TURAS Camping and 4WD Adventures ISSUE ONE

ISSUE

01

WHATS inside

ROOF TOP TENTS

EXPLORING ICELAND

CAMPING WITH YOUR 4WD

GEAR REVIEWS ABENTEUER & ALLRAD

4WD EXPO

FREE

INTERACTIVE

EMAG

t s 1 s e p o Eur

CAMP COOKING

& MUCH MUCH MORE

CAMP COOKING

EDITORIAL W

elcome to our first FREE TURAS Camping and 4WD Interactive e magazine. If you are reading this you are probably into camping, touring or just getting off the beaten track to get away from it all. As keen campers we love nothing more than packing up our 4WD’s and hitting the tracks in search of that perfect camping location.

In this and future editions of the free e-magazine we will be focusing on content that includes articles on all things camping, touring, fishing and 4WD adventures. From finding the best 4WD tracks, setting up camp in some of Europe’s most picturesque locations to cooking up some cracking camp cook feasts. This is all about discovering places off the beaten track and enjoying the great outdoors. We will be touring the four corners of Europe and beyond while reviewing and testing the latest camping and 4WD gear.

We want you to be excited when you see the emag arrive electronically into your inbox where you can instantly access it at home, or while on the move from your mobile phone, ipad,android or other mobile device.

We hope to build a vibrant community around this publication and if you have not subscribed yet please click HERE. This is the first exciting edition of what will be a regular publication, in future issues we will be sharing both our own and your adventures.

We hope you enjoy the first issue.

So with that said ,enough of the rambling, it’s time to check out the ordnance survey map and start planning the next camping trip!

The TURAS Team

Future issues of the magazine will document touring adventures in Europe and beyond including Australia, camping tips, segments on camp cooking, kitting out touring vehicle, showcasing the latest camping and 4WD gear, and providing details on camping and 4WD shows.

From finding the best 4WD tracks, setting up camp in some of Europe’s most picturesque locations to cooking up some cracking camp cook feasts this is all about discovering places off the beaten track and enjoying the great outdoors. We will reviewing the latest camping and 4WD gear, sharing camp cooking recipes while trying to catch a couple of fish along the way.Check out our website at www.turas.tv

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

GE

NE

LONG CO

EAR

EWS

OMMUNICATIONS

ABENTEUER & A the Worlds

Largest

4WD& Camping

Show

ALLRAD SHOW Germany

over 50,000 people attented the 2016 show in Germany

The Abenteuer & Allrad show is an annual event with the 2017 event scheduled for the 15th -18th of June. The 2016 show attracted a whopping 55,000 4WD enthusiasts from all over the world making it the biggest show of its kind in the world.

The show itself is held in a small town called Bad Kissingen located just a couple of hundred miles southeast of Frankfurt in Germany.

With numerous nationalities including British, Italian, Swiss, French, Swedish, German, Norwegian, Irish and a few Australian, South African, American, Brazilian and Mexican flags flying, this was a multinational 4WD gathering.

If you are planning on attending and camping at the 2017 show best advice is to get there early.When I arrived at the 2016 show the campsite was pretty much full the day before the show, with late arrivers having to set up camp pretty much wherever they could find a clearing.

The show focuses on all things 4WD with cross country vehicles of all shapes and sizes on display in the generous 110.000 qm exhibition space. With over 250 exhibitors showcas-

ing and selling 4WD access products you will need a co it all in and see everything Similar to other 4WD show this one also incorporates road tracks where visitors of off road vehicles includi and the latest 4WD vehicle plenty to do with numerou to suit all ages.

‘‘The Abenteu Overland and 4 now the biggest kind in the

You can also attend the or from Europe’s well known are thinking about going o future but not quite sure w will be able to get plenty o various off road travel com their most popular off road event has something for ev

sories and camping ouple of days to take g that’s on display. ws around the world, custom made off can drive a number ing trucks, quads es, the kids will have us activities on offer

uer & Allrad 4WD expo is t show of its world’’

rganised travel talks globetrotters. If you on a big trip in the where to go well you of advice from the mpanies showcasing d expeditions, this veryone.

You really will need three days to take in all that’s on offer at this show, with the exhibitors offering every product and gadget that would be of interest to the vast majority of us who love nothing more than packing up our 4WD vehicles and heading off grid for some remote camping. Don’t bring all your savings with you to this show because you could possibly spend it all here with so much on offer.

This show is also about the coming together of 4WD enthusiasts from all over the world where travellers share their travel stories to newcomers to the overlanding family.

In the campsite I was pitched up beside some very friendly people who included a young couple from Belgium who were keen campers

and Helmut from Germany who was attending the show with his family in his impressive looking 1300L Unimog type 435. This was one of many vehicles in the campsite that oozed adventure.

His 6 litre Unimog was built in 1990, he proudly told me that he recently changed the injection pump and now has an impressive 200 HP. He also explained that he split the overdrive and now has 16 forward gears and 8 back gears allowing him to reach a respectable 115km on the autobahn. Now I don’t claim to be a mechanic but this sounds impressive and very much representative of many a similar story being told in the campsite by the many 4WD enthusiasts.

OVER 2000 VEHICLES SET UP CAMP AT THE SHOWS CAMPSITE

In all, the show was very well organised,considering you have to get a shuttle bus daily from the campsite to the expo , it all seemed to run very smoothly.

‘‘If you choose to stay at the shows campsite you will be rewarded with a great atmosphere resonating from the campground as people settle in for 3 days of Overland and 4WD mania’’ Thomas Schmidt, the shows organiser told me that this year’s show increased in both the num-

ber of companies exhibiting and the visitors attending and it’s easy see why. He was very pleased to report that the show attracted over 55,000 visitors in total and that he was very excited about the growth of what is now the largest 4WD expo in the world.

So, if you are in Germany next summer the ABENTEUER & ALLRAD 2017 4WD expo will take place between the 15th to 18th of June 2017 and if you do visit you will not be disappointed in what is now probably the largest 4WD and camping gathering in the world..

The 2016 show attracted a whopping 55,000 4WD enthusiasts from all over the world making it the biggest show of its kind in the world.

for cli

15-18 JUNE

2017

n o i t a m r o f r more in ick here

CAMPSITES

IN EUROPE

in

Sometimes you after a lo couple of c

focus

u dont always find that perfect wild camp ong days driving.Here’s a list of a campsites that we stayed in recently.

EUROPEAN CAMPSITES

1

CAMPING D’HAULME

The campsite CAMPING D’HAULME is located beside the small village Haulme in the Ardennes, in theChampagne-Ardenne region in France.This is a large campsite with extensive open green ares and very picturesque pitches right along the river. Renowned for its famous forest, the Ardennes boasts emblematic monuments, numerous fortified castles and medieval sites.

2

KEEL SANDBANKS ACHILL ISLAND

Keel Sandybanks campsite is a 4 Star family run caravan & camping park, located on Keel Beach on Achill Island in ireland. The campsite is located right on the beach at Keel where you can explore the West of Ireland or enjoy the surf, stand up paddle boards, kite surfing, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, cycling, mountain walking and golf amongst other activities.

The views of the nearby cliffs are amazing.

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FRANCE

IRELAND

EUROPEAN CAMPSITES

3

CAMPING KALKESDELT

A cozy, terraced camp site with large pitches and great views of the surrounding hills, fields and forests. You can rent out large canvas tents here, the campsite is centraly located in the green heart of Luxembourg.

Very friendly staff who wilmake you fell very welcome.

4

3

LUX

LES DEUX GLACIERS

Located at the foothils of the Bossons and theTaconnaz glaciers, this campsite has spectacular views of Mont Blanc. The campsite is near Chamonix the nearest town.

The pitches are well spaced out with a number of them sheltered by trees. The views of Mont Blanc and the two glaciers that tower over the campsite are the real attraction here.

Frenc

XEMBOURG

4

r e d r o b n a i l a t i ch -

PORTABLE

FRIDGE FREEZERS in your

4WD

S

As keen campers who spend a fair bit of time outdoors we have in recent years become big fans of portable fridge freezers. There’s nothing quite like pulling into your camp, getting the fire going and taking a cold beer from your fridge freezer.

Portable dual fridge freezers now allow you to separate your frozen food with your drinks etc. With the addition of a dual battery system or a portable battery power pack you can now literally stay at your favorite camping spot and have the fridge running for a couple of days and not worry about draining your vehicle’s battery.

Portable fridge freezers don’t come cheap and are not really

necessary for short 1-2 day trips, but if you are heading off for a week or two they really are a great product to have in the back of your vehicle.

If you are in the market for one you should consider the size of the unit, whether it has removable baskets, the power draw (they do vary amongst products on the market), also if you are going off road you should make sure that your unit has tie down points to prevent the unit from moving around, nothing worse that broken eggs in the bottom of your fridge freezer.

COOLING SOLUTIONS WHEN ON THE ROAD

We have been using the Waeco CFX-65 DZ over the last couple of months. This large fridge freezer has a large storage capacity is powerful and very efficient.

The interesting thing about this fridge freezer is that you have both a fridge and a separate freezer compartment allowing you to separate the foods that you want to freeze and the ones including drinks that you just want to keep cool.

The unit is well made and more th capable of handling off grid trips your 4WD and when on the road. T fridge freezer is also well insulate a 10 mm thick lid that ensure you and drinks are always kept cold. T unit is also simple to operate with easy to read control panel that lig up when the fridge is turned on. T fridge freezer is also easy to acces with a well made lid that opens a closes with ease allowing you to e ily get those supplies from the ba your vehicle.

MOBILE TECHNOL

mobile technology to suite not only your ca but also your boating and marine nee

han in The ed with ur food The h an ghts The ss and easack of

LOGY

amping trips eds.

The real attraction of the CFX-65 DZ is its size,its dual fridge and freezer purpose and its well designed internal space.There’s plenty of room inside with three compartments that include a freezer, fridge and small dairy compartment The interior LED light that comes on automatically when you open the lid makes finding essential supplies at night easy.

With 61 L of storage, it’s big enough to fit large bottles upright, and store up to 60 cans of soft drinks.The freezer on its own has a 19L capacity while the fridge has a very generous 42 L capacity allowing you to carry plenty of food on your next trip without stopping for supplies.

for more information click here

Verdict

Having a fridge freezer in your vehicle is a real bonus and one of those products that when you get used to using it and enjoying their benefits it’s hard not to go camping and touring without one.

The  WAECO CFX-65 DZ allows you to bring frozen foods like meats and fish when on the road or off the beaten track and means you wont have to worry about doing detours to find a supermarket to stock up on diminishing supplies.Having a fridge freezer on board allows

you to stay at your favorite remote campsite with the comfort that you will have enough food on board to last for a couple of days.

On the down the side the 61 litre fridge freezer can take up precious space in your vehicle particularly if you are driving a short wheel base, though smaller units can be purchased. Also you will need to install a dual battery system in your vehicle or have a portable power pack on board to power the unit when your vehicle is switched off.Overall this is a great product to have when touring and camping.

CAMPING

in a

ROOFTOP

TENT

BENEFITS OF

ROOF TOP TENTS In recent years our tents of choice have been rooftop tents,these tents are attached to the roof rack on your vehicle and have been growing in popularity over the years with a number of new manufacturing companies producing them and as a result they have become more affordable.

There are a number of reasons why we love using roof top tent, the main ones being that you can set it up in a couple of minutes, they keep you off the ground,and they can be folded up with all your sleeping gear inside i.e. sleeping bag and pillow.

So if you are considering purchasing a roof top tent,the first question that should be asked is what model and size is right for your needs.Roof top tents can be either canvas of a hard shell with the main difference between both often coming down to price with the hard shells usually more expensive but they can be more durable and hence last longer.

More and more people outside of Africa and Australia are discovering the benefits of using a roof top tents. They can be permanently attached to your vehicle and provide you with quick solutions to setting up camp and as a result giving you more time to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

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So what are the other advantages of having a permanently fixed tent on your roof rack; The main benefits include; You will always have your tent attached to your vehicle and this can be the difference between going away for an adventurous weekend at the drop of a hat or not.

You can have more space in your vehicle by having all of your sleeping gear permanently located in the roof top tent and this also saves time when setting up camp.

You don’t need a place to pitch a tent and this saves time after a longs days driving.

Being off the ground means that you are away from all of the creepy crawlies and the damp ground.

On the down side depending on the model they can be expensive, and can also take up most of the room on your roof rack, they can also reduce your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Other than that if you don’t mind having to climb up and down the ladder to get into bed they are hard to beat and can bring a total different vibe to your camping experience.

1. The James Baroud Awning 2. The built in fan and battery operated light 3. Front view of the James Baroud 4. Great views from the roof top tent

Over the years we have mostly used canvas roof top tents but recently have been testing the well known James Baroud hard shell tent ‘’The Space Evolution’.

The Space Evolution is a hard shell roof top tent that features a fiberglass fortified polyester shell.

This product comes with a generous five year warranty, so you can tell that the company is confident with this tents quality. We used the extra large tent over the summer months and we were comfortably able to fit my wife and two small children in the sleeping space.

One of the real attractions of this tent is how easy it is to open and close the tent.The tent has built

in AL-KO struts that automatically open when the 4 clips are unhinged with the tent pretty much deployed in just a couple of seconds.Every time I used the tent it always amazed me how quickly it was to set up, this is a real advantage particularly when you arrive into camp late or when it is raining and the last thing you want to do is spend time getting your camp set up.

Closing the tent is equally effortless with the struts allowing you to close the tent very quickly.

When the tent is closed flat it’s just a matter of tucking in the canvas that is sticking out on the sides, securing the four latches and your done and back on the road.

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The well made access ladder to tent is stored in the fibre glass tent when closed. The interior of the tent when deployed provides plenty of headroom with large windows and doors also providing great views of your surrounding environment.

Another interesting feature within the tent is a solar powered roof fan. This is an automatic and silent MCV (motorized controlled ventilation) which is powered by a 24 hour life battery which can be recharged by an integrated solar panel kit.This fan provided ventilation for those hot nights too, cleverly  the  solar powered vent can also be reversed to function

an extractor, which helps to avoid any condensation build up and increasing the life of your tent.

The tent also comes with battery operated flashlight that neatly attaches to the roof. The 15 high intensity LED indoor light doubles as a removable rechargeable flashlight with wiring supplied with the tent. A very useful bit of gear when you need some light when heading to the toilet in the middle of the night.

As regards comfort the tents mattress is top notch made with a high density foam and an easily removed cover.

Closing the tent is equally effortless with the struts allowing you to close the tent very quickly.

Durability & Weatherproof This James Baroud roof tent is completely waterproof and wind tested to 74 mph (120Km/hr).Over the summer months I have slept in this tent in some pretty wet conditions over the summer which included a trip to France where they had three consecutive days of the heaviest rain in nearly twenty years,during these downpours the tent did not leak once.

The tent has also been tested in the extreme Paris to Dakar 4WD Rallies where its durability was put to the test.

Verdict The real appeal for us when using the James Baroud tent was the ease of erecting and taking down the tent. There is nothing more welcoming than pulling into camp after a long days touring and knowing that you will have your tent set up in a fraction of the time in compari-

son to other tents on the market.

This coupled with the aerodynamic design,superior comfort, space, ventilation and overall quality of the tents components made it hard to find a flaw with this roof top tent.

On the downside, as a owner of a short wheelbase 4WD the XXL tent will take up all of the space on the roof rack but given that you can comfortably fit a small family in it that’s a small price to pay.

From a cost perspective the tent is also more expensive than your standard roof top tent, but given the superior quality (5 year warranty), comfort and more importantly the ease of setting up this is an investment that will more than pay for itself over time. Overall we were very impressed with the James Baroud roof top tent.

ation m r o f n i e r o for m click here

These Land Rovers enable access to places that ordinary campervans can’t go, allowing you to set up camp anywhere; on the beach or deep in the forest

SCOTLAND O

OVERLAND

a

SCOTTISH Adventure

Scotland Overland hire expeditionequipped Land Rovers for touring Scotland. The vehicles include roof tents and all the equipment needed for up to 4 people to explore and camp in the wildest parts of Scotland.

The hired expedition Land Rovers enable access to places that ordinary campervans can’t go, allowing you to set up camp anywhere; on the beach or deep in the forest. The roof tents allow you to set camp in under 5 minutes and provide comfortable accommodation with a view. Everything needed for wild camping is included,all you need to do is just turn up with your toothbrush and away you go! Whether it’s mountain climbing, history dating back to the Stone Age, golfing on the world’s original courses, fishing for salmon, dancing a ceilidh, or sampling the world’s finest whiskies, there’s something here for you.

Scotland Overland also help you with your tour planning,and propose broad itineraries The Central Highlands forms the principle basic tour – starting and finishing in Edinburgh – and the other

loops can be added and linked as sired and as your time allows.

Scotland is a relatively small coun and you could see a large part of fortnight. Though that’s not to s you’ll know all about Scotland in time. That takes much, much lon

Scotland Overlands busiest period peak tourist months of July and A when demand for the Land Rover high. The company particularly r mend the spring and autumn mon of April, May, June, September an October. In Scotland in spring the are getting longer and the midges yet to emerge, whilst in autumn y can enjoy the fantastic colours of trees and beautiful evening sunse you’re even more likely to have th place to yourself.Camping in the months is for the brave, but may good training for your next polar dition!

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HOW TO SEASO

DUTCH OV p e t s y step b a

E D I U G

ON A

VEN

Another item of our most reliable pieces of camping and touring equipment is our dutch oven. In fact we have two of them. Dutch ovens are big cast iron pots with lids.

They can be placed in a campfire or over an oven or flame and can be uses to roast , fry and bake various foods. These versatile pots need a little tender loving care from time to time however.

When new , or following a period of use and storage without proper precautions, the ovens can quickly become covered in rust and corrosion.The solution to this is to ‘season’ the oven ensuring that it will not rust or corrode. The seasoning process also creates a non-stick cooking surface which makes cooking and cleaning up far easier.

down to the metal.

Once you have cleaned off all of the rust, you need to act quickly as waiting even a few hours can allow enough time for humidity in the air to start to cause rust to form again.

The next step is to put the dutch oven into a normal household oven.

Before you heat the oven it would probably be wise to spread some metal foil across the base of the oven to catch any fat or oil which drops from your dutch oven during the seasoning process.

This process can take anything from 1-3 or more hours depending on how thorough you want to be and also on the existing state of the oven you are seasoning.If this is the first time you have seasoned the oven, you may need to remove a protective waxy coating applied at the factory, which is used to prevent rust during initial shipment and storage. If you have an old, neglected oven, which is covered in rust and perhaps burnt in food, you will also need to clean this.

Dry the dutch oven with a cloth and place it in the oven for 5 minutes to further dry and to heat up a little.

After five minutes, carefully, using oven gloves or a towel, remove the dutch oven and bring it outside and place it on some old newspapers.

Rub vegetable shortening all over the inside and outside of the oven and its lid. Do not use any flavoured shortenings, we used Frtyex, which is widely available.

To fix up a rusty dutch oven you need to scrub any rust and burnt in food, you can use steel wool or a metal scouring pad to do this. You really need to get rid of all of the food and rust, scrape away, right

Heat the oven to 210C;Wash your dutch oven with warm soapy water. using a scouring pad or steel wool.

This should be the last time you ever use soap to clean the oven, unless you are re-seasoning it in the future.

U r g a h a w o

Dutch ovens are big cast iron pots with lids.They can be placed in a campfire or over an oven or flame and can be uses to roast , fry and bake various foods.

P d m y s n A a u r h y i

Y s m p T o t t h m

W s g o n i u b

F g

Using a cotton rag or a paper towel rub the oil into all of the grooves, gullies , pits and pockmarks present anywhere on the oven. When you have done this wipe it again (and again?) to remove excess oil, keep wiping until it looks like there is no oil left.

Place the oven and its lid upside down in the oven and bake it for 60 minutes. If your oven leaks smoke, you will probably want to open some windows and perhaps disconnect your smoke alarm temporarily.

After 60 minutes, turn off the heat and let everything cool for 30 minutes. Using an oven glove or a towel remove the dutch oven from the house oven. Allow it to cool until you can safely pick it up to examine it.

You may obtain good results after one cycle or you may need to repeat the process a couple of times.

To repeat, spread more oil on the oven, wipe it in, then off with the cloths and then place back into the pre heated oven for another 60 minutes.

When it has been well seasoned it should look shiny/ glossy and be a dark brown or black colour. It should not be sticky to the touch. If it is sticky, heat it for longer, until the sticky residue is burnt off.

From now on as you use the oven, grease and oil from the food will

continue to add a layer of protective seasoning to the oven. In future, however, don’t use soap to clean it, instead use hot water and a scrubbing brush to do so, and always ensure you thoroughly dry the oven after cleaning, this can be done by placing it over the heat/fire and leaving the lid on but leaving a gap for moisture to escape.

Finish by towelling dry with a cotton or paper towel. Ideally when the oven is dry and not hot to the touch, you should use a paper towel to coat it in a ‘very’ light coating of vegetable oil, to give it a protective layer while it is being stored for future use. The more you cook with the oven, the more ‘seasoned’ it will become and therefore the more resistant to rust and moisture.

COO

COOKING TRADITIO

OKING

ONAL BREADS STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMPFIRE

FRESH SODA BREAD HOT FROM THE CAMP OVEN

There is s getting ba the beaten and cooki a campfire When we g home with ite campin iron pot (d we love no enjoying f scratch.

Not only is ing great f the kids b whole pro iron pot fr and seeing hot loaf re and family not a lot o lutely not, some basi is little to of the old dating bac

something very special about ack to basics and heading off n track, pitching your tent ing your grub straight from e under a blanket of stars. go camping we never leave hout packing one of our favorng utensils, our trustee cast dutch oven), mainly because othing more than baking and fresh hot bread made from

s the preparation and bakfun for both the adults and but it also tastes delicious, the ocess of removing your cast rom the hot fire, lifting the lid g a perfectly risen crusty fresh eady to serve to your friends y is the business. But is this of hassle you might say? abso, to bake a simple bread using ic ingredients and equipment no hassle at all. Bread is one dest sources of prepared foods, ck thousands of years and can

be thrown together in no time.One of our favorite breads to bake when camping is Soda Bread. With simple ingredients that include all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk if you have it , if you don’t regular milk will do...that’s it..All you gotta do is mix the flour, salt and baking soda together, add the milk and knead away until the sticky dough is no longer sticky. Simple as that the kids will love this bit. After that, shape into what ever shape you want, the kids and some of the adults will also love it.

Put the bread into the cast iron pot, put the lid back on and then throw the cast Iron pot on your fire until it heats up, don’t forget to put some of the hot coals or embers onto the lid of the cast iron pot.25-30 minutes later, bobs your uncle, you will know if its cooked if you hear a hollow sound when you tap the loaf,you should now have a perfect tasty and tanned Irish Soda Bread ready to serve. Add some butter and jam and …...lovely.

C

COOKING in the wild

e l tt e K y l l e K e h t with

The first KELLY kettle dates back to the 1890’s

W

e have been using our Kelly Kettles on all of our camping trips in recent times and have become huge fans.

One of the real advantages of using these environmentally friendly products includes not having to purchase camping fuel when on the road for a short trip.

In the kettles chamber you can burn pretty much any flammable natural material, including twigs, leaves, pine cones or whatever else you can find and have boiling water in just a couple of minutes.

With the additional cooking accessories you can not only boil water in a couple of minutes you can also cook up your camp grub.

Our Kelly Kettles have now become permanent features in the back of the Land Rovers.So how

long does it take to boil that perfect brew; using natural fuels such as sticks, pine cones, twigs, or even dry grass the kettle will boil water in just 3 - 5 minutes, now that’s pretty good.

With never having to worry about running out of fuel you can always have hot boiling water for that essential morning coffee for rehydrating food, washing and of course cooking with the various accessories that come with the kettles.

Used all over the world by campers, fishermen, hunters, trekkers, scouts, people who find themselves in emergency situations like power cuts or outdoor workers these iconic camping kettles have a universal appeal.

This simple concept was not just invented yesterday with brothers and now directors Patrick & Seamus Kelly being the fourth generation of ‘Kelly’s’ to further develop these popular kettles that now come with innovative camping accessories.

This is a real family tradition, following in the footsteps of their father Padraic, grandfather Jim & great-grandfather Patrick, the Kelly brothers continue to develop the ‘Kelly Kettle’ Brand and bring you their loyal customers, new and exciting products & accessories.

The 1890’s The first kettle dates back to the 1890’s to a small farm on the shores of a famous fishing lake called Lough Conn, in County Mayo, Ireland.

Below;The Kelly Kettle Founding Fathers’ Padraig Kelly & Frank Ellis (RIP)

)

It all started when a young Patrick Kelly (Great grand-father of the current Co. Directors), a small farmer and fisherman, developed his first kettle from tin after a cold winter of tinkering and experimenting in his shed.

The kettle initially worked extremely well but soon burned out from regular use while fishing on the lake.

After continuing to tweak his innovative tin kettles in his shed he finally developed a kettle made out of copper and this was found to be much more durable.

News of his kettle spread among local anglers and it received great reviews from travelling anglers visiting from the U.K. (they all wanted one) This simple concept was not just invented yesterday with brothers and now directors Patrick & Seamus Kelly being the fourth generation of ‘Kelly’s’ to further develop these popular kettles that now come with innovative camping accessories.

In the 1950’s Patrick’s son, Jim (Grandfather of the current Directors of the company) became a famous angler & boatman on Lough Conn in County Mayo.

Jim always had a Kelly Kettle in his fishing boat and when he was out fishing with visiting anglers from around the world they were always astonished with how quickly he could boil water using natural fuels in his unusual looking kettle. The Kelly Kettle was now becoming popular with fishermen in the west of Ireland and word was spreading fast. At this time, the business was still only a ‘hobby’ and there was only one size kettle (what would now be the 1.6 litre ‘Base Camp’ Aluminium Kettle) available and this prototype was made to order.

“

The K on s of pic C

This long tradition of using the kettle as a method of boiling water outdoors goes back to the 1890’s in the West Coast of Ireland and the design has changed little since it was first invented. Lough Conn was, and still is, famous for its free rising brown trout and fresh run Salmon from the River Moy system. The lake provided (and still provides) ample fuel for use in the kettle, where washed up twigs, sticks and dried grass were easily available. On wet & stormy days, the local angling guides would keep watch for the small pillar of smoke on the lake shore which indicated that a colleague already had a ‘brew’ on! A hot cup of tea or soup awaited anyone who landed and the kettle would be repeatedly boiled as additional boats laden with anglers arrived.

Tradition dictates that both the angling guide and his guests (usually 2 anglers to his boat) together would gather dry tinder for the kettle from the lake shore. Then, the guide would set about boiling up the kettle.

The amazed visiting anglers were always very impressed on how the kettle worked particularly in stormy weather. The Anglers were then offered hot tea from the Kelly Kettle and in return the fishing guide usually received lunch or a drop of whiskey from the visiting anglers!

The Kelly family still provide a Boat Hire & Ghillie service on Lough Conn today. Visiting anglers are as intrigued today as they were some hundred years ago with the speed at which the water can be boiled and through word of mouth, these anglers have spread word about these kettles all over the world. Today, the Kelly-Kettle can be often be seen as the centrepiece in a campsite and when you see one in use

Jim Kelly (RIP group of angl of the earli foregrou Lough C

Kelly Kettle was invented small farm by the shores cturesque Lough Conn, in County Mayo, Ireland

ith a P) seated centre w d one lers from Wales an in the ier Kelly Kettles of und on the banks ’s Conn in the 1960

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1 pound ground beef 1 tablespoon m 1/8 teaspoon o 1 (4 ounce) con Cheese 1/4 cup fresh b Salt and black p Tomatoes, onio Burger buns Mustard and Ke

rgers

d sirloin, or extra lean

minced garlic onion powder ntainer crumbled Blue

basil leaves, chopped pepper to taste on and lettuce

etchup if desired

Sometimes camp food can get a bit boring! but with soem preparation there is no reason why you cant have tasty campfood when outdoors.

These burgers are delicious and can be cooked on your Kelly Kettle using the new camping accessories that now come with the kettle pack..

Prepare these burgers at home; first up press into patties, stack with parchment or wax paper between patties, then wrap in plastic wrap and then tin foil this will help keep the burgers cool in your cooler.

Its much easier to prepare these at home and have them ready to throw them in the pan when ou camping.

A wholesome meal cooked fresh and easily with your Hobo Stove.

Benefits of using a

Kelly Kettle No fuel to purchase No fuel to carry No continued operating costs No fuel lines to get plugged or cracked No igniters to get bent, broken or plugged Works every time without fail - even in extreme weather Can take it with you as you travel on trains, planes and automobiles Boils waterSome in just a few ofminutes the with very little natural fuel advantages Environmental canister to dispose of friendly. usingNoa Kelly Kettle of are as Build up a bed offollows: hot embers in a protected environment, No fuel to purchase out of the wind and rain. These embers can then be used No fuel to carry to quickly build the camp fire No continued operating costs

click

No fuel lines to get plugged or cracked No igniters to get bent, broken or plugged Works every time without fail - even in extreme weather Can take it with you asrm youatravel tionon fo in re o m r fo heretrains, planes and automobiles Boils water in just a few minutes with very little natural fuel Environmental friendly. No canister to dispose of Build up a bed of hot embers in a protected environment, out of the wind and rain.

These embers can then be used to quickly

www.kellykettle

.com

r

CAMP COOKING with a

rotisserie

DELICIOUS ROASTS COOKED OUTDOORS Just because you are camping does not mean that you can’t enjoy delicious food while on the move. Another one of our favorite pieces of cooking equipment is our easy to pack and set up rotisserie.

flop around as it turns this can affect the speed of the rotisserie, you can also burn the meat if it is not balanced correctly on the rod, keeping you meat balanced on the skewer will provide perfect results.

This piece of kit has provided us with some very tasty meals over the years.So what is it? a rotisserie basically is a style of roasting where meat is slowly cooked on a battery operated rotating motor.

This method of cooking has been used for centuries with the name first emerging in France where it first appeared in Paris shops around 1450.

As you are sitting around the fire enjoying a cold beverage there is nothing quite like waiting for your meal to cook on the rotisserie while you marinate the meat as it cooks slowly over the fire. We have cooked, lamb, beef, chicken, bacon you name it on our rotisserie and I have to say the meat always tastes superb.

This method of cooking ensures that the meat or joint of choice is cooked evenly. When using a rotisserie you should always place the meat on the middle of the rotisserie skewer and fasten as firmly as you can. If you are cooking chicken or some type of bird remember to secure the wings and legs in as tightly as possible.

If parts of the meat are loose to

ingredients fo

SPIT ROAS

Pork Olive O Salt and P Garlic 1-2 Rosemary leaves (pref

or

ST PORK

k Oil Pepper Cloves ferably grounded)

building the

perfect c

campfire

If you do decide to experiment cooking with a dutch oven on your next camping trip, you will get the best results by cooking on an open fire. The quality of the fire can greatly influence how long your meal will take to cook .Take your time building your fire, also make sure that you use hard wood when possible as this will provide the best coals for cooking with a Dutch oven.

Other things to consider when preparing your fire is to build up your fire slowly and wait at least for an hour or so until it burns right down, spread the coals before placing the dutch oven on the open fire and then place the hot coals on the lid of the pot.

Another basic tip when cooking on an open fire is avoid cooking on large flames, the lower the flame the better the results. This is normally the perfect time to wrap a few spuds or vegetables in tinfoil and throw them into your fire.If you are using a flat barbecue plate with legs suspended over the fire,make sure you add oil to the hot plate and that the plate is good and hot before your add your food.

In general when cooking on an open fire, good practice includes building a fire in a safe location away from tents, vehicles etc , your fire should also be protected from the wind to avoid sparks flying and ideally put stones around the fire to prevent it from spreading. So all that’s need is a camp oven and away you go.

overlandin

RUSSI

in

ng

IA

One of the great things about being on the road is meeting up with fellow travellers and sharing overlanding stories and experiences. While travelling through Europe during the summer we had the great pleasure of meeting up with Ruth and JĂźrgen Haberhauer who were both giving a presentation about their recent travels at a popular off road and camping get together in Germany called the offroadhoch2 at

Freize au/Ni becam to Rut Germ travel guys some where camp acing

eitpark Vulkan, 36399 Freiensteinieder-Moos. The first thing that me very obvious when chatting th and JĂźrgen who are both from many was there sheer passion for lling off the beaten track. These are the real deal having been on e very remote trips over the years e they have shared remote wild ps with wild bears and some meng mozzies.

The free spirited Ruth and JĂźrgen are married and have a number of common interests that suitably evolve around remote traveling and photography and these shared interests allow them not only to experience remote parts of the world but also to share their travels with us all through their professional and creative photography.

These inspirational nomads drive a well kitted out Land Rover Defender 110 that they have built up into an impressive tourer over the years. The long wheel base has recently taken them on a three month trip to Finland and to the north western part of Russia on the Kola Peninsula.This well planned 12000 km trip took the couple through remote areas that included excursions to the Russian island of Valaam to Kishi and Solovetski in the White Sea and north of the Artic Circle.

As Jürgen explained ‘’ when planning these trips our main objective is all about staying as far away from urban settlements as possible in order to experience the remote landscape, wild life and local culture’’.

Well from what we have learnt from spending some time with Jürgen and Ruth and listening about their trips we hope to document more of their adventures in future editions of the TURAS Camping and 4WD adventure emagazines.

In the meantime check out their website/blog at www.sojombo.de .

1

1 2 3 4

A remote bridge crossing in Russia The Land Rover proved flawless on the12,000 km trip.

A perfect Sunset in Russia.

The wooden churches of Kizhi.

4

R

ussia is the world’s largest country that covers a whopping seventeen million square kilometers or one eight of the worlds inhabited landscape. Extending over most of northern Eurasia the country is closer to the North Pole than the equator.

Having the world’s longest border Russia shares its borders with fourteen countries that include, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania oland, Belarus the Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia China and North Korea. The weather is harsh with big parts of Russia experiencing just two seasons i.e. sum-

mer and Wi tion of the months of

With a coun you can be of wild anim aware of in the Amur T Bears, Wild Snakes, the the Karaku Cat Fish tha ters long, s rod be sure line.

inter with a large proporcountry under snow for six the year.Wild Animals

ntry the size of Russia e sure that there are plenty mals, just a couple to be nclude the Brown Bear, Tiger, the Grey Wolf,Polar d Boars,Northern Viper e Lynx, Ticks and mozzies, urt spider, Wolverines and at can grow up to five meso if your bringing a fishing e to have good quality gut

2

3

for more information

on Ruth & Jurgens adventures

e d . o b m o j o s . www

s

Treds are manufactured and high quality plas a lifetime

d from extremely tough stic, and come with warranty.

Getting yourself out of a hole - self recovery - with Treds from Tred 4x4.

Sometimes you may be travelling on your own and it may be necessary to be self sufficient and to be capable of recovering your own vehicle without outside assistance.

Of course if you think you are going across extremely inhospitable terrain, you should consider having a winch attached to your vehicle, but in general on most occasions, it may be possible to extract yourself from a situation with the use of some simpler but still highly effective recovery kit.

If you have become stuck in a location, the first thing to do is to

ensure that the vehicle is not bottomed out, and to try to dig a cavity out underneath the vehicle so that friction or suction does not hamper your efforts to get moving again.

Again, If your wheels have spun and dug down into the sand , mud or snow, , you will need to clear it away from them. You could use a shovel or spade for this , or if you are lucky enough to have some specific equipment like Recovery TRED’s from TRED4x4, you can use the TRED’s shovel feature to clear sand away from around the tyres (make sure you use the correct end of the TREDs- they have indicators pointing to the shovel end.)

When you have cleared out some space you can wedge the TRED’s under your wheels to give the vehicle some traction on the loose surface. The Treds have raised pegs which are designed to give a good grip with many different types of tyre treads, when your vehicle gets a grip it will pull the treds down under the tyres and give you some forward momentum which will help you get out of the depressions you were stuck in.

These Treds are a high tech version of a category of product known as sand ladders, however we highly recommend TREDs as we have found them to be much more effective than the more traditional products in this area. TREDs are manufactured from extremely tough and high quality plastic, and come with a lifetime warranty. The TREDs come in a variety of sizes and colours and will shortly be available all across the globe.

on i t a m r o f in for more re click he

EXPLO

ICEL

touring the lan

ORING

LAND

n i g n i p g and cam nd of fire and ice & 4WD Words by TURAS CAMPING RAS ADVENTURES, IMAGES BY TU

LAND OF FIR

Iceland an Island country on the northern fringes of Europe is frequently described as ‘the land of fire and ice’.

Recent archaeological discoveries show that Iceland and its neighbouring islands the Faroes were inhabited by its first settlers believed to be Irish monks around 800 AD, who were shortly over run 100 years later by the Vikings who then claimed this land.

small forays inland to vi

The excitement on this trip really starts when you commence boarding the ferry particularly when you see the entire well kitted out 4WD vehicles that have travelled from all over Europe to explore this unique landscape.

Our destination for the f in Iceland was the Jökuls A newly formed lagoon w filled with small Icebergs inland glacier. We arrive the light was beginning 2am before the light fina awesome, huge boulder ly towards the sea, and e there would be a great c a crash and splash as on rotated in the water afte having lost mass from th to the skies on the surfa

After a quick stop over in the Faroe Islands we eventually disembarked the ferry at Seyðisfjörður on Iceland’s east coast, we set out to drive in our two Land Rover Defenders, Marks a 110 and mine a 90 along the East Fjords. We decided to initially drive along the eastern and southern coasts, with occasional

First things first after dis we filled up the Jerry can diesel. We hadn’t travell we felt like we had enter the craggy alien landsca could have been the sur Low clouds hung over th all exposed rock and ver

RE AND ICE

isit points of interest.

sembarking the Ferry ns and vehicles with led a kilometer when red another universe, ape unfolding before us rface of another planet. he rugged mountains, ry little foliage.

first evening camping sรกrlรณn glacier lagoon. which is continually s which calf from an ed at the lagoon just as to fade, that said it was ally disappeared. It was rs of Ice floating sereneevery once in a while creaking noise and then ne of the giant icebergs er becoming imbalanced he melting ice exposed ace of the water.

We setup camp and cooked from a portable grill, put some beers to chill in the largest beer bin any of us had ever seen (the lagoon itself), and enjoyed our first evening camping in the wild in Iceland.

Back on the coast road the following morning, the terrain on our right varied between mossy scrabble and black sand, with a range of low snow covered mountains visible in the distance.

We drove past the tongue of a glacier which was sticking out from a valley between some mountains, another twenty minute drive and we were surrounded on both sides by very green grass and passed a few settlements on our right hand side, traditional low single story buildings with red roofs.

Getting back onto the ring road after about 30 minutes’ drive we turned inland again, taking the Laki road towards the famous Fjadrargljufur Canyon which is one of the most beautiful canyons in Iceland.

Having explored the canyon, we headed back onto the ring road, fjording a river on the way. Soon we were driving through another new environment, like nothing any of us had seen before, enor-

mous expanses of black basalt sands on both sides of the road.

This is also one of the wettest places in Iceland. There is no landmass between this part of Iceland and Antarctica and apparently the Atlantic rollers can attack with great ferocity along this stretch of the coastline.

We next drove though Vík í Mýrdal, the southernmost village in Iceland; at this stage we were about 180km from Reykjavík, our

fina

Whi a vi whi asp ther mos land cial of t rest

al camp for the evening.

ile in Reykjavik it’s also worth isit to the Blue Lagoon Resort ich is a short 40 km drive (over phalt) from the city, it’s a geormal spa and is one of the st visited attractions in Iced. The spa is a highly commerlised development with state the art facilities, a cafe, bar a taurant, and changing rooms.

DIVING BETWEEN THE PLATES Iceland is situated at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans is a country with a total area of 103,000 squared kilometres, with a population of only 320,000 people, which makes it the most sparsely populated Country in Europe. Most inhabitants live near the coastline with the interior containing mostly sand and lava fields, mountains, glaciers and volcanoes.

TRAVEL DISTANCES: Total distance driven 1600KM ROAD CONDITIONS: In Iceland most of the mountain roads are closed until the end of June, or even longer because of wet and muddy conditions which make them totally impassable. When these roads are opened for traffic many of them can only be negotiated by four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Road conditions vary widely, depending on the weather and the time of year, before embarking on any journey into the interior collect as much information as possible regarding road conditions from a travel bureau, tourist information office or the Public Roads Administration www.road.is with bridges and subsea tunnels connecting some of the islands

The following day we set out for Silfra with our ‘Diving Iceland’ dive master a South African guy named Louis; we were going to scuba dive between the continents. Silfra is located north-east of Reykjavik, in Thingvellir National Park, we took road no. 1 heading north out of Reykjavík. We arrived at our destination after about 30 minutes.

Silfra is generally considered to be one of the most unique dive sites in the world, for a couple of reasons, first of all the gorge is still being formed and widened by continental drift as the Eurasian and American tectonic plates are slowly moving apart at an average rate of two centimeters a year and these two continental plates meet right at Silfra, this movement is slowly ripping Iceland into two parts , however for now (and for a long time to come) it is possible to wander the gorge and to take a dive down between the two continents as they slowly move apart.

When we had packed up after our dives we set out for Geysir, taking road 35. Enjoying the scenery we finally arrived in Geysir around 9pm, it was getting dark, but we still had another hour of reasonable light during which to set up camp.

Following morning after checking out the area and boiling an egg in one of the smaller geysers we left via route 35 we drove for 10 minutes before arriving at Gullfoss.

Gullfoss is one of the most popular attractions in Iceland, and given

it’s relative proximity to Reykjavik, along with Geysir and Thingvellir it forms ‘the Golden Circle’ a popular day tour from the city.

The river Hvítá flows south over the falls, and cascades down two steps, into the 2,5 km long canyon below.

This was breathtaking, we stood close to the falls for a while being rejuvenated by its spray, the noise and the power of the water was just thrilling.

Up to now we had forded two or three small rivers, but this route though the highlands on a rough, corrugated dirt track would bring us through a valley between the two giant glaciers and would also require driving through two deep rivers, water bras are definitely recommended.

Travelling from Háifoss to Myvatn we had two options, taking the north ring road a journey of 608 KM, or approximately 7.5 hours driving, or else , the far more interesting and challenging Sprengisandur,the route which we had chosen, a distance of 419km but with an estimated driving time of 13 hours. This duration is due to the corrugated and uneven surface of the track and the requirement to ford several rivers enroute.

Most of the mountain tracks are closed in Iceland until the end of June, or even longer because of wet and muddy conditions which make them totally impassable

We planned to stop and camp near a mountain hut which was placed directly between the two glaciers 800 meters above sea level at Nyidalur. This hut was 200km away, about a 7 hour drive over the rugged track.

Most of the mountain roads are closed until the end of June, or even longer because of wet and muddy conditions which make them totally impassable. When these roads are opened for traffic many of them can only be negotiated by four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is advised to drive very slowly on these tracks and accidents and overturned vehicles are apparently not uncommon, particularly those driven by visitors to Iceland.

Driving across the Sprengisan-

dur we were presented with yet another totally new and utterly alien vista, majestic highland deserts stretching into the distance. This was challenging driving, the rough corrugated surface of the track caused a very jarring motion in the vehicles, the sides of the track were also not always easy to discern, and so constant concentration was required in order to prevent accidentally driving off the track.

Deliberately driving off-road outside of the marked tracks in Iceland is prohibited as it causes damage to the delicate ecosystem which survives, eking a living in this seemingly barren environment.

We finally a hut just as is placed ri so it was pr actually two shower/WC

We arrived it be ok to patch of gr tent, and sh be no prob

However as out the ten be a very b minutes of and then ou we were wr tiple layers breathing t fortable aft heated cab

Fortunately in the hut, finally warm set out aga long drive t

The rest of scended do the glaciers the first pa

arrived at Nyidalur mountain it was getting dark; the hut ight between the two glaciers retty chilly up there. There are o huts and an also an external C block.

and asked the warden would camp behind the huts on a rass, where we saw one other he indicated that this would blem at all.

s we began to unpack and take nts, we realised that this would bad idea, within a couple of standing outside our fingers ur hands started to go numb, rapped up very well in muls, but it was just too cold, even the cold air was a little uncomter having spent hours in our bs.

y there were several places left so we booked in, and were m again.The next morning we ain for the remaining 6-7 hour to the Myvatn area.

f the route as the track deown from the plateau between s was equally breathtaking as art and equally rugged. When

we eventually drove back onto a strip of asphalt road we got out to kiss it. That had been a bone shaking 14 hours.

The interior of Askja is mostly filled by a lake called Öskjuvatn which fills much of the caldera created during an eruption in 1875. Its surface lies about 50 m below the level of the main crater floor and covers about 12 km².

On leaving Askja, we set out for Kverkfjöll to visit the famous ice caves and hot waterfall.The drive to Kverkfjöll from Askja by ‘road’ is 76 km or approximately 8 hours of driving, the physical distance between the locations is only 37 KM (as the crow flies) however.

This was another drive through volcanic landscapes including some real desert driving where we needed to get up some speed to avoid getting bogged down in the vast expanses of dark sands.

Throughout this 8 hour trip we never saw another vehicle, there were no signs of civilisation other than occasional small directional signs and of course the track itself which itself wasn’t always visible depending on the type of terrain we were crossing.

We arrived at Kverkfjöll hut just as darkness fell. There was just one other vehicle, also a defender, parked outside the hut. The only inhabitants were the hut keeper a pretty blonde Icelandic girl, and a German couple. The hut was warm and cozy and quite dark, the only illumination provided by battery powered solar lights that charged during the daylight hours and gave off a weak yellow light after dark.

The hut’s heating was generated by a huge stove and boiler.

Rising early the next morning we drove and hiked the short distance to the nearby Ice caves.

Kverkfjöll is an active geothermal area, heat underneath the glacier is constantly heating and melting wa-

ter which flows through sub glacial streams before it emerges from a large Ice cave.

We walked across a low rope bridge over the fierce river and walked up to the entrance to the cave, but didn’t venture too far inside having noted a warning sign posted near the end of the track closest to the caves.

If you are looking for a four wheel drive experience unlike anywhere else in the world, that will both allow you to traverse across a land that resembles driving on another planet and experience a unique culture, put Iceland on your next four wheel drive expedition.

EUROPEAN

N OFF ROAD

Maps

FINDING the tracks less travelled

n o i t a m r o f n i e r o m r fo e r e h k c i l c

OFF ROAD MAPS with MDMOT Offroad touring has been getting very popular over the last number of years with more people in Europe exploring thousands of kilkometers of accessible emote tracks.

Capitalising on this extensive network of tracks MDMOT over the years have been mapping these tracks and now offer tourers details of off-road routes throughout Europe and North Africa. This detailed information informative on off road tracks is available in German with a number of maps and routes recently translated into English.The maps incorporate GPS co-ordinants and information on accommodation and camping along the way.

GPS data CD As an alternative to books MDMOT also provide CD’s with the GPS data on recommended tracks and points of interest and accommadation.

USB Flash drive MDMOT also offer a 4GB USB flash drive.

Micro SD Card MicroSD cards with SD adapters can also be purchased., these can be plugged directly into a Gamin device.Note: This only works with Garmin devices.

4WD

CONVERSIONS

For over 30 years IGLHAUT have been one of the market leaders in converting commercial vehicles to all wheel drive capability. It all started in 1983 when a caterer from the Allgäu Alps wanted his MercedesTransporter to be converted to 4WD for transporting guests to his hotel in the mountains. This led to the first 4WD conversion of a Mercedes Transporter and the start of an innovative all wheel drive conversion business.

Today IGLHAUT provide a reliable and robust technology and service that includes converting standard vehicles to all wheel drives with reduction gears, transfer case and rear axle locks, off road tyres vehicle lifts and accessories.

The company is constantly developing offering all wheel drive capabilities to vehicles, through technologies that are patented, have manufacturers and TUV approval and certification.

With an international reputation IGLHAUT rebuild utility-vehicles that require drive-systems for extreme use that are both reliable and capable.Customers come from various backgrounds that include, the police force, the medical emergency services the fire brigade, army, energy suppliers, building and transport companies as well as hunting enthusiasts and those Globetrotters who want to rebuild and convert a leisure vehicle to 4WD.

In 1995 Iglhaut developed an exclusive and upmarket concept for the brand new Mercedes Sprinter and this confirmed its position as a market leader in 4WD conversions.A basic conversion package for a MercedesBenz Sprinter with IGHAUT includes a conversion to all wheel drive, a large reduction gear, Transfer case lock(100%), a vehicle lift to improve ground clearance.

The differential locks put the drive where the traction is best.The off-road reduction ensures best traction on difficult terrains, e.g. in mud or sand, when manoeuvring with heavy trailers or tackling steep mountain tracks.

In cooperation with the Hymercentrum Sulzemoos (motorhomes), IGHAUT Allrad have been converting Hymer ML-T and Hymer ML-I to 4WD capabilities. Another recent developments by Iglhaut Allrad is the 4WD concept for the Vito (Transporter) and the V-Klasse (Van). Providing numerous improvements with some examples including constant 4WD, gear reduction for all-terrain, and a higher suspension.These vehicles are favorites amongst emergency services that include mountain rescue and fire department vehicles and its easy to see why.

For ov of Eu mer

t a m nfor

i e r o for m ere h k c i cl

ver 30 years IGLHAUT ALLRAD have been one uropes market leaders in converting comrcial vehicles to all wheel drive capability.

tion

AUSTR

EXPLORING OUTBACK

Words by TURAS CAMPING & 4W

RALIA

K NEW SOUTH WALES

WD ADVENTURES, IMAGES BYTURAS

OUTBAC

Words and Images TURAS CA

Having arrived in NSW, Australia with my Land Rover Defender that was shipped from Europe, I was very excited to finally have the opportunity to explore this dusty land. After getting the vehicle cleared at customs I immediatly began researching a number of introductory initial trip options in what is probably one of the best remote travelling countries on the planet.As this would be my first trip in Australia with my Defender 90 my main objective was to try and incorporate in my first excursion as many different environments within a week. So after much reading of books, magazines and searching the internet I finally decided to drive to Broken Hill and take in Mungo National Park.

This route would incorp Sydney ,visiting Broken NSW and returning via Mungo National Park co of just under 3000Km

My Australian mate fro is a good bush cook an tarist would be coming a young lad growing up like Mad Max (filmed in painted a very exciting

I wanted to do this trip ed to bring my rooftop modation costs. My roo

CK NSW

AMPING & 4WD ADVENTURES

porate ldeparting from n Hill in the Outback the world renowned overing a total distance

om Brisbane Brucey who nd an even better guig along for the spin. As p and watching films n Broken Hill) this trip g picture for me.

p on a budget so I decidp tent to save on accomof top tent served me

well in Australia with its quick set up and creature comforts of the built in queen size mattress providing plenty of room. So with the roof top tent, chairs, recovery equipment and fuel secured to my new roof rack, the ipod charged, a 3kg of leg of ham packed,(that was won by Bruce in a raffle in a pub the night before) we were ready to rock and experience a bit of outback New South Wales, I could not wait to hit the road.

After leaving Sydney our first camp was in Wellington just 51KM from Dubbo, we found a quiet campsite over looking Lake Burrendong.

We were starving after the days driving.

Brucey agreed to cook for most of the trip as I was the designated driver. Bruce certainly lived up his side of the bargain after cooking a delicious meal comprising of risotto with ham accompanied by some freshly baked flat bread bush style.

In the morning we were greeted by blue skies and a very curious Kangaroo. We decided to skip breakfast and wait to eat when we arrived in Dubbo.

Since leaving Sydney I started to notice that the undercarriage of the Landrover close to the hand break was getting very hot, this was causing me some concern so I decided to bring the vehicle to the Landrover dealers in Dubbo to get a professional opinion.

We arrived in Dubbo early in the morning.Having filled up with fuel

and general supplies and after a hearty breakfast it was off to the Landrover dealers to investigate what was causing the heat close to the handbrake. Having discussed the issue with one of the mechanics I was told that it appeared that some fluid was leaking from the transfer case and this may be partly the cause of the issue.

I asked the mechanic if the Landy would take me to Broken Hill and back to Sydney, he was hesidant to give it the all clear. Decisions decisions, do I book the vehicle in to get the issue further investigated and hang around Dubbo for possibly a few days or do I add some fluids and take a chance and keep going?

Under normal circumstances I would have not taken the chance but having discussed our options with Brucey we decided to continue with the trip as time was not on our side. I was a little concerned as we still a fair distance to go and I hoped she would make it back to Sydney without any dramas.

to Broken Hill, I was very to seeing the outback fo amazing how the landsca changed the further we d got to the outback. The l Broken Hill is a long one other than the odd road

As we left Dubbo our journey continued through the NSW western slopes past ‘Nyngan and then onto the Barrier Highway through to Cobar (132km), Wilcannia (+250km), and finally Broken Hill (+196km) a total distance of 1167 covered since leaving Sydney. As we got closer

After a long day driving w Broken Hill, the edge of t we were also now in a di remember to adjust your Australian time with 30 m From Sydney we were no

EXPLORING

AN ANCIENT

LAND

y much looking forward or the first time. It’s ape and soil formations drove and the closer we last stretch of road to e with not much traffic train.

we finally arrived in the Outback in NSW, ifferent time zone so r watches to South mins in the difference. ow 1/5 of the distance

to the west coast of Australia.

Over the years, Broken Hill has grown from the iconic outback mining town to the cultural centre of Outback NSW .It is also interesting to note that the town has more trucks and sets of traffic lights underground than it does on the surface.

CAMPING

IN MAD MAX COUNTRY

B w t i c C y f s b k

W h t t q s H s t

Before heading to the tourist office we drove to the top the huge hill that overlooks the town we went into the mine museum for a quick cup of coffee at the Broken Earth Café .This is a great place to get your bearings of the town and don’t forget to get a photo opportunity of sitting on the large chair that sits beside the museum and café, the kids will love this.

We decided to camp at Silverton, so having picked up some brochures at the tourist office it was off to Silverton, 30km later we arrived in this quaint outback village,we then went straight to the famous Silverton Hotel for a refreshing drink before setting up camp for the night. I have to say that this was one of the cool-

est pubs I had been to since arriving in Australia.Silverton over the years has become a well known film and television location with films such as, Mad Max II, Mission Impossible 2, Priscilla, A Town Like Alice, and many others filmed near there.

The Pub at Silverton is a great spot for a drink or light refreshment with a great collection of photographs posted on the walls of films that have been filmed in the area, The bar tender was very friendly and gave us lots of background to the pub and some insightful local knowledge.

1

2

5

1. A sculpture over looking the Mundi Mundi plains.

2. Tackling the outback NSW tracks.

3. Mad Max drove on these tracks back in the 1980’s.

4. An abandoned vehicle near Silverton 5. Camping near Broken Hill in Outback NSW

3 4

This was a great experience f remembering going to see Ma I was now pretty chuffed to be same area kicking up the red Landrover.

After checking out all the mem model vehicles from the Mad parked outside the pub we the Mundi lookout (5 km past Silv spot to watch the sunset.

Our bush camp site was just u verton. Once again my Job wa top tent and set up our make includes a nifty table and sink side of the Landrover, and of

for me, as a young lad ad Max in the cinema, e driving around the dust in my trusty

morabilia and the Max movie that were en headed for Mundi verton); this is a great

up the road near Silas to pull out the roof shift kitchen which k that attaches to the course to get the

fire going.With the fire starting to crackle it was time to put all of the ingredients for the stew into the camp oven and to set the kneaded dough for the damper aside to rise. After dinner we sat back around the campfire listening to the birds go into their final frenzy as the sun went down.

That night we also had a curious fox who ventured very confidently into our camp to see what was going on. It’s always important to make sure that all food etc is packed away and the animals should not be fed, he eventually headed off into the bush after some coaxing.This was my first taste of the Australian Outback and I was very much looking forward to going further a field in my Land Rover Defender and exploring this remote and ancient land.

lit

happy c

Words and Images TURAS CA

e l t t

campers

AMPING & 4WD ADVENTURES

Ive never met a kid who didn’t like camping

I

n an age where children are spending less time outside and more time indoors with their heads stuck in game consoles or mobile phones it’s so important for us, as parents to encourage our kids to enjoy the simpler things in life and get out and explore the great outdoors.

aration and you’ll probably have to allow for some extra space to carry the essentials, buggies, portocots etc depending on the age or your child but don’t let this put you off. Once you get there and get set up the hard bits done.

Just a few pointers to help you along the way:

I don’t think I’ve never met a kid who didn’t like camping, who wouldn’t want to sleep under the stars, roast marshmallows on an open fire or help mum and dad catch a fish for dinner.

Always dress the kids in comfortable clothing, they will want to play in the dirt, they will want to climb the nearest tree, they, most certainly will get dirty.

We’ve always been keen campers so our kids didn’t get much of a choice and we took them with us literally before they could walk. In our experience taking the kids camping requires a little more advance prep-

Bring waterproof gear, more often than not you will encounter a shower or two of rain somewhere along the way and keeping dry is the difference between a bad and good camping experience.

Lay out your campsite safely, if you have a campfire consider the best location, always keep the guy lines as close as possible to the tent and show the kids where they are to avoid and little feet tripping over them.

Try where possible to stick to your normal home routine for meals and sleep time, this will help the kids to adjust to their new outdoor living arrangements easier.

Set down ground rules in advance and stick to them…no shoes in the tent! It’s a good idea to have a covered over shoebox at the camp door as a reminder.

Most importantly of all, get the kids involved in the running of the campsite. Funnily enough my kids are so much more helpful on the campsite than they are at home. Ask them to collect wood for the fire; to wash up after dinner, help prepare meals, they love being involved.

Camping with the kids really is quality time spent together as a family, the kids are always so much more interactive, inquisitive and willing to learn and we as parents are a lot less distracted by the goings on of every day life and have time to enjoy them to the full. It’s win win.

the

FAROE

ISLANDS

Words and Images TURAS CAMPING & 4WD ADVENTURES /FAROESE TOURISM BOARD

Spending a couple of nights camping on the spectacular Faroe Islands.

On the Faroes Camping is only permitted in designated campsites

The Faroe islands are made up of eighteen islands located half way between Norway and Iceland

and Saturdays, the Saturday route includes a 3 day stop over in the Faroe Islands.

Camping on the Faroes is only permitted in designated campsites we recommend staying at the Torshaven campsite, it’s a perfect base to explore these unique islands.

The direct route entails two overnights on the Ferry, as does the Faroe’s version, except with this Saturday departure, you spend 3 additional nights on the breathtaking and unspoiled Faroe Islands.

You can no longer get the Ferry from Stranraer in Scotland to the Faroes.

You can however get a Ferry to the Faroes from Denmark on the ‘Norrona’ it sails from Hirtshals at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, to Iceland via the Faroe Islands.

The ferry sails on Tuesdays

g n i c u d o r int

TEARDROP C

CARAVANS

Little caravans for big

Adventures

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What is a '’teardrop caravan’’ Teardrop caravans are streamlined, compact, lightweight travel trailer, which gets its name from its unique teardrop shape.

They first became popular in the 1930s and evolved after World War II when their construction made use of materials obtained from surplus markets. The chassis were made of steel U channel or from round steel tubing, and the wheels came from Jeeps that were salvaged from sunken ships. The exterior skins were often made from the wings of World War II bombers.

They remained popular until the mid-1960s, after which they disappeared from mainstream camping. However, since the late 1990s teardrop trailers have made a resurgence and are growing in popularity.With a streamlined shape, small size and light weight they allow very easy towing even on the smallest cars.

CHOOSING A

TENT

A good tent that is easy to set up should be top of your list, tents have come a long way over the last twenty years, with the new models using polyester and nylon and the traditional heavier canvas becoming less popular. Tent set ups have also improved with major advancements in the types of materials used in camping poles and quick set up technology like the 30 second OZtent.

Roof top tents have also become more popular in recent years though prices are quite high and access to less expensive brands seem to be limited in the northern hemisphere in comparison to more affordable models available in countries like Australia.

A good quality tent is probably the most important investment you will make for your camping trips, so if you are in the market for a new one, take your time before choosing. Over the years I have wasted a lot of money on cheap tents that take ages to put up, paying a bit more will result in a much better camping experience and money better spent in the long term.

FISH

&

CAM

wi

HING 4WD

MPING

ith your

Irish shore angling is among the best in Europe. Almost every type of shore fishing may be done, for a very wide range of species, throughout the year.One of the great experiences of Irish sea-angling is to fish a west coast storm beach when a big surf is running.

From a distance these strands seem to have tables of water in ascending height to seaward, each edged with foam.

can wade among the breakers because the strands are for the most part shallow and safe, and enjoy there incomparable angling, equal to salmon fishing or indeed any other form of fishing. It will be necessary to get local advice on safety before fishing these beaches.

FISHING WHEN CAMPING CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN The stocks of bass, which was once the priA GOOD AND GREAT CAMPING mary species sought here are now in recovery, but ray, flounder and dogfish are plentiful.

Close-to they are roaring tiers of surf,WEEKEND swelling and then pounding ashore, leaving a waste of suds in their backwash. The careful angler

There is nothing quite like heading off in your 4WD with the camping and fishing gear all packed up in the back as you search of that secret camping and fishing location.

Fishing is one of the many activities that you can enjoy with your 4WD that does not cost an arm and a leg.

a fishing weekend for less than €100, and that includes purchasing your fishing rod, tackle,and all you need to get going. Chances are that if you give it a go and enjoy the initial experience you will probably end up equipping your 4WD for those bigger and longer fishing and camping adventures.

As novice fishermen it’s all about heading off the beaten track in search of that perfect fishing and campsite spot and spending a couple of hours or even days casting a line while unwinding from the day to day pressures of our daily lives.

It doesn’t really get much better than catching a fish,and bringing it back to your camp getting the fire going and cooking a simple but tasty meal.Our ancestors have been doing this for thousands of years and it’s something we all should try at least once, be warned you may get hooked (excuse the pun).

The good news is that fishing is not an expensive hobby to get started, in fact you can pretty much be kitted out and ready to go on

If you do decide to go beach fishing be sure to  prepare your vehicle for some beach driving.You will first need to choose your beach of choice and make sure that it is OK to drive on it and secondly check the tide times, the last thing you want to happen is getting stuck with your 4WD alone on a beach with the tide approaching rapidly. We have had a couple of near calls over the years and as a result we always check the tide times either online or by using a tide book that covers all the national tide times in Europe, you can buy these in most fishing tackle shops.

If you decide to take up this relaxing hobby well the first thing to consider i chasing a decent beach fishing rod. Before you purchase one you will need think about where you plan to store it, in other words do you want to keep rod inside or attached to the outside of your vehicle. Remember beach rods normally longer than standard fishing rods so be mindful that non telescop ing rods will not fit inside your vehicle unless you are driving a 20ft custom 4WD.I have a fairly long non telescopic beach rod that is stored outside of t vehicle.I use a fishing rod holder that attaches to my front light guard,it can up to four fishing rods. This is a very handy accessory for storing fishing ro externally on the vehicle, advantages include easy access to my fully assemb rods. If you want to store your fishing rods in the vehicle well the best optio purchase a telescopic fishing rod. Happy fishing

is purd to your s are pic fishm made the n hold ods bled on is to

CAMPING WITH YOUR

4WD While camping in or on a 4WD May not be as comfortable as staying in a caravan or RV, the benefits are still enormous. The world can become your camping location, you can pull up and camp on the most uneven and hard to get to terrain. See more of the world, and bring your accommodation with you to more remote and inaccessible locations than you could bring a caravan or campervan.

NEC BIRMIN CARAVAN & CA

NGHAM, UK AMPING SHOW

Every February thousands of outdoor fans and their families head to the NEC to see caravans, motorhomes, campervans, tents, trailer tents and folding caravans, caravan holiday homes and lodges, campsites and destinations, tow cars and 4X4s, accessories, awnings and porches, all under one roof.

ing dealers with many ‘special editions’ to see. The show is organised

by NCC Events, a wholly owned subsidiary of industry trade body the National Caravan Council, and supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club.The Caravan Camping & Motorhome Show will take place on 6 days from Tuesday, 21. February to Sunday, 26. February 2017 in Bir-

With over 350 exhibitors the show is a fantastic value, family day out for half term week. Kids go free with free parking and a Show guide included in the ticket price too.

Visitors to the show will be able to compare all the latest motorhome and caravan layouts and interiors and benefit from exclusive show offers on thousands of products.

mingham.

All the leading manufacturers are there, including Bailey, Coachman, Elddis, Lunar, Swift, Trigano, ABI and Adria to name just a few, not to mention most of the UK’s lead-

LEAVE N

IF YOU TAKE IT IN, MAKE

NO TRACE

E SURE YOU TAKE IT OUT.

MISSION Leave No Trace inspires responsible use of the outdoors through partnerships, research and education. It teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

As pressure on our landscapes and seascapes from recreational use continues to increase, it is necessary that systems are put in place which will ensure that visitors to the countryside, whether locals or tourists, visit with care.

In the UK, currently, three different versions of the Country Code exist. In 1999, the Countryside Access and Activities Network (Northern Ireland) revisited the Country Code and modified it to make it more relevant to recreational users. More recently, England and Wales published a new Country Code following the introduction of the CROW Act and Scotland published another version, the ‘Access Code’, following the introduction of its freedom to roam legislation.

VISION The Leave no trace programme strives to build awareness, appreciation and respect for natural and cultural heritage and is dedicated to creating a recognised and accepted outdoor ethic that promotes personal responsibility. It encourages all outdoor enthusiasts to do their part to maintain those lands used by the public for the benefit of the environment and for future generations.

The Outdoors Is Yours.

Leave No Trace To Protect It. Leave No Trace works to raise awareness and educate people about reducing their impact on the environment. “If You Bring It In, Take It Out� - take home all litter and leftover food (including tea bags, fruit

peels and other biodegradable foods).To dispose of solid human waste, dig a hole 15-20cms deep and at least 30m from water, campsites and tracks. Cover and disguise the hole when finished.

Wash yourself or your dishes 30m away from streams or lakes and if necessary use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Bring home an solids and scatter strained dishwater.

for more information click here

e

ny

LEAVE NO TRACE

CB RAD

USE IN EU

Words and Images TURAS CAMPING

ADIOS

UROPE

G & 4WD ADVENTURES

Citizens band radio (also known as CB radio) is, in many countries, a system of short-distance radio communications between individuals typically on a selection of 40 channels within the 27 MHz (11 m) band. Citizens band is distinct from other personal radio service allocations such as FRS, GMRS, MURS, UHF CB and the Amateur Radio Service (“ham” radio). In many countries, CB operation does not require a license, and (unlike amateur radio) it may be used for business or personal communications. Like many other two-way radio services, citizens band channels are shared by many users. (wikipedia) CB is a free to use unlicensed radio communications service. It allows people to communicate with each other over (normally) short ranges without having any associated call charges or subscription fees. There are 80 CB channels available on UK sets and 40 channels on radios throughout the rest of Europe.

All 80 channels can be used in the UK, but only the 40 channels designated for use in the rest of Europe should be used outside of the UK. The use of CBs has diminished as lot from its height of popularity in the late 70s

and early 80s, when CB and ham radio was a popular past time for many people.

However CB usage has maintained a foothold in usage by truck drivers, taxi companies, utility companies and both recreational and professional outdoors persons.

Driver can pass messages to each other about road and traffic conditions, hazards and other helpful information.

The Turas team use CB radio’s while on the road to keep our communications going while travelling in separate vehicles, and to help to co-ordinate navigation and operations during our video or photo shoots.

CBs are also a good and reliable option when we are travelling off the beaten track and where mobile network coverage may be spotty or non existent.

A CB radio is only part of the requirement, an antenna is also required, while small handheld radios are technically ‘CBs’ for any reasonable range an external antenna is required and it is the antenna that determines your range - not the radio.

In general, the taller/larger the antenna, the greater the range.

1

WWW.LONGCOM.IE

10-4 GOOD BUDDY

“10-4 GOOD BUDDY”

any reasonable range an external antenna is required and it is the antenna that determines your range not the radio.

In general, the taller/larger the antenna, the greater the range. The antenna should be mounted on a metal location and be grounded.

The antennas actually use the vehicle to create a ground plane which increases the effective range of the radio signal. If the antenna is not grounded, you will not get good performance from the CB. Our CBs were provided to us by

Long Communications, one of Ireland’s leading providers of two way radio communication equipment.

Their speciality is CB Radio, Marine Radios, Scanners and Walkie Talkies. Some of our customers include County Councils, Wind Farms, Fishing vessels, Agricultural Contractors and Government Departments. You can find them online, here, tell them we sent you :) http://www.longcom.ie/

THROW ON SO

DUAL BATTERY SYSTEMS AND POWER ON THE GO

OME LIGHT N THE SUBJECT

Many RVs and campers use batteries like this so that power is continually available and also in order that the primary, starter battery is not drained accidentally by the use of electrical equipment while the engine is not running. There are various ways to set this up. In one setup a permanently configured dual battery system , including a mounted second battery and a control system for the two batteries can ensure that the second battery charges while the engine is running, and also that the primary battery is not drained and always maintains the ability to start your car. A dual battery setup will allow you to use the second battery for powering devices such as lights, fridges, laptops etc.

Normally the main battery is a normal starter battery, a conventional lead acid battery, and the second battery is a larger, deep cycle battery, more commonly used in marine vehicles. Unlike a normal lead acid ‘starter’ battery, deep cycle batteries are designed to be regularly deeply discharged using most of its capacity.

However, you don’t necessarily require a full dual battery setup in order to use a second powerful battery system while on the road. Its possible to buy devices that allow you to benefit from the use of a deep cycle battery without installing this setup into your vehicle.

These ‘battery packs’ allow you to use a large deep cycle battery within a portable device, and to carry it around your campsite as necessary.

It also possible to buy devices that allow you to benefit from the use of a deep cycle battery without installing this setup into your vehicle.

These ‘battery packs’ allow you to use a large deep cycle battery within a portable device, and to carry it around your campsite as necessary. The battery packs provide a conventional 12 volt socket into which you can plug your various devices. You can charge these batteries using mains power when available or by plugging them into your 12 volt (cigarette lighter) socket while driving.

We use both dual battery and battery box setups, the end result is the same,powering bright lights to work and/or relax under , keeping food and drink refrigerated and powering laptops, phones cameras and any other electronic devices, enabling you to keep going for longer while ‘off the grid’.

We got our 12V 130AH Deep Cycle Batteries from Battery w world www.bateryworld.ie , they have proved invaluable while on the road.

Enabling us to cook in the dark, and to remain active and outdoors long after the sun has gone down. These battery systems ensure that you can keep food refrigerated for days or weeks which can really improve your menu selection when on the road for extended periods, its also nice to have a cool drink at the end of a long day.

Adding an additional battery to your touring setup is a great way to ensure you have additional power when you are not driving.

for more information click here

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4WD & ING P M CA E E T FR S 1 PES O R EU

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