Overland Journal Summer 2007

Kudos I just finished your spring issue, and I must say I am very impressed with the publication—content, mission, style, presentation, etc. The departments were full of interesting items, news, and photos that I thoroughly enjoyed (especially Latitude) and I look forward to the editor’s project, “Grendel.” While I have no interest in a roof top tent for my vehicle, I was impressed with the thoroughness of the testing and review listings, plus I learned about something of which I had no prior knowledge. Basically, kudos to the Overland Journal staff and THANKS for making the Overland Journal a reality—I, for one, am looking forward to all future issues. Paul Aguire, 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Rich Content I got my issue yesterday, and all I can say is, “DAMN.” This is the first time…

PREJUDICES RARELY SURVIVE A HANDSHAKE . The world is a smaller place today, in large part thanks to electronic communication: radio, television, the internet, even text messaging. Billions of people have instant access to news and entertainment from around the globe. Yet international distrust and xenophobia are, if anything, more common now than they were before 1901, when Guglielmo Marconi first successfully transmitted a series of dots and dashes across the Atlantic Ocean. Among so-called “developed” countries, especially between Europe and North America, much of this is just petty bickering, and if you dig you might find that many lofty political arguments actually stem from a basic disagreement about which country really has the best food. In the so-called “developing” world, it’s different. Here the satellite-bounced flood of electronic data can still be a…

Cargo space is always relative. I remember buying my first external-frame backpack after several pre-teen years lugging a surplus rucksack on multi-day hikes. Suddenly I had room for all kinds of stuff. When I subsequently moved up to a sea kayak it was like booking a suite on the Queen Mary. So you wouldn’t think traveling in a vehicle—even an FJ40 with a 90-inch wheelbase—could ever leave me feeling cramped. Alas, stuff always expands to just beyond the available space, especially when you get used to folding chairs and two-inch-thick mattresses. For years I augmented the interior load space with a Conferr porthole roof rack, anchored solidly to the rain gutter with six Quick-n-Easy clamps. I had the rack reinforced with box-section channel, and welded in a floor of expanded steel, so…

Tom Sheppard Tom has an exploration career spanning 40 years, and totaling over 110,000 overland miles since 1960, including significant exploration in Northern Africa and the first ever lateral crossing of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Tom is a freelance writer/ photographer and consultant, and author of the Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide (Desert Winds) and his new title, Four-by-Four Driving. From the Royal Geographic Society, Tom has received the Ness Award, and the distinction ARPS (Associate of the Royal Photographic Society). David Edwards David Edwards has been a freelance photographer and guide on expeditions for over 25 years. He has traveled extensively throughout Asia documenting and exploring native cultures, with a special interest in Mongolia and China. Dave is especially noted for his intimate relationship with Mongolia. He founded the…

Gepe Card Safe The capacity of modern digital storage cards is astonishing. However, that capacity can put hundreds of images at risk if the card is lost, or damaged by water or dust. The Gepe Card Safe is constructed from impact-resistant plastic, and the rubber inner liner creates a waterproof seal around the perimeter. It is also available in high-visibility yellow to help prevent loss. The Gepe case will house CF, SD, Memory Stick, and other storage devices. gepecardsafe.com Lowepro D650 AW Stealth Reporter This all-weather bag is designed for photojournalists and photographers working in the field and in inclement weather. The bag will swallow two SLR bodies and three lenses, along with a 15-inch Mac-Book Pro (or PC variant) and all associated card readers and power cords (a removable memory card wallet…

New Duramax Diesel General Motors has announced the release of a new 4.5L V8 Duramax diesel engine, designed to be a close physical substitute for the common 5.7L gasoline engine currently offered in a variety of GM vehicles. The engine will first be offered in the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, and HUM-MER H2. Expected to produce at least 310 hp and over 520 ft-lbs of torque, GM nevertheless estimates the Duramax will be 25 percent more fuel-efficient than a gasoline equivalent, and should reduce CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent, and diesel particulate and NOx by 90 percent, over previous GM diesels. As stated in their press release, the size of the engine will allow “flexibility to introduce this engine in a wide variety of vehicle applications should there be future…