Innehållsförteckning för Gear 2017 från Overland Journal

Driving along narrow, tree-lined tracks on a moonless night in Victoria’s High Country, I found the 5,700° Kelvin beam to be exceptionally bright and void of hot spots or shadows. During the past decade, LED technology has crept into and dominated the auxiliary lighting sector. There are many benefits of utilizing light emitting diodes to illuminate your path, a few of which are longer lifespan, lower amperage draw, and desirable color temperature. ARB entered the market in 2013, not with a “me too” lookalike, but with a unique, 32-LED fire-breather. Rumors were circulating that they had a light bar in the works, and during a recent trip to Australia I had a sneak preview and test drive with their newest offering. Rather than taking a boxy one-size-fits-all approach, the Intensity…

The GPS-enabled navigational tool designed for the dirt and powered by the people. The TRX7’s inventory of trails is continually expanding as a result of Magellan’s innovative crowd-sourced database accessible through their website mytrxjournal.com. With regard to navigational tools, the modern over-lander is spoiled for choice. In addition to the reliable map and compass, many opt to use GPS units, tablets, phones, and laptops to stay on course. Although a handful of these solutions have been slightly modified to meet the unique needs of the off-highway adventurer, most leave much to be desired once turned off the tarmac. Last year Magellan released their all-new eXplorist TRX7 navigational system, one purpose-built for use on dirt roads and trails. Like similar devices we have tested over the years, it is packaged in…

One of the quandaries photographers face is how to transport an assortment of expensive equipment in different environments. When on field assignments my camera gear is toted around in a daypack, with additional lenses, bodies, and strobes stowed in a Pelican case. However, when walking an event such as the New York Auto Show or SEMA, I need quick access to magazines and business cards, as well as a place to store brochures and propaganda I collect. I picked up a Think Tank Retrospective 7 shoulder bag a year ago and have enjoyed its versatility, stylish lines, and traditional look. The exterior is a combination of full-grain Dakota leather and sand-washed cotton canvas treated with a water-repellent polyurethane coating. The nylon strap is sturdy enough to support a fairly heavy…

Calculate it out As a general guideline all components in a winching system should have a WLL no less than twice that of the winch, which should be 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. It was a blistering hot afternoon in southeastern Morocco and a sand storm was working its way across Erg Chigaga. We crested a dune and came upon an SUV buried to its frame in soft blow sand. My traveling buddy Mohamed stopped the Land Cruiser, and we got out to inspect the situation; he retrieved a thin nylon rope and two light-duty carabiners. I would have put money on the table that our recovery string was going to break, but with a bit of digging, pushing, and pulling we were eventually able to extricate the…

Pros • Comprehensive kit • Cost Cons • Light-duty bag and winch line damper • Carry bag pockets too small for components • Kit missing tire deflator • Pulley block failure below MBS Australian-based 23Zero, who cut their teeth in the roof top tent sector, is a newcomer to the recovery gear arena. It is evident that they followed ARB’s lead with this kit, both with the selection of accessories and styling of products. This is not necessarily a bad thing though since ARB has led the Down Under recovery gear market for decades. The kit includes a kinetic strap, 65-foot winch line extension, tree protector, pulley block, two shackles, receiver hitch, gloves, line damper, and tire gauge/ deflator. The recovery strap, tree saver, and winch line extender are of…

Pros • Quality construction • Innovative and functional backpack • All components passed lab testing Cons • Metal tree protector ends • Backpack could be bigger • Dual shackles won’t nest in block Warn Industries is the undisputed patriarch of the vehicle recovery sector. They began with locking hubs for WWII Willys and CJs before revolutionizing the industry in 1959 with the Belleview electric winch (predecessor to the venerable M8274). New to their lineup is the Epic series of straps and pulley blocks, as well as an innovative concept for toting gear down the trail. While many companies offer products borrowed from the rigging industry, Warn departed from the norm and created their own. The Epic lineup incorporates forged steel for the shackles, pulley block, and business ends of the…

Experience Speaks While we will admit that we don’t know everything, we’ve learned that durability and longevity are paramount. Ned and I have been kicking around in the dirt together for decades. In the process we have collectively pulled, pushed, and cursed hundreds of vehicles into submission (back on track). We’ve also righted or recovered greasy-side-up rigs from mud bogs, sand dunes, the sides of cliffs, and even from the bottom of a lake. Each scenario has been unique, each requiring a different approach to rigging, safety, and equipment choice. While we will admit that we don’t know everything, we’ve learned that durability and longevity are paramount. Interestingly, not all of the products we selected as our favorites during field-testing survived the lab work. At the end of the day,…

How long can you go between showers? Famed cold-weather adventurer Eric Larsen’s personal record is 72 days, a number I bet even he doesn’t care to break. For the rest of us, a few days between washes is more than enough, but facilitating a good hose-down in the field is not always easy. We tested a variety of showers from simple to surprisingly complex to see which portable rainmaker works best. ACTION WIPES $12 It may seem strange to kick this off with a product that isn’t a shower at all, yet there are times when using water is nigh impossible and a cleaning session cannot wait. For years adventurers have used baby wipes, but marching to the summit of Mount Everest smelling like an infant dipped in rose oil…

Camp cooking is an essential part of the outdoor experience. Whether that includes hotdogs on a stick over a crackling fire, or a gourmet meal prepared in a most unlikely setting, backcountry meals almost always taste better than those made at home. For the overland chef keen to create culinary masterpieces, there is an ever-increasing array of products entering the market. We set out to test a small selection. TIKTAALIK Camp Knife Set $199 No self-respecting chef would attempt to prepare a meal without proper blades, but for the overlander, everything has to be compact and light. No one knows this better than Carl Jonsson, designer of the Tiktaalik Field Knife Set and owner of Tools For Adventure. Made of high-quality Sandvik 12C27 Swedish stainless steel, each of the three…

Overall, the best builds are well-thought-out yet simple; they don’t overcomplicate function or attempt to reinvent the wheel. A four-wheel drive professional doesn’t cross their fingers in hopes that the terrain ahead will be forgiving, or that an avoidable mechanical issue won’t present itself at the worst possible moment. Instead, they ensure their vehicle and skills are up to task when operating far from the beaten path. Each year, my fieldwork, guiding, training, and scouting calls for over 15,000 miles of travel in the New Mexico Backroads’ (NMBR) Rubicon. Whether leading a multimillion-dollar treasure hunt north of Santa Fe, photographing wildland fire crews battling flames in the Gila National Forest, or scouting backcountry along the U.S.–Mexico border, the focus is on providing services where pavement does not exist. The Rubicon…

Why on earth would you want to live in a tent for 9 weeks? is usually the reaction I get upon telling people I’m going to be camping on my drive from the Arctic Ocean to the tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. They envision the traditional thin sheet of fabric held together by flimsy rods, but that’s because it’s hard to imagine anything like the canvas apartment sitting atop our Chaser trailer. It’s called the Globe Tracker, and is Eezi-Awn’s newest iteration of a ridiculously plush trailer tent. Like the model that came before it, this tent utilizes a one-piece wooden base, eliminating the need to fold the bed in half. While this does increase the footprint, it greatly reduces the folded height and the weight that must be lifted…

Most modern vehicles have some type of tire monitoring system, but in many cases they are little more than low pressure alerts seldom indicating which tire, or tires, are compromised or by how much. ARB recently released a solution to this problem with two tire pressure monitoring kits. Available in an internal and external version, the system is easy to install and provides the driver with a comprehensive overview of pressure and temperature. The small digital display plugs into a standard 12-volt outlet and gives a real-time readout for all four corners. It can be programmed to provide visual and audible alerts for pre-set low or high limits, as well as excessive heat buildup. Additional warnings indicate a low sensor battery or malfunction. Installation of the external kit, including programming…

For those travelers in need of quick energy from a kit that needn’t be pampered, there is nothing else like it. Overlanders have long benefited from military technology trickling down to civilian use. It appears we are about to once again, this time with a powerful solar charging system designed and built by the Colorado-based company Ascent Solar. As the industry leader in the development and manufacture of solar modules using CIGS cells bonded to a thin and flexible substrate, their devices are not just pliable, lightweight, and durable, but can produce up to 85 watts per meter—this gives them the greatest power-to-weight ratio of any photovoltaic module in the industry. The company’s latest product is the military-grade MilPak E Rugged Solar Blanket. With 16 individual solar cells capable of…

Pros • Quality components • Comprehensive kit • All components passed lab testing Cons • Dual shackles don’t nest in block • Light-duty gloves ARB isn’t a newcomer to the recovery world—the crew from Australia has been pulling each other from Outback sand and mud bogs for four decades. Although they introduced their recovery gear in kit from a decade ago, they took their time in making improvements and developing the current iteration. The Premium has everything you’ll need for the unexpected backcountry snafu, including a recovery strap, tree protector, winch line extension, line damper, gloves, two screw pin shackles, and an Ultra Light pulley block. The bright orange carry bag, which is embossed with a topographical map, will be easy to find in the dark. Materials and stitching used…

Pros • Removes metal from winching system • Protective polymer coating • Love the Gator-Jaw Cons • Bulky storage • Mesh bag spreads grime • Tree protector and extension failed The guys at Bubba Rope don’t have any qualms about the fact that they are good ol’, truck-driving boys from Florida. Looking to design a better mousetrap, they began working with technology borrowed from the aviation and marine industries, crafting high-grade nylon rope into recovery straps. This evolved into a business that includes KERRs, winch lines and extenders, and the Gator-Jaw soft shackle; their products have won multiple SEMA awards. Although Bubba Rope will be offering kits in 2017, all products are currently sold separately. The Bubba ($164), which they refer to as “the strap buster,” was their first product…

You never quite get comfortable with the ice. No matter how thick they say it is, you still see the cracks, along with air bubbles running just below the surface. Uncertainty is further exaggerated by popping noises and the fact that the clarity disguises the thickness. I was standing on the Mac-Kenzie River, a massive waterway that flows north to the Arctic Ocean—the largest and longest river system in all of Canada. The Inuit call it Kuukpak, or Great River, a life-giving force that brings hydration, sustenance, and a means for transportation. I can best describe it as majestic, one of the most remote and compelling destinations for the North American overlander. Most good adventures begin with ideas spun and mused about over a beer, preferably around a fire. Dave…

Sunrise is a special time of day. The constellations have concluded their nightly performance of sweeping the heavens and gracefully bow out, dissolving into the western horizon. We stood in sub-freezing morning air at the edge of Barney Top, a precipice high above the Colorado Plateau, witnessing an act that has been played out since the beginning of time. The inky eastern sky yielded as the sun prepared to take the stage, transitioning from hues of cobalt and indigo to flaming magenta, orange, and yellow as rays of light ricocheted through dust particles in the atmosphere. No one spoke a word; no one dared disturb the silence. For me, it was a spiritual experience, surely orchestrated by a higher power. A few days earlier we had departed Mesquite, Nevada, with…

The first stage of Elephant Hill looms ahead like a foreboding portal into the unknown. There are three significant stages to this iconic challenge in southeastern Utah, any of which can cause damage to most machines and their riders. Rock ledges, technical bedrock crevasses, and steep, off-camber slopes promise an action-packed finale to the Utah Traverse, brainchild of filmmaker Sinuhe Xavier. I am riding with Sinuhe, Scott Brady of Overland Journal, and photographer Stephen Smith to explore Utah at the beginning of winter, a questionable endeavor even without the extreme terrain chosen as our route. My job is to help them tackle some of the more technical segments of our journey. These men are not beginners—it’s been a challenging week, driven by ambition and difficult terrain. SAND EXTRACTION Our first…

. . . a roadblock which I suddenly realized looked to the constables’ eyes like it was made of jerry cans full of flammable gasoline. It happened at the tail end of a long Saharan trip. I’d taken my Land Rover Defender from my home in York, in the north of England, across France and Spain to North Africa, intent on tracking down some prehistoric rock art in Southern Morocco and Algeria. With me were two friends from the U.K., Abbie and Baz, neither of whom had seen the Sahara before. It had been an eventful trip, starting with a scowling uniformed face that popped through the open driver’s window of my Defender at Tangiers port, our entry to Morocco. “Do you have any hashish or automatic weapons?” blustered the…

A few years ago, I had an acquaintance apprise me that he and his significant other would be heading to New Zealand for vacation. I responded with excitement and provided a few suggestions for the South Island. With an inquisitive look he said, “I don’t think we will be on the South Island, but we are doing Australia too.” My initial thought was that they must be taking a few weeks or so for the trip, but the answer to my next question made me cringe, “Just a week, but Australia will be my 40th country.” It was clear he didn’t know the land of the Māori is split between two major islands, and a couple of new ink smudges on his passport landed high on the priority list. How…

It was almost a century ago when Hans Wagner, a third-generation cobbler from Jetzendorf, Bavaria, founded his eponymously named boot business. His made-to-measure footwear quickly gained a positive reputation within the skiing, climbing, and trekking communities. The abbreviated Hanwag label is still considered one of the finest purveyors of boots in the world, and rightly so. The Patoja Mid GTX is their latest offering and its classic styling is a fitting tribute to the company’s origins. The nubuck uppers have minimum stitching and the five-point lace system creates a clean and timeless aesthetic. Leveraging their extensive boot-making experience, the Patoja is crafted with modern materials and technologies like a Gore-Tex liner and the company’s honeycomb sole package with a soft EVA mid-layer. What I’ve come to love most about the…

Pros • Fairly comprehensive kit • Includes rigging chain • Field serviceable block • All components passed lab testing Cons • Lacks winch extension • Carry bag is awkward Northern California-based Extreme Outback Products is a small company with a big reputation for quality gear. If you find yourself in a conversation with owner George Carousos, you will understand his passion for equipment that works when you really need it. Their PRO recovery kit combines many of the company’s individual components and wraps them up in a suitcase-style carry bag. It is a foldout design with numerous pockets and sleeves, each fashioned for specific components. Interior pockets are made of a heavy mesh, which will allow wet items to dry quickly, and the exterior features a reflective safety triangle (required…

Pros • Excellent storage bags • High quality rigging lines • Best strap ties Cons • Block not for use with steel cable • Block won’t accept two shackles • Recovery rope and tree protector failed Master Pull, one of the early developers of synthetic winch rope for use in the four-wheel drive sector, has been in the recovery game for nearly two decades. As the name might imply, their focus has been to master the field. We found the Super Yanker Kobra KERR very easy to work with, though bulkier than web-style straps. Offered in 10- and 25-foot lengths ($88/$133), the high-visibility 7/8-inch, double-braided nylon rope provides up to 30-percent stretch. They are hand-spliced, UV and mildew resistant, and attachment points are wrapped in heavy-duty Cordura sleeves. The MacGyver…

It’s no secret that General Motors (GM) made some serious waves with their introduction of the new Colorado. With only minimal signs of life from their four-wheel drive department since the death of Hummer, it surprised more than a few of us when they not only set their sights on the Frontier and Tacoma, but also trumped them with an option the competitors didn’t offer in the U.S.: a diesel. Car magazines of every nature clamored to get their hands on a test truck, but with every article touting the vehicle’s off-pavement prowess came a series of pictures on graded dirt roads or ditches right next to pavement. GM clearly wasn’t letting these vehicles wander far, so we thought we’d shake things up a bit with a test proposal so…

For me, riding a motorcycle has never been about specs and such, it’s about that feeling of being on a bike and not having a care in the world. If you’re looking for a technical review of the new BMW Scrambler, might I suggest you wait until the editors get their hands on one. For me, riding a motorcycle has never been about specs and such, it’s about that feeling of being on a bike and not having a care in the world. In September, I had the fortunate opportunity to join Miguel Loredo of Concept Racer and photographer Stephen Smith on a ride through a rarely seen part of Mexico, aboard one of the few Scramblers in the Western Hemisphere at the time. This was no press boondoggle in…

Unexpected snow flurries chill our fingers as we excavate through abrasive granitic soils. Our rental SUV is loaded beyond the GVWR and can’t access the site, so we hump in the gear. The battery in the alleged MIL-SPEC field laptop abruptly quits, and my waterproof jacket is not keeping the record forms dry. Meanwhile, our portable printer is sucking all life from the SUV’s battery and fuel for the auger spills onto the pristine carpet. The technical report must be submitted by year’s end (3 days away), it’s a 6-hour drive back to the office, and the corporate client is losing their cool. Good times. Field professionals nod in shared sympathy when it comes to discussing work conditions. Regardless of often miserable environments, projects are regulatory driven and subject to…

Anyone that knows me well, knows that the thought of sand riding sends cold shivers down my spine. It penetrates every cell and seems to scatter molecules beyond the boundaries of my own skin. In the dark depths of my mind, I wanted to think that sand days were safely behind me, buried like nuclear waste in airtight containers. “Why, pray tell, can’t I stay in first gear?,” came the hopeful enquiry, en route to the Misión San Francisco de Borja, a Spanish mission located in Baja California, Mexico. “I like first gear, we get on and I feel a lot more in control,” I continued, conscious of concealing any “princess tendencies” from the argument. Jason’s expression relayed that he wasn’t buying what was being sold. “Second gear is a…

Even for the seasoned traveler, it’s difficult to step beyond the front doors of Tribhuvan International Airport and not be a little overwhelmed. The air is a hazy melange of humidity, exhaust fumes, and dust so thick you can almost chew it. Then there is the noise, a raucous cacophony of car horns, revving engines, and planes roaring overhead. Audible above the racket shout dozens of locals holding small signs and pointing to waiting taxis and busses, part of a desperate competition to win a few rupees from freshly arrived tourists. It is a dizzying scene and a fitting introduction to Kathmandu’s kaleidoscope of chaos. Nepal’s exotic allure is irresistible. Sandwiched between Northern India and Tibet, it is home to an eclectic amalgamation of ethnicities, languages, and cultures blended…

It wasn’t designed to make a sound, but there is nothing quite as distinctive as the staccato song made by a Zippo lighter. It starts with a metal on metal ting followed by the scratch of the thumb wheel on the flint. The final clack as the lid slams firmly shut indicates a job well done. It’s unmistakable for anything else. The printed page is ill-equipped to accurately convey the Zippo sound, and even if you have never used one yourself, chances are you can hear it in your head. For more than 8 decades it has maintained its position as one of the most ubiquitous products ever sold, and in that time has gone virtually unchanged. The story of the Zippo has had many twists and turns, and no…