In-Field Water Disinfection For Overlanders

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This article is written specifically for those involved in vehicle-supported adventures. Proper in-field water disinfection can help you remain in the backcountry for an extended period of time, eliminating the need to pull camp and return to civilization to replenish potable water needs. This article contains only a portion of the information available on in-field water disinfection. A complete treatise on the subject is not possible here. Bob Wohler’s new Off-Road & Overland Adventure Info Book Belly Up to the Tainted Water Source… If You Dare – Collecting, Storing, and Disinfecting Water in the Field, due out this summer, will cover the topic of back country water disinfection completely.

One of the ways to avoid cross-contamination in the field is to rinse untreated bottle caps with disinfected water.

As with any outdoor recreation, overlanding requires potable water for washing, drinking, and cooking. Multi-day overland adventures require a thoughtful strategy for water storage, usage, and conservation. If water is needed from natural sources, your plan also needs to include disinfecting water in the field. Your disinfection goals are to eliminate most of the crunchies, critters, and chems from natural water sources. Crunchies include the sediment and inorganic material found in most natural water sources. Critters are the living microorganisms that can cause waterborne illnesses: viruses (very small), bacteria (small), and protozoa (largest of the three). Chems are dangerous inorganic elements or compounds found naturally or man-caused in water. These include petrochemicals and agricultural products found in some natural water sources.

When collecting water from any backcountry or third-world water source, consider the following:
• Not every overlander has the same level of health. If you have a compromised immune system, consider treating all water prior to drinking. Younger and healthier individuals may be able to drink water with some contaminates and remains healthy. But note that deciding not to treat an unknown water source is a risk.
• There is no easy field test for levels of biological or chemical contaminates in water, so you must evaluate your risk based on where you are collecting it.
• As time goes by, most wilderness and urban third-world water sources are becoming more tainted and contaminated, hence the increased need for treatment of wilderness water sources.
• Carefully evaluate backcountry water sources. Look and smell for danger signs around remote water sources. Are there dead trees or animals? Does the water smell foul?
• The bottom line here is that you can never know whether any collected water is safe to drink unless you treat it.

Again, you can never know whether any collected water is safe to drink unless you treat it. However, use extra caution when collecting water under the following seven circumstances.
• In ponds or recesses, where no plants are growing nearby, or if you see the dead remains of animals.
• At or below established campsites.
• In meadows or anywhere livestock routinely grazes and lives.
• In areas where humans and pets have visited.
• Near trails that are heavily used by other backcountry explorers.
• In third-world urban areas where water is generally untreated.
• At low altitudes. The higher your journey beyond 2,000 metres/7,000 feet, the less likely contamination occurs. Recent research shows that backcountry water sources found at elevation are much cleaner than earlier believed.

General Signs and Symptoms of Ingesting Contaminated Water
You can call the illness what you want, Beaver Fever, Montezuma’s Revenge, or Delhi Belly, but the signs and symptoms are similar. There are eight general signs and symptoms of drinking tainted water. Many are often severe, extremely debilitating, and very uncomfortable. They include:
• Abdominal discomfort & cramps
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite – subsequent weight loss
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Bloating
• Flatulence

Four Basic Water Disinfection Techniques
Survival experts agree that water treatment should be a multi-step process, involving at least two of the four primary techniques to produce potable (disinfected) water:
• Heat Disinfection
• Filtering
• Chemical Disinfection
• Ultraviolet Radiation and Combined Photochemical Processes

No single water disinfection technique or piece of equipment is perfect. There are upsides and downsides to these four water disinfection techniques. The same can be said of the equipment described here, but I don’t have the space to list all the pros and cons.

Pre-filtering water with a coffee filter.

If you need to source dirty water containing lots of crunchies, it is always best to pre-filter it prior to applying further treatment. Pre-filtering can be as easy as pouring the water through a T-shirt, bath towel, or coffee filters. Pre-filtering is especially important if you plan on secondary filtering with a commercial ceramic, hollow fiber, or glass fiber filter that can clog easily. It’s also important to pre-filter water if you use any treatment method using ultraviolet radiation. During UV radiation disinfection (by a UV-generating device or sunlight), the microscopic critters can “hide” behind particulates and remain viable by physically avoiding the radiation.

Prevention of Cross-Contamination
It only takes a very small amount of tainted, non-treated water to cross-contaminate treated water when using any of the primary ways of disinfecting water in the field. Water disinfected with methods other than chemicals must be kept away from possible cross contamination situations and equipment (dirty fingers, caps, bottles, bags, etc.). Recontamination of disinfected water can be a large problem with heat, filters, and UV disinfection. A little attention to anti cross-contamination procedures can reduce the risk to almost zero.

My Favorite Equipment
Described here is the equipment I use for in-field water disinfection when both hiking and filling the larger water receptacle in my off-road trailer. Some of this equipment is pricey. But, if you have ever gotten a “bug” in the backcountry by drinking naturally sourced, untreated water, the cost becomes irrelevant. Trust me on this.

MSR WindBoiler. I take my WindBoiler with me everywhere. The MSR WindBoiler is a stove “system” that is ideal for hikers and overlanders. It is perfect for boiling water, not only for drinking purposes, but also to rehydrate prepared camping food. It also makes a mean cup of coffee with the accessory coffee press. The WindBoiler’s stove, fuel canister, and pot conveniently pack together into a single grab-and-go unit.

WindBoiler packed and ready for transport.

No need to boil water for long periods of time for disinfection.

Heat disinfection is the surest method of making water sourced from the natural environment safe to drink and kill all disease-causing critters such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa (like Giardia and Cryptosporidium). At and below 2,000 metres/6,562 feet, water heated to a boil for one minute kills all living microorganisms. For higher elevations, heat water to a boil for three minutes. This is the recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Water does not have to be boiled for up to 10 minutes to kill microorganisms as is commonly touted. If fuel is an issue on a trip or in a survival situation, you need only pasteurize the water to disinfect it. To pasteurize water, heat it to 65° C/149° F for approximately six minutes. No need for water to boil.

LifeStraw. The LifeStraw filter is a favorite of travelers and hikers alike because of its lightweight and filtering effectiveness. I carry one in all my Bug-Out-Bags and vehicles 24/7. They can filter up to 1,000 litres/264 gallons of water, enough for one person for a year. Laboratory studies show that the LifeStraw meets EPA requirements for elimination of bacteria, Cryptosporidium and Giardia. It cannot however eliminate viruses.

Author using a LifeStraw in Goler Wash, Death Valley.

MSR’s Guardian Purifier. This filter device is very unique, and I believe the best filter on the market. It can eliminate protozoa, bacteria, AND viruses (unlike the LifeStraw). Originally developed for the military, MSR brings this compact filtration technology to hikers, overlanders, and other backcountry travelers. Since filter clogging is a problem for ultrafiltration hollow fiber membranes, the Guardian’s technology incorporates a very unique (and quite wonderful) self-cleaning capability in its membrane system. The filter never needs manual or user-initiated back flushing or filter scrubbing to maintain a constant, disinfected water flow. This self-cleaning ability allows for a high volume of water production (2.5 litres/0.7 gallons per minute) with minimal effort. Over the life of its filter, the Guardian can treat over 10,000 litres/37,000 gallons of contaminated water. That’s enough treated water for four people at 4 liters/1 gallon a day, for 10 years.

The Guardian is a huge advancement in ultrafiltration technology, since all other ultrafiltration products have a limited filter cartridge life prior to clogging. According to MSR, the Guardian is also extremely durable. It is engineered to withstand heavy use, freezing, drops from 2 metres/six feet to a concrete surface, and harsh environments.

Aqua PURE by Potable Aqua. The topic of chemical disinfection with chlorine and iodine can be confusing and quite complicated. We don’t have the space here to discuss the topic in detail, however, for chemical disinfection of water I find the Aqua PURE unit very effective and easy to use.

Here’s how it works. When electricity is passed through a briny solution of ordinary table salt and water, it produces a mixed oxidant solution (MOS) containing chlorine and peroxide. A small amount of this powerful mixed oxidant solution is added to a natural source of water for disinfection. As with most chemical treatments, there is a need for contact time. With an MOS, viruses and bacteria are killed after 15 minutes, Giardia after 30 minutes, and Cryptosporidium after four hours.

The Aqua PURE is compact, durable, and has rechargeable batteries. Its electronics are completely sealed in epoxy, and it even has a built in LED flashlight. The unit can treat up to 20 litres/5 gallons of source water in one cycle. Of course, you can treat more than 20 litres/5 gallons of water by dumping many cycles of mixed oxidant solution into a larger container. Besides being solar-powered, its batteries can also be recharged with a micro USB charging plug and 120v wall adapter. On a full charge, the PURE can purify more than 150 litres/40 gallons of water. With the push buttons on its face, you can select the volume of water treatment you desire, from 1 to 20 litres.

SteriPEN. I take a SteriPEN with me when I travel outside of the USA, especially to third-world countries. I use it regularly in non-alcoholic drinks ordered from cafes, hotels, and restaurants. I get lots of questions from folks when I use it in public, then they ask me if they can use it in their drink.

All models of SteriPENs use UV light to render microorganisms ineffective. In less than 50 seconds, the SteriPEN can treat 1 litre/32 ounces of water without a chlorine or iodine chemical taste or filter pumping. Ultraviolet (UV) germicidal radiation is harmful to all waterborne microorganisms. UV radiation treated water may be used immediately after treatment.

The Trekker by Noah Water Systems. Most of the aforementioned equipment is great for disinfecting small amounts of water, but what if you have large water cans to fill or a sizable water receptacle built into your off-road trailer or 4WD RV (think Unimog, EarthCruiser, EarthRoamer, Sportsmobile, etc.)? I have two 57 liter/15 gallon containers mounted inside my off-road trailer. For extended adventures, I fill both at home, but sometimes I run out of water in the backcountry. This means I need to replenish in the field. In this situation I have two problems: 1) Getting the water from the lake, pond, or stream easily up and into my receptacles, and 2) Disinfecting the water prior to adding it to a clean receptacle. Well, there’s an answer for these two problems – The Trekker.

The Trekker is a hardy, field-ready, self-contained system in an unbreakable hard case. It can disinfect 3.8 liters/1 gallon per minute. This system disinfects water in a four-stage process. First, water is pre-filtered with a screen at the end of the intake hose, then it flows through sediment filtration, next through granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration, and finally on to the UV treatment module. The granular activated carbon (GAC) filter reduces harmful chemicals, plus unpleasant taste and odor from the water. The UV radiation destroys all microorganisms in the water, producing potable water.

The system includes a 12-volt water pump with battery clamps and wires to be hooked to any car battery or 12-volt source. This pump can suck up water from a nearby water source; push the water through the disinfection unit, and into an elevated receptacle – jerry can or affixed container. Everything needed to disinfect water can be stored in the portable waterproof case.

In the remote backcountry, proper disinfection of sourced water from natural springs, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers cannot be over emphasized. If you don’t treat it, you can’t be sure you won’t get sick.

Article and Photos by Bob Wohlers

Bob Wohlers teaches corporate, government, and recreational off-road safety, survival, and wilderness first aid courses. Some of Bob’s corporate clients have included T-Mobile, Verizon, PG&E, and Southern California Edison. As a registered government contractor, he teaches courses for the National Park Service and BLM. Currently, Bob teaches monthly introductory and advanced recreational off-roading at Prairie City, a California State Recreational Vehicular Area (SRVA). He also organizes and leads groups on 4WD adventure tours into the remote backcountry. Find out more about his off-road training courses and guided adventures at discoveroffroading.com.

A special thanks to Susan and Bill Dragoo who modeled for me in most of these photos as we explored Kokopelli’s Trail in Utah. As you can see, we were very thirsty.

Recap of Run To The Sun 2017

By

Lori Palmer

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The Run To The Sun: The nice thing about getting people with common interests together is that you don’t need to know them to know them….that isn’t a typo. The Adventure Portal’s inaugural Run to the Sun 2017 event brought together a group of like-minded overlanders at Trona Pinnacles this last week-end. There was a wide variety of rigs, a wide range of ages, cultures and lifestyles, yet all of us came together and shared our love of gear, after market components, tales of adventures and mishaps and bucket-lists of gear to get and places to go.

New friendships were made and old friends met up. Some of our event sponsors shared in the fun and a couple of people dropped in fresh off their Death Valley wanderings. The event was kid and dog friendly. Trona is a natural playground and at any time of day, you could spot little people climbing around the pinnacles. TAP adheres to the principles of Tread Lightly! and discussed the importance of everyone staying on the designated trails and leaving their areas cleaner than when they arrived.

TAP friend and in-field contributor Bob Wohlers of Off-Road Safety Academy offered free training clinics to all attendees. Bob put on a tire repair clinic, a communication device mini-clinic and a winching class. All were well attended and included many hands-on exercises. The raffle was epic. The contributors, all of whom are listed below, donated generously to this event and we are very grateful to them.

The following is a photo journal of the event. Enjoy, join this Gathering of the Tribe next year and TAP into Adventure!

We’ll start with a look at some of the rigs that rolled in….

Clearly a Beast mobile. (where’s Waldo?)

Bernard Leitner has a cool set up. The strong winds took his (and others) porta- potty down the first night.

Owners Smokey and Nancy love their overlanding lifestyle.

Rebel just slipped in without anyone noticing.

Todd from Four Points Adventures joins the fun on his way to leading a Death Valley tour.

Some preferred getting away from the “maddening crowds”.

Early retirement…constant overlanding. Sounded sweet.

The Tuff Stuff Crew in their wagon (read:rig) circle.

The terrain doesn’t get much weirder. That’s the beauty of Trona.

Staged? I had four parents beside me taking photos.

EVERYONE signed “Hold Harmless” agreements.

Tire Repair Clinic by Bob Wohlers

Communication Devices clinic, Bob Wohlers

Bob discussed many communication devices and the “when, where, how and why” of using them.

Winching Clinic, Bob Wohlers

Discussing winching equipment, straps, shackles etc.

Once again,TAP would like to extend a BIG THANK YOU to all the brands that supported this event by contributing prizes. Here are pictures of some of our winners and below is a full list of supporting brands.

Off The Grid Rentals: Two day free rental

Article: Lori Palmer
Photos: David Griffith, Lori Palmer, Andy Palmer

Snow Crawling Part Two

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Contributor

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In my last article, I discussed how to travel in deep snow, or snow crawling. In this article I want to spend time discussing something critical: how to turn around.
Changing direction on a tight trail is usually pretty easy via a multi-point turn, but gets much harder if you are stuck in a snow track on a mountain road with two foot berms of snow on each side.

Often this causes people to just keep driving forward in hopes of finding a wide spot to turn around. This can be a good tactic, but what do you do if that wide spot just never happens? If the snow is fresh, or at least not hard frozen, you can make a wide spot. Working carefully, you can use the floatation of aired-down tires to carefully pack the snow, a little bit at a time. Using this tactic, you can make the packed snow track as wide as you need to turn your vehicle around using a multi-point turn.

I prefer to find locations that have a relatively flat section of road with a roadbed that is at least as wide as the turn-around I want to make. Then, working one tire width (or even less) at a time, slowly pack the snow with your air-down tires. Make one pass, then back up packing that track down. Then move a small mount (again, one tire width or less) to the side and make another pass. Continue making passes like this until all the snow is packed in the area you want in your turn around. The key here is to go slow and let the floatation of the tires work for you packing the snow so you have a road bed wide and long enough for you to turn around via a multi-point turn.

I find 5 or more car lengths is the minimum length, and I try to make turn-rounds two lines wide. The wider your turn-around spot is, the fewer points you will have to make on your multi-point turn. This tactic can also be used to make a spot to allow oncoming vehicles to pass.
Ok, so you have your wide spot in the road of packed snow that you can drive on. You are now ready to turn around via a multi-point turn. There are things you can do to make your multi-point turn more successful. I find it very helpful to make the initial turn by backing up and turning hard so that the rear of the vehicle heads to the ditch.

The reason I do this is because my winch is in front, and the engine is over the front axle. If I get the back axle stuck in the ditch, I can use the winch to recover the vehicle out of the ditch. With the engine over the front axle, most of the weight will be on the roadbed and not stuck in the ditch, thus minimizing the amount of effort the winch must do to recover the vehicle. Generally, if there is a hill, I back toward the uphill side of the road. I do this for a few reasons. First, if I must move the vehicle toward a drop-off or cliff, I want the best visibility possible. Almost always, visibility is best moving forward. Backing blindly toward a cliff is just a bad plan, so try to avoid it. Second, gravity can usually help drive the vehicle forward as I drive out of the ditch in the second portion of the multi-point turn (this is not always the case, but every little bit helps). I repeat this process making as many points to the turn as I need to slowly turn the vehicle around. I find it works best to make many short turns back and forth keeping the vehicle out of the ditch if possible. This can take longer, but minimizes the risk of getting stuck. As you gain experience with your vehicle, you will develop a feel for what works. Careful practice is very helpful here.

Ok, so now you have some tricks up your sleeve to maneuver in deep snow. Stay safe, and happy trails!

Written by- Ken Beahm
Photo Credit- Joseph Dyer

A Rebelle Rally Rig Transformation

By

Lori Palmer

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Rebelle Rally, overland, over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Rebelle Rally Feature: As you know, our tag line is “TAP into Adventure”. We do, and we encourage you to do the same. Check out this article about a team whose dynamic changed dramatically once they decided to embark on a “Bucket List” adventure together. We encourage you to get out there, take some chances, check off your bucket list items…do it safely, and TAP into Adventure!

After a very serious health issue, my wife of 22 years decided to wander out of her comfort zone and into the realm of adventure. She signed up for the Rebelle Rally 2016, which meant we needed to rebuild our Jeep TJ. We decided to do it together. Little did we know that from there our lives and our relationship would be changed forever.

All the work involved in getting ready for the rally was not only harrowing, but transformative. We had never done anything like this together before. Michelle and I needed to completely rebuild our Jeep TJ in 7 weeks. Michelle also needed to hone in on her rally skills by attending trainings. Then, immediately after the rally, we were to attend SEMA with our Jeep slotted as a featured rig on the Whistler Group’s booth. No pressures there! The process of getting ready to do all of this together became a metaphor for the changes we went through both individually and within our relationship. From tear down and repair, to replacing parts with new and improved ones, we changed and improved our Jeep, and did the same within our marriage and ourselves. We not only ended up with a badass vehicle, but we grew in ways we never expected.

Michelle has devoted most of her adult life to being a stay-at-home mom, while also pursuing her passion for baking and cake decorating. This passion is what led to the name “Sugar High” for the Jeep. In 2014, Michelle was hit by chronic back pain which grew so severe that it seriously impacted her ability to engage in regular daily activities. She spent over a year trying to get help for the pain, to no avail. In September 2015, she had an adult stem cell procedure. With hope and prayer, the procedure was a success and Michelle eventually found relief and began to live life again. This experience gave her a whole new appreciation for her physical abilities and she decided to pursue activities that would take her out of her comfort zone. We heard about the Rebelle Rally (a grueling 7 day, 1200 mile rally for women) sometime in early 2016 from our friend Rhonda Cahill, who had already competed in the Rallye-Aicha-des-Gazelles in Morocco. Michelle put the rally on her bucket list. Throughout the year, we heard more and more about it and she began to really want to do it. After being blessed with a great teammate (Andrea Shaffer), it was a done deal and transforming our TJ into the off-road capable “Sugar High” began. The race to the rally was on. So was the transformation of my relationship with my wife.

I’ve been a car guy for most of my life. I built my first hot rod when I was 14, and have owned and built many over the last 30 years. My latest build is a 1965 Factory Five Racing Shelby Cobra, which took 6-years. My first new vehicle was a 1990 Jeep Wrangler, and this is the third Jeep we’ve owned as a family. I’ve always loved Jeeps, but until this build, had never ventured very far into building 4×4’s. Michelle’s entering the Rebelle Rally gave gave me the perfect opportunity to get working on our TJ. Michelle, with her decision to live life differently; out of her comfort zone, wanted to be a part of that. We have shared many hobbies and interests over the years. The automotive hobby is something she’s been interested in, but never to the point of digging in and getting her hands dirty. She soon became my able and enthusiastic partner. From the very first day of the tear down, I knew it was going to be a special project for us, and one that formed a connection that we’d both been looking for in the shop. This was a new experience for both of us, but in different ways.

When you’re used to having the shop to yourself and just barreling through a punch list, inserting a newbie into the mix takes some getting used to. That meant that the Sugar High project was not only a growth opportunity and learning experience for Michelle, but for me as well. I had to learn to instruct, then step back and let her have at it, no matter what the task was. Michelle had to overcome her own fear of “screwing up,” and to trust her abilities to be able to competently perform each new task. Of course,this process went perfectly and we never had any stress or tension, right? No…but, all and all, we did pretty well and with each new task, things got easier for both of us and we found a rhythm that worked very well.

As I said, we transformed the Jeep together and she had her hands on every part of the build, so she had to learn on the fly. Here’s an example: Sugar High has true bead lock wheels. There are 33 bolts to each wheel to be torqued to spec, 165 total. I showed Michelle how to do a handful of the bolts on the first wheel, then left her to finish the rest without any intervention. Because we had multiple issues with the wheels, they had to come off 2x and go on 3x, so she touched those bolts 825 times! She did this with expert precision, without a scratch and with a smile on her face. From torquing those bolts to cutting holes in the body of the Jeep. It was impressive to see her go from being afraid to use a screwdriver in the wrong way to grabbing an impact wrench attacking body bolts.

As I mentioned earlier, we were given the opportunity to put Sugar High into SEMA, which took the whole experience to a new level and added to the pressure of meeting the timeline. We were not only building a capable rally vehicle, but also a show truck. The timeframe for all of this was daunting. We had about 12 weeks to prepare for the rally, and thanks to parts delivery, we had roughly 7 weeks to build the Jeep. From the time we got back from the rally to leaving for SEMA, we had 4 days. Did I say daunting? I mean completely insane.

To say that Michelle stepped out of her comfort zone is an understatement. Before we started this process, she had never done any old-school navigation, had relatively limited off-road experience, had never driven in dunes, and couldn’t tell you the difference between an impact wrench and a torque wrench. I was incredibly impressed both with her ability to learn and absorb information. Her drive and determination was inspiring. She attended Rod Hall Drive to learn more about off-road driving, took local classes on navigation, and took the Rebelle’s online courses to educate herself as much as possible.

The Rebelle Rally itself was also life changing for Michelle. An early crash in the dunes threatened to end the event for the girls just as they were getting the hang of it. This crash changed the entire rally experience for Michelle and Andrea. Not only did they receive an enormous amount of support from fellow rally drivers, their positive, “never give up” attitude inspired others in the Rebelle.

Thanks to a bent front axle, they spent some long and sleepless nights with the mechanics as they worked tirelessly to keep Sugar High on the course so the team could complete the week. Persevering through it all, they proved that if you don’t give up and keep a positive attitude, anything is possible.

What many people probably don’t realize is just how challenging the Rebelle is, not only for the participants, but for those who are on the sidelines and completely cut off from the event. I dropped Michelle off in Lake Tahoe, then traveled by motorhome down to San Diego to meet her at the finale. As a husband of 22 years, I am used to walking through life hand in hand with my bride, doing battle with its challenges together. With the Rebelle, I had no contact with her, other than watching a little square on a computer screen with “126” (their team number) on it, showing their progression along the daily course. After the accident, the event officials let me know that they were okay, but I had very little information about what had actually happened. Every time that little “126” stopped moving I worried, wondering if they were broken down (which they were at times), or if they had stopped to plot their course. As you might imagine, I had to cut down on the caffeine for fear of having a stroke! One thing I hadn’t considered before Michelle began the rally, was the emotional challenge of missing out on such a significant experience in my spouse’s life. For the first time in 22 years, I was not able to be a part of this very important experience for Michelle. This was probably the hardest part of the entire process for me.

The aftermath of the rally was a bit different for us than it was for other teams. With a long drive back to Montana, we were able to discuss everything that had happened (in between 4-5 hour naps for Michelle), and digest the experience. But, the challenge wasn’t over for us…SEMA was 4 days away, and we had a broken Jeep. The accident ripped the rear bumper and tire carrier off, broke the back window (which allowed 1200 miles of dust into the interior), and bent the front axle. The masterful mechanics managed to install a Dana 30 axle donated by Crawlur Offroad (Indio, CA) in place of the Dana 44, so the Jeep was drivable in 2WD to finish the rally.

Based on a quick description of the damage during the week, I was able to have parts waiting when we got home and we quickly replaced the rear bumper and carrier, and had to rewire the interior in preparation for the booth. We weren’t using the hard top, so we left it and the broken window at home. I put my professional detailing skills to work, and managed to get Sugar High spotless for SEMA. In case you’re wondering, yes, we did try to get them to put it on the floor as it was, but they declined due to the type of display they wanted.

This entire experience has created a new path for us to explore as a couple. While we will continue to run our other businesses, we have added Sugar High Motorsports to the list and we are very excited about pursuing all aspects of the motorsports world; off-road, on road, and with additional builds. Michelle has been given an opportunity to participate in another SEMA build for 2017. She will be joining a group of women led by Bogi of All Girls Garage to build a ’57 Chevy pickup. Michelle went from watching the show on Saturday mornings, trying to pick up some tips about auto mechanics, to actually working along side Bogi and other professionals on this very high profile project.

Michelle and I are looking forward to more dune training (she’s attending the AEV/TAP Women’s Only In-Field Training in Florence OR), rock crawling, and joining other Jeep enthusiasts at the 20th Annual Rubicon Trail with Jeep Jamboree USA. Being a part of the Rebelle Rally and completing Sugar High has been a life-altering experience. Through the challenges of the build, the preparation, the rally, and SEMA, we took our awesome marriage up a notch. So often, couples find themselves doing battle with each other, but for Michelle and I, this meant doing battle side by side and back to back. It’s easy to spend a lifetime together and only share a moment here and there without really ever accomplishing a shared triumph. We were fortunate to share this experience, which opened up a new aspect of our relationship, not only for this project, but for many more. It doesn’t really matter where you go, as long as you do it together, so don’t be afraid to invite your significant other into your “shop”, whatever that looks like. We have a saying on our business cards: “The Road of Life is an Adventure…Bring Someone to Help Push!” I love this ….even if I’m the one pushing and she’s the one behind the wheel.

Kevin and Michelle Davis live in Montana and own The Helper Brands and Sugar High Motorsports.

Check out Sugar High Motorsports’ Youtube Channel to see what they are up to and get a play by play of their TJ’s transformation for the Rebelle and for SEMA

Article and photos by Kevin Davis
Edited by Lori Palmer

BlackVue DR470-2CH Dashboard Camera –Record Your Adventures On and Off the Beaten Path

By

Lori Palmer

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The dashboard camera’s popularity has increased exponentially in the past few years, thanks in part to a meteor that entered Earth’s upper atmosphere above Russia with the force of 500 kilotons of TNT. The Chelyabinsk Event, as it’s been called, was captured on various dashboard cameras and uploaded to social media outlets with views totaling in the hundreds of millions. And while these cameras have been used for many years in Europe as a means to fight insurance fraud, they’ve only recently become a hot item in the Western world, thanks to that hunk of space rock burning up the sky back in 2015.

Most dashboard video cameras will live a rather mundane life, mindlessly recording daily travels, only to be called upon in the rare instance of an accident. But the dashcam can also pull double-duty as an easy way to catalog your off-road adventures. Wired into your vehicle’s electrical system, dashcams are truly a set it and forget it piece of equipment. In my case, I wanted a relatively affordable camera that recorded in 1080p, featured a parking mode (a standby mode that only records when it senses movement or shock to your vehicle), and had a rear-facing camera. I found all of that and more in the BlackVue DR470-2CH.

The DR470-2CH is the middle-of-the-road offering from BlackVue, with the upper models featuring GPS, Bluetooth connectivity to a smart phone, and a slightly better camera. I opted for the DR470 because of its price point at $199 and because I found no immediate need for GPS or Bluetooth – my life is connected enough! Installing the camera in my 2013 Tacoma was straightforward with no surprises; let’s get started and I’ll show you what it takes to install the BlackVue DR470-2CH and start capturing your overlanding adventures!

The camera was purchased from thedashcamstore.com and included everything to install the forward and rear facing cameras. I paid $20 extra for the Power Magic Pro, a convenient little power accessory that monitors a pre-selected battery voltage and turns off the entire unit once that voltage is reached. It’s perfect for parking-mode, especially if your rig is sitting for a few days.

s3_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The front-facing camera unit houses the micro SD card and mounts to the windshield with 3M adhesive tape. The camera angle is adjustable.

s4_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — Here’s a close-up of the power input, rear camera input, and the optional GPS input. The SD card is under the cover.

s3a_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The rear-facing HD camera also attaches with 3M adhesive tape and features an adjustable angle.

s5_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The included accessories: extra 3M adhesive tape, cable clips, a micro SD card adapter for USB, and a nifty little tool for pulling back the headliner and door seals to run the wires effortlessly.

s6_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — Plenty of wiring for power and the rear camera is included.

I kicked off the installation by mounting both cameras. This is a painless step that involves pulling off the adhesive backing and sticking the cameras literally wherever you want them. On the Tacoma, the DR470 mounted neatly below the rearview mirror mount. In that location, it’s almost completely hidden behind the mirror from both the driver and the passenger; you’ll forget it’s even there! The rear window on the Tacoma slides open towards the passenger side, leaving me no choice but to mount the rear-facing camera on the driver’s side rear glass.

s9_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The front camera in its new home. Make sure to push firmly as you stick it to the windshield so the 3M adhesive tape makes full contact.

Now it’s time to tackle the wiring. Since I’m utilizing the Power Magic Pro to keep an eye on the battery voltage, I followed the included directions and wired it directly to Tacoma’s fuse panel under the dash. Anyone that owns a Tacoma will know the little spare-change drawer on the lower left side of the steering wheel never sees much action, and I’m happy to say that I’ll be putting it to use as a new home for Power Magic Pro! Start by pulling out the drawer to gain access to the fuse panel. We need to locate a constant 12v fuse and an accessory (or switched) 12v fuse. The constant is always providing power, regardless of ignition, and the switched only provides power when the ignition is on. Referencing the Tacoma’s fuse layout, I attached the yellow wire labeled battery (+) to the constant 12v fuse for my power door locks. I then wired the red accessory wire to my stereo fuse. Finally, the black ground wire was attached to a firewall bolt for a good grounding location. With half of the wiring complete, it was time to connect the cameras to the Power Magic Pro and finish this installation!

s7_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The Power Magic Pro is a $20 accessory to the DR470 that monitors battery voltage during parking mode. It’s very easy to wire into your vehicle’s 12v system.

s8_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The included wiring harness with the Power Magic Pro.

s10_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The yellow wire goes to a constant 12v fuse. The red wire goes to a switched 12v fuse. Black gets grounded to the frame (not shown).

Now that we have the 12v Power Magic Pro connected to the fuses, let’s put that little blue headliner tool to use. Connect the barrel plug to the camera and start feeding the cable into the headliner above the windshield, across to the driver’s side pillar, and down to the bottom of the dashboard. The Toyota Tacoma is very forgiving with this step; I barely needed to use the tool at all. However, your mileage may vary depending on your vehicle.

Here’s where I deviated slightly from the instructions: the camera connects to the Power Magic Pro with a cigarette-lighter style male and female connection. I removed these two plugs and soldered the wires together, effectively eliminating the bulky connectors and roughly 10 feet of extra wiring. With all but the rear camera wired up, I mounted the Power Magic Pro in the change drawer with the included 3M adhesive tape and flipped the on/off switch… success!

s14_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The cables are quite easy to tuck into the headliner and door seals.

s15 — Finally, a legitimate use for that spare change drawer!

We can wrap up this installation by connecting the rear-facing camera cable to the DR470 main camera, and following the same procedure of tucking the wire into the headliner; this time we’re running it along the passenger side and all the way back to the driver’s side rear window. With everything connected, I verified the system worked by taking the Tacoma for a quick spin around the block and then watching the footage it recorded on my computer when I arrived back home.

s13_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — Here we see the main power cable and rear camera cable attached to the DR470 dashboard camera.

s12_BlackVue The Adventure Portal — The rear camera is mounted and working, capturing everything I leave in my dust!

So how does the BlackVue DR470-2CH compare to an action camera? If you’re rating image quality, the GoPro or similar action sports camera is usually the winner with better dynamic range and overall pixel clarity. The DR470 is no slouch though; it records in 1080P at 30fps (frames per second) through its CMOS sensor. The image has a fisheye look, thanks to its wide angle 129-degree lens, which allows the DR470 to record not only what’s out front, but also a decent area off the quarter panels as well. The dashcam is also a fixed camera, which doesn’t allow for that picturesque style of mounting an action camera at different external locations on your rig.

Where the BlackVue DR470-2CH clearly excels is in battery usage, overall ease of use, and the obvious secondary rear-facing camera. As I stated earlier, you install this camera once and never touch it again, except to access the micro SD card. It’s always on, recording your daily grocery store runs as well as your adventures off-road. It’s constantly watching what dangers lay ahead, and what scenic spots you’ve left behind. For reliving your trail excursions or just having a security camera to watch over your investment, I would highly suggest taking a look at the BlackVue lineup of dashcams.

Check out this video by Matt detailing the camera specs, mounting and an example of the quality of video and perspective you get with the BlackVue DR470-2CH

Article and Photos and video courtesy of Matt Gunn of Gunn Photography Services

“Weather” to Go

By

Lori Palmer

-

Veteran four-wheelers and other outdoors enthusiasts know that the weather can change in an instant. You may leave your home in shorts and a t-shirt, but three hours later find yourself in need of a parka, long johns and pack boots.

You can’t fight the weather, but you can manage it – that is, account for it – through proper planning. Sadly, too many outdoors enthusiasts rely solely on the forecast from their television. That doesn’t provide the detailed information you need for your trip. That’s what we’ll cover here. You need to dig deeper to find comprehensive and useful weather forecasts.
Finding accurate weather forecasts for your destination

The problem with most offline and online weather forecasting is that it is limited to cities and other population centers. Let’s say you want to know what the forecast will be at your campsite near Needles, Calif. You haven’t decided whether to leave in a few days or wait a month two. Either way, you’d like some forecast data. What do you do?

Like many people, I start with www.weather.com (from the menu on top select Weather; and then local; enter a city) Once your city’s weather comes up, you can click Weekend or 10 Day for a current trip. (I like to save the 10 Day link in my favorites file folder along with several other cities that might be representative of the weather along the route.)

But what we are really after is long range intelligence using historical data. Click “Monthly” along the left side. The chart on the next page provides forecasted highs and lows for the current 10 days, along with historical data for the remainder of the month.

Clicking on the “Averages” button brings up a graphic representation of the highs and lows for that area for the entire year.

If you want historical averages for future months, select “Daily Averages” from the drop down menu just above and left of the annual chart of highs and lows, then select the month you want in the blue banner.

This general information is fine, but I want precise information on what the weather is going to be like exactly where I am camping. I now turn to www.weather.gov. This is the National Weather Service’s weather forecasting service. The really cool part about this site is that it gives you “Point” weather forecasts; that is, the forecasts for a specific area, that take into consideration the elevation at that location.

At www.weather.gov, click on the “Local” on the drop down menu under Forecasts. Here is where it gets a little challenging. The next page lists the National Weather Service’s offices. You need to know which one is closest to your destination. If you’re not sure, scroll down to the map. For this example click on CA, then zoom in or out to find the nearest city (Borrego Springs).

Here is where you get the point forecasts. The green square represents the target area of the forecast. (See how specific it is?). Scroll down this page to the Additional Forecasts & Information section and the Additional Resources section. You will see a whole host of information for that area for the coming week.

Now, click on another spot on the map. The forecast area moves to that spot. Another cool thing here is that if you look under the map, to where it says Point Forecast, you’ll see that the latitudinal, longitudinal figures and the elevation are given. If you know the coordinates for your camping area, type those in the URL. (You need to covert to decimal format, however.) Now you’ll see the temperature forecast for your precise destination. How cool is that? (example of what the URL bar will look like: [ https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-116.55717998046875&lat=33.269499999999994#.WLStGyMrJPM]

The down side to the point forecast is you can only get a 7 day forecast. You need to look at it just a few days prior to your trip.

Stay in Touch with the Weather on the Road

Officially known as NWR (for NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards), this nationwide system broadcasts Weather Service alerts, forecasts, and hazards 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

According to their website, NWR employs 1000 transmitters covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, U.S. territories, and other areas. Click here for the transmitters in the state you are interested in. You might find it useful to print out the list of repeaters to take on the trip. NWR uses seven VHF channels for these broadcasts: 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525 and 162.550 MHz. Output power varies among the stations. That, along with terrain, affects reception.

Even though NOAA has all those channels to work with, you won’t find all available in a given area. In fact, a remote area may be served by only one transmitter. Program the frequencies used in your area, and let the radio pickup whichever signals it can.

Gear you need for weather and temperature forecasts

A radio that receives National Weather Service weather broadcasts is a must when you’re going off road.

FRS/GMRS and CB radios often come with one or more Weather Service frequencies built in. Ham radio operators can program their VHF rigs accordingly. Due to their external antennas, the CB & ham radios have an advantage in receiving one of the weather stations in remote areas. (Hams note: you need only memorize one frequency – 162.400 – if your radio is not programed. Each of the other stations are only 25 MHz higher.) If there’s a major storm coming through, a Weather Service radio will tip you off.

You can find apps for this service that work on iphones, Droids, and tablets. Those are fine, as long as the area has cell or internet coverage.

Never take the weather for granted. Always get forecasts for the precise area(s) you will be visiting, and pack a radio equipped with NOAA weather channels. Make it a habit to tune in NOAA weather radio every day in the outdoors. That second step, especially, could be a life saver.

“Whether the weather be fine, whether the weather be not, whether the weather be cold, whether the weather be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not”

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I hope to see you on the trails!

Article by: Tom Severin, President of Badlands Off Road Adventures, Inc. Tom provides an array of 4-Wheel Drive training classes as well as leading 3-4 day adventures . Tom is an International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association© certified professional 4WD Trainer and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). He is an instructor for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) and the California Association of 4WD Clubs. Check out his trainings and adventures at 4x4training.com

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“Weather” to Go

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Gear you need for weather and temperature forecasts

I hope to see you on the trails!

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