Exploration Quarterly

Jan 3, 2025 | exploringoverland.com | Jonathan Hanson

Why would anyone mount mud-terrain tires on a vehicle that rarely leaves the Sonoran Desert? Several people asked me that question, after I switched from the all-terrain tires I’d run for a decade or more on my 1973 FJ40, to a set of Firestone Destination M/T2s (after also considering the company’s Destination X/T, which has an all-terrain-oriented tread pattern). My answer surprised some of them, who teasingly assumed I’d gone for the butch looks.

Aug 15, 2023 | exploringoverland.com | Jonathan Hanson

Although I have tested and used—and enjoyed—many models and styles of roof tent, I strongly prefer ground tents for overland travel. Why? Several reasons. First is roominess. Even the biggest roof tent is no more spacious than a large backpacking tent, while the ground tents I like have standing headroom and space for full-size cots (which allow luggage to be stored underneath) plus a table and, depending on the floor size, chairs.

Jul 24, 2023 | exploringoverland.com | Jonathan Hanson

So, you’ve become used to the concept of a $1,000 battery. How about a $2,300 battery? It makes perfect sense that Redarc, the premier Australian maker of battery-management systems, would produce their own lithium battery. It also makes sense that it would debut at the very top of the heap in both performance and price. In addition to its impressive 150Ah storage capacity, the Alpha150 boasts a continuous discharge capability of 200 amps, allowing it to power a 2,000-watt inverter.