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Montana Overland Camp Opens // Swiss Army Knife of Toilets
Ordealist Newsletter August 6, 2024
Chris Emery
August 07, 2024
In today’s newsletter,
Overland Ranch opens
Watch out for that geyser!
Scoolie goes south, way south
Swiss Army Knife of toilets
News
XOverland Ranch Opens in Montana
In June, the team that created the XOverland documentary films opened the XOverland Ranch, a 500-acre adventure hub near the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana. The ranch offers cabins, camping, a clubhouse and bar, and off-road driving test courses. Automotive journalist Bryon Dorr was there for the recent grand opening and wrote about the ranch for Gear Junkie.
This SUV Drove into a Yosemite Geyser
In other Montana news, five adventurous souls had an unexpected dip in a hot, acidic pond at Yellowstone National Park when their SUV veered off the road and into an inactive geyser. Thankfully, they managed to escape the 105-degree water unscathed and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, but their vehicle needed a two-hour rescue mission from nine feet of water.
Pan American Highway in a Schoolie
This spring, a team of adventurers became the first people to complete the Pan-American Highway from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Fin Del Mundo, Argentina, in a converted school bus. They documented their trip at Polarsteps and on the Global Convoy YouTube channel.
The first people to drive a vehicle from the US to the tip of South America were three guys in a Plymouth in 1940/41.
How to Watch the Perseid Meteor Showers this August
The Perseid Meteor Shower, one of the significant annual spectacles in the night sky, will peak between August 11 - 13 this year. If you are wondering where to watch the shower, the International Dark Sky Places lists 145 prime locations across the United States.
Jeep Gladiator Flips a Car Fleeing Police
Next time I’m trying to convince my wife I need to get bigger tires on my Jeep, I’m showing her this video of a Jeep Gladiator putting the kibosh on a car fleeing the police. The car barrel rolls off the Jeep’s beefy tires as it tries to squeeze between it and a neighboring vehicle. The driver was later apprehended. See, big tires are worth the money…
Upcoming Events
Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival
August 8-11 - Huntington, Pennsylvania, USA
Overland Expo Mountain West
August 23-25 - Loveland, Colorado, USA
Keewena Overland Aventure Retreat
Sept 12-15 - Copper Harbor, Michigan, USA
Big Iron Overland Rally
Sept 27-28 - West Mineral, Kansas, USA
Pamona Off-Road Expo
Sept 28-29 - Pamona, California, USA
Trail Hero
Sept 29-Oct 5 - Hurricane, Utah, USA
Overland Expo East
October 4-6 - Arrington, Virginia, USA
Feralosophy
October 3-6 - Jasper, Arkansas, USA
The Pilgrimage Overland Festival
Oct 3-6 - South Royalton, Vermont, USA
Rendezvous in the Ozarks
Oct 10-11 - Ozark, Arkansas, USA
Copper State Overland
Oct 12-16 - Arizona, USA
Roof-Top Tent Rally
Oct 18-20 - Gladstone, Virginia, USA
Adventure Van Expo Big Bear
Oct 19-20 - Big Bear Lake, California, USA
If you know of an outdoors-related event in or around SoCal that you’d like to share with other subscribers, drop me a line at [email protected].
Gear
Ineos Grenadier Review
It’s hard to beat the looks of the old-school Land Rover Defender, with its boxy adventure vibes. You may have heard of the Ineos Grenadier, a vehicle made to capture the flavor of those classic overland rigs. I’ve seen a few Grenadiers rolling around San Diego lately, and my interest is piqued. If you, too, are curious, the video above by Doug DeMuro, known for his thorough—and quirky— reviews, is worth a watch. Ronnie Dahl also posted a video review after taking the Grenadier on a weeklong trip in the Australian outback.
Fuel Keg Refills Small Propane Tanks for Camping
Ever feel guilty about using those non-refillable 1-pound propane tanks as fuel for your camp stoves or lanterns? I do. Either throw your empties away, which seems like a huge waste, or lug them around until you find a place to recycle them, which is a pain. Mr. Heater Buddy has a solution: the Fuel Keg, which lets you refill and reuse these midsized propane tanks.
The Swiss Army Knife of Camp Toilets
The new GottaGo portable toilet from Australian company, Joolco, is the Swiss Army Knife of camp toilets. It can be used in three ways: as a chemical, bag, or composting toilet. Unlike chemical or bag toilets, GottaGo separates urine and solid waste by splitting the bowl into two compartments, which has some advantages.
4TH OF JULY DEALS
SPOT Satellite Comms Devices: $50 off
Skills
Overland Communication Basics: Two-Way Radios
Whether you are on a weekend off-road trip or a months-long overland expedition, being able to communicate from one vehicle to another while on the trail is critical. In this article, we go over the various radios typically used by overlanders and off-roaders for communications.