The Mud Life - 28 - July 2021 by The Mud Life Magazine

THE MUD LIFE ISSUE 28 - July 2021

Isuzu D-Max Toyota Highlander Land Rover Defender 90 250SE & Discovery Commercial

Goods'n'Gear Laning Life Reader's Rides

Toyota Highlander

Excel Hybrid AWD pages 43-42

Important information Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Mud Life magazine are accurate, we accept no responsibility for errors or omissions, nor the consequence of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advertisements in The Mud Life magazine, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers and owners take reasonable care to ensure advertiser’s probity, but will not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of responding to adverts. Copyright All images and material on these pages are protected by copyright © Damian Turner. All rights reserved. None of the images or material within this magazine may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose that is not expressly authorised by Damian Turner or Karen Lee Turner.

IN THIS ISSUE TURNER'S TORQUE

NEWS

5-13

WHAT'S ON..14-15 LANING LIFE 17-22 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 250SE 24-31 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 34-42 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY COMMERCIAL 44-53 GOODS & GEAR 54-64 GREY IS THE NEW BLACK 66-74 GRAYTHWAITE ADVENTURE 76-84 SIMON SAYS 86-88 PLAYING TO D MAX 90-95 READER'S RIDES 96-99 RETRO SNAPS 100-101 DIRECTORIES 102-105

DAMIAN TURNER Editor-in-Chief, Writer, Photographer, Reviewer

KAREN LEE TURNER

(A.K.A. The Muddy Madam)

Creative Director, Layout Designer, Reviewer

F O L LOW U S

THE TEAM

BACK ISSUES 106-107

FACEBOOK - TheMudLifeMag INSTAGRAM - themudlifemag TWITTER - themudlifemag WEBSITE - www.themudlife.co.uk

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turner's torque Controversy "Shame on T he Mud Life !" Well, wasn’t last month fun? (in a editorial sense)

It appears that Lauren’s Laning Life article and The Mud Life, for not editing her work, ruffled quite a few feathers, which led to a few interesting comments. What I hadn’t realised is that by giving GLASS a number of pages to allow them to share what’s happening in the Rights of Way world, and for just being a GLASS member myself, it would appear from various comments, that the general consensus is, and I quote, 'I’m up GLASS’ arse!' Not only that, but it would also appear that we are also their propaganda machine! The latter really made me laugh out loud. What some readers may have forgotten, or not actually read, is that in the past we’ve shared stories from other 4x4 groups, like All-Terrain UK and the Yorkshire Green Lanes Facebook group, amongst others. Of course there’s nothing wrong with folk having and sharing their opinions, after all, communication is key to a civilised adult society. I always wanted The Mud Life Magazine to encompass the 4x4 community, to share our plights and frustrations from the likes of GLEAM and other antis, and of course the threat from within our own hobby - those amongst us who disregard the rules and give the antis and councils the ammunition to close our lanes.

The Mud Life is indeed a ‘propaganda machine’, aimed towards promoting responsible green laning. 4

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Ramblers work together, as does GLEAM, with the latter trying to rid us from our Rights of Way., but how are we expected to keep our lanes when we can’t even be civil to each other and work together? All that said, in this case the old adage 'all publicity is good publicity' is true, as the article attracted many new readers to The Mud Life Magazine, and quite a few new subscribers, so welcome to all you newbie Mud Lifers!

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World’s Fastest & Most Powerful Pickup Truck

Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle builder, has started production of the world’s most powerful pickup truck, the Hennessey MAMMOTH 1000 TRX with its upgraded 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 boasting 1,012bhp. Measuring just over 19 feet long, almost 7 feet wide and 6½ feet tall, it's based on the 702bhp Dodge Ram 1500 TRX pickup truck. The high-performance-focused enhancements by Hennessey cut the 0-60 mph time to just 3.2 seconds - the quickest in the world - while torque grows to 969 lb-ft. With modifications including a high-flow 2.65L supercharger, fuel injectors and high-flow induction system alongside performanceboosting calibration, the 6.2-liter V8 truck can achieve an 11.4-second quarter mile at over 120 mph.

Including buying the stock TRX, US owners opting for the MAMMOTH 1000 will typically pay in the region of $150,000 for their build. The majority of owners will take a highly spec. stock model, and add the MAMMOTH 1000 package and the Stage 2 off-road enhancements, which adds custom bumpers, LED lights, a front levelling kit, 37-inch off road tires and upgraded electronic fold-out steps, and a 2 year / 24,000-mile warranty. Hennessey will ensure exclusivity for its customers by limiting production of the MAMMOTH 1000 - just 200 will be produced in 2021, and each truck is fitted with a special chassis plate recording its build number. The company has already sold more than 100 trucks,. But why have a 1,000-horsepower pickup truck? Why not‽

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Airstream Interstate 24X Touring Coach

Sadly not available in the UK, or Europe (yet?), but check out the new Airstream Interstate 24X. Based on the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, it’s built for work, touring and off-road adventures. Fitted with a 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel churning out 188bhp and 325-lbs. of torque, Airstream reckon you can confidently hit the end of the blacktop and take your exploration to the next level, and with a 7 speed automatic, four-wheel-drive, and Mercedes-Benz allterrain wheels wrapped in Goodyear Wrangler AT tyres, I don’t doubt them. Airstream has packed a lot into the sprinter, including a heavy-duty power system that packs twin 100-amp-hour deep cycle lithium batteries, a 5G-ready antenna, a power inverter, 400 Watts of solar panels on the roof rack, and off-road LED lights at the front, side, and rear of the vehicle. The interior of the Interstate 24X is typical Airstream, with bright oak and steel mesh laminates used in the galley kitchen, walls, and rear living quarters, with dark grey marinegrade Simtex-carbon seating and red accents throughout the vehicle. It’s spacious too and can seat six adults and sleep two quite easily. 6

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When it comes to practicality, the high-roof Sprinter offers plenty of head room and Airstream have incorporated lots of overhead storage space for bikes, and even kayaks. For those off-grid adventures, the Interstate 24X also boasts a 105 litre water tank, a galley kitchen with a twoburner stovetop, microwave, a fridge/freezer, and of course the kitchen sink. For those cold nights, it also features a diesel-fired heater and hot water system and an air conditioner. price - eye watering! more at » www.airstream.com

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Defender hydrogen-powered s w

fuel cell prototype in the works

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the new Land Rover Defender, with testing scheduled to begin this year. The FCEV concept is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s aim to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, and net zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039, in line with the Reimagine strategy announced last month. FCEVs, which generate electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor, are complimentary to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the journey to net zero vehicle emissions. Hydrogen-powered FCEVs provide high energy density and rapid refuelling, and minimal loss of range in low temperatures, making the technology ideal

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for larger, longer-range vehicles, or those operated in hot or cold environments. Since 2018, the global number of FCEVs on the road has nearly doubled, while hydrogen refuelling stations have increased by more than 20%. By 2030, worldwide forecasts predict hydrogenpowered FCEVs could top 10 million with 10,000 refuelling stations. Jaguar Land Rover’s advanced engineering project, known as Project Zeus, is part funded by the government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre, and will allow engineers to understand how a hydrogen powertrain can be optimised to deliver the performance and capability expected by its customers: from range to refuelling, and towing to off-road ability.

To deliver Project Zeus, Jaguar Land Rover has teamed up with world class R&D partners, including Delta Motorsport, AVL, Marelli Automotive Systems and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) to research, develop and create the prototype FCEV. The zero tailpipe emission prototype New Defender FCEV will begin testing towards the end of 2021 in the UK to verify key attributes such as off-road capability and fuel consumption. Ralph Clague, Head of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells for Jaguar Land Rover, said “The work done alongside our partners in Project Zeus will help us on our journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039, as we prepare for the next generation of zero tailpipe emissions vehicles.”

Kia reveals the new European Sportage design

Kia has revealed images of the dedicated European version of their all-new Sportage. They say 'the exterior challenges design norms and moves the Sportage identity into the next generation, while paying homage to its heritage'. Revealed earlier this year to great acclaim from the design community, Kia’s new design philosophy, Opposites United, is at the core of the all-new Sportage, influencing every aspect of its appearance and character. The principles of Opposites United will influence all future Kia designs, giving them the same basic DNA. The philosophy strengthens the connection between design and Kia’s new brand direction, ‘Movement that inspires’. The front of the all-new Sportage creates an instant impactful design statement with a detailed-orientated black grille graphic stretching across the width of the face. The elongated grille links Kia’s modern signature Tiger Nose grille to the distinctive futuristic-styled boomerangshaped daytime running lamps. The interior of the all-new Sportage offers intuitive and innovative technology to create a driver-orientated space that is state-of-the-art. The high-tech touchscreen pad, along with the advanced integrated controller, acts as the nerve centre for driver and passenger connectivity. Both systems have been created to be easy to use, highly intuitive and soft to touch. There is an ergonomic glossy centre console that provides storage, operating system configuration, cupholders and soft-touch switches, the latter sitting on a raised profile alongside the shift-by-wire transmission dial. The all-new Sportage X-Line features a unique bumper, side sill and curved roof rack. On the inside, customers can choose between a signature sage green or black seating, as well as bold quilting and black metal wood to further bring to life the model’s confident persona. More information on the European Sportage will be released in September so watch this space. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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Subaru's All-new Outback is out now

The long awaited All-new Subaru Outback is available now. The previous model was safe, but Subaru have pulled out all the stops to make the new 6th generation model safer - from an optimal driving position, window heights, and carefully arranged pillars to provide excellent visibility in all directions, to an array of worldclass, advanced safety technologies. With generous equipment fitted as standard across all 3 trim levels, including the next generation EyeSight Driver Assist technology, Subaru’s cutting-edge stereo camera prevention collision system, with nearly twice the field of vision. EyeSight includes: Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering Function, Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Speed Sign Recognition with Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning with steering wheel vibration, Lane Departure Prevention and PreCollision Braking System with expanded support for collision avoidance at junctions and crossroads. A brand-new technology for Outback is the Driver Monitoring System which will alert the driver when distracted or feeling fatigued. Reverse Automatic braking is also a new safety feature fitted as standard for all-new Outback that helps drivers to avoid bumps when reversing and mitigates the damage in case of collision. 10

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Besides its safety features, the Driver Monitoring System also delivers convenience with the facial recognition camera identifying up to 5 individuals in the driver seat and automatically adjusting settings for seat position, door mirror angles and airconditioning preferences. The new model preserves the distinctive combination of permanent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with the directinjection 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder BOXER engine and Lineartronic CVT transmission. The improved engine performance offers more power for acceleration as well as when driving on rough terrain. Designed for active lifestyles, all-new Outback is more spacious than the previous model, with up to 522L of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat. The new Outback comes with a newly evolved X-MODE with Hill Descent Control for reliable control on steep, wet, or slippery terrain. Switch between SNOW/DIRT mode to confidently negotiate snow, dirt, or gravel, or SNOW/MUD mode for soft conditions. The Outback also offers a 213mm ground clearance which maximises approach, departure and ramp angles, and minimises

the risk of the bumpers or chassis getting damaged or stuck. It also boasts a 2,000kg braked or 750kg unbraked towing capacity to enable high performance towing and control. With a completely re-imagined cabin interior, the all-new Outback has a completely redesigned next-generation infotainment system, you can easily touch, swipe, or drag to navigate the large, intuitive 11.6” full HD vertical display or simply use your voice. Bring up maps, find contacts, send messages, select driving modes, and access compatible apps, news, music, podcasts and much more. There’s so much more to say about the new Outback, but I don’t have the space, so you’ll have to wait for a future issue when I can get my hands on one! OTR prices - Limited: £33,995, Field: £37,995, Touring: £39,495 THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

INEOS & The HALO Trust developing its Grenadier 4x4

INEOS Automotive confirms The HALO Trust as a development partner for its uncompromising Grenadier 4X4. INEOS is aiming to develop a fleet of bespoke Grenadiers suitable for HALO operations, capable of supporting its lifesaving work in 25 post-war countries.

charity’s vehicles negotiating pitted, rocky and sometimes undriveable roads. Seeing how drivers deal with the terrain and repair vehicles in challenging conditions and with only basic tools has helped shape the ongoing development of the Grenadier.

The HALO Trust is the world’s largest humanitarian mine clearance and weapons disposal organisation. With a worldwide fleet of over 600 4X4 vehicles, the joint British and American charity operates off-roaders in some of the most remote and inhospitable places on the planet.

Over the next 12 months, more than 130 second-phase prototypes are being deployed as part of the vehicle’s ongoing worldwide 1.8 million kilometre testing and development programme. Grenadier prototypes will join active HALO projects, including in Kosovo. These development activities will be used by INEOS and HALO to assess the vehicle’s on- and off-road capabilities, as well as the ease of service, maintenance and repair in the field.

“From mountain tracks to urban battlefields, HALO goes further to find and destroy landmines,” said James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust. “This means that we need a vehicle fleet fit for war zones, rainforests and deserts. Our 9,000 deminers are some of the most resilient people on the planet – they need a vehicle they can rely on to keep them safe and get the job done. We want to share our experiences with INEOS to help build an off-roader ready for the challenges of the 21st century.” INEOS has been working with HALO since 2020, when it joined an active HALO operation in Angola and saw the 12

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In future, INEOS aims to develop a fleet of bespoke Grenadiers for The HALO Trust, with features specific to its operational needs. These include anchor points to fit protective mine-proof belly armour and safe storage for mine-clearance tools. They will also need to be easily convertible into ambulances for the safe evacuation of potential casualties. Find out more - https://youtu.be/0S90kNKywqk

Nissan JUKE Rally Tribute Concept

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nissan’s victory in the East Africa Rally in the iconic 240Z, Nissan has released sketches which show what a contemporary Nissan rally car based on the JUKE would look like. The JUKE Rally Tribute Concept’s black bonnet and black wheels are a visual homage to the 1971 240Z that competed in the East African Rally. With short front and rear overhangs, Nissan believe that the production JUKE is a natural starting point for the design of the JUKE Rally Tribute Concept. Complete with enlarged wheels arches to accommodate the tailor-made off-road tyres, the vehicle’s stance is now more imposing, while the additional lights mounted on the hood and roof underlines the JUKE Rally Tribute Concept’s credentials as a competitive off-roader. In 1971, the legendary 240Z that took the victory of the gruelling East African Safari Rally was driven by Edgar Herrmann with navigator Hans Schüller. Indeed, the rally was a resounding success for the brand, with the 240Zs coming home in second and seventh positions. Furthermore, the victory represented the brand’s second consecutive victory in the rally. The low-slung 240Z was powered by a 2.4 litre straight six cylinder engine, producing 210PS, with power sent to the rear wheels. The victorious car was restored to good order in 2013 and is part of Nissan’s heritage collection which is housed in Zama, close to Nissan global headquarters in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

WHAT'S ON Classic American Stars and Stripes Car Show 3-4th July

Tatton Park, Knutsford Celebrating all things American, from Mustangs to Corvettes customised hot rods to pumped-up pick-ups and Cadillacs to American motorhomes,the Classic American Stars & Stripes car show has more than 2500 vehicles from across the pond. Adults: £10 Under 15 years: FREE

(NOTE: there is also a £8 per vehicle parking fee charged by the Trust)

https://www.tattonstarsandstripes.com

Malvern 4x4 Land Rover & Vintage Spares Day 11th July

Three Counties Showground, Malvern Lots of stalls selling Land Rover, 4x4, vintage spares, tools, workwear, motoring consumables, autojumble parts, bygones and spares from all eras. Arrive in your Land Rover, park up and join in an informal display with other enthusiasts. Adult: £6 Children 15 and under free (dogs on leads welcome) https://www.4x4sparesday.co.uk

North Wales Classic Car & Motorcycle Show 25th July

Bodrhyddan Hall, Clwyd Approx. 600 vintage, classic and modern classic vehicles on display including a large turnout of Vauxhall-Opels - the featured marque. There will be a variety of private vehicles displayed by age and category, plus a wide range of club stands. Adult: £8.50 / Child: £3.50 (7-14yrs) / Under 7s: Free https://classicshows.org

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WHAT'S ON Newbury 4x4, Land Rover & Vintage Spares Day 25th July

Newbury Showground, Berkshire Lots of stalls selling Land Rover, 4x4, vintage spares, tools, workwear, motoring consumables, autojumble parts, bygones and spares from all eras. Arrive in your Land Rover, park up and join in an informal display with other enthusiasts. Adult: £7 Children 15 and under free (dogs on leads welcome) https://www.4x4sparesday.co.uk

Gaydon Land Rover Show 31st July -1st August

British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire This is one of the biggest days in the calendar for Land Rover fans and families. The Gaydon Land Rover Show boasts hundreds of these cars and also gives you the opportunity to explore the fabulous car collection inside the British Motor Museum. Adults: £14.50, Child: £9 & £40 for a family https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

British Motor Show 19-22th August

Farnborough International Exhibition Centre Gearing up to be the biggest, brightest and most brilliant automotive event of 2021 with over 20 of the UK’s best-known automotive brands in attendance More than 50 supercars and live driving experiences More action, more content, and even more cars! Adults: £18.50 (£37 for a family https://thebritishmotorshow.live

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g n i n Life a L

aton E n e r u a by L

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

The Valley of Intolerance:

You are not welcome here!

A recent blog post pertaining to 'off roading' in the Ceiriog Valley has sparked outrage from the responsible green laning community. The article can be read here. Many green laners know the area well as it is home to the iconic 'Wayfarer', a lane that GLASS offered physical and financial assistance to repair several years ago, but despite this offer, a public crowd fund run by GLASS raising £13,000, and initial assurances from Wrexham County Council that work would begin in 2019, the lane remains closed under a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order. The area became even more famous due to continuing incidents along a route known as 'Whitestones'. Prior to malicious, purposeful, and illegal obstruction this lane was no more well-known than any other of the thousands across the UK, but since boulders, tree stumps, spikes, and some grizzly purpose made caltrops and modified farm equipment were strewn across its surface, it soon caught the eye of the community. If the illegal obstructions were an attempt to put people off visiting the area it didn’t work, the area became infamous!

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These illegal and dangerous items have continued to block and litter the public right of way for years, and while the blog post talks of concern for the safety of local residents, who allegedly wish to use these lanes to exercise, there was strangely no mention of the horrific sharp metal constructions often found hidden between rocks or sunken into puddles lying in wait to injure walkers, horses and riders, as well motorised users who innocently comes across them. It would be pertinent to note at this point that green laners have walked this lane countless times removing sharps and items that look like something from a medieval torture museum, as well as removing many boulders and tree stumps illegally blocking the right of way. Several laners have paid for metal detectors to sweep the lane at their own expense.

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The Green Lane Association has invested in cameras to catch the culprit only to find them stolen or smashed. At no point have any reports to the police or council been fruitful, neither have local residents assisted in the clean up operations. No thanks was ever forthcoming, and of course no one living locally has ever seen anyone manoeuvring huge stumps and boulders up there.Yet every single 4x4 is noticed and noted as a menace, even the local vet coming to a farm in his own 4x4 caused an alert to be sent out between residents of the valley.

Not only has the public right of way, which has had wheeled, hoofed, and foot public access rights since it was first used, been dangerous to use for several years, it has since become blocked to any and all users by illegal damage done to the road surface and a local water course in an attempt to stop vehicular users driving it. Several years ago a 4x4 accidentally slid into this same water course only to be blamed for all manner of alleged environmental damage and pollution of the local water supply. Yet now the same watercourse has been dug up and purposefully diverted across the lane in what can only be described as a huge act of environmental vandalism carried out only to stop use of the road, there is not a peep from the locals about it.

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It seems at odds with the message of the blog post, if safety and the environment rather than prohibiting motorised use is the major issue, why is the reader not made aware of the awful damage done to an ancient road, water supply and local farmland? It seems that now the lane is not accessible to anyone the local residents are happy, and can ignore the trenches dug into the land, damage to a local water supply, not to mention the spikes, caltrops, rocks, and boulders laying across these lanes that they apparently wish to use in peace and tranquillity themselves. Surely it is quite clear that these illegal actions are far more prohibitive to local users than the presence of motorised vehicles legally using a road?

The blog drones on with the usual accusations that green laners are 'thrill seekers', a laughable notion when aimed at those who bumble around the countryside at average speeds of 5-15mph, often lower. Green lanes are unsurfaced roads, anything faster would cause expensive damage to vehicles or a potentially serious accident, which is why the GLASS code of conduct suggests a maximum speed of 12mph. Thankfully accidents while green laning are almost unheard of. Allegations of crime happening simply because people are driving public roads are mentioned several times. What these crimes are is not mentioned, the only misdemeanours that GLASS have been made aware of are people continuing to drive the Wayfarer while it is under a TRO. No one is arguing that this should not happen, green laners in particular, but why attack the whole laning community, especially when they have offered to assist to repair the storm damage that caused the closure, and campaign to stop illegal driving?

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The next obvious question would be what are the police doing about it? They certainly haven’t acted upon the illegal and dangerous obstruction of these roads which is why Whitestones is still impassable and dangerous to anyone whether in a vehicle, on horseback or on foot. Lack of maintenance is mentioned, which is the sole responsibility of the local authority who has a legal duty to repair all adopted roads in their county whether surfaced or not. The fact that the surfaced roads in the area are undermaintained may well be a driving factor in this propaganda piece. It is no secret and completely understandable that local residents would like their roads fixed, if you’ve visited the area in the last few years you can soon see why, but the accusation that “the area attracts off-road bike users in particular, due to the state of the roads”. This would suggest that this whole fuss is aimed at getting the tarmac repaired, while blaming it on those who come to the area to drive off said tarmac, rather than the authority who has a duty to maintain them.

If local residents wish to force the council to act they should be putting pressure on these local councillors and not standing shoulder to shoulder with them for a photo-opportunity! The Green Lane Association has used Section 56 of the Highways Act 1980 to begin legal proceedings against Wrexham County Council to get Whitestones repaired, there is no reason that local residents could not have done the same about any other road in the county. The same can be said for the police. If crimes are being committed what are they doing about it? What is their management plan? Surely they have one if things are so bad? The A55 is pretty dodgy at the best of times, at its worst people die due to poor and illegal driving, shall we close that too? It is abhorrent that anyone would believe that restricting public access to the countryside and legal public roads is a preferable alternative than holding a local authority or the police to account over dereliction of legal duty to maintain and police the area for the safety of all. While vehicular users are offering funding, labour, time, and risking themselves, and their vehicles, to remove dangerous items from public roads, they are simultaneously being told they are not welcome in the area and are being threatened with measures to deter them from enjoying their time in the countryside.

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Far more repugnant than that is the insinuation that a legal green laner, who was threatened with being shot by a land owner, not to mention another member of his party assaulted, must have been behaving inappropriately and somehow deserves to be on the receiving end of a serious firearms offence, and an assault. Local councillor Trevor Bates stated, “I recently heard of drivers being threatened with a shotgun which makes one wonder what pushed a person to such extremes.” I, the author of this article, was the very person who published that information on local laning groups that Trevor is a member of, so I know exactly how it has been spun to fit the rhetoric - the incident didn’t even occur in Wrexham! Thankfully the green laners who were assaulted caught the whole thing on video which proves who was at fault and exactly what happened, but in this case it is not the details of the incident that matter, what is vitally important is that a threat to human life is being spun and used against the victim by someone in public office.

What sort of human being threatens to kill (or sees such a threat as a publicity opportunity) to stop people engaging in a legal hobby?

This whole diatribe has nothing to do with safety, the environment, or even human life at this point, it’s all about bias, and the lengths people will go to in order to get what they want, and what they want is to remove public access to public roads on the basis of where these people come from and what they drive. The blinkered bias is more than obvious when Trevor goes on to talk about situations in areas like the Lake District and Yorkshire. He has obviously not researched the matters. The infamous Lake District case, which involved a two year assessment carried out by the Lake District National Park Authority themselves due to the allegations of anti-4x4 lobbyists. This report found many holes in said allegations which angered the lobbyists who called for a judicial review of the report. The judge backed every point in the assessment report. The allegations were false, exaggerated, 'data' was skewed, irrelevant or duplicated, the methods used to collect the data were dubious at best, and the 'wrecked countryside and anti-social behaviour' coupled with the exaggerated numbers of vehicular users were not evident on the ground during the assessment by the park authority that manages the area. Yorkshire will of course pertain to Ramsden Road, where a Public Space Protection Order will be applied to restrict usage to a small number of lanes. In both

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cases motorised users were consulted and worked with local authorities and local residents, but in the case of the Ceiriog Valley, despite many locals including the local councillor having the personal contact details of local GLASS reps, executive officers, and regional coordinators, no effort was made to include motorised users in this matter. If a solution was really something that locals, the council, police, and landowners wanted, then it is unarguable that motorised users simply must be involved. Offers of assistance with maintenance work from motorised users have been on the table for years and not accepted, little to no action has been forthcoming from the local authority or police despite constant reports and requests from green laners for something to be done about genuine incidents, like Whitestones and the continued illegal use of the Wayfarer, and yet it is motorised users who are to blame? Piffle! It isn’t motorised users laying spikes on public roads or covering for whoever is doing it that’s for sure, or suggesting that anyone deserves to be shot for simply wanting to visit this beautiful area. That’s all from me this month folks! Happy Laning! Lauren x

• Regular digital bulletins • 2 printed magazines per year • Members website and forum • TW2, the essential green lane route planning tool • • Access to area reps for route planning and advice • Member discounts from selected suppliers • Legal challenges • Extensive knowledge base •

Land Rover Defender 90 250SE

Photographs by Roy Duffy

What is it?

I was going to skip this bit as I’m confident everyone knows what a new Defender is, I mean, it’s probably been the most controversial vehicle this side of the ARK! But, is it pavement princess or a proper replacement for the venerable Defender of old?

On the road

Over the last few months I’ve driven a number Defenders, mainly for an hour or so around Warwickshire during the odd launch, and they’ve been great, but living with one for a week and doing the usual shopping treks, commute and going on a couple of mooches is a different thing altogether.

So, where do I begin? Well, around town, the 90 is obviously much more agile than the 110, but out on the open road I actually struggled to notice a huge difference between the two. Having a 102” wheelbase makes the 90 quite civilised, and it doesn’t have any of the vagueness you get from a Wrangler, but is the Wrangler a direct competitor? Of course the Defender wallows bit when you start to throw it around corners at speeds that you really shouldn’t - yet it gives you the confidence to do those sorts of things anyway.

A couple of folks on social media pointed out that I shouldn’t have been driving along certain Cumbrian roads due to their maximum width of 6’ 6”, which the Defender exceeds - so be careful. If I have any complaints, it’s that the Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter was far too sensitive. Because the Defender is such a large and quiet vehicle, I found it far too easy to exceed 30 and 40mph speed limits, so I’d activate the speed limiter. However whilst driving along a road at 40mph, on quite a few occasions it automatically slowed the Defender down quite dramatically to 20mph - embarrassing me and annoying the drivers behind! The 250SE was fitted with both air suspension and off-road tyres, a combination I was more than happy with. From motorways to fast B roads, the 90 always behaved impeccably, and was fun, too. The 3.0 litre in-line six-cylinder mild-hybrid diesel engine pushes out 250bhp, and works seamlessly with the 8-speed automatic gearbox, and after a week of very mixed driving it achieved just under 33mpg, which I thought was pretty good going, considering I was always in a rush.

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Off road - Simply awesome! As you will have read in previous issues, I’ve driven both the 90 and 110 Defender along many of the tracks around Eastnor Castle - but to take it along a few challenging green lanes is a different matter altogether. I’ll write a full report of my trip to Bootle Fell in the Lakes in next month’s issue, but let’s just say the Defender lived up to its reputation, and only once did I lose forward motion, and that was because I’d reached the max suspension lift and still managed to ground the front end! Raising the air suspension and you have heaps of clearance with no low hanging diffs to worry about either.

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With air suspension on full lift, there isn’t much in the way of articulation, but Terrain Response 2 does a fantastic job of working things out in no time at all. With 570Nm of torque, the big diesel is smooth and powerful, and made creeping along the most arduous offroad terrain a breeze - even on 3 wheels! As I’ve mentioned in previous reports, I find the 3D Surround Cameras work incredibly well, especially the ones under the door mirrors that show the front tyres, they’re brilliantly effective at showing what’s in front, and at the side of the vehicle.

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Interior

The interior of the new Defender makes me smile, it’s totally unique, and I love its up-to-date nod to Defenders of old. Despite hard wearing and washable panels, its still a classy place to be, and the driving position is stately and typical of the brand. When it comes to cubby space, I honestly can’t imagine anyone using up all the space that’s available, it’s such a practical design. Like any three door vehicle, clambering into the back can be a bit of a fuss, which isn’t helped by having to wait for the motor to move the front seats forward - I timed them at around 15 seconds.

However, once in the back, rear seat passengers not only have a huge amount of leg room and visibility, but with USB ports embedded in the front seats, it’s a surprisingly comfortable place to be. In addition, the full length sunroof option (£1,800), would be a must for me, not only does it allow a breath of fresh air into the cabin without much buffeting, but it allows anyone sat in the back to stand up and play tank commander! When it comes to spec you’re not sold short as all Defenders come with LED headlights, heated front seats and Land Rover’s 10” Pivi Pro infotainment set-up with apple CarPlay and Android. Standard on the SE comes 3D surround-view camera and all-round parking sensors, cruise control, lane-keep assist and autonomous emergency braking and among a long list of goodies. A special mention has to go to the Meridian sound system with 10 speakers plus a subwoofer, and the ClearSight digital rear view mirror that I ended up using all the time.

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Another downside to buying a 3-door vehicle is space in the boot, and the 90 gives you just under 400 litres, which to be fair was enough to fit my rather large Peli 1640 Protector case full of camping gear, as well as recover gear on either side. I figured I was missing something obvious when I couldn’t get the rear seats to fold completely flat, so I visited my local JLR dealership. Apparently, unlike the rear seats in a 110, the rear seats in a 90 aren’t designed to fold completely flat, so the salesman told me.

Conclusion

Haters will always hate, naturally, but the new Defender is simply a class-leading design that translates into an epic 4x4. Sure, there’s a ‘lifestyle’ element to the new Defender, and I can’t imagine you’ll see many in a farm yard covered in manure, but underneath its modern yet tough exterior sits the technology you need to get to the most inhospitable places on earth, there’s no doubt that it’s got what it takes to be worthy of the Defender name. Price of test vehicle £51,205, with options £61,125. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

TOYOTA

HIGHLANDER Excel Hybrid AWD

There Can

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What is it? Huge, for starters. Parked up outside Muddy Towers it covered at least 3 postcodes! For those who aren’t aware, the Highlander isn’t exactly a spring chicken, it’s actually been around for the last 21 years no less, in markets such as Australia, United States and Japan. So it arrives in the UK with over two decades worth of refinement and pedigree, along with Toyota’s solid reputation of creating pretty reliable vehicles. But why? Well, it’s obvious that Toyota want to cash in on the booming full size SUV market, and who can blame them?

Only One

Despite sharing its platform with the RAV4, at 4,966mm long, 1,930mm wide and 1,755 tall, the Highlander is significantly bigger. Don’t compare it to the formidable Land Cruiser either, using its more modern platform and hybrid drivetrain, the Highlander is a more road going family barge than an ‘off-roader’.

On the road So, what’s it like on the road? Comfortable and quiet. With a cracking turning circle, negotiating town centres was a breeze, despite its length, and being softly sprung meant that potholes are disregarded, even with 20” tyres as standard. I gave the Highlander a couple of decent runs during the week, one down to Gaydon for a Land Rover event and the other up to Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria, both proved that on the motorway, the Highlander is extremely comfortable. The big surprise came about on my way back from Kirkby Stephen along the winding and picturesque A683. Flicking the ‘Sport’ switch and the Highlander came alive with a throttle

response that’s almost immediate, and it can shift like a scolded cat. Steering was precise and on the whole it felt good to fling around corners, in fact, for a large 7-seater it remained upright, and not wallowing around as much as you would imagine. A quick dab on the brakes as you approach a corner, and the Highlander accelerates out of them with a surprising turn of speed with the AWD system offering plenty of grip. At this point I think I need to add a caveat. Let’s not forget that I drive 4x4s for a living, not supercars, so another motoring writer who’s used driving Type R Honda Civics all day will probably disagree! Overall the 2.5 litre, 244bhp petrol lump worked in harmony with the CVT gearbox, one of the better combinations, in my opinion. Adding the small battery and electric motor system means that the Highlander can run on electric power over short distances, with the petrol engine acting as a generator for the battery. Throughout the week, driving a variety of roads and distances, the Highlander constantly achieved a smidge under 40mpg, which in fairness isn’t bad at all.

Off road As you can see by the photos, I didn’t venture too far off the beaten track, but the Highlander proved more than capable of handling ‘easy' green lanes. During our week together it didn’t rain once, so I wasn’t able to test it in mud. Sadly there’s no low-box or locking diff buttons, instead you’re left pondering what the solitary ‘Trail’ button does. Well, engaging Trail mode simply changes the throttle and transmission responses to give you more control at slower speeds, as well as altering the all-wheel-drive system to send more torque to the rear axle. Traction control is a bit more aggressive, too.

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Interior Inside the Highlander you’re confronted with one of the most family friendly interiors I’ve ever come across - the amount of cubby holes and trays is remarkable. The centre armrest for example doesn’t lift up, it slides backwards opening up a massively deep cubby box. On the dash there’s an impressive amount of space for oddments and such, you’ll never be short of anywhere to store your gubbins in a Highlander. The dash layout on the other hand is a bit on the ‘busy’ side; it isn’t pretty, but it’s practical and you soon get to know where things are. Second row passengers have oodles of legroom, enough to perform a Kenny Everett ‘all done in the best possible taste’ leg crossing. The rear-most passengers aren’t limited to small children and oompa-loompas either, again you get a decent about of legroom, considering, especially as the middle row seats slide forward 180mm.

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With all seven seats in place there is 332 litres of space, enough space for a couple of good size suitcases. In five seat mode the completely flat loading area offers a very respectable 658 litres (up to the tonneau cover), and when the second row is folded the capacity increases to 1,909 litres up the roof. There are two versions available for the UK market, the Excel (from £50,595) and Excel Premium (from £52,575). The former is equipped with black leather upholstery on all seven seats, with the driver and front passenger receiving seat heaters. Three-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, panoramic roof and power-operated boot opening are standard, as are puddle lights, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Cabin technology includes an 8” touchscreen infotainment unit with navigation, and of course Apple CarPlay and Android. Along with other luxuries, the Excel Premium includes a head-up display, a top-down parking camera, heated rear seats and ventilated fronts.

Conclusion Despite measuring at least three postcodes, the Highlander is an easy car to live with and a joy to drive - so much so I didn’t want to give it back. I usually say that about proper offroaders like the Land Cruiser and Defender, or sport cars like the F-Type and Mustang, not a family orientated 7-seater!

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LESS THAN

£1

PER WEEK

The ultimate green lane route planning tool • Laptop, Tablet & Smartphone friendly • Up to date information on restrictions & closures • User evidence GPX route upload • Extensive UK coverage • Search by county, track name or number

Find out more at www.allterrainuk.com

ATUK Summer Message I would like to say hello and welcome to the summer 2021 message from the chairman and the ATUK team, I hope this letter finds you all safe and healthy at this time. Like everyone lockdown and the associated restrictions have been very hard and “normal” life is starting to feel like a distant memory, activities that we once took for granted are now treasured and like everyone I never want to return to the dark days of March 2020 and what followed over the following year or so. During this time we have streamlined our website with a member’s area having been created alongside the vastly improved member discount scheme, this will ultimately negate the use of the members forum so we can offer all our services and benefits in one place, obviously our Facebook and social media presence will remain in its current friendly and approachable form.

Smart Trail is currently working brilliantly but look out for a new improved version which will be launched soon, whilst it will remain very similar there’s a few new features that I am sure you will all appreciate. During lockdown, a number of online mapping workshops were also run through online video calls, so that members could start planning their post lockdown trips out. Membership has been steadily increasing over the last year, we now have over 500 fully paid up members and equally importantly we are retaining a lot of our existing members so a huge thank you to everyone involved. Along with our increasing membership numbers our bank balance has grown accordingly so we have never been better placed to supply funds for projects, signage and anything else that might help keep lanes open-it is after all one of our key aims as an organisation, so if you have ideas for projects then please get in touch.

“Getting involved has never been easier” - We started out with a fairly rigid framework for our reps to work in, this did not prove to be too popular and as a result we found it very difficult to enlist people. Whilst we had some great teams onboard, we knew that the network needed to expand and cover more areas of the country, this is how the ambassador’s scheme came about and has proven very popular. We hold regular online video meetings to build relationships with our team throughout England and Wales, these meetings are very informal and often cover a very wide subject matter.

downloadable documents for virtually every activity you may want to carry out, including risk assessments and even suggested scripts for when you meet people for the first time. Despite the fact that we now have many ambassadors around the country we need more so would love to hear from you especially if you have any questions in that regard. So, in summary I would like to say thank you for sticking with us and that with your help we can go from strength to strength and take ATUK to the next level. Regards, Kirk and the team

The ambassador’s scheme is a very flexible policy whereby people can become as involved as they want. There are no requirements beyond the basic remit of helping fellow ATUK members in terms of local knowledge and advice, from that if they so wish they can become more involved. This includes discussing ideas directly with the Steerco and fellow ambassadors, running trips and events, contacting their local council etc, as an organisation we can help with all of the above. There is easy to use and

Kirk Pearson Director/Co-Founder & Chairman

www.allterrainuk.com

Discover A gre Did you know that a quarter of all the (new) Land Rover Discoverys, sold here in the UK, are the ‘Commercial’ version? No, me neither, but it's true.

eat workhorse

The Discovery Commercial has been with us for a quite a while, and for 2021, Land Rover have seen fit to give it their 3 litre six-cylinder diesel engine, attached the silky smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox with high and low-range gearing and, of course, Terrain Response. Enhanced by mild-hybrid (MHEV) technology, it delivers 300bhp and 650Nm of torque, meaning that you will be propelled from 0-60mph in just 6.5secs, and whilst driving a little less frantic, you can achieve up to 31.9mpg. All that umph sounds great, until you realise that you’re driving a commercially registered vehicle, and therefore you’re legally restricted to van speed limits - but then how often do you see vans keeping to the speed limit? The driving experience is refined and comfortable, and so it should be as it’s a ‘normal’ Discovery with an added bulkhead and the rear seats replaced by a hard-wearing load space. Not only does it retain a high quality interior, but you still get vast amounts of standard equipment to play with, including the very latest Land Rover Pivi Pro infotainment system.

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From Preston Wynne back to Gaydon, the unladen Commercial handled like a dream, the air suspension soaked up all the bumps and road imperfections (as it should), and the cabin, well, it’s a Discovery, so it was roomy, quiet and classy.

There’s no doubt the Discovery Commercial is a premium ‘van’, but who is it for? If you’re after a posh, light commercial vehicle with a world class 4x4 system, that doesn’t resemble anything like a delivery van, then it's you I guess. With a starting price at £48,771.67 (ex-VAT), it obviously isn’t the cheapest way to haul your clobber around, but it does have a huge and practical rear opening, a cargo space of 2,024 litres, which isn’t that far off Defender 110, and a 784kg payload with a 3.5t towing capacity.

Also, because it doesn't look like van, it's far less likely to be targeted by tool thieves and their ilk. Being a commercial model means that it meets van tax requirements, which equates to you paying less in tax. However, as I mentioned previously, before you start thinking about whether you can get away with it as a company car, remember that you can only legally do 60mph on a dual carriageway. That said, because the commercial looks identical to any other Discovery on the road, it’ll take an APNR camera to spot the difference! Of course there are other commercial 4x4s out there, like the Dacia Duster, Toyota Land Cruiser and the 'soon to go the way of the Dodo' duo, the Mitsubishi Outlander and Shogun Sport, but for the sheer quality of interior finish and on-road driving experience, none of them can match the Discovery. more at » www.landrover.co.uk/fleet-and-business/ land-rover-commercial/discovery-commercial.html

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R A E G & GOODS

R O BENS C HIN OOK URSA S TE NT A tipi style tent, the Chinook Ursa S sleeps up to six people (though I think 4 would be more comfortable), and features zip-close gussets each side of the door that, when undone, allows the whole front to be opened using poles converted from the door’s A-frame. This fully reveals inside and creates an open shaded living space from which to socialise and enjoy views out on sunny days. The instructions aren’t the easiest to get your head around (for example, there are two types of pegs and no explanation why, and configuring the poles had us head scratching for a moment), but it’s pretty straight forward to erect, once you’ve sussed out the A-frame poles. That said, for such a sizeable tent it can easily be erected within 15 minutes by just one person. It’s simply a case of pegging out the base, assembling the centre pole and pushing it up the inside of the tent. Then, once you’ve assembled and fitted the A-frame poles that makes up the front porch, all that you need to do then is peg down the outer tent and guy ropes - job done. 54

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You can see in this video my first attempt at pitching the Robens Chinook Ursa S, and looking back I don’t think I did to too badly! Once up, it feels quite warm inside which comes from the polycotton fabric that insulates better than polyester tents. Another benefit of being polycotton is that it’s a single layer so there’s hardly any flapping in windy conditions, and once it rains, the fibres that are open to make it breathable swell up to create a lovely waterproof and cosy environment. The Ursa S features a zip-off groundsheet that also zips open to the centre that allows you to fold it away enabling you to heat up the tent using a wood burning stove.

R WINNE ENT BEST T 2021

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To open it up, you simply unzip part of the base and the gussets each side of the door, unpeg the front, and rearrange the A-frame so that it’s 3 separate poles.

to unclip two of the guy ropes on the tent, then clip them into the straps on the opening, this is unique to the Ursa S and not its bigger sibling.

What it doesn’t tell you in the instructions, that had me baffled for a while, was that to secure each of the side poles, you have

I only figured this out once I’d packed it all away, hence no photos of my own, but here's Robens pretty picture.

With a flysheet made from breathable HydroTex polycotton (65% polyester % 35% cotton), and groundsheet made from 210T Oxford polyester, the Ursa S weighs in at 17.7 kg and packs down to 96 x 27 cm. Due to the tent only arriving a week before this issue was due to be published, we haven’t yet spent a night in it, but watch this space, I’m looking forward to spending some time under the stars in the Ursa S.

Available as extras are a footprint for muddy conditions (around £79.99) and an internal carpet (around £155.99). price: £919.99 more at » www.robens.de 56

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R A E G & GOODS

ROB E N S K OB UK TE N T STOV E Of all the stoves, firepits and BBQs I have shoehorned into Muddy Towers, the only type I’ve been missing, and hankering over, is a tent stove. The fact that up until recently I didn’t have a suitable tent for a tent stove was irrelevant! That changed with the arrival of my Robens Ursa S tent, and with it I decided to go with the Robens Kobuk stove. Like many other tent stoves, it’s pretty easy to assembly. Simply unfold the two supporting legs, open the front door, remove all eight chimney sections and the two side racks from inside the body. Once you have everything laid out, attach the two side racks and begin connecting all eight chimney sections. Due to its newness, on initial set up I noticed that the chimney segments were quite tight, so I gave them a light smearing using some high temperature grease hoping they’d come apart easier. Because the Kobuk can be used inside a tent, it comes with a flue protector that slides over chimney to protect the tent, this is held in place by two chains attached to the spark arrestor that sits at the top. Obviously, when using the stove outside you don’t need to fit the flue protector. With everything in place I threw in a couple of fire starters, stacked some dry wood on top and set it alight. You can either cook on the top surface, or remove the top plate and cook over direct flames, either way it has proven to be an efficient way of both heating and cooking. On the door you have a glass inspection window, and an air intake for combustion control.

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Measuring 54.5 x 41 x 28cm when packed and weighing in at 12.5 kg, the Kobuk comes complete with its own oversized carry bag which makes transporting the stove, flue protector, and other accessories really easy. A note on safety - Of course, lighting a fire inside a tent is fraught with dangerous possibilities, so it’s worth while keeping a fire extinguisher, and a fire blanket to hand. Also consider keeping a sharp knife at the back of the tent in case your exit is blocked - I’d rather cut a hole in my tent than get burnt. price - £430 more at » https://www.robens.de

R A E G & OODS

ROB E N S B E RI N G W A TE R HE A TE R Despite having a couple of kettles, and a Jetboil Flash in which to boil water, when I ordered the Kobuk Tent Stove, I decided to add the Bering Water Heater to the order - it just made sense, as it sits on the stove and wraps partly around the stovepipe to gently boil water. With a 2 litre capacity it doesn’t take long for a full boil, but that obviously depends on the ferocity of the fire inside the stove, and the heat generated through the pipe. Generally speaking, by the time breakfast is cooked the water is coming up to the boil for that much needed brew, with enough left over to sort out the washing up! Once the water has boiled you can either use the built-in tap, or unclamp it and use the two sturdy handles to carefully remove it from the stove.

The Bering Water Heater is designed to fit around any 6cm diameter flue, and is made from stainless steel. It measures 22 x 15 x 21.5 cm (WxDxH), and weighs in at just 575g, it also comes with its own carry bag, which also fits snugly in the Kobuk carry bag. As I mentioned at the beginning, despite having a couple of kettles I don’t need to bother taking them on camping trips anymore as the Bering simply sits in the background heating water leaving the top of the stove clear for cooking on. price £61

more at » https://www.robens.de THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

R A E G & GOODS

TI LLE Y 5-P A N E L RE CYCLE D C A P

y Madam

d by Mud

I'm not usually a fan of caps; they never really fit well, make my head sweat, and never quite cover enough to be useful, so when Tilley offered up the chance to test out their new unisex Recycled Cap for our eco-themed issue back in April, I wasn't overly enthused, but this cap proved to be different. Unfortunately the cap was one of the items that got held up by shipping issues beyond our or Tilley's control, so it didn't make it into the issue. When it finally turned up, just in time for monsoon-like weather to hit the North West, I decided it would be prudent to hold off the review until the weather improved. It's now midJune, and we're in the midst of a sun drenched heatwave - the perfect cap testing weather. Fit - Unlike most Tilley hats, the cap only comes in one size which on first try seemed rather roomy, but it has an adjustable, elasticated strap at the back that will accomodate most head sizes. I really liked that the strap can be adjusted, then slots away into the headband so that it doesn't flap around.

If you have longer hair, when it's sunny you just want to stick your hair in a ponytail to get it off your neck, and a lot of caps don't have a big enough hole at the back to get your hair through or it doesn't sit in the right place, but Tilley has nailed this, and it felt really comfortable, with hair up or down.

Sweat - It didn't make my head feel sweaty - yes I did sweat, especially on my forehead, but this was alleviated by the moisture-wicking elastic sweatband, and the air-flow grommets on each side helped cool the top of my head. Practicality - Most caps have a front visor made more for fashion than for practicality, not Tilley, no their visor is nice and deep (almost 9.5cm), and a very decent width (approx.18.5cm), so it shades nearly the whole face. I decided to test out its UPF 50+ sun protection rating, by heading out for a 2 hour wander, at 1pm on a boiling hot day, without sun cream on my face (I did put it on ears, neck and body though - I'm not a moron!). I can happily say it worked- I did get a smidgeon of colour from reflected sunlight off the floor, but there were no cheeks glowing like a scalded lobster. It features a mesh lining, and has a durable water repellent finish making it great for when the British weather decides to turn, oh, and don't forget the Tilley secret pocket in the crown (shhhh). Sustainability - Created from100% Recycled Nylon, it also has OEKO-TEX® certification which means that every component has been tested and cleared for harmful substances. Available in: Olive (tested), Midnight Navy, Grey price: £30 more at » https://uk.tilley.com

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mud life mugs themudlife.co.uk/mugs

4x4 writer extraordinaire, Frank Elson, mentioned this Range Rover Classic mug in his latest blog:

"My latest coffee-mug. I got it from The Mud Life magazine -

it's the best Range Rover Classic mug I have ever seen... (and I paid for it by the way, no favour for a favour)"

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New Stuff we've discovered this month TREE TRUNK PROTECTOR The Bush Company Tree Trunk Protector, sometimes referred to as a rigging strap, is designed to rig your winch line to a solid object, such as, a tree. As the name suggests, the Protector helps to protect the tree you use from damage by the winch rope, as using wire rope directly on a tree trunk will seriously damage the tree, and possibly kill it. The 5 metres long strap has a rated breaking strain of 10,000kg, and is made of nylon webbing, specifically designed to be non-elastic to handle the high capacity of winch pulling. You’ll need a D-shackle, or clevis attached to the looped ends of the strap with which to attach your winch hook. However, tree trunk protectors aren’t just about tree preservation, they’re about safety.You NEVER, want to wrap a winch line around any anchor and hook the line back onto itself. This is a practice that can lead to rope failure, and that is obviously a very dangerous occurence. Specifications • Width - 90mm • Length - 5m • Reinforced End Loops

• Grip & Seam Protection Pad • Comes in a sealed Dry Bag • Fully sleeved webbing

price:: £16.95 more at » www.lvboverland.com

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OSRAM LED GUARDIAN ROAD FLARE LEDguardian Road Flare is a compact LED warning light for emergency situations on the road, as well as for minor inspection work on your car. Equipped with 16 long-lasting LEDs, the light offers 3 different modes of operation - flashing, permanently on or torch function. The light’s warning function, which emits orange light through 360 degrees, is visible from a far distance and can provide decisive information about a hazard in case of danger. In addition, it has non-slip, dirt-resistant surface and it is so robustly manufactured that it can withstand being run over by a car., and it comes with a 2 year guarantee. more at » www.osram.com price: £17.99 buy in the UK from amazon.co.uk

New Stuff we've discovered this month 7" LTPRTZ LED HEADLIGHTS Transform your Defender with the LTPRTZ 7” LED headlight with black reflector. This headlight not only looks great but it is specially made with a focus on quality parts and longetivity of life - more than 30,000 hours. The LTPRTZ 7” LED Headlight consists of 8 x 10W CREE XML LEDs pushing out 5600 Lumens which have high beam, low beam and a parking light. The headlight shows off a striking black reflector. The housing is constructed with black die-cast aluminium alloy and a impact-resistant polycarbonate lens.

READER OFFER

This is available for right hand drive vehicles only, if you have a left hooker, chat to the folk at ORE4x4 price: £444 more at » ore4x4.co.uk Use the code MUDLIFE5 at the checkout for a 5% discount on ALL products at ore4x4.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

ULTIMATE FIRE BOWL This clever, yet simple, design incorporates 2 legs that slot together, to provide a solid base for the bowl which then sits on top. No tools required, and no fuss! Unlike traditional campfires, this 50cm bowl, manufactured from 4mm thick, corrosion resistant stainless steel plate, safely contains and elevates the fire off the ground, meaning you won’t leave behind scorched grass when you’re finished. The ‘Ultimate Fire Bowl’ also comes with its own carry bag, providing protection, and making transporting easier. You can transform the Ultimate Fire Bowl into a charcoal BBQ with their premium stainless steel cooking grill. Not only has the grill been specifically designed for the Fire Bowl, it also fits inside the carry bag too!

prices: Ultimate Fire Bowl - £279.99 BBQ Grill - £119.99 more at » pursuitworldwide.com

New Stuff we've discovered this month TOM KERRIDGE OUTDOOR COOKING Whether you’re a beginner barbecuing on your balcony, or a seasoned pro who really knows your charcoal, fire and smoke, this new book from chef Tom Kerridge shares 80 of his best recipes. All are stunningly delicious (we can't guarantee this, but it all looks pretty yummy!). Chapters include hearty favourites like pork and chorizo burger, veggie mains like charred cauliflower salad, and shareable snacks like aubergine dips and flatbreads. There are desserts and drinks, tips and advice for the perfect summer barbecue, campfire or outdoor gathering with friends and family. price: RRP £22 (hardback) buy in the UK at Amazon.co.uk now £11 (price correct at time of publishing)

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Britpart are delighted to now be an approved stockist for the entire ARB range of products in the UK. For nearly 40 years Britpart has been synonymous with parts for Land Rovers and now we are expanding our range of quality aftermarket parts with the introduction of the ARB catalogue for a multitude of 4x4 vehicles.

ARB’s range of products for the off-road and pickup market includes Air Lockers & > Compressors

Recovery Points & > Equipment

> Canopies

> Roof Racks

> Drawers

> StealthBar Bumper

> Lights

Steps & Side > Protection

Upgraded > Suspension > Rear Protection

arb4x4uk.co.uk

> Tyre Accessories > Underbody Protection

ARB accessories & suspension products for a wide range of manufacturers & models Ford Ranger / Isuzu D-Max / Jeep Cherokee & Grand Cherokee & Jeep Wrangler Land Rover Defender & Land Rover Discovery / Mitsubishi L200 / Nissan Navara & Pathfinder / Toyota Hilux / VW Amarok

sales@britpart.com THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

Words & Photos by Joshua Cameron

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The chances are, if you’ve been around 4x4s, have off-road feeds on social media, or ever asked how to remove pin striping from the paint of your pride and joy, you will have already heard of the phenomenon sweeping the painting world that is Upol’s Raptor paint. For those of us unaware of this acclaimed standard of paint. Upol Raptor liner is a polyurethane protective paint that was originally developed as a spray in bed liner, but has now evolved to seemingly limitless applications. Upol themselves declare Raptor as heavily scratch resistant, fully UV resistant with no fading and chalking, salt resistant, impervious to oil and most fuels, waterproof and extremely easy to apply, even for the most fledgling D.I.Y enthusiast among us. Needless to say the above has created an almost cult like following in certain circles, with big name YouTube channels promoting it religiously, and world class shows like BBC’s Top Gear and Amazon's The Grand Tour, both featuring vehicles sprayed in Raptor. So what was a simple Devon boy to do? “Geddon, I’ll av's me some o' that” I said. Whilst my Mitsubishi L200 started its life with me as a shiny glossy black work

truck, over the years its slowly morphed into as much of an off-road machine, as it is on road. Lifted, on 35’s with custom OPC4x4’s diff gearing, centre and rear diff lock, my truck generally takes me places both for work (in the woods) and for pleasure that my paint protests against - often by way of torturous screeching and groans. I found juggling keeping the truck professionally tidy, and using it for what I built it for, an ever widening gulf to bridge. I first used Raptor on my rock sliders that were continually getting banged, scratched and had began showing signs of rust. At the time I wasn’t confident enough to spray it through my compressor, and wanted the value of the 4L kits rather than the touch up spray cans. So after research I decided to use a mini roller and see what happened.

After stripping back all the left over paint, and linishing all the rust from the sliders, I coated the bare metal in zinc primer (a poor man's galvanising) to add future protection against any microscopic rust I may have missed, or any future water ingress due to damage. Once that had cured, and I’d lightly keyed it in, the time to try the infamous Raptor was finally here. A friend who had previously rollered Raptor gave me the great tip of using a smooth sponge roller to put the first coat down, enabling me to get an even coverage for the base layer, and then use the textured rollers for subsequent layering to get the tough durable stippling effect. Before I knew it I was well stuck in to the process, allowing plenty of flash off times between coats. I was amazed, come the end of painting the sliders, how little raptor I’d used for my 3 coats, far less than if I had sprayed it. So like an over excited child with a new toy, I soon went on to do the rest of the bar work on the truck with the left over paint. Decanting it to three parts raptor paint and one part hardener, I made sure I never made up too much Raptor that it would bake off and go to waste before I was ready to use it. After a tentative wait for a few days to let the paint fully harden sure enough, whilst not being impervious to the toughest damage and hard impacts befitting rock sliders, the Raptor really did outshine the powder coating and spray paint that was previously applied, taking most everything I threw at it completely in its stride. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

Thus the seed was planted, with lockdowns looming one after the other, the truck looking more and more sorry for itself cosmetically, the decision was made to bite the bullet and give it a respray. The cost of a conventional respray along with the guarantee that the lifestyle the truck has to endure won’t change, the appeal of Raptor grew stronger. With the social media grapevine alive with stories of how easy Raptor is to spray, even with little experience, I decided to give it a go myself… after all, what could go wrong, right? After deciding to use Upol’s tintable version of Raptor, the long winded and perilous decision as to what colour to paint our beloved truck began. Finally the arguments and indecisions were resolved when, like a true man, I marched my wife down the paint store put my foot down 68

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and demanded she choose the colour she liked best. (Happy wife, and a happy get out of jail free card for me if the colour didn’t turn out right!)

120 grit on a D.A sander, filling any dents as needed, and making sure any filler and bare metal were covered over in etch primer.

With the colour decided, and a friend's gigantic ex-commercial greenhouse secured as base of operations, the day soon came to start the all important prep work. I had decided I wanted to make the job as thorough as I could for a first timer.

Once everything had been keyed in (including any fresh primer), I went over the whole body, all the nooks and crannies, with a compressed air line to get all the dust and debris from sanding, and previous off-roading adventures, blasted out.

The first things to do were whip off the rear tub from the chassis, strip down all the door cards/seals, roof gutter trim, light clusters, door windows and a myriad other things I’m trying desperately to forget doing. Like any paint job, the key is all in the preparation, so I allowed plenty of time to do this and didn’t rush. When all the trim and fixtures were finally off I sanded down the bodywork with

I paid special attention to wheel wells, bonnet creases, and any other areas some dust could just flick up into the paint when spraying (though this is not as vitally important with raptor as standard paint). The next stage was to mask off any windows (or holes where windows should have been), wipe the truck down with degreaser and finally a Tac Cloth to get any of the lingering debris out of the way, and prep the paint for respray.

www.raptorcoatings.com

for n e h w the g n i o g gets h g u o t RAPTOR COATINGS FOR A SUPER TOUGH FINISH Developed to tolerate most climatic conditions, RAPTOR is UV resistant and won’t fade or “chalk” even after years in the sun. RAPTOR is also waterproof and protects surfaces from rust making it perfect for substrates that will be submerged in water, including salt water.

TOUGH PROTECTIVE COATINGS

As mentioned, Raptor is mixed 3 to 1 Raptor paint to hardener. Conveniently, Upol make each 1 litre bottle in their kits 'Devonian' proof, with a mark to show you exactly where to add the hardener up to if you intend to use a whole bottle. When using the tintable version you then add 10% of your desired 2k tint to the bottle, shake it thoroughly for a good few minutes and then you’re ready to paint! For my truck I decided I wanted a slightly smoother texture than the Artex like finish with the typical Schultz gun, so I invested in Raptor’s own Varigun with the adjustable nozzle for a variety of finishes. After doing some research online I decided the texture I wanted, worked out at two and a half turns (from closed) on the Vari-nozzle, and 90psi of air pressure through the gun. I found some old bits of metal lying around, and fancying myself as Banksy, I double checked the texture was coming out right with some graffiti before beginning spraying in earnest. Like any paint job, I sprayed side to side in long sweeping motions, making sure to get an even thin layer down, overlapping each pass to the one above it, keeping the striping down to a minimum.

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I repeated this for 3 full coats all over, and then for my very last coat I stood further back and did what’s called a mist coat to get rid of any striping or other inconsistencies in the finish. I then waited for the final coat to start tacking off, and pulled off any masking tape before the Raptor dried, and left it to cure. Upol recommend 60 minutes of flash off time between coats, 2-3 days cure time before light use or contact with water, and 7 days before it’s fully cured for heavy use. I made sure to wait a good 3 to 4 days before putting trim and the tub back on the truck. In hindsight I should have waited the full 7 days because I chipped a bit off of the rear tub when putting it back on, however the beauty of Raptor was with a little

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key in and masking I could spray a touch up on the area, and no one was any the wiser. I’ve since tested the respray amongst some of our typical Devon lanes where my paint has changed from screeches of despair to battle like cries of “Is that all you’ve got?!” to the passing foliage. Whilst no one claims Raptor is indestructible, I’ve yet to find anything to give it lasting damage and view it as a very practical and worthy mod to do.

Just get out there and give it a go If you’re nervous start small and ask yourself, what’s the worst that could go wrong... right?!

During the project I discovered some valuable things of note from various sources and personal experience ... - It's often best to mix your tint with its own hardener to the manufacturer's specified ratio BEFORE adding it in to the hardened Raptor mix. This isn’t essential, but it was reported that it allowed better mixing, adhesion and thus finish so of course I decided to do it. - Another fact worthy of note is that the tintable Raptor is a creamy white in the bottle and therefore lightens the shade of your finished paint. I knew this before hand so chose a shade darker colour than we wanted, yet we still ended up having a lighter shade than we had originally anticipated once all was said and done. - On the note of shades, its becoming a recognised fact that darker colours show scuffs in Raptor paint quicker and more dramatically than lighter colours. This is not because the Raptor is deficient, this is because the pigment in the tint is more noticeable when rubbed off from the Raptor, so any traces of tree branch or anything else you rub up against shows harsher against a darker surface. - I also highly recommend you allow the full 60 minutes flash off time between each coat of paint, or else it will take weeks to fully harden as the layers all try to bake off through each other. This leaves a hard feeling outer shell but almost rubber like raptor underneath which can be damaged easily once the thin outer skin is penetrated. - I would recommend you order a bit more Raptor than you think you need if spraying. As alluded to previously when rollering Raptor it stretches a surprisingly long way, however like spraying all paints, you get a fair bit of overspray with raptor which uses up more paint. To give you a rough idea I used 12 litres of tintable Raptor and 4 litres of black Raptor to do my truck, chassis and accessories. I used a 50 litre D.I.Y compressor (an anniversary gift from my wife) and found this, along with a water trap was perfectly capable of spraying the truck.

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- If you take your rig off-roading after a Raptor respray and it seems scratched, check first it's not minute bits of bark, leaf or anything else actually on top of the Raptor. If it is scratched use a heat gun gently on the scratch and more often than not it will self heal (I don’t know why) - I cannot stress enough the importance of flushing your gun through with thinners between each bottle of raptor. I was starting to get lumps in one of my coats and although I’d squirted thinners through the gun I realised raptor was starting to go hard behind one of the jets and was coming out in small flakes and lumps. The more you spray the more you will find the paint going off inside the gun. - If you do get any overspray in some unintended places, be quick to wipe it off with some cellulose thinners as it can be a real pain to get off once dried.

more at » www.raptorcoatings.com/uk/en-uk/

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COMPANY PROFILE - Graythwaite Adventure

Muddy Madam and I recently received an invite to visit Graythwaite Adventure up in the Lake District, for a morning of activities of our choosing. Not having heard of them before, I did a quick Google search, and found that on the shores of Windermere, the Graythwaite Estate covers 5,000 acres of carefully managed estate land, woodland and parkland. Within the estate you can enjoy activities such as 4×4 Off Road Driving, ClayPigeon Shooting, Archery, Canoeing, Paddle Boarding, (pause for breath), Axe Throwing, Bushcraft, RIB Rides, Drive‘n’Dine Experiences, Estate Picnics and more. The answer was obviously ‘yes please’, but the difficult bit was deciding which of the varied activities that Tim and Sara offer we’d like to experience. The obvious choice would have been to spend all morning driving around on their purpose-built off-road course with one of their BORDA trained off-road instructors, but after deliberating the options with Muddy Madam, we decided to go for off-road driving, archery and axe throwing. Upon arrival we met up with James who would be our instructor for all the activities. I already knew James, not only have we been out laning together in the past, but he was the Cumbrian GLASS rep for a while, and all round good bloke. After catching up, and the obligatory safety briefing, we jumped in the Defender 110 and he drove us to the start of the off-road course a couple of hundred yards up the road. 76

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At this point, much to Muddy Madam’s shock, she was informed that it would be her who would be driving, as I wanted to take the photos. Before vacating the driver's seat, James went through some of the safety basics to be aware of while driving off the beaten track - such things as keeping your thumbs away from the inside of the steering wheel, and not ‘riding’ the clutch. With me out of the way finding decent vantage points for photos, James, in his calming yet authoritative voice, guided Muddy Madam to drive over and through a selection of fairly challenging sections.

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One of the many good things about the tracks around the Graythwaite Estate is that due to the weather, and forestry trucks, they are ever changing. What made the experience even better was that each section had it’s own variety of challenges to overcome. As much as I enjoy taking Land Rovers around the Eastnor Castle estate, you’re basically driving along in ruts, slippery ruts maybe, but ruts all the same, without the option to deviate from them.

As Muddy Madam said afterwards, although James knows the tracks like the back of his hand, and knows exactly where the Defender will struggle, he let her make mistakes. On the few sections in which the Defender struggled and lost forward motion, they jumped out to survey what was causing the loss of traction, and discussed the correct way forward. This allowed her, with James' assistance when needed, to work out how to do it correctly, and to practise useful things such as failed hill climbs. 78

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An hour in and it was my turn to get behind the wheel - no pressure then. At this point I was rudely reminded of how snug a Defender’s cabin is, especially if you are an almost twenty stone, six foot plus bloke, wearing size twelve wellies! Cramped and a bit uncomfortable as the old Defenders may be, they remain amazing off-road vehicles. With diff-lock engaged, I slotted it into first gear low-box, and with my feet firmly planted on the floor, the big old bus chugged around the challenging course with ease, with only the odd, gentle squeeze of the accelerator where necessary.

I think because James was aware that I knew what I was doing, he threw in a couple of tricky hill climbs into the mix where controlled momentum was required. I have to admit that I stalled the 110 a few times, but it was a good opportunity for me to practise failed hill climbs as well. You know the drill; splutter, splutter blur, foot hard on the brake, slot it into reverse, let your foot off the brake and start the engine. The Graythwaite Estate has the only purpose-built off-road course in the Lake District, and even if you’re a seasoned 'offroader’ I’m confident you’ll not only be challenged by the steep inclines and descents, leans and water crossings, but you’ll come away with some new skills, as well as a huge smile on your face.

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Time flies when you’re having fun, and after a couple of hours driving it was time to try our hand at axe throwing. Again, after the all-important safety briefing, James went through some of the basics and showed us how to expertly throw the axe into a target. After watching James, we were let loose. Lobbing axe after axe, both Muddy Madam and I tried our best to embrace our inner lumberjack, and tried in vain not to miss the target - which, of course, we both did (ermmm, I think you and I may recall this differently, but luckily I have the photographic evidence to prove that I did get an axe in the centre of the target! - M.M.) It’s really good fun, and I can see why axe throwing has taken off (no pun intended) in the UK to become a popular pastime. Next was archery, a hobby that Muddy Madam had enjoyed around a decade ago until she became old (oh the cheek!! - M.M.), and developed a frozen shoulder!

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apple

Again, after a safety briefing, James stood well back, and let us 'loose a few arrows' (archery lingo for take a few shots) before he decided it would be fun to pit Muddy Madam and I against each other with a target points competition - 3 rounds of 3 arrows, and whoever had

the highest score wins. Let’s just say Muddy Madam was rusty, and I had beginner's luck on my side (hmmm, not how I remember it - M.M.). Then just for fun we had a go at a William Tell style shooting of an apple (fortunately not off anyone's head).

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Despite the weather, Muddy Madam and I had a great time, which is hardly surprising as Tim and Sara have been designing, organising and delivering activities and experiences since the 1990s, and way back when the world had a bit of normality about it, they won the Cumbria Tourism 2019 ‘Experience of the Year’ award, so you’re pretty well guaranteed a good time. If you are planning a trip up to the Lake District and want to have a go at a variety of new experiences, make sure you head to Graythwaite Adventure, you won't regret it. more at » www.graythwaiteadventure.co.uk

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by Simon Hastelow

Striding on the Edge

As I sit down to write this I have the remains of a monumental blister on the heel of my right foot. So large even the special ‘blister plasters’ don’t cover it. But it was gained during a very enjoyable and adventurous outdoor activity, climbing Helvellyn in the Lake District.

This might sound like the opening from a church parable about being prepared, facing your demons and soldiering on. Although it does feature all of those elements, I’m not preaching, just recounting the day. I hope you’ll forgive that it does not feature a 4x4 or any other motorised vehicle, other than my wife’s gutless Vauxhall Corsa that also struggled with some of the higher routes through the lakes. That is a moan for another day.

We’ve had this trip to the Lake District on the calendar for two years, originally booked in 2019 but we postponed it due to work commitments. Then it was rescheduled for the middle of the first wave of Covid, before we knew that was going to be a thing. Finally re-booked for the week after the restrictions ended. Luckily the delay for the those restrictions didn’t apply to selfcatering accommodation so we went ahead. The lengthy delays gave my wife the opportunity to add more and more activities to the wish list which, if we did all of them, would easily occupy a month-long trip rather than the week we had available, so we had to prioritise and Helvellyn was No.1 on the list. At 950m elevation it is the 3rd highest peak in England after Scafell (964m) and Scafell Pike (978m), both of which we’d already completed. The added attraction for tackling Helvellyn is that it can be approached via Striding Edge and exited via Swirral Edge. These are rocky outcrops leading to the summit which literally form an ‘edge’ which, in places, is no wider than a couple of hiking boots. There are ‘easier’ ways up to the summit but why would you do that?! Striding Edge stretches on for 1.5km. The photos showing the entire mountain top do not clearly illustrate the treacherous nature of the ‘path’. I use the term ‘path’ very loosely, there is no path, you just choose a place to put one foot then look for another suitable place to put the other foot within one stride of the last one. Repeat this process for one mile while holding on to other rocks so that you don’t fall to your death.Yes people have died on this stretch, quite a few of them. For this fat 54year old, just getting to the start of ‘The Edge’ was a sweaty endeavour in itself. We do go hiking regularly, and although my fitness levels are not what they were 20 years ago I still like to push the limits. I also sweat...profusely...regardless of the levels of effort. I leak copious quantities to the point where my shirt can usually be wrung out a couple of times along the route, and a towel is packed for every hike. I only say this to let you know that once I have exerted that much effort there’s nothing going to stop me from completing the task at hand, so when low cloud shrouded the entire upper-half of Helvellyn, including the Edges, we decided to continue anyway.

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Visibility was down to just a few metres in places, and many more sensible climbers would have just turned back, but we figured there’s not much chance of getting lost. I had a GPS with a good signal and battery life, and there really is only one way to go - forwards. As I mentioned earlier, Striding Edge is so narrow in places that there is little chance of venturing off the ‘path’. The other advantage with the low visibility is that it also clouded the lower slopes. Obscuring all reference to the terrain where a loose rock might propel your falling body. I have heard a few people say that they gave up trying to cross Striding Edge out of fear, but we couldn’t see how high up we were or how far we’d fall so that fear was somewhat eliminated.

Eventually we found our way to the summit, passed along the way by several younger and fitter climbers, but we got there in our own time. The low cloud showed no signs of lifting which was a real bummer considering that I’d just lugged about 3kg of Nikon DSLR, lenses and tripod along with GoPro action camera and gimbal to the top! Subsequently we only have iPhone photos to show for it. I’m reluctant to call this mountaineering, but one thing you often overlook when tackling a mountain like this is that getting to the summit is only half the job, you then have to get back down again. Past experience has taught me that this can be even more arduous than the uphill section.

What the cloud also does is hide the convenient, and safer, paths at the base of the edge which allow you to bypass the rocks. We couldn’t see these, so just kept going over the top!

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We had planned to descend via the much shorter, but also steeper, Swirral Edge to complete our loop. My wife wasn’t so sure about this after the experience we had with Striding Edge, but the only alternative was quite a lengthy detour, or back the way we came. So Swirral Edge it was. As I said, going down is often harder than going up. Especially when you’re scrambling over rocks and gravity is just itching to take charge of my not inconsiderable weight. This is where the blister started to take shape. Digging my heels into any purchase I could find, accompanied by sweaty socks, is just the kind of environment these blighters like. Add a badly twisted ankle to the mix, and we had a very, very slow descent, but an amazing sense of achievement at the bottom.

Some lessons learned… I made the mistake of posting a video on Facebook while we were traversing Striding Edge to show the ridiculous conditions. We lost signal soon after that and only a while later did we realise that, even though we were both nervously smiling, some friends had seen this and interpreted it as an SOS! Messages started to ping through once we’d found a signal again asking if we were OK and whether we needed rescuing!

I think it was only then that we realised that most sensible people would probably have turned back when faced with such low cloud and gusting wind. Someone commented that they couldn’t do it in perfect weather never mind what we experienced! Taking the extra weight of my DSLR camera kit was probably unnecessary even in good weather. An iPhone shot would have been just as good and would have freed up pack space for better provisions. Not that we ran out of food or water, but it might have been a different story if we’d have been injured or the weather got any worse. The biggest lesson learned for me is that I’m not as fit as I think I am. No matter how many hikes we do, there are still times I stand there with hands firmly on hips sucking in as much air as possible. Seeing a 12km route drawn on the map is very deceiving when most of that route is vertical!

Would I do it again? Most definitely! I’d like to do it in good weather to see if the clear vision affected my judgement at all, and knowing that there are ‘easier’ paths to take - assuming you can find them - would be a convenient safety net. PS: This was just day two of our holiday. We had another five days of this to go!

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In June, all these lovely people chose to support us - the bonkers duo that create this mag. Thank you all so much, every penny is really is appreciated. Damian & Karen Lee

laf Lauren E. Simon H. LRAsser Jim H. @matt_ske Billy F. Chris J Edward P. Sniffer Goofy P. 2 anonymous people

We want to keep the mag free to read, though it costs quite a bit for the two of us to put together each month. If you like what we do, we'd love it if you would help support us, by chipping in for a 'hot chocolate' every now and then. The yummy goodness really fuels us whilst we put together the next mag. Everyone who supports us each month will get a name check in the mag, and if you buy us 2 hot chocs at one time, or become a regular monthly hot choc provider then you'll get a even bigger mention. THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

Playing to D Max

As regular readers will know, when I’m invited on a new vehicle launch within the UK, I like to check Trailwise 2 and search for any local green lanes in the vicinity that I can explore, and with the northern launch of the new D-Max being just outside Buxton, I had plenty of lanes to choose from. When it comes to 4x4 launches, manufacturers like to organise a challenging off-road course as well as a decent road route, and for the new D-Max the Isuzu team had created a fairly challenging off-road course around a quarry, as you can read about in May’s issue. However, I wanted to give it a realworld sort of test, so when it was time to take it out on the open road, I grabbed the keys for the basic single cab D-Max and went off in search of TW2 reference, SK0171-03 or Macclesfield Old Road as it’s also known as. 90

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Macclesfield Old Road isn’t necessarily a long, or demanding lane, but it does offer some rather splendid, if not bleak views over the moors.

have been strategically placed on the side of the lane to try and discourage off-piste activity that mars the area.

Heading from west to east, SK0171-03 begins easily enough with a packed stone surface, in fact on my way home later in the day, I partly drove it in the road biased Lexus UX press car I had for the week.

First gear in low-box was called for as I carefully threaded the brand new D-Max with less than 500 miles on the clock down the rock strewn lane. The were a couple of large rocks that would have left a rather large dent the sill, but the lane is wide enough to avoid the worst of them - if you choose to.

The going was quite easy up until you reach the highest point, then the downward section becomes quite rocky. When you reach this point you’ll see that large rocks and wooden beams

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Arriving back at the quarry, I decided to swap vehicles and take the top of the range D-Max V-Cross out for a spin, and of course along Macclesfield Old Road, but before I did that I couldn’t resist a quick blast around the rally cross section that the team had set out.

The purpose was of course to experience how stable and agile the new D-Max was, and it was exactly that. The last time I had so much fun in a pickup was when I had the opportunity to blast around a similar rally cross course in the Series 6 Mitsubishi L200 down at Silverstone.

Jumping into the passenger seat, next to a professional rally driver, we set off around the twisting route, barely missing the camera crew, who were sat on the edge of the course catching some epic images, I assume!

The only difference was that I was driving, and sat beside me shouting instructions was British racing driver and The Grand Tour test driver, Abbie Eaton (subtle name dropping!)

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Walking towards the V-Cross I spotted fellow Northern Group of Motoring Writer Andy Harris, who readers may remember as a regular-ish contributor to The Mud Life.

Long story short, Ben from www.DrivingTorque.com, another member of the Northern Group of Motoring Writers, decided to join us, as did one of the official photographers.

An idea sprung into my head - let’s take a couple of vehicles up there for a bit of a play and photo-shoot.

In a three car convoy, I decided that we’d begin at the eastern end of Macclesfield Old Road, and drive upwards along the more challenging section.

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Engaging low-box in the V-Cross and selecting Drive, the D-Max did what the D-Max does best, and tackled the rocks steps with total ease. I wanted to write about how each vehicle scrambled for grip as the suspension flexed and vehicles lurched from side to side in an epic and perilous man and machine vs mother nature sort of journey, but it wasn’t that dramatic. Sometimes a 4x4 gives you a false sense of security. What I mean by that is certain terrain maybe quite gnarly, but from the comfort of the drivers seat you’re cocooned in a safe place and it doesn’t feel half as bad as it looks, and that’s the feeling I got from the D-Max. After I’d threaded my way over the largest of rocks, both for fun and so the photographer could get some decent shots, I pulled over to watch both Ben and Andy drive a similar line.

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It was more impressive watching them tackle the sections as I could watch as both vehicles flexed their way up the rock-step strewn lane, there was no drama, and quite poetic, really - just wish I’d recorded it for you. Upon reaching the top, we stopped for a group photo then made our way back to the quarry. Overall, the D-Max made mincemeat of everything I pointed it at, and Macclesfield Old Road is a gem of a lane. I reckon sometime soon I’ll return in Deux Smurf to drive more lanes in the area, I’ll see if Andy is brave enough to bring is Colorado, and if Ben wants to play in his lifted CJ7!

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do? My name is Daryll Woodcock and I’m a proud Yorkshireman originally from Leeds, but I’ve spent the last 14 years moving about with the Army where I am an Armourer in the REME. History of cars leading up to your present 4x4 There’s been a few! I’ve had a 1999 Audi S3 when I was young and wanted to go fast living in Germany, and my first 4x4 was a Petrol V6 Nissan Pathfinder in the UK which was all road biased. I was then lucky enough to be posted to BATUS, Canada where I got to scratch the itch of wanting an American pickup truck, so I had a 2004 Ford F150 which broke down in Santa Cruz (another story for another day) and after a few 'BATUS bangers' I finished my time with a Chevy Avalanche which was awesome and took us on many road trips in North America. When I came back, I settled on a 2007 Discovery 3 HSE which was absolute luxury and perfect for the family. With that I really started to get into green laning and going off road. I built it up and in true Land Rover form it made me into a more competent DIY mechanic! Present 4x4 It’s a 1996 Toyota Hilux Surf that I picked up in January as my lockdown project, I absolutely love it, so much easier to work on than the Disco 3!

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Modifications done 2-3” Old Man Emu Suspension lift, 265/75r16 Cooper Discoverer Stt Pro’s, Recovery points, Snorkel, Prinsu roof rack, CB Radio, CarPlay stereo (some luxury) and finally the DIY drawer system and fridge slide in the back. Favourite modifications I’m very proud of my DIY drawer system and fridge slide, it’s been a game changer for camping trips and just keeping everything organised in the back with tools and recovery gear. Comes in handy for the weekly food shop too! Modifications to do I really need some rock sliders knocking up for some protection. There is a huge following for the 4Runner in the US, but it has been proving difficult to source aftermarket accessories in the UK. I’ll be installing diff breathers soon,. Down the road I would really love a steel bumper and a winch. Favourite green laning trip My local lanes are in the Shropshire Hills. I’ve had some beautiful days out with the family, easy going lanes with some stunning views.

Lottery win 4x4 I would be off travelling the world with my family in one of those huge Unimog campers, and I'd have a fully restored 1987 Fj60 Land Cruiser the same age as me! Favourite car related film The original Fast and Furious films before it got too silly. Favourite Biscuit Custard creams, I can smash a full pack with a pint of milk! Where can we find more details? Instagram: woodcockfamilyoverland Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/ woodcockfamilyoverland

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es d i R s ' r e Read

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do? I'm Matt from green-laneless Liverpool. I'm a Tool Maker for Jaguar Land Rover, but also the owner of Traction Clothing, as well as one of the faces behind UK4x4. History of cars leading up your present 4x4 Astra, Insignia, Focus, Insignia, Discovery 2, BMW 3 series sport, Discovery 3 Present 4x4(s) Land Rover Discovery 2 Td5 bought from standard, and owned for the last 5 years. Modifications done • 2” lift, 265/75/16 MT • steel front and back bumper, • airtec intercooler • stage 2 storm re-map • straight piped • De cat • external window guards • Central Diff Lock. Probably a whole lot more, it’s hard to keep track these days!

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Favourite Modifications Has to be fitting CDL (Central Diff Lock) into transfer box. I don't always use it, but, for those who know, the Discovery 2 will know it only takes the loss of an ABS cable and you lose traction control. I enjoy green laning alone sometimes, so by fitting this it means not only greater offroad capability, but also acts as a fail safe if I do lose traction control. It also comes in handy if I lose drive to a single axle. Combined with the winch I'd be able to self recover off most lanes. Modifications to do. I’d like to upgrade my diffs to Limited slip diffs, not just for performance, but to do away with the weak pins in my current set up. My next mod will probably be to sort out an auxiliary power source for trips away. I'm leaning towards a split charge but would like to include some solar. Favourite green-laning trip Very recently I tagged along on a trip by a group called Crawlers and Explorers, and they have completely changed my perspective on green laning. We had a fantastic day of ‘laning combined with exploration of nearby caves. Definitely made some new friends that day. For a very long time I’ve been very lane focused, almost rushing through our amazing countryside. I came back from that little trip so refreshed and with a new outlook on green laning. Lottery win 4x4 Tough one this as I really like the retro 4x4s. Either a fully restored early GQ Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser J70. Favourite car related film Baby Driver. Great chases, great soundtrack, cool storyline. Give it a go. My favourite scene is the first robbery. Favourite biscuits Chocolate Hob Nobs Where can we find more details? Instagram - matt_ske tractionclothing uk4x4 YouTube - UK4x4 Facebook - Uk4x4Owners

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RETRO SNAPS

Play day June 8th, 2008

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RETRO SNAPS Play day June 8th, 2008

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Fancy an off-road challenge? Want to get your 4x4 filthy?

Don’t ruin our ancient byways, try out your local P&P site, join a tour or brush up your skills on a driver training day instead. Over the next few pages we have listed many of the business that you can play, train and holiday with. If you fancy going along, always find out what you'll need to bring along or which vehicles are allowed: • Does your 4x4 need to be road legal? • Do you need to show proof of age, vehicle MOT and insurance documents? • Are your recovery points secure? • Do you even have any recovery points? Always check with the individual site before you set off. Remember, as well as a good quality tow rope, it’s always useful to bring along some rags and a bottle of water to clean your lights and reg plates, so you can stay legal whilst driving home!

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Pay & Play Directory

NORTH

SOUTH

Hill ’n’ Ditch

Essex Rochford & District 4x4 Club

Mouldsworth, Cheshire http://www.hillnditch4x4.com 07974 398201

Explore Off Road

Crewe, Cheshire http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

Kirton Off Road

Hibaldstow, Gainsborough https://www.korc.co.uk 01652 245022

Frickley 4x4 Off Road Centre South Elmsall, West Yorkshire https://www.frickley4x4.co.uk 07881 590593

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Rochdale https://cowmleisure.com 07970 101 879

WALES Ultra Adventure Driving

Wrexham, Wales http://www.ultraadventuredriving.co.uk 01978 358 444

Canewdon, Rochford http://www.4x4er.co.uk

Devils Pit

Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire http://www.devilspit.co.uk 07764 159478

Avalanche Adventures

Market Harborough, Leicestershire https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

4x4 Without A Club

Aldermaston, Berkshire http://www.4x4-withoutaclub.co.uk 07887533168

John Morgan 4x4 Driving Slindon, West Sussex http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

Piccadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex http://www.piccadillywood4x4.co.uk 07984 543886

If you have a Pay & Play site, offer tours or driver training, and want to be included for FREE in the directories just email your details to us. We also offer an enhanced eye-catching boxed listing (see next page) for only £25 per issue (better rates for 3, 6 & 12 month listings) email - klt@themudlife.co.uk for more details THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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4x4 TOURS DIRECTORY

Highland All Terrain Single & Multiple Day Tours with Wild Camping 100s of miles of Off-Road Tracks Access to Private Estates The Old Filling Station, Kinlochlaggan, Newtonmore, PH20 1BX

tel: 01528 544 358 mob: 07708 819 157 email: info@highlandallterrain.co.uk

www.highlandscenicsafari.co.uk

Ardent Off Road

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardentoffroad.com Tel: 01405 947 001

One Life Adventure

Activities: 4x4 Tours & vehicle prep training https://www.onelifeadventure.co.uk Tel: 01347 830188

Trails and Tracks 4x4 Adventures Activities: 4x4 Tours https://trailsandtracks.co.uk Tel: 07976 393 838

Cambrian Way

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.cambrianway.com Tel: 01550 750274

Roam Free Adventures

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.roamfreeadventures.co.uk Contact via website

Timeless Overland

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.facebook.com/tloverland Tel: 07508 833 899

Land Tracks and Trails Green Lane Adventures Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.lanestracksandtrails.co.uk Tel: 07855 213355

Ardventures

Activities: 4x4 Tours, 4x4 Experiences https://ardventures.co.uk Tel: 01757 638 479

Compass Adventures

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.compassadventures.co.uk Tel: 07508 708 588

4x4 Adventure Tours

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.4x4adventuretours.co.uk Tel: 07769 336 099

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Battlefields by 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Tours https://www.battlefieldsby4x4.com Tel: 07014 241 418

Off Road

Driver Training & Experiences UK WIDE All Terrain Services

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training & Experiences, Self Drive Tours https://www.allterrainservices.co.uk 01792 862669

NORTH Graythwaite Adventure

Activities: Off-Road Driving & Training, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Watersports, Archery, Axe Throwing, Bushcraft, Glamping https://www.graythwaiteadventure.co.uk 07498 574659 & 07779 162710

North Yorkshire Off Road Centre Activities: Off Road Driver Training & Tours http://www.nyoffroad.co.uk 07787 555060

Explore Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.exploreoffroad.co.uk 07970 286881

WALES Bala 4x4

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.bala4x4.co.uk 01536 772238

SCOTLAND Scottish Off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training http://www.scotoffroad.co.uk 07711 217759

Far X Four

Activities: Off Road Driver Training, 4x4 Experiences http://www.farxfour.com 01450 860275

SOUTH John Morgan 4x4 Driving

Activities: Pay & Play Off Road Driver Training http://www.4x4driving.co.uk 01903 812195

Wild Tracks

Activities: Off Road Driver Training 4x4 Experiences https://www.wildtracksltd.co.uk 01638 751918

True Grip off Road

Activities: Off Road Driver Training 4x4 Experiences http://www.truegripoffroad.co.uk 01233 662251

Protrax

Activities: 4x4 Driver Training https://www.protrax.co.uk 01536 772238

Avalanche Adventures

Activities: Pay & Play 4x4 Experiences https://avalancheadventure.co.uk 01858 880613

Ash 4x4

Activities: Off Road Driver Training 4x4 Experiences http://www.ash4x4.com 07581 030331

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The Mud Life - 28 - July 2021

Articles inside

Discover a Great Workhorse

Land Rover Defender 90 250SE

PLAYING TO D MAX

Toyota Highlander Excel Hybrid AWD

GREY IS THE NEW BLACK

SIMON SAYS

GRAYTHWAITE ADVENTURE

NEWS

LANING LIFE

TURNER'S TORQUE