Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2018 från Overland Journal

Triumph launched the Tiger in 1937 with a 4-speed transmission and 20 horsepower; the model was produced until the night of November 14, 1940, when German bombers leveled much of the city of Coventry, England. Triumph’s off-pavement legacy continued in 1964 with the International Six Days Trial, with the first American team to ever compete. That team included Steve McQueen riding a 333cc Triumph, complete with Bell helmet and Barbour jacket. What followed were the dark years of dirt prowess for the company, save for a limited production of the Tiger Trail (1981-82). In 2010, this all changed with the 800 XC, which quickly bested all competitors in the class and has now been improved again with the XCA model. ON THE ROAD The improvements to the new XCA are…

I first met Britton Purser of Vintage Overland in a dusty parking lot outside of Bluff, Utah, his family in tow and all smiles to loan me their teardrop. We talked adventure motorcycles, design, and Land Rovers as the sun baked the six of us. His enthusiasm for handcrafted items and classic style is not only evident in his personality, but in the trailers that he and his brothers produce in Grand Junction, Colorado. Bespoke manufacturing is a phrase often tossed around by guys in cheap suits with Cockney accents, but Britton lives it. The Vintage Overland trailer is admittedly different than the others tested; with an emphasis on simplicity and classic styling, it lacks the massive tires and long-travel suspensions of its competitors. But what it does have is…

From the darkened cockpit the dull back-glow of the navigation lights far out on each wingtip shone as a thin wash of light against the dark night sky. Ahead, the first hint of dawn showed only as a band of colour on the horizon, changing abruptly from orange through peacock green to the deep indigo of the departing night. Down on our right, a small line of dunes revealed slip faces to the rising sun, scalloped shadows backing each bright crescent. The stark massiveness of Jebel Uweinat loomed ahead against the dawn, its mighty boulders, sheer cliffs, and triple peak just discernible in outline, a huge massif rising more than 4,000 feet above the flat surrounding desert. And just before that wave of minor activity—that looking up and out, that…

For many of us living in developed nations, the subject of access to medical services often takes a backseat to less life-altering topics. But for those in remote regions of the world, the lack of basic care or surgery, if needed, is of serious concern. Maryland-based Mission to Heal (M2H), a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by Dr. Glenn W. Geelhoed, was formed to address this issue. Dr. Geelhoed began his mission to heal nearly five decades ago, seeking the neediest souls in the most underserved countries. M2H is carrying his efforts forward on a global scale. Adhering to their motto, “Furthest People First,” M2H operates on the fringe of what most consider civilization, areas that are usually without electricity, clean water, and any semblance of what would equate to proper medical…

SERVES 6-8 | PREP AND COOK TIME at least 4 hours | EQUIPMENT deep Dutch oven, wood or charcoal, knife, cutting board, ladle, can opener 1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 1/4 pounds hamburger or pork sausage 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes 2 sweet onions, diced 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1/2 cup butter, lard, or olive oil 1 tablespoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground black pepper Good chili is more about the process of patiently developing and layering flavors than following a specific recipe. It takes time to make and is better the next day, which makes cooking chili best on a quiet day at a…

Fire often happens when you least expect it and without your consent. When it does, it’s important to control the flames quickly. If it’s out of control, you probably should have already called 911. If you are in a remote location or on the road, quick containment of fire can be the difference between little or no damage and a disaster. We should all carry at least one fire extinguisher in our vehicle. The Element from Italy is very effective when dealing with the major classes of fire, is light (.60 pounds) and compact (11.75 x 1.2 inches), non-pressurized, leaves no residue, and never needs recharging. It uses an ingenious aerosol-like potassium powder jet that vaporizes into the target area, creating a gas that acts as an oxygen block to…

I clipped the 10mm static line to my harness, the carabiners and ice screws clanking as I moved in my seat, the other end of the rope secured to a massive plate on the floorboard. The action felt like a duty, a promise I had made to those I love back home, a token to alleviate their fear. Sure, there were crevasses on this glacier, but what were the chances? I grabbed the door handle and opened it to swirling snow and biting cold, my feet descending to the surface of ice—but the purchase did not come, my left leg punching through the snow bridge, gravity unchecked by the illusion of safety. My right foot was just at the lip of the crevasse, but it held and arrested my descent.…

I first met Mario and Martyn from Adventure Trailers over 14 years ago during a friendly meeting at SEMA to talk about adventure and the overland trailer market—the latter still in its infancy. Both had lived in Africa and traveled the world extensively, and both had a new idea to share: the AT Overland Chaser. From that initial meeting, I ordered a trailer that would ultimately travel with me all the way to the Arctic Ocean in 2007. Chasers have been pulled across the Rubicon Trail and even over the Road of Bones. With simplicity and performance as its cornerstone, the Chaser is rarified in its singularity of purpose: to haul equipment over the most unforgiving terrain imaginable. OVERLAND Towing the Chaser can best be described as easy, the lightweight…

If I could choose one word to describe Patriot Campers, it would be exciting. Between their high-energy and much-loved CEO Justin Montesalvo to their Super Tourer Land Cruisers, this rapidly growing company has taken the market by storm. Their success is not just about show, but building quality trailers that are manufactured with a high degree of precision and innovation. Relatively young at four years, the Australian-owned-and-made product has won the respected Camper Trailer Australia magazine Trailer of the Year Award for four years in a row. In early 2018, I had the opportunity to tour Patriot’s facility in Australia and saw firsthand the attention to detail of the production process. Their assembly line looks reminiscent of an automotive plant: large sheet metal presses and stamping machines were complemented by…

Schutt Industries has a long history of producing extreme-duty cargo handling equipment for every branch of the US military, their trailers in use behind Humvees and medium-duty transport trucks. This built-to-purpose philosophy has extended to their consumer line of overland models. Their construction methods are unique, employing the use of an aluminum structure and Alcoa’s HuckBolt fasteners instead of welding. These bolts have a 5,000-pound sheer strength and do a better job of retaining critical coatings and ensuring repair-ability of every panel and chassis member. The team at Schutt has also done an excellent job of learning from and listening to the overland community. They have fitted proven accessories and made improvements based on feedback from our team and their customers. Their trailers are some of the most useful in…

In the past few years, the overland community has experienced a barrage of new options when it comes to vehicle-based abodes. For many, the concept of slipping out of the driver’s seat and into your living room is very appealing. Merge this idea with a compact and reliable platform that will go just about anywhere, and you’ll have a vehicle that is ready for a jaunt across the Rubicon or around the globe in comfort. American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), running ahead of the curve as they usually do, developed the original Outpost back in 2006. With another decade of experience building OE-quality conversions under their belt, founder Dave Harriton took it upon himself to create the next generation of the ultimate overland Jeep—the Outpost II. DRIVETRAIN, SUSPENSION, AND ARMOR As…

I’ve often thought that if I had been a carpenter working side-by-side with the Lord, He’d have fired me within a few hours. Normally, I wouldn’t be so bold as to name names of bad gear, but this isn’t a normal story. I have had good luck with most of my equipment and found there is a correlation between price and quality—you spend the extra money up front for the good gear so you only have to do it once. Looking back on past purchases, I see the equipment I bought when stingy and realize I spent more time retrofitting through adjustments and downright modification to suit my needs, which is both impractical and illogical. Of course, there are always contradictions in life which I find rather Jungian, for better…

Two years ago, we introduced you to General Tire’s new Grabber X3, a hybrid of an all-terrain and mud-terrain tire. During development of the X3, GT’s goals were to produce a tire that would perform well in mud, dirt, and rocks while keeping highway noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) at bay. Since that time, we’ve mounted a set (285/75R16) on our project Tacoma and have rolled over 25,000 miles on many surfaces. They have seen numerous trips to the slickrock of Moab, Utah, the snowy Sierra Nevada, and sandy two-tracks of Mexico. I’ve spent a lot of time on the tarmac reaching these locales, which provided a solid foundation for this long-term assessment. ROAD AND TRAIL The X3’s multi-pitch tread block and shoulder are designed to minimize highway noise at…

The trailer listed hard to the side, the 44-inch tire deep into the crevasse, the Hilux’s frame broken, and a tire peeled from the bead. The Expeditions 7 team had just crossed Greenland and was now fighting for every mile in a minefield of cracks and fissures that littered the glacier. We had just towed our supply trailer over 3,000 miles, carrying critical fuel and supplies in support of the expedition. At times it carried over 8,000 pounds of Jet A-1 and equipment, and as a result, it suffered numerous failures—from broken bolts, fractured welds, and even the loss of a wheel, the offending tire speeding past the tow vehicle and coming to rest in the snow. Despite these challenges, we required a trailer to complete our journey, proving the…

The entire focus of Turtleback and company owner Dave Munsterman is building trailers. They do not produce anything else, and they keep side projects to a minimum, which has allowed the company to become one of the highest-volume, most-respected brands in the North American market. This singularity of attention is also evident in their 11,000-square-foot facility and their products. The manufacturing plant is complete with dedicated assembly lines, overhead cranes to improve efficiency, and proprietary machinery that ensures consistency and quality of construction. Dave’s story is not unlike many represented here: with a background in the RV industry and a passion for the outdoors and off-road racing, his formative years were spent learning how to build things that last and endure the abuse of the Desert Southwest and Baja. Turtleback…

Tiny Malawi is a landlocked country, 30 percent of which lies submerged under the waters of Lake Malawi, the inland freshwater sea which also laps at the shores of Tanzania and Mozambique. An earlier visitor, the legendary missionary, scientific explorer, and abolitionist Dr. David Livingstone, would surely not recognize modern Malawi, though much of the nation has retained its rural, wild beauty. Progress has arrived and is slowly transforming the landscape and the wonderful, friendly, Chichewa- and English-speaking people. They call it the warm heart of Africa, and we loved her so much that we seriously considered calling Malawi home. Our first journey into the country came in the middle of an arduous overland journey from Cape Town, along the east coast of South Africa and Mozambique, to Kenya. Mozambique…

Coen sat with his knees pulled up drawing sketches—a small figure on a 43-foot-high outer wall constructed of massive, 16-inch-thick sandstone blocks. On top of one of the corners, a carved lion stood guard. I was jotting down notes, leaning against the remains of an inner wall. Around us lay the ruins of fallen columns and broken gargoyles. Was this once a fortress, palace, or mausoleum? Little is known about Qasr al-Abd (Palace of the Slave), a Hellenistic site in the village of Iraq al-Amir. For us, it was a place to rest for a day during our 400-mile hike across the Jordan Trail. In Jordan, it is as if you have the world to yourself, a place to bask in complete peace and quietude. Villages can still be silent…

It’s easy to let fear make you miss opportunities like this, but people are people, and they often respond well to curiosity, respect, and patience. After about 10 minutes with this man in Varanasi, India, we were both very relaxed with each other. A dozen years ago, I was sitting in a monastery in Kathmandu, the first light of day streaming through a single window illuminating a jade-colored drum. At the drum sat a monk, quietly chanting in rhythm with the slow beat. I sat across from him and, with his permission, photographed. Respectfully. Quietly. Never having been more present. I was alone, just the monk and I, in an ancient place and time. And then he looked up, asked me what model camera I was using, and if I…