Innehållsförteckning för Gear Guide 2010 från Overland Journal

So far, the Wrangler has been—dare Toyota reliable. I say this?— Facts Mileage to date: 17,420 Average fuel economy: 18.2 mpg (for the Great Plains trip, 19.1) Warranty repairs to date: None Although some with knowledge of my 30-year-long relationship with Land Cruisers might doubt it, I approached the long-term review of the Jeep Wrangler with a completely open mind. In fact, I’ve watched with more than a little chagrin as the U.S.-market Land Cruiser has morphed from a basic, indestructible workhorse to a fantastically complex (albeit still indestructible) luxury S.U.V. with computer programs to manage virtually every 4WD situation that used to require skill. Meanwhile, the corresponding U.S.-market Jeep has morphed from a basic, dodgy utility vehicle with undersized running gear into a capable, comfortable, all-around expedition machine that…

Archival Clothing Waxed-cotton Flapped Musette $119 The humble musette has been a catch-all for the military, a lightweight satchel for cyclists, and a shopping bag for those lucky enough to live a stroll away from their baker and butcher. But it’s always been more or less a consumable. Now Archival Clothing (originally a fascinating clothing-oriented blog) has given the musette the attention it deserves, with this stand-up version made in Oregon from 22-ounce waxed cotton twill (doubled on the bottom) and solid brass hardware. Every edge is bound, and stress points are bartacked. Two interior pockets add organization without complicating clarity. It’s impossible to overestimate the versatility of this bag. Sling it over the back of your seat with binoculars and a field guide in it; take a hike with…

Osprey Manta 25 $139 The Osprey Manta 25 is just one pack within Osprey’s new line of Hydraulic hydration packs, to be launched this spring. At the heart of the Hydraulic series is a proprietary hydration reservoir designed in conjunction with long time bottle maker, Nalgene. The three-liter Osprey reservoir introduces features never before seen on similar products, such as a stiffener board to add rigidity to the reservoir for ease of filling and fitting into the pack, and also to provide constant pressure to the reservoir for undisturbed flow of fluids. The mouthpiece includes a small magnet which mates with the pack’s sternum strap for quick stashing of the hydration hose, which begs the question—why didn’t someone think of that sooner? Providing 25 liters of capacity, the Manta 25…

The 6.5-inch reflector on the PIAA 580 ties it for the smallest halogen we tested. The 580 has a glass lens and a cast aluminum housing with a single-bolt hinge mount. PIAA seems to be buying into the “blue bulb” hype, as the bulbs supplied with these lights have a blue coating. The wiring is well-integrated and well-protected, and has a nice two pin locking connector. The supplied cover is an in-vogue black plastic grill which declares PIAA across the front. It might protect the lens from branch damage, but in my opinion it mainly blocks light. We rated the mounting as reasonably strong—although the light did vibrate, it has a low enough mass that it doesn’t flicker much on rough surfaces. Hard impacts would certainly persuade it to move.…

The Rally 800s are the second most expensive halogens in the test. They are light, at 2.5 pounds each, have a standard seven-inch reflector, and are the second most power-hungry lights behind the Warns, pulling 214.5 watts. Despite that, the lights displayed unremarkable performance. The sheet showed a narrow but very bright pattern with a low cutoff, hinting at poor foreground lighting. The main beam area was surrounded by a very bright halo which seems to hint at either poor reflector or poor lens design. On the road shots, the KC just managed to pick out the 350-meter reflector, but left the near-left pole completely unlit. There were very large shadows down both sides of the road. When the vehicle’s high beams were added, the coverage was pretty good—certainly an…

The IPF 900XS HID is the largest HID in the test, with a 6.5-inch reflector, yet it’s also the most miserly on power, pulling just 79.4 watts per pair. With a metal housing and a glass lens, the 900XS weighs 3.4 pounds per light, with an external ballast not included in this weight. The light pattern was a distinct fat line, as seen on the sheet shot, with a purple glare at the top and yellow glare at the bottom. It fades to dark below and above the beam, hinting at minimal foreground lighting. That proved so on the road shots. Side lighting was poor, but range was excellent, easily hitting the 350-meter reflector, and lighting the 600-meter reflector without zooming into the picture. This is the only HID that…

Auxiliary lights are a ubiquitous overland accessory. As soon as a bull bar is mounted, those little tabs have to be filled with something, and lights fit the bill perfectly. But do you really need additional lighting on an overland vehicle? In my experience, you do, and that lighting should be the best you can get. For this test we supplied a side-by-side photo comparison of all the lights, so you can evaluate relative effectiveness on your own. I, of course, had to pick a test winner, and to that end I offer these final thoughts on each product. I was disappointed to find that PIAA is capitalizing on the blue-bulb hype, and handicaps the 580s with emasculated bulbs. The 580 is a compact, relatively power-efficient design that would find…

I squint through my rubbish goggles and realise the worst: We’ve become separated in a sandstorm. To add to our problems, we’re in a major shifting dune field 200 miles from the nearest thing that could be called a “feature,” and although my needle isn’t fully over in “scared,” I am, by now, extremely anxious. We were supposed to be sticking together, but there had been a move to send off a couple of riders to “check out” some possible escape routes from this disorientating area. As the clouds of sand intensified, I realised I couldn’t tell where Dave and Lyndon were. Our GPS units, fabulously reliable up until now, dumbly pointed to the heading we should take. This merely emphasised their singular satellite blindness to the unrideability of the…

My love affair with the KTM 950 started as a form of speed-dating. Not just because of the velocities I reached on my first test ride, but because I had bought the bike within weeks of leaving for the Trans-America Trail (TAT). Among my friends and family, I am loathed and sometimes loved for my abandonment of reason when it comes to the pursuit of adventure, but even from my perspective this relationship was a bit rushed. Up to that point, the sum of my riding experience was concentrated in two years of XR250L ownership and a few romps on a friend’s Ninja from a decade prior. And although I managed to get the KTM home safely from the dealership, my confidence was quickly shaken when one of my good…

LowePro Classified 160 $175 On a recent shoot for Marmot I teamed up with the legendary expedition photographer Ace Kvale. We packed up our camera equipment before dawn and headed out on our long approach to the climbing crags. I didn’t see Ace carrying a camera bag, only his large climbing pack, so I reminded him that he might need one—it was a photo shoot after all. He swung around laughing, and held up his LowePro Classified. I was intrigued because it looked more like a stylish, yet utilitarian shoulder bag than the sometimes overtly nerdy photo packs. The fact that it carried a full size DSLR with three lenses, including a hefty 70-200 zoom, impressed me to say the least. Throughout the day Ace carried the Classified from low-angle…

At seven inches, the reflector of the Warn SDB-210 HB is among the largest of the halogens, and it’s deeper than any of them. So this is a bulky light, although it is not the heaviest. Where it is heavy is in power consumption. At 335.5 watts, the Warn gulps a full 121 watts more than its nearest rival. It’s also the most expensive halogen light in the test. Given all that, you would expect superior performance. We got . . . good performance. The sheet shot showed a broad pattern that filled in the foreground well, and there were no cut-offs apart from the top of the pattern. On the road, the Warns gave good range, showing the 350-meter reflector, but they failed to illuminate the first pole on…

The SolTek LEDgend is one of two LED lights in the test. As explained earlier, there are still some limitations with LED lighting for vehicles, but great strides have been made and continue to be made in LED technology. The LEDgend boasts the same attention to detail and quality of manufacture evidenced in the company’s halogen and HID lights. The LEDs are heavy, at five pounds each, largely due to massive heat sinks built into the back of the aluminum housing. The lens is polycarbonate, and can be swapped out for different beam patterns. Inside the light are 18 LEDs arrayed in three rows. Mounting follows the Baja Designs norm of a three-point, rubber-isolated, tilt-adjustable mechanism. The billet adjuster knob is behind the light as with the HIDs we tested.…

Probably the biggest concern is the durability and vulnerability of the light and mounting system. Secondary to that are concerns about power usage, and switching systems. If you’re considering auxiliary lighting for an adventure motorcycle, your selection criteria differs somewhat from that you’d apply to a 4WD vehicle. The hazards faced by the lights are typically more severe, and the consequences of a poorly performing system can be particularly unpleasant (especially if it involves a donkey sleeping on a road). With regard to the light and mount, durability of the entire system is the key. Unfortunately, it isn’t a simple matter of finding the most robust light on the market and bolting it to the side of your motorcycle. If any part of the entire system doesn’t work in harmony…

All vehicle designs and build parameters involve compromise. But when I began modifying a new Toyota 4Runner in 2006, I was determined to reduce sacrifice, maintain utility, and embrace balance. This meant that while excellent off-highway capability was important, it must not eclipse on-road performance, long distance comfort, reliability, or versatility. Platform In late 2006 my search for a new vehicle quickly narrowed to what I realized was an under-appreciated model: the fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner. Although low-riders in stock trim, they have the foundation to become excellent overlanders. The 110-inch wheelbase is neither short nor too long; a Torsen center differential and the impressive A-TRAC traction control lend each tire optimum grip; and coil-spring suspension front and rear provides compliance. Aftermarket support is generally good, since the 4Runner shares many…

MSR Reactor Stove $160 A stove system can make or break a motorcycle trip. At the end of a long day in the dirt, a hot meal, either alone or with the camaraderie of other riders, is not only pleasurable, but serves a physiological necessity, as it gives a rider the opportunity to replenish caloric intake often neglected during the day’s ride. The MSR Reactor stove system is Mountain Safety Research’s answer to a fully inclusive stove. It comprises a 1.7-liter pot with lexan lid and integrated, folding handle, and a radiant burner, which runs off a 12-ounce IsoPro fuel canister (not included). Packed, the fuel and burner fit conveniently in the pot, which measures approximately 5 ½ inches in diameter by 6 inches long, (7 inches including lid handle).…

I almost killed a donkey on my honeymoon, lights. and it all had to do with My wife and I were in Botswana on a three-week overland trip, and for a reason I forget, undoubtedly related to a “schedule,” we were driving at night in a rented Defender. Donkeys like to sleep on the roads in Botswana. People theorize that they like the residual heat after the sun goes down. But whatever the reason, a gray donkey on a tarmac road can be very difficult to spot. Luckily we did see this one in barely enough time to screech out of the way and come to an adrenaline-amplified stop. After calming down, we made a plan to travel slower and have Connie lean forward and stare fixedly at the road…

The first impression of the 170 Striker is how astonishingly light it is. The housing is constructed of polyamide, the lens from polycarbonate. On the 170s, the ballasts and ignitors are external to the light assembly, so they were not part of the test weight, which came to just 1.3 pounds each. While plastic lights might seem like a bad idea, there really is no downside with modern materials. The Lightforce mounting system is very sturdy and vibration-resistant, and includes stainless steel hardware. We got no flicker from these lights on the rough road test. Water is also no problem for the 170s: Submersion allowed not a drop into the light housing. A Gore-Tex breather facilitates pressure equalization. Lightforce boasts a unique pattern-adjustment system: By rotating the light housing the…

The Rigid Edge comprises a 20-LED array in a rectangular housing 10 inches wide by two inches tall. Like the LEDgend, the housing is aluminum and incorporates a large heat sink on the back. However, the Edge is significantly lighter than the LEDgend, at 3.6 pounds—within the range of the halogen models—and power consumption is second lowest of all the lights, at 82.8 watts per pair. The pattern is advertised by Rigid as a “combo”—a blend of spot and flood LED units, making what should be a driving pattern. On testing, the sheet showed a large circular pattern with good coverage low down, but not much to the side. This was consistent with the road test, which revealed a lot of foreground light in front of the car, but less…

It was a muggy afternoon. Summer was coming to Siberia. We had left Lake Baikal two days before. As we loaded The Turtle IV and its support trailer onto a barge to ferry across the Angara River, we had to climb an eight-inch ledge on the muddy ramp. The trailer’s wheels hit hard. As we unloaded, it was clear something was wrong: The right tire of the trailer was rubbing inside the wheel well. Closer inspection revealed that the front spring shackle had broken off its mount. We were in the middle of nowhere, about two days on rough roads from Krasnoyarsk, the nearest city where we could hope to find a repair shop. Leaving the trailer was out of the question. We weren’t going anywhere until the broken shackle…

“Oops.” No one will ever know for sure if that was the last coherent word of Captain William Fetterman as he charged over a ridge north of Fort Phil Kearny, in Wyoming Territory, on a December morning in 1866, and saw, not the handful of Indians he had been chasing (against specific orders), but over 1,000 painted and armed Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors poised in a classic three-sided ambush. If Fetterman had been alone, this amateurish blunder would have reaped consequences only for himself. As it was, his arrogance had a tragic denouement: Fetterman, who had once boasted that with 80 men he could “ . . . ride through the entire Sioux nation,” had almost exactly that number of troops under his command on that cold winter…