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42 Articles

Overland Journal and the Law I was home with my Sportsmobile parked in the driveway, when a police officer pulled his squad car to a stop in the middle of the street, turned on his roof flashers, and got out. I was thinking, What did my son do now, when he said, “Do you read Overland Journal?” I said yes, and he said, “Is this one of those vans in the magazine?” So I gave him a tour. Charlie Sikes Sportsmobile Irascible and opinionated Dear Mr. Hanson, I hope you accept post from irascible, opinionated old men who have owned an eclectic array of “overland” outfits. Starters would be a real Land Rover with manual transmission (and Fairey overdrive), full-floating axles (locking hubs on both axles), factory diesel engine. A 1965 Nissan Datsun Patrol which had better…

Let’s talk about oil

Here's something you can count on: The spirit of adventure is not going to die because gas hits five bucks per gallon, or ten. It certainly won't die in us. We'll adapt, we'll innovate, we'll economize. You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? Yes, we’ve been hearing all the questions: “What are you guys going to do? Your magazine is about vehicles. Fuel prices are going up. Holiday driving is down. SUVs are doomed. What will happen to Overland Journal?” The answer is easy: We’ll thrive. And that’s not the false bravado of a presidential candidate trailing by 300 delegates. First, overlanding is still, and will be into the foreseeable future, one of the most economical ways to travel. In a vehicle stocked with camping gear and food, you are free from hotel…

Let’s talk about oil

Springs and Things

One doesn’t expect to run into words such as “hypotrochoid” while doing something as simple as researching leaf-spring suspension for a Series Land Rover. I just wanted to make a decision: stock Land Rover semi-elliptic springs, or aftermarket parabolics? But in an effort to understand more than sales pitches, I did a little surfing beyond manufacturers’ websites. Before I realized what was happening, high school geometry reared its ugly head, and I started running into long words and longer formulas regarding the geometric shapes implicit in the description of each spring type. But rather than tell you, for example, that an ellipse is “a locus of points on a plane such that the sum of the distances to two fixed points is a constant,” I found a couple of more practical…

Springs and Things

Jim Young Jim Young grew up in the hills of northwest Connecticut, and spent his childhood backpacking, canoeing, and exploring in vehicles he’d rebuilt himself. His first big road trip was a two-month tour of the country in a 1979 Chevy pickup, when he was only 20. Jim’s affair with old Land Rovers began on a whim 10 years ago when he bought his first without ever driving one. From there it’s been a downhill slide into all things old Land Rover, including the complete rebuild of two hybrids. The James Bay trip was his fifth multi-week/multi-thousand-mile trek, and the second with his new wife, Wendy McFarlane, whom he met on expedition. With the completion of his Mercedes-diesel-powered 109 this summer, debate on next year’s destination is underway. Stephen Bodio Stephen was born…

NEWS FROM THE TRADE

Mid-size Diesels Coming Diesel prices have arrived at a historic high just in time to help squelch U.S. consumer acceptance of the new clean-burning, ultra-efficient engines we’ll be seeing over the next few years. The prices don’t look as if they will change anytime soon, but consumer perceptions might. Trying to take steps in the right direction, the Big Three are all in a push for clean, mid-sized diesel engines for their 2010 models. Dodge says that their big 6.7-liter is ready to be 50-state legal, but there’s still no word on what their contribution to the mid-sized market will be. Ford has not officially released the details of their design, but leaks from the dealer show in Las Vegas point to a new 4.4-liter diesel closely related to the current 3.6-liter Land Rover…

NEWS FROM THE TRADE

Born in Lode Lane by Roger Crathorne and Gavin Green “Land Rover insider” hardly begins to describe Roger Crathorne, who was born the year Maurice Wilks conceived the vehicle, and on the same road (Lode Lane) where it was built. Roger went to work for Land Rover at the age of 17 and has been with the company ever since, first in engineering, where he was instrumental in the development of the Range Rover, and then most famously as the head of Land Rover’s demonstration unit. Born in Lode Lane is thus perhaps the ultimate intimate look at Land Rover. Roger’s tales go far beyond the usual journalistic histories, into the inner workings of the company and the personalities of its employees. For a fiercely loyal company man, Roger is candid about many…

As Far As You Can Drive from from Anywhere

Four hundred and seventy five miles from the nearest town, almost all on gravel roads—that’s the reality I must keep in mind. That, and the fact that my wife and I would be driving there in a 33-year-old, short-wheelbase Land Rover. With two dogs. And no other vehicles. The Trans-Taiga Road, in the James Bay region of northern Quebec, is the most remote place accessible by vehicle in North America. Although not the 4WD adventure we’re used to, what this trip lacks in technical difficulties it more than makes up for in isolation, and the planning and logistics that requires. The trip there and back would cover over 4,000 miles, and take us on more than 1,100 miles of gravel road. That’s not to say we would just jump in the old…

As Far As You Can Drive from from Anywhere

Requirements The James Bay region is a very remote part of the North American continent. That goes double for the Trans-Taiga Road. Although the hydroelectric projects have brought most modern necessities to the area, there are some things that are simply not available. For instance, there are a few general repair places in Radisson, where you could replace a tire or probably a fuel filter, but there are no car dealerships for hundreds of miles, and if something specialized breaks while you're up there, parts are a long way off and expensive to attain. If you need a set of 18-inch tires for your Range Rover Sport because you've ruined the sidewalls, they will be weeks coming unless you have them air-lifted in and are willing to pay a lot. Any special…

Owner: Jim Young, seriestrek.com • Rebuilt in 1990, including a new galvanized chassis and new Defender bulkhead. • Brownchurch roof rack mounted directly to the roof panel to lower the center of gravity and reduce wind resistance. • Drivetrain: Mercedes Benz OM616 4-cylinder diesel engine with a Seriestrek adapter mated to the stock 4-speed transmission and transfer case. Rocky Mountain Rover-drive overdrive unit. • Axles: Original Land Rover housings, Toyota 4.56-ratio V6 electric-locking differentials, Seriestrek 30-spline axles, Super-winch freewheeling hubs. • Suspension: Rocky Mountain 2/3-leaf parabolic springs, military shackles, Old Man Emu dampers. • Steering: Toyota FJ60 power steering box driven by the Mercedes Benz power steering pump. Modified original steering column fitted with a Borgeson collapsible shaft and U-joints. Seriestrek heavy-duty tie rod and drag link. Miscellaneous: • Front bumper air storage tank with on-board compressor • Vector…

Mobile Homes with Real Mobility

When was the last time you packed for a camping trip in less than 30 minutes? I don’t think I’ve ever been that lucky. However, I’ve never owned a trailer designed to make camping an effortless, pack-some-food-and-go lark. Even though my Tacoma is permanently equipped with basic supplies and equipment, I always have to add certain things: sleeping bag, pillow, cooking gear, gadgets, camp chairs, maybe a table—the list goes on, depending on the trip. But in the last couple of weeks I’ve discovered what it would be like to own a dedicated trailer packed with my entire kit—just hitch up, turn on the fridge and toss in some steaks and beer, and leave. Of course, anyone with an Airstream can do the same thing. But the trailers we reviewed go where…

Mobile Homes with Real Mobility

Adventure Trailers Chaser

A good one-line description of the Chaser would be “military meets sports and recreation, with a side of racing.” From a military aspect, the Chaser has the basic benefit of a voluminous storage box sitting atop a bombproof chassis. From a sports and recreation viewpoint, it’s a stylish trailer that can be optioned with useful things such as cargo rack systems, a roof tent, a Baltic birch kitchen shelf, a shade awning, fuel cans, a 19-gallon water tank with pump, and a fridge. Regarding the “side of racing” remark, we would never endorse such a practice, but this trailer can probably follow your tow vehicle at any speed short of wildly irresponsible. The Adventure Trailer suspension has evolved to a state of refinement you have to see and feel to appreciate. AT…

Adventure Trailers Chaser

Adventure Trailers Horizon

The Horizon is similar to the Chaser in design; the chief difference is in physical dimensions and the number of storage compartments. The Horizon is 18 inches shorter and four inches wider than the Chaser. In addition to the main box and nose box, a full-length side box is mounted above each fender. One of the side boxes can be optioned as a kitchen, complete with a Cook Partner stainless-steel propane stove on slides, a full-length cutting board fitted to the inside of the door—which acts as a work surface when open—and a propane bottle mounted on the tongue. As on the Chaser, the optional 19-gallon water tank is UV stabilized, black rotomolded polyethylene, and includes a spigot with a hand pump, just an arm’s reach from the kitchen area.…

Adventure Trailers Horizon

The Jumping Jack is a versatile trailer that serves three functions: First, it provides a large, tall, and comfortable living space that will keep you out of the elements with room for several people to sit, sleep, eat, and even walk around. Second, it provides a large steel platform for transporting all manner of large and heavy cargo, including recreational toys, field equipment, tools, etc. (up to approximately 1,800 pounds) Third, it can be converted to a standard utility trailer by removing the tent and securing the deck panels upright, which makes the front and sides nearly five feet tall. You will have a tough time hurting this trailer. It’s built of heavy-duty, welded steel with a black powdercoat finish. The floor deck is made of sealed wood planks. The cargo…

Kamparoo Vacationer Trans-Continental

Kamparoo is known as Cub in Australia, where they have been making trailers for three decades. Cub is distributed in North America by a Canadian company under the Kamparoo label. Our test unit is a Vacationer model equipped with a Trans-Continental package, which includes a heavier-duty axle, longer and stronger drawbar, and larger (29-inch) tires, resulting in more ground clearance and rough service capability. Several things about this trailer set it apart from the others we tested. No offense to one of the greatest women on earth (sorry mom, I’m just trying to make a point here), but my mother could tow this trailer into the bush by herself, set it up by herself, and enjoy it. It’s that easy to use. This is an excellent trailer for anyone who doesn’t…

Kamparoo Vacationer Trans-Continental

Campa All Terrain Trailer (ATT) Explorer

The Campa originated in the wilds of South Africa and Australia, and over many years has evolved into the current design, now manufactured in the U.S.A. The actual trailer used for our test is a well-traveled DRS (Disaster Reconnaissance System) unit, but is essentially the same as the ATT Explorer model built for the civilian market. The Explorer is one of two civilian ATT models, the other being the Expedition, which offers larger tent and room options. After spending some time with this trailer, and interviewing the president of Campa, Chris Cole, it became obvious that there is no better way to demonstrate the durability of a product than to showcase one that has been put through the wringer. The test trailer had endured over 140,000 miles of use, including the…

Campa All Terrain Trailer (ATT) Explorer

Evaluation and Testing

The goal of this review was not to compare similar trailers and declare an Editor’s Choice, but to explore a variety of approaches that fill different needs. We assembled a group of manufacturer’s representatives and a test team in Central Arizona for a multi-day session that combined backcountry driving and camping. We spent some time on twisty paved roads and straight highways, and finally used a single test vehicle to tow each trailer through a closed-course test track in the mountains. The test team comprised myself and four others: Jeremy and Windy Edgar (regular Overland Journal gear testers; see Summer and Winter 2007), and Tim Huber and Danica Moore. Tim and Danica are avid explorers who roam the western U.S. and Mexico in a Toyota 4Runner. Part of Tim’s background is…

Evaluation and Testing

I’m sure I speak for the entire team when I say it was a pleasure to travel with these trailers and see how they operate, both on the trail and in camp. The manufacturers have each done a remarkable job at finding—and excelling at —a niche in the market. The Adventure Trailers models and the Campa were the clear favorites on technical trails. The Kamparoo was the most user-friendly, and its enclosed standing-height bedroom was a plus. The Jumping Jack stood out for volume of living space combined with payload capacity. Much like 4WDs, there was no single trailer that excelled at something without a compromise in another segment (though the Adventure Trailers and Campa came close.) On the test course, all of the trailers behaved well. None felt poorly balanced…

Overland Team Favorites

Tim Huber: Campa ATT Explorer I saw the different trailers as Swiss Army knives, each made with different options and in sizes to suit the user’s needs. That being said, my clear favorite was the Campa. The ATT is truly the ultimate. Every feature, compartment, and tool was obsessively thought out. It shows that this design has been around the world and is the most tested of the bunch. I feel the ATT offers the most versatility in the most efficient package. Second choice? The Adventure Trailers Horizon. It has the capacity and many of the options of the Campa. For three- to seven-day trips the Horizon will support two people in great comfort. It boasts the most technologically advanced suspension, and it won my heart in the looks department. Then again: I…

Overland Team Favorites

Outlander Trailers

Although we were unable to secure one in time for our test, we wanted to include some information about Outlander. I was able to examine these trailers at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab last year, and was impressed with the utilitarian nature of the design. The basic concept is a tube steel frame, almost like a cage, to which various cargo boxes and equipment are mounted. This modular approach allows Outlander to offer various models and configurations. The 11-gauge steel framework provides a sturdy and protective means of transporting a payload over technical terrain in the backcountry. The Sherpa (pictured) is a compact model; the Sherpa II is a larger version with either a top-loading or rear-access main box. Another model, the Traverse, can transport adventure motorcycles. The dustproof and weatherproof…

Outlander Trailers

Adventure Trailers Prototype clamshell overland trailer

Adventure Trailers, following their tradition for innovation, will release a new overland trailer this fall. The new design combines their fast-acting independent air suspension, and a lightweight composite body. The design allows for quick set-up, and incorporates a large expandable main tent with standing head room, and a full kitchen with a stove, fridge, and water. The trailer features easily accessible storage compartments, and a built-in queen size bed. Development and testing are currently underway at Adventure Trailer's Upland, California, facility. adventuretrailers.com, 877-661-8097…

Adventure Trailers Prototype clamshell overland trailer

Trailer Comparison

RESOURCES Other trailer manufacturers of note: Aliner Expedition: aliner.com, 724-423-7440 Tentrax: tentrax.com, 800-488-2022 Jayco Baja: jayco.com, 574-825-5861 Chalet Alpine with Trailboss Package: chaletrv.com, 541-791-4610 Sylvan Sport Go Trailer: sylvansport.com, 828-883-4292 Conqueror Trailers: americanmobileresponders.com, 678-557-1008 Some of these trailers will have limited capability during extended adventures or over technical terrain. Online information: Outback Teardrop Trailer Site: outbackteardrop.com Expedition Portal Forum: expeditionportal.com/forum Teardrops and Tiny Trailers Forum: mikenchell.com/forums Special Thanks Special thanks to overland trailer owners Andrew Walcker (Adventure Trailers Horizon) and Mike Schwartz (Kamparoo Vacationer Trans-Continental) for traveling to Arizona to participate in the comparison.…

Trailer Comparison

A Home in Your Pannier

I’m always amazed at how many people think a tent shouldn’t cost more than lunch. I first ran into this phenomenon when I was leading sea kayaking tours. So many clients showed up with big-box-store $39.95 dome tents that I considered offering a discount on the trip cost for those with decent equipment. So monotonously did the evil things collapse in the slightest breeze, splinter their fiberglass poles, rip out stake loops, and split their screen windows that I accumulated a tent repair kit of heroic proportions. Fly material was so thinly coated I could easily breathe through it—infrequent Sea of Cortez rain equaled soaked and grumpy occupants. Your tent is your single most important piece of camping equipment. True, in mild and bugless conditions you can do without one, and…

A Home in Your Pannier

Stephenson 2RSL

There are several sub-four-pound tents on the market. But not one boasts anything close to the 42 square feet of floor space offered by the Stephenson 2RSL, which weighs exactly three pounds—probably less than the chrome studs on a pair of leather Harley Davidson panniers. Yet the Stephenson’s two-pole, sloped-tunnel design is not only spacious, it’s incredibly strong, known to shrug off 60-mph Himalayan gales. Credit this weight-to-performance ratio to Jack Stephenson, a former aeronautical engineer. He, and now his son, William, have been sewing tents and sleeping bags for a small but loyal clientele for 40 years. (They also supply an amusing naturist-oriented catalog and website.) Stephenson uses a featherweight, 30-Denier, silicone-impregnated nylon sourced from the hot-air balloon industry—which explains the exuberant color combination on the review tent. Fortunately, more…

Stephenson 2RSL

Kifaru 6-man Tipi $901 (plus $115 for screen doors)

Kifaru brought a familiar shape into the 21st century to create a different approach to wilderness shelter. The 6-man Tipi is a floorless, single-wall, ellipsoidal pyramid, supported by a central aluminum pole and 15 perimeter stakes. Besides the unparalleled 140 square feet enclosed by its four pounds, nine ounces, the design also provides full standing headroom right next to the pole. Still not impressed? You can also equip the Tipi with a 3 1/2-pound woodburning stove that folds into a 10 x 12 x 2-inch-thick package—including the seven-foot chimney. You have to see it to believe it. The “6-man” designation is misleading. Six people could sleep in it, but the sloping walls leave the perimeter of the tent usable for little but fully horizontal humans, or gear storage—albeit a vast amount…

Kifaru 6-man Tipi $901 (plus $115 for screen doors)

Nemo Morpho $385

Judging solely from its name, you’d expect the Morpho to be a far-out design—and you’d be right. Don’t bother looking for the poles when you pitch this one, because there aren’t any. The Morpho uses air instead. Stake out the Morpho’s four corners, then hook up the “Nemoid” bellows foot pump to the front air beam valve and start stepping. Like a green beast emerging from the depths, the tent rises and begins to assume a rigid, sloped-hoop shape. Inflate the second beam and you’re finished. I’ve seen a video of this accomplished in 45 seconds flat, but that was with an already-staked tent—cheating. Starting from scratch and moving quickly but smoothly, I had a best time of 2 minutes, 10 seconds—still darn fast and easily the best in test. It all…

Nemo Morpho $385

Hilleberg Staika $685

Hilleberg, a family-run company based in Sweden (with a recent subsidiary in the U.S.), has been producing best-quality shelters for mountaineers, canoeists, and other outdoorspeople for 35 years. They pioneered the concept of linked canopies and flies that pitch in one step, and were one of the first makers to adopt superior silicone-impregnated fabrics. The Staika (made in the Hilleberg factory in Estonia) is one of their most versatile models. It’s a three-pole dome with joined canopy and fly. The poles are 10.25mm DAC Featherlight, a little fatter (and thus stronger) than commonly supplied with tents this size. The pole ends slide into short pockets around the base of the fly, after which the upper part clips on, and a separate vent top clips over that. It’s so instinctive that my…

Hilleberg Staika $685

Sierra Designs Tengu 2 $259

Sierra Designs has a long history of offering a lot of tent for the money. I’ve totally lost track of the models I’ve tried and owned, but most performed beyond their price, and the Tengu 2 is no exception. It also proves that Sierra Designs hasn’t simply been treading water selling their perennially popular Clip Flashlight. The three-pole Tengu 2 boasts the same attached canopy and fly design as the Hilleberg, and has a similar rectangular floor with dual entrances and vestibules. But one vestibule on the Tengu is very large, the other very small—sort of a vestigial vestibule, if you will. The big one is plenty big enough to store a mound of gear, or cook in when stormbound. The canopy of the Tengu, however, is nearly all screen, keeping…

Sierra Designs Tengu 2 $259

MSR Elbow Room 3 $450

The Elbow Room lived up to its goofy name: It was hands-down the most spacious floored tent here. Despite empirical dimensions similar to the Nemo and Stephenson (40 square feet), the soaring ceiling—well over 40 inches tall across most of the tent—and near vertical side and end walls, added to the light-gathering cream-colored canopy and fly to create a tremendous feeling of airiness. Admittedly, this tent is sold as a three-person model and it is the heaviest in the review, but its 7 pound, 10 ounce weight is not out of line with some smaller two-person tents. It would be perfectly comfortable for a couple with a small child. The Elbow Room follows conventional tent construction: The canopy goes up first, followed by a separate fly. The freestanding canopy is supported…

MSR Elbow Room 3 $450

When I worked for other outdoor magazines as a freelance equipment tester, I was frequently told which products to test—and that often included stuff from companies that were good advertisers but poor manufacturers. Now I’m free to choose the best candidates to start with, and that’s exactly what I did here. Each of these companies is familiar to me, and I know from experience that every one produces top-quality gear. There are no inferior products here, just shades of excellence. The Sierra Designs Tengu 2 is significantly the most affordable tent here, and holds its own in quality. Its PU-coated materials are in line with most competitors, and the DAC poles are first-class. The bathtub floor is one piece of material with no seams—even the Hilleberg can’t claim that. The Tengu…

A Second Opinion

I consider vestibules to be a critical design feature of tents used for overland travel. Without one, you are brewing coffee in the rain, and either sleeping with your muddy riding boots inside the tent or hoping whatever you covered them with the night before didn’t blow away, leaving you with soggy feet for the next two days. The Tengu 2 has the vestibule nailed, but the mesh canopy won’t cut it when temperatures head south. The MSR and the Hilleberg are both superb tents, but I would give the edge to the Hilleberg for the slightly larger and more convenient vestibules, and its freestanding design. For two people, having separate entrances, each with its own vestibule, is an incredible convenience. After a long day on the trail, when blood sugar levels…

A Second Opinion

Long-term Review: The National Luna Fridge

The market is glutted with products designed to a minimum-performance standard, and incorporating a minimum number of features, with low price as the only objective. Thankfully, a few companies still refuse to compromise the goal of putting quality first. In our 12-volt fridge test last year (Overland Journal, Summer 2007), we found National Luna to be one of those companies, and a year with the NLR-40 has done nothing to change my opinion. The functional requirements of a fridge begin for me when I leave the house. Usually my first stop is at a market to stock up on drinks, bottled water, steaks, and vegetables. This first stop highlights two of the unique features of the NLR-40: interior space layout and rapid cooling performance. The combination of a small upper crisper…

Long-term Review: The National Luna Fridge

Rare Breed: Toyota Land Cruiser 75-series pickup

It’s strange to think of a Toyota Land Cruiser as contraband, sharing a list with absinthe, Cuban cigars, Sierra Leonean diamonds, and coca. But while 75-series Land Cruisers are ubiquitous workhorses virtually everywhere in the world, they were never imported into the U.S. Sighting one here is cause for bootleg-turn maneuvers to get a close-up view or flag down the driver. Speculation abounds as to why we have been (and continue to be) denied. Personally, I don’t buy the argument that “the U.S. market simply won’t support it.” My guess is that it has more to do with design feasibility and economics as they relate to EPA and DOT standards. Canadians share our grief to an extent, but they can import foreign vehicles that are at least 15 years old (we…

Rare Breed: Toyota Land Cruiser 75-series pickup

Images to Make the Heart Sing A Desert Journey with Jack Dykinga

“I’m drawn to holes on the map. Places that are the big empty. I suppose it’s the solitude, the quiet, and the star-filled nights.” The chill in the morning air belies the fact that in six months, this will be one of the harshest places in the United States, with daytime temperatures soaring to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But in January, just before the pink band of first light appears on the horizon, Jack Dykinga finishes his photographer’s breakfast—coffee and a chocolate chip cookie—then bundles up in a down parka and climbs out of the Four Wheel Pop-up camper mounted on the back of his Toyota Tundra. When the pink band appears, Dykinga knows he has about 20 minutes to get his 4x5 Arca Swiss camera set up, and the shot composed. He’d…

Images to Make the Heart Sing A Desert Journey with Jack Dykinga

On the Jaguar Trail

August 31, 1996 – Baboquivari Mountains, southern Arizona. A hot, muggy summer day, the best kind, when the normally dun-colored hills are bristling green and alive with butterflies and flowers and birds, a gift from what we call monsoon rains. Lifelong cougar hunter Jack Childs, his wife, Anna Mary, and hunting partners Matt Colvin and Gavin Weller were working their hounds in these remote, rugged mountains two hours southwest of Tucson. The terrain is so fractured and steep, it can take hours to cover just a few miles. The dogs had picked up a scent and were baying hard up in the oak-and-juniper-dotted rhyolite crags above. But something sounded wrong—the dogs were frantic, their calls more urgent than normal. Two cougars? Cubs? Scrambling up the scree slopes, the hunters gained…

On the Jaguar Trail

Cast of Cat Characters

Cathryn Hilker Cathryn Hilker’s life is filled with animals. Now in her 70s, Cathryn grew up on an Ohio farm, where she still lives, and is an avid horsewoman. Adventure has long been in her blood. In 1955, a year after finishing college, she drove across the Congo in a Studebaker pickup, with a baby gorilla in her lap. As well as raising her son, Carl, she spent the next several decades training horses and volunteering at the Cincinnati Zoo. In 1980 she jumped at an opportunity to start an education program for the zoo, giving visitors a chance to meet animals up close. Her first charge was Angel the cheetah. The program was hugely successful; Carrie the cougar was added, and then a tiger—and the Cat Ambassador Program was born.…

Cast of Cat Characters

A modern oasis with a foot in the past— Nipton still serves overland travelers in the Mojave Desert after 100 years

The amenities have certainly changed—I doubt they had saunas, panini, and Wi-Fi in 1905—but the purpose remains the same for the hotel, trading post, and restaurant in the tiny hamlet of Nipton, right on the Nevada-California border on Highway 164. Throughout the 19th century, tired travelers stopped at “Camp Nippeno” to refresh themselves at this point where two overland wagon routes crossed in the Ivanpah Valley. By 1905, when the railroad came through and established a “whistlestop,” there was a hotel and trading post. When we rolled in one morning last December, the parking lot of the Nipton Trading Post was packed with bright orange KTM motorcycles fresh off a KTM Adventure Tour, a rental Harley piloted by a Japanese couple, a dune buggy, and several nicely outfitted 4WDs. We secured a…

A modern oasis with a foot in the past— Nipton still serves overland travelers in the Mojave Desert after 100 years

OVERLAND CONSERVATION

Green Water Although research has yet to confirm the extent to which soft-plastic (such as PET) and hard-plastic (such as Nalgene) water bottles leach harmful chemicals, there are still good reasons to reduce or better yet eliminate plastic containers in our lives: 14 million tons of plastics were dumped into U.S. solid waste facilities in 2006 alone. That includes 50 billion water bottles, folks—up 10 percent over the last two decades despite the fact we know it’s wrong to trash the planet. This is just plain horrifying. We recently tried out two fine alternatives. Klean Kanteens are made from food-grade stainless steel that is non-leaching and toxin-free, and they come in 12, 18, 27, and 40-ounce sizes with wide mouths that accommodate ice cubes. One complaint: the wide mouth does make…

OVERLAND CONSERVATION

let go, watch tent pop up on hydraulic shocks, pour a Côtes du Rhône and pop a Bass. Done. We’ll report further on this tent in a future issue, giving it a thorough overland test for economy comparison, durability, dust-proofness, ventilation, and comfort. Will the carbon-fiber flex too much? Is one latch enough? Are the windows too fussy? Time will tell, and we’ll report. autohomeus.com Superlight and streamlined roof tent field report: In the Spring 2008 issue of Overland Journal we reported on the Conservation Project Vehicle’s journey to TLC4x4 in California for a diesel makeover. To get it there, we drove from southern Arizona to Los Angeles, stopping to camp in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge near the Colorado River. This was the perfect chance to try out our new AutoHome…

OVERLAND MEDICINE Don’t Faint—it’s Just BLOOD

There’s something about the sight of leaking Type O Positive that can induce quivering indecision in otherwise competent humans. But cuts and scrapes, or lacerations and abrasions in medical parlance, are the most common injuries we encounter in the field, so the ability to deal with them—minus the hysteria—is paramount. The vast majority of cuts or scrapes are minor, and will heal quickly even if left untreated. But more serious lacerations can be life-threatening, and medical help might be out of practical reach. It is up to you and your travel companions to assess the damage and deal with it effectively. An abrasion describes a loss of the upper layers of skin, usually by scraping across a rough surface. It may be a simple scrape on a knuckle when a wrench slips,…

OVERLAND MEDICINE Don’t Faint—it’s Just BLOOD

Snow Peak IGT BBQ Box

We all love good equipment, but certain things go beyond necessity and into the realm of passion. For me a charcoal-fired barbecue definitely counts as a passion. There are disadvantages to charcoal, to be sure, but nothing can touch it for flavor, and for me that flavor is worth the inconvenience involved in storing briquettes and disposing of ash. My quest for the best portable charcoal barbecue ended when I found the Snow Peak IGT BBQ Box, which offers an ideal combination of excellent quality, compact dimensions, precise heat control, and easy cleanup. The construction is robust, starting with a stainless steel main box and a removable briquette tray. The tray has three positions, which allow, say, a fast sear followed by a lower heat for finishing. The lever that changes…

Snow Peak IGT BBQ Box

The Naturalist’s Gun

Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen probably had the best one. The celebrated soldier, spy, and hoaxer, one of the more flamboyant productions of the late British Empire, was best known for his adventures, diaries, and outspokenness (when introduced to T. E. Lawrence, who was wearing spotless white Bedouin robes, he was said to have asked, “Whose little dancing girl are you?”). But he was also an ornithologist of deep knowledge and vast collecting experience, if occasional dubious probity, and he had the wealth to acquire the best tools for the job. A naturalist’s gun should be just big enough to get the job done, small enough to take anywhere and to use on small birds as well as larger mammals, and of reliable quality. His choice was a Holland and Holland Royal side-by-side…

The Naturalist’s Gun

Falling in Love With a Motorcycle

It’s a common problem: A man loves motorcycles. He falls in love with a woman. She hates the motorcycle. She fears for his life on the motorcycle. They have children and she gripes every day, Honey, please just sell that old bike and settle down with a seven-seater minivan. He’s dreaming of a six-month ride from Norway to India, and she has never sat on anything with two wheels that didn’t have pedals. I recently met a newlywed motorcycle-loving man who went so far as to buy a motorcycle and hide it at the neighbor’s house, keeping it a secret from his wife for some months. Oh, I wouldn’t want to be in that house when she found out. But I would like to talk to that couple. I don’t fit the typical…

Falling in Love With a Motorcycle

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