Overland Journal :: Gear 2018

GEAR GUIDE 2018 $12

OVERLAND

JOURNAL

i SOUTH AMERICA | TRACTION DEVICES | KYRGYZSTAN | JACKS

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Contents

Best of Breed

Gear Guide 2018

Overland Tested

55

Overland Resource Guides

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Field Tested

61

Trail Fixers

29

Gear Passport

65

Ground Tents

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Traction Devices

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Jacks

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On the Cover: Jason Houle traverses a narrow track in Ecuador; the currently inactive stratovolcano Chimborazo looms in the background. Photo by Scott Brady.

Back Cover: There were plenty of scenic grassy spots for rest breaks along the way in Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Logan Watts.

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Field Journal

Departments

73

Mato Grosso

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The Feed

86

Bikepacking in Kyrgyzstan

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Editor’s Column

101 70 Series Land Cruiser

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Overland News

108 Expedition 65

121 Photography: Tool Kits 129 Classic Kit: Travel Trailers 136 Tail Lamp: Head Over Heels

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OVERLAND J O U R N A L

WE ARE ADVENTURERS

Constantly traveling.

Testing and using gear in real-world situations.

Gaining experience, which we readily share.

OUR RESUME

7 continents | 147 countries | 396 years combined experience

EXPERIENCE MATTERS

WE ONLY KNOW THINGS WHEN WE LIVE THEM

GEAR 2018

PUBLISHER AND CHAIRMAN Scott Brady

PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF DESIGN Stephanie Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Collard

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Christian Pelletier

CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Brian McVickers CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Andre Racine

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sinuhe Xavier

DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN OPERATIONS Michael Brailey MANAGING EDITOR OVERLAND JOURNAL Sarah Ramm MANAGING EDITOR EXPEDITION PORTAL Chris Cordes EDITOR Tena Overacker

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Bruce Dorn

CONSERVATION EDITOR Åsa Björklund

MEDICAL EDITOR Dr. Jon Solberg, MD, FAWM

ARCHAEOLOGY SENIOR EDITOR Bryon Bass, PhD

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Colin Evans, Amy Jurries, Joel Moranton, Lisa Morris, Christophe Noel, Kyra Sacdalan, Karin-Marijke Vis, Logan Watts, Gary and Monika Wescott CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alfonse Palaima, Coen Wubbels ILLUSTRATOR Michele Dallorso COPY EDITORS Arden Kysely, Jacques Laliberté CARTOGRAPHER David Medeiros CUSTOMER SERVICE COORDINATOR Alexandra Evans CONTACT

Overland Journal, 3035 N Tarra Ave, #1, Prescott, AZ 86301 service@overlandjournal.com, editor@overlandjournal.com, advertising@overlandjournal.com, 928-777-8567 MOVING?

Send address changes to service@overlandjournal.com.

Include complete old address as well as new address.

Allow 2-4 weeks for the change to become effective.

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Overland Journal is not forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service.

It is the subscriber’s responsibility to inform Overland Journal of an address change.

Overland Journal is a trademark of Overland International, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Overland Journal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Overland International.

NO COMPROMISE We carefully screen all contributors to ensure they are independent and impartial. We never have and never will accept advertorial, and we do not allow advertising to influence our product or destination reviews.

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THE FEED

ROW 1 @dorn.bruce When you gotta produce content ALL the time?

This. #CanonUSA#CanonExplorerOfLight#Jeep Wrangler. @liveworkwander When she asked me to come live in a van with her, I don’t think either of us could’ve imagined that would mean having our own secret mountain resort. @campovans The grill at Camino Cielo. #Gibraltar#AboveTheClouds ROW 2 @turtlebacktrail Kitchen setup in 20 seconds? Yes, please. #TurtleBack Trailers#Adventure#Expedition @just.keep.exploring It’s no surprise that after time spent in a tiny home and then a cabin, we missed the freedom of our home on wheels. We spent the rest of our honeymoon in Tank.

Home sweet home. Photo credit: @DukeNewport @therollingstoned Upon leaving Denali, Alaska, to head down to Anchorage, I stopped here for a second to take in the beauty of the landscape on one of the last sunny autumn days.

ROW 3 @overlandtheamericas After a month and a week in the Cordillera Blanca we’re jumping back in our truck and heading south to continue exploring more of Peru. Here’s @taisanatalka and our friend and guide Julio of @ParamiuntXpeditions on our way down from Pisco’s summit. #LimaSeeYouSoon! @owenmesdag Well, that’s not going to work.

Mark Oliver and his rented Land Rover in Iceland at Vatnajökull National Park.

INTO THE GREAT WHITE OPEN

My name is Mark Oliver. The attached photo of me (above, bottom right) was taken at Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) in Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland.

Keep up the great work. I love the magazine.

Mark Oliver 2016 Honda Odyssey

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CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

My 18-year-old son was leaving on a 2-year mission for our church this summer. He and I love motorcycles, so I arranged to rent a BMW 1200 Adventure and Ducati Multistrada in Milan, Italy. We were all booked for a 10-day, self-guided trip to the Swiss Alps and Italian Dolomites. Two weeks before we were supposed to leave, he broke his collarbone into three pieces in a big wreck in sand dunes. I also found out I needed neck surgery after losing OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

feeling and strength in my arm overnight.

There was no way either of us could ride a motorcycle. This stopped us from riding adventure motorcycles, but it didn’t stop us from [having an] adventure. We flew to Medford, Oregon, and bought an Iveco 90-16, driving it all the way down the California coast to San Francisco. It was pretty funny to see how much attention an off-road truck this large got in a big city—valet parking about died. We drove it all the way back home to northern Utah. It was so much fun driving this amazing truck, but more importantly spending time with my son.

Thanks for producing the best magazine I have ever read in my life.

Jud Eades 1988 Iveco 10-16, 2012 Land Rover LR4 1983 Unimog 416 Doka 2- 1975 Volvo C304’s

SHARE Use #overlandjournal on Instagram or Facebook.

WHERE HAS YOUR OVERLAND JOURNAL BEEN? Send us a photo, along with your name, the location, make/year of your vehicle, and a brief description. editor@overlandjournal.com

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CONTRIBUTORS GEAR 2018

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GARY AND MONIKA WESCOTT

COLIN EVANS

Gary and Monika Wescott have spent the last 45 years globetrotting around the world, from the arid desert of Turkmenistan, following the Silk Road, to the jungles of the Amazon, and across Siberia in the dead of winter. The couple’s travel adventures have been published in 10 countries and eight languages. Their indepth knowledge of the problems and joys of overland travel in remote areas is incomparable. Gary and Monika’s meticulously prepared travel/research trucks, from their original Land Rover to the current Ford F-550, The Turtle V, have been an inspiration for many. Their experience and photography encompass what Overland Journal is all about. From the beginning, The Turtle Expedition’s motto has been, “Don’t take the trip. Let the trip take you.”

Colin Evans is an unemployed software executive who writes a travel journal to entertain and annoy his friends who are still working.

He grew up in England, lived in France, and ended up in Oregon, a motorcycling wonderland. Most of his career was with Intel Corporation but now he is an investor and advisor to software startups. He came late to motorbikes but has fallen hard, with a collection of iconic sportbikes and a worn-out R1200GS to show for it. He has ridden and written about his adventure rides on four continents and the Isle of Man. The two ladies in his life, wife, Rosine, and daughter, Claire, are far better writers than he is.

LISA MORRIS JASON SPAFFORD

LOGAN WATTS

ALFONSE PALAIMA

Logan Watts is the founding editor of bikepacking.com, an online publication dedicated to gear, routes, and stories about adventure by bike. When not photographing or writing for the website, he’s usually off bikepacking in the deep woods of western North Carolina or traveling abroad via two wheels. Other than the trip through Kyrgyzstan featured in this issue, his recent cycling adventures include a tour through East Africa, pioneering a dirt route across the island of Cuba, and an extensive exploration of bikepacking routes throughout the U.S.

An overlander since birth, first inside the plush world of vanning with his parents, then eventually into the spendy world of rock crawling during the dot-com boom, he’s now found his happy place on two wheels with both camera and passport in hand. An independent creative with more passions than time, he’s constantly on the move, making new friends and new art. Having just completed his first book, Journey to the End of the World, with Octane Press—a coffee-table travelogue documenting a 2-month ride from the top to the bottom of South America with Expedition 65—he’s already working on the next one. On Borrowed Tyres will be a look into his 15 years as a journalist riding around the world on other people’s motorcycles.

British born, self-confessed thrill-seekers, Jason and Lisa’s motivating force is adventure travel, enabling their passion as media professionals. Previously, they co-ran scuba diving trips around the watery globe as instructor guides. Having hung up the fins, they jumped in the saddle and motorcycled their way from the bottom of the planet to the top. Over the last 3.5 years, they’ve clocked over 50,000 miles from Antarctica to the Arctic. Spirited advocates for nomadic living, Jason is a professional photographer, filmmaker, and drone pilot. With the visuals taken care of, Lisa scribes roadside musings and freelances for various travel and overland publications, reviews products, and consults with manufacturers of apparel and gear.

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KARIN-MARIJKE VIS COEN WUBBELS Freelance writer Karin-Marijke Vis, along with her partner, photographer Coen Wubbels, combine their love for adventure with work they enjoy. Sometimes described as being the “slowest overlanders in the world,” they believe in making connections and staying in a place long enough to do so. In 2003, the couple purchased a vintage Land Cruiser and began a 3-year trip from their home in the Netherlands to Asia. Terminally infected by the overland bug, they traveled in South America for 9 years. In 2016, they returned to Asia and are currently traveling in South Korea and Japan. They’ve been published in magazines around the world, and in 2013, Expedition Portal awarded the pair the coveted Overlander of the Year Award.

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CONTRIBUTORS GEAR 2018

AMY JURRIES

KYRA SACDALAN

BRUCE DORN

Equal parts entrepreneur, writer, and digital media guru, Amy Jurries boasts more than 10 years of digital content marketing experience. She’s the founder of The GearCaster, a leading outdoor gear website that tracks the trends in the industry, and her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including Outside Magazine, Backpacker, The Red Bulletin, TNT Magazine, and Pilot Guides. Amy has lived and worked in many countries across the world including Belgium, Canada, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, though currently resides in sunny California. When not on her bike or hanging off frozen waterfalls, she’s usually traveling to explore some far-off destination.

Kyra Sacdalan is an author, photographer, and cultural bloodhound hunting for the next amazing moment. As the co-creator of WESTx1000, a multimedia company which creates unique content for the motorcycle community, she scours the world with an open mind and a fresh notepad. To her, motorcycles are a tool— a catalyst for adventure. And she’s been lucky enough to share her journeys with many like-minded individuals out there.

Bruce Dorn, DGA, is a photographer, cinematographer, and director currently based in Prescott, Arizona. His work in advertising and editorial has earned him multiple Clio, Mobius, ADDY, and Art Directors Club awards, and a Bronze Lion from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Bruce is a Canon Explorer of Light, an ARRI Ambassador, a SanDisk Extreme Pro, a Western Digital Creative Master, a Tiffen Imagemaker, and a Corel Painter Master. Bruce was inducted into the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in 1984. Some say he’s also a pretty fungi.

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OVERLAND J O U R N A L

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E X P E D I T I O N P O R TA L . C O M

THE WORLDS LARGEST OVERLAND COMMUNITY

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FROM THE EDITOR CHRIS COLLARD

FIRST CLASS OR COACH “

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M

r. Collard, would you like the fillet, chicken cordon bleu, or shrimp scampi?” Gabriela asked, delivering my Jack and Coke with a friendly smile. Having a penchant for shrimp, I ordered the scampi. Dessert consisted of Swiss dark chocolate and a coffee with Baileys, after which I tapped the lay-flat setting on my seat’s control panel and tucked myself underneath a fluffy warm comforter. If I’d not known better, I would have bet the bank that I was dreaming—rather than sitting in a plane 37,000 feet over Central America.

First class is in another world apart from coach. For starters, my knees are not crammed against the seat in front of me, there are copious expanses of real estate to open my laptop on the foldout desk, my elbows don’t swap sweat and pathogens with the healthy eater next door, and I can tilt my seat back without sloshing a beverage on the person behind. Ahhh, the lay-flat seats are pure bliss.

I must admit that due to the ungodly price of admission, I nearly always fly coach. However, this flight was a special occasion. My wife, Suzanne, and I were heading to Peru to celebrate our 12th year of marital bliss, and I ponied up for first-class seats with frequent flyer miles.

Earlier this year, Christian Pelletier (our Chief Technology Officer) and I had purchased a Toyota 4Runner in Chile for adventures in South America. He had left it in Cusco and our task was to get it out of the country before the 90-day import permit expired on October 13, and we were cutting hairs on the deadline. This was the plan: Return from Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, October 3, head to Georgia Friday for a wedding, catch a hop to Cusco, Peru, on Sunday, and make haste for the border—a 2-day drive. All would have been cherries except for a pilot strike in Colombia and a Category 1 hurricane sweeping across the southern United States.

I awoke from my slumber to Gabriela handing me a warm towel, opened my laptop, and began wrapping up edits on this year’s Gear Guide. As I made a final sweep of Christophe Noel’s tent review, Scott Brady’s traction mat test, and my yarn on jacks and accessories, I pondered my current in-flight experience in relation to the equipment we purchase.

The reality is that most of us cannot afford first class all the time; I know I can’t. PersonOVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

ally, I tend to pick and choose my financial battles, especially when it comes to gear. My 30-year-old Coleman stove still works perfectly fine, as does my decade-old REI daypack (my primary camera bag). Nevertheless, when it comes to tires, recovery equipment, or anything else that my life may depend on, I don’t cut corners. My editorial team understands the need for balance, and strives to include a lower-cost option in our gear comparisons. However, it is important to state that a lower price point is not always indicative of inferior quality.

In this issue, you will find a new section, Gear Passport.

Gear Passport is not a test, or even a review of an item’s attributes, but simply a shout-out for pieces of equipment our staff has used extensively in various parts of the world. These aren’t necessarily the most expensive options in their particular genre, but their quality, durability, and utility make them an exceptional value—my Leatherman Wave multi-tool is a good example.

After several flight changes and reroutes (pilot strike), and minor delays due to the hurricane, we landed in Cusco, picked up the 4Runner, and honored the import permit time limit. While in the midst of a hectic travel schedule, I must admit that our first-class experience was sublime. If you don’t live in an orchard of money trees though (if you do, I’ll volunteer my services for the annual harvest), the reality of the matter is that a coach seat would have delivered us to Peru safely—sans the scampi and warm towels.

Having flown tens of thousands of miles this year (in coach), the voluminous real estate provided in United’s first class was pure bliss. Left: Shrimp scampi, sautéed vegetables, real silverware, and linens; an in-flight meal one can actually look forward to.

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FIELD TESTED CHRIS CORDES

Many of you might be surprised to learn the Velar name carries weight in Land Rover history. In fact, it predates the Range Rover name by a full year, as it was the original badge bestowed upon the 26 prototypes built for testing in 1969. The company derived the name from the Latin word velaris meaning to veil or disguise, which seems appropriate given that beneath its Range Rover sheet metal, the Velar is a crossover. Yet, this new addition to the Land Rover line is more capable than we had imagined, an ideal choice for a daily driver and light exploration platform.

DESIGN To say that the Velar is truly a work of art wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Its sleek lines and sloped profile have helped make it one of the most attractive SUVs to date, but its elegance is defined as much by the elements you don’t see as the ones you do. The entire vehicle is an exercise in reductionism.

From the handles which recede into the doors when not in use to the elimination of excess switches and knobs through the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, the Velar achieves beauty through simplicity.

ON ROAD On pavement, the Velar is a dream. It handles rough roads and potholes with comfort and composure like a Range Rover should, yet switch the vehicle to Dynamic mode and you’ll find yourself carving around mountain roads like you were in a nimble sedan. Power is excellent from the 3.0L supercharged V6, but I found the 2.0L turbocharged diesel and gas motors to be somewhat underpowered in the elevations surrounding Idyllwild, California.

OFF-PAVEMENT As an all-wheel drive SUV designed around aesthetics and comfort, I had expected its performance on dirt to be marginal, but Land Rover managed to make it genuinely capable. With the optional air suspension, the vehicle boasts a respectable 9.9 inches of ground clearance and a wading depth of 25.6 inches. Unfortunately, its approach, departure, and breakover angles are only 24.3, 26.5, and 20.1 degrees respectively, but they were enough to keep us out of trouble on the rocky desert trails of the test loop.

Range Rover Velar The AWD Velar matches looks to capability.

My biggest concern with the Velar was in technical terrain, but I was pleasantly surprised by its competence. Land Rover’s Terrain Response system comWhile the Velar bined with the automatic rear locking certainly won’t be differential and torque-on-demand conquering the AWD made quick work of the ledges Rubicon, it can hold and cross-axle obstacles, and the gearits own on the trail ing proved to be adequate for lowagainst any offering speed work. While it certainly won’t be in the segment. conquering the Rubicon, it can hold its own on the trail against any offering in the segment.

The Velar’s capabilities still fall short of those found in the Discovery, while its price tag does not, making it a more difficult sell for overlanders. If you’re looking for a fuel-efficient daily driver with Bond-car style and mild off-pavement capability, then the Velar is for you. If you plan to run more difficult trails or want a true low-range four-wheel drive, we’d recommend sticking with the Discovery.

LANDROVERUSA.COM | 800-346-3493

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FIELD TESTED CHRIS COLLARD AND AMY JURRIES

Catalyst Case Form follows function protection for your iPhone.

Nau Quintessentshell Waterproof Jacket Stylish weather protection that works.

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Sometimes you want a waterproof jacket that doesn’t look like you’re ready to conquer Everest. Gear that is at home walking the streets of New York City as it is hiking trails in the Sierras is Nau’s specialty.

Along with a more fashion-forward approach to technical apparel, sustainability remains another of Nau’s core values. This fully seam-sealed, two-layer waterproof jacket is made from a blend of 53 percent organic cotton and 47 percent recycled polyester fabric. The material is further treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) that is free of harmful perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), so better for both you and the environment. Use a non-toxic laundry detergent such as Nikwax Tech Wash, which is also PFC free to prolong the life of the jacket.

When you want a more sophisticated look, simply unzip the hood off. Two front hand pockets offer ample storage space, with one side hiding a cell phone pouch to deter those five-fingered bandits on a crowded subway. Inside the jacket you’ll find a large, drop-in mesh pocket for safely holding your travel documents.

With a classic, flattering, and understated look that doesn’t skimp on performance, the Quintessentshell makes a desirable alternative to your average rain jacket. As a bonus, Nau donates 2 percent of every sale to a variety of non-profit partners who create lasting positive change for the environment, the global economy, and people in need. (AJ) $245 | NAU.COM | 855-628-8648

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In today’s world of electronic goodies, a challenge for anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors is protecting equipment from the elements. After a few close calls with my iPhone I decided to invest in a proper case, but many were too bulky to fit in my shirt pocket. The Catalyst case, at only 11.4 millimeters thin, was the solution. From a protection standpoint, it carries an IP68 waterproof rating, MIL-STD-810G for drops and falls (2 meters), and is fully dustproof. The non-slip rubber exterior is easy to grip and doesn’t feel like a slippery fish in-hand. Both front and rear are clear, and the touchpad is as sensitive as the bare phone. A rubber flap at the base allows access to the charge and audio port, and all function buttons (on/off, mute, etcetera) work as they should. I use my phone extensively for social media capture and have seen little change when shooting through the hard-coated optical lens. After a year’s use, the Catalyst (and my phone) has been dropped, bounced out of my truck, and fully soaked by wayward coffee. Although the company states it is rated to a submersion depth of 5 meters, I’ve not had the guts to drop it in the fish tank. (CC) $70 (IPHONE 6) | CATALYSTCASE.COM

Let’s be honest, if you imagine a motorcycle “touring suit” what comes to mind? The moon. This isn’t exactly what we picture while dreaming of motorbikes, road trips, freedom, and all other key words reminding us of Easy Rider or On Any Sunday.

When I’m committed to pavement for days or weeks, I don’t want to be confined to a space suit. I need to dumb it down. Strip the layers and remove the excess. Which is why when I’m riding long-distance, I opt for more lifestyle-oriented outfits. A little more freeing, stylish, breezy. And a little less Martian landing, hazmat suit.

My go-to bits and pieces are a combo of security, comfort, breathability, functionality, and style. The latter being the most subjective. I possess a wide array of helmets, but to travel any extent on the highway, I opt for my Schuberth C3 Pro. Why? Well, first and foremost, it’s modular. To fend off the heat, cross borders, take pictures, or just have a chat, I flip up my hybrid helmet and free my face from the confines of safety. There are plenty of shells that do the trick, but I chose my Schuberth because it’s known to be the quietest helmet on the market, and it boasts the brand’s high standards of quality. Plus, it has a flip-down tinted visor. I love those.

My jackets on the road vary. But over the summer, I relied heavily on my silver ladies Levante by Rev’it. It has just enough mesh in the body and arms to welcome the wind, the sleeves open wide to let your wrists breathe, and the waist cinches down enough to give my torso some shape. In a chill, the jacket’s thermal insert does the trick. Any colder and I throw on some base layers and grab the Gore-Tex liner from my Rev’it Neptune GSX jacket which also helps in the rain.

When I found Worse for Wear, I was ecstatic. Made in Virginia, they have “curvy” or “slim” custom-fit jeans for any body type. Measurements are taken upon purchase, and they craft bottoms that fit like a glove. But what really got my attention is that they don’t use Kevlar. Kevlar is generally added to an item as an internal layer, increasing its bulk and trapping heat. As a rule, you can’t get around it. Removing this element would eliminate the protective component against abrasion. Instead of Kevlar, they utilize Armalith denim which offers a new use for an old technology. This fabric combines UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) fiber—typically found in aerospace and military applications—with cotton which offers movement and allows it to accept an indigo dye. The result is a lightweight, sturdy yet flexible riding pant that is slim and breathable without forgoing its defensive properties. These bottoms protect you from the outside in, top to bottom, because the entire pant is made with this durable textile.

Photo by Justin W. Coffey

FIELD TESTED KYRA SACDALAN

Schuberth C3 Pro Helmet, Rev’it Levante Jacket, and Worse for Wear Riding Jeans What I wear to tour the world when I’m not flying to the moon.

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$630 | SCHUBERTH.COM | 949-215-0893 $300 | REVITSPORT.COM $379 | WORSEWEAR.COM | 804-433-3855

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FIELD TESTED BRYON BASS AND AMY JURRIES

Jackcovers Serious protection for your Hi-Lift jack.

Osprey Transporter 130 A lightweight adventure workhorse.

Osprey’s expedition duffels are tough as nails, while still being a comfortable and functional carry. Available in a variety of colors and 40-, 65-, 95- and 130-liter sizes, the Transporter also offers versatility, allowing buyers to customize for their needs.

Made from a burly 800-denier nylon fabric, the duffel won’t collapse on you when loading. Extended rain flaps over all zippers, along with a TPU coating both inside and out of the Transporter, ensure your gear remains protected from rain, snow, and even dust.

Access to the main compartment is via a full-length Uzip that buckles down to keep it from opening mid-transport.

While most duffels feature one cavernous void inside the main compartment, the Transporter offers a zippered mesh side pocket for storing toiletries and two buckled compression straps to batten down larger items like tents and sleeping bags. An additional external zippered pocket along one end makes a great storage space for shoes, tools, or dirty clothes.

Four sturdy grab handles along each side make it easy to throw in the back of your truck. On a recent tour of Bolivia, the numerous lash points (12 in total) came in handy for securing the Transporter to the roof rack every morning. For running through the airport or transporting the duffel to and from remote campsites, a shoulder harness hides inside a top zipper pocket. (AJ)

The term marine grade is often indicative of sturdy, rubberized nautical application products made to resist degradation from water and sun. In the expedition or overland capacity, well-built products that can survive heavy wear and tear are your friends.

A few years ago, Adam Wood’s sole products were U.S.made, hand-sewn 11- and 15-inch Hi-Lift jack covers made out of marine-grade material, marketed under the name Jackcovers. At that time, I installed a unit on an exposed Hi-Lift X-treme perched on the front bumper of our Ford E350 4WD. Since then, it has protected the jack mechanism (which still looks brand-new) by repelling sand, mud, dirt, snow, ice, and coastal fog. The UV-deterring cover, comprised of a neoprene/ piqué lining and a vinyl exterior, also discourages mildew and microbes. The large zipper, made from Delrin thermoplastic, is beyond sturdy, and the stitching is top-notch.

Wood recently placed Jackcovers under a larger product banner called Step 22 Gear. He also modified his original design by adding a grommet to vent moisture. Jackcovers are very durable, and to my knowledge, have no commercial equal. Available in various colors, textures, and sizes, they cost over half the price of a new Hi-Lift. However, considering a rusted or seized jack mechanism as the alternative, it’s worth the investment. (BB) $50, $60 | STEP22GEAR.COM | 949-445-6800

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$180 | OSPREYPACKS.COM | 866-284-7830

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FIELD TESTED BRIAN MCVICKERS

Globalstar GSP-1700 and GSP-9600 Hotspot Staying in touch a world away.

It doesn’t take much effort to find yourself outside of cell phone coverage. For many overlanders, this solitude is welcome and often pursued as we seek what lies beyond. But when you must have communications for emergencies, doing work, or simply checking in, satellites are the answer.

The Globalstar GSP-1700 satellite phone paired with the GSP-9600 WiFi hotspot is a great solution for a variety of communication-based needs. The phone allows for voice calls or texting, and when paired with the hotspot it provides a data connection for emails and light internet use on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer.

I recently used this 9-ounce combination in remote areas of Iceland, sailing across the North Atlantic Ocean, and in the desolate ice-packed fjords of Greenland. Considering my locations were some of the lightest coverage areas of the Globalstar map, I was impressed at the ability to connect. Both the 1700 and the 9600 charge with a standard USB cable and feature 4-hour run and 36-hour standby times. The optional installation kit allows the system to be mounted in a vehicle using an external antenna.

Use time ranges from $0.50-$0.65 per minute, a monthly unlimited plan for $200, or seasonal use packages. $499/GSP-1700, $149/GSP-9600 | GLOBALSTAR.COM | 877-452-5782

code: OVGEAR www.overlandsolar.com

Power your adventure.

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OVERLAND NEWS SCOTT BRADY

Positioned between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, Greenland is considered the world’s largest island, and it is covered with snow and ice. In late October, I met with Greg Miller—founder of the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum and the lead adventurer for the Expeditions 7 project—to discuss his next adventure to traverse the Greenland Ice Sheet over land. Greg said, “This is a unique opportunity to cross one of the largest ice fields on the planet and for one person to come along on the expedition for the benefit of the museum.” Greg came up with the idea while visiting the North Pole; confidence for the endeavor came from his success with E7 in crossing Antarctica.

The expedition will occur in spring of 2018 and utilize three Arctic Trucks-prepared Toyota HiLux trucks to transport fuel, equipment, and personnel on the journey. In addition to Greg Miller, there will be a video crew, medical support, mechanics, and drivers along for the ride. Greg has also set aside one seat on the trip for a lucky individual to win in auction. Greg’s goal is to raise money for the operation of the museum, which helps to preserve the legacy of over 80 individual models of Land Cruiser.

The winner will be responsible for their flight to and from Greenland, personal equipment, and their own evacuation insurance. But after that, on-the-ground costs including fuel, vehicles, support personnel, and all associated logistics will be covered. The adventure will be approximately 20-25 days, with most of the time spent crossing the glaciers. This is truly the adventure of a lifetime—to join the first American team to attempt this journey, all while helping to support a worthwhile cause. The auction will be held in late January and details on submitting your bid, along with terms and conditions can be found at landcruiserhm.com.

Your Chance to Cross the Greenland Ice Sheet Join an expedition across Greenland for the benefit of the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum.

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

Gear Passport Staff picks for kit that travels as well as you do.

By Chris Collard, Scott Brady, and Christophe Noel

RIGID FLASHLIGHT

Kurt at Black Dog Cycle Works sent me this Rigid Halo 800 flashlight in 2013 after I did a gear test on LED auxiliary lights. He said, “This will be the best damn flashlight you have ever owned.” He was right. Although technology has been on a frantic pace, and I’ve used many new models at various times, the Halo 800 has been in my camera bag or truck for 4 years. It’s been dropped in the mud, bounced around the floorboards, used as a pry bar, and generally abused, and it keeps on ticking. $110 | RIGIDINDUSTRIES.COM | 855-760-5337 PASSPORT STAMPS: 27 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: ATRATO RIVER, COLOMBIA

MACBOOK PRO

As a journalist, there are some items you simply don’t leave home without.

One is my laptop, a MacBook Pro. I bought it in 2010, and like my camera bag it has accompanied me faithfully during many adventures and stayed in good health. I have pampered it a bit, treating it to a new battery, solid-state hard drive, and upgraded memory (don’t want it to forget who loves it). The reason I selected the 13-inch model was because it fit in my camera bag; I keep it because it is tough as nails.

APPLE.COM | 800-692-7753 PASSPORT STAMPS: 41 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: HOLMUL MAYAN RUINS, GUATEMALA

LEATHERMAN WAVE

I broke the tip off my original Leatherman while prying a mussel off a rock in Baja, Mexico, then lost my second to TSA (forgot it was in my carry-on bag). My third, the Wave, was purchased in Cape Town, South Africa, while en route to Antarctica. There were other multi-tools available, and at a lower cost, but I’d had such good service from previous Leathermans I decided to stick with the original. As you can see from the patina on the leather case, it is on my belt nearly all the time and put to task regularly. $90 | LEATHERMAN.COM | 800-847-8665 PASSPORT STAMPS: 27 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA

REI DAYPACK

I’ve had this REI daypack so long that all indicators of model and volume have been worn off. As my primary carry-on camera bag it is on my shoulder and in the field nearly every week. I pulled the padding from another bag and used it to provide a firm base and sides. The reason is that I don’t want my camera bag to scream “expensive gear inside.” It looks like it has been dragged through the dirt (it has) and is stained like a baby’s bib (embarrassing at times), but it has accompanied me on adventures on all seven continents—how could I divorce it now?

REI.COM | 800-426-4840

CHRIS COLLARD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PASSPORT STAMPS: 47 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: OLD DELHI, INDIA OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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TRIPLE AUGHT DESIGN HIGHLAND SHIRT

Constructed from worsted merino wool woven in American mills dating to 1853, this travel shirt is the best I have ever owned. Long sleeved (What is the point of a short-sleeved shirt anyways?) and collared with webbing-reinforced buttons, it is all-day comfortable and as appropriate for a day driving in the snow as it is for cocktails in Walvis Bay. It is comfortable against bare skin and preshrunk for easy washing from the road. This wrinkle-resistant and classically-styled shirt is typically the only button-up in my bag. $165 | TRIPLEAUGHTDESIGN.COM | 866-613-1386 PASSPORT STAMPS: 4 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: WEST KENNET LONG BARROW PREHISTORIC BURIAL SITE, U.K.

NEMO FILLO

For that 15-hour flight to Johannesburg, the compact microsuede Fillo pillow is a dream. I use it to augment the padding of a Boeing 777 seat, to supplant the foam in the top of my Pelican camera case, and of course, as a camping pillow. At 10 inches wide and 17 inches long, it provides the comforts of home. At 4 inches thick, it can be thin for side sleepers, a problem solved by stuffing a jacket into the attached bungee webbing.

Mine has survived years of use and hundreds of nights in the field. $40 | NEMOEQUIPMENT.COM | 800-997-9301 PASSPORT STAMPS: 52 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: ANTARCTIC PLATEAU

CANON EOS 5D MARK III WITH 28-300MM LENS

After seven continents and dozens of countries, my Canon 5D continues to capture stunning images and perform reliably, day in and day out. This particular model is outgoing, but the new Mark IV boasts 30-megapixel resolution and built-in GPS for recording latitude/longitude to the metadata. Even more impressive is the 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L image stabilizing lens, a beast of metal and glass that renders a sharpness unequaled in any professional-grade zoom I have used. This is the combination I rely on for nearly every image I capture. $2,200 AND $2,500 STREET PRICE | USA.CANON.COM | 800-652-2666 PASSPORT STAMPS: 36 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: ROGUE BORDER CROSSING BETWEEN UGANDA AND KENYA

SALOMON GTX

For the adventure traveler, footwear has a challenging role. The shoe needs to be durable for the backcountry, yet comfortable when walking for hours around Reykjavík. Back in 2011, I selected the Salomon GTX because of the brand’s reputation for durability and performance. In wet environments, the Gore-Tex liner keeps trench foot to a minimum while still keeping the feet cool. The tread is aggressive, which is important for hiking and pulling winch cable. I used this same pair for nearly 7 years, only recently retiring them to the Salvation Army donation bin in Cairns, Australia.

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$145 | SALOMON.COM | 800-875-2619

SCOTT BRADY, PUBLISHER

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

PASSPORT STAMPS: 38 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: SKELETON COAST, NAMIBIA

MSR REACTOR STOVE

The first MSR stove to employ the brand’s radiant heat technology, the Reactor pairs an ultra-efficient burner to a proprietary pot for optimal thermal transfer. The result is a system with unrivaled boil times and efficiency.

The burner’s unique design eliminates an exposed flame and spreads the 9,400-BTU heat bloom across a large diameter. Even with an arctic wind blowing in Iceland at full gale, I was able to boil a liter of water in a matter of minutes. Whether warming water for a morning cup of tea or melting snow on a frozen mountainside, I know the Reactor will perform––every time. $220 (1.7 LITER) | MSRGEAR.COM | 800-245-2992 PASSPORT STAMPS: 2 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: ICELAND’S INTERIOR

THE NORTH FACE BASE CAMP DUFFEL

The Base Camp is made of 1,000-denier, TPE-coated fabric with an added 840-denier nylon bottom, creating an exterior that is extremely durable.

Dual backpack straps help shuttle heavy loads without undue discomfort, and webbing daisy chains and grab handles stitched into both sides create sturdy lash points. I doubt there is a more proven and well-traveled bag on the market. It was a momentous occasion when I finally got to strap a Base Camp duffel to the flanks of a yak in the Nepalese Himalayas. Other haulers may have better features, but there is only one Base Camp duffel. $135 (MEDIUM) | THENORTHFACE.COM | 888-863-1968 PASSPORT STAMPS: 3 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: PERU

RANDOLPH ENGINEERING AVIATOR SUNGLASSES

As a self-confessed sunglass elitist, I was excited to own a pair of Randolph Engineering aviators. With seven frame colors, 24 lens choices in both polarized and non-polarized coatings, three temple styles, and three sizes, building my own custom pair of shades took some thought. In the 3 years I’ve had them, they’ve been worn every day, on every outing, and look as new as they did right out of the box. I have owned and evaluated sunglasses costing upwards of $900 and kicked myself for having made the purchase. By contrast, every day I slide on my custom aviators, I feel like I’m wearing the best shades available. $160-$280 | RANDOLPHUSA.COM | 800-541-1405 PASSPORT STAMPS: 6 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: NEPAL

SCHUBERTH C3 WORLD HELMET

I first unboxed my Schuberth C3 in 2013. It quickly became one of my favorite possessions and redefined what I expect of a top-tier helmet. The C3 was billed as the lightest modular helmet on the market with the lowest internal decibel rating in its class. Replete with features like a drop-down sun visor, quick-release chin strap, advanced Anti-Roll-Off-System, and optional built-in Bluetooth communicator, it was a trusted tool as I traversed the Ecuadorean Andes, crossed the red deserts of Utah, and slogged through the worst rainstorm in Colorado’s recorded history. I currently have the new C4 on order.

CHRISTOPHE NOEL, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

$730 | SCHUBERTH.COM | 949-215-0893 PASSPORT STAMPS: 4 MOST INTERESTING PLACE: ECUADOR

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

Photo by Chris Collard

Get A Grip We test the latest traction devices and bridging ladders.

By Scott Brady

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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W

e all know that sinking feeling, the vehicle digging in faster than forward progress can be achieved. This is usually combined with a rising tide, hungry crocodiles, and cantankerous bystanders. Getting stuck happens to all of us, or at least those willing to explore further afield. For me, getting mired has become a badge of honor, an opportunity to problem-solve, snap a few self-deprecating images, and learn about the joys of self-recovery.

My worst stuck occurred at one of the most remote points on the planet, deep within the Australian Outback, over 500 kilometers from the nearest tow truck. It was the perfect storm: a cascade of events occurring within moments, a muddy track devolving into a flooded basin, the water getting deeper as we continued forward with no chance of turning around.

We churned onward, focused on what appeared to be the best path, ultimately zigging when we should have zagged. In a moment, we were stuck, the heavy Land Cruiser listing to the passenger side and taking on water, slowly filling the footwell.

No problem, we had a winch. Well, we did, until the fairlead broke and severed the synthetic line. Then the winch on the Land Cruiser behind us stopped working, turning for a few revolutions until the motor seized. With two 7,000-pound Toyotas bogged down in mud, the only thing that got us out was a lot of physical effort and 12 (yes, 12) traction ramps. We literally built a road in the quagmire and slowly, steadily backed over 100 meters to solid ground.

From that sticky point forward, I have rarely traveled without a set of traction ramps—that single lesson in the Great Sandy Desert proving the essential justification for these magic items. I will also admit my previous bias against carrying them, earlier examples proving to be too heavy and difficult to store. Even during my first test (Winter 2009), I was leery of their use in all but specialized scenarios. Nearly a decade later, they have now become indispensable kit to me.

FUNCTION While wood and carpet have been used since the first automobile—at 19, I once resorted to office drapes to help extricate my very stuck Isuzu to no avail—traction mats really became a thing in the 1940s with the availability of Marston Mat, later called perforated (or pierced) steel planking (PSP). Various consumer solutions followed, most with dubious results. Over time, they improved, and within the last few decades real options have become available.

Within this product category, there are three types of traction tools.

SAND LADDERS AND RAMPS Sand ladder is the term typically applied to any rigid configuration, including PSP and traditional rung-style traction ladders. Throughout the years, we have attempted to use the rung-style ladders (they look like a ladder used to access a roof tent), but they have always performed poorly. The more com-

Deep into Australia’s Canning Stock Route, we found the limits of flotation and traction in a quagmire of clay. With nearly 10 hours of work and a dozen Maxtrax, we built a road to dry land. Opening page: The Expeditions 7 Land Cruiser got stuck along Antarctica’s coastline; recovery was significantly aided by a set of traction ramps.

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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mon style is a sand ramp or plank like the Maxtrax, a semi-rigid unit whose primary function is providing flotation to support the weight of the vehicle on soft surfaces. Their performance improves with the addition of lugs and studs that interface with the tire. When selecting a sand ladder or ramp, we recommend a unit at least 10 inches wide and 40 inches long.

SAND MATS Sand mats are flexible and often rollable and include a wide variety: carpet, rubber matting, rolling segments of recycled tire carcasses, etcetera. These units exhibit limited effectiveness when compared with rigid options, as a critical attribute of the sand ladder or ramp is its rigid shape, which distributes the rotational force of the tires over a beam. Sand mats were excluded from this test and should be considered a poor choice for vehicle recovery.

BRIDGING LADDERS Bridging ladders should perform equally well in the sand and as a bridging device. Their additional bulk and weight is easily justified if this tool is required for your intended terrain or vehicle capability. This is a serious piece of kit, suitable for rescue from axle-deep mud in Siberia or sketchy dugout canoe ferries in Bolivia as you load your beloved 4WD from eroding riverbanks. Impressive when called upon, they come at the cost of space and GVW.

The Cinders in Flagstaff, Arizona, provided the perfect surface to test traction devices, allowing for a consistency of evaluation difficult to achieve with sand. Managing Editor Sarah Ramm piloted her Jeep for the ramping tests, which allowed us to evaluate the units with a lighter vehicle.

FRONT RUNNER SAND LIZARD RESCUE TRAX

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We did not include the Sand Lizard in the main test because they are not a traditional sand ladder, but we did evaluate them in soft sand and have used these in various stuck scenarios. They are important to mention because they do perform well on most soft surfaces and easily store on the underside of a rack or tucked beneath the rear seat of the vehicle—always there and not adding much weight or bulk. I also use them as flooring for a field shower and they can augment other recovery solutions, including alternate tracks and winching by providing flotation and traction assistance. Their only real downside as a primary recovery plank is their flexible construction, which does not provide any bridging or ramping support. Made in South Africa, 1-year warranty. $185 | FRONTRUNNEROUTFITTERS.COM | 866-840-0321

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

TESTING PROCEDURE We learned quite a bit from our 2009 test and subsequent journey around the globe. The process started by deciding which models should even be included in the test, as the volume of knockoffs and me-toos has grown too large to keep track of. As a result, we wanted to focus on units that were either broadly popular or unique in their design.

The testing consisted of three real-world scenarios: The first was a soft, low-traction surface in the Cinders outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. Volcanic cinders behave similar to sand, but I have found the surface to be more predictable, helping to provide a more consistent evaluation. The G-Class was driven up a cross-axle slope until the front passenger side tire lost traction, dug a hole, and the suspension reached full extension. One of the advantages of the Mercedes is that it has three differentials, so I could isolate the spinning tire to one corner. The second test was bridging, where the 6,900-pound G-Wagen was driven across a 36-inch span with a depth of 13.5 inches. Bridging can be required in many terrains, so it is important to understand how all products fare in this situation, even models not designed for this use. The last test was ramping, using a lighter Jeep vehicle with traction control. This was on a surface of dirt and granite, intended to help the vehicle approach and clear a 14-inch step. The ramping test provided the evaluation of a unit’s ability to grip various surfaces and not slide or displace under rotational force.

CRUX STANDARD

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rux bridging ladders are the brainchild of Jeremy Plantinga, an engineer by trade. The standard model is constructed from both bent and extruded aluminum, is 48 inches long, and either 16 or 18 inches wide. This is a practical length for typical stuck scenarios, but can be on the short end for many bridging requirements. To aid with the ground-to-track interface and stability, 12 metal ground spikes can be installed to grip most surfaces, being particularly effective on ice, snow, and textured rock. However, these cleats also come at a cost to both skin and the vehicle, easily catching a leg or a 4WD’s plastic trim pieces.

The unit is designed as a functional compromise between a bridging ladder and a sand ladder, employing a few clever design elements. One idea (of several) that proved to work as advertised was the inset rungs that help reduce kick-up after the tire clears the track, a common problem with other offerings. The units are heavy at 16.5 pounds each and must be transported not only with gloves, but with care due to sharp edges. Several of the testers noted random cuts or tears to clothing from the lugs. They are also challenging to store, being taller and wider than other ladders and lacking the ability to nest. They will do best in the bed of a pickup or bolted to a roof rack. The Crux famously helped extract dozens of Overland Expo attendees during the 2015 Mormon Lake Snowmageddon.

SOFT GROUND

For the stuck test, the Crux ladders performed near the top of the class by setting well under the load and moving minimally under rotational forces. The test vehicle was extracted in all three evaluations with only one instance resulting in tire rotation. Lug interface is of critical consideration with these, as the more street biased the tread, the more likely it will slip against the angled rungs.

In very soft mud and snow, the lack of surface area will also result in the ladders compressing deep into the medium and reducing available flotation. We also noted that wet conditions exaggerated the tire spin more than with offerings with cleats.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

For bridging, the Crux is a champ, easily supporting the weight of the G-Wagen and measuring less than 1/4 inch of deflection.

The spikes also helped with stabilization and prevented sliding. The limited surface area of the extrusions that contacted the edges of the span did result in more sinking at the ends of the load. With ramping, the model also performed well, scoring at the top of the category. Again, the lugs bit into the granite and only moved after the front tire cleared, pushing it a few inches rearward. Made in the USA, 1-year warranty.

PROS Best in test bridging performance Quality materials and construction Good ramping performance CONS Sharp edges require careful handling Limited lug interface and angled cross supports can result in tire spin Bulky, heavy, and difficult to store

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$349/PAIR | CRUXOFFROAD.COM

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

MANTEC SAND TRACKS

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ew pieces of kit look as overlandy as a pair of Mantec PSP sand tracks bolted to the side of a Defender’s Brownchurch rack. Only minimally revised from the design of the Marston planks, these 4-millimeter-thick aluminum units are a full 5 feet long and can easily double as a litter for an injured traveler. They lack the interlocking tabs of the original runway matting, but retain the perforated holes, reinforcing channels and bends. These units performed well in our 2009 test, taking the Editor’s Choice Award because of their exceptional all-around functionality and suitability in sand. New technology and better options have come to challenge this old stalwart though.

At nearly 31 pounds for the pair, they are neither light or easy to store. Best served as the flooring of a rack or drawer system, they create space considerations in most vehicles. However, all of that surface area provides excellent flotation, distributing the weight of a 4WD over a considerable area. The length also helps with maintaining momentum from axle to axle. However, the smooth finish and one-way perforations result in limited tire adhesion and mechanical keying, wheelspin being the result.

SOFT GROUND

PROS Excellent flotation support Stores relatively flat Good for bridging and ramping lighter vehicles Doubles as a wine rack

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CONS Smoother surface provides limited mechanical keying to tire Difficult to store Failed recovery test

These sand ladders are the flotation champions, reflected in their success in the sand dunes of the 2009 test. For this evaluation, we intentionally increased the difficulty, requiring the units to assist with a vehicle completely mired in volcanic cinders. This was a problem for the Mantecs, which failed to provide traction and recovery during all three attempts. The limitation of the model falls squarely to the lack of surface lugs, cleats, or rungs. Positioned with the perforations facing up or down, the smooth surface caused the tires to spin and the G-Wagen to remain stuck. The effectiveness would only get worse should the conditions be muddy or snowy.

Based on our experience, this unit works best as an augmented or supportive surface, not as a recovery track.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

For bridging, we also increased the difficulty from the 2009 test by using our project G-Class for the task, which bent the Mantecs into a stylish crescent, but they still fared better than the other sand ramp products in the review. The model performed admirably under the weight of a Discovery in the 2009 evaluation, so safe single wheel loads on a stacked pair should be around 1,500 pounds or less. On ramping, the units also performed better than most with consistent support on the lighter test vehicle and minimal kickout or tire spin. The length also helped with this, providing a shallower angle for the vehicle to climb. Made in the United Kingdom, 1-year warranty. $498/PAIR | MANTEC.CO.UK, ROVERSNORTH.COM | 44-0-2476-395-368, 800-403-7591 (U.S. DISTRIBUTOR)

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

MAXTRAX

MKII | EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

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he original Maxtrax was developed in 2001 after inventor Brad McCarthy nearly lost his bogged vehicle to the rising tide on a North Queensland beach. The product was born from Brad’s resourcefulness and passion for solo travel in the Australian Outback. He needed a way to perform an efficient self-recovery when using a winch was difficult or impossible. It started with the MKI (featured in our 2009 test) and progressed to the current MKII model, which includes several key improvements for mechanical keying, durability, and temperature stability.

Measuring 45 inches long and 13 inches wide, they can stack in a pair for a 3.5-inch profile. Made in Australia from UV-stable, engineering-grade reinforced nylon, each track only weighs 7.5 pounds and can be carried by one of the six built-in handles. One of the key design elements is that both ends of the MKII are tapered for ramping of the tire and reducing pop up and shifting in the obstacle. There are a few unique attributes to the Maxtrax, including accessory key slots for mounting and linking, and the availability to purchase the units in extreme cold weather compounds to resist cracking all the way down to -40°F, a function we tested on the eastern coast of Antarctica.

SOFT GROUND

The Maxtrax is well suited to the typical stuck scenario, a vehicle mired in deep sand or mud. In this situation, the underside of the ramp can be used as a shovel to assist with removing material from in front of the tire. The track places easily by shoving the lugged ramp under the face of the tire as far as possible. With good mechanical keying, these units successfully recovered the G-Wagen in every evaluation attempt. Most notable was the complete lack of wheelspin in each extraction, demonstrating the excellent placement and angle of the lugs. The unit also set positively, the ends pushing into the cinders, anchoring the plank. Minimal kick-up was noted as the tire exited the trailing end.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

While the MKII is not advertised for bridging, we have used them successfully for small spans with light vehicles. A nested pair easily supports the weight of a typical wagon, but struggled under the load of the G-Class, bending far into the gap. Fortunately, the material is designed to endure such bending and deformation, and returned quickly to its original shape. For ramping, it performed admirably, and was the best of the traction planks, again aided by the sloped leading edges. It stayed in place better and exhibited less of the kick-up and displacement common to this class of device.

Made in Australia, lifetime warranty.

PROS Compact dimensions and lightweight Multiple mounting and storage options Excellent mechanical keying to the tire lugs Good performance in wet conditions CONS Wheelspin can smear and damage cleats Limited bridging capacity

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$299/PAIR | US.MAXTRAX.COM.AU | 61-7-3267-5043, 480-410-5864 (U.S. DISTRIBUTOR)

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

TRED

TRED PRO

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ncreased competition and consumer demand for traction tools have resulted in a flood of products to the market. While most have proven to be poor copies of already effective designs, there are some companies that have made an effort to innovate, like Tred from the Evolve Group, a 100-percent Australian-designed and manufactured product. Being the new kid on the block, the Tred Pro is an attempt to address some of the performance and temperature challenges (cracking) of the original Tred with a new design and patented Exotred dual-composite material.

At just over 45 inches long and nearly 13 inches wide, the Tred Pro provides good flotation and stability on most surfaces.

The leading ramp is particularly effective with aggressive lugs and a dished profile. These nesting units also employ a Sipe-lock system which positions the lugs at angles and intervals most consistent with popular all-terrain tires. In practice, this worked particularly well on the ramp, but the reduced lug spacing on the center of the plank limited grip, and induced wheelspin under heavy rotational torque, particularly with narrower tires.

SOFT GROUND

PROS Excellent cleat design Durable cleat construction

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CONS Single ramp construction limits effectiveness Cleat profile less effective in reverse Shovel end causes ramp to pop up and shift Reduced cleat spacing in center and shovel end

The Tred Pro performed as advertised in the cinders, proving to be easy to set under the tire and providing excellent tire grip on the ramp. The shape of the ramp also allowed it to dig into the surface and stabilize, aiding with the extraction. In every evaluation, the Tred Pro successfully recovered the G-Class and there was no wheelspin in two of the three attempts. The only notable concern with this model is the unusual choice of making the trailing end a flat edge without any taper. This caused the unit to experience kickup on every test, dislodging the ramp end. It is called the shovel end and is devoid of lugs, which reduces the total useable length of the plank. This design flaw significantly reduced the ranking on this otherwise solid performer.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

For bridging, the Tred Pro did the best of the nylon planks, resulting in the least deflection. Although very close to the Maxtrax in result, the taller profile of the Tred Pro and additional structure of the molded channels did a better job of supporting the Mercedes. For ramping, the leading edge again performed near the top of the group, but the shovel end immediately sent the Tred Pro flying up and rearward. Durability has been excellent. Made in Australia, lifetime warranty. $299/PAIR | TRED4X4.COM.AU | 61-7-3283-1196

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

SMITTYBILT ELEMENT RAMP

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mittybilt has been in the business of off-highway accessories for decades, producing value options and a wide range of products. In recent years, they have also started offering solutions for the vehicle-based traveler, including roof tents, camping gear, and even a trailer. Their solution for a sand ladder is the Element, a nylon-reinforced plastic-molded unit that comes delivered as a pair and includes a 600-denier transport bag.

Reminiscent of the first generation Maxtrax, the model is designed with dual sloped entries and raised traction lugs throughout.

The sides include a total of six carry handles and serrated edges to aid in gripping the low-traction surface. The ramps are also molded with several strengthening ribs to help maintain shape and support in irregular terrain.

SOFT GROUND

For the G-Wagen stuck in the cinders, it was a difficult task for any traction aid, putting 100 percent of the tractive force to one tire. In this case, the Element was a mixed bag, successfully recovering the vehicle, yet suffering from several broken cleats. The units also shifted more than the others and when stacked, easily unnested. In soft conditions, with light vehicle and careful throttle application, they can certainly help, but anything more than rare and easy scenarios will result in a damaged product and a vehicle still stuck in the muck.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

With our bridging test, the Element ramp provided no measurable support to the vehicle, compressing all the way to the ground, resulting in a failed evaluation. They also separated easily from their nested state, something not common with the other units.

After driving the vehicle off the ramps, they remained bent and required manual straightening. For ramping, they were almost immediately kicked out by the rotational force of the tire, lacking grip against the rock and dirt. They provided little effectiveness although they did not fail completely in that test. Made in China, 1-year warranty. $155/PAIR | SMITTYBILT.COM | 888-717-5797

PROS Includes a storage bag Low cost CONS Lugs damage and break easily, with or without wheelspin Ineffective for bridging, even with a light vehicle Ineffective for ramping

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

PRONGHORN

LINKTRAC AND BRIDGING RAILS

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ased in Spring Branch, Texas, Pronghorn Overland Gear was founded by Trey Hermann, who is also the director of design and development. The slogan on his shop wall reads, “Off-road and expedition meets SEAL Team 6 meets NASA. With a dose of LRDG [Long Range Desert Group] to keep us focused.” Their products certainly reflect this ethos as well as a consistent and attractive aesthetic.

With optional bridging rails, this product is the most versatile of the test, providing either a flexible or rigid solution and the ability to span a 50-plus-inch gap with a 5,000-pound single wheel load. It is also the heaviest entry of the evaluation at nearly 100 pounds per complete pair. The track is produced from 6061-T6 aluminum, the primary links extruded and then fitted with welded plates for rigidity and additional flotation. Large cross tubes slide through the mating pieces and the links, providing the ability to extend the length indefinitely, but also replace damaged components in the field. Surface traction relies on the profile of the extrusions and adhesion, but there is also the opportunity to install ice screws if required. The bridging rails can be field-assembled for compact storage and use a set of 1/4-inch plates, cross rungs, and joining pins. It takes about 10 minutes to put each base together, but the benefit is that the pieces can easily be stored in a drawer until needed.

SOFT GROUND

PROS Quality construction and materials Stores in a duffel bag Broad range of capabilities as a system CONS Sharp edges risk tire punctures Inconsistent performance in soft surfaces Expensive as a system

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For our stuck scenario, the LinkTrac provided the most inconsistent results, but in most cases it did provide enough grip to extract the GWagen. We ended up testing the unit seven times in the same condition to aid in forming a conclusion. The challenge we experienced was the lack of a rigid construction, which allowed the track to be pulled through the hole by the tire. The lack of surface lugs also created failed extractions as the tire spun on the surface. We even tried doubling up the tracks, which did help by increasing the ground clearance of the vehicle and stopping the unit from being pulled through by the tire.

It also worked in half of the tests, so the results remain somewhat inconclusive.

BRIDGING AND RAMPING

For bridging, the LinkTrac can be assembled with the rails and turned into something that would make an AT-AT Walker jealous.

The tracks lay into the channel of the bridge and serve to add traction and additional support. The unit easily handled the weight of the GClass, demonstrating no measurable deflection. It was so stable that the test driver could not feel the difference between the hard surface and transitioning fully to the span. While it was excellent at bridging, there was concern of note: the leading and trailing edges of the side panels extend past the track surface and are relatively thin and exceptionally sharp. It would be easy for them to puncture a spinning tire.

For ramping, the tracks themselves did poorly, being pulled through by the rotating tire torque. The full assembly with rails performed above average, successfully aiding in the climb; it lacked grip to the rock surface though, causing it to move and shift under the load. The units did exhibit a lack of torsional rigidity, causing them to twist and not return fully to square. Made in the USA, full lifetime replacement warranty. $370/PAIR/10 X 45-INCH TRAC, $345/PAIR RAILS | PRONGHORNGEAR.COM | 210-859-6981

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

CONCLUSIONS

S

ome of the greatest rewards from these tests are the surprises and revelations that come along the way. Certain products might exceed expectations, while limitations may be found with attributes that can look good on paper (or a CAD file), but fail to perform in the field. Keeping an open mind and managing our potential biases as evaluators are always at the forefront, aided greatly by employing as many testing controls and repeatable conditions as possible. This test is a blend of empirical results and experience-based observations.

The soft surface test was the most important, as it represents the most likely situation travelers will encounter. Sand on a beach or a muddy trail back to a favorite campsite—getting stuck can happen just about anywhere. The cinders proved to be a better surface than I had hoped and we were able to get a predictable control, the heavy G-Class spinning the passenger front tire and the suspension fully extended. It asked a lot of the products: one failed the test entirely, while others clearly demonstrated their limitations. This test proved the critical attribute of a ramp profile and the need for the tool to be rigid. The less rigid the plank, the more likely it would get pulled through by the tire and fail the test. It also showed the necessity for strong, wellplaced studs on both the ramp and the flat surface of the product.

For the ramp attribute, the Tred Pro was particularly impressive, pulling into the set position easily without notable wheelspin. The dish of the Tred ramp is also helpful, matching the radius of the tire and ensuring adequate cleat-to-lug interface.

Despite the best-in-test ramp performance, the Tred was only average in traction on the flat of the plank. It also suffered from a curious design decision, a molded “shovel” on one end which played havoc in nearly every evaluation. The shovel end had a lack of studs and also caused the product to pop up unpredictably and often displaced the unit from the hole or even hit the side of the vehicle. If it had a matching ramp on both sides, the outcome would have been much improved.

The LinkTrac looks the part and certainly wins the tech award (if we had one), but the hinged design lacked the structure required to allow for predictable outcomes. The surface also needed additional traction, and the AT tires spun or kicked back the track on several tests. They did recover the G-Wagen in half of the attempts, but we could never get a consistent result. The Smittybilt Element ramps did work each time, but they demonstrated more wheelspin and several broken cleats. The Mantec PSPs failed to extract the G-Class from the hole, the tire spinning against the smooth surface. This left the Crux and the Maxtrax, which both successfully extracted the vehicle in each attempt. However, the Crux did demonstrate kick-up. This resulted in the Maxtrax winning the soft surface evaluation, recovering the Mercedes every time, not kicking up, and staying set for the rear tire to engage. I attribute the unit’s success to the dual ramps and the clever spacing and intervals of the lugs.

For bridging, the only real considerations are the Crux and the LinkTrac with optional bridging rails. The Crux works exactly as advertised and easily supported the weight of the G-Class.

The LinkTrac system is more of an engineering masterpiece, with the ability to disassemble down to the size of a shoebox or be configured with additional plates as a single unit, providing a nearly 8-foot span (with a lower capacity). All this takes time in the field, but there are rarely scenarios where speed is a necessity in recovery or road building. My greatest complaint is the sharp ends of the ramps, which make them difficult to handle and could easily slice a tire. LinkTrac’s bridging rails won this part of the test, but the Crux just works much better in other situations, so user needs will dictate the final purchase decision.

On ramping, the Crux performed the best again, staying the most securely positioned on the rock and dirt, while easily aiding the vehicle over the obstacle. The Smittybilt slid out immediately, and SOFT SURFACE TIP while the Tred Pro certainly helped the The less rigid the plank, the more likely it will vehicle ascend the obstacle, the shovel get pulled through end often sent the ladders flying. The by the tire.

Maxtrax performed the best of the nylon products. The Mantec PSPs perStrong, well-placed formed admirably, scoring a successstuds on both the ramp ful result and not kicking completely and the flat surface of out of place. The LinkTrac without the product is a necessity. the bridging rails failed the test, being pulled through by the tire immediately.

With the rails, it performed similar to the Crux and Mantec, a successful climb. However, we noted that even though the LinkTrac had vertical load strength, it suffered in torsional rigidity.

The uneven surface of the ledge caused the base to twist and not return fully to square.

So, who takes the ultimate prize? I was continually impressed by the field performance of the Crux bridging ladders, and they have been a part of our team’s kit for years. Our time with the product has revealed several issues in mixed terrain though, primarily poor performance with street-biased all-terrain tires and limited surface traction in wet or snowy conditions. The Crux relies entirely on the edge of the aluminum rungs to provide grip. Add some mud or rain or snow and the effectiveness suffers. They also require careful handling and can be particularly difficult to store in the vehicle—bolted to a rack seems to be the best option. If you have the space, they really can do almost everything, from sand extraction to bridging.

This brings us to the Maxtrax, a product thousands of overlanders have used on adventures because it just works. It performed the best in the soft surface test and can easily be stored using several factory solutions. They also nest well, allowing four planks to be stacked on a roof rack or in the back of a vehicle. As a bridging and ramping tool, they performed better than expected, but the product is not designed for either application. We also weighted those attributes far lower than performance in the soft volcanic cinders. What product wins our Editor’s Choice?

The pair of Maxtrax. Bring more than one if you plan to cross the Canning Stock Route in spring.

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TRACTION DEVICE AND BRIDGING LADDER COMPARISON CRUX STANDARD

MANTEC SAND TRACKS

MAXTRAX MKII

TRED TRED PRO

SMITTYBILT ELEMENT

PRONGHORN LINKTRAC

PRONGHORN RAILS

Price (pair)

$349

$498

$299

$299

$155

$370

$345

Weight (pair/pounds)

33

31

15

19

12

40

56

Dimensions (l/w, in)

48/16 or 48/18

60.2/18.5

45/13

45.6/13

47/13

45/10

53/12

Material

Aluminum

Aluminum

Reinforced nylon

Polyolefin

Reinforced

Aluminum

Aluminum

TEST RANKINGS (1 Being Best) Soft ground

2

Fail

1

3

4

5

N/A

Ramping

1

3

4

5

6

5

2

Bridging

2

3

5

4

6

N/A

1

Tire grip

5

6

1

2

3

4

N/A

Damage in testing

No

Bent

No

No

Broken cleats

No

Twisted slightly

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

Jacks of all Trades Options for taking your vehicle to new heights.

By Chris Collard

O

f the dozens of items we shoehorn into our vehicles before we hit the trail, few are more vital than a means of elevating them when the need arises. Whether you get stuck in the sand or shred a tire, the often undervalued jack will be your best friend. With regard to vehicle-dependent travel we have many options: scissor jack, bottle jack, air jack, and post jack. And, since the first means for raising a horse-drawn wagon were created centuries ago, inventors have been hard at work developing ways to make a better mouse trap. For this issue, we are delving into products that will take your rig to new heights, along with a host of implements designed to make the task safer and easier.

TESTING AND CONSIDERATIONS Our evaluation methods for this review were quite simple and 100 percent subjective. We took a few vehicles out, buried them in the sand, and utilized each product as specified by the manufacturer. We analyzed their design, quality of construction, weight, storage requirements, cost, and ease of use. In the process, we found alternate uses for some, and that added value and increased their odds of finding a permanent home in our kit. The scope of utility for some is very narrow, but in certain environments they would be worth their weight in californium-252. Not all of the items we tested are featured here, as some did not make the grade and were left out. Products reviewed are from Hi-Lift, Safe Jack, Slag Factory, Hard Core Trail Gear, and ARB. OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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HI-LIFT

48-INCH X-TREME JACK | EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD (LIFTING)

I

HI-LIFT HANDLE KEEPER 48

The Handle Keeper is a must-have for anyone with a Hi-Lift jack. Made of high-density polyurethane, it slips over the jack post and handle to eliminate vibration and keep the handle from swinging away. $14 | HI-LIFT.COM | 800-233-2051

n the 2012 Winter Issue, I penned a Classic Kit article on one of the overlanding world’s great inventions, “The Jack of all Trades.” With roots dating back to 1905, before backcountry vehicle travel was vogue, the Hi-Lift began life as the Automatic Combination Tool. It was the brainchild of Philip John Harrah and would take on monikers such as the Farm Jack and Handyman. During its tenure it would be put into service in World War I, accompany Allied troops during the invasion of Normandy, and be utilized in the most remote corners of the globe and by nearly every major expedition. The old Handyman is undisputedly the granddaddy of the lifting genre. Harrah’s firm, Bloomfield Manufacturing Company, which is still a family-run business, has the right to say, “Don’t buy an imitation.”

During the past 100 years there PROS have been various revisions and imExceptional versatility provements, but the basic design Premium construction remains the same. The X-treme, availHigh load rating able in 48- and 60-inch models, has a CONS cast steel base and riser unit, 14-gauge, Heavy high-yield tube handle, and is rated Dangerous if not used at 4,660 pounds (tested to 7,000). properly Moving parts require The riser bar is specially rolled extralubrication and cleaning high-carbon steel (80,000-pound minimum tensile strength), hardware and handle have a weather-resistant zinc coating, and the rest is protected by a charcoal metallic powder-coated finish. Internal pins have a 125,000-psi tensile strength, up top is a winch-clampspreader tool, and minimum lift height is 4.5 inches.

This is an exceptionally versatile tool in the field. It can be used as a winch, press, log splitter, spreader, or to reposition a broken spring perch or axle, and of course, lift a vehicle. Quality of construction is unmatched—I’m not sure how they stay in business, as I still have my original Hi-Lift purchased in 1984.

I will admit that it is heavy and can be dangerous if not used correctly. It is also only applicable if your vehicle has a proper lifting point. However, if you venture afar, this is one tool you don’t want to leave home without. Made in the USA. $132 | HI-LIFT.COM | 800-233-2051

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

ARB

BUSHRANGER X-JACK COMPLETE KIT

T

he concept of an exhaust jack draws from a specific requirement: to raise a vehicle in very soft terrain. In simple terms, it is a large plastic bag with a hose fitting. Place the bag under the car, attach the hose to the exhaust pipe, and turn on the engine. The exhaust fills the bag with enough pressure to raise the vehicle. There have been a number of options over the years, but the Bushranger X-jack, distributed by ARB, has set the standard.

It is constructed of heavy-duty rubberized canvas with a triple-layer top. A sturdy core insert in the top provides a flat lifting surface, and slipping in the provided protective mat reduces the possibility of the unit being damaged by irregularities on the undercarriage. Down below, an array of cleats on the base help keep it in place. With a diameter of 24.5 inches, the contact patch is an impressive 471 square inches, or roughly 3.25 square feet. Exhaust temperatures won’t be an issue as the attachment hose will withstand 284°F. Surprisingly, it is fully operable at less than 10 psi, which is good; engines do not take kindly to excessive exhaust backpressure.

A mindful feature is the side-mounted valve stem, which allows for inflation via an air compressor. We found this vitally important, as the tailpipes on both of our test platforms had PROS Excellent for intended use been strafed on rocks and did not Unparalleled flotation provide a good seal. This would Quality construction also be the preferred method if your vehicle has a dual exhaust CONS Limited lift height system or if the tailpipe were Bulky submerged in mud or water. The Dual or compromised 4-ton capacity is suitable for any exhaust limits application medium-sized vehicle, but deCost pending on chassis height, flexibility of the suspension, and how deep the tires are buried, the 31-inch maximum lift may or may not be adequate. However, in nearly any scenario it will lift a tire high enough to slip a traction mat underneath.

In testing, the X-jack raised our 4Runner off the ground in about 8 minutes with the engine spinning at 2,500 rpm; although we were struggling to keep the hose attached to our crushed tailpipe. However, using an ARB twin compressor required less than 2 minutes (I’d opt for the compressor every time). Final internal pressure was just 3 psi, and jack extension was 18 inches—58 percent of available lift. When you reach an acceptable lift height, simply disconnect the tailpipe hose or turn off the compressor. A one-way valve will keep the X-jack from deflating. Gradually bringing the tires back to terra firma is as simple as slowly turning an intermediate valve to release pressure.

The unit also comes with leather gloves, puncture repair kit, durable canvas stowage case, and laminated instruction manual.

The only downside is the stored size, but when you auger your tires into soupy mud or bottomless snow, you will be glad you dedicated the space. Made in Taiwan. $264 | ARBUSA.COM | 888-427-2872

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

SAFE JACK

BOTTLE JACK RECOVERY KIT

B

esides the simple task of lifting a vehicle, I’ve used bottle jacks for everything from raising motors and coercing a broken spring perch back in position to straightening a bent driveline. The problem I’ve run into is that they are often too short to reach the intended target, resulting in adding makeshift piers and decreasing safety. The other issue is that the cap at the top of the riser shaft is usually small, round, and offers an unstable contact patch.

Safe Jack’s Bottle Jack Recovery Kit addresses these dilemmas with some innovative accessories. They utilize a standard 6-ton bottle jack, but added three heavy-duty shaft extensions. The extensions slip over the jack’s cap and are kept stable by a tight-fitting collar. There are also two top PROS pads, a flat version for lifting a Excellent construction frame or similar surface and a Increased stability and safety cupped pad for axle tubes, leaf Expands utility of conventional jack Heavy-duty carry bag springs, and other uneven or curved objects. Construction CONS of all components is excellent, Cost and the kit includes the jack, Limited jack stroke handle, 3-, 6-, and 12-inch extensions, pads, and one of the best canvas carry bags I’ve come across. In testing, the products exceeded expectations. In addition to conventional under-axle use, with the 12-inch extension attached we were able to raise the vehicle from the bumper. The only drawback is the jack’s limited shaft stroke, which is about 7 inches. Since this review, I’ve slipped this gear into my rig and retired my well-used OE bottle jack. Made in the USA and China. $269 | SAFEJACKS.COM | 509-735-2106

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SAFE JACK

SECURE LIFTER, CHAIN, AND LIFTING SLING

T

he Secure Lifter, which is designed to be used with a Hi-Lift jack, is a simple idea properly applied. Its purpose is multifold: raise items with odd surfaces or that are lower than a Hi-Lift’s minimum height, keep the jack post away from the subject being lifted, and increase safety. As with the other Safe Jack products in this review, construction is excellent, steel components are powder coated black, and an instruction manual is provided.

The unit attaches to the jack’s lifting nose and is secured with a quick-release pin. The outer edge features an abutment plate that rests against a tire PROS or other object to avoid conWorks well for intended application tact between the jack post Quality construction and vehicle. On its upper Versatile lifting options edge are two slots designed CONS to accept and secure a chain.

Needs protective pad The 4-foot polyester sling, Cost rated 12,400 pounds in a basket configuration, is used to loop through spokes in a wheel and back to the Secure Lifter. Used in the same configuration, the 3/8-inch, Grade 30 chain (2,650-pound, basket) is handy for attaching to a bumper, rock slider, or other hardware. Testing both applications went without a hitch; my only suggestion would be the addition of a rubber pad on the abutment plate to protect painted surfaces. The combination of these three tools could be an asset when a suitable and safe lifting surface is unavailable. Made in the USA and China. $69, $48, $59 | SAFEJACKS.COM | 509-735-2106

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

HI-LIFT

OFF-ROAD KIT

I

n the days before I could afford an electric winch I used various methods to extract my rig, the most common of which was a shovel and $30 come-along. The system was not rated for the loads we put it under and often failed. If you called the Off-road Kit a poor man’s winch, you would be correct. But this thing works and works well for limited applications. When assembled with a Hi-Lift jack, the concept is straightforward, portable, and does not rely on the engine or its electrical system.

There are multiple components: two brackets, two lengths of 3/8-inch Grade 40 chain with hooks, a bow shackle, nose bracket, and 5,000-pound WLL tree strap. Setup is a four-step process: attach the nose bracket PROS to your Hi-Lift and bow shackle Quality construction to the top, wrap the strap around Excellent for intended use a deadman (tree or other fixed Cost object) and thread a chain and CONS hook through the eyelets, affix Light-duty bag the other chain and hook to a reLimited stroke covery strap attached to your vePuts operator in hazard zone hicle, and secure loose ends of the chains to nose bracket and bow shackle. Voilà, in the same way that the jack will raise a vehicle, it will also pull one. It can also be used to move boulders or logs off the trail, reposition a wayward axle, or pull just about anything you can attach a strap to.

I must say that utilizing a Hi-Lift in this manner is a complicated process, and as with any recovery scenario, due diligence should be exercised (as if it were a live winch line) to ensure safety. Progress is in 3-foot increments and in the interim a secondary safety chain must be used to stabilize the load before setting up for another pull. Work gloves and canvas carry bag included. Made in the USA and Taiwan. $96 | HI-LIFT.COM | 800-233-2051

HI-LIFT LIFT-MATE

T

his specialty product fills a niche and is handy for vehicles that don’t have conventional attachment points for a Hi-Lift jack. The Lift-Mate consists of a heavy-duty steel bracket that fastens to the jack nose. Hanging from the bracket is a polyester web sling fitted with two rubberized steel hooks.

Slip the hooks into two voids of a PROS wheel, and you are ready for busiWorks well for intended use ness. As you raise the jack, a large Quality construction rubber pad on the bracket presses Cost against the tire to stabilize the sysCONS tem. Although it is not advertised Not compatible with all as such, we found it very handy for wheels lifting from a steel bumper that does not have a proper attachment point. The rubberized hooks slip under the blade, and the rubber pad rests on the face. Load rating is 5,000 pounds, and Hi-Lift’s ethos of quality is evident throughout. Made in the USA and Taiwan. $46 | HI-LIFT.COM | 800-233-2051

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

SAFE JACK

UNIVERSAL COMBINATION STABILIZER | EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD (ACCESSORY)

A

nyone who has attempted to lift a vehicle from a soft surface will appreciate Safe Jack’s stabilizer system. The problem usually encountered is that the jack base does not have enough surface area. Thus, the ground load exceeds what the soil can support, and your lifting implement slowly works its way toward China. Another dilemma is stability or lack thereof.

As we have discussed, the Hi-Lift is an indispensable tool, but herein resides a love-hate relationship. The base is quite small, and when extended and supporting a vehicle, the assembly resembles an elephant on a pogo stick. Fortunately, the Universal Combination Stabilizer (UCS) addresses both issues.

Cut from 10-gauge plate PROS steel, its base measures 18 by 8 Expands use of conventional inches, increasing the footprint jacks and adding flotation. The kit inLarge footprint cludes two insert plates, one for Heavy-duty construction Improves safety a bottle jack and another for a Hi-Lift, which fit into the base CONS and are locked in position with Cost a spring-loaded retainer pin. The Weight Assembly time former will accept hydraulic jacks up to 7 inches square, or 4.5 inches when using the provided clamp hardware. The latter accepts a Hi-Lift foot and features a 3/8-inch steel rod on one end to keep it in place.

The initial setup for the bottle jack insert requires centering the unit on its plate, then positioning the hardware and clamps.

This is a bit fiddly (a redesign of the clamps is in order), and I highly suggest setting it up before hitting the road. You will also want to mark how the jack sits on the insert plate to expedite future use.

The Hi-Lift adapter works on the principle of triangulation.

Two lengths of 5/32-inch steel cable, one attached to each end of the base, are connected to a bracket near the top of the jack.

When assembled, it forms a triangle, the most stable geometric shape, and adds significant lateral stability. During testing, we lifted both wheels of the Tacoma off the ground, which would normally send the elephant tumbling left or right. The UCS held tight, even when given a good push to and fro.

It is available for 48- and 60-inch jacks, and construction is first rate. My only suggestions would be the addition of a traction surface on the bottom and enlarging their Bottle Jack Recovery Kit carry bag to accommodate the stabilizer plate. Made in the USA. $279 | SAFEJACKS.COM | 509-735-2106

HI-LIFT

OFF-ROAD BASE | VALUE AWARD

I

’ve had an Off-road Base in my rigs (one for each vehicle) for decades and used them countless times. It has been around forever and is about as simple as it gets—just a big plastic platform for working in soft PROS terrain. Although there have been times Increased footprint when it sank into oblivion (there is an Durable attachment eyelet for a recovery tether), No moving parts Lightweight in most sandy, snowy, or muddy condiCost tions it has worked like a charm. And, it won’t cost you a kidney and three pints CONS of blood—love it. Made in Taiwan.

Does not hard-mount

52

to jack

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

$60 | HI-LIFT.COM | 800-233-2051

HARD CORE TRAIL GEAR ALIEN JACK BASE

I

’ve been in dozens of situations where I need to use my Hi-Lift on a sidehill or rocky surface, but the terrain made for a fairly sketchy operation; either the stock foot was too small, or its semi-smooth surface could not gain purchase. Hard Core Trail Gear addresses these issues with the Alien Base. Designed to replace the OE foot, it incorporates four foldout legs that nearly triple the overall footprint. The contact patches are serrated to grip the soil, and detent PROS springs keep the legs in either the open Versatile lifting options or closed position. Triangulated spikes Improved safety Quality of construction on the top of the unit, which is about the size of the stock base, allow it to be CONS mounted upside down (which becomes Cost right-side up) when needed. CNC milled from 1/4- and 3/8-inch plate steel, legs are attached with 10,500- and 5,900-pound double-shear pins, and the final finish is powder coated alien green. Overall, the craftsmanship of this product is exceptional. Attaching it takes about a minute, or it can be permanently fastened to the jack. The Alien Base impressed during soft-sand testing, sinking in just a few inches.

On cambered granite, it held tight with only a few teeth in contact with the surface. This is another well-thought-out idea with genuine field utility. Made in the USA. $150 | HARDCORETRAILGEAR.COM

SLAG FACTORY JACK FOOT

Y

ou don’t choose where you will break down or get stuck and need to pull out your Hi-Lift. When it happens on uneven terrain, the Slag Factory’s Jack Foot will make the task of lifting your vehicle much easier and safer. Laser cut from 3/16-inch, U.S.-made steel and formed on a CNC bender, it features a wide, pyramid design with jagged spikes around its perimeter. They are strong enough to support the full weight of most vehicles, even if only a few PROS are in contact with the ground.

Increased footprint and grip There are also teeth inside the Articulating mount pyramid, strategically positioned Excellent construction Cost to grab the tops of rounded rocks.

In soft dirt and sloped terrain, CONS they cut into the soil and hold None found firm. Another advantage when working in sand, snow, or mud is that the base is wide enough to keep it from sinking in too far. The Jack Foot is a great option for all types of soil, and is compact enough to be permanently mounted on your Hi-Lift. The unit comes unfinished, and we’d suggest giving it a protective coat of paint to prevent rust. Made in the USA. $50 | SLAGFACTORY.COM | 530-693-1663 Review by Joel Moranton

OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

Overland Resource Guides

Reviewed by Chris Collard

Afghanistan to Alabama, these nine books will get you there in one piece.

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Guide, 7th Edition Overlander’s Handbook: Worldwide Route & Planning Guide, 2nd Edition

By Chris Scott ISBN 978-1905864737, ISBN 978-1905864072

When Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman began planning Long Way Round, the first thing they did was pick up a copy of Chris Scott’s Adventure Motorcycle Handbook (AMH). I grabbed Overlander’s Handbook (OLH) back in 2008 before heading to Africa and found it to be an exceptional source for vehicle-based travel information. For those who yearn for two- or four-wheeled adventure on some of the planet’s most notable tracks—Asia’s Silk Route and Road of Bones, South America’s Trans-Amazonian and Carretera Austral highways, or Africa’s West Coast Route—these guides are excellent resources.

In the latest edition of the AMH, Scott reached out to motorcycling icons such as Simon and Lisa Thomas, Austin Vince, and Ted Simon for tales of travel and tips from the far corners of the world.

“Bird’s Eye View,” penned by Lois Pryce, delves into the pros and cons of a female riding solo. OLH draws from the knowledge banks of Doug Hackney (vehicle shipping), Graham Jackson (hot water systems), and Claire Davies (staying healthy).

AMH covers the minutiae of bike selection, preparation, protection, troubleshooting, and spares to carry, as well as region-specific clothing and equipment. The OLH mirrors this information, but for vehicle-based travel. It includes everything from tire selection and timing belts, to buying surplus military vehicles and building a functional and comfortable house for the long haul.

Both guides dedicate sections to documentation, both personal and for your steed, such as visas,

medical and vehicle insurance, carnet requirements for each continent and country, as well as tips on crossing borders, dealing with bandits, and roadside checkpoints. A particularly enlightening segment provides insights into bribes—a local custom of commerce rather than an act of extortion in many areas.

Additional chapters address vehicle selection and size, costs and budgeting, how much and what type of gear to pack, region-specific fuel concerns, staying in touch with those at home, and how to best determine where to sleep for the night. Scott also dedicates a section to driving technique and recovery equipment, and for when someone in your group runs out of talent, extrication methods.

He praises spontaneity, but insists that it is best reserved for after you have undertaken extensive planning and preparation. Several pages are dedicated to discussing the rewards and detriments of traveling solo or with a companion, whether on two wheels or four. “Honey Let’s Take the Kids,”

by John Higham, shares important details on traveling around the world with the family, and the canine-loving Lorraine Chittock chimes in on considerations when taking Fido.

Lastly, he shares his “Streetwise Manifesto,” Nine Commandments to live by on the road. Whether your next adventure will be in Afghanistan or Alabama, these two reference guides are a great place to start.

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The Royal Geographical Society Expedition Handbook

Morocco Overland: Route GuideFrom the Atlas to the Sahara

Edited by Shane Winser ISBN 978-1861970442

By Chris Scott ISBN 978-1905864539

With more than 180 years experience involving expeditions from the far compass points of the earth, the Royal Geographical Society pulled from a wealth of knowledge when they compiled this expedition handbook. If you are considering anything more than a leisurely jaunt around the globe—a proper multi-vehicle project with major media or scientific aspirations—this resource explores the nuances that can determine success or failure.

Situated on the tip of northwestern Africa and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, Morocco is to Europeans what Baja, Mexico, is to Americans: a land of adventure and wide-open spaces. Chris Scott, who first ventured into the Western Sahara in 1982, is the consummate authority on backcountry travel in this land of the ancients.

It leads with the most important aspects of a major undertaking: defining realistic objectives, critical path planning and timelines, legal considerations, team selection, and leadership styles such as John Adair’s Action-centered models.

Larger expeditions usually require funding from outside sources, and an entire section focuses on identifying suitable stakeholders and partnering sponsors. With this follows a chapter on budgeting, cash management, and fundraising.

56

Boots-on-the-ground topics include risk management, working with host countries and government entities, team building and task delegation, provisions control, and nutrition— the psychological pros and cons of hardtack versus a savory steak. Some segments, such as documentary production and broadcast, have been somewhat antiquated by technology, but the core business considerations of expedition planning are as relevant as they were when Shackleton set sail on the Endurance. Although it is out of print (pdf versions are available from RGS), copies can easily be sourced on Amazon for under $30.

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Morocco Overland (MO) guides you through the arrival process, whether you fly, drive, or opt for the adventurous ferry trip from France or Spain. It details required documents, costs, and nuances of vehicle importation through the various ports of entry. Since Morocco is a thirdworld country, MO highlights safety precautions, common scams, police checkpoints, and what to do in case an accident or breakdown occurs.

After general housekeeping dos and don’ts, Scott sets you on a path through one of the most fascinating areas of Northern Africa. The country and subsequent route suggestions are divided by region—Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, Eastern, Western, Ocean, and Saharan—each of which features multiple track options, distances, transit times, GPS coordinates for key intersections, camping choices, and dozens of points of interest. He educates the reader on the best seasons to travel, local cuisine (from street food to traditional dishes), etiquette and customs, and how to plan a trip ranging from 3 days to 3 months.

Travel the Planet Overland

By Graeme and Luisa Bell ISBN 978-0620719902

Afflicted with a loathing for crowded destination vacations, Graeme and Luisa Bell escaped town for a few days of bush camping. The experience peeled back layers of suburban-stained gray matter, revealing a fresh new way to see the world. It was the catalyst for what would be a life-changing event: they sold everything, pulled the kids out of school, and became world nomads. They state that Travel the Planet Overland (TTPO) was created to help you “crack the code,” release yourself from accepting an existence as another brick in the wall, and discover life’s most important asset—your soul.

The Bells don’t hold any punches when it comes to the reality of stuffing everything you own into a very confined space and calling it home. Like a good Marine Corps DI, they’ll reduce you to a witchetty grub before building you back up for the adventure of a lifetime. They possess an incessant sense of humor, sometimes on the cynical, self-deprecating side, and are master observers. You will laugh aloud as you meet characters like the Moocher and Headmaster.

They delve into the pros and cons of traveling with children, living in close quarters, dealing with clutter and trash, the bathroom blues, and limited quality time with your spouse. TTPO covers general vehicle selection, what gear to take or leave home, and bits that will help you live comfortably in oft-uncomfortable conditions—albeit with a minimalist approach. Even if you don’t sell it all and hit the road, you will love this lighthearted read.

Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide, Edition 4.1

Essential Guide to Overland Travel in the United States and Canada

By Tom Sheppard and Jonathan Hanson ISBN 978-0957538542

By TeriAnn Wakeman ISBN 978-0996018197

First published in 1998, the Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide (VDEG) has been the go-to source for remote, vehicle-based travel for nearly 2 decades. Sheppard draws from his 60plus years of experience crossing the deserts of the Sahara and wilds of Africa, bringing you one of the most technically comprehensive resources available. For Edition 4.1, he tapped the wealth of knowledge that is Jonathan Hanson, our charter editor and co-founder.

While many books focus on global travel, this guide brings it home to North American soil.

Some of the subjects are fairly basic for those of us who have been in the field for decades, but this is a good, easy-to-read resource for anyone just getting into overlanding. Beginning with the fundamentals of Tread Lightly and low-impact travel, the author takes us into vehicle, camper, and trailer selection, as well as the extent of modifications needed to access most areas.

Pre-trip checklists include personal items and camping equipment to vehicle maintenance and organizing gear. Moderation, rather than bolting on every aftermarket goodie available, is a repeating theme.

In our ever-changing electronic world, several chapters address modern communications, GPS, power generation and storage, and charging options for all of your plug-in gizmos. VDEG reviews in detail vehicle weight and balance, how modern 4WD systems function, tire selection, and best-practice rules on air pressure, navigation, storage of fuel or food, driving and recovery techniques, and loading and lashing.

If you are a gearhead, turn to section 2.6 for an in-depth review of oil, viscosities, compression ratios, octane, and minimum fuel requirements for run-what-ya-can-buy areas. Need a new jacket or pair of boots? Section 2.3 is one of the most comprehensive examinations of materials, their properties, and apparel design I’ve found.

Looking for a water purifier? Sheppard will not only suggest what to buy, but explain how it works. There is also a new section on digital photography and camera selection.

Wakeman touches on choosing an appropriate tent, sleeping bag, water purifier, fridge/freezer, camp stove, or portable water heater, and offers an expanded section on apparel and fabrics for specific climates. There are extensive discussions on driving techniques for varying terrain, as well as selecting traction aids, recovery gear, and how to safely implement them. Group travel and expectations, as well as communication options from HAM, CB, GMRS, and satellite phones are also covered.

With a focus on U.S.–Canadian adventures, the book highlights required documentation for pets, firearms, and children when traveling across international borders. There are also segments on travel precautions related to wildlife encounters, medical emergencies, and wandering into a backwoods pot farm.

Adventure Motorcycling

By Robert Wicks ISBN 978-1844254354

In the early ’70s, Ted Simon of Jupiter’s Travels rode through Cape Town, South Africa, within meters of author Robert Wicks’ childhood home. Although the event was happenstance, 3 decades later, Simon penned the foreword to this insightful book. Adventure Motorcycling deviates from the traditional resource guide, as it is a hardbound, large-format coffee table book laced with dramatic full-color images of exotic destinations. The opening pages alone, which highlight significant moto expeditions since the early 1900s, will inspire you to take to the road.

After a brief review of global destinations, Wicks shares valuable insight into planning and research, online resources, pre-trip training, and the fundamentals of sponsorships. Storage space on a bike is limited, and suggestions regarding clothing, spares, tools, camp gear, and medical supplies are clearly defined in checklist form. The section on bike selection and preparation is excellent, covering everything from panniers to handlebars.

The book tilts toward international rides, and an entire chapter is dedicated to managing the plethora of required paperwork: visas, carnets, driving permits, insurance, and finances. Additional segments cover border crossings, security concerns, emergencies, staying healthy, navigation, and how to find a safe place to sleep.

Throughout the book, the reader is tantalized with a visual feast of exceptional imagery. Grab a cup of joe, schedule a few hours under your favorite shade tree, and dig in.

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Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Multiple authors ISBN 978-0199688418

The Oxford School of Medicine has been ranked as a top-10 institution of higher learning for decades, and its century-long ties with the Royal Geographical Society render it the consummate authority in expedition medicine. It has drawn from the experiences of explorers and researchers working in the most remote corners of the globe, in some of the most challenging conditions. As proper planning is vital to the success of an expedition, prevention of illness or injury (and how to address them when they occur), is vital to ensuring that not only the team, but all team members achieve the goal.

Hands-on medical advice covers expedition basics like heat exhaustion and hypothermia, as well as other conditions such as epilepsy and hypertension. Subjects are broken down by environment, discussing appropriate preparation, identifying region-specific risks, assessing the early warning

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signs of illnesses and their treatments, and needed additions to your medical kit. Visual references include hundreds of diagrams ranging from techniques for clearing an airway and performing CPR to flowchart checklists on assessing a risk of heart attack or stroke.

Other chapters address crisis management and how to draft an emergency response plan. When do you call for a helicopter, and is the local hospital capable of providing sufficient treatment? “Ethics and Responsibilities” touches on respecting cultural and religious beliefs of indigenous peoples, as well as the scope of the team doctor’s obligations.

Whether you are planning a weekend adventure in your home state or a month-long expedition across Antarctica, this field guide will be an indispensable addition to your kit.

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Trail Fixers The glue that holds it all together.

By Gary Wescott

R

egardless of what kind of vehicle you’re driving or riding on during an overland adventure, or maybe even before you leave home, one thing is certain: stuff breaks, and if Murphy is standing by your side, you won’t have a replacement. You will have choices though.

Live without it, fix it, or worst-case scenario, start walking or set up camp. Your best option is to fix it, and over the years we have discovered a few amazing products that we never leave home without.

Some of these items have been on the market for decades and others were just invented last year. If you decide to use some of the fixers mentioned here, experiment with them a little when it doesn’t matter.

Being aware of the abilities of each will allow you to make the correct choice when something breaks. A little imagination and a touch of MacGyverism go a long way before you throw your hands up in the air.

Elmer’s Glue-All and Glue Stick

Really, what’s not to like about Elmer’s Glue-All? This underrated hero has been a standard item in our fix-it kit before most of the other glues you’ll see here were even invented.

It bonds most porous materials such as paper, cloth, and leather and also works great on wood and pottery. You will need to use clamping of some sort, but it sets in 35 minutes with a full cure overnight. The glue stick works better than tape sometimes.

ELMERS.COM | 888-435-6377

Loctite Stripped Thread Repair Kit

Able to repair a stripped thread in about 30 minutes, this kit comes in a two-part syringe for easy mixing and is designed to work on problems like manifold studs, distributor clamp bolts, oil drain plugs, pan fasteners, and other non-critical applications. “Critical” is defined as internal engine parts, steering, or brake components. By luck, we have never had to use this product in the field, but it’s unique ability and reputation keeps it in our repair box.

LOCTITEPRODUCTS.COM | 800-624-7767

FiberFix Repair Wrap

FiberFix is especially useful for repairing round objects like shovel or ax handles, tent poles, fishing poles, water pipes, or any shape that can be wrapped. Combining industrial-strength fiber and a specialized resin, it will bond with wood, plastic, metal, and PVC—or almost anything. It hardens like steel. Although the company states the product is non-toxic, it does come with rubber gloves. The wrap is water activated, sets in 5 minutes, and fully cures in 20 minutes. It comes in seal packets of 1-, 2-, and 4-inch wide strips about 3 feet long. We have repaired pick and hoe handles with good results.

FIBERFIXNOW.COM | 801-701-0096

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J-B Weld

Gorilla Glue

Gorilla Glue is a legend, and will work where other glues may fail. The water-activated polyurethane formula expands into materials to form an incredibly strong bond to virtually anything, and it’s 100 percent waterproof. Because the texture is like heavy syrup, it can reach difficult places, but does need to be clamped. Once on a lengthy backpacking trip, the stitching on the side of my boot completely failed. I applied Gorilla Glue and weighted it down with a couple of big rocks overnight; it held well until we reached civilization where the boot could be replaced. It sets in 20-30 minutes of clamp time, and fully cures in 24 hours.

The original cold-weld two-part epoxy system, J-B Weld provides strong, lasting repairs to metal and multiple surfaces. Mixed at a ratio of 1:1, it forms a permanent bond and can be shaped, tapped, filed, sanded, and drilled after curing. Because of an ability to withstand temperatures up to 600°F and a tensile strength of 3,960 psi, it is ideal for serious mechanical repairs. It sets in 4-6 hours with a full cure in 15-24 hours.

J-B KwikWeld is a fast-setting version of the original formula, able to set in about 6 minutes and is fully cured in 4-6 hours. It can be a convenient option when you’re in a hurry, but like most fast-setting two-part epoxies we’ve tried, it lacks the strength of the original.

JBWELD.COM | 903-885-7696

GORILLATOUGH.COM | 800-420-7186

RapidFix UV Fiber Patch

RapidFix Dual Adhesive System

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I can’t tell you how many times I have used this product.

The adhesive is basically a high-tech super glue which can work well by itself. When mixed with RapidFix welding powder, it can fill cracks, gaps, and holes, and can be drilled, sanded, and painted instantly. The moment the welding powder comes in contact with the adhesive it turns rock hard. It bonds to plastics, metal, and rubber in seconds.

You can even build with it: apply a bit of adhesive, followed by a little welding powder, and then a few more drops of adhesive. I’ve fixed a leak on the side of a power-steering reservoir without removing it from our truck. If anything breaks, this is one of the first things I grab.

RAPIDFIX.COM | 800-542-3697 OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

We were looking for a way to patch big things like plastic/ fiberglass automotive parts, gashes in canoes/kayaks/paddleboards, or even a hole in the side of a camper, and found this product fit the bill. The RapidFix Fiber Patch is easy to use and extremely durable, utilizing fiberglass-reinforced polyester fabric with self-adhesive. One step, no mess. Non-flammable and non-toxic, it can be drilled, sanded, and painted in less than an hour, and bonds to all surfaces except polypropylene. After cutting the desired size and applying, it cures in 5-10 minutes with an optional UV lamp or in bright sunlight (50 minutes on a cloudy day). Handy 6x6-inch and 9x12-inch sheets packed in a resealable aluminum pouch allow you to only use what you need.

RAPIDFIX.COM | 800-542-3697

Fix-it Tapes

While tapes are not really glues, they often work hand in hand with them as a quick clamp, backing, or maybe just a third hand when you need one. Duck Tape, duct tape, or “100-mph tape,” as it may be called, is another legend. It’s not expensive and sticks on most stuff, but doesn’t like long exposure to weather and can leave a gooey residue.

Shoe Goo and E6000

Shoe Goo and E6000 are similar products, both with multiple applications beyond shoe repair. They are excellent adhesives, but each has interesting limitations that you need to read on the tube before using. Note that Shoe Goo is slightly thicker. Once we had a big cut in a tire; we filled it with Shoe Goo and parked it overnight on a piece of wax paper. It kept the cut clean for months. Both products can form a waterproof seal, but E6000 warns against applications that are exposed to sunlight. If Shoe Goo repairs your Teva or Birkenstock sandals once on a long trip, it has paid for itself.

ECLECTICPRODUCTS.COM | 800-693-4667

Gaffer tape is more expensive, but has many uses as temporary clamps for nearly everything. It does not stretch like other tapes, sticks on everything, can be removed and used again, comes in a variety of colors, and does not leave a mess.

Blue masking tape is cheap and just plain handy for holding repairs together, backing a glue repair, or even as a quick bandage.

There are many other tapes out there, too many to list here, but these cover the tapeable bases.

Premium Silicone Glue

RapidFix UV Liquid Plastic Adhesive

Aided by another bit of UV magic, this is another amazing glue, except that it’s not really a glue. It applies like honey or gel, but doesn’t run so you have control. Able to bond to plastic, metal, glass, and wood, with the ability to fill cracks, holes, and gaps, it cures in 20 seconds when you shine the special UV flashlight on it. Think broken sunglasses, a tail light lens, jewelry, loose screws, frayed electrical wire, or a small hole in your tent or rainfly.

When cured, it’s crystal clear and can be filed, sanded, and painted.

Premium silicone glue is multi-purpose and extremely versatile. It’s waterproof and forms an airtight adhesion, as well as being freeze-proof and nonhardening—perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. Possessing the abilities to adhere to tile, porcelain, glass, fiberglass, marble, wood, steel, aluminum, brick, and most plastics, it’s thinner than Shoe Goo or E6000. This makes it much easier for jobs like caulking a leaking window or resealing a seam around your sink. Because it is 100 percent silicone, it won’t harden, crack, and crumble over time when exposed to extreme heat and the sun’s UV rays.

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RAPIDFIX.COM | 800-542-3697

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Shelter From the Storm These five portable abodes have enough brawn to thwart weather’s worst.

By Christophe Noel

F

or many travelers, a tent is not just a weekend retreat, it is home on the road for weeks if not months on end. For those on extended journeys, spanning all four seasons and on roads prone to destroy delicate gear, finding a tent worthy of the trip is not easy. Over the last 2 years I set out to find the most durable, versatile, and livable portable abodes suitable to overland travel. Some are brand-new entries, others proven over the course of decades and hundreds of thousands of miles of travel. All of them are worthy of serving as your home away from home.

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BIG AGNES FOIDEL CANYON 2

PROS Durable fabrics Low weight Small packed size Ease of pitch CONS Black fabric gets warm

W

ith one of the most extensive offerings of tents in the outdoor industry, from pint-size to palatial, the Foidel Canyon 2 could be best described with one word: tough. Although it was created to appeal primarily to high-mountain endeavors, it possesses a handful of traits perfectly suited to the types of travels known to quickly destroy lesser shelters. The most unique of those qualities is the use of ultradurable 100-denier HMPE ripstop nylon fabric in the floor, rainfly, and stuff sacks, the components most frequently damaged in use and transit.

The secret ingredient in the brawny cloth is Dyneema, a high-tech fiber typically used for climbing applications where tensile strength and cut resistance are critical. Used exclusively in the ripstop weave, it lends impressive tear resistance. To save weight, bulk, and to amplify breathability, the canopy is constructed of lightweight

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ripstop nylon. Despite the heft of the fly and floor fabrics, the two-person Foidel tips the scales at just a shade under 5 pounds.

As we expect of all tents built for demanding conditions, the two cross poles and short spreader pole are made of 9-millimeter anodized aluminum provided by DAC, the leading purveyor of tent poles.

The freestanding architecture employs 11 plastic clips to facilitate a quick pitch while allowing air to flow freely between the fly and main body. Mesh panels at the peak of the canopy pair to vents in the rainfly, and mesh-backed windows on the dual doors also help improve ventilation. For use as a four-season shelter in all but the warmest weather, the Foidel does better than expected to keep a cool breeze circulating, particularly with both of the large vestibules rolled back. If there is one foible to the Foidel, it is the black rainfly, which heats up considerably in direct sunlight.

Initially targeted to mountaineers, the Foidel is great for motorcycle or vehicle travel where space is limited but dependability is of paramount importance. The doors are easy to enter and exit, and the packed size is not much larger than tents made of far less substantial materials. $650 | BIGAGNES.COM | 877-554-8975

FJӒLLRӒVEN ABISKO DOME 2

PROS Good ventilation Heat retention Big vestibules Full-coverage rainfly CONS Slow to pitch Slightly small inside

M

y first night in the Abisko Dome 2 and my first time in a Fjällräven tent of any kind was an eye-opening experience. With a late spring storm driving a constant pelting of icy grapple onto its nylon walls, I comfortably snoozed away the night. Designed and built for the challenging weather of the Swedish backcountry, the Abisko Dome is a veritable nylon fortress. Sized for a cozy pair, its architecture is uniquely European with the three equal length DAC Featherlite NSL poles slipped into sleeves in the rainfly. The outer layer creates a taught exoskeleton with the canopy anchored within.

The benefit to this type of design is twofold. The greatest advantage is the ability to pitch the body and rainfly simultaneously.

Intended to simplify setup, which it does to a large degree, the sleeves take time to thread. It’s worth the effort, as the design also keeps the inner tent sequestered from weather right out of the bag. When forced

to pitch the Abisko Dome in a pouring rain, keeping the living space dry is an obvious plus.

Extending its use slightly beyond three seasons, the shape is round enough to deflect wind and shed minor snow loads while not sacrificing the verticality of the inner walls. The two equal-sized vestibules swallow large volumes of gear and when rolled open help move air through the tent via two oversized, mesh-backed side doors. Additional vents at the ends and peak ensure even the hottest nights are not miserable.

Over the span of many months, the Abisko Dome has been surprisingly cool on summer outings, and because all of the vents can be sealed tight, makes for a snug retreat on chilly nights.

Fjällräven has never been one to cut corners, and they certainly didn’t with their premium backcountry bunker. The siliconecoated fabrics are extremely light yet durable, and the zippers, pegs, and stuff sacks are made to high standards with not a stitch out of place. The greatest surprise to me given the robust build is the low packed weight of just 6 pounds, 11 ounces. There’s a lot to like about the Abisko Dome 2. It is perhaps the best of the bunch for functionality in climates hot to cold. $800 | FJALLRAVEN.US | 855-996-3746

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HILLEBERG

NAMMATJ GT 2 | EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

PROS Unmatched winter performance Ease of pitch Large vestibule Quality of materials Legendary reputation CONS Weight Poor warm weather performance Bulk

I

n 1971, Swedish forester Bo Hilleberg set out to design, build, and sell the best tents in the world. While many things in life are subjective, I believe Mr. Hilleberg did exactly that. His products are sans rival. To fully appreciate the Nammatj GT 2, we have to retrace Hilleberg’s design legacy back to its inception when he searched tirelessly for revolutionary new fabrics like silicone-impregnated Kerlon.

With a tear resistance six times greater than contemporary materials, it provided exceptional durability and waterproofness.

The Nammatj GT 2 is made of an improved iteration of that first textile dubbed Kerlon 1800. I can’t tear it, and I’ve intentionally tried to.

As stout as the fabric is, particularly when stretched evenly across the three 10-millimeter DAC aluminum pole segments, it is the tunnel structure that makes this one of the most storm-worthy shelters in the world. Although not freestanding, the arched design creates steep walls for

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maximum internal livability and also to better shed rain and snow. It is virtually impervious to high winds.

With three equal-length poles slipped into sleeves in the rainfly, the two-person inner canopy hangs from the outer shell allowing both to be pitched in one effort. The vestibule has its own dedicated support pole creating lofty headroom and a large annex to store equipment. It also provides superb weather protection for the large main door of the inner tent. The vestibule includes a mesh door panel and a large vent covered with a protective shroud. A similar vent at the opposite end helps draw in fresh air.

At a couple of ounces over 8 pounds, the Nammatj GT 2 is by no means lightweight, but that’s not necessarily a drawback. Most people reach for it because of its storm worthiness. The sleeves can accommodate a second set of poles for maximum reinforcement and the zippers, tie-backs, and guylines are made of oversized webbing and cordage. A testament to the Hilleberg reputation, the nastier the weather gets, the more comfortable it is within its protective sanctuary.

The only drawbacks to the GT 2 are the full-coverage rainfly and modest ventilation features. Better suited to Siberia than the Sahara, it does best in all but the warmest seasons. $925 | HILLEBERG.COM | 866-848-8368

MSR

HUBBA TOUR 2

PROS Easy pitch Cavernous vestibule with pockets and floor Lightweight CONS Only one door Modest ventilation

T

he newest contender in the group, the Hubba Tour 2 hits retailers just as this issue goes to print, but I received our test sample early last summer with ample opportunity to put it to work. Whereas most of the tents offered within MSR’s legendary Hubba line share similarities in design and features, the Tour 2 is a significant departure.

Purpose-built for travelers on extended journeys, the Tour’s most prominent features include a cavernous vestibule held aloft with a dedicated support arch and a unique exoskeletal framework which places the aluminum poles on the outer aspect of the rainfly. The tent is affixed to the poles with a series of clips making it the easiest one to set up or break down out of the whole bunch.

With the inner canopy attached to the inside of the rainfly, there is no risk of getting it wet during pitch or takedown. Adding to the weather-shedding features, the vestibule is nearly equal in size to the living

quarters and includes a small floor section to keep items off soggy ground. A large door allows for easy entry and exit with no need to crawl over your mountain of gear.

The body includes front and back doors with additional shrouded ports in the extreme ends of the fly to further reduce condensation and bolster air circulation.

Treated with MSR’s new Xtreme Shield waterproof coating, the Tour 2 has been dry as a bone, even when pitted against our nastiest Southwestern monsoon rains.

For motorcycle travel, the ability to protect boots, helmets, and dirty riding layers while not dragging them into the clean sanctuary of the inner tent body is a definite perk. Cleaner items get placed on the nylon floor; dirtier items are stashed on open ground. Pockets within the spacious interior keep essentials within easy reach, and the 4-pound, 13-ounce weight makes this the lightest of the group, if just by a matter of grams. $650 | MSRGEAR.COM | 800-531-9531

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REDVERZ HAWK II

PROS Full-coverage ground sheet under vestibules Superb storm protection Robust construction Tall peak height CONS Large packed size Stuff sack is underbuilt Minimal ventilation with doors closed

A

relative newcomer to the market, Redverz launched their brand just a few years ago with an innovative shelter designed to house two occupants and a fullsize touring motorcycle. Their latest model, the Hawk II, swaps the garage for additional features and a considerable reduction in weight and bulk. Engineered to perform in all extremes of weather and made of durable fabrics and materials, it is purpose-built for the unique demands of extended motorcycle touring, although it would make a superb option for travelers of all kinds.

Like the other models tested, the Hawk II places its 9-millimeter, aluminum DAC Featherlite NSL poles within sleeves anchored to the rainfly. The inner canopy is attached to the underside allowing simultaneous pitch of the two main components. A full-coverage groundsheet can be left attached during setup and takedown to further sequester the inner habitat from foul weather. That floor layer extends into

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the two large vestibules, providing an ideal stowage area for gear best kept dry and clean.

When zipped tightly to defend against heavy rain, the rainfly extends all the way to the ground ensuring the inside stays bone dry, while four large-volume vents near the peak keep air moving to reduce condensation and heat buildup. For use in warmer, drier conditions, the vestibule shrouds can be retracted completely and mesh panels in the door exposed to create cooling air passthrough. The nicer attributes of the inner canopy include the verticality of the walls, high peak, bright fabric color, and a minimum of seams which lend it a clean appearance that seems to amplify the space.

At nearly 6.5 pounds with the optional groundsheet, the Hawk II is slightly heavier than other tents in this category, but the weight is properly invested in 70-denier polyester floor fabrics and 40-denier nylon rainfly material. The guylines, each stowed in their own velcro pocket, are made of large-diameter cord and the ground pegs of durable extruded aluminum. It’s a brawny and feature-rich abode designed to complete a lap of the globe regardless of the season. $650 | REDVERZ.COM | 720-213-8287

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Conquistadores of Mato Grosso The ongoing struggle for land in Brazil’s great woods.

By Karin-Marijke Vis Photography by Coen Wubbels

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Clockwise from left: A traditional oca in the village of Quatro Cachoeiras. A toll road through the Paresi Indigenous Reserve, connecting Campo Novo do Parecis and Sapezal.

The smiling daughter of the cacique in the village of Aldeia Sacre II. Indigenous people have painted and carved their stories on rock walls for thousands of years. Achiote is used as face paint, sunscreen, and for meat preservation. Opening page: Cacique Narciso and his wife, Ines, take us to Four Waterfalls.

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O

nce upon a time, a bird pecked a hole in the surface of a flat rock. Intentionally or not, it created a connection between the subterranean world and Mother Earth. Wazare guided her five brothers through the hole to the surface, and while she returned to her mythical world, the men populated the earth after they met the daughters of the king of trees, Atyahotiso. The Paresi are descendants of these five men. It took all I had to follow Sandra’s rapid-fire Portuguese as she narrated the legend. Whatever details I may have misunderstood, the elongated, narrow hole in the rock was there, in the center of Ponte de Pedra, a natural stone bridge across the Sacuriuiná River. One thing was certain: I was standing on sacred ground in one of Brazil’s Terras Indígenas.

Officially, it was not possible to visit indigenous lands independently, as FUNAI, the National Indian Foundation, hardly ever issues permits. However, on our continuous 14-year journey we have learned not to immediately accept no for an answer.

We ask and look around until we find the right person, and more often than not, new possibilities present themselves. Which doesn’t mean it is easy. There was no tourist infrastructure, and our dependence on people who generally spoke no English while we spoke, at best, portignol (a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese) made traveling in Mato Grosso hard work. A few weeks earlier we’d stood on the border, about to return to Brazil, when I studied my map on which I had circled possible areas of interest. However, my eyes kept straying to the left side of the map. Mato Grosso was void of circles. Why? This was Brazil’s third-largest state. Clearly, there must be something of interest in such a vast region? The map included national parks and green-purple areas indicating Indian Territories. Would it be possible to visit them?

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And who else was living there? I decided to listen to the voice hammering in my head, “Go and see for yourselves!” For 5 months, we traveled through a century-long story of conquest for land.

MISTRUST Near Campo Novo de Parecis, in western Mato Grosso, we edged our way into the untamed Cerrado. This savanna-type of highland characterized by shrub and stunted, twisted trees covers a large part of Brazil’s interior. It is the source of many rivers and is one of the least known and most threatened biomes in the world. To our surprise, the forest made way for flattened terrain where people were constructing ocas, traditional houses made of palm leaves. Had we missed a sign? Wasn’t this a nature reserve, as a government employee had told us? My partner, Coen, turned off the engine and we stepped out of the Land Cruiser with some trepidation. We shook hands with the liderança (a type of representative), Luiz.

He and his daughter Sandra explained that their land was being invaded by los brancos (the whites) and that the sole way to protect it was to apply for the status of Terra Indígena. They had successfully done so, but signs and demarcations (which are placed in prominent areas of the road) were still lacking.

We sighed with relief; this explained our confusion. By now, we knew we didn’t need FUNAI, but entering such a territory without authorization from the cacique (chief ) was asking for trouble. We told Luiz and Sandra who we were and what had brought us here. “How do I know that you are who you say you are? Maybe you are spies for los brancos, checking out the area for a fazenda (farm),” Luiz responded, suddenly fierce in his demeanor.

For a second we were taken aback by the mistrust in his voice but then realized it echoed the abuse indigenous people had endured. We showed him copies of stories we had written for magazines. Our Land Cruiser depicted in faraway destinations won him over, and he invited us to stay for a few days. It was then that Sandra told us the Paresi legend.

76 This extremely roomy oca comes complete with a 24/7 woodfire and blaring television. In his book, Roosevelt describes the perpetual rainbow of the Salto Belo Waterfall.

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EARLY INTRUSIONS For thousands of years, people had populated the Amazon Rainforest and the Cerrado. In the 16th century, the Portuguese colonized what is currently Brazil, but Mato Grosso remained largely untouched. Around 1900, serious explorations of the far west began. Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon dedicated his life to drawing maps of the

region, defining the border with Bolivia, and constructing telegraph lines to connect the flourishing southeast of Brazil with the untamed wilderness of Mato Grosso. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt accompanied Rondon on one of his expeditions and shared his experiences in Through the Brazilian Wilderness. In his book, Roosevelt described the Utiariti Waterfall as a “great cataract of foaming water coming down” and having “a view of singular grandeur.” That caught our interest, and in Campo Novo de Parecis we met Toco, an outdoor adventurer who organized abseiling expeditions there. He could take us for a visit.

The waterfall lies in Paresi territory, and the Río Sacre demarcated the terrain. We drove onto the hand-powered ferry of wooden planks over sealed oil pipes that were chained to a metal cable strung across the water. From the shore, we followed a red, dusty trail zigzagging across a ridge to the 260-foot-high Utiariti Waterfall. Its spray soaked us even from a distance as we stood in awe of this force of nature, watching hundreds of birds flying in and out of their nests behind the massive wall of water.

On our way back we stopped at the village of Aldeia Sacre II to pay our respects to the cacique and buy some feathery trinkets as a form of payment for our visit.

Throughout Mato Grosso, we were guests of three different groups: Paresi, Xavantes, and Aweti. Some live deep in the forest, away from modern civilization, and keep largely to themselves.

In other communities, children and men go to nearby towns for school and jobs. Contrary to the estimated 70 uncontacted tribes in Brazil, these three have contact with or have integrated into Brazil’s society, but to what extent differs largely, and it has not always been of free will. Between the 1940s and 1970s, the Jesuits established missions in Paresi territory. Children were separated from their parents, people were forbidden to keep their traditions and language, and the Jesuits imposed their religion. As a result, the inhabitants of Aldeia Sacre II spoke Portuguese, wore Western clothes, lived in houses of stone, and earned money through tourism.

THE PAST VERSUS THE FUTURE Thousands of trucks crisscross Mato Grosso every day. Asphalt varies from smooth, brand-new surfaces to potholed, bumpy stretches. It required a kind of car-racing video challenge to swerve across the width of the tarmac around the potholes while avoiding oncoming trucks that were doing the same. When we were on our way to another Paresi community, Claudiomiro, a government executive who accompanied us to the destination after he had received permission from the cacique, talked about how yet another highway was being cut through a reservation.

The Paresi had readily agreed; the road was expected to be used by 1,000 trucks per day, and while the government paid for the construction and maintenance of the road, they could levy toll and thus would have a steady source of income.

A turn-off took us to a dirt road of red earth, which widened after a couple of miles. We parked in a clearing surrounded by five ocas and eight houses built with wooden planks. Narciso Kazoizax, the cacique of Quatro Cachoeiras, was dressed in feathers and carrying a bow and arrow set for the occasion. Narciso struggled

as he narrated his wish to pass the old ways on to the younger, uninterested generation. His voice and facial expressions alternated from sad and frustrated to fierce and proud. In his family’s oca, a television blared, positioned over hammocks suspended from the rafters, and a woodfire was used to dry and roast produce harvested in the forest or grown Narciso struggled as in vegetable gardens. Electricity had he narrated his wish reached the village 2 years earlier, and to pass the old ways a satellite dish flanked the hut. At the on to the younger, Four Waterfalls, after which the vil- uninterested generation. lage is named, Narciso and his wife His voice and facial posed in their traditional dress. While expressions alternated this garb was for special occasions, no from sad and frustrated pictures were to be taken of him in his to fierce and proud.

Western clothes. “What will people in your country think of us otherwise? That we are losing our culture? No, you have to show them we live in accordance with our traditions,” he insisted.

Maybe by making the outside world believe they had not changed their ways, this would work as a wand that magically stalled the integration that was happening in front of Narciso’s eyes, but which he was unable to stop. Meanwhile, his family was sitting upriver in shorts and T-shirts, washing clothes using detergent bought at the supermarket. The juxtaposition of these two images told an important tale about Brazil’s indigenous people, about the struggle of finding a balance between staying true to their heritage versus being drawn willy-nilly into modern civilization.

BANDEIRANTES Mato Grosso is Brazil’s fastest-growing state, being among the world leaders in the export of meat, corn, soy, and cotton.

Mato Grosso’s senator at the time was the world’s largest soy exporter and had 1,500 miles of asphalt roads built during his term, all of which went past his fazendas. Such is the way Brazil’s political and economic power works. Smaller farmers shrugged it off. “Yes, the roads pass his fazendas. But mine as well, so I’m not complaining,” they said. Pragmatism works too.

During the colonization, the region’s main threat had come from bandeirantes, flag-carrying pioneers (bandeira is Portuguese for flag) who enslaved Indians to work the plantations and mines. In 1822, Brazil proclaimed its independence from Portugal. A new wave of bandeirantes threatened in the second half of the 20th century, when Brazilians began colonizing Mato Grosso on a large scale. This time, the Bandeirantes were four-wheel drives, the locally produced Toyota Land Cruiser named after the 17th-century pioneers. They were mostly driven by sulistas, inhabitants of Brazil’s three southernmost states. Stimulated by the government, they chopped down trees in the Cerrado and rainforest to sell the wood, mined underground resources, and began growing agricultural produce at a terrifying rate. Indigenous people were (and are) murdered, chased from their lands, and the government has put them in Terras Indígenas. Only in 1988 were they acknowledged as Brazilians, giving them equal rights such as the power to vote.

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Clockwise from top left: An openair CAFO on the plains of Brazil.

Cotton is one of Mato Grosso’s big agricultural businesses. A newly built factory to produce biodiesel from piñón manso. Opposite: These endless plains of low-nutrient grass can only support a few cows.

DIVISION It was September, and the crops had been harvested.

Hundreds of miles of brown soil unfolded in a blur of heat haze. The wind picked up the dirt, and dust devils swirled into the stifling hot air. Every once in awhile a gallery forest, often moriche palms, meandered through a field. Farmers were not allowed to cut vegetation within 32 feet of any waterway, which protected the water from getting polluted by pesticides and fertilizers. However, no trees were standing along the fields as birds will nest in them and feed on the crops.

Mario was one of the many pioneering fazendeiros (farmers) we encountered. We met along the side of the road and he invited us to stay at his home near his newly built biodiesel factory. In Brazil, biodiesel contains 8 percent vegetable additives, traditionally made of soy, corn, and sunflowers. Mario was trying to cultivate a different plant for this, piñón manso, and his factory was built to produce 200,000 tons of biodiesel. His neighbor owned a CAFO Hundreds of miles of (concentrated animal farming orbrown soil unfolded in a ganization). He fattened 45,000 blur of heat haze. The cows per year for 40- to 90-day wind picked up the dirt, periods, and was expanding to and dust devils swirled 120,000. Outside, in the baking into the stifling hot air. sun and fenced in on a dusty terrain without grass or shade, the animals were fed a mixture of soy, cotton, corn, salt, and minerals. As trucks drove along the fences, an automated system filled the troughs. The owner was strict with his workers. No shouting or whips were allowed, and the cattle prods worked on batteries. “That way I can see how often they are used,” he explained. “If the batteries are empty too quickly, my men have a problem; they are to be used as little as possible.”

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Clockwise from top left: On some tracks, bridges are comprised of a few logs piled on top of each other. The locust has survived through eons and evolution, and appears to be here to stay. At Reino Encantado in Bom Jardim, KarinMarijke enjoys a swim with schools of fish. The Xavantes are feared for their violent nature but were very welcoming to us. The bike is the preferred means of transportation in the jungle.

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habitants up close as well; it created a balance in our journey and helped us to understand both sides of the stories of the two groups that had so often clashed. As in the indigenous communities, discussions about land came up. Depending on whom we talked to, they centered on, “Los brancos are destroying nature and our ancestral land,” or “Los Indios sit on natural resources we should have the right to exploit. They are lazy, drunk, and waiting for money to fall into their laps.” Our thoughts and ideas changed and matured, deepened, and were overturned as we met new people and had more conversations. The dominant impression I left with was that if there were no indigenous territories, the whole of Mato Grosso would be eaten up by agriculture and mining. No tree would be left standing.

Clockwise from top left: We found amazing seeds and pods in the forest. In Xingu National Park we met the Aweti indigenous people. The fruit and bark of the jaracatiá tree are used to make sweet treats. Opposite: After the rain, most of the logging trails in the Arc of Deforestation turn into mudpools.

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PRESENT AND FUTURE CONQUESTS From the emptiness of the farmlands we rollercoasted across undulating hills, pausing for cafezinho with pão de queso (strong, black, super-sweetened coffee served in thimble cups with cheese rolls) at gas stations. From the table mountains of Chapada dos Guimarães National Park we entered a region with asentamentos (settlements). The successful fazendeiros were facing threats from one of the most controversial groups in Brazil, the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST). MST fights against unequal ownership of land, occupying and claiming stretches of fallow land. The landowners don’t agree with these “invasions” as they understandably call them, which has led to clashes that have killed people, damaged property, and led to the murder of MST members.

Asentamentos are pieces of land granted by the government. Some MST members are speculators who sell it as soon as it becomes theirs, which, besides the violence, has contributed to giving the movement a bad name. However, near Campo Verde were examples of successful asentamentos. Doña Val showed us around the tropical-plant nursery that she, along

with five fellow landless families, had started 13 years earlier and which was now flourishing. We enjoyed a day strolling their grounds, sharing lunch, and watching their pride, enthusiasm, and eagerness to show us their work.

Looking at Mato Grosso’s inhabitants past and present, we wondered about the future. Who was going to be the next group to claim this land, to occupy it in a friendly or belligerent way?

Locals of all walks of life were not without answers. Fernando, yet another friendly fellow who offered to show us around, accompanied us to the Serra do Roncador, considered to be one of Mato Grosso’s mystic regions (together with Chapada dos Guimarães). As we sat down at a viewpoint amidst a vastness of pristine nature, he gave us some idea of their beliefs.

The mystics of Dom Bosco claim that Serra do Roncador is one of the places where a new millennium will arise in the 21st century. A second story is related to intraterrestres, those who live inside the earth. From these homens dorados (golden people), a new civilization of puros (pure ones) will arise. If not from inside the earth, visitors may come from another galaxy. Spotting UFOs is a regular phenomenon in Brazil. In 1998, the city of Barra do Garças built the world’s first UFO airport. Even if the aliens never come to earth, they have at least provided a source of income. A bare piece of land with a couple of billboards depicting extraterrestres has become one of the region’s major tourist attractions.

THE FUTURE After 5 months of dust and scorching temperatures, the rainy season took over with heavy downpours. We no longer knew if our skin was wet from sweat or rain. This weather was paradise for insects and our skin suffered from scratching at the zillions of bites of piõens, minuscule black insects that do not sting but actually bite a piece out of your skin, leaving a little hole. We had reached the Arc of Deforestation, which runs along the northern edge of Mato Grosso. Here we met adAfter 5 months of mirable environmentalists who fought dust and scorching for the conservation of nature and wildtemperatures, the rainy life while creating jobs through ecotourseason took over with ism. They also provided a convalescence heavy downpours. We haven for Coen, who had caught dengue no longer knew if our and slept for 5 days. skin was wet from If not for the suffocating and pathosweat or rain. genic climate, we needed to move on because our visas were running out. The rains had turned the dusty laterite into quagmires. We trundled up and down muddy roads through the Amazon and newly exploited lands. Bridges were particularly treacherous, in places consisting of only a handful of tree trunks, where I got out of the car and coached Coen to the other side. As we fishtailed westbound, I looked at the map of Bolivia. Its northern section was invitingly empty of circles.

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Cartography by David Medeiros (mapbliss.com)

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The Adventure Route Bikepacking Kyrgyzstan, the hard and easy way.

By Logan Watts

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The privilege isn’t given to everyone…You must have suffered first, have suffered greatly, have gained some miserable knowledge. In that way your eyes are opened to it.

-Henry James

C

uriosity and exploration are vital to the human spirit. The same intrinsic drive that may lead a toddler to stick a finger in an electrical socket has taken humans into space. For some of us, that motivation pushes us to foreign lands, searching for new wilderness. It may not be the depths of the Mariana Trench, but there’s something irresistible about laying tread on less-beaten terra firma.

Perhaps it’s an innate human drive to conquer, discover, or tame.

Whatever it is, it’s what got us to Kyrgyzstan in the first place. Between photographer Joel Caldwell, professor Joe Cruz, editor Lucas Winzenburg, and myself, at least two of us had this small Central Asian country etched into our bucket lists. We originally planned a similar trip in Mongolia, but another group of bikepackers beat us to it last summer.

We wanted to go to a destination and experience something that was somewhat untouched. How about Kyrgyzstan? You know, that place where the guy made that GoPro video a few years ago. Where he cycled on some forgotten Soviet road and then ice-axed up some remote 14er. Oh yeah, let’s go there. Surely we can find some far-flung tracks in those mountains. The Adventure Route was born.

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The descent from Chil’bel’ Pass after Lake Song Köl.

Opening spread: A scree-filled hike-a-bike toward Dzhuku Pass, high in the mountains at an elevation of 12,594 feet.

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Clockwise from top left: Making camp just before crossing Dzhuku Pass. We crossed endless glacial streams along our journey. Joel lays back to admire the view. A curious herd of horses stared us down as we rode by.

Opposite: The painstaking ascent up Dzhuku Pass.

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Ragged spires sawed the pale gray sky and marched into the distance as far as I could see—each resembling an orca with its amorphous patch of white defined against the dark igneous rock.

THE ROUTE UNFOLDS We started pedaling from the banks of Ysyk-Köl, the second largest saline lake in the world. Our initial grind took us from 5,500 to 12,500 feet in just over 50 miles. Lucas battled a stomach bug the first 2 days of our trip. The third was my day.

Just after reaching maximum elevation, the morning’s mid-climb snack of dried fish jerky decided to abandon ship. We had just cleared the pass after a wicked hike-a-bike over softball-sized rocks. The thin air and a bitter cold stream crossing reminded me that we were in a remote corner of the Tian Shan mountains. My stomach reminded me that I wasn’t used to this elevation. Lucas, Joe, and Joel were ahead of me by about a half mile.

I entered a valley flanked by glacial peaks to the east and west. Ragged spires sawed the pale gray sky and marched into the distance as far as I could see—each resembling an orca with its amorphous patch of white defined against the dark igneous rock. I caught the group near an intersection where we stopped for lunch. Joe was studying the GPS map, “There’s a new gravel road just over there. It basically parallels our route.” We stayed our course. People had obviously ditched this route in favor of the fresh crushed rock at least a couple decades prior.

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Within minutes, a storm approached along with sub-freezing temps, snow, and a 40-mph headwind. We trudged our way to a rather large river. There were no bridges, so we needed to ford it. Joe went first. The current was strong, the water thigh-deep, and he barely maintained his footing. We looked for a more shallow place to cross.

There wasn’t one. It was bitterly cold outside. After two more river crossings, a cement mud hike-a-bike, and 3 hours of battling an unrelenting headwind, we intersected the new gravel road, just 5 miles from where we diverged—with no regrets.

SURVIVAL BUTTER The Adventure Route isn’t usually paved with convenience stores. Before leaving Bishkek, we’d stocked up on 5 days worth of odd prepackaged provisions. The labels were all in Cyrillic: Kyrgyz or Russian. Starkly designed packages in red, black, white, and gold reminded me of Kyrgyzstan’s Soviet past. We could only make guesses as to what the ingredients might be, mystery meat being the only sure bet. Throughout the trip, there were a couple of instances when the graphic representation on the packaging didn’t come close to accurately depicting its contents. Even so, by the fifth day, our food supply was running precariously low.

I had already eaten most of my rations, Joel and Lucas had only dry noodles with some powdered pepper spices, and Joe was down to a single can of what turned out to be ground fish balls in an oily red sauce. Deep hunger was setting in.

A long, mesmerizing valley descent brought us back down to a life-supporting elevation where we began to see yurts dotting the hills. We’d heard rumors of Kyrgyz hospitality and it was only a matter of time before we were offered a cup of chai, a potent and cheap tea—liquid hospitality.

I stopped and took a few photos of a boy

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En route to Dzhuku Pass, up a long canyon climb.

Riding our fat bikes was second nature to these children outside Naryn. Opposite: One of many incredible campsites with a view of the Tian Shan.

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Within minutes, a storm approached along with subfreezing temps, snow, and a 40-mph headwind.

playing with a horse whip. He was perhaps 2 or 3 years of age. I’m convinced that the nomadic herdsmen of these hills learn to break horses when they are toddlers. It’s in their blood.

A few minutes went by and we were invited in by Chengiz, the man of the yurt. In typical style, there was a massive tangle of meat (species unknown) suspended from a branch that made up the yurt’s skeleton. The signature Silk Road aroma hung in the cold interior air, an amalgam of musty dirt and dung smoke, mixed with a hint of exotic spice. Chengiz offered us naan, served in torn chunks with homemade apricot preserves, and small Chinese dishes packed with fresh butter—amazing, and timely.

After communicating our goodbyes with a less than award-winning but quite possibly awe-inspiring combination of charades, Chengiz took Joe’s bike for a spin, pedaling circles with a proud smile. As a parting gift, he handed Lucas a plastic 1-liter cola bottle packed with fresh butter. He knew about the Adventure Route (more than we ever would) and what it takes to survive. That night we camped, and I ate my last reserve of rice noodles, topped with a dollop of butter squeezed right from that old cola bottle. Ahh, sustenance.

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Clockwise from top left: Mikki gives me a horse milking demonstration. There are countless switchbacks up Kurtka Pass, just before Song Köl. Joel shows off some photos to a curious visitor at camp. A little too tipsy, perhaps, for a fat bike ride. Incredible views after Beuroylyu Pass. A local’s pack donkey.

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TAMING THE BEAST WITH SCHNAPPS With my eye in the viewfinder, I lowered my stance and shifted ever so slightly to the right. That’s when I saw Mikki frenetically waving me back in a horrifying fit of language barrier-induced silence. Evidently, horses don’t like anyone remotely near them while being milked. Yes, that’s right. They milk horses in Kyrgyzstan.

My photo session began when I attempted to capture the portrait of an evasive Taigan: a skinny, longhaired sighthound breed known for its speed and ability to hunt wolves. I had hiked from camp to the edge of a farmstead.

It was nestled at the hoof of an expansive gorge leading into denser mountains. In the spring, this bone-dry wash would become a rolling torrent of snowmelt with waters feeding the pastoral valley and Mikki’s extensive collection of livestock—a menagerie of sheep, cattle, and a ring of young colts separated from the greater herd who were left wandering the unfenced grassland.

The Taigan’s human, a little girl of about 7 or 8 years of age, smiled sheepishly for the camera. Her two brothers soon joined and motioned for me to visit their home just a stone’s throw away. I was invited in and the family served bread, jam, butter, and kumis, a fermented mare’s milk beverage popular here. Even the capital, Bishkek, is named after the traditional paddle used to churn the stuff.

Mikki, the children’s father, called it schnapps as he passed me a hearty serving. His mischievous, conniving smile and gestural head tilt imparted that I had to drink it or I was less than a man. Although I would insist that everyone should taste it for themselves to get the full experience, I would describe it as the sour beer of milk. It’s tangy and slightly gamey, and always served at room temperature, of course. Cocktail hour concluded with a mare milking demonstration. Mikki’s pride was evident as he stood for a photo with his newly broken horses. My ignorance regarding equestrian protocol made Mikki laugh. To him, I

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Clockwise from top left: En route back to Bishkek on Kegety Pass. A single sheep breaks the herd to greet Joe. A friendly shepherd dog. Our assortment of ramen and odd foods for our last supper before returning to Bishkek. Opposite: Joel and Joe, spinning up Kegety Pass.

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Setting out into places uncharted and embracing what trials and obstacles might await is part of the reason we travel and take on such routes as this one.

was clueless—a white man softened by the kind of easy life found only in some genteel place.

The next morning we packed up camp and proceeded up the valley to enter that rugged gorge. Mikki and his family were waiting to bid farewell. He gave a long look at our bikes and then turned and pondered where we were going. I could tell we connected at that point. The Adventure Route was my wild horse to tame.

COUNTING SHEEP Along our way, Joe and I had a conversation about a class he teaches at Williams College, The Philosophy of Animals. Discussing concepts like herd instinct and collective consciousness somehow led us to deliberate the fear of the unknown and what keeps some people from stepping out and taking a trip like this one to a country that has “stan” as a suffix. Similarly, setting out into places uncharted and embracing what trials and obstacles might await is part of the reason we travel and take on such routes as this one.

We continued the long climb we’d started the day before. Joe was slightly ahead of me when we encountered a massive herd of sheep, perhaps numbering hundreds. Joe stopped to let them pass. In a chaotic torrent, they startled across the road. A single, fearless sheep broke from the pack and slowly approached Joe—a kindred spirit.

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THE EASY WAY OUT Four days into our journey, I woke to a calm pitter-patter on the sagging roof of my tent and opened the door to find a few inches of snow on the ground. Large, heavy flakes were still falling steadily. Joe’s tent was the closest. “Have you been outside yet?”

I whisper-shouted. After several seconds of fumbling nylon fabrics and zippers, his response, just a chuckle, made the answer clear. An hour or so later we all converged in my tent to discuss the options. Although Joe, in particular, was distraught to abandon course, we all agreed to temporarily break from the Adventure Route. It would have followed a faint horse path alongside a river where there would likely be massive rocks, portages, more glacial river fording, and perhaps no trail at all. Instead, we’d follow a double track over the nearest pass, then join it again in a couple of days.

We forced ourselves from each of our fabric cocoons, donned countless layers of wool and Gore-Tex, collected our heavy snowbound gear and set off. The snow continued to fall as we made our way up a long steady grade. Once we crested the pass, the flat gray gave way to a crystal-blue sky casting emerald hues and black shadows on the freshly dusted Tian Shan. The easy way out route was unbelievable, perhaps some of the most extraordinary riding I’ve ever done.

But, what did we miss?

As my wife, Virginia, said, “Why does it always have to be the rougher and more difficult way? It’s often worth it, but sometimes the route more traveled is there for a reason—it’s just better.” That may be the case, but the relentless need to forge a new path is hard to escape. I’ll always wonder about that section of the Adventure Route that we bypassed, the proverbial road not taken. But I guess that’s the magic of places unknown. They push and prod, and they’re always waiting.

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Joe, peeking his head out during a morning snowstorm. Lucas, turning the pedals up Kegety Pass. Opposite: A detour from the Adventure Route, but incredible nonetheless.

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IN MEMORY OF KYLE DEMPSTER, THANKS FOR FORGING THE WAY.

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The Modern Classic Our 70 Series Land Cruiser, modified for travel and trail.

By Scott Brady Photography by Sarah Ramm

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The BJ74 was imported from Japan, complete with Asian plates and fantastic decals. Opening page: Few vehicles are as universally loved as the 70 Series Land Cruiser.

he grass is greener on the other side, at least when it comes to Land Cruisers. As of 2014, Americans were able to begin importing the venerable 70 Series into the United States under the 25-year historic vehicle exemption.

Fortunately, these are Toyotas, so even at a quarter-century old they are (often) still quite serviceable as legitimate overland platforms. In late 2014, we worked with Land Cruisers Direct to purchase a lightly used BJ74, the first year of the 13BT turbo-diesel and a mid-wheelbase configuration.

It doesn’t exactly have the spaciousness of the Troopy, but is better for adventures on the technical routes common to North America. It arrived—all the way from Japan—complete with 1980’s decal stripes and the steering wheel on the right side.

Just to make sure I am being transparent to the uninitiated, the 70 Series is essentially a street-legal tractor and only handles slightly better—it is the pinnacle evolution of the Land Cruiser line though. It has solid axles and leaf springs, but it also came equipped with front disc brakes, power steering, and air conditioning. For my sensibilities, this is exactly what I want in an overlanding vehicle, even down to the complete lack of computers—not even one. The engine and every other function are controlled by old-fashioned pumps, relays, switches, and mechanical systems. Turning the key opens a fuel solenoid and engages the starter. High compression ignites the diesel fuel, and the process continues until that same fluid solenoid closes by turning off the ignition. Opening the hood reveals something that looks like a motor, complete with exhaust, a little turbo, belts, and pulleys. With a little care, these engines will run for a half million miles or more.

The powerplant is connected to the tried-and-true H55F 5-speed transmission, a heavy-duty box with both a granny low first gear (4.843:1) and overdrive fifth. Next in line is a massive transfer case with high and low range and a real shifter; no knobs to turn or traction modes to select with fancy chrome joysticks—beautifully old school. The part-time t-case drives a beam front and rear axle, both full-floating and containing 9.5-inch ring gears and 30-spline axles. The rest of the undercarriage is equally impressive with a steel ladder frame.

Inside, the Toyota is all business and not the Wall Street type; rather, busting through the jungle, felt Fedora-style business. A metal dash with intermittent plastic bits provides a completely functional space—the only nods to luxury are

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the air conditioning and AM radio. All that remains is the pure pleasure of driving something precisely designed to cross Africa or any other continent of your choosing. Even in stock form, it was a true gem; there were some modifications we completed to improve performance and convenience though, and we had to do something about those fender mirrors.

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OFF-HIGHWAY MODIFICATIONS Starting with the front, we chose a proper ARB bull bar, the goal being to both protect the radiator from an animal strike and to serve as a place to mount the Warn Zeon 10-S winch. We knew that the vehicle would often travel solo, so self-recovery and protection were important. This led to the decision to fit an Air Locker to the rear axle for improved traction in challenging terrain. Additional ground clearance and increased articulation were also in order, so we worked with Kurt Williams from Cruiser Outfitters in Salt Lake City to select and install a heavy-load-rated Old Man Emu suspension and Sport shocks to all four corners. This kit has been a pleasant surprise, proving to be both comfortable on the highway and quite flexy in cross-axle terrain.

Tires are always an important upgrade, and given that the BJ started its life as a mapping vehicle for our project with Hema Maps, we focused on carcass durability and lug integrity. So many of the new tires on the market emphasize looks over longevity and tend to chunk and tear on rocky terrain.

As a result, we specified a Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx in 255/85R16. An extreme-duty model, it features a triple-ply sidewall and large, reinforced shouldered lugs. The tread design is a good compromise, more aggressive than an all terrain, but more appropriate for road and wet/ice conditions than a true mud terrain. For airing up after days in the dirt, we installed an ARB compressor under the hood.

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thing we never leave home without. A few typical accessories were eschewed, principally a roof rack. The BJ74 is delivered with a fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) top, so there is not a continuous rain gutter around the perimeter, making it difficult to mount a rack without major modifications. We also left off rock sliders and an HD rear bumper in an attempt to minimize weight, at least for now.

Overall, we have been extremely impressed by the trail performance of the Land Cruiser. The end result brings back memories of the PZJ73 that I raced in the Outback Challenge. The combination of the shorter wheelbase, good articulation, rear locking differential, and taller tires all aid in clearing difficult obstacles. Most importantly, we retained good road manners and achieved all of this without requiring custom or irreversible modifications, something critical when you need to pull parts off a junkyard Cruiser in the middle of the Congo.

CAMPING AND SUPPORT ACCESSORIES The vehicle spent most of its first year here in the field, mapping many of the classic overland routes in Arizona, California, Utah, and Colorado for our Hema track-truthing project. Because of this, a full complement of camping gear was required, from a ground tent to a fridge. However, the BJ is smaller than most wagons or pickups, so compact choices were plentiful, all supporting our (generally) minimalist ethos as travelers. The first modification set the foundation for organization by installing full-length ARB drawers in the rear, and putting an ARB 50-liter fridge to the platform. Next to it, we mounted 40 liters of water in Front Runner water tanks and 20 liters of extra diesel in a Wedco can.

Organized inside the drawers and in a series of plastic Front Runner boxes are the kitchen kit, tools, recovery gear, Trail performance is excellent with the short wheelbase, low gearing, and rear locking differential.

Opposite, left column: We learned long ago to fit proper tires and bring along recovery tools like the Maxtrax. A good bumper serves as a foundation for protection and self-recovery. The ARB looks right at home on the classic lines of the 70. The much-loved 13BT turbo diesel, a stalwart of exploration around the globe.

Right column: It is important to keep an interior clean and clutterfree, reducing distractions and electronic gadgetry. The rear of the Land Cruiser is well organized and provides quick access to camping and trail equipment. A fridge greatly improves camp comfort and an ability to prepare fresh meals in remote locations. The slide and drawers allow immediate access to priority items. Escape Gear seat covers immediately improved the interior, increasing durability while also adding a dash of safari style.

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SPECIFICATIONS

1989 BJ74 Land Cruiser POWER 13BT turbo-diesel engine H55F 5-speed transmission SUSPENSION AND DRIVE 4.10:1 axle gearing Open front differential ARB air locker, full-floating rear differential Old Man Emu heavy-duty suspension

and spares. The tents used thus far have varied from an Oztent Jet to an ARB Skydome swag. The tool and spares kits were outfitted with extra fluids, parts, and tire repair items.

For self-recovery, we improved our chances with a Pull-Pal ground anchor, shovel, and traction mats. To work around the 24-volt electrical system, we installed redundant 12-volt converters to supply USB and cigarette lighter ports. With navigation, we still trust the Hema Explorer app and their new HX-1 GPS for recording tracks and route planning.

The little Land Cruiser has proven to be an absolute joy to own and drive, and it has completed nearly 20 overland routes and over 25,000 miles across the country. After serving as the Map Patrol for North America, we decided to give it a cosmetic refresh and delivered it to the best Land Cruiser restoration company in the U.S., Proffitt’s Resurrection Land Cruisers in Colorado. Jeremiah Proffitt was responsible for building the Expeditions 7 Toyotas and is a true specialist with the 40, 60 and 70 Series. His team performed a full repaint and addressed some minor corrosion and body damage issues in the process. It looks better than new and ready for another 28 years of service. So, what is next for the mighty 74? It spent a few months on display at the Yeti flagship store in Austin, Texas, and is now sitting ready for the next adventure. Baja sure is beautiful this time of year.

WHEELS AND TIRES Factory steel wheels Cooper S/T Maxx 255/86R16 tires RECOVERY AND ARMOR ARB bull bar front bumper Warn Zeon 10-S, 24-volt winch Safari snorkel Maxtrax MKII recovery tracks ARB recovery gear ACCESSORIES ARB LED lights ARB compressor Escape Gear seat covers ARB drawer system Front Runner Wolf Pack storage boxes ARB 50L fridge/freezer Front Runner 20L water tank Hema Explorer App and HN7 GPS navigation system

RESOURCES Land Cruisers Direct: landcruisersdirect.com, 855-494-8696 Cruiser Outfitters: cruiseroutfitters.com, 801-563-1277 Proffitt’s Resurrection Land Cruisers: resurrectionlandcruisers.com, 970-596-7363 Hema: hemamaps.com

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A vehicle like the BJ74 is made for exploring the backcountry with confidence. I would not hesitate to fill the tank and leave for Magadan with it tomorrow.

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Expedition 65 Exploring the heights of the Andes and the depths of what it means to travel.

By Colin Evans Photography by Alfonse Palaima, Scott Brady, and Colin Evans

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xpedition 65 was not a tour; it did not even have a leader. While some might view that as a recipe for ending friendships, it played into a grand experiment and ultimately a transformative experience. The concept was born from a rushed trip to Bolivia and became a very rushed trip all the way to Ushuaia. Here is the hard reality of travel: there is never enough time—ever. That is how life works. However, there is more that can be gained from adventure, like the rapport established with those we ride with, and the changes to our notions of the world, shifted by the perceptions that form by actually being there. This is a story of those insights and those friends, with a bit of adventure thrown in for good measure. #EXPEDITION65 We had a hashtag; now we needed a plan. We were a dozen friends bringing their different skills, life experiences, and personalities to execute a ride. It was decided to ship the bikes to Cartagena, Colombia, ride to Ushuaia, Argentina, and then ship everything back home from Punta Arenas, Chile. From the Caribbean to the Antarctic, 10 degrees north of the equator to 55 degrees south. Over 10,000 miles through six countries, with 13 border crossings. The scale was huge and overwhelming, but it turned out to be the ordinary encounters that made the most impact.

A NEW FRIEND I came to South America to meet South Americans. We arrived in Huamachuco in the Northern Highlands of Peru looking for lunch, a place to rest, and time to plan our next steps. We found a restaurant on the town plaza and, across the street, a couple of old gentlemen watched the world go by as they probably did most days.

We were soon answering questions from onlookers around our bikes. Who were we, where were we from, where were we going? But these gentlemen remained reserved and distant, their old-fashioned manners making it impolite to intrude. So I went over and sat on their wall and chatted and found out that Fernando and Cesar were farm workers who had retired long ago; they had the same questions as everyone else but were too dignified to ask. Fernando took a photo of me with his ancient cell phone and proudly welcomed me to his town surrounded by hard farming and toxic mining. He was way too old for a photo on the bike but wanted a picture with me and asked for a copy. I asked for his address, but he pointed to Foto Rodriguez on the corner of the plaza. A few minutes later, with the card from my camera, Señor Rodriguez produced two 4x6 glossy photos for which he adamantly refused payment. Fernando took the photo with dignity but without a smile. In the street, he unexpectedly hugged me and went on his way. We had both made each other’s day very special.

DIFFERENT JOURNEYS Adventure motorcycling brings together people of signifi-

cantly different political and personal beliefs around a common passion. We had one idea but many different expectations and motivations: escape, adventure, discovery. The scariest roads or intimate personal encounters. If another member of the group wrote this account, it would be an entirely different story. For me, it was a journey to experience six Then came the countries, explore a thousand years of hisphotographs, well tory, and learn something about myself. wishes, welcomes, It wasn’t just about the terrifying roads, giggles, and the spectacular scenery, new food, smells, and general breaking people—but about new perspectives, ca- down of barriers that maraderie, and challenges that ultimately happens every time revealed how lucky we are to have been we stay long enough. born where and when we were. At the start we all half knew each other, but in months of shared experiences you inevitably reveal more of yourself, and at the end, we were brothers. Nobody was in charge, but everybody took responsibility.

HOW TO THROW A PARTY Angasmarca is an unremarkable town in the Central Highlands of Peru. There are no pre-Incan ruins, no Spanish colonial buildings, no handicrafts markets. Just a small concrete plaza separated from any passing tourists by difficult dirt roads over almost impenetrable mountains.

But we rode into Angasmarca on the town’s birthday, the annual celebration of its founding. Our path was blocked on every street. As we stopped to see what was happening, it seemed that every school, church, civic organization, and indigenous group was parading for the rest of the town—marching, singing, dancing, and being applauded from a sea of leather-like faces and enormous straw hats.

Very soon, the curious kids and more adventurous adults came over to chat with us, and a conversation started about why we were in their town this lovely Sunday afternoon. Then came the photographs, well wishes, welcomes, giggles, and the general breaking down of barriers that happens every time we stay long enough.

As we were getting ready to leave, a couple of groups of people appeared dressed in their traditional colors carrying palm fronds, each led by a man in a knitted mask with holes for eyes and mouth. Suddenly we were surrounded and pulled in by one of the masked leaders with a rope in the form of a snake. When we tried to extract ourselves, we learned that it was considered rude to leave before the song was finished, but we had to go. This was no place to be riding at night. Finally, a police officer with an Opposite, clockwise from top left: Kind eyes in an artisan market in Otavalo, northern Ecuador. A caballero, having lunch in Colombia. In Ecuador, dancers move about the park grounds at Middle of the World, home to an Equator monument. Caballitos de totora, fishing canoes in the Pimentel District of Chiclayo, Peru. Opening spread: The old road over Punta Olimpica in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca.

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ancient revolver helped steer away the people so we could ride and not hurt anyone. Angasmarca, we will be back on your next birthday.

THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD Riding in the Andes is breathtaking, electrifying, and completely terrifying. Leaving Pallasca, we dropped 7,000 feet into the Rio Tablachaca Valley, on roads where there was zero room for error—one slip and there was the abyss.

This road was once paved, but now large sections have slipped away after landslides or earthquakes and have been crudely patched. Even on sections that are still intact and paved, trucks and buses have ripped every hairpin bend into potholes, and huge sections have a mound of pebbles and scree in the center of the road. This is no problem for trucks, but a nightmare for motorbikes. You cannot look at the road and the scenery at the same time here, even for a second.

LAND OF CONTRASTS Traveling in South America is a constant battle between the outstanding natural beauty and the Clockwise from left: The old pass over Punta Olimpica. Navigating the BMW through loose rock required full focus. The most dangerous road on the trip, Río Tablachaca Valley, Peru.

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114 Clockwise from top: Rain moving in over La Paz, Bolivia. Portillo Pass connects Santiago,Chile, to Mendoza, Argentina.

Jason Houle traverses a narrow section of track high in the Ecuadorian Andes.

This Bolivian woman mashed vegetables into a salsa in the traditional way.

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choking poverty and pollution of the towns and cities. Municipalities are overrun with farm animals, construction and detours everywhere, roads jam-packed with ubiquitous passenger vans shuttling people in all directions, and buses and trucks with unmaintained diesel engines spewing carcinogens in indiscriminate black clouds.

La Paz, Bolivia, is a perfect example. There is no city in the world more visually stunning than La Paz; it sits in a canyon that has protected it from Altiplano winds and the worst of the highaltitude weather for centuries—the views of the city are amazing.

It was originally a small mining town before the Spanish showed up and took over. Today, it is spilling further and further down the canyon with unplanned building continuing on every slope.

But the combined population of La Paz and neighboring El Alto is over 2.3 million people, and they are crammed into a place with no level ground, money, or ability to create effective public transportation. When we arrived in El Alto, the main road to La Paz was dug up for over 5 kilometers, and we resorted to riding our big BMW bikes along the roadworks at dusk, trying not to strike the puzzled onlookers who scurried out of the way.

It seems that the citizens of El Alto are fed up with the roadworks too. Every road was blocked with peaceful demonstrations by local lady organizers in bowler hats, carrying children and provisions in their shawls, campaigning against the mayor.

Less money on roads and more money on education was the basic message.

BEAUTY VERSUS REALITY Of the countries visited on this journey, Bolivia is by far the poorest with a GDP per capita one-tenth of the U.S. It is safe to assume that most of the people we met riding through the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz south of La Paz are living lives that are economically well below their average countrymen. Many are likely living on subsistence farming and are not even counted in the GDP because they generate no economic activity.

South of La Paz, we rode along the Río Choqueyapu through a valley of small farms and then climbed up the first of a number of spectacular mountain passes where people were scratching a living on ever smaller and higher terraces. Mountains and valleys fill the horizon for hundreds of miles around the snow-capped Illimani, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real.

The road was dirt but well maintained, and we shortly came across a large road crew grading and repairing the surface. When they saw a group of gringos on large bikes, they decided that this was too good an opportunity to miss and blocked our path demanding a toll—literally, highway robbery. After a lot of back and forth we settled on 50 bolivianos (about $8), paid to the old man leading the negotiation. There were at least 20 men in this group so we have no idea how the bounty was divided up. We heard later that this likely went into a community fund, but I’m not convinced.

NO HISTORY, NO FUTURE On our first night out of La Paz, we stayed in the guesthouse and bunkhouse on Tenería Ranch, which has been in the famOVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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ily of Hans Hesse for many generations. He and his family welcomed us with open arms and made a fantastic dinner of roast pork, local vegetables, and fresh bread—all from their huge outdoor baker oven.

Riding along this part of Don Hans and I chatted for a Ruta 40 became while as a test of his patience and completely impossible my Spanish. Hans was born on when the local weather this farm 80-odd years ago, and service reported sustained only spoke Aymara learned from 75-mph winds. his grandmother until age 7. He moved to La Paz to go to college and then moved to Germany where he worked for a manufacturer of heavy lifting machinery in the docks at Kiel. He retired at 46 and because pension was not paid until age 65, he moved back to the family farm where it was cheaper to live.

He told me about his four kids, his Chinese motorbike that he still rides everywhere, and the buildings on the farm that dated back 600 years. Hans bemoaned the fact that the original buildings, whose foundations still poked through the grass, had been perfectly aligned to catch the winter and summer sun on different walls, but were torn down anyway.

He then described the family memorial in the center of the property which predates the arrival of the Spanish; it was originally Aymara, then converted to Quechua, and finally extended to accommodate Catholicism to include a cross and a small niche for a statue of the Virgin Mary. Hans told me that the bones of many of his ancestors on his mother’s side are interred here, as he expects his to be when the time comes.

I thanked him for taking the time to share his stories and family history. He thanked me graciously for taking an interest, ending our conversation with “Sin historia, no futura.”

In Patagonia, we encountered high winds and deep gravel—this is the result. Impossible, relentless winds near Estancia La Angostura, Argentina.

LEGENDARY WINDS There is simply not enough land mass in the narrow point of South America to slow the “Roaring Forties” winds at these latitudes of Patagonia. The winds are stronger than the same winds in the northern hemisphere because they have been blowing over water with no interruption for so long and so far. This is the most southerly bit of land that dares to poke out into these storms.

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There is normally a constant 25-mph wind blowing, but riding along this part of Ruta 40 became completely impossible when the local weather service reported sustained 75-mph winds. When there was a road surface like tarmac or solid rock with some grip, it was feasible to lean the bike, but when there was fresh gravel it was impossible to resist the sideways force— you cannot lean the bike far enough without losing all grip. All of us went down or got knocked off the road. If you parked your bike with the side stand upwind, it was knocked over instantly.

Everyone seemed to invent their own technique for dealing with this: let the bike drift and then lurch upwind periodically, lean way off to windward to keep the bike vertical, go fast enough that the wheels gave more gyroscopic help—physics won every time though.

Taking the backroads to Chimborazo, Ecuador.

118 Colin’s book on Expedition 65, Journey to the End of the World, chronicles the team’s travels through the perspective of Evans and the lens of Alfonse Palaima.It is both intellectually compelling and visually inspiring. ISBN 978-1937747855

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HONOR THOSE WHO SERVED My father was conscripted in 1943 and joined the British Army Corps of Signals; he then volunteered to join the new Airborne Division. He missed the action in Europe and was sent to Palestine as part of the British Mandate and served as a Red Beret until he was demobilized in 1948. His contemporaries returned home to a hero’s welcome after the defeat of Germany, but he returned unheralded after a perceived defeat in Palestine and was never the same afterward.

Many who fought for Argentina in the Falklands War must have felt the same way. We visited the Monumento a Los Héroes de Malvinas in the naval town of Río Grande in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. As we stopped for photographs in the cold, cutting Atlantic gale, we were greeted by José Salas who is one of 120 Malvinas veterans who maintain a vigil at the monument to honor the fallen and the veterans of this needless conflict. There is one link in the chain around this monument for each of the 648 Argentinian dead.

He handed us stickers and then led us to the museum that is self-funded by the veterans in town. We discussed his experience and that of my Dad, and he was very careful to point out that the monument and museum are not there to point blame at the British, but to remember their old friends.

FOLLOWING PLAN B A motorbike forces a different relationship between travel and traveler. Riding requires complete commitment and concentration. The motorcycle demands that you observe your world much more closely, to soak up every detail for safety, so it all connects immediately and permanently to your cerebral cortex. Arriving on a moto creates a disturbance from the ordinary for the people we meet; it forces a conversation and creates a real personal impact. It amplifies sensations with moments of complete delight and satisfaction from conquering long distances and difficult roads, but with hundreds of moments of absolute terror, discomfort, and pain. We planned every step of the way, but it was the unplanned steps that defined our experience.

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Shifting Gear Crafting photography tool kits for specific conditions.

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By Bruce Dorn, DGA Photography by Bruce Dorn and Stephanie Worstein

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ou often hear “It’s the artist, not the tool,” that really matters. While that may be true in some cases, things definitely get more complicated when we’re talking about photographers and their choice of camera equipment. At its foundation, photography is both an art and a mechanical craft, and craftsmen definitely benefit from having a variety of specialpurpose tools at their disposal. I know I have.

After many years of professional experience, I put together specific tool kits for the various photographic challenges I tackle.

We’ll take a look at how I prepare to go afield for a variety of professional tasks, but first a full disclosure on why you’ll see a lot of Canon equipment in the accompanying illustrations.

While I have used and enjoyed all brands during my 45-year career, I’ve been committed to Canon since they released their first 3.1-megapixel DSLR in May 2000. Their decision to go with CMOS sensors was brilliant and their color science has improved with each new generation.

By 2005, Canon noticed my efforts at image creation and invited me to join their team as a Canon Explorer of Light. Being a Canon beta tester, I continue to be impressed by their optics, color science, weatherizing, battery life, and logical menus.

Within the Explorer family of top-tier specialists in a spectrum of very narrow fields of expertise, I’m Canon’s general practitioner. I do a bit of everything to earn my daily bread: wildlife, landscape, wet work, aerials, travel, sheet metal, environmental portraiture, motorsports, light painting, documentary filmmaking, and vlogging, so I’m sharing a few examples of my various Canon kits. With a little imagination, it should be easy enough to look at my choices and visualize assembling something similar in your favorite brand.

Photography is often described as painting with light, so it would make sense to have a lot of different paintbrushes, right? I think so. Opening page: My small, efficient production crew and a bunch of specialized gear used to create a highly stylized look. In this instance, we were imagining a scene from Upper Paleolithic times.

SIZE MATTERS The equipment I pack for any given task depends largely upon my method of travel. Whether by foot (or cycle), airline, or four-wheel drive, I can only carry what my mode of transportation will allow. I’ve purposefully listed these methods of transportation in order, from minimalist to carry-on to ultimate.

I’m tempted to skip the “by foot” concept since we usually travel by mechanized means, and because I fully agree with Edward Weston, one of the most innovative and influential masters of 20th-century photography. Mr. Weston famously said, “Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn’t photogenic.”

Hey, who am I to disagree?

And even though I’m pretty sure it was Abe Lincoln who once tweeted, “Hiking is for haters,” it would be wrong to disregard the many great photographic opportunities that await the tootsie-centric world traveler. To that end, I’ll include a minimalist kit perfect for hikers, bicyclists, and moto riders, too.

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MINIMALIST NATURE AND WILDLIFE KIT

This kit is built around a compact Canon G3 X. One pocket in my tactical pants can easily hold a spare SD card, a blower brush, lens wipes, a multi-tool, folding knife, an extra battery, and a Sharpie wrapped with 2 feet of gaffer tape.

CARRY-ON NATURE AND WILDLIFE KIT

This kit usually includes two camera bodies that can share the same interchangeable lens. This image shows a 28-300mm lens on a mirrorless APS-C Canon EOS M5 and a 11-24mm wide-angle zoom on Canon’s full-frame 50.6MP 5DS R. For high-quality sound, I use a Shure LensHopper digital audio recorder on a GorillaPod. A Gitzo tripod fitted with an Arca-Swiss Monoball ballhead helps when I need to handhold my Lee Filters neutral density grads.

NATURE AND WILDLIFE MINIMALIST If I’m in country that harbors a chance of wildlife sightings, I like to have a compact super-zoom camera at hand.

The Canon G3 X isn’t pocket-sized, but it’s darn small for something with a motorized 24-600mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens. That’s a stupefying range of focal lengths and nicely stabilized too. The 1-inch sensor is smaller than a micro 4/3 sensor but the quality is shockingly good; it’s more than adequate for professional use as long as huge blow-ups are not required. I became a believer in Canon’s G-Series camera lineup after extensive testing, but added the optional electronic viewfinder after struggling with the rear LCD while shooting swimwear on a white sand beach at midday.

CARRY-ON Given the opportunity to work out of a carry-on bag, I immediately step up to an interchangeable lens camera.

Although there are many small-sensor interchangeable lenses on the market, I prefer to invest in lenses that cover the full 24x36mm frame. These full-sized lenses are large and heavy but there are a number of good size-conscious options available when it’s time to choose your camera body.

In this version of my carry-on kit I selected a Canon EOS M5, an 11-24mm f/4L, and a 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS. These two monsoon-rated lenses give me the full-frame equivalent of 18-480mm coverage in a small backpack that is overhead bin compatible. If I prefer full-frame for the day’s work, I can substitute a 50.6MP EOS 5DS R body. If I need a tripod, it’s my second personal item. When a carry-on isn’t possible due to security restrictions, I gate check and pray.

ULTIMATE I’m assuming that this is a self-drive kit and that effectively means my vehicle is my gadget bag. Since nature and wildlife work seldom requires the extensive grip and electrical capabilities of my Ford F250, I’ll generally use my Jeep JKU for this application: both are production ready.

Keeping the same two lenses listed in the carry-on kit as a foundation (each one mounted on a work-ready EOS 5D Mark IV) for general use, I’ll include a smokin’ fast Canon EOS 1D X Mark II for rapid-paced wildlife capture. With plenty of camera options covered, I add in a full set of tilt-shift (T/S) lenses

ULTIMATE NATURE AND WILDLIFE KIT

This kit has wheels. I’ve outfitted my Jeep Wrangler JKU to haul a huge assortment of photographic tools. In this shot, you can see three Canon HDSLRs with dedicated super telephotos (200-400mm, 400mm, 600mm), three Gitzo carbon fiber tripods with Sachtler FSB-8 cine fluid heads, eight GoPros, a carbon fiber splash housing, a full kit of tilt/shift lenses, and an array of wide and mid-range zooms. There’s a drone and a gimbal rig buried in there as well.

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Inset: This drawer in my JKU contains a pile of different possibles bags. These rectangular accessory bags by Tenba have transparent sides so I can quickly identify their contents. Each pouch has a specific purpose and place in the drawer.

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POSSIBLES BAGS

No matter what I carry, I always have at least one “possibles bag” in my possession. The mountain men and early explorers of the American West coined the term, and it refers to a rectangular satchel or pouch that was carried everywhere and always.

It was meant to transport and protect “every possible thing” that a hunter might need while afield. The lists below include only those items uniquely required to support my photography and don’t include the usual survival and comfort items.

MINIMALIST POSSIBLES BAG

Blower/brush combo Multiple pre-moistened lens cleaning tissues 5/32-inch L-type Allen wrench Spare battery Extra lens cap Spare SanDisk Extreme Pro card, 256GB Multiple quart-sized Ziploc freezer bags* A couple of feet of gaffer tape wrapped around a Sharpie

MINIMALIST POSSIBLES BAG

CARRY-ON POSSIBLES BAG

Everything from the Minimalist Possibles Bag Multiple outlet AC adapter with USB outlets Camera battery charger Four more batteries Multiple USB cables Light & Motion Stella 1000 LED floodlight Lee Filters 4x6-inch hard grad acrylic neutral density filter Rechargeable battery pack for recharging my iPhone or tablet Waterproof, color-correct LED light for light painting, fill light, and campfire interviews Stand-alone shotgun microphone with built-in digital audio recorder GorillaPod with an Arca-Swiss quick-release clamp for the shotgun microphone Shure LensHopper shotgun mic/digital audio recorder combo Shure earbuds to monitor camera audio

CARRY-ON POSSIBLES BAG

ULTIMATE POSSIBLES BAG (PELICAN CASE SIZE)

Everything from the Minimalist and Carry-on Possibles Bags More of all the expendable items Camera-quality canned, compressed air A stand-alone digital recorder with media and spare batteries Two sets of lavalier-style digital audio recorders A comprehensive tool kit in metric and fractional sizes Small microphone boom

125 ULTIMATE POSSIBLES BAG

* The quart-sized, freezer-grade Ziploc bag gets filled with millet seed to act as a soft camera support. And then I feed the birds when I’m done. Gotta pay your on-camera talent, right?

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(17mm f/4, 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2.8) and several super telephotos (200-400mm f/4, 400mm f/2.8, and 600mm f/4). Since I shoot as much 4K cine as I do stills, all cameras (and the long lenses) are fitted with Bogen/Gitzo/Manfrotto/Sachtler cine-style quick-release plates to make them compatible with my Sachtler FSB-8 fluid heads. These heads are mounted on Gitzo carbon-fiber tripods.

An ultra-light jib arm, an all-terrain dolly, and several waterproof Light & Motion Stella 5000 LED lights round out my Ultimate Nature and Wildlife Kit.

MINIMALIST ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE AND LIGHT PAINTING KIT

This kit is based around a Canon G5 X and a Canon 600EX II-RT speedlite. To be able to create interesting off-camera flash work, I also carry Canon’s matching ST E3 RT speedlite transmitter. A small handful of spares and maintenance bits round out the compact kit.

CARRY-ON ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE AND LIGHT PAINTING KIT

This kit generally includes two full-sized bodies and a couple of carefully matched lenses. In this illustration, I show a 24-70mm f/4L IS mounted on a Canon 5DS R and a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II on a Canon 5D Mark IV. I’ve added two more Canon 600EX II-RT speedlites so I can do three-point lighting and much more.

ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE AND LIGHT PAINTING MINIMALIST Environmental portrait photography, the way I do it, can be accomplished with focal lengths from wide angle (to help relate the subject to their environment) to short telephoto (to isolate the subject within their environment). The availability of a large maximum aperture is helpful as well. The pocketable Canon G5 X with the aforementioned 1-inch CMOS sensor offers the full-frame equivalent of 24-100mm at a wide-open aperture of f/1.8-2.8. Done deal. If I want to add a batterypowered flash unit to create dramatic lighting effects or simply a touch of fill light, I utilize a Canon radio-synchronized 600EX II-RT speedlite and its matching ST E3 RT speedlite transmitter. This flash is actually a bit bigger than the camera itself, but when used wisely, allows truly professional portrait lighting.

CARRY-ON I’ll most likely select a full-frame camera body, either the 30MP Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or the 50.6MP 5DS R. Following the same focal length philosophy outlined above, I’ll have the camera fitted with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II. To add even more flattering focal length compression options, I’ll probably have a second body with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. This is my “meat” lens and the one that always produces images that sell.

Great environmental portraiture is based upon great light and sometimes nature just doesn’t deliver. If push came to shove and I had to choose between an extra camera and lens or some good portable lights I’d choose the lights every time. I’m a huge fan of Canon’s wireless speedlites but since they don’t help when concurrently shooting video I’m increasingly using compact, waterproof, battery-powered, daylight-balanced continuous LED lights. Whichever I choose, speedlite or LED, I carry at least three. These same units are equally useful for light painting.

ULTIMATE Environmental portraiture can be as simple as captur-

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ing a handsome likeness in beautiful available light, but it can

CARRY-ON ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE AND LIGHT PAINTING KIT VIDEO CAPTURE

If an assignment prioritizes video capture over stills, I substitute compact battery-powered, 5600º Kelvin, Light & Motion Stella LEDs for my usual complement of Canon Speedlites. They can run off of their self-contained lithium-ion battery packs for 90 minutes at full power and much longer at half or quarter power. And they’re submersible to 300 feet, too.

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become very challenging when the atmospheric conditions are not cooperating. As a professional, I’m not allowed to fail or reschedule—I must get the shot, every time. Harsh midday sun?

No problem. Neither the conditions nor the camera choice really matter.

Once again, at this level, my vehicle becomes my gadget bag.

I can carry lots of esoteric gear and I most certainly do. My vintage Ford F250 Super Duty has, over the years, become an excellent rolling studio. It has dedicated batteries and sine wave inverters capable of providing plenty of silent AC power to run my ARRI LED theatrical spotlights and soft lights when shooting cinema. If I’m only shooting stills, and sound isn’t an issue, a 3,000-watt Honda inverter/generator provides slightly noisier power for everything from studio strobes to wind machines.

I also carry plenty of mountain-leg light stands, black cutters (for subtractive lighting), and a couple of 6x6-feet silks (for diffusion or bounce).

SUMMARY Remember, buying a bunch of pro-level photo gear doesn’t make you a professional photographer. Master the equipment you already own but note the times you reach for a tool that isn’t there. Trust me, you’ll know when it’s time to add it to your kit.

ULTIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE AND LIGHT PAINTING KIT

When not transporting vicious poisonous snakes, my production truck often contains a full complement of Hollywood-grade lighting instruments. These ARRI LED units can create sunlight, moonlight, lightning, or even a flickering campfire.

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CLASSIC KIT CHRISTOPHE NOEL

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The Travel Trailer From the state park to the edge of the Sahara.

e humans have always acquired possessions. It likely started with the basic gathering of sticks, rocks, and bones, but before long the need to move those items from one place to another exceeded our ability to carry them in open arms. Early cultures around the world bound sticks to a pair of wooden poles to create platforms they loaded with goods and literally dragged by hand or lashed to beasts of burden.

There’s little wonder why it took millennia to conceive of the wheel as there are few facsimiles found in nature. Sumerians in Mesopotamia finally made the most significant technological discovery of the human experience: the potter’s wheel. Within just a few successive generations the design had progressed from turning clay pots and grinding grains to the creation of the hand- and animal-drawn cart.

Over the course of the next several thousand years the cart would evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly advancing civilization, dominating our landscapes until the inception of the selfpowered trailer, an invention appropriately dubbed the horseless carriage. Further proving the utility of wheeled carts, the self-propelled trailer would eventually be used to pull—a trailer.

With the passing of many epochs, even well after the creation of the combustion engine, the towed wagon in its various forms has become essential to one particular segment of humanity: travelers.

Within the arc of human history travelers of every kind have been inextricably tied to their mobile abodes. Few things are as emblematic to the hearty spirit of the American West as the image of an ox-drawn Conestoga wagon. With their boat-shaped hulls, the Conestoga, also known as a Prairie Schooner for its likeness to a sailing ship, was purpose-built to forge wild rivers and cross the vast expanses of the untamed North American continent. Capable of hauling 6 tons of cargo, it was home on wheels for months and even years on end. Although the first examples were built in the early 18th century, many were still in regular use well into our modern age of motors.

In other parts of the globe, similar wagons were built as dwellings on the perpetual move. The elaborately decorated vardo is still linked with the imagery of wayward gypsies. Built more for livability than proficiency as a travel platform, the vardo was perhaps one of the first mobile homes built for prolonged habitation, often passing from one generation to the next.

At nearly the same time the vardo was trundling along the rutted tracks of Europe, another traveler of notoriety was also on the move with his living essentials ferried in tow in a caravan of horse-drawn wagons. Whether crushing armies on his home continent, or exploring into the shifting sands of Egypt, Napoleon’s dozens of wagons were never short of his favorite comforts, right down to casks of Burgundian red wines.

The dawn of the Industrial Age is often the line of demarcation whereby many innovations were laid to rest or born anew, but the travel trailer carried through those transformative years OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

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Compiled by Tena Overacker

TRAVEL TRAILER TIMELINE

without a bump. If the wheel and domestic animal ushered in the era of the humble cart, the self-powered vehicle only secured its future. It was at this time when another ingredient was added to the proliferation of the travel trailer—the weekend.

As the 20th century gathered momentum, factories were filled with workers, paychecks were dispensed in regular intervals, and those with savvy financial management could finally pair their disposable income with time to enjoy it.

In 1910, with the American economy booming, the first recreational vehicle entered the world stage. Offered by Pierce Arrow and called the Touring Landau, it spawned an industry that today accrues more than 50 billion dollars in annual sales, and that’s only in North America. Within those mind-bending digits are sales of live-in trailers of every size and configuration imaginable. Although radically improved, the concept today remains remarkably unchanged.

When Airstream’s Torpedo Car Cruiser began rolling off the assembly line in the early 1930s, few could have known it was the genesis of a travel trailer empire. This was after all, the onset of the Great American Depression and not the most ideal time to launch an industry based on leisure and splurge purchases.

Over the course of the next two decades, the travel trailer, as well as travel itself, would take a backseat to more pressing concerns. During the war years of the 1940s, every spare nut, bolt, and sheet of metal was carefully rationed for patriotic cause.

Americans by the tens of thousands filed in line to sign up for service or report to duty in one of the many factories springing

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Covered wagons began their domain of the American West. Structures consisting of frame-supported canvas atop a wooden wagon carried many a pioneer’s livelihood and family across the country.

Non-Romani circus troupes in France utilized wagons for combined living space and storage.

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The vardo, or gypsy caravan, was used as a portable home on wheels by Romanichals, primarily in the U.K. Ornate, fanciful design was paired with practicality. These are making a comeback in certain circles as tiny abodes.

The first motorized camper or RV was born. Pierce Arrow introduced the Touring Landau for the formidable price of $8,250. Similar in concept to a Type B van camper, it came complete with a glorified chamber pot, sink, and fold-down bed.

Hard-sided travel trailers became more common. Clever folks would customize their own removable trailer shells that could be traded out with the car body and placed on the chassis when camping called.

The Tin Can Tourists organization was formed in Tampa, Florida, with a goal to “fraternally unite all autocampers.” A soldered tin can on their radiator caps, a secret handshake, sign, and password, along with an official song, “The More We Get Together,” solidified its member base. This group is still going strong today.

Arthur Sherman designed and built what is considered by many to be the first modern travel trailer. Dubbed the Covered Wagon, Sherman began taking orders for his creation in 1930, for a selling price of $395—his sales totaled $56,000 that first year. It was vaguely reminiscent of a horse trailer in outward appearance.

Airstream’s first factory-produced trailer, the Torpedo Car Cruiser, came off the assembly line. Decidedly teardrop in shape, it had the sleek, clean look that became Airstream’s claim to fame. By 1932, it is estimated that there were approximately 1,000 on (and off) the road.

up across the country. In one fell swoop the nation became a juggernaut of manufacturing, busied with the building of war machines. When the conflict ended and young servicemen returned home, all of those toiling hands could not be made idle.

During the post-war years a number of elements fell into place to ensure the travel trailer’s continued success. This was the age of the picket fence and idyllic living when belles and beaus once separated by oceans were reunited and the baby boomer generation was literally born. The economy was thriving, peace appeared secured, and the pursuit of the good life was all anyone cared about. Even the factories formerly tasked with pumping out throngs of bombers and fighter planes found continued revenue applying those same tools and techniques crafting automobiles and travel trailers.

By the 1950s, the travel trailer had woven itself into the fabric of American culture. Movie stars used them as hangouts on set as they prepared for the next scene. Young families loaded up their trailers on Friday afternoon and vanished into the woods to fish, hike, picnic, and simply enjoy nature and the company of each other. Empty nesters, rather than spend their twilight years sitting in a chair on the front porch, turned to the trailer as a means of enjoying their retirement by visiting the country’s many splendors. Although most trailers spent their miles on manicured roads and parked along lakefronts and other tranquil settings, not every traveler had such leisurely predispositions.

The Airstream Owner’s Club was founded in 1955 and became the largest group to represent a single manufactured product, numbering 29,000 strong at its peak. In addition to the

club, Airstream’s founder, Wally Byam, also supported several caravan expeditions for the purposes of bringing like-minded enthusiasts together, eventually redefining the role of the travel trailer as an expeditionary tool. In 1951, a group of around 70 trailers gathered in El Paso, Texas, with the ambition of driving the partially constructed Pan American Highway through Mexico and Central America. It was a marketing decision devised to prove the proficiency of the Airstream product, but it almost ended in disaster.

After weeks of treacherous progress on a highway system not fully completed, their caravan dwindled with the passing of each day. Arriving at the halfway point in Mexico City far behind schedule and unsure if they could continue further, a third of the group had already headed home. Undaunted by the worst yet to come, Byam and an implacable few forged on, finally arriving in Managua, Nicaragua.

As arduous as the journey was, culminating in the abandonment of Byam’s own trailer along the roadside after being parted out to keep others rolling, it was not his last or most ambitious.

The 7-month epic journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt, in a gold-anodized Airstream would forever cement Byam and the travel trailer in the great pantheon of Opposite: A covered wagon, circa 1910. Airstream’s Torpedo Car Cruiser. Photo courtesy of Dale Schwamborn. Opening page: Home on wheels—a typical vardo.

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DIY teardrop trailers increased in popularity as plans were published in magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated. After WWII, materials became plentiful from surplus markets.

Wheels often came from salvaged Jeeps, and the shiny exterior skins may have had a former life as a bomber’s aluminum wing.

Comfort started to take a front seat next to utility as families and couples began to crave the open road and freedom, but with all the comforts of home. The Long, Long, Trailer, a 1953 film featuring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, took a humorous look at what can now be called a great American pastime.

Trailers learned to fly. Not really, but Shasta added wings to their version of canned ham, giving the shell a distinct, now-iconic look. The company reissued their Airflyte model in 2015, enabling glampers to travel in style without the fuss of maintaining a vintage camper.

Pop-up campers increased in popularity, as did truck campers.

RVs of astronomical size entered the market.

Smaller throwback trailers such as T@b’s teardrop became sought after as a stylish, more economical way to travel.

Campers, trailers, RVs, and roof tents continue to evolve for buyers that seemingly never tire of the idea of taking an abbreviated (for some) version of home with you.

Vintage campers and vardos have a dedicated following, with new recruits added to the ranks of the glamping lifestyle every day.

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Photos courtesy of Airstream

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overland expeditions. He may have been the spark that lit the fire, but other bold adventurers would tow their silver orbs around the globe. The most protracted journey started in 1963 and took more than a year to complete. The 31,000-mile trip around the world followed the famous route pioneered by none other than Marco Polo in the 13th century.

Today, the travel trailer continues to push the boundaries in the same way the Conestoga and the Airstream of Byam’s caravan club once did. Modern productions run the gamut, from homebuilt wooden kits to elaborate creations with complex suspensions, solar-powered conveniences, and even satellite communications.

The Australian-made Bruder EXP-6 trailer is so well built, it could likely complete all of Wally Byam’s routes without rattling a spoon out of a drawer.

We’ve come a long way, literally and figuratively, since the first Sumerian put a stick in a circle. The travel trailer has allowed us to explore over the horizon, conquer new lands, and just slip away for a long weekend with friends and family. It would be impossible to fully know the impact it has had on us and our wandering ways.

One thing is for certain, if you have a travel trailer you can’t look at it and not feel compelled to take it somewhere––and you should.

Caravanning in Western Canada,1962.The Cape Town to Cairo caravan winds through the hinterland.

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the second. He had no choice but to follow suit. With a presence of mind, Jason abandoned ship, lest he hit me astride the fourwheeler. Landing in a heap, he was forced to watch his machine come raining down on me.

Upon impact with the sand, I blacked out, blessed with no idea of having been kissed by a 400-pound quad bike. Erupting a series of gasps and moans, I opened my eyes. As I reached consciousness, the group assembled to conjure some sort of evacuation plan on my behalf, while Jason had the shocked look of a fish pulled out of the water. The realization struck that I wouldn’t be brushing myself off, raring to go again. Our Egyptian guide took one glimpse in my direction and within half a heartbeat, left me marooned, speeding off from whence he came.

A sand storm soon descended, burying me alive. Much as I tried, I couldn’t suppress my grizzly outbursts, which stopped Jason in his tracks. He strove to keep In an involuntary my spine unmoved, me hydrated, and handstand, I started to my head above the sand, while help rearc over the handlebars mained well out of range. as my legs were Eventually, we heard a distant hum, launched above my a murmur of anticipation. A minihead. As I proceeded bus loomed on the horizon making its to hurl through the steady approach towards us. With ramair, my mind pant urgency, Jason hailed it down. An somersaulted in a unassuming group of Italians peered out spectacular parabola of emotions. the window to see what was causing the commotion. Derailed by a language barrier, he gestured animatedly for the tourists to step out in order to slide me down the middle of the floor. The intention was clear to Jason: have the day-trippers return to their seats, and deliver me to the nearest hospital, rapido!

Misunderstanding, the driver abandoned his guests and bolted like his own life depended on it, with Jason and I holding on for dear life. I felt vaguely disembodied. Jason said something amusing, and in the haze of injury, I held tighter to my anchor as the tide of his laughter uplifted me. “Don’t. Make. Me. Laugh. It hurts.”

But you should laugh more; it suits you. See how the furrows around your brow vanish, and your ears ease back? I thought. I squeezed his fingers, a Morse code to convey what was in my heart. He nodded—You don’t have to tell me anything is what he was saying.

Rudimentary as the Egyptian medical services were almost 2 decades ago, I managed to get an X-ray. “One cracked rib, some bruising. You will heal fine,” affirmed the medic. Unconvinced, I smiled my paper-thin joy at Katy, a fellow diver who’d insisted on staying behind to help me clean up and dress.

Late that evening, the nearly deserted airport gave way to empty, wide corridors, dark newsstands, and closed coffee shops.

The signboards at the gates were blank, and the rows of plastic chairs unoccupied and ghostly.

Right away, a problem emerged. There were only 15 minutes before takeoff. The airport security guard’s cold gaze travelled over me. “You no fly. You too late.” I felt a small shiver pass up my spine, despite the stifling heat. Sweat popping out on my face, I repressed a twinge of fear flapping under my ribs and uncorked a high-calibre glare of my own. Aviation regulations to respect, the OVERLAND JOURNAL GEAR 2018

guard refused to listen to a word I said. It was dismayingly clear that I was anything but homeward bound.

In need of further medical attention, a light dawned. Whether this next attempt was the result of deduction, intuition, hope, or merely stubbornness, I clung to it. I proceeded to summon a minithunderstorm on my face. Becoming lost in the crying the way a motorboat gets lost in sound and spray. I felt ridiculous. Yet, there I was, blubbering in frustration as the precious minutes leaked away. I was a muss of snot, tears, sand, and filth.

“Okay! You go. NOW!” Ushering me onto the plane with an expression that beggared belief at my puddle-forming performance, I did so with the utmost dispatch. “Thanks,” I said, with all the gratitude it was possible to infuse into one syllable.

During the flight, a thread of terror needled my chest as I started having difficulty breathing. Seized with alarm, Jason paced the aisle while I assured him that negotiating the passage of oxygen, dispensed by the flight attendant, was helping enormously.

The air was charged with invisible cross-currents of emotion. I studied him as I might examine some specimen set before me: I saw the smile that struggled for purchase on his face and failed, and then I saw the haunted and hunted look that came in its wake.

Meanwhile, on the ground, my mother tried her level best to remain calm, having been informed I’d been in an incident but remained unscathed to involved in an accident with grievous injuries. She met me alongside a flashing ambulance on the runway; “drama queen” felt like a weak term against the probable injuries I’d sustained. Likely only a couple of cracked ribs and some bruising—already showing in a map of purples and yellows. Although tender in places, I could still walk and talk.

Multiple X-rays in my local Accident and Emergency department revealed the truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth.

Nagging frustration assuaged, it turned out that I’d suffered three broken ribs, soft tissue damage to my neck, internal bleeding, and a punctured lung. Undeniably, I shouldn’t have flown home. One minute I was cock of the walk, next a feather duster. Had I not landed in the mercy of sand…a wave of pain made me wince and crashed me out of my reverie.

Six weeks of bed rest and I was still finding sand in my ears. All the while wondering if those stranded Italians managed to catch a break. What a reason to stay in touch with the guy of whom I’d grown rather fond of though. A stinging rush of affection compelled me to start writing him. Seventeen years later, by a quirk of fate, Jason and I are still together.

In all of life, there is nothing better than love. Who was this guy? My soul mate, my best friend. Sometimes my opponent. But always the love of my life.

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TAIL LAMP LISA MORRIS

HEAD OVER HEELS

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t 19 years of age, I was brimming over with excitement, about to spend a week on a “liveaboard,” buoyed by the prospect of exploring warm, crystal clear waters for 6 days on a diving safari off the Red Sea Coast. This was my kind of bliss, a combination of adventure and absorption. What I couldn’t have envisioned was meeting the love of my life, while almost losing my life to the bargain.

It was the year 2000, and as the university’s dive chairman, I’d organized the trip among club members. Jason constituted the last minute extra, enabling me to charter a full boat. Intelligent blue eyes peering from a shock of blonde hair fixed me with a disarming smile as he said hello, shaking my hand at Gatwick Airport.

Heat rising from my neck, I blurted out a response, silently cursing my reddened cheeks.

Out of convenience as much as personal intrigue, I buddied up in a dive pair with Jason, praying he could handle himself. Choppy waters with sizeable swells, fast descents in stiff currents, greeting a frenzy of sharks, and diving at night were all par for the course.

Fortunately, he grew gills quickly and stayed comfortable in every scenario enveloping him. The aqueous sights were a kaleidoscope of colour, generated by the fat, fusiform bodies of fish gliding past each other. Sleek dolphins appeared, swimming parallel with the vessel, leaping out of the water as though to get a look at the curious creatures above.

Every night was alive with postprandial contentment and people, but there was nobody where we sat on the upper deck— nothing but light, warmth, and each other. The stars held undisputed dominion over the night. Stretched at length, I watched the moon on its slow voyage. Not yet full, a promising luminous white flooded the sky.

Like all great trips, this one had gone too quickly. F’underwater over, the ensuing 24 hours gave rise to one more vacation day and the time to release a diver’s nemesis: the build-up of nitrogen in one’s system from breathing but not utilizing the gas at depth.

Someone suggested four-wheeling in the Hurghada Desert. Sun blazing out of a bleached muslin sky, I took the precaution of wrapping a turban across my face to keep the sand whipping to a minimum.

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Illustration by Michele Dallorso

DESERT FUN TURNS TO DESERTED CHAOS.

From the outset, I couldn’t stop stalling the machine; it was intent on showing me that it was quite prepared to go nowhere if I wasn’t prepared to give it some gas. After a painstaking half hour, finally, I was away—growing confident by the mile and throwing all caution to the desert wind. Hot on my heels, Jason kept pace over the undulating terrain. Emitting shocked little whoops, it was all I could do not to scream in unbridled joy. My adrenaline was racing as I took on bigger sand hills and got away with it, getting more air and bouncing back down in crazed delight. I admit, I was amped.

But enthusiasm began to outweigh skill. Both exhilarating and frightening, I stayed within a hair’s breadth of control. Out of nowhere, I came bounding towards the biggest sand dune I’ve confronted to date.

I could feel every atom of my body, blood charging to carry round the sweet stuff to every cell and muscle fibre. I told my backside to brace up, which on its own accord began to lift off the seat. In an involuntary handstand, I started to arc over the handlebars as my legs were launched above my head. As I proceeded to hurl through the air, my mind somersaulted in a spectacular parabola of emotions. Consciously acknowledging that I was flying, to calmly assuming I’d roll onto the sand, dust myself off and jump back in the saddle.

Jason foresaw the incident and watched as it transpired in slow motion. I had barely cleared the first mound and failed royally on Continued on page 134

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