Overland Journal Spring 2019

A tiny piglet barely weighing 1 kilogram was found by the barman of a lodge in Zimbabwe; orphaned and sure to die on its own, he was rescued, fed, and named Spike by his benefactor. He flourished and grew handsomely to over 100 kilograms, knowing the bar as his only home, but confident enough to go out into the park during the day. His regular spot was in front of the fireplace on the slate flooring with one very dirty and smelly pillow. To photograph him properly, I decided to prep the area. The fireplace was lit, a lavish-looking carpet placed in front of it with a couple of African artifacts on the side. Spike’s scruffy pillow was then covered with a clean slip. As the light faded, the message came through…

SUSAN DRAGOO Shedding light on the obscure, especially at the juxtaposition of man and nature, drives Susan Dragoo to explore the historical treasures of the American Southwest. On wheels or afoot, an old trail and a camera are her key ingredients for a fulfilling adventure. A writer, photographer, and student of history since youth, Dragoo’s work is found in motorcycling, 4WD, hiking, and other travel publications, and her scenic photography in state park lodges and cabins in her home state of Oklahoma. Gallivanting in their Toyota “Tacoma GS” is a favorite pastime for Susan and husband, Bill, when they are not at home in Norman, Oklahoma, enjoying their family and running Dragoo Adventure Rider Training (DART). WAYNE MITCHELL Wayne Mitchell was born and raised in Alaska where he grew up working in the…

With upgrades like fridges, roof tents, drawer systems and other luxuries that make your camping experience more enjoyable, it’s easy to push recovery equipment down your list of priorities. Unfortunately, skimping on these vital pieces of gear can lead to dangerous results. Treaty Oak is a small business based in Houston, Texas, and each of their products is made to order right here in the USA.That allows them to ensure a high level of quality, and create custom changes in colors based on your needs. The core of their shackles is a high-strength plasma fiber, which gives their 5/16-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch sizes working load limits of 5,800, 8,700, and 12,500 pounds respectively, with a tensile strength of up to 62,600 pounds. Those numbers are assuming the shackles are in good condition…

There are very few items that could claim to have been carried by both ancient Egyptians and astronauts, but the knife is one of them. Their versatility and effectiveness have made them indispensable for thousands of years, but now they face a new threat: overcrowded pockets. Cell phones, car keys, wallets, and mints fill up every spare inch of free space in our trousers,forcing us to leave our edged tools at home. Fortunately, Curtiss Custom Knives has a solution, and it’s called the Original Dog Tag (ODT) Flipper. The ODT Flipper is a 3- by 1-inch pocket tool with a titanium body and integrated frame lock. The blade is made from CTS-XHP stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance and features two different cutting surfaces for use as a knife or…

When asking several travelers about the apps they find most useful, one, in particular, kept coming up—Google Translate. While this app is far from new, the updates over the last few years have significantly increased its functionality. When the service was first introduced in 2006, its translations were clunky but still ahead of its time. Ten years later, Google switched to neural machine translation which uses the meaning of an entire sentence to interpret it into the user’s target language. Google acquired World Lens in 2014, gaining the ability for Translate to capture physical signs, menus, legal documents, and other written text by using the camera. Conversation mode was added as an experiment in 2011 and uses the microphone and speaker to aid in verbal communication and break down language barriers. Offline…

Coffee and hot meals are basic necessities while overlanding, though few people give enough thought to the type of fuel their stove burns. Virtually every country in the world has different fittings for propane bottles, making them a nightmare to fill and use on global expeditions. I have watched people spend days attempting to fill bottles in places anywhere from Argentina to Zambia, often being forced to replace their entire setup every couple of countries. Disposable canisters are virtually nonexistent in underdeveloped nations, so those are also off-limits for the global overlander. Enter the Coleman dual fuel single-burner stove. Compact and lightweight, it can burn either Coleman fuel or, most importantly, unleaded gasoline that is readily available everywhere. I have used this product exclusively for the last two years throughout Africa,…