Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2011 i Overland Journal

The simple things are often the most rewarding—The key is taking time to be absorbed by them . . . I received a package in the mail recently, one of those soft-pack types from an international carrier sporting numerous barcodes and customs stamps. Upon opening it, I removed several layers of additional padding, carefully positioned to protect a small cardboard-wrapped bundle. Peering in, there was a small Ziploc bag containing a plastic box of processed film. Yes, film—good old hold-in-your-hand color transparencies fitted on old-style paper mounts. The edges were yellowing and worn, and handwritten notes graced each one, noting locations such as Yugoslavia, Ukraine, and USSR. I dusted off my loupe and began a journey back in time—to the days of the Cold War, before the fall of the…

“Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.” – Noel Coward In 2003, while preparing for an extended overland trip in Africa, I purchased a small Brunton solar panel. I don’t remember the model or name, but I certainly remember the expletives I showered it with on discovering that it could not power any of the electrical devices I then owned. Fast-forward almost a decade, one marked by massive strides in the development of renewable energy, and a quick look at the market reveals a smorgasbord of solar panel offerings for the aspiring energy efficient traveller. This review is slightly different from our previous fare. We decided not to just compare apples to apples, but to go through a large range of options that would fit different traveling…

POST CARD Project Mobility 4x4 With a dream and a few old Land Rovers, Sally Povolotsky and friends started the U.K.-based Project Mobility 4x4. The simple idea was to adapt the vehicles to be driven by disabled veterans. “It started when I wanted to do more than put a £1 in a pot, and Land Rovers is all I know,” said Povolotsky, director of Mammouth Chequerplate. The year-old project now has a fleet of at least six Land Rovers, serving up adventure for men and women who are struggling with amputation or other disability. Project Mobility offers veterans practical help, emotional support, and the chance to enjoy adventure and new challenges through rallies and custom African safaris. The team has recently launched a mechanics’ skills-training program, to enhance employment opportunities…

The Baja peninsula extends south from the U.S. border like an 800-mile-long treble hook, its business ends jutting west into the Pacific and east along the Sea of Cortez. With 3,000-plus miles of coastline, punctuated with marine-rich bays and estuaries, it is only natural for the region to boast some of the best seafood on the planet. Topping that list of south-of-the-border delicacies is Baja’s world-famous fish taco. You don’t need a two-week vacation and your passport to indulge in the peninsula’s signature dish. Make a quick run to the pescadaría (fish market), grab a cerveza and fry up a plate of tacos de pescado. Menu Starter ~ Tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole Main course ~ Tacos de pescado, served with rice and beans Beverage ~ Cold cerveza, mojito,…

I have a special ability to get into trouble. This has been routinely verified during the last 11 years of my trip around the world. Anna, my partner during this time of adventures, has suffered through this unique attribute by my side. Let me say something important before going on. This trait is not something learned, it is innate, something you are born with, and one that you carry for the rest of your life. It is also one that lends to finding yourself in situations without provocation. When someone asks for my overlanding CV (curriculum vitae), I always say, “In two months time on our trip through Africa we survived two breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. One of them in the deep sands of the Sudanese Sahara, the…

Åsa Björklund Swedish born and educated, Åsa has roamed the globe working as a waitress, a factory employee, and a dozen other odd jobs “that made life more interesting.” As a human rights lawyer, she worked with development aid in Central America, reporting on sensitive issues of the region. When Åsa could escape the office, she explored remote areas of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras in a Land Rover. With a desire to write fulltime, she switched careers to journalism. Her work includes articles for a variety of Swedish and English language magazines and websites, covering topics such as overland traveling, wildlife, current affairs and social issues. Åsa has a passion for animals and has a particularly soft spot for horses. Whenever she can, she hikes the backcountry in…

The snow had melted and left the Swiss Alps pinching the sky with their green spears. On a steep hillside, two bug-like vehicles overloaded with luggage had just struggled up the switchback of the ascending mountain road in first gear. Inside, six Frenchmen sighed in relief; they had somehow reached the mountain pass and begun rolling down the other side. Another collective sigh, the brakes worked. So far, the first day of traveling was running smoothly. Now they had only some 14,000 km (8,700 miles) to go… All in their early twenties, the six travelers—Claude Mischler, André Augé, Jean Berger, Jean-Pierre Cautru, Pierre Huart, and Serge Le Danois—had decided to drive from France to Moscow and back during their summer break from college. An expedition of this type in…

The Land Cruiser community is a tightly knit group with six decades of collective history. While many things have changed through the years, one thing has remained consistent—their complaints about change. Short wheelbase FJ40 drivers felt the FJ60 was too big and bulky when it debuted in 1980. FJ60 owners found the 80 Series far too expensive and luxurious for trail use. When the independent-suspension 100 Series was introduced, those driving FJ80s couldn’t imagine taking it on a serious expedition. Fortunately, Stephen Jones is not overly sensitive about change. If anything, he is overly practical. When Toyota introduced the luxurious 200 Series in 2008, he knew it would be his next overlanding home away from home. Expectations are high for any vehicle wearing the Land Cruiser surname, and the extensive…

Strong silent type One of the biggest distractions while game viewing on safari is the rattle-rattle-rattle of diesel 4WDs as they approach a pride of lions feeding on a kill, or elephants relaxing under a baobab. In extreme cases, the ratchety clatter can even irritate elephants, which is something you definitely want to avoid. Axeon, Europe’s leading manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems, has joined forces with Land Rover South Africa to fit an electric motor into the engine bay of a Defender 110 pickup, replacing the standard 2.4-liter diesel. The result has impressed not only Land Rover Experience’s team during rigorous trials at the Gerotek test facility, but seasoned safari operators as well. Due to its quiet operation, the vehicle, which has a range three times the average game-drive, has…

During the past two years at the Overland Expo, I’ve met some amazing parents; many of whom have traveled the globe with their children in tow. I talked to a couple this year who took their daughters, five and nine years old, through Africa for several months—others ventured deep into the Central American jungles, also with their kids. As a father of two young daughters preparing for our first overland adventure together, I found these parents to be amazingly cool and inspiring. The girls and I have been practicing the word “adventure” and staying in our OzTent in the backyard at night, the two of them tucked into their pink sleeping bags with their baby dolls. I am encouraged by parents like those at Overland Expo. There are few ways…

A weathered and stained wooden crate is pulled from a dark corner shelf in the attic. Dusting off the lid reveals the hand-written words “Camp Gear.” A cool brass object is removed from within, held up to the light, and carefully examined. “Hey, it’s my old Svea 123 camp stove. I wonder if it still works?” It’s a scene that has been played out in many attics over the years. For half a century, people have been “discovering” their dingy, dented, and seemingly obsolete Svea 123s from boxes, closets, and long-forgotten rucksacks. More than just the discovery of a once-prized piece of camping gear, these reunions usually unleash a rush of adventuring memories. Though some of these recollections may have corresponding burn scars, that’s just another quirky part of the…