Welcome to Issue 25 of TURAS Camping and 4WD Magazine. In this Issue we re-visit Achill Island a location recently back in the news due to being the location where the movie the Banshees of Inisherin was filmed. We take a look at 10 Unique 4WD touring destinations around the world. Thermometers are still hovering around the low single digit and minus figures and we share some tips for camping in the cold weather and maintaining your vehicle in winter conditions. We share the latest information about Project Maybach a new state of the art off-road vehicle resulting
from a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Maybach.
We take a look at some innovative vehicle storage solutions, some top quality expedition equipment, camp cooking gear, and also have some essential information on vehicle preparation, servicing and parts. We hope you enjoy this issue.
Photo:Nicolas Genoud - Geko Expeditions
To subscribe to the free magazine and interim email newsletters, please visit: www.turas.tv/subscribe SALES &
Copyright © 2021 TURAS Camping and 4WD Adventures Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact: info@turas.ie
You can get in touch with the TURAS team at info@turas.ie or via the contact form on our website.
Russ Paul Ali
From greenlaning, wild camping, fishing, hill walking, surfing, windsurfing or scuba diving, your visit to Achill Island, the largest island off the West Coast of Ireland, can be as active as you want it to be. This place is one of the last wild frontiers on the western fringes of Europe and a great place to explore in your 4WD. The Island has been occupied for thousands of years and it is believed that at the end of the Neolithic Period (around 4000 BC) the island had a healthy population of between 500–1,000 people. This ancient Island has some cracking coastal and inland tracks to explore with an abundance of interesting sites to see along the way including Megalithic tombs, forts, a deserted village and the highest cliffs in Europe.
Achill is made up of parts of the Currane Peninsula in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, covering 15 miles from east to west and 11 miles from north to south, its total area is about 57 square miles with a spectacular coastline to discover, carving approximately eighty miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Today the island has a total population of just under 3,000 people with a large proportion of the population still speaking the native Irish Gaelic tongue.
Our journey began in the picturesque salmon fishing town of Ballina, Co. Mayo, located on the River Moy.
In our well equipped Land Rover Defenders we took the Bangor road and drove through the rugged and wild Ballycroy National Park.
As you approach the Island from the Ballycroy National Park, you will be presented with amazing views of the Islands mountainous landscape in the distance.
Achill’s geography makes the Island the most mountainous Island in Ireland with some of its peaks including Slievemore (2,214ft / 671m), Croaghaun (2,192ft / 668m) and the 4WD accessible summit of Minaun Heights towering 466m. The north-east face of Croaghaun features almost perpendicular cliffs which claim to be the hig
‘‘
Filmed on location on Achill Island and on Inishmore, Co. Galway, the highly-anticipated Martin McDonagh movie, The Banshees of Inisherin, has been recently being showing in cinemas across the globe.
The island boasts pristine unpolluted waters with five Blue Flag beaches and some great tracks to explore. If you are into sea angling or any type of fishing for that matter you will not be disappointed with the islands waters holding a number of sea angling records, most notably in 1932 when a porbeagle shark weighing 365lb was caught with a rod and line by a man called Dr O’Donel Browne. You can still see the head of this specimen mounted and displayed on the wall of the bar in the Achill Head Hotel in Keel. Other record fish caught off Achill include a 5.5kg Tub Gunard caught near Bullsmouth in 1973, and a
Blue Shark caught off Achill Head in 1959 weighing a staggering 93.4kg
For the wild life enthusiasts it’s interesting to note that Achill was also the last breeding place in Ireland of the white-tailed sea eagle, the species being recorded there as late as 1875. The golden eagle became extinct in Achill about 1915 with the last reliable sighting was on Slievemore mountain in 1910.
One of the real attractions on this Island is the touring and exploring, If you are looking for remote coastal driving you will not be
disappointed ,with narrow tracks hugging the coastline along the famous ‘’Atlantic Drive’. This drive covers 20 km of spectacular scenery starting at Achill Sound. The coast road runs close to the cliff edge and provides spectacular views of Clew Bay in the distance with its reputed 365 islands; you will also be able to see Croagh Patrick (764m) to the south-east, Mweelrea, the Sheefry Hills and the Maamturks in Connemara and the inhabited Clare Island to the south east. There are several lay-bys and parking spots along this stretch of narrow and twisting road, perfect for picnics or to stop and take a few photographs and explore this wild coastline. One of these lay-bys is at the site of the Spanish Armada memorial where a plaque was erected to commemorate the ship San Nicolas Prodaneli which was wrecked on the shore at Toorglass, Currane Peninsula, in 1588.
While in Currane it’s interesting to know that the founder of the British police force, Sir Robert Peel, once resided here. As you approach the Atlantic drive to the west of the island you will pass the Kildavnet Tower on your left, a 16th century Irish tower house that was formerly inhabited by Granuaile, the legendary pirate queen. This road ends at a junction with the R319, at which you should take a turn towards Achill Sound, your starting point on this scenic loop. This is a very photogenic drive and you will find yourself jumping in and out of your vehicle looking for that perfect coastal shot, with so much variety you will be guaranteed to get that memorable holiday snap.Another interesting site to visit on the Island is the deserted village, this ghostly like village at Slieve-
more comprises of the ruins of 100 stone cottages located along a mile long stretch of road on the southern slopes of Slievemore mountain. Some of these dwellings were occupied as summer ‘booley’ homes by local farmers. The area itself is rich in archaeological artefacts including megalithic tombs dating from the Neolithic period some 5,000 years ago. Local field systems and site remnants indicate that settlement in this area dates from at least early medieval times. So what’s a booley settlement? This ancient farming practice refers to living in different locations during the summer and winter periods, in order to allow cattle to graze in summer pasture. The cottages at Slievemore were used as summer dwellings by families who came from the coastal village of Dooagh and Pollagh, the Village is a haunting reminder of times past. An hour spent meandering from cottage to cottage, along the ancient track and through adjacent fields with their lazy bed ridges and furrows is a journey back in time. Sheltered under the slopes of Slievemore
and hidden from the 21st century, this peaceful corner of Achill is a perfect place to understand what life was like on this Island in days gone by.
Another highly recommended track to take on the Island is up to the top of Minaun Heights, take the main road through Dooega, you will reach a left turn leading to Minaun Heights, we drove to the top of the mountain in the Land Rovers only to get stuck on the summit, best advice is to stay away from the boggy surface at the top. This steep road ends at a hill-top viewing point, giving a breathtaking view of Achill Island.
If you want to take a break from the touring and fancy getting your feet wet there are plenty of options. Watersports available on Achill Island include surfing, windsurfing, canoeing & kayaking. Equipment hire and tuition in many of these water sports activities is available from a number of local schools and providers. If you bring your fishing rod, the Atlantic waters around Achill Island and
the Curraun Peninsula are home to a wide range of sea life and varieties of fish, making the area one of the best sea angling destinations in Ireland.
There are a couple of good campsites on the Island, we camped wild at the base of Minaun Heights and we also stayed at the well established Keel Sandybanks campsite, this is a 4 Star family run caravan & camping park, located on Keel Beach. This park provides full services for camping and caravanning.
Like anywhere in Ireland if you are camping wild be sure to follow the leave no trace code, similar to the UK, wild camping is tolerated generally though check if land is privately owned or commonage.
If wild camping is not for you there is another campsite located on the Island at Doogart, it’s called Lavelle’s and is located beside one of the Island’s finest blue flag beaches with direct access from the campsite.
It’s getting more and more difficult to find remote places that offer action packed activities and all located within a fifty mile radius. Achill Island is the perfect place to take your 4WD on an adventure for a couple of days, between greenlaning, fishing, great camping locations and lots of other adventurous activities Achill Island on the most western fringes of Europe has something to offer all adventurous spirits.
It’s getting more and more difficult to find remote places that offer action packed activities and all located within a fifty mile radius. Achill Island is the perfect place to take your 4WD on an adventure for a couple of days, between greenlaning, fishing, great camping locations and lots of other adventurous activities Achill Island on the most western fringes of Europe has something to offer all adventurous spirits.
The highly-anticipated Martin McDonagh movie, The Banshees of Inisherin, has been recently being showing in cinemas across the globe. Filmed on location on Achill Island and on Inishmore, Co. Galway, the movie reunites the stars of McDonagh’s breakout film ‘In Bruges’, Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. They are supported by a cast of Irish actors including Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, David Pearse, Sheila Flitton, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon and John Kenny.
The locations of the film showcase the beauty of Achill and Inishmore, and to celebrate this Discover Ireland produced two short ‘Behind the Scenes’ videos with interviews with McDonagh and leading cast members
If you are planning on getting your car, SUV or 4WD ready for some camping trips in 2023, well one of the best accessories you can get is a descent awning or portable shelter. Awnings and portable shelters now come in all shapes and sizes and are simple to set up in a hurry. They will instantly increase your camping space and keep you well sheltered from the elements.No more sitting in your vehicle waiting for the rain to stop. Portable shelters are getting very popular, particularly for those who go family camping trips in a car, they are an excellent solution for cooking, eating, or just relaxing under the canvas when the sun is either splitting the rocks or when it’s raining. With some options on some designs now allowing you to add side walls which give you extra space and comfort from windy
conditions while also providing an enclosed sheltered area where the kids can play in comfort and not worry about the bad weather.
The team at Darche has combined their innovation and expertise to bring to the customer a new range of gear that is a bit lighter to carry, less expensive, and designated for a more generic family SUV and car camping market. As previewed in the last few issues,the Kozi range is designed to make family camping more accessible, affordable and functional. In the previous issue, we had a look at the Kozi Roof Top Tent and in this issue, we want to have a closer look at another Kozi product that very much compliments the family camping set up. Introducing the Darche Kozi Range Compact
Shelter.Ideal for camping, picnics or a visit to your favourite lake or beach, the DARCHE Kozi Series Compact Shelter is the perfect portable shade solution. The instant frame system makes setting up and packing down a breeze. The lightweight and compact design make it easy to store at home or in the car.
This simple to use shelter also comes with the option of purchasing four additional and easy attachable solid walls. This allows you to completely close in your shelter and keep the rain, wind or to help keep the sun out in hot conditions. With UV50+ protection, these walls will keep you and your family safe from the sun. All up this is a perfect solution for your family camping setup.
The TURAS Team love camping in the winter, the cold is something that can be offset with a crackling fire, and winter camping just feels different than camping during milder weather. There are few reasons why we think this is true. Winter camping can be very atmospheric, perhaps the camp might be covered in snow , or perhaps its just so cold that your breath frosts when you speak or breathe.
When winter camping its very important that you are properly prepared and equipped, otherwise at best you probably won’t have a very comfortable experience and at worst might end up in danger of risking your health or your life. The good thing is that it is easy to be well prepared and while this is not an exhaustive piece of advice on winter camping, here are some general pointers on enjoying the outdoors during the winter.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
Winter driving- get your vehicle winter ready. We take a look at the right preparation and technique. Antifreeze is inexpensive, but a cracked engine is not. In cold winter temperatures you might need a 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water. This can protect your engine down to temperature of -34C. Make sure you choose the right anti freeze for your vehicle, perhaps add it at your very next service. s fo
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE r driving in harsh winter conditions.
Petromax is well known for its wide range of quality products and accessories for outdoor cooking and food preparation. From grills and cooking plates, to Dutch ovens and skillets, Petromax provides everything that you might need for cooking outside. A great aspect of the product range is that it has all been designed to work together so that different products can be combined with each other to provide a wide range of cooking options. For example, we love using the Atago as a heat source for cooking on a griddle suspended from the Petromax Cooking Tripod , but the Atago itself is an unrivalled all-in-one tool that can be used as a conventional barbecue, a stove, an oven, and a fire pit and used with charcoal briquettes or firewood. The Petromax Atago can also be used in combination with a Dutch oven or a wok. Because the wok or the Dutch oven placed on top of the Atago is completely surrounded by stainless steel, the heat yield is very high, the Atago also comes with a grilling grate, which serves to transform it into a conventional barbecue.
The high-quality griddle and firebowl is a multipurpose steel plate with removable legs that can be used to cook up your favourite camp meal and can then be used as a fire pit to keep you warm on those chilly nights. The fire bowl is also designed in a way that you can cook
your food at different temperatures with the centre of the bowl giving the most heat and allowing you to cook other foods slower around the edges of the plate on the generous space provided. If you don’t want to cook with the legs on, no drama you can simply place the fs48 and fs56 plates on the Petromax Atago and cook away without worrying about scorching the ground.
The Petromax Griddle and Fire Bowl comes in three sizes the fs38, fs48 and the larger fs56, all three come with a high quality bag for storage and with the two handles this product is very easy to handle. The three attachable legs can be screwed into the thread bushings on the bottom of the plate ensuring that the griddle stands safely on the ground, the removable legs makes this product a breeze to transport in the back of your vehicle, camper trailer or caravan.
We first started using the Petromax Wrought Iron Pans in our outdoor kitchen at the beginning of one summer and they
have become the go-to pans since then. They are very easy to use, heating up quickly and evenly, particularly over an open flame. It’s worth mentioning that the pans are very heavy so ideally, you shouldn’t have to move them around much when cooking. We have ours permanently in our outdoor kitchen so at hands reach when we need them. They have a long handle which is good to balance the weight but it can get very hot in cooking, so always use oven gloves when moving it from the heat. Ours has just gotten better the more we use it, it’s the goto pan for cooking a nice steak and there is great satisfaction cooking on a pan that doesn’t stick.
These boxes are a great lightweight option to bring along on camping trips. The flat packing box is made from stainless steel and is easy to assemble and take apart, it is very lightweight and comes in its own tough carrying case.You can put the Fireplace together in a couple of minutes with a few simple steps and then safely light a fire which is protected from the wind and
also helps to prevent any burnt patches. The grille on top allows you to cook or heat water, or make coffee. We often use the Fireplace to brew coffee with the Petromax Perkomax coffee percolator.
The precise cuts in the steel serve as expansion joints and also supply the fire with air, the Fireplace does not become distorted even at very high temperatures.
On of our favorite pieces of camp cooking equipment are Dutch Ovens (Cast Iron Pot). We often cook our camp food in them and that includes, fresh bread, roasts, stews, baked potatoes and vegetables and much more. It has been the focal point of many a great camping trip over the years and hopefully many more to come.
In this feature we take a look at some fascinating and unique 4WD touring destinations across the world. Some of these locations are easy to get to, and some.. not so much. These 10 destinations together represent a wide variety of experi-
ences suitable for a wide variety of driving experience and expertise. Hopefully there is something here for everyone, from the frosty landscapes of Iceland, to the deserts of Namibia to the remote wastelands of Murmansk..We hope you enjoy this selection of 10 unique overlanding adventures..
With a population of just over 360,000 people, Iceland is also a very sparsely populated country, with most of its inhabitants living in the capital Reykjavík, and most of the remainder living in coastal towns. Iceland is often referred to as the Land of Fire and Ice due to its very active geothermal landscape and its often snowy winter and icy highlands. It is also the land of the midnight sun where in summer the days never end and it never gets dark.
Canada has a very interesting and expansive geography that occupies much of the continent of North America, sharing land borders with the United States to the south and the U.S. state of Alaska to the north-west. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean and it also has the longest coastline in the world, with a total length of 243,042 kilometres or 151,019 miles. It is also interesting to note that Canada is home to the world’s northernmost settlement, Canadian Forces Station Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—which lies 817 kilometres (508 mi) from the North Pole.
On public land (National, Forest) and areas that are not privately owned (Crown Land), wild camping is generally allowed. Since lots in Canada can be quite large, you
should make sure that you do not camp on private property or ask the owner for permission in advance.
Depending on the province or territory you wish to visit, there may be additional prohibitions that further limit the possibilities of wild camping, also known as
‘backcountry camping.’ However, some provinces allow camping under special conditions in isolated provincial and national parks.
One of the popular US States that has plenty to offer the 4WD adventurist is California. Located on the western seaboard of the US, California is the third largest state in the US covering an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2). The Pacific Ocean borders the western part of the state, Oregon the north, Arizona and Nevada the east, and Mexico the south. The state’s varied topography covers the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, and redwood forests in the north to the Mojave Desert in the south giving plenty of variety in the type of terrain to be explored.
With a diverse climate ranging from a wet temperate rainforest in the north, hot, arid desert in the interior, snowy alpine in the mountains, and the warm Mediterranean in the rest of the state, the type of gear and how your vehicle is kitted out really depends on where you are going. It is also interesting to note that approximately 45 percent of the state’s total surface area is covered by forests and California’s diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. About an hour and a half drive from San Diego is 164,000 square miles (425,000 square kilometers) of Anza Borrego State Park where you are allowed to pretty much drive anywhere and can camp (for free) on any trail (provided you get a campfire permit … wildfires are a bit of a flashpoint). Learn more and join the team at Funki Adventures on a recent trip exploring some Californian landscapes..
Chile a long narrow South American country that borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. Chile is one of the longest north-south countries in the planet stretching over 4,300 km (2,670 miles) from north to south, and a mere 350 km (217 mi) at its widest point from east to west.The total landmass covers approximately 756,950 square kilometres (292,260 sq
mi) of land area. With a population of approximately seventeen million it is relatively sparsely populated given its size.
Chile has a very diverse climate ranging from the world’s driest desert in the north the Atacama Desert through a Mediterranean climate in the center, to an oceanic climate, including alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south. The seasons fall into the following months, summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November).Throughout the colonial period following the conquest, and during the early Republican period, the country’s culture was dominated by the Spanish. Other European influences include English, French, and German.
What destinations come to mind when you think of travelling to the North? Scandinavia, Karelia, Lapland? And even more to the northeast? The Russian Kola Peninsula, located between the White Sea and the Barents Sea. And in Kola, you find the largest city north of the polar circle: Murmansk. Murmansk is known for having a port which is ice-free all year round and also for hosting the Russian military fleet and its submarines. But Kola is a lot more than just Murmansk.
What else is there to explore in this enigmatic peninsula in the north of Russia, which is accessible to 4×4 explorers from all over Europe? To find some answers to this question, we headed off in early September to participate in the ‘Arctic Tour’ a unique 4×4 expedition organized by the Swiss organization GekoExpe-
ditions (Geko are also known for their guided overland expeditions in Iceland, crossing the Namib desert,and other exotic destinations such as Madagascar, Algeria and Mongolia).
This trip has a wide appeal and is aimed as much at people wanting to explore the remote northern places above Europe as to those over-landers more accustomed to exploring Africa.
This trip is a real adventure and is also a deep immersion in a vast and imposing natural wilderness. The trip takes place at the ideal time of year (early September) when a riot of colours in nature abound, the northern lights be-
gin their cosmic light-shows and there are less mosquitoes than in summer, and yet it is still pleasantly warm.
The Balkans, or the Balkan Peninsula as it is known,covers an area in eastern and southeastern Europe with a number of borders dividing the region.The area takes its name from the Balkan Mountains which comes from the Turkish word balkan ‘’ a chain of wooded mountains’’ that stretch from the Serbian-Bulgarian border to the Black Sea. The Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea on the south and southeast, and the Black Sea.
The region is a four wheel drivers and wild campers paradise with the peninsula making up a combined area of approximately 470,000km squared or 181,000 square miles, making the area just slightly smaller than Spain.
The region is predominantly mountainous and the climate along the coasts is Mediterranean, the further you go inland the more humid continental it gets in the
predominant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, northern Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, and northern Montenegro, while in the northern part of the peninsula near the mountains, winters get frosty and snowy with the southern regions
offering milder winter temperatures.. We caught up with Alek Veljokovic from Rustika Travel who specialise in adventure travel throughout the Balkans. A relatively new operation
having opened in 2011,they provide a complete range of services associated with adventure travel which includes travel consultation, pre-arranged tours, custom packages, accommodation, and all types of transport. The guys
also run a specific 4WD touring service under the Rustika umbrella simply called Serbian Outdoors 4×4 where they provide 4X4 and camping trips in Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Macedonia.
Wild Camping in Romania. Europe offers some remote hidden gems when it comes to Camping and 4WD adventures, bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south you could easily spend a lifetime visiting remote campsites and exploring the network of tracks that connect approximately 10 180 000 square kilometers of very diverse terrain.
With some countries in Europe more remote than others, one of these 4WD and remote camping destinations includes Romania that boasts a rugged beauty and thousands kilometers of tracks to be explored. Romania is the twelfth largest country in Europe and is
bordered by Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia and the Ukraine. Its unique terrain is evenly divided between mountains, hills and plains so plenty of diversity when it comes to tackling 4WD tracks and wild camping.The country is divided by regions that cover an area of 92,043 sq. miles 238,391 sq. km. Some of these regions include The Carpathian Mountains that are split between three major ranges that include the Eastern (Oriental) Carpathians, the Southern Carpathians or famously known as the Transylvanian Alps, and the Western Carpathians.
Other well known regions include the forest of Transylvania and of course home place of Count Dracula, who was made famous by Irish Author Abraham “Bram” Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) in his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula.
The Namib Desert in Namibia is considered the world’s oldest desert. It covers more than 102,248 square miles (270,000 square kilometers) of the southwestern edge of the African continent.In 2003, Nicolas created Geko Expeditions which organizes and guides adventure trips whose common denominator is the discovery off the beaten track.Since then, Geko has organized and guided numerous expeditions to various destinations, including more than 30 in the Sahara. Here Nicolas bring us on along on one of his guided Namib expeditions. Nicolas explains “Namib, this magical name has enthralled me since childhood. Namib “where there is nothing . I dream
of it often. This is the oldest desert in the world, it contains the highest dunes and borders the Atlantic Ocean. It’s Difficult to imagine a more hostile place on Earth … It is perhaps because man has no place there that that it is so fascinating to man. It’s important to drive in the tracks of the lead vehicle. It is strictly forbidden for the vehicles to create their own/multiple tracks. The Namibians make a point of preserving their desert. During this trip we do not cross or overtake a single vehicle during the 7 days of crossing.
Some basic techniques and principles are practiced early on the journey. It’s important to understand at what speed to approach a dune ascent or descent how to manage momentum, the choice and the variation of acceleration and the actions to take in the case of an impending crash. There are many important techniques to learn . We always end this introduction to desert driving by crossing some larger dunes, acclimatising for what lies ahead. Fortunately the level of difficulty as well as the size of the dunes are progressive. Its nice to try out some ‘human scale’ dunes before we encounter the monsters on day three.
images ; Land4Travel
The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from medieval tribes, Christianization and monarchy; through Poland’s Golden Age, expansionism and becoming
one of the largest European powers; to its collapse and partitions, two world wars, communism, and the restoration of democracy.The roots of Polish history can
be traced to the Iron Age when the territory of present-day Poland was settled by various tribes including Celts, Scythians, Germanic clans, Sarmatians, Slavs and
Balts. However, it was the West Slavic Lechites, the closest ancestors of ethnic Poles, who established permanent settlements in the Polish lands during the Early
Middle Ages. The Lechitic Western Polans, a tribe whose name means “people living in open fields”, dominated the region, and gave Poland – which lies in the North-Central European Plain – its name. In Poland every region has something interesting to offer. Podlasie – Tatar villages
and Bialowieza Primeval Forest, Masuria – great lakes, kilometers of gravel roads and german bunker remains, West Pomeranian – a region where the soviet army had their base, where nuclear weapons were stored and located there today – the biggest army range in Europe. Bieszczady is the wild-
est and the least populated region of Poland. It is a region with a turbulent history and to this day you can find ruined villages and obliterated traces of human presence being reabsorbed by nature. Bieszczady was, and in a way is still a polish “wild west” (even though its in the east). To
the south there is Cracow – which was previously the polish capital,which has two interesting salt mines – Wieliczka and Bochnia and also the tallest polish mountains –the Tatra Mountain Range.
Morocco is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. Mauritania lies to the south of Western Sahara. Morocco also claims the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast. It spans an area of 710,850 km2 , with a population of rough-
images: Kudu Overland
ly 37 million. Its official and predominant religion is Islam, and the official languages are Arabic and Berber; the Moroccan dialect of Arabic and French are also widely spoken. Moroccan identity
and culture is a mix of Arab, Berber, and European cultures. Its capital is Rabat, while its largest city is Casablanca. Phillip Hummel of Kudu Overland explains that it is the company’s aim is to have
guests join its overland expeditions in their own 4×4 vehicles.
It’s expeditions include the use of tracks and trails that stretch through spectacular scenery and landscapes of Europe and Moroc-
co. In this feature we joined Kudu on one of its recent Moroccan tours.
As keen campers we are always trying to reduce the time spent packing our Land Rovers and trying to improve how we store bits and bobs in the back of our vehicles. It’s all about making these quick camping getaways as painless as possible. The UK based Mobile Storage Systems continue to innovate clever storage solutions and you will have seen us cover some of these high-quality storage solutions in recent issues of the Mag. And here is another one, introducing the Highline Gen 2, just released in 2022 this useful storage shelving system utilises space otherwise unused in
the Land Rover Defender modes from 1986 - 2016. The Highline Gen 2 has been designed to store items that you need on a regular basis, these can include items such as coats, umbrellas, walking sticks etc .
Installing the system is pretty simple , simply by utilising bolts that are already there in the roof channel.. The main tray of the Highline Gen 2 can be easily removed if needed by undoing a few bolts. The new compact design of the Highline Gen 2 means storing the item when not in use is a lot easier! With
a modern and aesthetically pleasing rectangular design that is laser cut out of the tray, light is still allowed through the product whether it be sunlight or your interior light.The new Highline Gen 2 also includes two mounting points for the Labcraft Nebula 500mm LED Strip Light as well as additional space for an LED strip in both the front and rear lip of the product. The lips have a pre-drilled hole at either end so that wires can be discretely fed through.This products is also supplied with a rubber mat as standard to help hold items in place. Ideal for overlanding or working Defenders but equally suited for leisure use. This clever storage design is pretty much invisible in your rear-view mirror. For more information click here.
The Mobile Storage Systems Superline Drawer is fitted with extremely heavy-duty, full extension runners that are rated at 160kg. This means that these drawers have a smooth sliding system that are built to stand the test of time. Support beams are placed across the drawer allowing for heavy gear to be stored on top of the drawer without affecting the drawer’s functionality. Weighing in a 42Kg the Superline has also been designed with a reinforced drawer floor and this gives the drawer more rigidity, increasing its strength and reliability.The drawer is also installed with a high quality and very secure, SouthCo locking paddle latch. Additionally, there are two holes where you can attach padlocks for added security and peace of mind. The offset includes a lockable ‘Space Saver Door’. This creates a very useful space beside the drawer as well as the drawer being able to fit up to the rear door and not interfere with the door mechanism. For us carrying lots of camera equipment on trips this gives extra security and peace of mind.
The first impression on this unit is the quality and the skilled workmanship that has gone into manufacturing the unit. You can also tell from its functionality that the designers were Land Rover tourers /enthusiasts and knew exactly what they were doing. Although designed for Puma Defender models, this Cubby Box will also fit in pre-2007 models including Series vehicles.The Cubby Box contains a main lockable storage compartment that is perfect for safely storing smaller cameras and chargers but also for getting access to other types of gear including navigational systems, your glasses, money and so on. The lock installed into this unit is drill resistant and incorporates an anti-burst lock, so if anyone manages to break into your vehicle they best come
prepared. Other features include a lockable radio compartment, a trinket tray, front and rear cup holders. One of the real treats on offer is the deeply padded armrest available in black vinyl, black cloth, and tapestry, for us this is a real luxury that just makes the ride in your land Rover defender that much more comfortable.
All of these features in addition to two 12v Lighter Sockets, and high-quality Map Pockets this is a premium storage system that will last the test of time and probably see you and your Land Rover out. Manufactured in the UK the Cubby Box is a MIG welded with no spot welds hence giving you a stronger and pretty much indestructible cubby box. For more information on this awesome storage systems cubby box click here.
The team at My Overland Shop doesn’t want to, offer you every possible product for Overland and Bushcraft. Instead the team wish to offer a se-
lection of carefully selected premium products of only the highest quality for off road vehicles and vans, camping and Bushcraft.
The catalogue provided by My Overland shop includes accessories such as complete suspension kits, shock absorbers, wheels and much more. Products by premier brands such as DARCHE, Petromax, Dare2beDifferent, Big Country, ENGEL, Front Runner and more are available by special order.
The Nomad Fox stackable storage boxes are designed and manufactured for extreme and intensive use. These storage boxes are perfect for off-road travel, expeditions, military use, for campers, hunters, fishermen, rescue professionals, bikers, kayaking, and adventure sportspeople, …basically any activity that may require the proper storage of your gear for transport and outdoor use.
These boxes are lightweight yet extremely tough. Check out the video linked from this article where the guys at Nomad Fox drive a Defender onto
one of the boxes, park it, wait and then reverse back off it, revealing… an absolutely undamaged box! The box and top are manufactured with polypropylene copolymer (PPC), which is highly, impact, and stress crack resistant. This material also retains its characteristics very well at low temperatures.
It is obvious that a lot of deep thought and experience has gone into both the design of these boxes and the choice of materials used to build them. These boxes are designed and 100% manufactured in the EU.
A range of accessories is also available for these boxes. Foldable thermal storage bags are foldable while not in use and are moisture and water-resistant. The two handles make lift-
ing the bag out of the box easy. Enough space has been left between the bag and the Nomad Box to ensure that a fully stuffed bag will easily slip into the box. The heavy-duty zipper is tough for overland use. The Nomad Thermal Bag is lined with an insulating sheet finished with a food grade foil. It is intended as a food bag, but due to the interior foil lining, you can also use it for anything that may require to wipe the interior of the bag clean.
The Engel MT-V35F 32L Portable Fridge/Freezer features the latest world-renowned Sawafuji swing motor which provides almost unbelievable cooling and power efficiency with VERY low consumption. The single zone device can be used as either a fridge or a freezer and as a freezer
can reach a temperature of -18C. The latest electronics include a built in battery monitor and digital thermostat control which allows for easy control of temperature. The fridge also maintains its internal temperature regardless of external/ambient temperature changes. This is now the only fridge that we bring on our trips.
The team of professionals at My Overland Shop by Black Label trade is passionate about offroad touring, camping and overlanding with all team members having extensive experience of their own adventures and explorations. The company will soon be 25 years old. Throughout this time the experts at my overland shop have identified and built an extensive catalog of firstrate products, material that stands out for its quality and the prestige of manufacturers from all over the world, and all products are distributed from Spain to customers across Europe. When on a long or short trip , if you don’t have an organised storage system in place for all of your gear, things
can quickly become very disorganised and can become increasingly disorganized as your trip progresses.
Packing up camp and setting up camp, or making a meal can become increasingly complicated and frustrating as you search for the missing stove or wonder where you left the plates.
In addition, fragile equipment such as cameras or laptops may become dislodged from a precarious storage location and be damaged in a fall from the vehicle. One of the best solutions to organised storage while on the road is a 4×4 vehicle drawer system.
My Overland Shop Provides a range of South African designed and built ‘Big Country’ Drawer units for a variety of vehicles. These tough and hard-wearing drawers have been extensively tested in the bush in South Africa and are designed to carry heavy loads of up to 200kg per drawer.
Offroad Monkeys is a small family business in Bavaria that has makes high quality replacement parts for Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G Class Vehicles in addition to making on demand custom precision parts for its customers.
The fact that 4×4 driving takes a toll on every vehicle, makes all parts of a 4wd vehicle work very hard, everything is stressed and can eventually start to wear down and fail. This was the original challenge that was taken up by Fabian Müller, the manager of Offroad Monkeys. Sick of seeing hinges fail, Müller decided to design his own solution to the problem, his personal motto is ‘Build things with passion that will last forever.’
Many Offroad and expedition drivers encounter recurring issues with door hinges on their vehicles. Loose, broken or rusting hinges can be a real pain when on the road, there is nothing more inconvenient than a door that won’t properly close or stay closed, or indeed, won’t open.
Made in Germany from high strength aircraft grade aluminium with high quality lubrication are the hinge sets from Offroad Monkeys. Made with inner stainless steel bolts with helical grooves to distribute grease in an optimal manner, these
hinges also feature stainless steel bearings which can be replaced if needed without having to replace the entire hinge.
Business is booming for the company as more and more people become aware of the products , and the positive experience of customers is leading to a strong growth within the marketplace for Offroad Monkeys parts and accessories.
The brand is an imprint of Müller Motorcycles which has been making parts for the automotive and motorcycle industry since 1985. The company credo is: Build things with passion and for eternity. This is because the team at Offroad Monkeys believe that only satisfied customers are loyal customers. And For this reason,
they use only the best materials and work on and finish each individual part until it is absolutely perfect. The company also prides itself on working with suppliers from the local region and all Offroad Monkey’s parts are 100% made in Germany. This is through the manufacturing of a range of extremely high quality parts and accessories for these venerable vehicles. The Offroad Monkeys products are manufactured
using high quality milled aircraft grade aluminium. And, as a small and agile business, the company can also produce custom parts for its customers. Current products from the company include Door Hinges, Window Blocks, Rear Door Hinges, Window Blocks with LEDs, Bonnet Hinges, Sliding Window covers, Adjustable Mirror , Fuel Caps, Spacers for raising Chassis, Hardened brake pistons and more.
APB Trading Ltd. is a specialist in the preparation of vehicles for expeditions, at its Workshops
APB can carry out Land Rover & 4×4 vehicle servicing, repairs & M.O.T’s, vehicle overland travel & expedition preparation, specialist vehicle preparation, waxoyling and rustproofing. APB’s workshops are fully equipped with the latest Autologic diagnostic equipment to carry out 4×4 servicing and maintenance on the full Land Rover range without affecting your manufacturer’s warranty
Not only does the team at APB Trading Ltd. service and repair Land Rovers, but it can also service most makes of off-road 4×4 vehicles, including Toyota, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu, Nissan, Pajero and Isuzu. The company’s experienced mechanics can minor or major repairs, MOT preparation, and arrange MOT testing by appointment, and the body shop can rectify anything from a slight scratch to serious damage. Chassis change and rebuilds are also available. In addition, the salvage department has an extensive range of used parts for most vehicles. Phill explains
that it is often “owners of older models in particular who appreciate APB’s specialist knowledge. The team at APB has been rust-proofing customer Land Rovers and all makes of 4×4’s for over 40 years, offering a highly comprehensive (11 litre Waxoyl) full vehicle underbody protection package. APB also has the latest Wynn’s Flush system which automatically changes your auto gearbox oil by flushing the system of existing ATF and replacing the Automatic Transmission Fluid in an efficient and effective way.
APB offers a comprehensive preparation service to equip
your 4×4’s, vans, trucks or bikes with anything from snow tyres/chains for a winter holiday, to, weekends away, or full overland expeditions. In addition, the team at APB are extremely knowledgeable about the type and range of equipment that you might need for different types of trips, and the company also carries a wide range of high-quality camping and 4Wd touring equipment and accessories. Some of these products include High-quality roof racks, roof bars, roof tents, awnings, 12/240v portable fridge-freezers, winches, travel spares kits, recovery ropes, straps, hi-lift jacks, jerry cans of all sizes, wa-
ter and fuel containers, cooking and camping gear.
Philip Bond, the company’s founder and managing director explains that the company is also proud to be selling a range of top quality products from a range of South African Equipment manufacturers. In many cases these South African companies were amongst the first to create new categories of robust touring and camping equipment for this specialised customer base. Back in the early 2000s APB became the sole UK importer for a number of South African companies; a country where adventure travel was born. APB stock many products which have been imported from South Africa, including Eezi- Awn K9 (the
pioneers of the roof tent), National Luna ( the inventors of a fridge for the transportation of vaccines for world health organisations), Escape Gear (high quality canvas seat covers), Bushtech (superior heavy load canopy tops) and Campmor (high quality canvas ground tents and many more products). As a genuine enthusiastPhill, has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience in Land Rovers and assembled a professional team whose combined years of experience puts APB ahead of the competition as Land Rover and 4×4 specialists with a top quality 4×4 sevice centre for all 4×4 repair, 4×4 servicing, 4×4 tyres, Land Rover servicing & Land Rover Parts.
Euro4x4Parts is known for providing a wide range of vehicle parts and accessories. Its online catalogue includes more than 50,000 part numbers for almost 60 makes of 4×4. This database of parts and accessories, for 95% of 4x4s on the road, is unique in Europe. It enables you to select the precise part you need, avoiding unnecessary returns. Its rebuild kits (brakes, transmission and transfer, steering, engine, axle, swivel), have helped to forge the company’s reputation. Euro4x4 kits include all the parts you need to get your 4×4 back in shape. The team at Euro4x4 parts 14 languages between them French, English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Mandarin Chinese and Korean.
Many 4WD Owners are able are capable of giving our 4WD vehicles a basic service like changing oils, topping up on fluids, changing the oil filters etc but you should always consider giving your vehicle a detailed look over before departing on your big overlanding trip.If you are not at all mechanically minded, you should take your vehicle to a professional prior to your trip, in most countries in Europe it is mandatory to get your vehicle regularly assessed for road worthiness. Important areas to focus on include checking the brakes, fluids, wheel bearings, bushes, suspension, if you plan on crossing rivers, make sure you have a snorkel and breather installed this will also ensure good clean air is hitting your engine should you be tackling dusty environments. Check your belts and hos-
es, look for cracks or bulges and carry some spares. Check and clean your battery terminals and make sure your tyres are up for the task ahead also make sure you grease drive and tail shafts. This is just a sample of a number of checks you should make to your vehicle
An excellent source of both product and mechanical information, but also of news and events is the Euro4x4parts webzine. Packed with very useful mechanical related information that makes complex issues easily understood. if you start to have some issues with your vehicle, and need some help diagnosing the problem, these articles can be very helpful. It
is not just knowledge that Euro4x4parts are providing online of course, and if you are a little bit mechanically minded you can purchase high-quality parts and kits via the same Euro4x4parts website. This could potentially save you hundreds of euro over the cost of sourcing parts through main dealers. Euro4x4parts is a one-stopshop where you can purchase all your 4WD mechanical parts,be it gearbox mounting kits, overhaul kits, filters, bearings or shafts the list is endless and the team there pride themselves on continually finding and adding new quality products to the product catalogue.
For more than a century, Mercedes-Maybach has set the highest standards for automotive luxury. The collaboration between Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz Group AG, and the artist, architect, creative director, fashion designer, and philanthropist Virgil Abloh –who died in November 2021 – continued this tradition. Driven by a shared passion to enrich the discourse of luxury design, the duo teamed up to create two unique vehicles: the Project MAYBACH show car, which shows the possibilities of future design for electric vehicles, and the recently launched Limited Edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh inspired by it.
First presented at the Rubell Museum during Miami Art Week this time last year, Project MAYBACH heralds a new era of exploration –inviting the world to rediscover the great outdoors with a fresh perspective. It brings the myth of Maybach into today’s cultural zeitgeist. Gorden Wagener and Virgil Abloh have interpreted the brand’s luxury function with a visionary design language and pushed the boundaries of function, style, and collaborative creativity. The two-seat, battery-electric, off-road coupé combines huge Gran Turismo proportions, large off-road wheels, and
distinctive attachments. The X-factor of Project MAYBACH results not only from its breath-taking size – almost six meters long –and characteristics, but above all from its unique contrasts; most notably through its balanced Sophisticated Luxury meets Outdoor Adventure design motif. A design unlike anything ever developed by Mercedes-Benz, every element of
Project MAYBACH was built from scratch. The great outdoors is imbued in the design motifs such as the large wheels with their coarse tyre tread and 17” rims, its mud-flaps and roll cage, and its four additional vehicle-integrated lighting units with their technoid design, all mounted on powerful, Colorado-beige brackets. The roof rack not only protects the vehicle
occupants but is also large enough to attach a roof tent as desired, creating yet another gateway to the great outdoors. The colour concept emphasises a utilitarian, pure and monolithic style through its earthy sand tone. More at home in the mountains than Rodeo-Drive, Project MAYBACH imagines how far the typically city-dwelling brand can be pushed for the utmost in luxury adventure experiences.
The iconic design motifs of Maybach are not lost, however. Its Colorado-beige side flanks are encompassed in the black panel look of the vehicle body like a jewel, in an iconic Maybach two-tone colour scheme. Along with the headlights and protruding taillights, the vehicle’s nose, located behind a large glass panel, gets a futuristic touch, too – a modern reinterpretation of the renowned Mercedes-Maybach grille. A tightly cut coupé roof rises from the sensually designed chassis to merge with flowing surfaces into a bow-tail rear end. The chrome strip integrated in the centre of the bonnet, which continues in the rear window as a brake light insert, transports the genes of Mercedes-Maybach.
Complete creative freedom, unshackled from production constraints, enabled the design teams to conceptualise what the future of luxury electric travel could look like. Under the transparent surface of the show car’s bonnet, for instance, are solar cells that increase the imagined range of the Project MAYBACH.
“Our Project MAYBACH embodies the perfect combination of state of the art off-road capabilities and an extraordinary Maybach identity, defining the next level of luxury like we already did 100 years ago”, says Gorden Wagener. “With the project’s futuristic design we captured the spirit of the times and interpreted it in a visionary way. It creates desire by combining a beautifully seductive sculpture with the most extraordinary proportions we’ve ever created.”
The monolithic colour concept continues with the show car’s sandy interior. Intricate jewellery details punctuate the purist interior theme, which was conceived to hint at both the traditional luxury world of Maybach and a modern vision of luxury utility inspired by modular, utilitarian hotels in Japan. The balance of these two visions can also be seen in graphite grey functional details – stressing the car’s utility-driven character. Precious polished aluminium accents link the car to Maybach’s 100 year design history. The vehicle’s signature interior material is a sustainable leather, tanned naturally with coffee shells to ensure the lowest environmental impact.
A purposeful approach to space – cementing the interior’s modular inspiration – allows the oversized seats to be folded up and removed from the vehicle with a handle, to be carried like a suitcase – minimizing Project MAYBACH’s indoor and outdoor boundaries and reinforcing the concept of bringing luxury to the outdoors. The possibility of a more refined “inside” overnight experience is not forgotten, however. Fine, hand-died cotton and locally sourced wool are woven to create a Jacquard houndstooth finish, which serves the dual purpose of acting
as a seating headrest as well as a luxurious blanket that can be unrolled for use during an overnight stay. The seats can be fully reclined to be transformed into a spot to sleep, with rear compartments opening up to provide a bed extension. Ultimately, the vehicle is transformed into a hotel room complete with reading lamp – the simple and extremely reduced architectural surfaces of the vehicle creating quietness and tranquillity. Nothing distracts from the car’s purpose – experiencing nature in all its facets.
A contrast between the tradition of Maybach and the technological advances of Mercedes-Benz is core to the Mercedes-Maybach brand, and Project MAYBACH takes this duality to entirely new levels. The clean and functional dashboard, for example, epitomizes the interior’s simple look; when rotated 180 degrees, it reveals a huge screen with access to a unique computer game developed specifically for the collaborative show car project. Players can test their virtual driving skills using the car’s steering wheel and pedals.
Trek Overland are the British Isles sole distributors of the premium and very popular Australian DARCHE range of camping and overlanding related products. Click here for more information.
Every country throughout Europe and beyond have different laws when it comes to wild camping and driving in remote areas and all of these laws should be respected.
As pressure on our landscapes from recreational use continues to increase it is now as important as ever for us all to abide by the Leave No Place principles. It goes without saying that the vast majority of tourers and campers do respect their environment but unfortunately we will also have a minority who do not and give us all a bad name. So if you take it take it out.
Thanks to our Brand partners, with whose support we are able to produce the magazine, and thank you to you, our readers for joining us on our adventures. The TURAS team.
TURAS is the ancient Celtic word for Journey and we think it fits perfectly to describe our overall editorial philosophy. Originally, the Celts spread out across Europe from Central Europe ending up represented in many countries across Europe, and now over two thousand years later, we are looking to travel and traverse Europe again, though with more modern equipment. As keen campers we love nothing more than packing up our 4WD’s and hitting the tracks, in search of those perfect camping locations. We constantly strive to improve the magazine and to seek out the best and most useful Camping and 4WD products and accessories.
In our free e-magazine we focus on high quality 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 tour to the very corners of Europe and beyond, while reviewing and testing the latest top quality camping and 4WD gear.
Our magazine is free to readers, and is supported by our advertising and brand partners, but this does not mean that the magazine is a glorified product catalogue, far from it. We focus on identifying top quality products and produce informative, interactive articles that explain the features and benefits of these products to our readers, and demon- strate how the products can be used to increase the comfort and quality of their camping and touring experiences. We also regularly produce short videos to demonstrate and showcase these products in use by our team.
The magazine invites our readers to become a part of the story and join us on our own adventures as we, use, test and demonstrate these quality products from top brands.
