Overland Journal Summer 2021

THE JOURNAL VISITS THE AMAZON What better place to peruse the 2020 Gear Guide than on a National Police of Colombia patrol boat. After a week of team and skill-building with the carabineros, some of us took a quick trip to the Amazon—what an amazing place filled with great people and culture. When home in New Mexico, I travel the Southwest in my in-progress restoration of a 1984 Chevrolet K5 Blazer—mostly stock—sporting a 6.2 NA diesel and TH400. Love your magazine and the inspiration of adventure. Mike Gardiner 1984 Chevrolet K5 Blazer I'LL TAKE YOU THERE Your publication is terrific! Your contributors are exceptional as well. It’s fun for me to be able to travel in their stories to places I’ll never go and have never been. A good writer can transport you to such…

DAN GREC Dan Grec is an adventurer, snowboarder, and photographer who now hails from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Growing up in Australia, family camping trips gave Dan a passion for wilderness exploration in remote destinations. After studying and working as a software engineer, Dan went in search of a more vibrant life. Eventually driving 40,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina, he became inspired by the characters he met along the way and is now dedicated to helping others realize their own overland dreams. To this end, Dan created and maintains WikiOverland—the community encyclopedia of overland travel. After years of planning and preparation, in early 2019, Dan completed a circumnavigation of the entire African continent in his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. GARY AND MONIKA WESCOTT Gary and Monika Wescott have spent the last 45 years globetrotting…

The nature of overlanding is continuously evolving, the definition expanding as the players, their methods, and motivations flex, driven by both autonomous and reliant factors. The industry is exploding as more newcomers join our ranks in droves, and vehicles and gear options continue to expand, albeit sometimes with a higher price tag than we’d prefer. I see these changes as primarily beneficial on all sides, though. Our equipment options continue to increase, and we have an opportunity to share our knowledge and the joy of overlanding. It also presents an occasion to explore new places as some of our favorites become more heavily trafficked, perhaps sending us more off the beaten path than we have ventured before. Everyone should be able to overland responsibly by their chosen mode. We’ve also noticed…

HEST stands for “hostile environment survival tools,” and that is exactly what DPx Gear produces—knives that can survive the abuses of hard use in war zones, the backcountry, or even your garage. The HEST/F Urban titanium Mr. DP is a new take on their classic folding knife designed by Robert Young Pelton. It is manufactured in the US and features US-made sculpted titanium handle scales featuring the Mr. DP skull, a US-made CPM S35V stainless steel blade, stainless-steel caged ball-bearing pivots, and an impressive selection of other multipurpose features. The blade measures just under 3 inches long and is sufficient for most hard-use cutting tasks. The.16-inch-thick blade stock is about twice as thick as any other similar-sized folding knife that I own, and I found it to be more adept at…

Overland footwear is a piece of essential equipment often overlooked. We require footwear that allows precise control of the vehicle and is also supportive enough for when we are outside the vehicle working in rough terrain. Unfortunately, I often see people hop out of their expertly equipped vehicles in flip-flops or heavy mountaineering-style boots. I learned quickly as a guide on some of the world’s tallest peaks that proper footwear can make or break any expedition. For most Americans, the Salewa brand name is one of obscurity, but its distribution is growing here in the States. Salewa was founded in Germany in the 1930s as a leather goods manufacturer that specialized in backpacks and soccer balls. In the 1950s, they pioneered mountaineering protective aides and have been focused on mountain sports…

If you are overlanding near water, one of the healthiest and fun things you can do is fish for dinner every morning; it’s also a great way to save money. While casting a lure from shore can be productive, there is nothing like a boat to improve your catch. We spent a couple of weeks camping along the shores of Baja California’s Sea of Cortez and borrowed a Sea Eagle FastTrack Angler two-person inflatable kayak. This multi-purpose craft sets up in less than 10 minutes, and thanks to its unique two-stage, double-action Bravo 4 pump, folding it up takes less time than it will to finish a cold drink. Its recommended inflation is a mere 3.2 psi. The adjustable seats are comfortable with tall backs and removable gear bags, and the…