Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2013 från Overland Journal

Gladly Accepted While travelling in Northern America we received an out-of-the-blue invitation from an Expedition Portal member to stay at his house. We gladly accepted and were introduced to the Overland Journal. When we left Sacramento we had no less than 20 editions in our pockets and the thought of a small contribution to the magazine was formed. It took us a while to finally get the picture we wanted, but here it is. This is Ursi and me with our overland canines chasing Mayan ruins in the Petén, Guatemala. Michel and Ursi Buchs 1993 Toyota HZJ75 Thanks I just wanted to say thanks for the magazines and swag you gave me before I headed overseas in April. I’m a Prescott police officer and currently deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, with…

EPIC Bars $34 (box of 12) Traditional food bars are often little more than flavorless bricks of compressed seeds, grains, and chalky whey isolates. Now there is a savory alternative hailing from the meat-loving state of Texas. EPIC Bars, available in three flavors (bison, beef, and turkey), use the same base fuel that has kept humans going for more than 250,000 years: meat. Blended with spices, nuts, and other seasonings, these gourmet bars pack as much as 14 grams of protein, 190 calories, and essential supplies of folic acid, potassium, vitamin B12, antioxidants, and other vital nutrients. Founders Taylor and Katie have not just created a delicious food bar, they’ve developed a company ethos that balances equal respect for the land, animals, and the people they feed. The bison are…

With 73 percent of its components sourced in the U.S., Toyota is proud of the fact that they can honestly stamp “Made in America” on the Tundra. My family purchased our first Toyota, a Hilux pickup, in early 1974. The U.S. was in the midst of the OPEC oil embargo, fuel prices were high, and my father, a contractor, was looking for an economical second vehicle. The little Hilux sported an 18R 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine that, while sufficient, wasn’t the most powerful truck on the road (probably the least…). But it was reliable, held up to the demands placed on a work truck, and ran well until the day he sold it. Though the American truck-buying crowd wasn’t immediately convinced, the Hilux and Tacoma, over the next few decades, solidified…

Back in 1989 a friend of mine purchased a Dodge truck with a Cummins turbo-diesel. On a trip over the Northern Sierra to the Nevada desert—while toting a cabover camper and triple-axle trailer loaded with a CJ5 and several quads—he left the rest of our group in the dust, and got 18 mpg in the process. RAM Truck has continued and improved upon this tradition for almost a quarter century, and the 2014 crop is no exception. We spent a day in the new 3500 Heavy Duty equipped with a 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel (350 hp @ 2,800 rpm and an unprecedented 800 lb-ft torque @ 1,500 rpm). Off the line the Cummins pulls like a truck, torquey and persistent, but when it hits 2,000 rpm it screams like a 2-stroke…

October 4th, 1957 marks time as one of the most pivotal days in modern history. At exactly 19:28 GMT the earth rumbled underfoot as a boiling column of smoke pierced the atmosphere and entered the inky blackness beyond. The moments that followed this raucous exhibition culminated in a prolonged moment of silence. With the world hushed in anticipation, the bulk of aluminum, steel and vacuum tubes at the leading edge of that column of smoke returned a curious and almost obnoxious series of beeps. Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, had successfully transmitted a radio signal back to Earth. Much has transpired since then, and there are now several thousand active satellites in orbit. They are the silent custodians of the planet’s semi-celestial digital data, and provide us with the GPS,…

It’s amazing to think that this category of products and the technology that supports it didn’t exist a decade ago. The concept of a GPS enabled PLB or SEND fell into the realm of science fiction rather than consumer electronics. Today, technology is advancing so rapidly that we had to delay this review to align with the release dates of emerging devices. The impressive inReach SE just hit the market in April, and the highly anticipated Pieps Global Finder, whose release has been delayed twice, missed our review window entirely. The newest player, the CerberLink, introduces communication features we never would have imagined possible just a year ago. Despite being so fresh to the market, the SPOT Gen3 is built on a proven platform many of us have trusted for…

Even with street-biased tires, Enduro ASC was a welcome and confident assistant off-highway—big kudos to BMW for getting this right. The Bavarian masters who invented the touring-enduro motorcycle category 34 years ago have created a modern/21st-century bike true to the original concept: an 800cc dual-sport with an off-pavement bent, the F800GS Adventure. When BMW Motor-rad invited Overland Journal to Moab, Utah, to test the new variant, I immediately stepped up to the call of duty. Better yet, when the rest of the media crowd flew home, I’d be getting a “ride away,” meaning I’d ride a new Adventure to any compass point of my choosing. My choosing was California’s Gold Country, 700 miles to the west. I figured this would give me enough seat time to evaluate both on- and…

Types of Lightning Strikes • Direct getting struck by lightning on its way to the ground. • Contact strike touching objects, such as a flagpole, wet rope, or guardrail when it’s struck. • Side splash struck by lightning that has leapt from structures, such as walls and open-air picnic shelters. • Ground current or step voltage dissipated ground lightning that is conducted by flesh, causing the current to run up one leg and down the other. An unexpected lightning storm can quickly transform a mundane camping trip into an unforgettable experience. On average, 50 people die annually in the U.S. from lightning strikes, ranking it second only to floods when considering the lethality of natural disasters. Other areas of the globe are more severely affected by lightning, largely due to more severe weather, increased…

Mauritania isn’t on many people’s list of dream destinations. In fact, its tourism trade is nearly nonexistent; attractions to note include the world’s longest train, and a niggling issue with some pesky Touaregs who keep kidnapping people. The raft wasn’t even halfway across before the Mauritanian border guards—sweating in the stifling African sun beneath official-looking peaked hats that seemed at odds with their ill-fitting uniforms—got up to eagerly anticipate our egress on the far bank. In my experience, the only thing that can get an African border guard (or a border guard in any country for that matter) to unstick themselves from their plastic chair behind their desk and fan, is the prospect of a healthy bribe. To say they saw us coming would be an understatement, as they eagerly…

The Arkiv R6 Field Pack is one of the best packs we’ve had the pleasure to test and use. Mission Workshop of San Francisco is quickly emerging as one of the best pack and apparel companies in today’s ever-evolving marketplace. Their designs, inspired by travel and built for everyday utility, are masterfully crafted and appointed with unique features. Made in the USA to exacting standards using the best materials available, these are premium products. Their Arkiv R6 Field Pack is one of the best packs we’ve had the pleasure to test and use. Part of Mission Workshop’s series of modular Arkiv packs, the R6, thanks to the elegantly simple shape and rugged waxed canvas exterior, has a classic appearance. Timeless on the outside, the R6 uses high-tech four-layer sailcloth in…

We at Overland Journal have long been interested in increasing the number of diesel options in the U.S. market. After Jeep’s introduction of the EcoDiesel in the Grand Cherokee, we felt it was only a matter of time before this fuel-efficient power plant found its way into the RAM 1500. That time has come, and last month I was able to score some seat time. Producing 240 hp (3,600 rpm) and 420 lb-ft torque (2,000 rpm), the 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoDiesel V6 is one impressive engine. The core is a compacted graphite iron block topped by 24-valve DOHC heat-treated aluminum heads and MultiJet II common rail injection. Internals include a forged steel crank and rods, and 16.5:1 aluminum-alloy pistons, which deliver the ample torque numbers. Mated with the TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic…

Pros: • 6.3-watt signal• 121.5 MHz homing beacon• Quality of construction• Simplicity of use• No subscription required• Worldwide coverage Cons: • Size• Cost The SARLink View is the type of device you would expect from the experts at ACR. With more than 54 years designing and manufacturing the world’s most advanced emergency electronics for marine, land, and military applications, the SARLink View is reassuring from the minute you remove it from the box. A true PLB, it has robust construction and a simplified interface befitting a device used only in emergencies. The SARLink View has a 66-channel GPS receiver that the company claims is the most sensitive in its class. It can pinpoint your location within 300 feet and relay those coordinates to the Cospas-Sarsat network. The 406 MHz signal is transmitted at a powerful 6.3 watts and…

Pros: • Low purchase and subscription cost• Compact size• Security of GEOS services• Easy to use• Excellent web interface Cons: • Gaps in coverage• Limited messaging• Unable to receive messages In 2007, SPOT single-handedly brought satellite messaging and SOS signaling to the masses. Their debut product, the SPOT Personal Tracker, quickly sold by the thousands, due largely to its reasonable cost and affordable subscription plans. In the six years since, they’ve introduced a number of products including their own SPOT satellite phone, and their latest offering is the SPOT Gen3. With a price point of just $169 the SPOT Gen3 is one of the most affordable satellite communicators on the market (though an annual subscription of $100 to $150 is required). If it has the same pedigree as the SPOT Messenger, there is little doubt this new iteration…

In June and July of 2006, Bryon Bass and a geologist colleague working for an exploration firm in Windhoek, Namibia, set out in a Land Rover 110 Defender laden with supplies, for an extended survey of Namibia’s natural resources and cultural heritage. These images, shot with a Leica MP with a Summilux 35mm 1.4 lens, and a Leica M6 with a Summilux 50mm 1.4 ASPH lens and captured on Kodak Tri-X black-and-white film, document indigenous !Kung out on the hunt, and back at their villages. An approved translator, himself a member of the !Kung who had been relocated to Tsumkwe, facilitated access to these traditional hunter-gatherers and their population in transition. These images comprise high resolution scans of traditional gelatin silver, selenium toned archival prints. Photographs include the black rebate…

A mule track, so narrow it was closed to two-way traffic by foot, dwindled up the Himalayas. The halftrack vehicles struggled up the mountainside, every switchback requiring painstaking maneuvers. Without notice, Cécillon, the driver of the lead vehicle, felt the outer track slip and lose traction. The vehicle teetered. He peered outside but couldn’t see what had happened. On his right the mountainside closed in on him like a vertical wall. On his left there was nothing but air, with a raging river 130 feet below. “What am I standing on?” Cécillon yelled to his companions, icy wind nearly drowning his voice. “Nothing,” somebody finally replied after a brief silence. The track’s edge had crumbled under the vehicle’s weight and dislodged stones were freefalling into the river, preceding the skydiving…

It was during the early ’80s that I became aware of the Turtle Expedition. Each month I’d wait for my new copy of Four Wheeler magazine in anticipation of reading what part of the world these modern-day nomads were exploring. By the latter part of the decade I’d followed the Wescott’s travels through North, Central, and South America, and dreamed of one day turning my contemplations of travel into reality; maybe even a business, as the Turtle Expedition seemed to have done so well. Pipedreams… When I finally met Gary and Monika Wescott at the SEMA show sometime in the early ’90s, my epiphany was that they were just normal people, rather than possessing the untouchable deity status we so often associate with celebrities. It was inspirational to discover the…

“Isn’t it dangerous being a woman travelling alone?” I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked that question when describing my motorcycle journeys around the world. And, it has become my personal mission to put the world straight on the matter! By way of illustration, I recently took part in a Q&A panel for female travelers. It was only a matter of minutes before the discussion turned to personal safety, self-defense, and fear. Of course, this is understandable. We are, after all, conditioned to think like this. But I also found it rather sad, as I imagined that the equivalent panels of male adventurers were talking about no such things. As I listened to women of all ages and nationalities breach topics such as carrying knives and…

The pride Cameron puts into every axe is marked, as if each were crafted to be his own. There’s something about holding a well-crafted tool in your hand. Feeling its weight, its balance, the texture of its finish—attributes which all impart a “feeling” of quality. I first picked up a Base Camp X Pathfinder while on a ranch in Southern Utah. It was early November, early winter winds were blowing out of the north, and the only source of heat was a wood stove in the kitchen. We stepped outside to whittle down the pile of wood that was gathered. The 24-inch Tennessee hickory handle, shaped with a minimum of two sessions of wet sanding, felt like porcelain in my cold hands. I quickly found myself torn; the axe was…

I’ll be the first one to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the new Jeep Cherokee—I mumbled a few expletives when Wolfgang Bernhard (then Mercedes CEO) scrapped the Cherokee XJ in 2001. When the rumor mill started churning about a replacement, I cringed at the thought of a four-wheel independent suspension, leather-clad, dial-shifting, auto-parallel-parking, soccer mom-mobile. Well, I can tell you the new Cherokee is all of this, and more. If I sounded a little cynical, that changed after a day in the driver’s seat of the new Trailhawk. Regardless of Parallel Park Assist, personal entertainment for the kids, and opulent creature comforts, the Cherokee is actually quite a capable vehicle. It sports Chrysler’s new 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 (271 hp and 239 lb-ft torque) and follows suit with…

On March 25, 1996, the frozen coast of Chukotka near the Bering Strait, which separates Asia from North America, lay ahead of the 12 members of the Overland 1 Expedition. We had left Rome in mid-November, with the goal of making an all-land passage to New York City. Our aim was to follow ancient migration routes used by the nomadic populations of Central Asia, who in pursuit of the woolly mammoth, had passed over the frozen Arctic Ocean to the Aleutian Islands of North America. Our vehicles were four bright orange Iveco 330.30 six-wheel-drive trucks, specially prepared for sub-freezing temperatures. Each served a different purpose: a fully equipped workshop, dormitory, dining area, and one to carry spare parts and 4,000 litres of fuel. Fully supplied, we had a range of…

Pros: • Iridium global coverage• Comprehensive messaging features• CerberTouch app interface• Excellent customer support Cons: • Complicated interface as a stand- alone device• Cost• Steep learning curve As is the case with McMurdo and ACR, Briartek entered the consumer market by way of marine electronics. The CerberLink, combined with Briartek’s CerberCenter website and CerberTouch mobile app, becomes a three-part system dubbed “Cerberus.” This is the same moniker shared by the mythical three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades. If you think that’s a head scratcher, wait until you start thumbing through the extensive instruction manual. The CerberLink, which works off the Iridium network of satellites, is the most complex system in this review. As a stand-alone unit it has the ability to send a few prewritten SMS messages as well as a distress call. It can…

In the distance, maybe 30 miles to the north, a monolithic peak rises from the horizon. Its gray-black form, sandwiched between a Dodger blue sky and chalky-white desert floor, draws my undivided attention. A glassy reflection has settled on the far reaches of the alkali flat we’re driving across, appearing to be a widespread body of water. I find it difficult to fathom water in this place—the midsummer sun has elevated temperatures into the triple-digit range—yet scanning the mountains to the east and west, I trace waterlines hundreds of feet above the valley floor. I shift into high gear and charge across the anvil-flat surface, my speedometer settling in at about 70 mph. The sunbaked desert air whips through my open windows and eddies the cab like a blast furnace,…

On a cloudy day in a northern town of the Northwest Territories, Canada, a computer lab sits idle. A teenage boy leaves the nearby skate park, walks into the lab, and sits down at one of the six PCs. He logs in, plays games, and uses the limited bandwidth available to update his Facebook page. Halfway around the world in South Africa, a youth of the same age uses his mobile phone to send a text message and check the weather. Technology is pervasive, but due to a lack of Internet availability, or awareness of online educational platforms, realizing the wide range of learning possibilities can be challenging. The Foundation for Learning Equality (learningequality.org), and over-landing couple Jenn and Witt Sparks, aim to improve access to education through technology. Armed…

The year was 1977. President Carter had just been inaugurated, Porsche released the venerable 928, The Clash dropped their first album, and James Bond played cat and mouse with the KGB in The Spy Who Loved Me. This was the height of the Cold War, and the portent of nuclear doom hung over the world like the Sword of Damocles. Soviets and Americans competed for dominance in everything from the buildup of arms, to space travel and Olympic sports. This point and counterpoint chess match between the two mega powers even played into automotive history. In America, Jeep was earning loyal fans with the now-revered CJ-5, and as 1977 came to a close, the Soviets unveiled their own four-wheel drive; the unimposing, decidedly quirky, and shockingly capable, Lada Niva. The…