Overland Journal Gear Guide 2010

New Level of Respect I have never written anyone about something I read in a magazine, but I want you to know what a fantastic product you and the whole team have developed. I read your Journal Entry in the winter issue, and I felt sorry for the gentleman who complained about the “unattainable” adventures the journal stories tell. I once had similar feelings when reading other adventure magazines, or watching TV shows. But the stories you publish are not the fluff-filled travel-agency variety, or the doom and gloom, don’t-even-tryit kind. Instead they present honest and real descriptions of what folks encounter on these trips, what to do to be prepared, and what you need to do the same. The stories have really helped me put into perspective what it takes to…

Austin Vince Math teacher and adventure film-maker Austin Vince personifies the anti-Long-Way-Round approach to expedition motorcycle travel. He has circumnavigated the globe not once, but twice, on Suzuki DR350s and budgets that would leave Ghandi gasping. If that weren’t enough, he insists on claiming that a surplus shelter half/poncho is the finest traveling weather protection on earth. The DVDs of those first two trips, Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa, are essential viewing for anyone who thinks you need a liter-class bike, titanium panniers, and electrically heated underwear to tackle an ambitious motorcycle journey. Robert Pepper Robert Pepper enjoys virtually any adventurous activity that involves sails, wings, or wheels. These days he combines his dual loves of exploration and his young family by traveling around his home country of Australia in either of his…

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” – William A. Foster I read recently that around 2,000 shipping containers full of consumer products are washed overboard from cargo ships every year. Two thousand 20- or 40-foot-long steel boxes that weigh two to four tons empty, and up to 30 tons full (and which, despite that, sometimes float for months like killer industrial-age icebergs). That might seem like an alarming statistic, but the shipping industry is actually quite proud of its record. Why? Because at any given moment about six million shipping containers are in transit on the high seas. In such context the loss of 2,000 in a year is a…

So far, the Wrangler has been—dare Toyota reliable. I say this?— Facts Mileage to date: 17,420 Average fuel economy: 18.2 mpg (for the Great Plains trip, 19.1) Warranty repairs to date: None Although some with knowledge of my 30-year-long relationship with Land Cruisers might doubt it, I approached the long-term review of the Jeep Wrangler with a completely open mind. In fact, I’ve watched with more than a little chagrin as the U.S.-market Land Cruiser has morphed from a basic, indestructible workhorse to a fantastically complex (albeit still indestructible) luxury S.U.V. with computer programs to manage virtually every 4WD situation that used to require skill. Meanwhile, the corresponding U.S.-market Jeep has morphed from a basic, dodgy utility vehicle with undersized running gear into a capable, comfortable, all-around expedition machine that retains the strengths of…

My love affair with the KTM 950 started as a form of speed-dating. Not just because of the velocities I reached on my first test ride, but because I had bought the bike within weeks of leaving for the Trans-America Trail (TAT). Among my friends and family, I am loathed and sometimes loved for my abandonment of reason when it comes to the pursuit of adventure, but even from my perspective this relationship was a bit rushed. Up to that point, the sum of my riding experience was concentrated in two years of XR250L ownership and a few romps on a friend’s Ninja from a decade prior. And although I managed to get the KTM home safely from the dealership, my confidence was quickly shaken when one of my good…

Mongol Rally Sixteen countries, 10,000 miles, and a third of the earth’s circumference: The Mongol Rally starts in Barcelona, Spain, and ends (after a serious party along the way in the Czech Republic) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Rules require the vehicle to be 2001 or newer, with an engine displacement of 1.2 liters or less. Four-wheel-drive and any other amenity is entirely optional. After crossing all that distance, the team donates the vehicle to charities in Mongolia, and special exemptions are made for service vehicles: from street sweepers to backhoes. Each team must also collect £1,000 for a list of closely evaluated charities, including the Mercy Corps, which helps develop skills and life-sustaining infrastructures (such as sources of clean drinking water) for the nomadic people of Mongolia. The event starts on July…