Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2016 i Overland Journal

Chance Meeting We just got back from our epic 10-week, 9,010-mile road trip through Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. One of the highlights was meeting Chris Collard and his wife, Suzy, in the middle of nowhere on Union Pass Road. We pushed our limits during the rest of our trip and put Stella, our Volkswagen Westfalia, in some compromising places that I was surprised a two-wheel drive could handle.›I think the combination of a heavy, rear-engine vehicle with high clearance was perfect for us.› Thanks for the issues of Overland Journal; your article about the South Pole trip was intense. We hope the rest of your trip was as good as ours. Rick and Linda Freimuth 1991 Volkswagen Westfalia KLR Armor I loved your article about the KLR650 in the recent…

Aether, the Southern California apparel brand, launched a sunglass collaboration with Salt. Optics in June of 2015. I was lucky enough to receive an early pair and have prescription lenses installed. Nine months down the road and close to 10,000 miles on my bike, including a trip to Australia and the Arctic, and they are still my go-to pair of glasses. The founders at Aether are longtime motorcycle riders and stick to their ethos of only designing and producing products they would actually use and wear themselves; these glasses hit their mark on both form and function. They are remarkably light and utilize beta titanium frames (an alloy known for its application in aerospace fields) with polarized, chromatic-filtered polycarbonate lenses. Unlike many sunglasses, the Scouts cause no fatigue inside the…

It is astounding how little thought overlanders put into protecting their hands given how often they put them at risk. From recoveries and repairs to everyday tasks, our hands are often one mistake away from serious damage. Constructed around one-piece, impermeable palms, the Rigger Cut 5 utilizes a new design based on the technology used in Vibram boot soles. Their specialized tread pattern sheds mud and oil away from the gripping surface, while strategically placed grooves improve dexterity at bending points. Additional traction was gained by altering the lug angles throughout the hand and adding a directionally beveled channel for pulling rope or winch cable. The resulting EN388 and ASTM tests showed up to 900 percent more grip and durability over competing gloves. Adding to the safety element, a base…

  NATIONAL PARKS We are the extremely fortunate collective owners of incredibly gorgeous real estate that is the envy of this planet. The creation of the U. S. National Park Service was a stroke of genius. My list of favorite national parks invariably includes: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Redwoods, Glacier, Olympic, Saguaro, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Big Bend, Death Valley, and my beloved Grand Canyon. I admittedly have a Western bias, but I crave big spaces and solitude where light paints the land with texture and color. As we become more and more urbanized, the remaining vast and empty wild places offer renewal and a chance for real freedom. Here, our mind’s useless chatter can subside as we simply listen to the wind. —Jack Dykinga…

A Muslim war photographer, documentarian monk, hippie backwoods filmmaker, Botswana human rights activist, Diné (Navajo) runner, and Kua hunter walk into a bar on the edge of the Kalahari. None of them order a drink, and the bartender refuses to give them the Wi-Fi password. This is not the setup to a joke, but rather the scene at a Ghanzi roadhouse around 4:00 p.m. on a lazy Monday afternoon. After days of chasing our tails around, and eventually through, the bureaucratic hoops and hoopla of local governance, this would be our last access to outside communications, ice cubes, and air conditioning for some time. Strange as this assortment of individuals appeared, and limited as our ability to converse might have been, we were united by a shared interest in the…

With their extensive knowledge of the G-Wagen in all of its many forms, Mastodon is well equipped to pair the most discerning enthusiasts with Germany’s premium 4WD trucks. » Specializes in Mercedes-Benz Geländewagens » Based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado » Maintains a small inventory of vehicles » Import relationship with a European government agency » Offers a full array of restoration and modification services The Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen has long been one of the most celebrated overland platforms ever to ply the world’s remote tracks. Since it first rolled off the assembly line in Graz, Germany, more than four decades ago, the G-Wagen has been favored by military forces, NGOs, and explorers alike. In recent years it has been offered in the United States, but only in the form of up-market…

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and standing in the heart of Big Bend National Park you’d sure believe it. It’s a land of burning sunsets, soaring mesas, and enchanting vistas that sprawl toward the horizon until meeting softly with the deep blue of the West Texas sky. A place of simplicity and wide-open spaces, traffic means a rattlesnake on the road, and international commerce is a row boat crossing to a sleepy Mexican town. In all, the park spans more than 800,000 acres, and is as rugged, romantic, and wild as any Western film. In spite of its harsh nature, people have called Big Bend home for thousands of years. Signs of human life are seen as early as the Paleo-Indian period, around 8000 BC, when inhabitants…

The Defender is the 5th generation in the REV’IT! line since the Cayenne, and the materials and armor on the Pro version have been upgraded substantially. The outer shell is a combo of PWR shell 750D with PWR shell 1000D at the impact points, both with Teflon coating. (PWR shell is REV’IT!’s version of Cordura.) They upped the ante on standard armor with their proprietary SEEFLEX CElevel 2 limb protectors (elbows, shoulders, knees), which hits the highest CE grade and is T+/T- rated, meaning that it will maintain its properties down to -40°C and up to 40°C (i.e., no more stiff armor when it’s cold or overly soft armor when it’s hot). Made for life on the road, the Defender Pro has a multitude of pockets both inside and out.…

While I was at the 2015 SEMA show in Las Vegas, the guys at Yeti gave me one of their Rambler tumblers and said, “This is the best insulated mug you will ever use.” During the drive home I filled it with coffee in Tonopah, Nevada. Nearly 100 miles later, I wouldn’t say it was blister-your-tongue boiling, but my cup of joe was still really hot. I was so impressed I ordered a set of their new insulated bottles. All are crafted from kitchen-grade 18/8 stainless steel, feature double-wall, vacuum-insulated construction, and are dishwasher safe. Tumblers are available in 20- and 30-ounce sizes, and have a well-sealed and shatterproof clear plastic lid. Bottles come in 18-, 36-, and 64-ounce volumes, and the thread-on caps fit snug and have a handy…

 Deep within an icy gorge where the turquoise waters of the beautiful Zanskar River mix with the muddy brown of the mighty Indus, our small bus lurched to a stop on the narrow road clinging to a sheer cliff. We were on our way to begin a winter trek up a frozen river to visit the mythical kingdom known as Zanskar. Hidden deep in the folds of the Himalayas where the borders of India, Pakistan, and Tibet meet in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, it is perhaps the remotest inhabited area on Earth. But first, another delay, more road construction, more time wasted. I grabbed my camera and jumped down to run ahead and see if I could find out what the…

Why buy the same Jeep your neighbor has when you can own a former UNissued Land Cruiser? In our 2015 Summer Issue, we ventured out on a limb and bestowed a single vehicle with the superlative title of Ultimate Overlander. The recipient of that accolade was the Toyota Land Cruiser VDJ76 turbo-diesel. Available only to select markets in far-flung corners of the globe, it wasn’t the only rarity in contention. Of the five pinnacle vehicles we considered for our top honor, not a single one is available in America, at least not in the exact configurations we evaluated. Easy as it is to lament our lack of access to these trucks, we do have options. For people with a desire to own a diesel-burning Defender, Mil-Spec G-Wagen, Nissan Patrol, 70-Series…

As customers of Land Cruisers Direct we can attest to their unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. » Specializes (almost) exclusively in Toyota Land Cruisers » Based in Ozark, Missouri » Large selection of 60- and 70-Series Cruisers in stock » Restoration and modification services available » Adept at customized importations When our publisher, Scott Brady, made the decision to declare the Land Cruiser VDJ76 as the best of the best, it was after considerable contemplation and time behind the wheel. He had just piloted that vehicle on all seven continents spanning two years with the Expeditions 7 project. It was no surprise then when our very own diesel-powered BJ74 Land Cruiser arrived at our office, procured from the Toyota mavens at Land Cruisers Direct in Ozark, Missouri. As the name…

From the air, you can’t tell who owns the land below. Castle towers of red sandstone and flanks of high desert mesas could either be ranchland or federal wilderness. It all looks the same. Our plane dipped through a gap at the head of Fry Canyon in Southeast Utah and white worm-like canyons spread out beneath us. Our 1946 two-seater Cessna felt every slight turn of the wind. We had to fly light, paired down to a couple of backpacks and minimal overnight gear. Hopping from one old uranium mine to the next, we were using the homemade infrastructure of a 20th-century mineral boom to find our way around. We were not on any sort of official mission, just two friends bumming around a favorite landscape that is now facing…

When I reflect back on my childhood days, camping in the deserts of Southern California and Baja Norte, some of the visions firmly imprinted on my cerebral hard drive are looking through the viewfinder of my parents’ Kodak 35mm camera. Our family rode dirt bikes, backpacked, and spent a lot of time outdoors, and I remember coming home from weekend trips and waiting for my mother to pick up the developed transparencies. She would set aside a night to load them into the reels of our Kodak projector (which I still have) and do a slideshow. The vivid landscapes of Long Lake, Joshua Tree, and the Sea of Cortez would fill the screen, along with my dad and his buddy Tom “Super” Rudder flying through the air on Greeves 250…

In the spring of 2013, after evaluating two dozen of the best sleeping pads on the market, we bestowed the Exped Mega Mat 10 with our coveted Editor’s Choice Award. It was an easy decision as no other pad came close to matching its sublime comfort. We did have to concede that this luxurious slumber option had two noteworthy drawbacks: packed size and weight. The Mega Mat 10, when fully deflated and stowed in its stuff sack, made for a huge bundle to portage—a deal breaker for those with limited storage space. Since then the designers at Exped have been hard at work adding several new pads to their extensive catalog. The pad that caught our attention was their new SynMat Mega 12 LXW. With the same overall dimensions as…

Overland Journal has always taken pride in presenting impactful and compelling photographic impressions of the world around us. During the past decade we have shared captivating scenes of far-off locales ranging from Afghanistan and Antarctica to Mali and Malaysia. Our contributing photographers have scoured the planet to frame life as it transpires. Their dedication to creating images that induce emotion is elevated above that of a job, career, or occupation. Rather, it is a vocation, part of the fiber that makes up their being. Their passion for the craft, the art of visual storytelling, is indisputable. They hang from cliffs, plunge down Class V rapids, and wait patiently in wildlife blinds for days on end to capture images that evade all others. Whether rushing through airports, squeezing into tuk-tuks, or…

It was because we didn’t have a garage that I cursed the wind. I lay on my back underneath our van replacing bushings and blindly fumbling with CV bolts as I also cursed the dust, leaves, and tumbleweeds. When winter came I cursed the snow. Blizzards blew through our little valley, high in the mountains of Northern Arizona, and the snowflakes flew down the neck of my coveralls. My tools slowly rusted from exposure. The decision to buy a Volkswagen Vanagon and drive it around the world took all of about 20 seconds to make. One minute I was joking with a colleague about driving his hippie bus to Tierra del Fuego, and before I knew it my wife, Sheena, and I were stalled in Los Angeles traffic in a…

Founders Nick and Erica have created a bespoke buying experience designed to pair classic car enthusiasts to the automobiles they have always wanted. » European sports cars and overland vehicles » Based in Austin, Texas » Bespoke buying experience » Detailed consultation » Maintains a small inventory of vehicles Billed as a classic car concierge, the Dutch Safari Company deals primarily with European sports cars and overland vehicles, but they do far more than just sell pre-owned iron. Founders Nick and Erica have created a bespoke buying experience designed to pair classic car enthusiasts to the automobiles they have always wanted. Their process starts with a detailed consultation illuminating the nuances of vintage auto ownership including maintenance costs, parts availability, and other considerations. It is much more than an exchange…

Amusement parks, motels, and roadside diners were not part of my upbringing; the backcountry of New Mexico’s Gila forged many of my first memories. Countless camping trips with my dad and sister all started the same: Friday afternoon he would get off work early and we’d load the Bronco with a coffin-sized, waffle-topped Igloo packed with food, cola, and 80 pounds of ice before hitting the road. Pulling off the pavement at North Star Road before sundown, Hagar, our white German shepherd, would be whimpering to be let out so he could run to our familiar camp along the Mimbres River. The road in was rough, and eating waterlogged cold cuts and hot dogs was common. At the crack of dawn, I’d be playing in the river, whittling boats that…

Delivering big flavor with a minimal amount of effort, Chicken Marbella is one of those meals that routinely defies expectations. Originally appearing in the Silver Palate Cookbook in 1982, this Mediterranean-inspired baked chicken dish uses chopped prunes and olives to produce a sweet and savory sauce that is absolutely irresistible. It’s simple to make, easy to scale, and never fails to impress. So what’s the catch? Unfortunately, the original recipe requires an oven—not a piece of equipment available to most overlanders out on the trail. However, we’ve developed a Dutch oven “campfire” version that can bring this flavorful, crispy-skinned chicken classic out on the road. MENU APPETIZER: A premixed salad MAIN: Chicken Marbella served over couscous BEVERAGE: The leftover wine DESSERT: Fresh fruit and hard cheese CHICKEN MARBELLA Serves: 3-4…