Innehållsförteckning för Fall 2016 från Overland Journal

Skip the Paperwork Great write-up on El Camino del Diablo [OV Routes, Fall 2015]. The only thing I can add based on my one trip there is that you can get a fair amount of the bureaucratic paperwork done in advance by calling ahead and scanning and sending your forms back. This would be a great tandem trip with the region of El Pinacate just south of the border (crossing at Lukeville and going west on Mexican Hwy 2, with the right documents and insurance, etcetera). On our trip we did not see any illegals, but did run into the border patrol a few times and they were super friendly. They know where you are, believe me, but they are cool about it. One of a kind vibe in that…

The two-burner stove has been a common fixture of camp life since the 1950s, and in that time it has gone largely unchanged. As they are prone to do, the forward thinkers at Jetboil seized an opportunity and reinvented the double burner, recently unveiled as the Genesis Base Camp System. Unlike the conventional camp stove packaged within a bulky metal case, the clamshell arrangement of the Genesis is designed to stow within Jetboil’s proprietary cook set. The result is a powerful culinary solution that packs into a 9- by 11-inch bundle that weighs just 10.4 pounds. Each burner produces 10,000 BTUs and is ignited by piezoelectric lighter. The massive 5-liter pot has a heat exchanger built into its base for optimal thermal transfer, and the 10-inch fry pan is coated…

If you own your rig long enough and put it through the paces of backcountry adventures, you will eventually be serenaded by harmonies from the Not Quite Right anthology album. The problem is that many will only reveal themselves when the vehicle is in motion. Tracking down nebulous pings, howls, and groans, especially those that develop under the floorboards, can be like chasing a monkey through the jungle at night; the odds of success are slim to none. I found Steelman’s ChassisEAR while trying to address one of the aforementioned noises on my long-term Tacoma, and it changed my life… albeit temporarily. The kit consists of a control box that receives signals from six ultra-sensitive “microphone” clamps that you attach to various drivetrain components: differential, transfer case, or suspension. Switching…

If you picked up a copy of Overland Journal during the past year, you may have noticed a new series called Overland Routes. This educational section was created in partnership with Hema Maps to inspire readers to visit some of our favorite North American tracks, and provides the information needed to plan your own journey. Each article includes valuable data like the nearest fuel sources, required permits, and total distance off-pavement. The detailed GPX tracks collected by our team are recorded and published in Hema’s mapping software; points of interest are also shared in the Hema cloud. After a year of beta testing, we are excited to announce that the full North American Explorer app has officially been released for Apple and Android devices. This navigation tool is based on…

As travelers we tend to bring a considerable amount of gear when heading into the backcountry. Whether out for a weekend trip in the mountains or an extended trek across the West, sorting out the best solution to carry everything can pose a dilemma. The options are plentiful, ranging from slide out drawer systems and cargo crates to roof top pods and bags. The most common, however, is the standard rectangular storage case. To help you determine the best solution for your personal needs, we’ve gathered what we think are five of the best options for a variety of uses and budgets. Some of the criteria we considered were quality of construction, weather resistance, ease of use, cost, interior versus exterior volume, and ergonomics. The reason we picked these particular…

Providing safe, clean housing for Cambodia’s poorest of the poor. Last year while traveling in Cambodia I had the good fortune of meeting Jason Thatcher, an Aussie philanthropist and moto tour operator in Southeast Asia. While working with the Cambodian Children’s Fund as a project manager from 2008 to 2012, developing schools, medical clinics, and farming projects for local villages, Thatcher came to the realization that the homes most of the children returned to were barely more than a goat pen on rickety stilts. Inspired, he took it upon himself to make a difference and developed Global Village Housing (GVH). The organization’s charter is to provide clean, livable housing for those in need, employ local labor, and keep administrative costs to a minimum. Working with monks from the community, Thatcher…

Over the last several years the Overland Journal team has used Schuberth products on countless treks across multiple countries. As one of the oldest helmet makers in the world, the company’s C3 and C3 Pro models have long been favored by motorcycle enthusiasts for their convenient modular design, superb fit, integrated wireless communications system, drop-down sun shield, and quiet aerodynamics. With the release of the highly anticipated E1 model, they have added even more features to best suit the needs of the adventure rider. Building on their successful C3 Pro, Schuberth designers added the one element that many had been asking for—a peak visor. Carefully shaped so as to not disrupt the stable aerodynamics of the C3 Pro shell, the E1’s visor was tested extensively at the company’s in-house wind…

Last year we presented you with “The Big Chill” (Overland Journal, Fall 2015), an exhaustive review of some of the best rotomolded coolers on the market. Over the course of 10 days we analyzed construction and design, drain systems, ergonomics, capacity, and structural integrity. We then filled them with ice, set them on a deck under midsummer sun (90°F ambient temperature), and measured melt rates, interior temperatures, and evaluated insulation properties with a FLIR thermal imaging camera. When the dust settled, it was the Yeti Tundra 45 that provided the final cerveza fría. I put the Tundra to use during the past year and am reassured we made the right decision in giving it the Editor’s Choice Award. Its rotomolded frame has proved tough as nails, ice retention has been…

Pros • Excellent fit, finish, and materials• Capable in all types of terrain• Class-leading in sand• Price Cons • Limited range with 5-gallon tank• Gauges are nearly impossible to read while standing• Additional 23 pounds with dual- clutch transmission (DCT) The 1980s were defining for Honda. Stalwart models like the XR600R and the XRV750 Africa Twin won numerous Baja 1000 and Paris-Dakar Rally victories, ushering in over a decade of global powersports domination. Adventure motorcycles were gaining popularity, and Honda’s Transalp XL600V made a short appearance in the United States from 1989 to 1990. Life was good for Big Red, but its ADV glory would slowly fade over the next few decades—until the debut of the CRF1000L. The adventure motorcycle community has been waiting for the new Africa Twin; early sketches and teasers have kept forums and…

Not just anyone would be so bold as to climb Africa’s tallest mountain with a mountain bike strapped to their back. Even fewer would have the courage to ride that bike back down on a route plagued by sharp rocks, steep ledges, and other potentially bone-breaking hazards. Then again, Rebecca Rusch is not just any ordinary adventure seeker. A six-time world champion with a list of physical accomplishments as long as her arm, the Queen of Pain, as she has been dubbed, managed to make short work of Mount Kilimanjaro. In the process she raised funds and awareness for one of her most cherished causes: World Bicycle Relief. Founded in 2005, the Chicago-based organization is dedicated to providing two-wheeled transportation to the impoverished, and has distributed more than 275,000 bicycles…

To the desert go prophets and hermits; through desert go pilgrims and exiles. Here the leaders of the great religions have sought the therapeutic and spiritual values of retreat, not to escape but to find reality. –Paul Shepard Adventure often parallels life, the storms and floods coming at unexpected intervals, with summits only attained after careful planning and much work. Utah has always been a reminder of reality, an escape from my bourgeois career in advertising. It has become a habit to drive my trusted Land Rover Discovery to the Colorado Plateau during any break in my schedule. Utah is a place of story, possessing a visual narcotic few other landscapes can match. Often alone, I purposefully eschew modern navigation tools like a GPS, resorting to maps of any character…

If we sat around a campfire spinning yarns about our early exploits into the backcountry, my guess is that the memories, regardless of the details, have been filtered into blissful adventures. They were most likely simple affairs with a full complement of necessities: a cooler of coldies, sleeping bags, and camp chairs. I recall the first trip in my ’82 Hilux. My buddy Rich Currie and I blazed out of town one afternoon, bent on exploring a place called South Fork. The route, a muddy 3-mile trench, was a good distance from the pavement and we had the place to ourselves. All was good until I buried the truck to its axles and realized the cooler lid made a poor digging implement. We survived, but the takeaway was that I…

Keeping our equipment clean and dry in the field is an ongoing battle. If you store gear on a roof or rear rack, this issue moves front and center. I picked up an ARB Storm bag a few years ago and have lugged it to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America. It is constructed of a PU Oxford weave with a PVC inner layer, seams are heat-sealed and taped, and rubberized panels cap each end. There are two zippered mesh pockets inside and a Velcro-secured pocket on the exterior. A semi-rigid plastic panel offers a stable platform for contents, and thick webbing around the closure is easy to grip when rolling it down. Four quick-release buckles, one on each end and two across the midsection, allow you to efficiently cinch…

During the past 30 years the four-wheel drive community has become accustomed to the tire industry adding a tagline or specific designation to their offerings. In the sports car arena, a “V” rated tire will take you up to 149 mph, while a tire with a “Y” rating will remain structurally sound at speeds of 186 mph. But when we pull off the pavement we are more focused on trail performance, and tires usually assume an all-terrain (AT), or mud-terrain (MT) designation. When General Tire began developing the new Grabber, they took a slightly different approach. Their goal was to create a tire that would redefine the “X” in extreme performance and do so on three distinct terrains: mud, dirt, and rocks—X cubed you might say. I recently spent two…

A musky smell swept over the two Land Rover Defenders in the blackness of an East African night and we realised that the lions had come. In the darkness I could see one of the lithe, tan-colored cats, huge and powerful, emerge from a wall of brush. It walked softly towards us, inquisitive and alert. A ripple of excitement moved through our team as we hunkered down on the roofs. I whispered into my walkie-talkie, “Can you see her?” A rapid, quiet response came back from Overland Journal’s editor, Chris Collard, who was on the roof of our 1974 Range Rover about 30 feet to my left. “Roger, I see her.” The booming call of a dying wildebeest roared out across the plains of Kenya as we triggered the “callback”…

Picture Arizona in your mind; imagine traveling the back roads and observing its landscapes. What do you see? For many people, it’s a sprawling desert dotted with cacti—a place of desolation where sunbaked sands cover endless miles of countryside. But this state has a secret, one that you’ll discover if you venture into the forested hills and grass-covered highlands of its northern region. This is the first in a series of several installments covering the Arizona Traverse: a track developed by Overland Journal in partnership with Hema Maps. The route stretches from the Mexican border to the wooded edges of the Grand Canyon. It follows classic stagecoach routes, leading you through mining towns whose streets are still shadowed by the dusty doors of old saloons. The impetus behind creating this…