Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2019 i Overland Journal

The Australian Outback is one of the most abusive environments for overlanding on the planet, with soaring temperatures and endless corrugations. The deserts of the island continent will find the weak link in almost any product. These conditions, combined with the way that Aussies typically camp (i.e., weeks in the bush, off-grid) prompted RedArc to design and manufacture electronic solutions highly suitable to the overland traveler—in particular, their in-vehicle dual battery chargers. The 40-amp BCDC is quite different than typical dual-battery systems in the North American market, including the extensive lineup we tested in Summer 2017. The traditional approach is to use a robust solenoid to connect the starting and house batteries once the starting battery has achieved float voltage. This does have advantages like high amperage capacity (80-400 amps),…

Snap Outfitters is a small East Coast company that was born out of a need for a better truck camper. The owner, Richard Dennis, wanted a more comfortable way to camp while kayaking in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Wedge-style shells seemed like the ultimate answer, but at the time he couldn’t find any designed for full-size trucks. His solution was to utilize the tools and equipment at his existing company (Die-Tech) to build the camper he wanted. The result was the Treehouse, and it wasn’t long before orders from friends started rolling in. The Treehouse has a lot going for it. At $6,500 for their bare-bones model, it is the second most affordable option in the test. Spring for the Standard model evaluated here and that…

WITH NO AURA OF SELF-SATISFACTION, ALASKA IS A BEHEMOTH OF POWER and wildly beautiful. Months spent amid the icy vistas of Patagonia and Antarctica notwithstanding, my mind’s eye had always perceived this territory in the Americas as pure frontier. A tidy 100,000 glaciers in the state cover 29,000 square miles, enough to drown us in choice and swallow West Virginia whole. Our shelter for two nights was a flyspeck point in Denali National Park situated in the Don Sheldon Amphitheater, named after the late glacier pilot. In 1966, scores of ski-plane flights from Talkeetna, a historic town with a name meaning “river of plenty,” permitted Sheldon to utilize the only means available to access the glacial haven and erect a mountain hut for adventurers. The third day of waiting on…

Traversing any motorway system in a country which isn’t your own can be a challenge in itself. Different driving habits, foreign traffic laws (if they even exist), and treacherous roadways mix into a precarious cocktail. I’ve explored Baja, the Philippines, Japanese Rindo roads, English motorways, and European byways, but it was Thailand which offered me both the smoothest and most challenging motorcycle rides to date. My boyfriend, Justin, and I had wanted to go to Thailand for some time. And as if the gods of fortune poured down pinot noir and pad thai upon us—a decent pairing, by the way—a friend recommended us as wordsmiths to a man in Southeast Asia. He embodied most stereotypical descriptors of a wealthy, retired professional expatriating to distant lands, but unlike many, he had…

Oceans and lakes have always allured travelers from near and far, but plastic pollution is turning some waterways into a soup of discarded flip-flops and plastic bottles. Beyond the eyesore, the junk is also having devastating effects on sea life. Most people have seen the heart-wrenching images of dead seal pups and sea turtles, their intestines snarled with ingested plastic bags. “Up to 13 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year—the equivalent of a rubbish or garbage truck load’s worth every minute,” relays the Pew Charitable Trusts. The good thing is that we can solve this human-caused problem. There are always opportunities for overlanders to volunteer with beach cleanups during their travels. For instance, in Baja California, a popular destination for many of our readers,…

We troubleshot for at least 10,000 miles to address oil spewing from the rear axle housing vent on our 2010 Ford E350 4WD.This oil really smells when dispersed, and can permeate the vehicle’s interior. When splattered all over the undercarriage, including the rear brakes, it also attracts dirt and is a cleaning nightmare. Sources suggested tapping a new vent hole, rerouting the axle breather vent hose, changing the axle oil weight, type, and volume, or installing different jiggle caps and breather filters on the hose. There wasn’t an obvious solution, and all attempts to mitigate brought no joy. Finally, while discussing the issue at a diesel performance shop, I heard a shout from deep under a weathered farm truck’s hood, “Just get a Creeper Breather.”A what? Trail-Gear’s Creeper Breather attaches…

The Hemi barked to life, squatting the rear of the Wrangler, accelerating us up the face of the dune. Dave did his best to navigate the aggressive camber of the slip face and the large bush that blocked the cleanest line to the top. The transmission hesitated, downshifting too late and causing the tires to break free from the available flotation. Instead of accelerating more, Dave backed off the throttle and came to a controlled stop. Even with 37-inch tires and a 400 horsepower V8, the soft silica was too much, and a different tack was required. Backing down would have been difficult, and the Jeep was already listing heavily to the driver’s side. It is moments like this where someone’s true experience shows through, the 10,000 hours that come…

There are plenty of methods to get food into our mouths when afield. Fingers, for example, are not always clean but usually available. In camp, we are frequently concerned with the minimal amount of implements necessary to prepare, cook, and eat food. Weight, size, materials, cost, and one’s flexibility with cutlery that mimics domestic wares influence our selection. Here, we examine some diverse designs for typical outdoor and expedition gastronomic activities. Appreciating fellow expeditionary personnel, soloists, and low-drag overlanders opting for a mere spork, we also recognize those who want culinary familiarity on the tailgate and aren’t so concerned by weight or space. Remember, composite materials can melt near heat sources, sporks don’t replace soupspoons and will need an edged utensil to accompany it for many foods, and sharp forks…

Shannon O’Donnell is not an overlander. But after 10 years of traveling the world solo, she knows plenty about bumpy roads, terrible transportation, and above all, how to explore the world in the best possible way. Her passion for service-minded, cultural immersion journeys has made Shannon an authority on responsible tourism. As a result, National Geographic named her a 2013 Traveler of the Year. Her blog, A Little Adrift, has flourished into a cornerstone resource for ethical tourism advice with followers from every continent. Yes, even Antarctica. In addition, she launched Grassroots Volunteering, a database that allows travelers to connect with local projects vetted by either Shannon or her global network of “ambassadors,” to keep you from falling into the hands of unscrupulous organizations and middlemen. The nature of independent…

North Korea and China meet Russia in the far south of the Primorsky Krai province, at the end of the road on the Tumen River; this would be the perfect tripoint to start our North Asia adventure. Upon leaving South Korea and arriving in Vladivostok, Coen and I decided to drive the few hundred miles south to have a photo moment at the southernmost point of Russia’s Far East. Under a clear blue sky, the miles passed smoothly over asphalt, until the last 30 miles or so when gravel and corrugation took over. The Land Cruiser shook and rattled, and when we stopped to air down the tires, we saw a bullet-ridden blue sign beside the road. In white letters, it stated in Russian and surprisingly, in English as well,…

Nigeria is a volatile country, and her neighbour Cameroon is suffering a civil war. There are a few small border crossings, but due to the threat of banditry and guerrillas, the most direct route is closed and not worth attempting even if the border is open. The only viable route (as found on our journey across West Africa) is through the rolling hills and mountains of the central highlands. There are no paved roads for a hundred miles, and rainy season thunderstorms pound the red African soil into thick, slippery mud. I can think of no greater test of a mud-terrain tire in an overland application. We have been running mud-terrain tires for 10 years because we enjoy driving off-pavement routes in our Defender, and have driven through East and…

The Defender, at least for me, has always been about emotion, freedom, and heritage. In a world of facts and figures, specifications, and awards, the Defender has somehow transcended all of it, and for over 35 years. The shape of the Series Land Rovers has continued essentially uninterrupted since 1948, which represents generations of explorers, farmers, and royalty behind the wheel. I can still remember the moment I saw my first NAS 110 in Colorado. And I recall every feeling that came when I drove a Defender over the Andes Mountains in Chile, or around Iceland in the depths of winter. Admittedly, emotions can be deceiving and may not reflect reality, but I am grateful for them. And the emotional component is precisely why the 2020 Defender will be one…

Over the last decade, we’ve had the pleasure of watching the overland market grow from an isolated khaki-clad niche into the thriving industry it is today. For the most part, its trends have gained popularity over time, rising in a slow and steady ascent from obscurity into acceptance at places like REI and Outdoor Retailer. Yet, one category of products surpassed the usual arc of success, soaring to acclaim like a Saturn V rocket on full burn. I’m talking about wedge campers. Over the past few years, the popularity of these lightweight camper shells has surged to such an extent that while new manufacturers seem to be appearing every month, supply still cannot keep up with demand. This shortage has only fueled the craze further, leading buyers to create a…

I found myself stuck in a precarious position while selecting the Editor’s Choice Award. This award has always been bestowed upon the product which we would choose for our personal vehicle regardless of price—in other words, the best of the best. Yet it is also meant to convey which product we would recommend to our readers, and therein lies the difficulty. Because I live full time on the road, I weigh various factors in this test differently than I would if I owned a home and was using these products on shorter trips. Some of the qualities that are advantageous for life on the road are a hindrance in a daily driver; and some features I would adore when using my truck for errands I would hate when using it…

My travel companions Monty and Kaa—two fairly realistic-looking rubber snakes who have protected my camps from mischievous monkeys and other would-be intruders for years—hung unceremoniously from a hook on the roof rack. My Land Rover’s contents lay strewn around, save the mostly empty fridge still connected inside to the inverter. It was the third time I’d had to unpack everything, and irritation was slowly seeping into my consciousness. This aggravation was at the border crossing of Buitepos. I had spent five delightful weeks traveling the length of Namibia and was on my way home via the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, a long stretch through Botswana back to South Africa. I still had quite a distance to get to the halfway point of Kang before it got dark. The uniformed official seemed more…

I was very excited when I considered writing an article on the Dakar Rally. I saw myself flying business class to South America (where the event has been hosted since 2009), hanging out in the bivouacs with legendary riders like Stéphane Peterhansel, Cyril Despres, and younger stars like Toby Price, Sam Sunderland, and Matthias Walkner. Even seeing the nine-time winner of the World Rally Championships, Sébastian Loeb, would be a treat, though his success at Dakar has yet to be seen. Yet, none of that happened, no business class and no bivouac interviews, no Stéphane Peterhansel. I did, however, get a chance to meet a true-to-life hero, a man from my hometown of Salt Lake City named Nathan Rafferty. He entered the Dakar Rally in the moto class as an…