Project: “Wolf Bike” gets a motoPOCKET upgrade

Earlier this year, Steve Dibble donated a 2006 BMW F650GS to Overland Expo’s charity organization, ConserVentures, whose mission is to promote exploration and to conserve our natural and cultural heritage. In an effort to support field work for the endangered Mexican gray wolf, the bike ended up in the hands of Craig Miller, the Southwest representative for Defenders of Wildlife and a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast. Craig has been a tireless advocate for wildlife conservation in the Southwest for over 30 years. [For more details, please see his bio here.]. Craig’s work takes him deep into Arizona and New Mexico backcountry on rugged forest roads. The Wolf Bike allows him to move more quickly and efficiently, covering more ground to engage people in wolf conservation. "It’s helped me maintain a more consistent presence in the field, and the rides between ranches keep me energized for the difficult visits."

Part of the Wolf Bike project is to properly outfit the bike for such remote and rugged conditions. At Overland Expo WEST 2014, the Wolf bike received donations from  Jesse Luggage (panniers), RawHyde Adventures (set of tires), Baja Design (lighting), Wolfman Luggage (dry bag), Kinder Rider (LS2 helmet), Woody's Wheel Works and Ironhorse BMW. In addition, Bob Allen of Adventure Pockets donated and installed three motoPOCKETs on the Wolf Bike project: The motoPOCKET Windshield (11 x 7 x 2 in.), The motoPOCKET Side Case (14 x 6 x 2 in.) and The motoPOCKET Side Case with netting (14 x 6 x 2 in.). With convenience and durability in mind, MotoPOCKETs are a universal size and attach with heavy-duty Velcro to create an on-board storage solution.

The Side Case pockets fit perfectly width-wise on the underside of the Jesse Luggage panniers outfitted on the Wolf Bike. Although it doesn’t take up the entire length of the pannier lid, the space leftover allows taller items—such as a rolled Thermarest—to nestle beside it when closed. The Side Case pocket comes with or without a durable netting. The netting version is slightly expandable and provides more volume to hold supplies while keeping everything visible. Craig notes, “I was a little skeptical at first, but I now really appreciate how convenient it is to have frequently used accessories in known locations, and that are easy to access.  No more digging through piles of jumbled gear hoping to grab the right thing.”

Even though the pockets stay secured with Velcro, they are easy to remove when unpacking at camp for the night. Craig uses them to store items such as camera batteries, SD cards, or other items that can be easily transferred to a backpack once at the trailhead, and for personal hygiene supplies for a quick freshen-up between miles. When storing heavier items, such a batteries or small tools, the Jesse retaining clips help keep the pocket and items in place.

The Windshield pocket mounts inside of the windscreen and fits into the area between the Cee Bailey windscreen and instrument gauges. It does not impair visibility of the road or trail at all, but there is a slight impairment to the warning lights. Craig likes the convenience of the windshield pocket so much he tends to overstuff it – wallet, small journal, sunglasses, keys, tire gauge, hex tool and GPS – especially when he is not using a tank bag. The weight of items pull the case down in front of fuel and turn signal indicator lights, even when only partially full and more so off pavement

Luckily, there is a simple fix. Craig modified the windshield attachment by adding longer rubber top mounts, which increased the space between the windshield and the gauges by about 1-½ inches, then reattached the motoPOCKET mount lower on the windshield. This slightly reduced motoPOCKET volume, but solved the visibility issue.      

Craig’s conclusion? “I’ve only used for 4,500 miles, but they’ve already taken abuse and are no worse for wear…Overall, I am really happy with Adventure Pockets motoPOCKETs. They’re a high-quality, well-thought-out product that truly provides an onboard storage solution with ‘at your fingertips convenience.’ They’ve definitely helped keep me better organized and prevent me from wasting time looking for the things I consistently need to access.”

Thanks to the supporters of the Wolf Bike project: Adventure Pockets, Jesse Luggage, Baja Designs, RawHyde Adventures, Wolfman Luggage, Kinder Rider, Woody's Wheel Works, and Ironhorse BMW. Would you like to support the Wolf Bike project? You can donate one or more items on our wish-list. In return, we’ll feature your business in the Wolf Bike booth and at the Wolf Bike presentation at Overland Expo. Contact Overland Expo about opportunities.

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. 

4WD training with a 2WD sedan

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Anyone who has watched several four-wheel-drive vehicles in a row negotiate a difficult section of trail has noticed that some seem to do so with ease, while others struggle. Frequently this is due to differences in the vehicles—suspension, ground clearance, lockers, etc.—but sometimes, counterintuitively, a bone-stock model of no particularly superior breed will make light work of a passage through which a modified über machine struggled.

The difference, of course is the driver. And what that driver is doing is optimizing the capabilities of the vehicle by picking the proper line through, around, or over obstacles in his path.

That skill of being able to recognize the proper line will benefit you more than all the traction aids on earth. And just what is The Proper Line? In one sentence, it is: A course that will, as far as is possible, keep all four of the vehicle’s wheels in contact with the surface (for optimum traction), while keeping all parts of the vehicle’s bodywork away from that surface (for reduced damage), and maintaining the vehicle’s stability (to avoid rolls, plunges off cliffs, etc.). Okay, that’s a sentence fragment, but you get the point.

Bad line - tires in the low spots.

Even on easy trails, it’s worthwhile to train yourself to instinctively scan the terrain ahead and pick the optimum line. And some time ago I realized that the ideal vehicle for such training need not even be four-wheel-drive. The last two miles of the seven-mile dirt road to our little place in the desert has steadily degraded in the last few years, due to erosion from summer thunderstorms. As a result, the trip in and out is becoming more and more of a challenge for our old Mercedes 300D. Yet we’ve both been enjoying that challenge: easing it through ditches at just the right angle, straddling water-cut ravines that run straight down the road, judging the height of rocks on one bouldery downhill, and getting the speed just right on the final loose climb to the gate. You’re constantly reminded of axioms that serve well whether you’re working with five inches of ground clearance or twice that.

• Straddling a water cut going uphill is usually safe, since they get narrower as you go. Beware doing the same thing downhill, when the cut is picking up micro-flows from the sides and getting wider. You might find yourself caught straddling a ditch too deep to cut across, and have to back up.
• Precise wheel placement is a valuable skill. Know where your vehicle ends, and where each tire is going.
• Keep your tires on the high spots.
• Ditches perpendicular to the road are best crossed at an angle, one wheel at a time. Since the Merc has . . . modest . . . articulation and no traction aids, lifting a rear wheel is easy and will instantly cut traction. Sometimes a blip of the throttle is needed to coast across an air gap.
• Loose, steep uphills with two-wheel (i.e. one-wheel) drive are a balancing act between ensuring sufficient initial momentum while avoiding excessive, rock-spewing speed. The perfect choice results in topping out at a walking pace with nary a spin of a tire. 
• Closely spaced rocks can cause a feedback oscillation of the springs that cuts ground clearance drastically. Take them slow.
• Finally, learn the undercarriage of your vehicle, and where the delicate bits are. Most cars have one side or the other that would be easier to damage—good to know if you have to drive over a rock.

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Fortunately the W123 series Mercedes Benzes were built like Panzers to begin with, and ours seems to be handling its backroad duties with aplomb. Still, we occasionally muse on maybe a two-inch lift, an ARB locker, and some All-Terrains . . .

Just say no to wheel spacers . . .

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( . . . and other “performance enhancements” that compromise reliability)

Every once in a while—well, quite frequently, actually—my friend and master Toyota mechanic, Bill Lee, reads something in a magazine that sets his teeth on edge, and he’ll fire off an email to me sprinkled with a lot of exclamation points. Invariably the offending passage involves a “build” article, wherein the writer has taken a perfectly functional truck and set about “improving” it. I seem to be Bill’s favorite person with whom to share his pain, perhaps because I react the same way when I read some of this stuff, which, when published nationally, thousands of readers are likely to take as gospel and imitate.

It’s not that either of us is against any modifications at all. Many accessories can add to the utility, convenience, and even safety of a four-wheel-drive vehicle without compromising reliability or durability: better tires, driving lights, winches, bumpers with proper recovery points, dual-battery systems, built-in air compressors, etc. Even some driveline and chassis modifications can be made that have few or no drawbacks. Electric locking differentials, for example, generally do not compromise the strength of the third member, and if they stop working you’re normally just back to a stock diff. Aftermarket shock absorbers frequently exceed the performance of factory units—especially if, as in our case, you’ve added a 1,000-pound camper to your truck. High-quality aftermarket springs (or, in the rear, air bags) can enhance weight-carrying ability, or improve ride.

The problems start when you begin messing with the fundamental engineering and design parameters of the truck.

Bill’s most recent email concerned a Tacoma on which the writer had installed, among other things, new, wider tires. He subsequently found that the tires rubbed the inner fender wells at full steering lock, especially when the suspension was compressed. So, rethink and install narrower tires? Nope. Instead, he installed a set of 1.25-inch wheel spacers—an inexpensive, bolt-on accessory that literally moves each wheel outward from its hub by an inch and a quarter. This, the writer reported, (mostly) solved the rubbing issue, and additionally widened the track of the truck a bit, which he thought improved its stance. 

So far so good. The problem is, no mention whatsoever was made of the significant downside inherent in using wheel spacers. Moving the wheel outward by an inch and a quarter moves it that much farther from the wheel bearings, which—especially when exacerbated by larger, heavier tires—puts massive additional load on those bearings, load that will inevitably compromise their durability. Exactly how much is impossible to say (Bill said he’d be surprised to see bearings last 40,000 miles stressed thusly), but it is inarguable that the modification compromised Toyota’s engineering—that’s just simple physics. 

We see this sort of thing too often—laudatory articles boasting of improved ride, better handling, greater compliance, or enhanced power after the installation of extensive (and frequently expensive) replacements for factory parts. Unsurprisingly, these article are often shadowed by advertisements for those same products. (I went to the wheel spacer manufacturer’s site and looked in vain for any warnings of potential detrimental effects to installing them.)

Philosophical aside: Is the urge to “improve” an already decent product a peculiarly male obsession that can manifest itself on almost anything? I offer the legendary Colt Model 1911 .45-caliber pistol as an example. Designed as a reliable, powerful battlefield sidearm over a century ago, it transitioned effortlessly to a reliable, powerful self-defense sidearm for civilian use. But in the last couple of decades that urge to “improve” the 1911 has led to a bizarre market in which you can purchase a basic 1911 for around $500, then with no effort at all spend another three thousand dollars “improving” it. Not making that up—Google “Novak Full House Custom 1911” if you doubt me. Just as with our four-wheel-drive vehicles, many of those accessories actually do improve the utility of the pistol—ambidextrous safeties, tritium sights, modifications to allow feeding of modern hollowpoint ammunition, etc.—but in the drive to enhance the (perfectly acceptable) accuracy of the basic 1911, parts are added and components tightened in such a way that its intrinsic all-weather reliability—the raison d’être of the original design—is compromised. Nevertheless, Novak’s is so backed up with work they’re not taking new orders right now.

Where was I? Right. I’ve written earlier about the physics of tires and suspension lifts (here), noting the number of comments Roseann and I get from people who seem genuinely puzzled that we haven’t installed larger tires and raised the suspension on our Tacoma. When I point out the downsides of doing so, it’s surprising how few had any idea there were any. All they knew about bigger tires and suspension lifts was what they had read in magazines and advertisements. 

If you’re modifying a vehicle for extended backcountry travel, it’s vital that you investigate both sides of those modifications. Keep in mind Isaac Newton’s Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Space your wheels outward to gain tire clearance and a wider stance, and you increase stress on your wheel bearings. Install larger, heavier tires and you decrease your braking effectiveness and increase stress on steering components. Modify your suspension for greater travel, and you force your axles and driveshafts to flex farther as well, with detrimental effects on CV joints and boots. (And, perhaps, other things: Bill Lee reports inspecting a Tundra lifted so far that the steering torqued the chassis at full lock because the rack could not travel far enough. Bill says, “I love lift kits. They keep me busy removing them and replacing parts.”)

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Chris Collard, editor of Overland Journal, sent this along after seeing this post. Good advice.

If, after considering both sides, you decide the type of travel you do would be easier if your vehicle were modified, err on the side of caution. A two- or two-and-a-half-inch lift on a truck with independent front suspension is about the maximum practical without significant downsides. Note the angle on your front axles before and after the lift; you’ll see that they are now running at a noticeably greater angle all the time. Inspect your CV boots regularly. Avoid cheap lift kits that use blocks to raise the rear suspension. When it is moved farther from the spring, the axle will twist under acceleration and braking (this is called axle wrap). Some companies will happily sell you an additional product called a traction bar to help control this—why not just avoid it in the first place? Other kits use an add-a-leaf to jack up the existing rear spring pack. However, add-a-leafs can add stress points to the spring pack. We broke two add-a-leafs before wising up. Some tall front suspension lift kits come with brackets to relocate the steering linkage and even drop the differential—bits that solve one problem and create others. 

Remember: The number one function of an expedition vehicle is to complete the expedition. All the ground clearance and compliance and sharp handling in the world will do you no good if something major breaks. 

And finally, just so you don’t think I’m being superior about all this: In my gun safe is a heavily modified Colt Combat Commander .45 from Novak’s . . .

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

Filson redux . . .

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Early this year I posted an article titled “Et tu, Filson?” which detailed my concerns that Filson—long one of the most reliable suppliers of high-quality expedition gear and clothing—might be headed down the same diluted and fashionized path as so many other historic outfitters (read it here). 

The article produced a flurry of comments, and a surprise: a lengthy and obviously sincere interaction with a Filson customer service representative named Phil, who promised he was passing the dialogue along to marketing executives at the company, and who assured me there were many long-time employees who shared my concerns and were determined to keep serving Filson’s core customers.

My specific rant concerned Filson’s Feathercloth Shirt, which had long been my standard wear for both the Arizona desert and Africa. From a pricey but bearable $70 it morphed overnight into something called the Seattle Shirt—same item, only double the price, which made it untenable (for me, any way) as a working shirt subject to hard use and possible tears. I rued its loss, and wished aloud (and loudly) that Filson would designate some Feathercloth rendition as a real outdoor shirt, and drop the price.

And . . . voilá.

Last week I got an email from a fellow shirt wonk, Gary Haynes: “Have you seen this?” Included was a link, which, when opened, introduced me to the brand new Filson Expedition Shirt. Feathercloth, some interesting-looking features, and a sub-$100 price—right on the edge of finger-curling affordability (only given the astonishing lifespan of my earlier Feathercloth shirts). 

Wow, like, Power to the People. 

I called the long-time Filson public relations rep Amy Terai (a veteran in an industry that usually chews through personnel like gum), and asked for a sample.

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So, let’s take a look at this thing.

First off is the Feathercloth fabric, a . . . feathery . . . but tightly woven poplin of just three ounces per square yard. At first it seems impossibly delicate, but the incredibly tight weave renders it as durable as heavier fabrics. It soaks up sweat instantly, and dries faster than you can imagine. Between May and October in Arizona, when I hang laundry out to dry I can quite literally take down the first Feathercloth shirts I put up by the time I finish hanging the rest of the load. Washed in a sink while traveling it dries nearly as quickly wrung out and hung in a window (although wringing also wrinkles it like crazy). Fans of synthetic fabrics boast about short drying times, but I’d put Feathercloth up against any of them. (Little-known practical advantage to cotton: If you stay at lodges anywhere in Africa and have your laundry done, your clothes will be ironed, quite possibly with an iron heated on a stove. Roseann has a couple of synthetic skirts with perfectly shaped iron scorch marks on them.)

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So, on to other features. There are two large breast pockets, properly flapped and secured with buttons—which, unlike Velcro, will work just as well in three years as they do now. New to the Expedition Shirt are buttoned tabs for rolling up and securing the sleeves above one’s elbows—nice—and four gusseted vent holes under each arm—even nicer. The fabric under each forearm is doubled for abrasion resistance.

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 The collar does not button down. I prefer button-down collars to keep them from flapping in the wind and to keep the shirt looking neater, but that’s a small gripe; I often simply sew on such buttons on myself. Speaking of buttons, they seem a bit more substantial than those on my earlier shirts. On the other hand, the shirt’s seam stitching has opened up a bit, from ten per inch to nine. I’ve never had a seam blow out on a Filson shirt so I’m not sure this matters, but I wonder how much they save by turning a dial on the sewing machine.

What distinguishes the Expedition Shirt in catalog photos are the epaulets. Epaulets—something of a misnomer, as an epaulet is properly the military shoulder decoration that was held on by what we now call the epaulet—are useful at times for securing camera or binocular straps when you don’t want them sliding off your shoulder. To work effectively, though, they must be sewn through about an inch inward from the shoulder seam, otherwise the strap of whatever it is you’re securing can drag the shirt off your shoulder.

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A proper epaulet . . .

The Filson’s epaulets, I noted, are properly sewn through, so I lifted the collar to check the securing buttons and . . . um . . . huh? There are no securing buttons. The “epaulet” is sewn on at both ends, rendering it nothing but a fashion item.

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 . . .but no!

Okay, so that’s a fail. On virtually every other count, however, the Expedition Shirt is not only a welcome new product, but an actual upgrade to the original Feathercloth Shirt, which helps make up for the price difference. Finally, it’s available in “small,” which fits me properly. I use quotation marks around “small” because I’m five nine and 150 pounds and used to be considered a solid medium. Now “medium”—which is the smallest size a great many companies offer any more—is tailored . . . no, wrong word! . . . constructed for 180-pound guys, and at the other end of the scale they just keep adding X after X to the L. If the world were fair I’d be able to buy two small shirts for the same price as an XXXXL since they probably take the same amount of fabric. And while we’re at it, the person next to me on an airline should have to pay for half my seat if he oozes over into my space. And furthermore . . .

Ah. Where was I? Oh, right: While I’m still trepidatious regarding the eventual fate of Filson, given the current ownership and the whole “lifestyle” movement (not to mention the tragic decline in so many field sports), it does seem that, indeed, there are people at Filson who want to continue the Filson tradition and serve the company’s core customers—people who actually spend time outdoors. Bravo.

Summer’s Not Over Yet: Three ways to beat the heat while motorcycling

You want to go ride, but the temperature read out on your motorcycle shows you near triple digits. Then you look at your gore-tex infused or ballistic nylon suit and wonder how you are going to be comfortable enough to do it? Body heat regulation is an important factor to consider for any ride, and a cooling vest may be the answer you are looking for. 

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​Unlike most who are counting down the last days of summer, I live in a location where it’s hot and humid year round. I am constantly on the search for how to keep cool while I ride. In addition to consistent hydration, I have found a cooling vest to be a good solution to the heat.

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When I stay local and practice slow (under 15 mph) motorcycle exercises on the weekends, I wear a Leatt Coolit vest under Klim’s solstice base layer (the high neck hides the vest), and then modular protective gear on top of that. The cut of the vest is made for a man, but does fit the curves of a woman well and true to size. All the cooling vest needs is a quick 5 min soak in the sink, a good squeeze to remove the excess water and it’s ready to wear. The vest retains water for a few hours, depending on heat, body heat, and humidity. Where I live, on average, is 80% humidity and the “coolness” lasts for about 2-3 hours during hot 90F weather. After about two hours, the vest is still damp, but has warmed up to my body temperature and lost its cooling effect. I keep cold water with me and will drench the vest again (while wearing it), but most of the time a fast lap or two around the block helps. > Read full article here.