Table of contents for March - April 2021 in TREAD

Nothing beats the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere, alone with your thoughts. Whether it be backpacking through the High Sierras or remote camping by a lake, many of us know the feeling that sweeps over as you take in the scenery and sounds of nature. Do you remember your first time? Imagine having always lived in a city full of its noises: helicopters, sirens, people talking and moving, cars honking, construction—all the hustle and bustle. The change is both peaceful and frightening. All senses are on high alert because one doesn’t know what to expect. While it should be stress-free, the body is stressed with the unknown, mind racing, tension in the muscles. But then that moment comes when it all washes away and one can finally…

In previous Viewfinders, we’ve discussed how to frame images and a documentary approach to recording our adventures. In this issue we are going to delve into a subject near and dear to our hearts, a dependable partner in our travels and one we trust with our lives on a daily basis. Unless we are encapsulated in the safety of their cocoon, they are rather inanimate objects, several thousand pounds of cold steel, plastic, and rubber. But as you will attest, they are much more than an assembly of forged and molded metal. They possess unique character, that of a devoted trail companion. We know their rattles and creaks, when they are content, when they need attention, and when they are having a rough day. As you might surmise, we are…

Nothing beats cooking under the open sky. Whether it’s preparing a few eggs in the morning to complement a cup of coffee or a hearty steak dinner to end a long day on the trails, cooking while camping is awesome. You don’t need to be a professional chef or have any culinary training to create an enjoyable and satisfying meal outdoors. With all the tools and gear available today, the comfort and convenience of a home kitchen is easy to find on adventure travels. To help get started on building up a collection of gear or to add a bin already full of the essentials, we’ve compiled a list of items we feel help create the “perfect camp kitchen.” Storage You’ll want to assess the type of trip you’ll be…

Every off-road competition poses challenges: tough terrain, vehicle breakdowns, and stressful situations. Imagine running a 1,500-mile-long rally without GPS, a cell phone, or other technology. Completely on your own; vehicle, driver, and navigator, coupled with topographic maps and a compass. This is Rebelle Rally. In the fifth year of the all-women’s off-road competition, entrants certainly didn’t disappoint with entering unique vehicles. Each year, we are impressed with the capabilities of the chosen vehicles. However, a few stood out more than usual and were worth shining a spotlight on: Lexus LX 570 concept, Mitsubishi Overland PHEV, Rivian RT1, and Mercedes-Benz 350GD Turbo. Thirty-six teams clawed their way through tricky terrain in order to chase hundreds of hidden checkpoints (CPs). Teams tested themselves and their vehicles against the ultimate challenge: conquer the…

Don’t worry, keep reading—we’re not going to suggest you base your overland travel diet around salt pork and hardtack, as if you were a 17th century British seaman. (Although, on the bright side, they also got a ration of a gallon of beer. Daily.) Instead, we’re referring to modern long-distance sailors. Those who might be completely isolated for a month at a time or longer on extended offshore passages, but have nevertheless figured out how to stay much healthier and eat a lot better than their predecessors in His Majesty’s Navy. After all, gliding across the Pacific on the trade winds is much more pleasant if you’re not ridden with scurvy and picking lost teeth off the pillow each morning. On long journeys away from re-supply options—whether powered by foresail…

Your ride deserves a new look for the New Year. The easiest way to accomplish that while simultaneously bumping up its performance is by way of high-quality aftermarket wheels. The right wheel can not only update the look of your truck, SUV, or Jeep, but also increase its off-road worthiness. With so many wheels on the market, where do you start your search? Why, right here, of course. Let’s take a look at the latest offerings and put our vehicle’s best foot forward. WARN/MOONSAULT Warn Epic Wheels are a perfect fit for the Wrangler JK, JL, or Gladiator JT. Available in a 17x8.5 size with a 5x5 (5x127) bolt pattern and 0 offset, these hubcentric, high-quality, cast-aluminum wheels come with a choice of black or gunmetal powdercoated finishes for a…

Pulled toward the East Coast like a bee to honey, we jumped at the opportunity to hop on a plane to fly across the country and check out Overland Challenge, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by Southern Xpeditions, Overland Challenge 2020 took place November 6-8, 2020, in Uwharrie, North Carolina. Why head out there? Because of all the events we’d heard of or had attended, this one was unlike the rest. A competition that highlights all the skills needed for driving off-road trails and setting up the ultimate campsite appealed to our senses and brought intrigue. Whether you have loads of experience with recovery, spotting someone, or picking a line, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a vehicle, or the intricacies of setting up camp quickly, this event highlights…

For nearly eight decades, Jeep has carried the torch of off-road capability. Transitioning the World War II MB to the civilian-offered Willys, and then creating an extended lineage of CJs and Wranglers, the seven-slot brand has stayed true to its genetic makeup. While Jeep has a full line of platforms, such as the Cherokee and Renegade, I relate to the descendants of the venerable Willys—body-on-frame and stick axles—with nine words: The most fun you can have on four wheels. We recently caught up with two of their ’20 Moab concepts in Southern California, which were accompanied by the all-new Gladiator diesel. Behold our triple shot of seven-slot fun. “AFTER DRIVING THIS NEW OIL-BURNER, WE CAN ASSURE YOU THE DAYS OF LETHARGIC SMALL-DISPLACEMENT DIESELS ARE A THING OF THE PAST.” Torque…

With lots of imagination, common sense, and guts, Mark Tetreau of Arizona-based Kalaber Creations started building a ’71 Kalaber “J1” Jeep in 1995. The lack of tools, engineering education, resources, and money didn’t stop him from starting this distinctive project. Throughout the last 24 years, this “masterpiece on four wheels” gained many hidden secrets and cool features that’ll make you want to build your own. Not only does Tetreau build his own off-road rides, his main bread and butter is selling Ural motorcycles and sidecars under the Kalaber Creations name. Along with Kalaber (the name comes from his daughters Kali and Amber), he and his wife, Jill, own and run a used car dealership called Scooter and Auto Source. Tetreau has always been an automotive enthusiast. He was raised on…

When faced with a challenge, one should rise to the occasion. And when successful, great rewards are received. In this case, those rewards are a hearty meal provided by a professional chef in God’s country. While some of us grew up in the outdoors, many people have yet to discover the wonders of nature—especially the way we do. That’s exactly why Rashad and Ron Frazier decided to bring the overlanding and camping experience to those who simply needed a little encouragement and know-how. While many of us were locked up at home from COVID-19 restrictions, Rashad and Ron met up in Montana for a camping trip with their families. On this summer 2020 trip, they also discussed how to share their love of the outdoors with those completely unfamiliar with…

There’s a fail-safe way to make sure every tool in your vehicle’s field kit is top quality: Chase down a Snap-on truck, hand over a list and your Amex card. Of course, you might wince at the resulting tab, likely to be the equivalent of a low-mileage five-year-old Tacoma. On the other hand, if you have to break out the tools in the middle of nowhere, it’s because something has already gone wrong. Do you really want to risk compounding the problem by trusting a $39.95 200-piece tool kit? Not to worry. It’s easy for those of us of modest means to ensure we have tools of sufficient quality for any job by following a simple axiom: Economize where possible; spend where critical. Vehicle trouble in the backcountry follows an…

01. ORACLE/WHITE UNDERBODY WHEELWELL ROCK LIGHT KIT These durable and intensely bright white LED rock lights from Oracle Lighting feature over 2,400 lumens of output, which makes them brighter than most headlights. Drive with confidence using these white rock lights with sturdy housings that withstand any terrain you put them through. MSRP: $100 oraclelights.com 02. DOMETIC/CFX3 45 Enjoy 46 liters of cooling capacity. Dometic’s powered cooler produces impressive cooling/freezing capabilities, allowing you to bring more of the food and drinks you love wherever you go. The CFX3’s robust design and ExoFrame construction is built for tough outdoor use. Enjoy efficient cooling and freezing with convenience wherever you go. Download the app to control the temperature and other settings from your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. MSRP: $960 dometic.com…

01 PERFORMANCE ENGINE Developed from the MT-07 Hyper Naked sportbike, the CP2 689cc liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke, eight-valve engine combines exceptional reliability and exciting power delivery in a compact, fuel-efficient package. Its 270-degree crank provides linear torque in response to throttle input. TRANSMISSION The six-speed transmission “stacks” the gearbox and the crankshaft in a triangular layout to keep the overall engine size shorter front to back, which optimizes the bike’s weight balance. FUEL INJECTION Electronic fuel injection settings provide excellent fuel economy, robust acceleration, and precise controllability on- and off-road. Fuel injection is calibrated to deliver precise response for technical riding off-road as well as casual pavement rides. 02 SUSPENSION SUSPENSION Aggressive dirt riding requires capable suspension. The Ténéré 700 is equipped with a long-travel 43mm inverted fork with 8.3 inches…

“THE OLD ‘DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT’ RENTAL ADAGE PROBABLY ISN’T ONE YOU SHOULD USE HERE. KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND SKILL SETS, AND PLAN YOUR ROUTE ACCORDINGLY.” When you think of flying somewhere and renting an overland-outfitted 4x4, images of the African Serengeti or Australian Outback flood the imagination. While well-equipped iconic off-road rentals have been available at those destinations for decades, it’s been a bit more recent that such vehicles could be rented closer to home. RV, van, and overland adventuremobile rentals have exploded in popularity during the travel restrictions brought on by the pandemic, so we figured we’d give it a try to see what all the fuss is about. Arrive & Drive I stretched out in my sleeping bag and took a moment to enjoy the…

“WE ARE VERY MUCH INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR VEHICLES AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXCEED THE LIMITS THAT OUR VEHICLES KEEP FINDING.” —MARK PORUDOMINSKY. Creativity fuels style and the desire to stand out from the crowd. Whether it be fashion or a vehicle, most like to put an individual spin or a personal touch to a look. Such is the case with the '19 Ford Ranger owned by Mark Porudominsky. His initial vision came together pretty quickly after inspired at his first off-road/overlanding event. Of course, those who have artistic sense running through their veins aren’t necessarily happy with just one go-around, especially those from the automotive enthusiast world. Within a year, the Ranger would see a second version. His individuality took over and creativity took hold when he…

Mark Tetreau built a customized Ural and sidecar from used, forgotten, and scrap parts he had lying around. Its name is U1. “U” is born from his love of Ural motorcycles and “1” means the first-ever Ural of its kind. Kalaber Creations not only sells Urals but also a line of custom-made off-road accessories for them—perfect for showcasing on this one-of-a-kind build. The U1 Ural took approximately three years of weekends to build. Now complete, it makes appearances at events like Overland Expo West, but it’s happiest carrying Mark and his wife Jill around Prescott and neighboring areas. Married for 44 years, Mark built U1 to pay tribute to Jill. It’s a way they can spend time together. U1 is made from a variety of Jeep, motorcycle, and various adventure…

Since the dawn of man and probably even eons before, our oldest ancestors were fascinated by the stars in the sky. After a day spent taking down a Woolly Mammoth or defending their valley or water source, a group of early men entertained each other around the cook fires with stories about the stars. Much like we can see shapes and patterns in the clouds today, they connected together the stars to form patterns that looked like animals, gods, goddesses, and heroes from their cultures. Some of these stories survived the millennia, and we remember them today as the origins of the constellations. These stories have become the foundation on which many of the myths are based; these have been passed down through the centuries by the Greeks, Romans, Polynesians,…