Now it can be told . . .

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Bear with me for a bit? Sometime in the early 1980s I happened across an intriguing article in a U.S. four-wheel-drive magazine. In it was a photo of a fellow standing in a sandy expanse of desert, next to a very early Range Rover. A line bisected two words scrawled in the sand: ‘Mali’ and ‘Algeria.’ The fellow leaned on a shovel, apparently the tool used to scribe this middle-of-nowhere border.

That was my introduction to Tom Sheppard, ex-Royal Air Force test pilot and the leader of the first west-to-east crossing of the Sahara Desert, the Joint Services Expedition, in 1975. In the years to come I followed his (frequently solo) excursions through the most isolated regions of the Algerian Sahara, often completely off-tracks. In 1999, when I heard he had published a book called Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide that would be available at Land Rover dealers, I drove 120 miles to the swank showroom in Scottsdale, and stood in line to pay for a copy behind wealthy urbanite Range Rover buyers picking out Africa-themed spare tire covers.

Fast forward eight or nine years, when I was fortunate enough to work with Tom during my time as editor of Overland Journal. A year or so later, Roseann and I had the opportunity to meet him on a trip to England. To my amazement, there was not a trace of the ex-test-pilot-Sahara-explorer-RGS-medal-winner arrogance I would have expected. Instead, we were welcomed by a quiet, humorous, and steadfastly self-effacing man who doted on the horses and sheep that grazed on the farmland adjacent to his modest cottage. Over the next few visits we became friends.

Fast forward again to 2014. We’d been trying to convice Tom to publish a fourth edition of VDEG (‘veedeg,’ as he and everyone refers to Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide). The third edition had sold out in half the time he expected. He agreed it was needed—but then sent me a mockup of the proposed cover, which (as you can see from the header image) was a complete shock. 

So now, after seven months of exhaustive research and writing on both Tom’s and my part, I can announce that the fourth edition of Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide, by Tom Sheppard and Jonathan Hanson (woo hoo!) will be out in mid-May, with copies also available at the Overland Expo. This edition has received the most extensive updating and expanding since the original, with much more content specifically relevant to North American readers than in previous editions. Total content is up by nearly 20 percent—it's now a 600-page book.

Any verbose attempt on my part to explain what an honor this is would be futile. So I’ll just say I’m thrilled and humbled to have contributed in a very minor way to a classic in the field of expedition literature. If you don’t yet own a copy of VDEG, or if you have previous editions and need to complete your collection, please follow this link and put your name on the waiting list. As before, VDEG 4 will be produced by Tom’s one-man publishing enterprise, Desert Winds, and quantities will be limited.

A better bungee

I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge fan of bungee cords. I find them vaguely inelegant, I don’t like the fact that you often can’t see wear or damage that will result in a break either while you’re attaching the strap, endangering your eyes, or while you’re on the road, possibly resulting in the loss of important equipment. I’ve also seen them used inappropriately far, far too often, up to and including being the sole pair of fasteners attaching a Hi-Lift jack crosswise to the top of a brush guard. Imagine the result if that vehicle were smartly rear-ended.

However, there’s no denying that bungees are ideal for many tasks for which ratchet straps would be either overkill, or ineffective. This applies especially when cinching down soft items such as duffels on roof racks, sleeping bags on the rear racks of motorcycles, soft luggage on top of rigid containers already ratcheted down in the cargo area, or similar situations. A ratchet used thusly can some loose as contents in the bag shift or compress, while a bungee automatically takes up the slack.

The problem is, bungee cords always seem to be either too short or too long. It’s some sort of immutable law of nature or something. Write me if you haven’t ever stretched a bungee to its limit and found it two inches shy of hooking where you need it.

Meet the LoopRope, a bungee system that allows nearly infinite length adjustment as well as variable tension.

Essentially the product comprises a continuous loop of high-quality bungee, in either a three- or five-foot unstretched length, with numerous immovable keepers that create a series of loops along the side. Each LoopRope also comes with two stainless clips. To use it on, say, a roof rack, you attach one end of the bungee to the rack with a secure girth knot (by simply looping the bungee through itself). Stretch the cord over your duffel, through another rail on the rack, and back on itself. Use the clip to stretch and attach the end to one of the loops. Done. Note that the LoopRope site advises eye protection, and warns that this is still a light-duty device, but the fastening system is far easier and more secure than those cheesy little hooks on most bungees, and the versatility raises it to a new level.

 The loops can also be used to create an impromptu cargo net if needed. And of course you can attach two or more LoopRopes end to end to create a longer system.

I originally agreed to review the LoopRope because the owner and developer emailed me with great enthusiasm after he read my review of the (complementary and equally clever) Lynx Hooks, and I felt I should give the product a chance. Now that I have two LoopRopes, I’m happy I do and I’m sure I’ll be using them regularly. It’s a clever and worthwhile upgrade from a standard bungee. In fact it’s almost elegant.

Find LoopRope here.

Death of a dopp kit

Is it weird to be sentimental about a minor piece of luggage?

After 15 years and . . . eight? nine? trips to Africa, plus countless other journeys, my old Hartmann leather dopp kit finally reached such a level of degradation as to spur Roseann to diplomatically hint it might be time for a new one. Zipper broken, plastic lining petrified and cracked, pervasive stains—I had to admit she had a point.

Sadly, Hartmann no longer offers this model. A bit of surfing landed me on a suitably sturdy-looking replacement from Filson, but before I got around to ordering it, Roseann took her diplomatic hint a step further—in the form of the exact kit I'd been looking at, as a Christmas present.

This afternoon I finally got around to swapping the contents. Procrastinating? Maybe. I then walked the old Hartmann out to the trash. The hand holding it hovered over the bin, then drew back. Maybe a photo before . . . ? Pathetic. So here it is.

The Microstart XP-10

Since I first reviewed the Micro-Start XP-1 kit (here), it has done nothing but continue to impress me. Besides seriously abusing it by setting up an in-the-field welding system using two additional units wired in series, I’ve started a giant 460-cubic-inch V8, and have demonstrated it numerous times. Yet it recharges quickly and holds its capacity for months with little loss. When asked about it I tend to gush uncharacteristically.

The only “failure” I experienced occurred when I tried to jump-start our old Mercedes 300D turbodiesel. The combination of amperage-hungry glow plugs and an 18:1 compression ratio finally defeated the XP-1—it groaned silently to a halt before the engine could catch. I put “failure” in quotes because that was expressly beyond the manufacturer’s design parameters and thus could hardly be considered the unit’s fault. (Antigravity Batteries also lists 400 cubic inches as the upper limit for starting gasoline engines, but I comfortably exceeded that.)

Recently the company sent me a new, larger unit called the XP-10. Still almost unbelievably lightweight (17 ounces compared to the XP-1’s 15), it’s claimed to be fully turbodiesel capable.

And indeed it proved so on the chilly 50-degree morning I tried it, first disconnecting the 300D’s battery cables, then hooking up the Micro-Start’s clamps. I turned the key, the glow-plug lamp came on and then went off, indicating readiness—and a farther turn of the key resulted in an immediate five-cylinder diesel rattle. 

It’s difficult to overstate how significantly the Micro-Start changes the safety dynamics of backcountry travel, particularly for solo travelers. In the past you either relied on a single battery for both starting and ancillaries, perhaps in conjunction with a low-voltage cutout, and basically prayed not to have a problem, or you went to the expense, complexity, and weight of a dual-battery system. With a Micro-Start along it’s like having a second (or third) starting battery in your coat pocket. Even if you rely on a single-battery system and it dies completely, once you jump with the Micro-Start the unit can be recharged via a cigarette lighter outlet while the vehicle is running, and be ready to work again in a couple hours. (In fact it can normally accomplish four or five starts in a row with no recharging at all if the engine is in good tune.) That should get you back safely and easily from the most remote stranding.

Jeez, I’m gushing again. Just get one.

Antigravity Batteries is here. 

Handmade, solid oak camp furniture

Several months ago Roseann and I were honored to be asked by our friend Brian DeArmon to evaluate prototypes of some collapsible camping tables he had designed and made in his garage. Brian’s idea was to combine the character of a solid wood table with the portability of the roll-up vinyl-covered camp tables we all know, while enhancing the rigidity of the structure beyond the wobbly norm of such products.

I use the term “prototype” loosely, because the prep-height and cocktail tables we took along on a trip up the Continental Divide were, we both agreed, completely functional and ready to go to work. Knowing the thought Brian has put into everything we’ve seen him do, from completely rebuilding a Four Wheel Camper to crafting a stunning writing desk to welding a winch bumper for my FJ40, we weren’t the least surprised. He took two months to design, evaluate, and test the carrying cases for his tables. (Blue Ridge Overland Gear, in Virginia, will be manufacturing the cases in the U.S. from splash-proof and nearly indestructible 1000-denier polyester material.) 

Last night I got a text from Brian confirming that the website for Arizona Outdoor Furniture is up and ready to take orders, and I’m delighted to share the news.

The two full-size tables—a nearly square dining height (29 inches) and a rectangular prep height (32 inches)—share solid white oak construction with the shorter and smaller cocktail table. When one first removes the pieces of either large table from the stout carrying case, assembly looms as a complicated process; in fact, even without instructions one could soon divine the clever and strong way the dovetailed side pieces slot into the legs, and are then tensioned by diagonal inside braces. Slot the center top support into the middle, unroll and position the slatted top, and you’ve got a piece of furniture that’s probably nicer than the stuff in your living room. Rigidity is excellent, especially considering the lack of any complicated metal leg bracing; nothing detracts from the warm wood appearance.

It’s a rare product that adds both function and style to a campsite. Any of the tables from Arizona Outdoor Furniture, made one at a time by Brian, will do so for you and most likely several generations of your heirs. Most highly recommended.

Arizona Outdoor Furniture is HERE. 

Need gift ideas for the Overlander in your life?

OVERLAND EXPO IS HERE TO HELP WITH A HANDPICKED LIST: 

Threshold Provisions energy bar subscription (from $12/month)
Remember fruit of the month? Or, worse, fruitcake of the month? This is better. Every month your lucky recipient will receive a selection of four of Threshold Provisions’ delicious, all-natural energy bars (other options are available too—salmon jerky anyone?). Give the gift that keeps on giving energy. 

Somewhere Else Tomorrow DVD ($19)
A beautifully shot story of one man’s journey, not only riding around the world, but making his way as he travels around the world. This film is guaranteed to inspire any rider considering a journey of this kind and might make him re-think how to achieve it.

OutdoorX4 subscription ($25)
Among several good overlanding magazines, OutdoorX4 is the one that most concentrates on simply getting out there and having a wonderful time. You won’t feel like you need some über expedition vehicle to participate. Now starting its second year, each issue gets better.

ADV Moto subscription ($29)
Find the latest industry news and product reviews for adventure motorcycles that will take you to on a weekend ride or around the world. Also indulge in stories from riders who have traveled off the beaten path.

Chaos in Harmony by Alison DeLapp ($49)
An inspirational, lavishly photographed account of Alison’s 16,000-mile solo motorcycle journey from the U.S. to the tip of South America. Aside from a short introduction to each country, Alison lets her images do the talking, and they have a lot to say. Worth of coffee table placement and frequent browsing. 

Tsuga Large Catchall ($55)
While it’s not sexy enough to warrant giant comparison tests, a heavy-duty hold-all-cum shopping bag is one of the most useful items you can have on a long overlanding journey. Groceries, car parts, firewood—you name it, the stout 18-ounce vinyl of the Tsuga will handle it. 

Moto-skiveez Adventure Skiveez ($59)
Long days in the saddle has your rear end begging you for another? Chances are you are wearing a pair of Adventure Skiveez. This innovative riding underwear has padding in all the right places for both on road and aggressive off road riding.

Equipt/National Luna clip-on 9-LED light ($64)
I have a hard-mount version of this light in the cargo area of my FJ40, and it’s superb. The clip-on version, with a 27-foot cord, is even more versatile. The low (62 lumen) setting will light a dining table; click to high (176 lumen) to light the entire dining area. 

Mosko Moto 30L waterproof scout duffle ($69)
For the minimalist packer or small bike enthusiast, this duffle does the trick. Not only will it keep your items dry during all types of weather, it features an innovative strap system so it doubles as a backpack or shoulder bag off the bike.

Coyote Enterprises Automatic Tire Deflators ($80)
An improvement on the original excellent Staun deflators, the CE deflators will automatically deflate four tires at once, to a pressure you preset between 3 and 50 psi. Airing down is the best thing you can do to your vehicle to enhance traction, reduce trail erosion, and improve comfort. 

Surefire 6PX Pro ($90)
I’ve been using Surefire lights for 20 years and have never had a failure—including one lost on a dirt road, run over for a week, then recovered. The 6PX Pro is a dual-output light (the only kind to get in my opinion) that combines a brilliant 320-lumen high beam with a camp-chore-oriented 15-lumen low beam that will last 45 hours on one set of lithium batteries. The only flashlight you need. 

KinderRider Explorer motorcycle jacket ($100)
Kids deserve the same protection you do on a motorcycle. But they grow so fast it could get expensive buying new jackets every six months. The KinderRider Explorer features expandable sleeves to keep up for at least a year or two. Fully featured with vents, a thermal liner, and CE armor. 

REV'IT! Sand Pro gloves ($119)
After spending a day gripping handlebars either on or off road, you know what comfortable hand protection is. REV’IT gets that with the Sand Pro gloves and offers a flexible and durable glove. 

Canyon Coolers Outfitter 22 ($120)
You’ll never realize how inefficient cheap ice chests are until you try a good one. Whether you’re out for a day trip and don’t need the weight and bulk of a fridge, or just want an extra cooler in the cab, the Outfitter 22 will hold all you need—and keep it chilled with minimal ice—while not taking up a lot of room. 

Anti-Gravity Batteries Microstart XP-1 ($159)
Simply put, this absurdly small lithium-ion battery/power supply is a miraculous product. We’ve jump-started a 460 cubic-inch V8 with one, and a Tacoma V6 three times in a row. We’ve even hooked three of them in series and produced a beautiful field weld (NOT recommended by the maker). Sure, you can recharge your iPhone/iPad etc. too, but its real value is insurance against ever getting stranded by a dead battery. 

Mojoe Outfitter’s griddle ($195)
You know the trouble with most camp griddles. They’re too damn small. The Mojoe Outfitter’s grill solves that with over three square feet of cooking surface. It can be used on a standard Weber charcoal grill, above a propane heat source, or, on its screw-in legs, over an open fire. It’s 24 inches in diameter (and a full 1/4 inch thick) but stores flat—all 40 pounds worth of it. Titanium option? 

American Camp Chair ($230)
For 20 years Roseann and I never found a camp chair that was as comfortable as our old South African tripolinas. The American Camp Chair—actually prototyped from one of those South African chairs—is superior in every way: better materials, more rigid setup, and more comfortable. The king is dead; long live the king. 

Giant Loop Fandango Tank Bag PRO ($230)
Not your average tank bag. Made for the traveler in mind, the Fandango PRO has upgraded features for keeping your electronics organized and charged, as well as a concealed document pocket for easy access at the borders. 

Baja Designs Squadron Pro LED auxiliary lights ($220 - $350)
Whether you want more light down the trail for a motorcycle or a four-wheel-drive vehicle, there is a Squadron Pro that will fit and hugely increase your margin of safety at night. Unlike earlier generations of LEDs, these cast an even, purple-haze-free carpet of brightness. Best of all, with a simple lens switch you can choose between fog, driving, and spot patterns. 

Overland Experience package ($285 / $490)
Give an Overland Expo full-tuition education package, which includes access to hundreds of specialized classes taught by world-class instructors to help prepare for the trip of a lifetime Custom Overland Expo gift certificates for any amount are also available.

Fly fishing lessons with Hunter Banks ($375/day for two people)
Unlike some fly fishing schools, where you start on a lawn or pond, With Hunter Banks you’ll be wading in a beautiful North Carolina river and catching fish right from the start, with an expert guide coaching your technique. Prepare to be (you know this is coming) hooked. All equipment is included. 

DeLorme inReach Explorer ($379)
More than a way to keep in contact with your loved ones, this satellite communicator now has built in navigation. In addition to sending and receiving messages, you can view your route using waypoints and share it with those at home.

My Camp Kitchen Outdoorsman ($579)
Nothing will make your camp feel like something out of an old Winchester ad than a proper chuck box, and the Outdoorsman is proper. The Baltic birch (or okoume) marine plywood construction is tough, but adds a nice organic touch, and the interior will hold all the vintage or modern cooking gear you own. Feeling handy? Buy it as a kit and save $175. 

Tonto Trails Expedition Vehicle Rental (from $2,000)
Thinking about investing in a Sportsmobile or Four Wheel Camper? Or is your significant other unsure about this overlanding thing? Rent a fully equipped rig from Tonto Trails first, and explore some of the best of the western U.S. from their base in Durango, Colorado. Virtually everything you’ll need except food and clothing is included. 

Bivouac Trailers M.O.A.B. Fort (from $5,695)
The base prices of some adventure trailers can leave you pondering whether to just buy a second four-wheel-drive vehicle to drive behind your main ride. Bivouac’s Fort offers a heavy-duty chassis and sturdy box but keeps the architecture simple to hold down the price. Of course a full range of options lets you accessorize as far as your taste and budget allow—add a tent, kitchen, water tank, electrical system, and more if you choose. 

Seven Wonders of Peru motorcycle tour (from $5,995)
If you have always wanted to explore the Amazon, ride the heights of the Andes, and see the driest desert in the world, you're in luck – Peru has it all. No better place to take a 17-day motorcycle adventure packed with diverse scenery, culture and history than with Peru Motors. 

EarthCruiser (from $165,000)
If Hammacher Schlemmer sends you not just a catalog, but a hand-signed Christmas card as well, perhaps you’d consider giving someone on your list a fully self-contained, globally capable EarthCruiser. Designed to fit into a standard shipping container to be transported to the continent of your dreams (or all of them), the EarthCruiser’s roof then raises to transform it into a spacious and comfortable home away from home—no, that’s wrong: The EarthCruiser isn’t a substitute; it is a traveling home. 

Knives of the Overland Expo

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One of the best things about being on the setup crew and teaching staff of the Overland Expo is working around a lot of knives.

That is, it’s great to be among a group of people for whom a proper fixed-blade sheath knife is unremarkable daily wear—because it’s likely to be used several times every day. And boy do we use them during the five or six frantic days of prepping a couple tons of equipment and several tons of logs, the three dawn-to-dusk days of the show itself, and the relaxed but busy day and a half of take-down. Deployment might range from the plebeian but necessary task of cutting open taped shipping boxes (for which some of us will subtly substitute a Swiss Army knife so as not to sully our main blades with sticky residue) to the much more stylish—and difficult—test of slicing through Dyneema. 

This year I remembered to gather up a selection of what we’ll call W.O.U.R.N. knives (What’s On U Right Now) from the staff at dinner one evening, and snap a photo. Here’s a rundown of the batch, left to right.

1. Bruce Douglas has carried this AG Russell knife for well over a decade. Its three-and-three-quarter-inch blade is hollow ground from what was at the time one of the best stainless steels around: ATS-34. While eclipsed somewhat by newer alloys it’s still a fine steel. I know it holds an edge because Bruce has helped me field dress two elk with it. The hollow-ground edge makes it a very fine slicer, albeit a bit less robust for bushcraft tasks such as batoning. The scales are almost black cocobolo.
2. Volunteer Jayston Landon’s carry knife is a CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool) Chugash Range Hunter, with a three-and-a-half-inch blade that reminds me of a Scandinavian pukko. Big-knife aficionados laugh at blades this size; meanwhile, the Scandinavians shrug and continue to use their pukkos to field dress 800-pound moose. 
3. Nick Taylor carries this impressive Böker Vollintegral, with the longest blade in the group at four and five-eighths inches—still a modest size compared to a lot of the silliness out there. Its full-tang blade is made from 440C stainless—a prosaic choice in this age of wonder alloys (and at its premium price), but a reliable workhorse steel nonetheless. The solid bolster and pommel give the knife a fine, substantial feel, and the black micarta scales (comprising layers of linen in epoxy) lend both comfort and style. Finger grooves offer a secure grip in either hand. The blade combines a flat-ground spine with a hollow-ground edge.
4. A sublime example of pattern-welded steel (also known erroneously but persistently as Damascus), Andy Dacey’s knife is certainly the most beautiful here, yet it gives up nothing in utility, proving that a knife can be all things. Hand-forged in Japan, where the pattern-welded effect is called suminagashi, the core of the blade is Cowry X, a very high-carbon and chrome content steel, allowing it to be tempered to an astonishingly hard Rc-66 (most knives are hardened to Rc-58 to Rc-60). At that hardness steel can be brittle, thus the 32 layers of nickel steel on either side, which support the edge. The full tang is graced with desert ironwood scales secured with ornate rivets. This knife is flat ground, which should make it an exceptional slicer—and, given that steel, one that will not need sharpening for a very long time.
5. My own knife this trip was brand new, furnished to me by a promising new maker, Shannon Carter, whose business is called Fall Creek Knives. Shannon got my attention because he only makes working knives, no fantasy wall-hangers or zombie killers, and charges very reasonable prices. This bushcraft style uses very strong O1 tool steel in its four-inch blade, which is ground in a classic Scandinavian, or scandi, edge: Most of the blade is full-width; the edge comprises a single, wide bevel. This makes for easy sharpening in the field with a simple stone, as the edge is easy to orient at the proper angle. The scandi edge is also good for punishing tasks such as splitting kindling or even batoning cross-grain. Desert ironwood scales with black liners, and interesting pinning, along with acid etching on the blade, make this an attractive as well as useful tool. I’ll be posting a full review soon.
6. Duncan Barbour’s Bison Bushcraft knife makes all the others here look like drawer queens. It clearly shows the strenuous use of over a decade. Duncan shows it no mercy. He’s just as happy to use it on cardboard boxes as Dyneema—or cheese—but it still functions perfectly, thanks to tough O1 steel in the blade and an easily touched-up scandi edge, which is just about ready for some reprofiling to regain the proper flat bevel. The Bison Bushcraft knife is a near clone of the original Woodlore knife designed by Ray Mears in the 1990s. The original Woodlore design, made in England by Alan Wood, boasts a waiting list of several years and a price upwards of a thousand dollars; fortunately for those of modest means the best clones are every bit as good. 
7. And then there’s Graham Jackson. At first I thought I just caught him at an awkward moment, but no—this Leatherman Skeletool was his main cutting implement the entire week, and no one accused him of slacking off. With that said, a couple of days after the event, as we were picking up a few things at the Frugal Backpacker, Graham splurged on a very nice fixed-blade Helle Temagami. 

Is that . . . smoke?

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Editor's note: Jim West, a captain in the Sun City Fire Department (and a U.S. team member in the 1992 Camel Trophy), kindly contributed to OT&T this excellent article on fire safety for overland vehicles (or any other vehicle for that matter). Consider the information here critical for your journeys. - J. Hanson

So, departure day is almost here. Your vehicle is kitted out with all manner of overlanding equipment. As it sits in the driveway, you go through your mental checklist: clothes . . . check; recovery gear . . . check; food . . . check; petrol . . . check; spare petrol . . . check; propane . . . check. Then it hits you—Okay, that’s a bunch of fuel; no, I mean a BUNCH. If this thing catches fire, the crew on the International Space Station will wonder what’s burning down there. In a mild panic, you rummage through the truck and, in the back of a cabinet, you find the fire extinguisher. You dust it off and take a quick look at the gauge. Green—good to go, right? Well, throttle back and take a moment to ponder the following:

When driving a vehicle into the outback, whether for a day trip or a year-long adventure overlanding through South America, serious considerations should be taken for general fire safety. The farther afield you’re traveling, the more comprehensive your plan and equipment should be.

If you have a good close look at your particular rig, you’ll find it has all the potential fire hazards of any typical motor vehicle, plus some special ones. Larger fuel tanks and more of them; fuels for cooking, heating, and auxiliary generators. Start with the obvious place—under the hood. Fuel lines should be given a close inspection for cracks, abrasions, and leaking fittings. Repair or replace any suspected problems. Onto the electrics—take a good hard look at the wiring, in general, with special attention to any aftermarket wiring, i.e. additional lighting, batteries, winches, etc. Any cracked, abraded, or melted insulation should be repaired. Also, take a quick look at all tubes and wires to make sure they are not routed too close to any heat source, such as the exhaust.

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Are there any fuel or electrical lines running too close to that Borla, or the catalytic converter ahead of it?

Time to get dirty. Get yourself under that vehicle and have a good look around. Better now, in your driveway, than out in the mud. This will be the same as the under-hood inspection: fuel lines, wiring, and brake lines as well (brake fluid can be flammable.) One more thing to think about under there is the catalytic converter. They produc tremendous heat and can quite easily catch tall brush on fire. That would add some excitement to a picnic or campsite. Finally, have a good general look around the outside. If you have additional fuel mounted, make sure it is mounted properly and won’t puncture or leak while traveling down rough trails.

Time for a quick chemistry lesson. (No, we don’t get to blow stuff up, sorry.) Let’s look at the “Petrol versus Diesel” debate. As a general rule, liquids don’t burn, vapors do. If a liquid fuel is not giving off vapors, it won’t burn. Cool, but what does that mean? Petrol starts giving off vapor at any temperature higher than about minus 45ºF (-43ºC). This figure is called its flashpoint. Diesel, on the other hand, has a flashpoint of about 120ºF (52ºC) or higher. This obviously makes Diesel a much safer fuel in general. For instance, you and your best buddy (not for long) are out on a sunny 80-degree day and you need to refuel. No problemo, as it just so happens you brought an approved jerry can full of petrol and the appropriate filler neck. During said filling operation your buddy walks up with a lit sparkler (hey, it’s my story). The petrol is producing enough vapor for things to get very exciting very quickly—i.e. time for new friend, new vehicle, and a trip to the local burn unit. In the same scenario with diesel fuel and a new friend also strangely attracted to sparklers, nothing happens—zip, zilch, nada.

All right—back to that dusty extinguisher. Once a fire starts, you’re going to have to put it out, whether it’s a campfire, your rig, or that guy with the sparkler. What’s burning determines how you put it out. The most common opitons are: remove the fuel; cool the fuel below its ignition temperature; smother the fire (remove its oxygen supply); and, finally stop the chemical reaction. To properly put out a campfire, for example, you simply shovel on some dirt to smother it and then add water to cool it. A grease fire in a pan on the stove can be quickly smothered with a lid over the pan. A fire from spilled fuel might be solved by simply moving vehicles and other combustibles away and letting it burn off. FYI, a one-inch deep puddle of petrol takes about 15 minutes to burn out. 

The idea here is you don't always need to use a fire extinguisher. But since you dug it out of that cabinet, let’s talk about it. Fire extinguishers are classified by what they put out: ‘A’ for combustibles, e.g, paper and wood; ‘B’ for flammable liquids, e.g., petroland diesel; ‘C’ for electrical fires; and ‘D’ for metal fires, e.g., magnesium. The most common extinguisher is an ABC type, which will be suitable for most fires you’ll encounter. A five-pound extinguisher is good for most normal-size cars and trucks. As the size of the vehicle goes up, so should the size of the the extinguisher.

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What about that ‘D’ extinguisher? A lot of modern vehicles use magnesium parts, and if they do catch fire, an ABC extinguisher won’t put it out. The bad news is, ‘D’ extinguishers are bigger, heavier, and more expensive (about $300.) The (sort of) good news is, magnesium is hard to ignite. So by the time it gets burning and you need that ‘D’ extinguisher, the vehicle would be fully engulfed in flames and a total loss. So you have that going for you.

Some final thought on extinguishers: They should be inspected no less often than annually. This entails checking the pressure gauge to make sure it is in the green. Also, and as importantly, you should shake the extinguisher and feel the dry chemical powder moving up and down. If you can’t feel this movement, the powder has caked into a solid and the extinguisher will not function. 

Finally, where does one put the thing? There is a very narrow window of time after a fire starts when an extinguisher is effective. Fire doubles in size every minute. Let’s just ponder that one for a minute . . . okay, the fire just doubled in size. An extinguisher should always be mounted in a readily accessible area for quick access.

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Since most vehicle fires ignite in the engine compartment, it makes sense to locate the extinguisher some distance away, but quickly accessible. The mount here ensures it can't be covered by luggage.

Now we have the basics taken care of. We’ve inspected the vehicle, we’re practicing good fire-prevention safety, we have all manner of ways to put out a fire. It’s time for the hero stuff. 

You’re driving happily down the trail (remembering to Tread Lightly); you hear a pop under the hood, and see what looks like smoke billowing out of the engine compartment. It could have been a heater or radiator hose. Maybe an AC line. Maybe an engine fire. How do you know? First of all, steam and freon dissipate quickly, smoke doesn’t. Second, fire is hot (rocket science, I know.) If you see the beautiful paint on your hood start turning brown and bubbling up, it’s hero time. The clock just started ticking and you have very little time to make some decisions and start to act on them. Here is a example of how it will play out if you do every thing perfectly:

• Stop the vehicle off the trail/road, preferably in an open space. Dirt, not grass—wildland fires are a bigger problem than car fires. If there’s nothing but grass, leave the vehicle on the trail.
• Turn off the ignition.
• If your hood latch is inside the car, open it immediately (the cable will burn through quickly).
• Get everyone out of the car and well away.
• Grab your extinguisher and, if at all possible, gloves—that hood is going to be hot.
• With the hood popped but not fully open give a quick burst from the extinguisher through the opening between the hood and fender. Never fully open the hood before this step. The fire could travel up the angled hood and burn you.

Displaying a regrettable lack of commitment to authenticity, Jim did not actually light a fire in the engine compartment of his Discovery. But you get the idea.

• Open the hood completely and continue to use extinguisher until fire is out. Short bursts of dry chemical are preferred because you don’t want to waste a very limited resource. The goal is to ‘blanket’ the fuel in order to smother the fire.
• Now comes a very important step: Make sure the fire is completely out and won’t reignite. This should take about ten or fifteen minutes. A good way to judge the time is to take your pulse rate. When it drops below 100 beats per minute, you should be about good.

So now what? You and your passengers should all be standing around the front of your rig, staring at the engine compartment, with that ‘deer in the headlights’ look. The extinguisher is still in your hand. You’ll find it very hard to put it down for the next 24 hours—that’s ok, you'll get over it. The engine compartment itself will be a mess of white dry chemical and melted wires and hoses. Time to break out the water can and tool kit and get to work. During the cleaning and repair process there will probably be some raw fuel leaking or just puddled in there so keep all ignition sources (i.e. sparklers) away.

Here are a few final thoughts to wrap this up:

Ninety two percent of all car fires are preventable with good maintenance (I just made that stat up but I know the percentage is really high.) The old saying ,“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is spot on. With regards to extinguishers, if you don’t have one, get one. Actually, get two—a good one and a cheap one to practice with. The directions are right on the label and quite easy. They’re only about $20 and it’s money well spent. If you would like more training most local fire departments have classes and/or demonstrations for fire extinguisher use. And on that note, may your adventures be plentiful and safe.

Cheers,

Jim West