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The Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill

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“What’s a Skottle Grill?”  That was the question we got when we told our camping buddies that we were going to help with the evening’s feast using our Skottle Grill. It took approximately 5 minutes before the main chef took over our skottle. He loved it. TAP took Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill down on a four- day adventure with the guys from Agile Off-road, to the San Felipe area of Baja.  We went with a crew of food lovers and shared some amazing meals.  Here’s the lowdown on Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill, followed by a review done by TAP and our crew of fellow off-roading chefs.

Skottle, Tembo Tusk, Tembo Tusk Skottle, camp cooking, overlanding, overland, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Breakfast of champions
Skottle, Tembo Tusk, Tembo Tusk Skottle, camp cooking, overlanding, overland, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Carne Asada

The history of the Skottle comes from  South African farmers who created a secondary use for old harrow discs by turning them into outdoor cooking utensils that could be used while out in the fields.  The Skottle caught on with the public in the 1940’s and 50’s and is now synonymous with grilling in South Africa.  Anything that can be cooked in a pan, skillet or on a grill can be cooked on a Skottle.

Skottle, Tembo Tusk, Tembo Tusk Skottle, camp cooking, overlanding, overland, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
John from Agile Off-Road cooking breakfast

The Tembo Tusk Skottle comes pre-seasoned and can be used immediately. The easiest way to recondition the Skottle is with olive oil or any cooking oil and heat on a gas or charcoal barbeque to 450 degrees or until the oil on the metal stops smoking.  Like a Dutch oven or cast iron pan, the more the Skottle is used the better the non-stick cooking surface becomes.

Skottle, Tembo Tusk, Tembo Tusk Skottle, camp cooking, overlanding, overland, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Chorizo eggs

The Tembo Tusk Skottle is designed to be used with an inexpensive Coleman Style single burner and a gas bottle.  The burner simply hangs in the frame welded to the bottom of the Skottle pan.  Typically a Coleman burner uses a disposable 16 oz gas bottle for fuel. This is sold separately.

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The Tembo Tusk Skottle comes with a frame to hold the burner and three legs to support the pan.  The legs are removable and can be stored separately.  The Skottle is 18″ across and stands 28″ tall with the legs installed.

Skottle_and_Leg_bag_complete

Skottle_from Tembo

We found the Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill really easy to assemble and use, clean and put away.  The surface has a hot area in the center and a ring around the outside that is perfect for keeping items warm once cooked.  Tembo Tusk sells a cover for the Skottle and protective sleeve for the easily removable legs that makes storage a cinch.  We would like to see a bigger version in the future with two burners….can’t get too much of a good thing.  All in all the Tembo Tusk Skottle Grill makes a wonderful addition to your camping experience and frankly is our new favorite piece of camping gear!

Check out Tembo Tusk’s Skottle Grill at www.tembotusk.com    and

TAP into Adventure!

Tell us about your favorite piece of camping gear below in the comment section.

Roof Top Tent Accessories

RTT swag
RTT swag

Attention Roof Top Tent overlanders!

Christmas/Hanukkah is coming soon and it’s time to tell your loved ones what’s on your holiday wish list.  Check out these two pieces of roof top tent accessories that we think are a great idea. The Shoe Hammock keeps your shoes outside the tent, but within reach and the Gear Loft is just that, an attachable “loft” that holds all of your “in-tent” necessities. Put these goodies on your list and then go….. TAP into Adventure!

The Roof Top Tent Shoe Hammock
A great way to keep dirty shoes out of the tent and convenient to grab. Could be used to hold a wide range of items. Made in the USA!

– Made from polyester mesh fabric
– Has a 34″ x 14″ footprint
– Attaches to slide-in hangers via end straps and bar slides.  Can also be attached to footmen loops on plywood platform tent units.

shoe-ham-Ayer
No muddy/sandy shoes in the tent
shoe-ham2
Located right behind the top of your ladder.

The roof top tent Gear Loft
Provides quick to grab, off-the-floor storage space while camping. Keeps a wide range of lightweight gear organized and easy to find. Made in the USA!
– Made from polyester mesh fabric
– Has a 21″ x 28″ footprint
– Attaches to bows via end straps and bar slides.

Handy storage area
Handy storage area

To order visit www.top-tent.com/accessories

What’s your favorite camping/overlanding accessories? Let us know in the comment section below.

Sand Canyon Trail – eastern Sierra

Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,
GPS N 37 30.891 W118 38.295
Elevation gain  7,675-10,131 ft
Season  mid July-late Sept
Terrain  rocky and steep in places
Difficulty  moderate
Required Vehicle Stock 4×4 with high clearance.
Time  3 to 4 hours round trip
Length  9.2 miles one way
Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sandstone canyon trail,
Beginning the ascent to Sand Canyon.

Directions to Sand Canyon:  From highway 395, between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, take Lower Rock Creek Road south 4.3 miles or Gorge Road/Old Sherwin Grade Road north 6.8 miles to Swall Meadow Road.  Go west on Swall Meadow Road .7 miles and turn right on Sky Meadows Road.  Follow Sky Meadows Road northwest .5 miles to a one-lane dirt road on the right soon after the pavement ends.

Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,
Following ridge line

BoreasCampers

Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,
Fall colors

Site Location and Description: Sand Canyon is a fun and beautiful overland trail that follows the John Muir Wilderness and climbs up giving you great mountain views. This trail is rated moderate and has some sandy areas and several steep rocky climbs and descents. In the spring, the wildflowers are abundant and in the fall, the landscape is filled with beautifully colored leaves. You can spend the day and fish at a small lake at the end of the trail, although the lake level varies. (Summer 2015: lake level-extremely low). You’ll  find a primitive overland camp area here as well.

Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,
Primitive camping by the lake
Wheeler Ridge trail, overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, sand canyon trail,
Lake at the end of the trail. It’s been a dry year.

Current Road Conditions: 760-873-2500

Click here for more CA off-road, Overlanding trails…..and TAP into Adventure!

American Adventurist

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Dave Bennett, I4WDTA certified trainer and Senior Enlisted Leader,1st Marine Division, founded American Adventurist in 2010 with the aim of hosting a community forum as well as many community events and trainings.  American Adventurist organizes multiple events every year.  Each one has a regional flavor and is geared toward the vehicle-supported adventure travel enthusiast, with an emphasis placed on friends, family and an active outdoor lifestyle. TAP has attended the Mountain Rendezvous in Big Bear, CA the past two years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, cameraderie of like minded individuals and exposure to new gear and overlanding inspired companies.  These are not commercial events, but are attended by small overlanding companies as well as outdoor, overlanding enthusiasts.

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Always a kid friendly event

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
A vast array of amazing set ups.

TAP wanted to know how American Adventurist came into being and how it has evolved.  This is what Dave Bennett had to say:

What was your Motivation for starting American Adventurist?  As a lifelong outdoorsman and enthusiast, I grew tired of the overtly mercantile and mercenary tendencies of the outdoor and off-road industry and the pay to play events.  I saw an opportunity to create a community that was about something more than money and what we could squeeze from people. I’m also a proponent of traditional American cultural values and saw the wholesome outdoor activities that I’d enjoyed with my Grandfather being replaced by video games, closures, gates and regulations. I wanted a community that could be a positive force not only for my own family to be a part of but also to draw other like minded Americans together in order to pass on positive ethics, values, and interests to our children. Perhaps if we led by example through exemplifying responsible recreation, we could leverage positive outcomes within the off-road and outdoor segments so that our children could still hike and drive and hunt and fish in the same ways that I had done as a child.

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Chow line: potluck

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
After dinner raffle

What makes American Adventurist Unique?  American Adventurist is an adventure travel enthusiast community dedicated to exploration, self-sufficiency, and preserving our American cultural values and heritage. We are also a proud Tread Lightly Alliance Member. As such, our focus is on the community of interest and in giving back to that community. One of the ways we do this is through our nationwide Rendezvous events. Each year since 2010, we’ve presented free regional events where we pick a charity or community service project. At the yearly SoCal Desert Rendezvous, we partner with the BLM and perform trail cleanup efforts in “at risk” areas – 2015 saw over 1.5 tons of trash removed from public lands by our members. At the yearly SoCal Mountain Rendezvous, we promote Scouting and raise money for the Boy Scouts of America. In North Carolina at our annual Appalachian Rendezvous, we partner with the local community to raise money for much needed renovations at community center in Uwharrie. Lastly, in 2014 our members helped collect over 1,100 toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. Over the last five years, the American Adventurist community has blossomed into something that we’re very proud of. Currently, American Adventurist is the official Forum Sponsor for Overland Expo and 2016 will include Rendezvous events on both coasts. There’s even rumors of adding a 4th Rendezvous event in 2016 with locations in Texas, Oregon and Alabama being discussed.

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
A short “rendezvous run” on nearby Gold Mountain. Big Bear CA

American Adventurist, Overlanding, Over land, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,
Taco Doc’s (Dave Bennett) infamous rig.

Check out American Adventurist.com for upcoming events and TAP into Adventure!

Social Media Information:
Facebook: facebook.com/AmericanAdventurist/
InstaGram: instagram.com/americanadventurist
Twitter: twitter.com/usaadventurist
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/usaadventurist/american-adventurist-home

Author: Dave Bennet
Editor: Lori Palmer
Photos obtained from American Adventurist’s social media sites and by TAP’s Publisher and Co-Founder, Andy Palmer

Adventure Driven

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Whether you are a seasoned overlander or a novice looking for adventure in the southwest, Adventure Driven has an exclusive expedition for you.  Adventure Driven is run by Seth and Kande Jacobsen, life-long adventure enthusiasts and photographers with a deep passion for the outdoors.  Their mission is to encourage people to live life beyond the norm, to live beyond the couch, video game console and cell phone. To venture the road less travelled and to spend quality time with family while enjoying the outdoors and learning how to care for the planet. I had the opportunity of talking to Kande of Adventure Driven to find out what inspired them to start their business.

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

LP: How did you two come up with the idea for Adventure Driven?

KJ:  Seth and I were watching a documentary about a Maori  family that was living off the grid. At one point, the filmmaker asked the father of the family what he did for a living. The man answered, “I live for a living.”  At the time we were both working in an office and found it really unsatisfying.  This film motivated us to start brainstorming on who we were and what we wanted out of our life. How  could we live for a living? We are both life-long  outdoor adventurists and really wanted to create a business that would get people out to places they wouldn’t go on their own and inspire them to continue exploring. We wanted to become a catalyst for adventure. This lead to the creation of  Adventure Driven.  We’ve been at it for a couple of years now, and it is definitely our passion.  We love sharing the thrill of adventure with people.

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

LP: What types of trips and services do you offer?

KJ:  We take people on private Navajo Nation lands  to the rim of the Grand Canyon.  We also offer expeditions into the back roads, beaches and villages of Baja. We taylor our trips to the needs of our clients.  They can drive their rigs and follow ours, or they can travel with us. They can provide their own camping gear, or we can rent it to them.  They can bring/cook their own food or we will provide the food and cook for them.  Seth and I are avid photographers and we cater to people who would like to photograph their journeys as well.  We have a man from Tucson AZ who is an astrophotographer, who can come along to instruct our clients. We want to be sure that each trip is memorable and custom tailored to the interests of our adventurers.

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Kande and Seth acquired permission to use Navajo Nation trails that are not sanctioned for public use.  They know some tribe members and have exclusive rights to guide expeditions through these lands.  There you can encounter herds of wild horses, the endangered California condor, antelope, coyotes, foxes, lizards, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, ringtail cats, etc. You will see traditional Navajo homes called hogans, and in the evening, gaze at the most vast array of stars imaginable. Another bonus is that you are exploring lands that very few people can access, so it really is a remote journey.

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Seth and Kande also work closely with several off-road equipment and vehicle companies. Since they are out using overlanding gear so often, be it with work or play, they help test, develop and improve these products. They also offer companies their photography services for product shoots, the web, and social media. If you have a product that you would like tested, photographed or, you would just like to get their opinion on something you are developing, I am sure they would be happy to help you.

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

For more information see their website:  www.adventuredriven.com
Check them out on Facebook: Adventure Driven-Tours/Sightseeing
On Twitter: Adventure Driven@AdventureDrive1
Instagram: adv_driven
TAP sends a special thanks to Seth and Kande Jacobson for the interview and amazing photos.
Editor: Lori Palmer

Plan your next trip with Adventure Driven and TAP into Adventure!!

Adventure driven, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Silver Canyon Trail – Inyo National Forest

overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, inyo national forest, silver canyon trail,
GPS N37 25.16 W118 15.62
Elevation 4100 ft. to 10,500 ft.
Season April- November
Terrain Roughly graded, very steep descent, water crossings, loose rock sections on narrow switchbacks
Difficulty Easy to moderate
Required Vehicle High clearance 4WD. Be sure your brakes are in good shape. Our Tacoma’s brakes smoked and went spongy on the descent.
Time 1.5 hours
Length approximately 10 miles.

Current Road Conditions:  Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger District, Bishop CA:  760-873-2500
Directions:  This trail starts off of White Mountain road just 3 miles north of the Schulman Grove Visitor Center at 10,500 ft.

overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, inyo national forest, silver canyon trail,
Silver Canyon Trail Head

Site Location and Description: The off-road trail head is well marked and warns of 4×4 high clearance requirements.This is a narrow, very steep, and graded trail that winds down into Silver Canyon and provides excellent views of the Sierra Nevada and Owen Valley.  Due to the steep decline, be sure to use your engine gearing to help slow the descent.  It is easy to overheat your brakes on this off-road trail! This trail is not recommended in heavy rain or snowy conditions. Some of the switchbacks are located on a shelf road and are narrow. Passing places are limited, so you may need to back up for oncoming vehicles. This is not a trail for those of you who fear drop off exposure. There are multiple creek crossings once in the canyon that are very mellow in summer, but could be potentially challenging after heavy rainfall or during spring run-off.  We recommend calling for road conditions ahead of time.

BoreasCampers

overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, inyo national forest, silver canyon trail,
Start of the switchback descent.

History of Silver Canyon Trail: Laws Railroad Museum at the western end of Silver Canyon Trail, was a station for the Carson & Colorado Railroad that ran from Carson City to Keeler.  The settlement was named after R.J. Laws, the railroad’s assistant superintendent and had a post office up until the 1960’s.  Passenger service to Laws ended in 1932 and freight service to Nevada ended in 1943.  Service continued between Laws and Keeler until April 1960.  The Southern Pacific acquired the Carson & Colorado and Engine Number 9; the last engine to travel between Laws and Keeler, is kept in the museum today.  The site of the mining town of Ownsville is located a couple hundred yards from the museum.  Owensville had a post office from 1866-1869. The town’s office was moved to Bishop, formerly called Bishop Creek, in 1870. By 1871 Owensville faded away.

overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off roading, over land, vehicle supported adventure, California overland trails, eastern sierra trails, inyo national forest, silver canyon trail,
Blue dog getting relief from the heat.

Click here for more CA off-road, Overlanding trails…..and TAP into Adventure!

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