Overland Journal 2008 Summer
Overland Journal 2008 Summer
Overland Journal 2008 Summer
James Bay, Canada Lightweight Tent Test Trailer Comparison Jaguar Trail
Feature
s
26 James Bay, Canada, Jim Young
38 Trailer Comparison, Chris Marzonie
Dep
artments
6 Overland Post
10 Editor’s Column
2
12 Editor’s Project
16 News from the Trade
25 Overland News
55 Latitude
96 Discoveries: Nipton, CA, Roseann Hanson
99 Conservation, Roseann Hanson
100 Overland Medicine: Cuts and Scrapes, Dr. Edward Beggy
106 Classic Kit: The Naturalist's Gun, Steve Bodio
112 Tail Lamp: Falling in Love with a Motorcycle, Christine Jeske
Overland Journal
and the Law
I was home with my Sportsmobile parked in the
driveway, when a police officer pulled his squad car
to a stop in the middle of the street, turned on his
roof flashers, and got out. I was thinking, What did
my son do now, when he said, “Do you read Overland
Journal?” I said yes, and he said, “Is this one of those
vans in the magazine?” Jim Jackson, President of ARB USA, his wife,
Fiona, and son, Ian, on adventure in Bali.
So I gave him a tour.
Charlie Sikes
Sportsmobile
Mesmerized
Being a long time reader of magazines dealing with
many outdoors and 4WD vehicle pursuits, I was
literally mesmerized by my first issues of your out-
Irascible and standing publication. It made all the others feel like
comic books! I felt like a kid again, visiting relatives
opinionated and sneaking off to read my uncle’s National Geo-
graphic magazines.
Dear Mr. Hanson,
I hope you accept post from irascible, opinionat- The photography and level of expertise captured
ed old men who have owned an eclectic array of within the articles is astounding. Even the level of
“overland” outfits. Starters would be a real Land advertising is held to an appropriate high standard.
Rover with manual transmission (and Fairey over- It has already been reserved a prominent location on
drive), full-floating axles (locking hubs on both ax- my coffee table, moving the “comic book” brethren
6 les), factory diesel engine. A 1965 Nissan Datsun to boxes in the basement . . .
Patrol which had better specs (7 main bearings etc.)
than the beloved FJ Toyotas. A Marine Corps Mity I’m secure in the feeling that I don’t have to tell
Mite with all-aluminum body, air-cooled V4 engine you to “keep up the good work” . . . just keep them
and a potentially fatal flaw. A U.S. Army M151 with coming.
a potentially fatal flaw. A Mercedes Unimog 406
paired with 3 interesting days at the factory in A newly devoted reader . . .
Gaggenau including some time on the proving
ground shared with the French Foreign Legion. Brian Dallmann
1990 Jeep YJ; 2005 Dodge Power Wagon with
Bottom line the best “overland” creation is pop-up camper.
God’s own mule or a horse.
Contact
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Y
ou knew this one was coming, didn’t you? But let’s really think outside the box. Overland Journal. Not a word
Yes, we’ve been hearing all the questions: “What are there about the mechanism, only the goal. We’re about travel, explora-
you guys going to do? Your magazine is about vehi- tion, and adventure, pure and simple. And one of the most inspiring
cles. Fuel prices are going up. Holiday driving is down. ways to optimize the adventure quotient of a trip is to leave your 4WD
SUVs are doomed. What will happen to Overland Journal?” at a trailhead, riverbank, seaport, or lakeshore, and continue the jour-
The answer is easy: We’ll thrive. And that’s not the false bravado of ney by foot, bicycle, canoe, kayak, or sailboat. We have many stories
a presidential candidate trailing by 300 delegates. planned about people doing just that, with tutorials on how to do it
First, overlanding is still, and will be into the foreseeable future, yourself. So even though our masthead reads, “The publication for
one of the most economical ways to travel. In a vehicle stocked with environmentally responsible, worldwide vehicle-dependent expedition
camping gear and food, you are free from hotel and restaurant ex- and adventure travel,” we can think of a lot of ways to define the word
penses (or free to indulge in them as a treat now and then). The more “vehicle,” and in any case we can be vehicle-dependent without being
comfortable and self-contained your rig, the longer you remain happily vehicle-restricted.
indepenent. Think of it this way: Two people camping and cooking Here’s something you can count on: The spirit of adventure is not
their own food save at least $80 per day over the hotel/restaurant rut. going to die because gas hits five bucks per gallon, or ten. It certainly
If your vehicle gets just 15 mpg, and gas is four bucks a gallon, that’s won’t die in us. We’ll adapt, we’ll innovate, we’ll economize, and we’ll
300 miles you can drive. The more people in the vehicle, the more you have more fun than ever. Those along for the ride will have fun with us.
10 save. The fact is, given how dreary air travel has become, with ticket
prices rising because of the same fuel-cost issues—and aircraft fleets
being grounded because maintenance crews “forgot” to check for mi- Here's something you can count on: The
nor problems like, oh, cracks in the wings—the family camping trip spirit of adventure is not going to die because
could well see a resurgence as a great American (or fill in your country)
pastime. How cool would that be? gas hits five bucks per gallon, or ten. It certainly
Second, if you’ve been with us for the last year and a half, you’ll won't die in us. We'll adapt, we'll innovate, we'll
know that we’re ahead of the curve on this issue, both in terms of economize.
lowering fuel costs and reducing impact on the planet. Our Toyota
Land Cruiser FJ60 conservation project vehicle is even now receiving a
diesel engine conversion that should increase its fuel economy by 50 to So we at Overland Journal will continue to enjoy and promote envi-
75 percent, while dramatically reducing emissions and increasing power. ronmentally responsible, worldwide vehicle-dependent expedition and
Look in this issue for another, homegrown conversion: Jim Young’s adventure travel. Always with an eye toward the future, always on the
classic Land Rover 88, powered by a Mercedes Benz diesel and capable lookout for new trends and opportunities for overlanding, and always
of 25 mpg fully loaded. with the words of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum of Dubai
Third, we’ll continue to investigate alternatives to the dominant in our heads. When asked about the future of middle eastern oil, he
expedition-vehicle paradigm. Check out the Ecamper in our current replied:
News from the Trade. I think of this clever Honda Element conver- “My grandfather rode a camel; my father rode a camel; I drive a
sion as the Volkswagen Westfalia of the 21st century. No, it won’t Mercedes; my son drives a Land Rover; his son will drive a Land Rover;
reach the same spots as an FZJ80 or 110, but anyone who couldn’t get but his son will ride a camel.”
out and have some amazing adventures in the Ecamper just isn’t trying See the Fall, 2046 issue of Overland Journal for our comparison test
very hard. We plan to cover many other economical platforms that are of Bactrian versus dromedary camels.
capable of backcountry exploration.
Project Vehicle
Jonathan Hanson
Imagine before you a perfect cone of some It sounds like much ado about a pretty
easily sliced material. If you take a swing at it arcane distinction, but once each geometric
with a machete and cut across it at an angle, so shape is incorporated into a specific spring
that the blade doesn’t cut through the base of type, the differences in performance are sig-
the cone, the perimeter of the cut you’ve made nificant.
will be an ellipse. If, on the other hand, you cut A typical semi-elliptic spring for an over-
straight down through one side of the cone to land vehicle comprises several leaves, from just
the base, the arc along the edge of your cut, three or four to ten or more. Several factors—
from the ground on one side to the ground on the number and length of the leaves, their
the other, will be a parabola. thickness and width, and the characteristics
12 A “semi-elliptic” leaf spring, then, is a of the steel used, to name a few—combine
spring whose curve, viewed from the side, to determine the rate of the spring: the force
roughly describes part of the long axis of an required to compress it a certain amount. The
O
ellipse. (Incidentally, you’ve likely seen fully individual leaves of a semi-elliptic spring pack
ne doesn’t expect to run into elliptic leaf springs if you’ve ever watched a are usually curved virtually parallel with each
words such as “hypotro- western with a horse-drawn buggy in it. Look other, and subsequently each leaf bears on the
choid” while doing some- at the springs under the seat.) leaf above and below it not just in one spot,
thing as simple as research- You might expect that a parabolic spring, but nearly along its entire length. This distrib-
ing leaf-spring suspension for a Series Land therefore, looks like part of a parabola from utes stress more or less evenly (there’s some
Rover. I just wanted to make a decision: stock the side, but the truth is a little more complex. concentration on the ends), and also creates a
Land Rover semi-elliptic springs, or aftermar- The individual leaves in a parabolic spring ta- lot of interleaf friction, which acts as a built-in
ket parabolics? per in thickness from the center to the ends. If damper at the same time it reduces the com-
But in an effort to understand more than you were to put a perfect unarched (flat) para- pliance (flexibility) of the spring—an effect
sales pitches, I did a little surfing beyond man- bolic leaf on its edge on a piece of paper and that gets more pronounced as the spring pack
ufacturers’ websites. Before I realized what trace a line from the middle of the top of it out accumulates dirt or rust. Many applications
was happening, high school geometry reared to the end and back to the middle of the un- of semi-elliptic leaf springs, such as on light-
its ugly head, and I started running into long derside, the shape would be an extremely elon- duty cargo trailers, rely solely on this inherent
words and longer formulas regarding the geo- gated parabola. There’s a mathematical for- damping action and dispense with separate
metric shapes implicit in the description of mula to determine this taper which you do not dampers (shock absorbers).
each spring type. But rather than tell you, for want me to reproduce here—you’re supposed A typical parabolic spring for an overland
example, that an ellipse is “a locus of points to be enjoying this. In practice the parabolic vehicle, by contrast, employs as few as two
on a plane such that the sum of the distances shape is modified a bit, since most spring mak- leaves, and rarely more than four. The leaves
to two fixed points is a constant,” I found a ers thicken the middle of the spring further to do not lie against each other, but are separated
couple of more practical descriptions. help space the leaves, but that’s the theory. nearly their entire length. Each leaf moves
13
15
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Ecamper
Ursa Minor Vehicles has released the new Ecamper pop-top camper and utility in their vehicle,” says Jim Koutras of Ursa Minor Vehicles.
to the North American marketplace. Based on Honda’s popular 4WD “Our Ecamper pop-top conversion is the logical progression to ensure
Element, the Ecamper is a versatile and economical camper for two— a good night’s sleep before the next adventure.”
think Volkswagen Westfalia for the 21st century. The pop-top offers
a protected sleeping platform with a comfortable mattress, 12V LED Constructed with advanced carbon-fiber and honeycomb materials,
lighting, and adjustable windows for cross-ventilation. Access is pos- the lightweight Ecamper has scant effect on the Element’s excellent
sible from the interior of the vehicle through the Element’s rear sun- fuel economy. When lowered, the pop-top blends in with the sleek
roof, so there’s no need to go out in the weather to set up, and the lines of the Element’s roof and still allows garage access. Look for a
hard-shell roof and marine-grade canvas walls keep out wind and rain. comprehensive test of the Ecamper in a future issue of Overland Jour-
“The Honda Element appeals to active people who prioritize versatility nal. ursaminorvehicles.com, 619-424-4080
18
JK Security Console
Tuffy Product's 16-gauge steel console for the Jeep JK provides 50 percent
more storage and far more security than the factory version. A special bracket
is included for mounting a stereo, HAM radio, or other electronic equipment
inside the lockable console, with a hole for the radio microphone. Front and
rear drink holders include anti-rattle rubber fingers. The main storage area
includes a 12V marine-grade power outlet and a removable utility tray. Tuffy’s
1/4-inch-thick patented Pry-Guard II latching system secures the lid, and a
gas strut supports the lid when open. The Tuffy is taller than the OEM con-
sole, and features a much-needed, larger and more comfortable full-length
padded armrest. Each console includes brackets for both automatic and
manual transmissions, and will work in vehicles equipped with or without rear
power window switches. tuffyproducts.com, 800-348-8339
20
21
Team Latitude 25
If you’ve ever wondered what life is like around the which was awarded by the Royal Geographical So-
world at the same latitude where you live, you’ll be ciety (with the Institute of British Geographers) and
interested in a unique expedition that recently de- Land Rover earlier this year. The team was provided
parted from Britain’s most southerly point—the Lizard with £10,000 and the use of a Land Rover Defender
Peninsula—in an attempt to circumnavigate the world 110. The voyage aims to discover how continents
at or as close as possible to the latitude of 50° north. affect climates, and how these climates affect peo-
ple at the same latitude. The team departed from
The team of three—Peter Lovell, Spike Reid, and Da- beneath the world’s largest antenna on the iconic
vid Smith—is undertaking the Latitude expedition satellite dish at Futureworld. Follow their progress
as winners of the Land Rover ‘Go Beyond’ bursary, at geographyjourneys.blogspot.com
27
servicing the First Nation settlements along beginning of each of these trips. We met two our first night out in a private campground
its shore. We would find ourselves covering kindred spirits and fellow Series Land Rover named “Le Nirvana.” Private campgrounds in
the entire length of all three main roads, as owners at a festival at the Orvis store, and Quebec are known for their idiosyncratic cli-
well as a trip out to Chisasibi and the conflu- spent an afternoon swapping stories of ad- entele, and this one didn’t disappoint. But the
ence of the Le Grand River and the bay, and ventures and adversities, plentiful among any owner was very pleasant, and we had a great
on to Long Point, as far north as you can drive group of vintage Land Rover owners. After a time people-watching that evening.
along James Bay. nice visit we again headed north under their North toward Quebec City, the land had
Along for the ride were our well-traveled envious gaze. an almost midwestern feel, as the roads led
Labrador retriever, Maggie, and her new com- Crossing into Quebec, the earth flattens though small agricultural communities. After
panion, Molly. With two dogs and a month’s out between the U.S./Canada border and the crossing the St. Lawrence, we drove east along
worth of gear in a short-wheelbase Land St. Lawrence River, and roads wind through its north shore and over to the Canyon Sainte-
Rover, space was . . . limited, but we still felt pleasant farm fields. We drove through Sher- Anne, a deep gorge worth the detour. Back
comfortable. We left Connecticut and headed brooke and on to Thetford Mines. Peering to Quebec City and turning north, the road
due north, through the Berkshires of Massa- over the edge of the viewing platform for the took an abrupt uphill slant as we climbed into
chusetts and into Vermont, where we spent huge open-pit asbestos mine outside Thet- the Laurentide Mountains and our first taste
a couple days touring the Green Mountains. ford, we found ourselves holding our breath of wilderness. The Laurentides are beautiful,
The state parks in Vermont are some of the watching the huge excavators crawling around and beckoned for another trip in the future to
nicest you’ll find, and the winding path of the bottom, looking like Tonka toys from this explore what they have to offer, but for now
Route 100 reminded me how to handle the height. Provincial parks in Quebec are not as our attention was turned to the north. Down
fully laden truck, a skill to be relearned at the prevalent as elsewhere in Canada, so we spent the other side into the agricultural basin of
The town of Radisson was built solely to under the Chisasibi Agreement. Here you can
support the hydro projects, and was nothing find guide services as well as other necessities.
more than a spot on the map 40 years ago. The Cree of this region are shy and reserved,
With a population down to about 500 from While we were relaxing but have a good sense of humor and are
its peak of 2,500 during construction, the very friendly if you can get them to open up.
town doesn’t offer much more than basic ne- and preparing dinner They’re also well-known as pranksters: When
cessities. There is a small restaurant and bar, that evening, both dogs we asked at the police station about camping
a gift shop that carries an array of First Na- became suddenly alert out on Long Point, we were solemnly warned
tion crafts and art, a grocery store that also that a bigfoot had recently been spotted in the
serves as the only gas station and SAQ (liquor and agitated, staring in- area.
store) in town, and a couple of auto repair tently into the woods The turn to Long Point off the Chisasibi
shops. The standout hotel is the Radisson Road is not marked at all. It’s a small gravel
Inn, housed in a central complex that includes behind our tent. Soon a road that leads across Le Grand Dam 1 and
Hydro-Quebec and governmental offices for very large black bear ap- continues northwest to the bay. We parked
the area. Surfing the FM dial, we discovered a peared from the bush the truck on the rocky beach along a line of
single, funky radio station at 103.1. sea-going canoes, and walked the end of the
We camped two nights in Radisson, and close enough to look in point. Gin clear and with salinity less than
on the day between drove west to Chisasibi the eyes. that of seawater, the bay was inviting, but too
and Long Point, on the shore of James Bay. cold for swimming (for us anyway—the dogs
This is a Cree town of over 4,000 people, and found it delightful). With the afternoon wear-
was relocated here from Fort Georges Island ing on, we turned back east toward Radisson
Brisay is the end of the trail for most peo- crossing these and other obstacles.
ple, and is the last generating station on the Fifty miles of this and we attained our final
road. Past this point the Trans-Taiga is rela- goal: the terminus of the Trans-Taiga Road at
tively empty, and receives far less maintenance the Caniapiscau Overflow Structure. We were
and traffic. It is categorized as “4WD only” I noticed the truck get- 475 miles from the nearest town—a distance
and not recommended for ordinary over-the- ting a bit louder, and I greater than that from Boston to Washington
road vehicles. This final stretch was the part D.C., or from San Diego to San Jose.
of the road I was most looking forward to. began experimenting It’s hard to describe the feeling. On one
Surprisingly, the road broadened until it with its volume in rela- hand I could look at this place as not being
was half again as wide as it was west of Brisay. all that remote—after all, there is another out-
But instead of being surfaced with the grav-
tion to throttle position. fitter’s base here, and buildings for the semi-
el, this stretch seemed to have been simply Any question I had about permanent dam crew. Although abandoned
carved out of the ground as it lay. The surface the cause was answered in appearance, I’m sure that if a real prob-
was much softer, and littered with rocks up to lem emerged there would be some help to be
the size of melons. There was no comfortable with the sudden loud blat found at one or both of these facilities. But on
speed at which to travel this surface, and close of a diesel truck minus the other hand, one look at a large-scale map
attention was needed to avoid the innumer- and you begin to understand just how far out
able rocks and ledges rising up to greet us. To-
its muffler. there we were. It gave me the same sensation
ward the eastern end we encountered several as being in a very tall building. Sure, you’re on
large washouts bisecting the road, and more solid ground, and really, everything is fine.
than once had to drop down into low gear But like looking down at the ground from 50
Requirements Equipment
The James Bay region is a very remote part of The black flies and mosquitoes are legendary up
the North American continent. That goes double here, so plan for them. We found ourselves lucky
for the Trans-Taiga Road. Although the hydro- and only needed our head nets on one night.
electric projects have brought most modern ne- Don't count on this, however—be prepared for
cessities to the area, there are some things that flying insects in biblical proportions. Make sure
are simply not available. For instance, there are your tent has proper no-see-um netting on all the
a few general repair places in Radisson, where doors and windows. DEET-based insect repel-
you could replace a tire or probably a fuel filter, lents are effective against mosquitoes, but have
but there are no car dealerships for hundreds of little effect on flies. Look for a broad-spectrum
miles, and if something specialized breaks while repellent.
you're up there, parts are a long way off and ex-
pensive to attain. If you need a set of 18-inch Seasons
tires for your Range Rover Sport because you've Summer temperatures are generally mild, but
ruined the sidewalls, they will be weeks coming must not be taken for granted. Bring plenty of
unless you have them air-lifted in and are willing layering clothes and warm sleeping bags.
to pay a lot.
Resources
Any special medical or dietary needs should Walter Muma
be taken into consideration before getting too This private website by Walter Muma, offers the
far north. Although staples and common sup- best information about the northern roads in
plies are available at the Esso station in Radis- Quebec and their conditions. He also has some
son, and they actually had goat cheese when we excellent maps. jamesbayroad.com
were there, kosher, ethnic, or specialty foods are
simply not available. There is a small hospital in Bounjour Quebec
Radisson if the need arises, but you should bring The official tourism agency of the province of 35
your own supply of medications and prescrip- Quebec. bonjourquebec.com, 877-266-5687
tions. It's a good idea to bring more than you
may need, should you find yourself in the area James Bay Tourism
longer than expected due to mechanical or other The official tourism agency of the James Bay re-
unforeseen trouble. Again, this is a very remote gion. tourismebaiejames.com, 888-748-8140
part of the world and there is no running down to
the local drug store.
• Rebuilt in 1990, including a new galvanized • Steering: Toyota FJ60 power steering
chassis and new Defender bulkhead. box driven by the Mercedes Benz power
• Brownchurch roof rack mounted directly to steering pump. Modified original steering
the roof panel to lower the center of gravity column fitted with a Borgeson collapsible
and reduce wind resistance. shaft and U-joints. Seriestrek heavy-duty
• Drivetrain: Mercedes Benz OM616 4-cylin- tie rod and drag link.
der diesel engine with a Seriestrek adapter
mated to the stock 4-speed transmission Miscellaneous:
and transfer case. Rocky Mountain Rover- • Front bumper air storage tank with on-
drive overdrive unit. board compressor
• Axles: Original Land Rover housings, • Vector 1,000-watt inverter
Toyota 4.56-ratio V6 electric-locking differ- • Engel fridge
entials, Seriestrek 30-spline axles, Super- • Custom upper and lower rear storage
winch freewheeling hubs. decks
• Suspension: Rocky Mountain 2/3-leaf para- • Mark Love center console box
bolic springs, military shackles, Old Man • Tracker high-back seats
Emu dampers.
36
Map
area
U n g a v a
B a y
H u d s o n
B a y
Caniapiscau NEWFOUNDLAND
Chisasibi Radisson Trans-Taiga Road
J a m e s
B a y
C A N A D A
Route du Nord
QUEBEC
James
Bay
Road
ONTARIO 37
G u l f o f
S t .
L a w r e n c e
Lake Erie
MASS.
Boston
CONNECTICUT N O R T H
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
New York
U N I T E D
S T A T E S
Considerations
Here are a few questions to consider before you decide on a trailer: 39
• How far do you plan to go, and for how long? We reviewed a range of trailers ap-
propriate for anything from weekend getaways to an around-the-world epic. The lon-
ger you will be away from re-supply, the heavier and bulkier the payload will be. You’ll
also want to consider the functions of the trailer. Basic needs might only require ad-
ditional cargo carrying capacity; more advanced expeditionary requirements may in-
volve specific built-in systems, including a kitchen, shelter, and water storage. What-
ever size you choose, it needs to be safely within the towing capabilities of your vehicle.
• What type of terrain do you plan to encounter? Some trailers have sufficient ground clear-
ance and suspension capability for average dirt roads and occasional shallow stream crossings,
or intermediate surface irregularities, up to 2.0-rated trails on a 1-5 scale. (See the Over-
landing page at overlandjournal.com for more information regarding trail ratings.) A few of
the trailers we review are capable of challenging much more demanding terrain, such as
severe washouts, deeply-rutted tracks, large rocks, and deep streams, up to 3.5-rated trails.
• Last but not least, you will want to determine what level of safety and security a trailer will
provide for your application. Families with small children may want to scrutinize things like
sharp corners or edges, heavy doors or lids without gas struts to support them, or exposed
electricals. Will you be able to stop both tow vehicle and trailer safely in an emergency? Will
the trailer be stable on dirt roads at higher speeds, or in off-cambered situations? Is the level
of theft protection commensurate with your region of travel?
A
good one-line description of ship between the trailer body and the trailing
the Chaser would be “military arms made it necessary to mount the dampers
meets sports and recreation, at a severe angle, diminishing their effective-
with a side of racing.” From ness. I’m happy to see that the latest (third)
a military aspect, the Chaser has the basic generation of TASS combines the damper
benefit of a voluminous storage box sitting and air spring into a single component (the
atop a bombproof chassis. From a sports and damper goes right through the middle of the
recreation viewpoint, it’s a stylish trailer that bag), improving the mounting angle and al-
can be optioned with useful things such as lowing the damper to be much more effec-
cargo rack systems, a roof tent, a Baltic birch tive at controlling compression and rebound
kitchen shelf, a shade awning, fuel cans, a 19- of the airbag. Limit straps and rubber bump
gallon water tank with pump, and a fridge. stops further enhance the ride. The result is
40 Regarding the “side of racing” remark, that an already impressive suspension has be-
we would never endorse such a practice, but come simply amazing.
this trailer can probably follow your tow ve- The Chaser’s frame is constructed of
hicle at any speed short of wildly irrespon- phosphate-washed, welded steel with a pow-
sible. The Adventure Trailer suspension has der-coat finish. The body is zinc-washed 14-
evolved to a state of refinement you have to gauge steel, also powder coated, and available
see and feel to appreciate. in white or custom-matched colors. Optional
AT refers to it as TASS (Trailing-arm Air- 10-inch drum brakes with an electric control-
bag Shock-absorber Suspension). The system ler are available, if you plan to run the trailer
utilizes trailing arms and an air spring/shock constantly near maximum GVW. Wheel hubs
assembly to independently suspend each are rated at 3,500 pounds each, and use a wa-
wheel. This keeps the trailer more level and ter-resistant Bearing Buddy system for grease.
stable when one wheel meets irregularities in Bearing maintenance requires disassembly for
1.
the terrain. By using air springs (air bags) the visual inspection and repacking.
capacity can be adjusted easily for anything The cargo configuration consists of a
from an empty to a fully loaded trailer— large, main box and a smaller nose-box. The
not possible with conventional leaf or coil main box has a weather-tight lid that employs
springs. The minor downside to this is that gas struts to assist opening, even with a roof
the air bags require periodic adjustments and tent mounted. An optional tailgate is avail-
filling (they tend to lose air over time). able. The nose box has a top-opening lid. It
Compression and rebound energy is con- typically will house things such as an auxiliary
trolled using an adjustable shock absorber battery or two, power inverter, solar control-
(damper). One reservation I had with AT’s ler, battery chargers, and 12VDC receptacles.
2. previous setup was that the physical relation- Both boxes have lockable hasps. Various inte-
Cons:
• Main cargo box access requires substan-
tial reach-over (varies with tire height)
• When deployed, the roof tent floor
partially folds if the cargo box lid is
opened (see photo #3)
• Fridge location inside front of box
requires lid to be opened to access fridge
4. • No rigid lid support as a backup in the
event of a gas strut failure
5.
T
he Horizon is similar to the enclosure and privy can be used for hot show-
Chaser in design; the chief dif- ers and/or portable toilet duties.
ference is in physical dimen- The Horizon lends itself to a more special-
sions and the number of stor- ized role in long-term trips, due to the ability
age compartments. The Horizon is 18 inches of the two side compartments to keep specific
shorter and four inches wider than the Chaser. equipment and/or supplies isolated from the
In addition to the main box and nose box, a bulk cargo area, and more readily available.
full-length side box is mounted above each Obviously one cabinet makes a great dedicat-
fender. One of the side boxes can be optioned ed kitchen workspace, housing a stove, pots,
as a kitchen, complete with a Cook Partner and cooking supplies. The other side can be
42 stainless-steel propane stove on slides, a full- reserved for field equipment and instruments,
length cutting board fitted to the inside of photography equipment, reference materi-
the door—which acts as a work surface when als—pretty much anything you want to keep
open—and a propane bottle mounted on the easily accessible. When we interviewed Mario
tongue. As on the Chaser, the optional 19- Donovan, co-owner of Adventure Trailers, he
gallon water tank is UV stabilized, black roto- noted that the company maintains a philoso-
molded polyethylene, and includes a spigot phy using a 10-minute rule. “When consider-
with a hand pump, just an arm’s reach from ing accessories for our systems, we insist that
the kitchen area. The advantage to the hand if camp can’t be set up in 10 minutes or less,
pump is reliability (fewer parts and no electric- it doesn’t belong on an Adventure Trailer.”
ity required), but it can be tedious if you need a adventuretrailers.com, 877-661-8097
lot of water. An optional freestanding shower
1.
2. 3. 4.
Cons:
• Main cargo box requires substantial
reach-over height for access (although
the tread-plates and large tailgate
compensate)
• When deployed, the tent floor partially
folds if the cargo box lid is opened
• No rigid lid support as a backup in the
event of a gas strut failure
5.
6. 7. 8. 43
9.
T
he Jumping Jack is a versatile the bench platforms for the tent (or the up-
trailer that serves three func- right sides when used as a utility trailer). The
tions: First, it provides a large, front panel also secures a third folding section
tall, and comfortable living of steel frame and expanded metal that is re-
space that will keep you out of the elements movable. It can be used either for the front
with room for several people to sit, sleep, eat, wall in utility-trailer mode, or as a large camp
and even walk around. Second, it provides a table with threaded leg attachments. The all-
large steel platform for transporting all man- steel construction with heavy hinged panels
ner of large and heavy cargo, including rec- and expanded metal cargo surface means that
reational toys, field equipment, tools, etc. (up rust can be a concern.
44 to approximately 1,800 pounds) Third, it can The tent is well-made and reminds me of
be converted to a standard utility trailer by re- the classic Springbar tents. Sewn from high-
moving the tent and securing the deck pan- quality cotton canvas fabric, the tent is breath-
els upright, which makes the front and sides able and seals well in wet weather. Setup is
nearly five feet tall. extremely easy (thus the name Jumping Jack),
You will have a tough time hurting this using a clever system of heavy-duty steel inter-
trailer. It’s built of heavy-duty, welded steel nal jointed arms assisted with gas struts. The
with a black powdercoat finish. The floor deck lever action of these arms locks them in place
is made of sealed wood planks. The cargo deck and provides the correct tension to keep the
consists of two hinged panels framed with tent body taught. The entire operation takes
steel and decked with expanded metal. They about five minutes. The tent boasts no fewer
fold 90 or 180 degrees to each side, creating than seven screened windows for great views
1.
2. 3. 4.
6. 8.
K
amparoo is known as Cub in So how does it work? You just park it
Australia, where they have where you want it, chock the wheels, unclip
been making trailers for three some latches and twist the foot-posts out a bit,
decades. Cub is distributed in crank the hand wheel until the tent is open,
North America by a Canadian company under and you’re finished. If necessary, you can de-
the Kamparoo label. Our test unit is a Vaca- ploy the stabilizer legs that level the floor, but
tioner model equipped with a Trans-Conti- that only takes another minute.
nental package, which includes a heavier-duty The Kamparoo uses a weatherproof
axle, longer and stronger drawbar, and larger clamshell enclosure to house the tent body,
46 (29-inch) tires, resulting in more ground clear- mattress, storage space, and support systems.
ance and rough service capability. The top half of the clamshell is clad with
Several things about this trailer set it apart checker plate aluminum and includes an in-
from the others we tested. No offense to one tegrated roof rack that can accommodate a
of the greatest women on earth (sorry mom, variety of loads (up to 400 pounds). As the
I’m just trying to make a point here), but my tent is deployed, this roof flips upside down
mother could tow this trailer into the bush by and becomes the solid, raised floor of the tent
herself, set it up by herself, and enjoy it. It’s room. The other half of the clamshell, fixed
that easy to use. This is an excellent trailer for over the chassis, is the bed where the mattress
anyone who doesn’t require highly technical and bedding reside, elevated slightly above the
trail capability, and it’s especially good for any- floor area. Below the bed is a 41 x 32 x 10-
one with limited mobility or strength. inch storage area that can accommodate bins,
1.
2. 3. 4.
T
he Campa originated in the from the test crew at the first night’s camp.
wilds of South Africa and Aus- The Campa was the most complex trailer
tralia, and over many years has of the group, and took the most time to set
evolved into the current de- up, but the results were worth it. There is no
sign, now manufactured in the U.S.A. The ac- mistaking that this trailer is built with a phi-
tual trailer used for our test is a well-traveled losophy best described by Chris Cole when
DRS (Disaster Reconnaissance System) unit, he told us, “It’s better to have it and not need
but is essentially the same as the ATT Ex- it than to need it and not have it.”
plorer model built for the civilian market. The Mounted to the forward section of the
Explorer is one of two civilian ATT models, trailer are a fridge and/or cooler, one or two
48 the other being the Expedition, which offers five-gallon jerry cans, an optional hot shower
larger tent and room options. unit, a deep-cycle battery and electrical sys-
After spending some time with this trail- tem, an optional Honda EU1000i power gen-
er, and interviewing the president of Campa, erator, and a spare tire. Two small platforms
Chris Cole, it became obvious that there is no behind the fenders hold one or two propane
better way to demonstrate the durability of a tanks, an expedition-grade water filter, and
product than to showcase one that has been two—yes, two—Hi-Lift jacks. The jacks at-
put through the wringer. The test trailer had tach at each rear corner, and are used for sta-
endured over 140,000 miles of use, includ- bilizing and leveling the trailer while camping,
ing the full length of the Rubicon Trail, and but can easily be detached for recovery or
surviving a flop on its side in Baja, Mexico, utility use.
1. yet still managed to elicit admiring comments
2. 3. 4.
Cons:
• Heavy when fully outfitted and loaded
(the test unit was over 3,000 pounds)
• No optional finishes
• Fridge is located at opposite end of the
trailer from galley
• Main box cannot be accessed without
raising the tent platform (although this
provides a security benefit)
6.
7.
49
10.
5. 8.
Conclusions 51
I’m sure I speak for the entire team when factor, the low profile and stability allowed wide track kept it (and the Jeep) very stable.
I say it was a pleasure to travel with these trail- it to follow through a surprising amount of I admit that I couldn’t declare a single
ers and see how they operate, both on the trail rough terrain without much protest. The personal favorite. I have two: the Adventure
and in camp. The manufacturers have each Jumping Jack’s biggest detraction in my mind Trailers Horizon and the Campa ATT Explor-
done a remarkable job at finding—and excel- is its width (91 inches). This keeps it off many er. I like to travel light (or at least fool myself
ling at —a niche in the market. The Adventure narrow trails and can be a hindrance to the into thinking I do), so I like the Horizon for
Trailers models and the Campa were the clear concept of treading lightly. However, I under- its compact dimensions, rugged construction,
favorites on technical trails. The Kamparoo stand that it must be this wide to accommodate and did I mention how much I love the sus-
was the most user-friendly, and its enclosed common OHVs (it can accommodate three pension? On the other hand, on many trips
standing-height bedroom was a plus. The adventure motorcycles side by side). This is an I’ve camped in one place for an extended time,
Jumping Jack stood out for volume of living important segment of Jumping Jack’s market and this aspect of the Campa is very appeal-
space combined with payload capacity. Much and shouldn’t be considered a fault, just some- ing. A fellow named Dan Cook is currently
like 4WDs, there was no single trailer that ex- thing to be aware of. The Adventure Trailers towing one of these trailers around the world
celled at something without a compromise in were effortless to tow through the test course. on a 75,000-mile fly-fishing trip—a perfect ex-
another segment (though the Adventure Trail- Although we tried to upset them in certain ample of someone fully exploiting the Campa
ers and Campa came close.) sections, they simply followed on through design (flyfishingtheglobe.net).
On the test course, all of the trailers behav- with no drama. The current TASS suspen-
ed well. None felt poorly balanced or trans- sion is outstanding. The heft of the Campa
ferred any unpleasant feedback. The light fully loaded for a trip could be felt behind the
weight of the Kamparoo was obvious, and Jeep, but not as much as we feared. The well-
while the suspension and tires are a limiting balanced components, low tongue weight, and
Windy Edgar:
Adventure Trailers Horizon
Jeremy Edgar: The trailers we tested were manufac-
Adventure Trailers Horizon tured with such different goals that
Danica Moore:
Campa ATT Explorer Like the average North American, I could envision myself using each
Tim Huber: most of my adventures are limited one. Considering my needs, and a
This was an amazing opportunity, to long weekends. Something in the preference for complete indepen-
Campa ATT Explorer and I had a blast learning about and two-week range would be consid- dence, my favorite was the Horizon.
I saw the different trailers as Swiss testing all five trailers. However, ered epic. Taking this into consider- It’s easy to use and access, and sturdy
Army knives, each made with dif- only two really stood out for me. ation, the Horizon was my favorite. for off-highway travel. It’s comple-
ferent options and in sizes to suit
My dream is to take a year off The compartments keep gear well- mented with carefully considered op-
the user’s needs. That being said,
and travel around the world, and organized, safe, and dry. The easy tions, such as a refrigerator on sliding
my clear favorite was the Campa.
one trailer really catered to this. setup and breakdown is ideal for a tracks, a roof-top tent, an awning, a
The ATT is truly the ultimate.
The Campa ATT had everything weekend trip, but the trailer easily 19-gallon water tank, and a kitchen
Every feature, compartment, and
52 tool was obsessively thought out. I would need to survive on my supports two people for lengthier contained in a side box, with plenty
own safely, away from the civilized journeys. Ease of towing, clean de- of extra storage. The Horizon has
It shows that this design has been
world. The kitchen was built for six sign, and stout suspension also add ample room for mounted toys such
around the world and is the most
people, and the tent can sleep up to to its appeal. as bicycles. It’s easy to hitch and tow,
tested of the bunch. I feel the ATT
five. It has plenty of storage for wa- and travels with confidence over any
offers the most versatility in the If I were to undertake a journey of
ter and fuel. It’s obviously built to terrain. The best feature is the cus-
most efficient package. several months into extreme terrain
handle any type of weather Mother tomer service. You can travel know-
and weather, my top choice would ing you have solid back-end support
Second choice? The Adventure Nature could throw at you. It can be the Campa. It’s the Boy Scout from the company.
Trailers Horizon. It has the capac- withstand a small flood, extreme of trailers: prepared for any situa-
ity and many of the options of the heat, and fairly cold temperatures. tion. On the opposite end of the My second choice was the Kamparoo.
Campa. For three- to seven-day What more could anyone ask for? spectrum, solely for short week- This trailer is so easy to manage you
trips the Horizon will support two
I know my dream trip is in the dis- end outings, my pick would be the can truly deploy the tent one-handed.
people in great comfort. It boasts
tant future, so for now I will ex- Kamparoo for its one-handed ease The interior resembles a real bed-
the most technologically advanced
plore the United States. The Campa of setup. room more than a tent. I appreciated
suspension, and it won my heart in
seemed a bit much for long week- the kitchen mounted in a dedicated
the looks department.
end or even week-long trips. For box with a sink and faucet, stor-
Then again: I can think of five this reason, I loved the Adventure age space for a stove and cookware,
different trips I took last year for Trailers Horizon. It had all the ame- and a 14-gallon water tank. The low
which each of the five trailers nities and safety you would need center of gravity and general tough-
would have been my first choice. It for smaller adventures, such as an ness allow the Kamparoo to negoti-
just depends. efficient kitchen area and plenty of ate diverse terrain. Both trailers are
storage. It’s easy to clean and access user-friendly for one person or more.
is good. The trailer is built for du- They each have a clean, simple design
rability. I could take this trailer on while efficiently serving the purpose
ALL my adventures. for which they are intended.
Outlander Trailers
Although we were unable to secure one in time for our test, we wanted
to include some information about Outlander. I was able to examine these
trailers at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab last year, and was impressed
with the utilitarian nature of the design. The basic concept is a tube steel
frame, almost like a cage, to which various cargo boxes and equipment
are mounted. This modular approach allows Outlander to offer various
models and configurations. The 11-gauge steel framework provides a
sturdy and protective means of transporting a payload over technical
terrain in the backcountry.
The Sherpa (pictured) is a compact model; the Sherpa II is a larger
version with either a top-loading or rear-access main box. Another model,
the Traverse, can transport adventure motorcycles.
The dustproof and weatherproof locking cargo boxes are made of
tig-welded, powder-coated aluminum. The main box on the Sherpa II can
be removed for typical utility use and hauling duties. All of the trailers
can be customized with roof-tents, jerry cans, coolers, tool mounts, tire
carriers, multi-axis couplers, Yakima rack accessories, and more. Axle op-
tions include rigid tube axles with shock absorbers, or torsion-style axles.
The standard tires are 235/75/R15, but custom wheel and tire options are
available. Running ground clearance is a minimum of 13 inches.
Outlanders are competitively priced: The base model Sherpa, including
the main cargo box, starts at less than $3,000. (Prices are subject to change,
so please verify with Outlander.) outlandertrailers.com, 501-681-4573
53
Adventure Trailers
Prototype clamshell overland trailer
Adventure Trailers, following their tradition for innovation, will re-
lease a new overland trailer this fall. The new design combines their fast-
acting independent air suspension, and a lightweight composite body.
The design allows for quick set-up, and incorporates a large expand-
able main tent with standing head room, and a full kitchen with a stove,
fridge, and water. The trailer features easily accessible storage compart-
ments, and a built-in queen size bed.
Development and testing are currently underway at Adventure Trail-
er's Upland, California, facility. adventuretrailers.com, 877-661-8097
Overall width* 64" / 163cm 68" / 173cm 71" / 180cm 91" / 231cm 67" / 170cm
Overall height** 65" / 165cm 69" / 175cm 72" / 183cm 48" / 122cm 49" / 124cm
Approx. weight (dry)* 1100 lbs / 499 kg 1500 lbs / 680 kg 3100 lbs / 1406 kg 1200 lbs / 544 kg 845 lbs / 383 kg
Payload capacity 1800 lbs / 816 kg 1400 lbs / 635 kg 2200 lbs / 998 kg 1795 lbs / 814 kg 790 lbs / 358 kg
Recommended tire
Up to 35" Up to 35" 31"-33" 28" 29"-31"
size
TASS (Independent TASS (Independent
Axle type Round tube (rigid) Torsion style Square tube (rigid)
trailing arm) trailing arm)
Axle rating 2500 lbs / 1134 kg 2500 lbs / 1134 kg 6000 lbs / 2722 kg 3500 lbs / 1588 kg 3500 lbs / 1588 kg
Suspension type Air spring/shock Air spring/shock Leaf spring/shock Rubber inserts Leaf spring/shock
* as tested
54 ** approximate - varies depending on tires, rack components, tent, etc.
Resources
Other trailer manufacturers of note:
Aliner Expedition: aliner.com, 724-423-7440
Tentrax: tentrax.com, 800-488-2022
Jayco Baja: jayco.com, 574-825-5861
Chalet Alpine with Trailboss Package: chaletrv.com, 541-791-4610
Sylvan Sport Go Trailer: sylvansport.com, 828-883-4292
Conqueror Trailers: americanmobileresponders.com, 678-557-1008
Some of these trailers will have limited capability during extended adventures or over technical
terrain. Special Thanks
Special thanks to overland trailer owners
Online information: Andrew Walcker (Adventure Trailers Horizon)
Outback Teardrop Trailer Site: outbackteardrop.com and Mike Schwartz (Kamparoo Vacationer
Expedition Portal Forum: expeditionportal.com/forum Trans-Continental) for traveling to Arizona to
Teardrops and Tiny Trailers Forum: mikenchell.com/forums participate in the comparison.
55
56
61
Pros:
• Extremely lightweight
• Fast pitch
• Storm-resistant
• Silicone-coated fabric
• Made in U.S.
Cons:
• Must be treated with care
• Marginal headroom
• No vestibule
• Door lets in rain when opened
T
here are several sub-four-pound tents on the market. surface of the inner wall is aluminized. Theoretically this creates a
But not one boasts anything close to the 42 square feet modest insulation layer, reducing the temperature contrast that causes
of floor space offered by the Stephenson 2RSL, which condensation. It seems to work, although excellent chimney ventila-
64 weighs exactly three pounds—probably less than the tion probably contributes as much.
chrome studs on a pair of leather Harley Davidson panniers. Yet the Pitched tail to wind with just three stakes, the 2RSL set up tight
Stephenson’s two-pole, sloped-tunnel design is not only spacious, it’s in a fast 3 minutes, 23 seconds. Twenty-five-mph gusts just rolled off
incredibly strong, known to shrug off 60-mph Himalayan gales. it. Side winds are more problematic, however—while the tent stands
Credit this weight-to-performance ratio to Jack Stephenson, a for- up to them, the windward wall can bow in enough to reduce interior
mer aeronautical engineer. He, and now his son, William, have been volume by a third.
sewing tents and sleeping bags for a small but loyal clientele for 40 Inside, the 2RSL is five feet across and nearly nine feet from end
years. (They also supply an amusing naturist-oriented catalog and web- to end. Stephenson calls the space adjacent the door a “vestibule,” but
site.) Stephenson uses a featherweight, 30-Denier, silicone-impregnat- it’s really just space. Certainly there’s room for all kinds of gear. Head-
ed nylon sourced from the hot-air balloon industry—which explains room, however, is a bit tight; I measured just 37 inches. The SL option
the exuberant color combination on the review tent. Fortunately, more combines a larger door with huge side windows that can be guyed out
muted choices are available. to provide vast screened ventilation, or zipped up for winter use.
Stephenson eschews industry-standard pole design. The 2RSL’s First exposure to the Stephenson’s feathery fabric and poles can
front pole is a fat 16mm in diameter, but very thin-walled. It’s pre- be a bit alarming—it doesn’t seem possible anything so light could be
formed into an elliptical arc, so no stress is induced bending the pole durable. Indeed, the tent should be treated with care. A groundsheet or
to pitch the tent as with most designs (the sections are short enough to footprint is a good idea (and oddly not offered by the company). How-
create no packing problems). The aluminum alloy is a superior 7178T6. ever, given consideration, Stephensons are astonishingly resilient—I
While strong, the poles must be treated with care—step on one and it know a couple of 15-plus-year-old 2Rs still in regular service. A testi-
will collapse. mony to the staying power of both the tent and the company.
Stephenson’s approach to condensation control is also unique: warmlite.com, 603-293-8526
Both the inner and outer wall of the 2RSL are coated, and the outer
K
ifaru brought a familiar shape into the 21st century ing some williwaws that slammed through the site on the first test
to create a different approach to wilderness shelter. day. The central pole is heavy-walled aluminum, adjustable to properly
The 6-man Tipi is a floorless, single-wall, ellipsoidal tension the tent. Since it experiences little but compression stress, it’s
pyramid, supported by a central aluminum pole and immensely strong.
15 perimeter stakes. Besides the unparalleled 140 square feet enclosed The Tipi’s fabric is a lightweight, silicone-impregnated . . . fabric.
by its four pounds, nine ounces, the design also provides full standing Kifaru declined to say if it’s nylon, polyester, or some blend. As a re-
headroom right next to the pole. Still not impressed? You can also sult of the coated single-wall construction, the pyramid shape, and the
equip the Tipi with a 3 1/2-pound woodburning stove that folds into lack of peak ventilation, the Kifaru can condense dramatically in cold
a 10 x 12 x 2-inch-thick package—including the seven-foot chimney. conditions. Usually this will simply run down the steep walls, but in a
You have to see it to believe it. wind it can shake off onto the occupants, as I experienced once in the
The “6-man” designation is misleading. Six people could sleep in Bighorn Mountains. Kifaru offers an optional liner to mitigate the prob-
it, but the sloping walls leave the perimeter of the tent usable for little lem. The same construction characteristics that cause condensation in
but fully horizontal humans, or gear storage—albeit a vast amount of cold weather ironically make the Tipi a bit of an oven when it’s warm,
the latter. The actual living area is spacious for two, and easily accom- although the white fabric version should reduce that effect.
modates a pair of Kermit chairs or LuxuryLite UltraLite cots (see the Living with a floorless shelter is easy when it’s tall enough to walk
2008 Overland Journal Gear Guide). This is the tent to have in extended in rather than crawl. A smaller floored tent with a bunch of tracked-in
foul weather conditions: Stoke up the fire, brew some coffee, and grab dust that you have to sit in actually feels dirtier. Only if you mess up and
a book. pitch it in a low spot are you likely to get rain water running underneath.
Pitching is easy, but time-consuming. You must allow the right The perimeter is mostly in contact with the ground, so flying insects are
amount of slack when staking the perimeter, measured using one of not the problem you might think, and you could easily plug any gaps.
the included plastic stakes. Once up—my second try took me 9 min- Sitting in a chair next to a glowing stove in the Kifaru, it’s hard to believe
utes, 5 seconds, not a long time, but the slowest in the review—the you’re in a “lightweight” tent. kifaru.net, 800-222-6139
Kifaru is very sturdy despite its tall profile. It had no problem deflect-
65
Pros:
• Huge floor area
• Standing headroom
• Optional stove
• Lightweight
• Silicone-coated fabric
• Made in U.S.
Cons:
• Very expensive
• Poor ventilation
• Prone to condensation
• Time-consuming pitch
Pros:
• Very fast pitch
• Roomy
• Lightweight
• Weather-resistant
• Innovative
Cons:
• No true vestibule
• Marginal for four-season use
J
udging solely from its name, you’d expect the Morpho to be a Inside the 4-pound, 13-ounce Morpho there’s nearly as much floor
far-out design—and you’d be right. Don’t bother looking for space (40 square feet) as the Stephenson, but the higher, 40-inch peak
66 the poles when you pitch this one, because there aren’t any. height actually makes it seem roomier. The fat, three-inch-thick air
The Morpho uses air instead. tubes are well-protected inside sleeves, and don’t intrude noticeably.
Stake out the Morpho’s four corners, then hook up the “Nemoid” There’s no vestibule per se on the Morpho. However, from inside
bellows foot pump to the front air beam valve and start stepping. Like the tent you can open the front screen panel, unclip the nose of the
a green beast emerging from the depths, the tent rises and begins to tent from the fly, and draw it backward, creating a covered, floorless
assume a rigid, sloped-hoop shape. Inflate the second beam and you’re area for cooking. I suppose you could store gear there as well, but
finished. I’ve seen a video of this accomplished in 45 seconds flat, but doing so would reduce the sleeping area significantly. Unclipping the
that was with an already-staked tent—cheating. Starting from scratch section has no effect on the structural integrity.
and moving quickly but smoothly, I had a best time of 2 minutes, 10 I can’t quite decide if the Morpho is a three- or four-season tent.
seconds—still darn fast and easily the best in test. It’s strong enough to resist wind and snow loads, and the single-wall
It all sounds like a gimmick, but it’s not. The air beam structure is half of it smacks of a mountaineering shelter. But the screen front
very strong, and utterly resilient—you can fall on top of this tent and would let in a lot of swirling cold air, and when the front fly is but-
it will pop right back up (just in case, spare air tubes are included). The toned up there’s no peak ventilation at all. On the other hand, the
exterior—a hybrid of single-wall, waterproof/breathable construction screen allows good crossflow air movement on warm nights with both
at the rear and top, and a screen front under a silicone-coated nylon doors tied open. Perhaps three-season-plus is the right description.
nose—vied with that on the Hilleberg as the most wrinkle-free. Pitched One thing’s for sure: The Morpho packs a lot of living room into a
tail to wind it was equal of any tent here in 25-to 30-mph winds, and light and strong package that will have you out of the weather faster
it actually resisted moderate side winds better than the Stephenson, than any tent here. nemoequipment.com, 800-997-9301
although stronger gusts started to push over the beams if I didn’t stake
out the guy points.
H
illeberg, a family-run company based in Sweden (with hook every other fly clip to an alternate pole, resulting in phenomenal
a recent subsidiary in the U.S.), has been producing rigidity. Since the Staika’s footprint is symmetrical, a shift in wind di-
best-quality shelters for mountaineers, canoeists, and rection bothers it not in the least. During my time with it there was
other outdoorspeople for 35 years. They pioneered never an indication from the tent that there was wind, despite some
the concept of linked canopies and flies that pitch in one step, and 30-mph-plus gusts.
were one of the first makers to adopt superior silicone-impregnated The Staika incorporates what I think is an ideal living arrangement
fabrics. for two in a small tent. Floor area is a roomy if not huge 35 square feet,
The Staika (made in the Hilleberg factory in Estonia) is one of but each occupant has his or her own full-sized entrance and an identi-
their most versatile models. It’s a three-pole dome with joined canopy cal, generous vestibule. Despite the aerodynamic shape of the exterior,
and fly. The poles are 10.25mm DAC Featherlight, a little fatter (and the interior side walls are nearly vertical, and sitting headroom is avail-
thus stronger) than commonly supplied with tents this size. The pole able over much of the floor. The ventilation on each door can be var-
ends slide into short pockets around the base of the fly, after which ied from nothing to full screen; in fact in bugless conditions the doors
the upper part clips on, and a separate vent top clips over that. It’s so will open completely the full length of each side, creating basically a
instinctive that my second pitch, in 4 minutes, 15 seconds, was only a shaded gazebo. Effective peak venting should minimize condensation
few seconds faster than the first. Hastening the process is the fact that when you’re buttoned up in a blow.
the Staika is completely free-standing—even the dual vestibules are Quibbles? Well . . . the hooks that hold open the interior doors are
supported completely by the poles. This is the only tent here you could tiny and difficult to operate even bare-handed; with gloves on they’d be
effortlessly pitch on rock, ice, or even soft sand. the target of much cursing. The Staika is the second heaviest tent here
While fully self-supporting, the Staika can also be nailed to the at 7 pounds, 5 ounces minus its included pile of stakes. But you’d have
planet via no fewer than 16 stake loops and included, instantly adjust- a difficult time finding a more versatile, comfortable, and bombproof
able guylines (with 16 included, excellent-quality stakes), to resist even lightweight tent. hilleberg.com, 425-883-0101
a ferocious storm. If that’s not enough, it can also be double-poled:
You can insert an additional set of poles in the existing sleeves, and
67
Pros:
• Extremely storm-resistant
• Ideal two-person layout
• Completely freestanding
• Excellent ventilation
• Made in Europe
Cons:
• Expensive
• Heavy for solo use
Pros:
• Low price
• Linked canopy and fly
• Excellent ventilation
• Big vestibule
Cons:
• Three-season only
• Time-consuming pitch
S
ierra Designs has a long history of offering a lot of tent Even on my second try, dealing with the hub, clips, sleeves, and fly ten-
for the money. I’ve totally lost track of the models I’ve sioners, plus the three stakes necessary to tension the two vestibules,
tried and owned, but most performed beyond their price, 6 minutes and 41 seconds had gone by before I climbed inside, the
68 and the Tengu 2 is no exception. It also proves that Sierra second-longest time of the review.
Designs hasn’t simply been treading water selling their perennially pop- Once inside, I found the 32 square feet of floor space adequate,
ular Clip Flashlight. helped by vertical side walls and, of course, the generous outside stor-
The three-pole Tengu 2 boasts the same attached canopy and fly age. The floor was a bit short, however: barely seven feet long under
design as the Hilleberg, and has a similar rectangular floor with dual sloping end walls. If you are over six feet tall this is probably not the
entrances and vestibules. But one vestibule on the Tengu is very large, tent for you. Ventilation is unmatched, as you’d expect with nothing
the other very small—sort of a vestigial vestibule, if you will. The big but screen around you, and a peak vent in the fly helps exhaust warm
one is plenty big enough to store a mound of gear, or cook in when air. One disadvantage to the Tengu’s design is that the canopy cannot
stormbound. The canopy of the Tengu, however, is nearly all screen, be set up on its own as a screen room. However, with both vestibule
keeping it firmly in the three-season category. It’s perfectly strong in doors tied back there’s still plenty of breeze. Skylights in the fly and
wind, thanks to a well-cut, PU-coated fly and variable-diameter (8.5 vestibule combine with the neutral blue fabric to let in pleasing natural
to 9.6mm) DAC poles, but that wide open canopy would be frigid in light.
cold weather. I suspect that with a little practice, one could reduce the Tengu’s
Pitching the Tengu was more fiddly than it should have been given pitching time. For its weight, reasonable at 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and
the unified canopy and fly. The two main poles are joined in the middle price, the lowest here by over $100, the Tengu 2 is a sturdy home for
by a swiveling hub, which frankly was a pain—when positioning one two for spring, summer, and fall trips where the chance of near-freez-
pole in its tab grommet, the hub would transfer movement to the oth- ing temperatures is scant. sierradesigns.com, 800-635-0461
er pole and it would pop out of its tab. If this were my tent I’d remove
the hub and accept the slight loss in strength Sierra Designs claims it
adds. The third, shorter pole supports the fly over the main vestibule.
T
he Elbow Room lived up to its goofy name: It was Room presented a smooth profile to the wind. However, I had to add
hands-down the most spacious floored tent here. De- short paracord runners to each tie-out loop to achieve what I felt was
spite empirical dimensions similar to the Nemo and Ste- proper tension, and I didn’t like the tiny, ground-level, Fastex-style
phenson (40 square feet), the soaring ceiling—well over plastic buckles that attach the fly to the stake loops.
40 inches tall across most of the tent—and near vertical side and end The canopy incorporates screen windows in the end doors, and
walls, added to the light-gathering cream-colored canopy and fly to a large screen window high on each side. Two peak vents in the fly,
create a tremendous feeling of airiness. Admittedly, this tent is sold as a held open with struts, ensure good chimney air movement. The screen
three-person model and it is the heaviest in the review, but its 7 pound, windows are a little too big to consider this tent a four-season design,
10 ounce weight is not out of line with some smaller two-person tents. but they’re high enough under the full-coverage fly that every cold gust
It would be perfectly comfortable for a couple with a small child. won’t be sucked into the tent. You’d be better protected in the Elbow
The Elbow Room follows conventional tent construction: The Room in a freak blizzard than in either the Tengu 2 or the Morpho.
canopy goes up first, followed by a separate fly. The freestanding cano- And of course on warm summer nights you can pull off the fly and
py is supported by two main 9.5mm DAC poles in a standard overhead leave the windows totally open to the breeze.
X shape. These poles slide through sleeves with a pocket on one end, Like the Hilleberg, each occupant of the Elbow Room can claim a
so there’s no walking around the tent to stick the pole end in a tab. A private door and identical vestibule, except they’re on the ends of the
third, 9.1mm pole circles the tent at about shoulder level, pulling out tent instead of the sides, which is not quite as convenient. But if you’re
the walls on clips, and forming an eyebrow for the vestibules on each cooking under one end, either occupant can exit the other end without
end of the tent. Time to erect after one trial was a reasonable 5 min- climbing over a tentmate. Not counting the Kifaru, this is the tent in
utes, 30 seconds, but if it’s raining or snowing, the canopy is exposed which I’d be most happy during a six-hour rainstorm.
to weather until you stretch the fly on the last step. With the minimum msrgear.com, 800-531-9531
four stakes required to locate the ends and side of the fly, the Elbow
69
Pros:
• Very roomy
• Bright interior
• Weather-resistant
• Canopy can be pitched
separately
Cons:
• Heavy for solo use
• Marginal for four-season
use
W
hen I worked for other outdoor magazines as a Of the conventional—i.e., non-tipi—designs, the MSR was the
freelance equipment tester, I was frequently told nicest in which to spend a lot of time. That horizontal pole really does
which products to test—and that often included add elbow room, fully exploiting the generous floor and vestibule
stuff from companies that were good advertisers space. Of course, the MSR is the heaviest tent here by a small mar-
but poor manufacturers. Now I’m free to choose the best candidates gin, but its combination of room, build quality, and right-on-the-edge-
to start with, and that’s exactly what I did here. Each of these compa- of-four-season versatility put it solidly in the running for the Editor’s
nies is familiar to me, and I know from Choice. I can’t find a single reason not
experience that every one produces to recommend this tent.
top-quality gear. There are no inferior The Stephenson is the lightest tent
products here, just shades of excel- by almost two pounds, yet it has the
lence. most floor area. It’s one of the stron-
The Sierra Designs Tengu 2 is gest if kept pitched tail-to-wind, and
significantly the most affordable tent it’s equally comfortable in the warm-
here, and holds its own in quality. Its est or the coldest conditions. Quite a
PU-coated materials are in line with combination of bests. However, no
most competitors, and the DAC poles one can deny that the gossamer 2RSL
are first-class. The bathtub floor is one needs to be treated with care to make it
piece of material with no seams—even last. My minor quibbles lie more in day-
the Hilleberg can’t claim that. The Ten- to-day considerations. I strongly prefer
gu combines reasonable interior room a floorless vestibule for storing wet
with excellent vestibule space, inside a or muddy gear, such as boots or soft
sturdy, wind-resistant structure. It was panniers, out of the weather, and for
let down a bit by the time-consuming cooking in the rain. I’d trade some of
pitch and three-season-only weather the Stephenson’s interior area for some
protection, but if you are not much covered exterior area, and a little more
taller than my five-foot-nine, it’s a solid headroom. The door, while it provides
value. easy access, lets in a lot of water if you
70 The Kifaru is an enigma. It en- have to enter or leave while it’s raining.
closes an enormous area, yet the livable If you can live with those characteris-
part is not that much bigger than some tics, no tent on earth offers more room
other tents here, albeit much taller—the and strength for less weight.
luxury of being able to stand up to The Hilleberg Staika must also be
dress, and use real chairs and cots, can’t evaluated with consideration of its
be overstated. However, the single-wall weight—the second highest here. You
construction and lack of peak venting mean it’s hot in hot weather could carry two Stephensons instead. However, the Staika matches the
and prone to condensation in cold. The latter can be addressed with 2RSL in quality, and betters it in layout, convenience, resistance to
the optional liner, but that would add to the already terrifyingly high abuse, and multi-directional wind stability. The freestanding capability
cost—a fully optioned 6-man Tipi with screen doors, stove, and liner shouldn’t be overvalued, since all tents should be staked when pos-
retails for $1,600. The Kifaru’s 15 required stakes and large footprint sible, but in situations where stakes simply can’t be used the Hilleberg
limit pitching options in some areas, and result in a long setup time. shines, and the feature makes setup a snap. The floor plan is one of
The Kifaru struck me as a luxurious nonconformist choice for cool- the best I’ve seen for two people. The Staika is four-season-capable as
weather camping in habitats where staking is easy, for those who ap- is; double-poling it would render it invulnerable to anything short of a
preciate the made-in-U.S. quality and can afford the price. storm with a name. If the tent is split between two bikes the individual
While it isn’t the least expensive tent, the Nemo Morpho clearly of- load is inconsequential. The Staika earns the Editor’s Choice—it is
fers the most innovation for the money. The air-supported construc- worth every penny of its premium price, and will provide a safe and
tion might not render aluminum poles extinct, but it’s a viable alterna- comfortable haven for years of adventures.
tive, and performs on a par with poled tents. Even discounting that,
the Morpho is a well-made, sturdy shelter that’s light enough for solo
use but spacious enough for two. I’d like to see a model with a proper
vestibule, but that gripe wasn’t nearly enough to prevent me giving the
Morpho our Value Award.
I
consider vestibules to be a critical design feature of tents
used for overland travel. Without one, you are brewing cof-
fee in the rain, and either sleeping with your muddy riding
boots inside the tent or hoping whatever you covered them
with the night before didn’t blow away, leaving you with soggy feet for
the next two days.
The Tengu 2 has the vestibule nailed, but the mesh canopy won’t
cut it when temperatures head south. The MSR and the Hilleberg are
both superb tents, but I would give the edge to the Hilleberg for the
slightly larger and more convenient vestibules, and its freestanding de-
sign.
For two people, having separate entrances, each with its own vesti-
bule, is an incredible convenience. After a long day on the trail, when
blood sugar levels are low and tempers are shorter than normal, being
able to pitch the tent and get out of the elements quickly makes life
on the road so much nicer. Equally important is the ability to get to
your own boots and egress from the tent for that 3:00 a.m. nature call
without crawling over your tentmate.
The Hilleberg Staika would add over seven pounds to your pay-
load, but it provides a rock-solid shelter for two, fast set up, easy ac-
cess, good ventilation, and would be an outstanding addition to the
gear list for any trip where a ground tent would be used.
71
Stephenson 2RSL MSR Elbow Room 3 Kifaru 6-man Tipi Hilleberg Staika Nemo Morpho Sierra Designs Tengu 2
Weight without
3 lbs, 0 oz / 1.36 kg 7 lbs, 10 oz / 3.6 kg 4 lbs, 9 oz / 2.1 kg 7 lbs, 5 oz / 3.3 kg 4 lbs, 13 oz / 2.2 kg 6 lbs, 5 oz / 2.9 kg
stakes
Best pitch time 3 min, 23 sec 5 min, 30 sec 9 min, 5 sec 4 min, 15 sec 2 min, 10 sec 6 min, 41 sec
73
10.
1.
11.
2. 6. 75
3. 7.
4. 8. 12.
76
78
OverlandPhoto by Summer
Journal Jack Dykinga
2008
The chill in the morning air belies the fact that in Emerging sharply from the desert floor, the white granite face glows
six months, this will be one of the harshest places in the United States, red as first light skates across the world, and the mass of spines on the
with daytime temperatures soaring to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But in multi-headed cactus catches hints of the color. Dykinga checks the spot
January, just before the pink band of first light appears on the hori- meter again, then methodically exposes several sheets of film. Within
zon, Jack Dykinga finishes his photographer’s breakfast—coffee and a minutes, the perfect light has passed—and the first half of the day is
chocolate chip cookie—then bundles up in a down parka and climbs out finished. A lifetime of experience, the last 27 years of which have been
of the Four Wheel Pop-up camper mounted on the back of his Toyota spent almost exclusively behind a 4x5 camera, tells him he got the shot.
Tundra. Throughout the years, Jack has traveled here frequently. He knows
When the pink band appears, Dykinga knows he has about 20 min- instinctively how the light dances across the desert. He greets individual
utes to get his 4x5 Arca Swiss camera set up, and the shot composed. plants as if they were long lost friends. This place, the Cabeza Prieta
He’d scouted out the location the night before, knowing how the light National Wildlife Refuge, 860,000 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert in
would play on the Tinajas Altas mountains and the cotton-top cactus he southwestern Arizona, is a place that makes Jack Dykinga’s heart sing.
had chosen for the foreground. “I can only hope that if I can capture the spirit of the place on film,
80
“I’m drawn to holes on the map. Places that are the big empty.
I suppose it’s the solitude, the quiet, and the star-filled nights.”
Overland Journal Summer 2008
other hearts will sing, too,” he has said. “I want to go places where people don’t
It is more than making a living that go,” he says. “This truck and camper com-
drives Dykinga; it’s more than the art—it’s bination is quite simply the most impor-
about saving landscapes and preserving tant piece of equipment I own. In order to
wildness. take great photographs of the landscape,
“That’s the whole thing,” he says. “This one needs to live there. I use my camper as
is what you want to do with your photogra- a mobile base camp and office, from which
phy—change the planet.” I can hike or backpack deeper into wilder-
At 65, an age when many men are ness areas.”
thinking of retirement, Dykinga, one of “Both the Toyota Tundra and the Four
the preeminent landscape photographers Wheel Camper are bombproof and totally
in the world, is in his prime. The gregarious reliable. For me, a breakdown means no
bear of a man exudes passion for his craft, time in the field, and that translates into no
the environment, and life. income. This is first and foremost a work
“Advocacy is the driving force in my truck.”
photography. I use large format as a ham- Dykinga lives out of the truck for days
mer,” Dykinga is quoted on the Lowepro or weeks—depending on the location, the
website, one of his sponsors. “The Sono- weather, or the assignment. For him, it is
ran Desert has a sparseness that makes it paramount to spend time in a place, to live
look like a monument, yet it’s full of life— there.
everything from whales along its shores to “You don’t ever get good landscape
pronghorn antelope, in a unique ecosys- photos unless you live there. You really do
tem. There are two Mexican National Parks have to learn the nuance of the land, and
in the Sonoran Desert, but protection on see the light. Then the next day you might
the U.S. side is lagging.” get a picture. In landscape photography,
Dykinga would like to see the Cabeza light is more than mere illumination—it is
Prieta given national park status. He serves the subject.”
on the board of the Sonoran National Park In workshops, of which he teaches
Project, an effort to turn the region into a eight to 10 a year, he preaches light—and
bi-national park on the Arizona/Sonora control. He packs as much into a photo-
border. graph as possible, even if the subject is 81
Sadly, even existing protection on the simple. In an interview on a German blog
U.S. side is suffering, from both the mas- site, Dykinga describes his style this way:
sive tide of illegal immigrants, and from the “I try to move the viewer’s eye through
efforts of the Department of Homeland this rectangle that I have imposed on the
Security to stem the flow and protect the landscape. I do this by using the power of
U.S. from possible terrorist attacks. the corners with radiating bold diagonal
Signs of the strife are everywhere on lines. I strive to create maximum impact
the Devil’s Highway. Border Patrol agents with contrasts in color, texture, subject
drive repeatedly back and forth, stirring matter, and flow of compositions from
up clouds of dust. They stop at our camp very close to infinity. A successful photo is
in the middle of the night, diesel engines one which can be approached on multiple
idling. Worst of all, tracks from both immigrant and Border Patrol ve- levels. For instance, it can be artfully composed, it can document the
hicles arc across the land. Shaking his head as we walk through the desert subject and transmit information, or it can be simply a pleasing juxtapo-
between the good light of dawn and dusk, Dykinga says, “Everything sition of color and texture. The best images pack in the most informa-
changed after 9/11. This was going to be a national park, then Home- tion or create a sense of wonder.”
land Security came in here and ran roughshod.” That sense of wonder is often missing from his students, and society
A rare moment when his enthusiasm is ruffled. as a whole.
Dykinga, whose most recent book, Images—Jack Dykinga’s Grand “To me, that is what’s lacking. The sense of wonder and discovery.”
Canyon, was released in April 2008, spends nearly half the year work- He all too often sees “destination trophy hunters” who see photos in
ing away from his Tucson home. His traveling home is his 2004 Toyota books and magazines, and strive to recreate them. One needs to wander
Tundra TRD Access Cab 4x4, to which he added a 1.25-inch suspension to find what Dykinga is looking for.
lift, Firestone airbags, upgraded Bilstein shocks—and that Four Wheel “I’m drawn to holes on the map. Places that are the big empty. I sup-
Pop-up camper. pose it’s the solitude, the quiet, and the star-filled nights.”
85
Cat conservationists August 31, 1996 – Baboquivari Mountains, southern Arizona. A hot,
muggy summer day, the best kind, when the normally dun-colored hills are
come together in the bristling green and alive with butterflies and flowers and birds, a gift from
what we call monsoon rains. Lifelong cougar hunter Jack Childs, his wife,
Arizona-Mexico bor- Anna Mary, and hunting partners Matt Colvin and Gavin Weller were work-
ing their hounds in these remote, rugged mountains two hours southwest
derlands to find out: Is of Tucson. The terrain is so fractured and steep, it can take hours to cover
just a few miles. The dogs had picked up a scent and were baying hard up
North America ready in the oak-and-juniper-dotted rhyolite crags above. But something sounded
to ensure a future for wrong—the dogs were frantic, their calls more urgent than normal. Two
cougars? Cubs? Scrambling up the scree slopes, the hunters gained the
our biggest cat? ridgetop to find their dogs had treed not the expected mountain lion, but
a large male jaguar—El Tigre stared balefully down at them. As the legend
goes, Jack put down his rifle and picked up his video camera. And his life
Above: Motion-triggered camera captures a jaguar in was changed forever.
southern Arizona (Emil McCain, Borderlands Jaguar
Detection Project).
86
Panthera onca,
the jaguar, is the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere. Males aver- a gutteral, cough-like call that resonates across even forest landscapes
age five to six feet in length and can top 200 pounds. By contrast, (much like a very loud leopard’s call).
male cougars in the Southwest rarely exceed 150 pounds. The cougar Like all cats except African lions, jaguars are solitary, and come
is long and sleek, with tall legs and a smallish head, but the jaguar’s together only to mate; females raise their cubs on their own to an
blocky head sits atop powerful shoulders on stocky legs with large age of about 12 to 18 months. The territories of males might take in
feet. Jaguars are perfectly suited to climbing, swimming, and crawling parts of female territories, but males don’t share territories—they will
in order to capture their preferred prey: peccaries, deer, livestock, and fight to hold their ground. As the cubs mature, males disperse out of
even caimans. Jaguars are “roaring” cats, with a larynx adapted to make their mother’s home range and strike off to find their own stomping
88
gered Species Act was passed in 1972, the jaguar was listed in Mexico big cat feces (also called scat) in the middle of the trail—still practi-
but not in the U.S., because it was assumed to be extinct here. One cally steaming, not more than a few hours old. A few paces away was
interesting fact is that there has been no female documented since a scrape—a pile of leaf litter next to the trail that cats such as cougars
1963, and so it’s still widely thought there is no breeding population pile up and then urinate on. These are scent markers or “signposts” to
in Arizona. The nearest confirmed breeding population is in the west- communicate to fellow cats or other species, particularly about terri-
ern slopes of the Sierra Madre, around the Ríos Yaqui and Aros, only tory boundaries. The top of the scrape was still wet.
about 125 miles due south of Douglas, Arizona. Jaguars are still being For the rest of the morning we scanned the hills for signs of a cat,
killed at an alarming rate in Mexico. keeping as quiet as possible. Occasionally a few drops of rain clattered
The next morning we set out early for a hike up the canyon, look- in the trees while the sun played hide-and-seek with clouds. On the
ing for big cats. The sun had just cleared the canyon wall, and we were two-mile hike we found no fewer than 15 scrapes of varying ages, two
still bundled up against the cold wind and threatening dark rain clouds. more older scat piles, and one fallen log that had lots of claw marks
Not more than a quarter mile up the creekbed that is thick with catclaw, on it—a possible big-cat scratching post. Lots of big cat activity—
mimosa, hackberry, and sycamores, we came upon a very fresh pile of most likely cougar, although jaguar was of course a possibility, having
90
habitat for an animal that uses such a wide landscape, you protect many effects of the fence have been on the southern end of the wildlife
species. Jack said: “If you save the jaguar, you’ll save the cougar, and refuge, keeping out Mexican cattle and stopping smugglers’ cars, both
the wild turkey, and the ’possum. People come to hear me talk about of which were having a huge negative impact on the land, according
jaguars, but I end up telling them about the biodiversity. This jaguar, no to Fish and Wildlife biologist Mary Hunnicut, who we had talked with
matter how much publicity it gets, is not any more important than the earlier. Mary admits that the barrier—which is 12 feet tall with tightly
’possum.” spaced bars—will permanently cut off deer and mammals like cougars
Cathryn, with her characteristic disarming Midwestern directness, and jaguars that used to use this region.
got to the main question we’d all been thinking: “So what about this While we ate lunch in a dense mesquite thicket, our group talked
dumb border fence?” more about the wall. Cathryn’s work in southern Africa to save the
“The impact of the fence is unstudied,” Jack said. Though he ad- imperiled cheetah has many parallels, including barriers. She witnessed
mitted that the main jaguar, Macho B, has not been recorded since first-hand the devastation to wildlife when massive fence barriers were
July last year, when the fence was completed. The immediate positive put up in Botswana, ostensibly to protect domestic animals from dis-
G
the borderlands? Like Dave Brown said, we need reservoirs, not rem-
nants. I’m personally hoping future generations will be able to thrill to
the knowledge that jaguars still roam free in the Southwest.
Diversity demonstrated by
motion-trigger camera:
Good fences make good neighbors, wrote Robert Frost Black bear, bobcat, cougar,
in Mending Walls . . . Before I built a wall I'd ask to know / What I Coues' whitetail deer, Mexican
opposum, wild turkey, coatis
was walling in or walling out, / And to whom I was like to give offence. (Borderland Jaguar Detection
/ Something is there that doesn't love a wall, / That wants it down.' Project/Emil McCain)
Cathryn Hilker
Cathryn Hilker’s life is filled with Kathleen and
animals. Now in her 70s, Cathryn Macho B Lily Maynard
grew up on an Ohio farm, where This 13-year-old tigre started it all Kathleen Maynard is a writer, a
she still lives, and is an avid horse- Jack Childs when his meal on a rocky ridgetop film producer, and the mother of
woman. Adventure has long been Born in Iowa in 1942, Jack moved in the Baboquivari Mountains was three daughters. She has studied
in her blood. In 1955, a year af- to Tucson with his family when interrupted by Jack et al in 1996. birds of prey for 25 years, and
ter finishing college, she drove he was nine. After high school, he He was not seen again in Arizona big cats, specifically cheetahs and
across the Congo in a Studebaker worked as a land surveyor until until 2004, when he reappeared in cougars, for the past eight years.
pickup, with a baby gorilla in her retiring in 1993. His wife, Anna a now-famous photo sequence: She tries to teach Cathryn Hilker
92 lap. As well as raising her son, Mary, is a retired teacher and The jaguar known as “Macho about birds of prey in exchange
Carl, she spent the next several avid outdoorswoman who enjoys A” was photographed on June for the deep and life-changing
decades training horses and vol- riding mules and tracking with 25, 2004 at 8:47 pm; four hours connections to a cougar named
unteering at the Cincinnati Zoo. Jack. They have two grown chil- later, Macho B passed the same Sage and a cheetah named Bravo.
In 1980 she jumped at an oppor- dren, 10 grandchildren, and two camera, on the trail of Macho A. She works for the Angel Fund as
tunity to start an education pro- great-grandchildren. The Childs’ Macho A has not been seen since. a writer and project manager, and
gram for the zoo, giving visitors a encounter with “Macho B” the Over the next three years Macho one day hopes to glimpse the rare
chance to meet animals up close. jaguar changed their life, cata- B has provided us with a wealth Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis)
Her first charge was Angel the pulting them into jaguar research of information: he is now at least in the wild. Lily Maynard is an
cheetah. The program was hugely in Arizona, in Brazil’s Pantanal, 13 years old; his home range is at avid explorer: she has kayaked
successful; Carrie the cougar was and Mexico’s Sierra Madre. Jack least 525 square miles; he is part the Boundary Waters, hiked and
added, and then a tiger—and the is author of Tracking the Felids of of a population of jaguars that kayaked in Alaska, and has led
Cat Ambassador Program was the Borderlands. He and Anna Mary utilize southern Arizona up to hiking and kayaking trips on Isle
born. Cathryn continues to lead founded the Borderland Jaguar 50 miles north of the border in Royale and the Upper Peninsula
the program, raises money for the Detection Project in 2001 and every month of the year; he has of Michigan. She grew up at the
Angel Fund to benefit cheetah have conducted jaguar surveil- been documented 81 times (57 Cincinnati Zoo, where her father
conservation and other projects, lance and research for the Arizo- photos and 24 tracks) in a wide is the director. Lily is studying bi-
and zips around Cincinnati in her na-New Mexico Jaguar Conser- range of habitats and elevations; ology at Smith College; she drives
Subaru with FELIS 1 plates. On vation Team since 1997. Their and he is nearly strictly nocturnal. her parents’ Subaru Forester but
choosing a life of meaning and book Ambushed on the Jaguar Trail: Sadly, Macho B has not been seen admits one of the highlights of
adventure, Cathryn gives sage ad- Hidden Cameras on the Mexican Bor- since July 2007. We hope he’s the Jaguar Trail trip was driving
vice: “All you have to be is willing der will be published this year. just enjoying a nuptial stop down Scott Brady’s cool new Jeep Ru-
to work hard.” south in one of the reserves. bicon.
Resources
Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project swjag.org
Northern Jaguar Project northernjaguarproject.org
Wildlife Conservation Society and Panthera Foundation savethejaguar.com, panthera.org
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/
buenosaires
Coronado National Forest fs.fed.us/r3/coronado (click on the map, the Tumacacori Highlands are
west of I-19; click “Scenic Drives” and “Ruby Road”)
Special thanks to support from: Overland Society, overlandsociety.org; Buenos Aires NWR, Bonnie
Swarbrick and Mary Hunnicut; Zamberlan Boots, zamberlanstore.com
Photo
Overland by Jeffry
Journal Scott 2008
Summer
DISCOVERIES Great finds from around the world
By Roseann Hanson
We secured a campsite for our truck and tent (less than $20, includ-
ing a fire ring and access to the sauna, showers, and a hot tub under the
stars; also available are tent cabins with woodburning stoves, and B&B
accommodation at the hotel) and then headed to the Whistlestop Oasis
to check out the grub, figuring that’s what it would be in the middle of
one of the largest desert wildlands in North America.
“I’ve got two burgers left—been kinda busy today,” we were told by
Bill Sarbello, a sort of biker-Uncle Sam lookalike who it turned out was
the owner, chef, waiter, and busboy. And not in a hurry, which was fine
with us. A couple at the next table informed us the food here is actu-
ally famous. We sipped our cold Becks and enjoyed the homey atmo-
sphere—wood paneling, sofas, and photographs, particularly of trains.
The hamburgers were astounding. Over the next four days we en-
joyed dinners ranging from enormous glazed pork chops to shrimp
scampi. Forget the menu—just ask Bill what he recommends. You won’t
be sorry.
T
Our explorations showed us that this region is one of the finest on
he amenities have certainly changed—I doubt they had the continent for backcountry adventures by foot, 4WD, and motorcy-
saunas, panini, and Wi-Fi in 1905—but the purpose re- cle—yet just an hour from Las Vegas or five from Phoenix. The Mojave
mains the same for the hotel, trading post, and restaurant National Preserve is just south of Nipton; to the west is Death Valley
96 in the tiny hamlet of Nipton, right on the Nevada-Cali- and Nevada’s Old Spanish Trail; and to the east and north Nevada’s New
fornia border on Highway 164. Throughout the 19th century, tired trav- York Mountains, Lucy Gray Mountains, and Lake Mojave.
elers stopped at “Camp Nippeno” to refresh themselves at this point We explored Joshua tree forests and rock landscapes so beautiful
where two overland wagon routes crossed in the Ivanpah Valley. By they appeared to be professionally maintained—and saw more sign of
1905, when the railroad came through and established a “whistlestop,” mountain lions than we did people.
there was a hotel and trading post. In the evenings we sluiced off the trail dust with hot showers,
When we rolled in one morning last December, the parking lot of then enjoyed cold drinks, great food, star-filled skies and the romantic
the Nipton Trading Post was packed with bright orange KTM motor- sounds of trains passing in the night (okay, it was pretty loud—bring
cycles fresh off a KTM Adventure Tour, a rental Harley piloted by a earplugs)—an atmosphere not much changed after a hundred years.
Japanese couple, a dune buggy, and several nicely outfitted 4WDs. nipton.com, nps.gov/moja, nv.blm.gov, travelnevada.com
Green Water able to squeeze the bottle. I’d love to see a sip-
straw option like that on CamelBak’s excel-
as alarmingly soluble and flammable. Best
to clean it up safely and thoroughly. Ab-
Although research has yet to confirm the ex- lent Better Bottle, which we also tried. As of sorbentsonline.com offers portable kits as
tent to which soft-plastic (such as PET) and April this year, CamelBak’s plastics are BPA- well as larger kits for your garage, including
hard-plastic (such as Nalgene) water bottles free (bisphenol-A is the chemical in question sorbent pads and socks, and a safe plastic
leach harmful chemicals, there are still good in hard-plastic water bottles)—perfect for disposal bag, for under $30. Actually, this
reasons to reduce or better yet eliminate plas- water. These bottles are easy to drink from, company also sells cleanup supplies for the
tic containers in our lives: 14 million tons of have strong loops on the top, and are narrow big stuff, like the 11-million-gallon Exxon-
plastics were dumped into U.S. solid waste enough to fit into vehicle beverage holders. Valdez disaster. absorbentsonline.com
facilities in 2006 alone. That includes 50 bil- camelbak.com, kleankanteen.com
lion water bottles, folks—up 10 percent over
the last two decades despite the fact we know
Superlight and streamlined roof tent field report: let go, watch tent pop up on hydraulic shocks, pour a Côtes
In the Spring 2008 issue of Overland Journal we report- du Rhône and pop a Bass. Done. We’ll report further on
ed on the Conservation Project Vehicle’s journey to this tent in a future issue, giving it a thorough overland test
TLC4x4 in California for a diesel makeover. To get it for economy comparison, durability, dust-proofness, ven-
there, we drove from southern Arizona to Los Angeles, tilation, and comfort. Will the carbon-fiber flex too much?
stopping to camp in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Is one latch enough? Are the windows too fussy? Time will
near the Colorado River. This was the perfect chance to tell, and we’ll report. autohomeus.com
try out our new AutoHome Columbus Carbon (small
model). Weighing an astonishing 73 pounds (33 kg), the
51 x 83-inch (130 x 210 cm) carbon-fiber-shell tent fit
perfectly on the Land Cruiser across three Thule sport
rack bars—installation took about 30 minutes. The tent
sits just 11-3/4” (30 cm) tall. We wondered about how
it would affect highway mileage, and were surprised to
record 16 mpg even with a tired and piggy 2F engine
(we re-did the math three times). Camp set-up was mea-
sured in seconds: step to back of vehicle, unclip latch,
T
here’s something about the covering a large area should be covered, not
sight of leaking Type O Posi- only to reduce fluid loss but also the risk of
tive that can induce quivering infection. A semi-permeable dressing such as
indecision in otherwise com- Tegaderm will allow the wound to breathe
petent humans. But cuts and scrapes, or lac- adequately. If the abrasion shows impacted
erations and abrasions in medical parlance, debris such as dirt, irrigation with a syringe
are the most common injuries we encounter and a non-toxic surfactant such as ShurClens
in the field, so the ability to deal with them— will help wash out the material. If necessary
minus the hysteria—is paramount. a clean gauze pad can be used to lightly scrub
The vast majority of cuts or scrapes are the area.
minor, and will heal quickly even if left un- What about antibiotic ointments? It de-
100 treated. But more serious lacerations can be pends on whom you ask. Personally, I like an
life-threatening, and medical help might be abrasion to dry and form a scab quickly. The
out of practical reach. It is up to you and your body does an excellent job sealing abrasions
travel companions to assess the damage and and preventing infections. Why not let it do
deal with it effectively. its work?
An abrasion describes a loss of the up- For large abrasions, especially the deeper
per layers of skin, usually by scraping across a ones that need to be covered, I apply plenty
rough surface. It may be a simple scrape on a of antibiotic ointment; not so much to pre-
knuckle when a wrench slips, or much larger, vent infection as to prevent the gauze from
as might occur in a fall down a rocky slope. sticking. If you’ve ever peeled off gauze that
Most abrasions will form blood clots and has stuck to a wound you’ll know what I
stop bleeding more quickly than lacerations. mean.
This is the result of chemicals within your Lacerations are slices through tissue.
cells called clotting factors, which are released They may be straight and fairly clean, as from
when cells are crushed and damaged. A lac- a knife, or ragged and dirty from a fall. Ei-
eration damages fewer cells and to a lesser ther way, one must assess the damage and de-
degree, so less clotting factor is released. termine a treatment plan.
An abrasion damages far more cells, crush- The first thing to do after a laceration is:
ing them and releasing more clotting factors, don’t panic! Most people instinctively grab
thus speeding clot formation. the wound or place a finger over it to stop the
Most abrasions require only a good clean- bleeding. That’s okay, but find a clean cloth,
ing with soap and water, and a bandage. Small bandage, or even a tissue to replace that dirty
abrasions may not even require the bandage, finger. Take a few minutes to let clotting be-
but large abrasions and multiple abrasions gin and regain your composure.
101
103
W
e all love good equipment, but certain things go beyond necessity and into
the realm of passion. For me a charcoal-fired barbecue definitely counts
as a passion. There are disadvantages to charcoal, to be sure, but nothing
can touch it for flavor, and for me that flavor is worth the inconvenience
involved in storing briquettes and disposing of ash.
My quest for the best portable charcoal barbecue ended when I found the Snow Peak IGT
BBQ Box, which offers an ideal combination of excellent quality, compact dimensions, precise
heat control, and easy cleanup. The construction is robust, starting with a stainless steel main
box and a removable briquette tray. The tray has three positions, which allow, say, a fast sear
followed by a lower heat for finishing. The lever that changes the height gets very hot and is
impossible to adjust with bare hands. Fortunately, my multi-tool does the trick.
The tightly spaced grill design will seem strange to Weber owners, but the advantages
quickly become obvious. Never again will you watch in horror as a jumbo prawn slips between
the bars and lands in a cloud of ash. I now fearlessly toss shrimp, steak strips and sliced veg-
gies on the grill surface.
The entire assembly packs up into a 9 ¾ x 14 x 5” package, and weighs 11 pounds. The
compact dimensions make it easy to find a place to store the unit, but the resulting grill area
does limit portion sizes to about four people.
I like using the Snow Peak grill so much that is has completely replaced my big home Cole-
man grill, which now sits rejected in a corner of the patio, collecting spider webs. Available
from expeditionexchange.com, 310-618-1875
104
Chimichurri Preparation:
1 bunch of fresh parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice from one lemon wedge
1 teaspoon course black pepper (fresh ground preferred)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Mix contents in a bowl and let sit for a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend and enhance.
Use as a topping for steaks and game meat after they are cooked.
Stuck?
We've got you covered
105
Available at:
106
The Naturalist’s Gun
A tool of explorers, scientists, adventurers, and rogues
C
olonel Richard Meinertzhagen efficient small-bore. A short section near
probably had the best one. the muzzle of each barrel was rifled to sta-
The celebrated soldier, spy, bilize a solid slug (a system called by H&H
and hoaxer, one of the more a “Paradox”). Thus it could be used as a rifle
flamboyant productions of the late British for animals up to the size of modest deer, or
Empire, was best known for his adventures, as a shotgun suitable for collecting birds as
diaries, and outspokenness (when introduced small as swallows without ruining their value
to T. E. Lawrence, who was wearing spot- as specimens.
less white Bedouin robes, he was said to have Such a product from a world-renowned
asked, “Whose little dancing girl are you?”). maker was expensive even when the colonel
But he was also an ornithologist of deep bought his in 1920—duplicating Meinert-
knowledge and vast collecting experience, if zhagen’s H&H Royal today (and you could,
occasional dubious probity, and he had the exactly) would cost over $100,000. But there
wealth to acquire the best tools for the job. was a huge market for this kind of gun—in
A naturalist’s gun should be just big enough all price ranges—from roughly the mid-19th
to get the job done, small enough to take century until World War II.
anywhere and to use on small birds as well It was the age of the gentleman amateur
as larger mammals, and of reliable quality. naturalist. Few, to start, were professional sci-
His choice was a Holland and Holland Royal entists, who barely existed as such; some were
side-by-side in 28 gauge, perhaps the most professional collectors like Alfred Russell
109
my husband bought a Kawasaki Concours, which was enormous as far in his bloodshot eyes. Out of it he got a flashy motorcycle article, and all
as I was concerned. I couldn’t touch more than the first joint of my big I got was the brunt of every household duty for a week. Next time, dear
toe on the ground from the saddle. husband, make a deal with me first.
So when we moved to South Africa, his eyes twinkled whenever two
wheels rolled past. In cities, he ogled motorcycles and their price tags Fourth: Take the cost into consideration
through dealer windows, while I made gagging noises. I had him diag- More marriage battles are fought over finances than any other cause.
nosed with some kind of psychosis, or at least a mortal sin. She thinks she has made financial sacrifices in your relationship (no mat-
What’s wrong with men? I spent months puzzling over this one, ter how much you think she’s the shopping addict) and when she sees you
convinced that men lack some sanity gene. My year-old son began ex- drop a few months’ paychecks on a bike, she had better be involved in
hibiting the same symptoms of his father’s motor-sickness. Since he was deciding the price range. While most motorcycles will save on gas and
old enough to scoot across the floor he would make a beeline for the purchase price over a car, there’s no sense pretending they’ll be free.
stroller wheels every morning, just to fondle them happily. Ah, rolling Also, fill her in on how much the tire replacements, oil filters, and all that
things. The only word he bothered to speak for six months was “ball.” maintenance will cost in a year. The price tag on my husband’s first bike
At eighteen months he begged for wrenches and hammers and started blew my mind. Then, when it cost us nearly another month’s wages in
“fixing” his sister’s tricycle. He was succumbing to the allure of fast repairs over the first twelve months, every spare part was another knife
things, rolling things, and especially fast rolling rumble-noised things. jab in my heart. It’s worth striking a balance between a bike new enough
I, on the other hand, was growing more motherly every day. Give to not fall apart (or one you can fix yourself), but probably not the prici-
me a car, even a little car, but something with doors, a roof, and car seats est model in the shop.
for our two toddlers. Toddlers—even bike-obsessed little boys—don’t
ride motorcycles. Fifth: Address her fears
But my husband, in addition to a love of motorcycles, has been Don’t think that a smoochy, “It’s okay honey, I won’t crash,” will
gifted with a great love of me. In that love’s accompanying patience cut it. Talk it through honestly. Respect her for not wanting your head
and wisdom, he gently led me toward a love of his own dear friend, the smashed on asphalt. Popping wheelies and racing around hairpin moun-
motorcycle. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, here are a few tain turns might rock your world, but it rocks her trust. Together you
recommendations from the woman’s side. need to sort out a balance of safety and adventure.
First: Get a bike that fits her Sixth: Kindle her sense of adventure
If I started my three year-old daughter on a bicycle without training Some women love tagging along on the back of a motorcycle. I tried
wheels, she would have crashed, and hated bikes for years. Likewise, my it on a couple of trips across the American west, but the butt-numbing
husband figured out he would have to buy a motorcycle short enough hours staring into the back of my husband’s helmet, listening to engine
for my toes to touch the ground, and weighing less than a small el- drone and the wheels on superhighway pavement, didn’t excite me. For
ephant. So he dragged me along shopping. While I wasn’t in the mood me the thrill of motorcycling never made sense until I held the handle-
to waste a day of my life in bike shops, I thank him now. I sat on dozens bars myself. Even then, I would trace the exact start of my love affair
110 of bikes, practicing leaning the weight left and right and judging how with motorcycles to the moment I barreled our dual-sport Bushlander
likely I was to topple over. While he dreamt of a Kawasaki KLR650, we over a two-foot hump of dirt on a neighbor’s driveway and felt my body
compromised on a Honda dual-sport “agricultural” motorcycle sold lift into the air. In that moment I struck that balance of thrilling forces
here in South Africa, the CTX200 Bushlander—short enough for me to both under and out of my control that makes motorcycle adventuring
ride, manly enough to escape being called a scooter. what it is.
Second: Tell her how cool she looks You don’t need a Y chromosome to love hitting the road on two
Be proud of her. As women, there’s no getting around the fact that wheels with an open throttle. Explain that a motorcycle is more than a
we get a lot more comments and stares than the average man on a mo- gas-saving way to pick up groceries (though she might be happy to hear
torcycle, and sometimes it’s not the attention we would ask for. A man that, also). Take her to a cornfield on a bike she can handle, and let her
feels cool with a humming gas powered beast under him. A woman free for an afternoon. Let her plan your next trip. Don’t worry—there’s
might just feel dorky with her hair squashed in a helmet and tangled adventure in her blood somewhere.
from the wind. Respect that female motorcycling takes a certain amount With a bike that fit, a cost I could handle, and a gradually built trust
of confidence. She needs to sort out the biker-lady stereotypes and fit in the logic of my husband, I eventually fit motorcycles into my own
herself into this saddle with her own style. dreams of a simple and daring lifestyle. Even as a thirty-something
mom, I crave a blue sky over my head, the smell of fresh eucalyptus
Third: Respect her requests in my nostrils, and the roll of acceleration around the next bend of an
If she doesn’t want you taking that month-long ride to Guatemala, African road.
don’t—yet. A year into our stay in South Africa, my husband revved up With a little patience, the woman of your life might, too. And you’re
his motorcycle one morning in an adventure-lust trip across the tiny well on your way toward that dream trip together through Chile, Thailand,
country of Lesotho. Five hours into the ride, he crashed. He rode on, or Namibia.
with a banged up knee and great underestimation of the slow speeds re-
quired by an entire nation of gravel roads. By 2:00 a.m. when he limped
in the door, having called me only once all day, I could have punched him
I
112
t’s a common problem: A man loves there’s adventure to be found. But it’s been a Honda XR80. His father, a Wisconsin dairy
motorcycles. He falls in love with a long road to loving motorcycling in South Af- farmer, still spends most retirement hours
woman. She hates the motorcycle. rica. Only recently have I reached the insanity “out in the shop,” a cow barn converted to
She fears for his life on the motor- point of pulling on seven shirts, two pairs of motorcycle graveyard—or resurrection field,
cycle. They have children and she gripes every pants, boots, and inch-thick gloves, and vol- as he sees it. He could turn a conversation
day, Honey, please just sell that old bike and settle untarily plunging into the winter chill of the about a dead rat or your third cousin’s wedding
down with a seven-seater minivan. He’s dreaming Drakensberg mountains to ride to a dairy farm to motorcycles. I couldn’t sit at their family’s
of a six-month ride from Norway to India, and fill our family’s milk jug. dinner table with dignity without a motorcycle
and she has never sat on anything with two I’ve always liked life simple—milk straight license in my wallet. By the end of my first year
wheels that didn’t have pedals. from the cows, extra blankets instead of extra of marriage, I succumbed.
I recently met a newlywed motorcycle- heaters, and basic transportation. But my idea I had never so much as driven a manual-
loving man who went so far as to buy a motor- of simple usually involved crazy homestead transmission car, so I enrolled with some trep-
cycle and hide it at the neighbor’s house, keep- dreams, like taking a 20-year-old truck—or idation into a technical college’s week-long
ing it a secret from his wife for some months. better yet a horse—to town for groceries. Un- motorcycle course. I was the only woman,
Oh, I wouldn’t want to be in that house when fortunately, I reached adulthood without any save for a black-leather-clad, 300-pound mom
she found out. knowledge of horses. And destiny gave me a with a braid down her back. It generally took
But I would like to talk to that couple. husband who knew about motorcycles, not me a half-dozen tries to start out in first, and
I don’t fit the typical profile for a motor- horses. the instructors must have prayed every time I
cycle journalist. I’m a thirty-something pianist Every Father’s Day, and a few days in be- rounded a corner. But I passed.
with an economics graduate degree, and a tween, my husband’s mind wanders back down My proud father-in-law lent me his 1976
mother of two. True, I’ve never been the kind memory lane to what he claims as his fondest CB360, a bike older than I. It died after two
who buys a diaper bag with little duckies on it childhood memory—scooting over farmlands rides, and I contentedly didn’t turn the key of a
and stays at home in the air conditioning when on the first dirtbike his father bought him, a motorcycle for another five years. Meanwhile
Continued on page 110
Overland Journal Summer 2008
cxiii
adventure