Innehållsförteckning för Fall 2007 från Overland Journal

Tom Sheppard Tom has an exploration career spanning 40 years, and totaling over 110,000 overland miles since 1960, including significant exploration in northern Africa and the first-ever lateral crossing of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Tom is a freelance writer/ photographer and consultant, and author of the Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide (Desert Winds) and the new Four-by-Four Driving. From the Royal Geographic Society, Tom has received the Ness Award, and the distinction ARPS (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society). Tom Collins Tom is a consultant for Land Rover and a professional off-highway driver and trainer, with experience driving and navigating on the world’s most challenging tracks. Tom was the team director for the U.S. Camel Trophy Team and a participant in the 1987 Camel Trophy, Madagascar. Jack…

After crossing the Rio Pico Mayo we entered the Chaco, the vast semi-desert area of northern Argentina. During the rainy season the Chaco floods, and the clay soil makes travel nearly impossible. In the hot, dry season, the scrub forest sheds its leaves and bares long, sharp thorns. We arrived in the Chaco dodging potholes and trailing dust. (One year later, the 1994 Camel Trophy would be greeted by glutinous wet clay that encased the Land Rovers’ transmissions and formed a hard tile-like substance when the transmissions began to overheat. Several vehicles experienced transmission bearing failure when the drivers ignored the pungent smell of scorched oil. The smart members of the convoy pulled over and started the hammer-and-chisel job required to remove the insulating hard clay from the drivetrain.)…

1. Synchronize the time on your GPS unit with the time on your camera. This can be done manually, but a more accurate method is to use the GPS clock to set the time on your computer, and then use your computer to set the time on your camera. All of this can be automated using Breeze Systems’ BreezeBrowser Pro. 2. When you plan to shoot photos, keep the active GPS near your camera at all times with the track log enabled. 3. Download the GPS track logs to your computer. 4. Download your camera image files using Downloader Pro from Breeze Systems. This program will gather location data from your GPS log file based on the time synchronization and automatically insert the information into the meta data for the…

“Imitation Destinations.” So read the headline over a one-page article in the July 2007 issue of National Geographic. The article described a new ski resort, complete with five downhill runs and apres-ski cafés. Pine trees dot the slopes, stars twinkle overhead at Ski Dubai. You read that right: This 5.5-acre resort is in the middle of the Middle Eastern desert, indoors. The pine trees are fake, as are the stars. The snow is manufactured, and the entire place is chilled to the proper temperature. Items like that make my skin crawl. I cannot comprehend what would induce a person to accept any artificial experience over any genuine one. If I lived in Dubai and wanted an alpine skiing holiday, I’d save my money for a ticket to the Alps. Sliding…

New European diesels coming to the U.S. September’s Frankfurt Motor Show was marked by a veritable explosion of European diesel engines. As a reflection of greater consumer demand, increasing environmental concerns, and the need to compete in the market against a strong contingent of Japanese hybrids, automakers from around the world have been pushing hard to develop and introduce clean-burning diesel engines. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen made an especially strong showing with their new diesel vehicles, of which a surprising number were said to be headed straight for U.S. shores. Even performance-oriented BMW is joining in the diesel fun, pulling out the stops with a twin-turbo setup for its sports sedans, and diesel versions of the very popular X-series of SUVs. As part of their effort to gain acceptance in the…

Discoveries were used in the Camel Trophy events from 1990 through 1997. From 1990 to 1994 the vehicles were equipped with the 200Tdi engine; from 1995 to 1997 the 300Tdi was used. Modifications and equipment were essentially identical for each year except 1997. The biggest variation was with the winch supplier. In the 1997 Mongolia event the vehicles underwent some changes as noted, to reflect the change of focus from off-road driving to physical challenges. External: • V8 Defender 90 4-pinion differentials • 24-spline rear half-shafts • Trimmed rear wheel arches • Safety Devices roof rack bolted to roll cage • 4 spot lights on roof rack • Rear lamp guards • Anti-glare bonnet blackout to prevent reflections from rack lamps (Mongolia 1997: Blue anti-glare panel, with flag decal) •…

August 22, 7:00 a.m., the high desert north of Safford, Arizona. My co-worker, Dennis, shows up for our GPS field survey work with a brand new set of BFG Mud Terrains on his Ford truck. Our mapping route today will take us up some little-used, narrow 4WD trails bordered by treacherous clumps of creosote, which frequently shed short spikes of dead limbs around the base of the plant. August 22, 8:10 a.m. Dennis gets a flat tire—a creosote dagger through a sidewall. August 22, 11:35 a.m. Dennis gets another flat tire. Luckily, he’ll have a couple day’s grace before his third. In between, I’ll split the sidewall of one of my Land Cruiser’s tires wide open on a razor-edged rock. Flat tires are by far the most common breakdown experienced…

Suspension: • Safari Gard Stage 3 Suspension Kit, Safari Gard three-link kit on the front axle, Rovertym 3 inch coils. This combination increases ground clearance, wheel travel, and articulation over the stock suspension, while retaining ride quality. Safari Gard trailing arms provide extra strength over stock arms, and a Currie Anti-Rock sway bar on custom mounts in the rear helps control heavy loads. Old Man Emu steering stabilizer. • The rear axle was moved back two inches, which centers the wheels in the wheel wells, reducing the chance of interference, and also provides a better ride on the road and increased stability off road, especially on steep climbs. • Fox 12-inch remote-reservoir shock absorbers. Rebuildable, and capable of handling both high-speed washboard and low-speed flexing. Drivetrain: •Tom Woods double-cardon drive…

Last issue we introduced the Overland Journal conservation project vehicle, a 1984 FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser as a platform on which to build an economical, ecological overland vehicle. One of the first modifications that we are researching is replacing the tough but piggy 2F gas engine with an efficient diesel engine. We turned to a diesel engine not because of prices at the pump but because of its fuel economy and reduced emissions (diesel is often more expensive than gas when demand is high for heating oil, which is refined from the same grade of petroleum as diesel; and due to increased refining to remove sulphur and particulates). Compared to equivalent gas engines, diesel engines actually emit 15 percent higher greenhouse gas but frequently consume 20-40 percent less fuel (because…

Eskimos—it’s okay, keep reading—well, you probably guessed what’s coming anyway. But if our northern survival-specialist friends are reputed to have fifty words to describe different types of snow, then the various textures, grain size, aggregate compaction, slip angle, color, mineral content, critical wind speed, and bearing strength of “sand” is likely up there in the same league when it comes to user options. Then there’s its condition—cold, hot, dry, damp, wet, crusted, rolled-over (compacted), churned and broken by over-inflated or overpowered wheels; or if you’re lucky, it may be firm, cool, crusted virgin sand, velvet smooth and strong as a billiard table. But first let’s be clear about the setting of this article. Check the title of the magazine. We are talking about desert driving in the context of overlanding,…

Over the years I’ve seen many solutions to the need for a bulk water supply on overland vehicles, from plastic jerry cans to custom frame-mounted tanks fitted with pressure pumps, built-in filtering systems, and faucets. When I decided to move up from the jerry can approach in my FJ40, my goal was to suit the solution to the characteristics of the vehicle: reliable, durable, and simple. I wanted a capacity of at least 10 gallons, which necessitated a tank anchored securely and a means to access the water without moving the tank; however, I also wanted to be able to use the tank in different vehicles, which precluded a custom-fitted frame mount. I decided to use a tank positioned on the side of the rear cargo area, over one of…

You might remember it from scouting days. A recognizable hill to the north, a known peak to the west. Take a compass bearing on each, and the intersecting position lines on the map give you your fix. To minimize the effects of error in either sighting, a third bearing on another landmark gives three position lines intersecting as a small triangle or, if you’re lucky, all on the same point. GPS, in principle, works the same—except here the position line is circular, a ring centered on a particular satellite. Get three satellites low on the horizon and the intersecting arcs (school geometry, yes?) will likely give, again, a small triangle enclosing your ground position. If there’s a fourth satellite overhead you’ll get your elevation as well—although with little else to…

Bushnell is currently advertising the new ONIX 400, but they did not have one available in time for this review. Instead, I reviewed the ONIX 200CR, a small unit that is comfortable in the hand and ruggedly built. The unit I tested did not come with a mounting bracket, but compatible RAM-brand mounts are available from Bushnell online. Despite this, I soon learned that the Onix is tailored more to pedestrian and single-track use than for serious road navigation. The built-in basemap is a bare-minimum data set, and I do mean bare—the city of Phoenix shows only major freeways and a handful of POIs (points of interest). No detailed mapping software is available to provide street-level or POI data for urban or backcountry areas. To view any useful mapping information,…

Garmin has been an industry leader throughout most of the history of the civilian GPS market, and the 276C is a perfect example of why. This is a versatile product with complete map data sets for both urban and backcountry exploration. A removable memory card can be used to store large amounts of detailed map data. The rugged plastic case is small enough to mount easily on a motorcycle, or even be used for non-motorized travel, yet the screen is large enough to be usable while in motion either on a bike or in a 4WD vehicle. A removable, 8.4V lithium-ion rechargeable battery powers the 276C when it is not plugged in to an external power source. It will not accept standard AA batteries. A detachable, pivoting antenna stick with…

Once upon a time long ago—in the year 2000—my wife and I completed a four-month, unsupported expedition along the full length of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. We took along two 35mm film cameras, two compasses, and a pair of atlases containing maps and notes. We had no rechargeable batteries, no compact flash cards, and no global positioning system. God forbid, we didn’t even have a 12V fridge. I honestly don’t know how we ever made it. Sometime after that trip, I built a little web page with a rough map of our route, and I placed some dots on the map. If you clicked on a dot, it would go to a page with a photograph taken in that approximate location on the map. Pretty slick, I thought. Fast-forward seven years.…

“The young buffalo will jump the fence. The adults, they just walk right through it. Yep, the wildlife can play havoc with the sensors,” explained the U.S. Customs official at the Antelope Wells border crossing in deepest nowhere, New Mexico. Buffalo? Well, yes—bison, actually. A small herd of them survives in northern Mexico, far from the Dances-with-Wolves country where we usually picture them. I was at the official starting point for my trip, and asking a lot of nosy questions before heading north. When I first pulled up at the border station, the agent asked if I was heading into Mexico. After telling him I was just turning around, he had me pegged, no questions. “You’re doing the Continental Divide ride, aren’t you?” Some of the best trips I’ve taken…

Share Your Public Land Images— Win a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV Do you have a killer image taken from your last overland trip through land managed by a U.S. federal recreation agency (Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or National Wildlife Refuge)? Enter up to three images in the 2007 Share the Experience contest, and you could win a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, billed as the first full-hybrid SUV as well as the most efficient SUV on the planet (estimated 34 mpg city, 30 mpg highway). For rules and to enter, go to sharetheexperience.org. Improve your fuel economy up to 17 percent We all get busy and can easily skip maintenance chores that may be greatly reducing the fuel economy of our trucks.…

All life on earth is dependent on temperature regulation and water balance to survive. From the lowliest microorganism to the most complex animal, without water there is no life. So it should not come as a big surprise that proper attention to heat and hydration is critical to the success of any excursion, most especially one into a hot desert region. A generally healthy human adult can survive without food for many days, perhaps several weeks. But in the desert without water, it may be only a matter of days before death occurs. Only a few hours without adequate water intake are enough for many people to suffer significant morbidity from heat-related illnesses: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Temperature regulation is an amazingly complex but very efficient process…

The recce for the 7,000-mile, Atlantic Ocean-to-Red Sea, Joint Services Sahara crossing was 250 miles out and 250 miles back into the Mauritanian Empty Quarter, to see if the dune chains were crossable—and in what vehicles. A Series 3 Land Rover, a Bedford 4-ton 4WD truck, and an early Range Rover were the guinea pigs. Precise astro position fixes at night, and dead reckoning (DR) navigation during the day, would be the routine. DR nav is what sailors do: X distance on this heading, Y distance on that heading through the day; plot all the legs end-to-end on paper, and you get a track shape and a resultant position fix in the evening. Nail it to the evening’s star shot and the result is an accurate record of track-made-good on…

I hold in my hand a small white clam shell, a couple inches across. It is scoured satin-smooth, not by beach sand, for I am leagues from the nearest salt water, but by wind bearing sandpaper-like lava dust. I found it next to a trail, lying with its domed back barely exposed in the black gravel of the plain just below the Santa Clara volcano. The slightly meandering path at first glance might be passed off as a game trail, judging from the tracks of lizards and mice and snakes and deer that dapple its dusty surface. But anthropologists tell us this is an ancient human trail, perhaps thousands of years old, one of dozens that lead north from the Sea of Cortez, through the burning lava fields of the…