Slovenia – From Lake Bled through to Skocjan Caves and the Mediterranean Coast.
After less than 24 hours in Austria we were over the Slovenian border and into the small lakeside town of Bled. A quick enquiry with ‘Camping Bled’ showed that they were closed and the nearest open site was 20 Km away at Bohinjska Bistrica. Seemingly a long way south west from Bled we were greeted by another fantastic lake, sparsely populated and beautifully situated at the head of the valley in Triglav National Park within the Julian Alps.
Sweden – Onward to Gransfors Bruks Axes
After the decision was made for Lisa to return to the UK for a short period a route change had to happen to meet the availability of an affordable airline. Using some accumulated Airmiles she could fly out of Stockholm (Sweden) and then return to Munich (Germany) where I would drive to and pick up up 5 days later.
In the initial planning stages of our trip I had always wanted to visit the handmade axe producers at Gransfors Bruks Axes. We were going to head up to the forge and then cut back across to Norway at Trondheim but as our departure grew closer it seemed a long way out and we would also miss out on the main fjord region of Norway (which seemed to be the main attraction). Things were changed last minute and I thought I would never get the opportunity to visit GBA again…
Finland – Dog Sledding with Hetta Huskies
Crossing into the Lappi (Lapland) region of Finland from Norway on the E8 still deep within the Arctic you notice an immediate change in landscape. Suddenly the roads straighten out and all around you is an endless snowy plateau interspersed with forests and frozen lakes. There is also substantially more snow here than in Norway. Passing Sami reindeer herders and the odd snowmobile there is little life out here, It is the frozen tundra of the last great European wilderness.
Norway – To Nordkapp & the Northern Lights
The aim of our Scandinavian section was to reach the Arctic Circle and drive on up to 71 degrees north to Nordkapp. The North Cape is the most northerly point in Europe (accessible by vehicle; there is another headland to the west you can walk to, but not ideal in winter). Here you are deep into Arctic territory and population densities of the towns drop off significantly. (more…)
Leaving the UK (in Retrospect)
So we left the UK on the 27th January, saying our goodbyes on the 25th and 26th before driving to Dover for the ferry. It was a rush, no two ways about it. Packing up took a lot longer than anticipated. We planned to leave by 1200 but finally got going closer to 1500. Nothing really went to plan weeks before leaving. there was no ‘test packing’, there was little time to test anything new that we had fitted, bought, packed. Spares and tools were put together from a huge amalgamation of things last minute (I think I have everything). With all the winter gear for Norway in the back, the 90 was stacked high and the trailer was… about right.
28 days to departure… UK to Australia
No pictures, just musing in words.
For those who have missed the subtleties on the website and not on Facebook we are leaving the UK next month to drive to Siberia and then onward to Australia.
Considering the magnitude of our trip I have not been very vocal about its run up or preparation outside of our immediate circle of friends. A long time ago I had hoped it would not be like this, that I would have time to write and develop the website and keep everything fresh and informative. The truth is though, since letting work know we were leaving, handing in our notice, telling our landlord, packing up the house (still not complete), finalising utility bills, Visa applications, getting Christmas out of the way, seeing family and friends we have not had much time to think about it. (more…)
New Gear – Nitecore MT26 Torch & Gerber STL 2.5 Folding Knife
New to the stable in recent months are the little known Nitecore brand of torches and the well known German blade and multi-tool manufacturer Gerber.
Wilderness Medical Training with Lifesigns ECP – A Review
As things start to ramp up for next year’s long haul trip we decided some time ago to improve on our work based first aid training by supplementing it with a more in-depth course. This would hopefully allow us to diagnose, treat and stabilise a patient until definitive care was established either by mobilising a CASEVAC (Casualty evacuation) or driving to a clinic or hospital if circumstances allow. If you Google ‘Wilderness First Aid’ there is a plethora of companies, individuals, corporations all vying for your hard earned $$$. I made a number of phone calls and sent a number of emails outlining what we were doing and what we wanted to achieve. Some got back, some didn’t, some needed ‘groups’, some were too far away, some were ‘wishy washy’ with details and others were just to darn expensive!
Globeroamer Combo Cover (Radiator Blind) Review
Just the other day I was wondering around the front of the 90 (it doesn’t get driven much) and thought I better check on the things while I was there. I noticed that the PIAA lamp covers have tarnished and are starting to look brittle (must be because the vehicle is parked up pointing south and gets the sun through the day?). Checked the winch rope, connections, brushed some leaves off and a little moss. Then I though ‘ow, what about this canvas cover that I haven’t touched for the last 9 months?’
LRO Land Rover 2013 Calender Competition
So a couple of months back I posted a couple of sneaky entries into the LRO 2013 Calender competition. Unfortunately for me 90% of the pictures I take are of other peoples vehicles of which I usually get some quite dramatic shots fording rivers, ploughing through mud, epic backdrops etc etc. you get the picture (no pun!). The rules stipulated that the photo you submitted had to be of YOUR vehicle and you had to be the registered owner. So with that I found my best 3 shots of my D90 and then compiled a set of my best images for friends (of their Rovers) and emailed them across to them. Turns out they are not as enthusiastic as myself and never submitted the entries but one of mine came through and made it into the top 50.
Land Rover Defender LED Upgrades
Electrical efficiency has been on my mind of late, especially with the continuing build of the overland trailer. On the trailer I have installed a series of 50cm LED strips in each compartment activated by door ‘courtesy’ switches’.
LED lights have a lot going for them and they particularly suit an overland vehicle set-up. The main draw (no pun) is the lack of power consumption over prolonged use and they also emit light at a higher colour temperature range giving a cleaner brighter look. LEDs are also waterproof, shockproof (solid state), stay cool in operation, require less wiring (thinner cables) contain no mercury and last much longer than conventional bulbs. Also due to the higher colour temperature LED light does not attract insects like incandescent bulbs. Handy when forging a path through the jungles of South America at night. or greenlaning at night through the Welsh wilderness. Its like an insect orgy when you open the door, they all come flooding in!
4×4 Overland ‘bug out’ / survival / grab bag
I wanted to post up some info on the above which I have been researching recently. Whilst It may initially seem a little bit extreme in this country, I would think it is worth considering for trips further afield, especially outside of the EU.
What am I banging on about?
A bag that contains a collection of gear that you could use in an emergency situation. I have had a long think and many a discussion and the only 2 likely senario’s I can see are: a) the vehicle catches fire and it cannot be put out. b) submerged vehicles, occupants have to escape (ie. fording rivers).
In either case, the vehicle is lost. (more…)
Alpacka ‘Denali Llama’ – 1st time out (UK)
I managed to pick up a Denali Llama here in the UK for reasonable money considering it is new. As far as I know there are less than a dozen of these in the UK at present but their popularity is increasing due to the low pack size and possibilities for extended adventures.
A new addition, the Gransfors Bruks Axe
At the Bristol & West Land Rover show this weekend I managed to finally get my hands on a Gransfors Bruks Axe (GBA). I have admired these for a number of years but could never really justify buying one. If you have seen these axes before you will know that GBA have been hand crafting axes for over 100 years and are some of the worlds finest.
Welsh Ride Thing 2012
The Bearbones Bikepacking event of the year has been and gone. A lot of time had been spent deliberating/organising kit prior to the event but the weather forecast finally made its mind up making kit choice easier (if not the answer I wanted to hear). It was going to be wet. Very wet.
Bristol Photo Marathon 2012
Well the Second Look Photo Marathon 2012 here in Bristol has passed. The format for those who do not know is you have/had from 1000 to 1700 to take a series of 20 photographs all of which had an outline theme (fire, earth, green fingers etc) and had to be taken in the order given. You returned the disposable camera and the organisers processed the films and put them all up for display at the Southbank Centre in Bedminster.
Zassenhaus Mokka Manual Coffee Grinder
Work for your coffee…
I recently picked up a vintage (1950 – 1960) Zassenhaus ‘Mokka’ coffee grinder on Ebay.de for a snip of the usual going rate. I could see it was a bit battered from the photo, the metal was heavily tarnished and the hardwood was well worn for years of use but it was still in one piece, how bad could it be?
MYOG Camera Tripod Leg Wrap
(Make Your Own Gear) Tripod leg wraps, custom and simple. Cheaper than the £35 neoprene ones in the shop.
I didn’t take any ‘step by step’ photos but its very straightforward if you know what your working with.
I recently decided to ditch the tripod bag and use a much more comfortable strap. The leg wraps make it much nicer to handle. Im using a Hanhel Triad 30 which is small and light (and cheap!) so it didn’t take much foam or wrap, I think the upper leg sections are only 30cm in length. Anyway, onto the detail…
Welsh Ride Thing Preparations
With the Welsh Ride Thing (WRT) around the corner I have had to think seriously about the amount of riding I’m doing and what will be achievable over the nearly 3 full days. I have mapped around 12 of the way-points and initially covering a distance of approximately 110km with nearly 3000m of climbing. I have added an extra 15km loop on the last day which incorporates an additional way-point should I be feeling up to it, Its on forest track and passes a nice lake. If I can get there Sunday night I will be over the moon!
Pentax ME Super test roll returned…
So I picked up the test roll today from Protographique in town, very pleased with the results. I initially loaded a roll or Kodak Ultra 400 but I left the motorwinder on in my backpack and, well, it ripped through almost 20 frames so I decided to not get it processed.
Pembrokeshire Sunset – Broadhaven
A recent trip to the far west coast of Wales gave way to a beautiful sunset and one of my most enjoyable shoots in recent years. Using my D70s DSLR I pushed well into the darkness and was still getting good results with exposures ranging from 6 to 20 seconds. Probably what I consider 3 of the best shown below.
The newly aquired Pentax Me Super
Recent return to 35mm film I found this fine example at the local camera store, boxed, for £9.99. Loaded with 400ISO Kodak Ultra we will see how I get on with a test roll. Looking to shoot mostly Black & White with this.
Lisa
Griff
Sirocco Overland | Сирокко Оверленд 