Overland Journal Fall 2017

SUBARU, WHERE ARE YOU? I have enjoyed Overland Journal for the past few years. Though primarily a motorcyclist, all the articles, tests, and product reviews are top notch and fun to read. Even the format, advertising, and letters are entertaining and enlightening. I personally ride a 2014 Triumph Tiger 800 XC, but I was wondering if you could answer a question which even the Internet doesn’t really clarify. I’m going to be in the market for a new vehicle soon since my Toyota 4 Wheel Drive Sequoia is approaching the 200,000 mile mark, and I was wondering if Subarus are off-road worthy? Your magazine hasn’t touched them, so I was just curious. Could they be just like the powersport industry with an assortment of bikes billed as off-road vehicles, but where…

DAVID BRADEN HORN David was that kid staring out the window of the classroom, daydreaming about exploring outdoors. He grew up as a military nomad, developing an insatiable curiosity and sense of wonder that continues to this day. After bouncing between jobs as varied as construction work in Alaska to firefighting in Arizona, he began a 2-decade career in the express shipping industry. David then returned to an early passion for vintage overland vehicles by sourcing and importing them, documenting the search for these iconic trucks in words and images. Still fighting off the occasional urge to pull up stakes and move again, he currently makes his home in Texas. A traveler, photographer, writer, equestrian, aviator, and cook, David recently added fatherhood to his list of life’s adventures. ROY RUDNICK MICHELLE WEISS Roy…

In the summer of 2000 I received a call from my longtime friend Ron Schierholt. After going to the doctor for a routine checkup he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer to which there is no cure, only remission. During the following 15 years he became the proverbial poster child for the disease, undergoing experimental treatment and extensive campaigns of chemo (to the point that he referred to himself as Chemoman), surviving all others around him. It was a very rocky road for Ron and his wife, Pam, but he had been able to see his grandchildren grow up, learn to play the guitar, and, to a limited extent, travel. Two years ago he had endured enough, and made the difficult decision to end treatment and…

Overall, I have been extremely pleased with the off-highway modifications I have made to the G-Wagen—the vehicle has easily crossed any obstacle I have encountered on technical trails. The reality of a pinnacle overland vehicle is that it requires almost no modification for global adventure travel. Models like the Land Cruiser, G-Class, and Defender are essentially ready to go from the factory; even in stock trim most iterations will handle any conceivable “road”condition. So, why do we modify our vehicles at all? Some of it is certainly vanity (if we are honest with ourselves) and the rest is an attempt to customize away a compromise, or influence some degree of convenience or comfort. There are also those truly necessary modifications that are demanded because of terrain or payload requirements. In the…

Exceptionally easy to maneuver and operate, it will undoubtedly bring many an aspiring enthusiast to the fold. In the motorcycle touring world there exists an unspoken implication that bigger is better. With the modern adventure motorcycle swelling in size with each successive evolution, it was high time someone answered the pleas of the public and reversed the trend with a smaller, more manageable bike. Kawasaki’s latest model, the Versys-X 300, is just what many riders have been waiting for. With its small yet spry 296cc parallel twin motor, the X 300 tips the scales at nearly 200 pounds less than the largest motorcycles in the adventure category. What the small motor lacks in displacement is offset with impressive performance numbers. Capable of producing 34 horsepower, not all that much less than power…

After months of use I’d say this is one of the best rack solutions I’ve tested. The welded steel roof rack is an iconic four-wheel drive accessory, but their classic designs just don’t cut it on today’s vehicles. Today’s adventurers expect a more aerodynamic and versatile cargo system—one that supports all of their passions instead of just off-pavement driving. To address this growing need Rhino-Rack introduced the Pioneer platform. Constructed almost entirely out of powder-coated aluminum, this modular tray system is resistant to rust and impressively light. The smallest model weighs just 28 pounds, while larger variants barely break 70 pounds. Lengths range from 48 to 107 inches depending on your needs, and installation kits are available for factory roof rails, gutter mounts, and unique applications like the Jeep JK. Even if your…