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On the cover: The Walthall family drives over cheese-grater lava and shark-tooth boulders to reach Idaho's Craters of the Moon. Photo by Bryan Walthall
This photo: Roused gently from the soft, quiet white of oblivion, down came the snow in the high desert at The Wave, an exquisite sandstone formation located on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area near the Arizona/Utah border. Photo by Jason Spafford
Back cover: Four-year-old Aria gets
driving near Saint Anthony, Idaho. So far, she's never gotten stuck while at the
be said of her teacher. Photo by Megan Walthall
OVERLAND JOURNAL
WE ARE ADVENTURERS Constantly traveling. Testing and using gear in real-world situations. Gaining experience, which we readily share.
OUR RESUME
7 continents | 161 countries | 496 years combined experience
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
WE ONLY KNOW THINGS WHEN WE LIVE THEM
FALL 2021
PUBLISHER AND CHAIRMAN Scott Brady
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF DESIGN Stephanie Brady
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Christian Pelletier
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Brian McVickers
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Andre Racine
DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN OPERATIONS Michael Brailey
EDITOR IN CHIEF Tena Overacker
MEDICAL EDITOR Dr. Jon Solberg, MD, FAWM
ARCHAEOLOGY SENIOR EDITOR Bryon Bass, PhD
CAMP AND TRAILER SENIOR EDITOR Matt Swartz
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Nicholas Bratton, Shirli Jade Carswell, Chris Cordes, Cody Cox, Andrew Devereaux, Johan de Villiers, Rocky Donati, Ashley Giordano, Richard Giordano, Thomas Henson, Todd Macon, Lisa Morris, Tim Notier, Bryan Walthall, Lisa Williams
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Bruce Dorn
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Richard Giordano, Jason Spafford, Megan Walthall, Sinuhe Xavier
COPY EDITORS Arden Kysely, Jacques Laliberté
TECHNICAL EDITOR Chris Ramm
CARTOGRAPHER David Medeiros
PODCAST HOST Matthew Scott
PODCAST PRODUCER Paula Burr
VIDEO DIRECTOR Ryan Keegan
OPERATIONS MANAGER Garrett Mead
CONTACT
Overland Journal, 3035 N Tarra Ave, #1, Prescott, AZ 86301 service@overlandjournal.com, editor@overlandjournal.com, advertising@overlandjournal.com, 928-777-8567
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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.
QUALITY THAT ENDURES
My favorite shirt is a subscription gift [from Overland Journal] that my wife got me years ago, at or close to the beginning of the magazine. I have other ExOfficio shirts, but they aren’t like this one. It’s a great item and lasts. I haven’t always kept the subscription up but always have each edition. The earliest I have is Spring 2007, so the shirt is at least that old.
Lance Holvoet
BACKCOUNTRY RESOURCE
I recently bought a JKU and have started thinking of getting into overlanding and discovered your podcast, which I enjoy. Thanks for the tip about Google My Maps.
My boys were both in Boy Scouts for years. As a result, I have camped about one weekend a month and for a week over the summer for over 15 years—in addition to the trips that I do with my family. I also backpack [and have] noticed a lot of similarities between getting ready for backpacking and overland trips (other than the amount of stuff that can be carried). A suggestion I have for people is that they [pick up] The Backpacker’s Field Manual. The book does a great job of covering trip planning, managing risk, and first aid issues, all of which are important for overlanding.
Keep up the great job.
Thomas O. Mulvihill 2017 JKU
ROW 1
@yakoverland
Seas the day.
@blackdog_overlanding
Our 2002 Discovery Series II, in one of our favorite spots in Ireland. Ireland would be a fantastic place if we could put a roof on it. But on days like this one, it can’t be beat.
@darkrunneroverland
Change of location = change of climate. Make sure you’re prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you on your next adventure.
ROW 2
@landcruising.adventure
Karin-Marijke will be joining me this weekend after what may have been the longest time in 20 years [that] we have been separated from each other. I need to get the Land Cruiser shipshape, but I know she will be even more pleased [if I give] myself a clean shave.
@snailtrail4x4
Another excellent day out at @cruise_moab—today, we wheeled Top Of The World. It’s a pretty easy trail, but the view is worth it.
@lc200er
Detoxing.
ROW 3
@daviddobsonphoto
Remembering an epic ride on BMW GS 1200s with my fellow adventurer friend Croley through southern Morocco—what an amazing ride, country, and culture. Yallah! Cannot wait to get back for more. Photo by Croley Graham, #Morocco
@kimberleymgs What dreams are made of. @evadoverland
@glxhf
Pocket dumpster fire. @desktoglory, great write-up on the Arctic trip—reading on the first snow day in Billings.
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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
BRYAN AND MEGAN WALTHALL
Bryan and Megan are a dynamic duo in adventure photography and website building in the outdoor industry. They met during college in the mountain mecca of Bozeman, Montana, and married shortly after in Megan’s home state of Hawaii. After working hard to pay off debts and build up savings, they took a year off to travel, road biking from Switzerland to southern Italy and volunteering at a kid’s adventure camp in New Zealand. Now with three kids in tow, they can still be found exploring the Sonoran Desert in powered paragliders, the Pacific Ocean by boat, or driving backcountry roads in the Rocky Mountains. After all, it’s the time spent in the wild outdoors that brings them closer together as a family.
SHIRLI JADE CARSWELL
Born in South Africa, Shirli’s career and passion revolve around the African continent and its wildlife and cultures. She cut her teeth on advertising after art school and eventually moved into photography. She periodically packs her 2004 Defender, known affectionately as Tintin, and heads out to some remote locale to capture a library of images for her fine art portfolio. Recognized for her wildlife and landscape photography, Shirli is a driven conservationist and steward of Africa. She co-authored the book Africa’s Ultimate Safaris, an extraordinary photo journey through the continent, showcasing some of its most beautiful and wild destinations. She is currently working on a series of books that will take her into Africa once again, as well as Europe and the United States.
TIM NOTIER
Born and raised just west of Chicago, Illinois, Tim spent the first 32 years of his life rarely exploring more than an hour away from the hospital he was born in. But now, things have changed. He traded his behind-the-desk job for a behind-the-handlebars adventure after his wife surprisingly agreed to explore the planet together. It was unclear at the time if they had made the best or worst decision of their lives. But, after spending two years in the Americas, from Chicago to Ushuaia, they can confirm it was the wisest choice they could have made, and it was only the beginning. Tim is the author of a series of ADV motorcycle books, writing about the couple’s meanderings around the world.
ASHLEY GIORDANO
Ashley Giordano recently completed a 48,800-kilometer overland journey from Vancouver, Canada, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with her husband, Richard, in their well-loved but antiquated Toyota Pickup. On the zigzag route south, she hiked craggy peaks in the Andes, discovered diverse cultures in 15 different countries, and indulged in spicy ceviche, Baja fish tacos, and Argentinian malbec. You can usually find Ashley buried in a pile of travel books, poring over maps, or researching wild medicinal plants. Ashley grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia, and spent much of her youth as a competitive figure skater. She worked as a paralegal for eight years while completing a diploma in holistic nutrition. She is currently studying herbal medicine with a focus on women’s health.
SINUHE XAVIER
Before Covid-19, pinning Sinuhe Xavier down was akin to wrestling a greasy pig. Was he in Monaco for Bentley sipping Japanese whiskey at Le Bar Américain in the Hotel de Paris? The Swiss Alps riding mountain bikes? Maybe Battersea Park overlooking Benedict Arnold’s grave at St. Mary’s Church? Driving a custom 110 Defender in Ibiza for Deus ex Machina? Or maybe crossing the Sahara en route from Lisbon to Marrakech? Any guess would probably be two weeks behind. However, now he spends his time on the Colorado Plateau hopping between high-shot win Vail and California, putting the finishing touches on his illustrious Utah Traverse, happy to be unfolding the wrinkles of the Desert Southwest.
LISA MORRIS
JASON SPAFFORD
British-born and location-independent, Four Wheeled Nomad is Lisa Morris and Jason Spafford. Remote wilderness exploration is the couple’s driving force, enabling their skillset as content creators. Previously, they co-ran scuba diving trips. Then, having hung up the fins, they motorcycled the Americas—an almost five-year, 80,000-mile jaunt taking in Antarctica to the Arctic. Jason is a photographer who dabbles in filmmaking. His internationally published portfolio is layered in two decades of adventure travel, landscape, and commercial, and his beautiful captures can be found on Instagram. Lisa freelances for publications worldwide in the hopes of inspiring people to consider their relationship with nature. Currently, a photographic expedition sees them in a Toyota Hilux, roaming Nordic countries and beyond as borders reopen.
RICHARD GIORDANO
Richard Giordano completed a 48,800kilometer overland journey from Vancouver, Canada, to Ushuaia, Argentina, with his wife, Ashley, in their well-loved but antiquated 1990 Toyota Pickup. On the zig-zag route south, they hiked craggy peaks in the Andes, discovered diverse cultures in 15 different countries, and filled their tummies with spicy ceviche, Baja fish tacos, and Argentinian Malbec. That trip catapulted Richard into a career as a freelance video producer, photographer, and writer. He has created commercials for Toyota Canada, is the lead photographer for Expedition Overland, and is always itching to hit the road and share his adventures. If you see Richard out in the wild, he’ll most likely have a coffee in one hand and a camera in the other.
CODY COX
Cody Cox is a driver and an aficionado of the inline-six engine. He thrives on the creative environment surrounding vintage vehicles and the stories they often help create. Through his travels, he has become an acquaintance of roadside breakdowns and tow trucks. Behind the wheel of an analog vehicle is where he feels most comfortable. As a member of the Toyota Troop Carrier ranks, he relishes each occasion to open the engine bay and turn a wrench on his 1985 HJ75. The mingling scents of sagebrush and diesel are the fuel that drives him as he explores the high deserts of the American West.
ROCKY DONATI
Rocky has a quirky sense of humor, the mouth of a sarcastic sailor, and talks supersonic fast. Her insatiable drive and knack for creative problem-solving meant a decade of spearheading high-level business strategies for the outdoor industry. Now she manages her own consulting firm, Donati Agency, but more often than not, elects to play hooky with her partner in crime and two Aussie pups. From wheeling to jet-setting out of a remote Park City chalet at 8,000 feet, she and her husband are constantly in search of the perfect pocket water for fly fishing. This decade, she’s embracing the hermit lifestyle, writing gibberish for hire, and renting out the adventurous getaway of your childhood dreams, The Treehouse Utah, on Airbnb.
ANDREW DEVEREAUX
Andrew can be summed up as an Everything Man. He knows enough about a lot of things to be dangerous but is not an expert in any one discipline. He’s a former NCAA Division 1 athlete in track and field. He’s part hippie and a little redneck. Andrew is one of the original founding members of Texas Overland, which now boasts nearly 6,000 members. He has a deep love of 4WD vehicles, semitrucks, athletics, homemade barbeque, and the American Southwest. When not enjoying time outdoors, Andrew operates an independent sales and marketing agency in Dallas, Texas. Always willing to take on a new project, you can meet him where passion hits the pavement.
TODD MACON
Todd Macon lives in Durango, Colorado, with his wife and daughter, where he has wedged himself between the mountains and deserts of the American Southwest. A career middle and high school Humanities teacher, he also leads students on wilderness excursions. A fascination with Ancestral Puebloan culture drives him deeper into the desert. His activities and obsessions include backpacking, mountaineering, fly-fishing, and photography with vintage film cameras. It will take him a lifetime to explore the nooks and crannies of the San Juan Mountains and Colorado Plateau, but he’s studying maps and chipping away at it one excursion at a time. Todd’s current dream excursion is to photograph the landscapes and cultures of the Gobi Desert and Mongolian Steppe.
CHRIS CORDES
Chris was born and raised outside of Dallas, Texas, and didn’t receive a real taste of the overlanding lifestyle until moving to Arizona in 2009. It was there that he fell in love with four-wheel-drive vehicles and the great outdoors, quite literally altering the path of his life. Instead of pursuing his planned career in aviation, Chris accepted a position with Overland Journal and Expedition Portal, where he would hone his skills in writing, photography, and off-pavement driving. Over the years, he has lived full time on the road, mapped trails from the Arctic Circle to Mexico, driven across Australia, and backpacked the Himalayas. He is currently an Airstream Ambassador and works for OnX Off-road, managing their Trail Guide community.
THOMAS HENSON
Thomas Henson is an educator and writer based in the UK. A former military police officer and ex-bodyguard, he has lived and worked in a variety of countries, including Sudan, Tunisia, Poland, and Israel. When he’s not teaching, Thomas is on a mission to track down the most interesting places, people, and stories. A fan of ancient mythology, his next big idea is to explore Scandinavia, to identify the locations that inspired Nordic folklore. Thomas is married to the creative and talented Emily, and a proud dog-dad to two Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers. He also has two cats, who do not earn their keep.
JOHAN DE VILLIERS
After being trained by the 1994 West German Camel Trophy team, Johan has extensively traversed several Central and East African countries, including Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Zanzibar. On his return to corporate life, Johan has continued to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and has since led numerous expeditions through Southern Africa as well as Southeast Asia. In addition to being a qualified Land Rover recovery expert, Johan is a certified helicopter pilot (turbine rated), high-altitude mountaineer, keen off-road racer, and a regular contributor to various 4WD and aviation publications. His personal vehicle is a highly modified Land Rover Defender 110 TD5.
NICHOLAS BRATTON
Nicholas Bratton is a lifelong adventurer and traveler. Currently based in Seattle, he has lived for six years in Africa and one in France. His pursuits include working as a whitewater rafting guide in South Africa and Washington, as a mountaineering instructor in the Cascades and Rockies, and exploring eastern Greenland. His travels have taken him to 30 countries. Closer to home, an overland highlight has been driving the 600-mile Washington Backcountry Discovery Route in his Land Rover Discovery. Bratton’s work has been published in the Boston Globe, Daily Telegraph, Rovers Magazine, Hidden Compass, Land Rover Monthly, and Alloy+Grit.
LISA WILLIAMS
Lisa Williams is an Arizona native that spent much of her childhood exploring backroads with her family in whatever project vehicle her father was wrenching on at the time. She has traveled the continental United States by foot, by Ford Econoline, and most recently, by Jeep Cherokee. All her passions center around driving, connecting with nature, and a deep love for adventure. Though a practicing weekend warrioress, she aspires to write, photograph, and eventually rally race around the globe and share her journeys through photojournalism. Upcoming goals include competing in the Rebelle Rally, the Baja 1000, and an immersion into the less-traveled roads of New Zealand in her 2019 Toyota Tacoma.
OVERLAND JOURNAL
Overland Journal is the original publication for environmentally responsible, worldwide vehicle-supported expedition and adventure travel.
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES
5 issues/year, online at overlandjournal.com or 3035 N Tarra Ave, #1, Prescott, AZ 86301
DOMESTIC & CANADA (USD)
1 year $45, 2 years $80, 3 years $112
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1 year €45, 2 years €80, 3 years €120
INTERNATIONAL (NON EU) (USD)
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DIGITAL
Available on iTunes, Google Play, and the Zinio newsstand.
Outdoor Research Aksel Work Gloves
Save your 10 little hand piggies from the bitter bite of Father Frost.
Ever have to change a tire in a blizzard? Yeah, me neither, but if I ever do have to, these are the only gloves my fingers trust. With multiple pairs scattered across my life, their current résumé includes a successful mid-winter firewood chop, amplifying my Good Samaritan vibes when I recovered a stranger’s snow-stuck vehicle, and making it possible to repair my Trail 90 in subzero temperatures. Admittedly, I did not discover these lifesavers on my own; I borrowed a pair in a pinch. But after reluctantly returning them to their rightful owner, some new pairs found a permanent home stashed in my car, my chalet, my gym bag, and various other go-to spots.
They’re pure magic because the 100-percent cow-belly leather shell with a wool-blended liner gives you super tough, windresistant, moisture-wicking, breathable superpowers without
losing dexterity. Granted, you aren’t able to tie a fly or dial out for pizza delivery, but general movement in the outdoors is 100 percent feasible and 100 percent comfortable. These are unisex, so ladies, size down. I do X-Small without liners or Small with liners (advisable when it’s below freezing). I am also always thankful for the pull-on loop, which means clicking into a carabiner and never worrying about losing them in action.
$65 | OUTDOORRESEARCH.COM
PRO TIP If you’re working in wet snow, lather these up with a Nikwax Waterproof Wax treatment, and you’re now a golden god, rain or hail.
L.L.Bean Original Bean Boot 10-inch,
Shearling-lined
My husband regularly tells me that I “don’t do well with restrictions.” But he’s not entirely speaking of my natural instinct to bend the rules; he’s poking fun at my hatred for anything that feels constrictive. Shoes, pants, watches, helmets—you name it. If I’m not wrapped in the warm embrace of a cloud 24-7 head-to-toe, I refuse to leave my couch. While this worked relatively well in 2020 (thanks, Rona), it doesn’t translate well to the functional requirements of society. Fortunately, there’s a little company you may have heard about, L.L.Bean, who hired a clever fellow that clearly felt the same as me way back in 1912. He designed exactly what we all need: mobile feet marshmallows that dominate cold, damp
Nix the apple-bottom jeans, but don’t neglect a quality pair of boots with fur.
weather. Handmade in Maine, each pair is constructed from thick, waterproof, full-grain leather, triple-stitched with a proprietary chain-tread sole, and offered with a shearling lamb lining. The only downfall I’ve had with these is the sizing. Bean claims that use is best with a midweight sock and recommends going a size down if you’re in between. But I am religiously a women’s full size 8, and there’s just too much interior slop without a heavyweight sock. This ultimately means they don’t transition well between seasons, and a purchase like this requires a cold weather or bust scenario to be worthwhile. Nonetheless, if I have to pull on a pair of anything or experience frostbite on my toes, these are the only shoes I’d want to be caught dead in.
$229 | LLBEAN.COM
5.11 Tactical Rush100
One of the biggest dilemmas in travel is how to carry the things you need to the places you’re going. Enter 5.11 Tactical’s Rush100. This 60-liter pack is the brand’s latest addition to their Rush Series of all-purpose preparedness items. It has a distinctly larger silhouette than that of the other backpacks in this series and is stout and durable, living up to the standards for everyday missions that the brand upholds.
My application for the Rush100 came in the form of a fiveday unsupported trip from North Texas to Central Colorado. I was able to load the pack with five days of clothing and personal hygiene items, throw it in the truck, and roll.
The pockets are massive, and a few pairs of jeans, along with several days of shirts and boxers, stowed in the main compartment with ease. What I found most helpful is the accessibility to the main section. I could lay the pack flat, open the zipper wide (more than expected), and fold the Rush100 over to access the deepest parts of the bag. It is incredibly convenient to open the pack and sort through belongings without moving or disturbing the items you don’t want.
The Rush has a distinctly larger silhouette than that of the other backpacks in this series and is stout and durable, living up to the standards for everyday missions that the brand upholds.
The rearmost compartment has room for a water bladder and an opening for the associated hose. Nothing groundbreaking here, but one does not have to wish they had it. I prefer to separate clean clothes from dirty, and hygiene products from personal defense and miscellaneous accessories in distinct areas. Even with a water bladder installed, there is no shortage of room.
The canvas is heavy-duty, almost to a fault. If I had to find something to knock, it would be weight. The side bolsters come pretty stiff out of the box, which makes stowing the bag in the back seat a little cumbersome. Some break-in period is to be expected, likely attributed to the stout canvas and supporting materials. I do wish there was a small netted pocket on the exterior for quick access to a water bottle since I don’t plan to carry 3 liters of water every time I use the Rush100.
Due to its size, I envision its use in the wild for a rucking expedition or hike-in hunt excursion over several days. The company has built a reputation for durable goods that withstand everything you put them through, and the Rush100 lives up to the name.
$250 | 511TACTICAL.COM
Clockwise from top: Field testing the Rush100 near Twin Lakes, Colorado, during a five-day stint that began in North Texas. There is ample storage for clothing and miscellaneous items in the main compartment. Toiletries store easily in the accessible top compartment.
Lizard Skin Insulation
An effective, non-toxic alternative to a butyl mat.
Fewthings are more frustrating than starting a build in the back of your classic vehicle (in my case, a Land Cruiser) and discovering a plethora of rust. It’s even more irksome when you realize the cheap butyl mat installed by the previous owner has deteriorated into a thick, chemical-scented goo. By the time that butyl mat is removed and the rust repaired, the last thing you want is another round of adhesive noise mat.
Lizard Skin spray-on insulation is a great alternative to butyl. The company offers Sound Control for noise reduction and Ceramic Insulation for heat. Both are non-toxic, water-soluble, spray on with an air compressor-driven paint gun, and cure in 2436 hours. The entire process can be completed in two afternoons, while the prep work will easily fill a morning.
The insulation looks very much like a bed liner but is not recommended as a bare surface in heavy traffic areas. Lizard Skin acts as a vapor barrier and will add an extra layer of defense against rust, but proper prevention is still necessary. The sound dampening and thermal reflection properties are truly remarkable. Classic 4WDs struggle the most at highway speeds, but with Lizard Skin, the windows can be down at 65 mph on a freeway in 85°F+ weather, and you won’t be melting or developing severe tinnitus anymore. Available in 1- or 2-gallon sizes; prices below are for 2-gallon buckets. (CC)
Asoverlanders, we often think of multi-purpose function, compact size, durability, and comfort when it comes to our rigs. BioLite incorporated each quality into this headlamp, and it has earned a place in my seat-back system.
The device is so comfortable that I almost forgot it was on my head. The neoprene material is soft around the entire band and wicks moisture away while drying quickly, making it more useful during strenuous activity. The strap is simple to adjust and can be worn by large children to adults, and can fit over a heavy hood or helmet.
The 200 available lumens have met all challenges I’ve faced so far, though adjusting the light between the four options (including dimming) was difficult to get used to. I recommend a gentle touch and patience, as any frustration can lead to harder pressure. Another convenience is that you can charge the headlamp from a power bank with a micro-USB connection. I’ve used the BioLite to inspect my truck after an adventure, gather firewood for a late-night campfire, and read in my rooftop tent. I haven’t found much use for the red light or strobe effect, but they are available if needed in an emergency or when trying not to bother the eyesight of those around you. Available in multiple colors, BioLite’s headlamp provides more than the basics at a great value while not going overboard with bells and whistles. (LW)
$45 | BIOLITEENERGY.COM
It’s Getting Hot in Here
Planar Diesel Air Heater
2D-HA-PU5-(TR) Truck Kit
Asthe wind howls across a frozen lake, our 1990 Toyota Pickup sways back and forth. It’s winter in the Rocky Mountains, and the snow falling sideways from the dark grey sky is proving it. We hop into our Go Fast Camper, battered by 60-kph gusts, and switch on the heater, cranking the heat up as high as it goes. Outside, the sun sets, and the temperature drops, but we’re stripping off our down jackets and kicking off our boots within minutes.
We’ve gone soft. Maybe it was our recent winter trip to Tuktoyaktuk, Northern Territories, or another long, cold season in the Canadian Rocky Mountains? Our future plans include a long-term trip around the world. Unlike our 18-month road trip down the PanAmerican Highway, where we chased summer by driving south, we’ll be at nature’s whim next time around and very likely travelling in colder temperatures. In order to extend our travel season and limit the amount of time and money spent thawing out in hostels or hotels, we decided to install a diesel heater in our small camper.
Powered by propane, gasoline, or diesel, there are a wide variety of heaters on the market. Originally designed for boats and long-haul trucks, these safe, compact, and fuel-efficient air heaters have become popular in the overlanding community. Many of our fellow travelers warned against propane heaters due to their tendency to build up condensation indoors, along with the potential struggle of regularly finding propane in foreign countries. Diesel or gasoline options seemed like the best fit for us.
Testing the diesel Planar air heater amongst the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
designed to run on any pump diesel or hardware store kerosene fuel. At $898, it’s a good value that comes with a 2-year warranty and local support. Plus, the installation instructions gave me an opportunity to brush up on my Cyrillic script.
As with any heater being used in an enclosed space, we also installed a carbon monoxide detector in the camper for safety.
THE INITIAL START-UP TEST
The basic PU-5 controller requires a mere click of the on/off button and a turn of the heater control knob to set the heat output temperature. But how well does this 2-kilowatt diesel air heater work in 150 cubic feet of uninsulated camper? Keep in mind that the sides of the camper are aluminum and fabric, whereas the sides of the truck box are thin 1990’s Japanese steel. There is very little keeping the heat from escaping this living space.
I completed a start-up test to investigate how quickly the heater could warm the camper in winter conditions. I also wanted to confirm how much fuel the heater consumed and how much power it would draw from our house battery. These two technical details are provided by the manufacturer, but I chose to double-check them.
The Planar heater had its task set out for it. The truck had been sitting all night and was thoroughly chilled to -8.5°C (16.7°F). Not only did the heater have to warm the air in the interior of the camper, but the presence of steel, aluminum, and wood that make up the GFC and interior would lengthen the time it took for the space to heat up.
A gasoline air heater seemed promising as we could easily tap into the existing vehicle gas tank. We discussed our quandary with a Webasto sales representative, who recommended against the gasoline air heater. Although installation would be straightforward, gasoline air heaters have a tendency to leave carbon deposits on the interior walls of the heater’s combustion chamber, potentially leading to ignition issues and additional maintenance over time. That may be satisfactory for someone using their vehicle locally or seasonally (since they always have a service center or warm garage close by), but on a long-term trip far from home, we don’t want to be disassembling a gasoline air heater for routine maintenance.
This information (along with our budget) led us to the Planar diesel air heater. The Russian-built unit is
The start-up test required four steps. The first involved cranking the heater up to its highest setting and running it for five hours. Next, I measured the ambient temperature and inside temperature/humidity every five minutes over the duration of two hours. Finally, I measured fuel usage (1-K kerosene) and amperage draw. Knowing how long it takes the heater to warm up the interior space allows us to have realistic expectations when climbing into a cold camper after a ski day or long winter hike, or perceiving at what point to start pre-heating the space before heading inside to sleep.
Twenty minutes after I initiated the test, the camper had warmed to a balmy 0°C (32°F). Twenty-five minutes after that, the space was toasty enough to take off a jacket. After 1.5 hours, the temperature reached
The basic Planar PU-5 controller requires a mere click of the on/off button and a turn of the heater control knob to set the heat output temperature. The start-up test investigated how quickly the heater could warm the camper in winter conditions. Opposite: Planar’s diesel air heater 2D-HA-PU5-(TR) is designed to run on any pump diesel or hardware store kerosene fuel. It is delivered with all the required items for installation.
a state of equilibrium where the interior of the camper remained at 26°C (78.8°F) higher than the outdoor temperature.
MEASURED FUEL USAGE OVER FIVE HOURS 0.265 litres per hour (0.07 gallons per hour), set on maximum temperature
MEASURED ELECTRICAL DRAW (AFTER INITIAL START-UP)
20 watts/1.56 amperes, set on maximum temperature
Based on this data, during a winter night, let’s say over 10 hours, this system would use 15.60 amp-hours of battery capacity and 2.65 litres (0.7 gallons) of fuel. The installed 5.5-litre (1.45-gallon) auxiliary fuel tank has the capacity to fuel a couple of those cold nights with the heater running at maximum capacity.
In practice, we use the heater to warm up the camper before bed and then again in the morning when we need the motivation to drag ourselves out of the warm cocoon of -18°C (0°F) down sleeping bags. In this scenario, the 5.5 litres (1.45 gallons) of fuel lasts just over a week.
We knew we’d enjoy the pure unadulterated warmth, but a surprising benefit is the heater’s inherent ability to decrease humidity. Wet clothes can take forever to dry in cold or humid climes, but the diesel heater does a fantastic job of drying anything within the camper envelope. Hanging wet clothes to dry is now a realistic endeavour. During our initial start-up test, we saw the humidity in the camper drop from 31 percent to 10 percent within one hour.
CONCLUSION
This heater system allows us to remain comfortable when the ambient temperature is well below freezing, thus extending our camping season or allowing us to escape the cold grip of Old Man Winter during our long-term travels. Keeping warm in cooler temperatures means we can limit the amount of hotel or hostel stays, save some dollars, and spend more time off the grid and in the mountains if we so choose.
You can’t always have your cake and eat it too. This Planar diesel air heater is a good value but still requires 898 precious greenbacks. It takes up valuable space in a small vehicle and adds wiring, fuel, intake, and exhaust complications (both during install and potentially on the road), not to mention having to regularly fill the auxiliary diesel tank.
WE KNEW WE’D ENJOY THE PURE UNADULTERATED WARMTH, BUT A SURPRISING BENEFIT IS THE HEATER’S INHERENT ABILITY TO DECREASE HUMIDITY. DURING OUR INITIAL START-UP TEST, WE SAW THE HUMIDITY IN THE CAMPER DROP FROM 31 PERCENT TO 10 PERCENT WITHIN ONE HOUR.
For some, investing in a good-quality sleeping bag or warmer outerwear may be the better option. But for us, we’re taking the potential downsides associated with complications to enjoy the epic winter adventures while soaking up the warm, dry heat inside our cozy home on wheels.
$898 | PLANARHEATERS.COM
MANUFACTURER TECHNICAL DETAILS
HEAT OUTPUT 0.8 kilowatts / 2,700 - 6,850 British thermal units
FUEL CONSUMPTION 0.10 - 0.24 litres per hour / 0.03 - 0.06 gallons per hour
POWER CONSUMPTION 10 - 29 watts / 0.8 - 2.24 amps
WEIGHT 7.0 kilograms
DIMENSIONS 324 x 118 x 119 millimeters
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS PURCHASED Controller cable extension 5.5-litre auxiliary kerosene/diesel tank
Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8 x 25 Binoculars
In focus: a capable, compact, and affordable tool to optimize your range of vision.
Fuss and bother are two elements I can live without when it comes to gear, and these binoculars from Nocs Provisions, lovingly conceived in San Francisco’s Citadel of Excitement, fit the bill. First off, they come in a small, recycled cardboard box put together without glue—easy to open, environmentally friendlier. The Nocs, drawstring pouch, neck strap, and lens cloth are securely stowed within, and the absence of plastic packaging was refreshing. The next pleasant surprise was the missing instruction booklet; not missing as in they forgot, missing as in you don’t need one. A few simple instructions are printed on the box to get you started, but I must confess I did not read them (initially), choosing instead to pop the binos straight out and give them a go.
Perhaps my favorite attribute is that they are straight-out-thebox simple with intuitive elements.
The Nocs are compact and lightweight (under 12 ounces), easily held in hand with a rubber textured surface design inspired in part by vintage BMX mushroom grips. If you do drop them, the binocular’s shock-absorbing properties seem well-suited to withstand most falls. An IPx7 waterproof rating means they can theoretically be submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes—perfect for when the tide starts to come in, and I’ve been distracted enough to leave a few of my belongings beachside.
Eye position is easily adjusted, with the focus knob quickly dialing in on your subject, and the twist-out eyecups hold fast. Images through the fog-proof viewfinder are crisp and clear using GoodEye technology, “an emerald multi-layer coating that provides low flare broadband anti-reflection for outstanding clarity.” With an 8x zoom, I’ve used them for spotting, viewing wildlife, and stargazing.
Nocs also have an interesting feature that allows you to use your smartphone, held up to the eyecup, to take snaps with the equivalent of a 400mm camera lens. It’s a little gadgety and can take a few moments to line up the shot properly, but it’s a fun bonus that could be useful, especially with their new Photo Rig adapter ($30) on offer. I have an excellent zoom on my camera phone, though, and find the benefit to be marginal.
There is a lot to like about my Nocs. When outdoors, I do not carry many extras on my person, if any. At 4.5 x 4.25 x 1.75 inches, these easily stash in a cargo pant pocket or small
hike pack; I keep them in my glove compartment when on the move. They come in a myriad of colors, and while the included skinny black strap will do in a pinch, the optional wool, woven tapestry strap ($27) feels more substantial for regular use and adds a dash of style. Perhaps my favorite attribute is that they are straight-out-the-box simple with intuitive elements. The quality of construction of these binoculars is evident throughout, and the company’s No-Matter-What Lifetime Warranty against product defects fosters a high level of user confidence.
$95 NOCS | NOCSPROVISIONS.COM
Top: Nocs come in a bevy of colors, along with woven tapestry straps available as an upgrade to the included thin black strap. Bottom left/ Bottom right: The optional Photo Rig adapter attaches to your Nocs to facilitate taking photos with the equivalent of a 400mm lens.
Whenfirst looking at aftermarket lights, most people get caught in the trap of counting lumens. Logic dictates that the brightest light would be the best, but lumens are only part of the picture. You must also consider beam pattern, color, durability, and features; this is a balancing act that Baja Designs knows well, and their LP6 nails.
The LP6 is the smaller cousin to the LP9 but hails from the same ideology of throwing big lumens downrange while casting a wide spread of useable light to the sides, blending distance, cornering, and close-range lights into one package. Each light will pump out 8,600 lumens from six forward-facing LEDs, with an additional 1,700 lumens via four side-facing LEDs integrated into their patented Integrated Peripheral Technology (IPT).
Amber LED backlighting gives the LP6 a dual purpose as a daytime running light while also providing a nice aesthetic to the vehicle. Both a driving/ combo and spot variant are offered in white or amber, so you can mix and match for your ideal color and beam pattern. Baja Designs has tinted their lights to a natural daytime color; this warmer tone lessens eye fatigue, and it’s easier to see what’s ahead without color distortion.
Baja Design’s Direct Ducted Cooling (DDC) vents are sculpted like air intakes on a jet to maximize the light’s performance by funneling air through the front of the housing and over the rear heat sinks. This feature reduces operating temperatures and allows the LEDs to operate consistently at 100-percent power, a feat few other lights can claim.
The LP6 is waterproof and submersible up to 9 feet, compliant with IK10 mechanical impact testing,
Baja Designs LP6 Pro
One
light that functions as three: driving, spot, and flood.
Up close, the innovative design elements that make the LP6 exceptional stand out.
exceeds the MIL-STD810G testing, and when you lift it out of the box, it feels every bit as impressive as all of that sounds. Every component is made from anodized aluminum, machined aluminum, or stainless steel to ensure complete corrosion resistance and longevity. A built-in over-voltage protection circuit prevents electrical damage from occurring due to unexpected spikes. The lenses and optics are replaceable, and Baja Designs backs it all up with a limited lifetime warranty and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Installation was straightforward when using their proprietary wiring harness (additional $95) and one of the quickest I’ve completed to date. There was plenty of wire length to work with, even for long trucks, the materials were high quality, and the instructions were clear.
The driving light packs a 42-degree main beam with 200 total degrees of useable light thanks to IPT, which sounds good online, but experiencing it in the field is rather astounding. When rounding corners on dirt roads, the lights illuminate a wide enough swath so you can see what’s ahead on the bend instead of just what’s off in the distance: small turnoffs and campsites become obvious, as do small critters on the shoulders. And the improvement in visibility on slower and more technical terrain cannot be overstated.
Instead of casting a very bright but narrow beam down the center of the trail, the LP6’s pattern spreads nicely across the road and even back toward your vehicle by 10 degrees on each side. That means you can
Clockwise from top: Amber backlighting adds additional utility to the LP6, allowing it to function as a daytime running light or marker lamp. Even upgraded headlights can be inadequate in the backcountry. The LP6s illuminate the road ahead.
not only see what’s down the line but what’s directly in front of your tires as well. This made it far easier to navigate around or over obstacles, thread the needle on narrow two tracks, and even guide my Airstream into a rock-filled camp late in the evening.
Of course, this excellent flood coverage doesn’t mean that the LP6 is any slouch when it comes to long-distance illumination. When driving at higher speeds, I rarely, if ever, came to a point where I was at risk of overdriving the LP6s. That may come as a surprise to some, as the 8,600 lumens from the six forward-facing LEDs might not sound like a lot compared to the enormous light bars on the market. Baja Designs hasn’t gotten caught up in the lumen war, though, so you’ll find that despite the lower total number, they’re able to cast a clear beam out past 1,000 feet. If you want something even longer and more focused, you can always throw one of their high-speed spots into the mix. These utilize the same peripheral technology as the driving lights but with a much longer and more focused 6-degree main beam.
The driving light packs a 42-degree main beam with 200 total degrees of useable light thanks to IPT, which sounds good online, but experiencing it in the field is rather astounding.
$485/EACH, $95/WIRING HARNESS | BAJADESIGNS.COM
MANUFACTURER TECHNICAL DETAILS
FORWARD PROJECTING LUMENS 8,600, utilizing six LEDs
Weshifted the Ford F-350 into low range and locked the rear differential, slowly climbing the precipitous shelf road of loose boulders and rocky ledges. The vehicle ascended confidently, without any tire spin, and remained composed despite the pitch or roll it encountered. It would have been an impressive feat in any vehicle but became even more notable in an 11,000-pound expedition vehicle, complete with 80 gallons of water, a full kitchen, dinette, and an interior hot-water shower. As we continued to climb the Calico Mountains, well above the Black Rock Desert, my mind drifted to life on the road and just how comfortable that capability can be. Good ideas can come from unusual beginnings, and most of them need to evolve with time to reach their potential. Well over a decade ago, I remember a quirky German chef who showed up at the Overland Journal offices with just such an idea. It was a composite pop-top expedition camper built on a Ram chassis, including a full complement of house systems and an electricassisted-raising roof. While the foodie turned camper builder had no significant overland experience, and his business operation, XPCamper, ultimately failed, he had nonetheless created a very good idea. After filing for bankruptcy, the intellectual property and molds of the company were purchased by a capable team of engineers, management executives, and marketing professionals. That maturation was just what the original idea needed to be developed to have long-term viability—which brings us to the Nimbl Evolution.
THE CHASSIS
Nimbl Evolution
An expedition camper well suited for the backcountry and beyond.
Nimbl’s chief engineer, Jon Turner, is an experienced fourwheeler aficionado, and it shows in the capability of the Evolution, with improved suspension performance and a reduction in overall weight. Jon selected the F-350 as the camper has a wet weight of just over 3,000 pounds, well within the GVWR of the chassis. The F-350 also allowed for a factory rear locking differential and access to numerous aftermarket components. The modifications started with the goal of installing 35-inch Cooper tires on Icon Vehicle Dynamics wheels. To fit the larger tire, Jon worked with Icon to create a suspension system just right for the Nimbl, including remote reservoir shock absorbers to increase fluid volume and manage shock oil heat. Custom rear springs were also specified to accommodate the increased weight over the rear axle.
The great joy of owning an expedition camper is having a home away from home at the end of a long, dusty trail.
Remote travel requires extended fuel range, adequate water storage, and a reliable platform. From our experience, the weight and cost of a camper is best justified when it can manage a wide range of climates with heating and cooling, and also ensure convenient hygiene with an onboard shower and toilet.
The F-350 is a supremely comfortable truck and made passing the miles from the Western Sierra to the Black Rock Desert an easy affair. Interestingly, Nimbl eschewed the typical diesel engine option in favor of the 7.3-liter “Godzilla” gasoline V8. The motor combined with the 10-speed automatic made easy work of the high mountain passes and yielded an impressive 11.8 mpg for our trip (many Tacomas fail to hit that mark). The reason for the gasoline motor was simple: worldwide fuel availability and the increased complexity of DEF and particulate filter systems. Ultralow-sulfur diesel is simply not ubiquitous in the developing world, so it is gasoline for the global traveler for the moment.
To affix the camper, Nimbl designed their own flatbed system, welding it entirely from aluminum and hanging storage boxes fore and aft of the wheel wells. The rear slide-out locker is particularly useful for stowing long items, MaxTrax, etc. Special attention was paid to the departure angle, which showed on the trail, and surprisingly, I never dragged the rear bumper. The front bumper is a custom aluminum model from Dissent Off-Road in Colfax, Cali-
fornia. While the bright, unfinished appearance of the bumper is not to my taste, it does allow for a formidable approach angle and the fitment of a heavy-duty ComeUp winch.
THE CAMPER
Although the Ford chassis is notable, it is the camper itself that makes the Nimbl genuinely unique. The habitat features a seamless monocoque composite construction that is a combination of fiberglass and carbon fiber. The lifting roof design significantly improves aerodynamics and permits the camper to be shipped internationally via container. The design considers weight at every corner, including the use of aluminum honeycomb composites and lithium batteries.
After our week of testing, I came away with confidence in the camper for global travel, and that is the most important specification of all.
A curious omission by XPCamper was that the original designer was never given proper attribution. Fortunately, Nimbl has set out to correct that and recognizes Steve Kozloff for the traveler and design talent that he is. Steve’s father designed the first EarthRoamer, and Steve has gained a prominent reputation as both a global adventurer (by motorcycle and boat) and creator of the Goliath Series of polar-class expedition vessels. Seeing the interior certainly speaks to a shipwright’s philosophy, as the camper is reminiscent of the polar-class expedition sailboats of Mr. Kozloff. It is intentionally simplistic and serviceable, yet complete with all of the amenities for life on the road.
The trait I liked most about the camper is the low traveling height which also allows fitment in a shipping container. The bright interior, reminiscent of an expedition sailboat, is also pleasing. My concerns with the camper are few but mostly revolve around the reduced interior storage (the compromise of a lifting roof). The fabric panels surrounding the bed are also noticeable while sleeping, with flapping in the wind and reduced insulation. The hybrid hard side and soft side lifting roof design has many advantages and works great in three seasons or where security is of limited concern. A hard panel (like the Alaskan) would be a clever option for the future.
The Nimbl Evolution achieved everything we asked of it during our week of backcountry exploration and continued to imbue confidence in the platform. We traveled low-speed rocky trails and even hit the camper equivalent to Mach-1 across the playa. There are compromises with any lifting roof design, but the advantages often outweigh those for the global traveler. The Nimbl also presents a significant value, costing hundreds of thousands less than other expedition campers. After our week of testing, I came away with confidence in the camper for global travel, and that is the most important specification of all.
$180,000 AND UP | NIMBLVEHICLES.COM
To read more about the adventure behind the Field Test, visit Expedition Portal, where you can also link to a full video review on the Evolution: expeditionportal.com/36-hours-of-adventure-in-search-of-terra-incognita/
Return to the Pacific
A young family dreams of the Outback but instead finds gratitude on a shore closer to home.
By Bryan Walthall
Photography by Megan Walthall
My wife, Megan, and I looked at each other in disbelief at the opportunity in front of us. Was this actually happening? Our three young kids came running into our little cottage on Maui’s North Shore to ask how the meeting went.
“What do you kids think about spending a year overlanding Australia together?”
“Really?” they said cautiously, eager eyes bouncing between Megan’s face and mine as we drew out the suspense before delivering the official good news. Joyful screams erupted. Still in disbelief, we relayed to the kids more details of the trip.
We were going to Australia for a year, where we would work with Expedition Overland to document our travels as we explored the best of the Outback. The only catch was we were the only ones going—no support crew, no convoy, just Megan and myself and our three kids: Stella (8), Kai (6), and Aria (4). We would be all on our own to plan, photograph, film, edit, and write from the road.
There was no question about it; this was going to be an epic year. Like many families, we had dreamed of taking a year off to explore the world while our kids were still young. Our hard work to be debt-free and orient our life toward spontaneity was paying off. This trip would surely be an unforgettable time together as a family.
Megan and I dove into the groundwork. We handed off our web design clients to another capable firm and closed the doors. Everything we owned was put in a storage container as we moved out of our island home. Our Google searches flooded the internet: how to homeschool, things that can kill you in Australia, and wilderness medicine courses near me. If success is where preparedness meets opportunity, we needed to dutifully prepare to knock this out of the park. After two months of intense planning, trip prep, and flipping our life upside down, we loaded our small expedition bags into the car and headed for the airport.
We were ready for anything, but no one could have foreseen the giant tsunami that was headed our way as we left our comfortable life on the tarmac of the Kahului Airport the morning of March 9, 2020.
We left Maui and flew to Expedition Overland’s headquarters in Montana for a month of essential trip prep. We had a lot of work to do to get the vehicle, trailer, and gear packed into a shipping container and sent to Australia. We also needed to complete our training in video production, editing, and wilder-
We spent cool, peaceful nights and bright, exciting mornings socializing with the local deer near Virginia City, Montana. Opposite, left column: It’s never too early to learn how to drive on sand dunes. Megan, the adventurer behind the lens. The kids explore their backyard for the night. Middle column: Appreciating the evening show along Oregon’s Pacific Coast. Yet another free campsite with million-dollar views. Caulking the wagon and fording the river on our trail to Oregon. Right column: Bryan, gaining an appreciation for how quickly sand softens with heat near St. Anthony, Idaho. A field of sagebrush hides massive lava crevasses at Idaho’s Craters of the Moon. Aria ambitiously enjoys a decadent campfire dessert. Opening spread: Mystical fog greets the Walthall family as they arrive at the Pacific Coast near Ocean City, Oregon.
ness first aid. But as the world changed, our plans were put on hold indefinitely.
The weeks that followed were some of our most stretching times as a family. Within days of leaving Maui, Australia went on lockdown and closed its borders to international travel due to the growing coronavirus pandemic. There was no clear end date in sight, but we clung to hope that this dramatic life change wasn’t the worst decision we’d made in our entire lives. Surely this situation was overblown, and once a few safety measures were put into place, international travel would be back up and running.
But even after months of safety measures, mask mandates, and social isolation, case numbers were still on the rise, and closures were extended. Where do you go when you are homeless, with some local governments instituting “stay at home” orders? At this point, we had to make some big decisions.
Our list of failed overlanding plans grew into quite a portfolio: plan A, B, C, C version 3, D version 2, and many more. We had many emotional talks about calling our year-long trip off entirely. Our home on Maui had already been rented out to others, and we had closed the doors to our business, which would take months, maybe more, to get rolling again. We conceded that to pull the plug meant the whole year would be a giant failure; we decided to hang on and figure out an alternate plan with the intent of salvaging it.
After countless sleepless nights, we finally developed our last remaining option (probably plan P version 3). It was a flexible plan where we would start in Eastern Montana, then expand to other states as allowed or prudent. We weren’t sure how long we would be gone but were excited to at least have the opportunity to go. Sure, it wasn’t remotely close to the original plan, but we felt at peace with it knowing we would still be exploring wild places together as a family.
In early June, the wheels of our Toyota Tundra and Patriot Camper off-road trailer finally hit pavement, and we were off. It was momentous. We were now moving with a workable plan and a reliable home. Even if the coronavirus didn’t go away and borders never opened, we knew our family was self-contained and bombproof for the next few months as we journeyed through uncertain times.
We were told that there was nothing worth seeing in Montana east of Billings, that it was just a flat wasteland. But Eastern Montana is vast—perhaps we could find some magic in it.
We followed the Yellowstone River downstream to the east, and the mountains faded away in the rearview mirror; before us were the endless plains of Eastern Montana. As your eyes grow accustomed to the flatness, they pick up on little details on the horizon. We noticed low canyons, coulees, and badlands starting to form, and we pulled off the highway into the town of Glendive with much curiosity about the surrounding area.
As we found out, the badlands around Glendive just so happen to be one of the richest dinosaur fossil deposits in the entire world. Eighty percent of the world’s T-Rex skeletons have been discovered here, and after a conversation with the owner of a nearby ranch, we jumped at the chance to go on a prehistoric treasure hunt the next day.
If you allow it, some of the best moments are the unplanned and unexpected ones. At times it can even feel like you’re being pulled along by some fantastic invisible force, and this is where the adventure happens.
Climbing through a primordial wasteland of rain-cut canyons, tall spires eroded by wind and water, and pool-like valleys, we combed the landscape, unearthing some incredible finds. We found fossilized dinosaur bones, flat-topped Triceratops teeth, palm branches, figs, gar scales, and even a few iconic raptor teeth. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the kids’ eyes so big and excited as that day while they learned about Earth’s history through this extraordinary firsthand experience. It is these chance meetings that make life on the road so enjoyable. If you allow it, some of the best moments are the unplanned and unexpected ones. At times it can even feel like you’re being pulled along by some fantastic invisible force, and this is where the adventure happens.
Everything was looking brighter, though challenges persisted. At one point, we were stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception due to strange electrical issues. We fought through emotions of wanting to go “home” but quickly realized this was our home, and we had to work through it. After hobbling into town, we were able to fix the issue and got back on the road. I’m glad we didn’t give up. The best was yet to come. As we rolled on, we settled into our new life and realized we really liked it. The slower pace allowed us to get to know each place we went—smelling the air, feeling the elements, and learning from the locals. It was freeing not waking up to alarms or having to be somewhere at a certain time. Our kids enjoyed it, too, playing in the dirt, building nightly fires, and learning that out here, they didn’t have to fight for their parents’ attention.
Our leisurely tempo gave us time to learn more about the local history as well. As we drove around Fort Peck Lake, we discovered it was formed by the famed Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River. Built by the US Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1936, it was such an accomplishment that it was featured on the cover of the first edition of Life Magazine. We stayed a few days after learning of the 40+ species of fish found
in these waters and seized the moment, renting a boat to catch some monster lake trout.
Continuing on, we drove much of the river’s extensive jagged shoreline, which is longer than the coast of California. We followed routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and heard stories of the giant steamships that courageously brought supplies to this area all the way from the Gulf of Mexico. This place has so much history, and through experiencing it, the kids developed an appreciation for the legacy left by those who came before us.
At this point, we got wind that Wyoming was allowing visitors, so we excitedly bee-lined south to explore the land of outlaws and cowboys. In the Bighorn Mountains, we camped near hideouts used by Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, a cabin where Ernest Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms, and remnants of log flumes used to supply the railroad in the valley
Stunning geographic formations of the Badlands of Montana share a keen resemblance to the prehistoric treasures hidden within its eroding hoodoos. Opposite: Searching for dinosaur remnants in a dried-up primordial soup near Glendive, Montana.
below with railroad ties. The spirit of adventure drew us back to simpler times as a respite to the busy world around us.
Continuing south, we explored the Wind River Range and the legendary Green River Basin. Passing through the closest town of Pinedale, we couldn’t help but notice their slogan; with a population of fewer than 2,000 persons, they claim it’s “All the Civilization You Need.” We couldn’t have agreed more, especially with the current state of social distancing and isolation. This was a helpful reminder that while we do appreciate the amenities of a larger city and global supply chains, up until the last 100 years, the people here lived mostly self-contained, relying on nothing more than the earth beneath their feet, the sweat of hard work, and their pragmatism.
Along with geology and history, we taught the kids about budgeting, calculating fuel ranges, how limiting consumption extends the days between provisioning, and to always leave a
little left in your tank for those times where the best-laid plans need to shift a little. It felt like real parenting since these lessons and values are what we want to instill in our kids, and out here, relatable hands-on experiences were plentiful.
As we got closer to the Idaho border, we found it was also safe for travel. We camped, and Megan and I frolicked in the Saint Anthony Sand Dunes with as much gusto as our kids. While the heavy Tundra couldn’t keep up with the other specialty-designed buggies that zipped all over the place, we had fun seeing how far we could get and still make it back before the blistering sun turned the cold morning dunes into soft sand traps.
Another favorite was Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, a vast field of dormant lava flows stretching for miles. Instead of going to the main tourist entrance, we chose to access it from the southeast to explore some of the lesser-known parts of the area. Unfortunately, just as we pushed into the national monument, a wave of forest fire smoke filled in from the horizon. The red sun struggled to pierce the thickening smoke, and the 105˚F air burnt our eyes and throats.
Day in and day out, we weaved through tall cinder cones, deep fissures, and inhospitable fields of mafic lava in total isolation. It’s nothing short of a miracle we didn’t overheat, break
Our mighty Toyota Tundra, “Trinity,” pushes up and out of the great Missouri River Breaks. All in all, we traveled over 12,000 miles around North America, approximately the same distance as planned for the Big Lap around Australia. Opposite: The roughest roads are gatekeepers to the best scenery. This narrow road in the Big Horn Mountains transports its travelers back to the days of the American Frontier.
down, or pop a tire here with the nearest help being days away.
Our saving grace was found deep below the dark, jagged, and scalding surface where we came across ice-filled lava tube caves. How could it be possible that the area where we experienced the most intense heat on our trip also contained the most intense cold? Some residents even told stories of hosting underground parties complete with couples ice skating.
While filling up with gas, we got a recommendation to go see the “Swiss Alps of Idaho.” Our curiosity was piqued, and the location lined up with weather models predicting clean air, so we added it to the route. After a few highway miles, we turned off on a dirt road that bobbed down a low-lying valley in the middle of the Lost River Range. Even through the stub-
Trinity has more than enough grit to carry us safely through Craters of the Moon’s remotest trails. Even with an ever-increasing number of gashes and slashes on the tires from sharp lava, she brings us out without a single issue. Opposite left column: Long summer sunrises are one of the many joys of wild camping. Backcountry blueberry pancakes are a perfect way to start the morning. The base of Mount Bachelor in Oregon was ideal for meeting up with friends. Right column: Drinking in the feeling of freedom. The mountain girls, showing off their catch of the day. Following the waves of road through the smoky Swiss Alps of Idaho.
born smoke, we caught glimpses of the Alps-like peaks lining the trail. As the valley wove deeper, the mountains continued to erupt higher. But without the predicted reprieve from the smoke, we were forced to move on and keep pushing toward clear skies farther west.
Our exit route brought us through the ghost town of Custer and the decommissioned Yankee Fork Gold Dredge. Sleeping amid the tailings, the kids learned about the National Register of Historic Places and how some of our taxes go toward preserving places like this. Taxes aren’t all bad, I guess.
Our saving grace was found deep below the dark, jagged, and scalding surface where we came across icefilled lava tube caves.
With still no sign of the smoke clearing, it was time to make a big move. An air-quality map indicated the first town that had clean air was Bend, Oregon. Even though it was eight hours away, breathing deeply again sounded like music to our ears.
We met up with some of our best friends from Maui near Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters. These friends moved to Bend right when we left for the trip, and it was a wonderful reunion. We caught up and talked about how we missed the ocean and how quickly our lives had shifted from a world of
endless possibility to one of seclusion and fear. This conversation promptly hatched a spontaneous idea.
“You know, we’re talking about how we all miss the ocean but did you know we aren’t that far away?” someone commented. It ignited something in us that had been pent up for months: the chance to see the ocean again, to feel sand between our toes, to swim, and surf.
We are grateful for the many lessons learned: the importance of slowing down, to find a new route when you run into a closed gate, that everything tastes better cooked over a fire, and that the tooth fairy still visits you when in a rooftop tent.
A few quick calls yielded the most exciting news yet. “There’s a nice ocean swell arriving tonight, we have a place to camp, and there will be hot pulled pork tacos waiting for us.”
With almost a religious calling, we all dropped everything and descended upon the coast. What ensued was nothing short of magical. Screams of laughter bounced off the incoming waves as we played on the beach and caught perfect longboard waves. We all took turns paddling out for a chance to catch the wave of the day. It was a joy-filled, shaka-flying, nose-riding, headstand sort of time.
We were back on the shores of the Pacific. As we sat on that pebble beach and looked back at what a year it had been, we were overwhelmed with gratitude. Grateful for an unforgettable summer with our kids while they are still young. Grateful for old and new friends. Grateful for the many lessons learned: the importance of slowing down, to find a new route when you run into a closed gate, that everything tastes better cooked over a fire, and that the tooth fairy still visits you when in a rooftop tent. Grateful knowing that we would have missed out on all this if we would have clung to Australia with stubbornness. It took our entire journey to find out this actually is what we wanted, and in a roundabout way, this was plan A all along.
Thousands of miles from the original plan, finishing our trip through the American Northwest on the sandy shores of the Pacific Coast feels complete and connected, though wildly different than expected.
More Power to You
Putting five of the leading all-in-one portable power packs to the test.
By Matt Swartz
For vehicle-bound travelers, storing and utilizing power when you are away from the electrical grid can be a daunting task. Many travelers spend significant time learning the skills to design and install off-grid electrical systems in their rigs. But not everyone has the time or desire to take this approach. Lack of experience and knowledge can also lead to installations that neglect key safety elements. The safer and easier route of paying a qualified electrician is one option, but it comes at a substantial cost.
Thankfully, due to an increased demand for simple and accessible off-grid power solutions that produce AC and DC power, we have seen a rise in all-in-one products. Many of these solutions strike a desirable balance between cost and convenience. They also offer versatility and mobility that are unmatched by a hardwired system.
If you are one of the travelers that I alluded to above and you’re looking to bring some off-grid power along on your next adventure, this article is for you. I got my hands on five of the leading all-in-one off-grid battery boxes and tested them in the lab and field, and can offer some data and opinions to help you make an educated decision about which one is right for you. It should be noted that these products all have slightly different capacities, and therefore, despite my best efforts, this is not a perfect case of comparing apples to apples.
TESTING PROCEDURES
These products were put to use in real-world situations as well as in a lab setting. While my tests in the field helped develop subjective opinions about overall product design and function, multiple days of laboratory—to be more accurate, Overland International HQ garage bay— testing helped back up my findings with some hard data.
I put each of these products through two tests designed to get some hard and fast numbers.
1,000-WATT AC LOAD TEST A 1,000-watt alternating current (AC) load in the form of a halogen shop light was applied to each battery box (with the exception of the Dometic PLB-40). Each battery box was started at a 100-percent charge, and I timed how long it took for the AC load to drain the battery to 20 percent (the recommended discharge for optimal battery life).
AC CHARGING TEST Utilizing the standard AC charging adaptors included with the battery boxes, I timed how long they each took to charge from 20-percent capacity to 100-percent capacity.
POTENTIAL FLAWS IN TESTING PROCEDURES AND BIASES
The extent of my training as a laboratory scientist ends at the high-school level, and I do not have any formal training in electrical engineering. I did, however, via YouTube and various blogs, learn how to install a standalone solar power system in my 1964 RV. During the extent of my ownership of that vehicle, no fuses burned up, and no electrical fires ever occurred.
Both of my tests for this gear review were fairly simple. However, there is the potential that I miscalculated times or transcribed numbers since I was recording everything manually.
Without access to internal components, I was unable to validate any of the values displayed on product screens except the AC and DC output wattage/voltages. I am happy to report that those numbers all fell within a reasonable range of what was advertised by each product and were verified with a Fluke voltage meter. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that DC output was regulated on all of the products that I tested, resulting in consistent DC voltage output all the way down to our benchmark of 80-percent battery discharge.
Beyond these technical observations and insights, there are my own biases that should be taken into consideration. For instance, I have owned the Jackery Explorer 1000 for the better part of the last year, so I was already familiar with it. There is also the impact of product marketing. Even the color and shape of our test products inevitably made an impression, no matter how much I attempted to look past the minutiae.
Opposite clockwise from top right: In our AC load test, we powered a 1,000-watt halogen shop light and timed how long the test units took to drop to a 20-percent remaining battery capacity. Some of the products in our test included lengthy and detailed instruction manuals. Others were briefer. Validating AC output with an external meter attached to the EcoFlow Delta. The true practicality of a product can only be determined through real-world use. In addition to our “lab” testing, all units were put to use in the field, powering electronic equipment in a variety of conditions. Testing DC electrical loads at Overland International HQ. When you have access to an AC power source, a wide variety of lighting can be utilized for both aesthetic and practical purposes in camp. Opening page: The author, working from a tent in the desert of Western Colorado. When you rely on electronics for work, an off-grid AC/DC power source is a crucial piece of kit.
Goal
Zero was founded in 2008, but before they officially became a business, they had already deployed their first product, the GoBe, to rural Africa. It was a simple off-grid power pack consisting of a battery, solar panel, and LED light. The goal of the GoBe was simple, to bring light and economic empowerment to rural communities.
GOAL ZERO | YETI 1500X
Although the 1500X is the most expensive product in our test, it offered the highest quality user experience. Its illuminated LCD display provides ample practical information, including battery voltage with a visual display of remaining charge, charging input (watts), and output in either watts, amps, or watt-hours. Finally, the Yeti calculates and displays the remaining “hours to empty” in real-time as you plug devices into the DC or AC outlets.
The Yeti has a significant and useful variety of input and output options, including one powerpole and two DC barrel inputs; two 12-volt powerpole, two DC barrel, one 12-volt automotive, two 110-volt AC outlets; two USB-C and two USB-A ports. The AC outlets are powered by a 2,000-watt pure sine wave inverter with a surge rating of 3,500 watts. All of the outlets/ports are accessible from the front of the unit.
PROS
As they continued growing, Goal Zero looked for opportunities to help communities in need. They deployed their off-grid power products to Haiti following the earthquake in February 2010 and to survivors of the Japanese Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Feature-rich
High power density
Easily integrates into hardwired systems
Expandable
CONS
Cost
Slowest recharge with standard AC adaptor
The 1500X is the newest evolution in the company’s Yeti line of products. The 1500x features a lithium-ion-nickel-manganesecobalt-oxide battery that is rated at 140.4 amp-hours at 10.8 volts.
As one of the heavier products in our test at 46 pounds, my initial assumption was that the 1500X would have the best power density, which was confirmed in testing. Starting with its battery at 100 percent, the Yeti ran a 1,000-watt AC halogen light for 1 hour and 5 minutes before reaching our benchmark of 80-percent battery discharge.
While the Yeti performed best in the field in regard to power density, it was the slowest to recharge, taking 10 hours and 17 minutes to reach 100 percent using the included AC wall charger.
Rounding out the Yeti are a handful of helpful features, some of which are not found on any other power stations in our test. For instance, WiFi and Bluetooth are built in to allow you to pair your smartphone for remote monitoring and operation from anywhere in the world (via the WiFi connection). There is also a compartment underneath the top lid, a convenient place to store the chargers when they are not in use.
Additional charging modules can be purchased and integrated into the Yeti, allowing users to connect additional external batteries, increasing the storage capacity of the entire system.
$2,000 | GOALZERO.COM
Renogy got its start as a student project at Louisiana State University and has grown into a widely known renewable energy company, selling both mobile, residential, and commercial solar products.
The Powerbox is an all-in-one off-grid power system that utilizes a lithium-iron-phosphate battery. It was the heaviest product in the test, weighing in at 54.5 pounds. But it was also the only portable system that I tested with integrated wheels and a telescoping handle. While these features make it much easier to move the Powerbox from point A to point B, the wheels are hard plastic and operate best on even hard surfaces (read: challenging to wheel around on dirt, gravel, and sand).
RENOGY | LYCAN POWERBOX
volt barrel, one 12-volt auxiliary, and four AC outlets that are powered by a 1,200-watt pure sine wave inverter, along with four USB-A ports. The Lycan offers the unique ability to charge aftermarket external lead-acid and lithium batteries via dedicated powerpole and XT90 interfaces (found on the back of the unit next to two 30amp user-replaceable fuses).
On top of the Lycan, you’ll find a small compartment underneath a hinged lid with just enough room to store the included AC charging brick. The underside of the lid has an integrated LED floodlight which is helpful for illuminating the immediate area. An integrated plastic cover with a gasket protects the outlets on the front of the Lycan, a particularly handy feature if you find yourself traveling in dusty or wet environments (but it must be removed to access the outlets).
Overall, the Powerbox is a versatile off-grid power solution. Although it’s a bit bigger than everything else I tested, it is priced competitively.
$1,800 | RENOGY.COM
PROS
The Powerbox is rated at 24 amp-hours at 44.8 volts, and in our AC output test, it powered a 1,000-watt halogen shop light for 51 minutes before reaching our benchmark of 80-percent battery discharge. In the recharge test, the Powerbox took 9 hours and 58 minutes to reach 100-percent capacity using the included AC wall charger.
Wheels for easy moving Can charge Li-ion and Pb batteries
CONS
Largest footprint
When charging, the Lycan’s LCD screen displays both input voltage and amperage. However, aside from showing which output circuits are active (AC or DC), the Powerbox does not display how much power is actively being used. It only displays the remaining battery capacity as a percentage (no estimate of time).
The Lycan has one DC powerpole and one barrel input (for the included AC charger). It has three 12-
EcoFlow
was founded in 2017 by a group of entrepreneurs who had previously worked at one of the leading drone companies, where they focused on refining battery technology to deliver long-lasting power in a lightweight package. Taking this base of knowledge and using it to develop off-grid power products was a logical path.
PROS
Fastest charging with AC power
Price
CONS
Doesn’t easily integrate into hardwired systems
The first EcoFlow product, the River off-grid power station, was launched in June 2017 and immediately received praise. That success helped EcoFlow down the road when they introduced the Delta via Kickstarter and successfully raised $5 million for the project. Now in 2021, EcoFlow offers a whole line of off-grid power solutions ranging from small USB-only, pocket-sized power banks to their biggest product, the Delta.
I’ve known about EcoFlow for a few years, but this was the first of their products that I’ve had the opportunity to test. The Delta is powered by a lithium-ion battery rated for 25 amp-hours at 50.4 volts. In our AC load test, it powered our 1,000-watt halogen light for 50 minutes before hitting our benchmark of 80-percent battery discharge. In the recharging test, the Delta blew me away, recharging from 20 to 100 percent in only 1 hour and 4 minutes.
I think it bears mentioning that the reason the Delta is able to recharge so quickly is due to its integrated AC
ECOFLOW | DELTA
charging port that pulled in up to 1,100 watts AC. This is excellent if you are charging the Delta from an AC power source, but if you are charging from a DC or solar source, the Delta maxes out at 65 volts and 10 amps, resulting in slower charging times of 4 to 8 hours depending on the voltage input.
The Delta has an input for AC voltage using their supplied AC power cord along with a male XT90 outlet that accepts a female XT90 solar or DC power input. For outputs, the Delta has six AC outlets (the most out of all units tested) which can deliver a maximum of 1,800 watts of continuous AC power via a pure sine wave inverter. It also has one 12-volt automotive outlet and four USB-A and two USB-C ports.
The Delta’s LCD screen, which lights up for easy viewing, shows remaining battery use time, battery charge percentage, and real-time input/output in watts. When charging, it displays the estimated time remaining until full.
I really like the form factor of the Delta; it is narrow and relatively lightweight at 30 pounds. It also has a nice flat top which is a great place to put items that are charging, such as phones or a laptop. I also applaud the EcoFlow team for integrating the AC charging apparatus. It’s nice only to have to keep track of a relatively small AC power cord with a c13 female device end (easy/cheap to replace and not proprietary).
My only major gripe is that the output power ports are split between the front and back of the Delta, with USB ports on the front and the AC and the auxiliary DC ones on the back.
$1,399 | ECOFLOW.COM
Jackery
was founded by a former Apple battery engineer in Silicon Valley back in 2012. Since then, they’ve become quite popular in the #vanlife and digital nomad circles. But their products are useful for anyone who spends time off the power grid.
They are a fast-growing company, and there are already some bigger, more powerful units that have joined their lineup since I originally got my hands on the Explorer 1000 last year. While the 1000 was previously their largest product in terms of output and power storage, they now offer a larger Explorer 2000 with twice the power storage that can produce over 2,000 watts of continuous-use AC power. The Explorer 2000 also has an integrated AC charger (like the EcoFlow Delta), and Jackery claims a 0- to 80-percent charge in as little as two hours.
PROS
Relatively lightweight
Inexpensive
CONS
Lower power density Doesn’t easily integrate into hardwired systems
Getting back to the product at hand, the Explorer 1000 is powered by a lithium-ion-nickel-manganesecobalt-oxide battery that is rated at 46 amp-hours at 21.6 volts. In our AC load test, the Explorer 1000 ran our 1,000watt halogen light for 43 minutes before reaching 80-percent battery discharge. In our recharging test, the Explorer 1000 took 5 hours and 36 minutes to go from 20 to 100 percent.
The Explorer features a powerpole input for connecting solar panels and can accept a maximum input of 30
JACKERY | EXPLORER 1000
volts or 136 watts. It also has a DC barrel input for use with the included AC wall charger. For power output, it has an auxiliary 12-volt automotive and three 110-volt AC outlets which are powered by an integrated 1,000watt pure sine wave inverter; there are also two USB-C and two USB-A ports.
Although its power density is a little bit less than our other products, the Jackery weighs in as one of the lightest in the test at 22 pounds. It has a central handle that makes it reasonably easy to carry around, but this means that you cannot easily rest devices on top of the unit while they are charging.
The Explorer features a built-in light on one end, which, although small, can illuminate the immediate area in front of you (think walking from your vehicle to the tent or wherever else you might want to have a power source). The light-up LCD screen displays input and output wattage as well as battery percentage. Unfortunately, this is the extent of the information that is displayed.
The Jackery is a capable unit for its size and is worth considering if you are looking to add off-grid power on a budget.
$999 | JACKERY.COM
Noteveryone who is looking for off-grid power needs a massive battery or high AC output. When I think about my own off-grid experiences, I generally only need to charge a handful of USB devices or run a 12-volt refrigerator. And this is where the Dometic PLB shines. It’s a tiny off-grid power source that is specifically designed for providing 12-volt power.
DOMETIC | PLB40
I did, however, put the PLB through our standard recharging test using the included 10-amp AC charger. Starting with the battery capacity at 20 percent and charging to 100 percent took 5 hours exactly. The PLB40 can also be charged via solar panels as long as solar input does not exceed 8 amps or 25 volts.
Overall, the user experience with the PLB40 was positive; DC refrigerators were powered with ease, and given its diminutive size, it has superb power density. The illuminated LCD screen is easy to read, although I found myself wanting slightly deeper insights into power usage and estimated time remaining.
PROS
Tiny footprint
Lightweight
At 17 pounds, the PLB40 is the lightest and most compact of the products tested. It’s powered by a lithium-iron-phosphate battery that is rated for 40 amphours at 12.8 volts. The secret behind its weight savings and tiny footprint? It all comes down to what is inside its housing.
CONS
Capacitive button design
High cost per amp-hour
No built-in AC inverter
The PLB40 does not have an integrated AC inverter. This fact, combined with its battery which is roughly half the size of the others in our test, results in a tiny form factor. For these reasons, the PLB is also a little tricky to compare to the other products in our test.
Total power output from the 12-volt automotive outlet is higher than average at 15 amps. But despite its ability to output enough power to run the 1,000-watt halogen light with an external AC inverter, I opted not to perform this test with the PLB. My reasoning was that most users who need the ability to use high-voltage AC appliances regularly would likely choose a different product (and that would be my recommendation).
The PLB has one 12-volt automotive, one 12-volt, 2-pin (ideal for Dometic refrigerator owners), and two USB-A ports. The extendable metal handle on top of the device is comfortable when you need to carry the PLB from your car to camp or wherever else you might want to use it.
One thing I didn’t love about this product was the capacitive button for turning the device on and off. Without any tactile feedback, sometimes I thought it wasn’t working properly, when in fact, I didn’t have my finger centered on the button. Overall, its size was a huge convenience when space was limited in smaller vehicles.
$850 | DOMETIC.COM
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
INERGY
FLEX 1500
While I would have liked to have tested every battery box on the market, the reality is that I was unable to procure some products from manufacturers, and some are still in development. Here are some additional products that you may want to consider.
The Flex has a unique, modular, stackable design. The inverter and charge controller are housed in one unit which sits on top of a 1,069-watt-hour lithium-ion battery module. This allows you to easily increase the storage capacity of your power station by stacking multiple batteries below the controller unit, or you can also swap out depleted batteries for fresh ones. The Flex features six AC outlets with a maximum 1,500 watts of continuous AC power output via a pure sine wave inverter. It also has regulated DC power and can handle up to 90 volts of solar input.
$1,500 | INERGYTEK.COM
SUNBOX LABS
BATTERY
The Sunbox is a relatively compact off-grid power station rated at 540 watt-hours. Its integrated pure sine wave inverter powers two AC outlets and offers continuous 500-watt AC output with a 1,000-watt surge rating. It can be charged in as little as three hours with the included AC charger and accommodate up to 200 watts of solar input for off-grid charging. While the Sunbox has a reduced footprint compared to some of the other products tested, it is one of the more affordable solutions if you are looking to power smaller devices.
$449 | SUNBOXLABS.COM
EB240 OMNI
BLUETTI
OFF-GRID
The Off-grid just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign where it raised over $400,000 for development. It’s a 2,000-watt-hour off-grid power station with a 2,000-watt continuous output pure sine wave inverter with a surge rating of 4,800 watts AC. The Omni can be charged via AC power or up to 600 watts of solar input at 60 amps. It can also be connected to additional battery modules for increased power storage. Perhaps the most unique feature of this device is the Connect Module incorporated into the power station to provide wireless communication up to two miles (in walkie-talkie mode) or up to five miles in text-only mode.
$2,099 | INDIEGOGO.COM, OMNICHARGE.CO
The Bluetti EB240 is one of the largest-capacity offgrid power solutions I’ve come across, with 2,400 watt-hours of LG lithium batteries. It has two AC outlets powered by a 1,000-watt continuous output pure sine wave inverter with a 1,200-watt surge rating. It also has four USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and one 12-volt automotive outlet. The builtin MPPT charge controller can manage up to 500 watts of solar input at 10 amps. Because of its larger capacity, charge times are approximately 12 hours via the included AC wall charger, or 15 hours using 200 watts of solar panels (in full sun).
$1,900 | BLUETTI.COM
CONCLUSIONS
This initial test of off-grid power solutions provided useful data but also raised additional questions which were outside the scope of my ability to test. For instance, validating some of the information provided by the device screens would require readings to be taken from inside the product housings, something I wouldn’t attempt without the assistance of an electrical engineer. I would also perform additional depletion and charging tests using a standardized and regulated DC power source to get a more valid side-byside comparison of the units.
But despite these realizations about my testing procedures, I am satisfied with the data that I was able to collect in this process. And ultimately, my first-hand experience using these power stations generated some valuable insights.
EDITOR’S CHOICE: GOAL ZERO YETI 1500X
Because of its large variety of inputs and outputs, all of which are accessible from the front of the unit, the Yeti is the easiest and most likely solution for integration with an existing hardwired DC electrical system. This can be accomplished through a single 30-amp powerpole connection.
In addition to this convenience, the Yeti has the most powerful AC inverter in the group and the best power density. It also has advanced features such as WiFi and Bluetooth, giving users the ability to adjust charging and use profiles and update product firmware, which could lead to increased efficiency via updates from Goal Zero. Finally, the Yeti has a wide variety of accessories that can enhance its functionality, including a 600-watt AC charger which will fill its battery in as little as 3 hours.
VALUE AWARD: ECOFLOW DELTA
The EcoFlow Delta has the second-largest inverter, with 1,800 watts AC continuous output. It also has a large variety of outlets. Using the integrated AC charging interface, the Delta absolutely crushed all of the other products in our test, recharging from 20 to 100 percent in just 1 hour and 4 minutes.
The National Luna auxiliary battery box allows you to use any 12-volt vehicle battery (although a deep-cycle AGM would be best) to create an off-grid power source. The battery is secured inside the box using the included hardware and hooks up to positive and negative cables—very straightforward. You get two USB-A ports, one 12-volt automotive outlet, and one 12-volt Hella outlet, with four more prewired 12-volt outlets which you can adapt to your needs. Because this device doesn’t provide AC power, and because the internal battery is supplied by the user, it didn’t feel appropriate to compare it to the items in our test. The National Luna is pictured above with the other battery boxes on the lower right-hand side.
$345 | NATIONALLUNA.COM
Like the Yeti, the Delta also offers valuable real-time data on its LCD display, with input, output, battery percentage, and estimated time until empty. Keep in mind that the Delta lacks a high-amperage DC output for integration into a hardwired DC electrical system, and its AC outlets are located on the back of the unit. But despite these minor issues, the reasonable price is difficult to overlook.
Taking the Defender out for a camping spin with the EcoFlow Delta. Off-grid power sources come in all shapes and sizes and vary widely in terms of their abilities. Before making a purchase, start by determining your electrical needs and let that guide you to the most appropriate solution.
Latitude
Portfolio by Sinuhe Xavier 34°N
The Spirit of Botswana
Overlanding into the heart of Southern Africa, from Tuli, Makgadikgadi Pans, and the Okavango Delta— once experienced, never forgotten.
By Shirli Jade Carswell
OneSaturday afternoon, the remnants of our lunch cleared away, we pored over a map of Botswana spread between the wine glasses. There is nothing like a beautifully illustrated fold-out map smelling of ink and adventure. The route we planned would take us to the border of Botswana to the Tuli enclave, up the eastern side to Francistown for supplies, carrying onto Nata, and finally, the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. From there, we would make our way to Maun and onto Moremi in the delta.
We gave ourselves three weeks, leaving towards the end of the dry season in September when the driving conditions are best before the rains in November. I knew the central Okavango Delta and Tuli reasonably well, but not the other parks. Ian, my long-time friend, had done the route several times. He pointed out that we were taking a long way in an arc from the east to the top end of Makgadikgadi to get to the main gates at Phuduhudu to pay the park fees. If not for the fees, we could have gone to an entrance lower down at the bottom across the Boteti River. I would remember these words.
Two weeks later, we met at the Pont Drift border crossing with packed vehicles, keen to start our journey into Botswana. A quick overall check ensued to see if we had everything between us: nice-to-have Jameson whiskey for late-night coffees, tick; Philadelphia cream cheese and biscuits, tick. Customs went smoothly, and once through, we were already in the Tuli Block area. We would overnight at a ready-made tented camp without having to unpack all our gear except for our food, which was easy enough.
Tuli is the southeastern pinnacle of Botswana, where the Shashe and Limpopo rivers meet, stitching the three countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa together. It is mostly privately owned land but with enough self-drive options to see the game. It is known as the Land of Giants for the largest elephant herds on private property in the world and the massive Mashatu or Nyala trees that dwarf the elephants. It’s a small piece of land with giants among giants, including herds of eland, the largest antelope in Africa.
After our overnight, we had a long potholed and corrugated stretch to Francistown. We would stop and get additional supplies that we could not bring in at customs, namely fresh meat and vegetables. Infamously called the Red Line, which runs from Namibia through Botswana, is a veterinary cordon fence to keep everything south of the fence diseasefree. However, north of the line is a communal area, where livestock moves freely, which explains the amount of “vet checkpoints” en route. It could be a full inspection, disinfecting wheels and shoes, or a smile and casual wave. There is a lot of controversy on the fences from conservationists where it concerns wildlife migrations.
I had mentioned to Ian as we were leaving to keep an eye out at checkpoints for chatty officials delaying me. I would
be driving at the rear of our three-vehicle convoy to give me the freedom to stop if I saw something to photograph. Before we had hit the main road to Francistown, still on the Tuli tracks, there was our first checkpoint. The two vehicles ahead passed through, and it was my turn: vehicle papers checked, my fridge inspected, an explanation provided on my rubber snakes to deter unwanted camp critters. I was good to go, but there was no sign of the other two vehicles. They would surely be waiting for me farther down the road—wrong.
I stopped at a four-way intersection, with no clue or little puff of dust to indicate which direction they had gone. All the tire tracks looked fresh. My brand-new GPS with Tracks4Africa seemed to be having trouble finding my current location, showing only main roads but none of the capillary routes. No matter how well planned the excursion was, this was a hiccup. I thought of the wilderness adage, “If you get lost, stay where you are.” An hour passed, then two hours, and I started out a couple of kilometers down each direction. The mobile was useless without roaming, entirely my fault. Meanwhile, after about an hour, my companions had realized through the dust that I was no longer following and turned back, missing me in another direction—a comedy of errors.
Approaching Orapa, I misjudged a turn, arriving at a severelooking security gate with army-clad men and their automatic weapons surrounding me. I had mistakenly turned into the entrance of the largest diamond-producing mine in the world.
There was no need for panic; the only concern was wasting valuable travel time to Makgadikgadi. I hoped they had carried on as planned to Francistown in confidence that I would find my way. Once I hit a main road on the GPS, I followed the shorter route that would go below the park since Ian mentioned an entry point close to our camp. I pushed through without any stops except for the mandatory checkpoints and would refuel at the last town of Rakops. Approaching Orapa, I misjudged a turn, arriving at a severe-looking security gate with army-clad men and their automatic weapons surrounding me. The guards immediately redirected me as I had mistakenly turned into the entrance of the largest diamondproducing mine in the world. Diamonds are one of Botswana’s primary economic resources, second to beef production.
I made good time and reached the turnoff to the Khumaga campsite in the late afternoon. What Ian forgot to
Our route takes place north of the notoriously debated Red Line. However, Botswana has overall been an example of excellent conservation practices, especially under former President Khama. Opening page: While overlanding in Botswana, take the opportunity to do a charter flip over the Delta. It brings the beauty and enormity of the Okavango into perspective.
Clockwise from top right: A giant takes a dip in Makgadikgadi. Botswana has one of the largest breeding herds of elephants in the world. The Makgadikgadi has the second-largest zebra migration in the world. From May through November, they begin a migration to the interior of the Kalahari Desert. Finally, after the shaking gravel and sand churning, we arrived at the South Gate of Moremi, known as Maqwee to the locals. The South Camp, a stone’s throw from the gate, was quiet and pleasant. The Buffalo Fence surrounding the delta can barely be seen from the air. The fence has stopped the spreading of foot and mouth disease and helped with tsetse fly. But at what cost, conservations ask. Driving the loops in the riverbed next to the Boteti River in Makgadikgadi was abundant with wildlife, from large herds of elephant and antelope grazing on the river edge with a multitude of birdlife.
mention was that there was no bridge across the Boteti River. You could cross over the river if it were low enough, but it was in full flow, and the ferry was out of service. The official told me I would have to go to the top gate, which meant following along the western border, which would take a couple of hours. My hiccup was now a full-blown disaster. I would arrive too late for the gate. Plus, driving at night, especially in Botswana, is dangerous, with wild animals and livestock everpresent on the road. The official radioed the gate, telling them that I would be approximately two hours late.
I got onto the top road by about 8:00 p.m.; once again, my GPS failed to show any entrance tracks. I drove up and down, getting more frustrated at not being able to find an opening in the bush. I eventually spotted what looked like an entry, but it was a ways off the main road. There was no one at the gate, and boom, I opened it and drove on through. The sand was very soft, and my Defender handled it beautifully. After about an hour, my GPS decided to wake up and show the bright blue pans behind me—I was traveling away from them instead of to them; I had to turn around. Getting back to the abandoned gate, I shone a torch on a small signboard. I was in Nxai Pan, the wrong park. A couple of times, I drove off the road, thinking it was a track, only to find I was going into the bush and had to retrace my steps back.
Finally, I got to the correct gate, but again not a soul about; it was Friday night, and they had given up on me. I took out a cocktail, put my fold-up mattress on the roof rack, howled at the moon, and went to sleep. Early the next morning, the surprised gate officials woke me up. Yes, they had informed my worried travel party that I was at the gate and would drive through to join them. Naturally, Ian’s account of what he pointed out on the map is an entirely different story from mine. Agreeing to disagree, we decided to relax and get to know Makgadikgadi for the next couple of days.
The campsite at Khumaga is sandy and well maintained with communal shower facilities if elephants have not pushed the water tanks over, which happens often. The park is relatively compact in comparison to some of the other parks, with one main track and smaller loops to explore. Driving in the deep white sand was effortless, but we were mindful of hidden pieces of petrified wood, sharp as rocks for deflated tires. The Boteti River, with its source coming from the delta, follows the western bank of the park, and there was bound to be abundant wildlife. Satellite zebra herds made their migration to the river. And the elephant herds arrived in full force, spending hours swimming, drinking, dusting, and creating mud baths. Lions were lounging at strategic points, waiting for an easy meal. The evenings were mild and alive with sounds from the river below, special effects for our bush stories around the fire.
After a week, we packed up to head towards Maun. Gaborone is the capital of Botswana, but the town of Maun is the safari overland hub and gateway to the delta. It’s a slightly more modern frontier town with a buzzing mood of adventure with kitted vehicles departing or mud-packed convoys returning. The coffee shops and pubs are the nuclei for exchanging news, the latest driving conditions, and water levels. Maun International Airport is one of the busiest in Africa. Overseas visitors arriving are whisked away by pre-booked aircraft charters that service the lodges deeper in the Okavango. The fly-in lodges are slick and expensive with all the bells and whistles, beautiful décor, and cuisine of the highest standard. I’ve stayed in many of them, but there is no comparison to camping, surrounded by the raw wilderness.
The evenings were mild and alive with sounds from the river below, special effects for our bush stories around the fire.
While planning our itinerary, my one request while in Maun was to charter an air-flip over the delta. It is the best way to get the full picture of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The aerial landscape becomes a breathtaking tapestry of color with water threading between islands of lush growth and animal pathways. It’s a biosphere of intricate ecosystems breathing as one—mammals, aquatic life, insects, and an ornithologist’s dream. These areas could not be accessed by road, as Moremi is the only area for self-drive in the Okavango to explore. The tracks are some of the sandiest, roughest, and waterlogged in Botswana, a thrill for the experienced and nail-biting for the novice in the rainy season. I felt a healthy dose of both adrenaline and nerves.
Leaving town late after our air-flip and buying a couple of supplies, we overnighted at a tented lodge called Thamalakane just outside of Maun on the river. There was not enough time to get to the South Gate of Moremi on a particularly bad section of road. We had the pleasure of a proper shower and sitdown meal before our next camping stint. During the night, I heard an elephant tramping around the semi-permanent tent and my vehicle parked on the side. As his skin brushed along the canvas, he tip-toed between the space of the tent and my truck. The following morning my side mirror had been neatly folded against the door; thank you, tusker, for not breaking it off. By his tracks, we saw he had walked between all the tents.
The following morning we left early to tackle the road to South Gate. A reasonably good tar road changes to a corrugated gravel road, and after passing through a vet fence known locally as the Buffalo Fence, the conditions changed dramatically to soft churning sand. The camp we stayed at was just beyond the gate between tall Mopane trees—a quiet site that most people pass through briefly, considering it dull. The little time we explored the immediate area gave us some
excellent wildlife viewings we didn’t expect. After a couple of days, we packed up to head northwest to the so-called action.
Anyone who has traveled to Moremi would not miss out on the legendary camp of Third Bridge. Experienced 4WD enthusiasts would take this trip in the rainy season for the challenge; the delta would be in full flood and make the tracks difficult, with many water crossings up to the bonnet. Fortunately, we were at the end of the dry season, and still, water pools remained from the previous rain. They were not deep to cross, but we took the precaution of walking each pool to test the best path. Water standing for months with vehicles passing through could cause slippery mud underneath. A bunch of Mopane logs haphazardly placed to resemble a rickety bridge over water or swamp made me hold my breath a couple of times.
Botswana, unlike South Africa, has no fences around the camps. Moremi is known for its concentration of wildlife, and Third Bridge is notorious for wildlife walking through its sites. You could step out of your tent to find a lion snoozing on your groundsheet or have an elephant browsing at the tree above your bed. The most problematic are the baboons and rampant hyenas. After putting up camp on the first day,
I placed Monty and Kaa, my rubber snakes, in strategic places to the delight and scoffing of my travel companions. Over the following weeks, one camp after another was wrecked by troops of baboons, creating havoc while the campers were out. They never touched ours.
We knew about the little 8-year-old child who had been dragged out of her chair at the fireside one evening while her parents were setting up camp in 2007. A hyena had grabbed her by the head from the back and pulled her into the bush. Her father ran, shouting towards the hyena who let go of her from his jaws. It was in our news channels and a sobering reminder of being alert around wildlife. She survived after emergency surgery in Maun. Hyenas have immensely powerful jaws, more so than lions. As the light would fade, we would be watchful for any movement around us. One night, I was standing, chatting to one of my companions who was sitting on a camp chair while everyone else was absorbed with food preparation. Suddenly, Ian came hurtling and lunging forward, screaming some choice words at us. We were startled, and our drinks went flying. Unseen, a big hyena was right behind the chair, in line with the juicy head of a human. How Ian managed to spot her while I stood right there, I have no idea.
Clockwise from top right: Ian walks the water with a stick measure while we yell to him to watch out for the lurking crocodile. The left side was good to go, but a thick layer of slimy mud had formed on the right. Third Bridge in Moremi is famous and infamous for its spectacular location and predators visiting the camp. The trees are perfect for camping but beware of the baboon troops who can wreck a camp in seconds. Bridges come in different shades of disrepair or makeshift construction. Even crossing what would be termed a good bridge, the creaks and sway are enough to make one ultra-cautious. Hyenas are social animals that live in groups known as clans. There is a misconception that they are purely scavengers but are, in fact, apex predators. The waterways in the Okavango are a world of their own; they are the capillaries and heartbeat threading the fauna and flora in a remarkable biosphere. Opposite: Tintin, my Defender, getting his feet wet. Water left from the summer rains in Moremi can be deceptive and slippery underneath.
Clockwise from top left: Time stands still for a while in the waterways, and rush hour is a passing mokoro in the other direction—it’s the embodiment of zen, with the swish of water and insects whispering in your ear. The track en route to Third Bridge in Moremi, when the dust of the vehicles becomes gold in the afternoon light, and the conditions constantly change from hard to soft sand and pools of rainwater. At the end of a day in Moremi, a magnificent maned lion gives us a demonstration of pure torque. Lions are sprinters accelerating at breakneck speed and can pounce up to 11 meters. One of the many colorful treasures of Southern Africa is a lilac-breasted roller. The rollers get their name from their grand courtship displays of shallow diving from a great height with a rolling motion. A startled elephant peers at us from the waterway bank—this is his territory, and he is the landlord. We are merely passing visitors. It is an honor to see the rare African wild dog, the largest wild canine on the continent. Their unique markings are like our fingerprints for identification.
Every night we had animals walking through the camp; in the morning, with coffee, we’d try and decipher their tracks. I was excited by the wealth of game wherever we drove. Besides the hyenas, there were plenty of other predators from lions, leopards, cheetahs, and even the rare African wild dogs. To get deeper into the channels, we drove to Mboma Boat Station, the only place to hire a mokoro. It was alright, but turned out to be a big noisy boat that was impossible to get the feel of in the channels of the delta. Later, Ian and I arranged with one of the lodge concessions we knew to have the use of their mokoros and guides to take us out. The traditional mokoro is a tree dug out as a canoe, punted along by using a pole. They no longer use trees; instead, there are fiberglass replicas evoking the same feeling. We glided silently in the early morning between the reeds and lilies, seeing the lechwe take flight in the swamps and small green frogs hanging onto stems. We felt the clear water and pristine waterways at eye level in this secretive world.
After a couple of blissful weeks, we packed up and headed home with a cache of memories. The source of the Okavango flows from the highlands of Angola, then south through Namibia, gathering more water to reach the arteries of the delta. The precious commodity of water is drying up fast in Africa. Fullflowing rivers have become small streams or dry riverbeds, and I wonder how much longer this exceptional marvel will be part of our planet.
Marcus and Julie Tuck’s overland vehicle for softies.
By Ashley Giordano
Photography by Richard Giordano
IVECO Daily 4x4
We’re parked in a dry riverbed within the Ghost Public Land Use Area of Alberta, Canada, where Marcus and Julie Tuck have kindly opened their home to us for the evening. A chill autumn wind howls outside, but we’re sitting comfortably at the dinette table, hands wrapped around hot cups of black tea. Julie fills us in on what constitutes a proper British cup— strong Yorkshire Gold tea leaves and milk, served with digestive biscuits and Fig Newtons (Marcus’s favorite).
When I discovered Marcus and Julie were traveling through our neck of the woods in the Canadian Rockies, I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet them. Marcus’ background as an aerosystems engineer left me intrigued. How did he create those custom controllers, gauges, and circuit boards to monitor the vehicle’s mechanical systems? I was also eager to meet Julie, who pens the couple’s website, Tucks’ Truck—a seven-year travelogue chronicling the couple’s full-time overland adventure through Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Of course, the concept of a comfortable vehicle also piqued my interest. It’s not every day you meet an IVECO Daily 4WD named Cuthbert.
Marcus and Julie Tuck claim to be “softies” when it comes to overlanding. Prior to their departure in 2014, a few holidays in Africa renting a Land Rover with a roof-
top tent and some experience touring the Middle East in a Toyota Fortuner with a ground tent confirmed their suspicions. “Huge fun though camping is,” Julie explains, “it’s not really our idea of a lifestyle. We are not planning a trip; we are planning our open-ended future on the road. We won’t be escaping winter weather when it gets cold. This vehicle will be our home, our permanent, long-term home.”
Back in 2013, Marcus and Julie were living in Doha, Qatar. Julie was working as a corporate construction/development lawyer while Marcus, after 25 years in the Royal Air Force in the UK, became a construction manager installing IT systems for the nearby airport. “We took quite a few holidays where we flew into Africa for two or three weeks and went on self-drive safaris,” Marcus explains. “We loved it but felt that we were just scratching the surface. We wanted to see Africa properly.”
While in Qatar, Marcus and Julie put enough money aside to give them the financial freedom to travel full-time, but it wasn’t until Marcus’ friend suddenly passed away at the age of 50 that the couple decided to make the change. “We hadn’t done half the things we wanted to do with our lives,” Julie says. “You can keep working and saving and working and saving, but what do you end up with? So, we said, let’s do it while we’re young and healthy and see where it leads.”
“WE HADN’T DONE HALF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO WITH OUR LIVES,” JULIE SAYS. “YOU CAN KEEP WORKING AND SAVING AND WORKING AND SAVING, BUT WHAT DO YOU END UP WITH? SO, WE SAID, LET’S DO IT WHILE WE’RE YOUNG AND HEALTHY AND SEE WHERE IT LEADS.”
Opposite:
1. The upright seating position and large windshield allow for great visibility and easy access to gauges and gadgets.
2. This bright, well-insulated space worked wonders for the Tucks during a cold Canadian winter spent in Whitehorse, Yukon.
3. The Tucks frequently use their Techimpex Mariner 2 Cooker to boil water for a cup of British tea.
4. Marcus has created redundancies, including this Arduino computer and touch screen, which monitors the IVECO’s vital engine sensors and controls the differential lockers.
5. A Victron Energy battery monitor allows Marcus and Julie to track their energy usage and charging systems.
6. Julie crafted these cloth organizers, which keep cords and other paraphernalia organized.
7. Designed by Julie’s brother, the yellow reflective graphics add visual interest to the build.
8. The Bocklet panel monitors the camper’s water tank and battery levels.
9. Goldschmitt gauges and switches monitor and control each corner of the IVECO’s air suspension.
10. An integrated collapsible ladder allows for easy access to the roof.
11. A Goldschmitt supplementary air suspension helps control the additional payload of the camper and additional accessories.
Opening page: Marcus and Julie Tuck’s IVECO Daily 4WD, Cuthbert, has housed the couple comfortably through Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Exploring the Ghost Public Land Use Zone in Alberta, Canada.
To determine which vehicle was the best fit for them, some research and decision-making were in order. Africa was their starting point. “This is what we had in mind when choosing the vehicle,” Julie explains. “We didn’t exclude the possibility of continuing on afterward, but Africa was definitely the first destination.” As a result of their previous travels, Marcus and Julie were familiar with the roads and trails in Africa, and they knew they would require a rugged 4WD with high clearance and a relatively narrow track width. “The trails are typical two-track ruts cut into the ground and were all made by Land Rovers and Toyotas,” Marcus explains. “If you’re continuously trying to drive down a trail where one set of your wheels is making a fresh track all the time, your tires aren’t going to last very long, so we wanted our tires to be able to fit into those ruts.” In addition, the Tucks’ desire to travel remotely necessitated more food, water, and fuel storage. There was a balance to be had between their desire to travel in a small and maneuverable vehicle and one that could hold the weight of life’s creature comforts.
It’s easy for overlanders to underestimate the importance of payload. Marcus
explains, “It’s a simple law of physics and engineering that any vehicle that is overloaded with life’s little luxuries will eventually fail through over-stressing, particularly if used for long periods of time in rough conditions.” So, they made a rough weight estimate that included all of their equipment and belongings, including tools, table and chairs, kitchen equipment, computers, fuel, water, food, bedding, towels, toiletries, and the list goes on. “Before we did this weighing-up, we’d been dreaming of bouncing across the African bush in an old Landy. But wait, bugger, it just won’t fit. Of course, we could have simply reduced our list of stuff, but that would have defeated that ‘comfort’ thing we were after.”
Next, the Tucks considered the inevitable shipping conundrum. “We originally started planning around fitting into a container and thought it was important,” Julie says. “We spent ages thinking about how we were going to fit a vehicle into a container. But the more we thought about it and spoke to a few people, we started questioning whether container shipping should dictate the vehicle build. We wondered, how long do you spend shipping your vehicle versus actually living in it? Do you want that two
WE WONDERED, HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND SHIPPING YOUR VEHICLE VERSUS ACTUALLY LIVING IN IT? DO YOU WANT THAT TWO WEEKS OF SHIPPING TO DICTATE YOUR LIFESTYLE FOR ALL OF THE OTHER MONTHS AND YEARS THAT YOU’RE LIVING IN THE VEHICLE?
weeks of shipping to dictate your lifestyle for all of the other months and years that you’re living in the vehicle?” Marcus and Julie realized that there are risks to shipping both roll-on-roll-off and in a container and went with the larger vehicle. Over the past six and a half years, they’ve shipped four times. Julie’s advice? “Choose the vehicle you really want for living in, for driving in, and for the terrain you’ll be driving through.”
After Marcus and Julie weighed the pros and cons of container versus roll-on-roll-off shipping, they created their wish list. In order of approximate priority, this list included climate protection and temperature control, flexibility of parking locations, a “home on wheels” (not a vehicle with a bed), water and bathroom, power, and a kitchen. The Tucks made their vision a reality by selecting the mid-sized IVECO Daily 4x4 and Bocklet camper conversion.
Living comfortably during cold weather (or strong winds, storms, rain, hail, and snow, for that matter) was something the two prioritized during the vehicle build. Cuthbert is outfitted with a Truma Combi 230VAC/LPG system, a standard Bocklet feature for hot water and central heating. Windows are double-glazed, and the main
Five 80-watt Victron solar panels charge a 210-amp-hour lithium iron phosphate battery bank.
roof hatch in the living cabin is thickly insulated to prevent heat loss.
The walls, roof, and doors of the living cabin are constructed from panels of 50-millimeter-thick insulating foam sandwiched between thin layers of plastic to minimize heat transfer. Even the storage space beneath the bed has its own hot-air feed from the heating system. Marcus explains its importance, “This means nothing gets frost or condensation damage, and there are no large temperature differentials between the sections of the cabin. This same heating vent blows a hot-air feed under the bed frame to ensure the mattress stays dry and warm, preventing condensation.” In addition, the entire gas, propane, water system, and leisure batteries lie within the heated cabin, preventing freezing and cracks in the pipes and tanks.
Another standard IVECO feature is a fuel filter heater which becomes activated by the vehicle’s engine control unit when the ECU detects a low fuel temperature. This fuel filter heater failed at elevations above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), so Marcus solved this conundrum by installing his own manual override switch. Cuthbert is also outfitted with several optional extra-cold weather items such as a Webasto Engine pre-heater, heated crank-case vent pipe, heated windshield washer pump, heated seats, and heated wing mirrors. Initially considered an essential luxury, an efficient heating system proved paramount for the couple during overnight lows of -18°C on the Bolivian Altiplano and -31°C winter temperatures in the Canadian Yukon. This vehicle has clearly been put to the test— not merely surviving but thriving during a harsh Canadian winter in the Yukon is no small feat.
After climate protection and temperature control, a freshwater tank with a filtration system and a functioning bathroom were Marcus and Julie’s next priorities. Bocklet installed a 230-liter freshwater tank and a 140-liter greywater tank. The couple uses a small submersible 12-volt electric pump to fill up from natural water sources. This water filtration system is rigged up so that water flows firstly through a 5-micron sediment filter and secondly through
a 0.5-micron activated charcoal filter. How far can 230 liters of water go? “We’ve found that 230 liters last around five to six days if both of us are showering every day and obviously much longer if we cut down on the showers,” Julie explains. This is easy to do, as the pair deemed their shower the least essential of their luxuries.
One important component of a selfcontained home on wheels is a functioning toilet system. Eager to avoid trips to the loo at night where one is exposed to the cold, rain, or wildlife, the Tucks chose the Thetford C403 cassette toilet. These toilets typically require chemicals to break down waste and combat the smell. However, the use of these chemicals prevents one from emptying out into a septic tank, and the chemicals are not available in some parts of the world. To avoid this issue, Marcus and Julie specified a SOG vent that draws air in through the bowl and vents outside, reducing odor and increasing oxygen concentration in the waste tank, thus helping with breakdown. They can also safely empty their waste cassette into any toilet, septic tank, or longdrop toilet without harming the environment.
As the light fades outside, Julie flicks on the interior lights, pulls a pot of chili out of the fridge, and lights the propane-powered stovetop to warm our dinner for the evening. The lights, fridge, and appliances are powered by three 90-amp-hour Victron lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries via five 80-watt Victron solar panels mounted to the roof. For the first four years of travel, Marcus and Julie powered their electronics with Victron 220-amp-hour AGM batteries. But they later found that in the batteries’ life cycle, energy management became an issue during the rainy season in the tropics, where “you have overcast clouds the whole time and don’t see the sun for days.” Julie further remarked, “It’s so hot outside that in order to keep cool, your fridge drains the batteries. Lithium batteries were a huge investment, but we couldn’t believe how much they transformed our daily life. Now we don’t have to worry about where we are going to get our next energy from.” They also effectively tripled their battery capacity and saved 40 pounds of weight in the process.
SPECIFICATIONS
2013 IVECO Daily 4x4 55S17W
POWER
Euro 5 EEV engine (enhanced environmental vehicle)
Six-speed manual transmission
Webasto engine coolant heater
Ridgeline snorkel
SUSPENSION AND DRIVE
Goldschmitt supplementary air suspension, front and rear
IVECO stock parabolic leaf springs, front and rear
Lockers, front/center/rear
WHEELS AND TIRES
Michelin 255/100R16 XZL tires
16-inch split rim wheels, factory military specification
RECOVERY AND ARMOR
Warn 16.5Ti winch, complete with 11millimeter Marlow Dynaline Max synthetic rope
Sand ladders, German manufacturer, aluminum
LIVING SYSTEMS AND ACCESSORIES
Complete Bocklet cabin
Waeco Coolmatic MDC-90 fridge/ freezer
Techimpex Mariner 2 Cooker
Victron BMV602 battery manager
Two Victron MPPT solar chargers
Three Victron 90-amp-hour lithium house batteries
Five Victron 80-watt solar panels
230-liter freshwater tank
140-liter greywater tank
Truma Combi heater, propane, and electric (230-volt, works on 110 volts as well)
Hella spotlights
One of the build’s unique customizations is what Marcus and Julie have described as the “geekery.” In his spare time, Marcus enjoys tinkering with programmable circuit boards called Arduinos, which are used in combination with software to read electronic inputs and create both digital and analog outputs. When the IVECO factory electronics didn’t allow for engagement of the lockers under certain circumstances, Marcus decided to fabricate a system, thereby replacing the original computer to control the vehicle’s differential locks via an electronic touch display. From there, Marcus networked five additional Ar-
duino computers throughout Cuthbert (which all communicate with one another) to capture a variety of information such as water use data, freshwater levels, battery monitor data, current inverter output, and much more. These are in addition to the manual controls. “From an overlanding point of view,” Marcus says, “I always want two systems. I always want a backup for everything. The advantage of a slightly bigger vehicle is that you can have a bit more redundancy built into it.”
One thing I love about the Tucks’ vehicle build is that it is unabashedly them. From the truck cab that feels like a cockpit (perhaps an homage to Marcus’s aviation background?) to the yellow reflective graphics designed by Julie’s brother to the living systems and accessories, this vehicle just fits Marcus and Julie’s lifestyle. There are many inspiring builds out there, but at the end of the day, it’s about what you want. If there’s one takeaway from this build feature, it’s
the quote that inspired this piece from the Tucks’ website, “Many overlanders claim to have the perfect vehicle and kit. But that’s for them. Everyone has different priorities, plans, and budgets. What do you want for your travels?”
Travels to Africa taught Marcus and Julie the importance of a rugged 4WD with high clearance and a relatively narrow track width. Left: Marcus uses this spreadsheet (titled “Cuthbert’s Trim Sheet”) to calculate the total weight of the vehicle and estimated fuel range.
The End of the World
As We Know It
Riding sideways to Ushuaia on a rogue KTM presumably destined for failure.
By Tim Notier
Clockwise from top right: We were fortunate to be able to take our time through Peru, immersing ourselves in its culture and sights. A Quechua woman posed for us with her baby alpaca in front of some of Cusco’s Incan walls. These Spanish colonial columns in Cusco stand sentry along the courtyard of the Convent of Santo Domingo. A blind harpist, playing Quechan melodies outside the old Incan gates of Ollantaytambo. Mummified remains inside the Chachapoya burial urns of Sarcophagi de Carajía overlook the landscape of northern Peru. A local shepherd girl cradles her lamb at the mountaintop ruins of Marcahuamachuco. The Spanish Convent of Santo Domingo was built on top of the Incan temple of Qoricancha or Golden Courtyard.
Ridingto the end of the world, aka Ushuaia, was never our original plan. We did not ride the Dalton Highway to the tip of Alaska. Hence, the popular route from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of the Americas was something that we had already missed a crucial step in accomplishing.
As we took off from Chicago in 2017 and found ourselves in Argentina in 2018, the end of the world was near. And not as in a doomsday event being preached to us by someone on a soapbox, but physically closer than we would ever be for potentially the rest of our lives. It dawned on us that it was either now or never, so we adjusted our plans accordingly, thanks to the advice from travelers who were making their way north as we rode south.
Our original idea was to ride as far south as we wanted to— until it got too cold or windy or if the landscape became tame and boring. But that last scenario was something we didn’t find in all of South America. I was thankful for every mile that we pushed farther south; llamas, mountains, and the bluest lakes and rivers we had ever seen greeted us around every corner.
Cactus and flowers interweave through the stones of Pisac in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Opening page: En route to the southernmost tip of South America, we were greeted by grazing llamas as we navigated through the Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve in central Peru.
Clockwise from top left: The Peruvian Andes’ Vinicunca is also aptly referred to as Rainbow Mountain due to its vibrant stripes. Riding down a long straight road in Argentina between El Calafate and the picturesque peak of Cerro Chaltén, otherwise known as Mount Fitz Roy. Wild and spiky vegetation grow alongside the hills of Huascarán in central Peru. Marisa, staring off into the landscape at the apex of the highest road between Argentina and Chile, Aqua Negra Pass. Wispy green foliage winds along a gravel road through Huascarán National Park. The 240-foot-tall ice wall of Perito Moreno Glacier towers above the turquoise blue waters of Argentino Lake.
Our first “adventure motorcyclist” world wonder in Patagonia was Mount Fitz Roy. We lucked out with the weather and couldn’t have been more excited to watch those peaks grow bigger and bigger, like they were giant granite crystals shooting into the sky. It took us much longer than normal to get to the nearby village of El Chaltén simply because we kept stopping for pictures.
It was like watching a slow-motion battle of epic proportions between ice and water as the lake eternally consumed the neverending charge of the flowing glacier.
The road to El Chaltén was perfectly paved with white lines that disappeared off into the distance. Other travelers told us that less than a year ago, it was still a gravel road that added another element of charm to the ride, but now it was tarmac.
After Fitz Roy, we rode to Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina to once again be blown away by nature’s beauty. As we stood there, marveling at the 240-foothigh wall of ice (74 meters), we could hear cracking as pieces crashed into the water below—it sounded like artillery fire. It was like watching a slow-motion battle of epic proportions between ice and water as the lake eternally consumed the never-ending charge of the flowing glacier.
We felt space and time in all its vastness as we realized that we are a mere blip in the age of the planet Earth. We are nothing compared to the amount of time it took for this glacier to form way up in the mountain and then slowly flow down to the lake, only to finally crumble into it. Marisa and I felt small, insignificant, and at the same time, so appreciative to be able to witness it all.
We then rode through Torres del Paine National Park to complete the hat trick of central Argentina’s astonishments. For the entire week prior, there had been only clouds and rain in the park, but as we wound our
way along the dirt road that snaked its way through the scenery, we were greeted with beaming sunshine and breathtaking views. We pulled over to snap some shots of the secluded landscape. The breeze quieted, and ducks in the pond were quacking as we turned to each other, and both stated at the same time, This is what it is all about.
As we continued south, we hit one of the factors that concerned us most about riding that far south into Argentina, or should I say it hit us: the wind. The gale forces that slammed us head-on and from side to side were something that many fellow riders had warned us about. But it is something that you can never fully understand until you are being knocked around in it like a cat toy. It felt like the bike was an enormous magnet, constantly being pulled to one side at a 45-degree angle, and every once in a while, the magnetic poles would flip 180 degrees causing the bike to lunge in the opposite direction.
Passing large semi-trucks was a nightmare. The wind would be so strong prior to overtaking them and then completely die from being blocked by the truck. The loud rushing of wind in
Long before the End of the World, we experienced a different type of cold as we camped at an elevation of 15,000 feet near Huascarán Pass.
our helmets would be replaced by complete silence, the bike would return to center, and it almost felt like we were riding in slow motion through a void of space. Then, once past the cab, and boom, the wind would knock you right back on your derriere, and you’d have to reclaim your balance from the onslaught. I felt like the pilot of a space shuttle that was reentering the atmosphere. Violent convulsions shook the bike back and forth as we pressed forward in the pursuit of Ushuaia.
my phone switched from horizontal to vertical. My tire pressure monitors had malfunctioned long ago, so I was hoping that the front tire was holding air as I avoided the holes in the road that could potentially swallow us whole.
We cautiously rode down the road fighting the wind at such a steep angle that the orientation of the maps on my phone switched from horizontal to vertical.
Signs that read Peligroso: Baches appeared, and though I knew that peligroso meant danger, I thought to myself, what are baches? Then, ahead of us, the road looked like it had been attacked by mortar fire. As huge potholes appeared in the road, I realized that those must be baches—more like trip enders. We were in a lousy accumulation of circumstances; we cautiously rode down the road fighting the wind at such a steep angle that the orientation of the maps on
The list of mechanical problems was starting to grow to an unbearable point. I had a newly acquired oil leak from my clutch slave, and the chain guard had been completely eroded away, causing the chain to eat into my swingarm. Bubbles were appearing in my front tire and cracks in the rear. It seemed that every mile closer to the end of the world, the bike sprouted another problem like a failing Dutch dam. Hearing the chain continuously slap against the aluminum swingarm made me grit my teeth with every clank.
In an effort to keep the chain from sawing the swingarm in half, I severed the plastic guard into two pieces and turned it around so that it could provide some kind of protection. Of course, the bolt patterns for the guard no longer aligned, so I broke out our bag of zip-ties and created an entanglement of white zip-ties that were all strung together to hold it in place
without getting caught in the front sprocket. The outcome looked like what would happen if Spiderman sneezed while shooting his web.
It definitely did not look like original KTM equipment, and it was a poor effort all around, but it made me feel a little better that I at least tried to do something. All it did was provide false hope, something I have learned to rely on.
“It looks like modern art,” Marisa said.
“I call it ‘Web of Lies,’” I said, not really proud of my work.
“It’s all going to be fine, love,” Marisa tried to comfort me. “It always works out.”
It was true that every problem we had encountered along our world trip so far had been resolved with a little (sometimes a lot) of time and money. But I still had some issues dealing with things in the moment. My frustration usually gets the better of me, and I just swear and moan as I use zip-ties, duct tape, or JB Weld to MacGyver the latest round of repairs.
After a ferry ride, we continued farther south onto the island Tierra del Fuego. We found ourselves gliding through the snow-sprinkled mountain pass of Garibaldi on our way to Ushuaia. It had snowed the day before, but the pass was clear and dry for us as our luck was beginning to turn for the positive. That ride was simply stunning as we were surrounded by jagged peaks with deep green pine forests dusted in snow. Since leaving Chile’s Carretera Austral (highway), that was the first time that
we’d seen beautiful mountains. It had been many days of riding through nothing but dry grasslands and sparse trees that bent over as they strained against the Argentinian wind.
But Garibaldi Pass felt like a whole other world as we made our way along the paved road that hugged the mountainsides with vistas of lakes and valleys all around. It was a grand entrance to Ushuaia. We had finally arrived. Through bliss and awe, frustrations and hardships, we made it to the sign that proudly proclaimed: Fin del Mundo, End of the World.
In the parking lot of Ushuaia’s port, my chain guard was hanging off like a dead limb, oil was seeping out from multiple leaks of the engine, and both of my tires looked like they could fail at any second.
Was it worth the struggle? The answer is undoubtedly, onehundred percent yes. All of the annoyances were far outweighed by the journey through a dazzling landscape of wonder and beauty.
Remember that when everything seems to be going wrong, it’s not the end of the world. Just hang in there until, well, the end of the world.
Argentina’s forceful gusts in the pampas make for a windswept Marisa; a rainbow arcs gracefully behind her.
CHASING HORIZONS
Overlanders whose legacies continue to inspire, despite the passage of time.
The more the Covid-19 pandemic went on, the more the world seemed like the setting of an absurdist, post-apocalyptic dark comedy—a failed pilot for a show that should never be made. Where actors read lines written by disillusioned writers, the director is blind drunk, and all the producers have skipped town. But despite the darkness, despite the broken rollercoaster ride that ensued, the human race is proving once again that it can endure. Bodacious, eccentric, gnarly, sometimes cruel, and always complex, humanity comes in many shapes and sizes. But one common characteristic we share is curiosity.
Curiosity is a powerful force and has inspired incredible feats of ingenuity and invention. For some of us, curiosity drives us to the unknown, the strange and wild places where we are nothing more than grains of dust in the eyes of the universe. These journeys have crossed continents, conquered oceans, and connected nations. Accolades and prizes awaited the brave adventurers at the end of their quests, but though post-nominals and financial rewards were undoubtedly appreciated, for such people, the goal was the journey itself.
History is full of overlanders—intrepid and tenacious travellers who spat in the face of the dark times and embarked on odysseys to the remotest of destinations, relying on their own planning and preparation, with exploration as the reward. Here, we look at some examples of remarkable people who chased the horizon and were content to see it remain ahead of them—people who faced down their challenges and can provide inspiration in the darkest of days.
MARCO POLO
The Silk Road was a network of routes that connected the economies, politics, and cultures of East and West. An artery of extreme importance to trade and development, with dirt roads and trails that ran through southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and East Asia. But for many people, it remained a far-off phenomenon, a marvel of human resourcefulness that they would never see. If you were to travel the Silk Road sometime between 1271 and 1295, you might have run across the explorer and writer Marco Polo.
Marco Polo is perhaps the most well-known traveller of this historic route. His writings on the mysterious cultures of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty became prominent records for Europeans. In fact, for many, it would have been their first and only glimpse of countries such as Persia, India, China, and Japan. His detailed accounts would have captivated readers with tales of paper money and gunpowder, unheard of at the time in many Western regions.
Born in Venice in 1254, his background as a merchant gave him the credibility and experience to make his ventures a success, and his keen intelligence made him well received wherever he went. He enthralled the ruler Kublai Khan so much that he was made his
foreign emissary, a role which took him to even further reaches of the known world, including present-day Burma and Sri Lanka. Although he was not the first European to visit such distant places, his writings helped shape an understanding of the world. For modern overlanders, the importance of adventure journaling cannot be overstated. Records of travel experiences can motivate others and help their planning. But whilst information about vehicles and equipment is useful, it is the stories of discovery that continue to inspire.
XUANZANG
Born in 602 CE in Chenhe Village near present-day Henan Province in China, Xuanzang was a Buddhist monk and traveller who embarked on a pilgrimage to India. A profoundly spiritual man, he was a scholar of religious texts and histories from a young age, his readings motivating his meanderings later in life. The great quest he undertook, supposedly inspired by a dream, took him 17 years. An epic overland experience, his aim was to explore the relationship between Chinese and Indian Buddhism. However, in true overlander fashion, the most significant encounters revolved around the journey in and of itself.
Despite living in a time of war and in a region that prohibited travel outside its borders, he managed to slip away, his determination convincing some Buddhist guards at the Yumen Pass to let him through. Trekking across the cold brushlands of the Gobi Desert, he then followed the Tian Shan westwards. This Central-Asian system of mountains, roughly translated as the Mountains of Heaven, provided Xuanzang with another significant challenge after the Gobi Desert. His ability to traverse such environments without modern technology or equipment is remarkable.
Dodging robbers and criminals, he arrived next in Karashar, an ancient town on the Silk Road. Then through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, finding Buddhist sites and relics where he could. In a region only 60 kilometres north of modern-day Kabul, he found dozens of monasteries and thousands of monks. These are extraordinary figures considering the recent history of the area. Through Pakistan and the Khyber Pass, he entered India, where he continued to travel and conduct his research.
Top: An early social media story in the form of an illustration of Marco Polo’s caravan and travels. Bottom left: Xuanzang’s route across India is still a formidable one, even by today’s standards. Bottom right: The deeply spiritual and determined Xuanzang. Opposite: Marco Polo—influential, intelligent, and intrepid. Opening page: Lawrence of Arabia was a man always at the ready.
Upon his return to China, all those years later, he was received with honor, though he rejected the trappings of fame for a life of industrious scholarly duties. Over his life, he sought opportunities to learn, recorded his experiences, and translated religious texts for the benefit of others. His exploits inspired the novel Journey to the West, an important and highly influential piece of Chinese literature. Xuanzang’s adventures demonstrated the wealth of religious histories in the world and how interconnected they are with societies and cultures. Whilst the world has changed beyond recognition in many ways since then, modern overlanders should seek out and understand the spiritual side of the regions they visit.
GERTRUDE BELL
Jumping forward to the turn of the 19th century, we meet another traveler and cultural negotiator. Gertrude Bell was a highly influential British political officer and archaeologist who explored the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia. She was an acquaintance of T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) and a polymath who became instrumental in establishing British Imperial policy in the Middle East through extraordinary interpersonal skills and knowledge. Like Marco Polo, she forged alliances with those she met, forming a valuable network across her area of influence. During the First World War, she used her contacts and wisdom to guide soldiers through the deserts at the behest of British Intelligence. She later became a military advisor in Cairo and Basra.
Her extensive travels gave her a perspective that was relied upon by governments and leaders. She would be remembered with respect and indeed affection in many regions across the Middle East. Her travels had purpose, but undoubtedly that purpose often became clear only as the journey ensued. They also had tragedy, much of it brought about by the War and the Armenian Genocide, where she recorded instances of appalling crimes against humanity.
Bell was driven for many reasons, a powerful characteristic that would become evident through the sheer distance she covered in a diverse career. Her experiences were wide-ranging and impactful, shaping her view of the world and the manner in which she approached challenges. There is no doubt that our experiences shape us; they build credibility in the minds of others and augment our character. Journeying to the far reaches of civilization, across mountains and deserts, is truly living. We would do well to remember that.
JEANNE BARET
Overlanding, by its nature, is the activity of traversing the land environment. However, the principle of journeying to strange lands applies also to sea voyages. Jeanne Baret was born in 1740 into the peasant class of the Burgundy region of France. Few records exist that shed light on her early life, but she managed, despite her station and opportunities, to gain some kind of education before coming under the employ of naturalist Philibert Commerson. Serving initially as his housekeeper, she joined him as his assistant on an expedition at sea led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French admiral and explorer. Due to the societal prejudices of the time, Jeanne was only able to attend this voyage disguised as a man.
Setting sail from Rochefort in 1766, they reached Montevideo in Uruguay, where Commerson and Baret were able to conduct botany fieldwork in the surrounding mountains and plains. An expert botanist herself, Baret had to do much of the work herself as Commerson suffered from a recurring ulcer on his leg and often could not leave the ship. From Rio de Janeiro and Patagonia, favorable winds carried them through the Strait of Magellan and onto
Below: The reliable and dependable camel train has been employed since antiquity. Ibn Battuta was never a man to let an opportunity slip by. Opposite top: A rather serious Gertrude Bell, photographed in Iraq. By camel or horse, travelers would find the most efficient means to cross the desert expanses. Bottom: Jeanne Baret was as tough, creative, and entrepreneurial as they come.
IBN BATTUTA WAS A MAN WITH A POWERFUL SENSE OF WANDERLUST. HE VOYAGED ACROSS THE ISLAMIC WORLD BY SHIP AND TRADE CARAVAN BEFORE CONTINUING THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, ULTIMATELY ACCRUING EVEN MORE DISTANCE THAN MARCO POLO.
new lands. Throughout this journey, Baret gained a reputation for hardiness and strength, and it was only when they reached Tahiti that her gender was finally discovered. There are differing accounts of how this occurred; however, the expedition continued across the Pacific to Indonesia. Baret and Commerson left the company at that point to live in Mauritius, perhaps at the request of Bougainville, though it worked in their favor as Commerson was friends with the governor.
Commerson passed away in 1773, after which Baret ran a tavern in Port Louis. She amassed a small fortune from her business ventures, proving her adaptability once more, then married a noncommissioned officer in the French Army. Her return with him to France completed a circumnavigation of the world, a credit to which she is recognised as the first woman ever to achieve. Baret led an incredible and varied life. When opportunity knocked, she kicked the door down and is remembered to this day. Breaking the rules worked in her favor, and whilst we should not seek out laws to break, we should remember not to be restrained by the biases and prejudices of the situation we find ourselves born into.
IBN BATTUTA
We now consider a 14th-century Moroccan explorer and scholar named Ibn Battuta. As a young man of 21, he set out from his birthplace of Tangier on a hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca. Typically a long traverse of many months, he did not return home for over two decades. A man with a powerful sense of wanderlust, he voyaged across the Islamic world by ship and trade caravan before continuing through Central and Southeast Asia, ultimately accruing even more distance than Marco Polo. As resourceful as he was, his explorations were often inspired by opportunity. He sought out experiences through the events and people around him, his route often dictated by those he chose to travel with. On one occasion, he met the royal caravan of Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan, a ruler in the extended Mongol Empire. Deciding to follow this retinue on the road from Baghdad, he found himself in the city of Tabriz before the next chapter of his journey commenced.
At the end of his life, he dictated an account of his experiences, aptly titled A Masterpiece to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling. While there have been some scholarly challenges regarding the absolute truth of his experiences, it is undeniable that, like the overlanders that came before and after, he was a remarkable human being who contributed to our appreciation and knowledge of the world. The lesson he left modern overlanders is that sometimes the only option is to keep moving—to keep exploring and seize opportunities where they arise.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
The final and perhaps best-known overlander we will reflect on is Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence. A British writer, army officer, and diplomat, he was a contemporary of Gertrude Bell who gained recognition for his involvement in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Sinai and Palestine campaign of the First World War. Unlike many of our historic overlanders, he was not known for embarking on one single expedition or journey, though he conducted many missions across Mesopotamia and Arabia. In his role as an army officer, he acted as liaison to the Arab forces and was known to involve himself directly in military action against the enemy. His later accounts of this campaign helped earn him international recognition.
Even during his early years, Lawrence embodied the spirit of overlanding. As a teenager, he cycled to almost every church in the English counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire to study their history. Later, he toured France by the same means, this time investigating medieval castles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he studied history at Oxford University, during which time he again cycled through France to the Mediterranean before walking roughly 1,500 kilometers through Ottoman Syria to examine Crusader monuments. His dedicated research landed him a role as an archaeologist in an expedition to Carchemish in Syria.
When the war loomed, it was under the guise of archaeology that Lawrence was seconded to British military intelligence. His expeditions of the Negev Desert would, in reality, be reconnaissance for military operations. Later, during the Arab Revolt, he would contribute to planning and strategy, becoming an essential military advisor to Emir Faisal. His travels took him through Lebanon, to Damascus, and onto Azraq in Jordan, during which time he engaged with Arab nationalists and persuaded them to join with Emir Faisal’s forces. His legacy was one of a single extraordinary man accomplishing things that would impact the course of history. Not all of us can hope to achieve such lofty ambitions, but the lesson we can learn is the value of dogged research and investigation. Lawrence’s interest in history and his curious mind created opportunities that shaped his life.
BE CURIOUS
FUNDAMENTALLY,
OVERLANDING IS A STATE OF MIND—A DESIRE FOR EXPLORATION AND A CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND US.
Overlanding is self-reliant adventure travel. At first glance, it is an activity that can be planned, budgeted for, and conducted with certain pieces of equipment and specialised vehicles. But fundamentally, it is a state of mind—a desire for exploration and a curiosity about the world around us. Historic overlanders are an eclectic and diverse group of characters. From all over the world, born rich and poor, they have little in common except a drive for something more—a curiosity that can only be satiated by exploring the unknown and chasing the horizon. Whether a day out walking or a continent-spanning road trip, overlanding provides an opportunity to nourish the soul and tell stories that better the human experience. The strange and wild places are calling.
A young Lawrence on an archaeological dig. The Camel Corps of the Sinai Campaign made for an impressive bunch. On location with warriors of the Arab Revolt.
Four travelers, drawn to full-time life on the road for different reasons.
By Matt Swartz
Clockwise from top right: The Lunchbox functions as a warm and welcome community gathering spot. The Suburban’s conversion was completed in just under six weeks with the help of Nathanʼs dad and various friends in four states. The Lunchbox is an ongoing, janky work of art. More recently, the exterior walls have blossomed with colorful handprints from fellow travelers. The view from one of Nathanʼs favorite boondocking spots, somewhere in California. Opening page: Jeff seeks respite among giants in the Valley of the Gods.
NATHAN
The term vanlife may often be used to describe people living in vans, but I’m willing to stake my reputation on the idea that it is a mindset first and foremost. Case in point, Nathan Beers, vanlife extraordinaire, who previously called a 1990’s Suburban home, is now traveling on a Honda Shadow. Believe it or not (believe it), the first time I met this free-spirited individual was at a dance party where he showed up wearing a dragon costume.
As someone who immediately comes across as genuinely and completely his authentic self, Beers didn’t grow up in an environment that supported his individuality or celebrated his uniqueness. “I came from a religious background that instilled me with a lot of shame, and a lot of not-enoughness, and this belief of just being inherently broken.”
Perhaps it was this childhood that opened his heart to the importance of loving others and accepting them for who they are. And this is a common thread amongst the people Beers has connected with while traveling. He’s found an incredible sense of generosity on the road, which has manifested itself as potluck dinners, free vehicle repairs, and long-term parking spots on community farms. “I love the generosity that I’ve found of people coming together and helping each other out.”
Beers began his vanlife journey on a motorcycle after an abrupt and unexpected breakup. “I threw some stuff in a bag and rode the bike up into the mountains, and it was my first time really going more than 50-60 miles [away] from home on a motorcycle. I spent about four days up in the mountains of North Carolina before coming back.”
But when he returned to his empty house, it just didn’t feel right. Before long, Beers found himself back out on the road. Riding was therapy, and the more the miles rolled by, the more he was able to process his feelings surrounding the breakup. Riding let him escape the routine and loneliness, and it also helped him regain his confidence on the bike (a crash earlier in his riding career had been a lingering barrier). “The more I traveled, the more I found that I loved it. I went on a big loop through Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Lexington, Asheville, and back down to Greenville [North Carolina].”
This road trip was Nathan’s aha moment. The experience gave him clarity; traveling was what he needed, and he spent the next year and a half seeing the country from the seat of his bike. But eventually, the limitations of the motorcycle led to a vehicle with four wheels. Beers likes to say that he “stumbled into vanlife.”
He was in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a music festival, but faced with the prospect of parking his bike on the street and leaving his belongings unattended, he began searching for alternative solutions. After numerous phone calls, U-Haul ended up being his best option as they let him park his mo-
torcycle in their secure lot while he rented a van for a few days. “I looked inside this cargo van, and it’s just these metal frames inside, with all these places you can hook stuff too.” Beers thought to himself, “I bet I could set up my hammock in here,” and he did. That was when he realized the value of having a roof over his head and a secure, enclosed vehicle instead of the bike.
The search for his own home on wheels began, ultimately leading Nathan to a 1990 Chevy Suburban. Although it wasn’t a cargo van, it had enough interior space for his needs and a hitch rated for 800 pounds, enough to handle his motorcycle. The Suburban came standard with a 5.7-liter V8 which produces 190-210 horsepower (depending on the compression ratio).
Nathan’s found an incredible sense of generosity on the road, which has manifested itself as potluck dinners, free vehicle repairs, and long-term parking spots on community farms.
Beers built out the Suburban, aka the Lunchbox, with the help of his father. They crafted custom cabinetry and storage solutions along both sides, leaving enough room down the center to accommodate a folding twin-sized mattress. He was also able to fit a small custommade sink that delivered water from a 5-gallon container via a USB-rechargeable pump. A small Dometic CF 18 refrigerator kept his perishables fresh. Rounding out his kitchen setup was a Camp Chef oven/two-burner stove combo unit that runs on propane. Beers kept a 20-pound tank stored in his roof rack, which he used to refill a set of four 1-pound green camping cylinders.
Nathan took a less conventional approach to mounting his solar panels; he bolted two 100-watt panels to the hood of the Lunchbox. “It made them super easy to clean anytime I washed my windshield at a gas station.” His panels fed a twobattery system comprised of a 35 amp-hour 12-volt AGM and a 40 amp-hour lithium-ion battery from EcoFlow. The battery has a built-in inverter, providing AC power in addition to its dedicated USB and 12-volt outlets, along with the benefit of being an all-in-one unit that can be easily taken out of the vehicle to provide AC or DC power anywhere it’s needed.
Using a maker space in Montana, Beers supplemented his rig with some custom exterior features. “I added a ladder to the side [so he could access a roof-mounted cargo basket] and a fold-down countertop so I could stand and make food. Later I turned the whole thing into a community art project, with people putting colorful handprints all over [the vehicle].”
Clockwise from top right: Holidays on the road can be hard. New Year’s Eve outside of Joshua Tree with the vanfam makes it much easier. The red cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park can sure make a big van feel small. Primary objective for a trip down into Baja? Drift the motorcycle on remote, desolate beaches where allowed. After leaving community and friends for health reasons, Jeff returned to solo travel and introspective thoughts at the Grand Canyon.
JEFF
For many travelers who decide to hit the road in a campervan, the ambition often arises from a desire to break from the norm—to mix things up and inject some adventure into their lives. But what if getting rid of most of your possessions and traveling in a van was about survival? This is Jeff’s reality. He didn’t become a nomad because it was some trendy alternative lifestyle he wanted to dabble in. Jeff hit the road to combat the symptoms of his myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
ME/CFS is a challenging disease to define because it affects multiple body systems simultaneously (and people’s experiences with it are highly variable). Jeff describes it like completing a marathon, minus the fun: total exhaustion and a foggy mind, like walking around in a daze. It also manifests itself in flu-like aches and pains, and occasionally a catatonic mental state where even developing a reaction to the things around him is nearly impossible. Despite the achievements of modern medicine, effective treatments for people suffering from ME/CFS are elusive. Jeff has been to some of the most qualified specialists available, and none of them could offer him a workable approach. “It [feels] like we’re on the first set of stairs, climbing the Eiffel Tower,” he said, putting the medical field’s knowledge about this disease in perspective.
But moving into a campervan and living on the road has given Jeff a new lease on life. He was able to regain some of the humanity that his disease had previously (and still does) take away from him. He can connect with the nomadic community, and he’s been able to continue working in the tech space (he has his own software company) as he travels.
Being on the road full time has shown Jeff the value of vulnerability which he often realizes in interactions with complete strangers. “It’s in moments where you have this choice of [telling the truth] about what you are experiencing—as long as it’s kind; as long as it’s not mean. Little moments of telling your truth lead to bigger ones. I think what you end up finding is when [you] open up to someone, it gives them the opportunity to open up back to you, and more and more people will start doing that.”
Research professor Brené Brown has been a guiding source of inspiration for Jeff in his quest to explore vulnerability further, and he references her frequently while discussing the topic. He believes that being vulnerable is one of the bravest things we can do. “Having been an outdoor athlete, I’ve done rock climbing, mountain biking, high-lining. But even those [activities] that are hard physically, they don’t compare to being true to yourself—vulnerable and open with who you are and why you are here, because that’s often a much scarier thing to do.”
Jeff’s 144-inch wheelbase Dodge Ram ProMaster build emphasizes simplicity. He runs Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires that make his two-wheel-drive rig a bit more capable on the dirt. His built-in bed is the most permanent addition, but it’s removable, as are the polyiso insulation panels so that he can do the occasional deep cleaning to make sure that no mold becomes established (which can exacerbate the symptoms of his illness). Jeff keeps two 5-gallon buckets on hand for doing laundry, again, to reduce the possibility of exposure to pollutants or environmental allergens. He has a Panda spin dryer to help dry his clothing out after washing.
Being on the road full time has shown Jeff the value of vulnerability which he often realizes in interactions with complete strangers.
The electrical system in Jeff’s van is built around 2 kilovolts of repurposed Chevy Volt batteries and is a 24-volt system, the same voltage as many residential solar installations. He charges his batteries via two 100-watt Renogy slim solar panels mounted on a custom Unistrut roof rack. Solar charging is regulated by a Victron 75/15 Smartsolar MPPT charge controller. A 240-watt 24-12V DC-DC converter manages power between Jeff’s battery bank and his 1,200-watt AC inverter.
Jeff has a freshwater capacity of 19 gallons for drinking, cooking, laundry, and showering, and a rechargeable electric water pump for quickly getting the water to where it’s needed. Like his removable bed and electrical system, Jeff didn’t do any permanent installation of plumbing fittings or outlets in favor of a removable, easy-to-clean setup.
For cooking, Jeff uses a Camp Chef Everest 2-burner stove and an 11-pound propane tank. He can easily set this kitchen up outside on a picnic table or cook inside his van if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Rounding out his kitchen and food storage is a Dometic CFX-65 dual-zone DC refrigerator—because you’ve got to have ice cream.
Jeff can have his van empty in roughly an hour, making it easy to keep his living space as clean as possible to avoid coming in contact with environmental contaminants, which can cause his ME/CFS symptoms to flare up.
Clockwise from top right: Enjoying a quiet morning in the van. Following the Bearded Cabbage route, 5.10c, Hidden Valley Campground. A beautiful and lazy morning in Joshua Tree surrounded by friends. A climber on Intersection Rock can be seen in the distance. A stop at the good rest to place some climbing protection on a route in Joshua Tree.
Photo by
Mike DeNicola
Photo by Matt Swartz
KAYA
As my girlfriend and I rolled into Joshua Tree National Park’s epicenter of rock climbing, Hidden Valley Campground, I immediately recognized Kaya’s battleship gray Sprinter. The rear doors were wide open, proudly displaying a heavy-looking collection of carabiners, chocks, cams, and precisely-coiled ropes. Kaya was sitting with a group of haggard-looking climbers, most of their hands adorned with dirt-caked athletic tape. They looked like a rough bunch, covered in fresh cuts, scrapes, and tattered clothing. Even as a rock climber myself, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated.
Kaya looked skeptical as we temporarily parked our RV in the camp loop and began moving in her direction on foot. But after a quick introduction and a handshake, Kaya’s bright smile and friendly demeanor set us at ease. The scraggly crew of climbers lounging around the camp welcomed us and turned out to be a congenial bunch.
I find that most adventurers who travel full-time have some sort of specific pursuit driving them forward and guiding their journey. During a recent phone call, Kaya made it clear to me: “It was always about climbing, from the very first day.” And I wasn’t surprised to hear this, especially after witnessing her abilities back in Joshua Tree (where I filmed her hanging upside-down from a crack, 100 feet above the desert floor).
Kaya grew up in Santa Cruz, but as a 22-year-old recent college grad, she was effectively priced out of her hometown. Choosing to live in a van was more than just her practical approach to an affordable lifestyle; it was a way to live life on her terms. Kaya’s final inspiration came from a female acquaintance who had plans to live out of a Sprinter so she could climb full-time. Kaya remembers it clearly. “It was that lightbulb moment: you can do that? I was blown away by her whole concept.” The idea consumed her, and over the next two years (while living with her parents), Kaya saved money, purchased, and outfitted her own off-grid home.
Living out of the Sprinter afforded Kaya ample time to dive head-first into rock climbing, immersing herself in its culture. She developed her skills and strength as she traveled around the country, exploring world-class destinations like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Indian Creek, Squamish, the Eastern Sierra, and Smith Rock. Traveling and climbing has been much more than a cool experience for Kaya. “This was the first time I lived on my own. It was an opportunity to grow up. I think every young person goes through a coming-of-age experience because we’re all trying to prove who we are in this world and find our place, particularly right after high school and college. It was an opportunity for me to figure out who I was as a person.”
Living out of her van gave Kaya the time and opportunity to develop a whole host of skills, including photography,
writing, and videography. These creative outlets allowed her to tell her own story, as well as the stories of other solo female travelers she’s met on the road. Her video series titled One Chick Travels is about celebrating these women’s individuality by telling their unique and varied stories.
One of Kaya’s other major projects, which comes back to her love of climbing, is Yosemite Facelift. Founded by Ken Yager as an annual cleanup effort to remove trash from Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Facelift is responsible for removing over one million pounds of trash from the park (yosemitefacelift.com).
Kaya’s home on the road is a 2006 Diesel Dodge Sprinter that she bought with 180,000 miles on it. She began her build by insulating the van with a combination of Insulfoam and Rmax Thermasheath, which she glued into place. She filled the gaps between the foam panels with expanding foam and sheathed the interior with tongue and groove wood on the walls and ceiling. Kaya also insulated the floor using self-adhesive foil/foam insulation and a vapor barrier before laying down a plywood subfloor, and finally, a laminate floor.
Choosing to live in a van was more than just her practical approach to an affordable lifestyle; it was a way to live life on her terms.
Kaya built her bed platform, under-bed storage, and kitchen cabinetry using 2x4 wood for framing and 1/2-inch plywood for the cabinet faces. Her under-bed storage provides space for things she needs to access from inside her van, like clothing. Additional storage space holds her climbing and camping gear, accessible from the van’s rear double doors.
Kaya’s kitchen has drawers for dry goods and a DC refrigerator. She used a live-edge slab to create a custom countertop and installed a salvaged industrial stainless steel, single-basin sink, plumbing in water with a simple 12-volt water pump. Freshwater comes from a 5-gallon container, and graywater drains into a separate 5-gallon tank that is easy to remove and empty at RV dumps or restrooms. Both water tanks are secured under the sink.
Her electrical system is powered by a 190-watt panel which charges two 120-amp hour AGM batteries via an Outback Power Smart Harvest MPPT charge controller. In addition to all of the appropriate circuit breakers and fuses, Kaya installed a 600-watt AC inverter to provide power for devices like her computer, camera, and other small electronics. “Getting the electrical setup in the van was the most expensive and difficult part about the build, but 100 percent worth it. I wouldn’t recommend skimping on expenses during this stage,” she remarked.
Clockwise from top right: Camping in Joshua Tree, awaiting the sight of a meteor shower.
Nine-year-old Carter, stealth camping and playing online games with friends before bedtime. Headed to the California redwoods for some hiking. Bionca on lunch break in Malibu, admiring an ocean view on her birthday.
BIONCA
Bionca Smith and her son, Carter, have been thriving on the road since 2017. But before living full time in their van, life was a little different. Bionca had a plush condo and a shiny new BMW but was exhausted from maintaining the lifestyle she’d built. She left her corporate job and found herself re-evaluating her priorities.
“[I was] tired of keeping up with this lifestyle; I didn’t have enough time to spend with my kid. The credit card debt, I was juggling it, and I’m like, this is ridiculous. So what happened was I took a great leap of faith. I talked to my son, and I said, ‘Carter, what do you think about us just dropping everything and me homeschooling you and traveling the world?’
That’s where everything started, with that conversation.”
Bionca got rid of the fancy possessions, packed what she and Carter needed into their suitcases, and they began their journey. Initially, most of their travel was by plane, staying at Airbnbs and hotels as they bounced around, one day calling Texas home, the next, Paris. But the constant moving was exhausting, and eventually, Bionca re-examined their approach to full-time travel. She decided returning to the US and traveling by van would be more sustainable.
Bionca and Carter work as a team to make vanlife work for them. She transitioned Carter into an online learning program to help guide his school experience and give him a platform to work independently. You’ll often find them working side by side, Carter doing his homework while Bionca prepares for public speaking engagements or coaching clients remotely. Bionca’s life coaching business and motivational speaking sessions teach people how to be solution-oriented and identify the obstacles preventing their success, often using her life as an example. She also founded a non-profit called Bully Barricade, which aims to dismantle bullying by facilitating discussions in schools across the country. “It has always been my goal to talk to kids about bullying because I realized how much it affected me and how much it affects our communities when people don’t talk about it.”
For all of the good she is doing in the world, one of the most heartwarming and positive outcomes of Bionca’s whole experience returns to the very reason she adopted a travelfocused lifestyle in the first place: her desire to spend more time with her son. By taking their life on the road, they’re able to enjoy quality time together every day. Bionca gets to guide and facilitate Carter’s learning experience in a way that the public school system never did.
“My son has homework to do, and he’s at a supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park. He breaks out his laptop, and he’s working on a paper about a supervolcano while he’s sitting on it. To be able to see Carter running around Joshua Tree, learning about dinosaurs, and why Joshua Tree looks the way it does, it’s so incredible. When I see my son glow
like that, [I know] he’s getting a level of education that most people dream of for kids at that age.”
In addition to these rich, on-location learning experiences, Carter is also learning to take control of his education. He can spend time focusing on a specific subject or topic until he fully understands it. Carter’s learned that he and his mom both have their own responsibilities that collectively let them enjoy this unique lifestyle.
Bionca and Carter’s home is a 1989 Ford Econoline 250 Fiesta with a V8 engine. This classic, class-B campervan has all the systems of an RV in a compact footprint. It has swivel seats and an extended fiberglass roof that allows standing space, making life a little more comfortable for these two full-timers.
To be able to see Carter running around Joshua Tree, learning about dinosaurs, and why Joshua Tree looks the way it does, is so incredible. I know he’s getting a level of education that most people dream of for kids at that age.
The Econoline has a bathroom in the rear of the vehicle with a traditional flush toilet that drains to a blackwater tank and a shower. When it’s time to sleep, Carter gets the lofted, cab-over style bed, and Bionca sleeps “downstairs” on the couch which converts to a bed. They have a cover for their windshield at night and built-in window shades that provide some privacy when they need it. Rounding out their RV is a rear trunk area where they store things like firewood, extra vehicle fluids, and camping chairs. They also have a full-sized spare tire mounted on one of their rear vehicle doors, a rear ladder for accessing the roof, a roof-mounted luggage rack, and a roofmounted AC unit.
Their kitchen has a three-burner range/oven combo and the original electric/propane refrigerator and freezer. In addition to running their refrigerator, the built-in propane tanks also provide heat via a furnace and thermostat, which operates like a traditional home: set the temperature, and the furnace comes on automatically, an amenity that they have found indispensable in colder climates.
When they purchased the Econoline, everything was working properly, so Bionca and Carter kept their van original. “We wanted a vintage, old-school vibe; that was really important to us.” One thing they did have some help adding was a solar system so that they could avoid running their generator whenever possible. Bionca and Carter’s RV came standard with shore power and water hookups, facilitating extended stays at campgrounds and RV parks. They added some personal touches, including artwork, prayer flags, and items they’ve collected on the road.
By Cody Cox
Isaton the couch, a beer in my hand, my chest heavy with anxiety, unable to fully engage in the conversations taking place around me. My mind was preoccupied with thoughts of a faded, white 60 Series Toyota Land Cruiser with a bad power steering pump, terrible suspension, and thousands of dollars worth of repairs needed to get it in safe driving condition. For over a year, I had been looking for the perfect vehicle to buy and turn into an overland rig. My requirements were simple: it needed to be reliable with as few wires as possible. A few dings and a bit of rust were a bonus. This 60 Series had all of this and more with its squishy brakes and terrifying body roll. The moment the test drive started, I could feel the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, and it continued to worsen with each downhill turn. I spent that whole evening with my mind jumping back and forth, but my gut told me the answer I needed. This 60 Series wasn’t the one. The next day my girlfriend, Olivia, told me, “If you are going to buy a vehicle, we might as well buy our dream vehicle.”
In my early twenties, my quest to find a vehicle of adequate character took me in a direction I was unfamiliar with, a 1990s Land Rover Defender 110. I had come across a video of a white 110 laden with gear, traversing the African bush. I was immediately enamored by the hard body lines and accessories mounted in every conceivable location. In pursuit of more knowledge, I bingewatched YouTube videos of people living out of Land Rovers and comparisons of Defenders and Troop Carriers. In the early months of Defender infatuation, I developed the fantasy of finding a broken-down Defender 110 or Series 109, buying it for next to nothing, then spending the next few years piecing it back to serviceable condition. Funnily enough, this fantasy was the beginning of the end for my dreams of Defender ownership.
A quick search revealed the difficulties of rebuilding Defenders stateside, the endless hours and countless dollars spent. At the end of this tunnel, if you ever got there, was an ongoing project in need of constant attention to keep it on the trail. This sounded like a story that would test
even the most devoted Land Rover fan. In fact, it sounded exactly like the story of Live Work Wander and their problematic VW Synchro. Working on your vehicle is part of the process, but when it becomes so frequent that it continuously eats away at precious time and money that could be spent going places, one must reassess their choice.
The final nail in the coffin was in the summer of 2018 when Olivia bought a low mileage 3rd Gen 4Runner in near-perfect stock condition. The two of us learned quickly that 4Runners just keep going; they handle everything you throw at them, and the next day, start up ready to do it again. The vehicle exceeded my requirements for reliability, but it lacked the simplicity and utilitarian nature I was searching for. While adapting the 4Runner to our needs, Olivia and I found ourselves in the parking lot of Fit Garage in Bend, Oregon. Next to us sat an icon of the overlanding world and quite a rare find in the States.
In the months leading up to the 4Runner upgrades, Olivia and I had been following Fit Garage and the build of their new shop vehicle, a Toyota Troop Carrier, with close attention. The 4Runner had made us believers in the reputation of older Toyotas, but this build was something entirely different. The Troopy is impossible to miss when scouring the internet for the classics of overlanding. It stands up there in stature with the Defender but is known by NGOs, mining companies, and militaries as a reliable workhorse. I had never seen one in person, and the first thing that stood out to me was the size of it. It was big. Not in the American sense, but in terms of offroad Toyotas. Everything from the wool seat covers to the rust on the hood added to its aura. Working on your vehicle is part of the process, but when it becomes so frequent that it continuously eats away at precious time and money that could be spent going places, one must reassess their choice.
Opening page: Our 1985 HJ75 Toyota Land Cruiser is built for adventure: entering a dust storm on a playa in Oregon’s Alvord Desert.
It wasn’t just me who was smitten with this white whale. Olivia, too, recognized the functionality of the Troopy platform. In the months that followed, the two of us would find ourselves traveling through the eastern deserts of Oregon and the sandstone waves of Moab, loving the 4Runner’s technical prowess but yearning for better living quarters. It was during these two trips we realized extended vehicle-borne travel could provide us with fulfillment. For Olivia, it was the access to uncrowded public lands and endless hiking. For me, it was an escape from the paved path and the exploration of forgotten areas.
As we planned our future, a Troop Carrier became a key player. On the horizon, we envisioned importing a Troopy just before embarking on a year-long expedition across the Americas. This plan was the impetus for pursuing financial freedom and became a driving force in many of our decisions. In late July 2019, a day after driving that terrifying 60 Series, Olivia reasoned that in the long run, it would save us money to simply buy our dream vehicle now. Minutes later, we were scheduling a phone call with Fit Garage to discuss options. A week later, I was in the driver’s seat of a 1985 HJ75 Toyota Land Cruiser, and we were bouncing our way up a rocky dirt road to the tune of a straight-piped turbo-diesel and a fully stocked camp kitchen.
Driving a vehicle like this is a full-bodied experience that engages all of your senses. It demands your attention and pulls you back to the moment.
The test drive was an introduction to an entirely different breed of vehicle that prioritized function over form yet delivered on both. We hadn’t even finished exiting the parking lot of Fit Garage before I knew I wanted to take the Troopy home. Driving a vehicle like this is a full-bodied experience that engages all of your senses: the smell of diesel exhaust, the harmony of a thousand mechanical vibrations, the whine of the transmission. It demands your attention as the lack of computers heightens your awareness, and the creaking of a parabolic suspension pulls you back to the moment. Driving is no longer a tedious chore but a fulfilling experience that pays dividends in an intimate understanding of your build. This is the character and experience I had been searching for.
Clockwise from top right: Rain and wind are far less of an inconvenience with the luxury of interior living space. Enjoying the cool fall air from the comfort of our new bedroom-onwheels. The spacious engine bays of the 1980s lend themselves nicely to modifications and accessories such as an air compressor. Olivia prepares to practice with the manual transmission on the wide-open flats of the playa. Opposite: Canis familiaris in the wild, taking a break from trying to catch passing branches.
As we finished our drive and rolled back into a shop filled with JDM 4x4s and even a D110 and Series 109, I couldn’t help but think of how things had come to be—the thousands of choices that led me to the driver’s seat of an overland icon and presented me with the decision of whether or not to buy it. Sure, a few sections had rusted out, and it had a leak or two, but I had no doubt it would be a reliable vehicle. The simplicity of it gave me confidence in my ability to learn and perform maintenance in the field. It made for an easy decision; we knew buying this 1985 HJ75 Toyota Land Cruiser was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. The subsequent maintenance and modifications that would surely follow and the journeys that awaited us were but fuel for the fire—a chance to make the vehicle truly ours. The adventure had begun.
Though we were physically in Oregon, our minds couldn’t help but drift to the African landscapes we hope to set up camp in one day.
EDITOR'S NOTE To see one of Cody’s first modifications on the truck, check out “Lizard Skin Insulation” in this issue’s Field Tested.
DESTINATIONS LISA MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON SPAFFORD
FAROE ISLANDS
Atthe tail end of Hurricane Dorian, a fierce wind battered our ferry as we pitched and rolled through the chop, blown into a white-capped frenzy. After two days of being tossed up and down in the North Atlantic, we anchored with gratitude to an island tucked between Norway and Iceland. Connected by causeways, bridges, and mountains gift-wrapped in a velvety green, heathland ran unbridled through every windswept valley.
Just an hour’s flight from Edinburgh, Scotland, the Faroe Islands is a self-governed land of Denmark. Formed on basalt layers some 60 million years ago, it comprises 18 rocky, volcanic islands of barely trammelled stomping ground—70 miles long, 47 miles wide. No point on these islands is more than three miles from the sea. Until Instagram gives this hidden pearl the same exposure as Iceland, it has to be one of the Nordics’ best-kept secrets.
(nyidanmark.dk/en-GB) and possession of a valid passport. If the latter is you, find your nearest Danish embassy or consulate: um.dk/ en/about-us/organisation/find-us-abroad.
WEATHER/WHEN TO GO
At 62°N, smack dab in the North Atlantic and the Gulf Stream, the Faroes are isolated and harsh and can therefore be chilly year round; bring layers. You’ll get glorious sunshine, cats and dogs rain, and a hooley all on the same day. Temperatures tend to dip to a mild 37°F in wintertime, lacing the landscape in a beautiful dusting of snow and rise to a cool 54°F during the summer. Around 300 rainy days per year call for Gore-Tex, but despite the drizzle, the fresh air will blow away every cobweb. Weather permitting, the northern lights grace the night skies from September through April.
Incredibly, the prime minister’s number is in the phone book, buses in the capital are free, and there are as many traffic light sets as hostels: three.
The Vikings colonised the islands in the 9th century, and the name Tórshavn is a nod to the Nordic God of Thunder. What began as a marketplace later became a bustling town, and today, Tórshavn is one of the smallest capitals in the world. Forget traffic-clogged roads and throngs of tourists; life is unhurried here with a sense of well-being. Incredibly, the prime minister’s number is in the phone book, buses in the capital are free, and there are as many traffic light sets as hostels: three.
Fetchingly, the close-knit archipelago’s population is a shade north of 50,000. Sheep, used as constant lawnmowers, outnumber the locals nearly 2:1. Despite the small human populace, there are 80 nationalities. Such diversity partly stems from when male Vikings settled here without their Norwegian female counterparts in tow, instead scooping up women from Scotland and Ireland.
The Faroe Islands’ coasts are adorned with a wide-open greenbelt sloping on the eastern side and some of Europe’s highest cliffs to the west. There is no litter—just pretty villages full of colour. Inky waters rush into pristine fjord shores, lashing their full power against great shards of rock. We submerged into our desolate surroundings, yomping all over the verdant hills, and got lost in the feeling of being far from society, a place where land and sea wage an endless battle. Solitude overrides loneliness, and with only the natural beauty of small island geographies for company, made the perfect travelling companion.
VISAS
Part of the Danish Realm, the Faroes fall under Denmark’s immigration rules. As such, any Nordic resident, German, or Italian need only flash their photo ID card to gain entry. EU citizens and those from Schengen countries (a zone of 26 European countries) don’t need visas but are required to show their passports. A Faroes-specific visa is mandatory for those from all other countries
Opposite: It was late afternoon, and the world glowed with the rich colours of autumn. The breeze cooled my flushed cheeks after having hoofed it for miles. Opening page: The last trailing patterns of daylight and vestiges of mellow golden light quietly crept out of the sky, readying to leave the cliffs in inky silhouette.
Have a map (or map app) and access to the weather forecast (lv.fo) at all times. When the weather turns, it’s good to orientate yourself and seek refuge. Sometimes, you only need to wait 10 minutes before skipping towards a rainbow.
OVERLANDING
The infrastructure on the Faroes is better than you might think for such a remote location, connecting every tiny village and cutting through rugged terrain by road or by ferry (schedules at ssl.fo). Serpentine roads hug the hillside as they steepen or diminish to a single lane through a series of terrifying tunnels. On a bus trip (averaging $92), in your vehicle or a rented one, or astride two wheels, you can travel south-to-north within a few hours.
A system of roads, bridges, and sub-sea toll tunnels link the island of Vágar with Streymoy and Bordoy to Eysturoy, making it easy to get from A to B. Roads are well-signed, typically maintained in a good state of repair. Highways are paved, although the roads leading to the smaller villages become narrow and turn to gravel; they should be navigated with care. That said, 4WD is not necessary, and off-roading is prohibited in this fiercely protected rural landscape.
It’s no surprise to learn that the law requires headlights on day and night, and right-hand driving is practiced. Lay-bys (extended sections off to one side) keep the road free for oncoming traffic to pass safely, but don’t be tempted to park up in these. Keep a beady eye out for sheep on the road, often the root cause of a short traffic jam. Studded tyres are permitted between mid-October through April.
Car rental companies can be found at Vágar Airport or Tórshavn with a wide range of options. Note that gas stations are only on Streymoy, Eysturoy, Bordoy, Suðuroy, Vágar, and Sandoy.
ACCOMMODATION
Whether you prefer to camp, self-cater in an Airbnb, bed down in a hostel (Giljanes is excellent), guesthouse, or hotel, there’s an option that will cater to all budgets. Contentiously, the Hilton is poised to become the first international hotel brand in the Faroes. With a rooftop tent atop our rig, we had a choice of 20 campsites (camping.fo) on six of the islands, including a football field. Alas, it’s prohibited to wild camp or sleep overnight in your vehicle.
MONEY
Bring a combination of Apple Pay, credit card (chip and PIN are required on occasion, American Express is not widely accepted), and krone (Faroese or Danish are of equal value)—the latter if you plan on visiting the remote islands where only cash is accepted. Although a handful of places in the bigger towns accept foreign currency, the exchange rate will likely be unfavourable. You’re better off withdrawing your hard-earned moolah at widely available ATMs.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
What is it to be Faroese? It’s a constant conversation about the weather, knowing every person who walks down the lane (and probably their cousin, too), and never leaving your friend’s house hungry. They’re a people that hunt the local birdlife and still engage in whaling to consume the meat and blubber. Yet, they’ve embraced a dynamic LGBTQ movement and are striving for solely renewable energy by 2030.
DOʼS
• Talk to the locals as they are friendly and hospitable.
• Save more money than you think you’ll need as this is no budget destination. Cram as many firsts, fresh experiences, and at least one tour in the time and budget available.
• Keep to allocated paths and roads on foot or in a vehicle, respectively.
• Bring your drone (visitfaroeislands.com/plan-your-stay/ practical-information-2/drones/).
DONTʼS
• Broach the subject of the annual Grindadráp, the Faroese whale hunt. Residents are not keen to engage in dialogue with outsiders who feel affronted by it.
• Trespass or ramble in cultivated grass fields; farmers privately own the majority of land in the Faroes on which grazing areas grow from May through August.
• Veer too close to cliff edges; there are countless steep, windswept, and precarious ones, some with 400-metre drop-offs.
• Disturb bird nests.
LANGUAGE
Similar to most Scandinavian countries, English is widely spoken. As a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse, Faroese is a first language to no more than 80,000 people today and is as daunting as learning Icelandic. There’s no Faroese on Google Translate; check out faroeislandstranslate.com instead. Interestingly, Faroese boasts nearly 40 words for fog, and the national language is
Clockwise from top left: Tórshavn is a mad sprinkling of vividly coloured, often grass-roofed dwellings packed on the coastline like sardines in a can. Underfoot was a spongy mass of green, where the ridgeline led us up and up, yet somehow drew the eye out into the endless blue where sky met water. As the ocean and horizon blended seamlessly with its edge, ribbons of road weaved us through the undulating landscape. The wind was ripe, the sea pulsed above the lake, and foam curled on the rocks below. A glimpse into the life of a Faroese resident. Native to the islands, Faroese sheep were introduced in the 9th century and can be seen on the Islands’ coat of arms. “Faeroe” is thought to mean “sheep islands.”
featured on milk cartons to preserve it from extinction. Other than uttering takk (thanks, pronounced tahk), we found everyone spoke perfect English. That said, it always bodes well with locals to have the basics up your sleeve.
1. Hi – Hey
2. Excuse me – Orsaka (Orsh-akha)
3. Do you speak English? – Tosar Tú Enskt? (Toah-sar Too Enskt?)
4. One beer – Eina Øl (Eye-nah Uhl)
FOOD AND DRINK
I never need an excuse to chow down the local cuisine. Bumping into Roman, a two-Michelin-star chef at Koks one day, I happened to sample a raw scallop, langoustine brains, and a piece of sea cabbage plucked straight from the Atlantic just moments before. Far from what my taste buds expected, the platter was delicious. If avant-garde style brains and cabbage isn’t your idea of a culinary marriage, you can lunch with Faroese farmers, Oli and Anna ($150, visittorshavn.fo). Otherwise, Tórshavn boasts an impressive array of dining for its size. Namely, rustic dining, sushi, fish and chips, pizzerias ($20+ for a large pizza), Mediterranean, and Chinese.
Gloriously, there’s a string of inviting pubs in the capital when you fancy a pint. Beer lovers will want to sip the 125-year-old, prize-winning Føroya Bjór or Okkara beers from two of Scandinavia’s oldest breweries whose ingredients include rhubarb and angelica. Cheers!
ADVENTURE
Excursions and tours which are packaged, activity-based, themed, and grouped are available online or via information centres. The more adventurous experiences vary from abseiling a 656-foot cliff (on Sandoy) into the sea and swimming ashore, paddling around the islands, and diving the crystal clear waters year-round. Riding the waves in Tjørnuvík is a winter sport, gathering world-class surfers in extreme weather. If that’s not your bag of fun, horse riding over the grassy mountains might be. Search for activities by island.
HIKING
Not exactly inundated with an extensive network of trails, the Faroes are still a hiking paradise. Within the archipelago, there are 687 miles of flawless coastline lining big expanses of lush countryside. Slættaratindur, the Faroes’ highest mountain at 880 metres (2,887 feet), boasts the highest vantage point of all the islands. Enveloped in unspoilt nature, you can wander the ancient paths marked by cairns toward rocky pillars such as Trøllkonufingur (the Witch’s Finger on Vágar) or stay on the scenic route to the next village.
Must-do’s include rambling around Streymoy; Saksun is a shire-like hamlet straight from Middle Earth in a natural amphitheatre high above a tidal lagoon. Vistas stretch in every direction,
and old Viking houses dot the island. Suduroy’s Hvannhagi is a beautiful spot affording magnificent views of two small but striking islets, and Beinisvørð is known for its panoramas, birdlife, and the surf at sunset. The arch of Drangarnir—its ridgeline is akin to a dragon’s spurs—reminds us that nature is all that matters. (A guided six-hour return hike to Drangarnir is $85, but offer the owner a fair price to go unguided, and there’s a good chance he will accept. See tralanipan.fo.)
As mentioned, all the land is privately owned, so there’s no right to roam. The nearest information centre will relay any restrictions about entry. Directional signage is usually in place at a trailhead, along with a coin-raking turnstile accessed via a contactless credit card machine. Either way, shaggy sheep and hardy seabirds will surround you. (Unguided treks from $8 to $33.)
FAVOURITE SUNRISE HIKE: LAKE SØRVÁGSVATN
Located on Vágar, ambling to Lake Sørvágsvatn cost us an hour on foot and $30 per person. (Guided treks are circa $72 at tralanipan.fo). After taking one of two gravel roads, the trailhead began on the outskirts of Miðvágur at a small parking area. If a car can’t get you there, bus 300 from Tórshavn will (ssl.fo). Sørvágsvatn
is the Faroes’ largest lake spilling out into the sea via Múlafossur, a plunging 130-foot waterfall. The greater height of the cliffs at Trælanípan, which flanked the waterfall, gave rise to a striking illusion that the lake was perched high above the sea, tilting outwards.
BOAT TRIPS
Being in the open North Atlantic is another worthy way of experiencing the Faroes. Whether that entails jumping aboard an old schooner to go deep-sea fishing; listening to the puffins, guillemots, and razorbills (all favourites at the Faroese dinner table) at hotspots Vestmanna, Mykines, or Søltuvík; or cruising through the narrow straits. Perhaps go to a “grotto concert” inside a cave to hear jazz at sea or just island-hop. Sightseeing cruises are $46$157 (guidetofaroeislands.fo).
ENTERTAINMENT
The streets in Tórshavn are a hub of cosy cafes, and there’s a good vibe at the marina, Vágsbotnur, where you’ll become acquainted with independents selling handicrafts and woollen jumpers. Take a stroll through the intricate lanes of Tinganes, a tiny Old Town, to Vaglid Square, where you’ll find Lagtinget (parliament),
and the pedestrian area begins. An old cinema showcases 3D films; museums and the Nordic House are packed with Scandinavian culture and spirit. What’s more, a plethora of festivals draw in music lovers, including the G! and the Summarfestivalurin.
Left: As the day extended into late afternoon, a chill breeze blew off the ocean, rustling over the hillside and whistling down the vertiginous cliff faces. Right: Heavy clouds, menacing and swollen, were rolling up as a bitter wind rushed in from the north. A storm was on its way, and it moved with astonishing speed. Opposite, left to right: Standing on a mountainside, the wind blew away clouds of mist and fog and revealed a panorama utterly unsuspected only a few moments before. The land seemed to luxuriate in its silence and its radiance, knowing that the sun had rendered it more beautiful.
RESOURCES
GUIDE TO FAROE ISLANDS guidetofaroeislands.fo
VISIT FAROE ISLANDS visitfaroeislands.com
FAROESE LANGUAGE COURSE faroeseonline.com
A FAROES’ FIRST-TIMER’S GUIDE roughguides. com/article/a-first-timers-guide-to-faroe-islands
A look at the most dangerous but effective tool a 4WD owner can use in a recovery situation.
Owing to the potential risk to human life or damage to property when winching a vehicle, this list of safety guidelines and techniques is intended to serve as a reference. Be mindful that there are many schools of thought on the subject, and this is but one. A proper 4WD recovery course is always recommended before attempting to use a winch yourself.
• There can only be one person in charge of a winching operation—this is not a democracy. The person with the most experience becomes the leader.
• Always wear heavy-duty protective gloves in a recovery operation.
• All spectators or passengers should remain well away from the entire procedure. A cable that breaks under strain can lash back and sever a leg or be propelled through a vehicle’s windscreen.
• Never step over a connected cable, even when slack. Once a cable is connected to a tree or another vehicle, it is viewed as live under all circumstances. When using a tree as an anchor, a proper tree-trunk protector should be used to avoid damage.
• Keep the cable as low as possible when connecting it to prevent the anchor (tree) from being pulled down.
• Never wrap a winching cable around any anchor and onto itself, as this will permanently damage the cable.
• If the remote control of the winch is plugged in, stay well clear of the drum, cable, and fairlead area.
• Look for the drum rotation decal. This is the only way the cable must spool off the drum. Failing which, the winch’s automatic brake will not function in the opposite direction.
• Never use a winch as a tow rope. The cable is not made to handle sudden jerks and may damage itself or the winch’s drum.
• When winching, try to unspool as much of the cable as possible. Leaving too many cable winds on the drum before winching can cause the top layers of the cable to damage the bottom layers. If the distance between the vehicle and the anchor point (or the stuck vehicle and the recovery vehicle) is too short, use a snatch block to halve the distance.
• Snatch blocks will allow you to double the effective pulling power of the winch. If need be, connect a snatch block with a screw pin C shackle to a tree-trunk protector and loop back the cable to the vehicle itself.
TIP
NEVER USE A WINCH AS A TOW ROPE. THE CABLE IS NOT MADE TO HANDLE SUDDEN JERKS AND MAY DAMAGE ITSELF OR THE WINCH’S DRUM.
• The winch’s effective pulling power decreases with each successive layer on the drum. Thus, the first layer of cable on the drum will also be the most powerful pulling strength. However, never winch with less than five wraps of steel cable (10-wrap minimum for synthetic line) around the drum. Cable failure may result otherwise.
• Always ensure the cable is reeling in as straight as possible. If necessary, stop the operation, unwind some cable, and reengage the winch so that the cable is spooling around the drum
Use a tree trunk protector to attach the snatch block securely to a tree. Note the correct position of the shackle in relation to the winch cable.
evenly and tightly. Remember, the top cable layers will otherwise be drawn into the bottom layers and create a bind.
• Put a blanket, jacket, or line damper on the middle of the cable so that if it should snap, it would act as a “parachute” to slow down the recoiling cable. Some 4WD drivers raise the bonnet as well to protect the windscreen in the event of cable failure.
• Know the maximum load rating of your winch and never exceed this rating. Once again, use a snatch block to reduce the load on the winch, if necessary, by almost 50 percent.
• Never allow the cable to slide through your hands, and use the switch to take up cable slack intermittently to avoid shock loads on the drum and cable.
• When a recovery vehicle is used to extract a stuck vehicle, the hand brake should be applied and the wheels properly blocked with rocks or winch-compatible wheel chocks. The gearbox should be in neutral, and the normal foot brake should be used to assist in anchoring the vehicle.
• When winching, the stuck vehicle may assist itself by selecting an appropriate gear (low range with a light, smooth throttle). Ensure that the vehicle does not overtake the winch cable, as this would
Stay well clear of winching cables during a recovery operation at all times. Here, we used a jacket as a dampening device should the winch cable snap. Doubling up on the cable also doubles the winch pulling strength at half the recovery speed. The snatch block is attached with a properly graded shackle. Ensure that your winch hook is also graded at the appropriate gross weight.
allow slack cable to be reeled in onto the drum or the vehicle’s wheels to pass over the cable.
• When the winch hook is within 5 feet/1.5 meters of the drum/fairlead, release the remote-control switch and stop the winch. At this point, intermittent, small uptakes may be used to get the hook in all the way. Do not over-tighten the cable, and always keep your hands clear.
• Always remember to inspect the cable after use. If any fraying or damage has occurred, do not hesitate to replace the entire cable.
• Ideally, cables should always be spooled with a load to avoid damage to the cable or drum. While spooling in the field, maintain constant tension on the line; for example, by utilizing the handover-hand technique. Start the winch with the remote and walk the cable in toward the drum for a meter or two. Now stop the remote and repeat the entire procedure. Stop the process when you are within 5 feet/1.5 meters from the fairlead.
• Stick to well-known brand names, such as Ramsey or Warn. Ensure that the load rating is sufficient for your vehicle (1.5 times the GVWR), familiarize yourself with your equipment before setting out on the trail, and treat the environment with respect. Happy recoveries.
DEAD MAN’S LOG ANCHOR POINT
During a winch recovery, a handy tree or rock might not always be available. Under these circumstances, a constructed anchor might be necessary and could range from a spare tire, a log, or a boat anchor.
The drawing below illustrates how to make a “dead man’s log” and use it as an anchor point.
EDITOR’S NOTE We noted several practices shown in Johan’s images that vary from how we would demonstrate winching in the field. This includes ensuring that each winch line is dampened with a sail. However, none of the images demonstrate improper use or practices, just a slightly different (and genuinely practical) way of rigging a winch recovery.
PHOTOGRAPHY LISA MORRIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON SPAFFORD Here Comes the Sun
Use the sun and hard and soft light to your advantage in your photos.
DIFFUSING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
Shooting into the
when
so
PEEKING THROUGH THE FRUIT PUNCH COLOURS OF A MEXICAN SUNSET
Exposing for the brightest parts of the image, such as a sunset, will render the foreground underexposed and put your recognisable subject in striking silhouette.
The sun, a brilliant round disk of light and warmth, can be tricky to encompass in a well-balanced picture. Due to an acute intensity of brightness lies an inability to view it directly overhead. Although challenging, with some inexpensive equipment, the sun is a dramatic image-enhancing inclusion. It can cascade rays of gold in every direction, illuminating the world with such brilliance and drama, your images will shine with living art. There are a few basics involved in the rewarding craft of shooting into the sun, as well as practical applications for photographing in hard and soft light to achieve optimum results. A little effort can go a long way.
HOW TO SHOOT INTO THE SUN
SAFETY FIRST Never look at the raging ball of fire with your naked eyes or through the lens of any magnifying optics, as it can cause damage to your sight and sensors. Compose your image using the screen on the back of your camera.
AVOIDING LENS FLARE When shooting into direct sunlight, you may encounter lens flare—swathes of glaring light, causing your image to have a blurred, washed-out appearance. However, that can embody a dreamy, enviable romance in the picture. If this isn’t what you’re striving for, slightly moving the camera will change the angle at which the light enters the lens and thus reduce or eliminate any lens flare. Failing that, attaching a lens hood will remove any overbearing light from reaching your front element; they are inexpensive and offer protection to your lens too. You could cup your hand around the top of the lens to obstruct the light. Or, reframe your image and use what’s around you: a lone tree, mountains, an architectural structure—anything to impede the light.
ENIGMATIC SILHOUETTE Convey dramatic intrigue with a suninduced silhouette, leaving the viewer marvelling at its simplicity and contrast.
• Golden hour, sunset, and sunrise are optimum timeframes for capturing silhouettes.
• Position a recognisable subject to form a distinctive two-dimensional shape in front of the sun.
(Opening page)
A STONE’S THROW FROM A SLICE OF SUNSHINE
Navigating yourself with the camera until a chink of light is revealed from behind a foreground object will invariably add a dynamic element to your image.
sun
it’s obscured by clouds
that its light still penetrates will reduce the sun’s intensity; the cloud coverage will diffuse the light and leave a soft appearance in the image.
• Set your camera’s exposure based on the brightest portion of your background to under-expose the subject.
• Frame your image: big open spaces free of clutter lend themselves well. Think space, definition, separation.
• Aim the camera at the brightest area using spot, partial, or centred metering off the sky. Recompose the shot and fire—polish in post-processing.
GOLDEN HALO A little strategic framing of the sun can give your pictures a golden halo effect. Using Earth’s white-hot star to backlight shots will imbue a summery warmth to images.
• Manual: Shooting in Manual avoids your camera overcompensating for the light and silhouetting your subject.
• Get in focus: Shooting into the sun often means Autofocus will grapple. It’s just easier to focus manually.
• Find the right angle: To avoid an overblown photo while keeping your subject’s features defined, keep the sun behind the subject. Backlit at the Goldilocks angle, a lower sun will create a beautiful highlight around the subject. Try lying on the ground and shooting upwards if the sun is higher. A cheap reflector or strobes will bounce light in shaded areas to yield a brighter, more balanced image. Experiment with positioning and settings until you ascertain the desired effect.
SHOW SOME FLARE Sun stars or starbursts are derived by the light passing through the small aperture and being spliced across the lens’ aperture blades. The higher number of blades your lens possesses, the more points your starburst will have.
• Choosing diffused sunbeams or sharper, defined ones will depend on the feel you’re after. Wider apertures, e.g., f/5.6, give rise to softer rays. Smaller apertures, around f/22, create crisper rays. Selecting Aperture Priority mode and Auto ISO will facilitate experimenting freely. Even a compact can create sparkly magic; just alter your settings to avoid any wobble or distortion when the shutter is left open a tad longer than usual.
• Add some artistic flair by using an object to partially hide the sun. Manoeuvring around the object permits the sun to peek out, nudge the object, and shine at more pleasing angles. You’ll soon dial into how much sun to include for the most eye-catching starburst.
• Achieve a less-defined outcome with a composition where the sun’s not entirely in the shot, perhaps only its bottom third. Take advantage of when the clouds, mist, or haze dilute the light to bestow a beguiling soft glow.
GOLDEN HALO
When shooting into a low sun, this can reveal a beautiful highlight all around the subject known as a “halo.” Experiment with your exposure settings to get the desired effect.
THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF STARBURSTS AT SUNSET
Adjusting your camera to a high f-stop, such as f/16 or f/22, will more crisply define the sun star in your image than a low f-stop, which will have the opposite effect.
SUN FLARE AGAINST COOLER NOTES
Shooting directly into the sun can cause sun flare (coloured shapes in the image). If you wish to eliminate this effect, reposition your camera slightly or add a lens hood.
GET YOUR SUNNY’S WORTH Apart from when it’s rising or setting, photographing into the sun can be a technique that will stretch you but opens a world of beauty. Some specialised gear can be helpful and need not come with a price tag that will make your eyes water. If you’re curious about that blinding fusion reaction in the sky, try shooting its amber, honeycomb, saffron, and yolk yellows. Decide on the overall feeling you wish to imbue in your images: softly glowing, brightly shining, or scorching hot. Then go ahead and capture pure joy in arrows of sunlight bathing a meadow, lances of sunlight dappling through a forest, or shafts of light pouring onto a lake—there’s no end to the depth and dynamism that will comfort and soothe here. Whatever comes to light in the sweet spot, I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the rolled gold you can compose.
PHOTOGRAPHING IN HARD AND SOFT LIGHT
Light isn’t something you can hold. You can’t touch it or feel it—it lacks physicality yet bears a presence. So to take pleasing pictures, you need to start treating light as the subject, a shape-shifting object with the power to make or break the ambience. What’s stirring in one moment can leave no impact on the next. The bland can become beautiful, and the beautiful, bland. Aesthetic light can draw out depth and detail in colours and textures, drawing the eye to a particular point. This is where photography can be a work of patience because light can constantly change. Despite the infinite variations, light can be distilled into two core categories: hard and soft. Both influence the atmosphere of your photography, the feeling created in the space. Let’s explore how to deal with each.
HARD LIGHT Typically emanating from one direction, bright midday sunshine, for example, broadly defines hard light. Because of its severity, we can attribute high contrast to hard light. Utilise this intensity and capture something unexpected. Project the focus of your image where everything in the hard light becomes a highlight, so all else stays in the dark. Such a contrasting technique may leave part of the image glaring and a little abstract but not necessarily lacking harmony. A simplified composition through the adjustment of shadows can conceal unwanted detail, which leads the viewer to the stark highlights. Namely, effective use of strong, harsh shadows heightens the shapes in your image and accentuates the lines and angles. In total, they add character, bring out the decisiveness to a razorsharp detail, and emphasise the three-dimensional to an increased dramatisation.
SOFT LIGHT Unlike hard light, soft or “flat” light isn’t dark or full of depth and drama, although it can be equally captivating. Its lack of intensity gently softens the image through a more consistent quality. Soft light has a low contrast, which tends to create a reflective and kinder mood—meditative even. Such uniformity means your composition by itself has to steer the viewer to a certain point in the photograph to tell its own com-
SOAK IN THE SUNBEAMS
CHOOSING DIFFUSED SUNBEAMS OR SHARPER, DEFINED ONES WILL DEPEND ON THE FEEL YOU’RE AFTER. WIDER APERTURES, E.G., F/5.6, GIVE RISE TO SOFTER RAYS. SMALLER APERTURES, AROUND F/22, CREATE CRISPER RAYS.
HARSH LIGHT WILL GIVE THE ULTIMATE DEFINING QUALITY TO YOUR ARTWORK
Unlike soft light, hard light is focused and intense and can even be harsh. It’s directed, not diffused, and isn’t scattered in any way by foreground subjects or cloud conditions.
LEADING LINES IN SOFT, DIFFUSED LIGHT
Low light angles highlight texture in the landscape, which, when combined with a strong leading line, can lead the viewer wonderfully through the image.
pelling story. To help soften the light, diffuse it with clouds or mist, for instance, and as mentioned above, stay away from intense, directional light, including a headlight, spotlight, or flashlight.
PREVENT YOUR PHOTOS FROM COMING OUT TOO LIGHT OR TOO DARK
On your camera, click the +/- exposure compensation button and turn the control dial. Adjust the meter’s evaluation of the scene. Measured in stops, the camera’s exposure level scale is visible in the viewfinder and digital screen, which is your steer to correcting it. The indicator in the centre of the scale denotes the right exposure, corresponding to the exposure meter. As you swivel the control dial, a marker moves up and down the scale. When it inches towards the positive end of the scale, the image becomes brighter. Oppositely rotate the dial, and the marker moves towards the negative end, thus darkening your image. If you prefer using the viewfinder, you won’t see this change happening to the picture. That said, the effects of exposure compensation are reflected in electronic viewfinders and live view. The amount of compensation you wish to apply depends on the type of metering used, the lighting, and the subject’s tone.
MANAGING LIGHT IN LANDSCAPE SHOTS
Typically, wan skies are brighter than the land, so the sky will pale into insignificance if the ground is correctly exposed—mainly because the dynamic range of the scene is wider than what the sensor can encapsulate in one shot. A simple solution is to add a neutral density graduated filter to balance the exposure. Shoot in manual and raw, and you’ll likely recover lost detail in the sky. Slightly underexpose the scene to maintain highlight detail.
Play around with light; vary the harshness or softness of it until you get what you’re aspiring towards. Have fun making a bold statement with hard light, or get creative with a subtle understatement of gentleness.
OVER TO THE DARK SIDE
A graduated neutral density filter is used here to slightly darken the sky, which balances the exposure in the image. Alternatively, you can achieve the same result in post-processing by tweaking the graduated exposure filter.
A STATEMENT WITH FLAT LIGHT
Flat light can render an image uneventful, so look for interesting perspectives. The vantage point from where this image was shot captures strong lines and great textures.
DESERTS
SOUND JUDGEMENT BENEFITS THIS OUTWARDLY RESILIENT YET FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT FOUND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
The desert has a strong hold over the adventure-prone. It calls us with its vastness, beckons us with hidden possibilities, and sings to us in beauty and isolation. At first glance, the desert asserts its ruggedness, a hardscrabble collection of defenses and obstacles. Images of canyon labyrinths and oceans of dunes and rock form a notion of impenetrability and permanence that become ingrained in our exploratory imaginations. In our minds, desert landscapes define resilience. How can we even make a dent in them?
This perspective of deserts invites us to view them as recreational playgrounds—a fun challenge of sorts. But deserts can also teach us that they are fragile treasures where outward appearances belie the responsibilities that come with exploring them.
I cannot resist the call, but there are ways to travel in deserts that respect their ecosystems and landscapes. I have learned that the desert is much greater and more important than its opportunities for recreation and adventure. My awe of these great planetary features and the cultures that have thrived in them compels me to share mindsets that help respect and protect them.
The desert closest to me is the high-desert canyon country of the Colorado Plateau. I live in the Four Corners region of the United States, where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona meet in a place that defies corners. In these canyons and high-desert plains, there are lessons that translate to deserts all around the world.
I acknowledge that I run the risk of preaching to the choir. Taking the time, however, to articulate and sharpen a shared ethos when it comes to ecology, foreign cultures, and adventuring is a worthy exercise. It makes exploration even more meaningful.
ETHOS NO.1: INTRINSIC VALUE
“Intrinsic value” is a phrase used often in ethics. It means that a thing is “an end in itself.” In other words, a culture, a landscape, or an ecosystem doesn’t need value imposed on it from another agent. A desert, for instance, is larger than its mineral or recreational value. I first bumped into the concept by reading Aldo Leopold, who wrote, “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” An exploration mindset would balance the need for adventure with the obligation of preserving the land and wilderness. Sometimes this means that the road must stop, and a trail must take the least destructive path, even if it doesn’t go to the expected destination.
A popular ecologically minded warning in the canyon country is, “Don’t Bust the Crust.” I take this advice both literally and figuratively. It helps shape the way we can think about the land and our ethos.
Literally, the “crust” is cryptobiotic soil, subtle layers of resilient organisms that are actually communities of fungi, lichen, bacteria, and algae. This soil is found in most arid regions of the world, including Antarctica. This desert “crust” can take hundreds and even thousands of years to grow. Get close enough to examine these communities, and they look like little cityscapes.
The crust forms an intricate and sensitive three-dimensional “net” that stabilizes the desert soil. The negative impacts from irresponsible mineral extraction, cattle herding, and recreation include increased frequency of powerful dust storms, unnatural water erosion, decreased nitrogen absorption, and death to fragile desert plants.
In a figurative sense, the cryptobiotic crust reminds us that a desert is a thin and fragile layer upon which we should tread carefully.
Staying on well-established backcountry roads is a necessary ethos to protect cryptobiotic soil and the desert in general. Because of the vast distances, overland desert travel requires a fully prepared automobile but also conscientious route planning. Avoid creating new roads or following fresh ones. On established but technical roads, consider if the way forward will damage the land. Just because your overland vehicle can go farther doesn’t always mean it should. If high-clearance 4WD is required, air down early and scout the hazards to avoid becoming stuck. Desperation often causes damage.
A recreational road travels through canyon country. Stick to it to avoid further damage to fragile ecosystems.
ETHOS NO.2: DON’T BUST THE CRUST
ETHOS
NO.3: RESPECT AND HONOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Early cultures have called deserts home for thousands of years. First Americans built great monuments and communities in the desert, perhaps best exemplified by Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Mesa Verde in Colorado. Their art, elaborate masonry homes, extensive religious centers, and lifeway artifacts are still tucked away in rock alcoves and perched on canyon rims.
I love stumbling across an Ancestral Puebloan pictograph or petroglyph drawn on a canyon wall thousands of years ago. They are mysterious, sacred, and enticing. They are also fragile and susceptible to human touch. The oils from your hands begin a destructive process. If you find an artifact, leave it where it was found. Objects lying in situ belong to the place and maintain an archaeological record that is best not disrupted.
Ultimately, many of these former communities, rock art panels, and objects are sacred to contemporary native cultures who are the descendants of desert cultures. With our thoughtful presence, we can honor their heritage and connection to the land.
ETHOS NO.4: IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA
There is a clear difference between sharing narratives in a magazine and the recent phenomenon that is a viral social media post. Lone images might be fine, but posting specific locations on social media with a name or coordinates can create surprisingly intense and destructive visitation pressure. This has been the case with numerous sensitive archaeological sites and beautiful, once-isolated vista points. Exact locations posted on social media sometimes serve as an invitation for less responsible visitors to create new roads, push over ancient walls, vandalize prehistoric artwork, and
DESERT TRAVEL HAZARDS
SAFE RETURN CONTACT Always share your travel plan and exit dates with someone who will know and care that you are missing.
FLASH FLOODS Keep an eye on the weather and never try to cross a flooded wash or riverbed. Have an exit strategy if traveling through tight canyons. Desert floods are extremely powerful.
DEEP SAND Sands often cover established roads. Airing down helps, but so do recovery tracks and tow straps.
WATER Bring extra water. Even at temperatures under 90°F, extreme aridity will require over a gallon of water per person per day.
GREASY ROADS When rain does occur in the desert, established roads can rapidly become greasy and impassible. No amount of digging, 4WD, or quality tires will help. Wait it out. The clay dries much more quickly than you would imagine. Driving on muddy roads also damages the route for others.
HEIGHTS AND EXPOSURE Some roads and trails travel close to high-consequence cliff edges, causing intense vertigo. Proceed slowly, gear down, and don’t take unnecessary chances where rescue is extremely difficult.
FURTHER READING
Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac develops a full approach to interacting with the land. Craig Childs’ The Secret Knowledge of Water gives an adventurous and exhaustive account of desert ecosystems.
shatter the isolation of a once pristine and quiet vista point. Social media has a strange allure that tends to concentrate people to places that often can’t handle the numbers.
ETHOS NO.5: PROTECT WATER SOURCES
I have found water in the most remarkable places. Parched canyons can suddenly reveal a natural spring, a true oasis with cattails, frogs, birds, and dragonflies. A giant pothole on a canyon rim might hold gallons of valuable water for weeks. In any desert in any part of the world, the presence and importance of water fuels the ecosystem and reaches deep within the human psyche.
If you partake of the water, filter it first, but more importantly, know that you can impact this source of life. Do not bathe or swim in potholes, never go to the bathroom near springs, and protect their flow. Washing dishes in springs or pools leaves food bits, soaps, and chemicals in these incredibly sensitive and sometimes shortlived pools of life.
Overland adventuring to and within deserts is an intriguing endeavor, but it can also inspire us to protect their fragile gifts and intrinsic value. Most of my desert adventures have taken place on the Colorado Plateau, but I have also explored the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the United States and the Nyiri Desert of Southern Kenya. All desert ecosystems appear to the visitor’s eye as rugged and often lifeless expanses. Again, the truth is much more complex, and each piece of the delicate desert system requires protection. Our desert ethos can surpass mere conservation and expand to an appreciation of the land for its own sake.
Deserts sit on a fragile crust, and that fragility can be part of the beauty to which we are attracted. Enter the desert thoughtfully, make careful decisions, and remember that our adventures can honor our destinations.
Clockwise from top right: A prime example of an archaeological site to be admired but not touched or vandalized. An ancient pottery shard photographed and returned in situ where it belongs. A healthy patch of cryptobiotic soil reminds us to tread carefully.
OVERLAND CHEF CHRIS CORDES
Planningmeals for travel can be as much fun as it is a challenge. Changing scenery and local ingredients can inspire us to cook in entirely new ways, but we have to tow the line between that inspiration and our limitations of space and time. At a minimum, cooking on the road can help us add a little flavor from our travels to our favorite recipes, especially with the right equipment.
I use my Omnia stovetop oven for making everything from sweet-tooth cravings like brownies and cinnamon rolls to pizza and nachos, and it works with a single-burner stove or a contained open flame. I recently decided to step up my game and give lasagna a shot with a recipe provided by Omnia.
Having the right ingredients on hand can be a tricky task in the backcountry, and if you find milk and butter are two commodities too hard to come by, you can substitute powdered milk and oil instead. Either way, this meal is a snap, and the resulting hearty deliciousness is perfect for those crisp fall evenings around the campfire.
Backcountry Lasagna
Classic Italian comfort food for the road made easy.
SERVES 4
COOK TIME 50 minutes
PREP TIME 10 minutes
EQUIPMENT Omnia oven, small saucepan, frying pan, wire whisk, spoon, knife, measuring spoons
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
14 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon dried basil
10 lasagna noodles (dry)
1/2 cup grated cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, or any hard cheese you prefer)
1 1/4 cups bechamel sauce (see recipe below or buy ready-made)
BECHAMEL SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter (or 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil)
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cup milk (or 4 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk combined with 1 1/4 cups water)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
Mince the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a fork, and brown, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, bouillon cubes, and basil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour, adding in the milk gradually (while still whisking). Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, and add grated cheese if desired.
Spread the bechamel sauce to cover the bottom of the baking form. Cover with lasagna noodles (tearing the noodles into small pieces to fit), meat sauce, and bechamel sauce in three layers. Finish with the last of the bechamel sauce. Top with grated cheese and bake on medium heat for about 35 minutes.
Delicious served with a tomato and fresh basil salad.
from the club chairman to reach the park before the gates closed at 4:00 p.m., Kenneth was nowhere close to being ready. A family of monkeys watched us from their perch atop a neighbor’s fence as we transferred our gear into the vehicles. I bit back my impatience as Kenneth haphazardly gathered his camping equipment.
A phone call pierced the morning’s creeping heat. A fellow club member, already at the entrance to Tembe, had correctly guessed that Kenneth would not yet have left and relayed a request from a game warden. Could we pick up a new car battery? Happy to help, we took a detour to a parts supplier. As we headed in the opposite direction to the park, Kenneth observed that they’d have to let us in if we arrived late.
We merged onto the N2 motorway hours behind schedule. The Defender was no speed machine, but our pace behind the laden Series One felt comically slow. Kenneth had cautioned us about the myriad hazards of the chaotic road.
I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as BMWs rocketed past us on the right, taxis careened on and off the road, and the sugarcane lorries showered us with vegetation.
“It only has two lanes, but drivers make five lanes out of it. Keep an eye out behind you and move over onto the verge to let faster cars go by. But watch for the bicycles, donkeys, taxis, and pineapple sellers on the side of the road. Oh, and mind the sugarcane lorries and the potholes. It’s good fun.”
I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as BMWs rocketed past us on the right, taxis careened on and off the road, and the sugarcane lorries showered us with vegetation. Kenneth flashed an easy grin when we stopped to fill the jerry cans at Hluhluwe. “We’ll make it no problem.”
Dusk was upon us as the anxious park ranger unlocked the entrance gate. “You must go straight to the camp,” he instructed. “Vehicles are not allowed to travel after dark; it’s too dangerous. Do you know the way?” “Yeah,” Kenneth replied. “I’ve been here before.” Half an hour later, the arms of night had embraced the park. Jenna recognized a sandy intersection we’d passed 10 minutes earlier.
“Kenneth, do you reckon we should have a look at the map?” “Who needs maps?” came the jaunty response. When the warm pool of our headlights finally splashed across the camp, I breathed a sigh of relief. Laughter reverberated around the fire as other club members settled their bets on how late Kenneth would arrive. Thankfully, they had saved us some antelope stew. “See?” he said, handing me a cold beer. “It all works out.”
In 2017, Jenna and I returned to Durban. Our plans included a drive across the roof of Africa with Kenneth on a traverse of the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. This time he drove his latest acquisition: a 1949 Series One Land Rover. True to form, we made a casual start. I loaded the Defender with my Pelican cases, dry bags, and expedition duffels, all secured with nylon cam straps. A realization dawned on me as
Kenneth tied a canvas sack, wooden crates, and leather satchels into the Series with sisal rope. He wasn’t just driving a 68-year-old Landy; every single accessory was period correct. With the exception of his smartphone, Kenneth was a living museum display.
That night we had the entire bunkhouse to ourselves at Sani Stone Lodge, perched at 9,200 feet near the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment. Although it was the beginning of summer, the clear night was bitterly cold. I heated soup on my miniature gas stove and came outside to watch the stars with Jenna and Kenneth. Huddled around the glowing coals of the braai while our boerewors sausage cooked, we stared up into the sky. Jenna and I shivered slightly in our synthetic-fiber-insulated-mountaineering parkas. Kenneth looked positively snug bundled up in his knee-length woolen overcoat and scarf.
Awakening to ice on the ground, we drank tea from enamel mugs and prepared the Landies in the feeble sun. Lashing down his relics, Kenneth looked perfectly at home in this landscape. Windswept, sparsely populated, and rugged, eastern Lesotho seems little changed in 60 years. Here Kenneth was in his element, experiencing the present as if it was the past in his battered British time machine. We bounced after him over the plateau, ascending steeper climbs in low range and pausing as flocks of sheep crossed the rocky track.
Out here, the roads were unmarked and the villages sparse. This time I didn’t worry about a map. “One of the magical things about Lesotho,” Kenneth explained over tea, “is that distances are deceptive. You think, ‘It’s only 180 kilometers to Katse Dam,’ but that will take us more than six hours to cover because the roads are so poor.” When we eventually reached the dam, the young gate officer came running out to marvel at the Series One, asking Kenneth to take a picture of him with it. “What did I tell you? Everyone loves an old Landy.”
As we wound deeper into the mountain kingdom, I grew less concerned with time. The days stretched out, and the destinations faded in importance. We stopped and chatted with locals, always greeted with warmth. Letting go of my need for structure, I felt more in tune with the landscape. It grated against my “plan ahead and prepare” mindset, but there was something refreshing and serendipitous about Kenneth’s nonchalant approach to travel.
Back in the States again, I miss that feeling. Sometimes I close my eyes and hear the contented putter of the Series One; I smell the hot, dusty air and feel the jarring road through creaky leaf springs. My anxieties unravel, and I’m comforted knowing that Kenneth Jones is out there, taking life as it comes with a smile—even if he did run out of petrol in the middle of Lesotho. The world needs people like him to remind us to drive a little slower, to let the adventure unfold on its own without trying to create an experience to match our ideas of what it should be. I don’t think I could live in his museum, but it’s always a pleasure to be a guest on his antiques off-road show.
•
•
•
The Exhibit Curator
Take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures along the road of life.
Isteppedout of the airy hall of Durban’s King Shaka International Airport with my wife, Jenna, blinking in the midday glare. The warm air carried the familiar scents of dry earth, diesel exhaust, sweat, and the ocean. These were the aromas of home, and it felt good to be back in South Africa.
A middle-aged man wearing faded and torn jeans, a floppy cloth cap, and sandals sauntered over to us. The sleeves of his rumpled henley shirt were pushed up and a gleaming Breitling watch dangled from one wrist. His stubbled face broke into a beaming grin. Thus I met Kenneth Jones, at once a stranger and friend.
Having spent the best years of my childhood in Zimbabwe and Kenya before settling in Michigan, I moved to South Africa after finishing university in 1998. Work and graduate school called me back to the States the following year, but I was determined to return one day and to introduce my wife to the wonders of the Rainbow Nation. In 2015, while researching 4WD rentals for the trip, I contacted the KwaZulu-Natal Land Rover Owners Club. Kenneth responded, offering me the use of his Defender 110. Over email, we got to know each other. Soon Jenna and I were club members and registered for its annual trip to Tembe Elephant Park.
It didn’t take long to figure out which car was Kenneth’s.
We loaded our kit into the back of his green, canvas-topped 1956 Series One Land Rover and clattered away, Jenna astride the gear shifter. Our indirect route to Durban’s leafy neighborhoods took us along back roads bisecting rolling hills of verdant sugarcane plantations. Traversing these vestiges of colonial influence, we learned more about our generous host.
Kenneth was a commercial property surveyor by trade, traveling around Africa and the Middle East to estimate valuations on land destined to become offices and shopping malls. His work took him across the province, as well, and he usually drove to sites in his ancient Land Rover.
“Everyone loves an old Landy,” Kenneth explained. “It’s slow, but it makes it easier to connect with people. It sets a more relaxed tone than if I show up in a posh new car.” He gave us the rundown on the rest of his Rover fleet: a Series One 107” pickup, a Series IIa rock crawler, the Td5 Defender, and a scarlet red 101 Forward Control ambulance converted to an off-road rally racer. “My wife wants me to get rid of the 101,” he confided with a smile, “but I might get to keep it if I turn it into a taco truck.”
A few days later, Jenna and I pitched up at Kenneth’s house at dawn, packed and ready for Tembe. We were surprised to find that despite the long drive ahead and warning
