Overland Journal :: SUMMER 2012

Summer 2012 $12

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Pole2Pole Exploration

Travel Camera Comparison

Dakar Rally

Photography Skills

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

Contents

Summer 2012

Feature s 34

The Last Great Adventure: Pole2Pole, Johan Ernst Nilson

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Travel Camera Comparison, Chris Collard

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Nature’s Pallete: Photo Safari in the Navajo Nation, Chris Collard

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Chasing Dakar: South American Road Trip on Two Wheels, Steve Larsen

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Vehicle Feature: 1978 FJ40, Matthew Scott

Dep artments

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Overland Post

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Editor’s Column

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Publisher’s Column

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News from the Trade

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Overland News

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Latitude

103

Overland Conservation, Alice Gugelev

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Overland Medicine: Carbon Monoxide, Dr. Jon Solberg

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Skills: Adventure Photography, Bruce Dorn

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Overland Chef: Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Tamari Reduction, Overland Gourmet

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Classic Kit: The Straight Razor, Dr. Jon Solberg

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Tail Lamp: The Great American Road Trip, Ingrid Bareuther

On the cover: Johan Ernst Nilson stands exhausted, frostbitten, yet victorious after completing Pole2Pole, a one-year traverse from 90°N to 90°S. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig.

This photo: Ascending the Antarctic Plateau. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig.

Back Cover: Campfire camaraderie with friends of Visionary Wild on the Navajo Nation. Photo by Justin Black.

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

We are adventurers. Constantly traveling.

Testing and using gear in real-world situations.

Gaining experience, which we freely share.

OUR RESUME:

7 continents 132 countries 290 years combined experience and counting...

EXPERIENCE MATTERS We only know things when we live them

Summer 2012

Publisher and Chairman Scott Brady President and Director of Design Stephanie Brady Editor-in-Chief Chris Collard Chief Operations Officer Ray Hyland Chief Technology Officer Christian Pelletier Executive Field Editor Jonathan Hanson Senior Technical Editor Graham Jackson Technical Editors Christophe Noel, James Langan Conservation Editor Alice Gugelev Contributing Editors Zach Berning, Justin Black, Tom Collins, Andrew Cull, Brian DeArmon, Bruce Dorn, Jack Dykinga, Jeff Foott, Julie Furber, Ed Kenny, Steve Larsen, Sue Mead, Andrew Moore, Johan Ernst Nilson, Lois Pryce, Laurie Rubin, Chris Scott, Matthew Scott, Tom Sheppard, Dr. Jon Solberg, Sean Stuchen, Gary and Monika Wescott Copy Editors Denise-Christine, Tena Overacker Editorial Intern Åsa Björklund Cartographer David Medeiros Graphic Designer Chazz Layne Senior Photographer, South America Jorge Valdés Senior Photographer Sinuhe Xavier Director of Business Development Brian McVickers Editor at Large Jeremy Edgar Executive Assistant Kelsey McLaren Fulfillment Bo Rounsavall

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

OverlandPost

Sean and Keith Armstrong in the cockpit of a E2C Hawkeye AWAC airplane, a.k.a “Hummer.”

Henry Plummer

I just want to let you know how much we enjoy your very fine magazine—well produced, beautiful photography, and interesting stories. In particular, we enjoyed your section on winter reading recommendations. It makes me want to curl up with any one of them in front of the fire with a glass of scotch, the cat by my side, and my husband snoozing in the chair next to me. I have to add a favorite of my own, The Boy, Me and the Cat, by Henry Plummer. It is the journal of Henry Plummer, who in 1912 sailed his 25-foot catboat from New Bedford, MA, to Florida, with his 16-year-old son and their cat. It is a charming and interesting account of their adventures traveling the intercoastal waterways. The book used to be very hard to find, but is now available in paperback. I propose it as an addition to your list. It is good read-aloud material.

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Write us a note

attention: Overland Post editor@overlandjournal.com PO Box 1150 Prescott, AZ 86302 Include your name, address, email address, daytime phone number, and the year and make of your vehicle.

Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Where in the world has your Overland Journal been? Send us a photo, along with your name, the location, and a brief description.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Suzanne and Kermit O’Neal 1981 Vespa, Puch moped

Heading Out

Heading out tomorrow for 4,000 miles.

Thank you Overland Journal for all of the great resources for adventurers.

Clayton Taylor 2011 Toyota 4Runner

Adventure “Vehicle” The above photo is my son, Sean, and I, perusing your fine publication. We sit in the cockpit of a 175 million dollar “Hummer” that is parked on the hangar deck of Sean’s home at sea, the USS John C. Stennis, CVN 74. We submit that the E2C Hawkeye AWAC airplane (nicknamed “Hummer” because of the sound of the turboprop engines), qualifies as an adventure vehicle because it routinely travels to distant lands, closely observes the behavior of locals, and coordinates the movements of a contingent of fellow travelers. In addition, it is an adventure vehicle on an even larger adventure vehicle, albeit the larger one is not an overland vehicle. The U.S. Navy calls my seven day residence aboard the Stennis a “Tiger Cruise,” with the purpose of granting family members an idea of life onboard a large, nuclear driven aircraft carrier with thousands of crew members. I can relay that adventure on an aircraft carrier at sea, despite the amenities, has a myriad of challenges and is no luxury cruise. I departed the ship a few weeks ago with a new appreciation for the dedication and service that American young men and women bring to the game day after day.

Keith Armstrong 1953 Land Rover Series I

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

Contributors

Summer 2012

Bruce Dorn

Johan Ernst Nilson

Bruce Dorn, DGA, began his photographic career as a still photographer for Condé Nast Publishing and Time/ Life in the early 70s. After a segue from fashion and photojournalism into advertising work, Bruce added commercial filmmaking to his resume in the early 80s. Bruce’s television commercial campaigns have earned him multiple Clios, Mobius, Addy, and Art Directors Club awards, as well as a Bronze Lion from Cannes. Bruce is a Canon Explorer of Light, a Western Digital Creative Master, a Tiffen ImageMaker, and a Corel Painter Master. In 1984, Bruce was inducted into the Directors Guild of America.

Johan Ernst Nilson began his professional life as a pianist. It was on a dare from friends that he embarked on his first overland trek—a 52-day bicycle ride from his home in Sweden to Morocco. After 20 years of exploring the world, which included climbing the Seven Summits, he desired to do something no one human had ever accomplished.

He conceived the idea of trekking from 90°N to 90°S under all natural power. Johan took time between cycling Patagonia and sailing to Antarctica to share his inspirational life, and this extraordinary expedition; an exclusive for Overland Journal.

Steve Larsen

Tom Sheppard Steve Larsen is a freelance moto-journalist living in Arizona. Larsen’s work regularly appears in Motorcycle Consumer News and Rider Magazine. He is an accomplished motorcycle rider, and is as comfortable at the track as he is riding in the dirt. Larsen is the only civilian to complete both the Arizona Highway Patrol motor officer training program, and the Phoenix police officer motorcycle course. This is his first article for Overland Journal.

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Tom has an exploration career spanning 50 years, and totaling over 110,000 overland miles since 1960, including significant exploration in northern Africa, and the first-ever lateral crossing of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Tom is a freelance writer/photographer and consultant, and author of the Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide and the new The Nobility of Wilderness (Desert Winds). From the Royal Geographical Society, Tom has received the Ness Award, and the distinctive ARPS (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society) award.

Ingrid Bareuther

Alice Gugelev

Ingrid (editorial journalist), and husband Joerg (agricultural engineer), escaped their conventional careers more than 10 years ago; first to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, and then to Egypt, where they were “stranded” for a decade as scuba diving center managers and entrepreneurs. They explored the Arabian Desert by 4WD pickup and finally crossed it on foot—an unsupported 10-day trek of 160 miles from the Red Sea to River Nile. Their present project, Arminius on Tour, has taken them around the world for the past two years in a Unimog 1300L expedition truck. They are currently exploring South America.

Alice was born in Russia and has spent most of her life wandering the planet— while her parents hoped she would “settle down.” After living and working in Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, India, the U.S., and Canada, Alice decided that she would never “settle,” and feels most comfortable living with her family (Jay, Kurt and Maya), in a rather large, environmentally friendly truck called the EcoRoamer. Along the way, Alice worked on Wall Street (in strategy consulting), the World Bank, and at various non-profits.

She started The Muskoka Foundation to inspire and equip travelers to “Use what you know, to do good as you go.”

Editor’s Note: As we were going to press we received the tragic news that our contributor and friend Ingrid had a fatal fall from a cliff edge in Argentina. Our hearts go out to her partner Joerg. We will miss her writing and her good humor.

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

Journal Entry: From the Editor

Chris Collard

“Your GPS is Wrong” - El Dorado National Forest

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I’m not sure what it is about GPS units that command our unwavering trust. It is almost as if when we press the “on” button, we turn our brain “off,” and throw common sense out with baby and bathwater. I’ll be the first one to admit that I often use a GPS while driving: for directions, to look up a restaurant or my next cup of joe, and to estimate drive times. My Garmin, loaded with the Tracks4Africa mapping software, literally saved my bacon in 2008, when I was caught in the middle of a 90,000-square-kilometer brushfire in the Kalahari. Certainly a GPS can be an exceptionally valuable overlanding tool. However, I’ve had a couple of GPSrelated experiences this month that left me thinking “really…?” (Note: with any new unit I immediately turn off the annoying computerized voice feature: “Approaching Interstate 80…turn left…TURN LEFT…recalculating…recalculating…turn right.”) Do people actually listen to this stuff ?

Overland Journal Summer 2012

The first incident happened while working on a volunteer project in the El Dorado National Forest. Each year my 4WD club, the Sierra Treasure Hunters, sets up a small information kiosk on Iron Mountain Road, a mecca for winter OHV recreation. This year there was a new billboard-sized sign below the snowline with the words, “YOUR GPS IS WRONG. This road does not go through.”

The road actually does go through, but is only clear in the summer. During the course of the day we retrieved several stranded motorists (on their way skiing), including a pair in an Infinity coupe and a father and son in a Subaru—whose driver asked if I accepted AAA. What, do I look like a tow truck service? Both vehicles were buried up to the frame (only a few inches depth of course), and in both cases the drivers stated in the same disbelieving manner, “My GPS said this road goes through.” I queried if they had seen the sign (billboard), to which they reiter-

ated, “No…but my GPS said this road goes though.”

Mind you, we were standing on at least a foot of packed snow, on a very unplowed mountain track, about 20 miles from town.

The driver of an Audi SUV (fitted with low-profile street tires), who had brought the stranded Subaru duo to our kiosk, appeared to be suffering from the recent epidemic of DSS, Delusionary SUV Syndrome.

He exclaimed, almost as a warning for us to be careful, “It’s really bad up there, even my Audi couldn’t make it through.” We headed up the mountain, pulled the Subaru out, got the Infinity pointed downhill by merely pushing the front end by hand (it lacked any recovery points and I figured the ski bums couldn’t spare any beer money for new paint), and I must mention the abandoned Ford Focus whose occupants must have…?

Example two: The other day my wife Suzy came home from the birthday party of a friend’s granddaughter. Suzy showed up right on time—she is much better in this capacity than I—and was surprised that her friend was 20 minutes late. When queried regarding the reason, the friend said, “My GPS told me to take a wrong turn and I got lost somehow.”

Now, it is a known fact that GPS maps can be wrong, especially in new housing developments or rural routes…but this was her son’s house...and she had been there before. Somewhere between “American Pie,” “Crosstown Traffic” and “Strawberry Fields,” she apparently heard the voice of God from the dashmounted black box that said, “Approaching... turn right…left turn…recalculating.” Did we drink some unfamiliar Kool-Aid here?

So the question begs: is the on/off button on a GPS in some way linked to gray matter? Are the two mutually exclusive, or is GPS performance inversely proportional to cerebral function of the operator? Not to be paranoid, but let this stand as a warning to stay vigilant, keep an eye out for early signs of DSS, and don’t accept Kool-Aid from little black plastic boxes. Me, I vote for a map and compass—unless I’m looking for the next coffee house.

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Publisher's Column

Scott Brady Photography by Michael Slade

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Expeditions 7 Publisher Scott Brady and a team of adventurers prepare for a two-year expedition to seven continents.

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“I am looking forward to being able to slow down and observe and immerse myself in many of the world’s most fascinating cultures, and travel across its most beautiful and challenging landscapes.”

- Greg Miller

Overland Journal Summer 2012

n early 2007 I mapped out what I considered to be the ultimate overland adventure—to travel around the world and to all of its continents. I documented nearly every stage and formed the initial logistics and costs—then I waited. As with many of life’s goals, I needed to wait for the best timing, or in this case, the best partner.

Fast forward to summer 2011, and a casual conversation among friends in the backyard of Paul May, owner of Equipt Expedition Outfitters. I had invited Greg Miller, a friend and Overland Journal subscriber that owns a few dozen Land Cruisers, and loves adventure travel. In my conversation with Greg, I asked him what adventure he wanted to do next. His response, “I want to take a Land Cruiser around the world.” I shared a few of the details of my seven continents concept, and we planned to meet for breakfast the next morning. Over breakfast and a subsequent meeting, we each shared our personal goals for a trip of this complexity; by the end of the conversation we found that we were completing each other’s sentences. It was agreed that now was the

time, and we were committed to allocating whatever resources necessary to the goal. We wanted this to be purely about the adventure, without the complexities of third-party commitments. No compromises meant we would need to do it without sponsorships.

Vehicle Selection

The first, and most difficult ‘no compromise’ scenario was the vehicle selection. We both agreed that the ultimate Land Cruiser to drive around the world was the 70 series, examples of which we had each traveled with extensively. In addition, Greg and I had both raced the Outback Challenge (2011 and 2006 respectively) in these vehicles and were confident of their reliability and durability. The question that begs to be asked is, “How do you buy a VDJ78 in the U.S.?” The short answer is that you cannot. We proceeded to purchase the vehicles directly from Japan, and registered them in New Zealand.

Route

The trucks will be in Arizona and Utah for a short period of time, just long enough

You can follow the Land Cruiser project and Expeditions 7 updates on expeditionportal.com and in subsequent issues of Overland Journal.

to be modified and tested. From Utah we’ll drive them to the most northern point of Alaska to begin the first leg of Expeditions 7—from Prudhoe Bay to the 2012 Overland Expo in Arizona. From OX12, we will turn the wheels northeast, to Cape Spear on the easternmost edge of Canada.

From Canada, we will ship to Iceland and meet with the team at Arctic Trucks for crevasse training, and to utilize their specially prepared Land Cruisers to cross the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. After the glacier crossing, we will drive the expedition Land Cruisers around the island, crossing the desolate arctic desert at its center. From Iceland we’ll accompany the trucks to Scandinavia, via a ferry crossing, and drive to Nordkapp, considered the northernmost road in the world. After making our way south through the Baltics, we’ll have the vehicles serviced in France before making the long drive across Russia from Saint Petersburg to Magadan.

For the Oceania segment, we will ship the vehicles from Vladivostok, Russia to Darwin, Australia and traverse the Canning

Stock Route, considered by many to be the longest unsupported overland route in the world. We will also explore Australia’s barren red center en route to Melbourne, where the vehicles will again receive a complete inspection and servicing. From Australia, the vehicles will be loaded on another container ship and sent directly to Kenya, to cross the Dark Continent of Africa to Namibia’s Skeleton Coast and the port city of Walvis Bay. We’ll pick up the journey, and the Land Cruisers, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After crossing over the Andes, the team will take the fabled Carretera Austral, and ultimately Ruta 40, to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.

With South America complete, the team will travel to Antarctica and a fitting end to a round-the-world adventure.

"Expeditions 7 is a dream turned reality, the opportunity to explore the world with good friends and talented cinematographers, and in the most exceptional of vehicles."

- Scott Brady

Above: The Land Cruisers on the Great Salt Lake, Utah. Right: (left to right) Greg Miller’s sons, Joshua and Oakley, Greg Miller, and Scott Brady.

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Route:

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Cartography by David Medeiros (mapbliss.com) Overland Journal Summer 2012

News from the Trade Exploring the newest gear for overlanding

By Chris Collard, Brian McVickers, and Jeremy Edgar

ioSafe Rugged Portable $250 I’ve owned at least a dozen portable hard drives, all of which I handled with the care of a brain surgeon at the operating table. The MILSPEC ioSafe billet aluminum Rugged Portable (titanium is also available) may be the last.

It is crush resistant to 2,500 pounds, submersible to 10 feet for three days (diesel or aircraft fuel for one hour), and features fullysuspended, six-axis shock protection. Data recovery service is included for one year, it will function at altitudes of 30,000 feet, and your data will survive a freefall of up to 10 feet. The unit measures 3.9x5.7x1.0 inches, is available in 500GB or 1TB capacities, and yes, that is my truck parked on top of my 500GB unit. (CC) iosafe.com, 888-984-6723

Snow Peak SnowMiner Headlamp/Lantern $56

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Hate the headlamp, but love the headlamp? Look no further. Herein lies the perfect combination of the two. Meet the SnowMiner from Snow Peak. With the lantern-like functionality of this headlamp, you won’t be blinding everyone around you like a cyclopean lighthouse. The power switch also acts as a dimmer, for those times when you just need a tiny bit of diffused light. Integrated into the headband is a hook, which allows for easy conversion into a hanging lantern. Depress the center of the dome and the beam becomes concentrated, more like a traditional LED headlamp. Made of silicon, this headlamp/lantern feels good to the touch. Available from the guys at Overland Gourmet for those times when you’re cooking at camp after dark. (JE) snowpeak.com, 503-6973330, overlandgourmet.com, 855-746-7664

Leatherman Charge ALX $160

Multi-tools have come a long way since the original Leatherman PST, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a Leatherman in my hand that I didn’t like.

The Charge ALX is no exception. The 18 onboard tools range from pliers and wire cutters, to a diamond-coated file, serrated saw, and 12-bit screwdriver set. Weighing in at 8.3 ounces, and a length of four inches, it has not outgrown the concept of a “compact” multi-tool. Crafted from stainless steel and 6061-T6 aluminum the ALX lives up to Leatherman’s reputation for outstanding quality and optimal utility. Made in the USA. (CC) leatherman.com, 800-847-8665

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Enduristan Monsoon Saddlebags $329 The Enduristan Company, dedicated to quality adventure motorcycle gear, has recently developed the Monsoon saddlebag. The bags are fabricated from durable and wear-resistant 1000D Cordura. TPU-laminated fabrics are used for 100 percent waterproofing, and high-impact plastic inserts help protect contents. The soft pannier set provides expandable storage from 30 to 60 liters, and there are four attachment points to allow for a secure fit. We ran the over-saddle straps under the seat for a more permanent and clean installation. The Monsoons help keep overall weight down, and gear secure and dry. When installed, there is enough room for a top bag and pillion.

Available from Black Dog Cycle Works. Made in Switzerland. (BM) blackdogcw.com, 208-263-0438

News from the Trade Exploring the newest gear for overlanding

Gerber Gator Machete $20

I brought two machetes on my last trip to Central America, my 1942 U.S. Army issue True Temper, and the Gerber Gator Jr. The Gator Jr., at 18.75 inches long, is shorter but very handy in tight places. Its high-carbon steel blade cut through brush with purpose and the serrated saw blade on the back of the spine worked well for cutting small trees off the trail. It is lightweight (14.3 ounces) and slips easily into a daypack (the sheath does have a belt loop as well). The handle has a comfortable grip and a wrist lanyard to keep things under control when they get out of control. (CC) gerbergear.com, 800-950-6161

Factor 55 ProLink $150 I’ve never been 100 percent comfortable with a winch load hanging on the original hook, and recently upgraded to a ProLink shackle mount from Factor 55. The unit is CNC milled from 6061-T6 billet aluminum, sports a .625-inch 6AI-4V titanium pin and EPDM rubber guard and will accommodate steel and synthetic winch line up to .375 inch. The business end will accept up to an .875-inch shackle pin. One of the reasons I have confidence in the ProLink is that I’ve known Factor 55 co-founder Mike Costa for 25 years, since his days as an aerospace engineer (think Space Shuttle). Made in the USA. (CC) factor55.com, 208-639-1674

Fishpond Carry-on Duffel $150 I find myself going through airport security a lot and endeavor to not check bags if possible. The Fishpond Carry-on Duffel has been with me on several trips and fits the carry-on bill.

Crafted from 16-ounce waxed cotton canvas, the stitching feels durable, as do the #10 zippers and shoulder strap hardware. The main storage area, 2,807 cubic inches, provides plenty of room for clothes. There is an interior side pocket for small items and four exterior pockets for organizing toiletries. Dimensions, at 21x12x12, fall under the carry-on limit, and the bag has a good feel on the shoulder. (CC) fishpondusa.com, 970-468-7883 21

Rigid LED Flashlight $100 I picked up this Rigid Industries Halo 800 from Black Dog Cycle Works. First impressions were good—extremely bright for a torch that will fit in my jacket pocket: 5.875-inches long, 1-inch diameter handle, and 1.75-inch diameter lens. Run time on the rechargeable Li-ion battery is 165 minutes at the high setting and 110V A/C and 12V car adapters are provided for the dual-battery charger. Emitting a claimed 800 lumens is a Cree 10W XM-L LED backed by a machined aluminum reflector. The rear button switch controls the five settings (high, medium, low, flashing, and SOS), and it is rated for the normal one-meter drop and onemeter of water. (CC) rigidindustries.com, 480-655-0100 Overland Journal Summer 2012

Review

News from the Trade

By Scott Brown

Red Oxx Roadster Mini Rucksack $225

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ucksacks, over the centuries, have been highly varied and very necessary tools for humans on the go. For hunters carrying large game, military troops hauling ammunition, or Andean mountaineers, rucksacks are a staple piece of kit.

I am one of those travelers. My primary backpack has a patch from each of the countries it has accompanied me to. Friends say it looks like it has been drug behind a motorcycle down a Latin American dirt road. Well, it has. Being a lesser-quality imported pack, it is worse for wear, regardless of usage. I recently began a quest for the ultimate backpack, one that will last long enough to hand down to my children. I found exactly what I was looking for at Red Oxx. And, it is made in the USA—a big plus for me.

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Red Oxx founder Jim Markel used his military experience as a parachute rigger to build, or overbuild, the ultimate rucksack.

Prior to founding Red Oxx Manufacturing, Jim Markel spent 20 years in the service of the U.S. military. Gaining an appreciation for high-quality equipment as a parachute rigger, he implemented a MILSPEC approach to his company’s bags and rucksacks. The term “rucksack” originated in the Germanic languages, and became popular in the English-speaking world after WWI, when the U.S. military adopted this term. The Roadster Mini, with its three exterior pockets, a fold-over top flap, and interior drawstrings, takes styling cues from the tried-and-true, battle-tested, All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) pack. The unit is crafted from Cordura nylon, sports heavy-duty zippers on the pockets, and uses paracord drawstrings. The interior has a pocket capable of holding a large laptop or hydration pouch. Daisy chains line either side of the front pocket, and there are two additional straps on the bottom—handy for lashing extra gear. The shoulder straps are comfortably padded with Synergy Performer Suede and easily adjustable using the ALICE-style hardware. The simple design and rugged materials work.

This rucksack is definitely overbuilt, which contributes to its hefty weightto-volume ratio, so it is difficult to nitpick. It could benefit from padded waist and chest straps, and a small hole near the shoulder for a hydration tube. Overall, the Red Oxx Roadster Mini Rucksack is comfortable and durable, and will probably last darn near forever. It will be a worthy companion for the road, office, battlefield, and the world. I’ll be proud to share it with my children, who I am sure will use it just as hard as I. Also, it has a lifetime warranty—if you can make it fail. redoxx.com, 888-733-6999

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

Overland News Showcasing expedition travelers and resources from around the globe

Photos courtesy of Land Rover NA

By Chris Collard

Silver Anniversary

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Land Rover North America

’ve mentioned in a previous Journal Entry that my earliest memories of the Land Rover breed were of Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler behind the wheel in the far reaches of our Wild Kingdom.

Next, when I was a young adult, the Camel Trophy, which pushed the envelope of human and vehicular endurance, landed firmly at the top of my bucket list of things to do. Surprisingly, though Land Rovers have been roaming the planet and ferrying expedition teams to the most remote compass points since 1948, they were never officially marketed in North America for almost forty years. Though embraced by many, it wasn’t until 1987, and the formation of Land Rover North America, that they would be readily available to us Yankees. This spring marks the first 25 years of Land Rover in North America, and we joined their team at the New York International Auto Show to celebrate this silver anniversary.

The introduction of the Range Rover, now affectionately known as the Range Rover Classic (RRC), quite literally created a new classification of vehicle—the Luxury SUV. As the rest of the market followed suit, Range Rover upped the ante, introducing the second generation P38A and ultimately the L-322, the current model. My first experience at the controls of a Range Rover was more than a decade ago while working as a driving instructor at one of the Land Rover Experience programs. The HSE combined opulent luxury and a fully-capable 4WD platform and became an industry benchmark. These were the early days of Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control, and Hill Descent Control, systems that have been refined with precision detail and are available on all of the company’s offerings. Today, the U.S. lineup includes the Freelander 2 (LR2),

Discovery 4 (LR4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover, and the stealthy little Range Rover Evoque.

Though there are rumors of a new Range Rover model in the works, the vehicle they unveiled at the New York show was a convertible version of the Evoque. (Now, if we could only talk them into importing the Defender.)

With a Land Rover comes a healthy dose of British pride. In fact, the majority of the company’s products are still built in the United Kingdom at the Solihull and Halewood facilities, which employ 16,000 Brits. Combined annual production tops an impressive 240,000 vehicles, which are exported to 169 countries. Land Rover’s British invasion to the U.S. was a prudent move, and North America has been, and remains, the company’s largest market.

The Silver Anniversary event included 4WD courses that showcased many of the classic Land Rovers: a 1987 Range Rover Classic, Defender 110, 1997 Defender soft top, 1995 Camel Trophy Discovery (my personal favorite, I can still dream), and the DC100 concept. If there is one thing lacking in the models available in the U.S., it is diesel options. With industry rumors circulating that EU6 emissions standards will be more compliant with, if not mirroring those of the U.S., there would appear to be a strong possibility that we might see some of the fuel-efficient diesel motors the rest of the world currently enjoys. Land Rover has been a key player in the overland community for more than six decades. We are excited to see what the next quarter century has in store.

Clockwise: Camel Trophy Discovery. Land Rover 4WD course at the Silver Anniversary event. Three generations of Range Rover.

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Overland Journal Summer 2012

Overland News Showcasing expedition travelers and resources from around the globe

By Chris Collard

To Infinity and Beyond If you ever wondered to what elevation you could ride a motorcycle, the guys on the Husaberg Adventure Team have just provided the answer. On March 18, 2012, at 2:30 p.m., Walter J. Colebatch (U.K.), Barton Churchill (U.S.), and Lukas Matzinger (Austria) set a new world record for elevation reached by motorcycle. Riding, pushing, and carrying a Husaberg FE 570, the trio reached a height of 20,869 feet, besting the previous record by 400 feet.

The record was achieved on the slopes of 22,615-foot-high Ojos del Salado, “Eyes of Salt,” Chile. The site was chosen for its relatively mild gradients, and because it was the location of two previous 4WD elevation records. The team did their high-altitude training in the Alps and U.S., and expedition leader Churchill said, “The biggest challenge was fighting the effects of high altitude.”

As seasoned mountaineer Churchill explained, “At approximately 21,000 feet the atmosphere has only 45 percent of the oxygen as at sea level. At half this altitude, physiological effects of altitude can start to take a toll.”

The team’s partners include Husaberg, Adventure-Spec, Klim, Giant Loop, and Warn to name a few. Verification by Guinness World Records is still pending as we go to print, but you can check out full details at: andesmotoextreme.com Husaberg Adventure Team at 20,869 feet.

25 Years of ExOfficio is a household name to anyone who loves the great outdoors, casting a trout line, or loading up their rig for an adventure in the backcountry. But it wasn’t always so. In 1987, ExOfficio (then called De Sar Inc.) was no more than two guys with a dream, and a rented garage space. The dream was to create durable high-quality clothing for fishermen.

Their first item was the “Baja,” a combination of ventilated fishing vest and dress shirt.

The Baja became a classic piece of kit for thousands of fishing, outdoor, and overland aficionados. ExOfficio capitalized on the Baja momentum to move to a proper facility and in the process, develop hundreds of additional products. A few of ExOfficio’s industryleading innovations have been high-performance convertible clothing, UV protective and Insect Shield™ fabric (the Bugsaway line, first known as Buzz Off), Teflon coating for stain resistance, and this editor’s favorite—Microbe Shield™ Give-N-Go Aztec (30-day) boxers.

I’ve used the comfortable and quick-drying Bugsaway shirts and convertible pants on treks through Africa and South America. They won’t keep a hyena at bay, but they do fairly well with flying critters of the mozzi type.

From the early days of that unknown two-person shop, ExOfficio has gained global recognition in the outdoor enthusiast community, now employing 77 people in their Washington facility, and touting distribution to more than 100 countries. Though the Jarden Corporation acquired the company in 2007, ExOfficio continues to benefit from its autonomy and the creative juices of its enthusiastic designers. 800-644-7303, exofficio.com

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Sculptor and outdoor artist Russ Lamb, here sporting an original Baja Fishing Shirt, was one of ExOfficio’s early advocates.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Overland News Showcasing expedition travelers and resources from around the globe

By Tom Sheppard

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Four-by-four-by-fifty

I

t was all very Hollywood-British.

A hereditary castle, a huge estate, Range Rovers, horses in the distance, and of course a biting cold wind and plenty of mud.

Land Rover was celebrating its 50-year association with Eastnor Castle, a venue in Herefordshire, England. Yes, that Herefordshire, but no connection with you-knowwho. For Land Rover, Eastnor provides an impressive demonstration and test venue— miles of muddy tracks through claustropho-

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Land Rover celebrates 50 years at Eastnor Castle

bic woods, pools, and mud-holed routes with which to leave visitors impressed, even awe-stricken, at the capability of “The best 4x4 by far.” To celebrate the occasion, Land Rover laid on an assembly of heritage hardware, the bang up-to-date 2012 lineup of current products, as well as Land Rover’s trademark goodwill and welcome.

We gaped, stroked, smiled, and nostalged (a new verb) over immaculate Series I Land Rovers (remember ‘red knob, yellow knob’?), early production Range Rover Clas-

sics (YVB designation to the cognoscenti) and strange prototypes. All were assembled within the castle courtyard alongside a shopwindow display of the current Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and the svelte, coquettish little Range Rover Evoque. Each was available to demo-drive with a one-to-one allocation of instructors from the Land Rover Experience driving schools. On-hand were Land Rover specialists to answer any deep-tech question presented.

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The very term “Land Rover” is laden with history, a special kind of enthusiasm, and product loyalty that is sometimes hard to explain, especially in view of recent years’ documented and quantified unreliability— ask (and ignore) JDPower and any number of wounded buyers.

Nevertheless, the acolytes and disciples resurface to savour the latest offerings of what was once the embodiment of Meccanoset, do-it-yourself fixability. They’ll return later to their own once-rusty chassis, now sandblasted or replaced by galvanised substitutes—eventually seeing their immaculately restored real-world Tonka Toy emerge as the butterfly from the chrysalis, usually bolstered by third-party engineering: ARB locking differentials, beefed-up drive shafts, and rubber suspension bushings.

We invested a hideously early start to be there bright and early, as a dilatory December dawn lit Eastnor’s crenelated towers, in order to view, admire, drool, and drive 50, no, 60 years of Land Rover history. For me, the road to Eastnor was, to a degree, also a Road to Damascus. I’ve long been dubious about soft roaders with their auto-engage 4WD systems, but have lately been paying a well-deserved homage to their recent technical advances.

At Eastnor, my eyes were opened by how these vehicles could actually perform, which quelled several of my misgivings. The Land Rover Freelander and chic new Range Rover Evoque may now take a modest bow.

New Offerings

To re-sketch the background of say, the Freelander, it employs the well-respected Swedish Haldex Generation 4, auto-engage 4WD system. With the Haldex, a basic frontwheel drive soft-roader is snapped into 4WD mode (the rear drive axle engaged) in the blink of an eye…automatically. Haldex makes the hardware—the clutch unit, activation kit, and rear differential, in one casing that sits at the back end—and the individual vehicle manufacturer (Land Rover, VW, Volvo, Skoda, Ford) sets up the engagement software to their own criteria.

With an outstanding driveline and 4WD capability, along with close-to-ideal interior appointments, the Discovery 4 is arguably ‘best’ in Land Rover’s current line-up. Opposite: The Defender, though woefully neglected in terms of product development over the years (though it has received a new 2.2-litre diesel and 6-speed gearbox), is everyone’s Tonka-toy favourite.

The very term “Land Rover” is laden with history, a special kind of enthusiasm, and product loyalty that is sometimes hard to explain.

In simple terms, when the engine of the vehicle starts, an electrically driven hydraulic pump charges a hydraulic pressure-accumulator to 435 psi (30 bar). When the vehicle’s software deems that conditions necessitate it, this pressure engages clutches, which bring the rear drive into service. While this triggering, or activation, used to come about slowly by wheel-speed differences of the front and rear tires, it now brings 4WD online when starting off and accelerating to cruise speed, at which point it backs off and reverts to 2WD; allowing for enhanced fuel economy.

This system is almost invariably combined with the equally important left/right wheelspin Traction Control system, which is activated by the ABS wheel-speed sensors at each corner. Brake pressure is applied to a lifted wheel, channelling power to the wheel that is still on the ground. Not as good as the manually-engaged diff-lock of a G-Wagen, but with the appropriate driving method (sitting on the throttle longer than my years of training deemed applicable), the overall setup can cope with a wheel in the air and still maintain forward movement.

This is the normal setup for 21st century soft-roaders—provide 4WD when needed,

and provide it quickly. The efficiency of such systems lies in the sensors and tweaking of the software, which are becoming much sharper and efficient. Despite the misgivings and shaking heads of diehard, full-time permanent 4WD Luddites like me, this is pretty close to all you need—short of low-range gears. The bottom line is (because I know you will ask), use of this system comes down to money and litigation awareness. Centre difflocks and proper locking differentials, regardless of how well they work, are expensive and allow for the possibility of human error. Let’s say someone engages one, forgets about it, and then they run into a wall. They are most likely going to find someone to sue—probably the manufacturer; hence auto-engage and auto-disengage, which keeps driver input out of the equation.

Now for the Road to Damascus. Brief reaction times to Traction Control and reardrive engagement, of course, are not a match for something that is engaged already. However, a bit of counter-intuitive wheelspin (1-2 seconds) will usually have you clambering up the slippery slope. To its credit, the Freelander did much better on slick steep ruts than the Subaru Forester I’m driving at the Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Right: Left to right: Bill Morris started on Series III Land Rover and retired as Engineering Board Director. Geof Miller is responsible for the original Range Rover Classic and for getting new differentials to the Blashford-Snell Darien Gap expedition. Roger ‘Mr Land Rover’ Crathorne was born in Lode Lane Solihull (home of the main Land Rover factory) and is currently Heritage and Technical PR Manager.

He midwifed the first 101 Forward Control one-tonne wagons, which the Joint Services West-East Sahara Expedition used in the first lateral coast-to-coast Sahara crossing in 1975.

Below: Land Rover’s Freelander 2, with a Haldex 4 and Terrain Response, has made notable strides since the original version. Evoque: Not just a pretty face, though that’s what’s selling it. Eastnor showcased Evoque’s tweaked Haldex Gen4 4WD system. Here (at Land Rover’s Solihull venue) automatic transmission and smart Traction Control showed how to beat road-oriented articulation.

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moment, despite the Forester’s permanent 4WD and viscous coupling-controlled centre differential. To be fair, the Freelander was an automatic, which is vital to cushioning those I-don’t-have-a-low-range-gearbox moments where the torque converter can get you out of trouble. The Forester (manual gearbox), and manual Freelanders reward you in such situations with the smell of burning clutches—altogether too much for anyone with a shred of mechanical sympathy.

The Range Rover Evoque’s automatic, having the same basic drivetrain as the Freelander, in brutal truth is an elegantly tarted-up version of the latter. Nonetheless, it benefits from finer honing of the software, which provides quicker engagement of all systems and detectably improved performance over the Freelander.

To my embarrassment, it also proved to be more capable than I (with my two booted feet) in climbing one eye-popping slope. Mudcaked, bruised, bloodied, and holding my camera protectively aloft, I glissaded down to the bottom. In deference to the cosseting luxury of the Evoque’s white leather interior, I felt it polite to remove my muddied raiment before reentering its warmed and fragrant portals.

Earlier I had driven the latest iteration of the hallowed and venerable short-wheelbase Defender. With electric windows, smoother syncros on a sweet six-speed gearbox, changeon-the-move low range, and a 2.2-litre Euro-5 emission-compliant diesel purloined from the Freelander, it dished out useable torque from as low as 1,000 rpm. The seats were even better than the paragons of simplicity, as was the ergonomic design with which the Defender has long been equipped. Still, of course, lacking the option of OEM locking axle differentials, and with an unladen off-pavement ride akin to that of a tramcar. It is hard to let one’s natural affection for this ancient icon override the exasperation with Land Rover for permitting it to slide down to the bottom of the development chain.

A New Dawn

New to the medical lexicon of late is the ‘DC100 Anxiety Syndrome,’ which is spreading fast among the Land Rover cognoscenti in anticipation of the concept Defender (replacement vehicle?). Will it live up to the tenets of versatility established by generations of Defenders?

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Some of the press release indications do not bode well. The DC100 will have Drive Disconnect for the rear axle. Hang on, isn’t that what every soft-roader on the planet already has? Only they call it “4WD Engage.”

And there’s super-tech, camera-scanning terrain recognition—which most of us achieve by looking out of the windscreen. But that’s PR for you. Talking to more sober pillars of the Solihull establishment at Eastnor, there is very strong in-house pressure on making a real down-to-earth 4WD as one of the DC100’s multi-model options. They even gave warm praise to what Jeep has achieved with the updated Wrangler. The world’s fingers are crossed.

The opening reference to the difference between a demonstration and test facility needs expanding. A demonstration shows the success of a system: ‘See this? Isn’t it amazing?’ Land Rover, no more nor less than any other manufacturer, doesn’t want greenhorn visitors and journalists—bogged out and wheels spinning—clogging up the course on event days. Close examination will reveal that most of the tracks and mud pools through Eastnor’s woods have been liberally floored with crushed stone. Ruts, virtual tramways to which the vehicles are confined, are never deep enough to belly the wagons. So everyone gathers around, impressed, some with a tolerant shrug.

Land Rover does have its own test location where the dividing line between success and failure can be established; but that, just as understandably, is for their private use and much of their testing is done away from Great Briton.

Understandably, there is a different demo course for vehicles that lack a low-range transfer case, such as Freelander and Evoque.

Land Rover is at a crossroads with the DC100. The opportunity is there to regain their once-held position in the marketplace with a serious, all-capable 4WD worthy of its heritage.

The course is, nevertheless, challenging in terms of traction. It is something of an eyebrow raiser. Enough to separate the on-road four-wheel drives, such as my Forester, from those with real 4WD capabilities—so long as you keep your throttle foot planted a little longer than you would normally. Again, a tip of the hat to Freelander and Evoque.

So where is Land Rover going? With a 4x2 Evoque already in the cards, they are surely at a crossroads with the DC100. The opportunity is there to regain their once-held position in the marketplace with a serious, all-capable 4WD worthy of its heritage. Or, they can squander the chance with more aspirational absurdities like the Range Rover: one of the best drivelines in the

world, in a wrapping of soft leather, walnut veneer, deep carpeting and electronic geegaws. Mad, but quite nice.

At the day’s end I slipped the Evoque back into the Eastnor corral next to a beloved Series I. I couldn’t help but to juxtapose the two.

Fifty years from now, the crenelated towers will remain, standing sentinel over the lush green fields, muddy 4WD tracks, and slippery slopes. I’m sure this same classic Series I will be here on display, along with the latest variant of Land Rover and Range Rover. There will be a new generation of 4WD journalist, none of which will have had the luxury of taking the wheel of Series I in its maiden year. As for technology in the year 2062…?

Above: The ‘senior-citizen’ Defender dutifully shows the wisdom of small bow-waves. Left: A Series II Land Rover in 1966, benchmarking driveline design and engineering at Eastnor for the forthcoming Range Rover. Nostalgia in a bronze-green, stripped-down, 80-inch-wheelbase Series I during a 1971 Land Rover club event at Eastnor.

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I have a great respect for the Arctic.

The mix of open leads, the wet, the cold. The polar bears waiting for you is a nightmare, but it is beautiful. Photo by Johan Ernst Nilson. Opposite: The marker at the South Pole provided time to reflect on the 2,400 km trek. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Advent ure

The Last Great

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Professional pianist-turnedadventurer skis, bikes, kites, and hikes from Pole2Pole.

By Johan Ernst Nilson

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A

fter 20 years of exploration I’m often asked the question, “What is there left to explore. Hasn’t everything been discovered?” When I started my journeys in 1993, I thought I had seen it all, but the more I travelled the more I understood that I haven’t really seen anything yet.

Now, after 32 expeditions through 100 countries, I understand, more than ever, how small I am and how much there is to explore. But the question is still relevant—what am I really exploring?

I believe the biggest exploration we do is within ourselves. Every time we take a risk, every time we dare to do something, we grow as humans and we help the process of evolution take a leap forward. Mistakes are our greatest knowledge. When I was planning the Pole2Pole expedition, I wanted to bring more to my adventure than just a geographical journey. I started on the North Pole on the 6th of April, the same day as Robert Edwin Peary stood there 101 years ago, and I stood on the South Pole on the 18th of January, the 100th anniversary of Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition. Together with Nansen and Amundsen,

these gentlemen explored more than just an area. They proved that the impossible could be made possible by thinking differently, and daring to make mistakes.

During the past year I have travelled 35,000 kilometres through 17 countries, reaching two poles with a kite, skis, boat, sail, bike, and other means of transport. I have seen proof of climate change in the Arctic, heat records on the South Pole, and experienced 48 days of monsoon rain in Central America.

The world climate is changing and so must we. We must learn from these early explorers who proved that the impossible could be achieved, that the biggest adventure is the inner journey. To be able to save this planet, we must start the inner exploration and find ways to change our lifestyle and treat our environment better. We only have one.

Motivation, Focus, and Practice

When I was 15 years of age, I watched a television show of a guy playing the piano. He was really good, and I asked my mother who it was. She answered that his name was Elton

Nansen and Amundsen proved that the impossible

could be made possible by thinking differently, 36

and

daring to make mistakes.

John. I told my mother that I wanted to learn to play like that. She said three things: “Motivation, focus and practice.” I decided to become a pianist within three years. Three years later I was a pianist, traveling around Europe playing in restaurants, clubs, and hotels. So how was that possible? Well, I followed my mother’s advice and practiced, focused, and with a lot of motivation, I achieved my goal.

This became the subject of a conversation with friends one night when I was playing at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, Sweden.

Did I just have an ear for music or could this trilogy be put in a different context? My friends wanted to choose something that was completely out of line from my normal life—wearing a suit at the keyboard of a piano. They wanted to dare me to do something.

Something that was beyond my capabilities— something physical. I was the worst player on the football team and I hated gymnastics.

The dare was to quit my job the next day, get a bike, and ride to the Sahara in Africa using the same mantra: motivation, focus and practice.

The next day I began my quest for the Sahara; 52 days later I fell down on my knees in the hot sand. I had made it.

The Journey Within

This was the beginning of a 20-year journey; the idea of using this strategy became an obsession. But how far can it be stretched?

I had climbed the Seven Summits, kayaked from Sweden to Africa, kite skied across Greenland, sailed the Atlantic, brought the first 4WD to Antarctica, and flew a flying boat across Europe. While most of the world’s explorers have chosen a specific area of expertise (biking, mountaineering, or polar regions), I decided to make my area, everything.

I will not become the best in any particular field, but I will try new things every year based on motivation and focus.

After almost 2,000 nights in a tent with myself, I started to become tired of the company I was keeping, as well as the immense amount of focus on me in dozens of media interviews. My resolve was to turn the camera around and focus on other people. I became

I have been involved with nature organizations for many years. I’m ambassador for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and I try to document the situation in nature while on expedition. Photo by Goran Thulin. Opposite: Antarctica is a cold place, the coldest on the planet. When the wind starts to blow, it can be very dangerous. Photo by Knut Skarepteig.

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an Ambassador for an organization for very sick children, arranged an expedition to the highest point in Sweden, and started to work more with environmental issues around the world. I became Ambassador for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and published a book based on glaciers and the natural wonder of the Seven Summits. The book was not about my adventure, but the problems on the mountains that we need to take care of. I served as President for Everest Summiteers Association (ESA), and helped with a project called Save Everest, which removed 8,000 kilos of rubbish from the mountain.

This was the beginning of the end for my adventures. I started to focus more on environmental questions and charities, more than just extreme adventures. But before I quit I wanted to do a grand finale: an adventure that has never been done, one that would remain as a classic in the future. It had to involve everything that I do, and everything I stand for—the nature aspect, charity organizations, as well as history, cultures, and different types of transportation. Not an easy task. I came up with the perfect adventure—Pole2Pole.

Pole2Pole

Along the way I would travel by natural powers: bike, sail, ski, dogsled, hike and kite, as well as visit over 15 charity organizations to help raise awareness for their causes. I would visit the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu again, on the 100th anniversary of its discovery. Pole2Pole would have it all. Fellow adventurer Harald Kippnes would join me for the North Pole crossing, another friend would be cycling the Americas with me, beginning in Northern Canada. As I started to plan the details, I realized quickly that it would be impossible to set specific dates or even say which route to take. I would have to be flexible and follow the wind and the laws of nature.

90°N and Thin Ice

On the 6th of April I stood on the North Pole. It was minus 35°C and I was feeling nervous. I looked at my feet and whispered to myself, “I’m going that direction.” I started to walk towards the next camp with the words “What the hell am I doing?” With me, was fellow explorer Harald Kippnes, who had

Our sleds, at over 100 kilos, were heavy. It could take hours just to pass a few kilometres. Photo

by Johan Ernst Nilson.

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My skis slowly sank, the thin ice giving way to the frigid black waters below.

In a matter of seconds, my worst fears became a reality; 40

I had fallen through, skis, gear and all. been in the Norwegian army and was a good skier. And like all Norwegians, he knew his way around the snow. However, the drifting Polar ice underfoot was new to us; we were like Bambi on ice for the first few days. I closed my eyes and remembered my mother’s words some 25 years earlier. In a month, we were close to Greenland. I had arranged for dogsleds to meet us for the Greenland crossing, and then a sailboat to take us from Greenland to Canada. Little did we know what the future held.

With each passing day, the ice was becoming thinner and less stable; and then it happened. My skis slowly sank, the thin ice giving way to the frigid black waters below. In a matter of seconds, my worst fears became a reality; I had fallen through, skis, gear, and all. Harald threw me a rope, and after several panic-stricken moments, I was out of the water and we scrambled to thicker ice. It took me Overland Journal Summer 2012

three days to get warm, and I could not stop thinking of the countless people who did not have a friend around with a rope; these thoughts continued to haunt me for weeks, if not months. Situations like this became a part of the adventure; death was never far away.

In the Himalayas you get even closer. Climbers left behind on the mountain stand as stark reminders of the risks we take.

In a few weeks the ice got so thin that we had to turn back. Our expert in Canada informed us that we did not have a chance of getting to Greenland. We had two options: end the expedition and call for help, or try to make it to Nunavut, Canada. We had enough food…if nothing went wrong. However, heading to Canada posed a problem; the sailboat that I’d arranged from Greenland to Nunavut was in Greenland. Changing the route would also add 3,200 kilometres of riding to my trip. You can never reach the impos-

sible by thinking inside the box, so I decided to step out of the box and draw the wild card.

I originally planned to traverse the remaining Arctic section with dogsleds and a boat, but quickly realized this would be time consuming and I lacked the proper equipment. I decided to skip this section, head to mainland Canada and return later to fill in the distance. I located the best bicycle available and began riding.

Polar Bears and Bicycles

Canada was amazing, and traveling without a 110 kilogram sled behind me was refreshing. I was happy. The bears became interested, as did the moose and eagles, and the world was my private zoo; I was even chased by a bear one day. The feeling of having done the North Pole was enriching, but remembering that I still had 17 countries to bike through, and 2,400 kilometres on skis (at

One of the great things about leaving the Arctic Ice and hopping on the bicycle was that I did not have to drag the sled anymore. I was happy.

Photo by Carl Robert Bjorkander. Opposite: Ocean currents and wind uplift and fold sections of Arctic ice, scattering it like crystalline building blocks. Travel is very difficult and slow under these conditions. Photo by Johan Ernst Nilson.

-50°C) at the other end of the earth, raised my concerns. My father had said something that kept coming back to me. “My son, there is a reason why nobody has done this before.”

I met co-explorer Carl Robert in Vancouver, and picked up our new Audi bikes. Audi had wanted to show that they could use their engineering skills for things other than cars.

They designed the bikes and sleds specifically for this expedition; then asked if I would be an Ambassador for the company. I happily obliged.

While biking through the U.S., I started to understand the patterns and quirks of America. Every city, village, or town, was built up the same way—with a McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut. There would always be a small motel on the outskirts of town with WIFI. It was illegal to camp in San Francisco, but legal to smoke marijuana. It was a strange place to ride through, but the roads were good, with wide bike lanes, and the people were friendly.

Mexico, Heat Stroke, and Rain

I was nearing the border with Mexico and I thought it would not be much different from one side to the other. I was wrong. Biking into Mexico was like entering a Quentin Tarantino movie. I expected vampires to jump out of a saloon on every corner.

A friend, Nash, from India, had joined us to drive a support car. At the border crossing, we realized Nash did not have “the right papers.” It would be weeks before his documents would be approved, so Carl and I headed south down the Baja peninsula without him. A ferry in La Paz shuttled us to the mainland. I liked Mexico; it was tough but good.

Nash, with his big Indian smile, caught up with us at the Guatemalan border and we were a team again. He would shoot video from the car as we tried to stay alive on the roads; we had to throw ourselves off the road a few times to avoid getting run over by trucks. The sun was relentless, temperature and humidity soared, and I eventually suffered from heat stroke and fainted. A couple stopped and directed us to a hospital, where I was cared for and held in an air-conditioned

room for several days. The doctors said my brain had expanded inside my skull.

Thunder and lightning in the distance warned of oncoming rain. I felt it would be a nice reprieve from the heat of Central America—until it started. It went on for a week, then another, and another…48 days of non stop rain. Several primary roads were destroyed, so we deviated to secondary routes.

It was a living hell for these weeks. Thousands of locals became homeless, and the National Guard was called in to keep order. There we were, on our bikes, in the middle of the chaos.

I’d been traveling for seven months when we stepped on to a boat in Panama, which would deliver us to Cartagena, Colombia. The first thing that struck me when entering Colombia was that everybody was dancing and drinking. Apparently life in Colombia was one continuous party. I was amused to find that the celebration was part of an annual carnival.

Again, I found myself in the middle of life in motion. A few days into Colombia, I learned from a CNN report that there was a huge crack in Antarctica. Watching a NASA film of the fissure, I was awestruck by its scale—the largest ever recorded.

To make the situation even worse, icebergs the size of Berlin were drifting to sea, and news reports warned shipping traffic to cease operation. Their insurance companies threatened to un-insure shipping operations that did not heed the warnings. I had already begun dialogue with several captains about transport to Antarctica, but they were unwilling to pull up anchor.

After my longer-than-expected ride through Canada, as well as other delays en route, I was behind schedule. The one thing

that Mount Everest, the South Pole, and the North Pole have in common is that they can only be reached during certain times of the year. Antarctica would not wait for me, and my window of opportunity was beginning to close.

Antarctica

I now had two weeks to begin the final leg of my adventure. Any later and I would greatly increase the chance of failure, which in Antarctica often means death. Again, I had two options, terminate the expedition and return the next year, or catch a hop on a military transport plane. I chose the second option. I would have to return to South America.

People normally fly into a place called Hercules Inlet, then ski/kite the 1,200 kilometres to the Pole. However, the plane would only be stopping at a Russian base called Novolazarevskaya Station (Novo). This would double our distance to the Pole.

I called Harald, told him to get ready, and to join me on the flight to Navo. The bad news was that Harald had broken his shoulder, and a 2,400-kilometer trek in Antarctica was not in his future. It appeared I was going to be alone until Harald recommended his friend, Knut, who would be available. He had never been on a two-month-long expedition, and had never been to Antarctica, but he had been in the Norwegian army with Harald, and could kite and ski.

I met Knut for the first time just a few days before departure. This was a guy that I was going to spend two months with in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. A person I’d never met, a person I would need to trust with my life. Fortunately, we quickly Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Clockwise: The tent was the evening retreat from the elements. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig. In the Arctic we had to pull the sleds; in Antarctica the wind helped us along. Photo by Johan Ernst Nilson. Sailing to Antarctica was beautiful but cold. Photo by Gora Thulin.

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Clockwise: Some photos need little explanation. Reaching the South Pole after 47 days and 2,400 kilometres on the ice was amazing. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig. The fact that a millimeter-thick piece of fabric saves you from a certain death, makes you aware of how vulnerable you are. Photo by Johan Ernst Nilson.

I ended up with frozen toes and fingers in Antarctica, but it was my nose that was most in danger. Photo by Knut Skarpeteig. Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Clockwise: A whale visited us during our crossing of the Southern Ocean. The penguin is one of the few inhabitants of the Antarctic regions. En route to Antarctica on the Southern Ocean. Opposite: Crossing the Southern Ocean to the last continent was beautiful but stormy. Antarctica is not a place for humans; Overland Journal Summer 2012 it’s like going to the Moon. Photos by Gora Thulin.

became good friends. We learned what to say and what not to say to each other; we respected each other’s space and points of view.

The elevation change from Novo to the Antarctic Plateau is about 3,500 metres. Add the 2,400-kilometre distance to the pole and this becomes a very long way to drag a 110-kilogram sled. It took 17 days to reach the plateau; the travel had been extremely strenuous, but we were getting by okay. This is when we realized we had a problem. Knut’s fuel canister had developed a leak, losing at least one week of fuel and ruining almost a week’s worth of food. Our planned reserves were non-existent; we were now fighting against time.

Our Audi sleds were taking a beating against the concrete-solid ice drifts, as was the life support system inside. We continued to monitor the fuel canister seals, as another leak would have meant the end of Pole2Pole.

My knee began to bother me during the cycling through Central America, and it became a problem while kite skiing over the uneven ice. The days were long and cold. One morning we woke up to the sound of an airplane; then realized it was nothing more than the wind outside the tent. For four days and four nights we had wind speed up to 38 m/s, which is equal to that of a hurricane. If you add the average temperature of -30°C, conditions were becoming quite dangerous.

While on Everest I got frostbite on my fingers. During the North Pole section they began to crack and bleed, rendering my hands almost useless. I was afraid that this would happen again; but as it was, my fingers were fine. The problem was now my feet. I started to lose the sense of feeling in my toes. Shortly, Knut started to lose sense in a few toes as well. We knew that we had to reach the South Pole fast.

Wind speeds during the day were strong and steady, and kiting on the plateau was fantastic—for the most part. One day a wind gust lifted me well clear off the ice. While my lift-off was not a problem, the landing was rough, resulting in one broken rib and several bruised ones.

The season was reaching its end, and the last flight from Novo to the world was getting closer. We would have to work as one fluid machine to be successful in our quest for the Pole. With messed up ribs, frozen toes on both of us, and my wounded knee, we continued cautiously to avoid any further injuries— yet as fast as we could. This is when the wind

For four days and four nights we had wind speed

up to 38 metres per second, which is

equal to that of a hurricane. died. With low food and fuel reserves, and only one more flight leaving the continent, we started to get nervous. The question was, could we make it?

It was on day 47 that we reached the Pole.

The 2,400 kilometres had not gone by quickly, but I was so happy, so messed up physically, I could only cry. I’d lost 21 kilos in weight since that day at the North Pole; I was in pain, had injured ribs, frozen toes and a hard time walking. I eventually resorted to small doses of morphine to be able to sleep.

Upon return to Novo, we would need to wait three weeks for the flight to Argentina.

While hospitalized to recover from my ailments, I reflected back on the trip. I recognized that to fully realize my all-natural-power Pole2Pole quest, I needed to backtrack to the point that I stopped biking in South America, finish the Patagonia section, and then sail back to Antarctica.

Missing Pieces

I’ve just completed the Patagonia biking section and am holed up in a hotel writing this. Tomorrow I will be stepping aboard

the sailboat bound for Antarctica (yes, again).

From there I will return to the Arctic to finish the missing section from Wardhunt Island, in Nunavut, to Greenland, then down the originally planned 1,200-kilometre traverse of the island. If successful, I will be the first person to have completed a Pole2Pole expedition under natural-powered transportation.

I cannot even remember what it felt like not to be on the move every day. I don’t recall the code to my front door anymore, or my parents’ phone number. I do remember my mother’s words though: “Motivation, focus and practice.” And I have learned one thing: Everything is possible, the impossible just takes longer.

Note from the Editor: Johan’s transition from musician to world-class explorer, and his conscience decision to do so, has been an inspiration to all of us here at Overland Journal. He has since returned from sailing to Antarctica, cycled through Patagonia, and trekked the 1,200 kilometre section, 80°N to 72°N, across Greenland. He is living proof that we can do anything, if we adhere to Johan’s mother’s three words: motivation, focus, and practice.

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Pole 2 Pole Trip

Route

Cartography by David Medeiros (mapbliss.com)

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Travel Cameras We test six of the newest compact cameras for overland travelers.

By Chris Collard

Overland Journal Summer 2012

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It was a warm

June afternoon on the Caprivi Strip, Namibia.

My college roommate, Dr. Allen Andrews, and I were wandering through a village flea market in pursuit of capturing a few photos. I use the term flea market here in the purest sense of the word. There wasn’t a stitch of new clothing anywhere, sun-dried fish were laid out across a dozen tables, and vegetables were piled haphazardly in baskets or laying in the dirt. The morning kill, the entrails of which were flopped down on a few hand-cut stumps, was more like a fly convention than a butcher shop.

A hundred eyes were upon us as we shuffled through the stalls, which made our pursuit of candid images impossible. It may have been that we were the only white people around for miles, but our humongous SLR cameras, fat zoom lenses attached, probably didn’t help either. My thoughts at the time were that it would sure be nice to look more like a tourist than a professional photographer. The year was 2002, and compact digital cameras (and DSLRs for that fact), were, uh… junk.

A decade later, digital technology has surpassed most film formats, and we are at the point where there is no reason not to own a compact digital camera. Most of

Overland Journal Summer 2012

today’s better offerings outpace the high-end, full-bodied DSLRs of just seven years ago. They are lightweight, capable of HD video capture, less expensive, and most will fit in a jacket pocket. I’ll admit that I will always be partial to framing my subject through a conventional viewfinder. Staring at an LCD screen comes awkward to me, not to mention rendering a strong sensation of tourist. However, keeping one of these pocket-sized cameras close by will ensure that I won’t be caught empty handed when the next giraffe pokes its head through my sunroof. Going tourist at my next Caprivi flea market just may net me a few once-in-a-lifetime shots.

Selecting the Lineup When selecting from the hundreds of possibilities for this review, there were a number of things to be considered. First and foremost, in my opinion, is that the image quality would need to be good enough for the cover of Overland Journal. The second prerequisite was that it must have the option for manual operation: shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), ISO (film/sensor speed), exposure compensation, etc. With these requirements given, we considered high-ISO performance, ease of handling and controls, and the intuitive nature of the camera’s menu options. We’re not interested in digital zooms, as they simply crop the field of view without preserving image quality. If you are shooting a cheetah on the run, frames per second can be important.

The cameras must also be capable of shooting in the RAW file format (pure data). A maximum price limit was set at $1,000 USD.

Most of the new cameras have creative effects such as fisheye and 3D renderings, which have little relevance to a shot of a giraffe in your sunroof (all can be created with better results in the post processing phase with Photoshop), and are not considered in this review. Since we are not talking about hauling our gear up Mount Everest, I’m willing to sacrifice a few ounces of weight for additional features. All cameras in this review also come with software for sorting and minor editing adjustments. One handy feature to consider is the ability to collect GPS data and record it with the image’s metadata file.

Lastly, I hate digital instruction manuals. A disc version will automatically lose points. I don’t know what the manufacturers are thinking here, other than saving a few pennies (they may say “we are saving a tree,” but we consumers kill a few trees when we print the thing on 8.5x11 paper). If I’m in the field and want to check one of the camera’s functions, I want a comprehensive paper manual, not my laptop by my side.

Testing When the dust settles after a photo shoot of the Great Migration or chasing the Dakar Rally on a dual-sport, it is the images you come home with that count. I could pen a chapter on each of these cameras, but for this review we’ll maintain focus on the aspects that are most applicable to documenting an overland trek: ease of handling, placement of controls, intuitive nature of menu options, operations manual, and finally, image quality.

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Other Considerations A hot shoe mount (for an auxiliary flash) can greatly assist your creative impulses when shooting in low light, at night, or using fill flash in the midday sun. This gains points with me. I will say the same for an interchangeable lens. For the simple enjoyment of creating (and later viewing) wide-angle compositions, the small number on the lens is important—the lower the better. On the flip side, I also want to zoom in on that hyena or gemsbok at a Kalahari waterhole—big numbers are good here. A detachable lens will provide a greater range of options.

I will admit that I’m partial to manual controls rather than an LCD screen of menu options. The reason being, when I’ve got my eye on the viewfinder (or LCD) following a moving subject or setting up a composition, I don’t want to (or have time to) stop and dig through the menus to make common adjustments. I’ll also say I find that making incremental adjustments with an electronic zoom is difficult, and a manual zoom is preferred.

Does Size Matter?

I’ve always toted around a full-sized SLR (or two) and never realized how bulky and heavy they were—until I set my Canon 7D down next to a few of our test cameras. For dual-sport adventure riders, a compact unit is a must.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Image Quality Test

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hen it comes down to it, the final product, or quality of your photos, is the proof in the pudding.

The question is, how much detail is available if you zoom in or wish to print the image. You can get by with a 72dpi image online, but Overland Journal prints at 300dpi, and we are looking for cover images from this corral of cowboys. To determine performance, cameras were set on aperture priority at f/8.0 (shutter opening size), ISO 200 (sensor sensitivity), “daylight” white balance, spot metering, and in RAW file format. We then placed each on the same tripod set 30 inches from the subject, a selection from our classic camera collection. Though most users will implement the autofocus function, allowing the camera to find the “focal point,” we manually focused each unit on one of the control dials of the classic Argus camera to provide an accurate comparison. To illuminate the scene we used two commercial-grade softboxes. Zooming into the same zone in each image provided interesting results. What I wanted to see was tack-sharp edges of gear cogs on the knobs, intricate details in control dial graphics, true color, and exposure. Shutter speeds ranged between 1/10th and 1/6th of a second.

Our subjects were a few of the classic cameras from the Overland Journal collection. This control photo was taken with a Canon 5D Mark II using the same settings as the test photos.

Canon Powershot G1 X

Fujifilm X10

Panasonic Lumix GX1

Olympus E-P3

Canon Powershot S100

Sony NEX-5N

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By zooming in on the same zone of each image (100% in Adobe Bridge), small differences in sharpness and colorcast are easier to see. Note the tack-sharp details and proper tones from the Sony NEX-5N, and slightly less detail present in lettering from the Canon S100 and Fuji X10. Settings were aperture priority (Av) at f/8.0, ISO 200, “daylight” white balance, spot metering, and manual focus 30 inches from the focal plane (subject). Note that the native aspect ratio of the Sony is different.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Low light/High ISO Test

A

n ISO number is the rated sensitivity of a film transparency or digital sensor, and is set by the International Organization for Standardization. In the days of film, shooting with ISO 400 in midday light was pushing the limits. Climb into the 800 range and quality would degrade rapidly. Image degradation came in the form of graininess in the photo. This same principal applies to digital sensors as well. This being said, the high-ISO capabilities of current cameras, and the ability to change ISO, or film sensitivity, from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, or higher, on the fly, still makes us film guys feel like we are cheating. The performance limits of just a few years ago are now achieved with many of today’s compacts. For this test, cameras were again placed on a tripod, the aperture at f/4.0, auto white balance, spot metering, and ISO 1600. The subject was a hand-carved ceremonial mask from Africa, also placed 30 inches away (we moved the tripod as needed to maintain f/4.0 aperture). We set one tea candle to each side, and one behind to emulate a candlelight setting.

Focus was set manually at the inside of the left eye for the magnification sampling below. The weathered grain of the wood allowed for easy review of the results, both in available detail and colorcast. There were some surprises in this test as well.

Canon Powershot G1 X

Fujifilm X10

Campfire and indoor scenes require the camera’s sensor to work efficiently in very low light. To test the high ISO quality of each camera sensor, we created this romantic scene with our favorite African mate, three candles, wine, and our best cologne. This control photo was taken with a Canon 5D Mark II using the same settings as the test photos.

Panasonic Lumix GX1

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Olympus E-P3

Canon Powershot S100

Sony NEX-5N

Zooming in on the same region of the face revealed the information we were looking for: details in the wood grain, colorcast, graininess (a characteristic of high-ISO film or sensor settings), and exposure. Settings were aperture priority (Av) at f/4.0, auto white balance, spot metering, manual focus, and ISO 1600.

The cameras were set 30 inches from the focal plane (subject), and moved as needed to maintain an aperture of f/4.0. Note the fine details and tones of the Olympus E-P3, and overexposed highlights of the Canon G1 X. Overland Journal Summer 2012

Canon PowerShot G1 X

$799

Pros:

• Fingertip manual controls • Three axis articulating LCD screen • Excellent image quality

Cons:

T

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his rendition of the G Series takes Canon’s compact digital stalwarts to a new place. The G1 X is the first of the company’s compact offerings that I would consider a viable option as a DSLR backup. I’ll have to say that being a Canon shooter myself, working my way through the menu was familiar and comfortable.

The metal body provides a solid feel in your hand, and the abundance of external manual controls (exposure compensation, as well as aperture/shutter speed) are at the tip of your index finger rather than an LCD screen of menu options. This renders the sensation of a real-deal, old-school camera. It has a small pop-up flash as well as a hot shoe for an auxiliary strobe. The viewfinder adjusts with the zoom, similar to a standard DSLR. As with most of the cameras in the review, an ISO rating from 100-12800 is impressive. High speed RAW shooting hits 1.9 frames per second, but only for a six-shot burst. Battery life is rated at 250 frames, which is limiting, and will require a couple of backup batteries.

The 28-112mm lens (35mm equivalent), f/2.8-5.8, will allow for some depth-of-field effect, and the image stabilization (IS) works well. One shortfall is the lack of an interchangeable lens.

The other negative is the electronic zoom lens. Fine incremental adjustments are near impossible, as slight input on the control often jumps the zoom past where you wanted it to be. The 3-inch LCD screen flips out and rotates, a big advantage over all other units in the review, and great when shooting from an ant’s eye view or overhead. A built-in three-stop neutral density filter is a plus, and it has an array of creative modes.

In the image quality test, the G1 X was excellent, yet it struggled to attain focus in both tests at the 30-inch distance. Manual focus is required at this distance, which would be impractical and very slow in a real-world situation. It focused on more distant objects with no issues. I was very impressed with the overall package—so much so that it was in the running with two others for my top pick. The electric zoom and non-interchangeable lens knocked it out of the running. canon.com

Overland Journal Summer 2012

• Lacks removable lens • Unreliable short-range autofocus • Operation manual is on CD • Electronic zoom is jumpy

The three-axis LCD screen is very handy for framing low- or high-angle compositions. Top-mounted mode and exposure compensation, front and rear adjustment dials, a hot shoe, and zoom-correct viewfinder give the G1 X the feel of a DSLR.

Fujifilm X10

$599

Pros:

• Fast f/2.0-2.8 lens • On-lens mechanical zoom ring • Detailed instruction manual • Fingertip controls for manual shooting

Cons:

C

ontinuing the recent trend of thoroughly modern, but stylistically classic digital cameras, Fuji is pushing hard to deliver pro-featured variants. At Overland Journal, we clearly have a bias towards objects that not only achieve technical requirements, but also complete the package with thoughtful and timeless design. We purchased the X10 soon after its release, and there was nearly a battle between the COO and CEO on who would use it. Despite its good looks, the X10 has several professional features that make it not just for show.

The attributes start with the fast and sharp f/2.0-2.8, 28-112mm lens, a minimum focal distance of less than one inch, and the on-lens zoom. The cast metal body provides a solid and well-constructed feel. There are two rear dials and numerous buttons that provide fingertip access to camera functions—though I found the onscreen menus clumsy to navigate. A detailed operation manual scores points as does the zoom-adjusted viewfinder.

I do have a few minor complaints though. The X10 lacks an interchangeable lens, adjustable LCD, and the manual focus is a bit awkward. Battery life, at 270 frames, would require an extra battery. The most notable issue is the sensor blooming that occurs in reflected objects and in lights at night. The combination of lens speed and a 2/3-inch sensor seemed to put the X10 in the running for second place. Unfortunately, it ranked in the back of the pack in the fine details test, and tended to washout, or to be too bright, in the high ISO test when set for auto exposure (though we are promised Fuji will resolve this with an update). Shortcomings aside, the X10 would be a reasonable option for anyone wanting a compact unit with a fast, sharp lens, who doesn’t want to stand out in a crowd. fujifilm.com

• Lens must be extended to review images • Manual focus is clumsy • Menus are complicated and limited • Sensor blooming

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Though the external controls are clear and fairly easy to use, the X10’s onscreen menu fields were awkward to navigate through. The viewfinder is a plus.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Panasonic Lumix GX1

$699 (includes 14-42mm lens)

Pros:

• Interchangeable manual-zoom lens • Hot shoe mount • Robust construction • Excellent image quality

Cons:

B

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• Viewfinder at additional cost • ISO performance less than expected • Fixed LCD

ased on its metal construction, function, and interchangeable lens features, the Panasonic GX1 is another camera that will appeal to DSLR users. It embodies the concept of a micro 4/3 camera. The basic controls are very intuitive in nature. In 60 seconds, without referencing the manual, I was able to set aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation, in aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes. A thumb-operated rear dial is used for this. Push buttons on the back clearly mark AF/ AE, ISO, capture rate, and white balance. The manual zoom allows for immediate and minute adjustments with your left hand, without taking your index finger off the trigger. The menu button brings up a list of sub menus, and a four-way toggle, also accessed with the thumb, guides you to where you want to go. Onscreen display menus are clear and easy to read.

The touchscreen can be used with many of the adjustment functions, yet my personal preference is to use the rear dial and buttons. A two-axis artificial horizon is a handy feature, allowing for easy horizontal and vertical alignment. Video is 1080 HD as with the other contenders, yet the GX1 can capture an 11.5 megapixel still photo while in video mode. As with the other units in the test, there is a plethora of creative modes (3D capture, etc.). Another plus is the hot shoe mount for an auxiliary flash.

The GX1 ranked third in the fine details test, providing sharp edges and little graininess or pixilation. In the high-ISO test, though slightly under exposed, details were sharp. Overall, the positive features leave me very impressed. I feel it would serve the compact camera needs of an overland traveler well, and I could easily see one in my personal camera bag. panasonic.com The GX1’s external controls (nine buttons and a dial) and menus were of the easiest and most intuitive to use: push a button, adjust that menu item. Though a detachable lens adds weight, the benefits of on-lens focus, additional zoom and wide-angle lenses, are strong arguments in their favor.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Olympus E-P3

$899 (includes 14-42mm lens)

Pros:

• Interchangeable manual-zoom lens • Intuitive menu • Ample external manual controls

Cons:

I

• Viewfinder at additional cost • Fixed LCD • Cost

f I didn’t know better, I might have confused the Olympus E-P3 with a downsized version of my old rangefinder OM-1 from college. The classic styling, slim design, and solid metal body say, “Pick me up and hold me.” The only thing missing is the film-advance lever. Rangefinder aficionados will appreciate the E-P3’s form.

It shares the interchangeable lens feature with the Panasonic Lumix and Sony NEX-5N, and there are 27 Olympus Zuiko lens options available. The zoom function is on the lens and managed with the left hand, leaving your index finger on the trigger where it should be. There is no viewfinder, though a zoom-correct unit is available; an additional cost to your camera rig.

After I figured out the hard copy manual was only part of the information provided on the full CD manual, we got along better. This being said, camera functions and manual adjustments are very easy to locate and operate. There is a rotational dial at thumb’s reach for adjusting aperture and shutter speed. A second dial hosts five external buttons. Press “ok” and onscreen menus pop up on the right. Toggle up or down through the menu and each item’s adjustment options appear at the bottom. The other four buttons provide quick access to exposure compensation, drive and flash mode, and focal point. It has a hot shoe mount for a real flash, (a bonus), and there is an array of in-camera filters (sepia, black and white, etc.); though I almost always manage these adjustments in the post-processing phase.

The 12.3 megapixel MOS sensor is second from the smallest, and this was reflected in the image detail test; ranking number four of the six. However, it did very well in the high-ISO test, providing plenty of detail and near-perfect tonal balance. olympusamerica.com, 888-553-4448

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Ample external controls, easy-to-use menus, a hot shoe, and detachable lens all pushed the Olympus E-P3 to the front of the line. The slim classic lines could be mistaken for an old Olympus OM-1, sans the silver metal top.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Canon PowerShot S100

$429

Pros:

• Lightweight and compact • Excellent low-light performance • Intuitive onscreen menus • Price point

Cons:

T

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• Lacks hot shoe and viewfinder • Short battery life • No comprehensive hard copy manual • Front adjustment wheel awkward

he Canon S100 is clearly a pocket hero. Weighing in at a tad over 6 ounces, and dimensionally about the size of a deck of playing cards, it is the only slip-in-yourfront-pocket camera in the review. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as most of the likesized cameras I’ve used in the past provided less than desirable results. Read on.

The onscreen menus are handed down from Canon’s G1 X and are very intuitive in nature.

The “set” button on the back brings up the menu, and the up/down and right/left toggles guide you through adjustments to white balance, bracketing, frame rate, the auto timer, and metering fields. In aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes, adjustments are made with a dial wheel around the lens, which is rather awkward with such a small camera. The five control buttons on the back easily allow access to adjustments. Also, the S100 has one of the best macro features in the group, allowing you to focus on a subject just 1.2 inches away. There are a number of creative effects such as black and white, sepia, pinhole, and fisheye, as well as six IS (Image Stabilization) modes. It is also the only camera in this group with a GPS function for geotagging images.

I need to knock the S100 down to size (pun intended) for only providing a “Getting Started,” instruction manual. And without an interchangeable lens (which would not be expected from a 6-ounce camera), long-lens zoom shots are not going to happen. Its battery life, at just 200 frames, would require at least a few extra batteries.

In side-by-side testing this pint-sized hero stood up to the others. Though it was in the bottom half of the pack in the detail comparison, it ranked second in the low light/high ISO category. Though it lacks a viewfinder or hot shoe mount, for the price, Canon’s S100 is a featherweight performer and a worthy option for any photographer’s kit. canon.com S100 features include a clear and easy-to-use menu, accessible rear button adjustments, and excellent image quality. With the switch off, the lens collapses, leaving the camera small enough to slip in any pocket.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Sony NEX-5N

$599 (includes 18-55mm lens)

Pros:

• Interchangeable lens options • Flip-up LCD screen • Robust construction • Long battery life • Excellent image quality

Cons:

S

ony’s NEX-5N carries a much more modern look than the other cameras in this review. Its cast magnesium alloy body (available in black, silver or white) and hefty 28-82mm (35mm equivalent) lens offer the feel of superiority. This camera has been in Overland Journal’s inventory for some time, and has provided dozens of highquality images for the magazine.

It shares the interchangeable lens feature with the Panasonic and Olympus, and a 55-210mm lens (82-315mm, 35mm equivalent) renders viable long-lens capability, though at an added expense. The hard copy instruction manual is fairly thorough, though the full manual is on CD. Unlike the other cameras, the NEX-5N’s adjustments fall heavily into the onscreen realm.

In Av and Tv modes, a rear dial manages adjustments. But in manual mode you must toggle back and fourth to adjust aperture and shutter speed. An unmarked menu button accesses six sub menus. Most features are apparent, but a few, such as ISO, are buried in a third sub menu.

The 3-inch LCD flips up almost 90 degrees for shooting low, but it could benefit from a swivel feature like the Canon G1 X. Creative mode options are similar in number to the other cameras. Battery longevity, with a 430-frame rating, was the best in the group. The “bulb” setting will allow for exposures longer than 30 seconds, but a lockable cable release would avoid inevitable camera shake when using your finger on the button. Pressing the shutter button rewards you with an immediate, 20-millisecond response time, which brings a smile to any digital shooter from a decade ago.

The NEX-5N boasts the largest sensor in the fleet, and this was reflected in its top performance in the fine details test. Though the ISO ranges from 100 to an impressive 25600, it fell in the middle of the pack in the low light test (at ISO 1600). The attachable flash and microphone mounts are a concern; they press into a contact socket with a small setscrew. It is awkward, seems flimsy, and is susceptible to damage if knocked against something. The flash unit, with a range of only 23 feet, is a limiting factor for a camera with so much potential. This is a high quality camera for the price, yet the two aforementioned items have denied it a podium finish in this review. sony.com

• Cumbersome adjustments • Microphone/flash mount seems flimsy • Lack of hot shoe is limiting • Viewfinder at additional cost

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Though the Sony NEX-5N excels in pure image quality (due to its large CMOS sensor), its dependency on touchscreen controls, along with lack of a hot shoe, are limiting factors. With the lens removed, the Sony NEX-5N is lightweight and easy to store.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

Conclusions

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hen we select among the field of possibilities in any review, we are only choosing the five or six products in the top of the league. Of the six contenders here, we already owned the Fujifilm X10 and Sony NEX-5N. The Panasonic Lumix GX1, Canon G1 X, and Canon S100 were purchased, and the Olympus PEN E-P3 was on loan from the manufacturer. Image sensor ratings ranged from 12.0 to 16.1 megapixels, and ISO ratings reach from an everyday 80, to a blazing 25600 that could likely have captured the inside of Tom Sawyer’s cave. However, bigger may not always be better. I didn’t put a lot of weight on the creative modes, such as 3D, black and white, fisheye effects, or in-camera HDR (High Dynamic Range), but if these features are important to you, they may be an added consideration. It is also important to know that part of this review is simply subjective…yes, subject to my opinion. I won’t be throwing any of them under a Land Rover, because they all deserve to be here. However, there is always one that rises to the top of the heap.

Overland Journal Publisher Scott Brady loves the Fujifilm X10. Retro styling and clean lines catch the eye, and the metal construction of the body is solid. The fast f/2.0-f/2.8, 28-112mm lens increases shutter speed, and a minimum focal distance of less than one-half inch is great for close-ups. The on-lens zoom adjustment also pushes the X10 in the right direction. With an attached flash and a few extra batteries, the Fujifilm X10 would serve you well.

I’m predisposed to the Canon breed, and I was pretty sure the G1 X was going to be my pick. Its external controls are extremely straightforward, onscreen menus are simple to navigate, the hot shoe will accommodate any of my Canon strobes, and the built-in, zoom-adjusted viewfinder scored points. It performed near the top in the image quality testing, with sharp details and color balance. Unfortunately, the autofocus struggled in both tests at the 30-inch range, failing to get a tack-sharp fix on the subject (manual focus was required). Though I really like this camera, the deal killer for me was the lack of an interchangeable lens (I could actually live without this), and the jumpy electronic zoom.

The Sony NEX-5N is another one of Publisher Brady’s favorites, and I’ll say that I found nothing technically wrong with it. Image quality Overland Journal Summer 2012

An important attribute for an overland traveler is to adapt to, and overcome obstacles. We don’t have a fancy-schmancy photo studio—there is little room between the 4WDs, dual-sports, and racks of equipment in our shop. And because we take most of our product images in the field (where it seems we live most of the time), we don’t really need one. To improvise, we used two studio softboxes for even illumination, managed the backdrop with a single piece of black craft paper, set up one of our tripods (a Manfrotto 3030G), and pulled up a chair. For the low-light test, we waited for nightfall, turned off the lights, and lit a few candles.

is excellent, the NEX-5N taking top ranks in this test. For ISO performance, it landed in the middle of the field. Points were added for the solid construction, tilt LCD, and quality interchangeable optics. Points were knocked off for the flimsy flash and microphone, lack of hot shoe for a real flash, and menu navigation.

I used this camera to shoot the NY Auto Show and it did everything I asked. Though it might not be my first choice, I’d be happy to use the NEX-5N as a back up for any trek.

The Canon S100 is the only wallet-sized camera in the group, and could easily have been overlooked. It doesn’t have a “little camera syndrome,” but rather a “can I play with you guys” approach. Once in the game, the S100 slipped on a glove and was ready to play ball. From the comprehensive external controls and easy-tofollow onscreen menu, to the in-a-bug’s-eye super macro, and excellent low-light performance, there is a lot packed into this little package. For the very economical price of $430 USD, I can easily hand the Value Award to this unsung hero.

The rest of the team can’t tease the S100 about being a “little toy” anymore.

I said in the review that I love the design and style of the Olympus E-P3, and it was a

close call for my top pick. The interchangeable lens, fingertip-accessible controls, and easy-tonavigate onscreen menus are all well designed and implemented. The metal body renders the solid feel of a “real,” though compact camera, and the mechanical lens zoom is a big plus.

Surprisingly, though low-light performance was the best in class, it ranked in the bottom half (#4) in the image quality test. It gets high ranks for ease of use and overall performance.

The E-P3 is a solid performer and would be a great addition to any overlander’s kit.

This brings us to the Panasonic Lumix GX1, and my pick for Editor’s Choice. While it didn’t take top honors in image quality or the low-light test, the GX1 has heaps of redeeming qualities: easy to use, fingertipaccessible controls, smooth on-lens zoom and focus, and robust metal construction. A full-size external flash is important if you are shooting professionally, and the GX1 has you covered here. It could really use the adjustable LCD and zoom-corrected viewfinder from the Canon G1 X; other than that, I’ll probably slip this one in my bag for the long run. Next time I’m in a Namibian flea market, I’ll have no issues going tourist.

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Travel Camera Comparison

Video

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Other Features

Lens

Specifications

Manufacturer

Canon Powershot G1 X

Fujifilm X10

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Olympus E-P3 (with 14-42mm lens) (with 14-42mm lens)

Canon Powershot S100

Sony NEX-5N (with 18-55mm lens)

Retail cost (base rack) $799

$599

$699

$899

$429

$699

Body construction

Metal

Metal

Metal

Metal

Metal

Metal

Dimensions (in / mm)

4.6 x 3.17 x 2.55 116.7 x 80.5 x 64.7

4.6 x 2.7 x 2.2 117 x 69.6 x 56.8

4.58 x 2.67 x 1.55 116.3 x 67.8 x 39.4 (body only)

4.8 x 2.72 x 1.64 121.9 x 69.1 x 41.7 (body only)

3.9 x 2.34 x 1.05 98.9 x 59.8 x 26.7

4.375 x 2.375 x 1.563 110.8 x 58.8 x 38.2 (body only)

Weight (oz / g)

17.3 / 492

11.6 / 330

9.59 / 272 (body only) 11.32 / 384 (body only) 6.1 / 173

7.4 / 210 (body only)

Battery life

250 frames

270 frames

300 frames

330 frames

200 frames

430 frames

Memory card

SD, SDHC, SDXC

SD, SDHC, SDXC

SD, SDHC, SDXC

SD, SDHC, SDXC

SD, SDHC, SDXC

SD, SDHC, SDXC, MS

Connectivity

USB 2.0, HDMI C

USB 2.0, HDMI C

USB 2.0, HDMI C

USB 2.0, HDMI C

USB 2.0, HDMI C

USB 2.0, HDMI C, AV

Sensor

1.5 in CMOS

2/3 in CMOS

4/3 Live MOS

4/3 Live MOS

1/1.7 in CMOS

23.5mm x 15.6mm CMOS

Megapixels

14.3

12.0

16.0

12.3

12.1

16.1

Max image size (pixel) 4352 x 2904

4000 x 3000

4592 x 3448

4032 x 3024

4000 x 3000

4912 x 3264

Processor

DIGIC 5

Fujifilm EXR

Pansonic Venus

Olympus TruePic VI

DIGIC 5

APS-C

File formats (still)

JPEG, RAW

JPEG, RAW

JPEG, RAW, MPO

JPEG, RAW, MPO

JPEG, RAW

JPEG, RAW

RAW frames per second (max / burst)

1.9 / 6

4 (approx)

4.2 / 9

3

2.3 / 8

3/6

Dust reduction system n/a

n/a

Yes

Yes

n/a

Yes

Full paper manual

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Lens (35mm equivalent)

28-112, f/2.8-5.8

28-112, f/2.0-2.8

28-84, f/3.5-5.6

28-84, f/3.5-5.6

24-120, f/2.0-5.9

27-82.5, f/3.5-5.6

Zoom

Optical: 4x Digital: 4x

Optical: 4x Digital: 2x

Optical: in lens Digital: 4x

Optical: in lens Digital: 2x

Optical: 5x Digital: 4x

Optical: in lens

Interchangeable lens

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Image stabilized lens

Yes

Yes

Lens dependent

Yes

Yes

Yes

Attachable filter, size

Yes, 46mm

With adapter, 52mm

Yes, 52mm

Yes, 37mm

With adapter, 37mm

Yes, 49mm

Focus

Auto, manual (menu)

Auto, manual (menu)

Auto, manual

Auto, manual

Auto, manual (menu)

Auto, manual

Min. focus distance

7.9 in / 20 cm

0.4 in / 1 cm

Lens dependent

Lens dependent

1.2 in / 3 cm

Lens dependent

Self timer

Yes, customizable

Yes, 2 sec / 10 sec

Yes, 2 sec / 10 sec

Yes, 2 sec / 12 sec

Yes, customizable

Yes, customizable

AF / AE lock

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Exposure compensation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes, dial

Yes

Yes

ISO

100-12800

100-12800

160-12800

200-12800

80-6400

100-25600

Shutter speed (seconds)

60-1/4000

30-1/4000

60-1/4000, bulb

60-1/4000

15-1/2000

30-1/4000, bulb

Metering

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Multi, centerweighted, spot

Manual white balance Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

In-camera HDR

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

GPS data

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

Flash

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

External hot shoe

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Flash range (ft / m)

23 / 7

22.9 / 7

21.7 / 6.6

n/a

23 / 7

22 / 6.7

View finder / zoom correct

Yes / yes

Yes / yes

Optional ($230) / yes

Optional ($250) / yes

None / n/a

None / n/a

LCD size / resolution (dots)

3 in / 76.2 mm 920,000

2.8 in / 71.1 mm 460,000

3 in / 76.2 mm 460,000

3 in / 76.2 mm 614,000

3 in / 76.2 mm 461,000

3 in / 76.2 mm 921,600

Adjustable LCD

Yes, 3 axis

No

No

No

No

Yes, 2 axis

Touchscreen LCD

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Video size

1920 x 1080 HD

1920 x 1080 HD

1920 x 1080 HD

1920 x 1080 HD

1920 x 1080 HD

1920 x 1080 HD

Video format

MOV

MOV

AVCHD, MPEG-4

AVCHD, AVI

MOV

AVCHD, MPEG-4

Maximum HD FPS

24

30

30

60

24

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38° N Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Lati tude Eye Witness Portfolio by Chris Collard

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12° S Overland Journal Summer 2012

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12° S Overland Journal Summer 2012

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13° S

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19° S

Nature’s Palette

Chris Collard joins a photo safari in the Navajo Nation

By Chris Collard

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With stiff fingers, I fumbled at the zipper of my backpack as a sharp gust of wind slipped around the hood of my jacket and across my neck, gripping my senses and

Shooting star trails with film is not a big deal. But, with digital, it is a bit more complicated. For this composition I used an intervalometer to capture about 80 images during a four hour time period. By combining them in Photoshop, I’m able to get a record of the stars’ passage in a very bright exposure.

– Jack Dykinga While exploring the Navajo Nation, I wandered off on my own in search of a deeper connection to the land. I felt an ancient presence there but had not captured a photo that expressed what I was feeling.

An hour into my hike, I turned a corner and instantly knew this was the shot. This group of towering “Sand Idols” seemed to hold a watchful eye over this special place. – Sean Stuchen

(Opening page)

The colorful, repetitive, curving patterns of sandstone reflect off undulating patterns in the ice of a shallow water-filled depression. It not only

rendered a dramatic image but is also good example of the forces of erosion. – Jeff Foott

sending a tremor down my spine. To the east, deep hues of indigo permeated the pre-dawn sky, transitioning to light blue and then yellowish orange as it kissed the horizon. It was cold, in the low 20s I would guess, and the shallow water-filled depression before me supported a thin sheet of ice, which cast a blurred reflection of a distant sandstone sculpture. I retrieved a camera from my pack and fitted it to my tripod. To my left was Jack Dykinga, one of the most accomplished nature photographers in the country. To my right, Jeff Foott, cinematographer for the likes of National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and the BBC. It was an honor to be working with two of my idols, and in such a pristine and unknown place of beauty—a place I’d never been. The morning light approached, sweeping through the crevasses and folds of a thousand years of erosion and evolution, revealing a prismatic array of nature’s palette. Jeff said, “It’s a special place, isn’t it?” I agreed. Jack, a hopeless smart…uh, aleck, leaned towards me with a menacing grin and a furrowed brow, and said, “You know Chris, if you tell anyone where it is, I’ll have to kill you.” My gut told me he was kidding…but I wasn’t completely convinced. Our attention was drawn back to the Technicolor cinema before us, and we started firing away.

A month earlier I’d received a call from Justin Black, a world-class photographer in his own right, whom I’d met in 2003, while he was managing the late, great Galen Rowell’s gallery in Bishop, CA. Justin had since founded a company called Visionary Wild, purveyor of high-end photo workshops with guys like Jack and Jeff. He was in the planning stages for a new overland photo safari and asked if I wanted to join him and a group of friends for a scouting run. In the group would be Tom Hanagan from Four Wheel Camper, Laura Rubin from Nik Software, and a few long-time friends of Visionary Wild, each an accomplished photographer.

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Navajo Nation

One of the big advantages of participating in a photo workshop is access. The instructors, in addition to being eminently qualified, know all the best spots; yes, those secret arches, bridges, and wildlife spots you see in the pages of the Geographic, Smithsonian, or Outdoor Photographer.

Jack had made arrangements with Jack Goldtooth, tribal member of the Navajo Nation, for us to camp on Navajo lands, photograph the geological formations, and search for evidence of the region’s Jurassic inhabitants. Mr. Goldtooth stopped by our camp the first night with a load of firewood, and pointed out the general vicinity of reported dinosaur tracks. His people have lived in the Southwest since long before the Sumerians invented the sail; his pride radiated as he described the intricate features of the land. We would spend the next three days hiking local footpaths and experiencing the energy of this special place.

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The concept behind a photo safari such as this is not to log 10,000 miles on the odometer, traverse uncharted regions, or claim a spot in the Guinness Book of Records. It is about slowing down, smelling the proverbial roses, and absorbing the nuances of an area. Jonathan Hanson so eloquently summed up this principal in his Journal Entry, Fractal Exploration (Overland Journal, Fall 2008), “You take smaller bites of the world, but examine them more closely.” And so we began a quest to find the beauty within the beauty.

Like typical geeky photographers, our mornings and afternoons were spent wandering crenelated sandstone ridges, examining in great detail the patterns of nature, and crawling around on our hands and knees in search of the perfect composition. A mile’s distance, in the general direction of Goldtooth’s instructions, we located an array of 200-million-year-old footprints from a three-toed ornithopod. Out came the cameras, tripods, strobes, reflectors, and diffusers. We spent the afternoon in thoughtful discussion as to how to bring these long-extinct bipeds back to life in a photo.

Our fractal expedition had been planned around a period of syzygy, and a new moon. With headlamp beams darting around the inky blackness like bobbleheads, each night we hiked up a hill near camp to a striated outcropping of precariously stacked saltwater taffy and blocks of fudge. Prior to the trip, Jack had advised everyone to buy an intervalometer…and read the instructions. With a long-standing affinity for star trail images, and having struggled with creating them with digital technology, I was excited to learn some new tricks. An intervalometer was the answer. We planted our tripods, programmed our new toys to 80/4/1; 80 exposures, four minutes each, with one Overland Journal Summer 2012

second between, and let the camera’s sensors absorb the celestial lightshow above. I’m still working on the technique of blending my 80 exposures together, but this is the type of thing that will keep me up nights—literally.

Mr. Goldtooth and his family joined us on our last morning and prepared Navajo bread, thick dough fried in oil—delicious. In the afternoon we would be moving north and east, to one of the most photographically significant gems of the Southwest.

“I’ll have to kill you”

If you are wondering why I’ve not included a map with this article, it is because I value my life. And I’ve never been one to detail GPS coordinates with any of my editorial or photographic wanderings. It’s not because I don’t want others to know about such places. It is more that I believe that half the fun, or sense of accomplishment, is to find them on your own; or on my own. While I can’t nail the exact location (they blindfolded me en route), I can guess we were west of Page, Arizona, and maybe somewhere near the Paria Plateau—given that the resident vultures kept a vigilant eye for marauding California Condors.

The next three days were right out of the photographer’s playbook; up before dawn, hike to a pre-scouted location, set up your tripod, and wait for the sun to reclaim the arena. As the shadows grew short at midday, we’d process the morning’s work and ogle each other’s laptops (instant gratification is one of the wonders of digital photography). We’d set up the tripods again during the Magic Hour, just before sunset, and bobblehead our way back to camp well after dark.

Justin had brought a carnivore’s smorgasbord of ribs and assorted fare, and I assumed the duties of camp cook, pulling a few shovels of coals from the fire and setting up the grill.

With so many of my overland adventures requiring a “point A to point B” itinerary each day, this exercise in fractal exploration became one of my most enriching trips to date. There were no roses, but the smell of autumn sage filled the senses. A storm was moving in by our final morning, skies had turned gray, and the Magic Hour never revealed itself. Snow was expected to blanket the area and it was time to head home.

Because a photo essay comprised entirely of my photos could not give this geological wonderland its due, I asked my fellow travelers to share their images with Overland Journal. If a picture says 1,000 words, the eye candy here should keep us preoccupied for a while.

With dawn’s light streaking across the landscape, the

snow capped San Francisco Peaks dominate the horizon. My trusty Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper

lay hidden among the hoodoos as shadows stretch towards the west. – Jack Dykinga

There aren’t too many things I like better than hanging out with friends around a campfire.

However, bringing those memories home in photographic form can often be difficult. This image was created by climbing a small hill near camp. I turned the ISO up to accommodate a hand-held shutter speed, and then steadied the camera against a rock. Call me paparazzi… – Chris Collard

Culture and Tradition make my travel adventures much more meaningful. It was a great experience to learn how to make Indian Fry Bread from Jack Goldtooth’s family on this ancient land. – Sean Stuchen

One of the great things about photo workshops is hanging out with people that know more than I do. As Justin Black composes a photo of a dinosaur track,

the diffuser, being held to the right, shields the subject from direct sunlight, while the reflector on the left, bounces a small amount back in. – Chris Collard

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A boulder, once part of another formation, lay at the base of this hoodoo. The interplay of

shadows speak of the passage of time and ongoing changes in nature. I composed this frame and wondered what the landscape will look like the next time I visit. – Julie Furber

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Dinosaur tracks are not exceptionally rare, but they are always intriguing to witness. Common theory is that they typically

lay in escape routes of Jurassic refugees in flight from rising waters. Impressions left in firm mud were quickly covered with lighter silt and organic sediment, which shielded them from erosion.

With a few years (millions) of geological uplifting, folding, and mass wasting, the softer material was washed away. – Jack Dykinga

Though all that remain are shallow depressions in the stone, we spent several hours working

to capture the essence of the areas prehistoric inhabitants. – Chris Collard

Waves of color landscapes can be vast and breathtaking, but sometimes the most

interesting and colorful features can be found by looking down or right in front of us. These waves of color in the sandstone, small and beautiful details that can be easily overlooked, caught my eye. – Laurie Rubin

In the beginning, this mass was a complex sand dune system. Through time the sand was acted on by gravity, movement of the earth, and water,

resulting in spectacular relief patterns and unrivaled natural designs. – Jeff Foott Overland Journal Summer 2012

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Though I enjoy shooting landscapes and wildlife, I consider myself more of a documentary photographer. Our group marched out of camp each day to capture what we call “The Magic Hour.”

This area of Technicolor sandstone, twisted by Mother

Nature in a saltwater taffy array of patterns and hues, became our canvas, the cameras our pallet and brushes. Jeff Foott takes us in close with his wide-angle composition on the previous page. – Chris Collard

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These multicolored fins are a great example of wind and weathering. The softer sandstone is eroded away and the harder sandstone containing iron oxides remain as thin,

delicate, and uniquely beautiful patterns.

– Jeff Foott

Thousands of years of wind and water have patiently worked their magic, eroding softer areas

and exposing the more resilient in exquisite detail. This sandstone wave reflected the canyon light. – Justin Black

Uplifting and folding are one of the results of plate tectonics, the continual shifting of the continental plates. The effects can be observed in the macro or micro form. In this image, stress fractures offset the patterns of

petrified sand dunes. – Justin Black

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Late Autumn Light. The novelty and sheer scale of these sandstone formations can be overwhelming. But eventually, intriguing compositions begin to emerge. Patterns appear,

characterized by the juxtaposition of fascinating shapes. They are made more striking by the warm light of a

November sunset. – Ed Kenny

Mr. Jack Goldtooth granted us permission to camp on and photograph the seldom seen corners of the Navajo Nation. Two members of our group pass beneath white cliffs and azure skies en route to camp. When composing an image filled with an abundance of color, shooting in black and white, or converting it in post processing, will bring out contrasting shadows and details that are often overlooked. – Chris Collard

Looking north to Paria Canyon, a storm was moving in from the west, offering filtered light over the foreground and dramatic detail in the sky.

– Justin Black

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Chasing Dakar The ultimate South American road trip for a diehard rider.

By Steve Larsen Photography by Chris Collard

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Daunting. Dangerous. Divine.

The Dakar Rally is to dirt riders what The Vatican is to Catholics, what Hollywood is to movie fans, or the Grand Ole Opry is to country music lovers. It’s the Daytona 500 superimposed on the World Cup, and lasting as long as the Tour de France. To reach any respectable finishing position requires the physical conditioning of a triathlete and the endurance of a marathon runner; assuming said athletes could run consecutive races—thirteen to be precise—at up to 4,572 meters elevation and with only a single rest day. Insert a dual-sport motorcycle into the equation, and you will need to add superb navigational prowess and technical riding skills to your repertoire. Enter the Dakar Rally.

Talk to any off-pavement rider long enough, and the Dakar Rally will come up. We all seem to share the dream of participating or attending as a spectator. For most of us, due to the aforementioned requisites, this means we watch. Lest you think watching the Dakar as a spectator is for wimps, and a real rider would compete, allow me to enlighten you: tracking this cross-continent, multi-country route on a motorcycle is far from child’s play. It requires an average of 560 kilometers of riding per day, a good amount on dirt roads, occasionally shared with speeding race vehicles just inches from your elbows. Crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile (twice) includes 4,750 meter passes and sections so obscured with dust you’d think you were riding in a North Dakota Overland Journal Summer 2012

snowstorm. Lastly, you don’t receive the route directions until 12 hours prior to the next day’s stage.

The Dakar is the ultimate test for professional drivers and riders at the top of their game and in peak physical condition. Yet it is unique in that the rally is open for amateurs (privateers) to compete on the same level, on the same course, and with the same rules as the pros. I felt that my moto-journalism riding experience was insufficient preparation to ride the Dakar Rally as a competitor. However, when the opportunity surfaced to join a group of adventure riders in chasing the 2011 Dakar, it was not one to pass up.

Our trip was organized by RawHyde Adventures, specialists in dual-sport motorcycle training classes and camps; they were perfect to lead this sort of trip. The adventure began at the luxurious Estancia La Paz resort just outside of Cordoba, Argentina, where we were outfitted with rental bikes. A meet-and-greet dinner united the group: an ex-Israeli military officer and his Olympic skier wife, a sea captain (the only solo female rider), an adventure-seeking CEO and two of his pals, a retired physician, two attorneys from Texas, and several others. Although from different walks of life and different regions of the world, we shared a very common thread—to test ourselves, and experience one of the most challenging motor races in the world.

The bikes were an array of rented late-model BMWs (1200, 800, and 650GSs), with the exception of a few that were shipped in from the States. We would ultimately find that the 1200GSs held up very well, the 650GS twins and 800GSs less so. Nearly one-third of our group, all experienced off-pavement adventure riders, would not complete the trip, due to equipment failure or the lack of physical stamina.

I acclimated myself to my new ride, a 2010 1200GS, and customized it with handlebar risers and a mount for my GPS. While most of us were too nervous to notice, Estancia La Paz is a sublime resort situated on spacious grounds, offering terrific food, and a staff committed to pampering its guests. It belied the torture and stress we would be putting our bodies through over the next two weeks.

First Taste of the Race

The race charged at us from its podium starting point in Buenos Aires. At a checkpoint en route to Tucumán, we got our first glimpse of the competitors. Unlike other races, there are no barriers to protect spectators from the cars, motorcycles, and massive T4 trucks that come careening in; only a slim yellow ribbon cordons off the actual check-in areas. The cars arrive first, slide to a stop, have their tickets punched, and take off—tires spinning and spraying gravel over the crowd. A helicopter made a low pass as it chased the lead vehicles into the next stage.

Next were the motorcycles and ATV quads, and finally the T4s—monstrous Russian-built, diesel-powered 4WD KAMAZ trucks that crank out 1,000 horsepower and weigh almost five tons.

The ride to Tucumán was just over 547 kilometers, and temperatures hovered in the mid-to-high 90s. With eleven hours of seat time, the extra water we’d been encouraged to bring came in very handy. We pulled into our hotel, exhausted, exhilarated, and happy to be finally underway. As we began to nod off during a post-dinner briefing on the next day’s plan, we were apprised that it would be nearly 800 kilometers, with over 160 kilometers on dirt; the day after would be even more grueling. I drifted off thinking about the Andean passes we’d be crossing.

To endure the full fourteen days, I’d need to take it one day at a time.

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Andean Peaks, Coco Leaves and Customs

Choppers awakened us before 6 a.m. as they lifted off and trained their cameras on the front-runners. We gassed up at a handy filling station (72 kilometers in the opposite direction) and got under way. A mile out, as we began our assent into the Andes, we were met by a cold rain. Most of us were wearing riding suits from Klim, which worked perfectly the entire trip—except in this instance. The jackets funneled the frigid water directly into the front of our pants. Within minutes of reaching the top (the rain had stopped), we parked our bikes on a massive salt plateau and stripped down. Note to self: pack only new underwear.

Before leaving the salt flat, RawHyde’s local guides distributed coca leaves. We stuffed the dry, foul–tasting greenish leaves between our cheeks and gums like a wad of chewing tobacco and slowly absorbed the resulting juice. Popular with locals, coca leaves are a mild stimulant and reputed to relieve altitude sickness.

Crossing the Argentina/Chile border stretched into a four-hour ordeal. We were missing registration paperwork on several bikes and the Chilean and Argentinian authorities did not appear to like each other (Chile didn’t support Argentina during the Falkland Island skirmish with Britain, and the Argentinians are still miffed). Suffering from language limitations, we had difficulty navigating the process as officials

With media choppers in hot (and low) pursuit, the VW Red Bull team dominated the T2 four-wheeled vehicle class. Weighing in at more than 4,500 kilograms and shaking the earth as they pass, the 1,000 horsepower 4WD KAMAZ trucks, or T4 class, are no less than impressive. Opposite: Though the Dakar Rally has only been in South America for three years, locals have embraced the event and come out in the millions to cheer on competitors.

Opening page: Though 14 days in duration, the 9,500 kilometers of Dakar flash by like a blurry dream.

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Across top, left to right: The Dakar rally extends across 9,500 kilometers through some of South America’s most desolate regions. Moto riders, which share much of the course with the 4WDs and T4 KAMAZ trucks, must carry enough fuel, water, and emergency tools for special stages of up to 400 kilometers. Mano de Desierto, or Hand of the Desert, is the work of artist Mario Irarrazabal. Standing 9 meters high it sits alone in the arid Atacama. American favorite Jonah Street piloted his specially prepared Yamaha YZ450 to a 14th place finish. Chasing the Dakar on a dual-sport requires sharing hundreds of miles of chokingly dusty roads with hundreds of other support and media teams. Photo by Steve Larsen. Bottom: The final three kilometers of the Atacama Desert, which ends in Iquique, Chile, is a precipitous 1,000-meter descent down a wall of sand.

Overland Journal Summer 2012

We next encountered the motorcycle of one of our group who had ventured ahead of us alone: he was nowhere to be found. We reached the hotel and submitted a missing persons report. pointed fingers and passed blame. The delay devoured precious daylight and it was nearly dark by the time we were through.

As the sun disappeared, temperatures dropped like a brick from a cliff. The wind whipped up with ferocity, and it became a struggle to push the bikes through the inky Andean blackness. We spent the next four hours scratching our way to the hotel in Calama. Two people came off their bikes, but survived. At a stop, the wind blew another bike over.

Exhausted, frustrated, and angry at the decision to stop, the rider refused to go on; her bike was loaded onto the support truck. We next encountered the motorcycle of one of our group who had ventured ahead of us alone: he was nowhere to be found. We reached the hotel and submitted a missing persons report. My GPS had recorded its highest elevation, 4,800 meters. Tomorrow we would cross the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth.

Parched Earth

The group headed out at first light, while I hung back to tour this desperately dry city; I would cross the southern tip of the Atacama alone.

Calama averages just 5 millimeters of precipitation annually; the Atacama, no rainfall in all recorded history—none. There are no plants, no animals, and no insects; not even flies. According to Dr. Tibor Dunai from Edinburgh University, Scotland, the hyper-arid conditions date back 20 million years. The Atacama is the only place on Earth where lab-analyzed soil samples have resulted in a complete lack of life form. I rode through the arid desolation for several hours, marveling at my own audacity in taking this leg solo. The great sand sea finally ends at the Pacific Ocean, where it slowly spills into the water as it has for millennia.

In Iquique we were reunited with our missing rider. It turned out that after several hours in the frigid wind and a series of increasingly close calls, he pulled over and waved down the first motor coach that came by, who dropped him at the nearest hotel. He was relegated to the chase wagon for the remainder of the trip.

A Dakar highlight is watching competitors finish the stage in Iquique. From the edge of the Atacama, they drop straight down the face of a 1,000-meter high sand dune: one of the highest in the world.

From our vantage point near the nightly bivouac, it appeared nearly vertical. Due to the nature of sand and the steepness of the slope, racers have little choice but to stay on the power and head straight down.

For spectators, it is one of the most eye-popping sporting events ever.

Hundreds of high-performance vehicles, charging at full throttle, barrel straight down a hill of fine, deep sand with no way to stop or steer.

We took the opportunity in Iquique to take a much needed rest day, letting the race proceed to Arica.

A Desert Checkpoint

Rested and with Iquique behind us, our goal was to reach the next checkpoint before the racers. It sat in the center of a vast sand table that stretched to the horizon in every direction. This stop was extremely remote and had only a handful of spectators. It was also a fuel top-up for the motos, and a mandatory 15-minute waiting period. Imagine walking along the bench at a Super Bowl game, chatting casually with the players.

We were able to converse with Simon Pavey (on one of the few BMWs), Marc Coma (who would go on to win the rally on his KTM) and Cyril Despres of France (who would take second). This is what it is like to chase the Dakar.

The next morning we made a leisurely start south, taking time to stop at the “Hand of the Desert.” Chilean artist Mario Iarrázabal created the sculpture, which rises over 9 meters from the desert floor; it is said to emphasize human vulnerability and helplessness.

We spent the rest of the day on good pavement, fighting only the interminable Chilean winds. Riding in windy conditions, even at a brisk 80 kph, can be managed. However, when the wind gathers up sand from the desert, it changes from a hearty breeze to a sandblaster—not much fun. We take it with few complaints, though, because our attention is Overland Journal Summer 2012

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The bivouac, which moves each day during the 14-day rally, is a mobile city of nearly 2,500 souls. It is entirely fenced in and includes a commercial kitchen and dining area for 500, hospital, and media center. Eighteen hours after this photo was taken, the area was no more than barren desert. Across bottom, left to right: Late night food service in the dining area. GPS units are prohibited at Dakar. Instead, teams receive a tulip-chart route book for each days stage. Moto riders, because their hands must stay on the grips, receive a 30-foot scroll that they feed onto a hand-operated drum. Though the Dakar has been extremely popular with Europeans since its inception, the last decade has attracted high-profile U.S. teams like Speed Energy’s Robby Gordon. Each night Gordon’s team would pull into the bivouac and unveil an entire machine shop. Lined up like gladiators ready for battle, 4,500 kilogram, 1,000 horsepower KAMAZ race and support trucks await their early-morning start.

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focused on tonight when we’ll get to experience the bivouac before heading to our lodging in Copiapo.

Hi-Tech Nomads

The bivouac is a 2,500-person roaming city, and is the epicenter from which all things Dakar emanate. It moves each day and is every rider’s nightly destination. It consists of compact pit areas where support trucks, tents, cots, welders, motos, and sleeping pads occupy every square foot. There is a dining area that serves thousands each day, a tent hospital with a full operating room, and a television production facility.

Professional riders/drivers (with big sponsors) have support teams that tear down and rebuild the vehicles or bikes while they sleep. Independent drivers, or privateers, make their own repairs, and manage on just 3-4 hours of rest. Over the course of the race, this takes a toll and contributes to the immeasurable fatigue riders experience in later stages. We bring food to Simon Pavey, a 43-year-old Australian who trained Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor for their famous adventures.

He ate while he serviced his BMW G450X for the next stage.

Privateers, like Pavey, pay about $25,000 for their entry fee, which includes transport of two spare wheels and one footlocker-sized trunk (containing tools, parts, tent, and a sleeping bag) between bivouacs each day. Michelin sets up an area where they change tires for free. Another vendor provides free fabrication of parts. Food, medical assistance, and insurance are also included, as is the GPS tracking equipment that is installed on your bike.

The hospital consists of 55 doctors and a fully equipped operating room. There are also 10 roaming medical cars and three helicopters, each available to be dispatched at the first sign of trouble. Walking through the acres of tents, trailers, corrals, and brightly lit repair areas, it is hard to imagine that the entire place is torn down, packed up, trucked several hundred miles, and rebuilt the next day, often in the middle of a desert.

Paso de San Francisco

Our initial east-to-west Andean crossing was a long, tough ride. The return trip would take us over Paso de San Francisco, another 800-kilometer ride on roads shared with race vehicles—we were intent to not repeat the mistakes made in our first passage.

Committed to an early start, we awoke at 4 a.m., had a quick café con leche with cold ham and cheese sandwiches, and were on the bikes within 30 minutes. We pulled over at the base of the Andes to collect a wad of coca leaves from the truck to help stave off any altitude issues and to help keep us alert during another long day of riding. Addicting, no…really.

We ran into dust at 4,300 meters elevation, visibility dropped to near zero, and dirt clogged our helmets. Clearing a corner, my front tire dove into a soft sandy channel, throwing me to the ground. Groaning, I looked up to see two other bikes down just in front of me. Panic rushed to my head as I thought of the riders behind me, and even more dangerous, the five-ton trucks behind them. Several of us frantically pulled the bikes from the path while others ran down the hill to warn traffic.

This one had us shaken, not stirred, and we were in store for more drama before the day ended.

Several riders crashed, one damaging his bike beyond repair. Another fainted from the altitude. A BMW support vehicle stopped to help; they had oxygen and were able to provide a lift to the border. The route took its toll on our support truck too. Several suspension bolts sheared off, forcing speeds to drop below 16 kph. A few miles later, the air bag suspension gave out, reducing the pace to 6 kph.

The lead group made it to the scheduled campsite in Chilecito around 9 p.m. An hour later, the second group, my group, gathered at a gas station 160 kilometers short of town. The mechanic assured us the truck could be fixed overnight. Too exhausted to go on, we decided to spend the night. The town’s tourist bureau found a local resident who could provide accommodation. After dinner we were asleep in seconds.

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Groaning, I looked up to see two other bikes down just in front of me. Panic rushed to my head as I thought of the riders behind me, and even more dangerous, the five-ton trucks behind them.

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At the hotel that night, most of my fellow riders concluded that this had been the most dangerous, craziest, and humbling thing they’d ever done.

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Our guides commandeered the homeowner’s kitchen and prepared a breakfast of eggs, tortillas, and tomatoes. Curious children shyly crept into the house after having spent the night with friends (so we could have their beds). I am told our modest fee and gratuity to the family well exceeded a month’s income—slightly alleviating the “rich gringo takes child’s bed” headline in my mind. With only a few days left in our adventure, several riders opted to lighten their load by abandoning their sleeping bags, tents and clothing, much to the delight of the children.

With just under 480 kilometers to San Juan, we were back in the saddles.

The Road to Cordoba

The group split for the last leg to Cordoba, one pod taking a longer but safer route. My riding partner and I began on the safe route, but then located a back road on the GPS. We were warned it would be difficult, but forged ahead. “We’ve got a good GPS unit, how hard can it be, especially given what we’ve been through?” The warnings proved to be unwarranted, though a few sections did turn into footpaths between backyards and fields, and at one point, through a monastery.

At the hotel that night, most of my fellow riders concluded that this had been the most dangerous, craziest, and humbling thing they’d ever done. Motorcycle legend Malcolm Smith said the Dakar was the most Overland Journal Summer 2012

grueling and brutal ride he’d ever taken. Charley Boorman, a life-long rider and part of the Long Way Round team, attempted the Dakar in 2006. Boorman managed just five days before crashing and withdrawing. He states in his book, Race to Dakar, “However hard you might think it will be, however well you prepare for it, it will never be enough.

It is an emotional, physical, and mental rollercoaster that demands total devotion. If you need to ask about it, you probably shouldn’t do it.”

Riding with the RawHyde group of adventurers was an honor. The wonders of South America, the topography, the warmth and enthusiasm of the Argentinean and Chilean people, coupled with an amazing ride puts this in the “must-do-before-you-die” category. It will reward you with months of excited anticipation as you prepare, a dozen-plus days of genuine adventure and thrills, followed by rich memories that will remain with you forever. Some of our group said, “Never again.” A few others were already planning for next year. If you have the chance to go, take it.

To race or chase the Dakar is to immerse yourself in one of the most grueling exercises in mental, physical, and mechanical endurance. Each day requires 300-700 kilometers of seat time, including several hundred kilometers of dirt tracks, sand dunes, or water crossings.

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Classic Style Triple Aught Design founder Patrick Ma shares his retro-modern Cruiser.

By Matthew Scott Photography by Marc Fiorito and Scott Brady

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S

ince its introduction in 1959, the 40 Series Toyota Land Cruiser has been the vehicle of choice for people who simply needed to get the job done. Whether delivering medical supplies to a remote Amazon village, trekking across the Kalahari, or serving as a mobile anti– aircraft gun platform, this Jack-of-all-trades has done it all—and done it well.

The 40 Series, in addition to proving dynamic and reliable, has also revealed its versatility. As other vehicles have succumbed to technological obsolescence, the Land Cruiser has rolled with the times. Over the course of its production history, the platform received 11 different engines and countless options among its numerous chassis and body configurations. Part of its legacy, and the reason why so many of these vehicles are still on the road today, is the interchangeability of all those parts. We rarely find a better example of this than we did in Patrick Ma’s 1978 FJ40.

Patrick’s love affair with overland vehicles stems from a childhood spent watching wildlife shows on PBS. At an early age, he fell for the styling of the 40 Series, a functional and reliable toolbox on four wheels. It was a passion that carried through to his first vehicle, a 1978 FJ40. Unfortunately, as the number of speeding tickets on his motorcycle went up, so did his insurance rates. The Land Cruiser had to go, but the FJ40 itch would resurface some years later.

The majority of his overlanding experience came from working with wildlife conservation projects in remote areas of South America and treks across Australia’s Top End. Undoubtedly, there were a few Bandeirantes that popped up in his adventures (Brazil produced the 40 Series Bandeirante until 2001). It would not be until he settled down in San Francisco, California, to start Triple Aught Design (TAD) that he would again pick up the Land Cruiser trail.

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98 As ideal as many of us think the FJ40 is, nothing is truly perfect. In stock form, it lacked locking differentials, four-wheel disc brakes, a highway-friendly 5-speed transmission, and do we need to say this…horsepower. Additionally, the bodies are known to be susceptible to rust—not a good thing if you live on the coast where salt air can eat your vehicle from the inside out. Patrick would address each of these concerns on its own merit. He set his sights on a fiberglass body, a more modern bio-diesel-capable Toyota power plant, and a later-model gearbox.

Though the vehicle would see plenty of local trail time, the goal would be an overland rig suitable for a comfortable and trouble-free drive from San Francisco to Tierra del Fuego and back—with ample reserves for side exploration.

The first step was to remove the original 6-cylinder 2F petrol engine (an old but reliable design borrowed from Chevrolet), 4-speed Overland Journal Summer 2012

transmission, and transfer case. The replacement mill selected was a Toyota 1HZ 4.2-liter diesel. For additional horsepower, an Alamo Industries turbo was added. While the engine was out, a venerable H55F 5-speed gearbox was sourced, which is better suited for the additional horsepower and torque, and fitted between the 1HZ and the OEM transfer case. This combination would provide for a factory fit, enhanced performance (estimated at 160 hp) and towing capacity, and improved fuel economy (nearly 30 mpg).

With the drive train on the bench, the body was removed to reveal any potential needs of the Land Cruiser’s rigid ladder-box frame. After the frame was stripped, sandblasted, and powder coated, reassembly began with the fitting of Old Man Emu leaf springs and Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks.

The front axle housing would remain in place, while the rear was swapped for a unit from a 70 Series. To adhere to the “All Toyota, go

Even with it’s classic look and design, the FJ40 performs well in technical terrain thanks to it’s Old Man Emu springs and Rancho shocks.

Opposite: 1. The National Luna dual battery controller next to the vintage control panel for the locking differentials.

2. The Vintage Air air-conditioning system brings a cool breeze to the occupants.

3. A Warn 8274 winch is mounted to the Man-AFre 4+Plus bumper for self-recovery.

4. The transplanted Toyota 1HZ engine and Alamo turbo produce approximately 160 hp.

5. Marine-grade subfloor storage compartments house medical and recovery supplies.

6. A Wilderness roof rack holds Camping Lab’s awning, and the Man-A-Fre 4+Plus bumper protects the rear of the vehicle while providing storage for extra fuel, water, and a Hi-Lift jack.

7. The rear storage area houses Tuffy Security boxes, a custom 6-point roll cage, and a fire extinguisher.

8. RAM cell phone and GPS mounts ensure the driver can always communicate and navigate.

9. Additional subfloor marine-grade storage was installed underneath the driver’s feet, a benefit of the fiberglass body.

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“I love the body styling of the FJ40 Series… purposedriven, functional, reliable toolbox on four wheels.”

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anywhere” mantra, both ends of the vehicle would receive electric locking-differentials by way of factory 80 Series third members. An advantage of using a 70 Series rear housing was factory disc brakes.

A fiberglass body would not be considered authentic by some. However, if you’re planning to keep (and drive) your rig for the next 30 years, eliminating the all-too-common 40 Series rust syndrome is a definite benefit. The body was sourced from Gozzard Composites in Canada. Reassembly began.

For creature comforts, the interior received 60 Series seats with marine-grade vinyl, a Vintage Air A/C system, and three Tuffy Security compartments. Bringing the FJ into the modern world are a Hi-Fi package with six speakers, iPod interface, five 12V USB outlets, and RAM phone and GPS mounts. A cluster of Auto Meter gauges monitor engine vitals, and a custom six-point roll cage protects occupants from the unexpected.

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- Patrick Ma

After interior accoutrements were completed, the drivetrain was slipped in behind an OEM radiator. Dual Interstate batteries, managed by National Luna controls, bring the 1HZ to life. Aspiration is provided via a custom-fabricated snorkel. Up top, a Wilderness roof rack has ample room for a family-load of gear and a Camping Lab awning provides a comfortable retreat from sun and rain. Rounding off the package is a 4+Plus bumper from Man-A-Fre, fitted with an 8274 Warn winch and Lightforce 170 Striker auxiliary lights.

Out back, the spare tire and jerry can ride on a heavy-duty Man-A-Fre carrier and bumper.

Walking around Patrick’s final rendering of this classic overlander, it is evident that the same high level of attention to detail that goes into TAD’s clothing went into his new-old love. The Overland Journal crew first witnessed this work of mechanical beauty at the 2011 Overland Expo and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

Specifications

1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 • Fiberglass body from Gozzard Composites • Mechanically injected Toyota 4164cc 6-cylinder turbo-diesel • Alamo turbo, boost compensator, and intercooler (160 hp) • Diesel or bio-diesel fuel • 1995 Toyota H55F 5-speed manual transmission, OEM two-piece transfer case • Old Man Emu leaf springs (2.5” lift) • Rancho RS9000 Shocks and Old Man Emu steering stabilizer • 40 Series front axle, 70 Series rear axle (with factory disc brakes) • Factory 80 Series third members with electric locking differentials and 4.11 gears • 60 Series power steering unit • Vintage Air air conditioning • Man-A-Fre 4+Plus front and rear bumpers, Warn 8274 winch, Lightforce 170 Striker auxiliary lights • National Luna dual battery controller • Wilderness roof rack with Camping Lab awning and shovel mount • Marine grade sub-floor cargo boxes • Custom six-point roll cage with overhead mounted Alpine sub-woofer, amplifier and six speaker system • Tuffy Security boxes

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OVERLAND CONSERVATION

Innovative Disaster Response If your heart has ever gone out to disaster victims, yet you didn’t know how to help, Team Rubicon (TR) may be your savior. TR presents an effective approach to disaster relief by uniting veterans and medical professionals, and deploying them around the world at a moment’s notice.Team members have worked in Haiti, Burma, Sudan, Kenya, Pakistan, and provided assistance after the recent tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest. “Veterans have skills that are directly applicable to disaster relief, specifically exhibiting their leadership, emergency medicine, and mobilization expertise during a disaster,” says William McNulty, Vice-president and co-founder of Team Rubicon USA. If you can’t break away at a moment’s notice, TR welcomes monetary donations (all donations during deployment go directly to field operations), and they are always in need of people with legal, PR, tech, and accounting skills. teamrubiconusa.org, 888-831-0841

Alice Gugelev

Amongst the Tribes Canyon de Chelly, Castle Country Utah, and the Dempster Highway—so many of our favorite overlanding destinations lay inside or along tribal lands. Though many of us may have traveled these routes, most have never had the chance to meet the regions’ culturally unique peoples. The question often asked is: “How do we approach them, how do we gain insight to their culture, and glimpse their daily routine without disturbing their lives?” The Muskoka Foundation may have your answer. They have coordinated volunteer programs with eight indigenous tribes in the U.S. and Canada, including the Navajo, Ute, and Seneca Nations, the Piikani and Songhees tribes, and the Inuvik, the northernmost inhabitants on the Dempster. If interested in volunteering, contact The Muskoka Foundation for program details. You may be able to share your skills in a meaningful way while building friendships with these communities. themuskokafoundation.org, 650-888-1283

Eco-Overlanding Noteworthy efforts around the globe 103

The Long Time Coming A decade ago, Marc Noonan spent his time in British pubs with friends, dreaming about traveling the world. During the following eight years he came to the realization that his wanderlust would need greater meaning than just doing a cool trip. The greater meaning would be The Long Time Coming, a fund-raising campaign for Central American charities and schools that work with neglected and disadvantaged children. Noonan said, “I spent some of my first years in foster homes and orphanages…I’m hoping I can have a positive effect…to give them the potential and opportunities that were given to me.” Marc is hoping to raise £110,000 ($175,000), and will be working with selected charities (he is currently in Belize), as he rides his quad towards South America. Follow Marc’s progress, or make a donation on his website thelongtimecoming.com

All Overland Conservation article fees are generously donated by Overland Journal to Muskoka partner communities around the world. Updates on the use of these donations will appear in future Overland Journal articles.

Welcoming faces in Oaxaca.

Building friendships along the way.

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OVERLAND MEDICINE

Dr. Jon Solberg

Carbon Monoxide Don’t let silent gas ruin your next overland trek.

Illustration by Michele Dallarso

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CO Poisoning

Carbon monoxide in the blood can cause nausea, headache, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, central nervous system dysfunction, heart arrhythmias, and death.

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ho among us is fortunate enough to have avoided nausea after rapid ascent to high altitude, vomiting and diarrhea shortly after eating undercooked local cuisine, or a morning headache upon awakening to a campsite devoid of coffee?

Most overland travelers find such occasional nuisances worth the risk and assume these symptoms are likely due to acute mountain sickness, food poisoning, and caffeine withdrawals. After all, don’t they come with the territory, and who wants to be known as a complainer? However evident the cause of these symptoms may be, are you sure they might not be the effect of something altogether different? Could they be early symptoms of a less conspicuous but more lethal problem lurking under your camper or your vintage overland vehicle? Carbon monoxide is ever present when you are working around or traveling in a vehicle. Whether you are keeping warm during a road-side bivouac by running the car engine, cooking fish tacos on your camper’s propane stove, or simply roadtripping in a rusty but trusty ride that needs some exhaust work, this silent but deadly gas may be your most serious risk during your next overland adventure.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as petroleum products, wood, and alcohol. When present in the air we breathe, CO is absorbed through the lungs and into the blood stream. Once there, it diffuses into red blood cells and prevents the oxygencarrying molecule, hemoglobin, from doing its job: picking up oxygen in the lungs and delivering it to peripheral tissue like muscles and organs. Low concentrations of CO in the blood can result in mild symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, weakness, and fatigue. Higher concentrations can cause central nervous system dysfunction, heart arrhythmias, and even death, especially in the elderly and unborn.

Vehicle-Associated CO

Common sense dictates that people would go to great lengths to avoid this toxic substance, yet each year in the U.S., unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning results in 40,000 emergency department visits and likely more than 450 deaths.1 The American Journal of Public Health reports the majority of unintentional (non-fire related) CO deaths

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occur under the following circumstances: in an older vehicle, an outdoor setting, and with exhaust systems found to have rusty, short, or missing tailpipes. Other culprits are loose exhaust manifold connections, corroded floorboards, and partial obstructions caused by snow or dirt (obviously not our rigs, right?). Don’t let this drive you to paranoia though; the majority of these deaths occurred between the hours of 0000-0600, with victims who were under the influence of alcohol.2 Thankfully, none of us like beer or scotch, right? Thus, no further discussion is likely required on minimizing exposure time and using common sense. (Did someone say scotch?)

Generators and Stoves

Older, poorly maintained vehicles aren’t the only vector bringing this deadly gas into close vicinity with overlanders and campers. Portable generators and camp stoves are often overlooked as a source of CO. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, portable generators used in poorly ventilated areas resulted in 46 non-fatal CO poisonings and 5 deaths in the Gulf Coast states.3 We must not have learned our lesson though: three years later, in the weeks following Hurricane Ike, generator usage led to 54 poisonings and 7 deaths in Texas.4 While the large amount of carbon monoxide exhausted from internal combustion engines and generators may seem blatantly obvious, other more subtle and less conspicuous sources such as mountaineering stoves and heaters have recently led to the deaths of climbers who fell asleep while melting snow in their tents.5 Unfortunately, using a gas stove inside a tent or camper for cooking or heating is quite common and these statistics illustrate the importance of keeping all enclosed spaces appropriately ventilated. [Editor’s note: This subject hit close to home for me, as a classmate from high school died as a result of leaving a camp stove burning in his tent (for heat).]

Diagnosis

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Commercially available, finger-tip pulse oximeters (often carried by mountain climbers to measure their oxygen saturation) are not capable of detecting CO levels. They cannot differentiate red blood cells carrying oxygen from red blood cells carrying CO. Do not be fooled by such a device which displays a reading of 99%. Making the diagnosis in the field requires keeping a high index of suspicion when operating around internal combustion engines and fires. Hospitals have the ability to perform a blood test called co-oximetry, which quantifies the actual amount of CO dissolved in the blood; however, many small and remote hospitals do not possess such equipment.

Treatment

Anyone in the vicinity of exhaust fumes who develops symptoms should immediately head for fresh air. If oxygen is available, as is sometimes carried by divers and mountain climbers, it should be breathed on a high-flow setting and through a mask (as specified by the user’s manual). Symptoms lasting more than 5-10 minutes, especially for a patient at increased risk (the elderly, pregnant women, and infants), should prompt a visit to the local hospital, where co-oximetry testing can be performed and oxygen is available for a longer duration than can be provided by portable cylinders. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (available at dive chambers around the world) is currently being researched, but has yet to be proven superior to standard therapy in most cases.6

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Pitfalls

Regarding the initially suggested (and commonly misdiagnosed) ailments, food poisoning has also been known to cause silent but deadly gas. However, unless you’re sharing an enclosed space with my old medical school roommate and adventuring buddy Ryan, your life likely isn’t in any acute jeopardy. Food poisoning is a very specific diagnosis and is caused by pre-formed toxins that grow in improperly stored or prepared food. Within 2-6 hours of ingesting the bacteria-produced toxins, nausea and severe abdominal cramps, and occasionally explosive diarrhea ensue. In either case, if early symptoms develop, it is a good idea to move to a well-ventilated area. The good news is that simple food poisoning doesn’t require a trip to the doctor as long as it subsides within a few hours. If you’re afflicted, suck it up—you will live. If your buddy’s afflicted, find comedy in the situation (from a distance). If you consumed the same food, brace yourself and prepare for impact.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) afflicts un-acclimatized individuals who ascend too rapidly from below 4,992 feet to above 8,200 feet elevation. Symptoms may mimic CO poisoning and include nausea, headache, decreased appetite, and fatigue. It’s very difficult to predict who will develop AMS, but once symptoms develop, and are not resolved within a few minutes in fresh mountain air, it’s imperative that the ascent be terminated and resumed only when symptoms have completely resolved. AMS is never associated with balancing problems or difficulty breathing. The appearance of these two deadly symptoms may indicate the development of life-threatening, altitude-associated conditions, and should prompt immediate descent. Caffeine withdrawal can cause nausea and headaches as well. It’s best avoided by packing plenty of java beans and keeping an emergency Red Bull in the glove box.

So, go ahead and get to the mountains as soon as possible, but sleep initially at a lower elevation. Partake in the local cuisine, but ensure it’s cooked thoroughly. And for Pete’s sake, don’t forget the French press and coffee. Keep CO poisoning on your radar and if you notice the symptoms developing, open a window and turn off the generator. Never run a conventional gas or propane stove at night as a heat source.

The fortunate thing about CO poisoning is that it’s preventable; staying vigilant may mean the difference between life and death for you and your family. Prevention is always preferred, so take the next available opportunity to inspect your exhaust system, and consider relocating your portable generator outside your camper’s storage cubbyhole or farther from camp. As long as your family’s safety is in the balance, install a high-flow exhaust system and trade in that nasty, dangerous, life-threatening generator for a set of deep-cycle batteries, solar panels, and an electric heater…doctors orders.

1 5

Chang, 2008, 2 Baron, 1989, 3 MMWR Weekly, 2005, 4 MMWR Weekly, 2009, Thomassen, 2004, 6 Chang, 2008

Resources

Carbon Monoxide Information: Center for Disease Control, cdc.gov/co/ Keychain-sized CO Detector: Pocket CO, detectcarbonmonoxide.com

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If you take prIde In your vehIcle, take prIde In your drIvIng.

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4/20/12 8:38 AM

SKILLS

Bruce Dorn

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Adventure Photography Bruce Dorn, award winning photographer, cinematographer, and Canon Explorer of Light, gives us a no-nonsense photography lesson.

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Overland travel

tends to lead us to some of the most fascinating places,

often providing a continual stream of amazing sights; sights that are, at times, darn near impossible to put into words. Sure, a wonderful yarn of adventure, spun by a master weaver of tales, can create a tapestry of epic proportions. But sadly, not all of us have the gift of gab. Thank goodness for cameras. Everyone surely knows the adage, a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Oh, if it was just that simple...

In reality, it usually goes something like this: when confronted by an indescribably beautiful sight, we dig around until we manage to excavate the camera from wherever we last tossed it. We then dutifully point it in the general direction of the eye-candy du jour, punch the shutter release, and smugly imagine ourselves sharing the resulting gem with friends while wallowing in the adulation of the much meeker stay-at-home crowd. In reality, the resulting images are often much less compelling than we originally anticipated. The question we ask is, “Why?” While we certainly wouldn’t dream of driving across the country, let alone around the world, without a proper vehicle and solid skill-set, many of us expect to create cover-worthy photographs without a similar commitment to the craft of image making.

As with anything worth doing well, learning a few proven techniques, and practicing until they become intuitive, is the foundation of photographic success. What follows are a few helpful tips to jump-start your drive towards great photography.

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Aperture

Shutter Speed

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ISO

Opportunity + Proper Preparation

= Great Photography Overland Journal Summer 2012

Horses for Courses

The absolute best camera is the one you have with you.

To pick a camera that is appropriate for the task, make sure it is one that you are willing take with you everywhere you go. The list of incredible shots that I’ve missed, simply because my camera was just out of reach, is long and depressing. I won’t mention the three beautiful timber wolves bounding through fresh powder, or the 15 fully hat-racked bull moose walking single file across a frozen river. I did see them…really, but all I have to show for it are some ultra-sharp neurochromes. Hindsight is 20/20 and I promise you that a state-of-the-art DSLR with my favorite money lens, a brilliantly sharp Canon 70-200mm f2.8 with image stabilization, is now always well within my reach.

Your best choice may be a waterproof point and shoot, an oldschool 6x17cm panoramic, or a slightly out-of-date DSLR. The tools you choose are your own unique prerogative. Even if you have more discretionary income than Bill Gates, resist the temptation to buy more stuff than you can properly master.

That’s one of the joys of being an artist; we get to decide how we will view the world. And, of course, we get to stay up late, get up early, act weird, and wander afield with an aim to capture those things that mere mortals seldom see. Pick the right camera and life will be grand.

Aperture I usually begin by establishing the desired aperture, referred to as the “f-stop.” Aperture (size of the iris opening) controls the sharpness of objects in front and behind the plane of focus (subject).

If I want the entire image to be sharp I use a higher “f ” number, f16 or f22. If I want to keep the focus primarily on the subject, softly blurring any distracting foreground and background elements, I choose a lower “f ” number, f2 or f4. I never leave this decision to the camera’s microprocessors. In all cases, I pre-visualize the effect I wish to capture, make an educated decision, judge the result, and adjust to taste.

Craftsman: Know Thy Tools

Shoot a test frame with your desired aperture and shutter speed. If it’s too dark, elevate the ISO number until you get the proper exposure. If it’s too light, lower the ISO. While this seems like more work than setting the camera on automatic and using the spray and pray technique, a bit of thoughtful preparation will result in consistently better exposures.

Once you have a camera and a lens, stop and breathe.

Don’t rush to accrue more gear until you’ve mastered a single camera and lens. I like the analogy of the frontier homesteader with a well-worn, lever-action Winchester never far from his side. This crusty character used his trusty shootin‘ iron to gather food, dispatch marauding predators, and when needed, to protect his family. You can be sure he knew everything there was to know about that rifle; for all practical purposes, it had become an extension of himself.

Modern cameras aren’t ideal for dispatching marauding predators, but when handled properly, they absolutely can put food on the table. I suggest making the camera an extension of yourself: take it everywhere.

Commit to finding an interesting shot in every situation. Ignore this advice and you’ll likely become a master of blowing once-in-a-lifetime photo ops.

Be the Master of Your Own Domain Modern cameras have microprocessors stuffed into every nook and cranny. They exist solely to translate information, such as illumination levels of a scene, into a “best guess” exposure. They do pretty well, considering that they are, for all practical purposes, blind. How the scene is rendered is entirely up to you. Do you like the camera’s rendition? If not, there are really only three basic controls you will need to master: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Why not take charge of things yourself ?

Shutter Speed Once I’ve decided the aperture and related look,

I choose an appropriate shutter speed. If I wish to freeze my subject’s action, I use a high shutter speed: between 1/1000th of a second to 1/8000th of a second. If I want to enhance the sensation of speed with a bit of background blur, such as when shooting a cheetah at full sprint, I choose a lower shutter speed, 1/30th to 1/250th of a second. If you like the effect, it’s correct. If not, make another guess, this time with the benefit of your newly accrued wisdom.

ISO Now we come to the third leg of our well-balanced stool, the ISO.

Don’t rush to accrue more gear until you’ve mastered a single camera and lens.

Cheat sheet The three basics Aperture controls the depth of sharpness Entire image sharp: use a higher “f” number, f16 or f22 Subject in focus, background blurred: use a lower “f” number, f2 or f4 Shutter speed length of time your shutter ‘sees’ the scene

Freeze subject’s action: use a high shutter speed between 1/1000th of a second to 1/8000th of a second Sensation of speed: use a lower shutter speed, 1/30th to 1/250th of a second

ISO establishes the light sensitivity of the sensor Photo too dark: elevate the ISO number until you get the proper exposure Photo too light: lower the ISO number

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Manual Focus

Point of View If your camera lacks a Kelvin setting, select the “sun” icon for all but truly cloudy days or in open shade.

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Light effects

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Focus-Pocus While auto focus (AF) and auto exposure (AE) are great when you are in a hurry, they can be automatically wrong now and then. Most cameras have a variety of AF modes (single-shot or tracking) that are very specific in application and always useful. Don’t forget to take charge and twist that focusing ring manually when the situation demands: few AF systems can consistently focus through foreground branches or fences.

If your camera has a live view mode, give it a try. This is a “What you see is what you get” setting, and generally the only way to record video. Whether creating a still photograph or a motion clip, the LCD shows you exactly what you are about to capture, sharp or not. If the scene is not absolutely sharp, remove that cheap UV or skylight lens filter the salesman conned you into buying. If you expect the lens to be subjected to sandblasting or water soaking, use only a clear filter. If your lens may be in danger of a direct impact, attach a sacrificial lens hood to deflect the blow.

Unleash your Inner Artiste Find Your Own Voice

Research your hunting grounds, but don’t be a poacher.

When planning a trip, you’ll surely spend countless hours researching your route. You’ll undoubtedly take note of iconic landscapes, temples, and festivals the area has to offer. It is likely that someone has already been there, done that. Caution: their online images can either be inspiration for yet another clichéd image, or motivation for a truly unique idea.

While I strongly prefer the latter approach, I know a successful young pro who fully embraces the concept of “R&D”—as in rip-off and duplicate. His plagiaristic approach has served him well, but his images have a strong whiff of the very familiar. Better to succeed or fail on the merits of your own unique vision than to be a sketchy clone of another’s true talent. But that’s just my own silly point-of-view.

Create a Unique Point-of-View

Dig out that leisure suit and get down…in the mud. Okay, it doesn’t have to be a leisure suit; any old rags you don’t mind ruining will do. The idea is to get down in the dirt and find a fresh point of view.

Climb a tree, shoot from the hip, anything. But do yourself a favor and don’t take every shot from standing eye level—BORING. Do whatever it takes to find a unique and intriguing perspective. Your reward will be when you share your images with friends.

Would it Kill You to Miss a Meal Now and Then?

Nature and travel photography is mostly about capturing the effects of light, and the best light occurs within a couple of hours of dawn and dusk. At low angles, sunlight passes through more airborne particulate matter than at midday, imbuing a unique colorcast and character. We call these brief photographic windows “The Magic Hour.”

Unfortunately, the magic hour happens to correspond with breakfast and dinner times. And that’s why God invented granola bars.

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Adventure documentation

A photo of a giraffe can be wonderful. But recording the act of creating that photo can capture the adventure essence of the moment. Sometimes you are the subject. Next time you are in a group and confronted with a great photo opportunity, while everyone else is snapping away, take a few steps back and document the scene. (Hint: avoid photos with people looking at the camera.) - Chris Collard

Better to succeed or fail on the merits of your own unique vision than to be a sketchy clone of another’s true talent.

While you’re munching on that granola bar, be sure to set your camera’s white balance—manually. Auto white balance (AWB) is an excellent way to cancel the beautiful colors of sunset. Try 5200ºK from dawn until 9 a.m., and again from 3 p.m. to dusk. This will accurately preserve the warm colors as you see them. Use 5600ºK to add a bit of warmth to the higher and cooler midday sunlight. If your camera lacks a Kelvin setting, select the “sun” icon for all but truly cloudy days or in open shade.

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Go Pro

Give yourself an assignment and approach it like a pro.

You may not have a client or fat expense account, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work like a pro. Give yourself an assignment, work within a time frame, and your results will quickly improve. Here are a couple of assignment ideas to consider: Photo by Chris Collard

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Be the Lens

Try an extended session of shooting exclusively at the extreme ends of your zoom. Start by spending a few hours shooting with your zoom set at its widest angle. Work at the lens’ minimum focusing distance and see how it behaves.

Once you’ve got the hang of pre-visualizing how the wideangle setting sees the world, zoom out to full telephoto and do the exercise again.

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See the Light

Spend a lengthy session shooting interesting subjects with the sun directly behind you. Do another with interesting sidelight, and then a third with nothing but strong backlighting.

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Many point and shoot cameras have astonishing close-up capabilities. Nail the focus to its closest setting and try to find captivating compositions in mundane objects. This exercise can be very enlightening.

Final word—Have Fun This is my final and best tip of all. When you enjoy what you do, it shows in your work.

Bruce Dorn is one of Canon’s Explorers of Light photographers.

You can join Bruce at one of the Canon-sponsored Destination Workshops. Details online at the Canon Digital Learning Center.

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Photos by Chris Collard

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Unseen Worlds

Note from the Editor: We receive hundreds of queries each year from potential contributors who have completed incredible overland adventures.The primary reason that an article is not accepted is the lack of compelling images.

Great stories, bad photos…it kills me. Bruce’s advice is spot on. Read through it again, source a camera, and practice. Then get out there, in the mud if needed, and shoot. Next time you return from the Kalahari, Central America, or the American West, we want to see your “cover shot.”

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OVERLAND CHEF

Zach Berning and Jonathan Snaza Overland Gourmet

Grilled Salmon Salad with Balsamic Tamari Reduction Lighten up your summer cuisine with a fresh salad, but don’t put away the BBQ

Serves: 2 | Cook time: 20-25 minutes Equipment: BBQ grill, small sauce pan, fine mesh strainer

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2 salmon fillets 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup tamari 1 clove garlic, chopped Mixed greens Seasonal vegetables (for salad and grilling) 1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)

Prep the grill by brushing a thin coat of oil on the cooking surface to prevent sticking. If using gas, preheat to a medium heat. If using charcoal, be sure the coals are bright hot with subsided flames, and at least a medium temperature. While the grill is heating, prepare the reduction.

In a small saucepan over medium/low heat, add the balsamic vinegar, tamari, and chopped garlic. Bring to a light simmer while stirring regularly and reduce to 50 percent of original volume. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer to remove garlic. Set aside to cool.

Plate the mixed greens, carrots, and other veggies. (Optional: Add some cooked brown rice to the salad to add bulk and variety). Set aside.

Grill the salmon, skin side down first, for a total of 4-6 minutes (2-3 minutes per side) per ½ inch of thickness. Turn only once during the grilling process.

Cook until the meat begins to change color and becomes flaky. When done, remove from the grill and place on top of the salad. Lightly drizzle your balsamic tamari reduction over the salmon and greens. Serve and enjoy.

Note: Always start with a light drizzle as the reduction has a lot of flavor and you don’t want to overwhelm the dish. You can always add more.

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The summer weather brings about a change not only in our travel destinations, but the types of meals we enjoy at camp. With warmer temperatures upon us, we tend to shelve the thick and hearty pastas and soups in favor of lighter dishes that compliment the seasonal shift. While the BBQ may be the “go to” for many camp chefs, some of the summertime classics like thick steaks or burgers can leave us with a sense of overindulgence—an ingredient that doesn’t always mix well with warm summer nights.

Healthy salads are always a great option for camp dinners year round, but they play a larger role in the summer with the addition of great seasonal vegetables. We all enjoy a mixed green salad, but as a main course, it can leave us longing for that extra something to satisfy our appetite. Here is one of our favorite salad recipes. Not only is it simple to make and full of an array of complementary flavors, it adds that perfect something to a salad to leave you sated and ready to wind down by the campfire.

Menu

Main course ~ Serve with grilled seasonal veggies and fresh bread Beverage ~ Gin and tonic, Hefeweizen, or a Riesling Dessert ~ Seasonal fruit with a Grand Mariner honey drizzle

Zach and Jonathan run Overland Gourmet, a website dedicated to gourmet cooking in the field: overlandgourmet.com, 855-7646-7484

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Classic Kit

Dr. Jon Solberg

The Straight Razor Embracing the Tonsorial Art

F

A quality straight-blade shave is enhanced by tobacco and a daily newspaper.

or some individuals, nothing is more routine than shaving. Skipping the daily ritual in pursuit of the illustrious five o’clock shadow is but one joy experienced by overlanders fortunate enough to escape for extended holiday.

Some travelers derive personal pleasure from each passing mile’s accumulating layer of road grit and facial stubble, looking and smelling ever more the furry likes of Ponce de Leon and Ferdinand Magellan. Alas, these hirsute and poorly groomed explorers should be cut some slack.

After all, they endured weeks of bad chow, mutinous comrades, tropical disease, and risk of death…all in the name of exploration. Fortunately, as scientific and navigational methods became more refined, so did the grooming habits of buccaneers and explorers. What was once the rugged look of the professional explorer, magically morphed with the rise of the razor into the smooth-jowled likes of Roald Amundsen and the exquisitely stache’d David Livingstone. These explorers didn’t neglect personal hygiene, and neither should you.

Why not take the same Zen-like approach to grooming that we take with our oil changes, tire rotations, and road-less-traveled mantra?

Henry Morton Stanley did. Every morning, according to his late wife Dorothy, Stanley, the most famous African bush explorer, shaved. In fact, he “never neglected this custom, however great the difficulty,” according to Tim Jeal, one of Stanley’s most famous biographers. For Stanley, it was this act of creating order in his personal life that served as his “antidote to the destructive capacities of nature all around.” By exploring shaving’s history, and the materials and methods necessary to embrace this tonsorial (of or related to barbering) art, Overland Journal readers will be enlightened and primed to derive almost limitless personal pleasure from this seemingly mundane daily task.

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Barbers learn to shave by shaving fools.

The History of Shaving The actual date of the world’s first shave remains a mystery. But a recently un-iced, 5,300-year-old corpse sporting a trimmed, quarterinch beard, places its beginnings as early as the Neolithic Period. Likely more function than fashion, a trimmed beard afforded prehistoric man relief from the troubles of facial hair: harbored insects, hindered cooling, and an inconvenienced mealtime. In later eras, the functional aspect of shaving also transformed military culture as Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Army implemented a clean-shaven policy—largely in response to their scraps with the Persians, who had a nasty habit of beard-grabbing during hand-to-hand combat. Somewhere in the mix, practical necessity was overshadowed by the caprice of fashion, and just as the Bible speaks of Joseph visiting a barber (from the Latin barbae, or beard) to improve his appearance before meeting the Pharaoh, Julius Caesar employed a court-appointed tonsor (barber) to improve his looks, and that of his court.

Evolution of Equipment

Early depilatory methods involved shells for plucking, flint edges for scraping, and crude copper knives for dry-shaving (no soap, water, or foam). By the Bronze Age, improvements in metallurgy and the invention of soap (used to lubricate the face in what’s traditionally termed “wet-shaving”) by the Babylonians had thankfully improved the old shaving methods. Ancient “cut-throat razors” were wedge shaped and tapered directly from the spline (the back edge) to the cutting edge. They were difficult to sharpen and often men went to great lengths to avoid “going under the knife.” Samuel Pepys, an English Naval administrator and parliamentarian, preferred instead to “very easy, speedy, and cleanly” rub his beard away with a pumice stone (after consuming a breakfast of hot beer spiked with wormwood—yikes).

Steel improvements in Sheffield, England, and Solingen, Germany (The City of Blades), during the 1700-1900s improved on the wedgebladed concept by eventually producing hollow ground blades that tapered in an arced line from the spline to the leading edge, providing a sharper but more fragile edge. Later, grooved blade tangs and the incorporation of a curved “monkey tail” at the most proximal end

improved the grip and handling characteristics. This feature propelled the straight-blade’s popularity to an all-time high and secured for it a place in every household worldwide.

For Professional Use Only

Despite technological advances, an amateur shave with an old cutthroat was a dangerous and sometimes lethal endeavor; and as the proverb goes, “Barbers learn to shave by shaving fools.” Seven weeks after discovering King Tut’s Egyptian burial chamber, Lord Carnarvon (the financier of famous archaeologist Howard Carter) accidently cut himself while shaving. The wound became septic and Carnarvon soon died from what journalists dubbed “The Mummy’s Curse.” Henry David Thoreau’s brother suffered nearly the same fate—from the blade, not the mummy. Since their inception, cut-throat blades were difficult to use, dangerous to transport, and labor intensive to sharpen; thus, smart individuals wisely relied on experienced religious and medical professionals. As late as the 15th Century, barber-surgeons, were commonplace throughout Europe, routinely performing tonsorial duties, tooth drawing, surgery, and bloodletting.

Professionally educated at Barber-Surgeon’s Hall (still standing in London) and governed by organizations such as the Worshipful Company of Barbers (still in existence), these men played an important role in European society. As their profession evolved, so did the symbol which it made famous. The notoriously striped barber pole originated during this period, supposedly because two bandages were required for bloodletting: one to bind the arm before bleeding and the other to bind it afterwards. Both were kept handy by hanging around a special pole during periods of non-use and were eventually represented by the red and white striped pole. By the middle of the 1700s, however, science had outpaced the aging profession and men were taking interest in auto-pogonotomy (the art of shaving one’s self), including Benjamin Franklin who reckoned “among my felicities that I can set my own razor and shave myself perfectly well: in which I have a daily pleasure and avoid the uneasiness one is sometimes obliged to suffer from the dirty fingers or bad breath of a slovenly barber.”

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The Semi-Modern Razor

At the turn of the 20th Century, King Camp Gillette was preoccupied promoting his new book, The Human Drift. Touted as an “anthropological breakthrough,” his plan for a new socialistic World Corporation to control what people bought, thought, and ate, was aimed to rid the world of competition, injustice, and poverty. Thankfully the idea never blossomed, and he was able to engage in more democratic pursuits, like improving a process that had remained largely unchanged since antiquity. After several failed attempts, he finally patented his new, double-edged safety razor in 1904. Made from a wafer-thin steel blade cut from ribbon-like clock spring, it was ground sharp on both sides, clamped between two guards, and held from a handle which jutted south from the business end. This concept appealed to consumers, most of whom abhorred the necessary and dubious act of stropping their straight-blades. The concept went viral, and ironically the Gillette Corporation, with K.C. at the helm, muscled its way to the top and eventually rendered the former socialist a multi-millionaire. One improvement after another ensued in the coming years (many were merely sales gimmicks) until Joseph Schick, a retired army colonel, designed a dry-shaver based on oscillating clippers, a concept which received a battery in 1951 by Philishave. The rest is history.

Enjoying the Daily Shave

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and are more convenient for novices; however, soap pucks are cheaper and less prone to puncture, leakage from loose caps, and other travel perils. Lather from creams can be worked in your hand, on your face, or preferably in a pre-warmed, shallow, wide mouthed shaving mug. Apply a dab of cream to your already prepped brush or start by dripping a few drops of hot water onto the soap puck in the bottom of your shaving mug. Work up the lather in circular fashion, occasionally pumping the brush to load the length of bristles. The ultimate goal is birthing an ultra fine lather of microscopic bubbles, slightly denser than the head of your favorite oatmeal stout. For enhanced pleasure, utilize a shaving scuttle: two small concentrically sized ceramic bowls, one which fits inside the other. The bottom bowl contains hot water that heats the upper bowl, where your brush is temporarily kept between stages. Apply lather, giving your stubble a good workout with the brush, softening the hairs and treating your epithelium to a fragrant and lubricous experience.

Single or Double?

Double-edged safety blades are cheap, and come in many varieties. Splurge on one of the blade sampler packs available online; once you’ve achieved a few weeks of consistent results from the same brand, employ a new one for comparison. Handles, officially called “razors,” can be purchased new, ranging from faux ivory to billet aluminum.

If you’ve ever had a wild hair to try traditional wet-shaving during your next overland adventure, I suggest you skip the tooth drawing and bloodletting, and proceed straight to shaving. When choosing your weapon, take some advice from Henry David Thoreau and “simplify, simplify!” Leave the gizmos at home, boys; vintage, gourmet shaving has no place for plastic-handled-slashers, quadruple-bladed aloe lubricated swivel-headed cartridge razors, and triple-headed-oscillatingspinning-electric-rechargeable-waterproof-clippers, which promise to lift and cut, clean and jerk, and shave closer than a blade—or else. Like most things done in the wilderness, shaving, too, should be done deliberately. Let’s explore.

Prepping Your Face

Start the ritual right with a kettle of fresh, hot water and commence with the pre-shave, which, like a quality automotive primer, directly affects the finished product. Scrub your face with quality soap (Musgo Real, Dove, Castle Forbes, etc.), then rinse. Wet a clean barber towel with hot water and drape it over your face and neck, reclining in your favorite camp chair as the fresh soapy scent permeates your whiskers in a veritable foretaste of the feast to come. Next, if so inclined, try a pre-shave treatment: George F. Trumper’s Lime Skin Food is good and pre-shave oils are popular too.

Lathering requires a quality brush of synthetic, horse, boar, or badger hair. Nylon is rugged, fast drying, and cheap; horsehair is fine and soft; boar bristles are stiffer and require a break-in period. Badger-bristled brushes are the crème de la crème, usually made by hand, and often of silver tip badger hair. Regardless of which brush you employ, soak its bristles briefly in warm water, allowing time for softening and hair fiber expansion. Then give it a gentle shake to rid excess water, which is the enemy of thick, rich lather.

A good shave requires quality shaving cream and a little elbow grease. The best shaving creams and pomatums come in tubes or tubs, Overland Journal Summer 2012

K.C. Gillette pattented the double-edged safety razor in 1904, transforming the art of shaving to a daily do-it-your-self endeavor.

Bonus points are earned for acquiring a truly vintage implement from Granddad’s medicine chest or an antique shop. Razors typically come in 1-3 pieces, and serve to grip the blade between two platforms, providing rigidity to the thin cutting edge and bending the blade to approach whiskers at the perfect angle. Use light pressure and let the blade do the work; too much pressure removes skin and causes razor burn.

You shouldn’t be silky smooth after just one application; re-lather and then make a perpendicular pass with the blade. The key here is in multiple applications which cut successively closer and closer: with the grain, now re-lather, perpendicular to the grain, re-lather again, now finally, against the grain. As there is no swivel head involved, blade angle is key. Lightly grip the razor (razor=handle; blade=cutting edge) at its

While likely not feasible as a daily ritual, the occasional self-pampering delivered at the bathroom mirror or under your trailside awning is sure to inspire your inner explorer... balance point and lower the handle 30 degrees to contact the blade with the skin. Using short strokes of your arm (not the wrist or fingers), draw the blade along your skin, concentrating on the sound made as it slices each whisker. A quiet, Zen-like atmosphere enhances this pleasurable sensation, and a too-steep angle will become apparent by a distinct scraping sound.

If you choose a hollow-ground, straight-bladed family heirloom, take it to a good sharpening shop, clean it well, and arrange for a stropping lesson from a professional barber. Alternatively, you can buy a new straight-razor, or “look-alike,” which effectively grips one half of a double-edged safety blade that has been broken in half; presenting the cutting edge to your face in the cut-throat fashion and limiting the depth potentially reached by a clumsy shaver. The following instructions for handling a straight blade are taken from a 1900 Torrey Razor catalog (of Worcester, Mass.): Always follow the general direction of the growth of the beard and avoid shaving against the grain. To obtain the best results, hold the blade nearly flat to the face and let the strokes be rather short and the edge drawn, not straight against the beard, but with a slightly diagonal cutting motion. Do not scrape with the razor or hold it at right angles to the face, as you will only spoil the edge, irritate your skin, and cause the best razor to fail.

To beginners, we strongly recommend the use of both hands in shaving…The hand not employed in holding the razor may assist, by tightening and smoothing the surface for the cutting edge, permitting closer shaving with lessened liability of cutting the skin. In observing the above, not only gain in the comfort, ease and celerity of the operation itself may be attained, but also, by the avoidance of irritating conditions, the shaved part of the skin may be left entirely unharmed and in its usual healthy condition; the duty will then be looked forward to with pleasure in place of dread, the result a sense of comfort and satisfaction, instead of the not so infrequent feeling of annoyance caused by unskillful effort.

Finishing Touches

After two or three successive passes, rinse your face with cool water to constrict the facial pores. A small after-shave block of potash alum, or potassium alum, can be rubbed across the still-moist face, condition-

ing the skin and acting as an antiseptic. If you keep it in a freezer prior to application, it furnishes the user with a uniquely cool and pleasurable post-shave experience that is quite out-of-this-world. Like other quality supplies, they’re not sold at discount stores but can be purchased through gourmet retailers. One block should last at least a year and is worth the investment. Now, let your face air dry prior to one last rinse.

Blot dry and apply a naturally conditioning aftershave balm, not the cheap alcohol variety sold above the Barbasol cans at the supermarket.

The exquisite world of gourmet wet shaving is not for the rushed, the faint-of-heart, or the pre-pubescent for that matter. While likely not feasible as a daily ritual, the occasional self-pampering delivered at the bathroom mirror or under your trailside awning is sure to inspire your inner explorer, or at least convince your traveling companions that you’re the most interesting man in the world. Nothing is more routine than shaving. But take a mundane task and approach it with deliberate precision; savoring, relishing, swishing it over the palate of daily life, and it unsuspectingly becomes the world’s antidote. It did for Henry Morton Stanley, who in 1903 was dealt one last crippling blow as if all the destructive forces of nature itself had conspired against him.

As he lay in bed, half paralyzed from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, he somehow managed to find his antidote in a manner only befitting of the era’s last great explorer: according to his wife Dorothy, he rose and as if by “superhuman determination, shaved himself the very next morning.”

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Continued from page 128

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nia. Our itinerary had earmarked San Francisco’s premier landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. Visiting the southern viewpoint first, we then headed to the northern one, parking in the mandatory RV area. A bicycle officer rode past us, circled around, and planted herself directly in front of the truck to study our German license plate. We didn’t receive a “good afternoon” or introduction, or anything else I would consider an appropriate preface. Instead, we were greeted with “You can’t drive around with this number plate on California highways.” “Why not?” we asked. Her reply was that we needed a California license plate.

As transiting foreigners we will never get the opportunity to receive any U.S. plates. The officer was presented with our German passports, the visa that granted us a six-month stay, and the German vehicle registration documents—none of which altered her mind. A ridiculous and incomprehensible discussion followed.

She wanted to know where we entered the United States, if we were informed about our obligation regarding the license plates, and if our vehicle was searched thoroughly at the border. “No madam, the officers were nice and friendly and let us pass.” “This is irresponsible,” she cursed. “In such a vehicle you could smuggle tons of weapons, drugs, or even people.” With due respect, she must have seen too many bad movies. Do we look that dangerous?

She continued the interrogation, “Didn’t other policemen ever stop and check us?” “No officer, they didn’t.” Her world view began to sway.

She might have been suffering from a lack of knowledge regarding laws for tourists with vehicles, and there was an evident neurosis. My levelheaded husband slowly started to become cocky. I attempted to maintain my composure; breathe deeply…count to 10. It didn’t help. Carry on…20, 30.

Joerg’s seismograph now clearly indicated an impending earthquake.

The officer realized something was going wrong in this conversation, and began to act like we were just chatting. Strangely enough, I had a different idea of chatting so far. She attempted to feign interest in our vehicle and our journey. Ultimately, she found the rewind button on her implanted cassette recorder, pressed replay, and the good old story of the license plates started anew.

“Ma’am, we are foreigners, just travelers. We are not Americans, we don’t have residency in the United States, and we didn’t import the vehicle.

We are just transiting. We are allowed to keep our vehicle for 12 months in the United States with German number plates. As long as the vehicle isn’t imported, we don’t get California license plates, even if we wished.” I can become very persuasive when slightly enraged.

The officer still wasn’t convinced, but was now weighing her triumph up against the danger of two enemies in this truck; enemies who might carry lethal weapons. And who knows, maybe I was willing to draw them?

She retreated, half-heartedly wished us a good trip, and pedaled away. Begrudgingly, we gave up our plan to drive up Conzelman Road for the perfect photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. The sign read “No RVs and buses,” and I really didn’t want to imagine the hellcat coming back after finding us breaking yet another California rule.

Some miles further south, in Carmel, we headed down the scenic drive.

Admittedly, there was a sign that limited vehicle length to 20 feet. But since we are just marginally longer, we leniently ignored it. We had just parked at the beach when the California jurisdictional power was already behind us—in a police car this time.

The officer was friendly, but didn’t think we should be where we were.

After a speculative look at our truck he agreed that we were within the 20-foot-restriction, but there was still a height limit of 7.5 feet. Neither my husband nor I had seen any sign regulating height. We apologized just the Overland Journal Summer 2012

same, and asked directions for the way out.

After explaining this, he stated that (I didn’t believe my ears) we couldn’t drive around in California with these license plates. A didactic lecture followed, to which we listened with rapt attention until we got the chance to defend ourselves. This representative of California’s finest was smart, had received a driver’s license, a badge, and was even allowed to drive a police car. He processed the data and quickly acknowledged that different laws might apply to tourists.

Nevertheless, the occurrence set us thinking: Are tourists with their own vehicle an alien race in California? Should we remove the U.S. flag from our roof rack? Should we take off our “All-American” baseball caps?

Or should we get ourselves a heavy German accent to be easily identified as Martians?

Still in the Golden State, officer Rick re-established the reputation of California’s police force. We first saw him on Interstate 10 while heading to Joshua Tree National Park. Rick, a Highway Patrol officer, was checking another car on the hard shoulder beside the road, but was not so preoccupied as to fail to notice our truck. I met his gaze and predicted, “We haven’t seen this guy for the last time.” I was right. Minutes later he caught up with us, just in front of the park’s entrance. Is it easy to guess what happened next? Yes, the California license plate story surfaced again.

He queried if we had imported the vehicle. Upon our reply, and to his credit, he understood in a millisecond the whole travelers-with-theirown-vehicle explanation. Then the unbelievable happened. He introduced himself and said, “Do you want to get a photo session with me?” As Joerg was deciphering any sense from these outrageous words (it could be a trap for extraterrestrials), I was jumping from my seat, “Of course.” He posed in front of our truck, we posed together beside his squad car, and we even got to sit inside—with all those guns within range of our hands. Rick was very trusting towards these potentially dangerous aliens. And he was still alive as we said our goodbyes.

Before journeying on to Mexico we visited Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Due to its location at the frontier, border guard visits are persistent, even in the campground. A Border Patrol car periodically, conspicuously, drove around us until its driver, Jorge, gained heart and asked to see the inside of our camper’s cabin. As a countermove, we could visit the back of Jorge’s pickup, a tiny air-conditioned prison cell for eight unlucky Mexicans, and get some souvenir photos. He then gave us his two challenge coins as a present.

These coins, or medals, originated during World War II, and were created by an American lieutenant, as mementos for squadron members. As the story goes, one of his pilots had been shot down, captured by the Germans, and stripped of all possessions but the coin. The pilot escaped, acquired local clothing, and was making his way back to the Allied forces when he was recaptured by a French patrol—which assumed he was a German soldier and put him in front of a firing squad. The coin was his only evidence that he was an American; when presented to his captors it saved his life. Nowadays, nearly all military and police units carry characteristic challenge coins bearing their insignia, which must be shown on request of a team member—a round of drinks is owed if it can’t be presented. We hope that officer Jorge wasn’t challenged that night.

Receiving these medals was an honor. They will forever remind us about our various encounters with U.S. officials. As for all other travelers, be warned: Keep your hands at the steering wheel and beware of Ray-Ban sunglasses.

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Tail Lamp

Ingrid Bareuther

The Great American Road Trip 128

Of license plates, Ray-Bans, and close encounters with dangerous aliens.

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merican policemen must be born with Ray-Ban sunglasses attached to their ears. A cap is glued to their head at all times, their uniform is spotless, and their shoes full-gloss.

This is what we know from watching American television shows. Other observations, or major rules of conduct we learned, also from the TV, are to stay in your car when pulled over by the police, keeping your hands visible and on the steering wheel. Always be courteous, and address officials with sir, madam, or officer.

We came as simple-minded travelers, and we came in peace. Perhaps my husband Joerg and I were unprepared for what to expect when roving the United States in our own camper for six months. Visiting the New World is always an adventure for Europeans, but encounters with authorities are nothing you can be prepared for.

The first specimen completely fulfilled my expectations. It awaited me in the harbor of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, before we embarked the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. He was a prime example of Italian origin, with respectable muscles that he wanted to show off in front of the blond chick from Germany. A green piece of paper was required to be fixed on the windshield to prove the vehicle had been checked (though it hadn’t). The Sylvester-Stallone-clone insisted on climbing up the front of our truck in person—a Mercedes Unimog 1300L is Overland Journal Summer 2012

pretty high—to deposit the proof of inspection behind the windscreen wiper.

After presenting his physical merits, he convinced me of his intellectual assets and cured my possible prejudices: most Europeans think that Americans don’t speak anything other than English. Admittedly, this fine specimen had good command of an impressive six languages. I tried to keep up, rescuing Europeans’ reputation; there’s nothing against a small palaver in Italian.

Travels ran smoothly for a while, only interrupted by friendly occurrences such as two police officers knocking on our door at midnight in front of Chimney Rock, Nebraska. A voluntary watchman had called them because he saw “the strangest thing in his life up there.” He was apparently talking about our expedition vehicle. The officers convinced themselves of our peaceable mission and decided to let us stay camped; although it allegedly wasn’t allowed.

They did warn us about “kids doing kids’ stuff up here.” Whatever this meant, we didn’t know. Half an hour after the police left, the kids arrived, probably intending to do “kids’ stuff.” You’ve never seen a car turn and disappear faster than this one, after discovering the “strangest thing” occupying their nightly entertainment area.

Things tended to become odd and degrade when we entered CaliforContinued on page 126

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