Schrader spark plug air pump

Schrader spark plug air pump advert

"Always use metal dust caps as unlike the plastic tyre these will form an air seal"

The 1974 'a guide to Land Rover expeditions' has a few interesting paragraphs on tyres, as the quote above indicates.  Metal dust caps are still available (check your local ebay) however I don't think I know anyone who has metal dust caps fitted!

One item in particular caught my attention: 'Spark plug air pump (Petrol models only)'
The paragraph continues: 'The latter is extremely useful, as manually inflating large tyres in hot conditions can be very exhausting'.

A Guide to Land Rover Expeditions (1974)

"Exercise care in applying the accelerator pedal as sudden power surges may induce wheel spin"

A very useful tip from the 1974 "a guide to Land-Rover expeditions" in the section "Hints on cross-country driving".

The guide book was originally posted on Oval News and can be downloaded as a PDF from the following link: a guide to Land-Rover expedtions

Dichotomy

The Dichotomy of an Overlander... (source: Overlandia)

*no other words needed to define this Land Rover advert...

#Motochat

Twitter: Motochat

I have been watching with interest as the hashtag Motochat has gained popularity.  What is it?
It's a weekly twitter chat for people who ride motorcycles - hosted by the Motochat team. They are also using Facebook and Google Plus.  Each week a topic is promoted and then discussed in detail during the hour session.  I think it's a fab way to meet new people that follow a similar interest.

Here's the latest Twitter search feed on #motochat:

Be sure to join the conversation each Wednesday.

Gravel roads...

Gravel roads are diminishing as the black bitumen creeps over the old dusty back roads of Australia.  It is getting harder to find those original gravel roads that have been immune to the creep of tarmac - yet one website in Australia is encouraging people to list their 4x4 routes and share them.

I stumbled upon 4x4Earth Australia in an effort to find alternative routes between the major cities. I was after gravel - lots of gravel.  My destination for the excursion was based on the 4x4 Earth route: Canberra - Goulburn: for those who think tar sucks.  With a title like that, I just had to follow the suggested GPS track.

I departed Canberra close to 6am so as to allow myself time to explore before beginning the full commute to the office.  Sunrise was schedule for 0626 which was perfect as I had a few kilometers to cover before the detour.