Table of contents for September - October 2021 in TREAD

Back in college, I took an art class called “Design & Color.” There were some legit artists who were getting art degrees in my class. However, I wasn’t an artist. I didn’t know about the color wheel or which medium I preferred. To me, “medium” was still a T-shirt size. I was challenged beyond belief and was frustrated several times, but I proved to myself that anyone can be an artist. I never really thought of myself as a creative person either. I tend to lean more on the left side of my brain; it’s more comfortable there. However, just like any muscle, when pulled and stretched, it will grow stronger and surprise you. Taking on the position of editor has challenged me to build my right-side brain muscle. On…

Have you purchased a new vehicle recently? Are you looking to refresh your existing ride? Look no further than a capable set of wheels to upgrade your stock rollers with. Take pride in your off-road rig by installing a set of wheels that’ll make your vehicle look better and will also allow it to crawl and explore tougher terrain. We’ve collected some of the latest wheels to hit the market. Which one is calling out to you? BLACK RHINO WHEELS/RAID The Raid is a concave, multi-spoke, off-road wheel featuring a motorsport ring with an off-road-inspired lip. Standard finishes are gold, matte black, matte bronze and matte red in 17-, 18- and 20-inch sizes for 5-lug and 6-lug trucks. blackrhinowheels.com DIRTY LIFE RACE WHEELS/CANYON PRO 9309 The light and tough Canyon…

Light. This thin slice of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum—wavelengths that are visible to the eye—has mystified philosophers and polymaths dating back to the first millennium B.C. The light emitted by the sun, along with the energy it delivers to our blue planet, is responsible for photosynthesis. This, in turn, is responsible for much of our oxygen. Without light, Earth as we know it would not exist; it would be just another frozen marble spinning through the universe. As photographers, we don’t need to memorize that red wavelengths fall between 625 and 700 nanometers, but understanding light and how it affects an image is paramount. Before we dive into technique, we should look at the basic principles of why we see objects in different ways. Why do we see the reds,…

EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles, otherwise known as EC, is globally recognized as a top-tier expedition camper and vehicle manufacturer. It’s headquartered in Bend, Oregon, where it’s been building off-road-ready 4x4s with carefully constructed off-grid campers for 13 years. With extensive worldwide travels under the company’s belt, its EarthCruisers are engineered for adventure. They’re hand-built, agile and hold their value for years to come. EC created a camper ready for global travels. EC’s latest release, the Terranova Expedition Camper, is a pop-top camper built atop a 2021 Ford F-350 crew cab chassis. As a result of Mitsubishi Fuso exiting the United States market, EarthCruiser listened to customer demand: The Terranova will use only domestic vehicles. The Terranova is currently only offered on a Ford chassis, but comparative RAM and Chevy applications are…

Crossing two borders and driving 300 miles in a single day was not my plan at the start. Driving across a country in a single day is a bit of a failure, I think. I wouldn’t be able to try new foods, see beautiful places or meet locals. In short, I wouldn’t be experiencing the country. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d be able to say I went there at all. The more I’ve heard about Honduras, however, the more I’m certain driving straight across in one shot is the right thing to do. Over the last few months, I’ve heard many horror stories about bribery and corruption in Honduras. It seems the police and military often do whatever they want to foreigners in order to extract cash. Everyone…

“Where must we go, we who wander this wasteland, in search of our better selves.”—The First History Man, Mad Max: Fury Road Sunlight filters through the dusty remnants of broken windowpanes, streaming into an abandoned power station in northern Chile. Graffiti marks dust-covered turbines that were retired from operation long ago. Footsteps interrupt the eerie quiet as a violet-haired Canadian walks beneath a loop of chains dangling from a rusty overhead beam. Behind her, a timer counts down. Click. The camera shutter opens, its sensor capturing the image. She circles back, grabbing the camera and tripod before exiting the building and returning to a black Jeep parked outside. It’s time to go. The rest of the Pan-American Highway awaits. On May 4, 2018, solo female overlander Joanie Pépin left Montréal…

There probably aren’t any grills faster to get up and running than the models offered by HitchFire, makers of full-sized barbeque grills that mount to the rear of your vehicle. As their name implies, these grills are similar to the types you’d find at a backyard cookout, but they’re mounted to your rig’s tow hitch. Instant Field Kitchen I recently had the chance to try out the company’s most feature-rich package, the Ultimate Grill Station. At the heart of the Ultimate Grill Station is the Forge 15 Grill. Unlike most compact camping cooktops, which have limited cooking space, the Forge 15 has a generously sized, 18x22-inch cooking surface that’s rated to serve up to 10 people all at once. The dual-burner grill is powered by propane and can take two…

O1. MAC’S TIE DOWNS/ JEEP GLADIATOR VERSATIE TRACK BED KIT Made for the Jeep Gladiator, these install easily into the factory-threaded inserts found on the JL. Thanks to the no-drill installation, this task requires nothing more than a #3 Phillips screwdriver. They provide adjustability via its 1-inch increments, and tie-down rings are cleaner and easier to adjust than the stock version. The kit includes three pieces of VersaTie, six Single-Stud Tie-Down Rings and stainless steel installation hardware. MSRP: $276 macscustomtiedowns.com O2. GREY MAN TACTICAL/ VEHICLE SEATBACK RMP KIT Keep your important gear close at hand by storing it securely on the back of your vehicle’s seats. Grey Man Tactical’s RMP is a MOLLE-style seatback rig that attaches to the rear side of your vehicle’s seat. It can be…

There are car guys, and there are motor heads. Andrew Vun is a motorhead. He likes tinkering, building and enjoying anything with a motor—import tuner cars, off-road machines and even motorcycles. His passion for cars started with the import tuner scene when he was in high school. He went through a number of builds before getting super-deep into a 2004 Subaru WRX. He got so deep into the import tuner show scene that he was winning, but the car was no longer street legal, because of multiple mods … such as the headlight being replaced by a turbo inlet. With the Subaru off the street, Vun needed a daily driver and a vehicle that could tow. Because he lives in Washington (state), he started searching for something that could handle…

A few years ago, I was helping lead a group trip along the Continental Divide when one of the participants badly sliced a tire on his Tacoma on a back road in Wyoming. My wife and I were riding tail gunner. As we pulled up, the driver had already chocked the wheels, retrieved the factory scissors jack and had placed it under the rear axle. But he was failing completely in his efforts to raise the axle and tire, straining mightily, but futilely, on the crank handle. Why? Because mounted on the back of the Tacoma was a four-wheeled camper—which, in turn, was loaded with water, food and supplies for a two-week trip. We stopped, I got out my 4-ton hydraulic bottle jack, and we effortlessly lifted the truck and…

Year after year the Toyota Tacoma tops the list as the best selling mid-size truck and for good reason. With all the comfort, capability and technology packed into this truck it’s a blast to drive and get off the beaten path. One area it could use some help is some extra altitude to fit larger tires. With the goal of fitting a 35” tire we brought our quicksand 2020 Tacoma TRD into the shop to gain some extra clearance in the form of a BDS 6” performance coilover system The kit itself is built solid with BDS taking the time to design, test, and bring to market a quality suspension package. Whether your plans include regular trips through Baja or weekend trail rides with your buddies, the 6’’ performance coilover…

Some of us are like dogs: We love the fresh air on our faces. We want to hang an arm out of the open window, regardless of the temperature or the time of day. We crave the way the wind feels at speed and can’t help but be disappointed at every stop sign or red light. We love the way the air feels and smells, and we embrace small stings from sand falling off the truck ahead. We even tolerate the rain because it’s real—visceral—and it’s part of feeling alive. It was on a drive to work roughly 18 months after having moved to a location with 300 days of sunshine per year that a thought suddenly occurred to me: I was wasting my commute time trapped in a truck…

Sometimes, we get to meet really special people who have their priorities in order and their lives in good perspective. This is most definitely the case with Corey Whitaker. Before anything else, he’s a dad and a husband. His role in the family defines everything in his life, even when it comes to building bad-ass off-road vehicles—all of them. “THIS ISN’T A TYPICAL OVERLANDER BUILD, BECAUSE COREY ISN’T A TYPICAL OVERLANDER; HE’S AN EXPERIENCED OFF-ROAD DRIVER, AND THIS BUILD WOULD DEFINITELY PUT HIS SKILLS TO THE TEST.” Family Man Corey became interested in nature and camping at a very young age. He explored with his own family since before he can remember, and his wife grew up loving camping too. When he got his first real job, he bought a…

G.Denny Ghiringhelli spent most of his life as a commercial airline pilot and mechanic. Used to piloting planes and wrenching on them, he recently traded in wings for wheels. Little did he know that a military Jeep his father bought in the early 1970s would play a pivotal role in his life decades later. The bone-stock 1953 Willys M38A1 became a true part of his family. The Willys M38A1’s History Ghiringhelli’s father paid about $500 for the 24-volt Korean War surplus Jeep that donned its military paint scheme. “An interesting coincidence is that the date of delivery stamped into the data plate and stenciled under the hood was the same day, month and year as my birthday,” Ghiringhelli said. In high school, Ghiringhelli’s first foray into off-roading was “to load…

01. NAKIE/RECYCLED HAMMOCK WITH STRAPS What can be better than relaxing in a hammock by the lake on a lazy day? How about if the hammock you’re in is made from 100 percent recycled material? Nakie is doing its part for the environment by making each of its hammocks from 37 plastic bottles. What’s more, the company also plants four trees for every hammock that’s purchased. Aside from giving you peace of mind, the hammock is designed to be strong and durable and is easy to set up. MSRP: $109 nakie.us 02. SOL/FLAT PACK BOWLS & STRAINER SET Be ready for any campsite meal prep with the Flat Pack Bowls & Strainer Set. Each set includes one 1.5-liter bowl, one 2.5-liter bowl and a strainer. The set’s total…

A jack isn’t the only item you need for safe tire changes and recovery work. You also need a way to ensure the vehicle remains stationary and doesn’t roll off the jack. Additionally, you need a way to ensure the base of the jack doesn’t sink in sand or mud. The best vehicle chocks I’ve used are the nesting units from Safe Jack, which are substantial enough to anchor the vehicle for winching, as well as jacking. In addition, the best base plate I’ve used is the ARB unit. It’s configured to accept ARB’s jack and a Hi-Lift. Very smart.…

Canadian resident A.J. Leveille was always into cars. He and his father built a hot rod as his first vehicle. In fact, he still owns it. Leveille was also in the Boy Scouts from ages 5 to 17. That laid the foundation for his love of the outdoors. “In university and beyond, I became very involved in hiking, mountaineering and trekking abroad,” said Leveille. Backcountry trips led him to build his Land Cruiser FJ40 camper “many years ago before ‘overlanding’ in North America was a ‘thing.’” Family Overlanding Leveille’s love for adventuring through Canada’s vastness and beyond was a major reason he purchased and customized a used 2011 TGM 18.340 four-wheel-drive MAN truck that housed a TC59 Unicat camper. He wanted to travel the world for extended periods of time…

“PEAK DESIGN, MAKERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR, HAVE SUPPLIED SOLUTIONS TO ELEVATE THE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE FOR ADVENTURERS AND HOBBYISTS ALIKE." Traveling and photography often go hand in hand. Many are inspired by the images of exotic locations seen online, on social media or in books and magazines full of breathtaking imagery. This often creates a desire to travel. With your rig packed and an epic trip ahead of you, it’s time to capture and document new memories. To do so successfully might require a bit of skill and luck, but it also necessitates the proper camera equipment to ensure you’re ready when the time comes to click the shutter button. Whether you’re crossing borders on an overlanding trip, hanging out on a camping trip with the family or simply exploring a…

ENGINE: LATE-1990S CHEVY 350 (BORED AND STROKED TO 383) AND BALANCED; ROLLER CAM; ALUMINUM HEADS; EDELBROCK PRO-FLO 4 EFI (BUILT BY CHRIS DOUGLAS/DOUGLAS AUTO MACHINE) TRANSMISSION: GM SM420 CON-DIESEL (NOS) TRANSFER CASE: CUSTOM ATLAS (RACE CASE, RIGHT DROP, SHORT TAIL, 4:1); BUILT BY ADVANCE ADAPTERS) DIFFERENTIALS: (FRONT) CUSTOM DYNATRAC DANA 60; DETROIT LOCKER .500 DOM TUBES, TRUSSED; RCV AXLES—FULL FLOAT; REID RACING C’S & KNUCKLES; YUKON HUBS; WILWOOD DISC BRAKES; (REAR) CUSTOM DYNATRAC DANA 60; DETROIT LOCKER; .500 DOM TUBES, TRUSSED; SOLID AXLES—FULL FLOAT; YUKON HUBS; WILWOOD DISC BRAKES; WILWOOD ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE SUSPENSION: (FRONT) LIBERTY MOUNTAIN FABRICATION CUSTOM COILOVER RADFLO QUAD BYPASS SHOCKS, LEADING ARMS; CURRIE ANTI ROCK SWAY BAR; LIMIT STRAPS; (REAR) LIBERTY MOUNTAIN FABRICATION CUSTOM COILOVER RADFLO QUAD BYPASS SHOCKS; 4 LINK TRAILING ARMS; CURRIE ANTI ROCK…

There’s a photograph of Ernesto López Pérez and Taisa Welhasch of Overland the Americas I’ve always loved. Standing at the 18,871-foot (5,752m) summit of Mount Pisco in Huascarán National Park, Perú, they’re framed by an azure sky, crampons strapped to their hiking boots and ice axes raised above their heads in victory. The thrill of the moment is infectious, transcending time and space. Revisiting the experience, Ernesto recalls carrying his 2-pound Nikon DSLR D810 camera and three lenses to the summit to capture the moment. “It was so heavy,” he laughs. “But these are unique moments that need to be documented. I didn’t know when, if ever, I would see something like that again.” Celebrating Our Earth Ernesto and Taisa’s photographs are a celebration of Earth’s beautiful places. They spent…