Overland Journal Gear Guide 2009

Loves Everything I’m about two-thirds of the way through the Winter 2008 Overland Journal, and had to write to you. So far this one has been one of my favorite issues! Reading Roseann Hanson’s story on the FJ60 upgrades—awesome. I loved every word. Didn’t care one bit about the cost of the upgrades, because custom one-of-a-kind vehicles aren’t cheap. If she ends up getting 30 mpg, I will be very impressed. Great story. Any time you have stories and photos from SEMA, I go into an involuntary get-the-credit-card-out motion. It’s kind of fun. The Truck-Lite LED headlights are on my list of must-haves. The ARB fridge is next on the list. Loved the story about battery systems. I look forward to reading tech articles. And flashlights—I don’t know if it’s a guy thing to…

Anyone who has talked about equipment with me for more than five minutes knows how I feel about shoddy knock-off goods. In fact, I feel nearly as strong about high-quality knockoff goods. A company that replicates another’s product to perfection has still stolen someone else’s work. So while I realize that the concept of honor has laughably little application in today’s business world, it’s one of the standards I strive to apply when choosing equipment. “There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man’s lawful prey.” – John Ruskin In the art world the primacy of originality is axiomatic: A copy of The Starry Night, no matter how flawlessly executed, will never…

My 1974 88 survived 35 years on its original chassis—although “chassis” is now a generous term for the cancerous thing visible between springs and body. It’s more like a superorganism of rust flakes, breathing through fist-sized spiracles where metal has completely evaporated. “Chancy” would be a better pronunciation of the word, since every time I drive I expect the whole thing to break in half, as I’ve seen happen before. Fortunately the solution sits nearby, waiting patiently: a new, galvanized chassis that should, in Arizona’s climate, render the foundation of Grendel essentially immortal. For that reason, I want to make sure that while I’m at it I replace any other items made remotely easier on a disassembled Land Rover. Since I’m on a limited budget, this requires some triage. For example,…

Lance Blair Lance Blair has a long history of outdoor adventures, from the Andes Mountains to the jungles of Central America. As an amputee and RN he has traveled on humanitarian aid trips and is part of Disabled Explorers, a non-profit resource enabling the handicapped to enjoy the backcountry. This past summer Lance, his two sons, another amputee, and a friend completed the Continental Divide Expedition over 24 days, covering 5,000 miles. In the short time Lance has been a part of overlanding he won the 2007 Expedition Trophy, and acquired his amateur radio license, Wilderness First Responder and Overland Certifications. Brian DeArmon Riding on four wheels or two, the soles of his boots, or the saddle of a horse, Brian DeArmon has spent most of his life exploring the wonders of nature.…

Tuffy Security Products JK and FJ Expedition Partitions $223 to $265 Tuffy Security Products has designed Jeep JK and Toyota FJ Cruiser steel tube partitions which install just aft of the rear seats to provide a pet barrier and an organizational backstop for equipment stored in the rear of the vehicle. Bar spacing preserves rear visibility, and the powdercoated units are constructed with the typical high-quality workmanship for which Tuffy is known. The JK barrier attaches to existing mounting locations; the FJ model mounts to the Tuffy FJ drawer system. tuffyproducts.com, 800-348-8339 Available from TRDParts4U.comand sierraexpeditions.com Eezi-Awn Globetrotter Trailer Tent $2,800 Addressing the rapidly growing adventure trailer market, Eezi-Awn has introduced a tent designed specifically for installation on top of a trailer, although we expect the unit will also work at bed-height on…

The duffel bag is the unsung but undisputed king of luggage. Nothing else comes close for simplicity, strength, value, and an almost fourth-dimensional ability to always accept just one more thing you suddenly realized you forgot to pack. No one is really sure of the origin of the duffel—except for the name, which refers to a town in Belgium where the heavy canvas of many early examples was made (and which tells us that the proper spelling is duffel, not duffle). The design of the bag is so elemental that pinpointing its invention is impossible; it simply evolved incrementally from canvas sacks used to transport all kinds of material. The U.S. military issued duffels from 1943 on, when they replaced the earlier barracks bag, a simpler design with a drawstring top. Early…