Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2024 i Overland Journal

ORDER UP I received my first copy of Overland Journal today. Just scanned through it and wanted to say amazing content and photography—[it] makes me want to travel more. Galen Truan CONNECTION I want to compliment Marianne Todd’s story on Colorado’s San Juans. Those roads were our stomping grounds when my three sons were growing up. They literally learned to drive on parts of Black Bear Pass and other roads in the area. They even bounced around in their mother’s womb there before birth. We have many fond memories, and Marianne did a great job of bringing them to light again. Her imagery also captured the feel of the place. The polish was the layout and the fact it was published in Overland Journal. Seen through this lens, it reminds…

I spent six months building out (well, overseeing the build of) my 2018 Ram Promaster, which is outfitted with three stellar 100 amp-hour batteries from the Utah Company Lion Energy and a whole host of bells and whistles that drain those batteries more quickly than I’d like. After a couple of years of anxious Victron monitor-watching and babying the electronic devices I was using in the van, I finally had to admit that I had a weekender rig or road warrior. I could get maybe three days off the grid, even with three 100-watt solar panels doing their damnedest, before either a drive or a shore power connection was necessary. I yearned for an outfit that would survive long hauls in the middle of nowhere, with propane as cooking fuel,…

In the early 1990s, Chaco made a splash in the highly competitive, shin-kicking world of outdoor footwear by taking on sandal giant Teva. Colorado-based river guide Mark Paigen designed a sport sandal with an anatomical footbed, a single pullthrough adjustment strap, and a Vibram outsole. Called the Z/1, it was a snug-fitting, easy-to-clean, and made-in-the-USA shoe that quickly drove a wedge between the river rats—those who stuck by Teva’s traditional Velcro fastener design and those who adopted Chaco’s signature continuous strap. The Chaco brand has grown considerably since the waning years of the 20th century (and eventually sold to a bigger company that moved production overseas), but their commitment to single-strand fasteners and podiatrist-approved footbeds on their ever-burgeoning lineup of footwear remains. CHACO PAONIA CLOG | $120 I don’t wear…

In the summer of 2022, award-winning photographer Kiran Ridley and I rode BMW F 850 GS Adventure bikes 3,000 miles around war-torn Ukraine. In a journey that took close to three weeks, we covered the aftermath of missile strikes and photographed and interviewed miners, fishermen, refugees, and soldiers recovering from recent amputations at an equine therapy center. At the start of the war, Kiran had been using a cheap Chinese motorcycle to cover the refugee crisis and found the access it gave him, not only to physical locations but also to the people, invaluable. So, in early July, we set out from Munich in the saddle of our BMWs to tell the stories we weren’t seeing on mainstream media outlets using my words and Kiran’s images. I’ve been riding BMW…

In 1964, the South African Sports Federation organised a tour of Botswana (then Bechuanaland) for schoolboys from Pretoria and Johannesburg. A Boy Scout at the time, I jumped at the opportunity of taking part in such an adventure but had no idea that the introduction to Botswana I was about to receive would lead to many more trips to a land I have come to love as much as that of my birth. At the time, Botswana was not well known to those outside of it. Wild animals roamed free (and still do), there were no tar roads, and one could expect miles of open country with no settlement or water. The challenge of taking a load of boys through Botswana was no easy task, but we could not have…

I created these delectable crisps for a cooking class at the 2023 Northwest Overland Rally. I wanted an irresistible and unusual dessert for camping and developed the recipe over a few months. After sharing 300 crisps in various iterations with overlander friends, I was surprised to find that my taste testers unanimously loved them—there’s usually someone who doesn’t like a given dessert. Dulce de leche is a creamy, sweet, caramel-like sauce. Bite into one of these crisps, and you get salted butterscotch creaminess paired with a crunch and a hint of bittersweet chocolate and nuttiness. At one point, I added sweetened peanut butter but decided it was simpler to leave out and better from an allergy standpoint. These crisps are fairly simple to make and a fun way to up…

AKELA WORLD For the past six years, Leander, Maria, and their 12-year-old son, Lennox, have been circumnavigating the globe in their beloved old Mercedes truck named Akela. The journey has taken them from their home in Austria through Europe and Central Asia to Borneo and Indonesia, where they have immersed themselves in diverse cultures and stunning landscapes. After spending over a year exploring Australia and the United States, the pandemic interrupted their journey and forced them to halt for a year. Now, fueled by their indomitable spirit, they are back on the road, heading toward Central America. They are an adventurous family, continuously chasing the horizon, seeking new experiences, and embracing the wonders that await them on their global expedition. @akela.world PAUL J. DRISCOLL Born and raised in southwest Montana,…

There are times when products take us completely off guard, our typical vocabulary being reduced to wide eyes and wows. Truck bed racks have been made for a long time, and most of the styling reflects either a dated jungle gym or something best reserved for a 1980s square body. Few have been able to balance modern design and durability. While Küat is new to the truck rack market, they have produced premium bike, water, snow, and accessory racks since 2008. They are renowned for their hitch racks and have gained the attention of the mountain bike community with the Piston series, awarded both the Red Dot and Good Design accolades. The Ibex has several notable features, including a 1,200-pound static load rating to support a larger roof tent with…

The overview effect happens when a traveler reaches far enough into space to look back on Earth and observe their home planet—a profound shift happens to the voyager, seeing the celestial object as a blue dot, often resulting in a powerful emotional experience and personal awareness. This is often what overland travel imparts to the adventurer and is the inspiration for the name of iKamper’s Blue Dot Voyager (BDV) Duo hard-shell rooftop tent. We often credit iKamper for being innovative amongst a sea of copycats, and the BDV is no exception. Most notably, it can be purchased unassembled for a savings of $400. I suspect four to six hours of work, and judging by the instructions, it should be reserved for the most patient among us. The upside is the…

THE MAJESTIC ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND THE AWE THEY INSPIRE, the feeling of freedom and the desire for adventure on endless roads through deep forests, the thrill and excitement of wildlife sightings—all of these emotions automatically raise our heartbeats. Canada, we’re ready. Full of anticipation, we stand at the port of Halifax, eagerly waiting to receive our truck. However, our endorphins are only at a high for a short time before they quickly and mercilessly plummet to the ground. The truck was unloaded from the ship with the four-wheel drive engaged and the differential lock activated—disaster. The damage is immense. The rear axle is completely shattered and unusable. There is no response or assistance from the carrier. They direct us off the premises and leave us standing in the cold rain.…

The eating experience ebbs and flows. There are times in life when there’s no better feeling than sitting down for a luxurious meal. Every bite tastes like a slice of heaven on Earth melting in your mouth, and you take your sweet time with each swallow in a desperate effort to make the flavors last just a bit longer. Triple truffle mac-and-cheese, take me now. And then there are times when eating is the last thing you want to be doing. The high-octane lifestyles of those who live on the go make this a frustratingly common occurrence. Excitement or stress override your hunger cues to the point where you might as well be chewing on dog food no matter what’s on your plate. Or maybe there aren’t enough hours in…

When we decide to leave on a trip—whether it’s 200 kilometers, around the globe, or somewhere in between—vehicle choice is often something we dive into headfirst. Maybe your trusty steed is parked in your driveway, or perhaps you’ve spent countless hours (and dollars) building a one-of-a-kind contraption with all the amenities. Whatever it may be, obsessions with reliability, off-pavement capability, and parts availability drive us to forums and blogs. We become practical and fixated on minimizing electronic components or, on the flip side, are swayed by newer options reputedly less likely to fail. These are considerations we shouldn’t take lightly. It is in our interest to do so for safety reasons, to stay within budget, and to attempt, as best we can, to understand what we’re in for when we…

Am I the only one who has willed my eyes to stop blinking when confronted by a vibrant sunset at the beach? I can’t bear to miss a moment. Salt particles suspended in the air cause shorter wavelengths of light, like violet and blue, to scatter. As a result, showy reds and neon pinks overtake the sky. But the ocean does more than generate unforgettable sunsets in remote locales for overlanders. This saline expanse is integral to life as we know it. Earth has 375,000 miles of coastline, and the ocean is responsible for regulating climate, absorbing the majority of the sun’s radiation before distributing the heat through currents. From the tropics to the poles and vice versa, ocean currents move both hot and cold water around. According to the…

When I was a child in the late ’70s, I lived for three blissful years in Nairobi, Kenya. My school was surrounded by a coffee plantation, and my 3rd-grade teacher, Pete Logan, took us on hikes into the coffee, tapping the earth with a polished Maasai staff to let the snakes know we were coming. We played capture-the-flag, sang folk songs, and somehow managed to learn math and reading without ever quite realizing we were in school. Pete Logan had an abrupt and joyful laugh. It signaled to us that many things—even those we considered confusing or unpleasant—should be approached with good humor. Otherwise, he never raised his voice. When you’re a 6-foot, 5-inch Vietnam combat vet, you don’t have to. Every day Pete arrived on a Yamaha XT 500,…

With the tailgate of the 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor demo vehicle popped open, only three factory-installed options appeared to greet me in the austere M1: a mattress, a Yeti 1500 power station, and the portable battery’s mounting bracket. Other than that, the camper was bare—no slide-out kitchen or expansive set of drawers, no complicated power management system, not even a roof vent. I was met with cold metal and glass and not much else. My first thought was, “I’m going to need to pack way more stuff if I’m supposed to live out of this thing for three weeks.” After I spent an hour examining the M1’s structure and construction, I decided that this was the perfect way to evaluate a mobile shelter, as any strengths and weaknesses of the…

There’s a lot to be said about a little tank bag. I’ve been just as guilty as the next ADV rider, packing out a full-size tank bag with all the things I think I need, only to not use half of it. Worse even is a restriction of movement—or worse still—restriction of the handlebars while turning sharp corners (which has happened). Enter Mosko Moto’s Gnome, the 5-liter bag big enough to accommodate a 1.5-liter water reservoir, your wallet, a phone, a few tools, sunglasses, a snack or two, and maybe even some gas additive. Mosko designed the bag with a landscape mount position, putting it high onto the tank, which frees up space for the rocky roads where you really want to stand to maneuver your bike. Suffice it to…

Travel is supposed to be fun, and everyone has their interpretation of a joyful adventure. In the past decade, vehicle manufacturers have begun blurring the lines between performance, luxury, grand touring, and overlanding with a new crop of ultra overlanders. Why test these extreme vehicles at all? The strongest impetus is the overwhelming popularity of the platforms and the increasing regularity with which they are being used for travel. We are seeing more of these models used for domestic and international overlanding, with several being highly appropriate, even in stock form. The second reason is as a testing ground for future technologies, as 4WDs like these often have a trickledown effect on future platforms. We are not suggesting that these are perfect longterm, around-the-world overland choices (except for maybe the…

“I want my driver wheel on this rock and my passenger wheel on that one.” I pointed to two large, smooth rocks that formed the steps of a washed-out section of the trail. My teenage son, Alan, nodded in agreement. I checked my watch. It was just after 1600 hours in early October. We were miles behind schedule, and fading daylight was a looming problem. I began to doubt we could finish the trail before nightfall made it too dangerous to continue. Without switchbacks, the trail up the Murphy Hogback ridge in Canyonlands National Park rises up nearly 400 feet in elevation in just three-quarters of a mile with an average gradient of about 10 percent. That may not sound like much, but it felt impossibly steep as we scouted…

Meat it raw, having little fuel to cook with. In Africa, large strips of beef are grilled straight on the coals with no grate. In the USA, indulging in hamburgers and steaks is practically an institution. My preference is to grill a wellmarbled piece of beef over charcoal. For me, overlanding is all about my love affair with meat. I plan my daily routes, evenings, and social life around it. It’s my way of “meating” new friends on the road, bonding with them, and creating memories that outlast the final wisps of flavor and woodsmoke. And yet, overlanding confronts the dedicated carnivore with unique challenges, from quality and meat preservation to cost and cooking. I learned this the hard way when crossing the US border into Baja California. Having just…

Lessons are often learned the hard way, which, in my case, includes screwing up, getting stuck, carjacked, impounded, detained, delayed, and generally mired in the throes of adventure. Even the worst scenarios had a silver lining (maybe not the carjacking) as my awareness grew, and I adjusted my traveling operating system. During my travels, I have also been fortunate to meet countless overlanders far more skilled, knowledgeable, and clever than myself, contributing to my source code for sound overland principles. These principles of overlanding are my attempt at sharing those learnings in as concise a way as possible, distilling the first principles of vehicle-based adventure travel while attempting to strike a balance between laissez-faire and pedantic. The list is organized from the macro to the micro, and an argument could…