pipeline and energy projects.
v-adventures-llc v-adventures.com Blog & Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gt65ef
Our Land Rover Defender camper, Milady Landy is our travel companion and full time home. The world is our garden. MiladyLandy MiladyLandy MiladyLandy Travel blog: www.miladylandy.nl/en
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DO YOUR
PART
Image by - Vill Van Der Merwe - Instagram @geoscoutadventures
Do Your Part to keep motorized trail access open, healthy and beautiful. That means riding responsibly, leaving the trail better than you found it and volunteering with organizations that are proactively working to improve trail access, like Tread Lightly! Joining Tread Lightly! keeps your access open. Visit treadlightly.org.
I RIDE, I DRIVE, I OFFROAD, I TREAD LIGHTLY! 40
ETS Services Consulting
We offer medical, tactical, off-road training and safety consulting tailored to you or your organization’s needs. While we are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we offer mobile training teams that can come to you Phone: 315.288.0208 FB: etservicesconsulting IG: etservicesconsulting www. ETServicesconsulting.com
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