[spressomon]

Scott: As of yesterday no Fall Issue in my mailbox: Wazupwidat?

[expeditionswest]

Originally Posted by spressomon

Scott: As of yesterday no Fall Issue in my mailbox: Wazupwidat?

They are on the way. There was a slight delay at the printer, but you should see it in the next week or two.

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by expeditionswest

They are on the way. There was a slight delay at the printer, but you should see it in the next week or two.

"...in the next week or two"?! You're killing me Scott! You put out a great read and now you expect us to be patient?!

[wesintl]

Toyota Diesels.. I'll be waiting

[Blue Phoenix]

Just got my first issue...Man does this satisfy what I have been looking for in a magazine. Thanks!

[SINCITY100]

Got the second edition.... Nice !




BUT... where is the cool hat ??!!

[Blue Phoenix]

This is THE magazine I have been waiting for. Heres one for ya...I read most of mine on the hood of my Humvee in Baghdad-ville. I think its up to the tortures to be expected outdoors. I have just one, er, issue that doesnt bother me, but drives me nuts....In the Latitude section, please tell me there is a longitude hidden somewhere in either the page of the picture or something? You gotta help me! There are a couple of pictures that I just think, man, I want to go there. Anyways, No big deal. GREAT WORK. GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY. GREAT ARTICLES. I cant wait to get my next one!

[PabloVTA]

I just got two issues at Surf N Turf and I can't say enough that this mag rocks!

Awesome printing, great articles, amazing photography and real writing, not some pandering to the sponsors kind of stuff.

Loved the write up on Pasquales rig, especially since I was reading it as I waited for him to finish breakfast out of the back of the rig!

My wife has been doing publications for over 15 years, she's very impressed as well.

Look for my subscription soon!

[expeditionswest]

Originally Posted by PabloVTA

I just got two issues at Surf N Turf and I can't say enough that this mag rocks!

Awesome printing, great articles, amazing photography and real writing, not some pandering to the sponsors kind of stuff.

Loved the write up on Pasquales rig, especially since I was reading it as I waited for him to finish breakfast out of the back of the rig!

My wife has been doing publications for over 15 years, she's very impressed as well.

Look for my subscription soon!

Wow, thanks so much for the great feedback Pablo

We really appreciate the support.

[Brentbba]

Scott,

I can only second Pablo's comments. Grabbed one issue at SnT and read it last night - all of it outside the motorcycle article. Really enjoyed the worldwide perspective and especially the article on the eagle hunters! Write up on Pasqual's awesome 80 must have been in a different issue.

[expeditionswest]

Thanks again for all of the kind words everyone.

The last day to subscribe, and still get winter (other than as a back issue) is December 6th. The winter journal will ship around the 11th. It is finished and going through the printer process (proofs, cover, body, binding, etc.).







The winter is one of my favorites so far. It also features my Arctic Ocean expedition.

Here is the TOC: Winter 2007, Ends of the Earth Issue
Overland Post
Editor's Column
Editor's Project: Dual-battery system install in the FJ40
News From The Trade plus Diesel News
Special Report: SEMA Show 2007
Overland News
Arctic Ocean Expedition, by Scott Brady
Vehicle File: Expeditions West Tacoma
Latitude (Ends of the Earth)
Expedition Stove Review and Comparison (11 units), by Scott Brady
Dual-Sport Project (BMW F650GS), part two, by Brian DeArmon
Feature Vehicle: The Delarge Overlander
Journey to the End of the World, by Lois Pryce
Feature Bike: KTM 640, by Ken Reynar
Skills: Tire-Repair, by Jonathan Hanson
Conservation Department
Overland Medicine Department: Hypothermia
Conservation Department Project: FJ60 Land Cruiser
Classic Kit: The Inuit Sled Dog, by Jonathan Hanson
Tail Lamp: The Dream, by Adam Jeske

[Lucy_FJ55]

Winter issue- Sweet, can't wait!

[Ducks]

I just read your Arctic story. I would recommend the Marmot CWM EQ sleeping bag with liner. If you are going to frolic in -50 degree weather, you need a good sleeping bag, good boots, and a good parka. Perhaps you should put more research into your personal gear as you apparently did with your vehicle preparation.

[expeditionswest]

Originally Posted by Ducks

Perhaps you should put more research into your personal gear as you apparently did with your vehicle preparation.

We spent six months researching and preparing, including consulting with the manufacturers on performance. Since we live in the desert, we needed to rely more on the advice and recommendations of others than with things on the vehicles, which we knew and could test. We had no way to (reasonably) replicate -50.

Some gear met that expectation, some did not. We were transparent about that in the article...

[expeditionswest]

Adding Pasquale to the team was a last minute change (with the addition of the Mobil1 sponsorship, he had a matter of days to buy gear, without research) He picked up the first rated bag he could with a liner.

The gear I used worked as expected, with the exception of the North Face boots, which did not perform as the North Face advised.

We had parkas and pants from Columbia, and they worked great. We had down jackets from Mountain Hardware, and they also worked great.

Have you ever had a piece of gear fail to perform or meet your expectations?
If you test new gear, I am sure you have. We all have. There are times that things just do not work as advertised, or advised.

Have you ever relied on others for research (because of limited time or experience in that environment) and it fall short?
Experts are wrong sometimes, and we learn from it, and make better choices the next time. Just part of the learning process.

It is part of the adventure, and why we test gear and share our experiences. We are constantly pushing into new environments and testing new gear, it is what we do. We will not always be perfect, but we will always be honest. I can promise you that Chad

[Ducks]

Thanks Scott. That is great to hear. I appreciate your candidness and am sorry if I came across harsh. I look forward to future issues of your magazine. The US runs McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica where it gets below -50. You may want to consult with them on the gear that they use.

[expeditionswest]

Oh, and nice Chukar shot

I was just sitting here at the desk enjoying my latest Shooting Sportsman... Nice to see you are a fellow wingshooter. (there seems to be quite a few on this board actually).

[Ducks]

I just finished reading that issue of Shooting Sportsman earlier this week. Hopefully the chukar season is better next year.

Chad

[wesintl]

Originally Posted by Ducks

Anyone with some experience would have told you that for a sleeping bag you should:
1. Get one from a quality company - The North Face is ok , Marmot is ok too.

Once you get a western mountaineering or feathered friends you'll never go back to those average bags.

Nother nice issue Scott! I'm jonesin for the next though

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Great mag!! Very good writing, great stories, great pics, high quality paper, and the only 4WD magazine that my wife will look at

Thanks guys

[BajaTaco]

Glad to hear you and your wife are enjoying the Journal Thanks for the comments.

To all: You will see some teaser shots of the annual Gear Guide posted here very soon. Now is a good time to subscribe if you'd like to get the Gear Guide as your first issue. (Note: Sleeping bags are featured in one of the articles )

Also, if you have subscribed just recently, and would like to get all of the back-issues including the tech reviews on Roof tents, Fridges, GPS units and Expedtion Stoves, we are offering 2007 Field Sets so you can get all of them at a 10% savings over the individual issue prices. Click here to see a preview of what the back-issues look like and what articles each issue has.



2008 is going to be FUN!

[Ducks]

I have all the back issues now. Great magazine.

[Dazza]

I was at first shocked at the cold ratings of some of the gear that the winter arctic expedition brought. I am from the colder climates (49 degrees north born in Chewelah, WA and it gets a lot colder in the arctic than where I am from)

Then I started thinking about where these guys are from, the desert. It seems to me that they made the same sort of assumptions / mistakes about arctic travel that I would make about desert travel. It certainly is hard to trust to others' advice on what to bring. I would just say to be more critical of the advice and plan for worst case scenario, if you will be travelling solo especially, as your life literally depends on it.

Someone made a good point earlier that gear is usually overrated by the manufacturers. It is important to 'over pack', and come prepared for the worst, that way you know that no matter what you will sleep warm.

I have to commend their courage for braving those cold nights in naught but a safari tent. I might have brought something with better insulation, but I have slept in a tent in the snow before, and I tell you what: next time I'll make a snow cave instead and stay warm and snug! (if snow conditions allow, or I'llj ust get the cold weather insulation for my Hennesy hammock tent)

I use a North Face snowshoe bag(my second actually , 0 degrees farenheit rated), slept in up to -10 degrees farenheit and was very warm. A few years later my bag was cold at 32 degrees, as it lost it's effectiveness with age, and having been compressed too long on a couple of trips. My new snowshoe bag is just as warm as the first. I would never have thought it would keep me warm anywhere near -50, though (I probably would have gone for the north face 'Darkstar(?)' which I believe is rated to -50 farenheit, or another comparably rated bag....)

Having said that, I don't know how many of you have tried to pack a bag like that around... they are mammoth, and take up some serious real estate in a cramped cabin.


The boots are a tough choice, don't know what I would have done there. I have worn Sorels forever, but again I have never been in these kind of extreme low temps. I know that for me having a pair of boots large enough to wear with extra socks ( i suggest blends of silk/wool, or polypro type for warmth)... I find that a boot that is too tight will constrict bloodflow and won't allow for the extra socks that I need to keep warm.

I appreciated the tips you guys shared about winter travel that you got from the locals, such as staying bundled up in the cab, with cooler cabin temps, and having a dry bag for safety, etc.

I also felt like you were very well prepared in the vehicle department, I would like to think my 83 landcruiser fj60 would be able to do the same, but I would need to sink a lot of cash into old 'Savage Henry' first...

Anyways, much ado about nothing, you all came home safe, have all your toes and fingers, and you were transparent about your mistakes. Maybe if you take the antartctic trip you will be more prepared...

[BajaTaco]

Dazza, thanks for the detailed comments. I am enjoying reading the feedback on the Arctic piece. If I could do it all over, I would definitely bring a better sleeping arrangement. My perspective pre trip: 1. I wanted to test the new bag that I took (Alps synth bag, explained on the Arctic blog at Expeditions West) and I took another bag as a back-up. You must understand that the prosepect of spending hundeds of dollars on the best Arctic-rated sleeping bag is not a very attractive option for a desert guy who may never need the bag again after the trip. (Hindsight: maybe I will - I loved the Arctic and wouldn't mind going back again - or Antartica!) So, I took everything into consideration (including risk) and ended up taking my Moonstone Mountaineering down bag with Gore Dryloft shell, which has an optional snap-in down liner that brings the mfg. rating down to about 0 to -5F, as a back-up. That Alps bag was cavernous (and thick, as you described the monstrosity of these heavy synth bags). So on the very coldest night, I ended up sleeving the Moonstone bag inside the Alps bag. I wore my Minus33 wool underwear, plus insulated pants, plus a wool sweater and fleece jacket, wool socks, and NorthFace down booties, wool mittens, a fleece neck gaiter, OR Gorilla balaclava, and NF Gore/fleece hat. I felt like a mummy in a tomb... a wickedly cold tomb. My body temp was slow to retain and build heat despite being inside of all that insulation, but I was in the positive (not negative, which was good) for heat retention, and after about 4 hours I overcame the uncomfortable cold and was able to slumber peacefully and deeply... until I got the call from Scott that Pasquale could't feel his legs

One of the things I learned on this trip, is that when you stop to camp in this kind of environment, you don't want to fuss much with gear or any kind of elaborate camp activities. I suppose I could have built a snow-cave if absolutely necessary, but in that kind of cold all you want to do is get the tent up and get inside the bag. That's where the Eezi-Awns were a godsend. We could go from driving down the road to laying inside the sleeping bags in about 10 minutes. I'm sure this attitude would change when you are a person that lives and plays in this environment regularly. But for a desert guy like me, that would be an acquired talent

[Ducks]

Originally Posted by Dazza

I would like to think my 83 landcruiser fj60 would be able to do the same, but I would need to sink a lot of cash into old 'Savage Henry' first...

Yeah, I wonder how you get a 2F to start in temperatures like that.
EDIT: Whoops. I forgot. You are doing an engine swap.

I can't remember if I mentioned it and don't want to harp on things. My underlying real issue is that I know almost nothing about vehicle-dependent overland travel. What I do know something about, is what you had trouble with. So that festered some doubt about trusting your evaluation of things I know nothing about. Since reading the back issues, I do trust your judgment in a responsible way.

[Dazza]

Chris,

I hear what you are saying about the quick setup. My snow caves have taken longer than 10 minutes, although the energy exerted usually gets me good and warm, and all it takes is a candle to keep it warm inside. Snow is an amazing insulator. For instance, I have seen elk dig through feet of snow to eat a plant buried under it, and the plant is relatively soft and ingestible, whereas it is -20 F without wind chill... food for thought.

I would consider finding an insulation layer for the eezy awn, just to help, and maybe a heating solution to keep interior temps up without asphyxiating from petrol fumes.

i have no real hope that my diesel swap will be good for the arctic... mostly a joke. But I still love ol' savage henry more than life herself.

I have to say that I have enjoyed reading about you and your colleagues travels, also in 4wd toyota owner magazine. It has certainly fueled my wanderlust and got me the racing bug!

I hope to someday race in the baja 1000, (or taupo 1000). I have this pipe dream of driving my landcruiser the entire 1000 miles and just taking it slow and hoping to finish, even if I am a week late in doing so...

I have a deep respect for people who push the limits of where to go in a vehicle, an am slightly jealous of your chance to drive the peel(?) river near aklavik. I love the idea of being somewhere that nobody goes...

Can I ask, how does one get into professional driving? It seems like a pipe dream right now, but I recently almost died and am looking for some adventure to spice things up...

p.s., the real name's Don.. mucho gusto

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by wesintl

Once you get a western mountaineering or feathered friends you'll never go back to those average bags.

Nother nice issue Scott! I'm jonesin for the next though

I have 2 Western Mountaineering bags that have seen LOTS of use. And I have owned and used Marmot & North Face bags too among others. The difference is amazing actually. You could say they are expensive if you think you can find the same (or better) level of quality and performance elsewhere for less...I don't think you can.

[LandCruisers4Life]

Originally Posted by expeditionswest

We spent six months researching and preparing, including consulting with the manufacturers on performance. Since we live in the desert, we needed to rely more on the advice and recommendations of others than with things on the vehicles, which we knew and could test. We had no way to (reasonably) replicate -50.

Some gear met that expectation, some did not. We were transparent about that in the article...

I highly recommend the Feathered Friends Snowy Owl sleeping bag over any other out there. Built truly for Arctic and Antarctic conditions. The Snowy Owl was built to withstand -60 to -70 temperatures, outside of a shelter. That's freakin extreme.

I have been debating getting a subscription etc for quite some time. I know it's the best magazine available, and my rover friends agree too. I think I'm probably gonna bite the bullet and subscribe, and maybe even buy all the back issues. Should have subscribed from the beginning, but oh well...... Gotta figure out the cost and make a decision!

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by LandCruisers4Life

I highly recommend the Feathered Friends Snowy Owl sleeping bag over any other out there. Built truly for Arctic and Antarctic conditions. The Snowy Owl was built to withstand -60 to -70 temperatures, outside of a shelter. That's freakin extreme.

I have been debating getting a subscription etc for quite some time. I know it's the best magazine available, and my rover friends agree too. I think I'm probably gonna bite the bullet and subscribe, and maybe even buy all the back issues. Should have subscribed from the beginning, but oh well...... Gotta figure out the cost and make a decision!

Its a great read. I especially like the human interest stories...like hunting with Eagles in Mongolia...that one's a classic for sure in my book! Many others just like it in OJ.

[LandCruisers4Life]

Looking forward to it. I ordered the 2007 issues the other day... still waiting on em to arrive though.