Overland Journal Fall 2010

Laika One We are Ruth and Sergio and we are writing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. First of all we would like to let you know that we love Overland Journal—it’s simply awesome. In Mexico you just cannot find this type of magazine; there are a few from Spain and some others from here, but not one like yours. We started to roam all around Mexico a couple years ago. Here in Puerto Vallarta there are impressive routes in the middle of the jungle, and last year we explored the Baja territories. We are just a couple who loves and respects nature and the great outdoors. Attached you will find some pictures of us and “Laika One,” our overland vehicle—a 2006 Jeep Rubicon. We named it in honor of one of the greatest explorers:…

Chris Scott Over the last 25 years Chris has undertaken nearly 30 expeditions through the Sahara by motorcycle, 4WD, saloon car, or bush taxi. This has given him an unparalleled knowledge of the practicalities of desert travel across the entire Sahara, both as a tourist, a driver/rider, and as a tour leader. In 2000 and 2001 he led the first U.K. escorted tours to return to Algeria and Libya, in 2006 he led an exclusive tour to view the total solar eclipse in Niger, and he continues to offer tours to little-known parts of the Sahara. Stephen Gross When not flying Boeing 737s for USAir, Steve worked for Land Rover as a consultant at their Global Testing Services facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Steve is also a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic. He currently…

The first time I drove the length of southern Arizona’s El Camino del Diablo—a 120-mile-long dirt track that meanders from Ajo to Yuma along the Mexican border—was in August, 1979, long before the current migrant and drug situation spiked both legal and illegal traffic in the area to insane levels. At that time, only a few desert rats and biologists per year visited the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, which is bisected by El Camino, and in the dead of summer, which I reasoned was the only proper time to drive something called The Road of the Devil, no one went there. I spent six days wandering its main route and side trails and never saw another human. Before I left home, I loaded enough water in my FJ40 to ensure that…

For those of you who remember its introduction over three years ago, the Discovery project is as much about my personal appreciation of the model as it is about serious exploration. So, why do I love this 15-year-old car so much? I will try to keep my adorations limited, update you on recent changes, and also share the issues I have encountered over 40-plus months and 18,000 miles. The Discovery really is the last of a breed, at least for Land Rover. The LR3 and LR4 are actually better performers in nearly every environment I have tested them, but that requires a heavy emphasis on electronics and complex systems, something we know that Land Rover has never been particularly exceptional at. But what Land Rover is exceptional at is producing a…

Mercedes-Benz LAPV We’ve reported on a number of vehicles that none of us will ever have the chance to buy. Unless you command a small nation and need to outfit your ground forces, this one is no exception. However, since readers of Overland Journal probably have a higher-than-average affinity for tie-downs, and this flat-green military G sports enough to tug at any overlander’s heart (including ones to restrain or suspend the entire vehicle) I figured we could find a place for it here. The LAPV (Light Armored Patrol Vehicle) 6.X is the latest in the Mercedes-Benz line of military G-Wagens. The stated design goal of these vehicles is to push the edges of an imaginary marketing triangle whose points represent the divergent needs of Agility, Payload, and Protection. In other words, weigh…

In Europe—if not the world—Germans are recognised as the über-overlanders. So it’s no surprise that they also put on the best overlanders’ show in Europe. Now in its 12th year, the four-day ‘adventure and all-terrain’ show near the spa town of Bad Kissingen is quite probably the biggest gathering of overland vehicles on the planet. The camping area alone is a show in itself, and this year by the first night over 700 vehicles had spilled over the grassy site set alongside an edge-of-town shopping centre. Wandering among lines of purposeful vehicles gave visitors the chance to meet the owners, get ideas on set-ups and destinations, and even buy ready-to-go machines. Prices ranged from €11,000 to €1,200,000 ($13,200– $1,430,000). Free buses shuttled visitors up to the showground, where every remaining permutation of…